VentureBeat reports: “Tired of missing calls and important updates during marathon sessions of Half-Life: Alyx? Holoswitch might have a solution for you. Launched in Early Access on SteamVR in late March, Holoswitch offers a pretty seamless way to keep track of messages in VR.”
Billboard reports: “The grind doesn’t stop for Joyner Lucas following the release of his long-awaited ADHD album last month, which notched him a top 10 debut on the Billboard 200. Billboard confirmed on Monday (April 13) that Lucas’ Tully app has received a strategic investment from Sony Music Entertainment to help take their user experience to the next level.”
Variety reports: “Quibi, the mobile-only streaming service from Jeffrey Katzenberg, surpassed 1 million installations within the first week of launch. According to analysts, the big-budget, short-form video streamer has had a relatively tepid reception because of the coronavirus pandemic.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “Amid an unprecedented crisis, Bob Iger’s hopes of finally stepping away from the Walt Disney Co. were all but totally dashed. Iger was in the midst of handing over the keys to the company after 15 years — and then the novel coronavirus pandemic rocked the world.”
Variety reports: “Disney Plus revealed a whopper of a subscriber update Wednesday — 50 million paying customers — flexing its ability to become a contender in the streaming services arena after a mere five months on the market.”
Billboard reports: “Entertainment One (eOne) has named Maria Alonte to the newly-created role of senior vp, creative integration, music, the company announced Tuesday (April 7). Reporting to eOne’s global president, music and live Chris Taylor and based in Los Angeles, Alonte will oversee eOne’s creative servicing hub for film, TV and content producers who are looking for music solutions on their projects.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “As work-from-home mandates become a new normal for many professionals across the globe, staying connected while self-isolating has become a new challenge. To help build a virtual space for employees and colleagues to congregate, UTA, one of Hollywood’s largest talent agencies, has turned to video games as a way to bridge the gap.”
TechCrunch reports: “It takes either audacious self-confidence or reckless hubris to build a completely asocial video app in 2020. You can decide which best describes Quibi, Hollywood’s $1.75 billion-funded attempt at a mobile-only Netflix of six to 10-minute micro-TV show episodes.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “With people across the U.S. stuck in their homes amid the spread of the new coronavirus, what will the impact of the pandemic be on cord-cutting?”
Billboard reports: “As the music industry reels from lost touring income, SoundExchange has some positive news on the streaming front today (April 9).”
