Hello gamers! Today is Thursday, December 26, 2024, and welcome to today’s gaming morning report. I am your host, Shark Man Fish King. The main topics for today include Valve’s small size but exceptional profitability; ‘Dragon Age 4’ sales falling short of 1.5 million… We will bring you detailed information on these news items shortly, so stay tuned.
1. Valve’s Small Size but Exceptional Profitability
The game has incorporated a significant amount of diversity, equality, and inclusivity (DEI) elements, which have not been well received by the majority of players and have become a source of much controversy. Recently, an industry insider revealed that ‘Shadow Guardian’ has sold less than 1.5 million copies in the past two months, far below the developer’s expectation of 10 million copies in three months. Considering the game’s nearly decade-long development and substantial resource investment, the lower-than-expected sales performance is clearly insufficient to cover the development costs. According to Steam Charts data, ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops VI’ has seen a 37% decrease in average player count on Steam over the past 30 days, a drop significantly higher than its predecessors. ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops VI’ is considered a key installment in the series, with new mechanisms that significantly altered the core gameplay. The game’s single-player campaign has been widely praised by players, especially after the previous installments failed to meet the expectations for a single-player experience. The return of classic maps and the addition of new features led many to believe that the game had the perfect recipe for success. However, the initial enthusiasm after the game’s release quickly faded. Based on Steam Charts data, ‘Black Ops VI’ lost over 60,000 players over the past 30 days, with a 37% decline. Moreover, the game’s peak player count dropped from 300,000 in November to less than 200,000. Despite this, the game remains strong on console platforms, continuing to rank as the second most popular game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Many fans attribute the decline in player numbers to multiple factors. Firstly, some players express dissatisfaction with the potential use of AI-generated content in the game. Additionally, there are comments suggesting that ‘Black Ops VI’ lacks sufficient activity content compared to ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’, reducing player engagement. The next season’s update has not yet been released, leaving the game without a sense of novelty. However, the most criticized aspect is the game’s map design. Although some classic maps have returned, players generally believe they have not lived up to expectations, with some opinions suggesting that many players continue to play for the ‘Nuketown’ map. Concurrently, cheating issues have intensified after the game’s release, particularly on PC platforms, contributing to player attrition. A photo疑似 Nintendo’s new console was leaked by foreign blogger @NextHandheld, who referred to it as ‘the best-kept secret of the year’.
The image in question appears to be a side shot of the Switch2 prototype, held in hand to display its dimensions, which are similar to the Switch. On the console, there is a plus sign, while the other side features a Nintendo logo. Metal contacts are visible, seemingly matching the rumored magnetic Joy-Con, and the console’s stand is U-shaped, consistent with previous leaks. However, this alleged image of the Nintendo Switch 2 has been met with skepticism from Twitter users, with many believing it to be AI-generated due to the odd logo and uneven edges. Some users have even used AI image detectors to test the image, indicating a high likelihood of it being created by GenAI and MidJourney. This concludes today’s morning report, where we provide a quick update on significant domestic and international news from late last night to early this morning. I am Menghannayu King, wishing you all health and success in your work. We will meet again tomorrow. This article is produced and published by gamehiving, and republication is prohibited without permission.
