Netflix has shuttered its Boss Fight Entertainment, the game studio best known for developing the mobile “Squid Game:  Unleashed” multiplayer action game based on the streamer’s hit series franchise. The title went to number one on the charts in 26 countries, according to Boss Fight co-founder and CEO David Rippy, who posted a farewell on LinkedIn. The unit also developed “Netflix Stories,” described as “an interactive visual novel platform” based on Netflix shows “Virgin River,” “Emily in Paris” and “Selling Sunset.” Netflix reportedly plans to continue offering the Boss Fight titles even as it de-emphasizes mobile games. Read more

Electronic Arts has partnered with Stability AI to co-develop new models, tools, and workflows that empower game designers, artists and developers. The partnership comes on the heels of the publicly traded EA agreeing to go private in a deal valued at $55 billion, including debt, led by Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, equity firm Silver Lake and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). The partners aim “reimagine how content is built,” according to EA. The 40-plus years firm has of late been using machine learning and artificial intelligence to power real-time animation and physics simulation. Read more

Spotify has added a feature that lets users follow their favorite venues to stay current on upcoming performances. In March the music streamer created a Concerts Near You playlist option, updated weekly, that helps fans discover when their favorite artists are touring nearby. Now, Spotify says its redesigned Live Events feed, updated daily, is available to both Free and Premium subscribers directly in-app, letting users view venue and scheduled concert details right from their libraries. Spotify is also recommending other smaller venues fans may enjoy based on their tastes. “Great live music isn’t just about the artist you see — it’s also about where you see them,” Spotify believes. Read more

London-based global marketing giant WPP has launched WPP Open Pro, a new edition of its flagship AI marketing platform, WPP Open, aimed at attracting “brands of all sizes” and helping them to plan, create and publish campaigns independently. The product stems from the Gemini-powered AI platform WPP built with Google — a relationship that has been extended by five years and includes a $400 million WPP spending commitment. The spend will drive WPP’s mission to expand the use of AI in its services and technologies. “This partnership will empower WPP clients with groundbreaking AI solutions, transforming how they connect with audiences and achieve business goals,” according to WPP. Read more

Amazon Web Services is building-out its programmatic ad offerings with AWS RTB Fabric, designed to optimize the high-speed, high-volume real-time bidding (RTB) auctions that power programmatic advertising for Amazon Ads and the company’s AdTech partners. The product has been in beta testing with select partners for months and now becomes “generally available,” deployed from North Virginia and Oregon in the U.S. East and West, and Singapore, Tokyo, Germany and Ireland, serving nearby areas with what AWS says is “single-digit millisecond latency” through a private, high-performance network. The idea is to make programmatic ad-buying cheaper and more efficient. Read more