The gaming arms race heats up...
February 01, 2022 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [NowRx]( Good morning. Welcome to February and Happy Lunar New Year! Today, more than 1 billion people around the world will celebrate the start of the Year of the Tiger. Those born in Tiger years are said to be assertive, strong, passionate, maybe a bit arrogant, and competitive. As if we needed any more evidence that Rihannaâs kid will take over the world. âMax Knoblauch, Neal Freyman, Matty Merritt MARKETS Nasdaq 14,239.88 +3.41% S&P 4,515.55 +1.89% Dow 35,131.86 +1.17% 10-Year 1.781% +1.0 bps Bitcoin $38,487.32 +1.05% Spotify $196.26 +13.46% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 6:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Well, letâs not do that again. Despite plenty of gains yesterday, the S&P and Nasdaq wrapped up their [worst month]( since March 2020 (history suggests [stocks will rebound](, though). Spotify shares boomed a day after it released new measures around Covid misinformation in response to its Joe Rogan kerfuffle.
- Geopolitics: The US and Russia [traded barbs]( at a UN Security Council meetingâthe first session where all powers openly discussed Russiaâs military buildup at the Ukraine border. GAMING [Sony goes Bungie jumping](
[A screenshot from Destiny 2.](Bungie January was a full-out sprint for video game industry mergers, with major players jostling for a shot to have the best console money canât buy due to supply issues. The latest: Sony announced plans to [buy Bungie](, the studio responsible for the creation of both Halo and Destiny, for $3.6 billion. The deal is not only notable for Bungieâs top-class IP offerings, but also for being another thrilling entry into the strange saga of the studio. Bungie was first acquired by Microsoft in 2000, becoming a household name and helping put Xbox on the map with Halo. After splitting from Microsoft in 2007, Bungie eventually entered a 10-year publishing deal with Activision Blizzard (which it left in 2019). Microsoft announced plans to buy Activision Blizzard earlier in January for a whopping $68.7 billion. Not to be forgotten in last month's gaming acquisition-athon, Take-Two Interactive agreed to purchase Farmville creator Zynga for $12.7 billion. Whereâs Nintendo in all this? Stuck on the sand kingdom level of Super Mario Odyssey and screaming at each other. So what happens now? Well, Xbox and PC Destiny fans can breathe a sigh of reliefâaccording to Sony, the Bungie acquisition isnât about creating new, exclusive content for Playstation (at least for now): Bungie will remain a multiplatform studio with the option to self-publish its games. Microsoft made a similar announcement for its Activision deal, confirming that it plans to continue supporting Activision Blizzard games on competing platforms (as itâs done with Minecraft). While these cross-platform friendly moves could be seen as the dawning of a harmonious new era in the console wars, they more likely point to the industryâs increased focus on the subscription model. - The Xbox Game Pass features over 400 games users can download and play for one monthly fee. Microsoft says the service has 25 million subscribers.
- Destiny 2, Bungieâs most popular title, is free to play but offers season passes and expansions. The game has drawn in 20 million players since 2019.
- In December, Bloomberg reported that Sony is planning a new subscription service to compete with Game Pass. For now, subscription services and popular IP offer Sony and Microsoft a shield against the battered supply chain.âMK Â Â Â mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Sony%20goes%20Bungie%20jumping%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fsony-bungie-acquisition%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%26mid%3D{{md5%28profile.email%29}}%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A MEDIA [It's the end of the Wordle as we know it](
[A Wordle checkerboard ](Wordle And we feelâ¦weird? In the second-biggest gaming deal of the day (but first in our hearts), the word puzzle sensation Wordle was [acquired]( by the New York Times. The purchase is simultaneously a shockâconsidering how âgrassrootsâ the Wordle experience feltâand also not that shocking at all. The NYT has been [vocal]( about investing in its puzzles business, and now it adds this viral phenomenon to a heavyweight roster that already includes Crossword and Spelling Bee. The Times said the price for Wordle was in the low seven figures. Not a bad haul for a pandemic hobby. Created by software engineer Josh Wardle to help his puzzle-loving partner kill time during Covid, Wordle has exploded in recent months. - The game was played by just 90 people on Nov. 1, per the NYT. Fast forward to today, and millions of people play it on the reg.
