https://www.scmp.com/rss/44690/feed Sony Corporation originated with an electronics shop set up in 1946 in Tokyo, and was officially christened Sony in 1958. Sony gained a reputation for innovation with the launch of the Betamax videocassette recording format and the introduction of the Walkman in 1979. Although its market share has been eroded by products from Samsung Electronics and Apple. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters A powerful scene ⁠in the action epic Gladiator II (2024) has a problem: a camera crew is visible behind Paul Mescal as his character prepares for a high-stakes battle. Jack Zimmerman, a visual effects artist, erases the intrusion. Zimmerman works at Exceptional Minds, an American non-profit vocational academy and visual effects studio for adults with autism. The organisation provides training to help autistic artists launch careers in the competitive world of Hollywood. “It feels like a dream,”... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347843/how-california-studio-helping-autistic-artists-break-hollywood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347843/how-california-studio-helping-autistic-artists-break-hollywood?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:15:10 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Chinese toymaker Pop Mart reported strong annual growth in revenue and net profit for 2025, but not enough to alleviate investor fears that the company remains too reliant on the Labubu phenomenon. Annual revenue jumped 184.7 per cent from a year earlier to 37.12 billion yuan (US$5.4 billion), while net profit surged 284.5 per cent to 13.08 billion yuan, the company said on Wednesday. However, its Hong Kong-listed shares plunged 22.5 per cent to HK$168.30 on Wednesday, marking the biggest drop... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3347851/pop-mart-shares-dive-despite-soaring-profit-investors-fear-labubu-dependence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3347851/pop-mart-shares-dive-despite-soaring-profit-investors-fear-labubu-dependence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:30:12 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Chinese toymaker Pop Mart and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced on Thursday a feature film starring Labubu, the company’s most popular character. Analysts said the film was a strategic move to extend Labubu’s intellectual property (IP) value and support medium-term growth, following the trajectory of global icons like Barbie and Hello Kitty. The film, still in early development, would be a mix of live action and computer-generated imagery, Pop Mart said in a statement. Lung Ka-sing, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3347028/pop-marts-labubu-headed-big-screen-collaboration-sony-pictures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3347028/pop-marts-labubu-headed-big-screen-collaboration-sony-pictures?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:16 +0000 dpa dpa A £2 billion (US$2.68 billion) class action will claim that millions of PlayStation users in the UK are overcharged for games on the console in the latest legal challenge against technology firms’ market dominance. The case, brought by consumer champion Alex Neill on behalf of an estimated 12.2 million gamers, accuses Sony of levying “excessive and unfair” charges on downloads from its PlayStation Store. The antitrust claim is set to be heard by the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345190/us268-billion-class-action-claims-uk-playstation-users-are-overcharged-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345190/us268-billion-class-action-claims-uk-playstation-users-are-overcharged-games?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:08:53 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Major Chinese technology companies, including ByteDance and Baidu, are aggressively expanding their US-based research and development teams, targeting high-level artificial intelligence and semiconductor recruits in key American tech hubs. The overseas hiring spree underscores these “big tech” firms’ growing ambitions to build up their skilled workforce in AI systems development and semiconductor design amid increased competition in their home market. Social media giant ByteDance, the parent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344212/chinas-tech-giants-pursue-ai-semiconductor-talent-us-competition-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344212/chinas-tech-giants-pursue-ai-semiconductor-talent-us-competition-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US singer Britney Spears has become the latest musician to sell the rights to her catalogue that includes hits like “Baby One More Time” and “Oops!...I Did It Again”, US media reported on Tuesday. The deal is believed to be worth around US$200 million, according to sources cited by celebrity site TMZ, though it said the exact amount is not detailed in legal documents. That sum would be comparable to the sale of Canadian singer Justin Bieber’s catalogue in 2023. Spears, 44, joins a growing list... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343126/britney-spears-sells-rights-her-music-catalogue-reported-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343126/britney-spears-sells-rights-her-music-catalogue-reported-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:52:28 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s plan for advanced chip production at a Japanese plant will help it hedge against US tariff threats and the possibility of a Beijing blockade around Taiwan, analysts said, while providing Japanese giants such as Sony and Toyota with local access to advanced chips for artificial intelligence applications. C C Wei, president and CEO of the world’s top chip foundry, known as TSMC and based in Taiwan, said on Thursday after meeting Japanese Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3342524/tsmc-japan-plan-advanced-chips-seen-hedge-against-pressure-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3342524/tsmc-japan-plan-advanced-chips-seen-hedge-against-pressure-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Dressed like 1970s rock stars evoking bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Velvet Sundown look the part of a real band – with one key difference: despite millions of listeners, they do not exist. The group is generated by artificial intelligence. AI-generated music is exploding, with the rapid expansion of platforms like the United States’ Suno and Udio, as well as China’s Mureka. From creation to copyright, the technology is making waves globally. But the US and China are approaching it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341893/future-ai-music-us-and-china-strike-different-chords?