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Nintendo raises forecasts on the back of the Switch 2
Nintendo is reaping the success of their latest console launch, the Switch 2, according to the numbers released in its latest earnings report. The successor to the Switch was released in June this year, and broke console sales records during its first week. The Japanese gaming titan is now reporting that 10.36 million units have been sold, with 19 million expected by the end of the financial year, finishing in March 2026. This is up 4 million from a previous forecast. Games exclusive to the Switch 2 have also been a boon, with 20.62 million games also sold since launch, though this increased forecast was less ambitious, with Switch 2 game sales expected to come in at 48 million instead of 45 million. The combined success of the new handheld console, on the hardware and software fronts, has been benefiting Nintendo across the board, with the latest earnings report showing that profit rose more than 270% year-on-year, landing at JP¥102.9 billion against the ¥63.6 billion forecast. Net profit also landed higher than expected at ¥102.9 billion compared to ¥63.6 billion expected. At the time of writing, Nintendo (TYO: 7974) stock was trading at ¥12,945, easing 0.8% from Monday's close. Nintendo's market cap stands
Gaming
EA net sales slide as Saudi-led buyout looms
Electronic Arts (EA) saw sales fall by 13% year-over-year just after the company announced it was lined up to go private a month ago. The gaming company attributes the drop in net sales to the strong sales for “College Football 25” at the same time last year. Net revenue for the company reached US$1.84 billion for the quarter, which is a downgrade from the US$2.02 it reached in the second quarter of last year. However, the company reported earnings per share of 54 cents, surpassing Wall Street expectations of 35 cents per share. Alongside issuing its financial details, the company said it would forgo its usual quarterly Q&A call between analysts and EA leadership and would no longer be issuing financial guidance. This choice is attributed to the gaming giants' pending US$55 billion deal to be taken private by Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners. The buyout is expected to close by June 2026, which is the end of EA’s first fiscal quarter for 2027. If the deal goes through, EA shareholders will receive US$210 per share in cash, representing a premium 25% as of the company’s closing share price on 25 September. Following the acquisition, Andrew Wilson will re
Gaming
EA to abandon Wall St battlefield for US$50bn payday
Electronic Arts is lined up to go private in what could be Wall Street's largest leveraged buyout in history from Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners finalising the takeover, which could drop as early as next week. Shares in the gaming giant rocketed 15% on Friday when news broke, and at around US$50 billion, this smashes TXU Energy's previous go-private record from 2007 and values EA at a chunky premium to its current US$43 billion market cap. But why are these financial heavyweights throwing such serious coin at a video game outfit? Maybe it's because EA isn't just selling titles, it's providing a huge income-generating subscription service too. Top titles such as FIFA, Madden NFL, and The Sims are played by millions of punters that happily pay for the privilege year after year, with the company banking US$7.58 billion in FY 2025 takings at a steady 3% growth. Publishers now trade at 13.8x EBITDA multiples, while mobile developers languish at 4.7x.The buyersGlobal equity fund Silver Lake knows tech acquisitions inside out (they took Dell private) and Saudi Arabia's PIF is diversifying beyond oil at breakneck speed, having already dropped US$4.9 billion on Scopely l
Gaming
Nintendo Switch 2 powers growth, profit margins shrink
Nintendo's first quarter revenue exploded 132% to ¥572.3 billion (US$3.8 billion) as the Switch 2's blockbuster debut dominated earnings - though the hardware's lower profit margins mean the Kyoto giant isn't counting its coins just yet. The Japanese gaming giant shifted 5.82 million units of its latest console in its first quarter after launching globally on 5 June, marking what Nintendo calls its strongest four-day debut in company history. Mario Kart World bundled hardware proved wildly popular, but the success comes with strings attached. Yet while revenue soared, operating profit barely budged at ¥56.9 billion - a modest 4.4% increase. Hardware now represents 64.8% of Nintendo's dedicated gaming platform sales, up from 40.2% last year, and the Switch 2 carries significantly thinner margins than its predecessor. That saw gross profit margins collapse from 61.8% to 32.3% - an inevitable trade-off for selling expensive tech instead of high-margin software. And digital sales declined 13.5% to ¥69.8 billion, despite accounting for 59.3% of software revenue. It should be noted that the Switch 2 game catalogue is still in its infancy - meaning there's big margins for growth in the software division as marquee an
Gaming
EA beats Q1 targets, eyes strong FY26 growth
