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☆ 3 reasons why Wall Street is playing Roblox again
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Many adults heard the phrase “Robux” for the first time last holiday season when the virtual currency of gaming platform Roblox landed on the top of most wish lists. And it will have to prove to Wall Street there’s more growth up ahead. In its fourth quarter of 2023, Roblox revenue was $750 million, up 30% year-over-year – but had a net loss of $323.7 million. Like Fortnite, Roblox is also moving ahead with a“payout to creators” business model. “It’s clear that [Roblox] intends to go after younger gamers in 2024 and 2025,” Ward said.

Persons: ”, Roblox, Matilda Beinat, Lindsey Nicholson, UCG, David Baszucki, Ralph Lauren, Mike Proulx, Forrester, “, ” Proulx, Michael Nagle, ” Beinat, Lewis Ward, ” Ward, Ward Organizations: CNN, Investors, ABI Research, “, Gaming Center, Costco, Brookhaven RP, Nike, Walmart, New York Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty, Apple’s, IDC, Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars Locations: Asia, Roblox, New York, Fortnite

☆ 12 portfolio companies report earnings in the week ahead. What we want to hear from each
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

The action quickly and sharply reversed back to the upside Friday after blowout earnings reports from Alphabet and Microsoft . In the week ahead, earnings are likely to drive the action again, though we'll get a few important macroeconomic reports. Earnings: We've got the biggest week of the earnings season ahead of us, with 12 Club holdings set to report. Eli Lilly 's report Tuesday morning continues to be all about sales of type-2 diabetes treatment Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Zepbound. In DuPont 's report Wednesday morning, we're looking for a continued rebound in its semiconductor business following a sequential increase last quarter.

Persons: Ford, we'll, Dow Jones, We've, Buckle, Eaton, Eli Lilly, Lilly, We're, Estee Lauder, Fabrizio Freda, we've, Linde, Bausch, Royal Philips, Woodward, SIRI, Archer, Johnson, Stanley Black, Decker, BAX, Cardinal Health, Parker, Belden, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Nasdaq, Microsoft, Meta, Google Search, Big Tech, Nvidia, Broadcom, Ford Motor, Honeywell, Danaher, Labor Department, Labor, PMI, Services PMI, GE Healthcare, Amazon Web Services, Starbucks, Deutsche Bank, DuPont, Bausch Health, U.S ., Appeals, Apple, iPhones, Vision, ON Semiconductor, Resource Partners, Franklin Resources, Paramount, Transocean Ltd, Semiconductors, Arch Capital, Logitech International, Lattice Semiconductor, F5 Networks, Sanmina Corporation, GE HealthCare, PayPal, 3M Company, McDonalds, Enterprise Products Partners, Cola Company, Melco Resorts, Entertainment, SiriusXM Holdings, Oatly, American Electric Power Company, Leidos Holdings, Marathon Petroleum, Daniels, Midland Co, Equitrans Midstream Corporation, HSBC Holdings, HSBC, Devices, Caesars Entertainment, Lumen Technologies, Mondelez, Pfizer, CVS Health, Barrick, Mastercard Inc, Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, Kraft Heinz Company, Marriott International, Ares, Generac Holdings, Johnson Controls, Cenovus Energy Inc, Qualcomm, Devon Energy, Paycom, Axcelis Technologies, Coeur D'Alene Mines, Sunnova Energy International, MGM Resorts International, MGM, Solar Inc, Oil, Allstate, Co, Tenable Holdings, Enovix Corporation, Gladstone Capital, Avis Budget Group, eBay, EBAY, LIN, Novo Nordisk, Natural Resources, PENN Entertainment, Apache, ConocoPhillips, InMode Ltd, Baxter International, Cardinal, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Apollo Global Management, LLC, Cinemark Inc, Dominion Energy, Coterra Energy, Coinbase, Bill.com Holdings, Booking Holdings, United States Steel, AXT Inc, Materials, Energy, Hershey Company, XPO Logistics, Cboe, American Pipeline, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Brookfield Business Partners, Brookfield Renewable Corporation, Magna International, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Traders, New York Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: U.S, megaprojects, China, Eaton, Corning, Coeur D'Alene, Albemarle, ALB, Novo, New York

