Microsoft purchases Fallout, Elder Scrolls and Doom for $7.5 billion
In its largest games software acquisition to date, Microsoft will purchase video games publisher ZeniMax for $7.5 billion. Microsoft will control popular games Fallout, The Elder Scrolls and Doom, as it continues to beef up offerings in its XBox offerings, both cloud-based XBox Games Pass as well as a new, two-level Xbox console offering. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: Video gaming is at a critical juncture, with enthusiasm high for the next generation of PlayStations and XBoxes, and with a number of larger players, including Microsoft and Apple, seeking to win over new and existing game players across all device platforms with cloud-based gaming services. Once a consumer commits to a cloud-based service, they are highly likely to purchase consoles, computers, peripherals, and other add-ons from within that service network, and Apple is fishing in Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo’s pond, with Amazon circling. As Apple reminded us all in its announcements last week, the services bundle is king.
AT&T Communications Exec says 5G iPhone may not be a big hit
In a move not likely to boost his longevity with AT&T, Communications CEO Jeff McElfresh stated that October’s release of the 5G capable iPhone may not be the massive event that people expect. He went on to say that given the current uncertainty in the economy, people may be slow to embrace 5G, a technology that ultimately may serve corporations more than consumers. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: Jeff, have you met Lily, the nice lady on the AT&T commercial who has been dropping blue balloons onto a giant 5G sign and telling us that 5G is a huge deal? Of course uneasy financial times and lack of understanding about 5G could hinder adoption, but your partner is Apple and when Apple says it is a big deal, it will be. If your bosses at AT&T don’t reassign you to the mail room, the ghost of Steve Jobs will be visiting.
Micro weddings use Instagram for community
The Pandemic has all but killed the wedding business. A number of entrepreneurial wedding planners, however, have reimagined the wedding as a 12 to 20 person event at an upscale, exclusive venue that is primed for photography, and broadcasting via Instagram. The Reimagined Wedding is a business that books small events in an luxurious setting in Ojai, California, where stunning scenes of a small number of people can be photographed in order to be shared with large numbers via Instagram. TheVerge
dis-rup-shun: There are a number of reasons why the micro wedding may be around longer than COVID-19. Focusing on the social network as audience is much less expensive, yet tends to respond with accolades and affirmation, giving the newly weds a sense of community, a chance to impress, and savings accounts intact. Expect the online broadcasts of major cultural rituals such as weddings, funerals, graduations, church services, bar mitzvahs and the like to be equally important to the production.
Smart bike helmet
The Lumox Matrix smart bike helmet features rear facing LED lighting which can be controlled through an app, a handlebar-mounted remote or via a button the strap. The LED lighting acts as a turn signal, but can also display patterns selected and programmed by the wearer. TechCrunch
dis-rup-shun: Safety may be difficult to sell at $295, but for anyone who has had a close call on their bike, this device could well be a bargain. Expect app-controlled lighting to be integrated with electric-assisted bikes and new technology makes biking more fun, safer and more theft-proof. COVID-19 has led a to a run on bicycles, with most shops out of stock as stay-at-homers have flocked to family rides and outdoor exercise. Mark the bicycle industry as one of many unwitting winners of the global pandemic.