Games

Dalton Windham ripped a shot into the back of the net from the top of the box in the 54th minute, and the Flashes dominated East Rankin Academy in the second ...

I was close enough to the box, so I decided to take a shot,” Windham said. “Some of it was, we started off the game and were just kicking the ball and not trying to control the flow of play. “We had been practicing to where I get it to John and then he passes it to me and then we look in. John Ellis Montgomery sent a pass about 20 yards up the field, Windham gathered it in and took his shot from the top left corner of the box. “(East Rankin) just seems to start fast, so if you can weather that storm then it settles in and gets to where our guys can start controlling things,” St. It then outshot East Rankin 7-3 in the second half.

The major digital storefronts like Steam or the PlayStation Store don't typically share their exact figures, given the estimates, but ERA chief executive Kim ...

[Industry analyst Doctor Serkan Toto also told IGN in 2021](/news/44939/why-digital-games-could-totally-dominate-physical-formats-in-just-a-few-years) that "COVID-19 has of course been a strong accelerant for that trend, as some physical locations were simply forced to shut down or people generally were not eager to go out anymore." Around 30% of all total sales were also mobile sales, which of course can only be digital. "These days, it's a lot more fragmented and sometimes the new digital players simply won't share their sales data directly - that's where estimates come in."

Physical game sales fell 4.5% last year, the digital entertainment and retail association says.

Unlike the music industry, where the Official Chart Company counts the exact number of sales of digital songs, the figures in the gaming industry are estimates. In total, the gaming industry accounted for £4.7bn of sales in the UK in 2022 - higher than that of the film, television or music industries. Digital sales accounted for almost nine out of every 10 video games sold in the UK in 2022, according to a trade body.

With the The Last Of Us premiering Sunday on HBO, here are more beloved games that should be in line for the prestige-television treatment.

Gaming’s credibility in Network Land is likely to get a strong boost in a couple of days, though, when HBO deploys [The Last Of Us](https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/the-last-of-us-2023), Craig Mazin’s pricey adaptation of Naughty Dog’s prestigious interactive zombie epic of the same name. And that embrace by HBO opens the door for many of gaming’s other biggest franchises to get a similar treatment. [Halo](https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/halo-2022), [Cyberpunk](https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/cyberpunk-edgerunners-2022), [League Of Legends](https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/arcane-2021), [Resident Evil](https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/resident-evil-2022), and more on the small screen—they’re still typically viewed as a rarity in comparison to the more common move from games to film.

Meanwhile, physical software sales accounted for 10 percent of the sector in 2022. "Gaming remains the often-unheralded leader of the entertainment market," ERA ...

The UK trade organisation has estimated games made £4.66bn last year (a rise of 2.3 percent from 2021). This is a rise of 3.1 percent year-on-year. In 2022, the entire UK home entertainment market (which includes music and video as well as game sales) is estimated to have reached £11.1bn in revenue. "While growth at 2.3 percent was lower than that of video or music, its scale is enormous and in terms of innovation and excitement it continues to set the pace for the entire entertainment sector." Video games made an estimated £4.66bn last year, biggest home entertainment industry in the UK Preliminary figures from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association's annual report (hereon referred to as ERA) reveal video games represented 42.1 percent of the UK's total home entertainment revenues in 2022.

Video games were the biggest-selling UK home entertainment category last year, though video streaming is rapidly catching up and music sales...

Thanks to the investment and ingenuity of streaming services on the one hand and to the physical retailers who have driven the vinyl revival on the other, music is within sight of exceeding £2bn in retail sales value for the first time in more than two decades.” Subscription streaming revenues made up £1.7mln of the total, up 5%, and physical sales fell 4% to £280.4mln, though sales of vinyl records continued to grow. Music grew 3% to just under £2bn, with streaming via the likes of Spotify, YouTube, Apple, Deezer and Soundcloud driving the highest level of sales since 2003 and nearly double the level of their low point in 2013. Games accounted for 42.1% of the total, according to digital entertainment and retail association ERA, with console downloads the fastest element, up 12.2% to £724.7mln, mobile and tablet games up 3.2% to £1.5bn and other digital sales up 0.2% to £1.75bn. [Frontier Developments PLC (AIM:FDEV)](https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/LON:FDEV/Frontier-Developments-PLC/) and [tinyBuild Inc (LSE:TBLD)](https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/LON:TBLD/tinyBuild-Inc/), while Keywords Studios PLC is a leading provider of services to the industry. Helped by growth in video and games streaming, and the renaissance of vinyl records, UK entertainment sales have grown nearly 40% since 2019, reaching £11.1bn in 2022.

Spacelines From The Far Out is a new video game that simulates commercial space travel, but how realistic is its portrayal? We spoke to space historian and ...

