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FTC Files Suit To Block Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Buy

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said on Thursday that it is looking to block the acquisition of Santa Monica-based Activision Blizzard by Microsoft Corp., saying the buy will "harm competition in high-performance gaming consoles and subscription services".

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Maestro nets $15 million for its interactive commerce, community and engagement tools for livestreams

TechCrunch LA

As video commerce becomes the norm and entertainers, brands, businesses, and franchises of all sizes and stripes look to cut out the middle man, the array of services on offer from Maestro may be the scissors these entities need to cut the cord. “ We were targeted to a small number of very premier customers. .

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DRINKS Names Execs

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Hunter previously served as Senior Manager of Global Analytics at Activision Blizzard and a Lead Senior Data Scientist at Microsoft. The company said the two will help scale its Wine as a Service (WaaS) platform, support new partnership developments, and expand the integration and management of new data science capabilities.

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Fans.lu Ties With Game Development Organization

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is the brainchild of David Padula, Derek Padula, and Dave Delaney, who have created a platform to help developers monetize their games through merchandise sales. David Padula has served at Activision and Paramount Pictures; Derek Padula has worked as a game designer at Electronic Arts, Activision, and Seven Studios. READ MORE>>.

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StartEngine Chalks Up 25 Companies Raising Funding Since Start Of 2017

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Los Angeles-based StartEngine , the equity crowdfunding service run by serial entrepeneur Howard Marks, has chalked up 25 companies raising money on its platform since the start of 2017, according to the company.

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China Roundup: Tencent’s new US gaming studio and WeChat’s new paywall

TechCrunch LA

But TiMi contended that these platforms are not essential to a game’s success. ” Call of Duty: Mobile is developed by Tencent and published by Activision Blizzard (Image: Call of Duty: Mobile via Twitter) . All eyes are now on TiMi’s next big move, the mobile version of Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty.

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Popbase helps YouTube stars build closer relationships with their fans

TechCrunch LA

New platforms led by YouTube have emerged to change the dynamic of broadcast media — once dominated by the rigid programming of TV — while the internet has enabled new media stars to engage with their audiences in new, high-touch ways. In addition, there are incentives for referring others to the platform.

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