Gaming

Nvidia's new RTX 20-series graphics cards are specially made to do something called raytracing. Raytracing is when moving light is reflected in real time on a person or object, and it's something that graphics cards have struggled to get right until now.What does this have to do with Quake II?Computex press conference, the graphics card maker announced the improved version of Quake II would be hitting Steam on June 6.And it'l be free.Unlike Resident Evil 2, Shadow of the Colossus and the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake, this isn't a remake, just a nifty touchup. But, hey, free ain't bad cost for a nifty touchup.  Pixel 3A, the cheap phone Google's needed: No water resistance and no wireless charging, but Google packs the Pixel 3A with the features that matter. Google Nest Hub Max: A higher-end smart display for Google Assistant joins the Nest family, adds a camera. Computex 2019 reading • Quake II with improved graphics hitting Steam for free in June May 27 … [Read more...] about Quake II with improved graphics hitting Steam for free in June

Riccardo Zacconi, the creator of the Candy Crush franchise, is stepping down as CEO of King Digital Entertainment, according to a regulatory filing Friday from parent company Activision Blizzard.Zacconi, who has led the game developer for more than 16 years, will resign his executive post effective July 1 but will stay on as King's chairman to provide "guidance to the management" at both King and Activision Blizzard.Activision Blizzard was already one of the largest gaming publishers in the business when it acquired King Digital in 2016 for $5.9 billion. Candy Crush is reportedly one of the most profitable smartphone apps of all time.King Digital, founded in 2003, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Pixel 3A, the cheap phone Google's needed: No water resistance and no wireless charging, but Google packs the Pixel 3A with the features that matter. Google Nest Hub Max: A higher-end smart display for Google Assistant joins the Nest family, adds a camera. … [Read more...] about CEO of Candy Crush developer stepping down

The details of a bill that could ban some microtransactions in video games is now available, and it has bipartisan support. A Republican Senator had announced his plans to introduce the "anti-loot box" legislation earlier in May.Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, filed legislation Thursday for his Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act, which would prohibit game developers from adding both loot boxes and pay-to-win microtransactions to a game targeted to those 18 years or younger, or games where the game makers know those under 18 are playing.Supporting the bill are Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut. "Only the addiction economy could produce a business model that relies on placing a casino in the hands of every child in America with the goal of getting them desperately hooked," Sen. Hawley said on his website.  The ESA has yet to provide comment.More info to come. … [Read more...] about Loot box Senate bill gets bipartisan support

Gaming console Ouya is shutting down next month.Razer, which acquired Ouya in 2015, said Wednesday that it would end support for the console on June 25. After that, it'll deactivate accounts and players won't be able to access games on the server or games they've previously purchased. They also won't be able to buy new games. Players will, however, still have access to downloaded games. Players will want to use any funds still in their accounts before the shutdown, since they have no cash value, Razer says. Ouya's video game console and app store became popular with small developers when it launched in 2013. It drew in a multimillion dollar crowdfunding campaign and $15 million in funding from top Silicon Valley investors. But the Android-based console struggled to bring in a large enough audience. Its hardware business closed before Razer folded Ouya's gaming content into its Forge TV console. Razer will also shut down the Forge TV service next month.  Razer Forge TV … [Read more...] about Razer will pull the plug on Ouya gaming console on June 25

Activision took a shot at making its own battle royale game when it added Blackout to 2018's Call of Duty:  Black Ops 4. The publisher will now take the mode to the small screens as Call of Duty: Mobile. A blog post from the publisher revealed a 100-player battle royale mode will be included in Call of Duty: Mobile. The action will take place across 12 multiplayer maps from the previous Call of Duty games. The battle royale mode in Call of Duty: Mobile is the standard formula. A hundred players will jump from an aircraft and land on a map where they will need to start scavenging for equipment. Once equipped, they can begin eliminating other players in hopes of being the last survivor. What is different with this battle royale mode is the inclusion of classes. Players can select between six different classes:Defender - Can place a deformable Transform Shield for protection and has a higher defense against different kinds of damage with the exception of bulletsMechanic - Has an EMP … [Read more...] about Call of Duty: Mobile gets own Battle Royale mode