Microsoft Moves Away From Exclusives

Daily Upsider on February 27, 2024

It might surprise you to learn that in 2022 gaming was estimated to have reached a $347 billion industry. This is larger than the combined global theater box office about the same size global box office combined with the pay TV market. Microsoft, one of the big three of the console gaming industry is trying a new strategy.

Microsoft announced on Thursday its plans to launch four of its exclusive video games on rival gaming platforms. Phil Spencer, the leader of Microsoft’s gaming sector, emphasized in a company announcement that this move does not signify a departure from Microsoft’s core strategy regarding exclusive titles. However, this development indicates Microsoft’s openness to enhancing its revenue streams by making games previously exclusive to its platforms accessible on other consoles.

The tech giant finalized its purchase of the renowned game publisher Activision Blizzard for upwards of $75 billion in October. Gaming contributed to 11% of Microsoft’s revenue in the fiscal second quarter, marking a significant income source for the world’s leading public company by market value. Microsoft’s Game Pass service, boasting 34 million subscribers—a significant increase from 25 million two years prior—provides users access to a vast library of games. However, Microsoft’s latest consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S launched in 2020, have not reached the popularity levels of competitors like the Sony PlayStation 5 or the Nintendo Switch.

Spencer noted, “This is a pivotal moment for us to leverage the strengths of other platforms to expand our franchise reach, and we plan to do just that.”

While Microsoft has chosen not to disclose the specific games to be released on competing consoles, Spencer clarified that neither the recently launched Starfield nor the anticipated Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would be among them. He mentioned that two of the games are “community-driven,” and the other two are smaller projects not initially intended for exclusivity on Microsoft platforms.

Numerous Xbox enthusiasts voiced their discontent on social media platforms, theorizing that Microsoft might abandon efforts to secure exclusive titles for its console moving forward. They argued that the absence of unique content, unavailable on other platforms, could diminish the appeal of continuing investments in Xbox hardware and software.

Responding to the community’s reaction and the speculation fueled by The Verge’s coverage, Spencer assured on X (formerly Twitter), “We’re listening and we hear you. We are preparing a business update event for next week to share more about our vision for Xbox’s future. Stay tuned.”

Spencer shared his perspective on the industry’s future, suggesting, “I believe that in the next five to ten years, the significance of hardware-exclusive games will increasingly diminish in the gaming industry.”

Messi-Mania: Major League Soccer’s Big Chance

Daily Upsider on February 27, 2024

Lionel Messi is the superstar of soccer and has created millions of fans. When he joined the professional American soccer club Inter Miami in 2023, he brought a lot of attention, and money, to Major League Soccer (MLS).

In the whirlwind of Lionel Messi’s arrival in MLS, the anticipation was palpable, the stakes high, and the potential windfalls immense. As Messi’s greatness stirred up excitement and ticket prices soared, MLS found itself riding the wave of “Messi-mania” into what would be a transformative year in 2023.

However, as the league looked towards capitalizing on this momentum in 2024, individual clubs quickly realized that securing a home game against Inter Miami, Messi’s team, would be paramount. Yet, in a league with a flexible and imbalanced schedule, the guarantee of such a coveted matchup was far from assured.

Even before Messi set foot in Miami, rumors of his potential impact had club executives vying for the attention of the league office. With Messi’s arrival, their advocacy reached new heights. Proposals ranged from hosting games in NFL stadiums to promises of spectacular shows, all aimed at securing a spot among the twelve teams scheduled to host Messi’s team during the 2024 regular season. The persistence of these executives in lobbying league officials was unprecedented.

Their motivation was clear: a game featuring the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) could substantially boost annual revenues for clubs, potentially by double-digit percentages. The economic impact of Messi alone was projected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars across the league by the end of his contract in 2025. For some clubs, a single matchup with Miami promised more ticket income than 16 other home games combined.

However, the significance of the Messi games extends beyond mere financial gains. They represent a broader challenge that MLS faces in converting sports fans who may be indifferent to the league into avid supporters. Each game provides an opportunity to turn skeptics into believers, viewers into customers, and casual fans into lifelong supporters.

While some clubs have sought to capitalize solely on short-term profits by hiking prices, others have taken a more strategic approach. Creative ticketing schemes have been devised, and the winners of the scheduling lottery have framed their approach with a long-term perspective, recognizing the potential for lasting fan loyalty.

A prime example is the Los Angeles Galaxy, who opted to keep their opener against Miami at their soccer-specific stadium rather than moving it to larger venues. Furthermore, they implemented a strategy of selling only season ticket memberships and multi-game packages, ensuring that those eager to witness Messi in action also commit to attending additional matches.

This approach, while common among clubs fortunate enough to host Messi, reflects a broader objective: to cultivate a new generation of supporters who will remain loyal to the club beyond the Messi era. As Tom Braun, COO of the Galaxy, succinctly puts it, the goal is to transition casual fans or admirers of opposing players into dedicated Galaxy supporters.

