[{"title":"Xbox Just Announced A New Demo Event For Independent Video Games","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"category":"video-games","id":"z7AlObEu","summary":"It's an opportunity to try out some games that are still being developed.","_type":"story","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.vice.com/en/article/xbox-is-hosting-an-indie-game-fest-demo-event-for-unreleased-games-and-yall-better-support-it/","_key":"4b405c516c58"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The gaming world has evolved tremendously over the past few generations, from the 4-bit Atari 2600 to the hyperrealistic, interactive titles of today. Aside from better graphics, one of the major ","_key":"4224d5c6e49f0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["4b405c516c58"],"text":"advancements","_key":"4224d5c6e49f1"},{"text":" in recent years has been the rise of independent game developers.","_key":"4224d5c6e49f2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1066c1959dfe"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Now, one of the industry’s biggest names is spotlighting some of them.","_key":"cc946c2a339f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4164897af209"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9254b073dab5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The fun starts on Tuesday","_key":"af4817ee64980"}]},{"_key":"0243ed435583","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Between December 10 and the end of the year, Xbox is going to be hosting what it calls an Indie Game Fest Demo Event. Basically, participants will have an opportunity to download","_key":"ea79330c48620"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" dozens of indie titles","_key":"72d917e4f16d"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and play some video games they might not have otherwise even known were coming.","_key":"97d3e7dcff87"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But don’t get the wrong idea about the term “demo.” Xbox advises that, unlike the demos available on consoles via the Microsoft Store, the games included in the upcoming event aren’t taken from a fully (or nearly) completed version of a full game.","_key":"f52368c3b1aa0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6165d74f65a3"},{"_key":"32f90817bd85","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Think of these as ‘","_key":"78aed894e2e60"},{"_key":"090f8e453eb8","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"show floor demos"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"’ and not necessarily indicative of the final product,” the company said of the indie demos. “You’ll get to experience these games early — some way early — which gives you the chance to provide your feedback!”","_key":"0a33200c3a28"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"fd7d2e842aae","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A few things to remember","_key":"c6bdca7594900"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"dde69f5bc00c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It might sound like all fun and games, but Xbox wants participants to be aware of a few ground rules and restrictions before diving in.","_key":"20a967a3b7d50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"ef11596c2ccd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For starters, demos will be available to "},{"text":"download through the Xbox Dashboard","_key":"4a3655f787b1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"marks":[],"text":", but they won’t be there forever.","_key":"176bd70da33f","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3d2850e328c5"},{"style":"normal","_key":"f8c7488f15ee","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“Some might be re-published to the Demo channel later, but many will disappear at the end of the month, so be sure to check them out while you can,” Xbox advised.","_key":"d11ca0eace600","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One important step players can take, the company concluded, involves reaching out to developers “","_key":"a5050117d65b0"},{"text":"on social media or through their websites","_key":"b4b82e07ec5d","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” to share feedback and/or constructive 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From ","_key":"63f81d2abc680"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"an attempted insurrection","_key":"63f81d2abc681","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on Capitol Hill to ","_key":"63f81d2abc682"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"antisemitic rants","_key":"63f81d2abc683"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by one of the nation’s most famous entertainers, there’s no shortage of examples to cite.","_key":"63f81d2abc684"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"765ed331fd16","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/12/us-lawmakers-take-aim-at-gamings-harassment-and-extremism-problem/","_key":"ecbb487a0afb"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One area that might not be so immediately obvious to those of us who aren’t part of the community, however, is the realm of video gaming. 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Maggie Hassan (D-NH) referenced complaints that many users of the online game platform Steam are “displaying and espousing ","_key":"86aa13f9f29d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"neo-Nazi, extremist, racial supremacist, misogynistic","_key":"86aa13f9f29d1"},{"marks":[],"text":", and other hateful sentiment.”","_key":"86aa13f9f29d2","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"9de88c382fcd","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The resulting harassment of marginalized communities, she argued, “allows for the very real threat of violence in offline, physical spaces.”","_key":"d0e3dd35ce790"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0853b0ebd432","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"39969ca0f2980","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Calling out the culprits"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"581f75bad993","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"In their letter, the legislators want to know what, if anything, the named companies have done to implement “safety measures pertaining to anti-harassment and anti-extremism.”","_key":"18ee0f09cd250","_type":"span"}]},{"children":[{"text":"The list of companies listed in the letter is telling. 