An interview with Unity CEO John Riccitiello on its game engine’s future, merging with ironSource, monetization vs. creation, falling stock price, and more (Brendan Sinclair/GamesIndustry.biz)

Paul Sawers / TechCrunch:
Unity, which makes the eponymous game engine, merges with adtech company ironSource in a $4.4B all-stock deal; Unity stock is down ~75% YTD and ironSource ~50%  —  Unity’s proposed merger with IronSource has formally concluded, with the two companies coming together to create an end …

Brendan Sinclair / GamesIndustry.biz:
EA reports Q2 revenue up 4% YoY to $1.9B, vs. $1.94B est., net income up 2% YoY to $299M, and net bookings down 5% YoY to $1.75B  —  The “most successful launch” in series history helps publisher finish Q2 with revenues up 4% but bookings slide 5%  —  Electronic Arts reported its earnings …

James Batchelor / GamesIndustry.biz:
Nintendo announces a new joint venture, called Nintendo Systems, with DeNA, which co-developed several Nintendo titles for mobile, including Fire Emblem Heroes  —  New subsidiary will open in April 2023, focusing on research and development to improve Nintendo’s digital business  —  At a glance

Christopher Dring / GamesIndustry.biz:
The UK’s CMA details its concerns with Microsoft’s Activision acquisition, including withholding games from rivals; Microsoft argues Sony is the dominant player  —  The CMA expects the deal to impact PlayStation and game streaming  —  The Competition and Markets Authority has detailed …

Bloomberg:
A profile of Unity CEO John Riccitiello, as he faces criticism for the company’s targeted ads, his metaverse ambitions, years of dating the head of HR, and more  —  John Riccitiello was on top of the metaverse.  Last November the chief executive officer of Unity Software Inc. spilled the news …

Amy O’Brien / Sifted:
London-based GoHenry, a neobank for 6-18 year olds, raised a £49M+ Series B, and says its 2021 revenue was up 55% YoY to £30.5M and losses up 20x YoY to £30.5M  —  Despite these vast losses and talk of distant profitability, there’s no sign that GoHenry is slowing down its expansion plans.