Your Gaming and Esports Update
Deals
Apple Renews IP Licensing Agreement with Imagination Technologies
After splitting with Imagination Technologies in 2017, Apple will once again license Imagination’s IP. In a short statement posted on its website, Imagination said that it had entered into a multiyear license agreement with Apple, under which the Cupertino, California-based firm will have access to “a wider range of Imagination’s intellectual property in exchange for license fees. The two companies’ relationship came to question back in 2017 when Apple had reportedly communicated to Imagination that they would wind down the use of Imagination’s IP through a new custom GPU that would replace Imagination’s designs and IP entirely. The announcement eventually lead to a collapse of Imagination’s stock price and resulting in the company putting itself for sale, and subsequently being bought by Canyon Bridge for £550M (~$725M)later that year. Over the last few years Apple has been increasingly trying to reduce its reliance on other chip designers and manufacturers:
Apple’s attitude toward its graphics processors is part of a broader effort to reduce its reliance on other chip designers and manufacturers. In 2018, the company acquired part of chipmaker Dialog for $300 million in a deal that saw it license some of Dialog’s power management technology and acquire 300 engineers. The following year, it acquired Intel’s smartphone modem business, putting it on track to produce its modem’s in house. At one point, it reportedly even considered a similar acquisition of Imagination, according to the Financial Times, but it’s thought to have decided against a full takeover. (Source: The Verge)
VentureBeat also notes a really interesting tidbit in regards to this deal: “Under the new agreement, Apple will gain “wider range” access to Imagination’s IP going forward, and since the British company’s most significant new IP focuses on a realistic graphics technology called ray tracing, it’s highly likely that Apple plans to add ray-tracing capabilities to its chips in the foreseeable future.”
Magic Gaming enters multi-year partnership with Bud Light
Orlando-based Magic Gaming — one of 23 teams competing in the NBA 2K professional esports league — and Bud Light announced a new, multi-year partnership via live stream hosted on Bud Light’s own Twitch channel. The partnership will focus on both the fans and NBA 2K players, and Bud Light will become the presenting partner of the Bud Light 2K Tournament series. “Magic Gaming is thrilled to have a recognizable and creative brand like Bud Light join our partnership family,” said Ryan DeVos, director of Magic Gaming. “We are incredibly excited for what this partnership will bring our fans and the 2K world with some unique opportunities and insights.”
Newbee announces partnership with Newzoo
Newbee, the Chinese esports organization, has entered a partnership with games and esports analytics provider Newzoo. Commenting on the partnership CEO of Newbee, Xin Tong, said: “Newzoo has a very high level of accomplishment in esports market research and data analysis. The partnership can help Newbee to get more data analytic supports in the future. As one of the top professional esports clubs in the world, Newbee will also utilize its experiences and insights to help Newzoo get more achievements in esports market and data research.” This is just the latest in a string of partnerships Newzoo entered into in 2019, including with Astralis Group, DetonatioN Gaming, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Team Liquid. Newbee also has commercial partnerships in place with Bank of Shanghai, Intel, Li-Ning, NVIDIA, RAYBET, Secretlab, and Sennheiser.
G2 Esports Expands Partnership with AORUS for 2020
The Berlin-based gaming organization G2 is going to be expanding its existing strategic partnership with GIGABYTE’s own gaming brand AORUS. Specifically, this expansion relates to a new product released by AORUS last November — the Z390 Master. The Z390 Master is a motherboard, and only one of several types of PC hardware specifically aimed at gamers that AORUS manufacturers. This motherboard will be co-branded: In other words, it’ll have both the typical AORUS branding and the G2 brands as well.
Royal Never Give Up Partners with Kappa
Chinese organization Royal Never Give Up (RNG) has announced a Dota 2-specific partnership with sportswear brand Kappa. Kappa has become the title sponsor of the organization’s Dota 2 team, meaning it will now be named ‘Kappa.RNG DOTA2.’ According to an announcement, the partnership started on January 1st with Kappa providing custom team jerseys for the organization’s Dota 2 roster. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed at the time of writing. Kappa also has partnerships with FaZe Clan and Vexed Gaming.
Updates
MonteCristo Announces OWL Departure
In a twelve-tweet thread, Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles announced that he would not be returning to the OWL as a caster for this upcoming season. In the posts, he cites that the “departure of Nate Nanzer from OWL led to irreconcilable creative and philosophical differences between myself and the league’s current leadership”. The Overwatch League went through several changes during the second season, which included leaving the Overwatch Arena in Burbank, California and taking the weekly games on the road. A hefty scheduling change that affected pretty much every broadcaster who was based in the Los Angeles area. It will be interesting to see where Mykles ends up and how this will change the OWL team this coming season.
SUNY Canton To Launch Degree Program Focused on Esports
SUNY Canton is launching an innovative new degree program intended to prepare students for an esports career. SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran announced the college has received final approval to offer a bachelor of business administration in esports management beginning next fall. The degree is one of only a few of its kind in the nation, and it is the first in the SUNY system. “Esports is unquestionably one of the fastest-growing entertainment industries in the world, and it is expected to generate close to $1.8 billion in revenue by 2022,” said Szafran. “Its popularity offers unlimited job potential for graduates who understand the technology, culture, and business of the game.” The degree, which can be earned on-campus or online, will combine components of the college’s popular Game Design and Development program with fundamental skills from the School of Business and Liberal Arts’ management programs.
Biggest Game Releases in January 2020 (Credit: Gamespot)
- Monster Hunter World: Iceborn — January 9 (PC): Following its release on PS4 and Xbox One back in September, Monster Hunter World’s big Iceborne expansion finally arrives on PC on January 9. This expansion takes players to an arctic region known as Hoarfrost Reach, which is home to a diverse array of new and returning monsters to hunt, not to mention a wealth of new gear to craft and quests to take on. The PC version of Iceborne also boasts high-resolution texture pack support, 4K and an uncapped framerate, support for ultra-wide screens, improved mouse and keyboard controls, and more.
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot — January 17 (PS4, Xbox One, PC): Bandai Namco’s new Dragon Ball action-RPG, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, arrives on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on January 17. The title is a retelling of the entire Dragon Ball Z series, encompassing all of the major story arcs and even some of the anime’s filler material, such as the famous driving test episode. And despite the title, Goku won’t be the only playable character; you’ll also take control of Gohan, Vegeta, future Trunks, and the fused warrior Vegito throughout the course of the adventure. The game even introduces a brand-new character named Bonyu, who was designed by series creator Akira Toriyama.
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore —January 17 (Switch): Launching alongside Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is Tokyo Mirage Sessions Encore, an enhanced Switch port of the 2015 Wii U RPG. A crossover between the Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei series, Tokyo Mirage Sessions follows a group of teens who must command Mirages — reimagined Fire Emblem heroes — in order to stop otherworldly invaders from draining Tokyo of a creative energy called Performa. The Switch edition includes the base game and all of the downloadable content released for the Wii U version, along with some new content in the form of additional story elements, characters, and songs.
- Warcraft III: Reforged—January 28 (PC): Capping off the month is Warcraft III: Reforged, which launches on PC on January 28. A complete remaster of Blizzard’s beloved real-time strategy game, Warcraft III, and its Frozen Throne expansion, Reforged features completely overhauled visuals and a host of other changes, such as improved social and matchmaking features, “rebalanced” online play, and more. The standard edition of the game retails for $30, while the Spoils of War edition runs for $40 and includes a variety of in-game bonuses for Reforged and other Blizzard titles.
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