Video Game Culture Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games and more.SAG-AFTRA, which stands for the union of Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, had announced its intention to strike against these companies earlier this month.Under the Interactive Media Agreement, companies like Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, VoiceWorks Productions and WB Games “failed” to resolve the issues that SAG-AFTRA explained to them upon the renewal of their contract.“It’s time for the video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract… the time is now for these companies – which are making billions of dollars and paying their CEOs lavishly – to give our performers an agreement that keeps performing in video games as a viable career,” president Fran Drescher said in a statement.The vote was almost unanimous with 98.32 per cent of members of the union arguing in favour of strike authorisation. As a result, SAG-AFTRA is able to sanction a strike immediately should negotiations fail between the union and those included in Interactive Media Agreement.The next set of negotiations will occur from September 26 to September 28.

Garry’s Mod modder Dave Hunt, also known as “Dav0r”, has passed away at the age of 35. The news was shared on social media and in Facepunch Studios‘ Discord server by his friends.Hunt was the designer and developer of the Tool Gun, an item that let Garry’s Mod players wield different functions in the sandbox Source engine mod with one tool.

Baldur’s Gate 3 fans have banded together to raise funds for the American Heart Association after being inspired by Karlach’s story.Spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3 follow. When meeting the tiefling, Karlach shares that her heart has been replaced with an infernal engine.

Unity have announced that there will be changes to its controversial runtime fees following an unabating backlash from game developers, and apologised for sowing resentfulness.“We have heard you. We apologise for the confusion and angst the runtime fee policy we announced on Tuesday caused.

Starfield with composer Inon Zur conducting the opening and closing melodies.Available to listen to through Bethesda‘s official YouTube channel, this was the first full concert dedicated to the sci-fi score. Check it out below:In NME‘s four-star review of Starfield, particular praise was paid to Zur’s contribution to the experience of exploring its mysterious galaxy by “capturing the excitement and danger of space”.Zur, who has worked on series like EverQuest, Dragon Age, Fallout, Prince Of Persia and Syberia, has scored tens of nominations over the years.

Elon Musk has revealed that Amber Heard cosplayed as Overwatch hero Mercy to role-play for him.Musk and Heard dated in 2016 and 2017, however, Walter Isaacson’s biography of the SpaceX CEO corroborates the claim that he had pursued her since 2012.Musk liked the fact that Heard looked like Overwatch‘s Mercy, a blonde female support character who sports angelic wings attached to her battle suit and a halo-esque hairpiece. While she was filming Aquaman in Australia in 2017, Musk flew out to see Heard and she greeted him by kissing him on the cheek.“[Musk] told her that she reminded him of Mercy, his favourite character in […] Overwatch, so she spent two months designing and commissioning a head-to-toe costume so she could role-play for him,” Isaacson wrote.Heard wasn’t out of her depth when it came to the concept of cosplaying as a fictional character for a romantic partner.

Mario Ambassador does in a special video message.Martinet had voiced Mario for more than three decades, with his first credit in the educational literacy game Mario Teaches Typing which was released in 1992. However, it was announced in August that the actor would no longer appear in future games and will now be a Mario Ambassador for Nintendo.“Travelling around the world, sharing the joy of the Mario family, and being able to continue meeting with all of you wonderful fans who I cherish absolutely the most, is a great, great honour,” said Martinet in the video.

Sony Interactive Entertainment America, said that companies like Google, Amazon and Apple threaten the stability of the gaming industry.At the GamesIndustry.biz Investment Summit in Seattle, Layden – now a strategic advisor at Tencent Games – relayed what he considers to be the three most significant concerns to developers and publishers. He started by specifying that acquisitions have the potential to be “the enemy of creativity”.“I also think rising costs in gaming are an existential threat to all of us.

