Xbox game ‘Starfield’ surpassed 6M players in launch week
“Game On” is The Fly’s weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks.
NEW RELEASES:
Among this week’s notable new releases is Nintendo’s (NTDOY) “Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero — The Teal Musk,” a new downloadable expansion for 2022 title “Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.” The expansion releases September 13 exclusively for the Switch. Also out this week is Ubisoft’s (UBSFY) racing sim “The Crew Motorfest,” which releases on September 14 for PlayStation 5 (SONY), PS4, PC, Xbox One (MSFT), and Xbox Series X/S.
XBOX MASTERCARD:
Microsoft announced the no annual fee Xbox Mastercard (MA) in partnership with Barclays US Consumer Bank (BCS), a cobranded credit card issuer in the United States. With the Xbox Mastercard credit card, players can earn card points with everyday purchases to redeem on games and add-ons at xbox.com. The Xbox Mastercard will be available exclusively to Xbox Insiders in the 50 United States beginning on September 21, with availability to all Xbox players in the 50 United States coming in 2024.
‘STARFIELD’:
Microsoft’s latest Xbox console exclusive “Starfield” exceeded 1M concurrent players on its September 6 launch day on PC and Xbox Series X/S. “Thanks to all the players who helped us reach this great milestone and congrats to the @BethesdaStudios,” said Xbox boss Phil Spencer in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Meanwhile, Microsoft said on its offical X account Friday that “Starfield” had already surpassed 6M players in its first week, making it the biggest Bethesda-developed game launch of all time. Additionally, “Starfield” reached the top of the U.K.’s weekly boxed sales charts, Gamesindustry.biz’s Christopher Dring reported over the weekend. While the latest role-playing game is not the biggest physical launch of 2023, it’s nearly identical to that of Activision Blizzard’s (ATVI) “Diablo IV,” which was a major digital sales hit, Dring noted.
Click here to check out recent Media Buzz Sentiment on Microsoft as measured by TipRanks.
NEW NINTENDO SYSTEM:
During Gamescom last week, Nintendo demoed the currently unannounced Switch 2 console to developers behind closed doors, Eurogamer’s Tom Phillips reported. The Japanese game giant showed partners tech demos showcasing how well the system is meant to run, including an enhanced version of Switch launch title “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” the author said.
OTHER STORIES TO WATCH:
- Roblox (RBLX) will soon be accessible on Meta Quest (META) and PlayStation [read more]
- Embracer (THQQF) is weighing the potential sale of “Borderlands” maker Gearbox, Reuters reports [read more]
- Investic upgraded Tencent (TCEHY) to Hold from Sell [read more]
- Nintendo will stop making new content for “Mario Kart Tour,” Gamesindustry.biz says [read more]
- Electronic Arts (EA) said “Madden NFL 24” set a single-week franchise record for digital units sold [read more]
- EA CEO Andrew Wilson has teased new projects from “Apex Legends” studio Respawn, VGC reports [read more]
—
Originally September 12, 2023 – What You Missed This Week in Video Games
Disclosure: Interactive Brokers
Information posted on IBKR Campus that is provided by third-parties does NOT constitute a recommendation that you should contract for the services of that third party. Third-party participants who contribute to IBKR Campus are independent of Interactive Brokers and Interactive Brokers does not make any representations or warranties concerning the services offered, their past or future performance, or the accuracy of the information provided by the third party. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
This material is from The Fly and is being posted with its permission. The views expressed in this material are solely those of the author and/or The Fly and Interactive Brokers is not endorsing or recommending any investment or trading discussed in the material. This material is not and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any security. It should not be construed as research or investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security or commodity. This material does not and is not intended to take into account the particular financial conditions, investment objectives or requirements of individual customers. Before acting on this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.
Join The Conversation
If you have a general question, it may already be covered in our FAQs. If you have an account-specific question or concern, please reach out to Client Services.