Steam Machine delay highlights surge in memory prices and impact on market
When Valve announced its Steam Machine desktop PC and Steam Frame VR headset in mid-November of last year, it declined to announce pricing or availability information for either device. That was partly because RAM and storage prices had already begun to climb due to shortages caused by the AI industry’s demand for memory. Those price spikes have only gotten worse since then, and they’re beginning to trickle down to GPUs and other devices that use memory chips. This week, Valve announced that it’s still not ready to make an official announcement about when the Machine or Frame will be available or what they’ll cost.
Daniel Ahmad, Director of Research & Insights at Niko Partners spoke to Ars Technica to explain why pricing has yet to be announced. “Large console makers like Sony and Microsoft can commit to tens of millions of orders, and have strong negotiating power,” Ahmad pointed out. The Steam Machine, on the other hand, is “a niche product that cannot benefit in the same way when it comes to procurement,” meaning Valve has to shoulder higher component cost increases. Additional comments can be found in the full article.
How The GCC Became an Esports Powerhouse – Free Niko Knowledge Brief
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is rapidly establishing itself as a formidable player in the global esports scene. Home to 25 million esports enthusiasts, the region demonstrates significant long-term vision to become an esports giant, highlighted by the launch of the inaugural Esports World Cup in 2024. Robust government support, coupled with a youthful, tech savvy with high disposable income has positioned the GCC as a lucrative destination for esports industry stakeholders.
In this Knowledge Brief, we deep dive into the reasons behind the GCC’s rise as an esports hub. For further insights, read the part two of the Knowledge Brief: Esports Gamer Demographics and Behavior in MENA here.
Download the free Knowledge Brief →
Tencent introduces AI tools within its parental controls app
Tencent Games has introduced a new suite of AI-powered features to its Youth Guardian parental controls platform, further strengthening its approach to youth protection and parental oversight. The update adds three core tools: an AI Game Weekly Report, AI One-Click Control, and a Parental AI Assistant, aimed at simplifying supervision while improving decision quality for families managing minors’ gaming behavior. Tencent’s Parental AI Assistant aims to address persistent pain points reported by families, including confusion over anti-addiction rules, uncertainty around appropriate control intensity, and challenges in communicating limits to children.
Why this matters: Parents can now receive instant summaries of their child’s game time and spending, behavioral patterns, registered accounts, alongside information on anti-addiction rules. The move shows how Chinese game companies are deploying AI, not just for content and monetization efficiency, but also for regulatory compliance and social responsibility. Anti-addiction enforcement remains a core policy priority in China following regulations in September 2021 that limited the amount of money and time that minors could spend on video games each week.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
iPhone sales up in China as Apple reports record quarter
Apple reported a sharp rebound in China for the quarter ending December 27, 2025. Revenue in Greater China, comprising mainland China, Hong Kong, and Chinese Taipei, rose 38% YoY, more than double Apple’s global quarterly revenue growth of 16%. The performance marked Apple’s strongest quarter in the region since late 2021 and came amid broader concerns around soft consumer sentiment and supply-chain pressure from a global memory-chip shortage. Apple CEO Tim Cook described the quarter as “the best iPhone quarter in history in Greater China,” attributing the result to strong demand for the iPhone 17 lineup.
Why this matters: The recovery is notable given Apple’s recent challenges in China. Over several prior quarters, the company faced sustained revenue declines driven by intensified competition from domestic smartphone brands, particularly Huawei. Apple has also lagged domestic competitors in its feature set, with Apple Intelligence yet to receive regulatory approval in the country. However, the results highlight the continued importance of the iOS ecosystem in China, even as Android maintains its dominant position and Huawei’s HarmonyOS emerges as a notable third player in the market.
Esports World Cup Foundation unveils new ‘Global Road to EWC’ qualification program
The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced a new ‘Global Road to EWC’ program, which creates clearer qualification pathways for multiple esports titles that would all lead to this year’s Esports World Cup. The new program aims to integrate and work with pre-existing leagues, esports events, and tournaments across all regions, and for all games participating in the Esports World Cup. Open online qualifiers will also be run in parallel to this, offering more accessible pathways for emerging players.
Why this matters: Examples include the Apex Legends Global Series, EA Sports FC Pro, PUBG Global Series, Mobile Legends Professional Leagues, the Capcom Cup, the Chess.com Global Championship, Combo Breaker, CROSSFIRE Pro League and many more. With the EWC’s large prize pool, more convenient paths to qualify, and integration of the qualifiers into other already established esports circuits, the EWCF is looking to attract the attention of all esports fans and drive them to watch the Esports World Cup as the premier event that succeeds the normal qualifying events that they already watch.
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Roblox banned in Egypt
The Supreme Council for Media Regulation in Egypt, headed by its deputy chairman Essam El-Amir, announced its decision to block Roblox in Egypt. Coordination has begun with the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) to implement the decision technically through internet service providers. The announcement was made during a plenary session of the Egyptian Senate while discussing requests related to the risks of the internet and social media platforms for children.
