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CultureActivision Hires Yet Another Former Republican Big Wig
It seems that Activision has a type. After hiring former George W. Bush-era counterterrorism appointee Frances F. Townsend and controversial Trump administration member Brian Bulatao in March, the mega-publisher has now rounded out its ranks with a third ex-member of a Republican Presidential administration: former George W. Bush White House lawyer Grant Dixton. Activision disclosed…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureYou (Or Someone, At Least) Can Win $5,000 For Being Really Good At Microsoft Excel
Been practicing your Excel macros? What’s your APM in Microsoft Office? If you’re the best of the best, you might just have what it takes to dominate in the world of competitive financial modeling. In fact, another international exhibition match is about to start. Microsoft just announced a “financial modeling battle” which will go down…
By Jonathan Lee Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch Drama Between Hasan And Dream Turns Into Reasonable Conversation
If there’s anything to be learned from being on the internet, it’s that things are always more complicated than they seem…on the internet. Yesterday evening, this played out in real time between two hugely popular streamers. It began with leftist streamer Hasan Piker browsing r/Livestreamfail—a Twitch-focused subreddit that streamers often mine for react-style content—and coming…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureNewsReport: Quantic Dream Executives Cry, Ask If They Can Lie During Recent Court Appearance
Quantic Dream executives recently appeared in a Paris court as part of its ongoing defamation lawsuit against French publications Le Monde and Mediapart. But according to a May 31 report, things didn’t go smoothly for the studio behind games like Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human Independent French union Solidaires Informatique reports that co-CEOs David…
By Ian Walker Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureD&D MMO Neverwinter Will Finally Let You Be A Bard
Loremasters, minstrels, tale-tellers, songblades—every adventuring party needs a bard. If there isn’t someone on your side fighting kobolds with a lute, what’s the point? I don’t know how a Dungeons & Dragons MMO has survived since 2013 without them, but the question will soon be moot, as bards are coming to Neverwinter in the game’s…
By Mike Fahey Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsThe World’s First ‘Skateboating’ Game Looks Rad
Skateboarding is cool and all, but it’s been around for a long time. I’ve played plenty of skating games. I need something new. Something like Wave Break, a skateBOATing game that combines ‘80s era visuals, boat grinding, and animals into one rad-looking package. Wave Break is currently being developed by Funktroniclabs. Based on a trailer…
By Zack Zwiezen Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureReport: Balan Wonderworld Creator Yuji Naka Is No Longer With Square Enix
Yuji Naka, former Sonic Team head and recent creator of the platformer Balan Wonderworld, is no longer with Square Enix, according to reports in Sonic Stadium and IGN. He apparently departed the company in the twilight of April. Naka, of course, gained prominence in the 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to his work as a…
By Ari Notis Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureWhat Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for dressing up in colorful spandex outfits and fighting crime alongside your besties. Failing that, you could probably just play a video game with the same premise. Yeah, I plan on digging into the Switch-exclusive DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power, the game based on DC Comics’ groundbreaking girl-positive superhero cartoon and…
By Mike Fahey Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureCosplayIncredible Dead Space Cosplay Even Animates Isaac’s Iconic Health Bar
A cosplayer on Reddit is being praised for their meticulously faithful Dead Space costume—right down to the glowing spine. Redditor SunlightofAstora, who goes by Johnny Goodwill in meatspace, posted a video of himself on the r/gaming subreddit clad in space hero Isaac Clarke’s iconic Engineer RIG hazardious environment suit. The video shows off the suit’s…
By Jonathan Lee Published June 4, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsNike Has Made Some “Anime” Sneakers
Similar to the “Gamer” tributes from 2020, Nike is launching a new line of sneakers called Nike And The Mighty Swooshers, which is going to be based entirely around anime. The shoes won’t be specifically licensed; again, like the “Gamer” sneakers, they’ll just be inspired generally by Japanese animation, though look close enough (at things…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureChaotic Scenes At Nvidia GPU Restock
A combination of pandemic-driven shortages and the planet’s increasingly gruesome fascination with crypto-mining means it’s hard getting your hands on a new graphics card at the moment. And if you were wondering just how hard, look at this line-up—and resulting crush of humanity—outside a Micro Center store in Dallas. The video below, captured by PrestonALewis,…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureInjustice 2 Mobile Celebrates Pride By Having Players Beat Up A Queer Character
The mobile version of DC Comics’ fighting game Injustice 2 found itself in hot water earlier today after announcing an in-game challenge meant to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The problem was that the event tasked players with beating the shit out of Poison Ivy, a canonically bisexual character, hundreds of thousands of times. A strange…
By Ian Walker Published June 3, 2021 -
CulturePalia Could Be The Chill Animal Crossing MMO Of My Dreams
As much as I love storming castles, raiding dungeons, and waiting for rezzes, sometimes I just want to go online and hang out in a peaceful setting. New community simulation MMO Palia, with its fishing, farming, exploring, and decorating, might just fit the bill. Palia is the first game from Singularity 6, a Los Angeles-based…
By Mike Fahey Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsResident Evil Village Vs. Resident Evil 4: The Best Merchant
In one corner, a large, helpful man who sells weapons and cooks meals. In the other corner, a mysterious figure who has a lot of good things on sale today, stranger. He also might be infected? It’s time to figure out who’s better: The Duke from Resident Evil Village or The Merchant from RE4. The…
By Zack Zwiezen Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureWhy Everyone Is Playing Knockout City, A Multiplayer Dodgeball Game
Knockout City, the recently released multiplayer dodgeball game about dodging dodgeballs, has apparently clocked more than five million players, publisher EA announced today. No matter how you slice it, that figure is nothing to sneeze at. Now, consider that the game hasn’t even been out for two weeks. Yeah. “Holy shit” is right. You might…
By Ari Notis Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureARK: Survival Evolved Wraps Its Story With Doctor Who’s David Tennant
ARK: Survival Evolved, in anticipation of its upcoming Vin Diesel-led sequel, is closing out its overarching story with the release of today’s expansion, Genesis Part 2. Oh, and Doctor Who is in there, too. Although ARK may look like just another survival game on its surface, developer Studio Wildcard has spent the last six years…
By Ian Walker Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureTwitchThe Most Viewed Twitch Hot Tub Stream Yet Is Also The Most Cursed
At this point, there are more parody hot tub streams on Twitch than actual hot tub streams—so much so that one now holds the distinction of being the most viewed hot tub stream of all time. Credit where credit’s due, though: Minecraft megastar George “GeorgeNotFound’’ Davidson at least went out of his way to make…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureEA Hires Call Of Duty Boss To Lead Battlefield Team
Electronic Arts has appointed Byron Beede as the new SVP and general manager of the Battlefield series. Beede previously spent nearly 20 years at Activision Blizzard, where he most recently worked as the executive vice president and general manager of the Call of Duty series. Beede will be reporting to Vince Zampella, one of the…
By Jonathan Lee Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureThe Nintendo Download: Save Us, Super Hero Girls
This week sees a mighty torrent of 47 new games barreling towards the Nintendo eShop. Can the DC Super Hero Girls save us from this tidal wave of games, or are they part of the problem? They’re definitely part of the problem. Here’s hoping Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Bumblebee, Zatana, and Green Lantern don’t get…
By Mike Fahey Published June 3, 2021
