Last Week in Tech 8 - Discord, Social Media, New Gaming Console.

Accord over Discord

Microsoft is in discussion with Discord, to acquire the company, Bloomberg’s sources say. Even though the deal seems to be close, other companies have tried to take over. On top of that, Discord is more lenient towards going public.

My Commentary

It seems as if the company from Redmond aims to make Xbox a core offering, not just an addition. For years, and years, the gaming side of the business was on the side. It changed recently, with the unification of everything video games related under one brand.

The timing is a bit late, since for years Windows was the default (and mostly the only) option for gaming. Xbox as a console, was alongside PlayStation one of the two de facto choices for casual gaming, too.

We can see a bit of a shift in long-term strategy, however. Microsoft seems to think more about a service-oriented strategy, rather than product-oriented. I can only predict, that physical consoles will be deemphasized as much as possible. That ultimately depends on the speed of internet connections around the world.

Qualcomm looking to compete with Nintendo

Qualcomm, the company which produces chips for the majority of phones is looking to create their own gaming console. The device would directly compete with Nintendo’s Switch - the console is a true hit, hitting sales of 78 million units worldwide.

My Commentary:

While Android is a superb platform for gaming, there are no exclusive that could make clients purchase this console specifically. In Switch’s case it’s games such as “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” or “Animal Crossing: New Horisons.” Not to mention the legendary series of games with good old Mario.

We will see whether the platform will turn out to be successful, however my best guess is that it will end up similarly to Nvidia’s Shield.

Mental Health & TikTok

TikTok, the Chinese social media platform is suspected to trigger eating disorders. The filters that can e.g. make your waist thinner or add muscles. Generally speaking, even to the point that is “unachievable.”

My Commentary:

We have known for a long time now, that social media cause problems with mental health. We don’t fully understand the mechanisms yet. However, since more and more problems come out, the debate for the regulation of social media is more and more relevant.

We have allowed these platforms to take over the world, causing many problems. We are talking not only about the well-being of adolescents. We are talking about disruptions of democracies, enabling spying on minorities around the world, and more.

We have to regulate social media internationally, or continue to suffer the consequences.