Shelter x Ikea, Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard, a Disney AI fail and austerity TikToker’s

Microsoft’s $69 billion dollar deal

Microsoft has completed its $69bn (£56bn) takeover of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard in the gaming industry’s biggest ever deal.

It comes as Microsoft, parent company of Xbox, was given the green light for the global deal after UK regulators approved it. The Competition and Markets Authority said its concerns had been addressed, after it blocked the original bid.

While concessions have been made, Microsoft will now control games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush, which will provide the firm with huge revenues.

The takeover has proved controversial and received a mixed response from regulators around the world, but has already been passed by regulators in the European Union. The US competition watchdog recently saw its attempt to pause the purchase rejected by the courts. But the CMA’s Ms Cardell said with the sale of Activision’s cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft: “we’ve made sure Microsoft can’t have a stranglehold over this important and rapidly developing market”.

The takeover further cements Microsoft as a video game giant and could catapult it ahead of Nintendo to become the third-biggest player in the industry behind Sony, the owner of the PlayStation console, and market leader Tencent. Sony strongly opposed this deal over concerns that big Activision titles like Call of Duty could become Xbox exclusives over time.

PlayStation currently outsells Microsoft’s Xbox but like all entertainment platforms, the key to success is access to the best content, though Sony is also not averse to buying up successful studios.

Does this represent a broader choice for gamers? Potentially. But, having one tech behemoth essentially control an industry is often not a great deal for consumers.

Disney’s AI fail 

​On the surface, Prom Pact should be like any other harmless and light-hearted movie made for pre-teens, but now it’s drawn attention to itself for all the wrong reasons.

Some viewers have noticed that extras in some of Prom Pact’s scenes might not actually be human at all and have taken to social media to “roast” its use of AI in one particularly creepy gymnasium crowd scene.

While watching a group of cheerleaders, digital faces can be spotted on the bleachers amongst other high school kids, clapping along without any sort of human expression. 

The film was originally released back in March, where it caused a few minor ripples of concern on TikTok but seven months later, the film’s use of AI has been thrust back into the spotlight because of SAG-AFTRA demands surrounding the use of digital images.

AI has been one of the major obstacles in the negotiations so far, with it being unclear how the likes of Disney have sourced their images in order to create their not-so-realistic extra actors.

SAG-AFTRA has stated that proposals regarding AI were “continuing to demand ‘consent’ on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).”

So, what does this mean in the short term? Disney’s use of AI is now being scrutinised more than ever, and claims that the studios are actively using digital images rather than paying actors fairly for roles are sounding more and more accurate.

Shelter x Ikea

A housing and homelessness charity has absolutely nailed the problem with temporary accommodation in the UK through its stall at the Labour Party conference. Working with Ikea, Shelter presented a mock-up of a UK property in an abysmal state, complete with bedding on the floor and a mouldy shower.

The image of the cramped and unhygienic space is meant to shine a light on hidden homelessness, and is based on lived experiences. One in three adults in Britain – 17.5 million people – are impacted by the housing emergency right now, and live in “overcrowded, dangerous, unstable or unaffordable housing”.

On top of that, 33% more people sleep rough compared to a decade ago; 45% of private renters say rent worries are making them anxious or depressed; and a quarter of a million social rented homes were sold or demolished in the past decade. Shelter is launching a campaign ahead of next year’s general election to encourage leaders of every political party to commit to bold action, including a fairer housing system.

The picture, first posted on social media by openDemocracy reporter Ruby Lott-Lavigna, was reposted by the charity along with the caption: “No family should be stuck experiencing homelessness in damaging, costly temporary accommodation. @IKEAUK’s stall at #LabourConference23 shows the need for investment in social homes. #BuildSocialHousing.” The post on X received more than 800,000 views in less than 24 hours, and more than 12,000 likes.

Using social for good doesn’t happen very often, so when it does we want to support it. More of this please!

Austerity TikTokers

The cost of living crisis has led to a different kind of reality star. TikTok is seen as the go-to platform for dance routines and kitchen discos, not leftover recipes and tips on how to stretch a bottle of shampoo as long as possible. But search using hashtags like #CostOfLiving #CuttingCosts #FrugalLiving #SavingMoney #PriceIncrease and #InflationCrisis and you’ll find the austerity TikTokers responsible for hundreds of videos with billions of views, all discussing how they are struggling to buy the things they need.

Once upon a time, it was common for influencers to share videos showing off their latest expensive purchases. In fact, it was a trend for people to unbox high end luxury items live on a social media video, grinning with joy as they got their hands on whatever shiny, new product they couldn’t live without. But, now the opposite is true. People are instead filming their weekly supermarket shops, detailing the soaring cost of food and sometimes crying as they reveal that they are struggling to survive.

Users say that they have given up getting their haircut, eating out, buying make-up or shampoo and socialising with their friends and family. Some users also explain that they had been given no choice but to give up vital health services like health insurance plans and therapy sessions.

Thankfully, TikTok is also a place where people share their solutions as well their stories. In and amongst the videos discussing hardship, there are also many which offer hacks to help people try to reduce their everyday spending. ChatGPT gets great reviews for leftover recipes, and savvy influencers have created platforms focused on how to cut down and save money.

Austerity TikTok isn’t all doom and gloom, there is a supportive community already on the platform, of people who encourage each other to do the best they can with however little they have. But, it remains a stark reminder of the financially fraught times we continue to live in, in 2023.