One of the video game sector’s biggest players is undergoing a management transition. Phil Spencer, who joined Microsoft as an intern in 1988 and has led its Xbox video game unit since 2014, is retiring. Asha Sharma will become EVP and CEO. Matt Booty will become EVP and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Sharma. Xbox President Sarah Bond has resigned. The video game business has gotten more turbulent for the traditional console giants and major publishers as mobile and casual gaming keeps disrupting pas ...

IT之家 2 月 20 日消息，宝可梦系列 GBA 经典作品《宝可梦 火红 / 叶绿》已上架 eShop 并开放预购，将于 2 月 27 日"宝可梦日"当天发售。 本作属于对原版游戏在 Nintendo Switch/2 平台上的复刻，因此语言设置也沿用了当年的版本，游戏内不支持语言切换（无官方中文），而在欧服甚至能看 到足足 5 种不同语言的版本。 日文版和英文版售价均为 100 港币（IT之家注：现汇率约合 88.5 元人民币）或 2000 日元（现汇率约合 89.2 元人民币）。 另外，日媒还公布了任天堂将在日本市场推出的《宝可梦 火红 / 叶绿》Pokémon Center 豪华特别版，售价 19800 日元（现汇率约合 883.3 元人民币），包含 下载兑换卡与原创特典。 这款游戏下载所需容量为 40MB，支持本地无线联机功能，可进行宝可梦对战和宝可梦交换，后续还将追加《Pokémon HOME》支持。 此外，Nintendo Music 新增《宝可梦火红 / 叶绿》原声音乐，包含 64 首曲目。 所有 播放列表 · Pokémon Pokémon Leaf 14, 11, 1000 -01- トキ ...

Core Insights - Gaming stocks have experienced significant declines over the past six months, with Roblox shares falling 52% during this period [1] - Major investment firms, including ARK Invest, Blackrock, State Street, and Vanguard Group, have recently increased their holdings in Roblox, indicating potential confidence in the stock's future [2][5] Company Overview - Roblox's current share price is $63.17, with a market capitalization of $45 billion [2] - The stock has a 52-week range of $50.10 to $150.59, highlighting its volatility [2] - The company's gross margin stands at 23.75% [2] Recent Investment Activity - ARK Invest has been particularly active, purchasing a total of $17.5 million in Roblox stock over two days, with the majority coming from the ARK Innovation ETF [3][2] - Blackrock disclosed a purchase of over 2 million shares of Roblox in its latest quarterly filing, while State Street and Vanguard Group each added more than a million shares to their portfolios [5]

PayPal - PayPal shares fell nearly 20% following the announcement of CEO Alex Chris's departure, which was unexpected by investors [1][2] - The board's dissatisfaction with Chris's performance, particularly regarding the Brandi Checkout initiative, contributed to the leadership change [1][2] - Under Chris, PayPal's stock had declined approximately 27% since he took over, and nearly 43% from its peak a year ago [1] - The new CEO, Enrique Lores, has not demonstrated significant success at HP, raising concerns about his ability to lead PayPal effectively [1][2] - PayPal's shares are now trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of around 8.5, significantly lower than the market average, indicating potential value [2][3] Gaming Industry - Google's Project Genie, an AI game design tool, has negatively impacted the stock prices of major gaming companies like Roblox, Nintendo, and Unity [6][7] - Project Genie can create games from prompts using AI models, leading to concerns that easier game creation will devalue existing gaming platforms [6][7] - The gaming industry is massive, with global revenues surpassing those of film, music, and professional sports, but growth is slow, comparable to global GDP growth [6][7] - The introduction of AI in game development may lead to both winners and losers, with established platforms likely to leverage AI for efficiency [6][7] - Roblox's new ad format aims to enhance engagement by integrating ads into the gaming experience, which could benefit from increased game content due to AI advancements [11][12]

Group 1 - The article discusses Nintendo's investment thesis, highlighting its success in the video gaming industry and beyond [1] - The author emphasizes a long-term investment strategy, focusing on compounding wealth through well-managed organizations and dividend growth [1] - The investment approach includes seeking undervalued assets, balancing current income with sustainable growth, and taking advantage of market fears to acquire quality assets at fair prices [1] Group 2 - The author has a beneficial long position in Nintendo shares, indicating confidence in the company's future performance [2] - The article reflects the author's personal opinions and is not influenced by external compensation, ensuring an unbiased perspective [2]

