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Blizzard Creates a Toxicity Strike Team

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Heroes of the storm and Overwatch have long been plagued with toxic players within their communities. From throwers to one-trick to that one guy who claims he’s gonna carry and just ends up scream and insulting everyone else and just being a useless dick, we’ve all encountered issues with toxic players.

Numerous are the times we’ve begged game director Jeff Kaplan for stricter punishments and actual consequences for toxic players. Well now is the time to rejoice my brothers in arms for blizzard has answered our prayers.

Despite several key reporting features like detailed report categories and reports on consoles taking an impressive amount of time to be implemented, Jeff Kaplan recently told Kotaku that turning the tide in the fight against toxicity is just as important as adding new characters and levels to the popular team shooter.

“We’re not sitting here with our heads in the sand,” said Kaplan. “You have concerns, and your concerns are now one of our top priorities. If that means the thing we’re gonna focus on as much as Moira and Blizzard World is toxicity, then we’re gonna do it.”

Blizzard has looked at learning machines as well as forming a “strike team” composed of game designers, support staff, analytics people, and a special group called “Risk” in order to fight cheating and hacking. While the team currently has plans for the overwatch community, ranging from short to long range, no specifics have been given as to not alert hackers and griefers.

“We’re starting to act less toward silences and more toward suspensions,” Kaplan said. “If somebody’s doing bad behavior, just silencing them can sometimes convince them to do things like throw matches and grief in other ways. If you keep exemplifying bad behavior, we’re gonna have you leave the game [permanently].”

To go along with the new changes, so too comes a new notification system. Currently, if someone you have reported has had actions taken against them you would have been sent an email instead of in-game. The goal, Kaplan explained, is to make it clear that reporting does something and, to the reported, that their actions have tangible consequences.

One of a toxic player’s most devastating tricks is leaving in the middle of a competitive match, this, however, has multiple solutions of varying degrees of difficulty. Player’s could backfill into comp matches while losing has a higher chance players in these games could receive a smaller loss of SR compared to a player in a normal match, this backfill could come from either a searching player or a friend of someone in the match who was either invited or watching.

Another solution would be to add a high skill AI to replace that missing player and again offer a smaller loss of SR. Solutions like these not only provide the victims with some cushioning but also helps removes a card from a toxic players deck.

Hopefully, the new strike team and the learning machines will provide us with a cleaner gaming experience

Gaming

Documentary Explores the Making of the Highly Praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for PS5

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Square Enix has launched a captivating documentary series that explores the intricate process behind the creation of the highly praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. In the first episode, titled “Shaping the World,” the developer delves into the process of reimagining the expansive PS1 map of the original game into a vast sandbox for the PS5. The film includes personal stories shared by directors Naoki Hamaguchi and Tetsuya Nomura, as well as other important members of the team.

This reimagining of the all-time PlayStation classic was truly enjoyable. In our review, we praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for its ability to enhance the already impressive combat system of Remake. The game truly shines in its portrayal of an iconic RPG setting. If you have a deep appreciation for the original PS1 game and found enjoyment in Remake, then Rebirth’s character-focused adventure will surely captivate you from start to finish.

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Gran Turismo 7 for the PS5 and PS4 shows continuous improvement

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While Sony may not classify Gran Turismo 7 as a live-service game, the team at Polyphony Digital certainly approaches it with a similar mindset. The game continues to impress with every new update, and although v1.44 may be smaller compared to previous versions, it still manages to enhance the already extensive content of this simulation racer.

The update, now available worldwide, introduces three new cars: the Audi R8 Coupé V10 Plus ’16, the Lamborghini Urus ’18, and the Toyota GT-One (TS020) ’99. Furthermore, it introduces three fresh events to World Circuits, an extra menu to conquer in the GT Café single-player campaign, and a collection of livery stickers inspired by the upcoming Highspeed Étoile anime, set to debut next week in Japan.

If you’re not already acquainted with Highspeed Étoile, you can watch a trailer right here. “Sony has announced that a collection of 26 stickers, consisting of 8 title logos and 18 main character stickers, will be made available for a limited time,” stated Sony on the PS Blog. In addition, Fukushima will be included as a backdrop in the title’s beloved photography mode.

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TopSpin 2K25 appears to be a standout title in the recent PS5 and PS4 gameplay showcase

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This author has consistently praised the realistic portrayal of tennis in TopSpin 4. After more than a decade, we are thrilled to witness the release of TopSpin 2K25, which expands upon the success of its renowned predecessor. This gameplay video provides a comprehensive overview of the features discussed in our recent preview while also incorporating relevant footage to enhance understanding.

The series’ swing system sets it apart from arcade-style games like Virtua Tennis, as it requires players to charge up their shots in a different way. In order to succeed, timing is crucial, and fortunately, a new meter above your player will assist you in achieving that. Surfaces have their own distinct characteristics, such as clay, where you’ll experience a noticeable amount of sliding.

The game ensures that every player has a distinct set of animations, adding a touch of individuality to each competitor. The courts, found in all Grand Slams, possess a remarkable amount of individuality and charm. It is mentioned in the video that with each in-game season, players can expect a plethora of additional content, such as animation packs. This indicates that there will be plenty to anticipate even after the game’s initial release.

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