Union minister said some gaming companies "gamed the system", masqueraded as gaming companies to run gambling businesses. (AP)

Minister Chandrasekhar Accuses Certain Businesses of Misusing Gaming Laws to Operate Gambling Businesses

Adriana MaraisJuly 23, 23Online Gaming

In a recent statement, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused certain gaming companies of manipulating the system by disguising themselves as legitimate gaming entities while actually operating gambling ventures or evading tax payments in the past. In his comments at the Express Adda Live event, amid controversy over the GST Council’s decision to levy 28 percent tax on online gaming, the electronics and information technology minister reiterated his intention to lower the GST on permitted online gaming and has spoken to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about the matter. The businessman-turned-politician denies…

Online gaming players have expressed disappointment with the decision of the GST Council to levy a 28 per cent tax on online games involving real money. (REUTERS)

Minister of State for IT and Communications to Consider GST Council’s Online Gaming Regulatory Framework

Nitin MisraJuly 23, 23Online Gaming

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has stated that the government might approach the GST Council to take into account the details of the new regulatory framework for the online gaming industry, as concerns have been raised regarding the imposition of a 28% GST. The minister also mentioned that it took the council three years to reach a decision on online gambling. Online game players have expressed their disappointment with the Goods and Services Tax Council’s decision to levy a 28 percent tax on real money online games. The Electronics and IT…

Insomniac Games has released a new story-focused trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, offering a first look at new characters and some story highlights. A new special edition PlayStation 5 console has also been revealed.

Sony Unveils Special Edition PS5 Console and Spider-Man 2 Story Trailer Showcasing Venom Details

Adarsh V.KJuly 21, 23Gaming, ps5

During the ongoing Comic Con, Insomniac Games unveiled a new story trailer and shared details about a special edition PS5 console for Sony’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which is set to launch on October 20th this year. This comes after a gameplay-focused trailer was released in May’s PlayStation Showcase. The trailer opens with Harry Osborne having a friendly conversation with Peter Parker. Harry says he’s “getting a second chance” and wants to “make the world better.” The trailer then cuts to a shot of the main characters, including a new, updated…

The Glorbo ruse secured coverage on a garbo website.

Redditors Trick AI Content Generator Into Writing About Fake ‘World of Warcraft’ Update

Febin MathewJuly 21, 23Gaming, Generative AI, Reddit

A new World of Warcraft feature called Glorbo has generated a lot of excitement among certain redditors, who believe it will have a significant impact on the game. The enthusiasm shown by these individuals for Glorbo has caught the interest of The Portal, a blog that shares gaming content supported by Z League, an app designed to unite gamers. Just one problem: Glorbo isn’t real. The portal appears to use artificial intelligence to scrape Reddit posts and turn them into content. Redditor u/kaefer_kriegerin noticed that The Portal was seemingly turning…

The game is also getting a limited-edition PS5 console and DualSense controller.

‘Spider-Man 2’ Trailer Reveals Increased Presence of Venom, Villains and Intrigue

Nitin MisraJuly 21, 23Gaming, PlayStation 5, ps5

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is set to release on PlayStation 5 in a mere three months, but eager fans won’t have to wait that long to uncover details about the game’s storyline. During the San Diego Comic Con, Sony and Insomniac treated us to a captivating story trailer, offering a glimpse into Peter Parker’s potential encounter with the Venom symbiote. The trailer is full of dramatic tension. Peter’s best friend Harry Osborne wants to enlist his help to “heal the world”. Meanwhile, Spider-Man has his hands full with Kraven the Huntsman…

The move opens the door for the agency and companies to hold talks over a settlement.

FTC Pauses Investigation into Microsoft-Activision Merger

Adriana MaraisJuly 21, 23Business, FTC, Gaming, Microsoft

The administrative trial between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, regarding their pending acquisition, has been officially postponed by the Federal Trade Commission. According to Bloomberg‘s initial report, this decision enables the agency and the companies involved to engage in discussions regarding a potential settlement for the massive $68.7 billion merger. The FTC’s decision to stay the case is another big win for Microsoft and Activision as they try to get the deal over the line. The agency sued to block the deal in December, and an evidentiary hearing in the case…

Valve told the development team it needed permission from Nintendo.