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Directly from the research:","_key":"d3e9e72f346a0","_type":"span"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"492e67787da6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"a861e7e44e820"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"4f514e435c79","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Both groups showed increased response time as difficulty level increased. For all conditions and overall performance, VGP [video game - players] had faster response times and higher accuracy than NVGP. VGP were significantly more accurate than NVGP [non video game - players] for task performance overall (by 2.24 ± 6.87%) and easy condition tasks (7.12 ± 5.38%).","_key":"2cae41752a480","_type":"span","marks":["em"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n","_key":"df88dc22e1210"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"What does all this mean for the gaming community? Straightforward, it means science shows positive brain functions from playing video games. 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The culture ministry attempts to 'preserve' the French language (which is in no danger of disappearing) and wants to help clean up the Anglicism in the French gaming community.","_key":"eae3c329bdcb2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e5aba2067999","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"5701b0cd179d0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"820723c4cb720","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The culture ministry announced while speaking with the Agence France-Presse (AFP), however, it's up to government workers to enforce the banning of words like 'pro-gamer' and 'streamer.'"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"77b111156364"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6030759150f3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"198bd8f93c650","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}]},{"children":[{"text":"The concerns are said to come as an effort to help 'non-gamers' in France understand the gaming community, despite the gaming market in France seeing incredible ","_key":"382d5da5285e0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["d6fff186d232"],"text":"growth","_key":"382d5da5285e1"},{"_key":"382d5da5285e2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" (even during the pandemic)."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d7cbb72d5185","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-03-15-second-record-year-for-french-market-at-5-6-billion","_key":"d6fff186d232"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"","_key":"1593baaed0ed0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"adf54a8fc687"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The effort by the culture ministry seems to feel far over the top with a hint of nationalism, which has dark undertones. It's unlikely many French gamers were having difficulty communicating with 'non-gamers' concerning gaming or were degrading (a word used by language watchdog Academie Francaise in February regarding non-French communication) the French language.","_key":"77f21f1936440"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"67890151bc56","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"3878557a502a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"97b81e74fb93","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Can we let gamers play and communicate as they see fit as long as they are not discriminating or causing any other harm?","_key":"a5f7cb72c1620"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d2ed70d34c03"}],"image":{"asset":{"metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M68~%BuP00RSRPQ8Mzpc%Ie:00Rj}+s8WU","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.67,"background":"#60597d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"background":"#758dbc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.05},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.4,"background":"#4bacf5","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"population":7.17,"background":"#1b47a9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"population":5.02,"background":"#e2c9d3","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":7.95,"background":"#337cc9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"population":7.95,"background":"#337cc9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/png;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":1280,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":720}},"sha1hash":"e37950710820b14079185f84aa04f258977e9b72","size":261256,"assetId":"e37950710820b14079185f84aa04f258977e9b72","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:42Z","_id":"image-e37950710820b14079185f84aa04f258977e9b72-1280x720-png","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/png","uploadId":"WqH4rjD2TBiqvlBS77FrQx5HAlI7VB5O","originalFilename":"wtf.png","extension":"png","_rev":"1K8pT3qofyahtESQAVaEzd","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/e37950710820b14079185f84aa04f258977e9b72-1280x720.png","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/e37950710820b14079185f84aa04f258977e9b72-1280x720.png","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:42Z"},"_type":"image","alt":""},"category":"video-games","publishDate":"2022-06-01","summary":"France's culture ministry is being a bit extra.","_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02Fi6G"},{"_createdAt":"2022-06-01T10:00:45Z","_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02FtQC","body":[{"_key":"29348764d629","markDefs":[{"_key":"7158e462284d","_type":"link","href":"https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/neill-blomkamp-says-district-9-sequel-is-coming-in-near-future-1835467/"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you were a fan of the 2009 hit ","_key":"25b92e18793a0"},{"_key":"25b92e18793a1","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"District 9"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", it's time to rejoice (unless you're one of those who hate all sequels and fun). 