Media & Entertainment

Tokyo broadcaster TBS has introduced a program that superimposes footage of cheering fans at home upon empty stadium seats during the Olympics.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

TV tech delivers Olympic viewers real-time pulse of the Games

Virtual fans cheer on screen while cameras capture 3D data and athlete heart rates

3 August 2021
The Crown Melbourne generates nearly three-quarters of its parent company's profits.
Travel & Leisure

Crown Resorts fights to defend Melbourne jewel

License to operate Australia's biggest casino in jeopardy over 'misconduct'

2 August 2021
Philippine weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz celebrates after a lift at the Tokyo Olympics. She won the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal.
31 July 2021
Game developer Krafton is riding the success of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG, to  its scheduled listing next month.
IPO

South Korea's Krafton confirms IPO price at top of range

Game developer poised to raise $3.7bn on Kospi listing next month

30 July 2021
The opening ceremony on July 23 was a turning point for the Olympics' popularity in Japan.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tweets in favor of Tokyo Olympics come to outnumber negative ones

Japanese public opinion has shifted since opening ceremony of Games

29 July 2021
Apple Daily publisher Next Digital's Hong Kong headquarters: The company is now the target of a fraud investigation.
Media & Entertainment

Hong Kong fraud probe deals latest blow to Apple Daily publisher

Government dusts off investigative tool not used in over two decades

29 July 2021
The Olympic Stadium in Tokyo: The opening ceremony for the delayed Games will be held on July 23.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Cyberattacks zero in on Tokyo Olympics as Games begin

'Wiper' malware and fake streaming sites flagged by security experts

23 July 2021
Time and pandemic lockdowns have not stopped 'Pokemon Go' from capturing fans' hearts. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Media & Entertainment

Pokemon Go still catches 'em all after 5 years

Mobile game boasts $1.4bn in global revenue, more than in first year

23 July 2021
"Inside the US campaign to cut China out of the tech supply chain," by Lauly Li and Cheng Ting-Fang, left, received the gold award for feature writing.
Announcements

Nikkei Asia wins gold for US-China decoupling and vaccine features

Two top prizes and two bronzes mark Nikkei's best result at Asian Media Awards

23 July 2021
Netflix faces challenges from Disney as streaming giants fight for the growing APAC market. (Photo courtesy of Netflix) 
21 July 2021
Offshore oil and gas platform Edith in the Beta Field is seen off the coast of Long Beach, California. The new Nikkei/FT joint bureau in Houston will be a hub for covering energy news.
Announcements

Nikkei and FT to open Houston bureau, strengthening energy coverage

First joint office will track policy, corporate management trends and US economy

19 July 2021
Bandai Namco now collects scrap plastic from Gundam model kits to recycle into new models. (Photo by Takako Fujiu)
Media & Entertainment

Bandai showcases 'Gundam' as vehicle for sustainability

New project taps venerable franchise's social themes as path to greater value

15 July 2021
Vietnamese authorities have proposed a decree requiring social media companies to block content after "justified" complaints from individuals or organizations. (Source photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
Politics

Vietnam to tighten grip on Facebook and YouTube influencers

Hanoi proposes new rules to crack down on what it calls fake news

13 July 2021
Huya controls over 40% of China's game-streaming market while DouYu's share tops 30%. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)
China tech

Beijing slams door on Tencent's gaming empire

Rejection of Douyu-Huya merger is a potential windfall for rival ByteDance

13 July 2021
Pro-military keyboard warriors are leaving a trail of posts trying to justify the military's brutal crushing of the pro-democracy protests. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar pro-military camp ramps up belligerence on social media

Public displays of loyalty may seek to shore up base amid nationwide protests

8 July 2021
Disney locks horns with Netflix as it expands distribution of its streaming service across markets in Southeast Asia.
Media & Entertainment

Disney's ASEAN push heralds brutal streaming war with Netflix

'Avengers' and 'Star Wars' owner stalks rival platforms with regional drive

8 July 2021
Nintendo has upgraded the Switch console but not as dramatically as more serious gamers were hoping. (Photo courtesy of Nintendo)
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo Switch upgrade leaves puzzle for gamers

OLED model expected to attract new customers, but falls short of hopes

7 July 2021
Director Ash Mayfair on the set of "The Third Wife." Despite being nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, the film never saw a full cinema run in its home country.
Arts

The 'New Wave' filmmakers challenging Vietnamese society

Censorship is unavoidable in what remains rigidly conservative country

7 July 2021
The new version of the Nintendo Switch features an OLED screen capable of displaying vivid colors.
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo ups its Switch game with big OLED screen

New model comes after a banner year when pandemic fueled play-at-home demand

7 July 2021
Krafton's hit game PUBG is the company's mainstay product.
Companies

Krafton's downsized IPO spurred by South Korean regulator worries

Doubts swirl over whether game developer's megahit PUBG enough to ensure value

6 July 2021
The Chinese music streaming app Boomplay is focusing on the African market. (Photo by Takeshi Kumon) 
Media & Entertainment

Popular Chinese music streaming app Boomplay growing fast in Africa

Impetus comes from the dominant presence of smartphones made by parent

4 July 2021
Tenor Ziwen Xiang (left), and soprano Bizhou Chang as the tragic romantic couple Rodolfo and Mimi. (Photo by Laine Rettmer)
Arts

The ex-Goldman Sachs banker who turned "La Boheme" into a movie

COVID pandemic helped forge a new take on a classic opera

3 July 2021
The line between short- and long-format video is blurring, with YouTube and Instagram launching their own TikTok-like features and TikTok allowing longer video uploads. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
China tech

TikTok ups video limit to 3 minutes as competition heats up

Move toward longer format comes as YouTube and Instagram go shorter

2 July 2021
Krafton is known for its popular game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
Business deals

South Korean game company Krafton cuts IPO price by over 10%

PUBG developer faces headwinds ahead of listing delayed to next month

1 July 2021
Hong Kong's Stand News has taken down sensitive articles and stopped donations to prevent money going to "waste" if its accounts are frozen. (Screenshot from Stand News website) 
Politics

Apple Daily's fate puts Hong Kong independent media on high alert

Stand News axes articles and halts donations in preparation for crackdown

1 July 2021