Lenskart Enters Esports Arena
Lenskart makes its debut in franchise esports, Sony PlayStation sees a holiday sales surge, and former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick takes aim at an ex-EA chief, calling him the worst CEO in video games. We cover this and more in today’s Pixel P&L.
Lenskart Acquires Delhi Franchise for Global e-Cricket Premier League Season 2
Lenskart has acquired the Delhi franchise for Season 2 of the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), JetSynthesys said on Tuesday. Played on JetSynthesys’ Real Cricket app, GEPL has seen a fivefold surge in participation, with 910,000 registrations compared to 200,000 in its debut season. The league, streamed on JioCinema and Sports18, has amassed over 40,000 hours of watch time.
JetSynthesys CEO Rajan Navani called Lenskart’s entry a milestone in bringing esports to the masses, while Lenskart co-founder Peyush Bansal highlighted the brand’s focus on gaming-friendly eyewear. “We want gamers to perform at their best,” Bansal said. Season 2 will conclude in March 2025 with a high-stakes finale, where top teams will compete for the ‘e-Cricket Icon’ title.
Sony’s PlayStation Sales Surge 16% in Holiday Quarter, Outpacing Xbox
Sony reported a 16% rise in PlayStation sales for the holiday quarter, reaching 1,682.3 billion yen ($11.3 billion), driven by strong hardware and third-party game software sales. The company sold 9.5 million PlayStation 5 units, up from 8.2 million a year earlier, and 95.6 million copies of PS5 and PS4 software, an increase from 89.7 million. First-party game sales, however, declined to 11.6 million copies, down from 16.2 million. The PlayStation Network reached 129 million users, up from 123 million.
Operating income rose 37% to ¥31.9 billion ($214 million), with adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization climbing 31% to ¥34.9 billion ($234 million), supported by higher network service revenue and lower hardware losses. Sony lifted its fiscal year revenue forecast to ¥4,610 billion ($30.9 billion), an increase of ¥120 billion ($805 million), extending its lead over Microsoft’s Xbox, which saw hardware sales drop 29%.
Former Activision CEO Calls Ex-EA Chief ‘Worst CEO in Video Games’
Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick criticized ex-EA CEO John Riccitiello, calling him “the worst CEO in video games” during an episode of the GRIT podcast. Speaking alongside former EA Chief Creative Officer Bing Gordon, Kotick said Activision would have gladly paid to keep Riccitiello as EA’s CEO, believing his leadership weakened their competitor.
Despite the rivalry, Kotick revealed Activision and EA considered merging multiple times. Riccitiello resigned from EA in 2013, later leading Unity before stepping down in 2023 after backlash over a controversial pricing policy.
🧐 On Our Radar
Africa’s Gaming Market Surges, Driven by Mobile Growth
Africa’s gaming market is accelerating well beyond global trends, registering a 12.4% increase to reach $1.8 billion in 2024 (six times the global rate of 2.1%), according to a report by Carry1st and Newzoo. Mobile gaming, which accounts for nearly 90% of the market, has been the primary driver, with the continent now home to 349 million gamers, including 304 million mobile players.
Rising mobile adoption, improved internet access, and innovative payment solutions are fueling this growth. Leading markets include Egypt ($368 million), Nigeria ($300 million), and South Africa ($278 million), while nations such as Eritrea and Niger post the fastest revenue gains.
As Africa transitions from an emerging market to a significant player in the global gaming industry, its rapid expansion presents new opportunities for game publishers and investors alike.
💡Did You Know
Did you know that Germany banned a video game in 1996 for being too violent? That game was Harvester, a point-and-click horror title that marketed itself as “the most violent adventure game of all time.”
Banned under Germany’s strict youth protection laws, Harvester was notorious for its graphic violence, disturbing themes, and grotesque depictions of murder and torture. The game’s most infamous scenes (including a mother being cannibalized by her children) led to heavy censorship in other regions, including the UK and Australia.
Despite its controversy, Harvester gained a cult following, with fans praising its twisted satire on media violence and moral responsibility in gaming.
📜Quote of the Day
“You can’t break a man the way you break a dog, or a horse. The harder you beat a man, the taller he stands.”
The Jackal, Far Cry 2
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