Netflix purchases Next Games studio, the team behind its 'Stranger Things' game

Source: Next Games/Netflix

Netflix wants you to know it's serious about its gaming ambitions. The company announced its plans to acquire Next Games, the Finnish mobile game developer that created its RPG-based Stranger Things game. The streaming service will purchase the studio for about €65 million (around CA$91.5 million), with its paperwork expected to be finalized by the summer. According to Netflix VP of Games, Michael Verdu, Next Games will become its "core studio" that will expand its internal game studio capabilities. 

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Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for almost US$70B

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft's newest acquisition is bound to shake things up in the gaming industry. The company will purchase Activision Blizzard for US$68.7 billion in an all-cash transaction. This acquisition makes Microsoft the world's third-largest gaming company by revenue (behind Tencent and Sony).

The company will own every studio and game under Activision Blizzard, including popular franchises like World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, Crash Bandicoot, and more.

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Tencent purchases 'Back 4 Blood' developer Turtle Rock Studios

Turtle Rock Studios

Tencent is acquiring another video game studio to add to its impressive roster. The company acquired Slamfire, the parent company of Back 4 Blood developer Turtle Rock Studios. The studio will be "retaining its independent operations" in California, with its existing leadership team staying on to run the studio.

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Spotify acquires audio platform to help turn radio shows into podcasts

Photo by Haithem Ferdi on Unsplash

Spotify's latest acquisition will help the company lure radio broadcasters to turn their shows into podcasts. The company bought Whooshkaa, an Australia-based firm that provides radio broadcasters tools to convert their shows into podcasts. Spotify plans to integrate its technology into its Megaphone suite for podcasters. The goal is to offer stations a way to profit from shows by offering ad-supported podcast episodes.

Whooshkaa can also help with Spotify's other audio efforts. Founder Rob Loewenthal mentioned that his company offered speech-to-text and text-to-speech tech, smart home integration, and "enterprise grade" podcasting tools. But those have not been clearly noted as part of their goals. We wouldn't be surprised if these help Spotify develop its podcasting features in the future.

Source: Engadget