Gaming Industry Feels Squeeze After Pandemic Boom

nment. Early in the pandemic, "people flocked to Twitch in droves -- streamers and viewers alike," said Brandon Williams, who goes by the handle "BWpaco" on the Amazon-owned platform where gamers broadcast video ga

The EU competition enforcer also asked if Activision's trove of user data would give the U.S. software giant a competitive advantage in the development, publishing and distribution of computer and Poker Pkv console games, the EU document shows.

'And it's nice when I walk down the hallway and I hear, 'Waddup Beast?" For whatever reason, he calls me 'Beast' all the time. I don't think I give off the beast vibe, but and we'll just take it day by day.'

BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are asking games developers whether Microsoft will be incentivised to block rivals' access to "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard's best-selling games, according to an EU document seen by Reuters.

Regulators also wanted to know if there would be sufficient alternative suppliers in the market following the deal and also in the event Microsoft decides to make Activision's games exclusively available on its Xbox, its Games Pass and its cloud game streaming services.

They asked if such exclusivity clauses would reinforce Microsoft's Windows operating system versus rivals, and whether the addition of Activision to its PC operating system, cloud computing services and game-related software tools gives it an advantage in the video gaming industry.

Games developers, publishers and distributors were asked whether the deal would affect their bargaining power regarding the terms for selling console and PC games via Microsoft's Xbox and its cloud game streaming service Game Pass.

The questionnaire, with about 100 questions, asked which of the rivals such as Nvidia's GeForce Now, Sony's Playstation, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna and Facebook Gaming could be considered the most attractive following the deal.

unch In the height of the pandemic, video games offered people solace in isolation. But now that life is slowly returning to pre-crisis normal, and inflation is soaring, gaming companies are feeling

lysts. "Higher prices in everyday spending categories such as food and gas, the return of experiential spending such as travel and attending live events, a lighter release slate of new games, and continued new generation console hardware supply constraints were all likely contributors to the decline seen in the second quarter," Piscat

ames US video game giant Activision Blizzard, which Microsoft is in the process of purchasing, reported that sales in the first half of this year declined, with gamers spending less time in its powerhouse "Call of Duty"

'They're both really physical football players in the run and in the pass,' Stefanski said. 'When you're playing run defense and you're knocking people back and you're setting the edge and sometimes you're setting the edge so someone else can make the play.

If you're a PC gamer, a PC-connected VR headset offers the most versatile collection of software for an immersive VR experience, and also lets you use that headset for creative and business tools. Note that a more powerful VR system will still be largely tethered to a desktop or laptop and may require external sensors.
If you're looking for the best VR headset, the ideal choice will depend on what you enjoy doing in the virtual world. VR's strongest applications tend to be gaming and fitness. The Oculus Quest 2, which is an excellent home VR console, is still one of my favorite ways to play games. But you still have to decide whether you want a headset that plugs into your PC or console, or a stand-alone option like the Quest 2 (which can also double as a PC headset). 

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play - Matt Piscatella, an analyst with market research group NPD, estimated that people in the United States will spend about $55.5 billion on gaming in total this year, less than last year but still up 28 percent from the pre-pandemic yea

Do any of these headsets work with phones?












The old world of phone-based VR headsets -- like the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream -- are basically dead. A good number of the current iPhone, Android and VR app options don't even work with the old mobile VR goggles. The Quest 2 does have a phone app for streaming content for a parent to monitor, and can receive phone notifications and sync some health data for workouts, but it's still not fully integrated with phones. If smartphone-based VR comes back, it will more likely be in the form of small headsets that plug into phones via USB-C for VR content, VR gaming and other uses.

The Quest 2 used to be $299, but a surprise to $400 (or $500 for the version with more storage) has made Meta's nearly two-year-old self-contained VR headset even more expensive. But even with the increased price, the Quest 2 remains the best and most versatile VR headset of the moment. It's also, considering it requires no gaming console, phone or PC, the most affordable.