News Digest 37: Top Gaming News This Week
7 May, 2020 | By Anzu
![]()
Several months into 2020, it’s high time to draw some conclusions. As they say, every crisis gives way to a dizzying array of opportunities, and the lesson many businesses have learned centers around staying agile when the times change. For this reason, it comes as no surprise that even more brands have been meeting their audiences in the places where they’re already used to hanging out- online and in video games. Read on for the video-gaming and esports industry news of the week.
Some really exciting news from Scandinavia - authorities of the Finnish capital city formed a partnership with VR company Zoan and invited the entire country to a virtual concert in an online version of Helsinki! How cool is that? The organizers report that nearly 12% of the country watched the event, saving the annual May Day celebration. Find more details and behind-the-scenes moments on Business Insider.
Electronic Arts reported its fiscal year 2020 earnings, with a net income of $3.04B USD for the last twelve months and a profit of $418M for its fiscal year 2020 fourth quarter. Almost 80% of the company’s revenues came from digital sales, reports the Esports Observer, which means that the slump in physical game retail sales due to COVID-19 policies didn’t have a significant impact on the company’s earnings.
Even though Apex Legends season 5 won’t start for a few more days (mark May, 12 at 1 pm. EDT on your calendar), a new trailer has been already released, and it shows plenty of action from Loba Andrade, the game’s newest hero. She seems to have a barrier of some kind protecting her and some other abilities that help her get into and out of tight spots. Find more insights and the trailer in question on Polygon.
ESL has appointed German software corporation SAP as the official analytics partner of ESL One Birmingham Online. According to Esports Insider, the partnership will see SAP continue to provide insights into the Dota 2 event, using its technology to track win probabilities, item timings, and net worth progression graphs, thus enhancing the overall viewing experience for fans across the world, even with so many events moving online.
The uber-popular Animal Crossing: New Horizon has become a source of entertainment for so many people during the pandemic that Nintendo has been struggling to keep up with the demand. Not only have players been turning to the game to host virtual weddings and graduations with their friends, but it has also become a platform where players can express themselves through fashion. Some brands have noticed and have released their own outfits for players to wear around their simulated islands in the game, such as luxury brands Marc Jacobs and Valentino. Both posted to their Instagram pages recently, sharing the new outfits and QR codes for downloading. Moreover, AdAge highlights that players can not only wear the outfits in the game but also choose to buy them online.
Anzu.io is an in-game advertising platform that brings real-world brand ads to video gaming and esports. Backed by BITKRAFT Esports Ventures, WPP, and Axel Springer Digital Ventures, Anzu redefines digital advertising through seamless integration of non-intrusive ads into the gameplay. Bringing real-time data and programmatic to the video gaming world, the platform promises native advertising, brand safety and ad viewability. Follow Anzu on
LinkedIn, Facebook and
Twitter.