Valorant Champions tournament in Los Angeles, X CEO Elon Musk was booed and told to “bring back Twitter” in chants from the crowd.As the professional teams Evil Geniuses and Paper Rex competed against each other, Musk was apparently shown on the main video screen in the event.This then incurred the aggravation of the attendees who started booing so loudly that it distracted the commentators from the game. Check it out below:Elon Musk getting booed at VALORANT Champs and the crowd starts chanting "bring back Twitter" lmao pic.twitter.com/lDoWse78YV— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) August 26, 2023“Where’s that coming from? That can’t be from in here, surely,” said one of the broadcasters.

Nicki Minaj is now a playable character in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, and her special finishing move is stepping on enemies in her sky-high heels.In July, Activision announced that the rapper as well as 21 Savage and Snoop Dogg would be added to the battle royale to celebrate fifty years of hip hop. Minaj’s arrival is significant for another separate reason, though – she is the first “self-named female Operator” in the history of Call of Duty.

BioWare announced that approximately 50 employees – including Dragon Age writer Mary Kirby – have been let go in order to “preserve the health of the studio”.Gary McKay, general manager of BioWare, broke the news in a post to the developer’s official blog and described it as a “deeply painful” decision. “We are doing everything we can to ensure the process is handled with empathy, respect, and clear communication,” he continued.McKay stated that the development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next Mass Effect game would not be adversely affected by the losses.

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023 last night (August 22) and there was a slew of announcements, new trailers and release dates. Fortunately, if you missed the live event or if you’re in need of a reminder, here are all of the games that appeared in the showcase.Below, we’ve collected every new trailer that appeared during Opening Night Live 2023.

BLACKPINK The Palace is a new immersive experience for fans of the K-pop girl group built inside Roblox.Karta is the metaverse developer behind BLACKPINK The Palace, and it has previously brought immersive experiences for Amazon Music and Unilever into being in Roblox. The palace is not a limited time event either and will benefit from brand new content releases throughout the year.“Inside the palace, fans can meet, socialise, and enjoy content from the band, visit various spaces designed around BLACKPINK’s iconic music video scenes, and enjoy some of the artists’ favourite things – from digital fashion to signature choreography,” the press release reads.There are even caves below the palace which are a source of crystals that can be harvested with a BLACKPINK lightstick-shaped hammer to power in-experience items.YG PLUS and Karta were keen to emphasise how Roblox players are now able to host authentic BLACKPINK-themed parties in the game with the new items at any time they like.“We look forward to welcoming fans from all over the world to a beautiful virtual palace where they can party, connect, and experience everything BLACKPINK beyond the constraints of time and space,” YG PLUS’ head of IPX division, Hyojung Lee, said.

The Legend Of Zelda has been working on an Ocarina Of Time romhack that includes missing enemies and environments from the acclaimed game.The results thus far were revealed in romhacker Kaze Emanuar’s F3 2023, an event celebrating fan games and mods from all eras and all platforms. Zelda 64, shown off in the supercut of trailers, is a mod and restoration of a very early version of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time that ultimately disappeared over its development.

Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 roleplay servers has been bought by Rockstar Games.Cfx.re offers FiveM and RedM for the two titles, source-available software that lets users create servers for multiplayer experiences. These tend to take the form of roleplays which is something that Grand Theft Auto 5 is famous for.

Darkwood, announced that it will be taking an indefinite break from development to look after its employees’ wellbeing.“We’re going on hiatus for the foreseeable future. We haven’t been able to create a work environment that would not be destructive to our personal lives,” explained the developer via a post to X (spotted by a fan).

Baldur’s Gate 3, has shared some outtakes of her flubbing her lines while recording for the upcoming game.The events of Baldur’s Gate 3 are described by the narrator to emphasise that this is a Dungeons & Dragons game, as the narrator is the Dungeon Master. While Larian Studios did alter the fifth edition rulebook so that the game would be both accurate and entertaining to players, this narrator is how a lot of the newcomers to D&D will be introduced to the world of Faerûn.Nevertheless, there is a vast volume of writing that makes up Baldur’s Gate 3, and Tyler has had to pronounce tricky fantasy words and names perfectly every time that they’ve cropped up.