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) posted a solid start to fiscal year 2026, reporting Q1 net bookings of $1.298 billion — above its $1.275 billion guidance. Net revenue rose slightly year-over-year to $1.671 billion, while net income fell to $201 million from $280 million. Diluted earnings per share came in at $0.79, down from $1.04 in Q1 FY25. Analysts at LSEG predicted 63-cent earnings per share (EPS) on $1.24 billion in revenue. EA attributes the performance to strong contributions from EA SPORTS titles, Apex Legends, and record bookings in FC Mobile.Credit: Electronic ArtsOperationally, EA saw broad-based growth across its portfolio, with EA SPORTS F1 25 and Global Football leading gains. The company also returned significant value to shareholders, repurchasing 3 million shares for $375 million in Q1, and declaring a $0.19 dividend payable on 17 September. Operating cash flow for the quarter was $17 million, with trailing twelve-month figures showing $7.474 billion in net revenue and $1.976 billion in cash flow. Looking ahead, EA reaffirmed its FY26 guidance, projecting net bookings between $7.6 billion and $8.0 billion and net revenue between $7.1 billion and $7.5 billion. Q2 expectations include net b

Gaming
Video game voice actor strike ends after deal made
Hollywood video game voice actors have signed a new contract with a focus on AI, according to the actors' union SAG-AFTRA. Around 2,5000 members of SAG-AFTRA were involved in the strike against 10 of the biggest gaming companies, including Activision and Electronic Arts. According to the union, 95% of the members voted in favour of the new Interactive Media Agreement, which included AI guardrails as well as pay and health protections. "AI was the centrepiece of our proposal package," video game voice actor and member of the negotiation committee Sarah Elmaleh told Reuters after the new agreement passed. The agreement includes a compounded interest in performer compensation of 15.17% upon ratification, plus additional 3% increase in November 2025, November 2026 and November 2027. The overtime rate maximum for over-scale performers will also be doubled based on scale. Health and retirement rates for the AFTRA Retirement Fund will also increase from 16.5% to 17% and then to 17.5% in October 2026. In protection of performers' health, the contract also offers more safety measures for motion caption performers. "There are folks who not only give their voices to these characters, but their bodies, and they put the
Gaming
Video game news site Kotaku sold to Keleops
Video game news outlet Kotaku has been sold to European media company Keleops, as former owner G/O Media winds down its operations. Kotaku had been owned by G/O Media since 2019. While G/O Media once owned news and humour websites like Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Jezebel, and The Onion, it began selling much of its portfolio in 2023. “Kotaku isn’t just a brand — it’s a home for gamers and a place where the culture keeps moving forward. We are honoured to shape its future and make such an iconic gaming brand part of our family, as part of our bold vision for Keleops and ongoing U.S. expansion,” said Keleops CEO Jean-Guillaume Kleis Keleops, based in Switzerland, also owns French-language technology and culture websites including 01net and Journal Du Geek. It did not disclose the deal’s price. It acquired Gizmodo from G/O Media in 2024, the company’s first purchase outside of Europe. Keleops says Gizmodo’s global audience has quadrupled since the acquisition. “Building on our astonishing success with Gizmodo thus far, we are committed to taking Kotaku to the next horizon, reinforcing its status as a must-read for gamers and anyone curious about gaming,” said Kleis. Kotaku’s editorial staff will remain on the website, with
Gaming
digiDirect snaps up Mwave after Esel collapse
Electronics retailer, Mwave has been sold to the digiDirect Group following its parent company Esel, entering voluntary administration. In a business update on Mwave’s blog, the business said it would continue to trade from its Lidcombe headquarters before transferring its operations to the digiDirect Group’s headquarters in South Strathfield, Sydney. All current Mwave employees have also been offered roles under its new owners. “Under the new management, our vision is to build on the Mwave operation that customers know and love and utilise the resources and expertise within The digiDirect Group,” the company stated. “The digiDirect Group and its subsidiary companies [have] a long history and stellar reputation of serving its customers and broader industry with excellence on a consistent basis. Mwave will be no exception to this.” All orders and transactions from Mwave will also remain the same according to the update. DigiDirect Group CEO Shant Kradjian said Mwave would greatly complement the business. “The business has been a pioneer in the technology space and enables us to drive scale in a fast-growing category, borne from consumer demand, fuelled by the continued growth of the gaming community,” Kradjian
Gaming
Nintendo Switch 2 breaks console sales record
Nintendo's newly launched Switch 2 has broken all sales records for gaming consoles. The handheld console is the successor to the original Switch, which hit shelves in 2017. Nintendo reported on Wednesday that the Switch 2 had sold over 3.5 million units in the first four days. This made it their top-selling console and the third-best-selling console of all time. The enhanced device comes with an improved screen and processing power, but also with a higher price tag. The Switch 2 will set Australian consumers back $700 without games or additional controllers and accessories. However, Nintendo has still predicted it will sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles over this financial year. "Fans around the world are showing their enthusiasm for Nintendo Switch 2 as an upgraded way to play at home and on the go,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Doug Bowser in a statement. “We are thankful for their response and happy to see the fun they are already having with Nintendo Switch 2."