Thieves steal $300,000 worth of TCG cards from Gen Con 2023

Microsoft has partnered Sam Altman led OpenAI, a company that was famously funded by billionaire Elon Musk, to make rapid strides in the field of artificial intelligence. The company has taken up the cudgels against other tech majors including the likes of Google and Meta Platforms. This puts the company's president, Brad Smith, in the perfect position to speak on the issue that has divided the globe down the middle about its massive potential for good as well as an equal potential to do harm to humanity.

If you’re looking to get into the TCG scene, you’ll want to know what the best Pokémon cards to collect and use are.

Over the last year, Xbox has been under one massive spotlight: a giant acquisition and court case, speculation about its upcoming AAA portfolio, Starfield on the horizon, questions around third-party game parity across both its consoles, Game Pass, and so much more. Naturally, we have tons of questions about all of this, and at gamescom 2023, we were finally able to get some answers from Xbox head Phil Spencer about almost everything.

On Saturday, Walmart loss prevention employees watched as Calhoun County correctional officer Josh Hardy, who was still in uniform, opened several Pokemon packs and pocketed individual cards within direct eye line of them. He then left the store without paying, only to be confronted by those same employees. Instead of fessing up, Hardy fled the scene.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has reportedly identified two of the persons of interest allegedly involved in the theft of $300,000 worth of TCG cards from Gen Con 2023 as board game designers.

Season 5 may still be a long way off, but the gateways to the Upside Down are opening once more this November, with a new Stranger Things comic from Dark Horse. Rather than taking place in Hawkins, Indiana, however, the new series is set on a boat that's about to sail into real danger.

The for Indy’s last adventure has been set, and it isn’t too far off.

Late summer's premier videogame speedrunning event takes off this week, as Flame Fatales 2023 looks to raise money for Malala Fund, benefitting women's education around the world.  Running from August 13th to 19th, Flame Fatales 2023 features an array of skilled speedrunners doing their thing for about 12 hours a day, every day, while chat donates to cheer them on and/or make their lives harder.

Gen Con 2023 is in the books and what a convention it was. Over 70,000 attendees descended upon Indianapolis for the annual “Best Four Days of Gaming”. A large portion of the BGQ crew was on site for the convention and we’ve pulled out some of our highlights of the show.

The rumors were true: Bethesda has announced an upgraded version of Quake II. Best of all, you can play it today on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. The enhanced edition is on Game Pass on PC, console and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Those who own the original game on GOG or Steam are getting a free upgrade.

Marvel Comics has confirmed that the "notorious" Spider-Man sequel it previously teased will in fact be a sequel to writer/artist Kaare Andrews' 2006 limited series Spider-Man: Reign. 

Thieves took off with “upwards of $300,000” worth of Magic: The Gathering cards days before the start of major tabletop convention Gen Con, according to Indianapolis police. Two unidentified men walked off the Indiana Convention Center floor in Indianapolis, where Gen Con was held, with a pallet full of boxes. Pastimes Comics & Games manager Zack Reiter told Polygon the cards were Magic: The Gathering cards from the Niles, Illinois store.