Episode 111: Take-Two’s Trademark Shenanigans (News Show)

Virtual Economy

Take-Two doesn’t want anyone to trademark anything that includes the words “Rockstar” or “Take” or “Two” in a trademark dispute overreach. Also: A big labor update (Activision, Ubisoft, Sony, Microsoft), CD Projekt and EG7 earnings, Tencent in trouble at home, and Marty O’Donnell’s big mea culpa.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:04:56] - CD Projekt Earnings
• [00:16:20] - EG7 Earnings
• [00:28:06] - Tencent in Trouble
• [00:31:51] - Investment Interlude
• [00:47:08] - Quick Hits
• [01:05:42] - Labor Update (Activision, Ubisoft, Sony, Microsoft)
• [01:22:04] - Take-Two Gets Aggressive with Trademarks
• [01:28:20] - FAFO Award

SOURCES

• CD Projekt Consolidated Financial Statement Q3 FY2021
• Enad Global 7 Q3 2021 Investor Presentation
• Report: Tencent suspended from updating or launching apps in China | Game Developer
• Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Tells Colleagues He Would Consider Leaving if He Can’t Quickly Fix Problems | WSJ (Paywall)
• Activision Blizzard Board of Directors Continues to Build Upon Its Ongoing Oversight
• Nintendo Issues Internal Response to Activision-Blizzard Reports | Fanbyte
• ESA on Activision Blizzard: “Harassment should never be tolerated” | GamesIndustry
• 6 state treasurers pressure Activision over misconduct allegations | Axios
• Jessica Gonzalez on Twitter
• Austin O’Brien on Twitter
• Lawsuit against PlayStation alleges gender discrimination | Axios
• Fawzi Mesmar Named As Ubisoft’s New Vice President of Editorial
• Microsoft will be required to disclose sexual harassment cases after shareholder vote | Engadget
• Josef Fares' It Takes Two hit by Take-Two claim | Eurogamer
• Message From Marty O'Donnell

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

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• HARMONIX IS JOINING THE EPIC GAMES FAMILY!
• Nordisk Games acquires Flashbulb Games
• Zordix Group Acquires Global Games Publisher Maximum Games Inc.
• Welcome, SyncSketch!
• Niantic Receives $300 Million Investment From Coatue
• Welcome Team Lowkey to Niantic
• Atari Announces Strategic Transactions
• Moon Active valuation surges to $5 billion on back of $300 million Insight funding | Calcalist
• UTA Acquisition Corporation Announces Pricing of $200 Million Initial Public Offering