☆ Early retail bulls chart Nvidia's transformation from gaming icon to AI superpower — a ride that's paid for cars, dream homes, and lavish vacations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Ana Altchek | Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Nvidia has been a cash cow for retail investors lucky enough to buy before the huge AI-fueled rally. Early retail investors told Business Insider their gains have paid for cars, vacations, and dream homes. The stock's steep climb — up over 1,500% since 2019 — has transformed the lives of some of Nvidia's long-term retail investors, resulting in comfier retirements, new cars, and gains worth millions for some. Nvidia shares tumbled by more than 30% in 2018. That sense of security that such a windfall provides was the top theme among the Nvidia investors Business Insider connected with.

Persons: —, I'm, ChatGPT, Tom, he'll, Danial hadn't, Danial, Roth, Jeff Roberts, Rick, He's, Chris Downs, Downs, he's Organizations: Nvidia, Business, Service, Vanda Research, Apple, Invest, Mexico City Locations: New Jersey, Texas, Costa Rica, Missouri, Bolivia, Paris, Mexico, Spain

☆ Blizzard, NetEase deal: ‘World of Warcraft’ and other hit games return to China as dispute ends
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Diksha Madhok | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —China’s gaming giant NetEase will bring back the iconic “World of Warcraft” and other popular video games by Microsoft’s Blizzard Entertainment to the country, the companies said in a joint statement Wednesday. California-based Blizzard and Hangzhou-based NetEase had ceased their 15-year relationship in 2023 after an acrimonious fallout, leaving millions of fans in China heartbroken. “After a year of negotiations, Blizzard and NetEase are pleased to align on a path forward to once again serve players in mainland China,” the companies said in a post on NetEase Games’ official Weibo account. The new deal will see the return of “World of Warcraft” and “Hearthstone” games to China, as well as other titles in the Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo and StarCraft universes, according to the statement. Foreign publishers must work with local partners to offer video games in China.

Persons: NetEase, “, ”, we’ve, William Ding, ’, Phil Spencer Organizations: CNN, Microsoft’s Blizzard Entertainment, Blizzard, Games, Weibo, Microsoft Gaming, Xbox, Microsoft, Activision, Big Locations: China, California, Hangzhou, Beijing, Big Tech

☆ Why the big winner in the Reddit IPO is ... a magazine publisher
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementIt's easy to write gloomy stories about the state of the media business. The media business is often pretty gloomy! This one is about a very Old World Media Company that has struck gold in digital media — one of the very few times that has ever happened. (While we're in disclosure mode, I should note that Business Insider itself is a digital media company acquired by German media conglomerate Axel Springer in 2015. AdvertisementMaybe a worthwhile playbook the next time — and there will be a next time — a big media company opens its wallet for a digital upstart again.

Persons: Condé Nast, —, Reddit, Time Warner, Axel Springer Organizations: Advance, Service, World Media Company, Vogue, Yorker, Big Media, News Corp, MySpace, Penguin, YouTube, Maker Studios, Disney, Fox, Time, Comcast, NBC, Vox Media Locations: Reddit

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Internet gambling revenue continues to soar in New Jersey, where online casinos are accounting for a growing share of the betting pie: Atlantic City's casinos and their online partners won $182 million in internet bets in February. But the news was not all good: Atlantic City's nine casinos won $211.5 million from in-person gamblers, down 1.6% from a year earlier. Bally's won nearly $19 million, up nearly 5%; Harrah's won $18.7 million, down 11%; Caesars won $16.2 million, down 15.5%; and Resorts won $12.1 million, down 4.3%. In terms of in-person revenue, Borgata won $53.6 million, down 6.7%; Hard Rock won $41.1 million, up 9.6%; Ocean won over $31 million, up over 18%; Harrah's won $18.2 million, down 14.7%; and Tropicana won $16.6 million, down 3.1%. Caesars won $16.4 million, down 13.7%; Resorts won $12.2 million, down 3.6%; Golden Nugget won $11.6 million, up 4:, and Bally's won $10.6 million, down over 13%.

