Sega buys Angry Birds maker Rovio

.                                       Rovio

Rovio Entertainment, the Finnish video game maker behind the popular "Angry Birds" franchise, has agreed to a $775 million (that's roughly 14 Billion Rands I'm not mistaken) sale to Japanese gaming firm Sega in a recommended cash offer of 9.25 euros per share to Rovio shareholders. Shareholders who hold shares corresponding to approximately 49.1 percent of the outstanding shares and votes in Rovio have irrevocably undertaken to accept the offer, subject to certain customary conditions. 

Sega plans to use Rovio's expertise to expand its mobile offering and accelerate the development of multi-platform SEGA games. The acquisition comes after Rovio failed to achieve the same level of success it enjoyed when it launched Angry Birds in 2009. The sale is particularly important for Rovio, which has been struggling with debt of approximately €170m (roughly 3 billion hands if I'm not mistaken), and has been forced to cut jobs and restructure over the past few years. 

The studio that Rovio had created to make movies and TV shows for Netflix, named Kaiken Entertainment, will continue to operate as an independent firm after the sale to Sega, and with all that being said I wonder if they will continue making stuff for Rovio as Sega on its side has been making movies and shows for its franchise like Sonic the Hedgehog and others so I guess we will just have to wait and see. 

From HBO Max to just Max

.                        Warner Bros. Discovery

Yesterday on Wednesday the 12th of April the CEO of Warner Bros Discovery announced that HBO Max will go by just Max, so here's a mini blog about the newly announced renaming of HBO Max to just Max, the new show's announcements from the lines of the Game of Thrones prequel, the Harry Potter remake, and other stuff.

HBO Max Renamed Max

WarnerMedia recently announced that it will rebrand its streaming service HBO Max to just Max. The decision to rename the service comes as part of a broader push by the company to streamline its branding and better differentiate its various offerings they say the pricing will remain the same with a new top tier and what's already there. 

The rebranding will not affect the content available on the service, which will continue to include all of the shows and movies currently available on HBO Max. However, the change does reflect a shift in the company's strategy, as it looks to compete more aggressively with other streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.

Game of Thrones Prequel

One of the most highly anticipated shows coming to Max is the Game of Thrones prequel, which is currently in production. The show, which is set thousands of years before the events of the original series, will explore the origins of the White Walkers and the mysteries of Westeros.

While details about the show are still scarce, fans have been eagerly speculating about what they can expect from the new series. Some have speculated that the show will feature new characters and storylines, while others believe it will tie more closely to the events of the original series.

Harry Potter Remake

Another rumored show that has fans buzzing is a Harry Potter remake, set to be released on Max. While WBD confirmed the project, rumors have been circulating for months that the company is planning to adapt the beloved book series for television.

Many fans are skeptical of the idea, fearing that a remake could never live up to the original movies. However, others are excited about the prospect of seeing their favorite characters and storylines brought to life on the small screen.

Other Shows 

They announced another Big Bang Theory show, a show set in the world of The Conjuring, new stuff from the DC Universe.m and many other shows from the Warner Brothers Discovery stable that will come directly for the Max platform and other shows that will be coming from the linear Television channels that they have under their stable. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Max is shaping up to be one of the most exciting streaming services on the market as they are speaking about it being built from the ground up, with a wide range of new shows and movies in the works. Whether you're a fan of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, or The Big Bang Theory, there's something for everyone on Max. Hopefully, as a South African, they do not forget us or maybe do not forget Showmax as they have some sort of deal. For me, it would be best if they tighten that deal so that more and more of their contact comes through to South Africa especially those DC Universe Animation that is dope for both the young ones and the old ones. 

Links you can read if you want more info. 

TechCrunch 

Variety 

From HD to 4K: Upscaling movies.

Over the long weekend, while I was watching the Original X-Men trilogy movies with my family on Disney+ I noticed that some of these movies are in 4K even though the technology wasn't available when they were originally released in the 2000s so I thought I should find out how they got upscaled and this is what I found. A fascinating process that involves a lot of hard work and cutting-edge technology.

