In an interview with the channel TweakMusicTips, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy said that DJ streamers on the platform will have to share their revenue with music labels. As posted by Zach Bussey on X (formerly Twitter), Clancy said that Twitch is working on a "structure," wherein DJs and the platform "are gonna have to share money with the labels." He said he's already talked to some DJs about it. The DJs, of course, realized that they'd rather not share what they earn. But Clancy said that Twitch will pay part of what the labels are owed, while the DJs hand over a portion of their revenue.
Clancy's statement was part of his response to the host's question about the copyright situation of music streamers on the platform. The CEO replied that Twitch has been talking to music labels about it in hopes of finding a stable solution so that DJ streamers don't get hit with DMCA takedown requests. He also said that the website has a "pretty good thing" going on with labels right now a "thing" that involves Twitch paying them money, apparently but it's not a sustainable long-term solution. Plus, the labels are only OK with that deal at the moment because they know Twitch is working on another solution that will make them (more) money.
Clancy also clarified that live streams and videos on demand have different sets of rules for playing copyrighted music, and the latter is definitely a problem. That's why he suggests that DJs should mute pre-recorded videos on their own, because Twitch's system doesn't always detect copyrighted songs to mute them. The CEO said Twitch is close to signing the deal with labels, but it's unclear how the Amazon subsidiary intends to monitor live music streams and if it already has the technology to do so.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitch-ceo-says-djs-will-have-to-share-what-they-earn-on-the-website-with-music-labels-060210010.html?src=rss
Blizzard is taking mid-match leaves on Overwatch 2 more seriously and is implementing harsher punishments when Season 10 arrives. People playing Unranked games won't be able to join a queue for five minutes after leaving two of their last 20 games. And if they leave at least 10 out of the last 20, they'll be suspended for 48 hours. Players probably want to be even more careful when it comes to leaving Competitive games, though, because doing so 10 times out of 20 will get them banned for the rest of the season. In its announcement, Blizzard said that while it's aware not everyone abandons a game on purpose, these changes "should help curb those players who deliberately choose to leave a match."
Blizzard
The developer is also making it easier for groups of friends to play together in Competitive mode, no matter their rank, by introducing "wide groups." A wide group is defined by having players from a wide range of ranks, from Diamond to tiers up to five Skill Divisions lower. Blizzard admits that opting for the new queue option will mean longer wait times, since it has to pair a wide group with another wide group with similar ranks in order to be fair. But it's hoping that the new feature will eliminate the need to use an alt account when playing with friends.
The company is also adding new features designed to help prevent abuse and harassment in-game. People will soon be able to add up to 10 players in their "Avoid as Teammate" list instead of just three. It's also making it easy to report disruptive behavior by updating its reporting interface. Finally, Blizzard is blocking a player's access to text or voice chat in their matches if they were found to have engaged in abusive behavior and have broken the company's code of conduct. They can only get those privileges back if they spend time playing Overwatch 2 in their best behavior.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/overwatch-2-introduces-harsher-punishments-for-players-who-leave-mid-match-021319507.html?src=rss
Amazon has the Nothing Phone 2 on sale for the first time since its launch. The offbeat mainstream smartphone alternative is $74 off its usual price. The deal includes the version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and its ready for activation on T-Mobile or AT&T.
The Nothing Phone 2 has an unusual design, with a transparent back revealing an eye-pleasing arrangement of its internal hardware. The aesthetic is a throwback to tech from the late 1990s and early 2000s, like Apples iMac G3 and Nintendos Game Boy Color. Meanwhile, the Glyph Interface on the phones back uses LED strips to show customizable lights and patterns for your notifications. Its a charming package that stands out in a sea of smartphone sameness.
Engadgets Sam Rutherford reviewed the phone in 2023, and he noted its eye-catching hardware design and Monochrome UI in its software. Nothing isnt marketing its phone based on record-breaking specs, but the startup still made a phone that never felt slow while being well-equipped with handy features like reverse wireless charging.
The phone runs on Nothing OS 2 (currently, its on 2.5.3) on top of Android 14. It has a 6.7-inch OLED display, a 4,700mAh battery and a pair of 50MP rear cameras (main and ultra-wide).
