Technologies

Why Video Games Are Primed for a Big Comeback in 2023

Between a generous slate of new games and stronger subscription services, it’s a fantastic time to be a gamer.

The video game industry suffered serious whiplash from the impact of COVID-19. Hardware and software sales skyrocketed in 2020 as people were stuck inside their homes with little else to do. But those same lockdowns hobbled the development of upcoming games, resulting in a barren slate over the last two years. There was a serious dropoff once you got past Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok.

Now, with the industry well past the COVID lockdowns and with development back to full steam, 2023 could mark a huge comeback year for gamers. Piers Harding-Rolls, research director for UK-based market research firm Ampere Analysis, said he expects a rebound after spending in this area declined by 4% this year.

One reason spending should rise is that gamers are primed for new games. Getting a next-generation console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X wasn’t easy over the last two years, but supply constraints have finally loosened up to the point that you could realistically get something in the last few months.

This year also saw the release of Valve’s Steam Deck, a portable gaming device that was similarly hard to buy early in 2022 but became more available by the end of the year. More gamers with the latest hardware means more gamers looking to buy the latest titles.

As important as it is for gamers to have hardware, it’s equally critical that they have new games to play. Due to delays stemming from COVID lockdowns, titles planned for release in 2022 were pushed to 2023. Combine these delayed games with others already planned for next year, and the result is what could be a stunning year for game releases.

«There is really a lot of content coming next year,» said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter. «I would say it will be the biggest since 2019.»

Some of the big-budget games that were pushed from 2022 to 2023 include Starfield from Bethesda Game Studios, Diablo 4 from Blizzard Entertainment and Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Add those to other titles planned for 2023 release, including Final Fantasy XVI, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Street Fighter VI, Resident Evil 4 Remake and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and you’ve got a stacked lineup. And there’s a good possibility that more games planned for 2023 will be announced next year.

COVID debuffed 2022

Although this year saw the release of some amazing games, including Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarök, there were long empty stretches between these few quality titles in 2022. Between May and October there were only a handful of critically acclaimed games released, such as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and niche indie games Stray and Neon White. Even some of the high-profile games, such as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, felt like they needed time to smooth out a lot of wrinkles.

That was the impact of the lockdown finally hitting gamers. With developers stuck at home and unable to effectively collaborate on big projects, publishers delayed one title after another. But because the industry already had a backlog of games ready during the height of the pandemic, gamers didn’t feel much of a drought in 2020 in 2021.

The situation was akin to what the movie industry faced when a number of weekends saw few if any big film releases and theaters remained empty. Major films were delayed this year and pushed into 2023, including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the Mario movie, Aquaman 2, Madame Web and The Flash.

And like the gaming industry, there are predictions of movie theaters rebounding in 2023 with a number of hotly anticipated titles.

Ignoring the drought

Even with few big-budget games coming out for most of 2022, gamers didn’t pay much attention as their own back catalog of games grew thanks to subscription services from Microsoft and Sony. Both companies stepped up their efforts in 2022, making for an abundance of gaming at such an affordable price.

This year saw Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media – which includes award-winning game developers such as Bethesda, id Software and Arcane Studios – continue to bear fruit for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. One of the best games of 2021, Deathloop, came to the subscription service after its exclusivity period on the PS5 ended. Then some classic Bethesda games went to PC Game Pass, including Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire, Quake 4, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard and Wolfenstein 3D. Next year, Game Pass subscribers will be able to play some big titles on Day 1, such as Starfield, Redfall and Forza Motorsports.

Next year could be even bigger for Game Pass if Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard gets approval. The almost $69 billion deal would likely mean Activision Blizzard’s catalog of games, including Call of Duty, Diablo and Starcraft, will be on Game Pass. However, Microsoft is facing opposition from regulators in the US and EU over concerns that the Xbox-maker is becoming a monopoly. The Federal Trade Commission earlier this month sued to block the deal, even as Microsoft offered to make several concessions, including bringing the Call of Duty franchise to the Nintendo Switch and allowing Sony to add the military shooter series to its subscription service, PlayStation Plus.

Sony, meanwhile, improved its standing with gamers by revamping its PlayStation Plus service this year. The PlayStation-maker now offers a tiered subscription for gamers to play some of the latest games from the PS4 and PS5, or pay a little more to run classic titles from the PS1, PS2 and PS3 generations. While PlayStation Plus still doesn’t outshine Xbox Game Pass, it’s a far better alternative than what Sony offered previously.

Taking those three factors into consideration – hardware availability, big-budget game releases and competitive subscription services – 2023 is poised to be a massive year for video games.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, July 5

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 5.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? 14-Across was a real doozy. I hadn’t ever heard anyone use that word to mean what the NYT says it means, even though I do recognize it as part of a related word. Whether this clue or another one has stumped you today, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Blasts with unwanted messages
Answer: SPAMS

6A clue: Orderly assortment
Answer: ARRAY

7A clue: Its state mammal is the bison, and its state sport is rodeo
Answer: WYOMING

9A clue: «Let me think …»
Answer: HMM

10A clue: Hawaii’s Mauna ___
Answer: LOA

11A clue: Shanghai-born N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer who stood at 7’6″
Answer: YAOMING

13A clue: Emotionless, as a gaze
Answer: STONY

14A clue: Another name for an earthquake
Answer: SEISM

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Lead a Catholic ceremony
Answer: SAYMASS

2D clue: Hype up
Answer: PROMOTE

3D clue: Place for Popeye’s anchor tattoo
Answer: ARM

4D clue: Ballots cast from home
Answer: MAILINS

5D clue: Thesaurus listing
Answer: SYNONYM

7D clue: Alphabetically last of the «five W’s»
Answer: WHY

8D clue: Silly joke
Answer: GAG

12D clue: «Excusez-___!»
Answer: MOI

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 5, #285

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 5, No. 285.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition raised my confidence with a very easy yellow category. Then my guesses kind of fell apart. Need some help? Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: First question?

Green group hint: You win it.

Blue group hint: They call it football.

Purple group hint: Baseball accessories.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Setting for a news conference.

Green group: Starts of trophy names.

Blue group: England women’s soccer players.

Purple group: ____ base.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is setting for a news conference. The four answers are dais, lectern, podium and stage.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts of trophy names. The four answers are Ballon, Cy, Heisman and Stanley.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is England women’s soccer players. The four answers are Bronze, Mead, Stanway and Williamson.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ base. The four answers are fan, first, stolen and third.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.