The biggest digital store for PC games on the planet, Steam, has updated its interface to include a disclaimer warning people that buying a game doesn’t mean you “own” it in the traditional sense.
A new banner on the site states, “A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam.” This is part of the terms and conditions of the Steam Subscriber Agreement.
The introduction of this disclaimer follows new legislation from the state of California requiring digital storefronts–covering games, movies, music, and ebooks–to clarify licensing terms to customers. The law comes as questions have arisen in recent years regarding what “ownership” means in a world increasingly dominated by digital products.
“As retailers continue to pivot away from selling physical media, the need for consumer protections on the purchase of digital media has become increasingly more important,” California Assembly member Jacqui Irwin said in a press release.
Cali…
Read moreA new update has arrived to both Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 And Warzone. The November 21 patch notes reveal more details of the new Hit List event, and Rebirth Island is finally back in Warzone after its initial short-lived return.
Call of Duty’s Hit List limited-time event is now live in Black Ops 6 and Warzone, giving players a list of challenges to complete for new rewards. The Hit List rewards includes Season 1’s new drill melee weapon and multiplayer’s new Shadow perk.
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Read moreCall of Duty: Warzone’s forthcoming Season 4 will come with a lot of new changes, including adjustments to health, enemy AI, and Strongholds. Notably, player health will reportedly be increased to 150 (for a total of 300 with full armor plates), which has been a highly requested feature since day one. Keep in mind, Activision hasn’t confirmed this just yet.
This comes by way of a report from Insider Gaming, which has a positive track record when it comes to Call of Duty. More health will, in theory, give players more time to react when engaging in gunfights. The site also notes that enemy AI will be removed from Strongholds entirely and that Strongholds will be able to be recaptured by enemy players.
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Read more343 Industries has clarified how Halo Infinite will handle XP. Community manager John Junyszek said on Twitter that XP progression happens through challenges, and you’ll get more XP by playing and winning matches. There is no “per-match XP.”
“Playing and winning matches will be challenges, which will help players progress through the Battle Pass,” Junyszek said on Twitter. “Even though this means no per-match XP at launch, you’re still always progressing through challenges and therefore the Battle Pass.”
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Read moreRetailer GameStop has announced earnings, and the past year was a challenging one for the company. The company posted an overall loss of $381 million for fiscal year 2021. GameStop CEO Matt Furlong said in an briefing that there were multiple factors that negatively impacted GameStop’s results in the past year, but the company remains steadfast in its commitment to taking a hit now if it leads to greater results down the road.
“The combination of supply chain issues and the omicron variant had a sizable impact on this past year’s holiday season,” Furlong said. “We made a conscious decision to lean in and absorb higher costs in order to meet customer demand. We felt, and continue to feel, that investing in our customers and rebuilding our brand loyalty right now is in the company’s best interest over the long term.”
Furlong also reiterated during the call that GameStop is making moves to become a “technology” company as opposed to strictly a video game retailer. Furlong s…
Read moreAfter a few days of rumors, Universal Studios announced on Thursday that its highly anticipated fourth theme park, Universal Epic Universe, will officially open on May 22, 2025. The massive interlocked resort will have five worlds, each with its unique theme, tied to a particular franchise under the Universal umbrella–Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe.
The opening of Epic Universe will transform Universal Orlando Resort into a possible weeklong vacation destination comprised of not just the parks, but 11 hotels that are aiming to be destinations themselves. Among them is the Helios Hotel, which is furnished with 500 rooms.
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Read moreOscar-winning director James Cameron has shed new light on his attempt to make a Spider-Man film, calling it the “greatest movie I never made.” Speaking to Screen Crush, Cameron said his idea for a Spider-Man movie would have had a “gritty reality to it.” He said his Spidey film would have been closer in resemblance to his movies Terminator and Aliens.
“Superheroes in general always came off as kind of fanciful to me, and I wanted to do something that would have been more in the vein of Terminator and Aliens, that you buy into the reality right away,” he said. “So you’re in a real world, you’re not in some mythical Gotham City. Or Superman and the Daily Planet and all that sort of thing, where it always felt very kind of metaphorical and fairytale-like. I wanted it to be: It’s New York. It’s now. A guy gets bitten by a spider. He turns into this kid with these powers and he has this fantasy of being Spider-Man, and he makes this suit and it’s terrible, and then he has to impro…
Read moreWalmart is running its own online sale, Walmart+ Week, to compete with Amazon’s massive Prime Day 2023 sale next week. Walmart+ Week runs July 10-13, and you can expect tons of limited-time deals and extra savings from Walmart’s online store exclusive to Walmart+ subscribers. While that means you need to be a Walmart+ subscriber to enjoy the best sales, Walmart is running a promotional deal for 50% off an annual Walmart+ subscription for new users. That’s just $49 for one year of Walmart+ perks (normally $98/year). This promotional price is only available until July 13.
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Read moreKnockout City has officially split from its publisher EA, and is now a free-to-play game. That means anybody can hop into some chaotic multiplayer dodgeball fun. Knockout City is kicking off the free-to-play festivities with the start of Season 6: City of Tomorrow, which includes a new ball, Brawl Pass, Street Rank tier, and more. Here is everything new in Knockout City Season 6.
A new ball and League Play rewards
Season 6 brings some small updates to the gameplay of Knockout City, with the main addition being a new type of dodgeball. The Boomerang Ball is a cyan colored ball that comes back after being thrown. If you hit a player or hit a wall with the Boomerang Ball, it will head right back towards you. You can even use the wall to gain charge, but if an opponent catches the ball after it hits the wall, they can use that charge against you.
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