| | Good morning! For all the attention paid to movies, TV, and streaming services, video games are a much bigger business. With that in mind, it's no surprise that Netflix, the streaming giant, would look to gaming to jumpstart growth. (The company is expected to add far fewer subscribers this year after a record 2020.) But video games have long proved challenging for entertainment companies: Netflix may envy Fortnite, but success is far from assured. In advance of Netflix's second quarter earnings on Tuesday afternoon during which it will likely face questions about its strategy, senior writer Nicole LaPorte explores why video games are not going to solve whatever ails Netflix, as it searches for a power up to excite investors and would-be subscribers. —David Lidsky | | | | | |
| | news | Delta downers: What you need to know | | Bitcoin has had a rough 24 hours. At the time of the writing, the world’s leading cryptocurrency has crashed over 5% in the last day to a price of just over $29,600 per coin, according to data from CoinDesk. | | | The latest drop likely has to do with the delta variant of COVID-19. Specifically, what delta portends for the world’s economic recovery. | | | The highly transmissible delta variant is spreading like wildfire in many countries, making investors nervous about new restrictions or lockdowns. Stocks are affected, too: On Monday, the Dow Jones dropped 2.7% (more than 930 points), while the S&P 500 slumped 2.1%. | | | Bitcoin, generally, is a very volatile asset. After hitting an all-time high of over $63,000 in April, the coin has gotten pummeled since May. | | | | | events | The Fast Company Innovation Festival | The seventh annual Fast Company Innovation Festival returns this year as an immersive hybrid experience, featuring four days of inspirational keynote interviews, in-depth panels, and interactive workshops.
The festival will take place September 27-30. Most sessions will be streamed for a virtual experience, with in-person Fast Tracks—editorially curated field trips to some of New York’s most exciting workspaces and companies—on September 28 and 29. | | | | | | | | |