Latest news with #MonopolyGo
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SHOPBACK, ASIA-PACIFIC'S LARGEST REWARDS PLATFORM, LAUNCHES IN THE U.S. WITH EXCLUSIVE AMAZON CASHBACK AND GAMIFIED OFFERS FROM OTHER RETAIL TITANS INCLUDING WALMART, EXPEDIA AND EBAY
Rewards Platform Offering Real Cashback on Amazon Purchases; U.S. Shoppers Now Join 50 Million Globally Saving More Through Gamified, Mobile-First CashBack Experience AUSTIN, Texas, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ShopBack, Asia-Pacific's dominant shopping and rewards platform with over 50 million users across 13 markets, today announced its official launch in the United States. Known for making everyday purchases more rewarding through its gamified earning model, ShopBack is now available to U.S. shoppers with a slate of features and offers exclusive to the U.S., from over 2,000 merchants including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Expedia, iHerb, Ulta, Macy's, Kohl's, Uber, CVS, DoorDash and more. Founded in Singapore in 2014 by Henry Chan and Joel Leong, ShopBack has become a household name across Asia-Pacific by offering its 50 million users cashback and personalized deals from over 20,000 merchant partners. With more than US$4 billion in annual sales driven to its brand partners, ShopBack is now setting its sights on becoming a go-to destination for smart shopping in the U.S. "American consumers are more savvy, value-conscious, and increasingly focused on maximizing their savings, especially in today's economy," said Joel Leong, Co-Founder of ShopBack. "We're excited to introduce ShopBack's innovative reward-driven shopping experience to all U.S. shoppers who are looking for an easier and more fun way to save on everyday purchases. From auto-applied coupons and shipping rebates, to earning cashback while playing popular mobile games like Monopoly Go, no one else offers the real cashback incentives like we do." With a U.S. base now operating out of Austin, Texas, ShopBack's American launch introduces several distinctive features tailored for this market: Exclusive Cashback on Amazon — ShopBack is the only cashback platform where users can earn real cashback on Amazon purchases whether on the ShopBack browser extension and/or mobile app. ShopBack Play — ShopBack offers a gamified experience where shoppers can earn cashback by completing milestones and playing games within the app including Monopoly Go!, Township, Block Blast! and more. Shipping rebates on participating stores — In addition to earned cashback, ShopBack enables shoppers to receive money back on shipping fees, an added perk available only to U.S. users. Quests — ShopBack introduces an engaging way for users to earn additional cashback bonuses when they complete shopping quests, whilst allowing brands to connect directly with high-intent shoppers through customized rewards campaigns. Auto-applied coupons — ShopBack's browser extension automatically finds and applies the best available promo codes at checkout — no manual searching required from users. ShopBack is available through its mobile app (iOS and Android), web platform ( and browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari on mobile), providing users with a seamless way to activate cashback, automatically apply coupon codes, save on shipping fees and maximize savings at checkout. "This is a major moment for our team as we introduce the ShopBack experience to a new generation of U.S. shoppers — from students and young professionals, to busy parents," added Josephine Chow, Head of Expansion at ShopBack. "By combining cashback, deals, and gamified experiences, we've built a platform designed for today's digitally-savvy consumer. In fact, new users who engage with Shopback's 'Quests' globally each month go on to spend 80% more than average users - proof that saving money can be fun and rewarding for both users and partners." ShopBack's U.S. launch follows a $200 million Series F funding round, led by Asia Partners and 65 Equity Partners, with backing from renowned investors including Temasek, Rakuten, and East Ventures. "We're excited to partner with ShopBack as they expand into the U.S. market," said Neil Folgate, SVP Global Marketing at iHerb. "Their ability to drive meaningful engagement through cashback and gamified experiences offers a fresh, effective, and valuable way for U.S. shoppers to connect with brands like iHerb, while saving money along the way." For more information or to start earning cashback today, visit About ShopBackShopBack is a cashback and loyalty platform that helps American shoppers get more out of every purchase. Already trusted by more than 50 million users across 13 markets, ShopBack officially launched in the U.S. in 2025, bringing exclusive cashback, personalized deals, and new ways to save through gamified shopping experiences. With major partners like Amazon, Walmart, Expedia, Ulta, Kohl's, Uber, and DoorDash, ShopBack helps shoppers earn real cashback online through its app, website, and browser extension. U.S. users also get access to features like shipping rebates and ShopBack Play—a new way to earn even more cashback by completing shopping quests and playing games. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Singapore, ShopBack powers over $4 billion in annual sales for more than 20,000 brands and retailers around the world. Its U.S. operations are based in Austin, Texas, as the company builds on its mission to make shopping more rewarding, every day. 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Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pokémon Go Lead Claims Being Run By Saudi-Owned Scopely Won't Ruin The Game
