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And now there’s ","_key":"d7ece35bf986","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":"evidence","_key":"4d9917eb4ccc1","_type":"span","marks":["a1044847aeb0"]},{"text":" showing just how beneficial they were.","_key":"4d9917eb4ccc2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"607265e72855"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"More than a year of data","_key":"7c190169631c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e46885ba68ee"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a3e3a06a41f3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Researchers in Japan studied what impact owning and using a video game console had on individuals throughout much of the COVID-19 lockdown period (specifically from late 2020 to early 2022).","_key":"a9159e83bf6b0"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"More than 8,000 people were entered into a lottery for a chance","_key":"07334271d1810"},{"text":" to buy either a PS5 or Nintendo Switch","_key":"8f6d4d26a4ee","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":", and the results of the ensuing study were recently published in the Nature Human Behavior journal.","_key":"0e33f2921e44","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"796d148a6bad","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Here are some of the highlights:","_key":"b352f44559a40","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"db45ee80bbed"},{"_key":"0638cc43540b","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"All of those who received a console demonstrated","_key":"f8c977ca585a0"},{"text":" lower psychological distress","_key":"be0da68d9895","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":" and increased life satisfaction.","_key":"14b2c4c91501","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"e175fae5e79e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Among those who purchased a PS5, "},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"the greatest boost","_key":"1b4ac1c22a17","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" was seen in men, avid gamers, and those without children.","_key":"f7afbfb9568b"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"721e6622e99b"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The group that bought Switches, on the other hand, ","_key":"ba79a620f4030"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"provided a bigger benefit","_key":"3b749f5320a1"},{"_key":"d95d05dacbf2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to inexperienced gamers and families."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c8b3725d788b"},{"style":"normal","_key":"feacd02d7e97","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"So while it seems clear that video games can provide a psychological benefit in certain situations, it’s also apparently important to choose the right console for your lifestyle.","_key":"0636668326f60","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"97aa9ff5363c0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A different type of research"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a3cc57c65fa0"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While some folks might be surprised to learn that playing video games can significantly improve the lives of those living during a lockdown, many experts say the study’s results make sense.","_key":"0be4bd3f34f60"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b717fbcb00db","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"974715e68e0b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Unlike previous clinical studies that don’t look at the real-world impact of gaming, this research is more focused on the daily lives of gamers. 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And ","_key":"12bc9bfa39800"},{"marks":["783feb352936"],"text":"developers","_key":"12bc9bfa39801","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" aren’t satisfied with simply offering new variations on crossword puzzles and word searches.","_key":"12bc9bfa39802"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The Puzzmo vision","_key":"cb292f1e0a580"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ea23e499a65d","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"314a69e140b2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Zach Gage noticed this glaring market trend and started looking for an opportunity to build on the foundation that was already there.","_key":"bf18efa006620"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"That involved co-founding a company called Puzzmo that sought to","_key":"eb242a449ed70","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"75e47be4480d","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" foster connections"},{"text":" while offering 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Maggie Hassan (D-NH) referenced complaints that many users of the online game platform Steam are “displaying and espousing "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"neo-Nazi, extremist, racial supremacist, misogynistic","_key":"86aa13f9f29d1"},{"marks":[],"text":", and other hateful sentiment.”","_key":"86aa13f9f29d2","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"dbc564800b04","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The resulting harassment of marginalized communities, she argued, “allows for the very real threat of violence in offline, physical spaces.”","_key":"d0e3dd35ce790"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9de88c382fcd","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_key":"39969ca0f2980","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Calling out the culprits"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0853b0ebd432","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"581f75bad993","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In their letter, the legislators want to know what, if anything, the named companies have done to implement “safety measures pertaining to anti-harassment and anti-extremism.”","_key":"18ee0f09cd250"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The list of companies listed in the letter is telling. 