Industry News September 22, 2020 Supercell must pay $8.5 million for infringing Gree’s patents A federal jury in Marshall, Texas, ruled that Supercell’s titles like Clash of Clans, Clash Royale and Brawl Stars infringe four patents held in the US by Japanese studio Gree. Supercell will now have to pay $8.5 million in royalties to Gree.
Industry News September 22, 2020 Voodo wins court case against studio and publisher copying mechanics of Woodturning Hyper-casual giant Voodoo has won a court case against Istanbul-based publisher Rollic Games, which is owned by Zynga, and developer Hero Games. According to Voodoo’s claims, Hero Games copied key elements of Voodoo’s hit Woodturning.
Industry News September 21, 2020 Microsoft acquires ZeniMax Media and its game publisher Bethesda Softworks Microsoft announced plans to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks. The deal will cost Microsoft $7.5 billion in cash.
Industry News September 18, 2020 TikTok and WeChat to dissapear from US app stores Starting this Sunday, TikTok and WeChat will be removed from the US App Store and Google Play.
Industry News September 18, 2020 Bandai Namco acquires Reflector Entertainment to expand in global markets Bandai Namco announced the acquisition of Montreal-based Reflector Entertainment, co-founded by ex-Creative Director at Ubisoft. The studio is now making its first game Unknown 9: Awakening.
Industry News September 18, 2020 Trump administration investigates Tencent’s US gaming investments and acquisitions
Industry News September 17, 2020 Fall Guys case study: how viral marketing, streamers and world of mouth impacted title’s explosive growth
Industry News September 16, 2020 IKEA and Asus ROG to make gaming furniture and accessories in China IKEA is developing about 30 pieces of gaming furniture that will go on sale in February 2021, starting in China.
Industry News September 16, 2020 ByteDance to hire 1,000 students to work on games ByteDance, primarily known for social networks TikTok, Douyin, and Helo, continues to step up its gaming capabilities. The company listed nearly 1,000 new gaming jobs in the coming year.
Industry News September 16, 2020 Gameloft picks up storytelling games developer The Other Guys Gameloft announced today that it has acquired The Other Guys, the studio behind interactive series app Linda Brown and interactive storytelling platform Journeys.
Industry News September 16, 2020 Apple: “Epic started a fire, and poured gasoline on it” In a latest opposition filing, Apple said that “Epic started a fire, and poured gasoline on it, and now asks this Court for emergency assistance in putting it out.”
Industry News September 16, 2020 Embracer snaps up Vertigo Games Embracer Group, the THQ Nordic parent company, is acquiring 100 percent of the share capital in Vertigo Games through its wholly-owned subsidiary Koch Media.
Industry News September 16, 2020 Game Industry Legal Conference to run October 6-7, 2020 Game Industry Legal Conference will be held October 6-7, 2020.
Industry News September 14, 2020 Scottish Games Network: Is Scotland’s games industry shrinking? Scotland’s industry body Scottish Games Network has won an undisclosed grant from Connected Innovators to fund the comprehensive study in the country’s video games industry.
Industry News September 14, 2020 Unity to raise up to $1.21 billion in IPO Unity Software is planning to raise $1.2 billion in an IPO that will take place this Wednesday. Last week, the firm amended the terms for its IPO.
Industry News September 14, 2020 China accuses Subway Surfers and other games of violating cybersecurity law A branch of China’s Ministry of Public Security posted a notice that certain games violate privacy and cybersecurity laws. Among them are Subway Surfers, Plants vs. Zombies 2 and other popular titles.
Industry News September 14, 2020 Apple allows cloud gaming on iOS, kind of Apple announced changes to its App Store Guidelines. Cloud gaming services like Microsoft xCloud, Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now can now technically exist on iOS. However, there’s a catch.
Industry News September 11, 2020 China’s gamers population is 720 million strong According to a new study by market researcher Niko Partners, there are 720 million gamers in China. 75 percent of those live outside the biggest cities. On a related note, smaller cities generate around 70% of game revenue.