Gaming in San Francisco. Reviews, Walkthroughs, News

Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering, started a game studio called Popularium and now the company is showing off its title Chaos Agents.

Macy’s is blending the physical and digital realms with a fashion platform called Mstylelab.

You now have a new way to quantify your personal privacy dystopia: A “Creep-O-Meter” score from the Mozilla Foundation that puts a number on the state of digital privacy each year.

Virtuix, developer of the Omni omni-directional treadmill that lets players walk and run in 360 degrees inside virtual reality, has started taking preorders for Omni One, the consumer version of the Omni.

Foxconn, the world’s biggest electronics manufacturer, announced a strategic partnership with Nvidia to accelerate the development of electric vehicles and the AI that drives them.

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve is one of the first games based on Skybound’s growing Invincible superhero universe. The RPG title focuses on the titular heroine, Atom Eve, as she navigates the early events of the story. Players step into her shoes, making decisions, building (or burning) relationships and of course, taking down the bad guys.

Shane Chen, the inventor of the hoverboard, has unveiled a new two-wheeled electric car as well as an enhanced hoverboard.

Data.ai’s latest report on the mobile games market in Q3 highlights the success of Monopoly Go and other IP-driven games. However, top titles still have a grip on the worldwide rankings.

Genvid Entertainment and Konami Digital Entertainment said the interactive streaming series Silent Hill: Ascension will debut on Halloween.

Qualcomm and Google have partne red to develop a RISC-V wearable solution for use with smart watches based on the Wear OS by Google.

In a milestone for personal computing, Nvidia is enabling better AI on PCs by enabling generative AI processing on Windows PCs using RTX-based graphics processing units (GPUs).

Roblox has had a huge launch on PlayStation, according to analyst group Circana (NPD).

When Meta demoed its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, it touted the ability to livestream, record video, and play music. Then, at its recent Meta Connect event, it unveiled one more thing. You can speak to it a conversational tone and the AI will fetch you answers to your questions.

Zeedz.io has announced the global launch of its play-for-purpose game, Zeedz, available on both Android and iOS app stores worldwide.

The University of California at Berkeley and SKS Partners unveiled a $2 billion research and development hub at the NASA’s Ames Research Center.

Animoca Brands is launching the Formula E: High Voltage Web3 electric car racing game on October 19.

PTW‘s Side division has acquired Vibe Avenue, an award-winning interactive music and sound studio, for $1.46 million.

Logitech unveiled the Zone Wireless 2, an AI-powered headset aimed at hybrid workers.

The world's best gamers who can identify a location anywhere in the world after seeing an image in less than a second face off Saturday in a world championship in Stockholm. A picture of a sunny paved road appears on a computer screen, bordered by trees and bushes. A red dirt road crosses the paved road, in what appears to be a tropical landscape. "We're going to be in Indonesia because of the sticker on this pole," Trevor Rainbolt of the United States tells AFP.

Even as we enter the weekend, the world of artificial intelligence is staying on its toes. New breakthroughs and advancements have taken place today, alongside incidents of people misusing the technology. In the first incident, two students studying in high school in Karnataka have published a research paper that delves into how AI can be used to prepare students for a future where this technology can play a pivotal role. In other news, two UK councils have come under fire for using AI to analyze CCTV images, despite the technology helping residents in curbing criminal activity. This and more in today's AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.

Fourteen years ago, Tim Langdell and his Edge Games became a pariah of the game industry. His firm was branded a “trademark troll” in a naming dispute with Mobigame and its president David Papazian over the names Edge and Edge Games in the game business.

The edge of the network isn’t always where you find the most powerful computers. But it is the place where you can find the most ubiquitous technology.

In essential Naughty Dog-adjacent news, Catherine and Hannalee Pervan, mother-daughter duo and co-owners of the One House Bakery (Benicia, California), have crafted a horrifying monument to the iconic Clicker. Famed as the relentless fungal zombies in The Last of Us series, we'd bet this bread one, slathered in butter, probably tastes pretty good.

XDefiant just can't catch a break, can it? Ubisoft's upcoming free-to-play arena shooter seems like a promising game, but after a new round of public playtests, developer Ubisoft San Francisco has decided to push back the game's preseason to iron out some issues.

In case you haven’t heard, Microsoft today finally completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard King after 21 months of prep work and grappling with regulatory bodies. The $69 billion deal sees several of gaming’s most lucrative franchises come under the Microsoft/Xbox umbrella, including Call of Duty, Candy Crush, Warcraft, etc. However, this begs the question: Now that the whole rigmarole of acquisition is done, what happens for Activision Blizzard now?

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) published a report this week detailing the benefits gamers report around the world. The Power of Play 2023 Global Report collects findings from global surveys as well as several academic studies to detail the positive benefits to gamers around the world. The report’s findings show that gamers near-universally find gaming to have positive effects on their life, including reducing stress, assisting with feelings of isolation and helping them have fun.

Kevin Afghani has announced that he will be taking over as the voice of Mario and Luigi. Afghani will take over as the voice of Nintendo’s flagship mascot with Super Mario Bros. Wonder out October 20.

