socalTECH

DECEMBER 8, 2022

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said on Thursday that it is looking to block the acquisition of Santa Monica-based Activision Blizzard by Microsoft Corp., saying the buy will "harm competition in high-performance gaming consoles and subscription services".

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Activision Santa Monica Competition Acquisition 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 18, 2019

Santa Monica-based game publisher Activision said Thursday that it is turning its content model away from "loot boxes" to the "battle pass" model, for its upcoming launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. According to Activision, the new "Battle Pass" system replaces its previous "loot box" system to unlock features and items in the game.

Activision 100

Activision Santa Monica Content Platform 100

socalTECH

JULY 23, 2012

Los Angeles startup accelerator StartEngine has launched its third class, a new batch of fourteen startups which have set up shop in the incubator's Westwood Village space under the watchful eyes of Activision co-founder Howard Marks and investor Paul Kessler. READ MORE>>.

Class 196

Class Startup Activision Incubator 196

socalTECH

OCTOBER 18, 2018

Santa Monica-based Activision is reporting this morning that it has had more than $500M in "sell-through" on its latest title in its first three days of release, saying that it has now set records for most combined players, average hours per player and total number of hours played, on current generation consoles. READ MORE>>

Activision 100

Activision Sales Santa Monica Platform 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2014

Our first post over the holidays is from Howard Marks --who co-founded Activision--and recently founded startup accelerator StartEngine, and who has been very active in encouraging the technology industry in Los Angeles. Marks was the founder and CEO of Acclaim, co-founder of Activision and Chairman of Activision Studios.

Activision 191

Activision Southern California Los Angeles Capital 191

socalTECH

JANUARY 30, 2013

StartEngine's founders are Howard Marks, who co-founded Activision, and investor Paul Kessler. StartEngine provides $20,000 to $100,000 in funding to promising startups, and also offers up mentoring, office space, and help in getting those startups to the next stage.

Santa Monica 178

Santa Monica Startup Activision Commerce 178

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

Well, we started out a free text messaging platform. We just happen to have significantly more users than most of the group texting platforms you typically read about. Scott was one of the first employees at Activision and was VP of their Studio Business. Why are they doing it on textPlus? People like free.

Gogii 310

Gogii Invest Blogging Startup 310

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2012

Los Angeles-based Gamzee , the HTML5 game development firm headed by Howard Marks, one of the founders of Activision, has shifted its staff as it rethinks how to approach the market. The startup develops the Skyscraper City social game, which lets users create and build a city, adding buildings, redeveloping neighborhoods, and more.

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Activision Mobile Resource Los Angeles 191

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Hulu has been making its Hulu Plus app available across a wide range of platforms, most recently for the updated PlayStation 4 , which launched last week. Hulu said its development team has been working with Microsoft on the app for Xbox One, which will include tray navigation, larger images, updated search, and other features.

Hulu 147

Hulu Activision Los Angeles Platform 147

socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2017

Both also had served at Activision. The company says it has already shipped half a million units of its "hybrid physical / digital STEAM platform". Otero was most recently Chief Creative Officer at Anki, and Salzer was most recently Chief Marketing Officer at Hyperloop One. READ MORE>>.

Redondo Beach 113

Redondo Beach Activision Education Platform 113

socalTECH

JUNE 8, 2017

Los Angeles-based StartEngine , the equity crowdfunding service run by serial entrepeneur Howard Marks, has chalked up 25 companies raising money on its platform since the start of 2017, according to the company.

Startup 124

Startup Activision Company Companies 124

socalTECH

JUNE 3, 2021

Hunter previously served as Senior Manager of Global Analytics at Activision Blizzard and a Lead Senior Data Scientist at Microsoft. The company said the two will help scale its Wine as a Service (WaaS) platform, support new partnership developments, and expand the integration and management of new data science capabilities.

