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☆ AI Food Startup NotCo Hires Activision’s Fernando Machado as CMO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

NotCo co-founder and Chief Executive Matias Muchnick, right, with Chief Marketing Officer Fernando Machado. Mr. Machado will develop a marketing plan to help the plant-based food startup break through into the U.S. market, according to Mr. Muchnick. The Not Co. or NotCo, a Chilean startup that uses artificial-intelligence technology to produce plant-based foods that mimic dairy and meat products, has hired Fernando Machado as chief marketing officer. He succeeds Flavia Buchmann, who left the company in late 2022. NotCo has also brought on an unnamed U.S. general manager to work alongside Mr. Machado and will announce that hire in the coming weeks, according to a company spokeswoman.

March 1 (Reuters) - "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) has been accused by a union of illegally firing two video game testers for using "strong language" in a protest at a new company policy that limits remote work. The case is the latest the union has brought to the labor board as part of a campaign to unionize the firm and its subsidiaries. Small groups of game testers at three Activision subsidiaries voted to join the CWA last year. The change received an overwhelmingly negative response from employees, the CWA said, and Activision fired two game testers who "expressed their outrage using strong language." "When faced with unfair treatment by unscrupulous employers like Activision, workers should have the right to express themselves," CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens said in a statement.

March 1 (Reuters) - "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) has been accused by a union of illegally firing two video game testers for using "strong language" in a protest of a new company policy that limits remote work. The case is the latest the union has brought to the labor board as part of a campaign to unionize the firm and its subsidiaries. Small groups of game testers at three Activision subsidiaries voted to join the CWA last year. The change received an overwhelmingly negative response from employees, the CWA said, and Activision fired two game testers who "expressed their outrage using strong language." "When faced with unfair treatment by unscrupulous employers like Activision, workers should have the right to express themselves," CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens said in a statement.

☆ Microsoft Signs ‘Call of Duty’ Pact With Nintendo as Activision Deal Faces Scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The deal would give Nintendo access to new ‘Call of Duty’ games on the same day Microsoft’s Xbox system does. Microsoft Corp. has signed a pact to give Nintendo Co. access to “Call of Duty” games for a decade if its $75 billion deal to buy the game’s developer, Activision Blizzard Inc., gets approved, part of the software maker’s efforts to relieve regulators’ concerns about the transaction. In a tweet Tuesday, Microsoft Vice Chairman and President Brad Smith said the commitment with Nintendo, first proposed late last year, is now solidified. It means that Nintendo would gain access to new “Call of Duty” games the same day as they appear on Microsoft’s Xbox system.

☆ Microsoft Signs ‘Call of Duty’ Pacts With Nintendo and Nvidia as Activision Deal Faces Scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The deal would give Nintendo access to new ‘Call of Duty’ games on the same day Microsoft’s Xbox system does. Microsoft Corp. signed pacts to give Nintendo Co. and Nvidia Corp. access to “Call of Duty” games for a decade if its $75 billion deal to buy the game’s developer, Activision Blizzard Inc., gets approved, part of the software maker’s efforts to relieve regulators’ concerns about the transaction. In a tweet Tuesday, Microsoft Vice Chairman and President Brad Smith said the commitment with Nintendo, first proposed late last year, is now solidified. It means that Nintendo would gain access to new “Call of Duty” games the same day they appear on Microsoft’s Xbox system.

☆ Microsoft Deal With Activision Would Harm Gamers, U.K. Regulator Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.K. antitrust regulators said the proposed $75 billion acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard Inc. by Microsoft Corp. would further consolidate what it called Microsoft’s strong position in cloud gaming and said a combination would hurt U.K. gamers, delivering another regulatory hurdle to the deal in a big global gaming marketplace. The country’s Competition and Markets Authority said it would ask both companies to propose ways to ease its concerns and set a final decision about whether to let the deal proceed for late April.

☆ Wall Street falls on rate hike worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Money market participants are now betting the U.S. central bank's benchmark rate to rise above 5% in May before peaking to 5.18% by July, levels that officials have backed vociferously. Of all the S&P 500 companies that have reported quarterly earnings, 69% of them have beaten expectations, according to Refinitiv. Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) rose 0.7% on upbeat earnings expectations for the year. Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 1.86-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.05-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded eight new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 56 new highs and 18 new lows.

☆ Futures fall with eyes on earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies reporting quarterly results this week include Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and PepsiCo Inc (PEP.O), while Tyson Foods Inc (TSN.N), Lowe's Cos Inc (LOW.N), Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) and Cummins Inc (CMI.N) report results later in the day. Halfway through the earnings of the S&P 500 companies, 69.6% have reported results above expectations, according to Refinitiv. Overall, analysts still expect quarterly earnings of S&P 500 firms declining 2.7%. Job growth in the U.S. accelerated sharply in January, with nonfarm payrolls surging by 517,000 jobs, well above an estimate of 185,000. ET, Dow e-minis were down 237 points, or 0.7%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 37 points, or 0.89%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 144.25 points, or 1.14%.