It’s a sad time for the world. Just when there was a chance of a thawing in the Middle East, the awful attacks in Israel and retaliation in Gaza have frozen hopes of peace and progress. It has set us all back 50 years. I look at the news and want to cry. I want to look away, but I also want to look so I can fully understand the scope of the heartbreak that is happening.

After several months of grappling with federal investigations, Microsoft has closed its deal to acquire Activision Blizzard King. The console manufacturer officially acquired the games company for $69 billion, gaining ownership of several lucrative franchises, including Call of Duty, Warcraft and Candy Crush. This follows the news earlier this morning that authorities had removed the final regulatory roadblock allowing the deal to happen.

In the span of just four films (along with a few graphic novels and an underrated Netflix cartoon about King Kong), the “Monsterverse” has evolved quite a bit. What began as a pseudo-Spielbergian attempt at finally making a competent American Godzilla film quickly morphed into a more studio-driven extended universe. As such, the 2014 Godzilla stands in stark contrast against all that came after it; its atmospheric restraint was quickly replaced by a “dumping all the action figures out of the toy box” approach in later sequels.

The acceleration of technological change is evident everywhere, and it’s benefiting games in unseen ways. In 2016, King had only 2,000 levels for Candy Crush Saga.

The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority gave final approval today for Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

A new survey of 207,500 North American mobile gamers conducted by in-game advertising experience platform Monetizer is challenging demographic stereotypes. Players over 43 — Gen X and Boomers — represent 43% of gamers on the platform. Notably, they outnumber both Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z and younger (born 1997 or after) on mobile.

The second annual HOLL·AI·WOOD AI Film and AI Games Festival took place in San Francisco on Tuesday night and offered us a preview of the future for both passive and interactive entertainment.

Broadband giant Comcast said it is beginning deployment of its fastest internet connectivity in select cities in the U.S.

Pickleball One from Playin Games will let players bring the court to life at home via Meta Quest starting on October 19. The multiplayer VR fitness game lets users play singles or doubles matches at home in real time.

Sony Group announced today that it has established Sony Innovation Fund: Africa as an initiative to support the growth of the entertainment businesses in Africa.

Gamers are playing for relaxation. They’re favoring mobile devices, and many of them are watching game livestreams.

A new survey of 207,500 North American mobile gamers conducted by in-game advertising experience platform Monetizer is challenging demographic stereotypes. Players over 43 — Gen X and Boomers — represent 43% of gamers on the platform. Notably, they outnumber both Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z and younger (born 1997 or after) on mobile.

Back in July, Hexacore raised $3.5 million to propel the high-quality Web3 mobile games that have potential to scale to big audiences such as the upcoming space fantasy Pocket Space.

Movella launched its character digitization software Obskur as an all-in-one broadcasting application built in Unreal Engine 5 to make it easy for streamers to create their own VTubers, or virtual YouTubers.

Nobody comes up with zany games like George Fan. The creator of Plants vs. Zombies is launching a new one soon called Hardhat Wombat.

Venture capital funding in the U.S. fell to its lowest level in six years in terms of venture deal value and the lowest level in deal count in three years during the third quarter.

Xsolla, a global game commerce company, has acquired Lightstream, Rainmaker, and API.stream from Videndum, the parent company. These toolmakers are helping to change the landscape of content creation and distribution.

SiFive, a RISC-V processor design firm, unveiled two new chip designs aimed at bringing a high-performance computing solution to various industries. 

Space Rock Games has raised $1.2 million for a video game studio working on a game called Criminals Within.

I had a chance to play the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III multiplayer beta on the PlayStation 5 this week. A bug prevented me from getting early access but I was able to join the general PS beta on Sunday and get some rounds in.

Merge Mansion developer Metacore announced this year that it is expanding following its signature game hitting new heights of success. The mobile game perhaps best known for its cinematic ad campaigns and central merging mechanic recently surpassed 50 million in downloads. The company opened a new location in Berlin, where it will continue to help expand the game as Metacore looks towards the future.

Game Taco has officially changed its name to WorldWinner, signifying its focus on its biggest brand for publishing games for the skill-based games category.

Sony has revealed that the new PS5 Slim will debut in time for the holidays this year. This new model will replace the original once supplies are sold out.

Sony has added AI smarts to its latest generation of InZone H5 gaming wireless headset and its new InZone Buds.

Jadu has released a multiplayer mobile fighting game that uses augmented reality (AR) to blend the virtual and physical worlds.

Ubisoft revealed its «fast-paced firefights meets punk rock mosh pits» first-person shooter, Tom Clancy's XDefiant, in 2021. It's a free-to-play shooter that features factions from different Ubisoft properties, like Splinter Cell, Watch Dogs, The Division, and Far Cry. We went hands-on with XDefiant earlier this year and came away impressed with the shooter. Players enjoyed an open beta back in June, and the full game was set to launch in the summer, but now, developer Ubisoft San Francisco has delayed its preseason launch indefinitely. 

Cocone, a Japanese immersive entertainment studio, is preparing to launch its virtual world experience with its upcoming major service release, Centennial.

