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☆ Horror juggernaut Blumhouse to launch video game division
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The world of video games is about to get scarier. Blumhouse, the powerhouse horror movie and TV production company, said Tuesday that it is launching Blumhouse Games. Blumhouse Games will partner with independent game developers and target indie-budget games of under $10 million. To lead Blumhouse Games, the company tapped video game industry veterans Zach Woods as the group's president and Don Sechler as chief financial officer. Wood has been a video game producer for more than 25 years and published games on every platform including Game Boy, Playstation and Xbox.

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. BRUSSELS — Microsoft said Tuesday it will bring its Xbox PC games to Nvidia's cloud gaming service. Microsoft President Brad Smith said at a press conference that, effective immediately, its Xbox games will be available on Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud games service. Smith said if the Activision deal closes, it will bring all Activision Blizzard titles to GeForce Now. The commission is also concerned that it could give Microsoft an unfair edge in the nascent area of cloud gaming.

Microsoft President Brad Smith told a news conference on Tuesday he was now more optimistic of getting the Activision acquisition done after the Nvidia deal and a similar arrangement with Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.T). Instead, Nvidia's 25 million customers will need to pay Nvidia for access to its cloud gaming platform and pay Microsoft for its games. Shares of Microsoft fell 2%, Nvidia dropped 3.4% and Activision fell 0.7% in a broadly lower market on Tuesday afternoon. Nvidia said it now supports the Xbox maker's bid to purchase Activision, but the deal could still be a hard sell with regulators. Smith said he hoped that rival Sony Group Corp (6758.T) will consider doing the same type of deal with Nvidia.

☆ A 27-year-old real-estate investor who rehabbed 7 Austin properties last year is now targeting San Antonio, where homes can cost less than $100,000. Here are 3 reasons it's the next big investor hot s
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

San Antonio. You can buy homes for relatively cheap"A lot of people have overlooked San Antonio," Crenshaw said. January data from Redfin pegs the median home price in San Antonio at $255,000, which is less than half of Austin's $530,000. San Antonio — the fastest-growing large city in the nation between 2020 and 2021, gaining nearly 14,000 people, per census data — remains attractive to newcomers. Relocators get affordability in San Antonio, Crenshaw said, without sacrificing exciting nightlife and other big-city attractions such as museums and professional sports teams like the NBA's Spurs.

☆ Deutsche Bank upgrades Activision Blizzard, says video game stock can rally regardless of Microsoft deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Activision Blizzard can generate returns for shareholders regardless of if the Microsoft deal goes through, Deutsche Bank said. Analyst Benjamin Soff upgraded the gaming stock to buy from hold and raised his price target by $7 to $90. In 2022, Microsoft proposed buying the "Call of Duty" maker for $68.7 billion in cash. Despite headwinds to consumer spending, Soff expects health growth and predicts the company's 2023 releases will be commercially successful. Overall, Soff forecasted growth of 12% for net bookings and 17% for operating incomes in 2023.

☆ Microsoft pushing you to set Bing and Edge as your defaults to get its new OpenAI-powered search engine faster is giving off big 1990s energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | Shona Ghosh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft was once king of computing, with more than 90% market share. Microsoft has integrated some OpenAI deep-learning technology into Bing, its ailing competitor to Google, so that the search engine can answer questions in a more nuanced way. And rather than just returning a list of results, Bing will present the information in a more useful way. What is less futuristic is Microsoft's maneuvering to juice its own market share as much as possible. Microsoft is juicing Bing's market share right now Shona Ghosh/InsiderAt present, Bing's share of the search market is a mere 3%, according to data firm Stat Counter.

☆ Microsoft to defend Activision deal at EU hearing on Feb. 21
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) will make a last-ditch effort to defend its $69 billion bid for "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) in front of EU and national antitrust officials at a closed hearing on Feb. 21, the U.S. software company said on Tuesday. The company asked for the hearing after receiving a statement of objections from the European Commission warning about the possible anti-competitive effects of the deal. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the oral hearing. Microsoft is expected to offer remedies after the hearing. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Microsoft is even cutting cloud and AI workers in its plan to lay off 10,000 employees, internal email shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft just did another wave of layoffs this week in its plan to cut 10,000 people from its workforce, and affected units include the company's cloud and artificial intelligence organization, an internal email viewed by Insider shows. In Janauary, Microsoft publicly announced a plan to lay off 10,000 employees through March. An email that was not shared with the public, but viewed by Insider, confirms cuts came to Executive Vice President Scott Guthrie's Cloud+AI organization. The company this week recirculated a guide directing managers on how to communicate with employees, according to an internal email viewed by Insider. In the guide, Microsoft calls for managers to "show empathy and compassion" and to "keep a pulse on team morale."

