Pixel P&L: PM Modi Highlights Gaming Sector at WAVES 2025 Summit

Welcome to another Pixel P&L edition. This issue takes 3 minutes to read. If you only have one, here are the 4 most important things:

• PM Modi highlights the gaming sector at India's inaugural WAVES 2025 Summit — connecting creators globally.

• Google's Gemini AI completes Pokémon Blue, potentially outpacing Anthropic's Claude.

• NIP Group reported a $12.7m loss despite revenue growth, pivots to diversification strategy — read the analysis below.

• Gaming treasures are finding new life when freed from collectors' cabinets

PM Modi Courts Global Gaming Industry at Mumbai Summit

At India's inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the growing importance of gaming in India's creative economy.

The summit, which integrates gaming alongside films, OTT, comics, and emerging technologies, aims to transform India into a global hub for digital entertainment innovation.

"WAVES will serve as a bridge connecting Indian creators with global storytellers, animators with global visionaries, and transform gamers to global champions," Modi stated during his address at Mumbai's Jio World Centre.

The Prime Minister noted his previous engagements with gaming professionals and highlighted Bengaluru's game designers as key contributors to India's expanding "Orange Economy."

With participation from over 90 countries, the summit featured dedicated sessions on gaming and AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality), showcasing India's ambitions in the global gaming market projected to experience significant growth over the next decade.

Google's Gemini AI Completes Pokémon Blue

Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro AI model has completed the 1996 game Pokémon Blue, potentially outpacing rival Anthropic's Claude model which is still working through Pokémon Red. Google CEO Sundar Pichai celebrated the milestone on social media.

The achievement comes from an unofficial experiment run by independent software engineer Joel Z, though Google executives have enthusiastically supported the effort. The completion highlights the growing competition between AI labs to demonstrate their models' capabilities.

Both AI systems rely on specialized "agent harnesses" that provide game information and execute commands. Joel Z cautioned against direct comparisons, noting "Gemini and Claude have different tools and receive different information."

These developments could result in advances in automated game testing, more sophisticated NPC behaviors, and potential AI-assisted design tools.

🎮 On Our Radar: NIP Group's Bold Pivot

Can diversification save struggling NIP Group? The parent company of Ninjas in Pyjamas reported a $12.7m loss in 2024, slightly improved from 2023's $13.3m deficit, despite modest revenue growth of 1.9% to $85.3m.

The company's event production revenue surged 147.5%, signaling a strategic shift away from traditional team operations that have challenged profitability across the industry.

Rather than retreating, NIP Group is aggressively expanding. They've established an Abu Dhabi headquarters, published their own MOBA game, developed competitive gaming for 'MIR M', and created physical entertainment hubs.

This approach contrasts with competitors like 100 Thieves and FaZe Clan, who have scaled back amid similar financial pressures. Meanwhile, NIP's gross profit declined to $3m from $7.2m in 2023.

We're watching closely as NIP bets on Middle Eastern markets and revenue diversification. Will this all-in strategy create a sustainable model for esports organizations, or represent a risky gamble during industry contraction?

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: Why video game critique has become toxic theater. 

🎮 Play: We've been having a lot of fun playing Marvel's Midnight Suns, a brilliant fusion of Firaxis' tactical genius with deck-building and superhero storytelling that transforms Marvel characters into an addictively deep experience worth every midnight hour.

📚 Read: How rare gaming treasures are finding new life when freed from collector's cabinets and given back to players at reasonable prices.

💡Did You Know

The 2013 "Deadpool" video game, which received mixed reviews and modest sales, reportedly cost approximately $100 million to develop and market. Surprisingly, this budget was nearly double the $58 million production cost of the 2016 "Deadpool" film starring Ryan Reynolds. While the game was quickly forgotten despite featuring the voice talent of Nolan North, the film became a global phenomenon, grossing over $782 million worldwide.

📜 Quote of the Day

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