Subscriptions are becoming increasingly important to the video game industry: That’s the lesson from Sony’s launch of its new service, which is set to take on Microsoft’s Game Pass.

Sony to buy Bungie for $3.6B in latest gaming mega-deal: Acquisition looks to be a long-term play to secure future exclusives, but consolidation could stifle future innovation.

ES: Pricing, performance, and ease of use dictated who owned the market in the early days of personal computing. Today, VR ecosystems and platforms continue that trend as the metaverse takes shape: Consumers, developers, and content producers will eventually decide the future of the metaverse, but they will be limited by hardware’s capabilities. We look at the state of VR hardware, the key players, and how gaming could serve as a gateway to VR/AR adoption.

Samsung smart TVs will bring video games to users this year: The connected TV (CTV) manufacturer partners with several game streaming services in a move that could spur similar features from rivals.

Among US gamers, PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass are the most popular video game subscription services, used by 21% and 18% of those ages 18 and older, respectively.

Facebook’s consumer VR advantage: Recent VR headset announcements show device-makers are increasingly pivoting toward enterprise customers as a result of Oculus’ unbeatable price point.

Sony integrates Discord: Two weeks after Microsoft’s efforts to buy Discord crumbled, Sony announced an investment in and partnership with Discord that will embed it in its gaming services.

Digital gaming and viewership of gaming video content (GVC) has become more popular amid the pandemic. In 2021, some of this activity will see modest growth, while interest in other forms of gaming will taper off.

eMarketer principal analyst Mark Dolliver, junior analyst Blake Droesch and vice president of content studio at Insider Intelligence Paul Verna discuss TikTok's chances of not getting banned, Spotify video podcasts, Pandora's interactive voice ads, HBO Max sign-ups so far, TV ads in console games, why American farmhouses are typically painted red and more.

This report looks at how digital technology fits into the daily lives of US kids—digital natives who, compared with teens and young adults, aren’t really all that digital.