In The News
THQ Nordic is apologizing for an AMA the company did on 8chan.
Modulate raised “$2 million in funding … [to use] machine learning techniques to create customizable ‘voice skins’ for games,” VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi reports.
Resident Evil 2 “has shipped four million copies since its release one month ago. This inches Resident Evil as a series closer to one of the best selling Japanese IPs of all time,” Game Informer’s Imran Khan writes.
GOG is closing its Fair Price Package. You can read the announcement here.
Funcom and Legendary Entertainment are partnering “to create games based on the DUNE intellectual property,” Gamasutra’s Emma Kidwell reports.
Extra Esports News:
What goes into esports audience retention? FanAI provided The Daily Walkthrough with insight into NBA 2K League’s season, and why week 1 viewers are so critical.
Data shows that esports leagues are more likely to get their most loyal viewers in the first week of the season. For the 2018 NBA 2K League, week one viewers made up an average of 25% of the viewing audience for the entirety of the season and playoffs. Take a DeepDive into NBA 2K League Season 1 Viewership: The Value of Hardcore Fans.
Funding:
G2 Esports secured “a $17.3 million (€15 million) funding round which includes participation from prominent New York investors and a variety of global tech moguls,” according to a press release. “The capital will be used to accelerate global expansion, fund franchise fees, and continue to invest in world-class business and content operations.”
PlayBrain brought in a “$1.9 million seed round led by BITKRAFT Esports Ventures,” according to a press release. “PlayBrain will use the new funding to scale the team, accelerate growth, and support costs to lead the creative direction, operation and commercialization of League of Legends Japan League (“LJL”). This also marks the first Western investment in esports in the Japanese market,” the release reads.
Super League Gaming shares “fell more than 20% on Tuesday after it priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $11 a share,” Variety’s Stefanie Fogel writes. “The company sold more than 2.27 million shares for $249.7 million.”
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will replace Melee at Evo 2019.
IN: Hillary Kaupert joined FanAI as Head of Consulting and Services.
Teenage joined 100 Thieves’ Apex Legends team.
Happy birthday Varun “Demi” Immanuel