Chinese Gaming Industry News
- September 2022: Tencent Holdings and NetEase, two of China's largest video game companies, got approval to launch new paid games for the first time since July last year, indicating Beijing's relaxation of a two-year crackdown on the tech sector. Seventy-three online games, including 69 mobile games, were given publishing licenses by the National Press and Publication Administration. Licenses were also granted to CMGE Technology Group., Leiting, XD Inc, and Zhong Qing Bao.
- August 2022: NetEase Inc., a Chinese internet and online gaming services company, announced the acquisition of Quantic Dream SA, an independent video game developer, by its games division, NetEase Games. Quantic Dream will remain separate, focused on producing and releasing video games across all platforms and supporting and publishing third-party created products while using NetEase's enormous game development skills.
Related Media and Entertainment Industry News
- September 2024: Gopuff unveiled a suite of innovative advertising features aimed at enhancing brand engagement with consumers both on its platform and beyond. These features include the introduction of Brand Shops, a collaboration with AdAdapted that lets online shoppers seamlessly add products to their Gopuff cart, and enriched analytics for sampling initiatives. Brands, harnessing new in-app, in-bag, and off-platform advertising tools, can connect more effectively with Gen Z and Millennial customers on Gopuff.
- March 2024: Lyft Media has rolled out in-app video ads, bolstering its advertising solutions. The company has also forged new partnerships with Oracle for enhanced targeting and with Nielsen for third-party brand measurement. As riders make their journeys, brands can now leverage the impactful reach of in-app video ads, available on both iOS and Android devices across the country. This initiative underscores Lyft's commitment to creating a comprehensive marketing solution that delivers tangible results for brands.
- October 2024: Technicolor, a historic company in moviemaking technology, is currently in discussions with media and investment groups regarding a potential sale. The company operates divisions that provide visual effects, animation, and graphics for films, TV, gaming, and advertising, employing approximately 6,000 people worldwide. Given Technicolor's substantial presence in the industry, this potential sale could significantly impact the animation outsourcing landscape.
- August 2024: TuSimple has entered into a strategic partnership with Shanghai Three Body Animation to produce the first animated feature film and video game based on the Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, “The Three-Body Problem.” Utilizing its core competencies, TuSimple's newly established business unit will concentrate on generative AI applications for animation and gaming.
- September 2024: M6+ announced strategic partnership with Pluto TV. A total of 12 Pluto TV channels will be launched across the M6 ecosystem with nearly 3,000 hours of content from the platform’s franchises.
- September 2024: OKAST has announced its selection of the Publica by IAS advanced CTV ad server as a key component of European Consortium, ASAP4EU. The partnership allows OKAST to enhance its advertisers’ targeting capabilities, enrich its streaming content viewing experience in FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) and AVOD (Advertising Video on Demand) distributions with a traditional TV-like viewing experience.
- August 2024: In China, the General Administration of Sport (GAS) sits directly under the Central Government and is the government agency responsible for sport policy. The GAS is part of a centralized, top-down hierarchy that includes the Chinese Olympic Committee and the All-China Sports Federation. The GAS is guided by the 14th Five-Year Plan for Sport Development (2021-2025), which seeks to build China into a global sports power. In 2023, the government announced to spend USD 3.2 billion on sport.
- June 2024: Vortex Optics launched three new binocular products which include Crossfire HD, Defender-XL, and Razor UHD. Vortex Optics goes all-in with new sport and observation optics for this Summer. A new micro red dot sight for handguns, two new entries in an already well established and appreciated line of binoculars and a whole new series of spotting scopes in three magnifications and with straight or angled eyepiece versions are already available for purchase on the US market and in many other countries including China.
- September 2024: Winamp, under the umbrella of Llama Group SA, has launched its innovative 'Winamp for Creator' platform, poised to revolutionize the music industry. This platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools, empowering artists and labels to boost their revenue and amplify their influence. Spanning from digital distribution to cutting-edge features like NFT creation and sophisticated copyright management, it consolidates all vital services in one place.
