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☆ I left the publishing industry after 20 years and made my eBay hobby a full-time job. My store makes 6 figures.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Matt Ringler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I've always loved to shop at thrift stores, estate sales, and yard sales, and often sold on eBay. I decided to leave publishing entirely and take my eBay store full-time. AdvertisementMatt Ringler bought items at yard sales, estate sales, and thrift stores to sell on eBay. I left publishing entirely and decided to take my eBay store full-timeI wasn't sure of much except that no publishing company was getting a résumé from me. While I figured my life out, I had savings — and my eBay store kept going.

Persons: I've, —, I'd, Matt Ringler, Krug, chunky LL Bean, Fred Sanford's, I'm Organizations: eBay, Service, brac, Nintendo, Salvation Army Locations: New York, Europe

☆ Elon Musk’s X is back to giving out free blue checks. It’s no surprise they were a tough sell
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —It appears that Elon Musk has finally (mostly) given up on trying to make paid blue checks on X a thing. The return of the free blue check may be a sign that the blue check subscription business hasn’t panned out the way that Musk hoped. Musk’s purge of legacy blue checks was a messy, months-long process. And when anyone could buy a blue check, it was no longer an exclusive symbol that conferred some kind of status. Within hours of the unpaid blue checks reappearing, users were sharing advice about how to ensure they didn’t show up on their profiles.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, —, hasn’t, ”, Jason Goldman, Twitter’s, Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly’s, Stephen King, LeBron James, Matt Navarra, ” Goldman, X, “ Dear Elon Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, Nintendo, Elon Locations: New York

☆ See how iPhone apps could change if Apple loses its DOJ antitrust fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New app store AltStore could be coming to iPhones in the EU after to 2024 regional rule changes. The Apple App Store rival aims to give developers more control over app distribution and payment. AltStore offers a peek into how iPhone apps could change in the US if Apple loses a DOJ lawsuit. They'll also be able to use the same Patreon integration to distribute 'paid' apps, Testut told TechCrunch. "This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets," Apple told BI in March.

Persons: —, Apple, Riley Testut, They'll, Testut, Apple didn't Organizations: Apple, DOJ, Service, EU, Department of Justice, Digital, TechCrunch, Nintendo, Industry, Business

☆ Saudi Arabia is building the world's first Dragon Ball Z theme park
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Visitors try out the latest version of Dragon Ball Z Kakarot at the 2019 Gamescom gaming trade fair in Cologne, Germany. Saudi Arabia is set to become home to the first-ever Dragon Ball Z theme park — a 5.3 million square foot entertainment venue announced as part of the kingdom's huge Qiddiya project. Five of the rides at the Dragon Ball Z theme park will be "world firsts," according to the release, one of which will be a 230-foot-high roller coaster called Shenron, named after the series' magical dragon. Vision 2030, the name of this project, a brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has also set a target of 150 million tourists visiting the kingdom annually by 2030. Tourism reached a record for the country in 2023 at 106 million, according to its tourism ministry — an increase of 56% from 2019.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, It's Organizations: Toei Animation, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Nintendo, Tourism Locations: Cologne, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Riyadh —, Riyadh, City

☆ How Sony's PlayStation has rivaled Microsoft and Nintendo in the console wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Ryan Baker | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's been three decades since the Sony PlayStation first brought to life some of the video game industry's most beloved franchises. The gaming console expanded into the U.S. a year later in 1995. "We went into markets where video gaming had never really been a thing. Most recently, Microsoft's $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition presented a major threat to Sony's long-standing gaming business. Watch the video to learn more about the story of Sony's PlayStation and to hear what is next for the company.

