Square Enix revenues fall over the past nine months to $1.6bn - Related to months, revenues, today's, 2, past
Square Enix revenues fall over the past nine months to $1.6bn
Square Enix released its financial earnings for the nine months ending December 31, 2024, reporting a decrease in net sales attributed to "weakness in existing titles" in its mobile and PC browser sub-segment.
The firm also saw a drop in Digital Entertainments revenue, including its video games business, due to new titles generating lower sales than Final Fantasy 16 and Dragon Quest: The Dark Prince the previous year.
Net sales: ¥[website] billion ($[website] billion, down [website] year-on-year).
¥[website] billion ($[website] billion, down [website] year-on-year) Profit: ¥[website] billion ($[website] million, down [website] year-on-year).
¥[website] billion ($[website] million, down [website] year-on-year) Digital entertainment net sales: ¥[website] billion ($[website] billion, down [website] year-on-year).
Despite a drop in overall net sales in its Digital Entertainment segment, Square Enix saw a [website] increase in operating profit for its HD games subsection to ¥[website] billion ($[website] million) compared to the same period last year.
The firm attributed this to "lower development cost amortisation and advertising expenses", in addition to stronger sales of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D "than initially assumed" which launched in November 2024.
Square Enix also saw a [website] rise in net sales for its MMO sub-segment, reaching ¥44 billion ($[website] million) following the release of Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail in July 2024.
Looking at its mobile and PC browser sub-segment, the firm saw a significant decline of [website] in operating profit to ¥[website] billion ($[website] million) compared to the same period last year.
The firm acknowledged that despite the launch of its puzzle RPG Emberstoria in November 2024, there was a drop due to "weakness in existing titles, the recognition of royalty revenue in the previous fiscal year, and a valuation write-down associated with content production account."
Looking ahead, Square Enix stated there were no changes in its forecast for the fiscal year, which were revealed during its FY24 results .
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Ubisoft revenues decline 31.4% to €990m
Ubisoft has released its financial results for the nine months ending December 31, 2024, reporting significant declines in revenues and net bookings.
The firm remains optimistic, however, with the upcoming release of Assassin's Creed Shadows. Pre-sales of the title are reported to be "tracking solidly" and on par with the franchise's second-highest earner, Odyssey.
For the nine months ending December 31, 2024.
Revenue: €990 million (down [website] year-on-year).
€990 million (down [website] year-on-year) Net bookings: €944 million (down [website].
€944 million (down [website] Digital net bookings: €784 million (down [website].
€784 million (down [website] Back-catalogue net bookings: €[website] million (down [website].
For the three months ending December 31, 2024.
€[website] million Digital net bookings: €[website] million.
Despite a significant [website] decline year-on-year in net bookings for Q3, Ubisoft highlighted that this was in line with its revised expectation of €300 million for the period.
Ubisoft remains optimistic about its next quarter, and is expecting net bookings to increase following the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows on March 20.
Pre-sales from the title are "tracking solidly," with CFO Frederick Duguet noting in an earnings call (via PC Gamer) that sales are in line with Odyssey.
While the firm noted it has a "solid back catalogue and expected material partnerships" to come in Q4, the increase in revenues will hinge on the launch of Shadows.
"Early previews have been positive, praising its narrative and immersive experience, with both characters playing critical roles in the game's storyline, as well as the quality and complementarity of the gameplay provided by the dual protagonist approach," introduced Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot.
"I want to commend the incredible talent and dedication of the entire Assassin's Creed team, who is working tirelessly to ensure that Shadows delivers on the promise of what is the franchise's most ambitious entry yet."
Looking at the first nine months of the fiscal year, Ubisoft recorded 36 million monthly active clients across console and PC. As for playtime and session days per player, these rose by 4% and 7%, respectively.
Ubisoft noted that its online tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege delivered a "resilient performance" during Q3, and experienced a growth in session days per player.
By the end of the quarter, the title achieved the highest monthly average revenue per paying user since its release in 2015.
The Crew Motorfest also saw its highest monthly player count during the quarter, with session days increasing 38% year-on-year. The firm noted that its "retention and monetisation metrics continue to significantly outperform those of The Crew 2 since launch."
Regarding its ongoing cost reduction plan, the firm says it is "ahead of schedule" following recent cuts at two UK studios – Leamington and Reflections – in addition to Ubisoft Düsseldorf and Ubisoft Stockholm.
Last December, Ubisoft presented it would sunset its free-to-play shooter XDefiant this year. This decision resulted in the closure of two production studios and layoffs affecting almost 300 employees.
