Video Game Culture Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

League Of Legends players worked with developer Riot Games to create an artificial reef, shaped like champion Nautilus, to drop in Moreton Bay, Australia. Now, a local diver has shared a look at how that reef is faring seven years later.Taking to Reddit, user AussieEquiv shared a series of images, tracking Nautilus’ evolution from hunk of artificial reef to useful, important part of the ecological environment.“Hey all, You might remember some of my posts previously on the statue but for those new Players I’m a member of The URGQ SCUBA Dive Club who are the custodians of Curtin Artificial Reef.

PlayStation has confirmed that the company will be skipping Gamescom 2022.Running August 24 to 28, Gamescom 2022 is a trade fair for video games held annually in Cologne, Germany. The 2022 event will be the first in-person convention since 2019 but Sony won’t be taking part.A spokesperson confirmed the news to German gaming site Gameswirtschaft, which explains that “Sony Interactive is traditionally one of the most important and largest Gamescom exhibitors”.At Gamescom 2019, PlayStation displayed Kojima‘s Death Stranding and Marvel’s Iron Man VR for PlayStation VR while third-party studios such as Activision Blizzard and Remedy used Sony’s presence to share news about titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Control.Sony isn’t the only company to rule out an appearance at Gamescom 2022, with Activision Blizzard , Take-Two Interactive and Wargaming all confirming they won’t be appearing.

Kojima Productions is selling anti-war merchandise in a bid to support Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia.In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, many game companies and studios have come forward to show their support by donating or raising sums of money.Now, the developer behind Death Stranding is the latest to show solidarity, and it’s doing so by raising funds for Ukrainians who have been evacuated from their country in the midst of the war.Pre-order of the "LUDENS PEACE MARK UNIT” has started ☮️KJP Tokyo office's Ludens statue has been updated too! ✋

Fallout-style RPG” that New Blood Interactive CEO Dave Oshry briefly teased last week involves personnel that Fallout fans will be familiar with.New Blood Interactive spoke mostly about its existing games during Summer of Games 2022, but Oshry did tease a few upcoming projects that the studio is working on. These projects include a “top-down shooter” that looks reminiscent of Hotline Miami, a car combat game, and finally the aforementioned “Fallout-style” RPG.Up next, @DaveOshry breaks it all down and gives some updates on the games we teased last year: pic.twitter.com/uyNWHBgswx— New Blood Interactive (@NewBlood) June 16, 2022The proceeding tweets revealed more information about the game.

Silent Hill movie, revealed in an interview that Konami is planning a large-scale reboot of the franchise.The Internet is awash with rumours of the return of the beloved horror franchise, with potential leaks circulating of an upcoming game and the strategic partnership Konami entered with horror specialists Bloober Team raising questions on whether they will be taking the reigns of a new Silent Hill game. Well, it looks like more fuel has been thrown on the fire from an unlikely source.Gans was the director of the original Silent Hill movie released in 2006 and in an interview given to French outlet JEUXACTU (thanks, PCGamesN), he revealed some interesting details about Konami’s upcoming plans for the franchise.

Metro 2033 author Dmitry Glukhovsky has been put on the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted list after condemning the country’s invasion of Ukraine.Players may know Glukhovsky’s work as the basis for the Metro series of games developed by Ukrainian studio 4A Games, whilst Glukhovsky is himself Russian.According to a report from Radio Free Europe on June 7, the author has been accused of discrediting the Russian Army, after he penned an online post condemning his home country’s invasion of Ukraine which began in February.In a post to Telegram on June 7, Glukhovsky said (translated via PC Gamer): “[I am] “accused of discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for a post on Instagram.”“I am ready to repeat everything that is said there, ‘Stop the war! Recognise that this is a war against an entire nation and stop it!'” he added. Glukhovsky appears to be referencing this post, in which he wrote “stop this war immediately.”This was likely flagged as Russian media has been told to not refer to the conflict as a “war” or “invasion,” but instead use the phrase “special military operation.”As mentioned, Glukhovsky wrote the novel Metro 2033, which was published in the early 2000s.

Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda shared that the money raised by selling many of its western properties last year will be used to “foster solid IP” rather than invest in NFTs and blockchain technology.Back in May, Square Enix announced a deal with Embracer Group to sell some of the company’s biggest western titles, including Tomb Raider, Deux Ex, and Thief. Several studios – including Crystal Dynamics – were also included in the sale.At the time the company shared that the sales would help invest in “blockchain, AI, and the cloud“, however, Square Enix has seemingly decided against this.In a financial results briefing, Matsuda shared that “rather than using the proceeds from the divestiture in new investment domains such as NFT and blockchain, we intend to use them primarily to fund our efforts to foster solid IP and to enhance our development capabilities in our core digital entertainment segment.”Matsuda added that Square Enix will raise funds for “new investment domains” separately from the company’s “core business” to do so, and revealed that “the Just Cause franchise will remain our IP, and we are at work developing a new title in the franchise.”Over the last year, Matsuda has been a vocal supporter of blockchain technology, despite criticism from fans.

Game Freak, has left to join The Pokémon Company.Masunda founded Game Freak in 1989 alongside Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori and has helped develop almost every title the studio has ever put out.He originally composed and helped program the original Pokémon games – Red & Green before taking on a more senior development role. He was director of Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire, Fire Red & Leaf Green, Diamond & Pearl, Black & White, X & Y and Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee.According to The Pokémon Company, Masuda will be the chief creative fellow at the company.“Masuda will utilise his deep understanding of the Pokémon brand to develop new services and products at The Pokémon Company, tapping into his years of experience and creative thinking,” they said in a statement confirming the hire.

The words are being changed in an effort to preserve the purity of the language, as the French culture ministry told Agence France-Presse (via The Guardian) that the anglicisms may act as “a barrier to understanding” for those that don’t play games.“Pro-gamer” is now “joueur professionnel” (“professional player”), whilst “streamer” has become “joueur-animateur en direct” (roughly translates to “live-player host”). “Esports” has become “jeu video de competition” (or “competitive video game”) and “cloud gaming” is now “jeu video en nuage”.This stems from regular warnings from France about the reduction of its language from adopted words, which is why a number of gaming-centric terms have been given actual French translations, instead of officials having to use the English language versions instead.Each change was issued in yesterday’s (May 30) official Académie Française – the principal French council that focuses on matters regarding the French language – which makes each change binding for government workers.This follows a warning from Académie Française in February of this year that said the language shifts are a “degradation that must not be seen as inevitable”.

Electronic Arts (EA) has shared that the company will not make a public statement defending abortion or transgender rights, claiming that “being an inclusive company means being inclusive of all […] points of view.”During an internal company-wide town hall meeting on Tuesday (May 24), Kotaku has reported that “many” employees at EA repeatedly asked company leadership to make public statements to defend abortion rights and transgender rights.However, according to a transcript of the meeting, chief people officer Mala Singh told employees that EA will only make public statements that “actually have a positive impact.”“These things are hard and they’re personal and we all have our own perspectives and sometimes we won’t speak, and that will be upsetting and I understand that, we really do,” added Singh, who said that EA considers “multiple perspectives and then decide what’s in the best interest of EA and the various communities of stakeholders we have, including our people, our players, our fans and stakeholders, [and] our shareholders.”Addressing recent mass shootings in America and a potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, Sing said “one of the other things you’re going to see is we’re going to be making some more healing circles available through modern health.”It’s unclear what these healing circles entail, but EA’s corporate communications director Lacey Haines said “we’re not going to comment further on the Global Town Hall, as that is a company confidential forum.”“That said, we work to create an environment where our employees can talk about complex issues in our world today.

Spotify took its first step into the metaverse by partnering with Roblox to create the company’s first island and yesterday (May 24) it unveiled K-Park, a “homage to all things k-pop”.An off-shoot of Spotify Island, the limited-time world will allow fans to interact with Stray Kids and Sunmi through signed digital merch and virtual meet and greets.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). Players involved with the academy program will be chosen from the CS:GO Faceit Pro League (FPL), and given the support they need to get signed by top esports teams. This includes in-game, psychological, physical coaching, hardware and networking support from both Gucci and Faceit.The Gucci Gaming Academy aims to act as a next step for solo FPL players, and help them navigate their way through the realm of esports via training and other support programs.Gucci and Faceit have also teamed up with the World Health Organisation to ensure that players get proper individual and group support on a range of health topics.

