A new challenger has emerged in the gaming hardware category. Game distribution giant Valve today announced the launch of Steam Deck, a $399 gaming portable designed to take PC games on the go. The handheld (which has echoes of several portable gaming rigs of years past) features a seven-inch screen …
Read More »This limited-edition Super Mario smartwatch will run you $2,150 – TechCrunch
Those who’ve followed Nintendo with any sort of frequency over the years know the gaming giant has a tendency to be extremely protective with its IP. Ultimately, it’s probably for the best that the market wasn’t flooded with cheap Mario knickknacks the way it easily could have been. In recent …
Read More »Cadoo gets $1.5M to gamify fitness with betting challenges – TechCrunch
Cadoo, a US-startup that’s gamifying fitness by turning it into a betting opportunity, using the prospect of winning (or losing) cold hard cash to motivate people to get off the couch, has collected $1.5 million in seed funds from Sam & Max Altman’s Apollo VC and the student-focused Dorm Room …
Read More »Nigeria leads mobile app market growth in Africa as use of gaming apps surge 44% from Q1 2020 – TechCrunch
The pandemic’s effect on the global app market has not been hard to miss. In the first quarter and first half of this year, consumer spending in mobile apps hit new records at $32 billion and $64.9 billion, respectively. In Africa, it can be tough to call out exact numbers …
Read More »Can advertising scale in VR? – TechCrunch
Michael Boland Contributor More posts by this contributor Your in-car attention is media’s next battleground Mobile and enterprise are the keys to VR/AR scale One of VR’s prospective revenue streams is ad placement. The thought is that its levels of immersion can engender high engagement with various flavors of display …
Read More »Nintendo’s OLED Switch arrives October 8, priced at $350 – TechCrunch
So much for the big E3 reveal. Weeks after the big gaming show, Nintendo has finally taken the wraps off the latest iteration of its wildly popular hybrid gaming console. The Nintendo Switch (OLED model) [parentheses theirs] will arrive on October 8, priced at $350. That is, the company’s quick …
Read More »Roblox partners with Sony Music to connect artists with money-making activities in the metaverse – TechCrunch
Video game platform Roblox announced this morning it has partnered with Sony Music Entertainment on a deal that will allow the two companies to work together to create music experiences for the Roblox community, including opportunities that would give Sony Music artists a way to reach new audiences and generate …
Read More »Singularity 6 raises $30M to fund upcoming fantasy ‘community simulation’ MMO – TechCrunch
LA-based game studio Singularity 6 has banked more funding as it scales itself up and readies for the launch of its debut title. The startup tells TechCrunch they’ve raised $30 million in a Series B bout of funding led by FunPlus Ventures with additional participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), LVP, …
Read More »Swedish gaming giant acquires India’s PlaySimple for $360 million – TechCrunch
Swedish gaming giant Modern Times Group (MTG) has acquired Indian startup PlaySimple for at least $360 million, the two firms said Friday. MTG said it will pay 77% of the acquisition sum to Indian game developer and publisher in cash and the rest in company shares. There’s also another $150 …
Read More »Dream Games raises $155M at a $1B valuation as its Royal Match puzzle game hits a royal flush – TechCrunch
Istanbul in Turkey continues to prove itself as very fertile ground for casual gaming startups, which appear to be growing from small seedlings into sizable trees. In the latest development, Dream Games — a developer of mobile puzzle games — has raised $155 million in funding, a Series B that …
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