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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

☆ Zee founder family to eventually lift stake to 26%, according to reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Logos of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. displayed on computer screens arranged in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Zee Entertainment founder Subhash Chandra's family will eventually lift their stake in the media house to 26% from 4% currently, Mint reported on Monday, days after a merger with Sony 's India unit collapsed. "I have advised my immediate and extended family to increase their shareholding in Zee... We eventually want to go back to 26%, but it will take time," Chandra told Mint, a business daily, in an interview. Chandra, who set up Zee in 1992 and is often dubbed the "Father of Indian Television", is now chairman emeritus at Zee. Chandra, who is Goenka's father, told Mint "Punit is the right person to run the company and there is no problem with Zee."

Persons: Subhash Chandra's, Zee, Chandra, Punit Goenka, Goenka, Mukesh Ambani's Organizations: Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Zee, Sony Group Corp, Zee Entertainment, Mint, Sony, Indian, Walt Disney, India Locations: Mumbai, India, Zee .

☆ Japan's Sony terminates $10 billion merger with India's Zee
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Sony Group said on Monday it has sent a termination notice to Zee Entertainment to call off a $10 billion merger of their Indian operations, following an impasse over who will lead the combined entity. It cited unmet conditions of the merger agreement as the reason for the termination. Although Sony did not specify on Monday what conditions were unfulfilled, a stalemate over who will lead the combined company had put the merger in danger. Zee proposed CEO Punit Goenka, but Sony disagreed in light of a market regulator probe into Goenka. On Friday, Zee had said it was committed to the merger and was working to close the deal through "good faith negotiations".

Persons: Mukesh, Zee, Punit Goenka, Karan Taurani Organizations: Sony, Zee Entertainment, Reliance Industries, Goenka, Reuters, Disney, Elara Capital, Netflix, Disney's Star, Zee, Bloomberg Locations: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Tokyo-based Sony Corp.’s quarterly profit totaled 200 billion yen ($1.3 billion), down from 282 billion yen a year earlier. Quarterly sales rose 11% to 2.7 trillion yen ($18 billion), with gains in video games, image sensor and music operations and weakness in its financial and entertainment technology services. A deal was reached late Wednesday, ending the longest strike ever for film and television actors. Sony raised its full year profit forecast to 880 billion yen ($5.8 billion) from an earlier projection for an 860 billion yen ($5.7) profit. That’s lower than the profit recorded the previous year at 1 trillion yen.

Persons: —, Travis Scott, Harry Styles, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Sony Corp, Sony, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, PlayStation Locations: Tokyo

☆ After blockbuster Microsoft deal, gaming giants are still sitting on $45 billion cash hoard
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Public gaming companies currently hold cash and cash equivalents of $45.1 billion, according to a report from venture capital firm Konvoy. Publicly listed gaming companies had a fairly rosy year in 2023, on the whole. The VanEck Video Gaming and eSports ETF , which seeks to track MVIS Global Video Gaming & eSports Index, has climbed 20% in the year to date, according to Konvoy. Total venture funding into the video games industry in the third quarter of 2023 fell 9% quarter-over-quarter, to $454 million. That was when pandemic lockdowns were in full swing, and people had more time to spend playing video games indoors.

Persons: China's NetEase, hasn't, China's Tencent, Josh Chapman, Redmond, Chapman, Candy Crush, Konvoy's Chapman Organizations: Chesno Publicly, CNBC, Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Bandai Namco, Public, Gaming, Esports, Big Tech, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, Netflix, Sony, Activision, U.S, U.K, Markets Authority, Duty, Bandai Namco Entertainment Locations: Konvoy, Washington

☆ Japan's Sony says Zee merger to be delayed by a few months
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Zee Entertainment and SONY logos are displayed in this illustration taken, September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 29 (Reuters) - Japan's Sony Group Corp (6758.T) said on Friday a merger of its Indian unit with Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE.NS), which had an initial deadline of September, would take a few more months to complete. "Based on the current state of preparation, we expect completion within the next few months," Sony said in a statement, without elaborating further. It was delayed due to issues including a legal battle with lenders over loan defaults by a Zee group entity. Zee shares, which have lost about a quarter of their value since the merger was announced in 2021, were up 2.7% on Friday.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Punit Goenka, Zee, Ashna Teresa Britto, Chris Thomas, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Sohini Organizations: Zee Entertainment, SONY, REUTERS, Sony Group Corp, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony, Zee, Securities and Exchange Board, India, Finance, Thomson