Twitch and Discord will be investigated for the role they played in the recent racially-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo.Last night (May 19) James announced the investigation saying that both social media platforms will be individually evaluated, as well as the “months” of online posts from the perpetrator. 4chan and 8chan – which were also used by the killer to plan his attack – will also be included.On May 14, the shooting’s perpetrator travelled to a Buffalo supermarket to carry out the attack, which he live streamed the first two minutes of before it was eventually removed by Twitch.

Destiny developer Bungie has shared that it will be doing more to “combat bigotry” within online communities such as its own, following a racially-motivated mass shooting on May 14 which claimed ten lives.Last night (May 17), Bungie shared a statement addressing the shooting and outlining how it plans to combat radicalisation in its own online space.“Far too often, these racist attacks begin within online communities that are used to recruit and radicalise individuals. It is time we begin to examine our practices and see what part we can play in preventing these tragedies,” explained the studio.“Bungie and the Black at Bungie inclusion club have worked together to respond to this tragedy.

COVID-19 guidelines, meaning masks aren’t required and nor is proof of vaccination.The show is set to take place June 3 to June 5.

3D Realms (the studio behind Duke Nukem and Prey) have clashed over the downfall of the studio.The studio was first founded in 1987 (then called Apogee Software Productions) and was responsible for developing Duke Nukem. A sequel to 1996’s Duke Nukem 3D was announced in 1997 but in 2009, the studio were sued by publishers Take-Two for failing to deliver the game.The IP was acquired by GearBox Software in 2010 and Duke Nukem Forever was finally released in 2011.

Nintendo is hosting an Indie World stream later today (May 11). Here is how to watch the live stream, what time it starts, and what to expect.Fans keen to watch the Indie World stream can do so via YouTube or via the embedded video below. The stream starts at 3PM BST / 4PM CEST / 7AM PT / 10AM ET.Nintendo has announced that it will feature around 20 minutes of information and footage of indie games coming to the Nintendo Switch.

Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time has been added to the Video Game Hall Of Fame alongside Ms. Pac-Man, Sid Meier’s Civilization and Dance Dance Revolution.The Strong Museum’s World Video Game Hall Of Fame is based in Rochester, New York and began in 2015.It “recognises electronic games of all types that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general,” says a statement on their website.Since it opened, the museum has inducted 36 games into the Hall Of Fame including DOOM, Pong and Grand Theft Auto 3.Speaking about Ocarina Of Time’s induction, the Hall Of Fame wrote: “Even today, developers throughout the world credit The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time as influencing the way they create games.

Nintendo Wii meant for Queen Elizabeth is up for sale.Commissioned by THQ in 2009 to promote Big Family Games, the 24-carat gold-plated edition of the console was sent to Buckingham Palace but was promptly returned to THQ’s studio due to the palace’s strict security rules.The studio kept hold of that one-of-a-kind object until they filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and their hardware stock, including the gold Wii, were bought by a private buyer.Last year Donny Fillerup tried to sell the console on Ebay after acquiring it in 2017 for an undisclosed fee. The starting price was £243,000 ($300,000) with Fillerup claiming it had been valued at £810,000 ($1 million) but the listing was pulled. Now the console is back on the market, via auction site Goldin.

Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aimé has talked about his interest in blockchain technology and how it could be applied to different games.As noted by Nintendo Life, Fils-Aimé was recently at SXSW, where he sat down for an hour-long interview (published on April 26) and answered questions about the current state of the games industry.The discussion turned to blockchain and crypto – which can be seen in the video embedded below – where Fils Aimé expressed his positive ideas behind the currently evolving technology.“So I’m a believer in blockchain, I think it’s a really compelling technology,” Fils-Aimé said. “I’m also a believer in the concept of “play to own” within video games, and I say this as a player where I may have invested 50 hours, 100 hours, or 300 hours in a game, and when I’m ready to move on to something else, wouldn’t it be great to monetise what I’ve built?”These comments follow widespread disregard for the blockchain and associated ideas from developers and players, as earlier this month CCP games shut down the idea that NFTs and the blockchain would appear in EVE Online.“I bet I’d have some takers here today if I wanted to sell my Animal Crossing island from the latest Nintendo Switch version; I’d like to be able to monetise that.

Capcom will be hosting an Ace Attorney 20th anniversary concert later this year, with a live stream so it can be viewed globally.The orchestra will be held on May 7 at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo. If you’re curious to see what music will be featured at the Ace Attorney event, you can head to the official website.

