Your Gaming and Esports Update
Deals
Google Acquires Typhoon Studios
Google seems to be shopping for game studios as it courts consumer interest for its Stadia game-streaming platform, announcing Thursday that they had acquired Montreal-based Typhoon Studios. The young studio with 26 employees hasn’t released its first title yet, after being founded nearly three years ago, but their upcoming game “Journey to the Savage Planet” will be released in late January. The title is being developed for “multiple platforms,” so for those looking forward to the title, it seems it will not be a Stadia exclusive at the last second. Exclusive content is going to be a thing of the past as more consumers want to play on their preferred hardware while also being able to play with their friends.
ATU Partners launches $17m esports-focused growth fund
South Korean private equity firm ATU Partners has announced the launch of a $17-million growth fund that will invest in the esports space, becoming Asia’s first fund focused on the burgeoning industry. ATU esports Growth Fund, considered as the first in the region that is solely dedicated to investing in esports related companies, is backed by Kakao Games, The E&M, Woori Technology Investments, and SB Partners. The fund has already acquired Korean esports organization Kingzone Dragon X, which was rebranded to DRX, and invested in California-based talent agency AZYT, one of the top three agencies in the world.
Michael B. Jordan Invests In Andbox
Andbox, the ownership group behind New York Excelsior and New York Subliners, has received an undisclosed investment from Michael B. Jordan. Andbox doubled the amount of esports franchise properties it owned in October when the New York Subliners was announced for the Call of Duty League, having already competed in Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League since the inaugural season with New York Excelsior. Jordan spoke about the decision to invest in Andbox with Adweek: “[Andbox] cared about the New York culture, they wanted to make sure they got it right. I’m from Newark, New Jersey, but I grew up in Manhattan. With Andbox, I felt like they really cared about New Yorkers and being authentic to the city.
Immortals Partners With Gamestop, Ironclad for 2020 LCS
LCS franchise team Immortals are ready for an exciting start of the year as they announce new partnerships ahead of the 2020 League of Legends season. The Los Angeles-based team has partnered with GameStop and Ironclad Performance Wear to host their first official fan event in January. This kick-off opportunity is to celebrate their return to the NA league with special goods, exclusive content, and more.
Updates
Germany introduces dedicated visa for esports
Germany has introduced a dedicated visa that accommodates esports athletes from outside of the European Union. Though the visa has been approved by the German Federal Government and the States, it won’t be implemented until spring in 2020. Professional players will have to meet certain conditions to be eligible for the visa, this includes being at least 16 years of age, earning over a particular amount of money as a salary, and receiving a confirmation of professional activity. The German Esports Federation has announced that it will “set up a streamlined procedure for this procedure” in cooperation with “relevant stakeholders.”
Farming Simulator Joins IEM Katowice
GIANT Software’s Farming Simulator League is set to head to IEM Katowice in 2020. The event will take place from February 28th to March 1st, held in the International Conference Center of Katowice. Qualifier matches will take place on Friday 28th at the ICC, culminating on Sunday 1st where the top eight teams will compete for a total prize pool of €12,000 (£10,193). Teams will be competing for both their share of the prize pool and circuit points that work towards the Farming Simulator World Championship. Teams in attendance are yet to be revealed.
US Navy Focusing Advertising on Esports
Advertising has almost entirely moved to digital mediums to cater to younger target audiences. The U.S. Navy announced that they will not be rolling out a Super Bowl in lieu of spending the money on online advertising and esports. In 2020, Navy officials told USNI News, the service plans to spend nearly $33 million — 97 percent of its advertising budget — on online advertising. A little more than $1 million will be spent on billboards ads and spots on local radio stations. That leaves the Navy’s planned television buy at zero dollars.
