Sightline Payments will work with Visa to power its Play+ cards, which can help digitize the cash-heavy casino and gaming sector.

Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard in what could essentially create a video game monopoly has many, including the Federal Trade Commission, keeping a close eye on the gaming industry. The $68.7 billion acquisition would give Microsoft a leadership position with franchises like Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch.

FTC’s biggest antitrust test: Successfully blocking Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard could define Lina Khan’s tenure in the FTC. A legal skirmish with Big Tech will be long and expensive.

One year after the company’s name change, Meta’s business is in disarray. We explore the reasons for the downturn, our two-year outlook, and how companies that rely on Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta platforms should adjust their strategies.

While other publishers have struggled in the wake of Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT), Apple Search Ads has tripled its market share of mobile advertising since the first half of 2020, according to AppsFlyer’s latest “Performance Index.”

On today's episode, we discuss whether anyone can help Twitter regardless of who owns it, why physical stores could be the next major media channel, how companies are marketing around this year's World Cup, the significance of Google closing its gaming offering Stadia, how to sell a moment, an explanation of how digital grocery buyers are changing, how far an electric vehicle can go on one charge, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of forecasting Oscar Orozco and analysts Ross Benes and Blake Droesch.

More than 80% of video game developers worldwide were making games for PCs as of May 2022. For console and mobile games, that figure was closer to 40%.

Competition coming for the Switch: More powerful devices that can leverage 5G connectivity and vast libraries of popular PC and mobile games will be the foundation for next-generation handheld gaming.

Streamers are clamoring for video game adaptations: Netflix’s latest animated series shows why game publishers and streamers are striking so many deals.

According to video game developers, streaming will grow the most of any gaming platform by 2025, cited by 40% of those surveyed. Another 24% said mobile will grow the most, while fewer pointed to the metaverse or consoles.

Roblox isn’t growing: The young-skewing gaming/metaverse platform reported lower net bookings than Q2 2021.

On today's episode, we discuss why Spotify is cautiously optimistic, the potential of video podcasts, and whether TikTok Music could be the next big podcast app. "In Other News," we talk about why people buy smart speakers and how crucial gaming is for Netflix's future. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Daniel Konstantinovic and senior account director Michael Civins.

About half of internet users ages 10 to 41 spend money on video games worldwide, and younger users are more likely to cough up.

Paving the path to the metaverse: Unprecedented interest in the emerging metaverse might cool if the tech industry can’t sustain momentum on innovation and public enthusiasm during the downturn.

It’s been eight months since Facebook rebranded to Meta, but as our analyst Jasmine Enberg notes, “there won’t be a magical moment when we all suddenly enter the metaverse.”

Since seeing a major boost at the start of the pandemic, mobile gaming app downloads have moderated but held steady. In Q1 2022, there were 14.3 billion downloads of mobile games worldwide, 1.4% more than the same quarter in 2021.

Some 3% of US adults have already purchased real estate in a metaverse environment, and a further 8% are interested in staking their claim on a digital land plot. That said, more than half of US adults have never heard of virtual real estate, indicating we’re still a ways out from society going meta.

Though video gaming has been around for decades, it was the entertainment of choice for many during the pandemic.

Meta thinks users need stepping stones to the metaverse: Its Crayta announcement suggests many consumers need to be pushed along the “immersion continuum.”

Sony’s future gaming fortunes are in PC titles: The PlayStation maker is betting big on ports of its games on Windows PCs, a market where console rival Microsoft is already a dominant player.