While Microsoft is staking the future of Xbox on cloud gaming, Nintendo has long depended on iconic properties like Mario and Pokémon to drive sales of its video game consoles. In fact, the Japanese company has been infamous for filing lawsuits to protect its intellectual property for about as long as video games have been around. In one notable example from the 1980s, Nintendo sued Blockbuster for copyright infringement after the video rental chain added games to its lineup Continue reading
Just like movie studios, video game makers need actors and animators to bring their creations to life. While voice actors perform sound effects and dialogue, motion capture actors wear special suits with markers to record movements like walking, running, climbing, and fighting. Animators then link those sounds and images together to create an immersive and engaging environment for the player.
But all that’s starting to change with AI, which can use actors’ previous performances as digital reference points to generate Continue reading
With its iconic cartoon characters, movies, theme parks, and more, Disney has practically held a monopoly over children’s attention for nearly a century. But that’s starting to change as kids spend more time on streaming services, which now account for two-thirds of TV watch time for children ages 2 to 11. And instead of watching Disney+, which offers full-length movies and TV shows, these days most children prefer short-form videos on platforms like YouTube. For example, the “Kids Diana Show” Continue reading
This week, the esports talent agency GameSquare announced that it hired Tyler “Ninja” Blevins as its Chief Innovation Officer. A famous Fortnite streamer with more than 17 million followers on the platform Twitch, the company said Ninja will “curate disruptive strategies, pursue new business opportunities, and explore next-gen technologies to accelerate the [e-sports] industry’s growth within pop culture.” This will also give Ninja another source of revenue besides streaming, which he claims to earn $500,000 a month from while keeping Continue reading
As the pandemic forced Americans to stay at home a year ago, many people turned to indoor activities like baking, watching TV, and playing video games to pass the time. Sales of products like baking accessories and new televisions increased as a result, but video games skyrocketed in popularity to a degree never seen before. In 2020 Americans spent a record $56.9 billion on gaming, a 27 percent increase from the year before.
Sony reported a 62 percent jump Continue reading
For many Americans who have been working from home for six months, each day can seem like the same procession of Zoom meetings and email exchanges. As a result, some professionals have had trouble scheduling meetings with new clients who don’t want to add another video chat to their already packed calendars. For example, a Brooklyn-based ad executive named Lewis Smithingham tried for weeks to set up a meeting with an investment analyst only to receive a string of postponements Continue reading