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This could indicate that these companies have not received the same number of complaints about extremism on their respective platforms.","_key":"ceda48925e840"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"06393e84a04a","markDefs":[]}]},{"_type":"story","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"This isn't what Rockstar wanted","_key":"83d201313b420"}],"_type":"block","style":"h4","_key":"2479500be322"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8bfd5868bc66","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://twitter.com/RockstarGames/status/1571849091860029455","_key":"66821c654719"}],"children":[{"text":"Rockstar ","_key":"4d274bbed1180","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"4d274bbed1181","_type":"span","marks":["66821c654719"],"text":"confirmed"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" earlier on Monday that it suffered a 'network intrusion' where 'confidential information... including early development footage for the next ","_key":"4d274bbed1182"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Grand Theft Auto [VI] was ","_key":"4d274bbed1183"},{"text":"illegally obtained by a third party.","_key":"4d274bbed1184","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_key":"09df5c0656c1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The message continued to read, 'We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way. Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto [VI] game will continue as planned and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations. We will update everyone again soon and, of course, will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready. We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support through this situation.'","_key":"51e3a65b2c470"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"1d00c93a2620","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extortion","_key":"5d32cadd13e2"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The hacker claimed the videos were obtained via a Rockstar employee thru Slack, and also made unsubstantiated claims that they were also behind a massive recent Uber data breach, which also took place via Slack. 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politicians, parents, and those wishing to deflect from the real causes of behavioral issues (aka violent conduct) blamed video games as the cause of children acting violently while ignoring adults ","_key":"416b6d096c310"},{"_type":"span","marks":["6c30c864cdf0"],"text":"commit","_key":"416b6d096c311"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" the majority of mass violence within the country.\n","_key":"416b6d096c312"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[{"_key":"1b3eded0524b","_type":"link","href":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956022000368"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A ","_key":"08a30eadd0190"},{"marks":["1b3eded0524b"],"text":"study","_key":"08a30eadd0191","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" entitled ","_key":"08a30eadd0192"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Video game players have improved decision-making abilities and enhanced brain activities","_key":"08a30eadd0193"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the September 2022 issue of Neuroimage: Reports finds...well...what the title of the published piece states.","_key":"08a30eadd0194"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a54e7a8bd5f7"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"b77c1e3f281b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"472ebd1c2f71","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"d3e9e72f346a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The results of the study are clear, 'video game players have increased decision accuracy and reduced response time.' Directly from the research:"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0240a8ea3dc5"},{"_key":"492e67787da6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"a861e7e44e820","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"4f514e435c79","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Both groups showed increased response time as difficulty level increased. For all conditions and overall performance, VGP [video game - players] had faster response times and higher accuracy than NVGP. VGP were significantly more accurate than NVGP [non video game - players] for task performance overall (by 2.24 ± 6.87%) and easy condition tasks (7.12 ± 5.38%).","_key":"2cae41752a480","_type":"span","marks":["em"]},{"_key":"df88dc22e1210","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"What does all this mean for the gaming community? Straightforward, it means science shows positive brain functions from playing video games. That is not an excuse to play games for an excessive amount of time (unless that's your job, but in that case, one shouldn't work too hard), but it shows the benefits of gaming.","_key":"ac960bfbc23f0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7b612804a063","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ac02f11cf6f9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"0f299ee526de0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"TLDR; play video games; your brain will thank you.","_key":"519e37b3c0430"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9a1c57981fa3"}],"title":"Video Games Boost Cognitive Skills","category":"video-games","image":{"alt":"","attribution":"Elden Ring (FromSoftware)","asset":{"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/04a42e11a793fdb410690b8502c7603128321c44-540x318.gif","size":4502975,"assetId":"04a42e11a793fdb410690b8502c7603128321c44","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:19Z","uploadId":"hdYQY0fHis2bv4qeBqa1k4jzlojJUiE9","_rev":"YsND8fzVq1l7vIZQKndaVq","_id":"image-04a42e11a793fdb410690b8502c7603128321c44-540x318-gif","originalFilename":"Elden Ring.gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"04a42e11a793fdb410690b8502c7603128321c44","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/04a42e11a793fdb410690b8502c7603128321c44-540x318.gif","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:19Z","extension":"gif","metadata":{"palette":{"darkVibrant":{"population":0.24,"background":"#6b0a04","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"population":0.01,"background":"#ce9e94","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"population":0.11,"background":"#df6e49","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"population":0.31,"background":"#f3bc9b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#5a4430"},"muted":{"background":"#8c614e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.27},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#f3bc9b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.31}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":540,"aspectRatio":1.6981132075471699,"height":318},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M49O;~0~,Dof$i0~s-5-R+xFACr[}rsn9^","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"}},"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.5814814814814834,"x":0.622222222222223,"y":0.3836477987421384,"height":0.42138364779874227},"_type":"image"},"id":"YCc15L","_type":"story","slug":"/story/2022/07/video-games-boost-cognitive-skills","summary":"It looks like video games are extremely helpful to the brain. 