Microsoft
HHW Gaming: ‘Call of Duty’ Possibly Ditching Annual Release Strategy: Report
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Sledgehammer Games / Call of Duty: Vanguard In more Call of Duty news, we could be getting breaks in between releases. Call of Duty has been the subject of much discussion after Xbox dropped damn near $70 billion on the insanely popular first-person shooter’s publisher Activision Blizzard. Many gamers wondered if the acquisition meant that future Call of Duty games would become Xbox exclusive. Both Xbox boss Phil Spencer and Sony answered that question, confirming the game will remain on PlayStation platforms for now. With that solved, a new report indicates that Activision Blizzard’s acquisition will see some changes to the Call of Duty franchise by changing its release strategy. With each new year, gamers could expect a Call of Duty game. 2022 will stil...
HHW Gaming: Sony Expects Activision Blizzard’s Games Like ‘Call of Duty” To Stay Multiplatform
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Activision / Call of Duty Sony broke its silence following Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, specifically regarding the status of multiplatform games like Call of Duty. Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, a spokesperson for Sony revealed the company expects multiplatform from Activision Blizzard to remain on their consoles. “We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision games are multiplatform,” the spokesperson stated. Keep in mind that Sony could be referring to the current contractual agreements it still has with Activision Blizzard, and titles like Crash Bandicoot could very well become an Xbox exclusive. Related Stories Microsoft has a history of honoring those contractual agreements for...
Crypto Biz: Microsoft enters the metaverse, Jan. 14–20
This week’s Crypto Biz explores Microsoft’s Activision purchase, the new partnership between Coinbase and Mastercard and the latest funding news from the world of crypto. For a comprehensive breakdown of business developments over the last week, register for the full newsletter below. Microsoft enters the Metaverse with Activision purchase It’s no secret that Microsoft has been eyeing its entry into the Metaverse ever since Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook to Meta. The company found its perfect entry this week by acquiring gaming giant Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Satya Nadella, who has served as Microsoft’s CEO since 2014, described video games as playing a “key role in the development of metaverse platforms.” Activision is behind some of the world’s most iconic gaming franch...
HHW Gaming: Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard For $68.7 Billion
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Microsoft / Xbox Microsoft just dropped a megaton bomb on the gaming industry with its latest acquisition. Tuesday (Jan.18), Microsoft officially announced via Xbox Wire it has acquired Activision Blizzard after reports surfaced that a deal was on the horizon. The deal is worth $68.7 billion. “Over many decades, the studios and teams that make up Activision Blizzard have earned vast wellsprings of joy and respect from billions of people all over the world,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in the statement. “We are incredibly excited to have the chance to work with the amazing, talented, dedicated people across Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical...
Microsoft to Buy Activision Blizzard in $68.7B Video Game Mega-Deal
Tech giant Microsoft will buy the video game publisher Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion deal that would reshape the gaming landscape. The deal, if completed, would bring together Microsoft, which owns the Xbox game platform and Xbox Game Studios (which owns Bethesda Softworks and 343 Industries, among other game publishers) and Activision, owner of the Call of Duty, Warcraft and Tony Hawk franchises, among others. Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony, when and if the deal closes. The deal is the largest in Microsoft’s history, with the companies targeting a close in 2023. “We need more innovation and investment in content creation, and fewer constraints on distribution,” Microsoft CE...
Cloud-Based Unified Communications – Simplified, Africanised
Prebashini Reddy, Microsoft Product Manager at Westcon-Comstor Business communication has never been as important as it is in today’s hybrid work environment. C-suite executives, line managers, and the teams themselves need to understand their organisational objectives and how they must align even if they no longer share the same office space. This is where unified communications will play a critical role in helping achieve a more integrated approach to employee engagement. To help accomplish this, Westcon-Comstor has developed the Westcon Cloud Connect app. It combines the respective strengths of Microsoft Teams, Ribbon Connect, and Poly to deliver a unified communications solution designed for the digital age. As an experienced distributor that has been servicing the Sub-Sahara African m...
