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Gaming culture is saturating the general public more than ever – yes, even more so than when “Pac-Man Fever” hit the Billboard charts in 1982. Apple TV received critical acclaim last year. Mythic Quest guest viewers into the world of game development. Celebrities like Chris Gethard, Robby Hoffman, and Martin Urbano took to the Twitch gaming platform as an alternative to live comedy shows during quarantine, helping to bring more attention to the broadcast platform in direct. And the pandemic has helped many of us – who may have fallen out of the game between frog and Fortnite – rediscover this love.

Nintendo Switch sales surged last year, as homebound gamers explored the virtual world of Animal crossing, and the launch of next-gen gaming systems like Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X and Series S led retailers to sell out within minutes.

All of that to say that now, with everyone and their grandma (literally) playing games, you might think there is little need for sales to get anyone to buy games. Yet, with Labor Day weekend upon us, you can still find great deals on great games, and even systems that are extremely hard to find.

We’ve scoured the internet for the best gaming deals this Labor Day for Xbox, Playstation, Switch, PC and more. Think of us as your Professor Oak, or the man in the cave of THE Legend of Zelda, and here is your map. Now it’s up to you to put your skills to the test – and see if you’re quick enough to score some of these hot titles and next-gen systems before they’re all gone.

Xbox Best Sellers

Your eyes are not fooling you. QVC is currently in possession of the constantly out-of-print Xbox Series X, Microsoft’s latest gaming system capable of playing both digital and disc games. Even more remarkable, he offers this system as part of a bundle, including Madden 21, a Nyko gaming headset and Nyko dual charging dock, and even a voucher Mighty Skins for customizable console and controller skins.

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On top of that, QVC is offering this bundle for $ 100 off the original price. Finding a new console in such high demand is quite rare these days, but being able to find one at a reduced price? Well, to put it in Madden terms, it has about the same odds as the “headphone jack” from Super Bowl XLII. These guys are obviously going fast, so if you were intending to upgrade your game to the next gen, now is your chance.

$ 900 $ 1,000 at QVC

More Xbox sales:

• NBA 2K21 (Xbox One), $ 15 (was $ 30), target.com

• Halo 5 Guardians (XBox One), $ 23 (was $ 56), hsn.com

• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (one month), $ 1 (was $ 15), microsoft.com

• Roccat ELO X Wired Stereo Gaming Headset, $ 35 (was $ 50), target.com

• Kingdom Hearts 3 (XBox One), $ 25 (was $ 65), hsn.com

• Microsoft Xbox Series S 512GB with Xbox Game Pass and accessories, $ 650 (was $ 700), qvc.com

• PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox One / Series X, $ 25 (was $ 30), target.com

• Wasserstein Controller Charging Station for Xbox Wireless Controller, $ 33 (was $ 60), target.com

Best Selling Playstation

Assassin’s Creed is loved by gamers for its immersive historical settings. The most recent installment, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, provided a perfect showcase of the graphic power of the Playstation 5, bringing the world of Vikings to life with detailed imagery, realistic hair and fur physics and a rich soundscape fit for Norse warriors. If you’re one of the lucky gamers to get your hands on a PS5, this is a game you can’t pass up, especially since Amazon is offering this title for $ 60 for just $ 25. That’s over 50% off one of the most acclaimed games of this generation of consoles!

“This game takes old game mechanics from the ‘early years of Assassins Creed’ and puts it in an open world with good stealth,” said one five-star reviewer. “The game is everything Assassin’s Creed is meant to be … and it came from someone who loved Origins and Odyssey.”

