New union launched for game developers in US and Canada
The United Videogame Workers union has been announced at this year’s Game Developers Conference, formed in partnership with the Communications Workers of America and the American Federation of Musicians. More game developers are looking to secure their working rights and benefits with the formation of a new union. The direct-join...
Current in Gaming
Opinion – The console wars being over is great news
Title exclusivity has been a major bugbear of gamers for as long as we can remember. With that potentially over, is the future of gaming looking more inclusive – and perhaps less expensive? If you hadn’t heard, the console wars appear all but finito. The tribalistic bloodshed – or more accurately,...
Xbox to launch AI gaming coach ‘Copilot’
Next month, Microsoft will be testing out its new AI coach called ‘Copilot.’ The assistant will be able to guide players through game installations, tutorials, and even provide extra strategy advice. AI continues to make waves and cause industry disruption. We recently wrote about how Activision is doubling down...
Activision goes all in on AI despite consumer backlash
Games publisher Activision has faced renewed criticism for using AI generated images for its promotional campaigns for Guitar Hero, Crash Bandicoot and Call of Duty. The company had already faced a backlash for use of automated artwork last year. Well, it seems like the AI slop is here to...
Sony launches Beta Program to allow testing of new titles
The new Beta Program for PlayStation will provide a hub to keep track of any and all pre-release tests for upcoming PS5 and PC games, Sony has announced. A new initiative by Sony will allow easier tracking and access to beta versions of new titles, according to the company’s...
US rejects most of Nintendo’s anti-Palworld patent claims
Nintendo could move its legal battle over Palworld to the US, though 22 out of 23 of its recent patent claims were rejected. It is part of a complicated and ongoing legal tangle with Pocketpair. Remember the game Palworld? It was billed as ‘Pokémon with guns’ by most gaming...
Mysterious PlayStation outage sparks security fears over weekend
Sony’s PlayStation network went down for over a full day with no formal explanation, leaving customers worried over their personal information. If you were hoping to stay in over the weekend and wind down with some online gaming, you may have been disappointed. Sony’s PlayStation network went down for 24 hours with no tangible explanation on Saturday, rendering all PS4 and PS5 online features inaccessible. Predictably, many gamers took to...
What does Xbox’s exclusivity abandonment mean for gaming?
Forza Horizon 5 will be officially coming to PlayStation 5. The announcement marks a major shift in Xbox’s long-term strategy, as the company seemingly moves away from hardware and instead leans further into publishing and software. Microsoft has announced that Forza Horizon 5, a major Xbox exclusive, will be launching on PlayStation 5 sometime this spring. The racing game series has long been a staple of the Xbox brand and...
Is the ‘Souls-like’ explosion linked to real world adversity?
Difficult RPG games of the ‘Souls-like’ variety used to be somewhat niche, due to their unforgiving nature. In the last 18 months, however, the popularity of these types of games has exploded. Why is that? Never had a tension headache from playing a game before? May I offer you some Souls-like? If you haven’t heard that term before, it originates from Dark Souls - a gothic RPG created by FromSoftware back...
A look at the explosion of gaming across Africa
The African gaming market has been experiencing unprecedented growth over the past decade, rapidly approaching $1 billion in annual revenue. This remarkable rise reflects the continent's evolving digital landscape, where young people are tapping into gaming not just as a form of entertainment but also as a source of livelihood. The rapid expansion of the gaming industry can be attributed to the proliferation of affordable smartphones, increased internet access,...