HHW Gaming: Microsoft Quietly Puts A Fork In The Xbox One, Will Focus Soley On The Xbox Series X & S
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty Unlike Sony, Microsoft is fully invested in the future of gaming and is saying goodbye to the Xbox One. Per The Verge, Microsoft has officially lowered the Xbox One’s casket because it no longer manufactures models of that console. Ahead of the launch of Xbox Series X, Microsoft discontinued the Xbox One X and Xbox One S Digital Edition in July 2020. Now, new information reveals the company quietly pulled the plug on the Xbox One S console, essentially moving on from that generation and firmly getting behind Series X and S. In a statement to The Verge, Cindy Walker, senior director of Xbox console product marketing, said, “To focus on production of Xbox Series X / S, we stopped production for all Xbox One consoles by the end of 2020...
Meta poaches staff from Microsoft and Apple for Metaverse plans
Employees from Microsoft and Apple are jumping ship to join Meta Platforms as the company sets its sights on creating the Metaverse. According to former employees of Microsoft quoted by the Wall Street Journal, around 100 people have ditched the tech giant’s augmented reality team over the past year to join Meta Platforms. They claim that Meta has been particularly focused on snapping up people who have worked on Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality (AR) headsets. According to the WSJ, Linkedin profiles show that more than 70 people who were part of Microsoft’s HoloLens team have left the project over the past year, with more than 40 of them taking on new positions at Meta. Microsoft’s first mover advantage in the AR space makes its employees valuable assets to Meta. Microsoft announced ...
Harnessing the power of agritech to help SA’s smallholder farmers
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ITC Secure and Cassava Technologies Announce Security Partnership
Image by Darwin Laganzon, Pixabay. ITC Secure (ITC), a leading advisory-led cyber security services company and a Microsoft Gold cyber security partner, and Cassava Technologies (CassavaTechnologies.com), the pan-African technology leader, announced today that they have entered into a Joint Venture (JV) to build and launch an extensive portfolio of cyber security services, powered by Microsoft Azure cloud technologies in Africa. Hardy Pemhiwa, the CEO of Cassava Technologies said: “Digital transformation in Africa is accelerating the adoption of cloud services which is creating an urgent need to better protect users and business-critical data. Cassava Technologies footprint covering more than 15 countries in Africa, we are well-positioned to meet the growing needs of businesses and individ...
Beware: Microsoft is One of the Most Impersonated Brands in Phishing Attacks
Image sourced from NS Energy. Check Point Research for the second quarter of 2021 found that Microsoft was the most popular brand used to lure unsuspecting individuals and employees. This isn’t hard to believe because Microsoft’s Active Directory, continues to dominate the market share globally in 2021 and as a result is still the most popular target for phishing. The weight of this risk is emphasised by the fact that in 2021, phishing attacks increased by 47% in just the first quarter alone. The threats are smart, capable, and worrying – increasing in volume every year. Companies are facing an onslaught of risk that’s designed to fool employees into making mistakes that can cost the company money and reputation. “The risk is when employee credentials are stolen, this can lead to detriment...
Microsoft Launches New Office for “African Transformation,” Names Director
Image sourced from NS Energy. Microsoft, the worldwide tech giant is establishing the Africa Transformation Office as part of doubling down on its investment in the continent, as well as an effort to continue enabling digital transformation “powered by Africans for Africa.” The company has also announced that the Africa Transformation Office (ATO) will be headed by the new Managing Director (MD) Wael Elkabbany. In a statement, Microsoft says that under Elkabbany’s leadership, the ATO will partner with public and private organisations to empower millions of Africans and foster economic prosperity. Wael Elkabbany, MD for Microsoft’s Africa Transformation Office. Elkabbany moves from leading enterprise sales for the company across the Middle East and Africa, and previously held roles at Briti...
