GAMES
- Gamer Behind Fatal ‘Call Of Duty’ Swatting Faces At Least 20 Years In Prison After Guilty Plea
- 2 Milly, Scrubs’ Donald Faison accuse Fortnite of stealing dance moves: “I don’t want to even bash them for all the millions… I just feel like I have to protect what’s mine,” says rapper
- Fortnite and God of War win big at the Golden Joystick awards
- PUBG Corp. details the results of its 3-month ‘Fix PUBG’ push
- Nintendo Gets Huge Settlement Against ROM Site Probably Just To Scare Other ROM Sites
- Pokemon: Let’s Go has more than tripled Switch sales in Japan
- Nintendo’s biggest Switch-download sale yet includes legitimately good offers [Updated]
- One thing gaming could learn from Stan Lee: On the late comic legend’s legacy and the idea of games as a recruiting ground for hate groups
- The Strong Museum debuts exhibit focusing on women in the industry
- Strong Museum launches Women in Games exhibit: Museum invites women pioneers in gaming to open exhibit with speeches, celebration
- On Ubisoft’s pandering to unreasonable players: Ubisoft’s decision to reverse minor aesthetic changes in Rainbow Six Siege sets an unwanted – and unnecessary – new precedent
- Ubisoft: “Loot crates have been a huge boon for the gaming industry” – Publisher representative defends Trials microtransactions, saying “If player players didn’t buy them, they would not be added in future”
- Number of child gamblers quadruples in just two years
- Opinion: World of Warcraft: Classic will disappoint you
- Activision ignores accessibility guidelines, skips Spyro subtitles
- Activision addresses why Spyro Reignited Trilogy has no subtitles
- Activision on Spyro’s missing subtitles: “there’s no industry standard”: Toys for Bob opted not to include subtitles for video cutscenes in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, may consider adding
- Former Activision Blizzard devs launch Mythical Games, securing $16M in funding
- Mythical Games will “usher in a shift in player behaviour” with blockchain platform: Start-up formed by ex-Activision and Blizzard execs raises $16 million towards platform for ‘player-owned economies’
- Diablo Immortal exists because ‘China really wants it’, says Blizzard dev
- Hi-Rez Studios bringing cross-platform play to Smite,Paladins, and Realm Royale
- Delver devs release their tech publicly under open source license
- Battlefield V: Critical Consensus – EA’s latest blockbuster receives mixed reviews over scattered content launches and tonal inconsistencies
- Battlefield V delay triggers EA share plummet, hedge fund exodus: Activision and Take-Two’s stocks also take a hit in turbulent and competitive Q4
- EA, Take-Two and Ubisoft shrug off China games crisis: Analysts expect China’s big games companies to invest further in Western firms
- Changyou signs deal to bring Tetris to smartphones in China
- Changyou receives license to develop Tetris mobile games for China
- Despite China’s game freeze, mobile game revenue is still on the rise at Tencent
- NetEase: Anti-addiction measures “should not only be focused on online games” – But Chinese publisher supports ongoing efforts to restrict screen time for young children
- NetEase sees Q3 growth with mobile titles, Western partnerships
- Valve under fire for ‘greedy’ Artifact monetisation system: Developer introducing new features during the game’s beta to alleviate some concerns
- Valve has quietly discontinued the Steam Link
- Valve quietly discontinues Steam Link hardware production
- Steam currency gaffe leaves Australians unable to buy some games 9
- Skybound restarts work on The Walking Dead with original Telltale devs
- Telltale’s The Walking Dead back in development: Skybound begins work on final two episodes with some original team members
- Telltale games delisted from Steam as studio begins liquidation process
- Telltale undergoing liquidation, removing games from Steam: Back to the Future, Tales of Monkey Island de-listed, employee health benefits set to end soon
- Discord’s digital storefront now supports early access games
- A peek at the experiments Spelunky players use to manipulate the game’s code
- Paradox taking control of White Wolf after Vampire: The Masquerade LGBTQ+ controversy
- THQ Nordic acquires rights to Expeditions franchise
- Red Dead Redemption 2 Players Keep Finding Creepy Easter Eggs
- NPD: Skipping single player didn’t hurt sales for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- NPD: Call of Duty, Red Dead Redemption lead record October – 2018’s top two best-selling titles (so far) drive highest October sales NPD has reported
