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CultureYouTube Is Relaxing Its Rules Against Video Game Violence
In a “Policy enforcement update” posted earlier today, YouTube announced a series of changes coming to the site’s content moderation, most of them centred around new distinctions between actual real-world violence and the “scripted or simulated violence” you see in video games. Starting today, “scripted or simulated violent content found in video games will be…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 2, 2019 -
UncategorizedRiot Settles Lawsuit, Will Pay Every Female Employee Since 2014 With $10 Million Fund
Riot Games will pay out a huge $10 million proposed settlement collectively to every woman who has been employed by the company at any time over the last five years. The settlement is one of the largest in California history for a gender discrimination suit, says the plaintiff’s lawyer. The payout, which was first reported…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureTwitch Briefly Bans One Of The Biggest Moderation Bots
If allowed to chatter and meme unchecked, Twitch chat can grow into an unstoppable avalanche of ugly behavior. Many streamers rely on at least a handful of volunteer or paid moderators, as well as chat bots that allow streamers to auto-block specific terms, stop spam before it starts, and quarantine questionable comments. Yesterday, Twitch accidentally…
By Nathan Grayson Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureInside Twitch’s Wildest Talk Show
It’s the beginning of another episode of the Rajj Show, a livestreamed reality show with what may euphemistically be described as 13 of Twitch’s strongest personalities, and already, it’s on a waterslide straight to hell’s navel. A new guest is immediately cut off after introducing himself as a lawyer who streams at night. “Can you…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureMy Dad Would Like To Buy You A Drone For Christmas
Hi reader. Would you like a drone for Christmas? See, my dad really wants to give one to someone, and I’m trying to help him out. My dad loves tech toys, and often buys them for himself for Christmas. Many years ago I awoke on Christmas morning to find that my dad had haphazardly wrapped…
By Gita Jackson Published December 2, 2019 -
ReviewsControllersLet’s Hear It For Controllers That Glow Just Because They Can
This is PDP’s $50 Afterglow Wireless Deluxe Controller for the Nintendo Switch. I have many third-party game pads for the Nintendo Switch, with all sorts of special features. While the Afterglow has a couple of neat customization features, its main draw is glowing. That’s why I am using it. Glowing is great. Many PC peripherals…
By Mike Fahey Published December 2, 2019 -
ReviewsYear in ReviewThe State Of The Nintendo Switch In 2019
2019 was the year of the Switch. Wii U is so far in the rear view mirror now that it all just feels like a bad dream. 2019 was the year that Nintendo proved that its console, a true hybrid machine that works just as well as a TV-based player as it does a portable,…
By Chris Kohler Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryOuter Wilds Has Made Exploration In Other Games Boring
When it comes to video games, “exploration” is kind of a bullshit word, a sexier way of saying hey you’re gonna be doing a lot of running and stuff. “And stuff,” in this context, can be climbing, walking, riding a horse, swimming, or what have you. All the basic ways you get from here to…
By Joshua Rivera Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Thanksgiving Commercial Spoils The Damn Ending
Imagine: you’re sitting with your family on Thanksgiving Day, watching football or the parade or a Hallmark movie marathon, when suddenly you see a commercial for the new Star Wars game. “Cool,” you might think, for roughly twenty seconds, until it spoils the ending and one of the game’s coolest surprises That’s what it was…
By Jason Schreier Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureGhost Recon Breakpoint Players Really Want AI Teammates
Ghost Recon Breakpoint players want to see the game become more tactical, less grindy, and be less online, according to the results of a player survey Ubisoft shared on Friday. Thousands of players participated in the survey. The requested changes and additions, many of which are already in the works, aren’t that surprising to anyone…
By Ethan Gach Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureSuper Mario Maker 2 Update Adds Link
Super Mario Maker 2 is getting a free update this Thursday that adds a bunch of new enemies and blocks for players to build levels out of, including a Master Sword power-up that will transform Mario into Link. When Mario becomes Link he’s able to use the character’s abilities, ranging from smacking enemies with his…
By Ethan Gach Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureThe Week In Games: Life Is Farming
Happy week after Thanksgiving! Life is Strange 2: Episode 5 launches this week, and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey comes to Xbox One and PS4. Red Dead Redemption 2 comes to Steam. And, of course, Farming Simulator 20 arrives on the Switch, which I will admit I kind of super want to play. December 2 Trax (PS4)…
By Riley MacLeod Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureTrack: New Me | Artist: Double Experience | Album: Alignments
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 2, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanFirst Look At Final Fantasy Brave Exvius…The Musical
As previously reported, free-to-play game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is being turned into a musical. Here’s a glimpse of what it might look like, which seems to be fancy threads. Final Fantasy Brave Exvius The Musical will debut this March with runs in Tokyo and Kobe. It’s written by Fumiya Matsuzaki, who previously penned the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 2, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanLupin III Anime Voice Actor Makio Inoue Has Died
Makio Inoue is most famous for voicing Lupin III’s Goemon Ishikawa XIII. Today, it was announced that the long-time voice actor had passed away at the age of 81. Inoue got his start with minor characters in Astro Boy and other roles at Tezuka Productions in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, he had breakout…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 2, 2019 -
UncategorizedLet the sequel talk begin! During an interview with Vulture, Hideo Kojima briefly mentions working with Norman Reedus again, maybe on a Death Stranding sequel. If he were to make another Death Stranding, Kojima says he “would start from zero.”
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 2, 2019 -
CultureStreamer Sets World Record By Playing Games For 572 Hours
Last month, Cecilia ran a great feature on Andrew “GiantWaffle” Bodine, who was in the middle of an attempt to set a world record by streaming himself playing video games for 570 hours. Yesterday, he reached the finish line. Obviously, like any world record attempt these days in pretty much any field, participants are allowed…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 1, 2019
