Forbes reports: “As the esports industry rises in value, hip hop artists and entrepreneurs are seeing the big investment opportunities the sector provides. Esports is believed to be the next wave of competitive entertainment and everyone is taking notice, since its expected to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2019.”
VentureBeat reports: “If you’re planning to buy an Oculus Quest, and wondering whether there will be sufficient content to keep you entertained on its May 21 launch day, good news: YouTube VR will be available as a Quest launch app, which means that over a million public VR videos and experiences will be available through Google’s service alone.”
Variety reports: “Movie technology company Motion is launching Thursday in Cannes that seeks to connect movie producers and sales agents directly with their audience through a cutting-edge digital distribution model.”
gamesindustry.biz reports: “Steam users are now able to link their library to their iOS devices through the Steam Link app. The software has already been available for Android for over a year, but Apple rejected the app’s release on its own platform back in May 2018 and denied Valve’s follow-up appeal.”
Variety reports: “Facebook will ban users who have violated certain rules from live streaming after just one offense, the company announced this week. The new one-strike policy includes posting content in support of hate groups and terrorist organizations.”
TechCrunch reports: “Tencent, Asia’s largest tech firm, had a horrific 2018 on account of a country-wide freeze on new game monetization in China, but there’s evidence it has turned the corner.”
Variety reports: “Bay Area-based virtual reality (VR) startup Nomadic will open a new outpost in Las Vegas later this year: Nomadic’s second VR center will be part of Area 15, a new entertainment complex that will also house Meow Wolf’s second location outside of Santa Fe, N.M.”
Hollywood Reporter reports: “British exhibition giant Cineworld Group, which last year completed its $3.6 billion acquisition of Regal Entertainment Group, said Wednesday that 2019 got off to a slow start amid tough comparisons with a strong year-ago box office, with its revenue down 9.4 percent for the first four months.”
Forbes reports: “Just hours before Wednesday’s upfronts for WarnerMedia, the billionaire-backed pro wrestling upstart AEW issued a press release to announce a television deal with TNT.”
TechCrunch reports: “Amazon Fire TV’s lead over rival streaming platform Roku is widening. In January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Amazon said it had “well over” 30 million Fire TV users compared with Roku’s then 27 million active users. In roughly four months’ time, Fire TV has grown to over 34 million active users, according to new statements made by Amazon this week.”