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341893/future-ai-music-us-and-china-strike-different-chords?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China-founded start-up Tripo AI on Tuesday launched a major update to its flagship platform, renamed Tripo Studio 1.0, that speeds up artificial intelligence-driven 3D content creation by up to 200 per cent compared with its previous version, as the company’s international user community continues to expand. A pioneer in large-scale, general-purpose 3D models, Tripo AI’s user base has more than doubled to 6.5 million from 3 million in August, company founder and CEO Simon Song Yachen told the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338202/china-founded-tripo-ai-updates-3d-content-creation-platform-users-more-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338202/china-founded-tripo-ai-updates-3d-content-creation-platform-users-more-double?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service In the world of Kokuho, the stomp of a foot can summon art into being. The blend of allegory and reality in the symbol-laden feature film continues to surprise months after its release, making it an unlikely new weapon in Sony’s Japanese content arsenal. Japanese-Korean director Lee Sang-il’s three-hour epic is now Japan’s top-grossing live-action movie of all time, smashing a 22-year-old record, according to domestic distributor Toho. The film, an adaptation of a two-volume novel by Shuichi... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337766/how-surprise-mega-hit-kokuho-could-make-japanese-live-action-movies-global-contenders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337766/how-surprise-mega-hit-kokuho-could-make-japanese-live-action-movies-global-contenders?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press When Kendrick Lamar began his Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year, he picked a stage design likely familiar to most tuning in: a square, triangle, cross and circle. The Grammy-winning rapper – in front of more than 133 million people – chose to perform on a massive, industrialised grid of flashing lights resembling a giant PlayStation controller. It was a nice surprise present for Sony’s PlayStation, which this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary in North America and Europe. Lamar’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3335157/how-sonys-playstation-changed-gaming-and-entertainment-forever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3335157/how-sonys-playstation-changed-gaming-and-entertainment-forever?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 20:15:09 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Fans of KPop Demon Hunters, rejoice: the mega-hit Netflix animated title about a fictional demon-slaying K-pop girl group called Huntr/x is officially the most-watched English movie on the platform of all time – and it’s returning for a sequel. Netflix and Sony are already in discussion with KPop Demon Hunters directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, eyeing a potential 2029 sequel, as noted by Deadline. Earlier this year, Kang told the BBC that a sequel, if there is one, will have “something... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3331741/who-created-netflixs-kpop-demon-hunters-meet-maggie-kang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3331741/who-created-netflixs-kpop-demon-hunters-meet-maggie-kang?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 22:00:11 +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 Associated Press Associated Press When pop groups and rock bands practise or perform, they rely on their guitars, keyboards and drumsticks to make music. Oliver McCann, a British AI music creator with the stage name imoliver, fires up his chatbot. McCann’s songs span genres from indie pop to electro soul and country rap. There is just one crucial difference between McCann and traditional musicians. “I have no musical talent at all,” he says. “I can’t sing, I can’t play instruments and I have no musical background at... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325853/ai-songwriting-killing-music-and-artistic-creativity-or-just-democratising-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325853/ai-songwriting-killing-music-and-artistic-creativity-or-just-democratising-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:15:08 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese consumer electronics makers, from power bank manufacturers to robot cleaner vendors, are showing unprecedented enthusiasm for Europe amid trade uncertainties stemming from US President Donald Trump’s policies, according to business representatives at IFA Berlin, the world’s oldest tech trade fair. Exhibitors from China took centre stage during the five-day event, which wrapped up on Tuesday. Nearly 700 Chinese exhibitors were present, more than double the 300 from last... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3325036/chinese-consumer-electronics-brands-flock-european-tech-fair-amid-trumps-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3325036/chinese-consumer-electronics-brands-flock-european-tech-fair-amid-trumps-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:00:10 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Chinese AI start-up Vast aims to take on global tech giants such as Tencent Holdings and Google in developing 3D AI models, which allow creators to generate three-dimensional visual content with text or image inputs, an increasingly competitive field that has seen the entrance of influential players such as AI pioneer Li Fei-fei. Beijing-based Vast, established in 2023, aims “to let everyone create 3D content with zero barriers and zero cost”, and potentially create a TikTok-like platform for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3323106/ex-minimax-co-founders-new-venture-aims-challenge-tencent-and-google-3d-ai-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3323106/ex-minimax-co-founders-new-venture-aims-challenge-tencent-and-google-3d-ai-models?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 01:00:19 +0000 Hyewon Lee Hyewon Lee Once considered a niche hobby, video gaming is now decidedly mainstream, standing alongside films and TV series that dominate pop culture. With blockbuster adaptations, a billion-dollar streaming industry, and a growing list of celebrity gamers on the scene, video games are reshaping the world of entertainment. Some of Hollywood’s biggest names have shared their love for gaming. From simply championing their gaming passion to even voicing characters and developing their own games, these seven... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3322451/7-celebrity-gamers-henry-cavill-and-mila-kunis-tom-holland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3322451/7-celebrity-gamers-henry-cavill-and-mila-kunis-tom-holland?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 10:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Netflix’s gargantuan hit film KPop Demon Hunters has captured the global zeitgeist this summer, smashing streaming and music chart records. Now it is coming for cinemas. An animated musical about a trio of South Korean pop starlets who fight demons with infectious songs and synchronised dance moves, Demon Hunters has been watched 210 million times and currently has five of the global top 10 songs on Spotify. In an unlikely journey, the streaming mega-hit is tipped by analysts to hit No 1 at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322901/kpop-demon-hunters-poised-slay-big-screen-after-netflix-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322901/kpop-demon-hunters-poised-slay-big-screen-after-netflix-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 03:05:38 +0000 Cherry Liu Cherry Liu Audrey Nuna is making headlines as one of the performers – alongside Ejae and Rei Ami – on the viral hit “Golden”, the lead single from the original soundtrack of Netflix’s hit animated feature KPop Demon Hunters. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 on August 12. KPop Demon Hunters tells the story of a popular K-pop girl group called Huntr/x, who secretly serve as demon hunters protecting the world from a demon king and his demon boy band, Saja Boys. Nuna voiced the character Mira from... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3321739/who-audrey-nuna-who-plays-mira-kpop-demon-hunters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3321739/who-audrey-nuna-who-plays-mira-kpop-demon-hunters?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 22:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Artificial intelligence and video gaming company CreateAI is looking to develop China’s next blockbuster AAA title on the back of its global rights to the works of acclaimed Hong Kong martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, also known as “Jin Yong”. CreateAI, formerly known as the autonomous vehicle firm TuSimple, aims to make Heroes of Jin Yong “one of the largest-scale triple-A, open-world role-playing games (RPGs)” in the market, president and CEO Lu Cheng told the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3321304/hong-kong-author-louis-chas-novels-form-basis-chinas-next-aaa-video-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3321304/hong-kong-author-louis-chas-novels-form-basis-chinas-next-aaa-video-game?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 02:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In the colourful, animated, musical world of KPop Demon Hunters, everyone is a fan. The general public rocks T-shirts supporting their favourite idols. They hold light sticks and stare starry-eyed at stadium stages; they scream, they cry, they cheer, they buy the merch. The Sony Pictures/Netflix film itself has inspired similar fanfare, having topped the streamer’s global rankings. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which follows... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3320292/how-netflixs-kpop-demon-hunters-became-such-huge-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3320292/how-netflixs-kpop-demon-hunters-became-such-huge-success?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok Just ahead of the July 9 deadline to reach an agreement on tariffs, US President Donald Trump announced his decision on the tariffs levels for 14 countries – including a rate of 25 per cent on Japan and South Korea – effective August 1. Trump accused Japan of not buying enough rice and cars from the US. It’s worth noting that the American car industry is simply not competitive in Japan. Germany, Japan and China are the top three auto exporters. Those countries, along with South Korea, have... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3317197/how-china-japan-and-south-korea-can-be-titans-tech-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3317197/how-china-japan-and-south-korea-can-be-titans-tech-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 08:30:06 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Xiaomi debuted its first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart glasses on Thursday, marking the Chinese smartphone and electric vehicle (EV) maker’s entry into a rapidly expanding but crowded domestic market. The Beijing-based company has positioned its new eyewear as a “next-generation personal smart gadget”, according to an image posted on its official Weibo account on Wednesday. Co-founder and CEO Lei Jun said the glasses could capture first-person video and respond to voice queries –... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3315917/xiaomis-first-ai-powered-eyewear-brings-smartphone-firm-war-hundreds-glasses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3315917/xiaomis-first-ai-powered-eyewear-brings-smartphone-firm-war-hundreds-glasses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:00:10 +0000 dpa dpa Elegance is sometimes defined by small details. In the case of Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones, it is the art of making a piece of technology look – and feel – like recycled cardboard while simultaneously being extremely high-quality. And all for the rather exclusive price of around US$450 (HK$3,699). Alongside offerings from other major players like Bose, Apple and Sennheiser, Sony’s WH-1000XM headphones are a kind of benchmark among high-priced Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancellation... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3313800/sonys-new-xm6-headphones-are-incredible-are-they-worth-price?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3313800/sonys-new-xm6-headphones-are-incredible-are-they-worth-price?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Apple unveiled the most sweeping software redesign in its history, aiming to make the company’s device line-up more cohesive and useful, even while doing little to upgrade its struggling artificial intelligence platform. The new interface, called Liquid Glass, was introduced Monday at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The approach uses transparent menus and a glassy look, transforming the software on the company’s iPhone, iPad, Mac, TV platform, smartwatches and Vision Pro... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313792/apples-ai-takes-back-seat-design-ipad-revamp-wwdc-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313792/apples-ai-takes-back-seat-design-ipad-revamp-wwdc-event?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:03:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters Microsoft’s Xbox is increasing the prices of its video gaming consoles, controllers, first-party titles and other accessories, following similar moves by competitors due to US tariffs affecting global supply chains. In a blog post on Thursday, Xbox said it would raise prices of its products in the US, Europe, Australia and the UK. The more powerful Xbox Series X console will now retail for around US$600 in the US, an increase of US$100. The move comes a few weeks after PlayStation maker Sony... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3308762/xbox-joins-playstation-raising-console-prices-amid-us-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3308762/xbox-joins-playstation-raising-console-prices-amid-us-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2025 03:00:19 +0000 These five innovations from CES, the annual consumer electronics trade show held in Las Vegas, could shape the future of cars. 1. Sony’s Afeela 1 The premium-priced car first broke cover a while back, but at CES, Sony announced the final specs, cost and delivery details for its first electric vehicle. Starting at US$89,000 for the entry model, the car will be launched on the US market in mid-2026 and the rest of the world after that. 2. New Honda O-series models Honda announced two coming... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3294084/5-car-innovations-ces-show-las-vegas-could-change-future-driving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3294084/5-car-innovations-ces-show-las-vegas-could-change-future-driving?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 01:45:07 +0000 At launch, 30 years ago, things initially didn’t look very good for the first Sony PlayStation. Critics listed various reasons as to why the Japanese electronics company’s new games console would not hold up against those of Sega and Nintendo. Technically, the first Sony console was superior to the devices of its powerful competitors. But while Nintendo and Sega offered gamers a choice of hundreds of games, Sony only had a handful. What’s more, when the PlayStation launched in Japan on December... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3289080/how-decades-old-snub-japans-nintendo-created-gaming-giant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3289080/how-decades-old-snub-japans-nintendo-created-gaming-giant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 03:10:52 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Tencent Holdings will gradually cut off online sales and services for the Chinese version of the Nintendo Switch console from 2026, potentially affecting millions of users in the world’s second-largest video gaming market. The Tencent-operated eShop for the Chinese Nintendo Switch console will stop selling or offering paid and free video games and software on March 31, 2026, according to a statement published on Tuesday on the console’s mainland website. Certain downloads and code redemptions,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3288377/chinese-nintendo-switch-users-limbo-tencent-winds-down-online-services-console?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3288377/chinese-nintendo-switch-users-limbo-tencent-winds-down-online-services-console?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Nov 2024 11:00:14 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese smartphone giant Vivo on Monday launched its premium X200 series on the mainland, featuring MediaTek’s new 3-nanometre processor and Live Photo format capability, weeks after Apple and Huawei Technologies rolled out their latest flagship handset models. Priced from 4,299 yuan (US$608) to 6,799 yuan, the X200 series marks the latest effort by Vivo to crack the industry’s lucrative high-end segment in the world’s largest smartphone market and across the globe. Vivo said it will start... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3282343/vivo-launches-premium-x200-smartphone-weeks-after-apple-huawei-release-new-handsets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3282343/vivo-launches-premium-x200-smartphone-weeks-after-apple-huawei-release-new-handsets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2024 13:57:01 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China’s publication authority this month approved 117 video games – the biggest batch of titles licensed so far this year – as the industry remains all agog over the blockbuster success of Black Myth: Wukong, released just last week. Tencent Holdings’ action game Yirenzhixia, NetEase-operated Jiewai Kuangchao and Huangyuan Shuguang from Alibaba Group Holding subsidiary Lingxi Games were among the latest titles to get licensed for domestic release, according to a statement released on Friday by... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3276681/china-approves-117-video-games-august-most-2024-amid-black-myth-wukong-mania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3276681/china-approves-117-video-games-august-most-2024-amid-black-myth-wukong-mania?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Aug 2024 06:41:09 +0000 Mandy Zuo,He Huifeng Mandy Zuo,He Huifeng China’s blockbuster video game Black Myth: Wukong is driving a wave of economic activities across multiple sectors, creating a “Wukong economy” from tourism to computer accessories amid soft domestic demand. The success of China’s first AAA premium game, based on the literary figure Monkey King from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, has led to a travel boom in parts of China, increased demand for gaming hardware upgrades and a surge in spending on drinks and wellness services,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3275967/black-myth-wukong-boom-plays-chinas-desire-lift-demand-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3275967/black-myth-wukong-boom-plays-chinas-desire-lift-demand-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Aug 2024 01:00:12 +0000 Ann Cao,Kelly Le Ann Cao,Kelly Le Mainland China’s Black Myth: Wukong mania has boosted domestic sales of video gaming-related hardware, with Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation 5 console in particularly high demand, according to local vendors and gamers. The hit action role-playing game – developed by Tencent Holdings-backed studio Game Science and based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West – has sold at least 4.5 million copies since its release on Tuesday for the PS5 console and personal computers. “This... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3275373/chinas-black-myth-wukong-mania-lifts-sales-sonys-ps5-console-other-gaming-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3275373/chinas-black-myth-wukong-mania-lifts-sales-sonys-ps5-console-other-gaming-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 13:00:22 +0000 Huawei Technologies stole the spotlight at this year’s edition of ChinaJoy, the country’s biggest annual digital entertainment expo in Shanghai, as the telecommunications equipment giant unveiled more than 40 video games that can run on HarmonyOS Next, the latest iteration of its mobile operating system. HarmonyOS Next, which will end support for Android apps, will be officially launched for commercial use on Huawei’s upcoming flagship 5G smartphone series, the Mate 70, in the fourth quarter... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3272494/huawei-steals-spotlight-chinajoy-expo-harmonyos-next-promotion-entices-gamers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3272494/huawei-steals-spotlight-chinajoy-expo-harmonyos-next-promotion-entices-gamers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jul 2024 10:00:28 +0000 Eric Jiang Eric Jiang A mainland Chinese distributor of Nvidia Corp products is looking to boost sales of the US firm’s graphics cards – hardware used by gamers to crank up computing performance – by offering these in a promotion with Black Myth: Wukong, the country’s first triple-A video game. Guangzhou-based Maxsun, which distributes products based on Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices technologies, is offering free digital keys to action role-playing game Black Myth: Wukong for each purchase of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266654/chinese-nvidia-distributor-pairs-graphics-cards-black-myth-wukong-game-offbeat-promotion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266654/chinese-nvidia-distributor-pairs-graphics-cards-black-myth-wukong-game-offbeat-promotion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jun 2024 01:00:17 +0000 Eric Jiang Eric Jiang China’s first triple-A video game, Black Myth: Wukong, has emerged as a big hit more than two months before its official release, as initial domestic pre-orders were about 16 times oversubscribed as of Tuesday. An action role-playing game based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West published in the 16th century, Black Myth: Wukong was developed by Shenzhen-based studio Game Science, which is backed by Tencent Holdings – operator of the world’s largest video gaming business by... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266168/chinese-triple-video-game-black-myth-wukong-proves-big-hit-initial-pre-orders-16-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266168/chinese-triple-video-game-black-myth-wukong-proves-big-hit-initial-pre-orders-16-times?