- Publishers say early access is boosting sales of special edition games: And we can expect dual release dates to continue, say publishers
- As Half-Life turns 20, Black Mesa unveils a reimagined Xen
- Don’t Miss: The making of Half-Life 2
- Super.com launches new funding program for Unreal Engine devs
- I’d rather have bad reviews than no reviews
- Experience, knowledge, operation, and luck – how to tackle the crowded mobile market
- Gameloft: You don’t have to be No.1 to be No.1 on mobile – Publisher discusses how catering to different audiences has enabled it to stay on top in the competitive smartphone market
- PS4: Over 86.1 million sold – Five years into its lifespan, Sony’s latest console has already topped the PS3’s lifetime total, but trails PS2’s record-setting pace
- GTA, Call of Duty, and FIFA claim the top 5 best-selling PS4 games of all time
- Sony is skipping E3 2019
- Sony will not be present at E3 2019
- Turkish Ministry of Commerce investigating PlayStation over price increases: Red Dead Redemption 2, other major titles in Turkish PS Store see high prices in the midst of country’s inflation
- Microsoft deal will help InXile escape ‘uncanny valley’ of game development
- Microsoft acquisition gives inXile ‘safe harbour’ – Fargo: Founder of RPG outfit says costs of AA development have tripled since 2012, selling to Xbox maker gives studio resources to keep up
- Microsoft reportedly planning release of digital-only Xbox One: Disc-less console would be considerably cheaper, come alongside disc-to-digital program
- Report: Cheaper, disc-free Xbox One option coming next year
- Report: Microsoft plans to launch a disc-free Xbox One in 2019
- Supercell sinks $5.7M into smartwatch game dev Everywear Games
- Supercell invests €5m in Apple Watch dev Everywear Games
- Star Citizen has now crowdfunded over $200 million in 6 years
- Star Citizen crowdfunding has passed $200m: Chris Roberts reports the game now has backers in 171 countries, has smashed all crowdfunding records
- DayZ reaches 4 million units sold: Milestone reached one week after launch of PC beta
- Bandai Namco Studios Vancouver has shut down
- Bandai Namco Studios Vancouver shuts down: Tekken mobile developer down to skeleton crew as publisher dismisses majority of staff
- Rovio looking to ‘accelerate growth’ with new games asAngry Birds 2 revenue climbs
- Rovio quarterlies flying slightly higher: Angry Birds maker modestly profitable, but management says “it is clear that we need new games in order to accelerate growth”
- Niantic partners with United Nations to boost tourism using AR games
- Niantic working with United Nations to promote tourism through its games: New partnership will Pokémon Go and Ingress events built around local culture and history
- Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee Versus Pikachu: Which To Get
- Pokémon’s strategy is cross-generational: By balancing nostalgia for parents with appeal to children, Nintendo hopes to create gaming’s first cross-generational franchise
- Pokémon and Spyro top hyper competitive week at UK games retail: It’s a tough start for Fallout 76 and Hitman 2
- Hitman 2’s Denuvo Protection Busted 3 Days Before The Game’s Launch
- Fallout 76 is online and lonelier than ever
- Two years on, Overwatch’s producers talk toxicity, crunch, and live game dev
- Engagement is the lifeblood of online games, saysOverwatch producer
- Toronto Esports Club Leaves Overwatch Citing Name Dispute with Blizzard
- H1Z1 Pro League shuts down – Report: Competitive league surrounding Daybreak shooter calling it quits halfway through inaugural season
- With investors knocking, PlayVS opens the door to a $30M Series B
- High school esports platform PlayVS receives $30.5m investment: PlayVS will have “profound impact on the future of youth sports across the country” says LA Dodgers CFO
- Blizzard: ‘We [are] now working on new mobile titles across all of our IPs’ – Developer is working with external partners and internal teams on mobile version of all its properties
- Dude, Where’s My Money? Part Four: Localization – AurumDust’s Nikolay Bondarenko turns to the perks, processes and prices of translating your game for different markets
- Oculus now part of Facebook Technologies: But social network says this will have “no change or impact on the Oculus brand or business”
- Magic Leap announces Independent Creator Program
- Magic Leap Is Tendering $500,000 Grants Via New ‘Independent Creator Program’
- Magic Leap is offering grants of up to $500,000 to AR devs
- Forget VR treadmills—Google patents motorized, omnidirectional VR sneakers
- This Game Uses Artificial Intelligence to Recruit New Players: Your next recruiter could be an AI.
