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☆ Minecraft developers quit Reddit after company's controversial changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In the latest blow to Reddit after its controversial billing changes, the makers of Minecraft — one of the best-selling video games of all time — have quit the platform. "Reddit management introduced changes recently that have led to rule and moderation changes across many subreddits," a tech lead at Mojang Studios, the Microsoft-owned company behind Minecraft, posted on the r/Minecraft Reddit community Tuesday. "Because of these changes, we no longer feel that Reddit is an appropriate place to post official content or refer our players to." An update to the post clarified that it is not an official policy for all of Mojang Studios, Xbox or Microsoft. The protests included the wildly popular r/Funny, with more than 40 million members, along with r/Music and r/Science, each boasting more than 30 million users.

Persons: Minecraft, —, Reddit Organizations: Mojang Studios, Microsoft, Java, Xbox, Reddit, Guinness World Records, CNBC

☆ Inside Netflix's growing M&A machine, who's leading it, and what insiders think the streamer could buy next
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It then delved further into M&A to kickstart its games business. And the streamer hasn't completely abandoned its build-from-within strategy, as it also announced plans last fall to build its own gaming studio in Finland. He recently was elevated to the Lstaff, a group of 25 Netflix business heads who debate its biggest initiatives. (Netflix ended up doing a partnership in 2019 with that company, Studio Dragon, and its parent CJ ENM.) But leadership has been steadfast that Netflix's M&A mantra hasn't changed.

Persons: Here's, Reed Hastings, It's, it's, who's, what's, Roald Dahl, Dahl, Peter Rabbit, Spry, Harry Potter, execs, Spencer Wang, Michael Porter, Spencer Neumann, who'd, Neumann, Wang, Greg Peters, Ted Sarandos, Bela Bajaria, Scott Stuber, Mike Verdu, Jay MacDonald, Digiday, Ana Milicevic, Hastings, Sarandos, CJ ENM, Mario Organizations: Netflix, stoke, Paramount, Night School, Spry Fox, Disney, Warner Bros, DC Comics, Digital Capital Advisors, MLB, Surf League, Street Journal, Microsoft, Sparrow Advisers, MGM, Amazon, Mario Bros, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, UBS Locations: Finland, New Jersey, Hollywood

☆ Dolby Atmos Wants You to Listen Up. (And Down. And Sideways.)
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Bob Mehr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In 2017, R.E.M.’s “Automatic for the People” became the first album mixed for Atmos, and over the next few years, several notable Atmos releases — from Elton John, Queen and the Beatles — showcased the format’s possibilities. It began by partnering with Dolby to encourage recording studios to upgrade to the format. There are now some 800 officially recognized Dolby Atmos studios in over 40 countries, a 350 percent increase in just two years. (Dolby estimates there are two or three times that number of other studios capable of delivering music in Atmos.) Wood, initially dismissive of learning to work in Atmos, said he changed his mind once he realized the inevitability of its rise.

Persons: ”, Elton John, Queen, Dolby, who’ve, Wood, I’d, Liz Phair’s “, “, ” Schusser, Fleetwood Mac Organizations: Apple’s, Beatles, Apple, Dolby, Apple Music Locations: Atmos

☆ BTS 10th anniversary: Superfans make pilgrimage to South Korea to celebrate the K-pop band that conquered the globe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Kathleen Magramo | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Scroll through the gallery to see how the K-pop group went global. ilgan Sports/Multi-Bits/Getty Images BTS fans at the "Love Yourself" North American Tour at the Staples Center on September 9, 2018 in Los Angeles. Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/Getty Images BTS won all three awards they were nominated for at the 2021 American Music Awards held in Los Angeles. Theo Wargo/Getty Images BTS addressed Asian inclusion and representation at the White House in Washington, DC on May 31, 2022. “Being in America and not seeing that much of Asian representation, when I saw that seven Asian guys were trending … that totally like piqued my interest immediately.