Persons: ”, Jane Bokunewicz, Bally's, Harrah's, Borgata, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, of Gaming Enforcement, Atlantic, Atlantic City, Golden, Ocean, Tropicana, Caesars, Resorts, Resorts Digital, Caesars Interactive Entertainment Locations: N.J, New Jersey, www.twitter.com

☆ A nostalgic look back at when the Internet still felt joyful
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Steffi Cao | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

These were informal but high-stakes gatherings, then known as LAN parties, whether winning a box of energy drinks or just the joy of emerging victorious. Many people who had never experienced the era of LAN parties also responded with excitement. Digital cameras — with which most of the photos in “LAN Party” were taken — had just become widely available to the public. LAN parties made space for competition and community in both 'real life' and online environments simultaneously. Dane Oleson/Electronox/Courtesy Thames & HudsonThough they have significantly dwindled in frequency, LAN parties do still take place.

Persons: David Harrison, Gen Xers, podcaster Merritt, ”, ” K, “, ’, Anne de Waal, Charles, Jeff Tillett, —, Merritt K, Brett Masse, Nick Huber, White, it’s, Dane Oleson Organizations: CNN, chrysalis, Google, Napster, Hudson, Thames, LAN Party, Twitter, QuakeCon, IRL Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Hengelo, The Netherlands, St, Charles Parish , Louisiana, Dallas , Texas, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Lee's Summit , Missouri

☆ The 8 people who made 'Dungeons & Dragons' cool just launched their answer to the game. Hasbro and its game empire should be very, very nervous.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | Chris Kaye | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The cast of Critical Role launched the open beta for their new gaming system, "Daggerheart," on Tuesday. Last year, people packed into a sold-out Wembley Arena to watch the eight-person cast of Critical Role play "Dungeons & Dragons." But on Tuesday night, they took a break from the game that made them famous and launched "Daggerheart," their answer to "Dungeons & Dragons." The previous edition's Open Game License, or OGL, allowed creators to publish and profit from work compatible with the game. It's possible to rebuild your "Dungeons & Dragons" characters in "Daggerheart," and the complex capabilities built into the game allow for extended narrative-driven campaigns.

Persons: they've, —, Matthew Mercer, It's, it's, Travis Willingham, Willingham, there's, Elon Musk, Gizmodo Organizations: Twitch, Hasbro, Service, Wembley, Darrington Press, BI

☆ Ex-Activision CEO Bobby Kotick pitched buying TikTok to potential partners, including Sam Altman: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Bobby Kotick, the former chief of gaming giant Activision, wants to buy TikTok. He's floated the idea to ByteDance cofounder Zhang Yiming and OpenAI's Sam Altman, the WSJ reports. A proposed bill gaining steam in Congress would force TikTok to sell to a US entity or shut down. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementBobby Kotick, the former CEO of gaming giant Activision, may see TikTok as his next act — that is, if a controversial bill making its way through Congress becomes law.

Persons: Bobby Kotick, He's, Zhang Yiming, OpenAI's Sam Altman, TikTok, —, Kotick Organizations: Activision, Service, Microsoft, Street Journal, Business

☆ 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

That is why the casinos consider their core business to be money won from in-person gamblers. The in-person total continues to decline, still lagging the levels seen before the COVID19 pandemic began in early 2020. Golden Nugget won $63.5 million, up over 23%; Hard Rock won $51.5 million, up 19%; Ocean won $39.1 million, up more than 13%, and Tropicana won $26.1 million, up 4.5%. Bally's won $18.9 million, up 15.3%; Harrah's won $16.5 million, down 17.5%; Caesars won $15.1 million, down 7.6%; and Resorts won $10.8 million, down less than 1%. Golden Nugget won $11.2 million from in-person gamblers, up 2.3%; Resorts won $10.9 million, down 1.4%; and Bally's won $10 million, down nearly 13%.

