Sega to acquire Angry Birds-maker Rovio for $775M

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

With Rovio under its wing, Sega says it plans to “accelerate the development” of its own existing games, as well as “generate synergies” between Sega and Rovio’s brands. Specifically, it seems that Rovio’s experience in so-called “live service” mobile gaming is what appealed to Sega, which refers games designed to be played more or less indefinitely through regular content updates to keep players interested. Moreover, Sega said that Rovio’s expertise can help it expand Sega’s current and new games in more markets, particularly in Europe and North America.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/17/sega-to-acquire-angry-birds-maker-rovio-for-775m/

DOJ suit could represent significant stumbling block for $20B Adobe-Figma deal

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

The DOJ is reportedly getting ready to file suit to block the $20 billion Adobe-Figma deal announced last year on the grounds it is anti-competitive. Bloomberg first reported the story yesterday afternoon. In a statement, Adobe took exception with the idea that the deal is anti-competitive, arguing that the two companies are looking at very different markets — creativity and collaboration.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/24/doj-suit-could-represent-significant-stumbling-block-for-20b-adobe-figma-deal/

Discord acquires Gas, a compliments-based social media app for teens

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

On Gas, users sign up with their school, add friends, and answer polls about their classmates. But the questions in the polls are intended to boost users’ confidence, rather than damage it. Teens might be asked to choose which of four friends is the best DJ or has the best smile. Then the person who was chosen will get an anonymous message with their compliment, sent from a vague “boy in 10th grade” or “girl in 11th grade.”

Even though Discord is currently going to keep Gas operating as a stand-alone product, Discord recently announced that it would integrate a selection of apps into its servers. So, it’s possible that we could see these positive community polls on the messaging platform in the future.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/17/discord-acquires-gas-a-compliments-based-social-media-app-for-teens/

Spotify acquires content moderation tech company Kinzen to address platform safety issues

Image Credits: Stockcam / Getty Images

“Today’s announcement of the acquisition of Kinzen is an indication that even that step was not enough — Spotify needed to bring content moderation expertise in-house, it seems.

In short, Kinzen’s solutions are aimed at helping platforms more quickly respond to content moderation issues in real time by using a combination of technology and human expertise at scale.”

https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/05/spotify-acquires-content-moderation-tech-company-kinzen-to-address-platform-safety-issues

Adobe snaps up Figma for $20B, taking out one of its biggest rivals in digital design

Big news in the world of digital creative technology: Adobe today announced that it would acquire Figma for $20 billion, taking out one of its biggest rivals in the realm of digital design.

The deal definitely lays down the gauntlet for other big names in the world of digital design. Specifically it will be interesting to see what comes next for companies like Canva and Sketch.

https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/15/adobe-is-buying-figma-for-20b-taking-out-one-of-its-biggest-rivals-in-digital-design/