☆ Sony shares slide after earnings highlight concern about games, sensors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Operating profit slid 31% and comments by Sony executives over demand for its games and image sensors units also sparked concern. Despite an easing of those snarls, Sony said sales of were below expectations in the April-June quarter. It is targeting sales of 25 million units for the full year. Sony sold 3.3 million PS5 units in quarter. Adjustment to procurement by smartphone manufacturers is having a large impact in the second quarter, Sony said.

Persons: Issei Kato, Serkan Toto, Atul Goyal, Sam Nussey, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, Sony, PlayStation, Kantan, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Sony shares slide after weak Q1
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FILE PHOTO-An employee of the consumer electronics retailer chain Bic Camera works at the promotion display for the Sony PlayStation 5 game console and its gaming softwares in Tokyo, Japan, November 10, 2020. Picture taken November 10, 2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Shares in Japan's Sony (6758.T) fell 6% in early trading in Tokyo after the entertainment conglomerate reported a 31% slide in operating profit in the April-June quarter due to lacklustre performance at its movies and financial divisions. Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Issei Kato, Sam Nussey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, Sony, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Morning Bid: No respite from China woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, August 8, 2023. Futures indicate that European stocks are set for a much higher open. Japan's Sony (6758.T) reported a lacklustre first quarter, with the entertainment conglomerate posting dour performances in its movie and financial divisions. The main event of the day, however, will be the U.S. inflation data. Key developments that could influence markets on Thursday:Economic events: Inflation data from Norway, Italy, Portugal and the United StatesReporting by Ankur Banerjee; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ankur Banerjee, Italy's, Joe Biden, Walt Disney, Japan's, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Ankur, Japan's Sony, U.S, CPI, Reserve, United, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Norway, Italy, Portugal

☆ Sony Q1 profit tumbles as movie business disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Japan's Sony (6758.T) on Wednesday said first-quarter profit tumbled due to weaker performances from its movies and financial businesses. In April-June, operating profit slid 31% to 253 billion yen ($1.8 billion), in line with estimates. Profit at its movies division plunged by two-thirds due to lower sales for television content as well as higher marketing costs after the company released more films in theatres. Once a consumer electronics giant, the conglomerate has transformed itself to focus more on entertainment, developing movies, music and games. Sony has said it expects to sell 25 million PlayStation 5 consoles this financial year, in what would be a record for a PlayStation device, following the easing of supply chain snarls.

Persons: Issei Kato, Zelda, Sam Nussey, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, Sony, Nintendo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Apple may be diversifying supply chains away from China — but it's still relying on the country's suppliers to build the Vision Pro headset
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's diversifying supply chains away from China, but it's still using Chinese firms to make the Vision Pro. Apple's Vision Pro has been exciting investors since its reveal, sending the company's shares soaring. Tech giant Apple has been trying to diversify its supply chains away from China — but it appears there's no getting away from the manufacturing powerhouse. According to Wellsenn, the list shows eight Chinese companies involved in the making of Apple's Vision Pro headset. And despite the internet's derision about the gadget's hefty price tag and its goofy aesthetics, the Vision Pro itself has been exciting investors.

Persons: Wellsenn, Cowell, Taiwan's Foxconn, Zinya, Nidhi Pandurangi Organizations: Tech, Apple, Vision, Apple's, Cowell e Holdings, Samsung, LG, Sony Locations: China, India

☆ India's Zee Entertainment extends fall after insolvency admission
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Shares of Indian media company Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE.NS) extended their decline on Friday after insolvency proceedings were initiated against the company due to a loan default. Zee Entertainment shares fell as much as 5.4% in early trade after closing down nearly 4% in the previous session. Punit Goenka, chief executive of Zee on Thursday challenged insolvency proceedings against the company by India's bankruptcy court, and still expected a timely completion of a merger with the local unit of Japan's Sony Group Corp (6758.T). Meanwhile, the National Stock Exchange on Thursday banned the derivatives trading on Zee's stock effective from April 28. Goenka's petition is coming up for hearing on Friday morning at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal.