- Wordle spawned numerous [spinoffs](, has been [leveraged by brands]( for marketing purposes, and was [crocheted]( into a pillow. The only news that matters for Wordle fans: The game will remain initially free for new and existing players, the NYT said.âNF Â Â Â mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=It%27s%20the%20end%20of%20the%20Wordle%20as%20we%20know%20it%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F01%2F31%2Fthe-nyt-buys-viral-sensation-wordle%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%26mid%3D{{md5%28profile.email%29}}%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A SPORTS [Beijing wants the biggest bubble](
[Wukesong Sports Center Prepares For Beijing 2022](Beijing Youth Daily/Getty Images The 2022 Beijing Olympics must be taking notes from your mom after you broke curfew sophomore year. Ahead of the start of the games on Friday, China has created the most aggressive â[closed loop](â Covid bubble of the pandemic. Itâs kinda like the NBAâs bubble in Orlando in 2020, but supersized. The Olympics bubble (which actually consists of three interconnected bubbles) will host about 11,000 international athletes, guests, and other participants, as well as thousands of Chinese volunteers and staff responsible for monitoring everyoneâs movements within it. Speaking of movement, people involved in the Olympics will be shuttled to three competition locations nearly 111 miles apartâ¦all while avoiding contact with every single citizen in Chinaâs second-largest city. - All locations are connected by high-speed trains and bus routes used only by residents of the Olympic bubble. Chinese citizens have even been told not to help if they saw one of these bubble buses crash. Zoom out: Chinaâs intense Covid bubble is just one manifestation of its attempt to [assert complete control]( over the upcoming Olympics. Authorities have also detained activists in their homes, shut down social media accounts of critics, and declared that âany behavior or speech that is against the Olympic spiritâ will be subject to punishment.âMM    mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Beijing%20wants%20the%20biggest%20bubble%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fbeijing-winter-olympics-ambitious-covid-free-bubble%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%26mid%3D{{md5%28profile.email%29}}%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A TOGETHER WITH NOWRX [A tech-powered prescription for retail pharmacy](#)
[NowRx]( What, exactly, does the future of retail pharmacy look like? Try this: Free, same-day medication delivery and efficiency-enhancing technology. [NowRx]( has designed a tech-powered pharmacy with proprietary âQuickFillâ software and robotics thatâs been so effective, their revenue grew by nearly 90% YoY from 2019 to 2020. And if youâre sensing a significant investment opportunity here, it might be time to trust your gut. [Last year, the company achieved over $26M in annualized revenue](. And in 2022, theyâve already announced three new locations with a goal of 10 more before the end of yearâalongside plans to expand their popular Telehealth service that grew over 1,200% in 2021. With that kind of growth, this tech-powered pharmacy is one investment you might wanna get in on stat. [Learn how you can invest and]([get]([a dose of NowRx]([shares today](. GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](
["The Complete Maus" graphic novel](Maro Sironasian/AFP via Getty Images Stat: The Complete Maus, the first and second installments of the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, [shot up]( to the top of the Amazon bestseller list yesterday morning. Interest in Maus has soared since a Tennessee school board banned the book from its curriculum. Quote: âIâve done a lot of work on this and 5k is not enough.â 19-year-old Jack Sweeney, who runs a Twitter account that tracks Elon Muskâs private jet, told Insider why he [turned down]( Muskâs offer of $5,000 to shut down the account. Musk has said that accounts that followed his movements were âbecoming a security issue,â but Sweeney isnât movedâhe wants $50k from the tech mogul. Read: The moral calculations of a billionaire. ([Washington Post]()    mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Key%20performance%20indicators%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F01%2F31%2Fkey-performance-indicators-february-1%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%26mid%3D{{md5%28profile.email%29}}%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A CRYPTO [Meet the next crypto giant]( Cryptocurrency exchange FTX is now [valued at $32 billion]( after its latest funding round, putting the three-year-old company in the ranks of the richest private startups in the world. It was worth just $1.2 billion in 2020. Hereâs a quick cheat sheet to get you up to speed. What does it offer? FTX calls itself a crypto exchange âbuilt by traders, for traders.â Itâs where you can buy or sell derivatives like crypto futures, options, leveraged tokens, and more. Itâs not available in the US, but it has an affiliate that is: FTX U.S., which is worth $8 billion on its own. Why does it seem familiar? Probably because FTX has been on a marketing blitz, buying the naming rights to the Miami Heatâs arena and partnering with celebs like Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen. Itâll also have a commercial spot in the upcoming Super Bowl. Whoâs in charge? Sam Bankman-Fried, FTXâs CEO, is a name to know. He lives in the Bahamas, wears T-shirts and shorts, is 29 years old, and has a net worth of more than $22 billion. Big picture: Crypto prices have taken a big tumble in recent months, and the biggest digital tokenâbitcoinâis down ~43% from its November peak. Bankman-Fried and his legions of investors think this is a temporary stumble in the sectorâs upward march.âNF    mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Meet%20the%20next%20crypto%20giant%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F01%2F31%2Fcrypto-exchange-ftx-raises-fresh-funds-at-a-usd32-billion-valuation%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%26mid%3D{{md5%28profile.email%29}}%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [British PM Boris Johnson]( apologized over lockdown parties among his staff following an investigation into whatâs become known as âPartygate.â Johnson said heâd make changes to his team and that his leadership squad needs to âlook ourselves in the mirror and learn.â
- [At least six]( historically Black colleges and universities received bomb threats yesterday morning.
- [More than 100,000 Americans]( died from diabetes in 2021, which is the second straight year deaths from diabetes have hit six figures.
- [Employers]( are offering expensive fertility benefits, including egg freezing, in an attempt to attract and retain workers in this tight labor market. BREW'S BETS Crypto-curious? Read about why crypto mattersâand how you can join the frayâin our [Crypto Crash Course](, sponsored by eToro. Lunar New Year recipes: If you want to take this celebration into the kitchen, you can find good recipe lists [here](, [here](, and [here](. Never fear, comprehensive home security is here! With SimpliSafe, you get professional 24/7 monitoring for less than $1 a day, plus sensors and cameras that cover every window, room, and door to make your home more invincible than a caped crusader. [Build your perfect system here](.* Trillionaire Mindset: We sat down with the hosts of the chaotic, hilarious new finance podcast to talk about skepticism, financial advice, and whale removal. [Read the interview](. What if the IRS had a TikTok? [It would probably look something like this](. *This is sponsored advertising content GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Brew Mini: Pour yourself a steaming cup of coffee then [dive into todayâs Mini](, whose theme is winter weather. Geography trivia With 267,570, Sweden has the most of these out of any country in the world. FROM THE CREW [Hot new swag for Valentineâs Day](#)
[Valentineâs Day sale at the Morning Brew store ]( If your version of pillow talk typically includes subjects like crypto, stocks, or a guy named Elon, we've got the perfect Valentine's Day gifts for you. [Shop the collection]( ANSWER Islands. But less than 1,000 of them are inhabited. Written by [Neal Freyman](, [Matty Merritt](, and [Max Knoblauch]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW? Industry news, with a sense of humor â - [Emerging Tech Brew](: AI, crypto, space, autonomous vehicles, and more
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