Persons: Rowan Joss, Katie Myles ’, they’re, ’ ”, Joss, HYBE, Myles, Kim Tae, Jung Ho, Kim Nam, Kim Seok, Jeon Jung, kook, Min Yoon, Psy’s, ”, Chelsea Guglielmino, Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Lipovsky, Matt Winkelmeyer, Theo Wargo, Kent Nishimura, CedarBough Saeji, ” Saeji, Katie Myles, –, hasn’t, Anthony Wallace, ’, Lisa Trinh, Diana Phung, they’ve, Trinh, they’ll, Jimin, Hwang Young, Startrip, Yoonjung Seo, Jungkook, dad, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, it’s, Michelle Cho, It’s, Phung Organizations: Seoul CNN —, BTS, Records, YouTube, ilgan, Staples Center, Chelsea, NBC, Getty, White, Los Angeles Times, East Asian Studies, Pusan National University, ARMY, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Tower, CNN, The, Guinness, Spotify, University of Toronto Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, South Korea, Scotland, Los Angeles, Washington , DC, Korean, AFP, Seoul’s, California, Gangwon province, Busan, Korea, Cafe, America

☆ Directors Guild of America reaches tentative deal as writers strike goes on
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Directors Guild of America reached a “historic” tentative deal for wages, work hours, residuals and even artificial intelligence Saturday night as the writer’s strike continues. “We have concluded a truly historic deal,” said Jon Avnet, chair of the guild’s negotiations committee in a statement. Keyser thanked other industries for their solidarity, including the Directors Guild. We have always been strong enough to get the deal we need using writer power alone.”The 19,000 Directors Guild members would see a 5% wage increase in the first year, 4% in the second and 3.5% in the third year. CNN has reached out to the producer’s alliance and the Writers Guild for comment.

Persons: ”, Jon Avnet, Chris Keyser, Keyser, “, ” Keyser, Halyna Hutchins Organizations: New, New York CNN, of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild, CNN, Writers Locations: New York, Mexico

☆ Actor Mark Wahlberg lobbies to make Las Vegas a Hollywood in the desert
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Contessa Brewer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Actor Mark Wahlberg lobbied Nevada state lawmakers Wednesday to pass a bill that would coax more film production to Las Vegas. The electronics giant has committed to spend $1 billion on film production in Nevada over a decade, but only if the tax incentive package, known as the Nevada Film Studio Infrastructure Act, passes. That studio would sit on the University of Nevada Las Vegas technology park, which would also include educational facilities for job training in the film industry. "For a company to earn $190 million tax credit ... they would have to spend $633 million filming and creating economic development for this whole valley." Other states have seen film production tax credits become a financial drain, according to analysis by the Nevada Policy Research Institute.

Persons: Mark Wahlberg, Wahlberg, I've, Sen, Roberta Lange, Howard Hughes, Tony Vinciquerra, David O'Reilly, O'Reilly, Birtcher Organizations: CNBC, Nevada Legislature, Birtcher Development, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Howard, Howard Hughes Corp, Sony, Nevada Film Studio, Las Vegas Media, University of Nevada, Nevada Policy Research Institute Locations: Nevada, Las Vegas, Summerlin, University of Nevada Las Vegas

☆ Movie theaters are most at risk if the writers’ strike drags on, Moody’s says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Already strained movie theater companies could be hurt most from the Writers Guild of America strike, according to an analysis released Thursday. “New big-budget tent-pole releases tend to fill theaters,” said Moody’s in its new analysis. But in terms of the volume of content produced, television (networks and streamers) has more exposure,” said Moody’s. “Television will bear the brunt of a long strike as the implications of the writers’ strike will play out more noticeably for TV networks, stations, cable channels, and streamers. TV networks, particularly broadcast networks, consistently schedule new prime-time shows to begin in the fall,” the Moody’s analysis said.

☆ Michael Kors and Naomi Watts on Fashion and Women’s Health
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Cody Delistraty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

“In an industry that is so focused on women, we are not seeing enough women rise in managerial [roles],” said fashion designer Michael Kors to Kristina O’Neill (left) onstage. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Wall Street JournalOn Tuesday night, as the sun set over the Hudson River at Spring Studios in downtown Manhattan, the designer and philanthropist Michael Kors and actor and entrepreneur Naomi Watts weighed in on what the future might hold for their industries. The “after hours” edition of The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival, hosted in collaboration with WSJ. Magazine, opened with cocktails followed by performances of Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke” and Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” sung by students from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School in Queens, New York.

☆ The top 7 podcast companies helping social-media influencers like Rhett and Link produce and make money from shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new wave of podcast networks has emerged to help creators make content and earn money. Here's a breakdown of seven leading podcast networks that work with social-media influencers. "We are creator-led 100%," Faucett, now executive producer at TMG Studios, told Insider. "To expand podcast reach and earnings, we can also help implement additional strategies tailored to the creator — anything from Snapchat distribution to podcast clip services." Here are the top seven podcast networks for influencers, listed in alphabetical order by company name:

☆ Opinion: Taiwan could teach a master class in preparing for the worst
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Opinion Lanhee J. Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

I visited Taiwan in late March as part of a US delegation that met with senior Taiwanese leaders in government and civil society, including Tsai. Nonetheless, several senior Taiwanese officials expressed disbelief when I told them that Trump might actually be the Republican nominee for president again, particularly given his recent legal troubles. President Joe Biden is also viewed favorably in Taiwan, particularly because of promises that the US would defend Taiwan if it was attacked by China. But senior administration officials have repeatedly stressed that, notwithstanding Biden’s statements, US policy toward Taiwan has not changed. Taiwanese officials must deal with the reality that with each passing day, an attack from China may be drawing near.

