Archived News:
Friday, Jun 09, 2023
Apple and Epic Appeal Court Decision [4:13 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
They say the best deals are when neither side ends up happy. By that logic, the
Apple/Epic antitrust decision may be fair, as Reuters reports that both sides
have requested a reexamination of the ruling. Each side requests that 11
judges convene "en banc" as a panel to reconsider the outcome. Reuters notes
this type of request is a long-shot: "Federal appeals courts do not often grant
en banc requests. Last year, the 9th Circuit received 646 petitions asking the
court for en banc rehearings. During that period, the court granted 12 requests.
In 2021, the court granted en banc review in nine cases." Epic filed an
antitrust suit against Apple back in 2020 over
mobile platform fees. The result went
mostly in Apple's favor, but both sides appealed.
Apple won that
appeal, but it seems both sides still have lawyers banging away. Here's a
summary:
The April three-judge ruling upheld a 2021 order in California federal court in Epic's lawsuit which accused Apple of unlawfully requiring software developers to pay up to 30% in commissions on consumers' in-app purchases.
The trial judge found that Apple violated a California state unfair competition law, but not U.S. antitrust provisions. Apple's new filing challenged a nationwide injunction over conduct Apple said was "procompetitive and does not violate the antitrust laws."
Epic's 9th Circuit filing argued that its claims against Apple directly implicate the "core purpose" of U.S. antitrust law to foster competition. Epic also argued that the appeals court did not conduct a "rigorous" balancing between asserted asserted consumer benefits and anticompetitive effects of Apple's practices.
The Division 2 Gets New Game Mode [4:13 pm ET] – Share – 9 Comments
Ubisoft announces the launch of Broken Wings, the Mr. Mister-free
first season of Year 5 for The Division 2. It adds a whole new mode
called Descent to the open-world driving game. The title may evoke 6DOF flight,
but it's a new roguelite mode available to all players. Here's a
Launch
Trailer and more:
Descent ModeContinue here to read the full story.
Leaving all your gear and SHD tech behind may seem like a daunting challenge for seasoned Division 2 Agents, but that's just what you'll do in the new rogue-lite mode, Descent. Starting anew on each run, you'll work your way through a high-tech bunker and fight against AI enemies and bosses in a special training simulation. Along the way, you'll build up your loadout with new weapons, skills, and talents as you fight your way deeper and deeper toward the ultimate foe. Descent is available now for all Division 2 players to test their mettle in either solo or co-op play, and the soundtrack will be released tomorrow, June 9.
Assassin's Creed Mirage Returning to Series' Roots [4:13 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
A new trailer titled
A
Return to the Roots for Assassin's Creed Mirage discusses just that:
A return to the origins of the Assassin's Creed series, which was about parkour,
stealth, and assassinations. The description says this kicks off a series:
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Assassin's Creed Mirage and discover how the development team created an experience that pays tribute to the beginnings of Assassin's Creed by revisiting its core pillars: parkour, stealth and assassinations.Continue here to read the full story.
This is the first episode of our series that takes you behind the scenes! And stay tuned for our upcoming videos to learn more about Basim's journey and 9th century Baghdad.
Quoteworthy [4:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Square Enix Selling $2,100 Kingdom Hearts Chair. Don't expect real leather at that rock-bottom price.
Evening Multiplex [4:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Esports & Competitions [4:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Gatherings & Events [4:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Mobilization [4:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Metaverse [4:13 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments
Evening Tech Bits [4:13 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Evening Legal Briefs [4:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- FBI: FISA Section 702 'absolutely critical' to spy on, err, protect Americans.
- Judge denies Amazon’s, Apple’s motions to dismiss class action price-fixing suit.
- Meta ordered to remove Facebook content under Singapore online safety law.
- OpenAI faces defamation suit after ChatGPT completely fabricated another lawsuit.
