In The News
SuperData’s report for May is out. Digital spending worldwide fell on every platform, with consumers spending “$8.7 billion digitally on games across console, PC and mobile in May, down 4% from the same month last year.”
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite pulled in $300,000 in the United States and United Kingdom in its first 24 hours, Sensor Tower reports. “It took about 15 hours for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite to reach No. 1 for free app downloads on the U.S. App Store.”
Bungie helped raise $400,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospitals during a 4-hour stream GuardianCon stream on Twitch. “It has earned over $2.5 million for St. Jude’s so far, getting close to its $3 million goal,” VentureBeat’s Mike Minotti reports.
Dr. Lupo also participated and raised a whopping $920,000 for the charity stream, Forbes’ Paul Tassi writes.
Sony patented a new way to reduce loading screen time in games, IGN’s Matt Purslow reports. “The patent, titled ‘System and method for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play’, describes a technology that loads in data in advance in order to prevent load screens.”
Microsoft laid off “a number of employees working at on the company’s original content creation side,” Game Informer’s Suriel Vazquez writes. “Now-former Microsoft producer Kate Yeager tweeted a video indicating a portion of Mixer’s content staff had been laid off.”
NBA 2K19 players aren’t happy with an increase in unskippable ads, Eurogamer’s Vikki Blake reports. “The sudden flood of irate messages across Reddit and social media (thanks, Nintendo Life) concerning 2K19 intimates either a bug or an upswing in the number of advertisements playing.”
GAME would politely like if its shareholders would accept the Sports Direct buyout, GI.biz’s Christopher Dring writes. “GAME has responded to the mandatory cash offer and says it recommends its shareholders accept the offer, based on independent advice.”
Interviews: Double Fine’s Tim Schafer (Game Informer), Square Enix’s Yosuke Matsuda (Game Informer).
Extra Esports News:
What’s the future look like for Rocket League esports? TheDW attended the RLCS World Championship over the weekend and spoke with players, owners and more about Epic Games’ acquisition of Psyonix and their outlook going forward.
Here’s a snippet: “He would like to see ‘a global franchised league’ at some point, but believes taking the best aspects of the most successful esports leagues is the best approach. ‘I think it needs to have…’”
Hearthstone viewership saw a boost on Twitch after Blizzard revamped the competition schedule and format. “The result so far has been a bump in viewership for Hearthstone esports on the game’s official channel since the new season began in May. Not only has viewership for Hearthstone esports been up overall, but the season’s first Masters Tour event in Las Vegas this past week produced the strongest hours watched total of any event outside of a World Championship this year or last year,” TEO’s Max Miceli reports.
ESL One Birmingham is now the most-watched ESL Dota 2 event ever, Esports Insider’s Thomas Lace writes. It “surpassed the highest viewership for an ESL One Dota 2 event thus far and saw a rise a very significant rise with over 7.6 million hours being consumed.”
Partnerships:
Evil Geniuses and FVBET are partnering, Esports Insider’s Adam Fitch reports. “The two-year deal marks Evil Geniuses’ commitment to engage and expand its audience in Asia.”
Huya and Team Liquid are partnering, CNBC’s Annie Pei reports. “The one-year partnership will have Team Liquid players streaming on nineteen different player channels on Huya featuring popular games like Apex Legends and Riot Games’ League of Legends.”
Renegades and GAMETIME are planning to open a “Auburn Hills, based gaming centre. The centre will serve as the official home for their partner organisation, Renegades (or Detroit Renegades), who has been based in the city since their acquisition by NBA-player Jonas Jerebko in 2016,” Lace writes.
Interviews: Esports Hospitality Concepts’ Seth Schorr (TEO).