EA is the latest game publisher under fire for excessive executive equity bonuses. We dive into a watchdog investment group’s complaints. We also discuss Microsoft’s rules for selling next-gen upgrades and Smart Delivery, the Atari VCS’ hefty price tag, Sony’s $250m investment in Epic, Pokemon Go’s success during the quarantine, 11bit Publishing’s increased investments, and Manticore’s $1m pilot program for game creators.

• Report: Microsoft eyeing purchase of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (Gamasutra): https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/365980/Report_Microsoft_eyeing_purchase_of_Warner_Bros_Interactive_Entertainment.php 
• Next-gen game upgrades should be free, Xbox tells developers (VGC): https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/next-gen-game-upgrades-should-be-free-xbox-tells-developers/ 
• The long-overdue AMD Ryzen-powered Atari VCS console will begin shipping in October (PC Gamer): https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-vcs-console-shipping-date/ 
• We sent a vulture to find the relaunched Atari box – and all he got was this lousy baseball cap (The Register): https://www.theregister.com/2018/03/22/atari_lempty_box/ 
• Ubisoft Forward – Everything You Need To Know (Ubisoft): https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/41nS5f7EjNSB9Hi7CwSuVz/ubisoft-forward-everything-you-need-to-know 
• Pokémon Go is breaking records despite coronavirus limitations (Polygon): https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/6/21314911/pokemon-go-coronavirus-record-player-spending-niantic-raids-fest-microtransactions-passes 
• Niantic’s Greg Borrud: From falling into games to making games for the real world (GamesBeat): https://venturebeat.com/2020/04/29/niantics-greg-borrud-from-falling-into-games-to-making-games-for-the-real-world/ 
• Launching Core’s Creator Economy — $1 Million is Just the Start (Manticore): https://medium.com/core-games/launching-cores-creator-economy-1-million-is-just-the-start-6a116a78c06 
• Sony invests $250 million in ‘Fortnite’ developer Epic Games (Engadget): https://www.engadget.com/sony-invests-250-million-fortnite-developer-epic-games-184430527.html 
• CtW SEC submission asking shareholders to vote no on Say on Pay (SEC): https://sec.report/Document/0001377739-20-000042/