UFC 284 will stream live on February 11, with the main card starting at 10 p.m. With Volkanovski moving up to lightweight, a fight to decide the interim featherweight champion is on the UFC 284 undercard. How to watch UFC 284You can watch the main event of UFC 284 on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. Ways to save on the UFC 284 pay-per-view priceIf you plan on subscribing to ESPN+ to stream UFC 284, you can snag a special discounted bundle. Here's the fight card for UFC 284: Makhachev vs. VolkanovskiESPNEarly Prelims — 6 p.m.

☆ The Harry Potter video game 'Hogwarts Legacy' is here, and topping sales charts — despite the JK Rowling controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Hogwarts Legacy" was at the top of the Steam PC and PlayStation Store sales charts on Friday. The early success comes despite backlash over Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling's anti-trans comments. The game's early success is in the face of some calls for a boycott over Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling's past anti-trans comments. Warner Bros. Games, which released "Hogwarts Legacy," wrote on the game's FAQ page that Rowling was "not directly involved in the creation of the game." Discovery CEO David Zaslav in November expressed an interest in doing "something with J.K. on Harry Potter going forward."

Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs are playing in their third Super Bowl in the past five seasons. How to watch Super Bowl LVIIYou can watch Super Bowl LVII on Fox starting at 6:30 p.m. Matt Sayles/APRihanna headlines the Super Bowl LVII halftime show with her first live televised performance since the 2018 Grammys. There's no set time for the Super Bowl halftime show, as it depends on the pace of the game. Who's singing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVII?

☆ Microsoft's $69 billion Activision takeover in doubt as UK regulator raises competition concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The British competition regulator says Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard could harm competition in the U.K. gaming market and that it may move to block the deal. The Competition and Markets Authority published a provisional decision on the deal Wednesday, stating the takeover raises competition concerns and may result in higher prices, fewer choices and less innovation. This "could substantially reduce the competition between Xbox and PlayStation in the UK, in turn harming UK gamers," the watchdog added. Activision Blizzard shares were down 3.4% in U.S. pre-market trading Wednesday, following the CMA announcement. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick also sent an internal memo to employees Wednesday, saying that the company was "confident that the law – and the facts – are on our side."

☆ UK competition regulator warns Microsoft’s Activision deal could harm millions of gamers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard could harm competition by letting Microsoft restrict Activision’s video games to proprietary platforms such as Xbox, UK officials said Wednesday, in the latest challenge to the tech giant’s blockbuster acquisition. The UK’s competition regulator said the proposed deal, which would make Microsoft (MSFT) the world’s third-largest video game publisher, could hurt tens of millions of gamers in the country by leading to higher prices or fewer choices. The provisional finding by the UK Competition and Markets Authority is another sign of growing opposition to the deal by antitrust regulators worldwide. In December, the US Federal Trade Commission sued to block the acquisition over similar claims, and the European Union is also evaluating the deal. Cloud gaming services grant players access to video games without the need for downloading the games to a local PC or console.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Uber, Chipotle, Microsoft, Lumen and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Uber — The ride-hailing app's shares rose more than 7% after it posted fourth-quarter earnings that topped analyst estimates. Uber earned 29 cents a share, beating analysts' estimate of an 18 cent loss, Refinitiv data showed. This year's adjusted earnings guidance missed StreetAccount estimates. Fortinet — The cybersecurity company's shares rose 11% after it beat analysts' estimates in the most recent quarter by five cents a share, according to StreetAccount. Under Armour earned adjusted EPS of 16 cents vs a StreetAccount estimate of 9 cents.

☆ Microsoft will need 'a crowbar to pry away' Google's advertising dominance, even with its A.I. investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But analysts aren't convinced that significant market share gains will come anytime soon. At the same time, he suspects the announcement will further push Google to roll out more of its own AI search engine features. To be sure, even though Microsoft accounts for just a fraction of the search advertising market, analysts see signs that the company is making significant progress. According to Piper Sandler's Brent Bracelin, Microsoft AI should reach $40 billion in revenue in half the time it took the company's cloud segment to reach that milestone. He also estimates that Microsoft could expand its market share within the digital ad market by as much as 7% sometime in 2026.