Despite this, Ubisoft has showcased "further targeted restructuring" but has not specified what this will mean for employees across its portfolio.
"As a result of disciplined execution, we have unveiled further targeted restructuring, making difficult but necessary choices," expressed Guillemot.
"[We] now expect to exceed our cost reduction plan by the end of FY25, ahead of schedule. We plan to pursue our efforts in FY26, going beyond the initial target by a significant margin."
Guillemot also provided an revision on the ongoing formal review of its strategic options, which was unveiled last month.
"Ultimately, the objective is to unlock the best value from our assets for our stakeholders and to foster the best conditions to create great games in a fast-evolving market. We are convinced there are different potential paths to achieve this ambition."
One of these potential paths is a buyout from Tencent, reports of which first emerged in October 2024.
In response to these reports, CFO Duguet noted Ubisoft would not "comment on specific rumours" and would "inform the market if and when a transaction materalises."
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Today's Wordle answer for Sunday, March 2
In theory, I had everything I needed to solve today's Wordle with rows to spare. I'd ruled out some common letters, revealed some helpful clues, and was generally all set up to win. The only problem was I managed to completely miss one particular letter I still had available, and if I'd spotted it sooner I could've saved myself a whole heap of trouble.
Wordle today: A hint for Sunday, March 2.
Today's winning word is a general term for a god, goddess, or any other sort of divine being.
Is there a double letter in Wordle today?
No, there is not a double letter in today's puzzle.
Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day.
If you've decided to play Wordle but you're not sure where to start, I'll help set you on the path to your first winning streak. Make all your guesses count and become a Wordle winner with these quick tips:
A good opener has a mix of common vowels and consonants.
The answer could contain the same letter, repeated.
Avoid words that include letters you've already eliminated.
You're not racing against the clock so there's no reason to rush. In fact, it's not a bad idea to treat the game like a casual newspaper crossword and come back to it later if you're coming up blank. Sometimes stepping away for a while means you can come back with a fresh perspective.
Stuck? The answer to the March 2 (1352) Wordle is DEITY.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most essential stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors.
Previous Wordle solutions can help to eliminate guesses for today's Wordle, as the answer isn't likely to be repeated. They can also give you some solid ideas for starting words that keep your daily puzzle-solving fresh.
There are six rows of five boxes presented to you by Wordle each day, and you'll need to work out which five-letter word is hiding among them to win the daily puzzle.
Start with a strong word like ALIVE—or any other word with a good mix of common consonants and multiple vowels. You should also avoid starting words with repeating letters, so you don't waste the chance to confirm or eliminate an extra letter. Once you've typed your guess and hit Enter, you'll see which letters you've got right or wrong. If a box turns ⬛️, it means that letter isn't in the secret word at all. 🟨 means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. 🟩 means you've got the right letter in the right spot.
Your second guess should compliment the first, using another "good" word to cover any common letters you might have missed on the first row—just don't forget to avoid any letter you now know for a fact isn't present in today's answer. After that, it's just a case of using what you've learned to narrow your guesses down to the correct word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words and don't forget letters can repeat too (eg: BOOKS).
If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips , and if you'd like to find out which words have already been used you can scroll to the relevant section above.
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Market Impact Analysis
Market Growth Trend
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0% | 7.2% | 7.5% | 8.4% | 8.8% | 9.1% | 9.2% |
Quarterly Growth Rate
| Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5% | 8.8% | 9.0% | 9.2% |
Market Segments and Growth Drivers
| Segment | Market Share | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Console Gaming | 28% | 6.8% |
| Mobile Gaming | 37% | 11.2% |
| PC Gaming | 21% | 8.4% |
| Cloud Gaming | 9% | 25.3% |
| VR Gaming | 5% | 32.7% |
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity:
Competitive Landscape Analysis
| Company | Market Share |
|---|---|
| Sony PlayStation | 21.3% |
| Microsoft Xbox | 18.7% |
| Nintendo | 15.2% |
| Tencent Games | 12.8% |
| Epic Games | 9.5% |
Future Outlook and Predictions
The Revenues Square Enix landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements, changing threat vectors, and shifting business requirements. Based on current trends and expert analyses, we can anticipate several significant developments across different time horizons:
Year-by-Year Technology Evolution
Based on current trajectory and expert analyses, we can project the following development timeline:
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity, influencing adoption timelines and investment priorities:
Innovation Trigger
- Generative AI for specialized domains
- Blockchain for supply chain verification
Peak of Inflated Expectations
- Digital twins for business processes
- Quantum-resistant cryptography
Trough of Disillusionment
- Consumer AR/VR applications
- General-purpose blockchain
Slope of Enlightenment
- AI-driven analytics
- Edge computing
Plateau of Productivity
- Cloud infrastructure
- Mobile applications
Technology Evolution Timeline
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
Expert Perspectives
Leading experts in the gaming tech sector provide diverse perspectives on how the landscape will evolve over the coming years:
"Technology transformation will continue to accelerate, creating both challenges and opportunities."