☆ India tribunal puts Zee insolvency on hold after warning of Sony merger delay
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Arpan Chaturvedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Feb 24 (Reuters) - An Indian tribunal on Friday put on hold insolvency proceedings against Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE.NS), a major relief for the Indian media company that warned the legal battle could delay its merger with a local unit of Japan's Sony (6758.T). The tribunal has put on hold the insolvency proceedings for the time being, saying the matter required detailed deliberations and will be next heard on March 29. During the hearing, Zee counsel Mukul Rohatgi warned its merger with Sony is "going to get stuck" if the insolvency proceedings continue. It competes with Disney's (DIS.N) Star India and Reliance Industries (RELI.NS) Viacom18, and its planned merger with Sony's India unit will create a $10 billion behemoth. Zee on Friday disputed its liability in the tribunal saying, according to them the liability did not meet the threshold for initiating insolvency proceedings.

☆ Sony lifts outlook, but still falls short of expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Logos of Sony Corp are seen at an electronics store in Narita International airport in Narita, Japan, November 1, 2016. The electronics and entertainment giant also said itschief financial officer, Hiroki Totoki, would become president and chief operating officer from April 1, while retaining his current role. The company said it now expects operating profit for the year to March 31 to total 1.18 trillion yen ($9.17 billion), up from its previous forecast of 1.16 trillion yen. That remains short of analysts' average estimate of a 1.19 trillion yen profit, according to Refinitiv data, and just shy of a record profit of 1.2 trillion yen posted a year earlier. ($1 = 128.6800 yen)Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka Editing by Shri Navaratnam and David DolanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sony, Honda roll out prototype of 'Afeela' EV that will use Qualcomm tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 4 (Reuters) - Japan's Sony (6758.T) on Wednesday unveiled a prototype of the new "Afeela" electric vehicles it will build together with Honda (7267.T), using digital chassis from hardware maker Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O). The Afeela, which sported rounded corners and a sleek black roof, will use more than 40 sensors, Yashuhide Mizuno, the chief executive of Sony Honda Mobility, told the trade show. It will also use the "Unreal Engine" 3-D creation tool from Epic Games, the maker of the "Fortnite" series of games. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, who also appeared at the CES presentation, said the car would use Qualcomm's "Snapdragon" digital chassis. The venture between Sony Group Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd aims to deliver its first electric vehicles by early 2026 in North America.

☆ Qualcomm, Salesforce to build new connected vehicle platform for automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 5 (Reuters) - U.S. chip designer Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) and cloud-based software firm Salesforce Inc (CRM.N) plan to develop a new connected vehicle platform for automakers, the companies said on Thursday. The platform for cars with internet access would use Qualcomm's Snapdragon digital chassis and Salesforce's cloud services to help automakers personalize user experiences using real-time data, according to the companies. The Snapdragon digital chassis, used by carmakers and their suppliers, can provide assisted and autonomous driving technology, as well as in-car infotainment and cloud connectivity. Earlier on Wednesday, Qualcomm unveiled a processor chip for cars called Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC that handles both assisted driving and cockpit functions, including entertainment. Japan's Sony Group Corp (6758.T) also said on Wednesday its newly unveiled prototype of the "Afeela" electric vehicles will use technology from Qualcomm, including its Snapdragon digital chassis.

Automakers from Sony Honda to Hyundai are introducing ways at the CES 2023 technology trade show this week to reshape the in-car entertainment experience, including offering video games during the rides. "This is a field which can be deployed very quickly," Dirk Hilgenberg, head of Volkswagen AG's (VOWG_p.DE) CARIAD software unit, told Reuters at CES. In December, Tesla issued a "holiday update" to its software to add access to 1,000 PC games through the Steam platform. Still, these are features that consumers are demanding, so VW is at CES seeking partnerships. "We will see the content ... which is provided by software enabled functionality will be a decisive factor for buying."