- Brexit draft agreement “not ideal” for UK games industry: Trade bodies and other industry organisations warn of further uncertainty following Prime Minister’s proposed withdrawal deal
- Blog: The risks of making safe games
- Blog: A checklist for creating better game settings options
- “I am NEVER making another game” – Bleszinski: Boss Key co-founder announces departure from development on Twitter, later confirms “I’m done.”
- Charity gaming marathon Desert Bus for Hope raises $730,000
- GoFundMe, Doom auction seek to raise funds for devs affected by California fires
- TwitchCon is heading to Europe for the first time
DIGITAL
- Facebook drops PR firm after revelation of anti-Soros campaign
- Facebook’s Use Of Smear Merchants Is The Norm, Not The Exception
- Sorry Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook isn’t a “positive force”
- Mark Zuckerberg: ‘I Didn’t Know’
- Zuckerberg won’t step down as Facebook chairman
- Facebook Responds to New York Times Exposé: ‘There Are a Number of Inaccuracies’
- Inside Facebook, denial, tension and finger-pointing as sense of crisis builds: “It’s total arrogance,” one Facebook employee said of company leadership’s willingness to blame its communications team for recent crises.
- Obscure Concealed-Carry Group Spent Millions On Facebook Political Ads
- Rights Groups Demand Facebook Set Up Real Due Process Around Content Moderation
- Facebook Messenger Is Down With Global Outages
- Facebook is on track to post its longest losing streak ever, and some say there’s more pain ahead
- Does Facebook’s management structure need to be revamped?
- Facebook put profits above care for liberal democracy: Social media giant’s top leadership is not liberal, but selfishly libertarian
- The Guy Behind Net Neutrality Wants to Break Up Facebook
- Google and Facebook can’t be put in the same category, expert says
- Facebook Increasingly Reliant on A.I. To Predict Suicide Risk
- Study: It only takes a few seconds for bots to spread misinformation
- Report: Charges against Assange relate to Russian hacking
- Ukraine detects new Pterodo backdoor malware, warns of Russian cyberattack
- Russia’s Cozy Bear comes out of hiding with post-election spear-phishing blitz
- Fake news is responsible for Bolsonaro’s victory in Brazil: The misinformation and intimidation campaign was intense.
- “The leaders of the big technology think themselves smarter than the others”
- Bitcoin and Ethereum fall to lows not seen since 2017
- Blockchain Voting: Solves None Of The Actual Problems Of Online Voting; Leverages None Of The Benefits Of Blockchain
- Snapchat parent hands over data for US inquiry: Investors claim in class-action suit the company did not reveal the extent of the threat of Instagram
- Instagram To Purge Inauthentic Likes, Follows, And Comments To Ratchet Down Fake Engagement
- Inside The Pricey War To Influence Your Instagram Feed
- Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Defy Media, Claims Of Fraudulent Behavior From Former Generate Partners
- But Her Emails: Ivanka Trump Also Used A Private Email Account For Official Government Business
- Ivanka Trump used personal email for official White House business
- In A Speech Any Autocrat Would Love, French President Macron Insists The Internet Must Be Regulated
- Another YouTube Remove-and-Relocate Case Fails–Kinney v. YouTube (Eric Goldman)
- YouTube Now Offering 100 Films, Including ‘Rocky’ and ‘Legally Blonde’, For Free
- YouTube Music To Serve As Presenting Sponsor Of ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ In Expanded Pact With Dick Clark
- YouTube’s Lyor Cohen Posts Fiery Op-Ed Opposing EU Copyright Directive; Industry Executives Respond
- European Music Societies Slam YouTube’s ‘Fact Free Fear-Mongering’
- YouTube Is Now Running Pop-Ups To Warn EU Viewers About Article 13
- The “Kim Kardashian tax” – three key problems
- Laura Lee And Manny MUA Are Rebuilding On YouTube. But Will Fans Still Buy What They’re Selling?