Persons: It's, Jim Ryan, Ryan, Shawn Layden, Layden, Carolina Milanesi Organizations: Sony PlayStation, Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation, Nintendo, Sega, Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide, Sony Music, Sony Electronics, Activision Blizzard, Activision, Microsoft, Sony Locations: Japan, U.S, Europe, Italy, Spain

☆ Here's how to play Japan stocks, finally hitting a new high after 34 long years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Japan's Nikkei 225 index , a price-weighted index of 225 Japanese stocks, has also hit an historic high. A few months before that, on December 29, 1989, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index hit an historic high that stood until this week. That's about the amount the U.S. stock market dropped at the start of the Great Depression, from 1929 to 1932. .N225 5Y mountain Nikkei 225 Index in past five years. The Japanese stock market took 20 years.

Persons: it's, Japan's, Minoru Isutani, Arnold Palmer, Richard Ferris, Peter Ueberroth, Clint Eastwood, Nori, Bart Wakabayashi Organizations: Nikkei, CNBC, Japan's Nikkei, Mitsubishi, Rockefeller Center, Lone Cypress Company, Sumitomo Bank, Taiheiyo, Lone Cypress, Toyota, Honda, Sony, Hitachi, Nintendo, Sumitomo Mitsui, Japan Hedged Equity, Dow Jones, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Retailing, Softbank, Vision Fund, Foreign, Bank of Japan, White Oak Capital, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, New York, Japanese, California, Japan, U.S, Singapore

☆ Microsoft's Xbox boss says jacking up video game prices can end up being 'manipulative'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Xbox games may be more expensive now, but Microsoft's gaming CEO realizes that there's a limit to how much gamers will take. "We've raised the price of games," Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, told Game File, a newsletter focused on the business of gaming. AdvertisementBack in December 2022, Microsoft told The Verge that it would be raising prices to reflect "the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles." "Skull and Bones," an action-adventure game for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles, got some flack for charging $70 for its highly anticipated game. Ubisoft, the company behind the pirate video game, defended the price because it was a "quadruple-A" game.

Persons: We've, Phil Spencer, Spencer, didn't, Neil Macker, flack, they're Organizations: Xbox, Microsoft Gaming, Business, Microsoft, Hollywood, Morningstar, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft, PlayStation, Activision Blizzard Locations: COVID

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly higher in Asia after Chinese markets reopened Monday from a long Lunar New Year holiday. Markets will be closed Monday in the United States for President's Day. Elsewhere in Asia, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% higher to 7,665.10 and the Kospi in Seoul picked up 1.2%, to 2,680.26. It also discouraged bets that a Fed move to relax conditions on the economy and financial markets could come even in May. Higher rates and yields make borrowing more expensive, slowing the economy and hurting prices for investments.

Persons: Hang Seng, Australia's Organizations: President's, Ocean, China Vanke, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S Locations: BANGKOK, Asia, United States, China, Shanghai, Seoul, India

☆ Nintendo shares fall nearly 6% after report that the Switch 2 will be delayed until 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A statue of Nintendo's video game character Mario stands on display at the Nintendo Game Front showroom in Tokyo, Japan. Bloomberg reported on Saturday that Nintendo had told game publishers that the Switch 2 would be delayed until the early months of 2025, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Shares of Nintendo fell on Monday after a report suggested the launch of the Switch 2, the next version of its flagship gaming console, would be delayed. Nintendo was targeting a release of the console toward the end of this year, but told game makers it could slip into next year, the report said. Analysts who spoke to CNBC earlier this year also said they expected a new Switch console to be launched in the second half of this year.

Persons: Mario Organizations: Nintendo, Bloomberg, CNBC, Analysts, Mario Bros Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Xbox is now on sale at Target for less than it was on Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe Xbox Series S is on sale for cheaper than it was on Black Friday after reports Microsoft would share Xbox exclusives with other gaming platforms. The Xbox Series S, which normally retails at $299, is on sale at Target for $219, or about $80 off. The Series S is already the budget version of the current console, selling at a retail price of $200 cheaper than the Xbox Series X, which boasts higher-level graphics performance and more storage. The deal clocks in even lower than the lowest Black Friday deal for the console, which saw them going for $229.99 on sale at Dell, according to IGN. Sony has sold more than 50 million PlayStation 5 consoles since its release in November 2020, while the Xbox Series S and Series X have sold about 21 million units, IGN reported .