☆ Ikea to invest over $2.2 billion in new U.S. store models, pickup locations in next three years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Natasha Piñon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"It's also an indication of how important the U.S. market is for Ikea," Quiñones said. Down the road, some might open in locations that already have an Ikea store nearby, while others might open in cities without any Ikea presence. Ikea is also adding 900 new pickup locations to its slate, allowing customers to retrieve ordered goods from more convenient locations. Like omnichannel retail more broadly, order pickup options have flourished at a variety of retailers throughout the pandemic. The majority of Ikea's pickup locations will be tied to Ikea stores, and some stores will have multiple pickup locations, Quiñones said.

☆ Netflix may shrug at writers' strike after slashing content spending in first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Like other media companies, Netflix appears focused on boosting free cash flow rather than cranking up spending to add more subscribers. But if that amount is cut, Netflix's new investor story of boosting free cash flow may not be derailed. The company nonetheless hopes to avoid a writers' strike, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said during Netflix's earnings video presentation Tuesday. A writers' strike could put more emphasis on Netflix adding live programming — something the company is clearly still struggling with. Still, Netflix seems prepared to weather a writers' strike — because it's already getting permission from investors to cut content spend without one.

☆ London's priciest townhouse just listed for $74 million. Here's what's hidden beneath it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ray Parisi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Will PryceOne of the most expensive townhouses in London listed Monday for 60 million pounds (about $74 million). The home's subterranean level includes a swimming pool that spans 39 feet and a pool deck furnished with daybeds. Below the townhouse residences are subterranean parking spots that eliminate the need for on-street parking. Here's a closer look around — and under — London's newest $74 million listing, which is being sold fully furnished. This can be achieved on a subterranean level because the rear garden is one level below street grade.

☆ Hollywood Is Betting on Fear
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Robbie Whelan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Hollywood, once again, is resorting to scare tactics. Major studios including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures’ New Line Cinema and Universal Pictures have recently poached A-list horror writers and directors and launched new divisions to bolster their spooky offerings. Horror films—which are typically made with much lower production budgets than superhero epics or science-fiction sagas—have long operated on a boom-and-bust cycle. When a scary movie becomes an unlikely hit, studios will try to replicate that success by making a flurry of similar titles. Then comes the bust: Quality inevitably suffers and audiences get fatigued by how many mediocre scary movies are coming out, leading studios to pull back.

☆ The $900 million Storylines MV Narrative cruise ship will have an anti-aging clinic, 2 farms, and a hospital – everything residents need to live permanently at sea.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Paul Read, a project manager, is heading the design process for the $900 million MV Narrative ship. About three years ago, I was appointed as project manager of Storylines' MV Narrative, a cruise ship with apartments costing up to $8 million each, that will allow residents to live permanently at sea. How the MV Narrative ship will look. The MV Narrative will have an anti-aging clinic. The ones on the MV Narrative are expected to grow lettuce, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries.

☆ I'm designing the $900 million Storylines MV Narrative cruise ship for residents to live permanently at sea. It has an anti-aging clinic, 2 farms, and a hospital.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

So You Want to Turn an Office Building Into a Home? There’s an appealing simplicity to the idea of converting office buildings into housing. Basically, they did this:How to Turn a 26-story Office Building Into a 30-story Apartment Building Cut a hole through 23 floors of the building. How to Turn a 26-story Office Building Into a 30-story Apartment Building Cut a hole through 23 floors of the building. That could change with tax abatements and subsidy programs, or if outdated office buildings lose so much value that the cost of acquiring them plummets.

☆ Women's stories stand out in Oscars race, but Hollywood lagging in gender parity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"It's such an extraordinary year for women," "Tar" actress Blanchett said at last month's British Film Academy Awards (BAFTAs). "Every year, there's idiosyncratic, remarkable performances that just break down the myth that women's experience is monolithic." Still, Hollywood remains far from a place of gender parity. "Women are making progress in certain areas on screen," said UCLA sociologist Darnell Hunt, co-author of an annual Hollywood diversity report. "There's a great tradition of strong female characters and strong female leads in movie history, mainly in the 1950s," Field said.

