#GamingBusiness

A federal judge just struck a seismic blow to Google’s adtech dominance. After a three-week bench trial, the court ruled that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in two vital pillars of digital advertising: publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. At the heart of the matter? Google’s AdX product and its tightly bundled relationship with DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP). Source: Inside Telecom The Plot Twist Judge Brinkema didn’t mince words. She declared Google’s conduct exclusionary—sidelining competitors, harming publishers, and ultimately shortchanging the public’s access to a competitive, open web. Google, it turns out, tied its tools not for better quality or security, but to maintain its grip on the market. The court found no valid justification for these ties—only power plays. Industry Voices Speak Out Andrew Casale, CEO of Index Exchange and one of the trial’s opening witnesses, called the verdict […]

Just saw the news right after Ilkka's LI post. Finland Bets Big on Start-Ups with Maria 01 Super Campus Maria 01 plans to become the biggest start-up campus in Europe Yellow diggers are shoring up mounds of earth, as construction workers prepare to lay the foundations for what's set to become the largest start-up campus in Europe. The project is an expansion of Maria 01, a co-working and event space for entrepreneurs and investors, as well as larger corporations that want to collaborate with tech start-ups. Its existing facilities across the street already house around 240 start-ups. They are spread across six buildings that used to make up the city's first hospital, founded in the 19th Century and notorious in Helsinki for treating patients with the plague. Now, the current 20,000 sq m site is a hub for companies developing […]

Mika Games Invests $2 Million in Hybrid-Casual Game Set to Surpass Plants vs. Zombies A new challenger has entered the arena, and it's gunning for Plants vs. Zombies' crown. Mika Games, the ambitious gaming fund founded by Wargaming co-founder Nick Katselapov, just dropped $2 million into Agonalea Games, the Buenos Aires-based studio behind Punko.io — a hybrid-casual tower defense title with mid-core depth and mobile market bite. Why? Forget the watered-down reboots. Punko.io hits different. It blends the strategic soul of Clash Royale, the addictive thrill of Archero, and the nostalgic charm of classic Flash games — all while dodging the hyper-casual traps of cheap gimmicks and over-monetization. RPG-style item management, slick design, and a progression loop that actually respects the player? That’s the formula Agonalea is perfecting. Founded by industry veterans Pedro Aira (ex-Sensor Tower) and Vanina Fregoti (ex-Pixowl), […]