Rob Fahey

Tokyo

Contributor at Freelance

No longer active here. Find me on Mastodon: @[email protected] or Bluesky: @robfahey.bsky.social

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Articles

Xbox and Windows are no longer at arm's length | Opinion

1 week ago | gamesindustry.biz | Rob Fahey

When Microsoft first announced its intention to enter the games console market almost exactly 25 years ago, there was a widespread assumption that the Xbox would essentially be a stalking horse for the Windows operating system. It seemed like a strategic move designed to ensure that, as powerful multimedia devices took over people's living rooms, they would be an extension of the Windows PC rather than the ambitious new ecosystem which Sony was trying to construct around the PlayStation.
As AI faces court challenges from Disney and Universal, legal battles are shaping the industry's future | Opinion

2 weeks ago | gamesindustry.biz | Rob Fahey

In some regards, the past couple of weeks have felt rather reassuring. We've just seen a hugely successful launch for a new Nintendo console, replete with long queues for midnight sales events. Over the next few days, the various summer events and showcases that have sprouted amongst the scattered bones of E3 generated waves of interest and hype for a host of new games. It all feels like old times.
As AI faces court challenges from Disney and Universal, legal battles are shaping the industry's future | Opinion

2 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Rob Fahey

You may have read yesterday that, years after the alarm was first raised by artists, media giants Disney and Universal are finally suing an AI image …
Can Switch 2 break Nintendo's sequel curse? | Opinion

3 weeks ago | gamesindustry.biz | Rob Fahey

Midnight sales events, long queues, pre-orders sold out in minutes; the long-awaited arrival of the Switch 2 really has the atmosphere of great console launches of the past. After the muted, pandemic-era launches of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles, a big, high-profile hardware launch like this is a shot in the arm for the whole industry – a much-needed boost in an era of growing concern over how the next few years are going to shake out economically.
Apple prepares to cry wolf over gaming again | Opinion

4 weeks ago | gamesindustry.biz | Rob Fahey

Apple's developer-focused annual WWDC event kicks off in a little over a week, which means that it's time once again for one of the industry's most well-established games of farce; in which Apple, the GM, tries to convince us all that this time, no this time, it's really truly serious about gaming, and we, the players, all try to keep our faces straight and our eyes unrolled.
How deep is Sony's commitment to live-service? | Opinion

1 month ago | gamesindustry.biz | Rob Fahey

In many regards, things are going very well for Sony right now. The PlayStation 5 has sold strongly, generally slightly outpacing the performance of the PS4 at equivalent points in its lifecycle despite cost pressures that have kept its retail prices high. Its biggest direct competitor, Microsoft, started the generation with a great hardware line-up but has ultimately pivoted away from console exclusive software and become one of the biggest third-party publishers on PlayStation.
How deep is Sony's commitment to live-service? | Opinion

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Rob Fahey

Nab Up to 50% Off Top Headphones & Earbuds With These Memorial Day SalesNo, your eyes (and ears) don't deceive you. We're tracking down all of the best deals on audio brands like Anker, Beats, Samsung, Sennheiser, and …
Publisher financials sound a warning for industry growth | Opinion

1 month ago | gamesindustry.biz | Rob Fahey

Corporate financials season may not be the most exciting of the year's changing seasons, but it does present a rare opportunity to take the industry's pulse in a more-or-less objective way. It would be an exaggeration to say that financial reports and the statements made on the earnings calls which follow them are free of marketing bluster, but different, stricter rules apply here than at other times.
GTA 6's delay won't change the launch calculus for most games | Opinion

1 month ago | gamesindustry.biz | Rob Fahey

It's quite a measure of the incredible status of the Grand Theft Auto franchise – as if anyone needed further convincing – that the announcement of the next instalment being delayed into 2026 quickly turned into a massive wave of hype for the upcoming game. Take Two shares dropped when the delay was announced, understandably enough, but only by enough to shave a fraction off the massive gains they've made as anticipation has built for GTA 6 over the past couple of years.
The new Apple/Epic ruling will change the app landscape | Opinion

1 month ago | gamesindustry.biz | Rob Fahey

When last we checked in with the legal battle between Epic and Apple, things seemed to have mostly turned out in Apple's favour. Almost all of the rulings in the case sided with Apple, with the judge only agreeing with Epic on one relatively narrow-seeming question regarding anti-steering provisions – the App Store rules that forbid developers from pointing app users at alternative ways to purchase digital items or subscriptions.