☆ Tracy Anderson's ex-trainers said their bodies were 'breaking apart' while working for the fitness icon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Katie Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tracy Anderson charges members $900 a month to workout at her studios in LA and New York. Her former trainers said teaching in the 95-degree studios for at least four hours a day could be grueling. Members in the US pay $900 a month to learn the "Tracy Anderson Method," a dance-based workout in a room heated to 95 degrees with 75% humidity. That all sounds cool, and it also sounds like you're going to get paid pretty well," one former New York trainer said. Another former trainer said her body "was just breaking apart," adding that she quit because of the physical demands of the job.

☆ Inside Tracy Anderson's cutthroat fitness empire: Legal threats, paranoia, and trainers who say their bodies were 'breaking apart'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Katie Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

One day around 2015, a dozen or so gift boxes showed up at the Brentwood, California, studio of the celebrity fitness trainer Tracy Anderson. "It was an exclusive boutique fitness studio," the former New York trainer said. Darren Gerrish/WireImageThe method demanded that TA trainers, most of whom were also professional dancers, perform the strenuous workouts full out, every time. Let's help you do it correctly so you don't get injured,'" the former New York trainer said. "This is at a time where everyone is already overworked," one of the former New York trainers said.

☆ Amazon Studios is growing fast and spending big on shows like 'Citadel,' but insiders say unclear creative direction, leadership shifts, and tech bureaucracy threaten to drive away staff and talent
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

The dust has been settling at Amazon Studios after a big reorg in the fall that solidified Jen Salke's power. Yet Amazon Studios faces major challenges. Amazon Studios' Head of Global Television Vernon Sanders told Insider that the goal is to deliver content with global cultural relevance. Amazon Prime VideoWhile spending on such big swings has soared, some insiders see far less budgetary support for underrepresented casts. "I do think people wonder what's the commitment to Amazon Studios," the current insider said.

☆ Xbox CEO says Microsoft's layoffs were 'painful choices,' after tech giant announced 10,000 job cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said Microsoft's layoffs were "painful" in an email to staff. Video game blog Kotaku obtained a copy of Spencer's email to staff working in Microsoft's gaming division. Kotaku obtained a copy of a company-wide email — through a current Xbox employee — sent by Spencer to all full-time staff in Microsoft's gaming division. "This is a challenging moment in our business, and this week's actions were painful choices," Spencer wrote in the email. The layoffs affected Microsoft's gaming studios including 343 Industries, Bethesda Game Studios, and its parent company ZeniMax Media, according to Bloomberg.

☆ China’s video game makers come in from the cold as crackdown eases
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] The Tencent Games logo is seen on its game on a mobile phone in this illustration picture taken August 3, 2021. "We believe the approvals indicate a more benign regulatory environment for the China gaming industry," JP Morgan analysts wrote in a note on Wednesday. "With rich game supply, we are more positive on overall online game market growth during Chinese New Year, a traditional strong season for the China online game market." Whether the gaming market can return to form also depends on the recovery of the Chinese economy, which has been thumped by a surge in COVID infections. However, data shows China’s total gamer population remains stable, slipping just 0.33% in 2022 from 2021 to 664 million.

☆ China's NetEase buys gaming studio involved in major titles including Halo Infinite and Minecraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Canadian firm SkyBox Labs is co-developing Halo Infinite for Microsoft's Xbox. NetEase acquired SkyBox Labs as part of an aggressive international push and as it eyes a slice of the console market. NetEase announced on Friday it had acquired Canadian gaming studio SkyBox Labs which is co-developing major games including Halo Infinte, as the Chinese technology giant continues its aggressive international push. SkyBox labs will operate independently under NetEase, China's second-biggest gaming company. SkyBox Labs is currently co-developing Halo Infinite and working on projects with Minecraft.

In a statement provided to CNN, Microsoft said it has agreed to recognize the union. “Microsoft has lived up to its commitment to its workers and let them decide for themselves whether they want a union,” CWA president Chris Shelton said in a statement. Some companies like Amazon have so far refused to recognize workers who have voted to form a union. The union bid at the Microsoft subsidiary, however, stands out from some of the others because of Microsoft’s openness to employee organizing efforts. Microsoft last year entered into a neutrality agreement with the CWA, which is also supporting organizing efforts from workers at Activision Blizzard, the gaming giant Microsoft agreed to acquire for $68.7 billion.

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