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2024 11:30:09 +0000 A Japanese electronics consultancy has denied that it conducted a teardown analysis of Huawei Technologies’ new Pura 70 smartphone, after a widely circulated Chinese social media post claimed that the research firm found mostly locally-sourced components in the device. “I never commented on the Pura 70 to anyone because we have not received the product,” said Minatake Mitchell Kashio, CEO at Tokyo-based Fomalhaut Techno Solutions, in response to an email inquiry from the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3260920/japanese-researcher-denies-conducting-teardown-analysis-huawei-pura-70-smartphone-amid-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3260920/japanese-researcher-denies-conducting-teardown-analysis-huawei-pura-70-smartphone-amid-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:00:36 +0000 China’s video gaming regulator this month approved 95 new titles for domestic release, including Lost Soul Aside from the mainland unit of Sony Interactive Entertainment and Broken Land from NetEase. This was the smallest batch of titles approved so far in 2024 by the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), the government body in charge of licensing video games in China. The NPPA granted licences to 107 video games in March, 111 in February and 115 in January. This year, the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3260628/china-approves-95-new-video-games-april-including-lost-soul-aside-sony-and-neteases-broken-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3260628/china-approves-95-new-video-games-april-including-lost-soul-aside-sony-and-neteases-broken-land?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Apr 2024 09:00:53 +0000 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is expanding its output in Japan with plans to build a second chip fabrication plant that marks a major victory for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as his government seeks to boost domestic production of integrated circuits. TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker, said that Toyota Motor Corp will be joining as a new investor of Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), the Taiwanese firm’s majority-owned manufacturing subsidiary in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3251174/semiconductor-manufacturing-giant-tsmc-pushes-development-second-chip-plant-japan-new-investor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3251174/semiconductor-manufacturing-giant-tsmc-pushes-development-second-chip-plant-japan-new-investor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2024 13:53:43 +0000 It’s impossible to think of anyone other than Matt LeBlanc playing Joey in Friends, or Kate Winslet as Rose in Titanic. But casting is a long and arduous process, with several interested parties in the filmmaking process all vying for their personal choice of actor or actress to play a particular role. And sometimes actors just fluff their audition. Eddie Redmayne called his attempts to win the part of Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as “catastrophically bad”, telling Uproxx that after... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3246620/8-iconic-film-and-tv-roles-almost-went-someone-else-leonardo-dicaprio-and-brad-pitt-being-asked-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3246620/8-iconic-film-and-tv-roles-almost-went-someone-else-leonardo-dicaprio-and-brad-pitt-being-asked-star?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jan 2024 22:00:14 +0000 Home to Bollywood films and premier cricket league matches, India’s media and entertainment industry is set for a major shake-up with up to two mega-corporate mergers next year that could spark a wave of other consolidations. Expectations have reached a fever pitch in the industry after India’s most valuable company, Reliance Industries, and The Walt Disney Company signed a non-binding agreement to merge their Indian media operations, according to a report by The Economic Times on Monday. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3246541/india-entertainment-industry-set-wave-mergers-us-media-giants-and-local-mncs-invest-expand-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3246541/india-entertainment-industry-set-wave-mergers-us-media-giants-and-local-mncs-invest-expand-content?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Dec 2023 10:32:10 +0000 Sony is seeing strong momentum for its PlayStation 5 console, a senior games executive said, with lifetime sales exceeding 50 million units and the company recording its best-ever Black Friday period sales for the device. The entertainment conglomerate is looking for a strong performance from the PS5, which is in its fourth year on the market, during the holiday shopping season to hit its sales target of a record 25 million units in the current financial year ending March 31. “Given the momentum... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3245827/sony-highlights-ps5-momentum-hardware-sales-top-50-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3245827/sony-highlights-ps5-momentum-hardware-sales-top-50-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Dec 2023 05:00:21 +0000 Gamers love to gear up and snatch any piece of equipment that will help them beat a final boss or in online competition. The problem gift buyers face is that there is a dizzying array of controllers, headsets and gadgets on the market. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the extensive options and find the perfect gift for the gamer in your life. 1. DualSense Edge Sony finally jumped on the elite-style controller bandwagon and introduced its DualSense Edge controller this year. It feels... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3243190/6-gifts-gamers-2023-playstation-xbox-nintendo-switch-controllers-meta-quest-3-vr-headset-joystick?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3243190/6-gifts-gamers-2023-playstation-xbox-nintendo-switch-controllers-meta-quest-3-vr-headset-joystick?