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☆ Rejoice, millennials: The vampire boyfriend is cool again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If you've spent time on TikTok or X in the past few months, you may have spotted a proliferation of videos and posts about two video game characters. There's Astarion from "Baldur's Gate 3," and more recently, there's Vincent Valentine, a fan-favorite character from Square Enix's "Final Fantasy VII" remake. Square Enix; Gregg DeGuire/Getty ImagesMercer's opening line in "Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth" is now a fandom legend. from within the depths of his velvet-lined coffin, longtime "Final Fantasy" fans were introduced to the super-cool, uber-goth gunslinger. "I hope viewers of the work see, too, that there's more underneath the surface of a person than the trope of this decadent, hedonistic, theatrical vampire," Newbon said.

Persons: —, hasn't, you've, There's, there's Vincent Valentine, Edward Cullen sparkled, Edward, he's, there's, Alucard, Valentine, Matthew Mercer, Neil Newbon, Matt Mercer, Zelda, Vincent Valentine, Gregg DeGuire, Vincent, Mercer, I've, Vox, Scott Garfitt, who's, Astarion, Newbon Organizations: Service, Business, BAFTA, Getty Images

☆ The biggest takeaways from Microsoft's courtroom showdown with the FTC over Activision Blizzard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +21 min

The impulse to expand Microsoft's gaming business on mobile devices at least in part inspired the Activision acquisition. The impulse to expand Microsoft's gaming business on mobile devices at least in part inspired the Activision acquisition. Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, wasn't happy with a Microsoft-generated list of Activision Blizzard games that would remain accessible on the PlayStation after the acquisition closes. Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, wasn't happy with a Microsoft-generated list of Activision Blizzard games that would remain accessible on the PlayStation after the acquisition closes. Activision Blizzard and Microsoft have agreed to terminate the deal if it's not done by July 18.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Phil Spencer, Spencer, James Weingarten, Weingarten, Jim Ryan, Sony, Ryan, Amy Hood, Bobby Kotick, Sarah Bond, Kotick, Amazon Weingarten, Bond, Tim Stuart, Nadella, Bernstein, Mark Moerdler, Hood, Stuart, it's, Jacqueline Scott Corley, she'll Organizations: Northern, Northern District of, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Sony, PlayStation, Mobile, Activision, Xbox, Zynga, Sega Sammy, Nintendo, Enix, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Management, Sony Group, Amazon, Microsoft's Xbox, Bernstein Research, Symantec, Sony PlayStation Locations: U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California, San Francisco, cybersecurity, United Kingdom, FarmVille, Asia, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Final Fantasy XVI Takes on Its ‘Star Wars’ Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Whenever a new Final Fantasy arrives, fans of the role-playing video games that became famous in the 1990s for using the medium to tell deep, epic stories with large, diverse casts hope that this will be the one to make the franchise relevant again. The most recent installment — Final Fantasy XV, released seven years ago — was a letdown for many, with a disjointed story line and forgettable characters. Square Enix, the studio behind the 35-year-old franchise, is trying to right some wrongs with the release of Final Fantasy XVI for the PlayStation 5 on June 22. But like those in charge of other aging entertainment properties, such as Star Wars, the studio is walking a precarious tightrope of trying to satisfy the expectations of a dedicated fan base while attracting new audiences. For Final Fantasy XVI, that means a departure from characteristics that have been fundamental to every game in the main series, including the ability to manage an extensive party of characters and the quirky, whimsical tone.

Persons: — Organizations: Enix, PlayStation, Star

Xbox Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus: GamesHorizon: Forbidden West is one of the latest high-profile games to hit PlayStation Plus. Horizon Forbidden West / SonyThe main selling points of Game Pass and PlayStation Plus are their Netflix-style libraries of downloadable games. Xbox Game Pass' recent day-one releases include the cooperative shooter Redfall, and the rhythm-based action game Hi-Fi Rush. Game Pass members get a 10% discount when buying games that are already on Game Pass, so you can always get a deal before a game leaves the service entirely. That 10% discount also applies to downloadable content and add-ons for Game Pass games, which aren't always included with the base version.

Xbox Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus: GamesHorizon: Forbidden West is the latest high-profile game to hit PlayStation Plus. Horizon Forbidden West / SonyThe main selling points of Game Pass and PlayStation Plus are their Netflix-style libraries of downloadable games. That said, there are a handful of Game Pass titles that are only available on console or PC, not both. Game Pass members get a 10% discount when buying games that are already on Game Pass, so you can always get a deal before a game leaves the service entirely. That 10% discount also applies to downloadable content and add-ons for Game Pass games, which aren't always included with the base version.

A new State of Play presentation will showcase 10 upcoming PlayStation games on September 13. The September State of Play could also include announcements on upcoming Sony hardware, like PS VR2. Where to watch the September PlayStation State of Play livestreamYou can watch Sony's September State of Play event at 6 p.m. God of War Ragnarok is the biggest PlayStation exclusive of the holiday season, so a new trailer during State of Play wouldn't be a surprise. Square Enix has used recent State of Play shows to share footage of Final Fantasy XVI, a PlayStation 5 exclusive.

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