Another day, another in-person event claimed by COVID-19 and the delta variant. Earlier this year, we saw EVO 2021 move almost entirely online in the wake of the ongoing pandemic. The original plan was to host much of the tournament online and then invite the best players in the world to the in-person EVO 2021 Showcase in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, … Continue reading
Sony’s latest big PlayStation sale is underway with discounts on hundreds of games. As the name of the Blockbuster Games sale suggests, you’ll be able to save on a ton of major PS4 and PS5 titles. The sale runs until October 13th.
Some Sony exclusives are on the list, including Returnal (which is down from $70 to $49.69), Sackboy: A Big Adventure ($34.79, usually $60), The Last Of Us Part II ($26, saving you $14) and God of War ($10, half off). The deluxe edition of Days Gone ($30) is actually less expensive than the $40 regular version at the minute.
Third-party titles on sale include Cyberpunk 2077 ($33.49, usually $50), Mortal Kombat 11 (down from $50 to $12.49) and Outriders ($36, typically $60). A bunch of Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed games are included as well. Among them are 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (half off at $30) and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which is down 25 percent to $45.
If you didn’t pick up Star Wars: Squadrons when it was in the PlayStation Plus library a while back, you can buy it now for $16 (usually $40). Star Wars: Battlefront II, meanwhile, is 70 percent off at $6.
In some cases, you’ll save more if you’re a PlayStation Plus member. Speaking of which, Sony has announced the next batch of games subscribers can snag at no extra cost. New tactical shooter Hell Let Loose (PS5), Mortal Kombat X and PGA Tour 2K21 (both PS4) will be available to claim starting on October 5th. Until then, you can add Predator: Hunting Grounds, Overcooked: All You Can Eat! and Hitman 2 to your library.
Bungie split from Activision a long time ago, but that isn’t stopping the company from distancing itself from the sexual harassment scandal affecting its former publisher. The Destiny 2 creator is implementing a number of reforms that it hopes will foster diversity and inclusion, prevent harassment and clamp down if abuse takes place. Most notably, it’s joining other tech companies in dropping the mandatory arbitration clause in employee agreements. It should be easier for harassment targets to sue and otherwise make their complaints public.
The company has also hired inclusion-oriented leaders, including a Chief People Officer and an as yet unnamed but “deeply experienced” director. Bungie is further reviewing its hiring practices to prevent biased selections, and is adding a third-party anonymous reporting tool (on top of existing options) to reduce the reluctance to flag harassment. CEO Pete Parsons added that half of Bungie’s board, and four out of nine executives, were either women or from underrepresented demographics.
Parsons stressed that there was “more that can be done,” and that there was no ideal ending. He felt it was important for Bungie to set an example for others, though, and was hopeful the game industry as a whole would improve its practices.
Bungie hasn’t faced harassment allegations like Activision, Riot Games or Ubisoft. This appears to be a proactive step rather than a reaction to internal turmoil. All the same, the move illustrates the pressure on developers to rethink their anti-harassment strategies — studios like Bungie want to prevent incidents long before they lead to lawsuits and protests.
What If’s first season has given Marvel Studios an opportunity to reimagine many of its live-action, cinematic greatest hits as relatively fresh animated stories that mostly end up reminding you why you liked the originals. The series has worked best as a celebration of the studio’s box office successes from the past…
There’s no golden ticket needed for Warner Bros. The studio is finally going ahead with its origin story for Roald Dahl’s mysterious, marvelous confectionary king in Wonka, which is celebrating the beginning of production by casting what feels like half of England in the process.
The onetime chief strategist to Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign enters the race as a heavy underdog challenger.
Wayne Couzens appeared at London’s Central Criminal Court charged with the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.
“Has the definition of the word ‘dollar’ changed, and no one notified us?” Dictionary.com asked Twitter users.
Getting children immunized “may be a tougher challenge than getting parents and older children immunized,” Gallup said.
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