Michael Steranka, senior product director on mobile smash hit Pokémon Go, has told Polygon that the game being sold to Saudi-owned Scopely is 'actually great.' News of the sale last week understandably led to a lot of concern among fans, especially since Scopely also owns the extraordinarily monetized Monopoly Go. But Steranka claims the same ad-riddled fate doesn't await the Pokémon catching mobile game, 'not now, not ever.' How a person takes Steranka's remarks is going to be heavily dictated by their view of the state of Pokémon Go in 2025. The developer told Polygon that over the months he's been chatting with the people at Scopely, 'I've come to really find that they share so many of the same values that we've held near and dear to us at Niantic in terms of really caring about the player communities that they've fostered through their various games.' Which, for those who would argue POGO has perhaps not entirely looked out for its communities at every opportunity, might not read as intended. Steranka continues, adding that there are 'also lots of shared values on how to operate within a team and caring about the people on the teams as well.' In 2023, despite POGO alone having generated over $6 billion in lifetime revenue, Niantic laid off 230 employees. This leads Steranka to conclude that Scopely will allow them to 'be able to continue to operate Pokémon Go the same way we always have, with the same practices that we always have, and evolve the game in the way that we've always envisioned wanting to do.' One aspect that Niantic is emphatic about is that POGO won't be receiving interruptive adverts or restricted time mechanics. Given the game has made umpteen billions, the former is clearly unnecessary to be profitable (at the moment, at least), while the latter would fundamentally break the game. There was a reply that struck me as more troubling, when Polygon asked about concerns that user data would now be owned by another company, that is owned—as the site rather delicately put it—by 'a different country.' Instead of addressing this, Steranka responded that Niantic does not sell data to third parties 'full stop.' But this of course isn't relevant when it will be the Saudi regime, via its 'Public Investment Fund' (of which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the chairman), that owns the data outright. Steranka said, 'So if there are any fears that this is going to other places that you may or may not know or may or may not trust, I hope that what I'm sharing today can help quell any of those fears.' Well, no. Of course, all of Steranka's assurances fail to recognize that the game is already an absolute cluster of monetization that's only gotten worse and worse over the years. But the response also ignores something that strikes me as far more important: that the monetization is now directly funding a regime described by Human Rights Watch as deliberately making investments like paying $3.5 billion for Pokémon Go 'to whitewash the country's abysmal human rights record.' Saudi Arabia is on the receiving end of damning assessments from Amnesty International, while Freedom House states that its citizens are 'not free.' It's the only government in the world that still carries out beheadings, and it practices unfair trials and torture, has authority control over all press, has no free speech, and LGBTQ people can face the death penalty. And under its recently reformed 'women's rights', women still have to have a male guardian's permission to get married, have to 'obey' their husbands, and are required by law not to 'abstain from sexual relations.' It seems like the sort of thing that ought to matter. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
New York Times
13-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Maker of Pokémon Go Agrees to Sell Unit to Saudi Fund
Niantic, the company behind the runaway hit Pokémon Go, said Wednesday that it has agreed to sell its video game business for $3.5 billion to Scopely, a company owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. Pokémon Go, an augmented reality mobile game, became a cultural sensation when it was released in 2016. Tens of millions of people around the world headed to streets, parks, beaches and even to the middle of the ocean to capture monsters from the Japanese cartoon franchise. The deal is the latest acquisition by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in a multibillion-dollar push into the video game industry. Pokémon Go still rakes in millions of dollars and has legions of devoted fans. Scopely, which is based in Culver City, Calif. and which owns games including the popular Monopoly Go, said Wednesday in a separate statement that it will absorb all the staff of Niantic's gaming teams. Pokémon Go has more than 20 million active weekly players, Scopely said. Scopely was acquired for $4.9 billion in 2023 by the Savvy Games Group, which was launched a year earlier by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund to lead its push into video games, including e-sports. The Saudi government has said it will invest $38 billion in video games by 2030 through the Public Investment Fund. The fund manages almost a trillion dollars in assets, and invests in a wide range of industries, from real estate and artificial intelligence to sports and entertainment, with a declared mission to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy beyond fossil fuels. Some critics have described Saudi Arabia's investments in sports and video games as an attempt to polish the country's reputation, especially on human rights.