25 $ $ 60 at Amazon

More Playstation Sales:

• Just Cause 4: Day One Edition (PS4), $ 25 (was $ 70), hsn.com

• EA Sports UFC 2 (PS4), $ 18 (was $ 70), hsn.com

• Dragon Quest Builders 2 (PS4), $ 25 (was $ 70), hsn.com

• Farming Simulator 19 (PS4) $ 25 (was $ 60), hsn.com

• The Evil Within 2 (PS4), $ 24 (was $ 40), amazon.com

• Mafia III (PS4), $ 22 (was $ 30), amazon.com

• Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (PS4), $ 23 (was $ 65), hsn.com

• Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4), $ 25 (was $ 70), hsn.com

• Predator: Hunting Grounds (PS4), $ 19 (was $ 40), amazon.com

Nintendo bestsellers

After a few stumbles in recent years, Nintendo could be poised to rule the world. A new Super Mario Bros. The film is in development, a Nintendo-themed land has opened in the Universal Studios Japan theme park, and the Nintendo Switch became a global sensation during the pandemic as retailers were unable to keep the console in stock. .

If you’re one of those who hasn’t brought a Nintendo Switch home yet, the Dual-Purpose Console is available now from QVC in a pack that includes Mario kart 8, a carrying case to take the switch on the go and even a like-new screen protector even in the toughest races. This set normally costs $ 630, but this Labor Day QVC drops the price by over $ 100. So don’t miss your chance to jump into the game with Nintendo’s most beloved console for decades.

$ 515 $ 630 at QVC

More Nintendo sales:

• Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Complete Edition (Nintendo Switch), $ 25 (was $ 40), target.com

• PowerA Wireless GameCube Style Controller for Nintendo Switch (Purple), $ 43 (was $ 55), amazon.com

• FIFA 21: Legacy Edition (Nintendo Switch), $ 20 (was $ 30), target.com

• SanDisk MicroSDXC UHS-I Memory Card (128GB), $ 23 (was $ 35), amazon.com

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with red and blue steering wheels (Nintendo Switch), $ 75 (was $ 95), qvc.com

• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, $ 41 (was $ 60), amazon.com

• Nintendo Switch Lite with accessories, $ 300 (was $ 330), qvc.com

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch), $ 50 (was $ 60), amazon.com

• Super Mario Party (Nintendo Switch), $ 50 (was $ 60), amazon.com

Best Selling PC Games

On sale for $ 42 (was $ 100), this Razer Mamba wireless gaming mouse offers stellar tracking, speed, and precision perfect for beginners and pro gamers alike. What’s amazing is that it feels like you’re using a wired mouse, even though it’s wireless. There is hardly any lag or latency that would ruin the gameplay.

The mouse provides up to 50 hours of battery life per charge, which is more than enough to complete just about any Final fantasy game before you need more juice.

“This is by far the best mouse I have ever owned, my last mouse was the NAGA and the Mamba Elite is a HUGE upgrade,” said one delighted player. “The sensor is amazing! “

$ 42 $ 100 at Amazon

More PC game sales:

• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (PC), $ 29 (was $ 60), amazon.com

• Arcade1Up 8 Game PartyCade Portable Home Arcade Machine, $ 190 (was $ 268), qvc.com

• High-performance Logitech G502 SE Hero RGB gaming mouse, $ 54 (was $ 80), amazon.com

• Wasserstein 5000mAh Power Bank Rechargeable Battery Compatible for Oculus, $ 30 (was $ 50), target.com

• Wasserstein Elite adjustable head strap for Oculus Quest 2, $ 45 (was $ 100), target.com

• Alienware 7.1 AW510H-Light PC gaming headset, $ 74 (was $ 100), amazon.com

The reviews cited above reflect the most recent versions at the time of posting.

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Unity software (NYSE: U) and Skillz (NYSE: SKLZ) both simplify video game development. Unity’s game engine is used to develop more than half of the world’s PC, console and mobile games. Unity provides all the tools needed to develop a game and launch it on multiple platforms, as well as tools to embed ads, process in-app purchases, host multiplayer games, and analyze player data.

Skillz’s platform hosts multiplayer games and tournaments for mobile games. By adding a few lines of code, developers can incorporate multiplayer functionality into their games without building them from scratch. Skillz also provides tools for payment processing and data analysis.

