View more stories The Belgian Gaming Commission has determined that randomized loot boxes in at least three games count as "games of chance," and publishers could therefore be subject to fines and prison sentences under the country's gaming legislation. A statement by Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens (machine translation) identifies loot boxes in Overwatch, FIFA 18, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive as meeting the criteria for that "game of chance" definition: i.e., "there is a game element [where] a bet can lead to profit or loss and chance has a role in the game." The Commission...…View more stories The Belgian Gaming Commission has determined that randomized loot boxes in at least three games count as "games of chance," and publishers could therefore be subject to fines and prison sentences under the country's gaming legislation. A statement by Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens (machine translation) identifies loot boxes in Overwatch, FIFA 18, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive as meeting the criteria for that "game of chance" definition: i.e., "there is a game element [where] a bet can lead to profit or loss and chance has a role in the game." The Commission...WW…

A recently discovered hole in Valve's API allowed observers to generate extremely precise and publicly accessible data for the total number of players for thousands of Steam games. While Valve has now closed this inadvertent data leak, Ars can still provide the data it revealed as a historical record of the aggregate popularity of a large portion of the Steam library. The new data derivation method, as ably explained in a Medium post from The End Is Nigh developer Tyler Glaiel, centers on the percentage of players who have accomplished developer-defined Achievements associated with many...…A recently discovered hole in Valve's API allowed observers to generate extremely precise and publicly accessible data for the total number of players for thousands of Steam games. While Valve has now closed this inadvertent data leak, Ars can still provide the data it revealed as a historical record of the aggregate popularity of a large portion of the Steam library. The new data derivation method, as ably explained in a Medium post from The End Is Nigh developer Tyler Glaiel, centers on the percentage of players who have accomplished developer-defined Achievements associated with many...WW…

It has been nearly 10 years now since Ars Technica to readers as “the world’s first virtual currency… designed by an enigmatic, freedom-loving hacker, and currently used by the geek underground to buy and sell everything from servers to cellphone jammers.” A decade later, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are practically mainstream, and even most non-techies know powering a decentralized financial revolution (or , if you prefer).What Bitcoin was to 2011, NFTs are to 2021. So-called “non-fungible tokens” are having a bit of a moment in recent weeks, attracting and for traceable digital...…It has been nearly 10 years now since Ars Technica to readers as “the world’s first virtual currency… designed by an enigmatic, freedom-loving hacker, and currently used by the geek underground to buy and sell everything from servers to cellphone jammers.” A decade later, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are practically mainstream, and even most non-techies know powering a decentralized financial revolution (or , if you prefer).What Bitcoin was to 2011, NFTs are to 2021. So-called “non-fungible tokens” are having a bit of a moment in recent weeks, attracting and for traceable digital...WW…

Yesterday, Roblox made good on its plans to go public, with employees and previous investors selling hundreds of millions of shares in on the New York Stock Exchange. In a private funding round in January, those shares were worth $45. When the market closed Wednesday, they were selling at $69.50, a price that valued Roblox Corp. as a whole at $45.3 billion (as of this writing, Roblox Corp.'s stock price peaked at $77.30 and currently sits at $72.72 in Thursday morning trading).How did this company, whose single title has become a game platform unto itself, become worth more than major game...…Yesterday, Roblox made good on its plans to go public, with employees and previous investors selling hundreds of millions of shares in on the New York Stock Exchange. In a private funding round in January, those shares were worth $45. When the market closed Wednesday, they were selling at $69.50, a price that valued Roblox Corp. as a whole at $45.3 billion (as of this writing, Roblox Corp.'s stock price peaked at $77.30 and currently sits at $72.72 in Thursday morning trading).How did this company, whose single title has become a game platform unto itself, become worth more than major game...WW…

Epic is set to settle a class-action lawsuit over its use of randomized loot boxes in Fortnite's "Save the World" mode by paying affected players with in-game currency. Rocket League players who previously purchased loot boxes in that game will also receive an in-game payment.While Epic never offered loot boxes in 's mega-popular battle royale mode, it let "Save the World" players purchase "loot llamas" full of random items (amid about the randomized loot-box business and its similarity to gambling). Shortly after ending the practice, Epic was faced with alleging, among other things,...…Epic is set to settle a class-action lawsuit over its use of randomized loot boxes in Fortnite's "Save the World" mode by paying affected players with in-game currency. Rocket League players who previously purchased loot boxes in that game will also receive an in-game payment.While Epic never offered loot boxes in 's mega-popular battle royale mode, it let "Save the World" players purchase "loot llamas" full of random items (amid about the randomized loot-box business and its similarity to gambling). Shortly after ending the practice, Epic was faced with alleging, among other things,...WW…

