▎ Tencent's Need for Speed: The Assembly is scheduled to be launched in the summer, known as "the first open-world racing mobile game"
On April 6, Tencent's new work "Need for Speed: The Assembly" announced that it was set for the summer, known as "the first open-world racing mobile game". The game was developed by Tencent TiMi Studio and authorized by EA. This game provides a "100 million square meter open world", supports 12 styles, 30 tracks with different styles, and has 500 large world gameplay points. In the game, players can be racers, pursuit teams, and many more identities. It is worth mentioning that the game has also reached cooperation with many brands, and will provide Lamborghini, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Xpeng, Hongqi, NIO and other brand models, and will add two domestic brands and a Japanese brand in the future.
▎ Old games are enduring, with reports showing that 61% of gamers' time in 2023 will be spent on games that have been released for more than 6 years
According to the latest report released by market research agency Newzoo, in 2022 and 2023, most players will focus on popular old games. The report, which surveyed 37 countries and territories around the world (excluding China and India), found that in 2022 and 2023, around 60% of the game time was spent on games that were at least six years old, and these games were typically real-time online multiplayer games.
According to the report, the top 10 games by monthly active users on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox in 2023 are Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, Call of Duty, GTA 5, and Rocket League. Meanwhile, Rainbow Six Siege is more popular on PlayStation and Xbox, where the average age of most common games is around 7 years.
▎The beta version of the urban survival game "Frostpunk 2" will be launched on April 16
On April 6, 11 bit's Frostpunk 2 announced that it will be available on PC on July 25, and the beta version of the game will be launched on April 16-22 Beijing time before the official launch. This game is currently on the Steam platform, with a pre-purchase price of 149 yuan for the Bank of China and 229.5 yuan for the deluxe version after a 10% discount. Pre-order players of the Deluxe Edition will be able to participate in the Sandbox Mode beta in April, as well as receive an additional 3 DLCs and 72 hours of early access to the Story Mode.
▎Douyin plans to acquire the payment license of Hailian Jinhui for more than 750 million yuan
On April 3, Hailian Jinhui announced that it intends to transfer its payment institution (UMF E-commerce Co., Ltd.) to the parent company of Douyin payment license entity (Wuhan Hezhong Yibao Technology Co., Ltd.), and the transaction price is the benchmark transfer consideration of 750 million yuan + net assets on the delivery date. After the completion of this transaction, the payment institution will be merged by Hezhong Yibao. The above transactions and mergers are subject to the approval of the central bank, and after the transaction is completed, Douyin Pay will complete the bank card acquiring business license. At the same time, the relevant person in charge of Douyin payment said that the transaction is to support offline transaction scenarios such as life services.
▎ "Age of Empires 4" game developer Mine Club announced the layoff of 41 employees after operating independently
Relic Entertainment recently announced that it had spun off Sega through external financing and turned into an independent development studio. Robyn Smale, the developer and producer of Mine Society, recently updated his LinkedIn feed, announcing that the studio has laid off 41 employees. The Mine Society later confirmed the news through its official LinkedIn account: "The layoffs were a very difficult decision, and the sole purpose of this decision was to survive as much as possible for Relic in an increasingly volatile industry. ”
▎The EU and the United States will strengthen cooperation in the field of AI
The European Union and the United States issued a joint statement announcing that they will strengthen their partnership in the field of AI, and the two sides have decided to jointly carry out a number of research projects that will use AI for the benefit of humanity. At the same time, the EU and the United States will work to update a series of key AI terms and provide "mutually agreed definitions" to lay a key foundation for AI standardization.
▎Ubisoft has announced that it will hold the 2024 game preview on June 11
A few days ago, Ubisoft released a brief announcement, announcing that it will hold a preview meeting (Ubisoft Forward 2024) on June 11, 2024, previewing "The big one is coming!" on Weibo, hinting that there will be many blockbuster new products. However, Ubisoft did not mention the release plans for the event in a brief announcement. Ubisoft's preview event showcased a number of games such as Star Wars: Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Black Sails, The Crew: Roar, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, most of which are currently in release.
▎ Apple has made home robots the next major project
Apple's team is working on advancing personal robotics in an area that could be one of the company's ever-changing "next big projects," according to people familiar with the matter. Apple's engineers are working on a mobile robot that can follow the user's movement around their homes. Apple has also developed an advanced desktop home device that utilizes robots to move displays around. Although R&D is still in its infancy, and it's unclear that these products will eventually be released, there is growing pressure on Apple to find new revenue streams. The company abandoned its electric vehicle project in February, and the mixed reality headset is expected to take years to become profitable. With robotics, Apple can gain a greater foothold in the consumer home device space and take advantage of advances in artificial intelligence.