chief marketing officer Archives

AppWizard

May 27, 2025

Nacon secures WRC rights

French publisher Nacon has become the new partner of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and has secured exclusive rights to develop PC and console titles based on the tournament from 2027 to 2032. This announcement follows Electronic Arts' decision to pause development on its own WRC series. Nacon's CEO, Alain Falc, highlighted the company's ambition to create a refined driving experience and emphasized the importance of their previous partnership with WRC Promoter from 2015 to 2023. FIA WRC's chief marketing officer, Arne Dirks, expressed optimism about the collaboration, indicating it could lead to innovative developments in rally gaming.

AppWizard

May 26, 2025

A month after Electronic Arts mashed the brakes, WRC rally racing games are coming back with a ‘complete reboot’ under a new publisher

The FIA has partnered with Nacon to revive the World Rally Championship (WRC) gaming series, set to launch in 2027, following the end of its licensing agreement with Codemasters. Nacon will have exclusive rights to develop WRC games for PC and consoles over the next six seasons. Arne Dirks, the FIA's chief marketing officer, expressed excitement about the collaboration. Kylotonn, the studio likely to develop the games, has received mixed reviews for its past WRC titles, with WRC 7 rated "very positive" and WRC 10 rated "mostly positive" on Steam. Community reactions are mixed, with some fans disappointed by the change from Codemasters, while others are cautiously optimistic about Kylotonn's progress in game quality.

AppWizard

April 24, 2025

Entertainment Marketing Summit to Gather Major Industry Leaders, Lessons Learned From ‘A Minecraft Movie’ and ‘Longlegs’

Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit will be held on April 24 at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles, sponsored by Deloitte. The event will feature in-person panels discussing topics such as impact marketing, the gaming economy, artificial intelligence, and sports fandom, with speakers including Issa Rae and Nicholas Sparks. Cameron Curtis from Warner Bros will present on leveraging social media content creators for marketing, while Christian Parkes from Neon aims to learn about innovative strategies from major studios. This is the eighth year Deloitte has sponsored the summit, emphasizing the importance of research and industry discussions. China Widener from Deloitte highlights the growing influence of Gen Z consumers. Warner Bros is focusing on enhancing its social media presence for upcoming films. Parkes expresses a desire for studios to present more unique and engaging marketing strategies.

Winsage

April 4, 2025

Microsoft, turning 50, dials up Copilot actions to stay in AI game

Thousands gathered at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters for a demonstration of a new Excel feature that allows users to sum numbers with a click. The event celebrated Microsoft’s 50th anniversary and highlighted the AI assistant Copilot, which will receive new features for personalization, including remembering personal details, offering reminders, and task delegation. Microsoft is leveraging its technical groundwork to enhance its AI solutions, despite past challenges such as a 1998 antitrust lawsuit and competition from companies like Alphabet and OpenAI. CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the importance of innovation and collaboration for the future. The consumer version of Copilot is designed to have a “warm” personality, though it has been noted to be overly inquisitive at times.

AppWizard

March 25, 2025

McDonald’s launching Minecraft adult Happy Meal and ‘exclusive collectible’ toys

McDonald's will introduce its first "adult Happy Meal" in collaboration with Minecraft, launching "A Minecraft Movie Meal" in the UK and Ireland on March 26. The meal includes a Big Mac or a choice of nine McNuggets or four Veggie Dippers, a side, and a drink, along with one of six collectible toys featuring McDonald’s characters in Minecraft style. New menu items will include the Apple Cake McFlurry and a limited-edition Nether Flame sauce. The Minecraft movie, directed by Jared Hess, is set to release on April 4.

AppWizard

March 22, 2025

Valve CMO threatened the company would walk away from games if it didn’t own the rights to Half-Life—’It wasn’t an idle threat—we weren’t going to take on all of the risk to make other people rich’

Monica Harrington, a founding member and the first chief marketing officer of Valve, shared a pivotal moment from the company's early years during her presentation at the 2025 Game Developer's Conference. She realized she had not fully understood key aspects of the agreement with publisher Sierra regarding the distribution of Half-Life, which prompted her to initiate a legal fight for the Half-Life intellectual property rights to ensure Valve's long-term success.

AppWizard

March 20, 2025

McDonald’s teams up with Minecraft for limited edition movie meal

McDonald's is launching a limited edition meal to celebrate the release of A Minecraft Movie on April 4, 2025. Starting March 26, fans can enjoy a meal that includes a choice of a Big Mac, nine chicken nuggets, or four veggie dippers, along with a side and a drink. The meal features a unique Apple Cake McFlurry and a limited edition Nether Flame sauce. Each meal will also come with a collectible designed for adult fans.

Winsage

March 7, 2025

NHS cyber security concerns raised about move to Windows 11

Concerns are rising about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the NHS as it transitions to Windows 11, especially since Microsoft will stop security updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Many NHS institutions are facing hardware limitations that may hinder this upgrade. The NHS's device configuration has shifted from approximately 70% desktop PCs and 30% laptops to an estimated 80% laptops, many of which are now five years old due to the pandemic-related distribution surge. This aging technology poses significant risks, as the NHS capital budget has not increased to address the need for updates. A spokesperson for NHS England confirmed a five-year deal with Microsoft for security solutions, urging organizations to transition to Windows 11 before the end of Windows 10 support. Additionally, a 2022 British Medical Association report indicated that over 13.5 million hours of doctors' time were lost annually due to inadequate IT systems, with 80% of doctors believing that improved IT infrastructure would help address backlogs.

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

Kinzoo Messenger offers users a Dog Man experience

Kinzoo Messenger is a free social media application for children and families, launched in 2020, with over a million downloads in countries including the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. The platform focuses on providing a safe environment for kids to connect through talk, text, and games. Its monetization strategy includes in-app currency for purchasing stickers, brand partnerships, and a paid subscription tier for exclusive content. Kinzoo has engaged children through collaborations with popular intellectual properties, achieving significant engagement metrics, such as 423,000 opt-ins for Rovio's Angry Birds and 321,000 for the Dog Man campaign within 20 days. The platform allows children to choose which brands to engage with, providing a secure alternative amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of traditional media.

AppWizard

December 12, 2024

Gearbox, Id and Warner vets found new publisher Cooldown

A group of former industry veterans has launched Cooldown Games, a new publishing venture led by CEO Steve Gibson, who was previously president at Gearbox Publishing. The founding team includes Matt Charles (Chief Product Officer), Erick Cobbs (Chief Business Officer), Jackson Hardesty (Chief Operating Officer), Brad Schliesser (Chief Revenue Officer), Jimmy Sieben (Chief Technology Officer), and Jeff Skal (Chief Marketing Officer). Collectively, they have generated over a billion in revenue and contributed to the success of eight titles that have sold over one million copies each. Gibson expressed confidence in the company's rational business models and commitment to supporting game developers. The team aims to discover and promote games that fit into the busy lives of gamers, influenced by their own gaming preferences over the past five years.