Connect with us

Geek Culture

Activision Blizzard and the US Justice Department reach a settlement over accusations of esports wage suppression

blank

Published

on

blank

The U.S. Justice Department filed a complaint against Activision Blizzard on Monday in the District of Columbia, accusing the company of underpaying esports athletes, a claim that has apparently already been resolved.

Activision Blizzard was accused by the Justice Department of enacting a “competitive balance tax” in order to reduce competition for professional Call of Duty and Overwatch players in esports leagues. This would act as a salary cap by penalizing a team if player compensations went over a certain limit (established by Activision Blizzard).

Activision Blizzard’s representative issued the following in a statement: “We have always held the opinion that the Competitive Balance Tax was legitimate and had no negative effects on player pay. We still hold this opinion today. The leagues voluntarily removed the tax from our rules in 2021 because it was never imposed.”

Activision Blizzard has reiterated its commitment to “leading the esports industry and fostering opportunities for players to earn fair pay and benefits,” as well as to refrain from enacting the competitive balance tax or any other kind of ceilings or restrictions on the pay of esports players in the future.

In other Activision Blizzard news, UK authorities no longer worry that the ongoing acquisition narrative would have a significant influence on console competition, so it appears to be nearing to some sort of conclusion.

As Editor here at GeekReply, I'm a big fan of all things Geeky. Most of my contributions to the site are technology related, but I'm also a big fan of video games. My genres of choice include RPGs, MMOs, Grand Strategy, and Simulation. If I'm not chasing after the latest gear on my MMO of choice, I'm here at GeekReply reporting on the latest in Geek culture.

Consoles

New PS5 firmware is available for download!

blank

Published

on

blank

A PS5 firmware update on a cold winter morning is unmatched. The latest PS5 system software update is 23.02–08.40.00 from Sony. Does this one add useful features or just boost system performance?

Though closer to the latter, it’s more than Sony’s favorite patch note. It fixes security issues, improves messages and usability, and boosts system software performance. Official patch notes for this 1.185GB update:

  • We updated system software security
  • We improved system software stability and performance
  • Some screens now have better messages and usability

That’s it. PS5 gets another win to recover from its midweek slump. Do you share our enthusiasm for this firmware update? Comment below. To spice things up, make your comment rhyme.

 

Continue Reading

Gaming

Embracer Job Losses Continue as New World Interactive is Hit

blank

Published

on

blank

New World Interactive, the developer of the Insurgency series of tactical first-person shooters, has laid off an unknown number of employees as part of Embracer Group’s comprehensive restructuring plan.

Saber Interactive, which acquired New World in 2020, told Eurogamer that the studio had not closed. However, it confirmed an unknown number of layoffs.

Embracer says it is “actively working to fill existing open roles” with impacted employees and will provide severance packages. “Saber also assures that development will continue on Insurgency: Sandstorm, as well as on unannounced future projects,” it said.

Over 900 employees were laid off in an “agonizing” but “necessary” process. As always, we hope all victims recover.

Continue Reading

Gaming

Sony: We Need Non-Gamers to Access Our Content

blank

Published

on

blank

Sony wants non-console owners to access its content beyond its PlayStation-walled garden. This strategy has been slowly implemented: the company has commissioned TV and movie adaptations of its biggest franchises, ported select software to the PC, and launched a mobile gaming division.

In an interview with Nikkei, head Hideaki Nishino explained how this strategy can boost console sales: We want to use movies and dramas to get non-gamers to try PlayStation games. Sales of The Last of Us increased during the live-action drama.

When HBO’s adaptation aired, our The Last of Us content skyrocketed, so we can understand its impact. As a PlayStation fan site, we support this strategy because we want to reach as many people as possible, so if Sony can appeal to non-console owners, that’s a win-win.

More PlayStation users is better, in our opinion.

Continue Reading

Trending