The Gaming Economy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: PlayFab introduces a new pay-as-you-go option to make its services more accessible; NBA 2K21 makes the controversial decision to insert non-skippable ads into its game’s loading screen; and Frost Giant Entertainment raises $4.7m to realise its RTS ambitions.   Microsoft’s PlayFab introduces pay-as-you-go option   PlayFab, Microsoft’s games developer division, has announced that it will introduce a pay-as-you-go plan for customers to use its services. The move follows [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: GameStop posts USD$111m (£85.6m) loss; Xbox Series X launch details revealed; and Grimorio of Games and JanduSoft secure USD$450,000 (£346,900). GameStop posts USD$111m (£85.6m) loss Video game retailer GameStop has posted a net loss of USD$111.3m (£85.8m) for the second quarter of its financial year, ended 1st August 2020. Once adjusted, the net loss from continuing operations of USD$91.2m (£70.3m) through the period is significantly wider than the [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: Microsoft reveals Xbox Series S; PUBG Corp. axes Tencent India publishing contract; and WinZo raises USD$18m (£14m). Microsoft reveals Xbox Series S Microsoft has officially unveiled its next-generation Xbox Series S console in an announcement on Twitter, following an earlier leak published on Thurrot. As has been rumoured, the new device is positioned as a more affordable alternative to the Xbox Series X, at the trade-off of lower [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: Microsoft supporting Epic in Apple dispute; Corsair Gaming files for USD$100m (£76.4m) IPO; and Microsoft Flight Simulator to drive USD$2.6bn (£2.0bn) PC hardware spend. Microsoft supporting Epic in Apple dispute Microsoft has filed a 564 page document in support of Epic Games in its ongoing dispute against Apple over its policy of disallowing third-party payment systems within its App Store ecosystem. Specifically, Microsoft is arguing against the actions [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: China to enforce age ID system from September; Veloce merges esports and racing divisions; and Microsoft rebrands Game Pass. China to enforce age ID system from September China has announced that its updated real-name identification system for games, ostensibly designed to limit both the time and money spent by children within games, will be implemented nationally from September onwards. As reported in the South China Morning Post, Central [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: Ubisoft posts strong results amid abuse allegations; Mobalytics raises USD$11.25m (£8.846m); and Microsoft gaming revenue climbs 64%. Ubisoft posts strong results amid abuse allegations French developer-publisher Ubisoft has reported an increase of 17.6% year-on-year in quarterly sales over Q1 FY 2020-2021 to €410m (£372m), significantly higher than the targeted €335m (£304m) as gaming continues to see a spike in player attention through the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, the Montreuil-based [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: Chushou TV shuttered; Microsoft tells developers not to charge for next-gen upgrades; and AppLovin appoints four executive team members. Chushou TV shuttered Chinese video game streaming platform Chushou TV has been shuttered as of 2nd July 2020 in the wake of claims that it has not paid streamers and influencer agencies for several months, with some providers owed up to CN¥5m (£569,000). The streaming market in China is [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: Microsoft contemplating WBIE acquisition; Pokémon GO surpasses USD$3.6bn (£2.9bn) in revenue; and Dignitas partners with ExpressVPN. Microsoft contemplating WBIE acquisition Microsoft executives are contemplating the purchase of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) from AT&T, according to two anonymous sources speaking to The Information, in order to add to its suite of first-party studios. While IP such as Harry Potter and Batman (DC Comics) would have to subsequently be [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: Tencent launches Twitch rival; Microsoft to close all physical retail outlets; and BS2 pivots sponsorship efforts to esports. Tencent launches Twitch rival Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent Holdings Ltd. has launched a mobile-focused video game streaming network in the United States, branded as Trovo Live, and will roll out a USD$30m (£24m) partnership programme for the nascent service from July until the close of 2021. Ostensibly, the platform is [...]

TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: Microsoft to shutter Mixer; Facebook acquires Ready at Dawn Studios; and Overwolf acquires CurseForge assets from Twitch. Microsoft to shutter Mixer Microsoft has announced that it will shutter its Mixer streaming platform as of 22nd July 2020, with current viewer and streamer accounts to be transitioned to the Facebook Gaming service as part of a new strategic partnership. In return, Facebook Gaming will be used to promote and [...]