Why this matters: The decision followed a proposal submitted by Dr. Walaa Harmas Radwan, a member of the Senate, to regulate the status of the Roblox platform and organize the operation of video games in general. The discussions also addressed the economic aspects related to in-game purchasing systems, in addition to noting a number of lawsuits and international warnings concerning the platform. The ban does not come as a surprise to Niko Partners, given the title has already been banned of restricted across multiple MENA countries.
Link to original article (Arabic) →
Japan expands funding and talent support to boost global reach of its content industries, including games
The Japanese government is increasing support for its content industries, including games, anime, and manga, as the government positions the sector as a pillar of economic growth. Overseas sales of Japanese content reached JPY 5.8 trillion ($37.6 billion) in 2023, surpassing semiconductor exports, and the government aims to raise this figure to JPY 20 trillion ($130.6 billion) by 2033. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party adopted an emergency resolution in November calling for the content industry budget to be raised from the current JPY 25.3 billion ($164 million) to more than JPY 100 billion ($653 million), with JPY 35 billion allocated ($228 million) in the fiscal 2025 supplementary budget. The government’s new measures focus on strengthening global distribution networks, combating piracy, and expanding AI-driven translation tools alongside the training of specialized translators, responding to deepening labor shortages and rising production costs. Industry leaders, including Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto, emphasized that localization demands substantial resources and that government support is essential.
Why this matters: Japan’s expansion of funding and infrastructure for its content industries signals a shift toward global competitiveness, with games industry poised to benefit from new localization, talent development, and distribution support. These structural investments could reshape competition with South Korea, China, and the United States while easing chronic labor bottlenecks for Japanese publishers.
Nintendo’s stock down 30% over the past 6 months despite Switch 2’s 17 million units in sales
Nintendo’s latest earnings report revealed that Nintendo Switch 2 sales surpassed 17 million units worldwide, setting a new record for the fastest‑selling game console. Despite this, Nintendo’s stock has fallen more than 12% since the announcement and is down roughly 30% over the past six months. Rising memory prices and Google’s announcement of “Project Genie,” have contributed to investor concerns which speculate that AI‑driven, user‑generated game creation could eventually challenge the traditional value proposition of companies like Nintendo. The February 5 Nintendo Direct, focused solely on third‑party titles, delivered few major surprises, reinforcing the sense of uncertainty surrounding the Switch 2’s current market environment.
Why this matters: Even with strong demand, higher production costs can compress profits, an issue the market takes seriously. Furthermore, underwhelming showcases can amplify investor concerns that Nintendo lacks a strong software pipeline to support Switch 2’s momentum.
Link to original article (Japanese) →
Savvy Games Group signs multiple MOUs with Saudi’s Ministry of Education to include game development into official school curriculums
The Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia has announced a strategic partnership with Savvy Games Group, signing 3 MOUs, with the goal of including game development into the official curriculum of schools across the country. With the new partnership, Savvy will work closely with the ministry to train teachers, upgrade school equipment/labs to teach, create scholarship programs, create national gamedev and esports competitions and much more.
Why this matters: Savvy Games Group have been actively collaborating with multiple local universities as of late to include game design and esports courses into their syllabus, and with this latest series of MOUs, they’ve now successfully guaranteed that game development and esports will be topics that students can learn at every academic level, not just as part of a higher education.
Link to original article (Arabic) →
PlayX4, the largest game show in Seoul Metropolitan Area, to be held in May
South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province has begun recruiting participating companies from February 10 for the upcoming 2026 PlayX4, the largest convergent game show in the Seoul metropolitan area. The event will take place from May 21 to 24 at KINTEX in Goyang under the themes of Exciting, Experience, Excellent, and Expert. PlayX4 has served as a platform connecting domestic and global game companies, expanding market opportunities for small and indie developers, and generating ongoing global collaboration. Last year’s event drew approximately 115,000 visitors and 721 companies, achieving 1,476 business consultations and export negotiation results worth $203 million.
Why this matters: The event serves as a business platform that helps small, indie, and global game companies connect and expand into new markets. The event has a proven track record of generating high-volume business meetings and export opportunities. Its continued growth signals strengthening momentum in Korea’s gaming ecosystem and its global competitiveness.
Link to original article (Korean) →
The first Sega Atlus Festival in Indonesia held in Jakarta
Sega and Atlus held their first-ever Sega Atlus Festival in Indonesia at Mall of Indonesia in Jakarta on 7 February 2026, drawing large crowds from early morning. Game demo booths for titles like Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, Persona series, and Football Manager 26 saw long queues throughout the day. The merchandise area experienced overwhelming demand, resulting in long wait times and visitor frustration due to unclear real-time stock updates. Despite these issues, the event featured lively attractions including cosplayers, community activities, stage sessions, and esports tournaments.
Why this matters: The event’s attendance far exceeded prior expectations from both organizers and the fans, signaling strong local community support and the potential for larger-scale events in Indonesia in the future. Indonesia continues to be the largest games market in Southeast Asia by population, with PC and console game market growth recorded every year.
Link to original article (Indonesian) →
Events
GDC Festival of Gaming
March 9-13, 2026
San Francisco, USA
Attendees: Lisa Hanson, Alexander Champlin
GamesBeat Summit
May 18-19, 2026
Los Angeles, USA
Speaker: Lisa Hanson