Partnerships
Nintendo and Niantic announce a new partnership and Pikmin application
To kick off the partnership, Niantic and Nintendo are developing an app based on the Pikmin franchise. The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful. Read More>>
FanDuel Group partners with Gamban in responsible gaming commitment
The new alliance will see the UK company‘s blocking software made available free-of-charge to customers who decide to self-exclude from the operator’s real money gaming sites or those identifying as problem gamblers. Read More>>
Snap Games unveils multi-game partnership with European developer Gismart
As part of the deal, Snapchat will also extend its Bitmoji for Games technology and interactive social tools to Gismart, introducing Bitmoji avatars to its games, starting with the hyper-casual title Perfect Expert 3D. Read More>>
Evertz’s Mediator-X works with AWS Media Intelligence Solutions to deliver new media monetization tools
Mediator-X sends low res browse files created by Render-X transcode engine or evertz.io, to Amazon Rekognition. Amazon Rekognition’s deep learning technology reviews every frame to perform text detection, face detection and analysis, celebrity recognition, and content moderation. Read More>>
Mergers and Acquisitions
ByteDance acquires Mobile Legends publisher Moonton at a reported $4bn valuation
Through cross-team collaboration and drawing on lessons and insights from its rapid growth, Moonton provides the strategic support needed to accelerate Nuverse’s (ByteDance’s gaming unit that acquired Moonton) global gaming offerings. Read More>>
Take-Two Interactive acquires HookBang to bolster game development
Working with a studio as prominent as Visual Concepts on NBA 2K21 was an extraordinary opportunity for HookBang,” said Frank Roan, CEO at HookBang. “Formally joining Visual Concepts and 2K allows us to accelerate our impact on the product, the company, and the Austin development community.” Read More>>
Snap acquires apparel-sizing analytics firm to boost Snapchat shopping features
Fit Analytics helps online shoppers virtually find the right clothing size using ML algorithms. Read More>>
Spotify jumps into the hot live audio trend with the acquisition of Clubhouse rival Betty Labs
Betty Labs will leverage Spotify’s unparalleled data, insights, and strength in user experience, to build-out a full complement of live and on-demand offerings for users and creators worldwide. Read More>>
Executive Movement
JCDecaux South Africa announces new managing director
Until recently, Sebastian Musendo was the Head of Supply Chain Strategy and Transformation of Transnet. Read More>>
ByteDance hires CFO in step towards IPO
ByteDance has hired Xiaomi executive Chew Shou Zi for a newly created role as chief financial officer. The new CFO role will be ByteDance global operations’ only C-suite position besides chief executive Zhang Yiming. Read More>>
Box appoints former Google Cloud executive as president of box EMEA
Sebastien Marotte has comprehensive knowledge of the EMEA business landscape and extensive experience leading in multiple markets. Read More>>
Alice Young quits Spotify, joins Future Classic as managing director
Young will be based in Sydney, overseeing business operations, including strategy, financial performance, investment, and ventures. Read More>> |