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you want to try out the acclaimed series, grab it now.","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"publishDate":"2022-05-30","id":"8m0t3Y","_type":"story","_createdAt":"2022-05-30T08:21:49Z","_id":"7718a58c-8d57-46f8-8af9-e12abbd45b66","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://kotaku.com/bioshock-2-infinite-trilogy-free-pc-epic-store-fps-2k-1848984067","_key":"d9c54baf64ad"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Gamers who have not yet immersed themselves (I'm one of them) in the world of BioShock have the opportunity to do so...for ","_key":"164d222d90a90"},{"marks":["d9c54baf64ad"],"text":"free","_key":"164d222d90a91","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". 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The game which takes place in the post-apocalyptic United States that is overrun by robotic Machines is one of the most lucrative video game titles in the past decade.","_key":"bb6c6c0e6ed73"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ef0c974c36c4","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://deadline.com/2022/05/horizon-zero-dawn-netflix-series-video-game-1235033477/","_key":"97fa240b5830"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"fe273bf4606e0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"24b61b52019e"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In February 2022, ","_key":"54ff8ae0f30d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Horizon Zero Dawn","_key":"54ff8ae0f30d1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" ","_key":"54ff8ae0f30d2"},{"_key":"54ff8ae0f30d3","_type":"span","marks":["68da746af2b0"],"text":"surpassed"},{"text":" selling over 20 million copies across the Playstation 4 and PC since the release of the title. 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So, fans of the novel and film will be familiar with the story; therefore, surprises should be limited. However, the deal between Daedalic and Middle-earth Enterprises ensures the game is canon, meaning there could be some adventures that are new to long-time fans.\n"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The game will feature characters from Tolkien lore that will provide a bit of nostalgia. With a lot at the stake for Daedalic Entertainment, a well-reviewed game (more by fans than critics) is necessary for the well thought of studio.","_key":"b6d1031e10c90"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0c4435693952"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"b8051f3a738c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c11e711993d4"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"However, Daedalic has a great track record. 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yesterday when we spoke about the union vote happening in the video game industry (right ","_key":"a1ceb380a69a0"},{"marks":["254038c201ae"],"text":"here","_key":"a1ceb380a69a1","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":")? Yesterday the National Labor Relations Board counted the unionization votes by the Raven Software Quality Assurance team. Raven Software's parent company Activision Blizzard did all they could in an attempt to organize the Quality Assurance team in a way to prevent collective bargaining; however, the National Labor Relations Board saw through the attempt.\n","_key":"a1ceb380a69a2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"76a8eff9a346","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theearlychirp.com/story/2022/05/23/video%20games/activision-blizzard-workers-could-make-a-difference","_key":"254038c201ae"}]},{"children":[{"_key":"158dfc2e69cc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The vote was "},{"_type":"span","marks":["22e50fa64650"],"text":"successful","_key":"158dfc2e69cc1"},{"marks":[],"text":" with a 19-3 vote, meaning the 28 Quality Assurance employees of Raven Software have officially unionized. Kevin Lui, Activision Blizzard spokesperson, said the following regarding the successful vote. \"We respect and believe in the right of all employees to decide whether or not to support or vote for a union,\" Liu began. \"We believe that an important decision that will impact the entire Raven Software studio of roughly 350 people should not be made by 19 Raven employees.\"\n","_key":"158dfc2e69cc2","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"53800a29afc7","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2022/05/23/1100743563/in-major-video-game-company-first-activision-blizzard-employees-are-joining-a-un","_key":"22e50fa64650"}]},{"_key":"7915c60f5369","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Of course, Activision Blizzard would throw a little salt on the moment; however, this is monumental for the video game industry in the United States. While large AAA studios will fight unionization in any way they can, there likely will be a lot of changes coming in the industry.","_key":"fb0f05144d810"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"61556ea190de"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f3b4c925e376"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Quote the Raven, nevermore.","_key":"63ab3187a58e"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9cd8f8c26981"}],"slug":"/story/2022/05/raven-qa-team-votes-for-unionization-whats-next","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"category":"video-games","summary":"Video game production in the United States has entered a new era for labor.","title":"Raven QA Team Votes For Unionization, What's Next?","publishDate":"2022-05-24"},{"_createdAt":"2022-05-23T10:07:53Z","slug":"/story/2022/05/activision-blizzard-workers-could-make-a-difference","category":"video-games","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://mediawiki.middlebury.edu/FMMC0282/AAA_Games","_key":"ffa5cdc6e100"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/23/business/activision-employees-union.html?auth=login-facebook","_key":"7f16f972c839"}],"children":[{"text":"In a time when employees of massive ","_key":"f74a563392590","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["ffa5cdc6e100"],"text":"AAA","_key":"f74a563392591"},{"marks":[],"text":" video game companies are being more vocal regarding their labor rights, Monday brings an important battle for ","_key":"f74a563392592","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["7f16f972c839"],"text":"collective bargaining","_key":"f74a563392593"},{"_key":"f74a563392594","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the gaming industry within the United States."