Entertainment News Roundup: Analysis-Sony faces deep-pocketed rivals in war over future of gaming; UK bans ad showing girl eating cheese while hanging upside down and more

The ad for Dairylea cheese, a brand of U.S. snacks giant Mondelez, had been shown on British video-on-demand services in August last year. Sony slides on 'monumental challenge' from Microsoft gaming deal Shares in Japan's Sony Group fell 9% on Wednesday after gaming rival Microsoft said it will buy developer Activision Blizzard in a record $68.7 billion deal for the industry.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Analysis-Sony faces deep-pocketed rivals in war over future of gaming

Sony Group, perched atop the gaming sector, is facing a fresh challenge from cash-rich rivals betting on a next-generation online video game boom as the Japanese conglomerate eyes expansion on multiple fronts, including electric cars. Microsoft Corp, a laggard in the generational console battle with Sony, took a major step to position itself for the "metaverse" - a proposed immersive experience where people game, shop and socialise online - with a $69 billion deal for "Call of Duty" developer Activision Blizzard.

UK bans ad showing girl eating cheese while hanging upside down

Britain's advertising regulator has banned a TV ad that showed a girl eating cheese while hanging upside down, saying it could promote behaviour that could lead to choking. The ad for Dairylea cheese, a brand of U.S. snacks giant Mondelez, had been shown on British video-on-demand services in August last year.

Sony slides on 'monumental challenge' from Microsoft gaming deal

Shares in Japan's Sony Group fell 9% on Wednesday after gaming rival Microsoft said it will buy developer Activision Blizzard in a record $68.7 billion deal for the industry. While Sony's PlayStation is widely seen as having a lead in the generational battle with Microsoft's Xbox, the purchase of the "Call of Duty" maker comes as Microsoft is aggressively expanding its Game Pass subscription service.

Music's Grammy Awards moved to April 3 in Las Vegas

The Grammy Awards ceremony honoring top performances in music has been rescheduled for April 3 in Las Vegas, the Recording Academy and broadcaster CBS said in a statement on Tuesday. The awards had been set to take place on Jan. 31 in downtown Los Angeles, but organizers scrapped that date as the Omicron variant sparked a new wave of COVID-19 infections.

Microsoft to gobble up Activision in $69 billion metaverse bet

Microsoft Corp is buying "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in the biggest gaming industry deal in history as global technology giants stake their claims to a virtual future. The deal announced by Microsoft on Tuesday, its biggest-ever and set to be the largest all-cash acquisition on record, will bolster its firepower in the booming videogaming market where it takes on leaders Tencent and Sony.

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