videogames
In the height of the pandemic, video games offered people solace in isolation. But now that life is slowly returning to pre-crisis normal, and inflation is soaring, gaming companies are feeling the pinch. Makers of consoles, accessories, and software for gaming are experiencing the same kind of post-pandemic effect as tech titans who saw business boom while Covid-19 fears kept people close to home. The squeeze has been exacerbated by steep inflation spurring belt-tightening and gaming fatigue after years of relying on indoor entertainment. Early in the pandemic, "people flocked to Twitch in dr...
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In the bowels of an imposing modernist tower in Paris, Laurent Duplouy carefully handles a pristine copy of "Tomb Raider" before slotting it back on the shelf alongside thousands of other classic video games. Duplouy oversees a huge archive of games at France's National Library (BNF), one of the longest-running efforts to preserve a part of global heritage that is often overlooked by cultural institutions. "The video game can be regarded as total art, because it combines graphic art, narrative art and a narrative structure," Duplouy told AFP. The 1990s glass and steel structure, a short hop fr...
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When video game designer Mark Venturelli was asked to speak at Brazil's biggest gaming festival, he submitted a generic-sounding title for his presentation -- "The Future of Game Design" -- but that was not the talk he gave. Instead, he launched into a 30-minute diatribe against the blockchain technology that underpins cryptocurrencies and the games it has spawned, mostly very basic smartphone apps that lure players with the promise of earning money. "Everything that is done in this space right now is just bad -- actually it's terrible," he told AFP. He is genuinely worried for the industry he...
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Third-party developers have added features to "The Sims" that allow players' characters to access abortions. The video game -- popular for the progressive vision instilled in its simulations -- had not previously opened up abortion rights to characters. These unofficial features have become particularly popular and continue to be downloaded with the recent repeal of abortion rights in the United States. Fans of the video game "The Sims" have added features that allow characters to have virtual abortions. These new features have become very popular within the community of the world's most famou...
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It remains to be seen whether users and creators will appreciate this new type of content, and whether new games will appear on the platform or whether, on the contrary, those already in place will disappear. Gaming is a trend that is becoming more and more established on platforms that are constantly seeking to diversify their content. After Facebook, Snapchat, and even -- most recently -- Netflix, it's now the famous video-focused social network that is getting into the realm of video games. TikTok is now allowing users to play mini-games, which are displayed below creators' content. The Chi...
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Street Fighter player Shunya Hatakeyama has muscular dystrophy, so he uses his chin to launch devastating combos. He is not the only Japanese gamer proving that disability is no barrier in eSports. Naoya Kitamura, who is blind and relies on sound to play beat 'em up game Tekken 7, also hopes that his skills in a billion-dollar industry will help make society more open-minded. "I'll block a move and the sound it makes will tell me what kind of move it was," Kitamura said. "Then I'll react and make my move," he told AFP, demonstrating a dizzying attack with Tekken character Lucky Chloe. Competit...
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Beta access to the video game "Diablo IV" and a digital copy of the forthcoming release will be given to fans who step up to get a tattoo based on the world of Diablo. So, are you in? Blizzard, the game's publisher, has unveiled a highly original way to get early access to the highly anticipated "Diablo IV" video game: get a tattoo. But not just any tattoo. To have a chance to unlock this precious prize, fans will need to attend one of the eight stops on the "Diablo Hell's Ink" tattoo shop tour held throughout the summer. While some previously selected competition winners are in line to get s...
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The news comes directly from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who wrote on Twitter: "We're making progress with Steam integration. Demo probably next month." Here, the idea seems to be to integrate Valve's famous online gaming platform into the onboard system of some Tesla cars. So could we one day be playing "F1 22" at the wheel of our Tesla, while it's charging, for example? Tesla looks set on integrating a strong video games offer into its in-car entertainment system. And the American carmaker seemingly intends to do so by integrating the Steam platform. This will give Tesla owners the opportunity to p...
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It's still dark when the line starts forming outside an electronics store in Tokyo, as desperate gamers try to snag the latest PlayStation or Xbox despite chronic shortages in Japan. The consoles made by Sony and Microsoft have been hard to buy since their November 2020 release, as has Nintendo's Switch, with supply chain issues exacerbated by lockdowns in China. Shortages have struck worldwide but are particularly acute in Japan because Sony and Microsoft have prioritised other markets. That has left consumers and stores in a game of cat-and-mouse as customers hunt coveted consoles and seller...
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The metaverse is still in its infancy, even though major groups and corporations already see it as the new playground for younger generations. But are young people ready to jump into these virtual worlds? Nothing could be less certain, according to a new American study. Not a day goes by without a company announcing its entry into the metaverse, the immersive universe that its proponents see as the next generation of the internet. Many see it as an opportunity to expand their revenues while getting closer to Gen Zers, a prime target audience. The investment bank Piper Sandler surveyed 7,100 US...
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