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☆ Tencent logs robust revenue growth as games, advertising sales shine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Tencent sign is seen at the World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, October 20, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Nov 15 (Reuters) - China's Tencent Holdings (0700.HK) said third-quarter revenue climbed 10%, as its games business staged a robust recovery from a regulatory crackdown on the country's tech sector and online advertising sales surged. In August, the video games sector raked in combined revenue of 29.2 billion yuan, the highest level in at least 20 months, according to CNG, a government-backed industry data firm. Tencent's online advertising business reported a 20% jump in revenue thanks to strong demand for advertising in its video content. Net profit declined 9% to 36.1 billion yuan from a year ago when the company had a strong quarter after divesting stakes in portfolio companies such as Sea.

Persons: Aly, Tencent, Josh Ye, Miyoung Kim, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: World Internet Conference, REUTERS, Tencent Holdings, HK, Riot Games, Thomson Locations: Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, HONG KONG

☆ Patriot Games: Mideast Turmoil Prompts Shuffle of Prized Defense Systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Doug Cameron | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Patriot missile launchers sit in a stand-by position during recent readiness training in South Korea. Photo: U.S. ArmyThe U.S. military was set to display one of its prized Patriot missile-defense systems at the Dubai Airshow this week, part of the American showcase at one of the world’s biggest arms fairs. Then war broke out in the Middle East, and the $1 billion battery, mounted on three trucks, was needed to defend U.S. troops based in the region from attack by Iran-backed militia groups—and the Pentagon dropped the plans for the show.

Organizations: U.S . Army, U.S, Patriot, Pentagon Locations: South Korea, Dubai, Iran

☆ The 6 wildest details about Sam Bankman-Fried that Michael Lewis revealed in a tell-all interview
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Michael Lewis gave a peek into details from his new book on Sam Bankman-Fried in a tell-all interview. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The Big Short" author Michael Lewis shared some of the wildest details from his forthcoming book on disgraced FTX cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried during a tell-all interview with "60 Minutes" on Sunday. Tom Brady and Sam Bankman-Fried had an unlikely friendship, according to Michael Lewis. Sam Bankman-Fried, a known "League of Legends" fan, played a video game during his first live TV interview, Michael Lewis said. Sam Bankman-Fried.

Persons: Michael Lewis, Sam Bankman, Lewis, SBF, Tom Brady, Donald Trump, —, Bankman, Sam, Erin Schaff, Insider's Lloyd Lee, Fried, Trump, Brady, Sebastian Widmann, Sam wasn't, FTX, he's, Larry David, Steph Curry's, Steph Curry, Anna Wintour, Matt Winkelmeyer, Vogue's Anna Wintour, Wintour, Spokespeople, David, Curry, Michael M, Bernie Madoff, Elizabeth Holmes, Jim Spellman, WireImage Lewis Organizations: Service, Trump, NFL, Super, Miami, Sequoia Capital, Metropolitan Detention, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Bankman Locations: New York, Trump, Hollywood, America, Bahamas, Brooklyn

☆ Asian Games: South Korea's Esports stars target medal success -- and a military exemption
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

For South Korean male participants, winning a gold medal in the Asian Games or Olympic Games not only brings honor but also grants them a military exemption. However, the mandatory duty can be waived for some athletes, in particular those who win an Olympic medal or a gold medal in the Asian Games. Seven games will be featured as official medal events at the 19th Asian Games, building on the success of the pilot event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. The venue for the Asian Games esports competitions is state-of-the-art and an impressive sight to see. With its inclusion as an official Asian Games medal event, the possibility of esports becoming a part of the Olympic Games is a topic of growing debate.

