Microsoft has rebranded Xbox Live as Xbox Network, and is also looking to acquire Discord for more than $10 billion.

Gamers have long used Discord to communicate while they play, and the platform broadened its focus last June to include book clubs, study groups, and more. In September, the Sacramento Kings became the first sports team with an official Discord channel. 

Discord, which has over 140 million monthly active users, raised $140 million in December at a $7 billion valuation.

In another move to lure in more users for its services, Microsoft reportedly plans to drop the Xbox Network subscription requirement for free-to-play games, including the megahit “Fortnite.” It purchased LinkedIn and collaborative coding network Github in recent years as well.

Much of its attention has turned to gaming, with the $7.5 billion purchase of ZeniMax Media, which owns multiple gaming studios including Bethesda. Microsoft’s gaming division topped $5 billion in revenue for the first time in the last quarter of 2020.

However, Microsoft is reportedly not Discord’s only suitor, and the platform may also opt to go public and let a different community — investors — determine its value.

Peloton is acquiring more companies — recent deals include wearable devices, AI, digital voice assistants, and interactive workout mats.

In February, Peloton bought Aiqudo, a company that built an AI-powered digital voice assistant. Late last year, it bought fitness-centered smartwatch maker Atlas Wearables and interactive workout mat creator Otari. Peloton confirmed the deals have closed.

The acquisitions represent just a fraction of the deals Peloton has recently made.

• In November, Peloton acquired intellectual property from Peerfit, a digital health company.
• In December, Peloton said it would buy Precor, a fitness equipment provider, for $420 million.
• In 2019, it purchased Gossamer Engineering, a firm that helped design devices for Google and Facebook.

Peloton Chief Executive Officer John Foley recently hinted at new products in an interview with Bloomberg, and the company’s apparel business is also on the rise. 

But the acquisitions are rather small for a company that some believe could unlock an $80 billion valuation. According to a regulatory filing, Peloton paid roughly $78.1 million in cash for three companies last quarter. Aiqudo is not one of those as the deal closed this year.

Peloton recorded its first ever $1 billion quarter in 2020 and said production capacity grew 700% over the last year. The company raised its full-year 2021 revenue outlook to over $4 billion last month.

Nintendo has plans to incorporate an upgraded Nvidia graphics chip in the newest model of its bestselling console ever, the Switch.

The chip would give the Switch the ability to support Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling, or DLSS, a rendering technology that increases graphic performance using artificial intelligence.

Nvidia’s move to work with Nintendo comes after the hardware developer saw record-breaking revenue fueled by its PC gaming business. Full-year revenue for its last fiscal year reached $16.7 billion. Q4 revenue hit $5 billion, a 61% increase year-over-year.

The company’s gaming business, specifically, is on the rise. Q4 gaming revenue was $2.4 billion, a 67% increase from a year earlier. Full-year gaming revenue was $7.8 billion, up 41%. 

The Switch has sold nearly 80 million units since its launch in 2017 and experienced its best quarter yet, selling 11.57 million units in fiscal Q3 2021. Lifetime software sales for the Switch have reached 532 million units as well. Nintendo earned $6.08 billion during Q3.

Nintendo could also collaborate with Samsung on the upgraded Switch by including an OLED screen manufactured by the South Korean conglomerate. 

The new Switch model is set for release during the 2021 holiday season.