Into the Black [4:12 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
TEKKEN 8 Network Test This Month [11:27 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Bandai Namco is now accepting
signups for closed network testing of TEKKEN 8, the next installment
in the fighting series. A three-day test will begin on June 21st for PlayStation
5, and another one starts on July 28th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series
X|S. Here's the
Closed Network Test Announcement Trailer and more on plans for the game and
the test:
Developed by Bandai Namco Studios Inc., TEKKEN 8 promises to be the most visually stunning and visceral TEKKEN™ title yet. The game is introducing major new changes to combat that include a new “aggressive” fight system that encourages an offense-first play style, keeping the action at a high level by rewarding players who stay on the attack. Another first for the series is cross play, raising the level of competition by allowing players to fight each other regardless of which platform they prefer. With the upcoming CNT, players are invited to experience “Ranked Matches” and play a part in helping influence key game mechanics and features coming to the sequel.Continue here to read the full story.
The TEKKEN 8 CNT will feature online head-to-head competitive play with cross-platform matching. Testers will be able to choose from 16 playable characters including those previously revealed, with Jin, Kazuya, Jun, Paul, Law, King, Lars, Jack 8, Xiaoyu, Nina, Leroy, Lili, Asuka, Hwoarang, and Bryan, along with a new fighter made available for the CNT: Claudio. There will be five available stages with Urban Square, Yakushima, Rebel Hangar, Sanctum, and Arena.
Human Fall Flat 2 Announced [10:59 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Devolver Digital announces Human Fall Flat 2, a sequel to No Brakes
Games' multiplayer puzzle/platformer. A new installment is no surprise after
the news that the original sold over 25
million copies. The official website
has the link to wishlist this
on Steam,
where it carries a "to be announced" release date." There's also a
Game Announcement Trailer teasing the news. Here are the details:
Human Fall Flat 2 is the bigger, better and clumsier sequel to the puzzle platformer global sensation featuring brand new levels, customisable characters, and even wilder physics-based fun.Continue here to read the full story.
Each intricate level comes packed with new toys and devices to fiddle with as you'll solve a range of fiendish puzzles on your own or in teams of up to eight friends.
A new physics-engine, new gameplay interactions and new mechanics will make every session uniquely silly and more dynamic than ever before. Along with refined controls, visuals and music, Human Fall Flat 2 is a slapstick experience unlike any other!
Greyhill Incident Released [10:59 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
In news that seems ripped from today's clickbait headlines, Greyhill Incident
is now available for Windows
on Steam,
offering a survival/horror game set during a UFO invasion. A console version is
due next week. There's also a
Digital Abducted Edition bundling two launch DLC packs. One of these adds a
new Found Footage mode with a new way to play the game. Here's a
Launch Trailer showing the aliens seem to be from planet Trope. Read on for
more:
InGreyhill Incident , players equipped with only a baseball bat and a revolver – with limited ammo – must run, hide from, and fight the grey extraterrestrial invaders to uncover an alien conspiracy, save their son and make it out alive. Playing as Ryan Baker, survivors will meet weird, and often wacky, fellow Greyhill residents along the way and communicate with walkie-talkies, receiving advice on escaping from the out-of-this-world visitors. Justifiably paranoid, calling the police is out of the question fear of being sent to the psychiatric ward, leading residents to band together and take matters into their own hands.Continue here to read the full story.
Wizard with a Gun Demo [10:59 am ET] – Share – 3 Comments
The title Wizard with a Gun probably evokes curiosity as well as
expectations. If that describes your reaction, you may want to head to
Steam
to check out the new Wizard with a Gun Demo. It offers the chance to check out
this co-op sandbox survival game where you use devices to produce magical
streams of lead to vanquish your foes. Here's a new
Gameplay Overview Trailer, and here's more on this wizardry:
Wizard with a Gun is an online cooperative sandbox survival game set in a magical wilderness wrought with dangerous creatures and arcane mysteries. Embark on a journey alone or with friends to collect, craft, and outfit your wizard however you see fit as you explore the unknown. Carefully design weapons, bullets, and furnishings for your tower home but try not to burn it all down as the magic you wield escalates beyond your control...Continue here to read the full story.