Activision 113

Activision Commerce Los Angeles Platform 113

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 19, 2020

But TiMi contended that these platforms are not essential to a game’s success. ” Call of Duty: Mobile is developed by Tencent and published by Activision Blizzard (Image: Call of Duty: Mobile via Twitter) . All eyes are now on TiMi’s next big move, the mobile version of Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty.

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Tips Activision Mobile Tool 149

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

According to the company, the new funds will go to expand development of its platform and brings its first game to market. Poffenbarger previously was Studio Head at Oculus VR; Hawley was SVP of Games at Zynga; Yang was VP of Marketing at Telltale Games; and Deutsch was General Counsel at Activision. READ MORE>>.

Activision 124

Activision Venture Capital Los Angeles Funding 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2014

Our first post over the holidays is from Howard Marks --who co-founded Activision--and recently founded startup accelerator StartEngine, and who has been very active in encouraging the technology industry in Los Angeles. Marks was the founder and CEO of Acclaim, co-founder of Activision and Chairman of Activision Studios.

Activision 100

Activision Southern California Los Angeles Capital 100

socalTECH

APRIL 25, 2011

So, we really built some innovation into our platform, to make it ubiquitous in the mobile space. I learned that from Bob Kotick, when I joined Activision to work with him, and we did that when we put together the team at Jamdat, and we're applying that same philosophy at GOGII. That was our basis for doing something in text messaging.

Gogii 200

Gogii Mobile Activision Electronic Arts 200

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

New platforms led by YouTube have emerged to change the dynamic of broadcast media — once dominated by the rigid programming of TV — while the internet has enabled new media stars to engage with their audiences in new, high-touch ways. In addition, there are incentives for referring others to the platform.

Help 115

Help Startup Activision Media 115

socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2012

It's an intensely competitive market in developing games for the iPhone and other mobile platforms, with thousands and thousands of titles competing for attention from users. William is in San Diego, and is a longtime gaming vet, having been at Activision in the days of The Manhole and Myst. How did you get into iPhone development?

Mobile 216

Mobile Startup Software Review Platform 216

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

As President of Game Development and Operations at SGN, a leading cross platform game developer and distributor, Josh Yguado is responsible for development, marketing, and operations for all games. He also leads mergers and acquisitions and ran the acquisitions of SGN, MindJolt and HallPass Media.

Technical Review 94

Technical Review Technology Activision Entertainment 94

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 30, 2011

A serial Internet entrepreneur, Mike has founded, advised, invested and sold numerous businesses, including application platform Userplane, which he led from startup to its acquisition by AOL, Tsavo Media, Movoxx, PeopleMedia, Brizzly and Myspace. Howard Marks , Co-Founder at Activision / StartEngine.

Tech Coast Angels 105

Tech Coast Angels Startup Angel Southern California 105

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 24, 2013

As President of Game Development and Operations at SGN, a leading cross platform game developer and distributor, Josh Yguado is responsible for development, marketing, and operations for all games. Robin Kaminsky - CEO 1 st Street Partners | Former EVP of Publishing, Executive Lead Global Gaming Activision / Blizzard.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Technology Activision Entertainment 76

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2011

In Los Angeles you have large industries in garment industry, defense, games (both physical like Mattel and virtual like Activision) and music. In San Diego you have Qualcomm so an entire mobile industry has been spawned. And of course you have Hollywood. That sets us up nicely for the next phase of the web.

Venture Capital 313

Venture Capital Southern California Google Startup 313

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2012

All three of us have been working together for quite awhile, since Activision, fifteen or sixteen years ago. Greg Borrud: We've always developed with cross platform in mind. Keeping that in mind, the company is singularly focused on the Facebook platform now. To take that to multiple platforms should be relatively easy.

Entertainment 154

Entertainment Startup Platform Content 154

socalTECH

AUGUST 3, 2021

Oneal has been at Blizzard since January, serving as Executive Vice President of Development, and was previously head of Vicarious Visions; Ybarra has been at Blizzard since 2019, serving as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Platform and Technology.