Persons: Jane Bokunewicz, Lloyd Levenson, “, ”, James Plousis, Bally's, Harrah's, Borgata, Ocean, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, of Gaming Enforcement, Atlantic, Stockton University, Atlantic City, New Jersey Casino Control, Meadowlands, Jersey Shore, Freehold Raceway, Golden Nugget, Ocean, Tropicana, Caesars, Resorts, Resorts Digital, Caesars Interactive Locations: N.J, New Jersey, East Rutherford, New York City, Monmouth, Oceanport, Jersey, www.twitter.com

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

☆ Elon Musk attacked my article accusing him of gaming Twitter's algorithm for more attention. In some ways, it gave him exactly what he wanted.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Zoe Schiffer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Advertisement"Yes, Elon Musk created a special system for showing you all his tweets first," the Platformer headline read. "After his super bowl tweet did worse numbers than President Biden's, Twitter's CEO ordered major changes to the algorithm." In December 2022, a former Twitter employee had been sentenced to three years in prison for spying on behalf of Saudi Arabia. AdvertisementBy the end of the week, did anyone even remember there had been a Super Bowl? From EXTREMELY HARDCORE: Inside Elon Musk's Twitter, by Zoe Schiffer, published by Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch, Elisabeth Murdoch, Musk, Biden, I'm, Jill Biden's, Jill Biden, Joe Biden, I'd, Elon, Zoe, Yang, Casey Newton, Biden's, Newton, who'd, Barack Obama, Twitter, Zoe Schiffer Organizations: Service, Farm, Super, News Corp, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Business, Eagles, Twitter, Elon Musk, Google, Washington Post, Engineers, UPS, Elon, Penguin Publishing, Penguin Random Locations: Glendale , Arizona, Arizona, Oakland, Santa Barbara, Saudi Arabia

☆ 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

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — With this year's Super Bowl being played in Las Vegas, the nation's gambling capital, there was little doubt that betting on the big game would be huge. The 2023 Super Bowl between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles brought in $153.1 million worth of bets. In Pennsylvania, $71.5 million was wagered on the Super Bowl, down 15% from last year's Super Bowl, in which the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Chiefs. Other states with big sports betting markets, including New York and Illinois, had yet to report betting levels for this year's Super Bowl as of Wednesday evening. Maine, which offered Super Bowl gambling for the first time, saw about $3.5 million wagered online, according to an estimate from the state's Gambling Control Unit.

Persons: sportsbooks, “ We’re, Chris Bevilacqua, ” BetMGM, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Nevada Gaming Control Board, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlantic City, Super, of Gaming Enforcement, NFL Locations: N.J, Las Vegas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Maine, bettors, www.twitter.com

☆ YouTube stars help NFL bring in more viewers, league says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Zach Vallese | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

YouTube bet big on the NFL to boost its subscriber base, and content creators have been key to that push. After YouTube committed $2 billion per year to secure the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, YouTube TV grew from 5 million subscribers in 2022 to more than 8 million this year. Enlisting some of YouTube's top creators to promote NFL Sunday Ticket helped drive engagement among tens of millions of users, the league said. A subscription to YouTube TV costs $73 per month, with an additional annual fee of $349 for access to NFL Sunday Ticket. YouTube TV enlisted familiar YouTube stars including lifestyle creators, vloggers and sports creators to attract new audiences to the NFL.

Persons: Christian Oestlien, Sean Evans —, Ian Trombetta, Nielsen, Tom Rogers, Rogers, Sundar Pichai Organizations: YouTube, NFL, NFL Sunday, Netflix, Disney, Nielsen Locations: U.S

☆ Online sports betting stocks are primed for a big 2024 as fans ready for the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

3 market share position," said Jeff Stantial, director of gaming and leisure research at Stifel. DraftKings stock tripled in 2023 and has already gained nearly 10% in 2024. 'Buying' market share The remaining market share is up for grabs and fluctuates among the smaller players. Stantial expects ESPN Bet has the edge over BetMGM, but says both sportsbooks remain tightly contested for a larger slice of market share. ESPN Bet has been running promotions that include $150 of free bets and $1,000 deposit match upon signing up, according to JPMorgan analyst Joseph Greff.

