The Success of Black Myth: Wukong And What It Means for Media
Wukong may not be China’s first global “AAA” hit game, nor the biggest. It's also not the country's innovative, highest acclaimed, or most global hit. But the success of such a title is incredibly important, instructive, and unsurprising.
Breaking Down OnlyFans’ Stunning Economics
Due to UK disclosure requirements, it's possible to examine the P&L of the privately owned/controlled OnlyFans. And the results are shocking.
Breaking Down OnlyFans’ Stunning Economics
Due to UK disclosure requirements, it's possible to examine the P&L of the privately owned/controlled OnlyFans. And the results are shocking.
Roblox is Already the Biggest Game In The World. Why Can't It Make a Profit (And How Can It)?
With 380MM MAUs, Roblox probably counts more players than the entire AAA gaming ecosystem, is more played than Disney+ is watched, and is starting to rival smaller social networks in scale. But Roblox has yet to profit. How can it become a business comparable to its operating scale?
9 Takeaways from the Vision Pro After 6 Months
Nine thoughts on Apple’s own expectations and spend, what the Vision Pro has and hasn’t achieved, fair and unfair evaluations, and more after six months
The Founding of Epic Games and How Its First (And Accidental) Game Became “Unreal Engine 0” and Now Defines Fortnite
Lessons on unexpected inspiration, UGC video games, and a four-decade quest to build the Metaverse.
Interviewing Epic Games Founder/CEO Tim Sweeney and Author/Entrepreneur Neal Stephenson
Tim and Neal’s thoughts on the definition of the “Metaverse,” its technological and economic growth, Neal’s reaction on the day Facebook changed its name to Meta, the future of Fortnite, their thoughts on Apple’s Vision Pro, blockchains, and the ethics of Generative AI, plus “Snow Crash 2," and much more.
Interviewing Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth on the Metaverse, VR/AR, AI, Billion-Dollar Expenditures, and Investment Timelines
What it will take for headset sales to cross 100 million annually, the specs of Boz’s dream headset, Meta’s spending on Reality Labs, whether and when developers might get access to the Quest’s raw camera feed, the many inventions required to ship optical AR glasses, the role of AI, and more.
What A Century (Plus a Pandemic) Does to Moviegoing and Why It Matters
The box office is in trouble — again. And there’s little to learn from which desert action epic thrived, why Fall Guy fell short and Inside Out 2 opened bigger than The Incredibles 2. It’s just about time and change.
My New Book: Out July 23, 2024
The FULLY REVISED & UPDATED Edition to my worldwide hit 2022 book drops in July. 80% new, including 40+ new charts, several new chapters (AI, XR, crypto), and dozens of new coverage areas
UPDATED: Parallel Bets, Microsoft, and AI Strategies
Thoughts on corporate strategy formulation in the “age of AI,” the messiness of these strategies, and lessons from the past.
On Spatial Computing, Metaverse, the Terms Left Behind and Ideas Renewed
What’s old is new again, but sometimes reinterpreted, distorted, or weighted with what came in between. What matters, doesn’t, and where most agree we’re headed.
The Tremendous Yet Troubled State of Gaming in 2024
If you’re a player or casual observer, the video game industry seems to have it all. Yet growth is now illusory, layoffs abundant, and game/studio shutdowns common. Why? And how might things change?
Big Tech’s Biggest Bets (Or What It Takes to Build a Billion-User Platform)
Meta’s Reality Labs losses may be eye-watering, but such investments aren’t rare - and they’re looking increasingly essential to building (or disrupting) a billion user platform.
The Streaming Book
A free and chart-filled mini-book on where we are in the Streaming Wars, have been, and will go.
Why VR/AR Gets Farther Away as It Comes Into Focus
Thirteen years after XR devices became a big tech obsession, VR/AR devices are not just behind schedule, they still seem far away. Why?
What China, Marvel, and Avatar Tell Us About the Future of Blockbuster Franchises
An essay on trade wars, unexpected successes, and the once but not future kings of the big screen.
Cover Story: 16 Page Interview with Bloomberg Businessweek China
(Article is in Chinese and is paywalled)
Big Think: The Metaverse Explained in 14 Minutes (Produced Video)
Why should anyone care about the metaverse? Expert Matthew Ball explains what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters.
My Cover Story for TIME Magazine
I adapted my book THE METAVERSE for TIME Magazine’s double issue cover story.