Blizzard's billion dollar quarter. Gang gang, data so good. And a teardown of the industry essential facts
Earning season has begun. WTF is NPC streaming. And can industry research be any cheaper?
In this week’s episode of UNBOXING, we explore the recent earnings reports of gaming giants Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft. The former, bolstered by the exceptional performance of Diablo 4, brought in a whopping $2.5 billion. In addition, the company saw 160% YoY growth for Blizzard, attracting 10 million players for the game in June alone. Activision’s mobile branch, King Digital, also impressed, with Candy Crush's revenue rising by 10% YoY.
The latter, Ubisoft, painted a different picture as its earnings came in at $298 million, down from the same period last year. However, the French game maker managed to exceed its own guidance, despite a downturn in digital sales by 8%. Wall Street loved it and promptly increased its price targets.
Next, we disentangle the viral sensation of “NPC streaming,” where popular female TikTokers mimic the often erratic and incoherent behavior of non-player characters (NPCs) in response to virtual gifts from their viewers. The hosts discuss the monetization strategies used by these streamers, the cultural implications of NPC streaming, and its roots in the phenomena of cam girls and e-girls. Laine also educates Joost on the role Congressional legislation around online sex work plays in creating these new forms of erotic, gamer-infused commerce.
And lastly, we take apart this year’s Entertainment Software Association 2023 Essential Facts Report. Typically an at least somewhat interesting barometer of the US game industry, this year’s report has all the flavor of burnt toast. We review its statistics without pulling punches on its lack of depth and historical context. But Joost brings an unexpected treat to the conversation: a 20-year dive into the ESA’s taxes. Why does the report look so cheap when the ESA’s president makes so much?
Listen in and find out…