Persons: —, Peter Kafka Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Target, Business, Dell, IGN, Xbox, Sony, Financial Times, PlayStation, Nintendo, Activision Blizzard, Netflix

☆ Microsoft will bring four Xbox games to other companies' consoles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Phil Spencer, CEO of gaming at Microsoft, speaks during the company's Xbox event ahead of the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on June 10, 2018. Microsoft said on Thursday that it will release four of its video games on competing consoles. Microsoft completed the acquisition of prominent video game publisher Activision Blizzard for over $75 billion in October. Many Xbox fans expressed frustration on social media, speculating that Microsoft will give up trying to keep exclusive games on its console in the future. Earlier this week, The Verge reported that games such as Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment and Sea of Thieves would be coming to non-Microsoft consoles.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Spencer, Indiana Jones, We've Organizations: Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo, Indiana, Xbox, PlayStation, Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax Media Locations: Los Angeles, Bethesda, Pentiment

NEW YORK (AP) — Several exclusive Xbox games will be soon making their way to rival consoles, the video gaming brand and its parent company, Microsoft, announced Thursday. In a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that four Xbox games will no longer be exclusive. Microsoft has already been moving away from this through its “Game Pass” subscription service that works something like a Netflix for video games. The tech giant's recent acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard allows that service to grow even further. On Thursday, Xbox President Sarah Bond announced that the first Activision Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass will be Diablo IV, starting March 28.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Spencer, “, ”, Indiana Jones, Sarah Bond, ” Bond Organizations: Microsoft, Bethesda, Netflix, Activision Blizzard, Activision, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Windows, Sony Locations: Diablo, Redmond, Washington

☆ Google's new AI-powered wingman highlights the challenges of using a tool that could eventually replace you
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In today’s big story, we’re looking at Google’s new internal AI model aimed at improving worker efficiency. The big storyAI assistanceCBS Photo Archive/Getty ImagesGoogle employees are getting an AI-powered wingman in the company’s bid to improve efficiency. Goose can answer questions about Google's tech and write and edit code, according to an internal summary of the model. Tech companies have tested inventions on their own employees for years in a process known as "dogfooding," writes BI's Alistair Barr.

Persons: —, Denny's, customizations, Hugh Langley, Tom Cruise’s copilot, Alistair Barr, Tyler Lee, “, Bryan R, Smith, Wall, Gary Gensler, We’re, Société, Elad Gil, Gil, ChatGPT, it’s, Uber, Nomura, Young homebuyers, Meredith Whitney, Donald Trump, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb, George Glover Organizations: Business, Service, CBS, Getty, Microsoft, OpenAI, Tech, Google, Big Tech, Fed, UBS, SEC, Silicon Valley’s, BI, Xbox, Dragon, Workers, Wall Locations: China, New York, London

☆ Here's why Microsoft is going to let you play Xbox games on rival consoles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Big news for (some) video game players: Microsoft is going to stop making you use Microsoft devices to play (some) Microsoft games. AdvertisementVery short summary of the console video game business: It's common for video game hardware makers to also own or license games that are exclusively for their devices. The idea is that a single game (or several games) will be enough reason for a gamer to buy a specific device. Maybe, as Warren reports, Microsoft will also announce new hardware plans at the same time it makes the new software change. But it's hard to see how the games move alone is going to be anything more than Microsoft accepting reality.

