Dead Space, Frog Detective, and Like a Dragon: Ishin are some of this month's big highlights.
How a Guild of ‘Old Timers’ Is Embracing Online Gaming All the Way to Retirement
02.10.2023 - 17:07 / ign.com
In 1997, when Ultima Online first released, Tess (known online as “TessPhyreForge”) didn’t own a computer. She didn’t know anything about computers. But she was dating a guy at the time who was really, really into Ultima Online. “He made me a character and sat me down and said, ‘This is what you do.’ Then after two hours I was hooked, and I've been playing ever since.”
After her then-boyfriend got her hooked on Ultima Online, Tess eventually purchased her own computer. And then another computer so her son could play with her.
“When he turned 14, the area we lived at, we had a couple pool halls and stuff like that where the kids would go hang out,” Tess says. “But it was so bad an atmosphere for teenagers and drugs and stuff that I told him I would rather buy the $10 a month subscription to play the game if he kept his grades up, and went to school, and didn't give me a hard time…So we actually ended up playing as a family.”
Tess is 59, and for her and other older adults like her in the online community Old Timers Guild (OTG), gaming has become a lifelong hobby that’s connected them not just with family and romantic partners, but with friends all over the world. Tess joined OTG in 2007 with the release of Lord of the Rings Online, and has been with them ever since. She’s played World of Warcraft, Star Wars: Galaxies, Dark Age of Camelot, Atlas, and more Ultima. She’s made friends with people from Canada, the UK, and Japan. She’s currently a chapter leader for OTG’s Elder Scrolls: Online group, where she plays alongside hundreds of other OTG members several days a week. And many of them, she says, are fellow retirees.
“When I got injured at work, and I decided to retire for a few years, [video games] kept me sane, I guess,” she tells IGN. “I had something to do, because I just don't enjoy watching TV as much. There's a few shows I like, but I like interacting with people, so we get in our chat system. We use Discord and sit and just talk. Sometimes we talk about real life stuff, but we don't talk about religion or politics. That's one of our things that we don't talk about in our Discord with our members. You know, it's always about the game, and sometimes real life, about the grandkids or the kids, what they've achieved, what they're doing. Yeah, it's just a relaxing atmosphere.”
OTG was founded back in 2005, originally for the alpha test of Dungeons and Dragons Online. It saw a major surge in membership through the early ‘10s, branching out into multiple other MMOs and at one point boasting several thousand members across numerous different games. While not explicitly billed as a guild for senior adults, OTG has attracted perhaps a surprising number of members who are now in their 50s, 60s, and even
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radiotimes.com
17.10.2023 / 12:55
EA FC 24 Twitch Prime Gaming rewards: How to claim free Amazon goodies
The EA FC 24 Amazon Prime Gaming Twitch packs are now rolling out, providing plenty of opportunities for Prime subscribers to take home some major goodies to help improve your Ultimate Team Squad.
rockpapershotgun.com
17.10.2023 / 04:13
Netflix has reportedly spoken with Rockstar about releasing a Grand Theft Auto game as the streaming giant plans to add “higher-end” games to its library
Netflix has reportedly spoken with Grand Theft Auto devs Rockstar about releasing a GTA title via the streaming service, according to new reports. The talks occurred as the movie and TV behemoth apparently works to bring “higher-end” titles to their growing catalogue of video games.
engadget.com
13.10.2023 / 15:03
The Fabulous Fear Machine is a delicious pulp game about the horrors of propaganda
Did you know AMC makes video games? The television network responsible for Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead has a full-blown publishing label for video games, and it’s shepherded four titles to market since 2020. Its first was a real-time flight simulator from the NYU Game Center Incubator called Airplane Mode, which trapped players in the window seat of a commercial airliner for six literal hours, complete with the small luxuries and major annoyances of actually flying coach. AMC’s IFC channel even produced the in-flight safety video for that game.
pcgamer.com
13.10.2023 / 11:53
One of the most drawn-out tales in videogames is nearly at an end as UK approval clears the way for Microsoft/Activision deal to close
And just like that, our shared 21-month slog is over. Long live our new, possibly lifelong slog. In a press release today, titled «Microsoft concession a gamechanger that will promote competition,» the UK's Competition and Market Authority (CMA) has announced that it's approving Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, reversing its April decision to block the deal and clearing the way for the deal to close in the very near future.
gamesindustry.biz
13.10.2023 / 11:17
Finally, the Microsoft/Activision Blizzard acquisition saga is over. Now the work begins | Opinion
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gamesradar.com
13.10.2023 / 11:15
CMA clearance paves the way for Microsoft's acquisition to complete: "We're excited for the next chapter together"
Microsoft’s revised deal to acquire Activision Blizzard has now been cleared by the UK’s Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA).
mmorpg.com
12.10.2023 / 19:27
World of Warships Collaboration With Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and Halloween Are On the Way
World of Warships is celebrating Halloween and collaborating with fantasy strategy title Heroes of Might and Magic III. Expect six new themed commanders with voiceovers, a special map, and a special DLC bundle. Aside from the collaboration, the Halloween themed update introduces an updated operation, several new Japanese battleships, and much more on the way.
rockpapershotgun.com
12.10.2023 / 10:09
Here are all the games you can play in the Rezzed Zone at EGX 2023
EGX 2023 is upon us, and you may recall that RPS is sponsoring the Rezzed Zone this year. That means we'll be tucking into the 50+ indie games that will be there over the coming days, and we can now confirm the full and final line-up of what's going to be on the showfloor. Most of these are only playable at the show, but you may still find some of them have demos available on Steam thanks to this week's Steam Next Fest. In any case, read on below to come and see what's coming up.
theverge.com
11.10.2023 / 17:17
Sony will let you stream PS5 games to the PS5 very soon
By Jay Peters, a news editor who writes about technology, video games, and virtual worlds. He’s submitted several accepted emoji proposals to the Unicode Consortium.
gamesradar.com
10.10.2023 / 11:37
Watermelon Game is the Switch's latest viral sensation, and it's booming in popularity two years after its launch
Watermelon Game is the latest Nintendo Switch game to go viral - two years after its release.
pcmag.com
05.10.2023 / 16:52
How to Watch the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Online From Anywhere
If you've been in the US your whole life, you're probably not aware of how popular the sport of cricket is globally. Around 2.5 billion people count themselves as fans, and Thursday marks the beginning of the most important event on the calendar: the ICC Cricket World Cup.