Ubisoft has delayed XDefiant indefinitely after a series of playtests unearthed issues the development team wants to work to improve before launch. Ubisoft had hoped to release the game in October.

Lockwood Publishing, the British metaverse game company behind Avakin Life, is sponsoring the New Codes digital fashion summit. That comes just after Lockwood‘s support for PlanetPlay, which in turn is supporting projects such as eco-friendly stoves for the developing world.

Despite recent rumors of an imminent launch shared by credible leakers, Ubisoft announced yet another last-minute delay for XDefiant, its free to play arcade first-person shooter game. The news came from Executive Producer Mark Rubin, who shared a lengthy explanation with the community via Twitter (X).

XDefiant has announced that it is delaying the launch of its preseason following its public test session. The developers behind Ubisoft’s upcoming the free-to-play, first-person arena shooter said the testing highlighted inconsistencies in the gameplay experience. Currently, the team did not confirm when (or if) fans can expect to play XDefiant.

John Riccitiello, CEO of Unity, has resigned from the company in the wake of a pricing controversy that left developers in open revolt.

Get ready for some frontlines action for something besides Call of Duty. Novarama is showing off multiplayer for its United 1944 first-person shooter game.

We’re just a day away from the launch of the Meta Quest 3 virtual reality headset, upon which many metaverse dreams depend. Here’s our hands-on review.

AI and metaverse firm MeetKai and the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets have unveiled the Hornets Virtual Fan Shop, marking the NBA’s first virtual team store.

A bakery in the States has used its artisanal skills to create a The Last of Us Clicker out of bread.

Ubisoft San Francisco may be targeting late October for the launch of XDefiant. The rumor originated from Call of Duty insider TheMW2Ghost, who reportedly heard about a launch event scheduled for October 28th. That is a Saturday, so it is unlikely it would be selected as the game's launch date, but it is possible the event follows a release on Friday, October 27th.

Elon Musk was sued by the U.S. securities regulator related to his takeover of Twitter, the latest court battle against the billionaire whose empire spans electric carmaker Tesla, space startup SpaceX and brain-chip startup Neuralink.

Alphabet Inc. Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai is set to be called by Epic Games Inc. to testify in an antitrust trial over Google Play policies that could threaten billions of dollars in revenue generated by the app marketplace.

A chill breeze, a red leaf on a tree, the distant sound of “Spooky, Scary Skeletons” playing — October has officially arrived. And while my non-gamer, civilian self revels in the sudden appearance of pumpkins, fall foliage and literal spooky, scary skeletons … my gamer self is battening down the hatches. Because the most crowded, games-heavy month of the year is finally upon us. You thought you had no time for games before? You really don’t have time for October’s release slate.

It appears that Virtuos Studios has closed down Calypte, a San Francisco-based subsidiary of the worldwide development services provider that had only been in business since September 2022.

A California bakery has crafted an astonishingly lifelike, spine-tingling Clicker sculpture made entirely out of bread.

I’m delighted to reveal the agenda for our GamesBeat Next 2023, which takes place in San Francisco on October 23-24.

Kazunori Yamauchi is one of the legends of game development and his Gran Turismo games are a flagship title on every PlayStation game console with lifetime sales above 90 million. And while racing is his passion, he stands at one of the most interesting intersections in gaming.

Like many sectors, game developers have been cutting headcount due to economic uncertainty through out 2023. According to Farhan Noor’s videogamelayoffs.com, game developers issued layoffs to over 6,100 employees in 2023 (so far).

Netflix has quickly renewed Castlevania: Nocturne after its September 28 debut. The Konami property has been a major success among Netflix’s game-to-film adaptations. The original anime-styled series ran for four seasons.

Electronic Arts announced yesterday that Battlefield 2042 Season 6: Dark Creations will debut on October 10 on the PC and consoles. And I managed to gets some hands-on gameplay with the game.

X (formerly Twitter) has begun testing three different tiers of its proposed premium subscription. The information came from the company CEO Linda Yaccarino in a meeting with debt holders as she updated the bankers about the finances and revenue of X, as per a report. It was also highlighted that the testing was done to increase the revenue collection from the subscription funnel. Additionally, X also stated during the meeting that the advertisers are returning back to the platform, although with smaller budgets.

Payday 3 developer Starbreeze Entertainment has delayed a much needed patch to the game that promised 200-plus bug fixes. The developer is aiming for a mid-October update as the solutions for its stability problems requires console recertification. Notably, the patch was delayed on the day it was supposed to go live.

Netflix revealed at a recent showcase that it’s working on several new animated shows based on video games. These include the reveal of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft and a show based on the Devil May Cry series, as well as updates on Castlevania: Nocturne and Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. Now that the entertainment industry has several proofs-of-concept that games make good shows — the first Castlevania series, The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, etc — it appears Netflix is all-in on making games into anime.

Pixel Gun 3D, a popular pixel mobile shooter developed by Cubic Games, has surpassed 185 million downloads and generated more than $200 million in bookings on iOS and Android.