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☆ Women prefer to play mobile games. China's Tencent sees an opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tencent's Honor of Kings mobile game drew a record 33,000 fans to watch a final competition in Beijing on Nov. 16, 2024. Surprisingly, many in the crowd were young women, reflecting how interest in mobile games has broadened out from the stereotypical male player in the days of console and PC gaming. Honor of Kings, which claims 100 million players a day, uses a similar format with two teams of five players each. His analysis found that 95% of women prefer mobile games. A newly branded Honor of Kings global championship was held last month in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, with Malaysian team Black Shrew Esports winning the $300,000 first prize.

Persons: Evelyn Cheng, Kings, Gao, of, Jackie Huang, Huang, Xiaofeng Zeng, Niko Partners, Zeng Organizations: Kings, CNBC, of Valor, of Kings, global, Tencent, Gaming, Riot, Malaysian Locations: Beijing, Evelyn Cheng BEIJING, China, Shanghai, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Chinese, North America, Europe, Japan, U.S, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Jakarta

☆ How a former data analyst turned his 14-year career at Riot Games into 'Arcane,' a beautiful, expensive Netflix hit
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Arcane," a television adaptation of Riot Games' "League of Legends," is back on Netflix. The gig was at Riot Games, a young video game company founded in 2006 that had launched its debut title "League of Legends" the year before. Film and television isn't Riot Games' primary business; video games like "League of Legends" are. A genuinely good television series like "Arcane" not only engages current players who may spend money on in-game cosmetics, but brings new eyes to the franchise. The real-life cosmetics, like the "Arcane" season two drop with Fenty Beauty, probably don't hurt either.

Persons: Christopher Linke, Alexander Yee, it's, —, Christian Linke, Linke, Yee, Ella Purnell, Netflix Linke, Ekko, Reed Shannon, Fortiche, that's, shiniest Organizations: League of, Netflix, Riot, Service, Craigslist, Riot Games, League, Variety, Washington Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Rihanna's Fenty Beauty is about to release a $250 makeup kit in collab with one of Netflix's biggest animated hits
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Fenty Beauty is releasing a collaboration with Netflix's hit animated series "Arcane." "Fenty Beauty x Arcane: The Legends Vault" is schedule for release on November 2 and is priced at $250. AdvertisementRihanna's Fenty Beauty is making a big bet on nerdworld, collaborating with Netflix's "Arcane" for its new "Fenty Beauty x Arcane: The Legends Vault" collection. According to Fenty Beauty's website, the collaboration vault is meant to showcase how "glam + animation collide." Representatives for Netflix, Riot Games, and Fenty Beauty didn't respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, sent outside business hours.

Persons: Netflix's, —, Fenty, Mel, Riche, I've, Arcane, Priscilla Ono, Ono, Kiahna Manker, Roblox, Rihanna, Lush, It's, Vox, greenlighting Organizations: Service, Riot, League of, Products, Games, Netflix, of, Korean, Adidas, London's O2 Arena, BiliBili, Video, Riot Games, Business Locations: Paris, Wembley

☆ James Earl Jones, iconic voice of Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars’ and Mufasa in ‘The Lion King,’ dead at 93
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Brandon Griggs | Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“I lucked out.”Back then nobody imagined “Star Wars” would become a blockbuster, let alone an enduring franchise and cultural phenomenon. James Earl Jones and Darth Vader during "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" premiere event. Jesse Dittmar for The Washington Post/Getty Images Jones, seen here in 1960, was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, in 1931. Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images Jones appears with Alec Baldwin in a scene from "The Hunt for Red October" (1990). The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Jones appears next to Darth Vader, who he famously voiced in the "Star Wars" movies.

