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- An HTN Video Game Roundup
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An HTN Video Game Roundup
Over the years of writing this newsletter, I’ve been somewhat remiss in regularly covering the video game business as much as it deserves. This isn’t due to any disdain for games: I own and regularly play my PS5, probably way too much!
I’ve primarily written about how the future of big budget IP is likely to be video game adaptations - here I am all the way back in 2023 - but gaming is a huge business and a fully fledged sector of entertainment and merits more regular coverage by me. As such, here are a few interesting items on games, gamers, and gaming!
2026’s New Console
On a basic level you probably know the current generation consoles: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. However, this year will see the release of the Steam Machine, a new console entry from Steam, the video game service and storefront which follows their handheld Steam Deck.
The sales on the Steam Machine will be very interesting to observe. As a console it poses a significant threat to the PS5 and the Xbox, as Gaming Bible states:
…when weighing up whether to play on a Steam Machine, or instead opt for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, there is one huge advantage here: it can play your entire PC games library.
Anyone familiar with the fairly-limited game library of this console generation knows this is a tremendous competitive edge over Sony and Xbox. As noted in the Wikipedia article above, Steam is “the largest digital distribution platform for PC games.”
Game availability aside, where Steam Machine might run into trouble is its projected price point, with some predicting it might arrive in the $800 - 1100 range. Yikes!
The Fastest Console Ever Made?
Speaking of consoles, I loved this video from The Slow Mo Guys featuring a look at the engineering behind Nintendo’s attempt at a 3D gaming headset all the way back in 1995, the Virtual Boy!
Game Adaptations in 2026+
IGN has a full list of all the video game properties getting film and TV adaptations in 2026 and beyond.
Disco Elysium Drama
One of the best video games I played in the past decade was Disco Elysium, a weird and wonderful detective RPG that, even if you don’t like video games, you must try.
After Disco Elysium’s release, the game’s studio ZA/UM underwent a significant meltdown rivaling some of the biggest Hollywood backstage drama you’ve ever heard:
In 2022, Kurvitz and Rostov accused Kompus and Haavel of obtaining control over ZA/UM by fraud. They allegedly bought the shares held by Margus Linnamäe, a businessman and investor, becoming the majority shareholder. Tuulik said that while Kurvitz, Rostov, and Kaur Kender, DE's executive producer, held 10% of the shares each, Linnamäe had 30%, and by buying out this part, Kompus and Haavel managed to change the studio's structure without the others' permission, so it seems Kurvitz and Rostov's open letter was true.
We probably won’t get anything on the level of Disco Elysium again, sadly!
Avatar’s Video Game Adaptation is Actually Good!
Gamers know some of the worst games are often adaptations of movies, which are often cheap attempts to cash in on a different property, so it’s somewhat surprising that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has received such high marks:
…the game was released to little fanfare and middling reviews, though it grew to become a sleeper hit. It has since garnered enough of a fan base that it has received significant updates in the two years since its debut, including downloadable content expansions and a free mode that switches the game’s first-person view to a third-person view, letting players bask in all their character’s big blueness. A new DLC story, titled From the Ashes, was released… the same day as the third film of the series.
Kernels (3 links worth making popcorn for)
Here’s a round-up of cool and interesting links about Hollywood and technology:
Inside the AI divide roiling Electronic Arts. (link)
Will Hollywood avoid a strike this time? (link)
Using natural light to shoot Wake Up Dead Man. (link)