Persons: Suga, Oh, Wang Zhao, Son Heung, ” Shin, ”, esports, ” Kim Sa, “, ” Lee Kyung, Kwak, hyouk, it’d, ” Kwak, Thailand’s Teedech, Lee Sang, –, Michael Chow, Yoonjung Seo, Michael Jordan, ” Chow, Faker, JUNG YEON, Philip Fong, Rowan Crothers, “ I’m, I’ll, ” Crothers, Jess Bolden, Chow, Niko, Young Organizations: CNN, Gaming, Hangzhou Asian Games, Asian Games, Games, BTS, Asian, Getty, Premier League soccer, Tottenham Hotspur, Marine Corps, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, “ Times, CNN Sport, FIFA, Hangzhou, South Korea, Believer Company, Riot, South, Team Korea, League, “ League, SK Telecom, Riot Games, Microsoft Studios, Xbox, Studios, International Federation of, Phonographic Industry, EA Sports FC Online, PUBG, of Valor, of, Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Maekyung Media, Paralympic, IOC, Kodikara, International Federations, Niko Partners Locations: South Korea, Hangzhou, AFP, Seogwipo, Jeju, Republic of, Seoul, esports, Jakarta, South, . South Korea, Palembang, Asia

☆ Coke's latest mystery flavor is AI-generated
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The latest one, Coca-Cola Y3000, fits the bill. Coca-Cola has used its Creations platform, responsible for limited-edition flavors like Y3000, to try to make the brand resonate with younger consumers. Like all Creations drinks, Coca-Cola Y3000 is designed to taste mostly like Coke, with a bit of something else. For the product’s packaging — which appears to allude to a Y2K aesthetic with funky bubbles, pink and blue coloring and a pixelated logo — Coca-Cola used AI-generated images to create a mood board for inspiration. “They’re more engaging and more interesting, demonstrably, than a flavor, a Coke with vanilla or something,” he said.

Persons: it’s “, ”, Rosalía, “ We’re, Oana Vlad, James Quincey, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Riot Games, of Legends, CNN Locations: New York, United States, Canada, Dreamworld

☆ Stream These 10 Movies Before They Leave Netflix in August
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Jason Bailey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

‘A Knight’s Tale’ (Aug. 31)Another period musical, this one from the writer and director Brian Helgeland (an Oscar winner for co-writing the “L.A. The movie’s writer, director and editor, Oren Peli, cleverly turns his technological shortcomings into bonuses, crafting a found-footage story of things going bump in the night with gooseflesh raising inventiveness. Naomi Watts provides a rooting interest as the cynical reporter investigating the tape’s mysterious origins and the spell it casts. ‘Salt’ (Aug. 31)Angelina Jolie fronted her fair share of action movies, but she never really seemed to find the right vehicle for her particular talents. operative, or both, or something else entirely — Jolie lands on the perfect role for her distinctive blend of butt-kicking athleticism, sensuality and intelligence.

Persons: ’, Brian Helgeland, ”, Ledger, Sossamon, stealer Rufus Sewell —, Tina Fey, Rosalind Wiseman, Fey dramatizes, Cady, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Waters, Lohan, Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, Lizzy Caplan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Oren Peli, Hideo Nakata’s, Gore, Naomi Watts, Angelina Jolie, Evelyn Salt, Jolie, Phillip Noyce Organizations: Business, Bees Locations: Helgeland, That’s, Russian

☆ Coca-Cola launches new flavor for gamers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Coca-Cola is launching a new limited-edition flavor for gamers, a demographic increasingly pursued by mainstream food and beverage brands. For this new flavor, called Coca-Cola Ultimate, the soda maker partnered with Riot Games, which publishes the multi-player online battle arena game League of Legends. Coca-Cola Ultimate bottles. As in most of those cases (Marshmello’s flavor had notes of strawberry and watermelon) Coca-Cola won’t share what Ultimate is actually supposed to taste like. And the relationship between Riot and Coca-Cola is deeper than the limited-edition flavor.