Persons: Tom Warren, Mario Kart, I've, It's, Warren Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Business, PlayStation, Mario, Xbox, Activision, Netflix, Apple, Samsung

☆ Nintendo CEO once cut his salary in half to prevent layoffs—here's why that's so uncommon today
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As sweeping rounds of layoffs rock the tech, media and finance industries in 2024, some video game fans are thinking about former Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata. Iwata ran the Kyoto, Japan-based video game company from 2002 until his death in 2015. To avoid layoffs, Iwata took a 50% pay cut to help pay for employee salaries, saying a fully-staffed Nintendo would have a better chance of rebounding. Iwata had faith in his talentFor Iwata, taking a pay cut over layoffs centered around his employees' ability to bounce back, Verma says. "Nintendo [needed] to see through the changes that necessitated launching the Nintendo Switch, which has been massively profitable for the company," says Verma.

Persons: Satoru Iwata, Iwata, Rohan Verma, —, it's, Verma, could've, Sandra Sucher, Sucher Organizations: Nintendo, Riot Games, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Stanford University, Harvard Business, CNBC Locations: Kyoto, Japan, —, U.S

NEW YORK (AP) — Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s former White House adviser and his son-in-law, defended on Tuesday his business dealings after leaving government with the Saudi crown prince who was implicated in the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. After Kushner left the White House, he started a private equity firm that received a reported $2 billion investment from the sovereign wealth fund controlled by Prince Mohammed, drawing scrutiny from Democrats. He dismissed the idea of there being any concerns about the appearance of a conflict of interest in his business deal. He also defended Prince Mohammed when asked if he believed U.S. intelligence reports that the prince approved the 2018 killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist. Kushner said he had not seen the intelligence report released in 2021 that concluded the crown prince likely approved Khashoggi’s killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Persons: — Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s, Jamal Khashoggi, Kushner, Trump, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Mohammed, ” Kushner, Khashoggi, “, ”, Joe Biden Organizations: House, Washington Post, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, White, Nintendo, Microsoft, Trump Locations: Saudi, Miami, America, Istanbul, Florida

☆ Lost at Parkland: ‘Peter Was Always My Translator’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Amy Qin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Linda Zhang wandered into her son’s room and sat for a while. She visits there from time to time, after her husband has gone to work at the restaurant and their other kids have gone to school. And then there were the many tributes, gifts and drawings that poured in after her son, Peter Wang, was shot multiple times and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. On this morning, Ms. Zhang pointed out a framed letter. There was also a portrait of Peter, which Ms. Zhang said might have been drawn by a famous artist, but she wasn’t quite sure.

Persons: Linda Zhang, Peter Wang, Marjory Stoneman, Zhang, Marco Rubio, Peter Organizations: Nintendo, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Florida

☆ Nintendo stock could rise by 30% on Switch 2 success, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNintendo stock could rise by 30% on Switch 2 success, analyst saysDavid Gibson, senior research analyst at MST Marquee, has predicted that the shares of Nintendo could increase by up to 30%. Gibson sees the stock rerating thanks to the Japanese company's new theme park venture in Florida, which is expected to bring in more revenue. Additionally, the launch of Nintendo's next-generation device later this year could result in a migration of its existing 120 million users from the current Switch console.

Persons: David Gibson, Gibson, Nintendo's Organizations: Nintendo Locations: Florida

☆ Nintendo's stock could rise by 30%, say analysts — if it overcomes these hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Gibson, a senior research analyst at financial services firm MST Marquee, has set a price target of 11,000 Japanese yen ($74) for Nintendo's stock. This represents a 31% upside over the current price. He told the investment bank's clients that Nintendo could delay the Switch 2 launch if the momentum for the current console remains strong. The analyst has rated Nintendo a buy but set a conservative price target of 8,400 yen. However, if the new console fails to gain traction with consumers, Gibson cautioned that Nintendo's stock is likely to miss his price target.

