Happy Wednesday! What games are you playing lately? I’ve been playing Skyrim on Switch a lot, which has been a completely different experience from my hundreds of hours playing Skyrim with mods on PC. I always played Skyrim with godlike abilities including extraordinary health, really high jumping, and a spell to unlock doors and chests without lock picking. I also miss mods that introduced custom houses into the world, like modern apartments, cute treehouses, and massive palaces. Besides Skyrim, I’m also playing Stardew Valley, The Division 2, Destiny 2, and Elder Scrolls Online. Feel free to tweet at me if you want to talk about any games!
Let us know on Twitter what you’re playing! Here’s this week’s news and links:
Epic Games vs. Apple and Google
Last Thursday, Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their app stores. Their reason? “The companies claimed Epic violated their guidelines by announcing a way for players to buy in-game currency outside their proprietary payment systems.” Epic Games responded by filing lawsuits against Apple and Google, and releasing this impressive video which parodies Apple’s famous “1984” ad:
Epic Games is trolling Apple with a “1984” Fortnite video. It’s pretty… epic pic.twitter.com/4a8DJfJa5b
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) August 13, 2020
These lawsuits will certainly set precedents for the ways game and app developers can and cannot monetize their apps in Apple’s and Google’s stringent ecosystems. Interestingly, Spotify, Netflix, and Tinder’s parent company have voiced support for Epic Games:
Spotify, which has had a long-running battle with Apple and filed an antitrust complaint of its own, weighs in on Epic v Apple. Spoiler: Spotify supports Epic. pic.twitter.com/FPNLmRNYBx
— Peter Kafka (@pkafka) August 13, 2020
Record Labels vs. Twitch Streamers
Record labels are targeting Twitch streamers more aggressively with copyright notices. As Shannon Liao reports for CNN, “For years, Twitch has been the Wild West for streaming music, but in recent months it has attracted attention from record labels as its viewership has jumped during the pandemic. In July, Twitch had 1.4 billion hours watched, up 67% compared to the same period last year”. Twitch has a three-strike rule where streamers have their accounts terminated after three copyright strikes, which is ruinous for those who depend on Twitch for income and an online presence.
More News
Apex Legends Season 6 began this week with new locations and a new crafting system.
Leaked images of controller packaging reveal an Xbox Series S model will be released alongside the next-gen Xbox Series X.
Final Fantasy XIV‘s summer event, Moonfire Faire, is happening now until August 26th with a unique quest line.
A new teaser image for this year’s Call of Duty game suggests a Cold War setting.
The U.S. military now has Army and Navy personnel playing games on Twitch to engage Twitch viewers, despite the widespread outcry against their Twitch recruiting last month.
Ubisoft fired the former creative director of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla following reports of misconduct.
A new Batman game called Gotham Knights is rumored to be announced at a WB Montreal event on August 22nd.
Writer at Sidequest and WWAC; past: Newsarama, Comicosity, executive editor of Kollaboration. I’ve watched over 200 hours of Life is Strange playthroughs. Talk to me about LiS, The Last of Us, and the games and fandoms you love! Twitter: @loudlysilent
Like this:Like Loading…
Related