BBC News
12-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Saudi Investment Fund pays $3.5bn to capture Pokémon Go
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) will pay $3.5bn (£2.7bn) to buy the gaming division of developer Niantic, whose titles include the hit mobile game Pokémon game involves players walking around in the real world to hunt the collectable creatures, which appear on their phone screens using augmented launching almost a decade ago, Pokémon Go is still amongst the highest-grossing mobile games in the world, with 30 million monthly deal marks the latest step by Saudi Arabia to develop its gaming industry, which it has spent billions of pounds on in recent years. Niantic's other games, such as Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom, are also included in the acquisition, along with the people employed to make will become part of Scopely Inc - which itself was bought by PIF subsidiary Savvy Games Group for $4.9bn in is one of the biggest names in mobile gaming, with its most successful title, Monopoly Go, being downloaded more than 50 million times and generating more than $3bn in itself is jointly owned by Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures, which licensed the brand to Niantic so it could develop the Wu, who leads the Pokémon Go team at Niantic, said in a blog post he believed the move was "a positive step" for the game's future."Pokémon Go is more than just a game to me, it's my life's work," he said."I won't say that Pokémon Go will remain the same, because it has always been a work in progress. "But how we create and evolve it will remain unchanged, and I hope that we can make the experience even better." Saudi Arabia is becoming an increasingly powerful player in PIF has stakes in some of the biggest publishers in the industry, such as Nintendo, Electronic Arts and Take-Two has also made waves in the eSports industry, with Saudi Arabia hosting major tournaments including last years eSports World Cup, which had a prize pool of over $ will also host 2027's planned Olympic eSports Games. Saudi Arabia's PIF has hundreds of billions in assets due to its oil wealth, which it has been investing heavily in sports such as golf, boxing and football, including a purchase of Newcastle United in a £300m deal in is controlled by the country's prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose government has been accused of human rights violations.A 2019 UN report stated that "the state of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is responsible" for the death of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who was critical of the country's Arabia has always denied this.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Pokémon GO' Video Game Maker Niantic Acquired By Scopely For $3.5 Billion
Mobile gaming firm Scopely is paying $3.5 billion to acquire the video game business of Niantic, including marquee asset Pokémon GO. The deal also brings titles like Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now into Scopely's portfolio, along with other apps and live experiences More from Deadline Pokemon & Aardman Team For Mystery "Special Project" Rachael Lillis Dies: 'Pokémon' Voice Actor For Misty & Jessie From Team Rocket Was 55 Netflix Teams With Pokémon On Stop-Motion Animated Series Niantic's teams will continue to be managed by their longtime game studio leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu. Scopely is known for mobile games like Monopoly Go, Stumble Guys, Star Trek TM Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force. Pokémon GO, first introduced in 2016, remains a global phenomenon. It attracted more than 100 million players in 2024 and has remained a top 10 mobile title every year since its launch. It ushered in the concept of augmented reality, capitalizing on booming growth of smartphones. The social aspect of the game is a key part of its appeal, with millions of players also attending related festivals and events around the world. In a blog post announcing the deal, Scopely said more people attended Pokémon GO Fest last year than Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Tomorrowland combined. The game's global Google search volume in the past seven days was nearly eight times greater than the No. 1 movie on Netflix, nearly 10 times greater than the No. 1 song on Spotify, and topped searches for soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. 'Scopely has always been focused on cultivating meaningful communities through a shared love of play,and the Niantic games organization is one of the best in the world at this endeavor. We are extremelyinspired by what the team has built over the last decade, delivering innovative experiences that captivatea vast, enduring global audience and get people out in the real world. We look forward to furtheraccelerating the team's creativity through our partnership,' said Tim O'Brien, Chief Revenue Officerand board member of Scopely. Best of Deadline All The Songs In 'Severance' Season 2: From The Who To Ella Fitzgerald 10 Brand New Emmy-Eligible Shows Coming This Spring 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery Sign in to access your portfolio
