TICKER TAPE
Netflix ends postal service to make room for video games GAMING
One of the biggest streamers out there today, Netflix began 25 years ago as a DVD rental company, originally competing with the now-bankrupt Blockbuster. Over time, the mailing service was gradually phased out, as customers turned away from physical DVDs and towards their smart devices. As of September, Netflix has posted its final films, officially bringing this side of its business to a full stop. These lucky last customers get to keep their DVDs – free of charge – as a thank you for their patronage. In the meantime, Netflix has been focusing its efforts on a new segment: gaming. While video games have been available on the mobile app since 2021, the streamer didn’t advertise this service – until now. Netflix’s games are either based on original titles (for example The
Queen’s Gambit and Stranger Things ) or completely their own (like Reigns: The Three Kingdoms ), giving fans a mixture of new and nostalgic. Expansion from media or technology to gaming has not always been easy – Google’s own gaming service, Stadia, was discontinued this year. Companies such as Liverpool’s Ripstone Studios are currently developing games for Netflix’s audience of 238 million, many of whom may not be interested at first glance. By focusing on mobile games, the company is capitalising on accessibility, since the Netflix app is a built-in gaming device. It’s also less financially risky than big console releases, giving Netflix an edge over other entertainment giants. Granted, it will be some time before we can assess whether Netflix’s venture has been in vain.
CLOUD
Alvalinks has launched its first video- aware network observability suite, called Cloudrider. It proactively analyses network health by pinpointing the root cause of outages and errors before alerting providers, simplifying the troubleshooting process for live video delivery. SOFTWARE ALVALINKS ANALYSES NETWORK ATOMOS EMBRACES THE CLOUD Atomos Connect encourages a camera- to-cloud (C2C) workflow thanks to Atomos Cloud Studio, a collection of remote production services. Devices like Atomos Connect can instantly share footage, livestream to social channels and upload directly onto the editing desk, saving users valuable time and hassle during collaborative projects. Axle AI and Disk Archive Corporation are now offering media management bundles – starting at $29,995 – designed to improve workflows across broadcast, corporate, live events, post-production and many other sectors. HARDWARE AXLE AI AND DISK ARCHIVE OFFER
INDUSTRY CVP EXPANDS
CVP has expanded its Belgium facility, allowing for improved communications with, and shipping to, European countries. The new building, located in Vilvoorde, contains more than 850 sq m of offices, demonstration spaces, engineering workshops and warehouses.
AI
ChatGPT reaches new heights
AI chatbot ChatGPT saw record numbers in September, with its mobile app hitting 15.6 million downloads and $4.58 million in gross revenue. While the app is experiencing a peak in popularity, its growth has
actually slowed – revenue grew by 39% in August, but fell to 20% in September. ChatGPT is not the largest AI app in terms of revenue – that would be Ask AI, which brought in $5.51 million in September.
A ChatGPT+ subscription, offering speedier response times, priority access and early exposure to updated features – costs $19.99 per month, deterring many users from making this sizable in- app purchase.
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