Entertainment 113

Entertainment Platform Technology Develop 113

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 20, 2012

Howard Marks , Co-Founder at Activision / StartEngine. A 20-year industry veteran, having co-founded juggernaut Activision as well as Acclaim Games. ProjectFresh was founded in 2002 as a platform to launch projects and companies that have a shared set of goals: To galvanize community and to promote cross-pollination.

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Idealab Tech Coast Angels CalTech Startup 84

socalTECH

OCTOBER 15, 2015

We're helping to build a new league that is forming around these professional teams, and working with publishers like Riot Games, Blizzard, Activision, and Valve to lock in broadcast stations, the ESPNs, the Twitches, and Foxes, and Turners to help create an ecosystem around this. At Crosscut, we tend to invest in platforms.

Riot Games 100

Riot Games Southern California Invest Mobile 100

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 30, 2012

Leftronic is a real-time data visualization platform for startups. Created by Howard Marks, co-founder of Activision, and Paul Kessler, one of the most prolific investors in Los Angeles, Start Engine will provide local startups with the essential resources and counsel they need to become successful, self-directed businesses.

CalTech 91

CalTech Company Companies Idealab 91

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 13, 2013

Indiegogo, “the world’s funding platform”, was also in attendance. Robin Kaminsky , founder of 1st Street Partners and former EVP of Activision Blizzard. LootCrate was also on hand, displaying their cool swag box for gamers along side their Xbox 360 gaming stations loaded with Call of Duty. Joshua Yguado , President of SGN.

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Lootcrate S3 Education Activision 80

LATechDigest

JUNE 6, 2016

ACTIVISION ‘s Overwatch is a Huge Hit in First Week ( link ). Lexi Komisar & Neil Sahota of @IBMWatson share the future of platform for #cognitivebusiness to a maxed out crowd! SNAPCHAT Passes Twitter with 150M DAUs ( link ). RADPAD Named App of the Year by Facebook ( link ). IMPERSON Powers AI Chatbot for Zootopia ( link ).

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Snapchat Pasadena Santa Monica LMU 40

socalTECH

MARCH 21, 2012

We're also looking at gaming, which has a long history in LA, and because we have a huge presence from EA, Activision, and going down south to lots of companies in the south bay, like EverQuest and Sony Online. That's all obviously relevant to the LA ecosystem.

Startup 254

Startup Los Angeles Entrepreneur Media 254

socalTECH

DECEMBER 6, 2011

I started at Activision, and worked as a producer and director. Mobile was just obviously the best platform that, because the smart phone has essentially become a ubiquitous device. We're quite familiar with your background, but for those who aren't, talk about how you got here and Pandemic? What's the strategy there?

Electronic Arts 236

Electronic Arts Startup Mobile West Los Angeles 236

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 28, 2011

Please join us in congratulating this quarter’s Spotlight companies: Earbits is an online radio platform where artists, labels and concert promoters bid for airtime on a per-song-played basis, and use the exposure to sell their music, event tickets and more. CitySourced is a real time mobile civic engagement platform.

Idealab 77

Idealab Tech Coast Angels Startup Platform 77

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 28, 2011

Please join us in congratulating this quarter’s Spotlight companies: Earbits is an online radio platform where artists, labels and concert promoters bid for airtime on a per-song-played basis, and use the exposure to sell their music, event tickets and more. CitySourced is a real time mobile civic engagement platform.

Idealab 49

Idealab Tech Coast Angels Startup Platform 49

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 6, 2014

From investments and business, Robin Kaminsky , Entrepreneur in Residence at Rustin Canyon Partners, and former EVP of Publishing at Activision. The pressing question on everyone’s mind: How close are we to whole, immersive environments, or a unified platform for gaming?

Mobile 93

Mobile Platform Technology Screening 93

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

12,000 apps currently on the platform. ” Jeff Haynie, Appcelerator – a platform for building network-connected mobile apps across native platforms. Half of Marmalade’s customers use it as a porting platform, while the remaining 50 percent use it as an app development framework.

Mobile 71

Mobile Technical Review Platform Startup 71