Core Insights - Orix Corp reported a net income of JPY 389.7 billion for the nine months ended December 31, 2025, marking an increase of JPY 117.9 billion year-over-year, representing 89% of the revised full-year forecast of JPY 440 billion [2] Financial Performance - Pre-tax profit for the nine-month period was JPY 567.7 billion, up JPY 184.3 billion year-over-year, with profits increasing across all three categories: finance, operation, and investments, particularly strong in the investments category [3] Shareholder Returns and Buyback Progress - Orix expanded its share buyback program to JPY 150 billion, with JPY 128.1 billion completed by the end of January, achieving an 85% progress rate [4] - The company aims for a full-year payout ratio of 39% of net income per share, translating to approximately JPY 153 per share based on the JPY 440 billion net income forecast [5] Segment Performance Highlights - Finance segment profit increased 8% year-over-year to JPY 145.5 billion, attributed to growth in investment income and higher finance revenues in Australia and Asia excluding Greater China [6] - Operation segment profit rose 17% to JPY 189.5 billion, supported by gains from partial sales of shares in Canara Robeco and improvements in airport concessions and real estate operations [7]

Rockwell Automation autonomous mobile robot operates beside conveyor, highlighting industrial automation driving efficiency. Key Points Rockwell Automation’s February pullback appears to be a countertrend move within a broader bullish setup tied to growth and cash flow. Fiscal Q1 results beat expectations on revenue and earnings, with margin expansion and strong segment performance supporting the outlook. Analyst targets and capital returns (dividends and buybacks) reinforce the bull case despite near- ...

Core Insights - Nintendo is releasing a new game titled "DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined" on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, which features a new art style and a streamlined main story [1]. Group 1 - The game "DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined" focuses on a narrative involving companions and the mystery of a kingdom being the last remaining island in the world [1]. - The new art style combines diorama visuals with iconic character designs, enhancing the visual experience for players [1]. - The game introduces a Moonlighting system, which allows players to engage in additional gameplay elements [1].

Core Insights - The latest Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase introduced a variety of classic titles with enhancements, new adventures debuting on Nintendo Switch 2, and entirely new games for both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch [1] Group 1 - Iconic franchises from Bethesda Game Studios and MachineGames are making their debut on the Nintendo Switch 2 system [1] - The showcase highlighted the arrival of a well-known archeologist and adventurer in India [1]

Core Viewpoint - Nintendo's recent financial report fell short of market expectations, raising concerns about future profitability due to rising component costs and conservative sales forecasts [1][3]. Financial Performance - For the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026, Nintendo reported net sales of 1,905.8 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 99.3%; operating profit was 300.3 billion yen, up 21.3%; and net profit reached 358.8 billion yen, a 51.3% increase. However, the net profit margin decreased by 6 percentage points to 18.8% [1]. - In the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, Nintendo achieved revenue of 806.3 billion yen, an 86% year-on-year increase, but below the market expectation of 847.7 billion yen. Operating profit was 155.2 billion yen, up 23.1%, also below the expected 180.7 billion yen [1]. Hardware and Software Sales - In the first three quarters, the Switch 2 console sold 17.37 million units, making it the fastest console to reach 15 million sales. However, sales of the original Switch console decreased by 66% to 3.25 million units. Software sales for Switch 2 reached 37.93 million copies, while sales for the original Switch declined by 12.1% to 109 million copies [2]. Future Outlook - Nintendo maintained its full-year forecast for fiscal year 2026, projecting Switch 2 sales of 19 million units, with nearly 17.4 million units sold by the end of December 2025. The company also expects a net profit of 350 billion yen for the fiscal year [3]. - Concerns about profit margins are heightened due to ongoing U.S. tariffs and rising storage chip prices, which could pressure future profitability [3]. Component Cost Impact - Nintendo's president stated that the recent rise in memory prices has not significantly impacted hardware profits for the first three quarters, but ongoing price increases could pose risks. The company is monitoring the situation closely [5]. - The global storage chip market is experiencing a "super cycle" driven by AI demand, leading to rising prices that could affect the profitability of consumer electronics [5]. Pricing Strategy - Analysts suggest that raising the price of the Switch 2 may be necessary to maintain profitability amid rising memory costs, with estimates indicating a potential price increase of about 15% [6]. - However, some analysts believe that concerns regarding the profitability of the Switch 2 may be overstated, as Nintendo traditionally adheres to a strategy of not selling hardware at a loss [7].