- August 2024: Turntable Labs Inc., the force behind the emerging social music platform Hangout, has secured a seed funding of USD 8.2 million, just ahead of Hangout's public debut. Set to launch later in 2024, Hangout offers music enthusiasts, colleagues, and various communities a playful virtual space to gather, DJ collaboratively, and engage with one another.
- October 2024: Amazon Ads announced AI creative studio and Audio generator—two new generative AI tools designed to lower creative barriers and expand opportunities for advertisers, and create a more dynamic and engaging experience for customers. AI creative studio brings Amazon Ads AI-powered image and video and in the future, audio generation capabilities together within a single experience so that advertisers can conceptualize, create, and refresh content easily, regardless of format.
- August 2024: LinkedIn launched in-feed video carousels. LinkedIn's new video carousels provide users with an expansive, side-scrolling display of video clips. The videos shown are algorithmically matched to user, based on their in-app activity and noted profile details, and tapping into any of the displayed clips then takes user through to LinkedIn’s TikTok-like full-screen video feed, presented in vertical format.
- October 2024: The Pickford Film Center in Bellingham has launched a DVD rental service featuring a collection of 22,000 titles, reviving the legacy of the closed Film Is Truth rental shop. This initiative aims to provide access to indie and classic films that are often hard to find on streaming platforms. Rentals will be processed online, with an online database currently in development
- June 2024: Vidiots has been reopened lately with almost-11,000 square feet of entertainment, social, and educational space. It is now open seven-days-a-week, offering a full calendar of screenings and special programs, the full video store with DVD and BluRay rentals.
- June 2024: Prague-based PFX Group, a visual effects and post-production powerhouse, has acquired the VFX department of Cine Chromatix, a Berlin-based firm specializing in comprehensive image and sound post-production services. This acquisition is expected to enhance cross-border collaborations and drive demand for advanced VFX services in the European market.
- June 2024: UK Screen Alliance serves as the trade association for the UK's Visual Effects (VFX), TV & Film Studios, Post Production, and Animation sectors. Representing over 190 leading employers, its core mission is to advocate for its members and the broader screen industry. This advocacy is crucial in fostering growth and ensuring the competitiveness of the European animation, VFX, and post-production market.
- May 2024: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has welcomed the latest office of Platige Image, joining a growing list of over a dozen companies capitalizing on the local film production incentives and support systems, which play a pivotal role in luring international VFX vendors and productions. These incentives are expected to attract more investments and projects, thereby boosting the demand for animation and post-production services in Europe.
- February 2024: GCP finalized its partnership investment with the esteemed visual effects firm, Electric Theatre Collective (ETC). ETC stands as a global leader in Visual Effects (VFX) and animation, offering top-tier post-production services. Their creative and technical prowess has garnered the trust of major clients, including industry giants like Apple and Coca-Cola. This partnership is expected to drive demand in the Europe Animation, VFX, and Post-Production Market by fostering innovation and enhancing service offerings, which will attract more global brands to the region.
- September 2024: SSUS, or the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, is poised to launch its Internet radio broadcast soon. The university intends to use this platform to spark student interest in its academic and research initiatives. Moreover, the Internet radio will host expert-led discussions on career guidance and lectures covering a wide array of subjects.
- September 2024: Global Today unveiled 12 new radio stations, enhancing offerings from some of the UK's top commercial radio brands. With this expansion, Global reinforces its position as a market leader, providing listeners with an even broader selection. These newly launched stations can be accessed via Global Player the official app for all of Global's radio content as well as on smart speakers, online platforms, and DAB Digital Radio.
- August 2024: In collaboration with researchers at King's Business School, Bayes Business School (City, University of London), and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Digital Turbine announced the release of "The Ultimate Guide to Interactive Mobile Video Ads," highlighting the significant impact of interactive elements in mobile video ads on increasing brand choice and consumer engagement.
- March 2024: Meta announced that they are making upgrades to the artificial intelligence in its ads platform with new mobile tools to put video into shopping ads and bring more automation to retail media partners, which place ads for brands on Facebook and Instagram.