Epic Games gets sued by Canadian parents claiming 'Fortnite' is too 'addictive'

Source: Epic Games

A Quebec judge is allowing parents to pursue a class-action suit against Epic Games for making Fortnite too "addictive." Quebec Superior Court Justice Sylvain Lussier has authorized a lawsuit originally filed in 2019 against the game developer, alleging Fortnite is so addictive it was causing real-life problems. 

The parents of three children who spent thousands of dollars playing the game say it has caused their kids psychological, financial, and physical harm. They claim their kids spent hundreds of dollars on its in-game currency (called V-Bucks), sometimes without their knowledge. They also said the children would have "panic attacks" over Fortnite, with one of the kids frequently playing until 3 AM playing over 7,781 hours of the game in less than two years. Another is said to have played 59,954. Calex, the firm representing the parents, cited addiction specialist Anita Ghadia-Smith who compared the game to cocaine. 

Click to read more ...

'Destiny 2' to cut off Stadia players on Jan. 11

If you wanted to play Destiny 2 until Stadia shut down, that won't possible. Bungie announced the game would go offline on Stadia on January 11. Google's game streaming service is shutting down for good on January 18. Bungie Studios explains in a press release, "Destiny 2 on Stadia will go offline starting January 11, one week prior to Stadia shutting down. We hope this will give those players who haven’t set up Cross Save yet enough time to do so before January 18."

If you want to transfer your Destiny 2 progress to other platforms, you must set up Cross Save as soon as possible. The game on other platforms is prepping for its next major update, Lightfall. The trailer recently dropped at The Game Awards. You can check out what's coming in the video above ahead of its February 28, 2023 release.

Source

Huawei signs patent cross-licensing deal with rival OPPO

Huawei may finally have some of its key connectivity features accessible outside of China. The company has signed a cross-licensing agreement with BBK Electronics' OPPO. Huawei can share its connectivity know-how, while OPPO can provide patents regarding audio and video tech. The announcements from both companies don't go into the detail about the deal. 

Due to US sanctions, Huawei hasn't been able to fully utilize its key technologies or make money out of them. The deal will at least help them earn additional revenue. OPPO, together with vivo (another BBK Electronics company), has shipped over 51 million units in the last quarter, meaning Huawei can earn handsomely from their agreement. It will be interesting to note if lawmakers will pay attention to this deal, and if that'll affect BBK's business.

Source: 1 + 2

Trailer for 'Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord' shows co-op VR gameplay

The full trailer for Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord has finally dropped showing us what we can expect from the virtual reality game. The trailer shows four Quest 2 users donning headsets to battle dark forces descending on San Francisco. The in-engine (pre-alpha) footage follows players using an arsenal of PKE Meters, Proton Packs, and traps to hunt down and ensnare slippery phantoms. The game is coming to the Meta Quest 2 and PlayStation VR2 in 2023.

Source