https://www.scmp.com/rss/326783/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse With its use more commonly associated with hugely popular video games such as Fortnite and Batman Arkham City, the powerful Unreal Engine is becoming a go-to tool for 3D projects beyond the video games industry, from TV news graphics to acclaimed animated series and films. Created for the 1998 first-person shooter game Unreal by programmer Tim Sweeney – who founded the game’s development company and is now CEO of what it has become: Fortnite developer Epic Games, the engine was soon made... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345082/what-do-black-myth-wukong-and-star-wars-mandalorian-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345082/what-do-black-myth-wukong-and-star-wars-mandalorian-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:15:07 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg For more than a decade, Tencent Holdings developer Leo Yao toiled in relative anonymity, churning out one shooting game after another. Then he scored one of the biggest Chinese hits of 2024 with Delta Force, a video game that continues to attract 30 million players daily. Now, Tencent’s top brass have tasked the 43-year-old with helping orchestrate a major shift at China’s most valuable company. Executives see a change in tastes among domestic gamers – long deemed a smartphone-dominant audience... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328788/tencents-hit-title-delta-force-prompts-sharpened-focus-shooting-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328788/tencents-hit-title-delta-force-prompts-sharpened-focus-shooting-games?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 07:32:27 +0000 Mario Ho Yau-kwan, the youngest son of the late Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun, on Friday became the youngest founder of a Nasdaq-listed company in Asia, as the 29-year-old entrepreneur’s esports firm NIP Group started trading in the United States. NIP, which achieved a milestone as the first listed Chinese company in the esports industry, raised a total of US$20.25 million from its offering of 2.25 million American depositary shares at US$9 per share. “Looking back at this journey, we... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3272213/stanley-hos-youngest-son-mario-leads-first-listed-chinese-company-esports-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3272213/stanley-hos-youngest-son-mario-leads-first-listed-chinese-company-esports-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2024 11:30:25 +0000 Esports entrepreneur Mario Ho Yau-kwan, the youngest son of the late Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun, is seeking to expand the international reach of his organisation NIP Group, as it pursues an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. NIP is a Cayman Islands-based holding company, with operations primarily conducted through two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Ninjas in Pyjamas Gaming in Sweden, which is engaged in esports teams operations; and Wuhan Xingjingweiwu Culture & Sports... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266695/stanley-hos-youngest-son-mario-sets-sights-chinas-first-esports-ipo-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266695/stanley-hos-youngest-son-mario-sets-sights-chinas-first-esports-ipo-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2024 01:00:19 +0000 Sony Group Corp and the owner of the Lego Group invested US$2 billion in Epic Games Inc, the maker of Fortnite. Epic is valued at US$31.5 billion after the investment, the Cary, North Carolina-based company said Monday in a statement. Epic’s valuation about a year ago was US$28.7 billion. The game company, among the most valuable start-ups in the US, is currently waging a costly legal battle with Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc over fees charged by their app stores. Epic runs its own app store, the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3173928/fortnite-maker-epic-gets-us2-billion-playstation-maker-sony-lego?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3173928/fortnite-maker-epic-gets-us2-billion-playstation-maker-sony-lego?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Apr 2022 03:00:12 +0000 On a frosty morning in London’s Hyde Park, onlookers aim their mobile phones at the top of the Serpentine Gallery. The large sculpture of a blue man sitting on the roof is invisible to the naked eye but it is there – in augmented reality. The sculpture is part of an installation by the American artist Kaws at the gallery, reproduced for the hundreds of millions of users of the video game Fortnite for the first time. Artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist said the New Yorker’s exhibition – “New... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3163937/fortnite-video-game-hosts-exhibition-art-kaws-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3163937/fortnite-video-game-hosts-exhibition-art-kaws-first?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jan 2022 11:22:51 +0000 The recent stumbles of American video game makers Roblox and Epic Games in mainland China suggest that the country is headed towards a future where its metaverse – touted by enthusiasts as the next evolution of the internet – could be closed to foreign companies. Roblox and Epic Games have both made the metaverse – loosely defined as a shared, immersive 3D virtual space where people can interact and trade – a core part of their business strategy. What is the metaverse, how will it work and why... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3157104/us-based-roblox-epic-games-setbacks-china-point-splintered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3157104/us-based-roblox-epic-games-setbacks-china-point-splintered?