First of all, it's important to understand that not all old movies can be converted into 4K HDR. The quality of the original film is a significant factor. If the original film is in good condition, the restoration process is much more straightforward and, if the film is damaged or degraded, it can be much more challenging to restore and convert it into a 4K HDR.

So, how do they do that? The process of converting old movies into 4K HDR starts by scanning the original film using a high-resolution scanner. This scanner can capture the film's details in much greater detail than a standard scanner, allowing for a more accurate restoration.

Once the film has been scanned, it's time to start the restoration process. This process involves removing any dirt, scratches, or other imperfections that may have accumulated in the film over time. It's critical to remove these imperfections as they can have a significant impact on the final quality of the restored film.

After the restoration process is complete, it's time to start the conversion process. This process involves using specialized software to upscale the resolution of the film in its original format to 4K HDR. While this process is relatively straightforward, it can take a lot of time and computing power to complete, depending on the length of the film.

It's worth noting that not all movies are converted into 4K HDR. Some movies are only converted into 2K resolutions, which is still a significant improvement over the original format. This is because the majority of modern movies are still made in 2K resolutions.

In conclusion, as I said before, the process of converting old movies into 4K HDR is a fascinating one that involves cutting-edge technology and a lot of hard work. While not all movies can be converted into this format, those can be truly spectacular to watch. So, if you're a fan of old movies, be sure to check out the latest digitally restored films to see the magic for yourself.

Podcast of the Week

Last week I wrote a blog mainly about a podcast I think you should check out if you haven't yet and looking at the numbers I think it's best if I continue with the whole thing of recommending podcasts so here is this week's podcast to check out and see where it takes us and in the coming weeks I might also go a dissection of some sort of the South African podcast landscape but then back today's post. 

So this week's podcast is not South African but since I'm an African who is mostly bombarded with what's happening to African Americans in America I genuinely liked listening to this week's recommendation.

The Africas vs America.

The Africas VS America is a podcast by CBS that investigates the events that culminated in the MOVE bombing, and the long afterlife of a forgotten American tragedy. The podcast has seven episodes and is hosted by Matthew Amha. 

For me this podcast goes to show that cop violence that's been happening in the USA is not something that started yesterday it the day before that it's been happening for ages hence Matthew talks about the Black Panther and other structures that got dismantled by the police structures in America. 

Yeah today's podcast for me. 

If you've checked it out before please leave your comments below or maybe other podcasts that are like it from anywhere in the world. 

Twitter's whirlwind of a weekend

It's been an eventful weekend for Elon Musk and the guys at Twitter so let's see what's been happening. 

Twitter has been facing some challenges recently with its celebrity users, media companies, and others particularly when it comes to monetization. Many popular figures, such as LeBron James, and others, have opted not to pay for the "verified" badge on their profiles. This has been a source of frustration for Twitter, as they have been trying to find ways to generate revenue and create an incentive for users to pay for additional features but still, when I look at it on principle I agree with the celebs on this. 

The was also that major fight with The New York Times where they said they won't pay and to punish them the main account from the site lost the badge and the subsidiaries still had the badges which looked like it was all done to spite the owners and then there was the whole thing that happened earlier on today about NPR which according to my understanding is not state-affiliated but Twitter chose to tag it as one. 

Additionally, Twitter faced controversy over the weekend for showcasing the Dogecoin logo on its platform. Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency that was created as a joke but has gained a dedicated following in recent years mostly due to Elon Musk himself. However, some critics were quick to point out that cryptocurrency has been associated with fraud and scams in the past, which raised concerns about Twitter's decision to promote it.

Despite these challenges, Twitter remains a popular platform for celebrities and regular users alike. Its unique blend of real-time news and social networking makes it a valuable tool for staying informed and connected with the world. As the platform continues to evolve, it will certainly face more challenges, but it remains an important player in the social media landscape.

Are you willing to pay for Twitter or not let's talk in the comments below and also what's your take on Dogecoin as Twitter's logo on the site or app?