Persons: James Earl Jones, Jones, Darth Vader, King ”, ”, Bob Iger, “, ” Jones, George Lucas, David Prowse, “ George, Lucas, Vader, Jim Spellman, WireImage, ‘, you’ve, Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, ” Hamill, He’ll, ’, ’ ”, Robert Earl Jones, James, Langston Hughes, Bettmann, Stanley Kubrick’s “, Strangelove, Jack Johnson, Tony, Sidney Poitier, Alex Haley, TV’s, Thulsa, Conan, ” Kevin Costner’s, Admiral Greer, Costner, Jones ’, King Jaffe Joffer, Wan Kenobi, Mufasa, “ L.A, Law ”, King James, Rachael Ray, ” James Earl Jones, Jesse Dittmar, William Shakespeare's, Stanley Kubrick's, Julienne Marie, Alan Aaronson, Harry Benson, Richard Nixon, Julie Harris, Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach, Muhammad Ali, King Lear, Jack Mitchell, Paul Robeson, Robeson, Hulton, Marlon Brando, Ronald Reagan's, AP Jones, Thulsa Doom, Everett, Steve Ringman, Alec Baldwin, Nick Ut, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Bush, Doug Mills, Cecilia Hart, Flynn, Paul Simon, Chita Rivera, Laura Bush, George W, Alex Wong, Grace, Chris Haston, Rosa Parks, Faith Ringgold, Richard Drew, Kevin Wolf, Matt Rourke, Debbie Allen, Evan Agostini, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Winter, Vanessa Redgrave, Daisy, Sara Krulwich, Astrid Stawiarz, Marian Anderson, Matt Slocum, Grant Lamos IV, Steven Senne, John Atashian, Jones “, …, Arthur Miller Organizations: CNN, “, Walt Disney Company, American Film Institute, ‘, University of Michigan, Army, Disney, The Washington Post, US Army, Newspapers, Broadway, CBS, Getty, New York Daily, Daily, ABC, Walt Disney Television, Everett, Hulton Deutsch, AP, San Francisco Chronicle, Mondadori, Arts, Kennedy, NBC, Elementary, NBA, National Constitution Center, Screen, New York Times, Harvard University, Globe, Academy of Locations: “, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Hollywood, America, “ The, African, Iowa, Arkabutla , Mississippi, New, Vietnam, Washington , DC, George H.W ., Montgomery, Independence, Philadelphia

☆ Tencent Cloud downplays AI hype when it comes to making games
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tencent Games was one of the exhibitors at ChinaJoy in Shanghai on July 26, 2024. BEIJING — When it comes to gaming, the use of ChatGPT-like generative artificial intelligence is still in an exploratory phase, according to Liang Chen, general manager of Tencent Cloud's internet industry department. Parent company Tencent is one of the world's largest gaming companies and owns U.S.-based Riot Games, home of popular titles such as League of Legends and Valorant. Chen said that AI has long been used by gaming companies for pattern recognition and other functions, but effective use of generative AI comes with high costs. OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot and similar technologies have enabled AI to better understand and generate content in a human-like way.

Persons: Liang Chen, Tencent, Chen, OpenAI's ChatGPT Organizations: Tencent, Games, of, CNBC Locations: ChinaJoy, Shanghai, BEIJING

☆ Esports World Cup: The new tournament in Saudi Arabia causing a big splash and division in the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The Esports World Cup (EWC) – which began on July 3 – has brought together professional gamers, publishers and fans from across the world for an eight-week competitive gaming bonanza. To bring this on the similar scale as the largest traditional sports events and something that brings together the whole industry,” Reichert said. Discovery – CNN’s parent company – and the Esports World Cup Foundation agreed to a new partnership which includes Eurosport, CNN and other WBD platforms. “From my experience, there are a lot of people in [Saudi Arabia] that love their games, right to the top. “It’s probably unprecedented how quickly Saudi Arabia is moving ahead in its progression.

Persons: –, Ralf Reichert, ” Reichert, “, Gen.G, Mohammed Saad, Reichert, ”, Sam Mathews, It’s, it’s, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing, SGG, Rod Breslau, “ It’s, ” Dana Ahmed, Manahel, Otaibi, Nick McGeehan, FairSquare, Mohamed bin Salman, Liquid’s, Steve Arhancet, Mathews Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Riot, New York Times, Adidas, Warner Bros, Eurosport, Anadolu, Getty, EWC, EWC Foundation, Saudi, MBS, Fox News, Investment Fund, Gaming, Amnesty, Fnatic, “ Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, esports, “ Saudi Arabia, Breslau

☆ Is Big Tech wrong to train AI models on 'messy' public data? A chat with synthetic data evangelist Ali Golshan.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Instead, they're calling for companies to train their models on synthetic data. Synthetic data is artificially generated rather than collected from the real world. AdvertisementBusiness Insider chatted with Ali Golshan, CEO and cofounder of Gretel, who one might call an evangelist for synthetic data. Why is synthetic data better than raw public data? AdvertisementUltimately, the other part of it is that synthetic data is very good at privacy if you have enough data.

