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FTC Tries Blocking Microsoft, Activision's $69B Deal, Claiming It's Being Rushed
13.6.2023
Microsoft’s attempted $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been in a kind of limbo due to scrutiny from various regulatory bodies here in the U.S. and in the UK, and today the tech company faces one more hurdle. The Federal Trade Commission has filed a request for both a restraining...
What To Know About Diablo IV's Twitch Drops, Which Give You Free Loot
6.6.2023
Diablo 4 launches on Tuesday, and Activision Blizzard has announced a series of Twitch Drops that you can obtain for some unique loot you can use to deck out your characters. Whether you main Rogue or Barbarian, there are plenty of cosmetics waiting for you to kit your favorite class. Starting...
Some Of Diablo IV’s Special Armor Sets Will Cost You $25
2.6.2023
Diablo IV’s microtransactions won’t affect gameplay but they will cost you a ton. Our first look at the dungeon-crawler’s cosmetic shop shows special mounts priced at as much as $15, while armor for classes like the Necromancer will run as high as $25.Read more
A Review Of Every Major Desktop Launcher For PC Games
2.6.2023
Over the last decade many of the biggest video game publishers (and some smaller ones too!) have decided that we can’t just launch our PC games straight from Steam or the desktop. Instead, we need to fire up their own desktop app first and then start our games.Read more
Call Of Duty CEO Says Activision Never Had A 'Systemic Issue With Harassment'
31.5.2023
Ahead of the two-year anniversary of Activision Blizzard being on the receiving end of an unprecedented video game industry lawsuit accusing the publisher of widespread sexual harassment and discrimination, CEO Bobby Kotick has appeared on the cover of Variety to loudly proclaim the innocence...
Overwatch 2’s Pride Event Shows Blizzard's Trying To Do Better By Its Queer Community
30.5.2023
It feels like Overwatch 2 is gayer than it’s ever been. First Lifeweaver was revealed as the series’ first pansexual hero, then dialogue seemed to hint that Baptiste was also queer. Now, a Pride event has confirmed that Baptiste is indeed, queer, and veteran hero Pharah is also a member of...
Some Of The PS5’s Biggest Showcase Games Aren’t Actually Exclusives
25.5.2023
Not every game announced at yesterday’s PlayStation Showcase will be available to play only on PlayStation consoles, it turns out. Xbox revealed—only a little smugly—on Twitter after the show that 12 of the games PlayStation publicized will also come to Xbox.Read more
9 Things We Just Learned About Sony’s Big Playstation Plans
24.5.2023
With the wind at their back, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan and head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst recently presented the state of the PlayStation 5 ecosystem to investors and hinted at what’s coming in the near future. Among other things, the company promised new IPs, more...
Microsoft Activision Deal Might Not Be Dead After All, Approved In Europe
15.5.2023
Last month, regulators blocked Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard in the UK, seemingly spelling doom for the $69 billion deal. On May 15, however, European Union regulators announced it has been approved on the continent, giving the gaming companies some fresh momentum as they seek...
Activision Boss Hyped About AI, Suggests It Could Be Used In A New Guitar Hero
11.5.2023
There’s always a new tech trend being billed as the future. In 2021, it was NFTs. Last year, it was the metaverse. And now it’s AI. Some of gaming’s biggest companies are already getting excited about the prospect of computer generated graphics and scripts fattening their bottom lines. This week...
Some Blizzard Devs Worry Departures Could Hurt World Of Warcraft And Other Games
10.5.2023
It’s a pivotal moment for Blizzard, and some developers there worry the company is facing an unnecessary wave of departures that could hamper games like World of Warcraft, the long-running MMO whose recent Dragonflight expansion was praised by critics and players alike. At least a few employees...
Xbox Is Running Out Of Time To Get It Right
3.5.2023
“As world builders, our greatest responsibility is to inspire and invite joy,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said at the New York Game Awards in January. “It feels like today, seeking joy is an act of defiance.” In February, Microsoft lived up to that ideal with the stealth release of Hi-Fi...
Blockbuster Game Development Costs Are Out Of Control
1.5.2023
The production of big-budget games has felt unsustainable for a while now, and all evidence points to major blockbusters only getting more expensive in the years to come. Testimony in the regulatory fight over Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard shows that game publishers are spending...
The Reason Regulators Blocked Microsoft's Activision Deal Makes No Sense
28.4.2023
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) potentially torpedoed the biggest tech acquisition in history this week and hardly anyone understands why. There are plenty of reasons to prevent a giant corporation from trying to buy huge competitive advantages just because it can flood the zone...
UK Blocks Microsoft Activision Deal Over Game Pass
26.4.2023
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced its decision to block Micorosft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard on Wednesday citing concerns it would hurt competition in the growing cloud gaming market where Microsoft dominates thanks to Game Pass. It’s a shocking turn...
Microsoft Is Struggling To Sell Xboxes, Again
26.4.2023
Two years in, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S is already losing steam. The tech giant reported on Tuesday that revenue from console hardware sales was down 30 percent from the same time in 2022 after big games like Starfield got delayed. Game Pass didn’t seem to be making up the difference. Read more
Sonic Maker Sega Is The Video Game Industry’s Next Union Battleground
24.4.2023
Over 140 workers at Sega of America’s Irvine, California office have announced plans to form a new union to fight for better pay, adequate staffing, and more balanced schedules. It’s the latest front in the video game industry’s growing unionization movement, and the first to move its focus beyond...
The Cringiest Weed References In Video Games
21.4.2023
Video games and weed have enjoyed a lovely relationship for decades now, entangling themselves throughout history in both accidental and purposeful ways. For the last few decades, the two have been seen as activities for lowlifes, things to be avoided. Now that each is established, acceptable,...
This Mom Didn't Know She Was In A $250K Candy Crush Tournament, But She's Killing It
19.4.2023
Erryn Rhoden is an ordinary person who works at her family’s roofing company in Columbus, Ohio. She’s also the top-ranked player in her semifinal bracket for the Candy Crush Saga All Stars Tournament, the biggest Candy Crush tournament in history, which she entered by accident. That makes her...
Sega Gobbles Up Angry Birds In Gaming Industry’s Most Bizarre Acquisition Yet
17.4.2023
Japanese gaming publisher Sega announced on Monday it will buy the company behind smartphone one-hit wonder Angry Birds for $775 million. It’s the latest major gaming acquisition, and one of the weirdest ones yet.Read more