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Nov 2021 14:30:15 +0000 Epic Games filed a notice of appeal on Sunday following a judge’s decision in its antitrust lawsuit against Apple Inc. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers mostly sided with Apple, rejecting Epic’s claims that the iPhone maker is a monopoly. She also did not rule that Apple needs to restore Fortnite, Epic’s hit game at the centre of the lawsuit, to the App Store or Epic’s Apple developer account. Rogers also rejected the need for third-party App Stores and did not force Apple to lower its... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3148498/fortnite-creator-epic-games-appeal-ruling-apple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3148498/fortnite-creator-epic-games-appeal-ruling-apple?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Sep 2021 20:40:37 +0000 Apple Inc. was ordered by a court to allow developers to steer consumers to outside payment methods for mobile apps, in a ruling that is a severe blow to the iPhone maker.  A federal judge granted an injunction sought by Epic Games on Friday while also ordering the game maker to pay damages to Apple for breach of contract. The order could take a big bite out of the profitability of the App Store: according to analysts the App Store takes in more than US$20 billion a year with a profit margin... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3148372/apples-app-store-dealt-major-blow-judge-epic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3148372/apples-app-store-dealt-major-blow-judge-epic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:57:02 +0000 A South Korean parliamentary committee voted on Wednesday to recommend amending a law, a key step toward banning Google and Apple from forcibly charging software developers commissions on in-app purchases, the first such curb by a major economy. Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google have both faced global criticism because they require software developers using their app stores to use proprietary payment systems that charge commissions of up to 30 per cent. In a statement on Tuesday, Apple said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3146256/south-korea-set-curb-google-and-apple-commission-dominance-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3146256/south-korea-set-curb-google-and-apple-commission-dominance-app?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Aug 2021 22:42:21 +0000 The judge who will decide a case challenging Apple’s stranglehold on its App Store indicated on Monday she would like to promote more competition, but without dismantling a commission system that reaps billions of dollars for the technology powerhouse. US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is not likely to issue a decision until this summer. But she opened a window into her thoughts during a three-hour session with lawyers for Apple and its adversary, Epic Games, during the final day of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3134747/us-judge-digs-apples-app-store-policies-epic-games-trial-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3134747/us-judge-digs-apples-app-store-policies-epic-games-trial-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 May 2021 06:59:30 +0000 Apple’s online marketplace would become a “toxic” mess if the iPhone maker were forced to allow third-party apps without reviewing them, chief executive Tim Cook said in testimony at a high-stakes trial challenging the company’s tight control of its platform. Cook, the last scheduled witness in the case brought by Fortnite maker Epic Games, delivered a strong defence of Apple’s procedures for reviewing and approving all the apps it offers for iPhone and iPad users. “We could no longer make the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3134449/apples-tim-cook-tells-epic-games-trial-app-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3134449/apples-tim-cook-tells-epic-games-trial-app-store?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 May 2021 19:46:32 +0000 Epic Games alleges that Apple’s App Store has left users and developers “trapped” in an anticompetitive marketplace, while the iPhone maker accuses the creator of Fortnite of a “fundamental assault” on a business model that has enriched millions of developers. The two companies that were once close allies came out swinging on Monday at the start of a trial before a federal judge, who must decide whether Apple is monopolising the marketplace for applications that run on its ubiquitous smartphones... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3132185/apple-users-are-trapped-app-store-video-game-developer-epic-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3132185/apple-users-are-trapped-app-store-video-game-developer-epic-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 May 2021 06:35:32 +0000 In a court clash with potentially huge repercussions for the world of mobile tech, Fortnite maker Epic Games will on Monday take on Apple to break its grip on its online marketplace. The case opening in federal court comes with Apple feeling pressure from a wide range of app makers over its tight control of the App Store, which critics say represents monopolistic behaviour. The two firms will be debating whether Apple has the right to set ground rules, control payment systems and kick out apps... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3131943/fortnite-maker-set-epic-court-fight-apple-over-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3131943/fortnite-maker-set-epic-court-fight-apple-over-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 May 2021 05:26:55 +0000 Microsoft and Discord hold a great deal of sway with video game fans. As they now hold talks for a potential US$10 billion acquisition, a deal would join two companies in pursuit of audiences far beyond gamers. Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, programmers and entrepreneurs, founded San Francisco-based Discord in 2015 as a platform for people to chat while playing video games together. The free service offers voice, video and text as well as gamer-friendly features including the ability for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3126868/why-microsoft-wants-buy-video-game-chat-app-discord-place?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3126868/why-microsoft-wants-buy-video-game-chat-app-discord-place?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Mar 2021 12:15:07 +0000 A YouTube alert interrupted Jack Erricker’s schoolwork on Friday morning as he and children all over the world woke up to the news that their favourite game, Fortnite, had been taken down from Apple’s app store and Google Play store. “It’s basically the only game I play,” said Jack, an 11-year-old in Bangalore, India, who loves playing Fortnite on his Apple iPad. “I’m not happy, I don’t think it’s a good move.” Fortnite, which has attracted more than 350 million players globally, is especially... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3097526/fortnite-gen-z-gamers-socially-cut-apple-google-remove-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3097526/fortnite-gen-z-gamers-socially-cut-apple-google-remove-app?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2020 16:12:43 +0000 The video game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout started out as an easy-to-play online multiplayer game for everyone – kids, parents and players of all ages. But now, six months into the coronavirus pandemic, the cute, colourful addition to the battle royale genre – think Fortnite – has provided a salve to social isolation and an escape from the constant barrage of bad news. More than two million players have bought the game for PCs on the Steam video game marketplace since its August 4 release. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3097222/why-summer-hit-fall-guys-ultimate-knockout-perfect-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3097222/why-summer-hit-fall-guys-ultimate-knockout-perfect-game?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2020 12:15:11 +0000 Activision is not just dipping its toes into the popular battle royale video game category. The Call of Duty publisher is jumping in, fully committed to take on current favourites Fortnite and Apex Legends. The new game, Call of Duty: Warzone, which just launched on Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One and PC, “is the most ambitious environment we have ever built in the franchise’s history,” said Patrick Kelly, who co-heads Infinity Ward, the studio that developed the game with support from... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3074620/look-out-fortnite-call-duty-joins-fight-domination-free?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3074620/look-out-fortnite-call-duty-joins-fight-domination-free?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2020 12:00:15 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS US gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) is still working with a Chinese partner to bring Apex Legends to the country, the company said in its latest earning call. It’s also working with the same partner on a mobile version of the game for global release, EA chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen reportedly said on the call. This plan was originally revealed in May 2019, with earlier reports saying EA partnered with Tencent, the company behind PUBG Mobile... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3048418/ea-still-making-apex-legends-mobile-game-chinese-partner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3048418/ea-still-making-apex-legends-mobile-game-chinese-partner?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2020 09:05:29 +0000 US gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) is still working with a Chinese partner to bring Apex Legends to the country, the company said in its latest earning call. It’s also working with the same partner on a mobile version of the game for global release, EA chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen reportedly said on the call. This plan was originally revealed in May 2019, with earlier reports saying EA partnered with Tencent, the company behind PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile. As in much of the... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/ea-still-making-apex-legends-mobile-game-chinese-partner/article/3048387?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/ea-still-making-apex-legends-mobile-game-chinese-partner/article/3048387?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2020 09:05:28 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Enjoy busting a move on TikTok? Now imagine taunting an enemy in Fortnite by showing off your signature dance in one of the biggest games in the world. That’s what the new Fortnite TikTok challenge promises. To participate, players have to take a video of themselves doing an original dance move on TikTok, tagging the post with #EmoteRoyaleContest. Only one winner gets the ultimate prize: Seeing their TikTok dance turned into an emote for players... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3046831/fortnite-teams-tiktok-create-official-dancing-emote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3046831/fortnite-teams-tiktok-create-official-dancing-emote?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2020 07:52:03 +0000 Enjoy busting a move on TikTok? Now imagine taunting an enemy in Fortnite by showing off your signature dance in one of the biggest games in the world. That’s what the new Fortnite TikTok challenge promises. To participate, players have to take a video of themselves doing an original dance move on TikTok, tagging the post with #EmoteRoyaleContest. Only one winner gets the ultimate prize: Seeing their TikTok dance turned into an emote for players worldwide to use. (They also get some in-game... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/fortnite-teams-tiktok-create-official-dancing-emote/article/3046793?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/fortnite-teams-tiktok-create-official-dancing-emote/article/3046793?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2020 07:52:01 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Fortnite might be two years old, but it’s still got gamers hooked. For the second year in a row, the battle royale shooter was the world’s top free-to-play game, making US$1.8 billion in 2019 according to market research firm SuperData. It trounced Dungeon Fighter Online and Honor of Kings, which came in at second and third. Despite its runaway popularity, Fortnite hasn’t quite caught on in China, the world’s biggest gaming market. Part of the reason is... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3044473/fortnite-2019s-top-grossing-game-despite-making-no-money-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3044473/fortnite-2019s-top-grossing-game-despite-making-no-money-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2020 06:20:15 +0000 Fortnite might be two years old, but it’s still got gamers hooked. For the second year in a row, the battle royale shooter was the world’s top free-to-play game, making US$1.8 billion in 2019 according to market research firm SuperData. It trounced Dungeon Fighter Online and Honor of Kings, which came in at second and third. Despite its runaway popularity, Fortnite hasn’t quite caught on in China, the world’s biggest gaming market. Part of the reason is that it still hasn’t received government... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/fortnite-2019s-top-grossing-game-despite-making-no-money-china/article/3044443?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/fortnite-2019s-top-grossing-game-despite-making-no-money-china/article/3044443?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2020 06:20:14 +0000 Gaming is now humanity’s favourite form of entertainment, and the medium’s legacy was cemented this past decade. While the early 2000s saw video game creators honing their ability to tell stories and build worlds in 3D, this past decade built off those nuts and bolts of game making and propelled the medium towards bigger ambitions such as open-world design, virtual and augmented reality and an influx of new genres such as battle-royale multiplayer. This past decade achieved several milestones... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043217/minecraft-fortnite-five-most-important-video-games-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043217/minecraft-fortnite-five-most-important-video-games-last?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2019 14:00:12 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Gamers in China can now sign up for a trial of Tencent’s cloud gaming service START, allowing them to play Fortnite, NBA2K Online 2, Path of Exile and Blade & Soul anywhere via streaming.  For its new service, Tencent partners with American GPU-maker Nvidia. START focuses on distributing PC and console games, and the current free trial will run until February 6. People with internet speeds of at least 20Mbps in seven regions in China -- including... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3042636/fortnite-and-nba2k-online-2-are-now-tencents-cloud-gaming-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3042636/fortnite-and-nba2k-online-2-are-now-tencents-cloud-gaming-service?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:15:27 +0000 Gamers in China can now sign up for a trial of Tencent’s cloud gaming service START, allowing them to play Fortnite, NBA2K Online 2, Path of Exile and Blade & Soul anywhere via streaming.  For its new service, Tencent partners with American GPU-maker Nvidia. START focuses on distributing PC and console games, and the current free trial will run until February 6. People with internet speeds of at least 20Mbps in seven regions in China -- including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province -- are... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/fortnite-and-nba2k-online-2-are-now-tencents-cloud-gaming-service-start/article/3042572?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/fortnite-and-nba2k-online-2-are-now-tencents-cloud-gaming-service-start/article/3042572?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:15:25 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS In a landmark case this week, a Chinese court awarded Blizzard and NetEase more than US$565,000 in a copyright infringement case. Two games from China’s 4399 Network and its subsidiary were accused of copying Overwatch, a globally popular shooter game.  Images posted on the court’s Weibo account show visual similarities between the clones and Overwatch. The ruling finds that the Chinese games copied core elements and designs from Overwatch, including... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3037901/overwatch-wins-china-lawsuit-over-game-clones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3037901/overwatch-wins-china-lawsuit-over-game-clones?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2019 07:04:13 +0000 In a landmark case this week, a Chinese court awarded Blizzard and NetEase more than US$565,000 in a copyright infringement case. Two games from China’s 4399 Network and its subsidiary were accused of copying Overwatch, a globally popular shooter game.  Images posted on the court’s Weibo account show visual similarities between the clones and Overwatch. The ruling finds that the Chinese games copied core elements and designs from Overwatch, including character appearance, skills, map routes, and... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/overwatch-wins-china-lawsuit-over-game-clones/article/3037850?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/overwatch-wins-china-lawsuit-over-game-clones/article/3037850?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2019 07:04:12 +0000 Chinese video gamers crushed a team from Europe on Sunday who were hoping to break the domination of Asian players in the world championship finals of online game “League of Legends.”   With more than $1 million up for grabs, China’s FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) swept the tournament, beating Europe’s G2 Esports in all three games before a crowd of over 15,000 fans in Paris. The game, developed 10 years ago by Los Angeles-based Riot Games, sees teams of players face off in a virtual battle arena with... https://www.scmp.com/games/chinese-team-sweeps-league-legends-tournament-dashing-european-hopes/article/3037181?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/chinese-team-sweeps-league-legends-tournament-dashing-european-hopes/article/3037181?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2019 08:49:06 +0000 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the reboot of the widely popular first-person shooter game, will launch on Friday and is set to become another billion-dollar hit for publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. The game is a fresh take on the popular Modern Warfare sub series of the Call of Duty franchise that was initially launched in 2007 and has since become a rage among gamers. It lets gamers portray elite soldiers hunting down targets in different parts of the world. Michael Pachter, managing director... https://www.scmp.com/games/call-duty-modern-warfare-could-be-another-1-billion-hit-activision-blizzard/article/3034558?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/call-duty-modern-warfare-could-be-another-1-billion-hit-activision-blizzard/article/3034558?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2019 08:45:57 +0000 Epic Games Inc., the closely held video-game company behind the global hit Fortnite, will now be studied at Harvard Business School. The university published one of its famous case studies last week on the company, which was founded in 1991 by computer programmer Tim Sweeney. The case study focuses less on Fortnite, which took in an estimated $2.4 billion last year, and more on the company’s introduction in December of the Epic Games Store, an online video-game retailer. That business... https://www.scmp.com/games/fortnite-so-good-making-money-its-being-studied-harvard/article/3034052?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/fortnite-so-good-making-money-its-being-studied-harvard/article/3034052?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:47:29 +0000 More than 6 million people tuned in on YouTube and Twitch to simultaneously watch a video game delete itself on Sunday. That was The End, the event that concluded Fortnite Season 10. When the entire world of Fortnite collapsed into a black hole, many people took to Twitter to wonder publicly when they’ll be able to play the game again instead of staring into the abyss on their screen. But in China, the end of Fortnite -- arguably the most watched gaming event ever -- made much less of a splash.... https://www.scmp.com/games/fortnites-biggest-event-went-unnoticed-china/article/3032805?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/fortnites-biggest-event-went-unnoticed-china/article/3032805?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:54:00 +0000 The CEO of Epic Games wants you to know it won’t punish esports players for chanting Hong Kong protest slogans… even though China’s biggest game company owns 40% of Epic. “Epic supports everyone’s right to speak freely,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote on Twitter. “China players of Fortnite are free to criticize the US or criticize Epic just as equally as all others.” That’s in stark contrast to the route Blizzard recently took when it banned an esports player for using a slogan supporting the ongoing... https://www.scmp.com/games/fortnite-maker-epic-supports-free-speech-and-chinese-netizens-fume/article/3032365?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/fortnite-maker-epic-supports-free-speech-and-chinese-netizens-fume/article/3032365?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:51:56 +0000 American teenager Kyle Giersdorf won US$3 million on Sunday after taking the top prize in a tournament in New York for the popular online video game Fortnite. Giersdorf, 16, from Pennsylvania, was one of at least 100 players competing for US$30 million in total prize money, as the booming popularity of video and online games has drawn top-dollar investments and fuelled the emerging professional sport. Playing under the name “Bugha,” Giersdorf won the solo finals portion of the Fortnite World... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3020430/american-teen-kyle-giersdorf-wins-us3-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3020430/american-teen-kyle-giersdorf-wins-us3-million?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2019 01:44:56 +0000 The global phenomenon Fortnite recently attracted millions of fans to a virtual gig by the real-world DJ Marshmello and now songwriters and composers are trying to use new copyright laws to receive their cut of royalties from music featured in the booming world of online gaming. PRS for Music, the body that makes sure 140,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in the UK are paid when their music is used across the globe, has revealed that music royalties rose 4.4 per cent to a record £746... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3008111/music-industry-takes-aim-fortnite-online-game-over-song-royalties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3008111/music-industry-takes-aim-fortnite-online-game-over-song-royalties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Apr 2019 08:00:29 +0000 The world’s biggest gaming market is finally getting a taste of Pokémon Go and CryptoKitties. Not the original versions but a new title that merges concepts underlying the two games into one, produced by Chinese gaming giant Tencent. The Shenzhen-based company on Thursday launched its long anticipated augmented reality (AR) game called Let’s Hunt Monsters, where users can cruise around streets and catch hundreds of virtual monsters, while rearing and trading millions of digital kittens stored on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3005911/tencent-launches-new-blockchain-game-merging-concepts-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3005911/tencent-launches-new-blockchain-game-merging-concepts-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2019 03:45:04 +0000 The video game industry is entering new frontiers. In the past, you plonked down US$60 for a copy of Grand Theft Auto or Madden NFL and played it out – after that you could trade it in or let it gather dust. Now, you increasingly have the choice of subscribing to games, playing for free or possibly just streaming them over the internet to your phone or TV. Welcome to a new world of experimentation in an industry that hasn’t been seriously shaken up since Nintendo launched its first home gaming... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3005147/great-video-game-shake-how-google-apple-and-more-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3005147/great-video-game-shake-how-google-apple-and-more-are?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:00:13 +0000 It looks like China’s government has crossed poker and mahjong games off the approvals list as regulators this week gave the green light to another batch of new video games after a nine-month halt last year, signalling stricter controls over online gambling. In the first quarter this year, Chinese censors approved the launch of 795 domestic video games, none of which were from the poker and mahjong genre. That compares to 962 approved poker games, or nearly 50 per cent of the total, in the same... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3004482/china-calls-time-poker-and-mahjong-video-game-approvals-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3004482/china-calls-time-poker-and-mahjong-video-game-approvals-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2019 22:00:11 +0000 China’s top content regulator has approved a fresh batch of online video games based on foreign intellectual property (IP), the government’s first such move in more than a year after it ended a nine-month licensing freeze. The State Administration of Press and Publications (SAPP) on Tuesday published a list of 30 newly licensed foreign online games. This included titles submitted by China’s three biggest video gaming companies – Tencent Holdings, NetEase and Perfect World. Among the new titles... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3004367/game-thrones-video-game-coming-china-regulator-approves-first-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3004367/game-thrones-video-game-coming-china-regulator-approves-first-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:00:05 +0000 What are a few hours playing video games and a handful of tweets worth? US$1 million if you are Tyler Blevins, known to millions as “Ninja,” the world’s most-followed computer gamer. Blevins was one of a few select professionals with huge followings pulled in by video game giant Electronic Arts Inc to play and promote its latest title, “Apex Legends,” in the first hours of the launch last month, generating a buzz that notched 10 million sign-ups in the first three days. The 27-year-old, famous... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3001612/top-gamer-ninja-said-have-made-us1-million-promote-eas-apex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3001612/top-gamer-ninja-said-have-made-us1-million-promote-eas-apex?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2019 02:54:54 +0000 China’s No. 2 gaming company NetEase has been cleared for the full launch of a new battle royale game for mobile in the country, while its bigger rival Tencent Holdings is still waiting for permission to monetise the genre’s biggest hits, PlayerUnknown’s BattleGround and Fortnite. What makes things worse for the Fortnite publisher in China is that the NetEase game is almost identical to Fortnite. China’s top content regulator on Friday approved a new batch of 95 video games for domestic launch,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/2189487/chinas-netease-cleared-launch-another-battle-royale-clone-mobile-while?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/2189487/chinas-netease-cleared-launch-another-battle-royale-clone-mobile-while?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Mar 2019 05:35:09 +0000 It is not spring yet in the world’s biggest gaming market. China’s top media regulator has stopped accepting new applications for game licences as it struggles through a backlog of thousands of titles from a previous nine-month hiatus, one industry source and a state-run news outlet said this week. Game publishers can still file applications to their respective provincial regulators but they are no longer passing them on to the State Administration of Press and Publications (SAPP) in Beijing,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/2187232/pubg-fortnite-game-thrones-these-popular-video-games-still-need-licences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/2187232/pubg-fortnite-game-thrones-these-popular-video-games-still-need-licences?