Persons: —, Ali Golshan, Gretel, Young, There's Organizations: Service, Companies, Meta, Google, Business, Ernst, Riot, Federal Trade Commission

☆ I'm a 26-year-old software engineer making $75,000, and still dream of becoming a professional e-sports athlete. Here's how I balance work and my gaming endeavors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andy Collins, a 26-year-old software engineer from Chicago pursuing a professional esports career playing the first-person shooting game Valorant. Being a professional esports competitor wasn't the most well-known or traditional career path at the time. Valorant has only been out for four years, but its professional esports scene is rapidly growing in popularity. Even though I'm playing far fewer hours per day than before — I only spend around four hours after work each day playing other teams and strategizing for my weekly matches — I'm in my best-ever form. Are you a professional esports athlete and want to share your story?

Persons: —, Andy Collins, didn't, would've, Valorant, — you've, DarkZero, Valorant esports, I'm, wasn't, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Robert Morris University ., Valorant's Challengers League, North American, League, —, The Guard, Riot Games, DoorDash, Starbucks, Madison Locations: Chicago, United States, Austin, Valorant, mhall@businessinsider.com

☆ Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, worth more than $60M, hopes to send ‘positive message’ to struggling industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Boasting the largest prize pool in esports history, this year’s inaugural 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC) could prove to be a pivotal moment for the industry. Clubs will be able to choose which games they participate in before the best performing team across the various championships will be crowned the ultimate Esports World Cup champion for the very first time. Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, hopes this new competition in Saudi Arabia can be a game changer. “Setting the record for largest esports prize pool is a remarkable achievement, but what I’m most proud of is the positive message this sends to the wider esports and gaming community,” Reichert said in a statement. In 2023, Saudi launched ‘The National Gaming and Esports Strategy’ (NGES) which hopes to make the country the center of the competitive gaming world by 2030.

Persons: Ralf Reichert, ” Reichert, Saudi Arabia –, “, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ” Organizations: CNN, Apex, EA Sports FC, of, League, Riot, New York Times, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Saudi, National Gaming, Saudi’s, New Global Sport Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ Electronic Arts, maker of Madden NFL, to lay off 5% of staff as gaming industry layoffs widen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Electronic Arts plans to lay off 5% of its employees, making it the latest company in the gaming and tech space to reduce its workforce. Epic Games cut 830 jobs in September. In January, Tencent’s Riot Games said it would lay off 11% of its workforce and Microsoft said it would cut 1,900 jobs from its Activision Blizzard and Xbox gaming divisions. And electronics giant Sony said on Tuesday it would cut 8% of its global workforce, amounting to around 900 jobs. That means that after its cuts to staff last year, Wednesday’s layoffs could affect more than 600 workers.

Persons: ”, Andrew Wilson Organizations: New, New York CNN, Electronic Arts, EA, Madden NFL, Apex, ” EA, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Sony Locations: New York

☆ 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

☆ Sony to lay off 900 at PlayStation as tough times for the games industry persist
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Michael Nam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Electronics giant Sony announced on Tuesday that it will be cutting 900 jobs, or 8%, in PlayStation’s global workforce. The layoffs will impact all regions for Sony Interactive Entertainment, according to the PlayStation press release, with its in-house London studio, responsible for the competitive singing video game “Singstar,” closing entirely. “These are incredibly talented people who have been part of our success, and we are very grateful for their contributions,” wrote Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Ryan had already announced in September plans to retire in March as Sony Group Corporation president. Specifically, the video game industry has been seeing jobs hemorrhage from 2023 into this year as well, with Epic Games cutting 830 jobs last September and Tencent’s Riot Games laying off 11% of its workforce in January.

Persons: ”, Jim Ryan, Naomi Matsuouka, Ryan, Hiroki Totoki Organizations: New, New York CNN — Electronics, Sony, Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation, London, Bloomberg, Sony Group Corporation, Epic Games, Riot Games, SONY Locations: New York

The mass layoffs announced Wednesday in conjunction with Cisco’s latest quarterly results represent about 5% of its worldwide workforce of 84,900. Cisco — a company best known for making much of the technology that connects the internet — expects its reorganization to cost an additional $800 million. The double whammy of two big layoffs in two years has been a phenomenon affecting other prominent technology companies, such as Google and Amazon, both of which have trimmed their once-steadily growing payrolls multiple times since the end of 2022. The reductions are being made even though most of the companies are still big moneymakers. But Cisco’s stock price has gained just 6% during the same period, a factor that might have played into management’s decision to make even deeper payroll cuts than some of the company’s tech brethren.