Nintendo is using copyright strikes to take down YouTube videos that detail how to hack the recently released Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. color handheld.A hacker going by the handle stacksmashing managed to hack the portable unit , thanks to an early retail delivery. But a YouTube video detailing that hacking method, , was by a earlier this week. Another stacksmashing video, entitled "Bringing homebrew to the Nintendo Game & Watch," has also been taken down by an apparent copyright claim.Two other stacksmashing videos on Game & Watch hacking remain up as of press time: one...…Nintendo is using copyright strikes to take down YouTube videos that detail how to hack the recently released Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. color handheld.A hacker going by the handle stacksmashing managed to hack the portable unit , thanks to an early retail delivery. But a YouTube video detailing that hacking method, , was by a earlier this week. Another stacksmashing video, entitled "Bringing homebrew to the Nintendo Game & Watch," has also been taken down by an apparent copyright claim.Two other stacksmashing videos on Game & Watch hacking remain up as of press time: one...WW…

, Capcom announced that personal data for up to 350,000 people may have been revealed by a "customized ransomware attack" on its systems. Today, the company that the number has grown to 390,000 potential victims, including over 16,000 confirmed to have had their information compromised.The group of 16,415 people whose personal data was definitely taken is primarily made up of Capcom business partners and current and former employees, who had their name, email address, and other contact information revealed.Capcom is also now confirming earlier suspicions that company information, including...…, Capcom announced that personal data for up to 350,000 people may have been revealed by a "customized ransomware attack" on its systems. Today, the company that the number has grown to 390,000 potential victims, including over 16,000 confirmed to have had their information compromised.The group of 16,415 people whose personal data was definitely taken is primarily made up of Capcom business partners and current and former employees, who had their name, email address, and other contact information revealed.Capcom is also now confirming earlier suspicions that company information, including...WW…

As part of a crackdown on "sexually focused terms" on its platform, Twitch says terms like "simp," "incel," and "virgin" will soon be banned when used as insults by streamers or chatters on the popular game-streaming service.In a livestreamed town-hall presentation yesterday, Twitch COO Sara Clemens that the terms would be barred specifically when used in a context that "negatively refer[s] to another person's sexual activity." Twitch later clarified that "using these terms on their own wouldn't lead to an enforcement [action], but we would take action if they were used repeatedly in a...…As part of a crackdown on "sexually focused terms" on its platform, Twitch says terms like "simp," "incel," and "virgin" will soon be banned when used as insults by streamers or chatters on the popular game-streaming service.In a livestreamed town-hall presentation yesterday, Twitch COO Sara Clemens that the terms would be barred specifically when used in a context that "negatively refer[s] to another person's sexual activity." Twitch later clarified that "using these terms on their own wouldn't lead to an enforcement [action], but we would take action if they were used repeatedly in a...WW…

The US government is reportedly scrutinizing Chinese tech giant Tencent and the US gaming companies in which it has an investment interest. that the Treasury Department's Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) has asked companies including Epic Games and Riot Games to answer questions about their data-security standards, according to "people familiar with the matter."CFIUS has the authority to when those investments could have an impact on national security. Historically, that has often meant examining foreign access to US natural resources or military secrets. More recently,...…The US government is reportedly scrutinizing Chinese tech giant Tencent and the US gaming companies in which it has an investment interest. that the Treasury Department's Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) has asked companies including Epic Games and Riot Games to answer questions about their data-security standards, according to "people familiar with the matter."CFIUS has the authority to when those investments could have an impact on national security. Historically, that has often meant examining foreign access to US natural resources or military secrets. More recently,...WW…

As moves toward a September 28 hearing, the iPhone maker is mincing no words in arguing against Epic's request for . In , Apple says that it needs to retain the ability to punish "one of the most egregious acts of sabotage that Apple has experienced with any developer.""Epic started a fire, and poured gasoline on it, and now asks this Court for emergency assistance in putting it out, even though Epic can do so itself in an instant by simply adhering to the contractual terms that have profitably governed its relationship with Apple for years," the motion reads, in part. "Epic is a saboteur,...…As moves toward a September 28 hearing, the iPhone maker is mincing no words in arguing against Epic's request for . In , Apple says that it needs to retain the ability to punish "one of the most egregious acts of sabotage that Apple has experienced with any developer.""Epic started a fire, and poured gasoline on it, and now asks this Court for emergency assistance in putting it out, even though Epic can do so itself in an instant by simply adhering to the contractual terms that have profitably governed its relationship with Apple for years," the motion reads, in part. "Epic is a saboteur,...WW…