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The culture ministry attempts to 'preserve' the French language (which is in no danger of disappearing) and wants to help clean up the Anglicism in the French gaming community.","_key":"eae3c329bdcb2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"","_key":"5701b0cd179d0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e5aba2067999"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"820723c4cb720","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The culture ministry announced while speaking with the Agence France-Presse (AFP), however, it's up to government workers to enforce the banning of words like 'pro-gamer' and 'streamer.'"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"77b111156364"},{"children":[{"text":"","_key":"198bd8f93c650","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6030759150f3","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-03-15-second-record-year-for-french-market-at-5-6-billion","_key":"d6fff186d232"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The concerns are said to come as an effort to help 'non-gamers' in France understand the gaming community, despite the gaming market in France seeing incredible ","_key":"382d5da5285e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["d6fff186d232"],"text":"growth","_key":"382d5da5285e1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" (even during the pandemic).","_key":"382d5da5285e2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d7cbb72d5185"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"1593baaed0ed0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"adf54a8fc687"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The effort by the culture ministry seems to feel far over the top with a hint of nationalism, which has dark undertones. It's unlikely many French gamers were having difficulty communicating with 'non-gamers' concerning gaming or were degrading (a word used by language watchdog Academie Francaise in February regarding non-French communication) the French language.","_key":"77f21f1936440"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"67890151bc56"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"3878557a502a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"97b81e74fb93"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Can we let gamers play and communicate as they see fit as long as they are not discriminating or causing any other harm?","_key":"a5f7cb72c1620"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d2ed70d34c03","markDefs":[]}]},{"author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"visibility":"true","publishDate":"2022-06-01","category":"video-games","_createdAt":"2022-06-01T10:00:45Z","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"Sony Pictures","asset":{"metadata":{"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":1000,"aspectRatio":0.6743088334457181,"height":1483},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"dZHB_A-:NHof_Nxu%Mof9GWUt7WBRkWBM{WB.8ofWBkC","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"population":0.67,"background":"#cbb1aa","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.34,"background":"#ce4546","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.54,"background":"#927b72","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":5.49,"background":"#40352c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":6.54,"background":"#927b72","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.54,"background":"#d0857e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.15,"background":"#040c06"}}},"_rev":"cAWu7qvPfyNGMEttw8IUn0","mimeType":"image/jpeg","uploadId":"UUx6q4fgATlqoqcpu93WnOM267YypjDP","sha1hash":"2bfeefc3b62f70437b96695f9715df2fbb89ecaf","size":141689,"_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:40Z","_id":"image-2bfeefc3b62f70437b96695f9715df2fbb89ecaf-1000x1483-jpg","originalFilename":"District 9.jpg","extension":"jpg","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/2bfeefc3b62f70437b96695f9715df2fbb89ecaf-1000x1483.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/2bfeefc3b62f70437b96695f9715df2fbb89ecaf-1000x1483.jpg","assetId":"2bfeefc3b62f70437b96695f9715df2fbb89ecaf","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:40Z"}},"_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02FtQC","title":"A District 9 Sequel Is Coming","id":"c4NkKP","summary":"Neil Blomkamp confirms 'District 10.'","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"29348764d629","markDefs":[{"_key":"7158e462284d","_type":"link","href":"https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/neill-blomkamp-says-district-9-sequel-is-coming-in-near-future-1835467/"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you were a fan of the 2009 hit ","_key":"25b92e18793a0"},{"text":"District 9","_key":"25b92e18793a1","_type":"span","marks":["em"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", it's time to rejoice (unless you're one of those who hate all sequels and fun). 