Persons: Chuck Robbins, Robbins, Cisco's, ” Robbins Organizations: FRANCISCO, Cisco Systems, Cisco —, Google, Cisco, Revenue, Microsoft, Riot Games, eBay, PayPal, Nvidia Locations: San Jose , California, U.S

☆ Nintendo CEO once cut his salary in half to prevent layoffs—here's why that's so uncommon today
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As sweeping rounds of layoffs rock the tech, media and finance industries in 2024, some video game fans are thinking about former Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata. Iwata ran the Kyoto, Japan-based video game company from 2002 until his death in 2015. To avoid layoffs, Iwata took a 50% pay cut to help pay for employee salaries, saying a fully-staffed Nintendo would have a better chance of rebounding. Iwata had faith in his talentFor Iwata, taking a pay cut over layoffs centered around his employees' ability to bounce back, Verma says. "Nintendo [needed] to see through the changes that necessitated launching the Nintendo Switch, which has been massively profitable for the company," says Verma.

Persons: Satoru Iwata, Iwata, Rohan Verma, —, it's, Verma, could've, Sandra Sucher, Sucher Organizations: Nintendo, Riot Games, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Stanford University, Harvard Business, CNBC Locations: Kyoto, Japan, —, U.S

NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft is laying off about 1,900 employees in its gaming division, according to an internal company memo, just over three months since the tech giant completed its $69 million purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard. Those impacted worked on teams for Activision Blizzard as well as Xbox and ZeniMax — which are also owned by Microsoft. “As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wrote in the memo. The union deal was part of a 2022 agreement with the CWA that helped address U.S. political concerns about the merger’s effects. So far, however, only a small set of Activision Blizzard divisions have formed unions.

Persons: Activision Blizzard, Phil Spencer, Mike Ybarra, ” Ybarra, “, ”, _________________ O'Brien Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Associated Press, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Gaming, Twitter, European Union, The U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Google, Riot, eBay, Communications Workers, CWA Locations: United Kingdom, European, U.S, Canada, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ 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

LONDON (AP) — Online retailer eBay Inc. will cut about 1,000 jobs, or an estimated 9% of its full-time workforce, saying its number of employees and costs have exceeded how much the business is growing in a slowing economy. It marks the latest layoffs in the tech industry. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSan Jose, California-based eBay is the latest tech company to roll out a series of layoffs after quickly ramping up hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic while people spent more time and money online. Meanwhile, Amazon said this month that it is cutting several hundred jobs in its Prime Video and MGM Studios unit. Other tech companies, including Spotify, Microsoft, Meta and IBM, also have recently cut jobs.

Persons: Jamie Iannone, Iannone, ”, TikTok, Amazon, ” Iannone Organizations: —, eBay Inc, eBay, Google, Riot Games, “ League, MGM Studios, Spotify, Microsoft, Meta, IBM, Justice Department Locations: Jose , California, Massachusetts

A bunch of companies in the technology sector have been laying off some of their employees recently after quickly ramping up hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic while people spent more time and money online. Now, many of them are making job cuts to help lower costs and bolster their bottom lines. Here's some of the companies that have laid of employees of late:GoogleGoogle said it was laying off hundreds of employees working on its hardware, voice assistance and engineering teams. The company, which is owned by Chinese technology giant Tencent, said 530 jobs were being eliminated, accounting for about 11% of its headcount. AmazonTwitch, which is owned by Amazon, is cutting more than 500 jobs in a bid to save on costs.

Persons: TikTok TikTok, Dan Clancy, Bob Carrigan Organizations: Google Google, Google, Riot Games, “ League, Games, eBay, eBay Inc, Amazon, Amazon’s, MGM Studios, Spotify Locations: Los Angeles , California, Beijing

If you’re worried you could be laid off — or if you’ve lost your job — personal finance professionals and career advisers have recommendations for how to cope. You can do this by leaving space in your resume to include keywords that are specific to the job you are applying for. IF YOU HAVE BEEN LAID OFFPRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTHYour mental health can be heavily affected after a job loss. SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCEIt can be hard to talk about losing your job, and you should only share if you feel comfortable. “It shows that you have grit, that you’re willing to work hard and take care of your responsibilities,” she said.

Persons: you’re, you’ve, Jesse Mecham, Mecham, It’s, Scott Dobroski, “, ”, Marlo Lyons, Lyons, Dobroski, “ I’ve, ” Lyons, “ Don’t, Charles Schwab Organizations: eBay, Riot Games, Los Angeles Times, YOU, Jobs, LinkedIn, “, Labor Department, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP Locations: Lafayette , Colorado, U.S

☆ Tencent’s Riot Games lays off 11% of staff globally, adding to job cuts in US tech sector
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Riot Games, the developer of hit video games like “League of Legends” and “Valorant,” is cutting 11% of staff around the world, becoming the latest tech company to downsize. In the first two weeks of 2024 alone, more than 5,500 layoffs were announced at Google, Amazon and other prominent tech employers. Riot relied on the game’s massive success for about a decade, leading to calls for the company to diversify its business. On Tuesday, China’s gaming regulator made headlines by removing draft rules from its website that had aimed to rein in spending in online video games. Shares of Tencent and Chinese rival NetEase each rose 4.6% and 6.5% in Hong Kong, respectively, on Tuesday following the news.

