Joost van Dreunen
@superjoost.bsky.social
Subscribe: superjoost.substack.com (over 14,000 subs!) Academic and entrepreneur with expertise in video games • Author of ONE UP • Advisor @ Makers Fund • Teaches @NYUStern • Hosts @UNBOXINGpod
"It’s less about someone directly ordering a business to behave in a certain way. It’s much more about how that shapes the norms of everyone who’s interacting with it. What conversations do you choose not to have? What things are you willing to sacrifice to get access to this money?”
In 2010, four of the thirteen largest game companies operated a platform: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Tencent. Fifteen years later, nine of them do. The explanation is twofold: 1. Expanding digital distribution has let platforms capture a growing share of industry spending,
Traditional toy makers have been outperforming game publishers over the past twelve months. Hasbro and Asmodee are up 31% and +41%, respectively. Meanwhile, Konami, Capcom, Kadokawa, and Square Enix show single-digit growth or a decline.
The cost of staying in has declined, while going out (e.g., dinner, movies) has become more expensive, according to an FT analysis. Video games have become cheaper, its data shows, which I assume is because free-to-play and mobile games have flooded the market over this period.
The GTA 6 preview shows a significant technical upgrade to the game's visuals and gameplay mechanics. Offering a much higher fidelity and detail, with Rockstar saying the interior environments are 'hand-crafted' is a noticeable visual improvement.
Now, a decade later, esports is both more prominent and an entirely different animal. The category has come a long way from its initially outsized valuations. Both the pandemic and the irrational exuberance around key financial moments have taken the wind out of its sails.
Rockstar's $399 collector's box is a marvel. In a way, it is the first tangible evidence yet of the scope of Take-Two's ambition and commercial expectations.
Aside from the annual spike around the holiday season and the temporary jump in May after the April price cut, sign-ups for Xbox's Game Pass service have remained largely flat for a year.
Getting rid of physical discs makes perfect business sense for firms like Sony. It improves margins, reflects how consumers have been buying video game software for years, and removes several important friction points.
Starting in November, Game Pass Ultimate buys you fifteen hours of cloud play a month, Premium gets ten, and Essential gets five. That last one works out to an average of ten minutes a day. And if you want more, Microsoft will now gladly sell it to you by the hour.
After decades as the dominant retailer in gaming, GameStop is now clearly exiting the market. Video game sales, as part of GameStop’s total revenue, have been declining for years. It tells you everything you need to know about the next generation of console gaming. Link in the comments.
Big Tech players are shifting from buying and developing content themselves to becoming distribution hubs.
Promoting the new is great, but what if people prefer to buy the old? In the first half of 2026, Steam generated $11.1 billion in revenue, up $1.41 billion from the previous year. Yet none of that growth came from new releases.
31.1 million views within the first four days of GTA VI's Extended Look on Netflix. Wild. Source: www.netflix.com/tudum/top10
Stoked to see that Substack has finally added a separate Games category. Now I can finally tell my mom that studying video games was all worth it. ❤️
Gaming hardware prices are rising. What are the options for console manufacturers, developers, and retailers? Here's what experts say. #games #gaming #gamesindustry #hardware #AI #retail igmonline.de/story/igm-09... @superjoost.bsky.social @georgeosborn.bsky.social @bitkom.org @pcghde.bsky.social
Was die steigenden Hardware-Preise mit der Games-Branche machen
Die Preise für Gaming-Hardware steigen unaufhörlich – vor allem bei Arbeitsspeicher, Grafikkarten und ganz allgemein Konsolen. Dass das mit dem KI-Boom zu tun hat, ist klar. Nur: Wie lange machen die ...
igmonline.de
Looks like this year's Gamescom was a hit with attendance up 3% from last year.
GTA VI looks beautiful. Really enjoyed yesterday‘s preview. Felt like a cross-breed between GTA, Red Dead, and Max Payne. Can‘t wait. Will have some thoughts on it when I get back to Brooklyn.
Long tail or blockbusters? Digital entertainment offers unique affordances and constraints. To understand the shifting economics, gaming has an answer. superjoost.substack.com/p/revenge-of...
Revenge of Steam's mid-market
Gamers are spending more on games than ever. They're just not new ones.
superjoost.substack.com
I just don’t think I have that many more emails left in me.
Madrid issues first statement after Spain beats Argentina in the 2026 World Cup.
shoutout to all my Dutchies staying up past their bedtime to watch the game 🇳🇱⚽️
Some of us out here doing live interviews at midnight about the #GTA6 launch that’s happening literal months from now. ❤️🕹️ #eatplaylove
took him long enough but Messi finally beat my record of world cup goals scored.
shoutout to the electric company asking me if I want to pay my monthly bill 8 days early. appreciate you.
I have put together the numbers for video games on Kickstarter last year and the blog post is going over them. Short summary as a thread medium.com/icopartners/...
Kickstarter & Video Games in 2025
After a few years of hiatus, I am bringing back the review of the numbers for video games on Kickstarter. Last year, I did a talk at GDC…
medium.com
