Hollywood Reporter reports: “John Legend’s Get Lifted Film Co. has a new home. The production outfit headed by Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius has signed an overall deal with Universal Studio Group’s UCP that covers scripted programming, as well as a first-look deal for unscripted content. Get Lifted moves to UCP from Disney’s ABC Signature.”
Games Industry Biz reports: “Rockstar Games has confirmed what many Red Dead Online players suspected by this point: it is no longer working on major content updates for the game’s multiplayer mode. In an update on its website, the developer discussed its plans for both Red Dead Online and Grand Theft Auto Online, revealing that it will be winding down the former — in part as the studio concentrates on its next blockbuster.”
The Verge reports: “Secret Service Director James Murray is retiring from his post for a new position as Snap’s chief security officer at the end of the month, Snap confirmed to The Verge on Thursday. Murray’s private sector move was first reported by The Washington Post on Thursday, shortly after the longtime protective service official’s departure from government was announced by the Secret Service in a public statement.”
Deadline reports: “Multimedia Music, an emerging player in the film and TV music rights arena, has finalized three separate deals to acquire works by composers Tyler Bates, David Buckley and Michael Corcoran. The exact value of the transactions was not disclosed, but each is understood to be in the eight-figure range. Bates composed scores for the Guardians of the Galaxy and John Wick franchises.”
Venture Beat reports: “Clash of Clans maker Supercell has increased its stake in Space Ape Games to 75% by investing another $37 million in the game studio. London-based Space Ape Games is in an expansion mode and it makes titles like the mobile rhythm game Beatstar, as well as past titles like Rival Kingdoms and Transformers: Earth Wars. Supercell, which is majority owned by Tencent, invested $56.6 million in Space Ape Games in 2017 for a 62.6% stake.”
Music Business Worldwide reports: “Live Nation has acquired the concerts and entertainment division of Thailand-based promoter and media company TERO (TERO C&E). The deal, says Live Nation, signals the company’s “further growth within Thailand” via a ‘commitment to developing local Thai talent, while also continuing to bring the biggest international acts to the region.'”
Tech Crunch reports: “Twitter has started testing a new “CoTweets” feature that lets users co-author tweets, the social media giant confirmed to TechCrunch. The company says it’s testing CoTweets for a limited time to learn how people will use the feature. “We’re continuing to explore new ways for people to collaborate on Twitter,” a spokesperson for Twitter said.”
Games Industry Biz reports: “Virtual and augmented reality outfit Resolution Games has acquired Swedish VR studio Zenz VR for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition aims to strengthen development of titles currently in the works at Resolution Games, but does not see the studio take ownership of Zenz VR’s existing IP. Resolution Games has also reported a growth in profitability for 2021, its fifth consecutive year of doing so.”
The Verge reports: “Compared to other social networking sites, Reddit has taken a slow and limited approach to features that carry a stain of self-promotion or branding. Even a decision to add simple profile pages that users could fill with their own posts faced criticism. Browsing the site, you’re more likely to see posters using variations of the site’s mascot, Snoo, in their profile picture than the selfies that dominate Twitter or Facebook.”
Tech Crunch reports: “A number of crypto gaming firms have ramped up production in the past year with hopes of revolutionizing the growing industry. Adding to the list is London-based gaming firm Cauldron, which plans on becoming the “Pixar of web3” through a key element: storytelling. The company just closed a $6.6 million seed round and plans to launch its first web3 gaming world, Project Nightshade, in the fall, Mark Warrick, founder and CEO of the company, exclusively told TechCrunch.”
