Blake Harris is a historian of the video game wars. His first book — Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle that defined a generation — came out in 2014 and it chronicled the fight between Sega and Nintendo in the 1990s as Sega stole a march on Nintendo with the launch of the Sega Genesis. The book was written in a dramatic way, and it was licensed for a film adaptation by Hollywood directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. That book’s success let Harris quit his day job as a Wall Street trader, and it enabled him to research his newest book, The History of the Future: Oculus, Facebook, and the revolution that swept virtual reality. Harris spent more than four years on the book, with close access to Palmer Luckey, who founded Oculus as a 19-year-old living in a trailer in front of his parents’ house. After Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014 for nearly $3 billion, Harris was able to get exclusive access to the executive team to chronicle the revival of … [Read more...] about Blake Harris talk — How ‘The History of the Future’ almost didn’t happen
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FIFA’s video game is leaving its competition in the dust because of 2 key advantages (EA)
Arjun Reddy, provided by Published 11:56 am PST, Thursday, March 7, 2019 Electronic Arts' "FIFA" is the leading soccer-themed video-game franchise, selling over 24 million copies annually. FIFA benefits from over 400 exclusive licenses signed with federations, leagues, and players. In addition, the video-game franchise benefits from an established community of over 20 million players. Watch Electronic Arts trade live. Electronic Arts' "FIFA" video-game franchise is leaving its competition in the dust because of two key advantages, writes Bernstein research analyst Todd Juenger. The leading sports-video-game franchises gain a major advantage by licensing teams and players. Of the major sports (soccer, American football, and basketball), the most challenging franchise model is soccer, for which EA Sports has signed over 400 agreements with federations, teams, leagues, and players. The Bernstein report argues this bundle of agreements is hard to replicate and points … [Read more...] about FIFA’s video game is leaving its competition in the dust because of 2 key advantages (EA)
The very best internet optical illusions around: You won’t believe your eyes
Every now and then an image appears online which has people heartily debating its authenticity, arguing about its colour or asking how it came about in the first place.There are also some amazing pictures that look like one thing but turn out to be something quite different.We've gathered together a collection of the best from around the 'net - pictures that'll have you scratching your head, questioning your eyesight and generally feeling perplexed by their existence.Wonderfully weird greyscale storeWhile out shopping, YouTuber Holly McKee discovered a real-life optical illusion. Nestled away in the children's clothing section she discovered an aisle of black and white clothes that made the photo look like a filter had been applied.When people on Twitter doubted the image wasn't edited, she took to YouTube to prove them wrong. White and gold or black and blue? That dressBack in the hazy days of 2015, a certain dress took the internet by storm and had … [Read more...] about The very best internet optical illusions around: You won’t believe your eyes
The flops are piling up for video game titans
In recent years, the video game industry looked like it had found the antidote to the boom-bust cycles that had long plagued the business. Publishers focused on a few well-known titles and extended their lives through in-game purchases, expansion packs and online tournaments. Electronic Arts Inc., one of the largest players, doubled its market value to almost $45 billion last year as a new era of steady, predictable revenue seemed at hand. Then, like a wrong turn in Pac-Man, it was game over. The biggest names in games have stumbled this year as marquee titles flopped and online spending came up short. Electronic Arts shares tumbled 13 percent Wednesday after the company confessed that some of its biggest releases disappointed. Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. fell by a similar amount after forecasting sales this quarter that were $100 million below Wall Street forecasts. The results are a reminder that video games are still a hit-driven business, rising and falling based on … [Read more...] about The flops are piling up for video game titans
After Blake Nordstrom’s death, people are sharing stories of how the department-store heir touched their lives (JWN)
Kate Taylor, provided by Published 2:20 pm PST, Wednesday, January 2, 2019 Blake Nordstrom, a co-president of Nordstrom Inc. and great-grandson of the company's founder, died unexpectedly on Wednesday. Many people, including those claiming to be current and past employees, took to social media to memorialize the executive as a kind man and crucial leader. "I spent just one summer at Nordstrom, but it surely impacted the rest of my life and career. Blake was an absolute legend and my heart breaks for his family," one person tweeted. Blake Nordstrom, one of the co-presidents of Nordstrom Inc., died unexpectedly on Wednesday at age 58. Nordstrom was the co-president of Nordstrom Inc., which was founded by his great-grandfather. His death follows his announcement on December 10 that he had been diagnosed the prior week with lymphoma. The news led to an outpouring of remembrances on social media, many from employees who worked at Nordstrom under the late … [Read more...] about After Blake Nordstrom’s death, people are sharing stories of how the department-store heir touched their lives (JWN)