Axios

Production needs to be the “chief area of innovation for gaming,” prolific game designer Xalavier Nelson Jr. tells Axios.

Why it matters: Nelson sizes up an industry full of stressed people who are struggling to make great games in a satisfying, healthy way and he wants to solve for that.

Better Financial Corp., a graduate of the Y-Combinator winter class of 2022, is looking to raise $5 million in funding at a $50 million valuation for its seed round, sources with knowledge of the matter tell Axios.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating a breakfast meeting between Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and investor Alexander von Furstenberg, as part of its probe into possible insider trading related to Microsoft's $69 billion takeover bid for Activision, per the WSJ.

Why it matters: There's often unusual options trading activity ahead of big merger announcements, but the Feds either look the other way or nab small-timers. If there's a real case to be made here, it would be the highest-profile in memory.

Bitcoin hit a milestone today that gets the world ever closer to the moment when the final new bitcoin will enter the world — the supply of coins broke 19 million.

Why it matters: Bitcoin was created to be money with a fixed supply that no one can change. It launched amidst The Great Recession, when governments were issuing lots of new money to help ease the economic pain.

Facebook parent Meta found itself back in the spotlight this week, largely through controversies of its own making.

Why it matters: Meta’s stock has already struggled to rebound from the "Facebook Files" fiasco and Apple’s app changes (down 33% year-to-date), but it had begun to rally in March. Now, a series of setbacks could further hinder its comeback.

Eric Schmidt has taken on big challenges before, fighting Microsoft when he led Novell and taking on Brussels when he was CEO at Google. Today, the billionaire is focusing his energy on rousing the U.S. to fight what he sees as its biggest tech struggle yet: competition with China.

What they're saying: "We have to do whatever it takes," he told Axios in an interview in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

Customer service chatbots are becoming kinder, smarter and even more helpful, thanks to huge leaps in artificial intelligence.

Why it matters: Chatbots can be aggravating if their formulaic responses don't provide the help you're searching for — what customer service experts refer to as "the spiral of misery," per the New York Times.

Two committees of the European Union Parliament today voted to move forward draft legislation to take all privacy out of cryptocurrency transactions.

Why it matters: The committees voted for rules that would ban transactions that state authorities can't readily tie to a person or an organization, striking a blow to the pro-privacy bent of so many crypto users.

Three NFT video game believers and one skeptic faced off at the Game Developers Conference last week, sharing conflicting takes on the future of the controversial gaming tech.

Why it matters: The abundance of NFT panels at GDC proved that there’s money and interest in the sector but little clarity about where it’s going.

The Entertainment Software Association has again canceled its formerly annual gaming midyear trade show E3, the group confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: What had been a story in recent years of the pandemic’s impact on trade shows is giving way to signs of an organization struggling to maintain its former signature event.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt hit Capitol Hill this week to urge lawmakers to create a digital service academy that would train Americans in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in exchange for government service.

Why it matters: The looming threat of cyberattacks from U.S. adversaries such as Russia underscores the need for tech-savvy employees through the federal workforce.

Sony PlayStation has laid off upward of 90 workers in its North American offices, as it eliminates numerous sales and marketing positions.

Driving the news: The previously unreported cuts took effect this week, according to one affected worker who spoke to Axios as well as documents related to the change viewed by Axios.

Google on Thursday said it's adding a new label to search results for news stories, interviews, announcements and press releases that are frequently cited by other media outlets in an effort to elevate original reporting.

Why it matters: Google's search algorithm is designed to prioritize pages that are the most relevant and useful for users based on their unique queries. Sometimes, the most relevant and useful pages aren't the source of original information, but they cite the pages that are. Google wants to help point users to those pages.

A self-driving forklift may be the next wave of warehouse and factory innovations, saving companies on labor and, ideally, making industrial settings safer for everyone.

Why it matters: Demand for logistics help is soaring, but forklift operators and other skilled workers are in short supply. Robotic vehicles are one way that manufacturers and logistics companies can address labor shortages while running their operations more safely and efficiently.

Red and blue states across the country are leaning on technologists to help automatically clear eligible criminal records as a way to expand the workforce.

Why it matters: Criminal records are a barrier for employment and housing, but clearing them can be a costly and time consuming process, and millions of eligible Americans don't even try.

Don't speed, swerve or ride illegally on a sidewalk in one of the new scooters from Superpedestrian — its "Pedestrian Defense" technology will forcibly slow you to a stop if you misbehave.

Why it matters: Safety concerns are holding cities back from deploying more e-scooters as alternatives to cars. Superpedestrian's new system could help snuff out dangerous moves by riders, potentially broadening e-scooter acceptance and making cities safer.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences launched Wednesday "disciplinary proceedings" against Will Smith and said it asked him to leave the Oscars ceremony after he slapped Chris Rock on stage, but he refused.

Driving the news: Smith apologized to the Academy and fellow nominees for the incident while accepting his Best Actor Oscar on Sunday, and a day later to comedian Rock, who had made a joke about the shaved head of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. (She has alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss.)