Persons: Coke, Rosalía, “ We’re, Oana Vlad, James Quincey, they’re, ”, Gen, Ava Max, Vlad, Red Bull, Eric Krause Organizations: New, New York CNN, Riot Games, of, League of, Coke, PepsiCo, League of Legends Locations: New York, Dreamworld, Fortnite

Xbox Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus: GamesHorizon: Forbidden West is one of the latest high-profile games to hit PlayStation Plus. Horizon Forbidden West / SonyThe main selling points of Game Pass and PlayStation Plus are their Netflix-style libraries of downloadable games. Xbox Game Pass' recent day-one releases include the cooperative shooter Redfall, and the rhythm-based action game Hi-Fi Rush. Game Pass members get a 10% discount when buying games that are already on Game Pass, so you can always get a deal before a game leaves the service entirely. That 10% discount also applies to downloadable content and add-ons for Game Pass games, which aren't always included with the base version.

☆ SBF played 'League of Legends' so much he was gaming during pitch meetings. Now his lawyers say there'll be no more online games for the crypto king.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He's said to have played it at a pitch meeting, and says he's been gaming while under house arrest. The conditions also say Bankman-Fried will be prohibited from accessing any video games or gaming hardware that "permit chat or voice communication." Bankman-Fried, who was arrested in the Bahamas in December, previously touted his penchant for the online game "League of Legends." "I'm (in)famous for playing League of Legends while on calls," Bankman-Fried tweeted. But Bankman-Fried isn't very good at playing "League of Legends," according to billionaire Elon Musk and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Xbox Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus: GamesHorizon: Forbidden West is the latest high-profile game to hit PlayStation Plus. Horizon Forbidden West / SonyThe main selling points of Game Pass and PlayStation Plus are their Netflix-style libraries of downloadable games. That said, there are a handful of Game Pass titles that are only available on console or PC, not both. Game Pass members get a 10% discount when buying games that are already on Game Pass, so you can always get a deal before a game leaves the service entirely. That 10% discount also applies to downloadable content and add-ons for Game Pass games, which aren't always included with the base version.

☆ Tencent, NetEase, Bilibili allowed to distribute foreign video games as China reopens market to global titles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has approved 27 foreign video games, including titles to be released by Tencent, NetEase and Bilibili, as it gradually reopens the world’s largest mobile entertainment market to international titles. It was the second batch of foreign games to be allowed to enter the Chinese market since December. Bilibili (BILI) will publish the localized version of “Uma Musume: Pretty Derby,” a hugely popular franchise from Japan’s Cygames. “We believe this implies a more supportive regulatory policy towards foreign titles that further support a healthier and normalized development of online gaming industry going forward,” said Citi analysts on Tuesday. But foreign games were still unable to access the Chinese market until December, when the regulator finally approved 45 foreign titles, including “Pokémon Unite” by Nintendo and “Valorant” by Riot Games.

☆ Read the 8-page Notion document an AI-gaming startup used to raise $6 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scenario is a startup that allows users to train AI models using their own images. Here's the pitch deck the cofounders used to raise a $6 million seed round. Artists start by uploading training images, from which Scenario's AI can generate other images in the same style, based on text prompts. De Maistre set out to raise $1 million for the company in November, but within three weeks, it had raised $6 million. Here's the eight-page Notion document that helped Scenario raise a $6-million seed round.

☆ 'League of Legends' game maker says it won't pay ransom after hackers reportedly ask for $10 million and threaten to release source code
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Riot Games confirmed that hackers stole "League of Legends" source code that could make cheating easier. The company also said that it received a ransom email from hackers: "Needless to say, we won't pay." The company also said that it received a ransom email on Tuesday, and added: "Needless to say, we won't pay." A Riot Games spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment from Insider on the reported ransom figure. "Truthfully, any exposure of source code can increase the likelihood of new cheats emerging," Riot Games tweeted on Tuesday.

☆ Pitch Decks That Advertising Tech Startups Used to Raise Millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

Check out these pitch decks that they've used to sell their vision and raise millions from private equity and VC investors. Blocking ad fraudAdtech startup Lunio, announced a $15 million Series A funding round in September 2022. In May 2022, the software-as-a-service startup raised a $30 million Series B round, led by Insight Partners. Marketing in the metaverseAnima, an augmented-reality startup, raised a $3 million funding round from investors in Janury. He raised $50 million in Series D after closing a $34 million Series C last year, bringing its total raised to $100 million.

