In The News
Valve lost an Australian appeal pushing back against a $3 million fine. “The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced the decision today … This decision affirms that Valve, which is based in the United States, is bound by Australian laws when selling to Australian gamers,” GameSpot’s Eddie Makuch reports.
Tencent “led or participated in over $4 of every $10 invested in games companies worldwide in the last 12 months to the end of Q1 2018,” Venture Beat’s Tim Merel reports. “It was involved either sell-side or buy-side in over three-quarters of all games M&A deal value (i.e., dollars) in the same period.”
Italy’s game market almost hit $2 billion last year, GamesIndustry.biz’s Christopher Dring reports. “€1.05 billion was made from video game software, with a further €428 million from hardware and accessories.”
Discord raised “$50M from existing investors,” The Esports Observer’s Thiemo Bräutigam writes. That boosted its valuation to “$1.65B.”
The Division is getting its own movie directed by David Leitch, Variety’s Justin Kroll reports. It will star “Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain.”
Aw. God of War director Cory Barlog uploaded a touching reaction video to his game’s success.
Partnership news:
The Esports Observer’s Trent Murray reports “Esports Arena Las Vegas has partnered with HyperX.”
Esports Insider’s Sam Cooke reports “Victrix has announced that the Victrix Pro AF ANC will be the official headset of Red Reserve, an esports and gaming entertainment brand.”
The Esports Observer’s Graham Ashton writes that Globe Telecom launched “its Globe Gaming initiative, to promote esports in the Philippines, and produce original content.” It will partner with Riot Games, Garena and Mineski.
Knicks Gaming and Turtle Beach partnered for the NBA 2K League, according to a press release.
Oculus changed its “privacy policy, code of conduct and terms of service ahead of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which goes into effect on May 25,” Gamasutra’s Emma Kidwell writes.
Ubisoft’s second round of its incubator program kicked off, GamesIndustry.biz’s Haydn Taylor reports. “The program’s focus this year is augmented reality and how blockchain technology can intersect with the entertainment industry.”
Loot boxes must be modified in the Netherlands before June 20, PC Gamer’s Andy Chalk writes. “A recent study of loot boxes in 10 videogames by the Netherlands Gaming Authority has concluded that four of them are in violation of the country’s gambling laws and must be changed.”
Another Hearthside Chat is out, this time about “Monster Hunt.”
FC Bayern Basketball started an NBA 2K League team called Bayern Ballers Gaming.
*Insert 4/20 joke here*