Broken Roads Demo [10:59 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Put some broken gas in the broken car, because it's time to check out some
broken roads. A playable demo for Broken Roads is out
on Steam,
offering a sample of this post-apocalyptic RPG.
This post has details, saying the demo allows you to experience one of the
game's four origin stories and its turn-based combat. Here's the
most recent gameplay trailer and the pitch:
Born of a love for traditional computer role-playing, Broken Roads provides a rich, engaging narrative in which players make their way across a desolated future Australia. Blending together traditional and all-new role-playing elements on top of a classless system offering nearly unlimited character development options, Broken Roads presents players with an original morality system: the Moral Compass. This novel design sees dialogue options and questing decisions influence, and be influenced by, a character's philosophical leaning.Continue here to read the full story.
SLUDGE LIFE 2 This Month; Demo Released [10:59 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Devolver Digital announces a June 27th release PC date for SLUDGE LIFE 2,
the first-person vandalism sequel. The news comes with
a new trailer. It revels in the game's offbeat sensibilities and reveals
that a playable demo is now available
on Steam.
Here's
word:
Art vandals Terri Vellmann and DOSEONE are beyond pumped to bring SLUDGE LIFE 2 to Steam on June 27!Continue here to read the full story.
Big Mud is missing! Everyone's favorite rapping frog has vanished, and his closest homie Ghost (that's you) is on a mission to find him. SLUDGE LIFE 2 whisks you away to Ciggy City Suites, a luxurious multi-floor hotel heaving with secrets, gadgets, gags, peculiar characters, and ugly corporate architecture to makeover with your spray can.
Also, SLUDGE LIFE: The BIG MUD SESSIONS is now available to demo! Chop it up with BIG MUD and crew to get small glimpse of what went down prior to the events of SLUDGE LIFE 2.
Bleak Sword DX Released [10:59 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Bleak Sword DX is now out for
on Steam
for Windows and on
Switch.
This action/adventure by more8bit lives up to the developer's name, and you can
see it in 8-bit action in the
launch trailer. This also shows how battles play out on mini dioramas, as
this originated as a mobile game. Here's an explanation:
Pure, thrilling, and wonderfully cruel, Bleak Sword DX is a dark fantasy action game challenging warriors to fight their way through compact, cursed diorama battlefields.Continue here to read the full story.
Newly updated for PC, Bleak Sword DX expands on the critically acclaimed Apple Arcade version with elegant controls, three new game modes, and multiple gameplay and graphical improvements.
Through twelve tense and deeply atmospheric chapters, you must lift the curse of the legendary Bleak Sword by striking down all manner of horrifying creatures across an oppressive world wielding fierce weaponry and powerful magic.
Baby Steps Announced [10:59 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Devolver Digital announces Baby Steps, a walking simulator coming next
year to PC and PlayStation 5. The
announcement trailer reveals that rather than a QWOP-style game where
you control a baby's limbs, this features the struggles of a baby man living at
home. Here's a bit on Nate's one-step-at-a-time journey of redemption:
Baby Steps is coming in 2024 on PC and PlayStation 5, and tells the story of Nate, an unemployed failson with nothing going for him until one day he discovers a power he never knew he had: Putting one foot in front of the other.Continue here to read the full story.
Explore a world shrouded in mist, one step at a time. Hike the serene mountains by placing each footstep yourself, in original physics-based gameplay from the minds behind Ape Out and Getting Over It. Take in the sights, fall in love with the local fauna and try to find meaning in a wasted life.