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Feb 2019 22:02:40 +0000 China is already home to a thriving black market for cheats and hacks in video games – and that is also true for new battle royale hit Apex Legends even though the game has yet to be launched in the country. Illegal software that gives players unfair advantages in Apex Legends is now up for sale on the Chinese internet, just as its developer is going after cheaters exploiting the game two weeks into its launch. A search of “Apex support” on Taobao Marketplace, China’s biggest online retail... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/2186641/china-has-black-market-cheats-hit-game-apex-legends-even-though-it-has-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/2186641/china-has-black-market-cheats-hit-game-apex-legends-even-though-it-has-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Feb 2019 12:02:16 +0000 Alfonso Ribeiro, one of the stars of the hit US television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has been denied a copyright for the “Carlton” dance, which he is suing two video game makers over. The denial from the US Copyright Office was revealed on Wednesday in a motion to dismiss Ribeiro’s lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive, the makers of NBA 2K16, which Ribeiro says illegally makes use of the dance. The document denying the copyright says the moves in the “Carlton” represent a simple dance... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2186310/fresh-prince-star-alfonso-ribeiro-cant-claim-carlton?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2186310/fresh-prince-star-alfonso-ribeiro-cant-claim-carlton?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Feb 2019 07:51:48 +0000 Led by Fortnite: Battle Royale, the so-called free-to-play video game market surged to US$87.7 billion in revenue during 2018 – more than triple the earnings of blockbuster games released by major publishers last year. In fact, free-to-play titles accounted for nearly 80 per cent of all spending on digital games in 2018. That’s according to the latest research from Nielsen’s SuperData tracking arm, which measures data from the gaming, AR, and VR markets.  SuperData found that games played on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/2182996/fortnite-other-free-play-games-account-80pc-video-game-revenues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/2182996/fortnite-other-free-play-games-account-80pc-video-game-revenues?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jan 2019 17:00:58 +0000 The markets may be tanking, but that did not stop plenty of mega-fortunes from being unearthed in 2018. The popularity of Fortnite, the phenomenon that forced some into video-game rehab, gave developer and Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney a US$7.2 billion fortune last year. Autry Stephens, founder and chief executive of Endeavour Energy Resources, has US$11.4 billion after his closely held company attracted bids that valued the oil firm at as much as US$15 billion. “It was a good year for wealth... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/2180229/tech-chiefs-among-worlds-biggest-billionaire-winners-and-losers-2018?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/2180229/tech-chiefs-among-worlds-biggest-billionaire-winners-and-losers-2018?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jan 2019 03:45:45 +0000 In the summer of 2015, rapper 2 Milly went “Milly Rocking” on every block in Brooklyn, New York, turning the hip-hop two-step into the viral dance of the summer. People started doing the “Milly Rock” on fire escapes, on top of cars, in the end zone after scoring touchdowns. Rihanna was doing it. Travis Scott did it. “If you ain’t Milly Rockin’, you ain’t doing nothing,” 2 Milly, whose real name is Terrence Ferguson, told Vice in 2015. But then one day in July this year, some unwanted “Milly... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2177593/fortnite-appropriating-black-dance-culture-milly-rock-dance-creators?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2177593/fortnite-appropriating-black-dance-culture-milly-rock-dance-creators?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Dec 2018 13:02:39 +0000 Seven years on from the rebranding of its original incarnation Justin.tv, video game live-streaming platform Twitch boasts more than a million people tuned in at any moment – and interest is rising. Today’s top “streamers” are celebrities who can earn fame and a healthy living from competitive video gaming. Will video games streamed as a service change the business forever? Co-founder Emmett Shear says his light bulb moment came in 2010, four years before Amazon swooped to net Twitch for a cool... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2175209/why-twitch-earns-billions-and-king-game-streaming-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2175209/why-twitch-earns-billions-and-king-game-streaming-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Nov 2018 17:00:15 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS The Esports Awards is the scene’s big black tie event, where pro gamers and streamers sit alongside the heads of game publishers, cheering on as the stars of the industry receive awards for their achievements. And two games stood out this year: Blizzard Entertainment’s first-person shooter Overwatch, and Epic Games’ battle royale sensation Fortnite. How Fortnite and PUBG made battle royale the hottest trend in gaming Overwatch League celebrated an... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3028969/overwatch-fortnite-and-ninja-win-big-esports-awards-2018?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3028969/overwatch-fortnite-and-ninja-win-big-esports-awards-2018?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:28:16 +0000