Activision Blizzard Inc

Revenue from mobile games accounts for more than half of the mobile gaming market. Sony is looking to diversify beyond consoles with its new dedicated PlayStation mobile gaming division.Mateusz Slodkowski | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty ImagesSonySony's PlayStation has dominated the gaming console market for a long time.But the business model for console gaming has changed. It's not just about selling the hardware and then hoping people buy new games. It's about continuing to milk revenue from those games via…

Amazon is not expected to make an offer to acquire Electronic Arts, sources told CNBC's David Faber on Friday.EA shares closed up 3.5% on Friday after USA Today reported Amazon would announce Friday that it plans to bid for the video game publisher, which is known for hit titles including FIFA, Madden and Apex Legends.Faber dismissed the report on CNBC's Squawk Box. "There's nothing going on," he said, citing sources.An Amazon spokesperson said the company doesn't comment on rumors or speculation. An EA spokesperson…

A gamer plays on Sony's Playstation 5 console at his home in Seoul.Yelim Lee | AFP via Getty ImagesThe giants of the video game world saw their sales slide in the second quarter, as initial tailwinds from the Covid pandemic faded.In the three months ended June, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo each posted disappointing results in their respective gaming businesses.The numbers reflect a broader contraction in consumer spending on video games. Americans spent $12.4 billion on games in the second quarter, according to market…

For decades, union membership has been on the decline. Yet in the last few months, workers have been organizing at a pace this country hasn't seen since the Great Depression.Amazon has captured headlines for union drives at its warehouses, including a successful effort on New York's Staten Island. But activity is picking up elsewhere in retail and tech at big companies that are generally viewed as progressive, with no history of labor unions.As of Wednesday, 209 Starbucks stores have officially voted to unionize according…

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games character.Dado Ruvic | ReutersThe U.K.'s competition watchdog on Wednesday opened an investigation into Microsoft's proposed acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard.In a statement, the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority said its investigation would consider whether the deal may harm competition — "for example, through higher prices, lower quality, or reduced choice."The CMA set a Sept. 1 deadline for its initial…

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Tuesday told investors his three stock picks from the worst- and best-performing stocks in the Nasdaq 100 during the first half of this year."Tech stocks were horrendous in the first half. … No Apples, no Googles, no semis, no software as services – just default names that show you that tech's become absolutely hated, maybe so hated that I think we could see a serious bounce," he said."When it comes to tech, FANG went into a portfolio manager-induced coma in the first half and Netflix was the first to…

The NetEase Games booth at the China Joy conference in Shanghai on July 30, 2021.Arjun Kharpal | CNBCOn China's Twitter-like service Weibo, the official account of Diablo Immortal is banned from posting for "violating relevant laws and regulation." It's unclear which rules the account has broken.NetEase declined to comment further on the delay of the game. Activision Blizzard was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.Diablo is one of Blizzard's most popular franchises and China is one of the world's…

People will be able to play Xbox Game Pass games over a cloud connection on 2022 Samsung smart TVs.MicrosoftMicrosoft is releasing an Xbox app for smart TVs, enabling consumers to stream Xbox video games even if they don't own consoles.Microsoft said Thursday that it will first bring the app to Samsung's 2022 smart TVs and then expand distribution to other manufacturers. It's a bold bet for Microsoft, after Xbox's hardware revenue jumped 92% last year. The company said the app will be available starting June 30, in 27…

Broadcom will buy VMware in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $61 billion, based on the closing price of Broadcom common stock on May 25, 2022, the companies announced Thursday.The deal would be one of the largest technology acquisitions of all time, behind Microsoft's pending $69 billion deal to purchase Activision Blizzard and Dell's $67 billion purchase of EMC in 2016.Broadcom's stock closed up 3.5% on Thursday, while VMware shares ended the day up 3.1%.Broadcom's purchase of VMware will help the company diversify…

Rangarajan Raghuram, CEO, VMware at the NYSE, Dec. 14, 2021.Source: NYSECNBC's David Faber reported Monday that Broadcom had been gearing up to announce its acquisition of VMware as soon as Thursday, but the news could come sooner after several reports said the two companies were in talks.Some material terms still need to be finalized, and a deal could fall through, Faber said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." It would be a cash-and-stock offer if it materializes, according to sources familiar with the deal. Michael Dell…