However, note that the phone is only compatible with AT&T and T-Mobiles networks in the US not Verizon, Sprint, Cricket or other CDMA-based carriers. Nothing only brought its handsets (officially) to America with the current generation of hardware, so perhaps future models will offer broader stateside carrier support.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-grab-the-nothing-phone-2-for-74-off-right-now-210527323.html?src=rss
Prince of Persia fans are really feasting this year. We've already seen the release of the well-received Metroidvania Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, but Ubisoft just announced another game in the franchise. The Rogue Prince of Persia is a team-up with Evil Empire, the developers behind the iconic roguelite Dead Cells. It comes to Steam early access on May 14.
Its a sidescrolling roguelite, just like Dead Cells. As you can see from the trailer, the graphics also recall the widely-acclaimed and highly addictive action-platformer. You play as, wait for it, the Prince of Persia, who has been equipped with a mystical device that allows him to resurrect after death. You try your best. You die. You buy upgrades in the hub world. This is the roguelite formula and I am absolutely here for it.
Despite looking eerily like Dead Cells, the moveset looks to be pulled straight from the Prince of Persia franchise. Players will have access to the iconic wall run and related acrobatic skills to maneuver through the procedurally generated levels. To that end, there are a variety of colorful biomes, each inspired by Persian architecture.
There are also plenty of weapons to choose from, to suit different playstyles. These include twin daggers, spears, broadswords, axes and more. Additionally, players can equip secondary weapons, like bows and grappling hooks, making each run a unique gameplay experience. Ubisoft says the game will receive numerous updates once it receives player feedback from early access purchasers, promising new levels, bosses, weapons, enemies and upgrades.
The title was unveiled at the Triple-i Initiative event, an indie-themed gaming showcase. Evil Empire is very much an indie developer, but the same cannot be said of Ubisoft. This isnt the only time Evil Empire has dipped its toes into a long-standing franchise. The developer once made a Castlevania expansion for Dead Cells.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-new-prince-of-persia-game-is-coming-from-the-studio-behind-dead-cells-184040223.html?src=rss
Ever since Palworld first emerged, it's been described as "Pokémon with guns." A new mode that's coming to Pocketpair's massively successful game won't do much to get rid of those comparisons. Even based on a 15-second clip, it looks, sounds and smells just like Pokémon's player vs. player experiences.
In the inventively titled Palworld Arena, you'll be able to take on other players with the help of the Pokémon Pals you've captured. Pocketpair says you can train your strongest critters to overcome your rivals. A brief teaser shown at the Triple-i Initiative indie games showcase showed a split-screen view, for what it's worth.
At first glance, it seems like the main difference between this and Pokémon battles is that, instead of standing back and telling your Pals what to do, your character will be in the thick of the action as well, trying to take out the enemies with a range of weaponry.
For those of us who aren't fans of turn-based combat (*waves*), it could be a more active, perhaps more compelling spin on Pokémon battles. But this really does just seem like Pokémon PvP modes with a different coat of paint. We'll get to find out just how alike the two franchises' takes on PvP really are when Palworld Arena arrives this summer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/palworlds-upcoming-arena-mode-looks-like-pokemon-pvp-with-guns-182516871.html?src=rss
Two years after E-line Media revealed it was working on Never Alone 2, the first look at gameplay emerged at the Triple-i Initiative indie games showcase. The brief clip shows Nuna and her spirit companion Fox running across ice and encountering a pair of giant creatures. There's not much to the video (it's a teaser, after all), but it gives a sense of the game's look and feel.
You'll venture through the Alaskan wilderness to look for ways to support your home village. Along the way, you'll unravel a mystery that poses a threat to the community. While the 2014 original (which nearly 15 million people have played) married 3D graphics and 2D gameplay, Never Alone 2 is billed as a "3D open-map sequel."
Never Alone included solo and co-op modes (we found the latter made playing the game much better). The follow-up is designed primarily for two players, in either online or couch co-op modes, to place a focus on the theme of interdependence.