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The game which takes place in the post-apocalyptic United States that is overrun by robotic Machines is one of the most lucrative video game titles in the past decade.","_key":"bb6c6c0e6ed73","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ef0c974c36c4"},{"style":"normal","_key":"24b61b52019e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"fe273bf4606e0"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In February 2022, ","_key":"54ff8ae0f30d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Horizon Zero Dawn","_key":"54ff8ae0f30d1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" ","_key":"54ff8ae0f30d2"},{"text":"surpassed","_key":"54ff8ae0f30d3","_type":"span","marks":["68da746af2b0"]},{"marks":[],"text":" selling over 20 million copies across the Playstation 4 and PC since the release of the title. The title went on to win numerous awards including the 2017 Golden Joystick Awards 'Best PlayStation Game.' Surprisingly, the title did not win a 'Game of the Year' award while being up for nomination.","_key":"54ff8ae0f30d4","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d1fbd5aff52f","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://twitter.com/hermenhulst/status/1492136368541212673","_key":"68da746af2b0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"4267816cda4f0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d2859a6936ad"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"3542c253587e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Along with"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":" Horizon Zero Dawn","_key":"3542c253587e1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", Netflix has a list of video game adaptations including ","_key":"3542c253587e2"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Resident Evil, The Cuphead Show, ","_key":"3542c253587e3"},{"marks":[],"text":"a future ","_key":"3542c253587e4","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Bioshock ","_key":"3542c253587e5"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"film, ","_key":"3542c253587e6"},{"text":"Castlevania","_key":"3542c253587e7","_type":"span","marks":["em"]},{"marks":[],"text":", and others. The series could bring a new audience to the Horizon franchise, setting it on the path to becoming one of the most popular gaming franchises in the modern concise.","_key":"3542c253587e8","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fc9581ea5c62"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"743a1f8c25570"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"65f917cc2186"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0f17dfc265fc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Does Horizon have that much potential? 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Lord of the Rings: Gollum ","_key":"7c66d1c9ab340"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"is ","_key":"7c66d1c9ab341"},{"_type":"span","marks":["db6181451af6"],"text":"said","_key":"7c66d1c9ab342"},{"text":" to have a September 1st release date, a day before the mega-budget ","_key":"7c66d1c9ab343","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ","_key":"7c66d1c9ab344"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"releases on Amazon Prime. However, games are often subject to delays, or nasty crunches to meet deadlines. A release date attached to the hyped Amazon show could lead to massive hours for the Daedalic Entertainment labor force.","_key":"7c66d1c9ab345"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"023eb929e408"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8e7d9bef4814","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"c50d1f8e556a0"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"9d31019cecce","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/24/23138534/the-lord-of-the-rings-gollum-release-date","_key":"7aeb76422fb3"}],"children":[{"_key":"4ac796c9fb320","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to Jay Peters of The Verge, players will undergo a lot of sneaking around in the "},{"text":"gameplay","_key":"4ac796c9fb321","_type":"span","marks":["7aeb76422fb3"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", with the choices gamers make influencing the narrative.","_key":"4ac796c9fb322"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"2e3ed9b28a4b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"36820e34f8f4","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3199dac0fe9f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The plot is roughly parallel to the events of ","_key":"8c0b6b45c6250"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"The Fellowship of the Ring","_key":"8c0b6b45c6251"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". So, fans of the novel and film will be familiar with the story; therefore, surprises should be limited. However, the deal between Daedalic and Middle-earth Enterprises ensures the game is canon, meaning there could be some adventures that are new to long-time fans.\n","_key":"8c0b6b45c6252"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"0c4435693952","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The game will feature characters from Tolkien lore that will provide a bit of nostalgia. With a lot at the stake for Daedalic Entertainment, a well-reviewed game (more by fans than critics) is necessary for the well thought of studio.","_key":"b6d1031e10c90"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"c11e711993d4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"b8051f3a738c0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"eac1047bbdab","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"However, Daedalic has a great track record. If you've never played ","_key":"ff1c85b41a2b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"the studios, Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth","_key":"ff1c85b41a2b1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", you should.","_key":"ff1c85b41a2b2"}]}],"author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"id":"aGm7DB","visibility":"true"},{"_type":"story","image":{"alt":"","attribution":"Raven Software","asset":{"uploadId":"HvAFBjkcUYGOVAXMz4aN7S8oHKLKXQav","_rev":"cAWu7qvPfyNGMEttw8KmSO","mimeType":"image/jpeg","metadata":{"blurHash":"MA8zlYNK00=]?bw[R,R.xXof01xZ~VE3IU","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.06,"background":"#625533","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#8d6458","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#edd05d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.02},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#8c3c04"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#acacbc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.12,"background":"#f6b804"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.12,"background":"#f6b804","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette"},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAKABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGQAAAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDBgcI/8QAIRAAAgEDAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIABAURAwYhEhNhcYH/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAv/EABkRAQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAhESQf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