gaming industry

Prediction market operator Kalshi is expanding into sports betting, a move that regulators and industry watchers say stretches the legal boundaries separating regulated sportsbooks from event-contract trading platforms. The company's sports-related contracts raise questions about whether prediction markets should face the same oversight as traditional gambling, setting up a potential clash with state gaming regulators and federal authorities over the rules governing the fast-growing sector.

Microsoft is reshaping its gaming division, with Activision taking control of the Halo franchise as part of a wider Xbox shake-up. The move comes alongside job cuts at the company and raises questions about the future of Halo developer 343 Industries and how the series will be developed under Activision's stewardship going forward.

A veteran video game music composer is running for Congress and is framing his campaign around fighting what he calls 'woke' ideology, according to Fox News. The move puts a gaming industry figure into electoral politics, tying cultural debates in entertainment to a congressional campaign. Details about which district he is running in and his platform beyond this theme remain limited in initial coverage.

Companies facing a lawsuit over video game addiction cannot compel the case into arbitration, according to a ruling reported by Law360. The decision means the addiction claims can proceed in court rather than in private arbitration, a potentially significant setback for the game industry defendants and a notable development for families pursuing such claims.

Social casino games developer Playstudios has resolved a class action lawsuit concerning its sale of virtual chips, according to industry outlet CDC Gaming. The suit targeted the company's practice of selling in-game currency in free-to-play casino-style games, a model that has drawn repeated legal challenges across the social casino industry. Details of the settlement terms were not disclosed.

Trading card games are expanding onto video game consoles, bringing TCG collecting, buying and selling into the gaming space. According to industry outlet ICv2, retail mechanics for trading card games are now reaching console platforms, a notable shift for a category long tied to physical card shops and tabletop stores. The move could widen the TCG audience and change how collectors and players access cards.

HDR10+ Technologies is increasing its support for video games, extending the high dynamic range format beyond film and television into the gaming space. The move signals growing industry focus on HDR quality for interactive entertainment, as more games and gaming hardware adopt high dynamic range displays. Details on specific partners or titles were not provided.

A retrospective looks back at the 1990s console wars between Nintendo, Sega and Sony, tracing how fierce competition over hardware, marketing and exclusive games shaped the modern video game industry. The piece argues that the rivalry of that decade drove innovation in graphics, game design and home entertainment, leaving a lasting legacy on how consoles are made and sold today.

A technical university in Zagreb is set to launch Croatia's first degree programme in video game development. The course would give students formal training in game design and production in a country whose gaming industry has so far developed without a dedicated university-level qualification. Details on the curriculum and start date have not been widely reported yet.