Nintendo latest company to end trading in Russia
Russian gamers will no longer be able to purchase digital games from the Nintendo store, as it ‘winds down’ operations. Nintendo has become the latest company to cease operations within Russia entirely, after suspending product shipments in March 2022. Russian consumers will no longer be able to purchase games digitally via...
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What Nvidia’s AI NPC demo could mean for game development
Nvidia demoed its capabilities for AI and unique character building during Computex 2023. The gaming giant showed how an innocuous NPC could provide generated, off-the-cuff responses to player’s unique prompts during an in-game interaction. Contemporary titles can have anywhere between a handful and hundreds of non-playable characters (NPCs). Primarily intended to...
Is the upcoming bodycam shooter ‘Unrecord’ too true to life?
An upcoming shooter game called Unrecord aims to accurately simulate the bodycam of a tactical officer. But has its developer’s emphasis on overtly realistic mechanics, graphics, and themes created something a little too true to life? The technology available to game developers today is allowing them to create more immersive...
CD Projekt Red announces menstrual leave for employees
CD Projekt Red, the studio behind Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has announced menstrual leave for employees experiencing pain from their period or menopause. Is this an indication of a more progressive industry going forward? CD Projekt Red has had its fair share of turbulence in recent years,...
Heinz unveils Fortnite island to highlight soil degradation
Tomato and bean producer Heinz has unveiled a new community-built Fortnite island that highlights soil degradation. Named ‘S.O.S Tomato Island’, players will be able to explore a reconstructed Heinz tomato farm. Fancy learning more about Heinz tomato production? Need an excuse to jump back into the marketing juggernaut that...
Explaining the ‘Atomic Heart’ controversy and links to Russian state
This month’s standout Game Pass title Atomic Heart has been a source of constant controversy since its development. Now, the Ukraine government is calling for Microsoft, Sony, and Valve to ban it. Here’s why. When it comes to gaming controversies surrounding specific titles, feuds are typically fought between publishers and...
Does the post-apocalypse shooter ‘The Day Before’ really exist?
‘The Day Before’ has been billed as a massive online post-apocalypse zombie shooter. It is the second most wish-listed game on Steam and has lapped up serious levels of hype. There’s only one catch – nobody is sure if it actually exists. When I mention video game disasters, what comes to mind? Most of us would probably list buggy, unplayable games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Fallout 76 as the biggest...
The Sims 4’s latest update adds new diverse cosmetics
Last year, the game collaborated with two LGBTQ+ organisations on a feature enabling players to explore a fuller range of sexual and romantic identities. In a bid to promote even more inclusivity, its character creator now offers top surgery scars, binders, medical wearables, and more. Ever since The Sims burst onto the scene over 20 years ago, it’s remained one of the most iconic PC games out there. To date,...
Epic Games pays $520 million for child privacy violations
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Epic Games on Monday on grounds of illegal personal data handling. Epic Games has agreed to pay £520 million in penalties and refunds. Epic Games, publisher of popular games like Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys, has agreed to pay over $520 million in legal fees over alleged mishandling of customer privacy. CNN first reported that Epic Games was charged with...
Cryptocurrency Zilliqa is launching a Web3 gaming console in 2023
Popular cryptocurrency Zilliqa is launching its own Web3 games console for 2023. It will reportedly allow players to earn coins while playing its exclusive titles. Does this model have the potential to take off within the industry? While we hear constant talk of the impending Metaverse, Web3 isn’t discussed nearly as much. Both envision hyper-connected worlds for business and entertainment, but crucially the Web3 will be decentralised so no one...
