Metacritic combats game ‘review bombing’ with 36-hour delays to user scores
Metacritic, widely renowned as the ultimate review aggregator, is introducing 36-hour delays to user scores on new games in an effort to combat ‘review bombing.’ Metacritic is tightening its defence against premature user scores by implementing 36-hour delays to all new games on its platform. With a view to maintaining...
Current in Gaming
Clown protests take Read Dead Online by storm
It’s been close to a year since Rockstar meaningfully expanded Red Dead Redemption 2, and players have started populating entire servers with clowns in protest. All is not well in the digital wild west. It’s been seven months since Red Dead Online’s ‘Moonshiners’ expansion dropped, and players are growing frustrated...
Publishers to raise gaming prices for next gen
2K announced last week that NBA 2K21 will cost $70 USD on next-gen, setting a precedent for other publishers to increase prices - but it should come with a reduction in microtransactions. The regular pricing for video games could be seeing an increase as we move into the next...
Insomniac Games sexual harassment case the latest in a surge of new allegations
Based on the outpouring of women’s stories this week, it’s clear the gaming industry has a deep rooted problem with sexism and harassment. Change is desperately needed. Insomniac Games is the latest games developer to face new sexual assault and harassment allegations this week. Former employee Sol Brennan tweeted that...
PS5 embraces the digital generation with discless console
Sony’s PS5 reveal delivered a host of new titles for fans to get excited about, but the big surprise came in the form of a new discless console dubbed the ‘Digital Edition’. For the most part, you’d have to call the PS5 reveal a resounding success for Sony. While one...
Can gaming become an arm of educational discovery?
In conjunction with ever improving tech, Ubisoft continues to bring historical periods to life with unerring accuracy in its games. But has its latest development opened a door to educational discovery that we never knew was there? As gaming technologies become more intricate and advanced, so too do the digital...
Investors bet on permanence of lockdown gaming habits
Lockdown restrictions have meant that many of us are flocking to online video games to distract ourselves, and investors are hoping the trend continues well beyond the pandemic. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I’ve chucked more than a few extra hours into playing video games since lockdown began over three months ago. While nearly every other industry has struggled to cope with the unpredictable changes surrounding the...
Indie developers can now use Unreal Engine for free
Yesterday’s demo of the Unreal Engine 5 was certainly something wasn’t it? And small indie devs will get a taste of the new cutting-edge technology for free. Consider yourself an avid gamer? the chances are you’ve already played several titles developed using one of the constantly improving iterations of the Unreal Engine. Whether we’re talking Mass Effect, Bioshock, Borderlands, Mortal Kombat, or owners Epic Games’ in-house projects Fortnite and Gears of War, a hefty chunk of the most popular franchises...
Animal Crossing: New Horizons gains a dark underbelly
Just what is wrong with you people?! Will anyone ever play Animal Crossing: New Horizons the way it was intended ever again, or will we have to out you lot every single week? On the surface, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is as unassuming and frothy as games come. The painterly villages are filled with adorable creatures and smiley low fidelity avatars who potter around fishing, gathering seashells, and chasing butterflies – that is until they’re...
Is cross platform marketing the new key to owning the charts?
Call it sheer dumb luck or a stroke of marketing genius, either way Travis Scott may have given us a peak at the future of clout chasing in the music industry. With more registered players than the entire US population, it’s safe to say Fortnite was no flash in the pan. Developers Epic Games continue to grow the franchise into something of a mega conglomerate, and rapper Travis Scott is the latest beneficiary. The two joined...