So, whilst "Spacelines From The Far Out" doesn’t quite match up to the bright future of commercial space travel, that most likely isn’t the aim. Finally, by the time you take the costs of fuel, cleaning, maintenance, tech upgrades and insurance into account, "Spacelines From The Far Out" can see you running a quick flight for just a few bucks profit. While I would suggest that a company like SpaceX be allowed to take greater risks for completely private missions with fully-risk-aware professional crews, I support federal oversight for spaceflight safety for civilians as commercial flights increase in tempo—with the caveat that this agency should be as agile, streamlined, and rapidly-responsive as possible.” We also have a forward-facing look at all the [upcoming space games](https://www.space.com/upcoming-space-games) too. “I absolutely see spaceflight becoming something that the average middle-class individual might be able to engage in within the next 20 years,” says Pyle. "Spacelines From The Far Out" is a 2022 video game developed by Coffeenauts that sees you take control of a commercial space line company, responsible for transporting customers along established space ways. With its 1950s retro stylings, "Spacelines From The Far Out"’s somewhat antiquated choice of battery power makes sense, at least from an aesthetic perspective, but as Pyle points out, energy systems in the commercial space line era have advanced drastically: “Soyuz and upcoming Orion will use solar panels,” he adds. Unsurprisingly, this design style also stems from the ‘space race’ era, although according to Pyle, this configuration is far from obsolete: “The designs for capsule-shaped spacecraft like Orion, Dragon and the new Boeing Starliner date back to studies performed in the 1950s and were first flown in the 1960s,” he explains, “they work well and are fairly foolproof. Whilst this is in place to add an extra layer of drama to the game’s already frantic proceedings, it is certainly conceivable that profit-oriented companies like SpaceX could experience pressure to relax safety standards in order to reduce operational costs. “This need is the motivator behind the NASA/Department of Energy-supported Kilopower reactor project, which will provide small fission reactors that will be capable of providing energy for 10-15 years.” Should those predictions prove to be accurate, commercial space travel will become an increasingly real possibility for millions of people across the globe. Television, the internet and the

June is a jaw-dropper: Street Fighter 6, Diablo IV and Final Fantasy XVI.

Movie” (April 7), made in partnership with Illumination and Universal. - Also this summer: Sony’s next feature film, “Gran Turismo” (Aug. 10), Bungie/Sony release Destiny 2 Lightfall (Feb. 28) and industry leaders gather near Las Vegas for the DICE convention (Feb. [here](http://link.axios.com/join/gaming-signup). Plus Microsoft has promised that Xbox mega-exclusive Starfield will come out by June 30. 21-23). - Also this month: Google will shut down its Stadia service (Jan. [best-reviewed](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/all/all/filtered) games ever. releases Hogwarts Legacy (Feb. May: Nintendo is finally set to release The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (May 12), a direct sequel to 2017 Switch stand-out The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, among the [Technology](https://www.axios.com/technology)

The games that have the video team excited. Naiad, PC, PS4/5, Xbox Series S/X and Switch. Is there a more appealing game due out in 2023? Naiad ...

Best of all, however, there's going to be a bell which will automatically bring your chickens in and out of the coop. Building on the storytelling engine that powered 80 Days and Heaven's Vault, this might be a bit of a classic. Silksong promises new adventures, new powers, and a new protagonist who's quicker and more nimble than the hero of the first game. There are some big shoes to fill after the mighty Pikmin 3, and a big place to take in Nintendo's line-up for the year with Pikmin 4 seemingly carrying the Switch's schedule post-Zelda. There's more than a hint of Zelda here, not just in the focus on swordplay and puzzle solving, and the way that transitions between 2D and 3D elements keep things fresh. Set on a lushly terraformed version of Jupiter's moon, made famous by the Space Odyssey novels, this is a game of movement, exploration and puzzle solving, as you glide and surf across vast landscapes and make sense of an ancient mystery. There are already signs this is happening: there have been a procession of patches to improve the game's performance. It's only because of the game's popularity in Early Access, and the resulting income that came from it, it happened at all. Expect a handful of new fighting stances and styles to pick between to mix up combat and the same high production values. Fans of traditional JRPGs get a bit of a treat in the form of Octopath Traveller 2 this February. Naiad is a game about wild swimming, about exploring a mysterious and peaceful river, interacting with the wildlife and slowly uncovering its secrets. Inevitably some of this stuff will slip, and we'll also have forgotten a couple of the biggies, but it's still good to know that there's so much to be excited for.

An era that began with the likes of Halo: Combat Evolved and ended with games like Fallout 3, the 2000s were a decade where gaming truly peaked.

