Business / Tech Feb 4, 2022
Activision Blizzard earnings miss estimates after Microsoft deal
by Cecilia D'Anastasio
Adjusted revenue fell 18% to $2.49 billion in the fourth quarter, Activision Blizzard said in a statement Thursday.
Business | ANALYSIS Jan 26, 2022
Microsoft’s Activision purchase could leave Japanese video game-makers out in the cold
by Kazuaki Nagata
Japanese gaming firms, which are generally less agile and outward-looking than their U.S. peers, may struggle as companies invest in the metaverse.
Business | ANALYSIS Jan 21, 2022
Microsoft faces challenge cleaning up Activision Blizzard’s culture
by Sheila Dang, Julia Love and Dawn Chmielewski
After the acquisition closes, Microsoft will look take a more active role by hiring advisers, bringing in law firms or mandating sensitivity training.
Business Jan 19, 2022
Microsoft will buy Activision Blizzard, betting $70 billion on the future of games
by Karen Weise, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Kellen Browning and Michael J. De La Merced
Microsoft has framed the deal as strengthening the company’s hand in the so-called metaverse, claiming that "gaming will be at the forefront of making that mainstream.”
Business / Tech Dec 4, 2021
PlayStation plans new service to take on Xbox Game Pass
by Jason Schreier
The service, code-named Spartacus, will allow PlayStation owners to pay a monthly fee for access to a catalog of modern and classic games.
Business / Tech Oct 15, 2021
Microsoft to shut LinkedIn China, citing ‘challenging’ climate
The company will close the current version later this year, but will launch a standalone jobs app in its place.
Digital Oct 1, 2021
Xbox Cloud Gaming launches in Japan as Microsoft continues to woo Japanese gamers
by Jason Coskrey
Microsoft used its platform at the Tokyo Game Show to talk about cloud gaming and double-down on its efforts to make inroads in the Japanese market.
Business Aug 22, 2021
Tech giants that host a growing mass of bank, insurance and market operations on their vast cloud internet platforms are keeping watchdogs awake at night.
Business / Corporate Jul 29, 2021
Tech giants’ record quarter gives way to growth skepticism
by Mark Bergen and Ian King
Three of the world’s largest companies — Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. — reported about $57 billion in combined profit in a record-busting quarter, riding a resurgence in consumer and business spending. Yet markets responded coolly. In part, investors were skeptical that these ...
Asia Pacific Jul 24, 2021
Biden team has no immediate plan to sanction China over hacks
Some in the U.S. administration cite concern that sanctions wouldn’t be as effective as other approaches in deterring future cyberattacks by China.
Business Jul 15, 2021
Nintendo’s higher-priced Switch tests demand for bigger OLED screen
by Takashi Mochizuki
In an industry where consoles typically get mid-life price cuts, the Switch is moving into a higher tier — largely on the strength of a larger and better display and some added storage.
Asia Pacific Jun 5, 2021
Microsoft says error led to no matching Bing images for Tiananmen 'tank man'
Microsoft said the issue was "due to an accidental human error and we are actively working to resolve this."