Persons: “, hadn’t, Dylan Jadeja, Twitch, ”, Marc Merrill, Jadeja, ” Tencent Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Riot, “, Google, Amazon, Tencent, CNN, “ League, National Press, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Shenzhen, China, we’re

☆ TikTok cuts about 60 jobs as January layoffs continue across tech industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok Music has launched on Wednesday in Australia, Singapore and Mexico to a small group of users. TikTok has cut about 60 jobs, CNBC confirmed, the latest tech company to downsize at the start of 2024. Tech companies like Amazon , Alphabet , Unity , Discord and Trend Micro have all cut staff in January, continuing a trend from last year, when the industry slimmed down and slashed costs following an extended boom. In November, ByteDance slashed hundreds of jobs in the company's gaming division, Nuverse. The layoffs indicated that ByteDance was scaling back its gaming efforts, an area where it's been competing with Chinese rivals Tencent and NetEase.

Persons: Dylan Jadeja, TikTok, ByteDance, it's, Tencent, we've Organizations: CNBC, NPR, Tech, Riot, Apple Locations: Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Los Angeles , New York, Austin , Texas, U.S

BANGKOK (AP) — Riot Games, the developer of the popular “League of Legends” multiplayer battle game is joining other tech companies that have been trimming their payrolls with a layoff of 11% of its staff. Jadeja said the Los Angeles, California-based company had expanded its investments across too many areas, doubling its staff in a few years, and now was cutting back to focus on games. Riot Games said it will pay staff who are laid off six months of salary at a minimum, cash bonuses and other benefits. Job cuts have been taking a toll on workers across various industries — including retail, tech, media and hospitality — over the last few years. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesMany have been in the tech sector, which hired heavily during the pandemic, when people whiled away time stuck at home playing games online.

Persons: Dylan Jadeja, Jadeja Organizations: “ League, Riot, Google, Hasbro, LinkedIn Locations: BANGKOK, Los Angeles , California

☆ Tencent's Riot Games division cuts 11% of staff to 'create focus'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tencent's Riot Games unit said Monday it's eliminating 11% of its workforce, or about 530 jobs, and scaling back on its division that publishes games from small developers. Eric Shen will become Legends of Runeterra's executive producer, replacing Dave Guskin, accroding to a blog post from Guskin, who said he'll work on other Riot games. Tencent, based in China, invested in Riot Games in 2011 and became its outright owner four years later. In September, Tencent-backed Epic Games announced it was cutting 16% of its staff. Shares slid 12% in late December after China announced new rules designed to limit excessive gaming.

Persons: Ma, we've, Dylan Jadeja, that's, Nicolo Laurent, Eric Shen, Dave Guskin, Jadeja, Tencent's, Tencent Organizations: Tencent Holdings Ltd, Tencent's, Google, League of, Riot Games, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Sony, Epic Games, China Locations: Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, Bay, China, Guskin, Forge, Los Angeles, Tencent

☆ I'm a 40-year-old former teacher retraining to get into AI. It might be crazy but I wish more people my age were doing it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

She says it's difficult to pivot mid career but wishes more people her age were studying AI. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Evrim Kanbur, a 40-year-old former university teacher who is learning to code to work in AI. To pay bills, I get passive income from online classes I pre-record for the e-learning platform Udemy, which I've been doing since 2017. Kabur's home studio where she recorded online classes Evrim KanburRetraining has been quite hardRetraining is not something that's easy to do. But I want to do this now and I'm happy I'm sticking with it.

Persons: Evrim Kanbur, —, I've, I'm, it's Organizations: Service, Deloitte, Riot Games, Harvard University, MIT Locations: Shanghai, China

☆ Gaming in South Korea 'is culture', says Riot Games
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGaming in South Korea 'is culture', says Riot GamesJohn Needham of Riot Games discusses the League of Legends World Championship, and explains the connection South Koreans have with the game.

Persons: John Needham Organizations: Gaming, Riot Games, League of Locations: South Korea

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