Howdy and welcome to this week’s installment of Get Your Game On! It’s Maddi, checking in with all the latest and not-so-greatest goings on in the video game industry. You will probably be unsurprised to learn that over the last month I have played little other than Hades, but having finished a big part of the main game I am now consumed by the incredibly important task of getting Zagreus a boyfriend. (Although I did play, and recommend, the delightfully dramatic Overboard! by 80 Days creators Inkle.) What have you been up to? Let us know on Twitter, or, if you’re a Sidequest Patron at the Sega Genesis tier or higher, you can tell us about your favorites in our Discord!
Judge Issues a Ruling in Epic v. Apple
A year ago, Epic Games sued Apple over its alleged monopoly on the mobile app space. If you need a refresher, the main issue was that Epic had introduced its own in-game transaction system to get around paying Apple’s 30% commission, which led to Apple taking down Fortnite from the app store. Epic sued, leading to a whole lot of professional lawyers and CEOs hilariously attempting to define the term “video game,” as well as Fortnite mascot Peely appearing in a tuxedo to show respect for the solemnity of a court proceeding.
Best thing about the Epic/Apple ruling? Comedy footnotes about Peely. pic.twitter.com/8E9n78HwM7
— Simon Carless (@simoncarless) September 10, 2021
Now, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has ruled that while Apple’s in-app transaction system and iOS do not constitute a monopoly on the mobile app space, Apple does have to remove its anti-steering policies. Essentially, this policy banned developers from informing customers about (potentially cheaper) alternatives to the Apple purchasing system. Apple was also awarded damages because Epic violated its developer agreement. Adi Robertson has written a great explanation of the ruling and its implication for The Verge, which I highly encourage you to read.
BREAKING: Apple was ordered by a court to change the way it operates its lucrative App Store in a sweeping ruling from an antitrust case filed by Epic Games https://t.co/FNSppdmXEj pic.twitter.com/S97Ym35a8n
— Bloomberg (@business) September 10, 2021
Twitch Sues Two Alleged Hate Raiders
On Wednesday, September 1, many Twitch streamers and viewers participated in #ADayOffTwitch, in protest of Twitch’s inaction in handling recent hate raids. Since December’s report last week, Twitch has filed lawsuits against two alleged hate raiders, known only as CreatineOverdose and CruzzControl. In the filing, Twitch said both users have been banned but continued to make accounts and violate Twitch’s terms of service.
twitch has filed a lawsuit against two users it claims are partially responsible for the hate raid epidemic. in the past, it's filed these sorts of suits to gain subpoena power (so as to identify perpetrators) and scare off others who might break its rules https://t.co/rcRpfSf8HL
— Nathan Grayson (@Vahn16) September 10, 2021
Twitch Streamer Arcadum Accused of Grooming and Manipulation, Fan Communities Shut Down
At the end of August, numerous women came forward to speak out about Twitch streamer Arcadum, saying he manipulated them and made sexual advances. Arcadum, whose real name is Jeremy Black, is a professional game master; his Dungeons and Dragons projects include Callous Row and Verum. The Living World of Verum in particular has amassed a large fan community; in the wake of the allegations, many of the artists and fans have decided to shut down the communities. Since the victims came forward Black issued a statement and stepped back from streaming indefinitely.
This link is a list of a large percentage of the many, MANY artists & musicians who made contributions to the world of Verum both big & small
Please feel free to share this around so others can find & support themhttps://t.co/FUKFqTWgw0— Elle: glass him & jail cops who murder (@yeselleyes) September 2, 2021
In other news…
Bugsnax developer Young Horses is permanently adopting a four-day workweek model after testing it out in July.
Bugsnax developer Young Horses tested a four-day work week model back in July, and says it will permanently shift to this format for the eight-person studio. https://t.co/3fxepZ2SlO pic.twitter.com/7lD8d4cM4w
— IGN (@IGN) September 12, 2021
Alan Wake is getting the remaster treatment, layers and all. Alan Wake Remastered will come to PC, Xbox, and PlayStation on October 5. Notably, it will not feature the product placement included in the original.
I believe it was an Alan Wake anniversary (Alanniversary Wake) recently so allow me to share this picture I made in 2014 or so attempting to figure out how many layers Alan is wearing pic.twitter.com/V6QZUI5lh8
— dante 🌹 (@videodante) May 15, 2020
🔦 ALAN WAKE REMASTERED FANKIT 🔦
✅ Icons
✅ 4K screenshots
✅ Wallpapers for your desktop and phone
✅ High-res Alan from the key art, with a transparent background. Count how many layers he's wearing this time 😉🖼️ Get the fankit: https://t.co/aQGoz5dAfK#AlanWake pic.twitter.com/GLJrD8o2ix
— Alan Wake (@alanwake) September 10, 2021
The Broken Token CEO Greg Spence has stepped down after a former employee accused him of sexual abuse and harassment. However, he still owns the company. The Broken Token also laid off 13 employees due to lost revenue after the allegations came to light.
Life Is Strange‘s new DCMA-friendly mode isn’t without… quirks.
*Game has a streamer mode that is DMCA friendly*
The game: pic.twitter.com/Wd0uhN7t9h
— Sarah🗝 (@thesarahkey) September 11, 2021
Madison Butler is Sidequest’s self-proclaimed jock editor. She co-founded the blog Critsumption and once got really into powerlifting via Fitness Boxing for the Nintendo Switch. She tweets at @_maddilo.
Recent Comments