gaming companies

Sony will not attend CES 2027, according to an Engadget report, as the company shifts its focus toward entertainment. The move marks a notable absence for one of the tech show's longtime exhibitors and signals Sony's growing emphasis on gaming, film, music and other content businesses over traditional consumer electronics showcases.

Qualcomm has announced two new flagship phone chips, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and a new 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The company positions both as flagship processors, with spec differences between them described as relatively minor, focusing on improved AI processing, video capture, and gaming performance. Coverage is framing the move as Qualcomm's ongoing push into on-device AI for premium smartphones.

Niantic Spatial is adapting the spatial mapping technology behind Pokémon GO into spatial AI designed for robots, according to a report by South Korea's Chosun Ilbo. The move signals the company's push beyond mobile gaming into robotics, leveraging years of real-world 3D mapping data collected from players. The announcement is drawing attention in robotics circles as spatial intelligence becomes a key area of competition.

Payments company EBANX has announced a partnership with NetEase Games Club to offer local payment methods across Latin America, one of the fastest-growing video game markets in the world. The deal lets players in the region pay for NetEase games through familiar domestic options instead of international cards. The move is being read as part of a broader push by global game publishers to capture spending power in emerging markets.

NBCUniversal is reportedly considering a move into video games as Comcast prepares to separate the media company into a standalone entity. The plan would mark a significant push into gaming for the studio behind major franchises, though no official announcement or details on timing and investment have been confirmed.

Sony will not take part in CES 2027, with reports saying the company is shifting its priorities toward entertainment content rather than the hardware showcases the trade show is known for. The move marks a notable departure from one of the tech industry's biggest stages and fits Sony's broader emphasis on games, music, film and other media businesses.

Payments company Ebanx is working to broaden payment access for gamers across Latin America, a region where many players lack access to traditional banking and credit cards. The push reflects growing interest in serving local payment methods for gaming purchases. Details on specific partners or products were not provided.

A court has ruled that video game companies cannot force families to arbitrate a lawsuit alleging that popular games were designed to be addictive for children. The decision means the case will move forward in open court rather than private arbitration. The ruling is being closely watched as it may open the door to broader legal claims against gaming companies over addictive game mechanics.

Niantic Spatial says its spatial AI technology is being applied to real-world robots, extending the company's geospatial mapping work beyond games and consumer apps into robotics. The move signals the firm's push into physical-world AI, where spatial understanding helps machines navigate and interact with their surroundings.

A government official has proposed a new rule that would require gaming companies to notify players at least 60 days before shutting down game servers and to issue refunds for purchased content that becomes unusable. The initiative is aimed at protecting gamers who lose access to paid games and in-game items when online titles are switched off.

A Chicago Tribune column argues that a major gaming company is unhappy with odds being offered on video game competitions. The piece frames the dispute as part of a wider tension between traditional gambling operators and the fast-growing esports betting market, where oddsmakers and game publishers often disagree over how events should be priced and regulated.

Sony has filed a patent for a game controller capable of processing credit card and cryptocurrency payments directly. The filing suggests the company is exploring ways to let players make purchases without leaving their games. Details on whether the technology will appear in an actual product remain unknown, as patent filings do not guarantee commercial release.

Payments company EBANX has announced a partnership with NetEase Games to process payments across Latin America. The deal means NetEase Games will use EBANX's local payment infrastructure to support its titles in the region, expanding access for players there. The announcement has drawn attention from gaming and fintech outlets as a sign of continued growth of games monetization in Latin American markets.

NetEase has expanded its payment options for gamers across Latin America, adding Pix in Brazil and other local payment rails in five markets. The move lets players top up and pay through familiar domestic methods instead of international cards, reflecting how global game publishers are adapting to regional payment habits to reach more users.

The number of video game publishers operating in Russia is growing at an accelerating pace, according to a report from industry tracker wnhub.io. The finding points to an expanding domestic games sector, with more companies entering the publishing business despite international studios having scaled back or exited the Russian market in recent years.

The number of video game publishers operating in Russia is growing quickly, according to an industry report. The growth is linked to Western publishers withdrawing from the Russian market, leaving space for domestic companies to step in and license, localize and distribute games locally.

Kwon Hyuk-bin, the billionaire founder and head of South Korean game company Smilegate, has filed an appeal against a court ruling in his divorce case, saying he wants to preserve his family. The move keeps one of South Korea's most closely watched high-net-worth divorce disputes in the courts, drawing attention given his stature in the country's gaming industry.

Overwolf has announced a media-brief tool that maps audience data across 5,000 video games, giving advertisers and brands insight into in-game viewership. The move positions the company to court media buyers looking beyond traditional channels into gaming environments, and is drawing attention from industry observers tracking how gaming platforms monetise their audiences.

Caesars Entertainment is the subject of an acquisition, and the company says the deal is not expected to have any impact on its casino in Danville, Virginia. The Danville property, Caesars Virginia, is expected to continue operating as planned under the new ownership. Local attention focuses on what the change at the corporate level could mean for jobs, construction, and the regional gaming market.