☆ China to import 45 foreign video games, grants multiple licenses to Tencent
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's video games regulator granted publishing licenses to 45 foreign games for release in the country including seven South Korean games, further lifting rigid curbs that have hammered the industry for 18 months. South Korean gaming stocks, including Netmarble, NCSOFT, Krafton, Kakao Games and Devsisters jumped between 2% and over 17% in morning trade on Thursday, a day after Chinese authorities granted publishing licenses. Among the imported online games approved by the National Press and Publication Administration are five to be published by Tencent Holdings such as "Pokémon Unite" by Nintendo and "Valorant" by Riot Games, according to a list the regulator released. The regulator also approved 84 domestic games for the month of December, according to a separate list released on Wednesday. The approval of imported games effectively marks the end of Beijing's crackdown on the video games industry which began last August when regulators suspended the game approval process.

☆ China Approves Foreign Videogames in Latest Breather for Tech Giants
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Imported videogames have been an important source of income for large Chinese game companies. SINGAPORE—China has resumed granting publishing approvals for foreign videogames, ending a halt stretching back to June 2021 and removing a source of uncertainty for the country’s once-flourishing videogame industry. China’s main videogame regulator, the National Press and Publication Administration, said Wednesday that it had approved 45 imported titles, including “Pokémon Unite,” a multiplayer battle arena game co-developed by China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Japan’s The Pokémon Co., and Riot Games Inc.’s first-person shooter game “Valorant.”

☆ China to import 45 foreign video games, grants multiple licences to Tencent
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Dec 29 (Reuters) - China's video games regulator granted publishing licences to 45 foreign games for release in the country，including seven South Korean games, further lifting rigid curbs that have hammered the industry for 18 months. The approval of imported games effectively marks the end of Beijing's crackdown on the video games industry which began last August when regulators suspended the game approval process. Unlike in most other countries, video games need approval from regulators before release in China, the world's largest gaming market. Other imported games approved include CD Projekt's (CDR.WA) "Gwent: The Witcher Card Game" and Klei Entertainment's "Don't Starve". China approved 76 imported games in 2021 and 456 in 2017.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried loved playing 'League of Legends' in meetings. Now the game's maker wants out of its $96 million FTX sponsorship deal.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Riot Games wants out of a roughly $96 million agreement with bankrupt crypto firm FTX. Last week, the company cited "reputational harm" in a court filing, in which it outlined the terms of the deal. But now Riot wants to terminate the agreement amid FTX's collapse and its cofounder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest earlier this month for numerous fraud-related charges. "Media outlets and Twitter commentators splashed images of Mr. Bankman-Fried playing 'League of Legends' — Riot Games' game — at the same time that FTX was crashing." Riot Games and FTX did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Here's how to use Lensa, the chart-topping app that uses AI to transform your selfies into digital avatars
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Sofia Pitt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Lensa AI image. Your friends are turning themselves into digital art with the help of an artificial intelligence-generated app called Lensa. Lensa AI is currently the top free app in Apple App Store, though you'll have to pay to use the AI artwork feature. Lensa avatar of Sofia Pitt in iridescent. Download Lensa AI for iPhone or Android.

☆ Lensa, the AI portrait app, has soared in popularity. But many artists question the ethics of AI art.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Social media has been flooded with Lensa AI portraits, from photorealistic paintings to more abstract illustrations. In a lengthy Twitter thread posted Tuesday morning, Prisma addressed concerns of AI art replacing art by actual artists. For some artists, AI models are a creative tool. While the value of art is subjective, the crux of the AI art controversy is the right to privacy. Without decades of examples to learn from, he said, the AI images that looked just like his illustrations would never exist.