Wii and GameCube Emulator for Dolphin No Longer Available on Steam

Sanjay PatilJuly 21, 23Dolphin, Gaming, Nintendo, Steam, Valve

The Dolphin Emulator, a program that enables users to play classic Wii and GameCube games, will not be available on Steam as previously anticipated. The developers have recently released a blog post detailing the events surrounding the unsuccessful launch and expressing their belief in their legal justification. Essentially, Nintendo’s legal team opposed its presence on Steam, and Valve, unwilling to engage in a potential conflict with a major gaming company, chose not to intervene. The creators of the emulator explained that, contrary to online speculation, Nintendo did not send the…

It's the first of several Blizzard games that are coming to the platform.

‘Overwatch 2’ to be Released on Steam on August 10th

Sanjay PatilJuly 20, 23Gaming, Steam

Blizzard has revealed its plans to release some of its PC games on Steam for the very first time. The company made the announcement today, stating that Overwatch 2 will be the first title to make its way to the platform on August 10th. However, Blizzard did not provide any specific information regarding other games that may follow suit. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra said in a press release that Battle.net remains a priority for them, but “we’ve heard players want to choose our Steam game selection.” The company would like…

OWL team owners will vote whether to end the current city-based franchise format.

Activision Blizzard Cuts Esports Staff as Overwatch League Reorganization Looms

Jim HendlerJuly 20, 23Gaming

Around 50 employees from Activision Blizzard’s esports division have been laid off as Microsoft’s takeover looms. Additionally, the company is making preparations for significant alterations to the Overwatch League (OWL), potentially leading to the abandonment of its city-based franchise structure. According to The Verge, employees were notified of the layoffs on Tuesday. One former member of the team told the publication that the layoffs came out of nowhere and suggested that the skeleton crew could end the OWL and World Series of Warzone seasons. However, they added that “in my…

The initial deadline was July 18th, but there are some regulatory issues to resolve.

Microsoft and Activision Push Back Merger Completion Date to October 18th

Adriana MaraisJuly 20, 23Business, Gaming, Microsoft

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have come closer than ever to finalizing their merger after facing regulatory obstacles for 18 months. However, due to unresolved matters in the UK, the companies were unable to complete the process by their original deadline of July 18th. Consequently, they have mutually decided to extend their merger agreement by three months in order to successfully complete the $68.7 billion acquisition. “Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have jointly agreed to extend the July 18, 2023 deadline for the merger agreement to October 18, 2023 to provide additional…

It starts at $1,399 for a DIY version and $1,799 and up for pre-built variants.

Pre-order Framework’s Modular Gaming Laptop 16 Now Available

Jim HendlerJuly 19, 23Gaming, Laptop

Preorders for Framework’s modular Laptop 16 are now open in several countries including the US, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, and Australia. The company’s initial gaming laptop model can be purchased as a DIY system without an operating system, starting at $1,399. Alternatively, pre-built versions are available starting at $1,799. The machine is delivered with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS or AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor; DIY versions start at $1,399 and $1,699 respectively. You can use it with the processor’s integrated graphics card, or pay $1,799 or…

There's full ray tracing, updated textures, new lighting and much more.

NVIDIA Launches Free Version of ‘Portal: Prelude’ on Steam

Adarsh V.KJuly 18, 23Gaming

NVIDIA has recently launched the 2008 fan-made Portal mod, known as Portal: Prelude, in an official release. The mod is now available on Steam and, excitingly, it is free for those who already own the original game. This updated version is far from ordinary, as it includes new textures, complete ray tracing, DLSS 3 to enhance performance, NVIDIA Reflex to reduce latency, and RTX IO for faster loading times. NVIDIA also ditched the GeForce Game Ready driver to simplify installation. Modders made all the changes to the remaster in the…

Professor Isaac Joel Raj S, Head, Department of Animation and Gaming, KLH Global Business School, Hyderabad, says the influence of 28% GST on job possibilities for online gaming courses graduates may vary depending on the circumstances and policies

Impact of 28% GST on Online Gaming on Job Prospects – A Hyderabad College Professor’s Insight

Nitin MisraJuly 18, 23GST, Online Gaming

Could the dispute regarding the 28% goods and services tax (GST) on online gaming impact employment opportunities within the industry? At a time when the industry is unhappy with the move, ReturnByte spoke to colleges that teach students online gaming with a focus on art and design, programming, animation, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) about how they see the decision. Professor Isaac Joel Raj S, Head, Department of Animation and Games, KLH Global Business School, Hyderabad, said that the impact on employment opportunities for graduates of an online…

The revamped Neopets website is launching on July 20th.