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3f8b46187651"},{"_key":"632f12c5d711","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"8b817a286f3d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/call-of-duty-series-has-made-over-27billion-for-activision-since-2003-2874016","_key":"e52561e0ee6c"},{"_key":"848eb3a720d0","_type":"link","href":"https://www.makeuseof.com/crunch-culture-video-games/"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"The unionization attempt at Raven, a Wisconsin studio that plays a role in developing Activision's ","_key":"4411b22b503a0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["e52561e0ee6c"],"text":"multi-billion","_key":"4411b22b503a1"},{"marks":[],"text":" dollar Call of Duty franchise, could change the future for gaming employees. Video game developers are often put through what the industry calls '","_key":"4411b22b503a2","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["848eb3a720d0"],"text":"the crunch","_key":"4411b22b503a3"},{"_key":"4411b22b503a4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"' or 'crunch culture' to complete games by a specific deadline, centered around quarterly reports, which tie into executive bonuses and stock prices."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"214cc3e1c859"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"d70ff46c78df0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"35971521b72c"},{"_key":"93c6c86c6fef","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.channel3000.com/raven-software-employees-walk-out-to-protest-layoffs/","_key":"34ab659a7da7"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/technology/activision-union-nlrb-raven.html","_key":"5e689994e024"}],"children":[{"text":"The vote today at Raven comes after employees at the studio ","_key":"93ab5464d2d10","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["34ab659a7da7"],"text":"walked out in protest","_key":"93ab5464d2d11"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" last December after Activision ended a dozen Raven Quality Assurances workers' contracts. Activision attempted a procedural trick to prevent the National Labor Relations Board from recognizing Raven Quality Assurances workers as a bargaining unit, an effort that was ","_key":"93ab5464d2d12"},{"marks":["5e689994e024"],"text":"rejected","_key":"93ab5464d2d13","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by the board.","_key":"93ab5464d2d14"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"5505f526a9cd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"72df91f5d751"},{"style":"normal","_key":"74ceb2c2bda3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The National Labor Relations Board is counting the mail-in ballots today. If unionization is successful, the fallout could lead to studio employees obtaining a larger portion of revenue garnered by massive studios across the United States.","_key":"8c689caa7fe00"}],"_type":"block"}],"publishDate":"2022-05-23","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5c7Kq","_id":"d60b58ea-e124-4bd7-9263-45d1730f827f","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"Activision 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franchise. Chief Executive Officer, Lars Wingefors of Embracer Group, says he sees potential in sequels, remakes, remasters, spinoffs, and transmedia projects for Tomb Raider.","_key":"8a0c29989af54"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f371fb988e82"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1e996300aa73","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"e6bfa4421f090","_type":"span"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Sounds pretty ambitious, right?","_key":"82de0b0b1c4d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"99b1e1756a67","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_key":"437673c30ad50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"13c9df281b24","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The most interesting part of his comments is the focus on transmedia. It's possible Embracer Group could use video game and film properties to tell a continuing narrative, which could be risky, but also bear fruit if the strategy works out to plan.","_key":"d21e7099532a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e1297d8d8668","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"4d2243edbe630"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6fba08f32b0d"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"717c3de65f91","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.vg247.com/tomb-raider-lifetime-sales-embracer-square-enix","_key":"4e63e78494f8"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Lara-Croft#tab=summary","_key":"6585ab694b86"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"According to reports, Tomb Raider has ","_key":"a1280f9a3e360","_type":"span"},{"text":"sold","_key":"a1280f9a3e361","_type":"span","marks":["4e63e78494f8"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" 88 million units (not to mention ","_key":"a1280f9a3e362"},{"_type":"span","marks":["6585ab694b86"],"text":"box office","_key":"a1280f9a3e363"},{"text":" revenue) for its three films. Square Enix's desire