Top Games of 2019 (Credit: Gamespot)
- Resident Evil 2 — “Calling Resident Evil 2 a remake feels inappropriate. While it certainly is exactly that, Capcom did more than recapture the spirit of its original; it set a precedent for the series’ reinvention and created a new standard for all video game remakes to follow. After 23 years, and nearly 20-some installments, the Resident Evil 2 remake is the most refined version of what the franchise and genre has always aspired to be..” — Kurt Indovina, Original Programming Host/Writer
- Apex Legends — “The developer of the highly-regarded Titanfall series took its strong gameplay foundation and put its own spin on the battle royale formula for Apex Legends. By streamlining many of the genre’s core mechanics, masterfully weaving in hero-shooter elements, and introducing systems that make it hard to go back to other battle royales (or shooters for that matter), the genre is the best it’s ever been with Apex Legends.” — Michael Higham, Editor
- A Plague Tale: Innocence— “A Plague Tale: Innocence weaves a beautiful story about resilience and victory in the face of unbelievable odds, not out of arrogance or the desire to best an enemy, but because it is the only choice Amicia and Hugo can make. The quiet moments of discussion with Lucas and your ragtag group of collected wards and allies are an important contrast to the frantic and terrifying world that lies beyond. Between violent guards, merciless rats, and an almost unrelenting darkness, it’s a game that should feel oppressive to play — but Hugo’s optimistic naivety and the love he shares with Amicia are so touching that there is always a light to be found in the darkness.” — Jess McDonell, Video Producer
- Outer Wilds — “The game is filled with such moments of bliss. Every planet and moon (and every corner of those planets and moons) holds fragments of Outer Wilds’ overall story, and the awe and realisation you feel as you connect what you thought were disparate strands of knowledge together is immensely rewarding. Outer Wilds rewards your every curious whim. What’s behind this waterfall? Why is this planet hollowed out? What’s that strange, solitary light in the distance? Following what intrigues you in Outer Wilds almost always leads to a surprising new insight.” — Alessandro Barbosa, Freelance Reviewer
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses — “There’s a reason Fire Emblem is only growing in popularity, even if the developers themselves aren’t sure why that is. It’s a series known for strong strategy-focused combat fought by casts of fantastic characters, with recent entries really upping the ante on forming relationships with your units. This year, Fire Emblem: Three Houses took it even further, supplanting the 3DS games’ romance with an emphasis on mentorship and camaraderie on and off the battlefield. It’s an incredibly involved and rewarding experience that draws you in from every angle.” — Kallie Plagge, Reviews Editor
- Control — “More than any other game this year (and many others), I lost myself to Control. Its expertly crafted world is incredibly deep, vast, and intriguing, stretching out from the Oldest House like the gnarled roots of an ancient tree. Every time I booted up the game, I discovered something new, from Control’s links to Remedy’s past works that create an intricate universe of stories, to little tidbits that gave new insights on easy-to-miss story beats. Control is amazingly dense and lovingly constructed by a team that knew exactly what it wanted to make. It’s a game that is truly more than the sum of its parts, and you absolutely should wander its shifting, perilous corridors to see what you can discover..” — Phil Hornshaw, Editor
- Disco Elysium — “Disco Elysium is a mad, sprawling detective story where the real case you’ve got to crack isn’t who killed the man strung up on a tree in the middle of town — though that in itself, replete with dozens of unexpected yet intertwined mysteries and wild excursions into the ridiculous, is engrossing enough to sustain the game. Rather, it’s an investigation of ideas, of the way we think, of power and privilege, and of how all of us are shaped, with varying degrees of autonomy, by the society we find ourselves in.” — Kallie Plagge, Reviews Editor
- Outer Worlds — “The Outer Worlds doesn’t challenge conventions as much as some of our other nominees this year, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of 2019’s most exceptionally-made games in its own right. The form is recognizable, but the execution is masterful. The game feels focussed — not a single line of dialogue is wasted, despite there being a lot of it; the world feels large and full of things to discover, despite being relatively modest; the combat mechanics are clever, impactful, and allow for creativity, despite seeming straightforward. Your journey through The Outer Worlds will be full of highlights and surprises.” — Edmond Tran, Senior Content Producer
- Death Stranding — “Death Stranding is the anti-open-world game of the 2010s. Instead of hinging on combat encounters and large-scale thrills in an expansive world, Hideo Kojima’s experimental game focuses more on the struggles of a lone character exploring a massive landscape on his own two feet and with the weight of the world on his shoulders. It takes a step back to observe the foreboding sense of isolation when in the wild, which can give rise to a surreal sense of calm when embracing your routine amid a paranormal, post-apocalyptic setting. Death Stranding wasn’t the kind of open-world game we were expecting, but in truth, it was the one we needed this year.” — Alessandro Fillari, Editor
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice — “The fear of failure is incredibly powerful. It has the ability to cloud the mind, jumble the senses, and unsettle the hands. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice understands this fear and leverages it to orchestrate challenges that feel impossible to surmount. It’s an unsparing game that relishes the opportunity to undermine your abilities and tear you down. But, crucially, it does this so you can pick up the pieces and learn to be stronger. Its methods are harsh, but the lessons are profound.” — Tamoor Hussain, Senior Editor
Twitter: @taylor_konvoy
Konvoy Ventures Twitter: @KonvoyVentures