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Nov 2023 20:15:15 +0000 Chinese smartphone maker Realme said it had shipped more than 200 million handsets since it was established a little over five years ago, most of them outside China, with data showing it was the fifth-fastest smartphone vendor to achieve this milestone. Realme, owned by Chinese consumer hardware giant BBK Electronics which also controls the Oppo and Vivo brands, said it had reached the 200-million mark in the second quarter. Data from market analytics firm Counterpoint Research shows that only... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3242898/chinas-realme-sister-brand-vivo-oppo-surges-past-200-million-smartphone-shipments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3242898/chinas-realme-sister-brand-vivo-oppo-surges-past-200-million-smartphone-shipments?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2023 02:42:15 +0000 It’s remarkable to watch a spider build a web. Time-lapse videos show an arachnid creating a structure that doesn’t resemble the unique netting at first, but as it sets anchor points and creates bridge lines, a familiar shape begins to form. By the end of the footage, you see an amazing feat of engineering. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PlayStation 5 develops in a similar way. The video game floods players with a firehose of Spidey content in the beginning. Peter Parker and Miles Morales team up in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3240196/marvels-spider-man-2-masterful-weaving-two-superheroes-stories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3240196/marvels-spider-man-2-masterful-weaving-two-superheroes-stories?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2023 08:15:10 +0000 Apple chief executive Tim Cook’s latest trip to China has included a low-key visit to manufacturing facilities run by Luxshare Precision Industry Co, as the US technology giant closely monitors the progress of its supply chain for the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. Cook was spotted on Wednesday morning in a tour of a factory owned by Luxshare – a major Apple AirPods supplier that has also won iPhone 15 orders and was named as an assembler of the Vision Pro – in the northern part of eastern... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238406/apple-ceo-tim-cook-visits-factory-major-chinese-supplier-luxshare-amid-preparations-local-assembly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238406/apple-ceo-tim-cook-visits-factory-major-chinese-supplier-luxshare-amid-preparations-local-assembly?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:01:28 +0000 Xbox maker Microsoft closed its US$69 billion deal for Activision Blizzard on Friday, swelling its heft in the video-gaming market with bestselling titles including Call of Duty to better compete with industry leader Sony. Originally unveiled in January 2022, the biggest deal in the gaming industry cleared its final big hurdle – an approval from Britain – earlier in the day after Microsoft agreed to sell streaming rights for Activision’s games to allay competition concerns. The completion is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3237927/microsoft-closes-us69-billion-activision-deal-after-winning-britains-nod-approval?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3237927/microsoft-closes-us69-billion-activision-deal-after-winning-britains-nod-approval?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2023 15:59:34 +0000 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), which is making an unprecedented push into chip manufacturing overseas, is taking an increasingly optimistic view of Japan as a production base, two industry sources said, as problems persist at its new factory in Arizona. TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker, is frustrated in Arizona, the sources said, where it has struggled to recruit workers for the gruelling chip-making trade and faced pushback from unions on efforts to bring in workers... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3234340/taiwans-tsmc-puts-hopes-new-japan-chip-fab-amid-frustration-us-plant-arizona?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3234340/taiwans-tsmc-puts-hopes-new-japan-chip-fab-amid-frustration-us-plant-arizona?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2023 04:00:22 +0000 A US federal judge on Tuesday resurrected Microsoft’s US$69 billion buyout of video gaming giant Activision Blizzard by refusing to allow the temporary suspension of the long delayed deal. The US Federal Trade Commission, the Washington-based antitrust enforcer, requested that the blockbuster transaction be halted pending an investigation on competition concerns. But Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said “the FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim.” The decision handed a major... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3227367/microsoft-activision-us69-billion-deal-back-track-after-us-court-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3227367/microsoft-activision-us69-billion-deal-back-track-after-us-court-win?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:18:51 +0000 A US judge late on Tuesday granted the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) request to temporarily block Microsoft Corp’s acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard and set a hearing next week. US District Judge Edward Davila scheduled a two-day evidentiary hearing on the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction for June 22 to 23 in San Francisco. Without a court order, Microsoft could have closed on the US$69 billion deal as early as Friday. The FTC, which enforces antitrust law, asked... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3224012/microsofts-activision-acquisition-temporarily-blocked-us-judge-ftc-challenge-awaits-hearing-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3224012/microsofts-activision-acquisition-temporarily-blocked-us-judge-ftc-challenge-awaits-hearing-court?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jun 2023 04:51:21 +0000