Microsoft vs Nintendo

Join us at 10 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for the latest on Windows and Microsoft Surface

Microsoft announces an upcoming event on October 7, 2026, to share the latest on Windows and Microsoft Surface.

Remakes, Remasters, Sequels: Safe Bet But Threat to Innovation

The article discusses the rising trend of video game remakes, remasters, and sequels, which are seen as safe bets for the industry but are also criticized for stifling innovation. It cites data showing that industry layoffs have been heavy since the pandemic, and that most top-selling games in Germany are sequels or remasters. The author argues that nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool used by major publishers like Microsoft, EA, and Ubisoft, but warns that an overreliance on nostalgia could harm the industry's long-term creativity. The article suggests that indie games can offer fresh experiences while still evoking nostalgia, and calls for gamers to be more open to new ideas beyond photorealism.

• Between 5,000 and 15,000 game workers lose their jobs annually since the Corona pandemic.
• Microsoft cut over 3,000 jobs in its Xbox division and shut down several studios.
• According to the German industry association Game, nine of the top 10 best-selling games in Germany in 2025 were sequels or new titles from old franchises.

Nadella's AI Pivot: Can He Reinvent Microsoft Again?

This article examines CEO Satya Nadella's efforts to transform Microsoft for the AI era. Despite a near $4 trillion market cap and early investment in OpenAI, Microsoft trails rivals like Nvidia, Anthropic, and Meta in key AI segments. The company is shifting from subscription-based pricing to consumption-based billing (UBB) for its AI products, starting with Copilot Cowork. GitHub Copilot has seen growth to 50 million users, but Microsoft lost its exclusive cloud relationship with OpenAI. Nadella promotes building a 'frontier ecosystem' rather than a single frontier model, integrating various AI models into Copilot. Challenges include sluggish Copilot adoption, competition from AI-native startups, and uncertainty among enterprise customers about usage-based costs.

• Microsoft's stock is up only 7% in 2026, trailing major peers and Nasdaq.
• GitHub Copilot reached 50 million users, up from 26 million in October 2025.
• Microsoft is shifting to usage-based billing (UBB) for AI products, starting with Copilot Cowork.

OTTO Enters Digital Products with Nintendo

OTTO is expanding its business model to include digital products, starting with Nintendo game software available directly via otto.de and the OTTO app. The new technical infrastructure is designed to support future product categories such as software licenses, prepaid cards, vouchers, and e-books. The company emphasizes a consumer-friendly activation process that respects the legal right of withdrawal: customers can choose to activate digital content immediately or wait until the withdrawal period expires, and cancellation remains possible until activation. OTTO's move builds on an existing partnership with Nintendo in consumer electronics and serves as a scalable foundation for broader digital offerings. This strategic expansion allows OTTO to grow its platform business without physical inventory or shipping.

• OTTO starts selling digital Nintendo game software via otto.de and the OTTO app.
• The new infrastructure will later support software licenses, prepaid cards, vouchers, and e-books.
• Digital codes are delivered in the customer account after purchase.

Nintendo Shuts Down Mario Kart Tour Mobile

Nintendo has shut down Mario Kart Tour, its mobile racing game, after seven years of operation. The game became unplayable on September 29th at 11:00 PM Pacific as servers went offline. No offline version will be released, leaving players without access to their in-game collections. Ruby sales had ended on July 7th, and the Gold Pass auto-renewals were also stopped in July, with perks available for free until shutdown. The final Anniversary Tour served as the last major event. Mario Kart Tour launched in September 2019 on iOS and Android, developed in collaboration with DeNA.

• Mario Kart Tour servers went offline on September 29, 2026 at 11:00 PM Pacific, making the game unplayable.
• Nintendo confirmed that no offline version of the game will be released.
• Ruby sales ended on July 7, 2026, with remaining rubies usable until shutdown.