[ad_1]
Dive Summary:
- Microsoft and Warner Bros. are running a social media contest to find the best new ideas for a video game related to the sequel to the movie “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which will be released next summer in theaters and on the platform. HBO broadcast. Max. The campaign is part of Microsoft’s effort to promote education in computer coding, according to a company announcement.
- Basketball legend LeBron James, who stars in the film with Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters, announced the video game contest on his Instagram account. Two winners will see their ideas come to life in the official arcade-style game “Space Jam: A New Legacy” that Microsoft will be offering as a benefit to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members next year. The awards also include a virtual Microsoft Coding Workshop for the winners’ local communities.
- To get teens interested in coding, fans 14 and up can submit their ideas on a microsite that asks them to choose a genre of video games, such as “action shooters” or “sports fighters,” and describe their idea. in less than 500 words. The contest began on December 14 and will run until December 30, according to the announcement.
Dive Insight:
Microsoft’s promotional link to the Warner Bros. “Space Jam” reboot is novel in turning the interest in video games among teens, which has grown during the pandemic, to support coder education that prepares them for the workforce . Amid pandemic-related disruptions, the tech giant this year announced an initiative to help 25 million people, including those from underrepresented groups, gain new digital skills in the “COVID-19 economy.” With video games acting as a gateway to interest in technology, Microsoft offers a variety of online resources to inspire young people to think of video game design as a profession. Its educational material includes “Space Jam: A New Legacy” coding workshops for beginners and Microsoft Learn lessons for more advanced programmers.
Microsoft’s link to “Space Jam” comes as it promotes its new Xbox console as a rival to Sony’s PlayStation 5. Both companies unveiled their first gaming platforms in seven years this fall and are looking to drive a massive update cycle that lasts through 2021 and beyond. The launches of their respective game consoles helped drive an 80% increase in ad spend to an annual high for the video game industry, according to researcher MediaRadar. The industry spent more than $ 45 million on print, television and digital ads during the first two weeks of November to prepare for the flood of orders for the holiday gift season. The healthcare crisis has interfered with global supply chains for electronic components, making it difficult for tech companies to keep up with consumer demand for hardware. Microsoft and Sony have indicated that they expect the console shortage to last into next year, adding an element of shortages that may result in increased hype around the new devices.
For Warner Bros., the campaign gives the studio an early start in promoting “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” The feature is a sequel to the 1996 film that brought together live-action stars like NBA legend Michael Jordan and Danny DeVito with animated characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Parent company WarnerMedia, which is part of AT&T, generated controversy this week with its plan to release all of its movies simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max next year. While the move has angered movie producers and theater chains, which have been hit by pandemic shutdowns, the impact of the health crisis on cinema has forced studios to consider creative ways to deliver content. HBO Max also needs new content to help increase subscriptions. It currently has 12.6 million subscribers, far behind its rivals Netflix with 195 million worldwide and Disney + with 87 million, the New York Times reported.
[ad_2]