AzLYaQVty09FlV1PJBbpz9k93TYts0m0mqKMaqXfjKdwMiys0JByCQfEUzsRgsxHuRam3TE4NwhCWH//Z","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":943,"aspectRatio":1.9978813559322033,"height":472},"isOpaque":true},"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/8a4e954f8b2e4348a93a08cbff004376837aa85e-943x472.jpg","originalFilename":"raven-software-logo.jpg","extension":"jpg","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:48:15Z","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/8a4e954f8b2e4348a93a08cbff004376837aa85e-943x472.jpg","sha1hash":"8a4e954f8b2e4348a93a08cbff004376837aa85e","size":23272,"assetId":"8a4e954f8b2e4348a93a08cbff004376837aa85e","_id":"image-8a4e954f8b2e4348a93a08cbff004376837aa85e-943x472-jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:48:15Z","_type":"sanity.imageAsset"},"_type":"image"},"category":"video-games","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"76a8eff9a346","markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.theearlychirp.com/story/2022/05/23/video%20games/activision-blizzard-workers-could-make-a-difference","_key":"254038c201ae","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Remember yesterday when we spoke about the union vote happening in the video game industry (right ","_key":"a1ceb380a69a0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["254038c201ae"],"text":"here","_key":"a1ceb380a69a1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":")? Yesterday the National Labor Relations Board counted the unionization votes by the Raven Software Quality Assurance team. Raven Software's parent company Activision Blizzard did all they could in an attempt to organize the Quality Assurance team in a way to prevent collective bargaining; however, the National Labor Relations Board saw through the attempt.\n","_key":"a1ceb380a69a2"}]},{"markDefs":[{"_key":"22e50fa64650","_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2022/05/23/1100743563/in-major-video-game-company-first-activision-blizzard-employees-are-joining-a-un"}],"children":[{"_key":"158dfc2e69cc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The vote was "},{"_type":"span","marks":["22e50fa64650"],"text":"successful","_key":"158dfc2e69cc1"},{"_key":"158dfc2e69cc2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" with a 19-3 vote, meaning the 28 Quality Assurance employees of Raven Software have officially unionized. Kevin Lui, Activision Blizzard spokesperson, said the following regarding the successful vote. \"We respect and believe in the right of all employees to decide whether or not to support or vote for a union,\" Liu began. \"We believe that an important decision that will impact the entire Raven Software studio of roughly 350 people should not be made by 19 Raven employees.\"\n"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"53800a29afc7"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7915c60f5369","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Of course, Activision Blizzard would throw a little salt on the moment; however, this is monumental for the video game industry in the United States. While large AAA studios will fight unionization in any way they can, there likely will be a lot of changes coming in the industry.","_key":"fb0f05144d810"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"f3b4c925e376","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"61556ea190de","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9cd8f8c26981","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Quote the Raven, nevermore.","_key":"63ab3187a58e"}]}],"author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"visibility":"true","_createdAt":"2022-05-24T11:46:26Z","summary":"Video game production in the United States has entered a new era for labor.","publishDate":"2022-05-24","title":"Raven QA Team Votes For Unionization, What's Next?","slug":"/story/2022/05/raven-qa-team-votes-for-unionization-whats-next","_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5buYG","_id":"29de08ab-005a-4c2e-9088-0caf5ec74095","id":"37fYHk","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:42Z"},{"id":"A9ehDb","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"pYanAoHWh"},"body":[{"children":[{"_key":"f74a563392590","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a time when employees of massive "},{"_type":"span","marks":["ffa5cdc6e100"],"text":"AAA","_key":"f74a563392591"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" video game companies are being more vocal regarding their labor rights, Monday brings an important battle for ","_key":"f74a563392592"},{"marks":["7f16f972c839"],"text":"collective bargaining","_key":"f74a563392593","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the gaming industry within the United States.","_key":"f74a563392594"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3f8b46187651","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://mediawiki.middlebury.edu/FMMC0282/AAA_Games","_key":"ffa5cdc6e100"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/23/business/activision-employees-union.html?auth=login-facebook","_key":"7f16f972c839"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"632f12c5d711","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"8b817a286f3d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/call-of-duty-series-has-made-over-27billion-for-activision-since-2003-2874016","_key":"e52561e0ee6c"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.makeuseof.com/crunch-culture-video-games/","_key":"848eb3a720d0"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The unionization attempt at Raven, a Wisconsin studio that plays a role in developing Activision's ","_key":"4411b22b503a0"},{"_key":"4411b22b503a1","_type":"span","marks":["e52561e0ee6c"],"text":"multi-billion"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" dollar Call of Duty franchise, could change the future for gaming employees. Video game developers are often put through what the industry calls '","_key":"4411b22b503a2"},{"_type":"span","marks":["848eb3a720d0"],"text":"the crunch","_key":"4411b22b503a3"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"' or 'crunch culture' to complete games by a specific deadline, centered around quarterly reports, which tie into executive bonuses and stock