Humanica Announced [10:59 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
One person development studio PanfachDev announces Humanica, a historical
city-building game coming to
Steam later
this year. Here's
a
trailer showing off gameplay, and here is an overview:
This is not just a sandbox. You have to compete with neighboring settlements with their own desires and ambitions. This means that your task is to become the best. Choose one of the strategies you will stick to for the rest of the game. You can go the military route, becoming a conqueror, turning your neighbors into vassals and instilling fear in everyone. Or you can choose the trade path - you'll get unique opportunities for mass production of goods and different tricks to sell valuable resources. Or the cultural path - you will create various masterpieces and explore ancient ruins in the surrounding wild world to increase the cultural value of your civilization.Continue here to read the full story.
Morning Patches [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- JellyCar Worlds - Custom Levels have arrived.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator June 8th, 2023 Development Update.
- No Man's Sky Singularity Patch 4.30.3.
- System Shock - CITADEL STATION SYSTEMS UPDATED - PATCH 1.0.
- Wolcen- Lords of Mayhem -- Patch 1.1.7.10.
- World of Warcraft Hotfixes: June 8, 2023.
↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.
Morning Multiplex [10:58 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
- Fortnite Islands of the Week - June 9, 2023.
- RIPOUT - No Safe Place in Space Trailer.
- The Talos Principle 2 - Gameplay Trailer.
↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.
Morning Previews [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Morning Consolidation [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Console General.
- PlayStation won’t be attending Gamescom 2023.
- Nitro Deck - Official Trailer. Switch enhancement.
- Orbital Bullet - Consoles Release Trailer.
- Next Week on Xbox: New Games for June 12 to 16.
- Xbox Insider Release Notes - Omega (2306.230608-0120).
- Xbox Insider Release Notes - Delta (2306.230608-0120).
- Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta (2306.230608-0120).
Morning Mobilization [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Morning Metaverse [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Facebook owner Meta plans to create Twitter rival.
- Subreddits planning to go dark over Reddit's initial public enshittification.
- Netflix's password sharing crackdown seems to be working.
- Spotify is testing an 'offline mix' that downloads recently played songs.
- WordPress launches generative AI assistant to enhance content writing.
- Mozilla Firefox 114.0.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes. Thanks Frans.
Morning Tech Bits [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- DDR5 memory has been overclocked to 11254 MT/s.
- Taiwan's Acer ships computer hardware to Russia after saying it would suspend business -data. Thanks Slashdot.
- LYNK+ shows off a modular liquid cooler for Radeon RX 7900 XTX GPU, 48°C under full load.
- Aberdeen AI trial helps doctors spot breast cancers.
- TikTok owner reportedly working on a ChatGPT rival chatbot "Grace" as it joins the AI race. Get ready for Grace under fire.
Morning Legal Briefs [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Our Right To Challenge Junk Patents Is Under Threat. Thanks Howard.
Hardware Reviews [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Neutronbeam.
- Gaming Chair: Corsair TC100 Relaxed gaming chair review - PC Gamer.
- Laptop: Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition FA617XS review- The AMD laptop with up to 20-hour runtimes - NotebookCheck.net Reviews.
- Monitor: Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 Review - IGN.
- RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000 48GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit - TweakTown.
etc. [10:58 am ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Out of the Blue [10:58 am ET] – Share – 7 Comments
MrsBlue and I have appointments with the eye doctor today. These were pushed
back repeatedly due to the pandemic. More correctly, way back, since we were
already overdue to begin with. So now we're over-overdue. I got new computer
glasses and sunglasses around seven years ago, but opted to keep my regular pair
since the prescription was only three years old. That makes them 10-years old
now, so their prescription is a bit off, and they are also somewhat scratched
and hazy. The situation has caused frustration for a while, so it should be
plain to see I'm pleased to be addressing it.
In-Focus Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.Stories
Science
- Brightest Cosmic Explosion on Record Is Even Weirder Than First Thought.
- 1st mission to 'touch' the sun discovers a mysterious source of solar wind.
Media
- Illinois woman’s pants ripped down after treadmill fall. Thanks Console General.
- Ouch! He set a world record but that's gonna hurt 😬. Should get a medal from President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho.
- How to Break Bones! Cheese Rolling Festival 2023 - Ozzy Man Reviews (NSFW).
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