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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
Has the PlayStation 5 Pro made the future of gaming inaccessible?
Retailing for an eye-watering £700 at launch, the PlayStation 5 Pro has fans of console gaming concerned that next gen hardware will completely price us out. Has the market just been ruined? How do you appease lifelong PlayStation fans becoming disillusioned by a lack of exciting new IPs and exclusives? By releasing a mid-gen console for £700, apparently. The PlayStation 5 Pro is slated for release in early November. As its...
The Pokémon Sleep app hits one million users in Japan
The gamified sleeping tracker is helping incentivize people all over the world to get more shut-eye. One million of these users are now based in Japan. Getting enough sleep is important, but few of us actually get the number of hours we need. No worries though, there’s an app for everything these days. The global sleep app market is expected to reach a value of $2,755.2 million by the end...
Opinion – Petition to ban Assassin’s Creed Shadows is missing the point
From one storm in a teacup to another, Ubisoft will now likely be aware of a petition to cancel Assassin’s Creed’s Shadows before release. 40,000 people have signed so far. Since Ubisoft unveiled the next entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise last May, select portions of the gaming community have been gunning for its demise. Set in the fascinating and volatile era of feudal Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will see players...
Former PS boss calls for shorter games with worse graphics
As the expectation for games to become bigger and more visually striking grows, former PlayStation president Shawn Layden says the industry should pivot to shorter games with less emphasis on realism to cut development costs. I’ll hazard an early guess that this suggestion probably won’t go down too well on Reddit. Recently talking at length with GamesIndustryBiz about the state of gaming and the issues facing AAA development, ex-PlayStation boss...
