Culture

Twitch Forces U.S. Army To Stop Tricking Viewers With Fake Giveaways

The U.S. Army has a Twitch channel that it uses to fish for potential recruits. Last week, it came under fire for issuing bans to viewers who asked about war crimes. This week, a report by The Nation dug deeper, pointing out, among other things, that the channel had a habit of running fake controller…

A Link Between Worlds Is Still A Zelda Like No Other

I’m a huge fan of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, but I hadn’t played all the way through its direct sequel on the Nintendo 3DS, A Link Between Worlds, until recently. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I like it more than the original. At first glance, A Link to…

Destiny 2‘s Big Beyond Light Expansion Delayed Until November

Destiny 2‘s next annual expansion, Beyond Light, has been delayed until November 10, Bungie announced today. Originally set to arrive in September, the studio said Beyond Light’s release date has been pushed back nearly two months due to work from home requirements implemented during the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. “The past few months have been a…

Red Dead Online Players Dress As Clowns To Protest 7 Months Without An Update

After seven months without a significant update, Red Dead Online players have decided to send in the clowns. The hope among many is that dressing up as clowns will get Rockstar’s attention and encourage the developer to bring a new update to the game a little faster. Plus, it’s something to do. The last big…

How’s It Going?: Cake Edition

Welcome to Thursday, which is basically Friday if you’re ambitious, and welcome back to our daily open thread. I know cake and things that are not cake are all the rage lately, but I got a bunch of cherries in my CSA that I am thinking of incorporating into a layer cake. The last time…

Game Pass Ultimate Is Getting Video Game Streaming In September

Today Microsoft announced that its video game streaming service, Project xCloud, will be available to anyone who subscribes to Game Pass Ultimate later this year. Currently in beta, Project xCloud lets you stream Xbox games to phones and tablets. Come September, anyone with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which bundles Game Pass and Xbox Live…

Space Gets Scary In Next No Man’s Sky Update

No Man’s Sky is generally a pretty chill experience, but that’s about to change with the next major update. Desolation, available today, allows players to plumb the depths of the mysterious, derelict freighters that have dotted star systems since April’s exo-mech update “Being a small dot amongst the stars can bring a sense of awe…

Weeks Later, Dr Disrespect Says He Still Doesn’t Know Why He Was Banned From Twitch

In his first public interview since being suddenly banned from Twitch last month, Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm, one of the platform’s most popular streamers, claims he still doesn’t know why. “Honestly, we just don’t know,” Beahm told the Washington Post in a new interview published today. “It was a total shock. Imagine showing up to…

Track: Neko to Arerugii | Artist: Kinoko Teikoku | Album: Neko to Arerugii

Chin Up Kylo

Chris Ables is an artist based in LA who has worked in everything from film to advertising to TV to websites. You can see more of Chris’ stuff at his ArtStation page

Konami’s PES Is Just Gonna Take The Year Off

It’s long been a running joke among people who hate sports games that each new edition in a series like FIFA or Madden is really just a $50 roster update. Well, joke’s on them, because this year Konami is going to do exactly that, turning PES 2021 into a DLC purchase for PES 2020 A…

Microsoft’s New Flight Simulator Comes On TEN DISCS

If you want to buy Microsoft Flight Simulator like a normal person and download it, then it will download and you’ll play it and everything will be normal. If you want to hold a box, though, you’re going to need both hands, because holy shit. Simulation specialists Aerosoft have been hired by Microsoft to distribute…

Overwatch Update Removes McCree’s Noose Spray

Since 2016, Overwatch’s McCree, a walking amalgam of cowboy movie references, has been able to slap an image of a noose on any surface he pleases, provided players have unlocked the decal in question. Now, as of the game’s most recent update, it’s gone. The noose was always a curious inclusion in a family-friendly game…

Death Stranding Really Doesn’t Want You To See Sam’s Junk

Death Stranding’s recent PC release has finally answered one of the most burning questions about the game’s post-apocalyptic world: Does protagonist Sam Porter Bridges have a penis? The answer is no, and that’s probably for the best. These new details come courtesy of Lance McDonald, a notable video game investigator who has previously explored the…

7 Sonic The Hedgehog Prototypes You Were Never Meant To Play

Few things make me happier than hearing that a generous soul, upon discovering a prototype or unreleased game, has decided to take it upon themselves to get that game off of its ROM cartridge and make it available to the world. It’s one thing to read anecdotes from the developers and look at early concept…

The Games That Make Me Feel Free

In times of distress—and right now, I am constantly distressed, despite what manner of bullshit I post on Twitter—people seek out the things they need. Comfort, stability, understanding; we’ll scavenge until we can find a scrap of the emotion we need to feel more like ourselves. And I’ve found myself floating towards games that make…

How’s It Going?: Family Edition

It’s Wednesday! We’re doing it! Welcome back to our daily open thread. My parents live in Florida, and my sister lives in Texas, and suddenly all of them are trying to get me to leave New York and come where they are, which is very weird timing given that coronavirus cases are jumping in their…

Track: Wrote for Luck (Think About the Future) | Artist: The Happy Mondays | Album: Bummed (Collector’s Edition)

Hello Hi

Connor Sheehan is an artist based in the UK. You can see more of Connor’s stuff at his personal site and ArtStation page

Dreams Nabs Game Of The Year At Games For Change Awards

Media Molecule’s PlayStation 4 game-creation tool Dreams was named Game of the Year at tonight’s Games for Change Awards, which closed out the first day of the digital festival. Since launching in February, Dreams has allowed players to create magnificent works of art, puppet shows, breakfast, and, yes, even games with its extensive suite of…