☆ INDIA STOCKS Indian shares may open higher, tracking Asia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Indian shares are poised to open higher on Thursday, tracking strength in Asian markets in the backdrop of growing expectation the U.S. Federal Reserve may tone down its aggressive stance on rate hikes. India's NSE stock futures, listed on the Singapore exchange , were 0.55% higher as of 0159 GMT, while the MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS), climbed 1.74%. India is the world's third-largest importer and consumer of oil, and a rise in crude prices have a direct impact on inflation. Foreign institutional investors sold a net 2.47 billion Indian rupees ($30.12 million) worth of equities on Tuesday, while domestic investors bought net 8.73 billion rupees worth of shares, as per provisional data available with the National Stock Exchange. ($1 = 82.0040 Indian rupees)Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Neha AroraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Sony Honda Mobility said on Thursday it was aiming to deliver the first of the unnamed EV by 2026, starting in the United States, and will sell them online. Honda has about 1,100 Honda dealers and 270 Acura dealers. "I get teaming up with Sony, but it should be done in conjunction with the dealer network, not outside it," he added. Sony Honda officials promised the vehicle - to be built at one of Honda's Ohio plants - will include advanced driver-assist features and a new software system developed by Sony that offers cloud-connected services that generate recurring revenue. Sony Honda officials declined to say under what brand the vehicle will be sold.

TOKYO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A joint venture set up by Japan's Sony Group Corp (6758.T) and Honda Motor (7267.T) is aiming to deliver its first electric vehicles by 2026 and will sell them online, starting in the United States and Japan. The update from the joint venture, Sony Honda Mobility, is the first since the two companies launched the project in June. Sony will provide the software system for the new car, from the onboard controllers to cloud-based services that will connect with entertainment and payment systems. The still-to-be named EV will likely be manufactured by Honda at one of its plants in Ohio. The new EV will be delivered to the Japanese market in the second half of 2026.

☆ Sony, Honda mobility venture to deliver new EV to U.S. in spring of 2026
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A joint venture set up by Japan's Sony Group Corp (6758.T) and Honda Motor (7267.T) will deliver electric vehicles (EV) to the U.S. market in the spring of 2026, a top executive said on Thursday. The new EV will be delivered to the Japanese market in the second half of 2026, said Yasuhide Mizuno, the joint venture's chairman and chief executive, and a senior Honda executive. The two companies officially agreed to the equally owned joint venture, Sony Honda Mobility, in June, with each of them investing 5 billion yen ($34.05 million) in the new venture. Honda is under pressure from investors to make cars that are carbon-free and equipped with newer technology such as self-driving features. Like its bigger rival Toyota Motor (7203.T), it has been slow to shift its fleet to electric, offering only one EV known as Honda e.($1 = 146.8300 yen)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da CostaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Steve Marcus - RC28BE9D5MZ7HONG KONG, Sept 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Seoul's foot-dragging on climate change is holding back Korea Inc. Last week the country's top conglomerate, Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), unveiled an underwhelming net-zero carbon emissions target. Most of that is probably from electricity for factories in South Korea, where renewable power is scarce. Yet President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration plans to lower its renewable-energy target for 2030, favouring nuclear power instead. The company has also joined RE100, a group of global corporations including Apple, Intel and TSMC that are committed to using 100% renewable energy across their own operations. Renewable energy will account for 21.5% of generation capacity by 2030, down from the previous target of 30.2%.

☆ Gloves come off in India’s digital content wars
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-05 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MUMBAI, Sept 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The gloves are coming off in India’s content wars, and the traditionally cautious Disney (DIS.N) is proving a more ruthless fighter than many had expected. It also will hold digital rights to the ICC games throughout the rest of the year. By selling off some of the rights, Disney might reduce its spend on the ICC by a third or more. The American-owned company will hold onto the streaming rights for its digital platform, Disney+ Hotstar. The ICC said on Aug. 27 that Disney had won the TV and digital rights to events through the end of 2027.

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