Gaming Grid - Square Enix Reports $2.5 Billion in Net Sales, Tencent Backed Game Studio Joins Immutable, and Much More!

Gaming Grid Newsletter is curated to share the latest gaming insights in the Asia region for all gaming enthusiasts. Our goal is to be an insightful gaming source that readers look forward to reading every week.

💡 This Week’s Highlights:

• Square Enix reports $2.5 billion in net sales 💰

• Axie Infinity: Origins now available on the App Store 📲 

• Meta-X Launches Next-Gen Game “Dark Machine” on Immutable Blockchain with Industry Veterans 🔥

• Netmarble partners with The Sandbox to bring popular IPs to Metaverse 🤝

• Cube Entertainment releases K-Village NFT Collection 🌟

👀 GAMING INSIGHTS IN ASIA

Square Enix reports $2.5 billion in net sales 💰

Square Enix reported $2.5 billion in net sales for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, marking a 6% decline from the previous year. The digital entertainment segment, including gaming and mobile games, saw a 12.2% decrease in net sales. However, the company expects growth with upcoming high-profile releases, such as Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis. Square Enix forecasts a 4.9% increase in net sales and a 24.1% increase in operating income for the current fiscal year. In March, the company announced a leadership change, appointing Web3 gaming expert Takashi Kiryu as the new president.

Axie Infinity: Origins now available on the App Store 📲 

Axie Infinity: Origins, the most popular Web3 game, is now available on iOS in select countries across Latin America and Asia. This marks a significant milestone as it is believed to be the first time Apple has allowed an externally-purchased NFT to be used on the App Store. The game's launch on iOS aims to make it more accessible and shareable, contributing to the growth of the Axie community. Players can use their NFT Axies and Moonshard crafting recipes in the game, while SLP crafting recipes remain exclusive to desktop and Android versions.

Meta-X Launches Next-Gen Game “Dark Machine” on Immutable Blockchain with Industry Veterans 🔥

Meta-X, a game development company backed by Tencent and formed by industry veterans from renowned game companies such as Square Enix, Capcom USA, Bandai Namco US, and Sega, has recently joined Immutable. Meta-X is set to launch their next-generation games on the blockchain-based gaming platform, starting with the highly anticipated “Dark Machine”. This AAA competitive shooter features never-before-seen destruction modelling of mechs and the environment, providing a unique gaming experience. The daily tournaments allow players to earn more rewards for their time.

Netmarble partners with The Sandbox to bring popular IPs to Metaverse 🤝

tmarble, the South Korean mobile gaming giant behind popular titles like Lineage 2 Revolution, Seven Knights, MARVEL Future Fight, and BTS games (BTS World and BTS Universe Story), announced a partnership with The Sandbox. The collaboration will introduce Netmarble’s IPs to The Sandbox metaverse through a “Netmarble IP LAND”, offering players experiences based on the company’s IPs.

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Cube Entertainment releases K-Village NFT Collection 🌟

Cube Entertainment, the well-known entertainment company in South Korea and the house of popular K-Pop artists such as (G)I-DLE, has released the K-Village NFT Collection on The Sandbox Marketplace, representing their entry into the growing metaverse industry and showcasing various Korean companies and brands that embody K-culture, with exciting rewards offered to buyers. The ultimate prize is reserved for those who own the complete set of 20 K-Village NFTs, as each owner will be rewarded with an exclusive Anibear NFT.

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Affyn Announces Buddy Arena 👥

Singapore-based Affyn has revealed plans for Buddy Arena, a blockchain-based mobile game set in Nexus World, where players can collect, train, and battle digital creatures known as Buddies. The game is P2E, with players earning rewards through completing quests, winning battles, and trading Buddies on a blockchain-based NFT marketplace. The project has attracted backing from reputable investors, including Animoca Brands and Yield Guild Games.

🌎 GLOBAL HOT GAMING NEWS BY XGA LIN

Niantic unleashes Peridot, an enchanting AR game 🔮

Released on May 9, 2023, Peridot by Niantic is an engaging augmented reality (AR) mobile game that allows players to adopt, raise, and breed magical creatures called Peridots. These unique creatures can change their appearance and abilities based on their environment, and players can interact with them in the real world using AR technology. It’s downloadable on both the App Store and Google Play Store.

The Epic Games Store page for Celestia: Ultimate is officially live 🚀

Epic Games' upcoming blockchain-based MOBA game, Celestia: Ultimate, is set in a dynamic universe where players can collect, battle, and trade NFT champions. The game offers a variety of modes, including Adventure, Battle, and Trading, and rewards players with in-game currency and NFT champions. Emphasising strategic gameplay and multiplayer battles, Celestia: Ultimate is expected to launch in early 2023 as a free-to-play game with purchasable in-game items.

MechaFightClub put on hold indefinitely due to regulatory uncertainty in the US ⏸️

Irreverent Labs, a blockchain-gaming-related startup founded by a former Microsoft Ventures Executive, has announced the indefinite halt of its NFT game, MechaFightClub, due to regulatory uncertainty in the US. The game was originally set to launch in 2023 but has paused development as the SEC increases enforcement actions against crypto startups and platforms. The company is offering a buyback program for the 7,000 MechaFightClub NFT holders, with each holder receiving 18 SOL (worth $360) in return. The buyback deal is expected to cost Irreverent Labs around $2.5 million.

🔥 COLLECTIBLES SALE

• Souvenir AWP Dragon Lore just sold for $51,000!!!

🎮️ GAME OF THE WEEK: Stella Fantasy

Stella Fantasy is a Japanese ARPG that allow gamers to gather, hunt, craft and battle monsters in the Abyss Rift. This game is completely Free-to-Play and Play-to-Own. They are backed by Animoca Brands, Play Venture and many more partners. Stella Fantasy lives on the Binance Smart Chain but have multi-chain implementation soon. One of the chains that Stella Fantasy is going next will be the Sui Network $SUI.

Just like many ARPG, the combat and crafting mechanics is very important. Stella Fantasy has this part covered very well. The combat is smooth and animation is cool. Stella Fantasy also has a range of digital collectibles that you can purchase in their marketplace.

The characters have different classes such as Mage, Ranger, Healer and many more. Different classes have different utilities, skills and material production specialties.

Stella Fantasy recently launched a new game mode called Abyss Invader to fight the Blade Panther. Gamers who managed to get on the top of the leaderboards will be able to get their Stella Fantasy token $SFTY as rewards!!

I’ve been playing this game for over 1.5 months now, and I honestly enjoy this. I would recommend to a gamer who loves MMORPG or RPG in general. If you did not tell me that this game has web3 elements in it, I would have never know since I have strong default team to start playing anyways.

You can download the game here - https://www.stellafantasy.io/

🗓️ GAMING EVENT IN ASIA: CONQUEST (JUNE 2023)

CONQUEST Festival is back this summer, celebrating the best of the Filipino gaming and pop culture scene. The three-day event will take place from 2-4 June 2023 at SMX Manila and will feature meet-and-greets with popular streamers, gaming tournaments, the latest tech exhibits, and live performances by local and international artists such as Korean rock band The Rose.

Gamers will have plenty to do with the chance to meet and greet popular streamers such as Valkyrae, Fuslie, and Sykkuno, as well as participate in various tournaments and challenges for games like Valorant, League of Legends, and Mobile Legends. Tickets for the event are available online now, with various pass options to choose from. Don't miss out on this exciting event!

Use code “YellowPantherCQ23” to enjoy 5% off all CONQuest 2023 tickets at https://www.conquestph.com/tickets

🖥️ SOCIALS