politics
Sony subsidiary Insomniac secures new policy, donations for reproductive rights
Last week, we covered a Washington Post article that sharply criticized the gaming industry for its almost complete silence on the likely overturn of...
WAPO calls out gaming industry for lack of support for reproductive health as workers strike
The Washington Post has a new article out this week ripping into the gaming industry for its "silence" on the likely overturn of Roe...
MMO Business Roundup: China’s gaming crackdown, NetEase Connect, Wild Rift plagiarism, and Valve’s anti-trust lawsuit
Welcome back to another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent business and industry news.
China: The Chinese government is continuing to widen its long-running crackdown on...
MMO Business Roundup: ArenaNet’s pro-choice stance, Blizzard’s new VP, and Nexon’s new CEO
Welcome back to another quick roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news.
Human rights - ArenaNet and NCsoft have lent their voices - or at...
Destiny 2 studio Bungie issues forceful statement on workers’ healthcare rights
In the wake of news that the US Supreme Court is likely to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that safeguards people's right...
Activision-Blizzard wants shareholders to vote against making the company release public abuse reports
The Activision-Blizzard annual shareholders meeting is coming soon, and several proposals are up for voting. Among those proposals is a required report that outlines...
Russian Dota 2 esports player gets his team banned and his contract ended over support for Ukrainian invasion
The gaming world has caught on to the symbolism of the letter Z already, so one has to wonder what was going through the...
China’s National Radio and Television Administration bans access to livestreams of unapproved games
The Chinese government has added yet another layer to its continuing crackdown on nearly all things video games. The country's National Radio and Television...
DFEH attorney accuses California governor of interfering in the Activision-Blizzard lawsuit
The Activision-Blizzard scandal just keeps on scandaling - and drawing more people and agencies into its ugly orbit. Bloomberg has a piece up today...
Some U.S. senators give the Microsoft-Activision buyout the big stink-eye
Not everyone is jumping up and down in approval over the upcoming $68.7 billion Microsoft buyout of Activision Blizzard. According to the Wall Street...
International sanctions cause Steam payment snarl-ups for indie game devs in Russia and Ukraine
The effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine have already been felt across the gaming industry in a variety of ways, but a new effect...
Chinese regulators draft ‘youth mode’ requirement for online games and more
It appears that China's gaming industry still hasn't come close to hitting rock bottom. According to the South China Morning Post, China's Cyberspace Administration...
Activision-Blizzard cuts sales to Russia, pledges support for Ukraine
Activision-Blizzard is the latest gaming company to cut ties with Russia in the wake of the country's recent invasion into Ukraine.
"Today, we are announcing...
Ukraine implores game companies to block Russian esports participation
"Who had 'writing games industry roundups at the barest edge of a third world war' on their bingo card?" MOP's Chris marveled this morning,...
Battlefield 2042 yanks Russian helicopter reward in light of Ukraine invasion
In light of the highly unpopular Russian invasion of Ukraine this past week, it's been interesting to see how the gaming industry as a...
Activision Blizzard’s Bobby Kotick urged by U.S. Senator to get out of the way of unionization efforts
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick received a stern warning from the highest levels of the U.S. government not to interfere with burgeoning unionization efforts...
Treasurers of states invested in Activision-Blizzard join the call for leadership changes
In mid-November, we reported on a group of shareholders joining the calls for change at Activision-Blizzard leadership, led by the Strategic Organizing Center Investment...
Malaysia’s mufti calls out lockboxes as gambling, states buying them is not permissible in Islamic religion
To appreciate this story, one has to first understand the concept behind a mufti and performing something that's against the religion of Islam. A...
China adds new rules against games with ‘effeminate males’ and ‘blurred moral boundaries’
The Chinese government is further putting the screws to game developers in the country according to the details of a new internal memo from...
Congress asks publishers to self-regulate lootboxes via a UK regulation that has nothing to do with lootboxes
There are some Democrats in the US Congress that are hoping to do something about lootboxes in the country. That's good. They even went...