The Call of Duty series is a flashpoint of games consolidation: Sony and Microsoft are going to battle over rights to the Activision-owned franchise.
Leaked memo gives insight into Snap’s future: Older users, enterprise AR, and Snapchat+ growth are all part of the puzzle.
After surpassing media in digital ad spend during 2020, the entertainment industry continues to widen its lead in the US. This year, entertainment will lay out $14.86 billion, exceeding the media industry’s $12.30 billion.
TikTok parent ByteDance downsizes gaming development: Layoffs in gaming studios indicate a quick retreat from gaming at a time when China’s video game industry is seeing a decline in revenue.
Chipmakers warn of worst downturn in a decade: Recovery from shortages was expected by late 2022, but chip manufacturers are bracing for tougher times as supply chains are challenged by economic uncertainty and political conflict.
Changing content consumption patterns are bending media and entertainment ad spending in different directions.
Meta faces litany of fines in EU: Ireland fines Instagram $403 million for exposing underage users’ personal data. Persistent privacy penalties and lack of user protection could diminish Meta’s wider metaverse ambitions.
Google starts allowing third-party payments: Developers in India and Japan are among the first to experience more equitable app-payments options—the move could push rival Apple to follow suit.
Meta and Qualcomm’s bid to build a better metaverse: Custom VR chipsets could elevate graphics and bring the metaverse closer to reality, addressing complaints of janky-looking avatars and improving user adoption.
Nielsen under private ownership faces challenging road ahead: The company needs to show it can keep up with measurement upstarts.
Triller’s in trouble: Despite a $200 million raise, legal turmoil has eliminated any comparisons to TikTok.
Among US podcast ads, pre-roll spots generated about 5% more website visits during Q2 than those in the middle of an episode. While that margin is fairly slim, both placements produced better results than post-roll, likely because earlier spots catch listeners before they drop off.
Franchises don’t just rule movies: They’re also ruling your TV screen. Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ show premiere raked in 25 million viewers globally.
UK regulators worry Microsoft could game the system: Controlling a trove of gaming assets puts the onus on Microsoft to silence regulators’ fears that it could monopolize various gaming segments.
US-China conflict over chips intensifies: AMD and Nvidia stocks plunge on reports of new government sales restrictions of chips to China and Russia. US chipmakers could be forced to abandon potential sales.
We know more about Netflix’s advertising strategy: Are $65 CPMs too pricey in an uncertain economy?
Snap in survival mode: Snap is laying off some of its augmented reality hardware and software talent, stalling years of innovation and putting its leadership position in AR at risk.
Sony’s mobile play: A hoard of portable and console gaming titles positions PlayStation Studios Mobile Division as a key player in a gaming market that could reach $338 billion by 2030.
Robin Games brings real-life shopping to mobile gaming: The developer’s latest release allows players to purchase furniture and decor after trying them in-game.
Allure becomes latest magazine to kill its print edition: A sign of the times—and an opportunity for Condé Nast's beauty pub to focus.