The UK blocks Microsoft’s Activision acquisition using a market definition that makes no sense; then, Google and Microsoft’s earnings both talked about AI, but the discussion was more favorable to Microsoft
Meta and the Quest Pro; Meta and VR as Console; Microsoft, Activision, and the EU
Mets seems to be abandoning the Quest Pro. Meanwhile, is the Quest for gaming? That the question isn’t clear — nor the answer — gets to they VR and AR remain questionable investments.
Consoles and Competition
Reviewing the history of video games explains why Sony is dominant today, and why Microsoft is actually introducing competition, not limiting it.
Google Kills Stadia; Why Stadia Was a Bad Product; Microsoft, Activision, and Antitrust
Google Stadia is, predictably, dead: the company never had the business model to match. Microsoft is showing just how hard it is to get that business model off of the ground.
Netflix Earnings, Microsoft and Netflix’s Ad Deal
Netflix’s earnings beat expectations, but were still concerning; then, why Netflix made a deal with Microsoft, and why Microsoft is the biggest winner
Gaming the Smiling Curve
The spate of recent acquisitions in the gaming space — Take-Two and Zynga, Microsoft and Activision, and Sony and Bungie — make sense in the context of the Smiling Curve.
Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard, Notes on the Acquisition, An Interview With Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer
Breaking down Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, plus an interview with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer
Activision Blizzard Buys King Digital, EA and the Disruption Narrative, Apple TV Gaming
Activision Blizzard is buying King, the makers of Candy Crush Saga; the mobile games maker is probably worth more to a company like Activision Blizzard than they are by themselves. Plus, both EA and Activision Blizzard beat earnings expectations — does that mean the gaming disruption narrative is wrong?
Daily Update: The New Structure of Mobile Gaming, The Hidden Cost of Microsoft’s Devices, Amazon Affiliate Links in the Washington Post
Note: I put the wrong link in the Daily Email for Tuesday, September 2, 2014. The daily update for that day can be found here. Good morning, I’m really glad to be back in Taiwan and look forward to being back on a regular schedule – you’ll note how much earlier this update is arriving!Subscribe […]
Additional Notes on Casual Games
This series of posts is about enabling sustainable businesses on the App Store. In Part 1, I discuss why Paper and other productivity apps may not be doing as well as you might think. Part 2 explores why casual games, in contrast, are a sustainable business, but not a differentiator for platforms (I added a […]