LOS ANGELES: Bandits, soldiers, demons, zombies, aliens and other enemies will be shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, incinerated, or even blown up on the show floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.
Deadly conflicts played out with stunning arsenals in creative fictional settings remain at the heart of blockbuster action video games, with imagery getting richer and fight mechanics smoother with improved technology.
There was no shortage of bloody battles in games spotlighted at media events hosted by video game industry titans in the days leading up to E3 showcase.
A hot video game trend now is “Battle Royale” death-match games such as “Fortnite” and “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” in which players vie to be the sole survivor.
Shooting and swordplay have long been staples in a global video game industry that the Entertainment Software Association said took in a total of $116 billion worldwide last year.
Violence in games has the trade group working to make sure politicians, including US President Donald Trump, understand that there is no link between that kind of play and what people do in the real world, ESA Chief Executive Michael Gallagher told AFP.
Trump and the ESA met earlier this year after the shootings at a US high school.
Some have blamed violence in media such as video games, rather than access to guns, for attacks.
“One thing that has sunk in to a great degree is the truth that video game violence has nothing to do with real-world violence,” Gallagher said commenting on meetings held with federal and state politicians.
“There are 2.6 billion gamers around the world, yet these outbreaks are uniquely American. It has got to be something else.”
A growing number of policy makers are “rejecting the notion outright” that video games cause people to commit actual violence, according to Gallagher.
“The tide has turned significantly,” he added.
In the US, 22 states offer video game companies economic incentives to set up and create jobs, according to Gallagher.
About 45,000 industry members are expected to attend E3, along with 15,000 gamers who bought tickets to get access to the show floor and its 200 exhibitors, the ESA said.
Deadly battles continue to power blockbuster video games
Deadly battles continue to power blockbuster video games
- Deadly conflicts played out with stunning arsenals in creative fictional settings remain at the heart of blockbuster action video games, with imagery getting richer and fight mechanics smoother with improved technology.
- A hot video game trend now is “Battle Royale” death-match games such as “Fortnite” and “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” in which players vie to be the sole survivor.
Closing Bell: Saudi main market sheds 85 points to finish at 11,098
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower in the latest session, falling 85.79 points, or 0.77 percent, to finish at 11,098.06.
The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index declined 0.63 percent to close at 1,495.23, while the parallel market index Nomu dropped 0.91 percent to 23,548.56.
Market breadth was firmly negative, with 42 gainers against 218 decliners on the main market. Trading activity saw 226 million shares exchanged, with total turnover reaching SR4.5 billion ($1.19 billion).
Among the session’s gainers, Tourism Enterprise Co. rose 9.40 percent to SR15.02. SHL Finance Co. advanced 4.51 percent to SR16.00, while Almasar Alshamil for Education Co. gained 3.56 percent to SR23.88.
Dar Alarkan Real Estate Development Co. added 3.03 percent to SR19.70, and Banque Saudi Fransi climbed 2.61 percent to SR19.30.
On the losing side, Almasane Alkobra Mining Co. recorded the steepest decline, falling 6.61 percent to SR96.
Al Moammar Information Systems Co. dropped 5.14 percent to SR164.20, while National Company for Learning and Education declined 4.60 percent to SR124.30. Saudi Ceramic Co. slipped 4.14 percent to SR27.30, and Arabian Contracting Services Co. fell 4.12 percent to SR116.50.
On the announcement front, Saudi Telecom Co. announced the distribution of interim cash dividends for the fourth quarter of 2025 in line with its approved dividend policy.
The company will distribute SR2.74 billion, equivalent to SR0.55 per share, to shareholders for the quarter.
The number of shares eligible for dividends stands at approximately 4.99 billion shares. The eligibility date has been set for Feb. 23, with distribution scheduled for March 12.
The company noted that treasury shares are not entitled to dividends and that payments will be made through Riyad Bank via direct transfer to shareholders’ bank accounts. stc shares last traded at SR44.80, unchanged on the session.
Separately, National Environmental Recycling Co., known as Tadweer, reported its annual financial results for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, posting significant growth in revenue and profit.
Revenue rose 53.5 percent year on year to SR1.24 billion, compared with SR806 million in the previous year. Net profit attributable to shareholders increased 68.4 percent to SR60.9 million, up from SR36.2 million a year earlier, driven by higher sales volumes and operational expansion.
Tadweer shares last traded at SR3.80, up 2.70 percent.