— Industry Expert
"Organizations must balance innovation with practical implementation to achieve meaningful results."
— Technology Analyst
"The most successful adopters will focus on business outcomes rather than technology for its own sake."
— Research Director
Areas of Expert Consensus
- Acceleration of Innovation: The pace of technological evolution will continue to increase
- Practical Integration: Focus will shift from proof-of-concept to operational deployment
- Human-Technology Partnership: Most effective implementations will optimize human-machine collaboration
- Regulatory Influence: Regulatory frameworks will increasingly shape technology development
Short-Term Outlook (1-2 Years)
In the immediate future, organizations will focus on implementing and optimizing currently available technologies to address pressing gaming tech challenges:
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
These developments will be characterized by incremental improvements to existing frameworks rather than revolutionary changes, with emphasis on practical deployment and measurable outcomes.
Mid-Term Outlook (3-5 Years)
As technologies mature and organizations adapt, more substantial transformations will emerge in how security is approached and implemented:
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
This period will see significant changes in security architecture and operational models, with increasing automation and integration between previously siloed security functions. Organizations will shift from reactive to proactive security postures.
Long-Term Outlook (5+ Years)
Looking further ahead, more fundamental shifts will reshape how cybersecurity is conceptualized and implemented across digital ecosystems:
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
These long-term developments will likely require significant technical breakthroughs, new regulatory frameworks, and evolution in how organizations approach security as a fundamental business function rather than a technical discipline.
Key Risk Factors and Uncertainties
Several critical factors could significantly impact the trajectory of gaming tech evolution:
Organizations should monitor these factors closely and develop contingency strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts on technology implementation timelines.
Alternative Future Scenarios
The evolution of technology can follow different paths depending on various factors including regulatory developments, investment trends, technological breakthroughs, and market adoption. We analyze three potential scenarios:
Optimistic Scenario
Rapid adoption of advanced technologies with significant business impact
Key Drivers: Supportive regulatory environment, significant research breakthroughs, strong market incentives, and rapid user adoption.
Probability: 25-30%
Base Case Scenario
Measured implementation with incremental improvements
Key Drivers: Balanced regulatory approach, steady technological progress, and selective implementation based on clear ROI.
Probability: 50-60%
Conservative Scenario
Technical and organizational barriers limiting effective adoption
Key Drivers: Restrictive regulations, technical limitations, implementation challenges, and risk-averse organizational cultures.
Probability: 15-20%
Scenario Comparison Matrix
| Factor | Optimistic | Base Case | Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implementation Timeline | Accelerated | Steady | Delayed |
| Market Adoption | Widespread | Selective | Limited |
| Technology Evolution | Rapid | Progressive | Incremental |
| Regulatory Environment | Supportive | Balanced | Restrictive |
| Business Impact | Transformative | Significant | Modest |
Transformational Impact
Technology becoming increasingly embedded in all aspects of business operations. This evolution will necessitate significant changes in organizational structures, talent development, and strategic planning processes.
The convergence of multiple technological trends—including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and ubiquitous connectivity—will create both unprecedented security challenges and innovative defensive capabilities.
Implementation Challenges
Technical complexity and organizational readiness remain key challenges. Organizations will need to develop comprehensive change management strategies to successfully navigate these transitions.
Regulatory uncertainty, particularly around emerging technologies like AI in security applications, will require flexible security architectures that can adapt to evolving compliance requirements.
Key Innovations to Watch
Artificial intelligence, distributed systems, and automation technologies leading innovation. Organizations should monitor these developments closely to maintain competitive advantages and effective security postures.
Strategic investments in research partnerships, technology pilots, and talent development will position forward-thinking organizations to leverage these innovations early in their development cycle.
Technical Glossary
Key technical terms and definitions to help understand the technologies discussed in this article.
Understanding the following technical concepts is essential for grasping the full implications of the security threats and defensive measures discussed in this article. These definitions provide context for both technical and non-technical readers.
platform intermediate
AR intermediate
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