- Paramount And Pocket.watch Are Turning YouTube’s Viral ‘Unboxing’ Trend Into A Feature Film
- YouTube Wildlife Guru Coyote Peterson Treks Onto TV With Animal Planet
- YouTube Teams With BuzzFeed, Sony For Ken Jeong-Starring Holiday Special
- SoundCloud Troll Getting DMCA Takedowns Shows The Weakness Of Notice And Takedown Systems
- David Dobrik Nabs Kendall Jenner For Latest Vlog Cameo
- Jimmy Fallon’s TikTok Partnership Resulted In Record Engagement Spike For The App
- Insights: Nano NoNos—Brands Target Unsophisticated New Influencers Without A Net
- After Shane Dawson Collab, Jake Paul To Premiere His Own ‘Uncut’ Docuseries
- As it considers mergers, BuzzFeed makes asking for money part of its revenue strategy
- Consumer Groups Call for FTC Investigation of Android Apps
- Google Axes ‘Fanfiction’ Tab That Suggested Grinchand Minions Porn
- Google adds indoor positioning to Android’s Find My Device
- Disney Pegs Hulu’s Value At $9.3 Billion
- Paramount And Netflix Set Multi-Picture Film Deal
- Apple Inks Multi-Film Deal With Acclaimed Indie Studio A24
- Apple inks deal with Ex Machina-maker A24 studio to create original films
- Second Bite at Apple Fails in California Court
- Tim Cook defends using Google as primary search engine on Apple devices
- Apple, Amazon Team Up To ‘Enhance Customer Experience’ By Limiting Customers’ Options
- Another Suspended Twitter User Loses in Court–Kimbrell v. Twitter (Eric Goldman)
- WarnerMedia-Owned Machinima To Become Part Of AT&T’s Otter Media
- Palm’s Ultra Tiny Phone Is an Absolute Snack
- Instagram Adds Ecommerce Capabilities For Select Video Posts
- Instagram Is Purging Fake Followers Obtained Through Third-Party Apps
- Microsoft Realizes We Don’t Actually Want Ads in Our Mail and Gmail Is Just an Exception
- Experts Warn Of Amazon’s Accent-Detecting Technology
- Amazon trying to buy 22 cable TV sports channels, including Yankees network
- Amazon Among Bidders for Fox Regional Sports Networks: Report
- Amazon says it mistakenly shared customer emails and names due to technical error
- Amazon customers’ names and email addresses disclosed by website error
- Bezos Coughs Up $97.5 Million for Charity
- Airtable, maker of a coding platform for non-techies, raises $100M at a $1.1B valuation
- Couple and Homeless Man Said to Have Made Up Story Behind $400,000 GoFundMe Campaign
- Couple and Homeless Man Charged With Conspiracy Over $400,000 GoFundMe
- FOSTA’s Political Curse (Eric Goldman)
- Not Even Hiding It Any More: EU Council Explicitly Pushing For Mandatory Upload Filters
- Why Europe Will Never Build Its Own Digital Giants
- Study: Over 20 years, Silicon Valley workers’ median wage has fallen by 14%
- Silk Road’s alleged hitman, “redandwhite,” arrested in Vancouver
- Misleading on Fair Dealing, Part 1: Access Copyright’s Inconsistent Claims on the Legal Effect of the 2012 Fair Dealing Reforms (Michael Geist)
- Misleading on Fair Dealing, Part 2: Why Access Copyright’s Claim of 600 Million Uncompensated Copies Doesn’t Add Up (Michael Geist)
- Misleading on Fair Dealing, Part 3: Data Shows Books Are Rapidly Declining as Part of Coursepack Materials (Michael Geist)
CREATIVITY