☆ Britain says Microsoft's 'Call of Duty' deal could harm gamers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Activision games "Call of Duty" are pictured in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File PhotoSummarySummary Companies Deal raises concerns- regulatorAcquisition threatens Xbox and PlayStation rivalryMicrosoft says committed to addressing concernsLONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust regulator said Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69-billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) could harm gamers by weakening the rivalry between Xbox and Sony's PlayStation. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the deal could result in higher prices, fewer choices and less innovation for millions of gamers, as well as stifling competition in the growing cloud gaming market. In December, the United States moved to block the deal, citing Microsoft's record of hoarding valuable gaming content. Microsoft, which has pledged to keep "Call of Duty" on PlayStation, said it would address the CMA's concerns.

☆ Microsoft just laid out the $2 billion reason why it's going all in on ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft said it can add $2 billion in revenue for every 1 percentage point of search share it gains. Microsoft's ad business already grew to $18 billion in the last 12 months. And search advertising is such a lucrative section of the roughly $500 billion digital ad market that it almost doesn't matter if Microsoft barely dents Google's dominance. Even growing its share of search users by a couple of percentage points could grow its revenue by billions of dollars. "The moneymaker for search advertisers is short-tail, transactional terms," Goodwin said.

☆ Britain says Microsoft's Activision deal could harm gamers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust regulator said on Wednesday its in-depth probe had found that Xbox maker Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69-billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) raised competition concerns about cloud and console gaming. Reporting by Paul Sandle and Aby Jose Koilparambil; editing by Michael HoldenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nintendo trims annual profit outlook on firmer yen
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Japanese videogame maker Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.T) lowered by 4%on Tuesday its forecast for full-year operating profit, because of a firmer yen. It now expects total operating profit of 480 billion yen ($3.6 billion) for the year to March 31, down from a previous forecast of 500 billion. The latest outlook is lower than an average estimate of a profit of 582 billion yen from 21 analysts, according to Refinitiv data. It cut its Switch console sales target to 18 million units from 19 million. Nintendo, which competes with PlayStation creator Sony Group Corp (6758.T) and Xbox maker Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), sold 14.91 million Switch units in the nine months to Dec 31, compared with 18.95 million units in the same period a year earlier.

☆ Microsoft's cloud business, a key pillar of the Club's investment case, stands to gain from the AI craze
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"But the one good thing here is the business model side of this, because it builds on the cloud." Nadella's comments Tuesday came shortly after Microsoft unveiled its strategy to reshape its internet search engine , Bing, by incorporating generative AI capabilities. Equipped with generative AI capabilities, Bing will be able to respond to users' queries with human-like written answers. On Monday, competitor Alphabet (GOOGL) announced its response to the ChatGPT craze , a generative AI service called Bard. The Club take The rivalry between Microsoft and Google has now spilled into generative AI, which is still in its early days.

☆ 'Call of Duty' steers Activision sales in tough quarter for game makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - Videogame publisher Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) beat Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter adjusted sales on Monday, thanks to the success of the latest game in its "Call of Duty" franchise. The company expects its full-year adjusted sales to grow at least in high-single digits, bolstered by the launch of games including "Diablo IV." Adjusted sales in the quarter ended Dec. 31 came in at $3.57 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $3.16 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Activision's $69-billion takeover by Microsoft is being challenged by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and being investigated by EU authorities. Fourth quarter net income fell to $403 million, or 51 cents per share, from $564 million, or 72 cents per share, a year earlier.

☆ Take-Two lowers annual adjusted sales forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO.O) lowered its annual bookings forecast on Monday, a sign that it is struggling to keep gamers glued amid a weakening economy and broader slowdown in the gaming market. Third quarter adjusted sales stood at $1.38 billion, compared to analysts' estimate of $1.46 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Take-Two said it now expects full-year adjusted sales between $5.2 billion and $5.25 billion, compared with $5.4 billion to $5.5 billion forecast previously. Analysts expected a figure of $5.39 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[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.

☆ AMD Shines Through Intel’s Dark Cloud
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

AMD CEO Lisa Su at an event in Las Vegas earlier this year. For Advanced Micro Devices , it seems enough these days to simply not be Intel. Fourth-quarter results for the chip maker better known as AMD were mixed at best. Overall revenue of $5.6 billion slightly beat Wall Street’s forecasts thanks to strength in the company’s videogame business, which includes processors for the Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Electronic Arts Inc (EA.O) lowered its annual bookings forecast on Tuesday, as the videogame publisher delayed the release of a title based on the "Star Wars" franchise and consumers dialed back spending in a sagging economy. EA on Tuesday pushed out the launch of "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor" by six weeks to April 28, which would fall into its next fiscal year. The game is a sequel to its 2019 "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" title that has drawn over 20 million players. It had forecast $7.65 billion to $7.85 billion previously. "Weak, but not a disaster," Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said of the results, adding the "Star Wars" title delay led to a "huge shift of earnings" into next year.

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