prices.","_key":"4411b22b503a4"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"214cc3e1c859"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"d70ff46c78df0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"35971521b72c"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.channel3000.com/raven-software-employees-walk-out-to-protest-layoffs/","_key":"34ab659a7da7"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/technology/activision-union-nlrb-raven.html","_key":"5e689994e024"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The vote today at Raven comes after employees at the studio ","_key":"93ab5464d2d10"},{"_type":"span","marks":["34ab659a7da7"],"text":"walked out in protest","_key":"93ab5464d2d11"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" last December after Activision ended a dozen Raven Quality Assurances workers' contracts. Activision attempted a procedural trick to prevent the National Labor Relations Board from recognizing Raven Quality Assurances workers as a bargaining unit, an effort that was ","_key":"93ab5464d2d12"},{"_type":"span","marks":["5e689994e024"],"text":"rejected","_key":"93ab5464d2d13"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by the board.","_key":"93ab5464d2d14"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"93c6c86c6fef"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"5505f526a9cd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"72df91f5d751"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"74ceb2c2bda3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The National Labor Relations Board is counting the mail-in ballots today. If unionization is successful, the fallout could lead to studio employees obtaining a larger portion of revenue garnered by massive studios across the United States.","_key":"8c689caa7fe00"}]}],"title":"Activision Blizzard Workers Could Make A Difference","publishDate":"2022-05-23","category":"video-games","visibility":"true","_id":"d60b58ea-e124-4bd7-9263-45d1730f827f","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:51:07Z","_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5c7Kq","image":{"attribution":"Activision Blizzard","asset":{"_rev":"1K8pT3qofyahtESQAVboXx","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/13ca7bd1507a33ca2f78e5c4da004cdfced430a1-600x340.jpg","size":44084,"originalFilename":"Activision.JPG","extension":"jpg","metadata":{"palette":{"dominant":{"background":"#bcbcbc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.41},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.35,"background":"#444444","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"population":0.29,"background":"#7c7c7c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#bcbcbc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#424242","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.41,"background":"#bcbcbc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#7f7f7f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"height":340,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":600,"aspectRatio":1.7647058823529411},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M6KUZkt79F~q4n9Ft74nD%t700-;4n4nay","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"mimeType":"image/jpeg","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/13ca7bd1507a33ca2f78e5c4da004cdfced430a1-600x340.jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:26Z","uploadId":"Sbr9h6bPKfpV1ulPFOe7YtSA128K1QTE","sha1hash":"13ca7bd1507a33ca2f78e5c4da004cdfced430a1","assetId":"13ca7bd1507a33ca2f78e5c4da004cdfced430a1","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:26Z","_id":"image-13ca7bd1507a33ca2f78e5c4da004cdfced430a1-600x340-jpg"},"_type":"image","alt":""},"_createdAt":"2022-05-23T10:07:53Z","_type":"story","slug":"/story/2022/05/activision-blizzard-workers-could-make-a-difference","summary":"Monday's vote could be historic."},{"summary":"A lot of Tomb Raider content may be incoming.","publishDate":"2022-05-21","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f371fb988e82","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.gamespot.com/articles/square-enix-sells-tomb-raider-deus-ex-studios-and-ip-rights-to-embracer-group/1100-6502977/","_key":"351573e6bf0e"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.gamesradar.com/new-tomb-raider-owner-is-eyeing-up-sequels-remakes-and-remasters-of-laras-past-adventures/","_key":"7ad66326e2d4"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It seems that Embracer Group, the company which acquired Tomb Raider and all its intellectual property (IP) from Square Enix ","_key":"8a0c29989af50"},{"_type":"span","marks":["351573e6bf0e"],"text":"earlier this month","_key":"8a0c29989af51"},{"text":", has quite a lot of ","_key":"8a0c29989af52","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["7ad66326e2d4"],"text":"plans","_key":"8a0c29989af53"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for the franchise. Chief Executive Officer, Lars Wingefors of Embracer Group, says he sees potential in sequels, remakes, remasters, spinoffs, and transmedia projects for Tomb Raider.","_key":"8a0c29989af54"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"1e996300aa73","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"e6bfa4421f090"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"99b1e1756a67","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Sounds pretty ambitious, right?","_key":"82de0b0b1c4d0"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"437673c30ad50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"13c9df281b24","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"e1297d8d8668","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The most interesting part of his comments is the focus on transmedia. It's possible Embracer Group could use video game and film properties to tell a continuing narrative, which could be risky, but also bear fruit if the strategy works out to plan.","_key":"d21e7099532a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"6fba08f32b0d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"4d2243edbe630"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"text":"According to reports, Tomb Raider has ","_key":"a1280f9a3e360","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["4e63e78494f8"],"text":"sold","_key":"a1280f9a3e361"},{"_key":"a1280f9a3e362","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" 88 million units (not to mention "},{"text":"box office","_key":"a1280f9a3e363","_type":"span","marks":["6585ab694b86"]},{"marks":[],"text":" revenue) for its three films. Square Enix's desire to sell Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain could result in Embracer Group cashing in, especially on the Tomb Raider franchise that