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Microsoft Wants To Purchase Discord And We Know Why
According to multiple independent reports, Microsoft is interested in acquiring Discord, an instant messaging and digital distribution platform that’s especially popular among Gen Z gamers.
While the two companies are still far away from striking a deal, Microsoft seems to be the only potential buyer at the moment, and the software giant is willing to pay up to $10 billion to add Discord to its portfolio.
But why is one of the largest companies in the world interested in spending so much money to buy what was once the alt-right’s favorite chat app? The answer may surprise you: Microsoft isn’t really interested in the platform itself; it’s interested in the community of around 150 million monthly active users.
“Creation, creation, creation — the next 10 years is going to be as much about creation as it is about consumption and about the community around it, so it’s not creating alone,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “If the last 10 years has been about consumption — we’re shopping more, we’re browsing more, we’re binge-watching more — there is creation behind every one of those.”
Discord is a huge community of content creators, and many of its users play video games on Microsoft’s video game consoles. In the past, Microsoft had attempted to create a place for gamers to “come together to talk about games, watch games, watch others play games,” as Xbox chief Phil Spencer put it, by purchasing live streaming platform Beam and renaming it Mixer, but that effort turned out to be a failure.
The difference between mixer and Discord is that the latter platform is already loved by its target audience, so Microsoft wouldn’t face an uphill struggle and could simply focus on tightening the integration between Xbox, PC, and Discord.
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“There’s a big opportunity to bundle Discord’s premium offering, Nitro, into the Game Pass service to drive more subscriptions from the last reported 18 million,” pointed out Bloomberg Intelligence Analyst Matthew Kanterman.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft has been looking for its next big acquisition for quite some time now. The company attempted to purchase both TikTok and Pinterest but failed each time. It will be interesting to see if things will work out on the third try.
News
NEOM Announces Breathtaking Luxury Waterfront Development
The residential community will offer a wealth of living, dining, and entertainment options, along with a stunning marina and international school.
The board of Saudi Arabia’s special economic zone, NEOM, has revealed plans for a new development named Jaumur. The project will see the creation of a “cosmopolitan luxury community” nestled on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba.
According to a recent press release, the luxury residential community will “serve the highest standards of future livability and active lifestyle [offering] a unique blend of experiences on both land and sea, complementing NEOM’s evolving regional development in northwest Saudi Arabia”.
Jaumur will include 500 apartments and 700 luxury villas clustered around a marina that will become home to 6,000 lucky residents. The location will offer private moorings and easy waterfront access, along with a selection of upscale hotels with a combined capacity of 350 suites.
The marina itself is a dramatic focal point of the development, featuring a colossal 1.5km covered mooring area in the shape of an aerofoil. The cantilevered structure not only forms a breathtaking landmark but will also be able to shelter the world’s largest superyachts.
The marina promenade promises to be a lively, vibrant area featuring a host of entertainment, leisure, and cultural experiences, along with upscale retail stores and world-class restaurants.
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Although Jaumur is very much a place for sophisticated living and relaxation, the development will also incorporate a “state-of-the-art deep-sea research center and top-tier international boarding school”. Planners hope to attract world-leading oceanographic researchers as well as elite students to this unique location.
We’ll leave the final words about this exciting development to NEOM’s press department: “Jaumur’s unique architectural design integrates water where golden sands meet the deep blue of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is a luxury destination to visit, explore, live, and prosper: an opportunity to become part of a dynamic community”.
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