Persons: Jeff Stantial, Bank of America's Shaun Kelley, You've, Stantial, Joseph Greff, Greff, Walt Disney, Barstool, FactSet, JPMorgan's Greff, Bet365, Clark Lampen, Lampen Organizations: DraftKings, Penn Entertainment, ESPN Bet, MGM Resorts International, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, New York Stock Exchange, NCAA, Bank of America's, Euronext Dublin, BetMGM, ESPN Bet's, Professional, Amateur Sports Protection, ESPN BET, ESPN, Walt, Barstool Sports, Sportico, Penn, MGM Locations: U.S, North Carolina, Ireland, WynnBet, BetMGM, PENN, York

☆ 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

(AP) — New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrested Thursday on charges related to illegal online gaming while he was under age and played at Louisiana State University, authorities said. Boutte is accused of creating an online betting account under a fake name and then placing more than 8,900 illegal bets. Six were wagers on LSU football, according to a state police news release. Seventeen wagers were made on NCAA football, which included wagers on LSU football between Aug. 28, 2022, and Oct. 9, 2023, the warrant states. Six of the wagers were on LSU football, including one game — LSU versus Florida State — where he bet on himself, investigators allege.

Persons: Boutte, FanDuel Sportsbook, “, ” Boutte, Kayla Fortenberry Organizations: — New England Patriots, Louisiana State University, NCAA, LSU, Baton, Louisiana State Police, Investigators, Patriots, East Baton, Florida State —, Westgate High School Locations: BATON ROUGE, La, Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge, New Iberia, “

☆ Microsoft lays off 1,900 workers, nearly 9% of gaming division, after Activision Blizzard acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra said Thursday on social media platform X he would be leaving Microsoft and Blizzard. Activision Blizzard is the publisher and developer of several massive gaming franchises, including Call of Duty and Diablo. Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard was the company's largest ever acquisition, more than double the size of its 2016 purchase of LinkedIn. Unlike the Microsoft layoffs, eBay and SAP saw a significant bump in their share prices following their announcements. Read the full memo below:It's been a little over three months since the Activision, Blizzard, and King teams joined Microsoft.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Mike Ybarra, Spencer, Activision Blizzard, Candy, It's, we'll, I'm, Phil CNBC's Steve Kovach Organizations: Microsoft, CNBC, Activision Blizzard, Former, Blizzard, Activision, LinkedIn, Tech, Games, eBay, SAP, King, Microsoft Gaming, Leadership Team, Xbox

☆ How Warner Bros. Discovery's games chief plans to build on 'Hogwarts Legacy' and give the company more much-needed wins
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Discovery's gaming division is on a winning streak with two of the biggest console games in 2023: "Hogwarts Legacy," the year's No. David Haddad is WBD's long-running games chief and the rare top WarnerMedia executive who survived the merger with Discovery (as well as the AT&T ownership era). In an interview with Business Insider, Haddad, who is president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment — a position he's held since 2015 — framed the challenge and how he plans to keep WBD games' streak going. It can take the form of new events to keep people playing a strategy game like "Game of Thrones: Conquest" or new characters and tournaments in a fighting game like "Mortal Kombat." WBD's success with games separates it from other legacy media companies that have stumbled in the arena, most notably Disney.

