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☆ Microsoft to cut 650 jobs at its Xbox gaming unit — read the full memo from top exec Phil Spencer
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMicrosoft on Thursday said that it is cutting 650 roles at its Xbox gaming division, in the latest major round of layoffs to hit the video game industry. It marks the third series of redundancies in Microsoft's video game unit since the company's blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the publisher behind the Call of Duty franchise, for $69 billion in cash. In a memo obtained by CNBC, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, told employees that the firm had taken this "difficult" decision to align its post-acquisition team structure and "organize our business for long term success." Bethesda publishes major gaming titles, such as the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series. Major gaming studios have cut thousands of jobs around the world, beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2024.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Patrick T, Spencer, Japan's, Playtika Organizations: Microsoft, Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty, Activision Blizzard, Duty, CNBC, Microsoft Gaming, Xbox, Activision, ZeniMax Media, Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda, Japan's Sony, PlayStation, Gaming Locations: Los Angeles, U.S

☆ EA to lay off 5% of workforce, or about 670 employees
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An Electronic Arts video game logo is seen at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The company's announcement marks the latest headcount reduction among video game developers in recent months, continuing a broader trend of significant downsizing across the tech industry. On Tuesday, Sony said it would lay off about 900 employees in its PlayStation division, or 8% of its workforce. EA CEO Andrew Wilson wrote in a memo to employees on Wednesday that the video game company is "streamlining our company operations to deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans everywhere." "We are continuing to optimize our global real estate footprint to best support our business," Wilson wrote in his Wednesday note.

Persons: Andrew Wilson, Wilson, —, Steve Kovach Organizations: Arts, Electronic Entertainment, Electronic Arts, EA, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Sony, PlayStation, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Riot Games, SEC, Apex, EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, CNBC PRO

☆ 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

REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) gaming master plan is slowly coming together. But Microsoft’s gaming revenue was still around 8% of group sales, or $15 billion, for the year ended June 2022. Given these risks, it makes sense for Nadella to grow his exposure to those parts of the gaming market which are less likely to be upended by cloud gaming. It remains possible that cloud gaming is a dog that doesn’t bark – or at least not for some time. As a result of the Activision deal, Nadella has a hedge of sorts against cloud gaming happening too fast.

Persons: Kevork, Satya Nadella’s, Ampere, ”, GamesIndustry.biz, Nadella, George Hay, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Activision, REUTERS, Reuters, Bethesda, Microsoft, Satya Nadella’s Activision, Ampere, Sony, Nintendo, Reuters Graphics, Netflix, Gamers, Xbox, PlayStation, Big Tech, Apple, HK, reckons, Competition, Markets Authority, CMA, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, United States, U.S

☆ Nvidia, other US chip stocks stall over valuation, industry worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The nVIDIA booth is shown at the E3 2017 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 13, 2017. Chip stocks soared to start the year, with the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index (.SOX) rising over 50% through July. With "some of the names that really have catapulted to the top, now you are starting to question valuations,” Mahn said. Of course, many chip stocks are sitting on substantial gains for the year and this month may only be a temporary setback. “I do believe there are opportunities in semiconductor stocks going forward," Mahn said.

Persons: Mike Blake, “, Lip, LSEG Datastream, Kevin Mahn, ” Mahn, Taiwan's, chipmaker, Mahn, Lewis Krauskopf, Ira Iosebashvili, Andrea Ricci Organizations: nVIDIA, REUTERS, Nvidia, Philadelphia, Semiconductor, Wealth Management, Hennion, Walsh Asset Management, Reuters, Federal Reserve, Lam Research, Applied, KLA Corp, Arm Holdings, Devices, Broadcom, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, United States, China, Washington

☆ Fact Check-Circulating photo is from a gaming expo, does not show the lobby at CERN
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A tweet said, in part, “The lobby at CERN; Nothing at all demonic to see here…” (here). The posts show what appears to be a 3D art display of demonic figures or creatures climbing out of the floor, with observers in the background. An online search for the photo leads to a blog post (here), (here) by 3D artist Kurt Wenner (kurtwenner.com/biography/). He was commissioned by Microsoft Studios to promote the “Gears of War” video game series, the first installment of which was released in November 2006. The photo shows a 3D art illustration by artist Kurt Wenner at a gaming expo in 2006 and does not show the CERN lobby.

☆ Electronic Arts is cutting about 800 jobs, or 6% of workforce, and reducing office space
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An Electronic Arts (EA) video game logo is seen at the Electronic Entertainment ExpoElectronic Arts is cutting 6% of its workforce, equal to about 800 jobs, and reducing office space, the video game company said Wednesday. Wilson said EA would provide severance and health care to affected employees, noting that layoffs had begun earlier in the quarter. EA had just under 13,000 employees, according to a quarterly filing in March 2022. Over 155,000 tech industry workers at more than 500 companies have lost their jobs in 2023, according to data from Layoffs.fyi. WATCH: Tech layoffs

[1/2] The Activision booth is shown at the E3 2017 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 13, 2017. REUTERS/ Mike Blake/File PhotoWASHINGTON/NEW YORK, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) has agreed to pay $35 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges that it failed to have systems in place to properly handle employee complaints and violated whistleblower protection rules, the regulator said on Friday. The SEC said the company knew employee retention issues were "a particularly important risk in its business" but did not have adequate measures in place to manage workplace misconduct complaints between 2018 and 2021. Representatives for Activision Blizzard, which did not admit or deny the SEC's charges, said in a statement they were "pleased to have amicably resolved this matter" and had "enhanced" their workplace reporting and contract language. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), which makes Xbox, had made a $69 billion bid to acquire Activision Blizzard, but the Federal Trade Commission asked a judge in December to block the transaction.

☆ These were Warren Buffett's 10 best performing stocks held by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway wasn't immune from the 20% stock market sell-off in 2022. These were Buffett's 10 best performing stocks owned by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022. The worst performing stocks owned by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022 included Nu Holdings and Snowflake, which both sank 57%. These were the 10 best performing stocks owned by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022. The list also includes a Berkshire holding value as of September 30, and is according to data from Whale Wisdom.

☆ Microsoft exec says gaming is 'somewhat resilient' to economic weakness
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft's head of gaming said Wednesday that video games can stand up to economic weakness, even as the software maker expects slower pickup in other parts of its business targeting consumers. Gaming remains a high priority for Microsoft, with the company working to close its $68.7 billion acquisition of publisher Activision Blizzard . Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, sounded optimistic about the prospects of the unit. "The video game industry has never been 'recession-proof,' but that line gets brought out every time the r-word is mentioned," Mat Piscatella, executive director and video game industry advisor at market researcher NPD Group, wrote in a July tweet. "People can play video games for hundreds of hours," he said.

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