☆ Activision Blizzard Paying $35 Million to Resolve SEC Investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Dave Michaels | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Activision Blizzard has settled an investigation without admitting or denying SEC allegations. WASHINGTON— Activision Blizzard Inc. agreed to pay $35 million to settle regulatory claims tied to its process for deciding how its disclosures to investors should reflect employee complaints about workplace misconduct. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s investigation also alleged that Activision violated a whistleblower-protection rule. The company settled the probe without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations.

[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.

☆ 'World of Warcraft' battle heats up as NetEase rejects Blizzard offer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Blizzard said in November it would end its 14-year partnership with NetEase - sending shockwaves across the industry as the partnership was widely seen as one of the most lucrative in video games. NetEase said Blizzard reached out last week with an offer to extend the partnership for six months but also made it clear that it would not stop negotiating with other potential partners. With the demise of their partnership, Blizzard is currently without a Chinese publisher. Unlike other countries, foreign gaming companies typically need a Chinese publisher before they can release games in China. NetEase rose to become a gaming giant partly by publishing Blizzard's games in China.

☆ NetEase Rejects Activision Offer to Extend China Licensing Partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE—Chinese videogame publisher NetEase Inc. has refused Activision Blizzard Inc.’s offer to extend a licensing partnership, the two companies said, deepening a rift between the firms over operations in the world’s biggest mobile game market. Blizzard Entertainment Inc., an Activision Blizzard subsidiary, said Tuesday that it proposed to NetEase a six-month extension to the partnership that is set to expire next week. The licensing partnership has brought Blizzard’s globally popular videogames such as “World of Warcraft,” “Diablo III” and “Overwatch” to the Chinese market through NetEase.

☆ NetEase dismisses Activision proposal for temporary extension of ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Chinese games publisher NetEase Inc (9999.HK) said on Wednesday it has rejected a proposal from Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) to extend their long-time partnership for six months as the U.S. game developer looks for a new partner. It called the proposal "rude and unreasonable, inappropriate and commercially illogical" and accused Blizzard of seeking to "take a free ride". With the demise of their partnership, Blizzard is currently without a Chinese publisher. Unlike other countries, foreign gaming companies typically need a Chinese publisher before they can release games in China. It has since accelerated its own game development capability, with in-house games now accounting for more than 60% of revenue.

☆ Activision Says NetEase Rejected Offer to Extend China Licensing Partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

NetEase recently launched a new version for its multiplayer role-playing game ‘Justice,’ with features that NetEase said are similar to Blizzard’s ‘World of Warcraft.’SINGAPORE— Activision Blizzard Inc. said NetEase Inc., its longtime partner in China, has refused its offer to extend a licensing partnership and that it is in talks with several videogame firms to find a new partner in the country. Blizzard Entertainment Inc., an Activision subsidiary, said Tuesday that it proposed to NetEase a six-month extension to the partnership that is set to expire next week. The licensing partnership has brought Blizzard’s globally popular videogames such as “World of Warcraft,” “Diablo III” and “Overwatch” to the Chinese market through NetEase.

☆ M&A Is Expected to Pick Up in 2023 as Companies Adapt to Tougher Conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

But many companies adapted, structuring deals to sidestep market volatility and minimize financing costs. Deal advisers expect M&A to pick up in 2023 following last year’s slump, though when that will happen remains an open question. That is especially true in the technology and healthcare sectors, where deals for high-growth companies are most common, she said. In addition to macroeconomic pressures, companies faced a tougher regulatory environment in 2022, with antitrust enforcers globally applying greater scrutiny to large transactions. Demand for such facilities in the U.S. jumped 17% in 2022 through Dec. 29 compared with the full-year 2021, to $317.3 billion, according to Dealogic.

Jan 3 (Reuters) - A group of about 300 videogame testers at Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) subsidiary Zenimax Studios have voted to unionize, the Communication Workers of America union (CWA) said on Tuesday, marking a first for the tech giant in the United States. The CWA said Zenimax employees at four locations in Maryland and Texas voted overwhelmingly to join the union, but did not provide a tally. Microsoft in a statement provided by a spokesperson said it would follow through on an earlier promise to voluntary recognize the union if the workers voted to join. CWA President Christopher Shelton in a statement said Microsoft has set itself apart from other tech companies that have discouraged union campaigns. Game testers at Activision units Blizzard Albany and Raven Software voted in 2022 to join unions amid claims by the CWA that the company has threatened and retaliated against union supporters.

