Sean Hollister

We also just saw charts, prepared by Activision Blizzard King in 2022, it appears, that show the company’s app installs and monthly active users went up and stayed up by a lot after the Google deal.

I’m not sure how the latter helps Google’s case. If ABK got special treatment from Google, wouldn’t it see an uptick? But I also think the rise might have something to do with Call of Duty: Mobile, the biggest mobile game launch ever.

No, no, no, and no, Kochikar tells Google’s lawyer.

She says that “pulled out the stops” meant taking experts down to LA for three days to convince Riot how much Google cared — “it was their choice after that,” she says. Google didn’t try to explain the $10 million.

Kochikar had similar answers about the Activision Blizzard King deal, which she confirms was done. ABK was pleased — and wanted a renewal.

Valve says it’s an experiment and is hopeful it can do more colorways in the future. It’ll come with an exclusive case, too, based on the new case within a case that ships with the $649 version.

The 64GB and 512GB LCD models are discontinued, though you may still be able to find them on closeout for $349 and $449 respectively.

That’s the closest thing we’ve seen yet to Epic’s assertion that Google bribed companies.

That’s what Kochikar wrote to other key Google partnership leads in December 2019.

And in an old deposition, Kochikar agreed the Project Hug requirement to simultaneously ship games on Google Play was intended to disincentive alternative app stores — apparently not just because Google wanted the games, too.

She concedes there’s no Motorola app store preloaded on Motorola phones in the United States, nor a OnePlus app store on OnePlus phones in the United States.

Now, we’re seeing an email that definitely looks like Google was only inclined to do a special deal with Activision Blizzard King “if it saves Play.” Is this the evidence we were waiting for? Hmm.

Google’s VP of Play partnerships, Purnima Kochikar, is still on the stand; Google hasn’t had a chance to talk to her yet.

We’re looking forward to seeing Google explain why User Choice Billing wasn’t fake, and why it thinks 15-plus-step sideloading is reasonable. (Expect to hear something about safety and security there.)