Welcome to another GamesBeat weekly roundup!
Activision Blizzard, Take-Two, Zynga, and more reported their quarterly earnings, and we covered them all. Also, we try to figure out what the Wii U’s legacy will be as Nintendo’s console takes its last breaths, and we launched the alpha episode of our new podcast, GamesBeat Decides.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Pieces of flair and opinion
- The DeanBeat: The time we put into games says a lot about us
- NES Classic’s wired controller is too short — MyArcade has a wireless solution
- The funniest character in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is … a robot
- Wii U: Figuring out the dying console’s legacy
- Listen to the alpha episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast
- How Skyrim’s PlayStation 4 remaster compares to the original on PC
- How Kid Icarus went from a one-man project to a Nintendo comeback story
- How Tekken keeps adapting, from arcades to esports
- Rating Nintendo’s names for its home gaming consoles
- How VR porn captivated the man behind Call of Duty’s Roman Wars prototype
News
- World of Warcraft: Legion sold 3.3 million copies on day one, matching past expansions
- Call of Duty, Hearthstone, and King push Activision to record in-game sales revenues
- Activision Blizzard generates $1.57 billion in Q3 revenue as Overwatch explodes
- Ubisoft grows thanks to The Division and digital sales, but Watch Dogs 2 preorders hurt guidance
- Battlefield 1 conquered launch, and DICE details plans for its next updates
- Amazon’s Lumberyard game engine makes your Twitch streaming easier
- Overwatch’s Plays.tv integration makes it easier to capture your highlights
- Morph 3D launches customizable 3D-animated avatars for virtual reality
- The Future Group raises $20 million to blend real-world video with virtual worlds
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf’s savvy retention update got me over my guilt
- NBA 2K17 and GTA V help Take-Two Interactive crush earnings
- Take-Two Interactive’s Mafia III shipped 4.5 million copies in first week
- Nintendo finally reveals Miitopia in Japan with an interactive trailer
- Twitch finds way to make ads better while bypassing blockers
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf gets Amiibo support in a free update
- Fove VR headset lets you play games using eye controls
- Twisted Metal veterans join CastAR dev staff to mix together gaming and reality
- HTML5 gaming studio Big Viking raises $21.75 million in funding
- U.S. VR hardware and software market to hit $38 billion by 2026
- EA: 63% of Q2’s $898 million in game revenues were digital
- Goal! Electronic Arts beats Q2 earnings as FIFA and mobile lift sales
- Unity debuts game engine, service, and VR updates for developers
- Journey studio Thatgamecompany teases its next game
- Mass Effect: Andromeda’s latest teaser trailer shows the future of marketing is still newsletters
- Nintendo will reportedly stop Wii U production this year (updated)
- Minecraft: Education Edition launches in 50 countries
- Doctor Strange is the latest blockbuster to get promotional VR experiences
- Hearthstone caster, streamer Amaz turns to Kickstarter for 2nd season of Team League
- Fig launches crowdfunding campaign for indie horror title Jazon and the Dead
- Seagate launches a 512GB SSD drive for Xbox One
- THQ Nordic acquires rights to all NovaLogic titles including Delta Force
- Nvidia developed VR to simulate and design its $370 million headquarters
Mobile and social
- Glu Mobile appoints former EA studio exec Nick Earl as its new CEO
- Zynga keeps chipping away at its turnaround under Frank Gibeau
- CSR2 mobile racing game helps Zynga hit $197 million in bookings for third quarter
- Pokémon Go’s Halloween event continues to give out sweet treats
- ToneTree launches Kickstarter for Oak augmented reality playground
- Google’s Daydream View VR headset launches November 10
- PayPal data: 78% of U.S. gamers play on smartphones; PS4 edges out PC gaming
- FlowPlay launches Dynasty Football fantasy card game
- Air Hogs Connect: Mission Drone debuts with augmented reality game
- Hollywood studios team up with Jam City’s TinyCo on Family Guy game Halloween event
- EA keeps fans coming back to the Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes mobile game
Previews, reviews, and interviews
- How the game investors at Signia Venture Partners have steered into VR
- Infinity Ward’s new chief marched his developers to a comeback with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s nonstop action and epic story redeems Infinity Ward
- Holding off the robot swarm in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- The first 15 minutes of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has ferocious firefights
- Watch us play Hide and Shriek, the head-to-head ghost simulator
- SteelSeries Arctis 5 headset struggles with comfort while nailing style and sound
- Razer DeathAdder Elite is the best mouse for gaming
- Developers share insights from Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare beta