- Misleading on Fair Dealing, Part 1: Access Copyright’s Inconsistent Claims on the Legal Effect of the 2012 Fair Dealing Reforms (Michael Geist)
- New Bill C-86 introduces many more changes to IP laws
- USMCA, the new NAFTA: What changes we can expect in Canadian IP Law
- Canadian Politician Hangs Out With Racists; Issues Legal Threats To People Calling Him A Racist
- Judge rejects neo-Nazi’s First Amendment argument in harassment case
- Judge Blocks White House From Pulling Jim Acosta’s Press Pass, But The Battle Continues
- Artist plans to whitewash a Banksy following half million pound sale
- Not Funny: The Conan O’Brien Joke-Stealing Lawsuit Is Still Going On
- NRA Is Full of Beans, Claims Sculpture Artist in Copyright Suit
- Dolce & Gabbana is Under Fire for “Eating With Chopsticks” Videos
- Convicted tax fraudster sues CNBC for defamation, says he’s not a “hacker”
- College Athletes Fumble Publicity Rights Suit
- Red Bull Fails To Block Trademark Registration In EU Over Logos That Aren’t All That Similar
- I Watched The Phantom Menace Trailer 6 Times in One Day at the Same Theater
- The Wonky Donkey: How Infringement Helped Create A Best Seller… Which Would Be Impossible Under Article 13
MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS & NET NEUTRALITY
- Court Again Rules That Cable Giants Can’t Weaponize The First Amendment
- Charter, Comcast don’t have 1st Amendment right to discriminate, court rules
- Comcast To Battle Cord Cutting By… Reinventing The Closed Cable Box
- Ajit Pai isn’t saying whether ISPs deliver the broadband speeds you pay for
- Ajit Pai wants to raise rural broadband speeds from 10Mbps to 25Mbps
- FCC’s proposed robotext crackdown could block legal messages, critics say
- FCC Accused Of Burying Data Highlighting Sorry State Of US Broadband
- US Has Some Of The Most Expensive Mobile Data Prices In The Developed World
- Sprint Throttled Skype Without Telling Anyone… And Nobody Seems To Care Much
- Wireless throttling: Senators ask four major carriers about video slowdowns
- Senators Press Wireless Carriers On Streaming Video Throttling
- California’s Net Neutrality Law Remains in Neutral
- Donald Trump Suddenly Pretends To Care About Comcast Antitrust Violations
- AT&T CEO Continues His Fake Calls For Real Privacy, Net Neutrality Laws
- Cord Cutting Sets More Records, Yet Many Cable Giants Still Refuse To Compete On Price
SURVEILLANCE & PRIVACY
- Prosecutors Charge Suspect With Evidence Tampering After A Seized iPhone Is Wiped Remotely
- Facebook Releases 13 NSLs, Reports Another Big Increase In US Government Demands For Info
- A New Senate Bill Would Hit Robocallers With Up to a $10,000 Fine for Every Call
- IoT Liability: Playing the Blame Game
- Kid Tracking ‘Smart’ Watches, Like Most IOT Devices, Prove Not So Smart, Easy To Hack
- Database leak exposes millions of two-factor codes and reset links sent by SMS
- E-commerce site is infected not by one, but two card skimmers
- Yet Another GDPR Disaster: Journalists Ordered To Hand Over Secret Sources Under ‘Data Protection’ Law
- After Being Hit With A ‘Motion For Return Of Property,’ Gov’t Agrees To Delete Data Copied From A Traveler’s Phone
- The Snowden Legacy, part one: What’s changed, really?
Jon