Image source: Getty Images.

Unity and Skillz both went public last year, but the former generated much larger payouts than the latter. Unity went public at $ 52 last September and its stock is now trading in the middle of $ 120. Skillz went public by merging with a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) last December. It started trading at $ 17.89 on day one, but is now only worth around $ 11 per share.

Let’s take a look at why Unity outperformed Skillz by such a wide margin, and whether or not it will remain the top stock in the long run.

How fast are Unity and Skillz growing?

Unity is bigger than Skillz, but Skillz is growing at a faster rate. Unity’s revenue grew 43% to $ 772 million in 2020, and it forecasts another 35% to 37% growth this year.

Skillz’s revenue grew 92% to $ 230 million in 2020, and it expects 69% growth this year. Excluding his plan to buy out the advertising technology company Aarki, he anticipates self-sustaining growth of 63%.

Neither company is yet profitable on GAAP or non-GAAP metrics, but Unity’s bottom line growth looks healthier. Unity’s non-GAAP net loss has fallen from $ 113 million in 2019 to $ 66 million in 2020, and analysts predict another, narrower loss this year. Skillz’s adjusted EBITDA loss fell from $ 23 million in 2019 to $ 66 million in 2020, and analysts expect an even larger loss this year.

Unity shares are trading at 32 times last year’s sales, while Skillz shares appear cheaper at 12 times sales. However, Unity arguably deserves to trade at a higher valuation than Skillz because it has a bigger and more diversified business, more stable revenue growth and less loss.

Unity’s strengths highlight Skillz’s weaknesses

Unity serves many large video game publishers, but none of them accounts for more than 10% of its revenue. In the second quarter of 2021, 888 of its customers generated more than $ 100,000 in revenue in the past 12 months, up from 716 a year ago.

Image source: Getty images.

Skillz, on the other hand, made 87% of its revenue last year with just two video game publishers: Tether and Big Run. Three games – Tether’s Lonely Cube and 21 Blitz, and Big Run’s Blackout Bingo – brought most of this income. Skillz still generated 82% of its turnover with these two studios in the first half of 2021.

This concentration of customers makes Skillz’s business much more fragile than Unity’s. Skillz’s total monthly active users also fell 4% year-on-year to 2.5 million in the first half of 2021, suggesting its top three games are losing their luster. Skillz offset this drop by increasing its average revenue per user (ARPU) by 74% – but it could be in trouble if its ARPU growth stagnates.

Unity’s business model seems more sustainable than Skillz’s. Unity’s Create Solutions business, which hosts its main game engine, generates most of its revenue through subscription fees. Its Operate Solutions business – which provides in-app advertising, multiplayer functionality, analytics, and other tools – offers revenue-sharing and usage-based plans.

Skillz generates most of its revenue by maintaining a 50% reduction in an app’s revenue generated on its multiplayer platform. That’s significantly higher than the standard 30% discount charged by other mobile app stores and could prevent Skillz from expanding beyond its three main games.

A bright future versus a murky future

Unity’s pioneering advantage in the game engine market will ensure it grows alongside the global games market. It is already growing faster than the industry, thanks to its ability to sell additional services to its current clients, and it expects to become profitable on a non-GAAP basis by 2023.

Skillz’s future looks bleaker. It plans to expand beyond its three main games by entering new genres like battle royale and racing games, but many of these best games are already running on their own multiplayer platforms.

Skillz believes its upcoming takeover of Aarki will form the basis of an “integrated esports advertising platform” and expand its advertising ecosystem beyond its own platform and into other applications. However, Aarki could still face stiff competition from larger demand-side platforms like The commercial counter and other mobile ad networks.

The winner: Unity

All of this suggests that Unity is a better investment than Skillz. Skillz may still have room to grow, but its customer focus issues, flawed business model, and growing losses make it a more dangerous investment.

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Leo Sun has no position in the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns stock and recommends Skillz Inc., The Trade Desk and Unity Software Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.