☆ Read the 9-page pitch deck that YouTuber Moriah Elizabeth used to raise $2.5 million for her art app 'Spark'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Arts and craft creator Moriah Elizabeth has raised $2.5 million for her digital art startup. The app emerged from Night Labs – the same venture studio that built MrBeast Burger and Feastables. In a video introducing the platform, Elizabeth noted that upon firing up the app, Spark provides users with three creative prompts. "You're not going to make the most complicated, realistic art on here," Elizabeth explained in the video. You can check out the pitch deck that it used to raise its seed round below.

Google, Activision and Riot did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new filing. Epic last year mostly lost a similar case against Apple Inc (AAPL.O), the other leading app store provider. The deal with Activision was announced in January 2020, soon after it told Google it was considering launching its own app store. Google around the same time was forecasting billions of dollars in lost app store sales if developers fled to alternative systems. Epic's lawsuit alleged that Google knew signing with Activision "effectively ensured that (Activision) would abandon its plans to launch a competing app store, and Google intended this result."

☆ Activision Blizzard influencers are turning their backs on the video game giant after a lawsuit claimed that female employees dealt with harassment and discrimination
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-26 | by ( Steven Asarch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After a bombshell lawsuit was filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing against video game company Activision Blizzard on Tuesday, influencer partners are reeling. Blizzard was founded in 1991 and has created some of the most popular franchises in video game lore, like "Warcraft," "Starcraft," and "Diablo." The company and its work have attained legendary status in the video game world. Twitch streamer Asmongold, who has 2.3 million followers, commented in a Twitter video that many Blizzard streamers specialize in a single video game. Sexism in the video game industry isn't unique to Activision BlizzardThough the Anaheim-based developer is receiving a lion's share of the current internet discourse and criticism, it isn't unique in the video game industry.

☆ Cel mai mare turneu global de League of Legends 1vs1 - Red Bull Solo Q – revine în Republica Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-29 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: Red Bull Solo QCel mai mare turneu global de League of Legends 1vs1 - Red Bull Solo Q – revine în Republica MoldovaMoldova își va desemna campionul care va lupta pentru titlul mondial Red Bull Solo Q 2021 râvnit de jucători din peste 35 de țări. Red Bull Solo Q – cel mai mare turneu global de League of Legends 1vs1 - îi invită pe toți jucătorii la o bătălie strategică, ,,pe viață și pe moarte’’, în care aptitudinile individuale fac diferența! Înscrierile în cadrul Red Bull Solo Q Moldova se pot face pe redbull.com/soloqmoldova. Datorită parteneriatului cu Riot Games, câștigătorul Red Bull Solo Q va lua parte la unul dintre cele mai anticipate evenimente de esports ale anului - League of Legends All-Star 2021. Red Bull Solo Q face parte din universul internațional Red Bull de esports, din care face parte streamer-ul Ninja și echipa OG - câștigătoare a turneului Dota 2 World Champions 2019.

Organizations: Red Bull Solo, Finala Națională, Naționale, Regionale, Finala Mondială, Top Lane, Games, Red Bull, Champions 2019 Locations: Republica Moldova Moldova, Moldova, Rift

☆ Cel mai mare turneu global de League of Legends 1vs1 – Red Bull Solo Q – revine în Moldova! Cum poți participa
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-17 | by ( Onixmedia Srl | ) diez.md time to read: +1 min

Cel mai mare turneu global de League of Legends 1vs1 – Red Bull Solo Q – revine în Moldova! Cum poți participaMoldova își va desemna campionul care va lupta pentru titlul mondial Red Bull Solo Q 2021 râvnit de jucători din peste 35 de țări. Red Bull Solo Q – cel mai mare turneu global de League of Legends 1vs1, îi invită pe toți jucătorii la o bătălie strategică, în care aptitudinile individuale fac diferența. Înscrierile în cadrul Red Bull Solo Q Moldova se pot face AICI! Datorită parteneriatului cu Riot Games, câștigătorul Red Bull Solo Q va lua parte la unul dintre cele mai anticipate evenimente de e-sports ale anului – League of Legends All-Star 2021.

Organizations: Red Bull Solo, Finala Națională, Naționale, Regionale, Finala Mondială, Top Lane, Games Locations: Moldova, Rift

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