Persons: —, execs, David Haddad, Haddad, We're, Harry Potter, it's, They've, Michael Pachter, Shaggy, David Zaslav, people's, Jefferies, Andrew Uerkwitz, LightShed, Haddad wouldn't, we've Organizations: Service, Warner, Business, Discovery, Warner Bros, Interactive Entertainment, Wedbush Securities, Disney, Netflix, Thrones, EA, Embracer Locations: WarnerMedia

AdvertisementIntel 14th-generation Core and Core Ultra CPUs at a glanceIntel Core 14th generation: Intel's most powerful CPUs, but not by muchThe first 14th-generation Intel Core CPUs hit shelves last year. AdvertisementIntel Core 14th generation for desktopsFirst, let's look at Intel's flagship line of consumer-grade desktop CPUs, the Intel Core i5/i7/i9 14th generation. AdvertisementIntel Core Ultra: Better battery life and AI toolsThe Intel Core Ultra is entirely separate from the Intel Core 14th generation. IntelReleasing alongside the Intel Core 14th generation laptop chips are the Intel Core Ultra CPUs, also known by their codename "Meteor Lake." It's intended as a direct successor to the first Intel Core Ultra processors, and will likely be marketed as the "Intel Core Ultra 2."

Persons: it's, they're, There's Organizations: Intel, Dell, MSI, Future Publishing, Puget Systems, K, Razer, Asus, Swift, AMD, Processing Unit, CES, Raptor

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's games chief shares plans to capitalize on 'Hogwarts Legacy' and boost the division's growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Discovery's gaming division is on a winning streak with two of the biggest console games in 2023: "Hogwarts Legacy," the year's No. In an interview with Business Insider, Haddad, who is president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment — a position he's held since 2015 — framed the challenge and how he plans to keep WBD games' streak going. It can take the form of new events to keep people playing a strategy game like "Game of Thrones: Conquest" or new characters and tournaments in a fighting game like "Mortal Kombat." WBD's success with games separates it from other legacy media companies that have stumbled in the arena, most notably Disney. Nevertheless, analysts have speculated that given its past success and need for growth, WBD could buy another gaming company such as EA or Take-Two Interactive.

But only half that money came from the casinos' core business: money won on their physical premises. Collectively, the casinos surpassed 2019 levels with $2.8 billion won from in-person gamblers, but that was accomplished largely on the strength of the three newest casinos. Hard Rock won $512 million, up 4.1%, and Ocean won nearly $415 million, up 16.3%. Harrah's won $254 million in person, down 1.5%; Tropicana won $240 million, down 3.3%; Caesars won $231 million, down 1.7%; Resorts won $163 million, down 2.3%; Bally's won $155 million, up less than 1%, and Golden Nugget won $146 million, down 1.8%. Among internet-only entities, Resorts Digital won $822 million, up 50.4%, and Caesars Interactive Entertainment NJ won $90 million, down 20.7%.

Persons: Money, Ocean —, James Plousis, Jane Bokunewicz, Lloyd Levenson, ”, Borgata, Harrah's, Bally's, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, Atlantic, New, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, Ocean, New Jersey Casino Control Commission, Atlantic City, Stockton University, Sports, Tropicana, Caesars, Resorts, Golden Nugget, Resorts Digital, Caesars Interactive Entertainment Locations: N.J, New Jersey, Atlantic City, www.twitter.com

☆ Top Wall Street analysts expect these dividend stocks to enhance total returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Dividend-paying stocks give investors a combination of potential price appreciation and income, which can enhance total returns. Bearing that in mind, here are five attractive dividend stocks, according to Wall Street's top experts on TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. (See Sunoco Hedge Funds Trading Activity on TipRanks)VICI PropertiesOur next dividend stock is VICI Properties (VICI), a real estate investment trust. For the third quarter, the company declared a cash dividend of $0.415 per share, reflecting a 6.4% increase. For the third quarter, the company declared a cash dividend of $2.09 per share, payable on Dec. 14.

Persons: Mike Blake, Wall, Elvira Scotto, Scotto, TipRanks, Sunoco, VICI, Simon Yarmak, Yarmak, Christopher Horvers, Horvers Organizations: Reuters, Energy, Crestwood Equity Partners, RBC Capital, MGM, North American, JPMorgan, TipRanks, Walmart Locations: Encinitas , California, U.S, Crestwood, Vegas

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