Netflix will reportedly offer close to 50 mobile games as part of its subscription service by the end of 2022.Netflix has previously shared how it’s looking to explore video games for its subscription model going forward, with it recently announcing that it would be releasing a mobile game version of the popular tabletop-card game Exploding Kittens, as well as a new animated show, this year.According to a new report from the Washington Post, an anonymous source told the publication that Netflix is looking to explore content opportunities surrounding video games “from every direction” but will be sticking to mobile platforms for now.The company will reportedly offer nearly 50 mobile games by the end of the year for all iOS and Android devices, but they will only be available for Netflix subscribers.In November 2021, Netflix released its Netflix Games App which offered the first five games, including two Stranger Things titles – Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3: The Game – as well as Card Blast, Teeter Up, and Shooter Hoops.Just last month, three additional titles were released, including This Is A True Story, Shattered Remastered, and Into The Dead 2: Unleashed. Right now, Netflix users have access to 18 games so it’s possible another 30 will arrive before the end of the year.In terms of collaborating with the games industry, Netflix has also created spin-off TV shows based on some of the most popular video games, such as The Witcher (based on the books and games by the same name) the animated show Arcane (which is a prequel to the MOBA from Riot Games, League Of Legends), and Castlevania.

Announced today (April 26), Prom 21 is titled ‘Gaming Prom – From 8-Bit To Infinity’ and will feature music from the ‘80s all the way up to last year’s Battlefield 2042. According to the BBC the event will take place on August 1 this year, at London’s Royal Albert Hall.On the night, music from Shadow Of The Colossus, Kingdom Hearts, Dear Esther and Battlefield 2042 will be played, with the full programme yet to be announced.“Fantastic worlds, epic adventures, complex characters and huge moral choices,” reads the event’s description.

GOG, the digital storefront previously known as Good Old Games, has announced that it will be offering employees menstrual leave.First reported by Axios, GOG announced the news three weeks ago on its LinkedIn profile. “We’re happy to announce that, effective today, we’re implementing Menstrual Leave for all menstruating employees of GOG,” states the post.“Menstrual Leave fosters inclusiveness by accepting that there are biological differences in the workplace.

Magic: The Gathering creator Wizards Of The Coast has shared a video of actor and presenter Ross Kemp investigating the five crime families that feature in the card game’s next expansion, Streets Of New Capenna.Shared by Wizards Of The Coast today (April 22), the video shows Kemp trying to infiltrate a meeting between the leaders of five major gangs in the Magic: The Gathering universe.“Join Ross Kemp as he explores the gritty underbelly of New Capenna. He has a goal in mind, but sometimes plans don’t quite go as expected,” teased Wizards Of The Coast.You can watch the video below:Join @RossKemp as he explores the gritty underbelly of New Capenna.

Activision Blizzard has dodged another bullet as a US District Judge has dismissed an investor lawsuit against the gaming company.Last August, a group of Activision Blizzard investors had filed a class action lawsuit against the gaming giant, soon after the California Department Of Fair Employment And Housing (DFEH) sued the company over issues with its workplace culture.At the time, the Activision Blizzard investors claimed that the company had “made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose” a number of alleged issues, including discrimination, a “pervasive ‘frat boy’ workplace culture”, “unaddressed” complaints to HR and more.Yesterday (April 21), the class action suit was dismissed by a US District Judge, who said that the lawsuit suffered from “a lack of particularity”, per gamesindustry.biz. However, the judge also noted that the investors will be able to revise and re-file their complaint within 30 days if the issues are addressed.“To the extent plaintiffs allege that defendants must have known sexual harassment and discrimination were endemic by virtue of their respective positions at the company, the [first amended complaint] does not establish the requisite facts to support such a conclusion,” added the US District Judge.In response to the decision, a Activision Blizzard spokesperson said: “We are pleased with the court’s ruling that plaintiffs failed to establish their claims.” Activision Blizzard recently also settled another lawsuit with the U.S.

Xbox head of research and design Chris Novak has left the company after nearly 20 years.Novak shared a message on his LinkedIn page yesterday (April 19) where he announced that he was leaving his position at Xbox (thanks, VGC). “I have resigned from Xbox and from Microsoft, and my last day is today, the 19th,” wrote Novak.