to sell Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain could result in Embracer Group cashing in, especially on the Tomb Raider franchise that seems to be only growing in recent years. The reboot series of Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) brought an injection into the franchise that should lead it into the future.","_key":"a1280f9a3e364","_type":"span","marks":[]}]}],"title":"Do You Like Tomb Raider? Buckle Up","_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5c91A","_id":"e1b2191e-736c-4509-9c65-af77942a9ebd"},{"id":"60OJKa","_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02FljI","visibility":"true","title":"EA Dumps FIFA, FIFA Moves On Quick","slug":"/story/2022/05/ea-dumps-fifa-fifa-moves-on-quick","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.polygon.com/23065395/fifa-23-ea-sports-fc-name-change-2023","_key":"f236c1239a9e","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Electronic Arts (EA) ","_key":"9cddb85469e50","_type":"span"},{"marks":["f236c1239a9e"],"text":"announced","_key":"9cddb85469e51","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" it was ending its relationship with the controversial world association football (soccer to the uncultured) organization FIFA after 29 years. EA Sports will launch its new title named ","_key":"9cddb85469e52"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"EA Sports FC ","_key":"9cddb85469e53"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"(FC is for Football Club, again for the uncultured) on July 23, 2023.","_key":"9cddb85469e54"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"98bca3e4d8fe"},{"_key":"3dfe9278ad58","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"bb0baf9b5a320"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"bba6a35fcb9e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The announcement comes less than a year after EA Sports top executive, Cam Weber stated the company was thinking about dumping its exclusive license with FIFA. It was on that day EA filed trademarks for 'EA Sports FC.'","_key":"d708255076b30"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"3513d89ffd39","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"9a13ef5250990","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"8501ff59f8400","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Hmm...sounds like EA was planning this breakup for quite some time and aren't going to give the \"It's not you, it's me\" excuse. According to EA's press release, the company believes the FIFA license was more of an expense than an attribute to the popular titles."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7831ea2ab2e2"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6a0fdc436279","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"cf47de220f7c0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Hopefully, EA gets rid of the Ultimate Team scam, but that's unlikely to happen right EA?","_key":"146250ee2b950"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6f54bfce3d6b"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"","_key":"3ea4c82faba60","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9c1e61b53e34"},{"children":[{"_key":"75d0784956aa0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"FIFA 23 will be the last FIFA game under the EA brand. FIFA realizing it needed a good PR spin (FIFA has spin practice with deflecting concerns of human rights advocates and the Qatar World Cup) announced 'a number' of new non-simulation games are already under production for release this fall.\n"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a1aeaaa78716","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"7623761e1a52","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"FIFA's move to non-exclusive license holders will be interesting. The gaming community will let EA and FIFA know which one was the true market draw soon enough.","_key":"a56a4429ac490"}],"_type":"block"}],"image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"EA/FIFA","asset":{"uploadId":"GkW38lMZKSPwc9pktbhiJk8fKbcXyK47","_rev":"cAWu7qvPfyNGMEttw8IOjO","sha1hash":"16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:36Z","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:36Z","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/jpeg","originalFilename":"ea-sports-fifa.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb-1200x675.jpg","_id":"image-16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb-1200x675-jpg","extension":"jpg","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQHBf/EACEQAAEEAgICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwQFABExUQcSFEFh/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AgVPXjLtIzANE8pGm2x5JPvKV5gpKlqsrn6aqKKjYoj7iN+qJvhF7X9yRxJT8aQLsd0m3B4IV0qZoT761mRjZlTn3Wi1sSLaLrjBCvx2+8MT9y7XDKj//2Q==","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":1200,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":675},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MIA,tVj[00WB~qs;j[NGay%2D$ay-;j[IU","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.09,"background":"#204c78","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.52,"background":"#abb5bb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"background":"#e62c22","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.06},"dominant":{"background":"#abb5bb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.52},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#34446c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"muted":{"background":"#b46c84","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.03,"background":"#efb0a2"}},"hasAlpha":false},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb-1200x675.jpg","size":33904,"assetId":"16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb"}},"summary":"EA decides to break up with FIFA, leading to FIFA announcing it wants to see multiple new people at once.","_type":"story","_createdAt":"2022-05-11T11:01:32Z","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:52Z","category":"video-games","publishDate":"2022-05-11","_id":"702f3067-8899-46bf-912e-fc2385402e92"}]