That's because Fallout 3 was a statement game from Bethesda that told the world the series still provided [the premiere western RPG experience.](https://screenrant.com/best-sci-fi-rpgs-ranked-metacritic/) Polished and containing everything that defines the Call of Duty series to this day, Modern Warfare 2 is one of the decade's most iconic FPS games. [the best openings in video games](https://screenrant.com/best-video-game-opening-sequences-reddit/), Halo: Combat Evolved proved just how good a sci-fi FPS could be thanks to fantastic gameplay, an ambitious story, and an unforgettable soundtrack. Along with being barrels of fun, the game perfectly encapsulates an era of endless creativity. In the 2000s, however, it wasn't such an outlandish idea as Whether it's the physics, the visuals, the atmosphere, or the storytelling, Half-Life 2 took them all to a new level. Then again, the fact fans got so many GTA titles in the span of a single decade compared to the sparse 2010s may place it above any other decade alone for GTA fans. Nearly two decades on from when it was originally released, there's a reason why Half-Life 2 holds up better than a lot of far more recent games. However, the truth is that a lot of those iconic series were established in the 2000s, which was also when the first ever Sims game appeared. The Sims wasn't just a great game, it was also a hugely important one. One thing that seems unlikely, however, is that it will live up to the 2000s for the sheer amount of change and evolution that took place across it. That's also because it produced a ton of the best games ever made.

From new entries in Final Fantasy and Assassin's Creed to new series altogether, 2023 has something for everyone.

[challenging combat](https://kotaku.com/wo-long-trailer-soulsike-team-ninja-sekiro-guardian-ape-1849931867), but will shift into a feudal China setting with a focus on Chinese mythology. The game is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on February 17. So all the questions hanging over the team are finally about to get some answers when The Wolf Among Us 2 launches on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will come to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on May 26. There’s a lot to be excited about in the series’ future when Street Fighter 6 launches for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on June 2. Along with more fine-tuning to the series’ genre-standard 2D fighting, Street Fighter 6 is bringing a lot of new ways to play to the series, including a story mode that [farming sim sickos](https://kotaku.com/nintendo-direct-farming-sim-harvest-moon-switch-1849535809) who have been getting the most out of Stardew Valley these past seven years, going back to a 20-year-old Story of Seasons game might not sound that exciting. [multiple delays](https://kotaku.com/skull-bones-assassin-s-creed-delayed-release-date-1849588507) and [workplace culture issues](https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-studio-under-investigation-over-sexual-harassme-1847505575), and at this point, it’s a question of if the game is going to be any good after all this drama. So if you’re looking for a more traditional Yakuza/Like a Dragon experience, you’ll likely get that when The Man Who Erased His Name comes to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. [draw pretty holistically from FromSoftware’s catalog](https://kotaku.com/lies-of-p-bloodborne-sekiro-dark-souls-fromsoftware-1849478264), rather than just being a specific homage to Bloodborne. The horror sequel is set to launch this year on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Luminous Productions’ Forspoken seems to have gotten off on the wrong foot for a lot of people, and that may still be the case by the time the game comes to PC and PlayStation 5 on January 24.

Here are all the big PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch games to keep track of in 2023. Fire Emblem Engage (Switch). Release date: Jan. 20.

(It'll be a PS5 exclusive until the end of the year.) It may also be the first of two big Final Fantasy releases this year, with [Final Fantasy 7 Remake's sequel](/tech/gaming/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-trailer-reveals-sequel-to-remake-hits-ps5-next-winter/) potentially -- but probably not -- hitting during the holiday season. After years of "bigger is better," Ubisoft is now scaling down and trying the "less is more" approach. [Resident Evil 2 Remake](/reviews/resident-evil-2-review/), Capcom is at it again. The Legend of Zelda is one of gaming's most renowned franchises, and 2017's Breath of the Wild is incontestably one of the greatest games ever. [Horizon Forbidden West](/tech/gaming/how-horizon-forbidden-west-became-a-showcase-for-the-ps5/). Wo Long is set during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history -- roughly 220 AD -- but features plenty of fantastical (and grotesque) beasts to slay. It launches alongside the [PlayStation VR2 headset](/tech/gaming/playstation-vr2-will-arrive-in-february-for-550/) on Feb. [loaded with critical acclaim](https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/fire-emblem-three-houses) and Engage will hopefully recapture both the scale and the magic of its predecessor. [open-world Pokemon](/tech/gaming/review-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-is-too-much-for-the-switch-to-handle/), the long-awaited [sequel to God of War](/tech/gaming/god-of-war-ragnarok-is-bigger-better-and-less-memorable-than-its-predecessor/) and, of course, the tour de force that was [Elden Ring](/tech/gaming/you-should-try-elden-ring-even-if-youve-never-played-dark-souls/). The first big video game of 2023 is a big one, and I do mean big. [have been hard on the games industry](/tech/gaming/why-video-games-are-primed-for-a-big-comeback-in-2023/). The [COVID-19 pandemic](/coronavirus/) has disrupted development, leading to several gamesbeing delayed.