Gaming
Game Changers: Natali Altshuler, Electronic Arts
Adaptability and versatility are vital skills for any leader, but they may be even more important in video games than in other industries, as constant changes in development, play mechanics, monetization and technology tend to upend operations on a regular basis.
SBJ Gaming: NHL 26 seeks a new ‘Edge’
The September 12 edition of the SBJ Gaming newsletter features reporting on how the NHL 26 development team is using NHL Edge data to make a better, more responsive hockey sim and 2K Sports' latest brand additions and activations for NBA 2K26, plus how Blizzard Entertainment moved too fast to turn t...
Is Luka Dončić a new horizon for Blizzard Entertainment?
When Overwatch’s “Play Like Luka” event went live on Aug. 26, Luka Dončić became the first sports star to make a deal with Blizzard Entertainment for its 5-on-5 team shooter. He had a hand in designing a hero build for Season 18, along with being featured in a slew of themed items in the game.
NHL 26’s incorporation of Edge data adds new layer of player precision
The yearly release of EA Sports’ NHL series hit Friday, and it’s adding a new tech component that should influence all aspects of players’ performances on the ice.
Sources: EA Sports college basketball video game talks hit snag
Hopes for a college basketball video game including all of Division I have reached an impasse -- at least for the time being.
Lakers star Luka Dončić is coming to Overwatch 2
Lakers G Luka Dončić is coming to Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch 2 in a first-of-its-kind promotion for the Activision-Blizzard label during an event that showcases not just his passion for the 5-on-5 team shooter but also a new season for the game. The event -- billed as “Play Like Luka” -- is ...
SBJ Gaming: Sony sells stake in Evo to India’s Nodwin Gaming
The Aug. 21 edition of the SBJ Gaming newsletter looks at Sony's sale of its Evo stake to Nodwin Gaming and how MLB 9 Innings 25 felt about its recent All-Star Game events.
Gaming speed reads
A roundup of sports gaming industry news for August 21 edition of SBJ Gaming newsletter.
MLB 9 Innings 25’s players embrace the Legends during All-Star Game events
Events such as All-Star Games tend to be boons for sports games, especially on the mobile side. They bring back lapsed players or provide a fresh avenue of engagement for those who may still be playing but may not log in every day.
Nodwin’s acquisition of Evo from Sony fits with series’ expansion plans
Coming off one of the most successful Las Vegas events since its founding in 1996, the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) no longer is a Sony Interactive Entertainment property. The premier fighting-game esports event announced Thursday that it sold controlling interest to India’s Nodwin Gaming. Sa...
SBJ Gaming: How Rematch became the summer’s sports hit
The Aug. 7 edition of the SBJ Gaming looks at how Rematch became the sports gaming hit of the summer, the state of sports gaming in Japan and the latest gaming docuseries effort featuring NFL players.
The state of sports gaming in Japan
Japan is a strong market for sports, especially baseball and soccer. But Japanese gamers, who skew toward smartphones over consoles and PCs, simply don’t play sports video games as much as their counterparts in the U.S. or Europe.
Livewire’s ‘Race to the End Zone’ to capture the gaming culture of NFL teams
Livewire is the latest company the NFL is enlisting in its effort to help it not only reach younger audiences, but those involved with gaming.
Rematch’s rhythm makes waves in sports gaming
Rematch feels like the big sports hit of the summer. It’s unlike any other soccer game on the market. You control one player, not an entire team, and it’s 5-on-5, which forces you to work with others to score goals and play defense, with controls that feel tighter than those in other sports games.
SBJ Gaming: MLB: The Show 25 enjoys franchise-best first half
The SBJ Gaming newsletter for July 23
Konami signs multiyear extension with FIFPRO for eFootball
Konami signed an extension this week of its multiyear deal with FIFPRO -- the group that reps 65,000 pro soccer players around the world -- for name, image and likeness rights in eFootball, its long-running soccer series. No agencies were involved in the extension, which kicks in for the 2025-26 sea...
Why NASCAR 25 is coming out Oct. 14
NASCAR’s long absence from home console video gaming ends Oct. 14, when NASCAR 25 hits PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The last game for the association, NASCAR 21: Ignition, was so riddled with bugs that it sent video game stock car racing into the garage.
MLB: The Show 25 enjoys its best first-half sales in franchise history
MLB: The Show 25 was the seventh best-selling game of June in the U.S., but that doesn’t tell the full story of Sony’s baseball sim success.
NASCAR 25 gets Oct. 14 launch date for PlayStation, Xbox platforms
NASCAR’s return to home console video gaming now has a release date, with NASCAR 25 coming out Oct. 14 for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 consoles. A release for PC on Steam will be planned at a later date.
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Quote of the Day
If you wanted to see a deal done, probably the worst day was when the chairman Ed Herlihy and I resigned because we could have gotten a deal done.-- Former PGA Tour Policy Board member Jimmy Dunne, on the prospects of the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF getting a deal done to reunify men's professional golf.
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