Elden Ring, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Bloodborne and other FromSoftware titles, announced her departure from the developer on Tuesday (August 1).“I have decided to leave FromSoftware, the company I worked for, and to start working new as a freelance composer in this August,” she said in a post to X. She affirmed that she still would like to work within the games industry and pointed fans to her new website that promotes her previous compositions.Thank you all for your continued support.　Today I have an announcement to make.I have decided to leave FromSoftware, the company I worked for, and to start working new as a freelance composer in this August.— Yuka Kitamura (@_Yuka_Kitamura_) August 1, 2023Fans supported Kitamura in her latest venture but the overall feeling is one of heartbreak, as well as appreciation for her contributions to these games.“Truly sad news.

Post Malone has purchased the sought-after Magic: The Gathering The One Ring card for an undisclosed price.The One Ring, which is worth over £1.5million, is a unique card and its valuation surged once word got out that it had been pulled by a lucky player in Whitby in Ontario, Canada.Originally keeping his identity out of the limelight, Brook Trafton posted a video to TikTok showing the American singer and rapper agreeing to buy his Magic: The Gathering card.Check it out below:When I found the One Ring, the first person who came to mind was @Post Malone. I have played MTG since I was a kid and obviously it would be amazing to keep this card.

Twitch streamer completed Elden Ring in less than three hours using an electric saxophone as a controller, and he didn’t sustain any hits throughout his playthrough.DrDeComposing has beaten a number of other games in the same genre using the saxophone, including Bloodborne, the Dark Souls games and Demon’s Souls remake released in 2020. It’s likely through these achievements that the streamer had the confidence and the skill to take on Elden Ring in his latest playthrough.Last night, I beat Elden Ring (any%) without taking a single hit while using an electric saxophone as a game controller; the World's First No-Hit Run of Elden Ring using a non-traditional controller (e.g.

Pokémon games.“POKÉMON GANG 4 LIFE,” read Kyrgios’ caption on the video of the process posted to Instagram. “HAD TO COOK UP SOMETHING CRAZY!!!!” Check it out below:Nick Kyrgios got a full back tattoo of Pokémon characters

Blizzard Entertainment is raising funds with the help of Mila Kunis to support those in Ukraine through a new pack of companion pets for World of Warcraft. Sunny the golden retriever and Flurky the murloc are the new pets, and are yellow and blue to reflect the colours of the flag of Ukraine.

Old School RuneScape players are being treated to a sequel to one of its most beloved quests – Desert Treasure – almost two decades after the original was added into the game.As a Grandmaster quest featuring the mysterious Mahjarrat, Desert Treasure 2 – The Fallen Empire is the “most ambitious” quest that the Old School team has worked on since the release of the RPG in 2013.In this sequel, players travel to four new areas and will be pitted against four new bosses that guard an ancient vault that has the power to “change Gielinor forever” if it is opened. “These four bosses each have their own abilities, mechanics, and strategies,” read the press release, with the assurance that these bosses can be battled again after the ending of The Fallen Empire for extra rewards like the coveted Virtus Armour.The content is live today (July 26) in Old School RuneScape, allowing players to commence their quest as soon as they like and secure the “host of mythical and powerful rewards.”“Desert Treasure 2 will reward players with four new best-in-slot rings to boost strength, ranged skills, magic, and melee, as well as a fully upgraded Ancient Sceptre which gets stronger with every defeated boss,” explained the team.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run remake will never be released to the public.His The Simpsons: Hit & Run remake is now finished, according to a recently released video titled “THE FINALE” on his YouTube channel, showing the significant improvements from the original assets to the Unreal Engine 5 recreations. While it is an amazing achievement and a labour of love for the classic game, Reubs is not going to give the new and improved Hit & Run away.“This is a fan remake for entertainment purposes, this game will never be available to download.

