Your Gaming and Esports Update
Deals
Atari Acquires Wonder
Atari has acquired an exclusive technology license for all assets of mobile tech start-up Wonder, for an undisclosed sum. With this license, tech, and assets, Atari plans to integrate the capabilities of the company’s Android-based platform, WonderOS, with its upcoming Atari VCS hardware. Though the announcement was light on details, some degree of cross-platform functionality between the Atari VCS and mobile devices appears to be in the cards. Currently, the Atari VCS is slated for a March 2020 launch and was in the final stages of pre-production as of November last year. The console is planned to release with full 4K, 60fps, HDR content, a built-in web browser, and the “Atari Vault,” containing over 100 classic Atari titles.
Juked.gg Raises $800k
Juked.gg, an online esports start-up which aggregates esports streaming feeds for all tournaments announced that it raised an $800K USD pre-seed round to accelerate the development of its online viewing platform. Founded by Ben Goldhaber and Chris Chan in September of 2019, the release states that the investment will enable Juked to expand its product offering to new features such as scores and stats, as well as begin monetizing “As an early-stage startup, we’ve relied on our investors to get Juked off the ground and so we feel incredibly lucky to have so many experienced entrepreneurs and investors who see as much promise in Juked as we do,” Goldhaber told The Esports Observer. Investors include 500 Startups, Mike and Amy Morhaime, CP Ventures, Noveus Capital and more.
New Wave Esports Completes Acquisition of Even Matchup Gaming
New Wave Esports announced it has completed the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Even Matchup Gaming Inc. not previously held by New Wave Esports. New Wave Esports previously held an 18% stake in EMG. EMG is an esports and competitive gaming event organizer, broadcaster, and player management company that produces onsite and online tournaments. They are focused on producing events within the fighting game community (FGC), such as Super Smash Bros., Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and more. The acquisition is an aggregate of $1,230,000, which will be paid in a combination of $550,000 cash and 7,555,555 common shares of New Wave Esports at a share price of $0.09.
Overtime Buys Fortnite Team, Evade
Overtime, who has raised $35.3M over three debt financing rounds and four traditional rounds, is buying Fortnite esports team Evade for an undisclosed fee in a bid to grow the company’s fan base for gaming content while also earning revenue. The acquisition is the latest in a series of moves by the network to expand its reach into gaming. The digital sports network launched Team Overtime, its in-house esports team, for Fortnite in 2018. In December, Overtime also announced the formation of Overtime2K, now known as OvertimeTW, made up of a group of five creators — or streamers — that broadcast themselves playing NBA 2K to introduce more content to basketball fans around the franchise.
Bit Fry Game Studio Secures $3.5M Investment
Bit Fry Game Studios has raised $3.5 million to make arcade-action sports mobile and console games such as its Ultimate Rivals: The Rink. The Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based Bit Fry raised the money from 1Up Ventures, founded by Xbox co-creator Ed Fries; and Bitkraft Esports Ventures, a venture capital fund focused on esports. The capital supports the continued growth of Bit Fry’s arcade-action sports gaming franchise, Ultimate Rivals, which had its premiere launch on Apple Arcade during The Game Awards in December.
Azerion Acquires Spil games
Tech company Azerion has fully acquired Hilversum-based publisher Spil Games. Last year, Azerion purchased the mobile division of Spil Games and a 5 percent share in its portal business. The final purchase brings the Dutch company fully into Azerion’s business. On average, 60 million people use Spil Games’ online games portals — these include agame.com, gamesgames.com, and mousebreaker.com. Azerion’s company Game Distribution — which gives publishers content and revenue opportunities — will add over 15,000 Spil Games to its library. The company’s games will also find their way to Spil Games’ portals.
Updates
Sony Patents Voice-Based Assistant That Sells Microtransactions
Sony has a new patent, likely for its upcoming PlayStation 5 console, describing a voice assistant that jumps into offer hints and arrange microtransactions during games. The patent suggests an AI that will use player data and natural language processing to work out the best advice to give or items to purchase. Microtransactions are becoming a larger part of gaming, and whether gamers like them or not, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Free-to-play, combined with digital downloads and subscriptions like PlayStation Now and Xbox GamePass, has revolutionized gaming as the barrier has been drastically diminished to get gamers to at least try new games. We expect to continue to see more patents like these as game companies look to now dimish the barrier to make micro-purchases.
LA Opening The Largest Public Esports Arena On West Coast
Just in time for summer, the largest public esports arena on the West Coast is being built in Los Angeles. Nerd Street Gamers, the national esports infrastructure company dedicated to powering competitive opportunities for gamers, will build the arena in Hawthorne that will be called Localhost Los Angeles. The arena will “allow professional and amateur esports athletes alike or individuals who just want to play video games with friends the opportunity to play on the same cutting-edge gaming equipment used by professional gamers.”
1,000 DreamsFund Announces BroadcastHER Academy
Today the 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF), a national nonprofit that provides micro-grants that support the dreams of talented young women, announces the expansion of the BroadcastHER Academy (powered by Allied Esports & HyperX) into the first-ever esports and gaming fellowship program for high potential women interested in pursuing careers in the industry — whether in-front or behind the camera. Partners include premier esports entertainment company Allied Esports and HyperX Gaming.
Inter Milan Partners With QLASH
Italian football club Inter Milan has entered esports through a partnership with Italian esports organization QLASH. Inter QLASH will compete in FIFA and eFootball PES with Diego Campagnani and Luigi Loffredo being the first signings for the team. Alessandro Antonello, CEO of Inter Milan, discussed the venture in a release: “The move into the world of eSports is an important step in Inter’s brand development. The creation of an eSports team is indicative of the constant work our club does to maintain a competitive presence across the board, with a particular focus on the interests of new generations.
ESL Officially Moves Away From Sydney, Announces IEM Melbourne
ESL Gaming announced that Intel Extreme Masters action is returning to Australia with its first-ever event set for Aug. 22–23 in Melbourne at the iconic 15,000-seat Rod Laver Arena, home to the Australian Open. ESL made the announcement on social media Monday, noting that IEM Melbourne 2020 boasts a $250,000 prize purse and is part of Australia’s biggest esports festival, the Melbourne Esports Open (MEO), which will be staged at Melbourne & Olympics Parks over the same weekend.
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