Netflix Looking To Expand Squid Game Into Video Games

Squid Game on Netflix is undeniably popular. So much so that a South Korean ISP sued the streaming service for its overwhelming network usage. But it’s the same kind of popularity that has convinced the streaming service that the show should not remain just as a TV series.

Minyoung Kim, VP of content for Asia at Netflix, told The Hollywood Reporter that the company is looking to expand Squid Game to “games, consumer products, and others”. She notes that there has been “an overwhelming but happy volume of requests” to do so.

The video games side of things make sense, but it’s unclear what sort of direction that Netflix wants to take Squid Game into. The company’s previous dabbling in the field produced a couple of games based on the Stranger Things series. But beyond that, the company has just resorted to including selected paid mobile games into the package for subscribers. And that’s only available in three countries in Europe for now.

Another Netflix show comes to mind if the streaming service wants to add interactivity to Squid Game, and that’s Black Mirror Bandersnatch. Which can work, depending on the amount of context that gets lost in translation, like many video games from Japan.

Malaysia Airports, Volocopter, and Skyports Are Looking Into Air Taxi’s Feasibility In Our Market

If you may recall, Volocopter last year had announced that it will be launching air taxi services in Singapore within the next few years. We have noted that the decision could have a spillover effect on our market given Malaysia’s proximity to the country and it turns out that could likely be the case indeed.

Malaysia Airports today announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the German urban air mobility (UAM) company, as well as Skyports who is a designer and operator of “vertiport” which is essentially an airport specifically made for air taxis. Both of these companies have actually collaborated before to build VoloPorts in Singapore.

The first result of this MoU will be a feasibility study for the deployment of electric air taxi services at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (LTSAAS) which is more fondly known to many of us as Subang Airport. Malaysia Airports are currently planning to turn the airport into a regional aerospace and business aviation hub within the next 5 years through the LTSAAS Regeneration Plan.

Malaysia Airports has also mentioned in the joint announcement that the study will also involve other locations throughout the country. However, don’t expect to be able to ride a Volocopter from Subang Airport anytime soon though because even if everything goes well, it is going to take years for that to become a reality.

Just take Singapore as an example: it actually took Volocopter around one year before the company were able to perform the first manned flight at Marina Bay and another year to officially announce its commitment to roll out air taxi services over there. As you may know, things are likely to be more challenging here in Malaysia but nevertheless, we will continue to closely monitor the development of this partnership as it progresses.

Huawei Looking To Attain Driverless Car Tech By 2025

We now know a bit more about Huawei’s automotive ambitions. Previously known mostly for its smartphones, the Chinese tech giant is planning to attain driverless passenger car technology by 2025.

“Our team’s goal is to reach true driverless passenger cars in 2025,” said Wang Jun, a senior executive at Huawei’s smart vehicle unit, at an industry conference, according to a Reuters report.

Huawei and its smartphone business became a frequent target of US sanctions during the Trump years. The company remains in Washington’s bad books even under the Biden administration. Seeking to adapt, it recently pivoted to automobiles, pouring over US$1 billion (~RM4.1 billion) into researching and developing self-driving and electric car technologies.

It also announced that it would collaborate with three automakers to produce self-driving cars with the Huawei name as a sub-brand. Recently, it was reportedly broadening its partnership with one of the aforementioned automakers, Changan Automobile, to include the design and development of automotive chips.

Huawei’s 2025 target for self-driving tech puts it slightly behind fellow Chinese companies Baidu and Geely, which through their joint venture Jidu Auto, aim to launch an “intelligent” electric vehicle (EV) with autonomous driving technology in about three years (2024).

US Looking To Open Up To 10 New Chip Factories

If a proposed US congressional bill is passed, the country could see the opening of up to 10 new chip-making plants, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said.

According to Reuters, Raimondo said the US$52 billion (~RM215 billion) bill, which currently seems to have bipartisan support, would generate “US$150 billion-plus” in investment in chip production and research.

“We just need the federal money … to unlock private capital,” Raimondo said. “It could be seven, could be eight, could be nine, could be 10 new factories in America by the time we’re done.”

As reported before, the US is keen to ramp up its domestic chip production capacity in the face of a global chip shortage and an escalating rivalry with China. The shortage has caused production issues for US companies from Ford to Apple, highlighting a critical vulnerability in the nation’s supply chain.

US President Joe Biden has been seeking funding for chip production in the country. Accordingly, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week unveiled a bill that would pour US$52 billion into domestic chip production and research over five years.

Industry groups, which have loudly pleaded for more chip investment, often highlight the fact that the US share of global chip-making capacity fell from 37% in 1990 to just 12% today.