Netflix

Near the end of 2021, Netflix entered the mobile gaming space and has since purchased three gaming studios. Recently, Netflix announced plans to open an internal game studio in Finland. 

More than 30 unique games are on the app store and google play,  available for Netflix subscribers. The games will have no ads and no in-app purchases. 

Amir Rahimi, VP of game studios, said “It’s still early days, and we have much more work to do to deliver a great games experience on Netflix… “Creating a game can take years, so I’m proud to see how we’re steadily building the foundation of our games studios in our first year.”

Walmart

Last week Walmart entered the metaverse on the Roblox gaming platform. They unveiled two new experiences: Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play.

Walmart is testing ways to reach the new wave of shoppers – particularly Gen-Z, defined as around age 25 or younger. Currently, Walmart isn’t turning a profit off its new venture and will use Roblox as its testing grounds. 

Walmart earlier this year filed for metaverse-related trademarks. Some trademarks suggest an interest in making or selling virtual goods and offering users virtual currency, as well as non-fungible tokens or NFTs. However, Marketing chief William White has not commented on how Walmart plans to use those trademarks. 

“Walmart Land debuts Electric Fest: New in October, users can jump back into Electric Island for ‘Electric Fest,’ a motion-capture concert celebration featuring performances from popular artists such as Madison Beer, Kane Brown, and YUNGBLUD.”

Chipotle

Today, employees at chipotle fry then season their chips by hand. However, next month Chipotle plans to unveil “chippy,” an autonomous kitchen robot made by Miso Robotics. The autonomous chip maker has been tested at company HQ and will first appear in Fountain Valley, California.

Chipotle has also begun piloting a kitchen management system,  using machine learning to predict demand for its ingredients to improve freshness and minimize food waste. The system designed by PreciTaste is under testing at eight restaurants in Orange County.

Similar to Chipotle’s new food products, their backend systems also are learning from employees and customers to decide how to roll out their technologies nationwide

Disney 

Disney reached a deal with investor Third Point. Third Point took a 0.40% stake in the company a few weeks prior, representing nearly $600M at market close last week. 

As part of the deal, Third Point agreed not to take more than a 2% stake in Disney. In addition, with Third Points support Disney would add Carolyn Everson. 

Disney CEO Bob Chapek welcomed Everson’s appointment to the board, highlighting her experience in digital advertising. Chapek said, “[She is] a great fit as we continue to position the company for long-term growth.”

According to the filing, Third Point has agreed to the stipulations through Disney’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting.

JetBlue 

The US antitrust lawsuit against American Airlines and JetBlue went to six courts in the northeast. The outcome of this case will likely be significant because it may offer some insight into the pending attempt from JetBlue to buy Spirit Airlines.

The partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue was not a complete merger. As part of the agreement, they sell seats on each other’s flights and share revenue. They claim they coordinate on schedules but not prices. However, the Justice Department argues it will result in higher fares and less competition. 

According to the government, American Airlines and JetBlue will control more than 50% of the market and occasionally upwards of 80% for routes from NY and Boston.

Spirit Airlines CEO fought the JetBlue merger saying antitrust regulators wouldn’t allow a low-fare airline to be acquired by a higher-priced provider. CEO Ted Christie would have preferred to merge with Frontier Airlines.

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals

Last Thursday, Relyvrio – produced by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals– joined an exclusive list of approved drugs aimed at slowing the neurodegenerative disease ALS. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, it affects nerve cells needed for daily functions like walking and eating. Once diagnosed, most individuals typically survive 2-5 years. 

The FDA’s decision was based on a single phase two trial of 137 ALS patients. Based on evidence from the study, patients tended to live ten months longer, and hospitalizations appeared to be delayed. 

The new pill is considered to be highly controversial. Just six months prior, it did not receive approval. To be accepted for approval, a drug must have two clinical trials or a single trial that is highly statistically persuasive. Initially, agency scientists questioned the persuasiveness of Amylyx’s trial. However, Amylyx has submitted additional clinical data analysis and received approval.