First Child Cured of Brain Stem Glioma

Daily Upsider on February 26, 2024

Medical progress in recent decades has boosted the survival rate of children with cancer to 85%, but brain stem glioma remains a severe outlier. Dr. Jacques Grill, a French doctor, initially predicted a grim outcome for 6-year-old Lucas diagnosed with this rare and deadly tumor. However, an experimental treatment, randomly assigned to Lucas, led to the complete disappearance of the tumor, a unique case globally.

Officially known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), this rare cancer affects around 300 children annually in the United States and 100 in France. The standard two-year survival rate is only 10%, with radiotherapy as the primary treatment option.

Lucas participated in the Biomede trial in France, where he was randomly assigned the drug everolimus. Remarkably, he took the medication for over 5 years, resulting in the complete disappearance of his tumor. While seven other children from the trial survived, none experienced a complete tumor disappearance like Lucas. His case is now being considered a potential breakthrough for improving long-term outcomes in DIPG cases.

Lucas’s tumors had a rare genetic mutation, making them exceptionally responsive to everolimus. Biomedical researchers are now aiming to replicate this mutation in vitro, potentially paving the way for further trials to confirm its effectiveness. Although the journey toward an approved medication may take 10 to 15 years, scientists are optimistic about the accelerated pace of technological advancements.

Gemstones on the Rise

Daily Upsider on February 24, 2024

Valentine’s Day is a peak season for jewelry purchases, with U.S. consumers projected to spend an unprecedented $6.4 billion on jewelry around this time, as reported by Ankur Daga, CEO of Angara. This expenditure accounts for a significant 10% of the annual total devoted to jewelry, indicating the holiday’s strong influence on the market.

This year, however, the conventional diamond engagement ring may take a smaller portion compared to more vibrant options. “We’re seeing a shift in much larger center stone engagement rings, primarily as a result of lab-grown diamonds, and sapphires and rubies tend to be very hot,” Daga noted. The trend towards colorful gemstones in engagement rings has risen from 5% a decade ago to over 15% today, with a recent small survey revealing that over 20% of individuals would opt for a colored gemstone ring over their diamond ring if given the chance.

Signet Jewelers, a major industry player, echoes this sentiment, witnessing increased interest in gemstones like sapphire and morganite across both wedding and fashion categories. The allure of amethyst and ruby, in particular, spikes during the Valentine’s period, aligning with February’s birthstone and the symbolic color of love, respectively.

Beth Gerstein, CEO of Brilliant Earth, suggests that the trend towards colored gemstones reflects a desire for uniqueness, especially among Gen Z consumers who value personalization and distinctive style. This shift is occurring amidst growing supply constraints for natural gemstones, pushing prices upwards and making some stones harder to source. “There’s only really one mine in Madagascar that produces the bulk of the world’s rubies,” Daga mentioned, highlighting similar challenges for sapphires and emeralds.

The price of sapphires, emeralds, and rubies has been climbing, with some gemstones like tourmalines experiencing price increases of up to 36% annually. This trend contrasts with the broader market movement towards lab-grown diamonds, which now account for half of the diamond engagement ring purchases.

Despite the chemical, physical, and optical similarities between lab-grown and natural gemstones, a significant majority of customers still show a preference for natural stones, largely due to their unique inclusions that add character.

Diamonds are certainly still a very popular choice and that is not likely to change. It is, however, very interesting to see this increased interest in colored gemstone jewelry.

New Research Reveals Secret to Restore Hearing

Daily Upsider on February 24, 2024

Attending a loud concert often leaves attendees with a familiar sensation of ringing ears, with some experiencing temporary or even permanent hearing loss or significant alterations in how they perceive sound once the noise ceases. A team of scientists has now uncovered the biological underpinnings of this noise-induced hearing loss, revealing a promising pathway for prevention.

At the heart of their discovery, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, USA, identified that loud noise exposure leads to cellular damage in the inner ear, linked to an overabundance of zinc—a mineral crucial for cellular health and auditory function.

Their groundbreaking research demonstrated that certain drugs, acting as molecular sponges, can absorb the excess zinc, offering a chance to either recover hearing lost to noise exposure or preemptively safeguard against hearing damage when administered prior to encountering loud sounds.

Professor Thanos Tzounopoulos of the Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center highlighted the severe impact of noise-induced hearing loss, stating, “Noise-induced hearing loss can be debilitating. Some people start hearing sounds that aren’t there, developing a condition called tinnitus, which severely affects a person’s quality of life.”

Preventing hearing loss is a challenging problem to tackle, due to our incomplete understanding of the biological mechanisms. This is a great step in addressing the widespread impairment that effects millions.

The study, which was featured in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, detailed their investigation into the inner ear cells of mice. They discovered that zinc levels in the inner ear surge following exposure to loud noise, leading to cellular damage and interference with normal communication between cells.

Mice treated with a compound designed to capture excess zinc showed a higher resistance to hearing loss and were shielded from the adverse effects of loud noise exposure.

This research not only proposes a potential solution to a pervasive issue but also sets the stage for the development of treatments and protective measures for individuals frequently exposed to loud environments, such as concertgoers and musicians.

With plans to further explore this treatment, the researchers aim to eventually introduce it as an accessible, over-the-counter preventative measure against hearing loss, marking a significant step forward in auditory health protection.