Quality assurance (QA) testers at Activision Blizzard subsidiary Raven Software have formed a union after an official vote. The vote was 19-3 in favor of formation, creating the first union of its kind at a AAA developer. Digital Trends observed the Call of Duty: Warzone developer’s ballot count digitally: 28 people were eligible to vote, although only 24 voted. Two votes were challenged and made invalid. Still, 19-3 was enough to ensure the vote was in favor of unionization. This vote comes more than 10 months after Activision Blizzard’s workplace issues were first exposed and five months after Raven Software abruptly laid off several Raven Software QA testers after promising them an increase in wages. That latter event caused these QA testers to walk out and eventually try to unionize. While Activision Blizzard did not voluntarily recognize the Game Workers Alliance (CWA), the National Labor Relations Board was on the side of the QA testers and allowed them to hold this … [Read more...] about Call of Duty workers vote to unionize in industry first | Digital Trends
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3D printers, vaporizers, and drones grew up this year, and these were the finest
Winner Maker Select Mini To be totally and completely honest, Monoprice’s Select Mini isn’t the best 3D printer we tested this year. In fact, when it comes to print quality, we’re not even sure it’d make our top five. So why are we calling it one of the best products of 2016? The answer is simple: value. What’s remarkable about the Select Mini is not only the fact that it costs just $200 (which is pretty remarkable in and of itself) – it’s that in addition to being one of the cheapest 3D printers that’s ever hit the market, it’s also one of the most feature-rich 3D printers you can get for less than $1,000. Get a load of these specs: It has a heated bed (which helps prevent prints from warping), an adjustable temperature hot end (which allows you to print with a variety of different materials), and a full color LCD screen to help you navigate settings – all of which are features that are usually reserved for printers that cost five times as much. The fact that Monoprice … [Read more...] about 3D printers, vaporizers, and drones grew up this year, and these were the finest
The best indie games on Xbox One | Digital Trends
The Xbox One era was a great time for indie games: Microsoft proved increasingly willing to support smaller developers, and Game Pass alone made it far easier for players to access a whole library of fascinating indie titles they hadn’t known about before. Plus, the popular indie games on Xbox have plenty of other advantages, too — they’re usually shorter than larger titles, they can be incredibly ambitious in design or premise, and if you’re buying them, they’re significantly more affordable purchases. Here are some of the best available to help you get started! Hollow Knight Trailer 92 % E10 Platforms Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Genre Platform, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure, Indie Developer Team Cherry Publisher Team Cherry Release February 24, 2017 Hollow Knight is so packed with ideas that gamers of all kinds can find something to appreciate here, … [Read more...] about The best indie games on Xbox One | Digital Trends
Minecraft’s wild new update lands on June 7 | Digital Trends
Minecraft’s latest in its long line of updates, The Wild Update , is slated to release on June 7. The best-selling game of all time is showing no signs of slowing down as developer Mojang Studios continues to add more and more content to this already endless sandbox hit. This latest update, which will bring the game up to version 1.19, adds new biomes, mobs, and gameplay features. It’ll launch simultaneously for all players across Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC, and mobile platforms. Seasoned Minecraft players will find two new overworld biomes in the Wild Update: The Deep Dark and the Mangrove Swamp. The former can be found by mining far below the surface and is said to be located by the terrible cries of a shrieker that will call upon mobs to face you down. The Mangrove Swamp, on the other hand, exists on the surface and is full of massive mangrove trees you can mine for a new type of wood. The new mobs include the aforementioned shrieker, warden, allay, and frogs. The … [Read more...] about Minecraft’s wild new update lands on June 7 | Digital Trends
Everything we know about Fable 4 | Digital Trends
Fable fans have waited since 2010 for a true Albion adventure, and it looks like they’ll have to keep waiting. The next installment in the franchise, apply named Fable , is in production but doesn’t offer much else past a teaser trailer and some safe assumptions. Modern gamers have been patient, waiting for games like Starfield to finally hit the shelves. However, they can’t help the skepticism, especially not after the disaster that was Battlefield 2042 . So, what do we know about the Fable 4 release date and gameplay? Contents Release date Platforms Trailer Gameplay Multiplayer DLC Pre-order Developers Show 3 more items See more How to pre-order the Halo Infinite Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Xbox Game Pass is killing pre-orders — and that’s a good thing Marvel’s Avengers heads to Xbox Game Pass — except for exclusive Sony content Release date There is no definite release date for Fable 4, and … [Read more...] about Everything we know about Fable 4 | Digital Trends