John Riccitiello is out as Unity’s CEO, but the circumstances of his exit may have done the company a favor. Then, Microsoft finally owns Activision, and the outlines of the deal are a win for everyone except the FTC.
Microsoft, Activision, and Ubisoft(?!); The Activision Deal; Foolhardy Forecasting
Microsoft has substantially reworked its deal with Activision to satisfy U.K. regulators; it’s a win for the CMA, and time to consider what comes next.
Microsoft Can Acquire Activision, The FTC vs. the Record, The FTC’s Failed Vendetta
Microsoft didn’t just win its case against the FTC: the totality of its victory calls into question the FTC’s legitimacy, and may lead to more acquisitions in the future.
Friction Follow-Up, Databricks Acquires MosaicML
More on the trade-offs (and benefits) of Amazon’s scale, and initial reactions to Databricks’ acquisition of MosaicML.
Reddit Rage, The Tadpole Shrimp of the Internet, Judge Pauses Microsoft-Activision Deal
More on Reddit, including why my previous Update was not so much wrong on details as it was wrong in feeling; plus, how Microsoft might carve the UK out of the Activision acquisition.
Quest vs. Vision, Vision and the Mac, Apple Acquires Mira
Follow-up to Apple Vision, including why Meta is by no means doomed when it comes to VR/AR. Then, why the Vision Pro probably cannot replace the Mac, and revisiting AR in the light of Apple’s most recent acquisition.
Micron’s China Ban; Neeva Gives Up on Search; Uber and Waymo, Finally
Micron takes a hit in the U.S.-China tech war, Neeva gives up on search (and is acquired by Snowflake), and Uber and Waymo finally partner up.
Shopify Exits Logistics, The Shopify Logistics Side Quest, Whither Buy with Prime
Shopify is getting out of logistics, after a confusing four year journey for both the company and myself; now it has to figure out how to respond to Buy with Prime.
Adobe Acquires Figma, Figma’s Disruption, The Figma OS
Adobe’s acquisition of Figma is about the long-term shift in the design value chain; it paid so much because there was no other reason for Figma to sell.
AppLovin Offers to Buy Unity, Roblox Earnings, Amazon Buys iRobot
More Unity drama, which validates the ironSource deal. Then, games might not be recession proof, and why Amazon bought iRobot.