post to Twitter (via Time Extension).In 1983, Gibson took on a role as a programmer at the incipient developer Imagine, after teaching himself how to write code on a ZX81 computer. There, he gained the nickname “Grandad” as he was the eldest member of a much younger group of developers.He contributed to the creation of classics like Molar Maul, Zzoom and Stonkers, as well as the real Bandersnatch game before Imagine went bankrupt.Denton Designs was formed from five ex-Imagine employees – Steve Cain, Ian Weatherburn, Ally Noble, Karen Davies,  Graham “Kenny” Everett and Gibson.

Baldur’s Gate 3 should not create a “raised standard” for other role-playing games, due to the upcoming game’s large scale.Xalavier Nelson Jr, accomplished independent developer and founder of Strange Scaffold, took to Twitter to explain that Baldur’s Gate 3 is an abnormal game. To exemplify this, Larian Studios began work on the new entry in the series in 2017, using seven different studios with over 400 developers, and benefitted from a significant volume of fan feedback in a three-year early access period.Like a lot of people, I'm deeply excited about what the lovely folks at Larian accomplished with Baldur's Gate 3, but I want to gently, pre-emptively push back against players taking that excitement and using it to apply criticism or a "raised standard" to RPGs going forward1/10— Xalavier Nelson Jr.

Grand Theft Auto is changing its course of action after Take-Two Interactive‘s legal representatives sent them a cease and desist letter.Smokin J’s BBQ and Boyworldwide were working together to set up a pop up Cluckin’ Bell and Burger Shot at Comic Con San Diego this week, per Rockstar Intel‘s report. However, Smokin J’s BBQ has had to let Grand Theft Auto fans down lightly because Take-Two Interactive did not grant its permission for this imitation of its intellectual property.“Last Night, we received a cease and desist letter from the law firm representing Take-Two Interactive.

EA Sports responded to the sexist statements from fans saying that including female football players in EA Sports FC 24‘s Ultimate Team mode is unrealistic as ‘female players are not as skilled as male players’.Ultimate Team Evolutions — its new name in EA Sports FC 24 — allows men and women to play with and against each other for the first time in the series. In an interview with IGN, Electronic Arts vice president and executive producer John Shepherd said that the team “thought deeply” about the inclusion and that Ultimate Team was a “great spot” to communicate its mission that this sport is for everyone.“We have a vision of connecting not just the 150 million fans we have now, but a billion fans,” said Shepherd.

Rockstar Games and leaking Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) footage has been deemed unfit to stand trial, after being charged with 12 offences in relation to a string of hacks.In September 2022, over 90 videos and screenshots from GTA 6 surfaced online.  Rockstar Games confirmed the “early development footage” had been “illegally accessed and downloaded” — and within weeks, a teenager in Oxfordshire was arrested in relation to the hack.Now, 18-year-old Arion Kurtaj faces 12 offences, including six charges under the Computer Misuse Act, three blackmail charges, and two counts of fraud (Reuters, via Eurogamer).While psychiatrists have found Kurtaj is unfit to stand trial, Kurtaj is an alleged member of hacking group Lapsus$ and stands accused of hacking Revolut, Uber, Rockstar, and BT. It’s alleged that Kurtaj also attacked BT and EE, and used Rockstar’s own Slack channel to threaten to release Grand Theft Auto 6‘s source code.While Kurtaj is suspected of acting alone for the Rockstar, Uber and Revolut hacks, a 17-year-old who cannot be named is thought to have been involved in the blackmailing of BT and EE.Prosecutors claimed that both were “key players” in Lapsus$, and attempted to blackmail BT and EE for $4million (£3million).

Researchers found that this has occurred as a secondary impact of digital game distribution becoming the preferred route for releasing games. As a result, the “classic” games in this study are games released prior to 2010 which was denoted to be the year when digital game distribution “started to take off”.