Activision Blizzard.On Tuesday (April 12), Melanie Proctor, assistant chief counsel at California’s DFEH, resigned.In an email (thanks, Bloomberg), Proctor said her resignation was in protest of her boss – chief counsel Janette Wipper – being fired by California governor Gavin Newsom.Proctor alleged that in recent weeks, Newsom and his office “began to interfere” with the DFEH’s lawsuit against Activision Blizzard.“The office of the governor repeatedly demanded advance notice of litigation strategy and of next steps in the litigation,” said Proctor, who also alleged that “as we continued to win in state court, this interference increased, mimicking the interests of Activision’s counsel.”Proctor added that Wipper had “attempted to protect” the DFEH’s independence, which she claims resulted in her being “abruptly terminated”.The lawyer said her own resignation is “in protest of the interference and Janette’s termination,” and went on to say that “justice should be administered equally, not favouring those with political influence.”A spokesperson for Newsom has responded, stating “claims of interference by our office are categorically false”.A spokesperson for Wipper has also commented, claiming the lawyer is “evaluating all avenues of legal recourse,” over her termination, including “a claim under the California Whistleblower Protection Act”.Though Activision Blizzard recently settled a lawsuit with the U.S.

Red Dead Redemption 2 screenshot won a competition promoting the art of virtual photography.The winning entry was submitted by Joe Meizies and featured a silhouetted figure on horseback. All entries were displayed around Trafalgar Square as part of the London Games Festival, which ends on April 10.“The challenge celebrates the new artistic medium of virtual photography where creators can bring video game design and virtual worlds to life.

Wordle game.After playing Wordle, the free-to-use WordleBot assesses skill (“did you minimise the expected number of turns it would take to solve the puzzle?”) and luck (“did your guesses eliminate more solutions than expected?) before giving players a percentage score, as well as the daily average. WorldeBot does ignore the first guess when looking at skill, though.Then WordleBot offers a step-by-step rundown of an attempt, with recommended words marked with a little gold tick.

Activision Blizzard has removed the Covid-19 staff vaccine mandate, the company has changed its decision.Employees protested the decision, which no longer required them to have the Covid-19 vaccine in order to return to the office.

Activision Blizzard has removed the Covid-19 staff vaccine mandate, saying it’s no longer required for office work.As reported by Kotaku, in a company-wide email sent from Activision Blizzard executive Brian Bulatao, it was said that all employees are expected to return to the office in June, following the Covid-19  stay-at-home restrictions.Shared by ABK Worker Alliance’s Jessica Gonzalez on Twitter, the publisher will not be enforcing proof of vaccination to be allowed back in the office.LEAKED: Brian Bulatao emailed all of ABK to talk returning to office in June. They will not be enforcing proof of vaccination.

The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), the country spent £4.28billion on games across console, mobile and PC. £1.65billion in sales went to digital purchases on console, which pulled slightly ahead of the £1.46billion spent on mobile games through the year.

Epic Games is being sued by choreographer Kyle Hanagami due to a Fortnite emote that resembles one of his dances.As reported by Dexerto, the “It’s Complicated” emote from Fortnite bares an incredibly strong resemblance to a dance copyrighted by Hanagami. The dance move can be seen in a YouTube video from Hanagami, set to Charlie Puth’s ‘How Long’.

Activision Blizzard has settled its lawsuit with the U.S.

Devolver Digital co-founder Mike Wilson has announced an annual game jam that focuses on mental health.Global Game Jam (GGJ) and DeepWell Digital Therapeutics announced that they are launching a new annual jam that will challenge entrants with creating a game that uses themes and mechanics that can be utilised in mental wellness treatment (via IGN).The jam will take place from May 1 to May 22. Those interested can register at the DeepWell website and submit their games.In a press release posted to their website, DeepWell explained that the game submitted must meet the following criteria:DeepWell DTx’s First Annual Mental Health Game Jam is committed to challenging our community to use their skills to create games that demonstrate how video game themes and mechanics can be utilized as treatment.For more details, see our press release: https://t.co/RphYHp8Bqc— DeepWell DTx (@deepwelldtx) March 23, 2022“The environment of a game jam is the perfect place for exploring and experimenting with new ideas and approaches to problem solving.