seems to be only growing in recent years. The reboot series of Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) brought an injection into the franchise that should lead it into the future.","_key":"a1280f9a3e364","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"717c3de65f91","markDefs":[{"_key":"4e63e78494f8","_type":"link","href":"https://www.vg247.com/tomb-raider-lifetime-sales-embracer-square-enix"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Lara-Croft#tab=summary","_key":"6585ab694b86"}]}],"id":"r5bFOf","_createdAt":"2022-05-21T12:13:27Z","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"Crystal Dynamics","asset":{"uploadId":"6AOb4WfcpZzRLJQqtf2eYsmSRHeIrGlb","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/6e8135c1dad7c7f39a0410e8bdfbde29851d4d04-2560x1440.jpg","sha1hash":"6e8135c1dad7c7f39a0410e8bdfbde29851d4d04","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:48:15Z","_id":"image-6e8135c1dad7c7f39a0410e8bdfbde29851d4d04-2560x1440-jpg","mimeType":"image/jpeg","size":865384,"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/6e8135c1dad7c7f39a0410e8bdfbde29851d4d04-2560x1440.jpg","assetId":"6e8135c1dad7c7f39a0410e8bdfbde29851d4d04","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:48:15Z","originalFilename":"Tomb Raider.jpg","extension":"jpg","metadata":{"palette":{"vibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#3fbfbf","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":2.02,"background":"#838481","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#3c2425","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.02},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.02,"background":"#838481"},"lightVibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#9bdddd","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#040c0c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.14},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.48,"background":"#c4c1bb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":2560,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":1440},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MACP@c0000~qtRIU%MRjoeWB00M{xu%MRj","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"_rev":"cAWu7qvPfyNGMEttw8Knmq","_type":"sanity.imageAsset"}},"_type":"story","slug":"/story/2022/05/do-you-like-tomb-raider-buckle-up","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:51:09Z","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"visibility":"true","category":"video-games","title":"Do You Like Tomb Raider? Buckle Up","_id":"e1b2191e-736c-4509-9c65-af77942a9ebd","_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5c91A"},{"_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02FljI","publishDate":"2022-05-11","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"summary":"EA decides to break up with FIFA, leading to FIFA announcing it wants to see multiple new people at once.","_type":"story","_createdAt":"2022-05-11T11:01:32Z","category":"video-games","id":"60OJKa","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"EA/FIFA","asset":{"extension":"jpg","uploadId":"GkW38lMZKSPwc9pktbhiJk8fKbcXyK47","sha1hash":"16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:36Z","originalFilename":"ea-sports-fifa.jpg","mimeType":"image/jpeg","_id":"image-16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb-1200x675-jpg","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","metadata":{"dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":1200,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":675},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MIA,tVj[00WB~qs;j[NGay%2D$ay-;j[IU","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.52,"background":"#abb5bb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#34446c"},"muted":{"background":"#b46c84","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightVibrant":{"population":0.03,"background":"#efb0a2","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.09,"background":"#204c78"},"lightMuted":{"population":0.52,"background":"#abb5bb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"population":0.06,"background":"#e62c22","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQHBf/EACEQAAEEAgICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwQFABExUQcSFEFh/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AgVPXjLtIzANE8pGm2x5JPvKV5gpKlqsrn6aqKKjYoj7iN+qJvhF7X9yRxJT8aQLsd0m3B4IV0qZoT761mRjZlTn3Wi1sSLaLrjBCvx2+8MT9y7XDKj//2Q=="},"_rev":"cAWu7qvPfyNGMEttw8IOjO","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb-1200x675.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb-1200x675.jpg","size":33904,"assetId":"16ce9d3d755048c76f6bc8c0cf777896883cdcfb","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:36Z"}},"body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.polygon.com/23065395/fifa-23-ea-sports-fc-name-change-2023","_key":"f236c1239a9e"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Electronic Arts (EA) ","_key":"9cddb85469e50"},{"_type":"span","marks":["f236c1239a9e"],"text":"announced","_key":"9cddb85469e51"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" it was ending its relationship with the controversial world association football (soccer to the uncultured) organization FIFA after 29 years. EA Sports will launch its new title named ","_key":"9cddb85469e52"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"EA Sports FC ","_key":"9cddb85469e53"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"(FC is for Football Club, again for the uncultured) on July 23, 2023.","_key":"9cddb85469e54"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"98bca3e4d8fe"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"bb0baf9b5a320"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3dfe9278ad58","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_key":"d708255076b30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The announcement comes less than a year after EA Sports top executive, Cam Weber stated the company was thinking about dumping its exclusive license with FIFA. It was on that day EA filed trademarks for 'EA Sports FC.'"