☆ No 'substantive' settlement talks between U.S. FTC, Microsoft over Activision -lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FTC attorney James Weingarten, speaking in a brief telephonic pretrial hearing, said there were no "substantive" settlement discussions between the two sides under way. The case reflects the muscular approach to antitrust enforcement being taken by the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden. Michael Chappell, the FTC administrative law judge, will rule on the deal after hearings set for August 2023. Either side can then appeal to the same FTC commissioners who voted to bring the challenge, and then to a U.S. appeals court. The deal faces scrutiny in the European Union which is to decide by March 23 whether to clear or block the deal.

☆ Activision's Boston studio workers announce unionization
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 27 (Reuters) - A majority of workers at videogame publisher Activision Blizzard Inc's (ATVI.O) recently acquired studio Proletariat said on Tuesday that they are forming a union with the Communications Workers of America. The move would make the Boston-based studio, the third Activision Blizzard studio to seek unionization. The 57 workers in the Proletariat unit – that include animators, designers, engineers, producers and quality assurance workers – said they have filed for a union representation election with the National Labor Relations Board. Earlier in July, Activision said that it had Proletariat to expand the development pipeline of its online role-playing game "World of Warcraft". Workers who test games at Activision's unit Blizzard Albany have voted to form a union months after the company began negotiating with employees at its Wisconsin unit, the first in the company to unionize.

"It's a combination of the FTC and (Justice Department) being willing to litigate and the fact that companies are fighting back," Grosberg said. More recently, they have lost four attempts to block mergers in court, though they are appealing two of the cases. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Break-up fees that acquirers agree to pay their targets if their deal gets shot down by antitrust regulators are also on the rise. Many companies facing merger challenges say they will fight on, emboldened by the four court losses of the Justice Department and FTC.

☆ Microsoft Responds to FTC Suit Over Activision Deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Microsoft Corp. has filed a rebuttal to a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit aimed at blocking the software giant’s $75 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc., saying the deal will not hurt competition in the videogaming industry. The software giant said in its defense of the deal that it is not the videogame industry’s top console company or software developer and its acquisition is aimed at becoming more competitive through its Xbox videogaming unit.

☆ Video gamers sue Microsoft in US court to stop Activision takeover
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Microsoft Corp was hit on Tuesday in US court with a private consumer lawsuit claiming the technology company’s $69 billion bid to purchase “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard Inc will unlawfully squelch competition in the video game industry. The private lawsuit also seeks an order blocking Microsoft from acquiring Activision. It was filed on behalf of 10 video game players in California, New Mexico and New Jersey. The proposed acquisition would give Microsoft “far-outsized market power in the video game industry,” the complaint alleged, “with the ability to foreclose rivals, limit output, reduce consumer choice, raise prices, and further inhibit competition.”A representative for Microsoft did not immediately comment on Tuesday. The FTC previously said it sued to stop “Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio.” The agency said the merger would harm competition among rival gaming platforms from Nintendo Co Ltd and Sony Group Corp.

☆ Video gamers sue Microsoft in U.S. court to stop Activision takeover
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Mike Scarcella | Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was filed on behalf of 10 video game players in California, New Mexico and New Jersey. A Microsoft representative on Tuesday defended the deal, saying in a statement that it "will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers." After the FTC sued, Microsoft President Brad Smith said, "We have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present our case in court." Private plaintiffs can pursue antitrust claims in U.S. court, even while a related U.S. agency case is pending. The FTC previously said it sued to stop "Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio."

☆ Microsoft Prepares to Go to Battle With FTC Over Activision Deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Microsoft Corp. has signaled it plans to challenge the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit to block its $75 billion deal for Activision Blizzard Inc., and is expected to argue that it is an underdog in videogame developing. The personal-computing company has been publicizing its position for months, saying the acquisition wouldn’t threaten competition in the industry because Microsoft trails rivals in videogame consoles and has a limited presence in mobile-game development. The company has also said it expects the industry to get more competitive in the future with the rise of cloud gaming.

☆ Microsoft Needs to Play Activision Out
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Phil Spencer, CEO of videogaming at Microsoft, had told The Wall Street Journal, “We have to break that duopoly” of two storefronts controlling the mobile market. One irony of Microsoft Corp.’s battle to acquire Activision Blizzard Inc. is that the deal’s fate may hang on the company’s ability to convince regulators—and now judges—that it has moved beyond the Xbox. Another is that the deal could prove key to reducing the market power of two other tech giants. Consoles were the main way that consumers played videogames then, and their respective makers worked to pile up exclusive content to keep players in their ecosystems. Those exclusive games augmented mega-popular franchises such as “Call of Duty” that were available across platforms.

☆ Battle Between FTC and Microsoft Turns on Future of Cloud Gaming
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Aaron Tilley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gaming in the cloud is a small part of the current videogame market, but it is a key piece of the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp.’s purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. Cloud gaming is an emerging technology that allows people to stream videogames to nearly any internet-connected device, similar to how movies and shows are viewed on Netflix , Hulu and other streaming platforms.

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