Never Alone 2 has an original story from Iupiat writer Nasugraq Rainey Hopson, and it was designed with input from Alaska Native elders, writers, storytellers and community members. E-line Media hasn't revealed a release window for Never Alone 2 yet, but the developer has teamed up with publisher Humble Games to get it out into the wild. In the meantime, fans can wishlist the sequel for updates.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/never-alone-2-teaser-shows-nuna-and-fox-coming-face-to-face-with-giant-creatures-174736706.html?src=rss
Vampire Survivors is preparing to invade a whole new platform. More than two years after breaking through the noise on Steam, Android, iOS and Xbox, Vampire Survivors is due to hit PlayStation 4 and PS5 in summer 2024. Yep, the summer that starts in just a few months. The PlayStation version will include all DLCs and latest updates.
Alongside the fresh platform announcement, Vampire Survivors is also getting a batch of crossover DLC on May 9. Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns brings Contra characters and weapons into the game with the mission statement, "The Presidents cousins sisters dog has been kidnapped by Red Falcon. Are you bad enough to come to the rescue?" We bet you are.
In classic Contra fashion, the characters added in Operation Guns will encourage min-maxing and stat manipulation, and there will be 11 new players total. The DLC adds 22 guns, a new stage and an old-school arcade difficulty curve. Its soundtrack has six songs that combine Contra jams with Vampire Survivors remixes.
Who said vampires don't like sunlight? With two big updates landing this spring and summer, it seems like Vampire Survivors enjoys the light just fine. Of course, that could be because there are no actual vampires in the game, just hordes of other monster types and hours of mindless, bloody entertainment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/vampire-survivors-hits-playstation-this-summer-174515287.html?src=rss
33 Immortals feels like a game that's going to need a lot of pre-release testing, and thankfully, that's exactly what developers at Thunder Lotus are setting up. Following a smaller alpha test, the closed beta for 33 Immortals will kick off on May 24 and run through June 2. Interested players can sign up to participate at the game's official site.
Aside from the Dante's Inferno-inspired landscape and retro-cartoony visuals, the unique draw of 33 Immortals is its raid size. The game features 33-player co-op with a cast of seven unique fighters, and each round lasts about 25 minutes. It's all raids, all the time, and felled players are able to be revived if another warrior takes the time to chase down their ghost.
UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith got his hands on 33 Immortals at Summer Game Fest 2023 and he saw the potential in Thunder Lotus' idea, writing, "With plenty of enemies on-screen, especially in the more challenging portal dungeons, its a lot of fun just chaotically spamming attacks, helping the rest of your team finish off mid-bosses, or picking off easier foes at a distance before they coordinate their attacks." And that was with just six players at once now add 27 more, and that's the base chaos level of this game.
33 Immortals is due to enter early access on the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Xbox later this year, and it'll be available on Game Pass.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/massively-co-op-game-33-immortals-will-have-a-closed-beta-at-the-end-of-may-174022411.html?src=rss
Electronic Arts just raised the price of its EA Play subscription service. The standard EA Play tier increased from $5 per month to $6 per month, while the annual fee rose to $40 from $30. These updated prices also impact premium EA Play Pro subscriptions, which allows access to the publishers games as soon as they launch. This tier now costs $17 per month, an increase from $15, and $120 each year, an increase from $100.
EA confirmed the changes to Engadget via email and noted that the prices are increasing in every country the company does business in. According to a report by Gamesindustry.biz, the new cost structure was decided on to bring fees in line with market value. The price increase is live for new members but pre-existing subscribers won't get dinged until May 10.
For the uninitiated, EA Play is a subscription service that gives players access to a select number of games from the company, along with additional incentives like discounts and DLC. Its available on Xbox consoles, PlayStation consoles and PC. The service is in line with Microsoft Game Pass, PlayStation Plus and Ubisoft+, among others. As previously mentioned, EA Play Pro takes things a step further by letting subscribers play newly-released games. It's worth noting that Game Pass Ultimate members still have access to the standard EA Play tier as part of their subscription.
Its always a bummer when these subscriptions go up in price, and EA is hardly alone here. Sony raised the price of PS Plus last year and Microsoft did the same for Game Pass subscriptions. Ubisoft+ Premium is likely the closest analog to Play Pro and it costs $18 per month, which is right in line with EAs updated pricing model.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ea-play-subscription-service-is-getting-more-expensive-172942011.html?src=rss