Neopets Revamping Flash Games and Developing Social Life-Sim Mobile App

Febin MathewJuly 18, 23Gaming

The Neopets Team has ambitious plans to modernize the once-popular virtual pet website. In a detailed post on Medium, the team revealed that a new Neopets website will be launched on July 20th. Although it will retain the same URL, the revamped site will feature all the brand’s updates, as well as links to its various games and products. The team is currently working on fixing bugs and ensuring compatibility with mobile browsers. Additionally, they are considering using Ruffle, a Flash player emulator, to enable the playability of old Flash-based…

The Last of Us Part II may get remastered with native PS5 support, the game's composer, Gustavo Santaonalla has hinted. Here's what to expect,

Sony May Re-Release The Last of Us Part 2 on PS5 with Improved Graphics

Febin MathewJuly 18, 23Gaming, ps5, The Last of Us

There are indications that The Last of Us Part II, the second game in The Last of Us series, might undergo a similar process as the first game, which was remade for the PlayStation 5. However, unlike the original game, The Last of Us Part II is a more recent release, having come out in June 2020 for the PS4. As a result, it is possible that it will only receive a “remaster” rather than a complete “remake” due to its relatively new status. The game’s sound composer Gustavo Santaollala…

Employees say Roblox’s efforts have not gone far enough to address their concerns (REUTERS)

Roblox Confronts Calls for Increased Diversity Among Staff

Adarsh V.KJuly 18, 23Alphabet, Bloomberg, epic games, Google, Silicon Valley

During a virtual all-hands meeting on Zoom in spring 2021, Roblox Corp., a prominent video-game company, addressed the issue of gender diversity among its top leadership. An employee raised the question via text, expressing concern about the limited representation of women in higher positions. Sources present at the meeting reported that David Baszucki, the co-founder and CEO of Roblox, acknowledged the query and explained that the company maintains rigorous hiring standards. Several women said they found the comment disparaging, but not surprising. In public and private forums, Baszucki, 60, and…

A tribunal has paused Microsoft's appeal against the CMA's decision to block the deal.

Microsoft and UK Regulator Given Additional Time to Resolve Concerns Regarding Activision Merger

Adriana MaraisJuly 18, 23Business, Gaming, Microsoft

Microsoft and the UK’s antitrust regulator have been given a temporary halt in their legal dispute, with conditions, as they seek to address concerns raised by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regarding Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Judge Marcus Smith of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), responsible for reviewing the CMA’s decisions, has requested evidence from the watchdog to support their chosen approach, but has nonetheless granted the pause in the legal proceedings. Smith wants the CMA to justify its adjournment application by providing evidence…

'One Punch Man: World' arrives this year.

Crunchyroll Developing ‘One Punch Man’ Video Game for PC and Mobile Platforms

Adriana MaraisJuly 18, 23Android, Anime, Gaming, iOS

Crunchyroll, the anime service, has revealed a new game called One Punch Man: World, which is a departure from previous attempts. This online multiplayer action game will be available on Android, iOS, and PC. Players can join the Hero Association with their friends to combat an increasing number of villains through missions and raids. The game allows you to unlock and play as various heroes from the first season of the TV show, such as Genos, Mumen Rider, and Puri-Puri Prisoner. Additionally, players can relive significant moments from the series.…

Expect personalized devices from Elgato, too.

Corsair Acquires Drop to Expand its Mechanical Keyboard Lineup

Jim HendlerJuly 18, 23Gaming, Keyboard

Corsair aims to distinguish itself in the enthusiast keyboard market by acquiring one of its well-known brands. The company is purchasing Drop (previously known as Massdrop), renowned for its customizable mechanical keyboards and key switches. This acquisition will enable Corsair to expand Drop’s community-focused keyboard line and develop fresh offerings for its own brands, such as Elgato. Drop will remain a separate brand within Corsair and handle all current purchases and support. Corsair is not disclosing the financial terms of the deal. In a message to users, Drop’s CEO emphasized…

You'll get a handful of 'free' games, but monthly additions are going away.

Xbox Game Pass Core to Take Over from Xbox Live Gold on September 14th

Adriana MaraisJuly 18, 23Gaming, Microsoft

Microsoft has announced that it will be discontinuing Xbox Live Gold, one of the remaining remnants of the early Xbox era. Instead, starting from September 14th, the company will introduce a new subscription tier called Game Pass Core. This subscription, priced at $60 per year or $10 per month, will still be required for playing numerous online multiplayer games on consoles, although not all. Additionally, this change signifies a shift in the way Microsoft offers bonus games. The company is discontinuing Games with Gold, which offered a steady number of…