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bba6a35fcb9e","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"3513d89ffd39","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"9a13ef5250990","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Hmm...sounds like EA was planning this breakup for quite some time and aren't going to give the \"It's not you, it's me\" excuse. According to EA's press release, the company believes the FIFA license was more of an expense than an attribute to the popular titles.","_key":"8501ff59f8400"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7831ea2ab2e2","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6a0fdc436279","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"cf47de220f7c0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"146250ee2b950","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Hopefully, EA gets rid of the Ultimate Team scam, but that's unlikely to happen right EA?"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6f54bfce3d6b"},{"_key":"9c1e61b53e34","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"","_key":"3ea4c82faba60","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"75d0784956aa0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"FIFA 23 will be the last FIFA game under the EA brand. FIFA realizing it needed a good PR spin (FIFA has spin practice with deflecting concerns of human rights advocates and the Qatar World Cup) announced 'a number' of new non-simulation games are already under production for release this fall.\n"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a1aeaaa78716"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"FIFA's move to non-exclusive license holders will be interesting. The gaming community will let EA and FIFA know which one was the true market draw soon enough.","_key":"a56a4429ac490"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7623761e1a52"}],"_id":"702f3067-8899-46bf-912e-fc2385402e92","slug":"/story/2022/05/ea-dumps-fifa-fifa-moves-on-quick","visibility":"true","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:52Z","title":"EA Dumps FIFA, FIFA Moves On Quick"},{"id":"BB7nt7","slug":"/story/2022/05/the-lord-of-the-rings-heroes-of-middleearth-announced","summary":"EA announces the development of The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth, the publisher's 8th Lord of the Rings title to date.","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"_type":"story","_createdAt":"2022-05-10T10:09:39Z","visibility":"true","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-gets-back-into-lord-of-the-rings-games/1100-6503226/","_key":"0fb01f8c3280"}],"children":[{"_key":"6e718bbc4fcf0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In the latest The Lord of the Ring news, on top of the buzz surrounding the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series on Amazon Prime, a new "},{"_type":"span","marks":["0fb01f8c3280"],"text":"video game","_key":"6e718bbc4fcf1"},{"text":" is coming.","_key":"6e718bbc4fcf2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ef76e448ed0e"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"","_key":"6687a2dfeac00","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"471d29c3ade5"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"124d72529a4d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth is going to be a free-to-play mobile game. Saul Zaentz is the current owner of the Tolkien properties, having had them in his portfolio since 1976. The game is being developed under Middle-earth Enterprises, a subsidiary of Saul Zaentz Company."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"432a3fe59c5c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"400c6b279bd50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"53317ec6e85a"},{"_key":"662b4ce8369b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The game is expected to be a collectible role-playing game. The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth is a strategic move by EA to take advantage of recent acquisitions focused on its growing mobile gaming operation.\n","_key":"5df861fcb6820"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Capital Games, which has Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes on its resume, is handling the development of the news Lord of the Rings gaming title. The title is the first mobile game developed and published by EA focusing on the lore of  The Lord of the Rings franchise.\n","_key":"4fe951c7ae870","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"241d15c69e71"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"EA is touting stunning graphics, animations, and art for the title. Hopefully, the game can deliver what fans are looking for.","_key":"0c3efff836aa0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"04fa62315320"},{"children":[{"_key":"4e8cf221d3fc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"76ca854e0b2c","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Remember, the Eye of Mordor is always watching.","_key":"38b6b15ba11e0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ca218e697dc4","markDefs":[]}],"publishDate":"2022-05-10","category":"video-games","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:51:05Z","title":"The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth Announced","_id":"d0627a36-537a-4c87-81e1-4629d74bb753","_rev":"G5tlNFGA2uX0YSIWc61GSR","image":{"asset":{"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"4f227f4977f2b3fba795f3a7f8e45d4d4fe881a8","assetId":"4f227f4977f2b3fba795f3a7f8e45d4d4fe881a8","originalFilename":"EA-Emblem 1.jpg","metadata":{"dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":3840,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":2160},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MKI17ro11HfQ$PsojtWpa|WVAWjtS2S2|_","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"population":19.95,"background":"#fc4343","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#633830","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.19},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.09,"background":"#a65b5d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":19.95,"background":"#fc4343"},"darkVibrant":{"population":0.16,"background":"#720d0c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#960202"},"vibrant":{"population":0.01,"background":"#f93c29","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/4f227f4977f2b3fba795f3a7f8e45d4d4fe881a8-3840x2160.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/4f227f4977f2b3fba795f3a7f8e45d4d4fe881a8-3840x2160.jpg","size":108535,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:44Z","uploadId":"DQf4QoNPe8wyitEBp8fuXRNWBsBQ3GoQ","_rev":"1K8pT3qofyahtESQAVaKCG","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:44Z","_id":"image-4f227f4977f2b3fba795f3a7f8e45d4d4fe881a8-3840x2160-jpg","extension":"jpg"},"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"EA"}}]