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Good morning. We’re officially halfway through yet another trip around the sun. Today we’ll be revisiting Nazara’s acquisition of Sportskeeda, exploring NODWIN Gaming’s latest acquisition of a European company and taking a look at how KFC is capitalizing on the BGMI wave in India.
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After Nazara’s Victory with Sportskeeda, Will Google Disrupt Their Game?
Five years after Nazara acquired a majority stake in Absolute Sports - the parent company of the sports and gaming news website Sportskeeda.com - both companies have witnessed significant growth. In addition to clocking an impressive INR 194 Cr in FY 24 revenue, the subsidiary now accounts for half of Nazara’s profitability. Yet only 16.6% of Sportskeeda’s revenue comes from what the company classifies as “Esports” - a term that also includes revenue and traffic figures from casual gaming and non-esports titles.
The road ahead is not without obstacles. For starters, the majority of Sportskeeda’s traffic is reliant on Google search, and recent changes to the latter’s algorithm through its “Helpful Content Updates” (HCU) have adversely impacted numerous websites and content aggregators. Additionally, the tech giant has rolled out AI generated answers for various search queries in the US (69% of Sportskeeda’s revenue) and is likely going to expand this to the rest of the world as well.
Sadakshi’s story explores this and more in today’s feature story.
NODWIN Gaming To Acquire 100% of European Esports Company Freaks 4U Gaming
Indian gaming and esports company NODWIN Gaming has signed definitive agreements to increase its existing 13.51% stake in Freaks 4U Gaming GmbH, a Berlin-based Global full service gaming and esports agency to 100% in tranches through a share swap valued at up to INR 271 crore ($3.25 million USD).
Freaks 4U Gaming functions as an international gaming and esports focused agency which (according to a press release) generated INR 223 Cr in FY 23 revenue. This move will enhance NODWIN Gaming's reach into developed markets and boost their execution and planning abilities in PC gaming and publishing services. NODWIN Gaming’s FY 24 revenue stood at INR 427.1 Cr. By incorporating Freaks 4U Gaming's skills and presence in these key markets, it expects significant revenue growth.
KFC Collaborates with KRAFTON in India for BGMI rewards
Through a limited time collaboration, purchasing a KFC Zinger Box gives buyers a unique code which can be redeemed on the BGMI website for a chance to win in-game items such as parachutes, bags, hats, jackets and more. The campaign goes by the moniker “Winner Winner Chicken Lunch’ and is live in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune till 30th August 2024.
BGIS 2024 Concludes With Scout OP’s Team Xspark Claiming Victory
KRAFTON India successfully concluded its three-day LAN event in Hyderabad with Team Xspark emerging victorious, bagging themselves a cool INR 60 lakh ($71.9k). Abhinav Bindra, India's ace shooter and first individual Olympic gold medalist attended the event and the proceeds from the Elite pass sale, INR 25 lakhs ($30k) was donated to the Abhinav Bindra Foundation. Additionally, during the tournament, KRAFTON India CEO also revealed that another LAN event, the Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS) will be held in Kochi, Kerala.
Crunchyroll Add-On Launches on Prime Video in India
Prime Video members in India can now purchase an add-on subscription to Crunchyroll at INR 79 per month ($1) gaining access to over 800 anime titles including popular ones such as Kaiju No 8. “The popularity of anime content in India has grown exponentially over the last few years, and through various Channels, we are working towards building a wide and diverse library of popular and blockbuster Japanese animation,” said Gaurav Bhasin, head of Prime Video Channels and Movie Rentals, Prime Video, India.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is One of the Most Successful DLCs Ever
In just three days of its release, the DLC has sold over 5 million copies. What makes this even more impressive is that access to the new content is locked behind some of the toughest bosses in Elden Ring (base game) - Mohg and Radahn. Steam ratings for the game jumped back up from ‘Mixed’ to ‘Mostly Positive’ following initial complaints about the DLC’s high difficulty level and performance issues.
In the Jixi labor camp in northeast China, prisoners were forced to play games like World of Warcraft to earn credits that guards traded for real money. One former inmate described how this "gold farming" operation was more profitable for the prison than physical labor. With 300 inmates working 12-hour shifts, they generated up to 6,000 RMB (£470-570) daily, although prisoners never saw any of the money. The punishment for not meeting quotas was harsh, involving physical beatings. This exploitation highlights the darker side of the virtual asset trade, a booming industry with an estimated 80% of gold farmers based in China.