Persons: David Gibson, Gibson, Mario, That's, isn't, Jefferies, Atul Goyal, Goyal, Junko Yamamura, — CNBC's Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Universal Parks & Resorts, Mario Bros, CNBC, Citi Locations: United States, Germany, Florida

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Banking troubles again roil markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Nikkei ralliesAsia markets mostly rose Thursday, while Japan's Nikkei led gains and hit fresh 34-year highs. Russian oilIndia's energy minister claimed "the world is grateful to India for buying Russian oil," adding the move keeps global crude prices affordable. The country's refiners have been snapping up discounted Russian oil since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: China's, VCs, Son's SoftBank, David Gibson Organizations: New York Community Bank, CNBC, Nikkei, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Nintendo Analysts, Nintendo Locations: Hicksville , New York, Asia, India, Ukraine

☆ MST Financial analyst discusses the big upside it's giving Nintendo's stock
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMST Financial analyst discusses the big upside it's giving Nintendo's stockDavid Gibson, senior research analyst at MST Financial, discusses Nintendo's quarterly results and the Japanese video game company's decision to raise its sales forecast for its flagship Switch consoles.

Persons: David Gibson

☆ Nintendo hikes sales forecast of flagship Switch console to 15.5 million units
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Japanese gaming giant previously forecast sales of 15 million Switch consoles in the current fiscal year which ends in March. Here's how Nintendo did in its fiscal third quarter, from October to December, versus LSEG estimates: Net sales: 598.6 billion Japanese yen ($4 billion) versus 568.7 billion yen expectedNet profit: 136.7 billion Japanese yen versus 130.3 billion yen expected Net sales fell 6% year-on-year while net profit rose 18%. Switch boostThe December quarter underscores how Nintendo has managed to extend the life of its near seven-year old Switch console. Nintendo said the "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" game, which was released in October, had a "solid start," with sales of 11.96 million units. Nintendo Switch successor in focus

Persons: Mario, Zelda, Charly Triballeau, upping, Donkey Kong, Princess Peach Organizations: Nintendo, AFP, Getty, Mario Bros

TOKYO (AP) — Nintendo reported healthy sales and profits on the back of the hit “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” game, prompting the Japanese video game maker to raise its full fiscal year forecasts. Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. said Tuesday that demand for what it called the first completely new Super Mario game in the series remained strong. More than 10.7 million units of the latest Super Mario game have been sold around the world since it went on sale in October, according to Nintendo. Nintendo, which did not break down quarterly numbers, expects a full year profit of 440 billion yen ($3 billion), up from an earlier projection for a 420 billion yen ($2.8 billion) profit. The Super Nintendo World park is set to open next year in Florida.

Persons: Mario, ”, “ Mario, Kong, Peach, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, — Nintendo, Nintendo Co, Nintendo, U.S, Universal Studios Locations: Kyoto, Japan, Florida

☆ Nintendo raises Switch sales forecast to 15.5 million units
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNintendo raises Switch sales forecast to 15.5 million unitsNintendo raised its forecast for sales of its flagship Switch console from 15 million units to 15.5 million units for its fiscal year ending in March. Interest in the Switch remains high thanks to the “Super Mario Bros. Movie” and the flagship Zelda game last year, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal reports.

Persons: Mario, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Nintendo, Mario Bros

☆ A wildly popular game dubbed 'Pokémon with guns' has been forced to deny that its characters are a rip-off
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The game, Palworld, launched on PC last Friday to phenomenal success, quickly amassing record-breaking numbers of players on gaming distribution service Steam. But similarities between Palworld's pals and Pokémon, the titular creatures in the Nintendo game, were not lost on fans, who back when it was first announced in June 2021 quickly dubbed it "Pokémon with guns." Palworld pals are also caught using a "Pal Sphere," itself a concept closely echoing Pokémon's "Pokéball." But the visual similarities between a number of the individual creatures in Palworld and Pokémon have caused major discussions online. Pocket Pair/NintendoAn X user with the username Cecilia Fae compared dozens of the Palworld "pals" with existing Pokémon.

Persons: —, ove, batt, ake, clea, ake appr, t Rock Pape, ott Organizations: Service, Nintendo, Business, Steam, Radio Times, isu

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