Blizzard Using YouTube to Find Toxic Overwatch Players
Blizzard announced it is using social media like YouTube to track down toxic Overwatch players.
Game director Jeff Kaplan said in a new developer update, which you can watch below, Blizzard has begun proactively searching social media sites to "look for incidents of very toxic behavior." Kaplan specifically cited YouTube as one of the sites which Blizzard is using to find toxic users. Kaplan said Blizzard has been actioning these users "oftentimes before anybody has even reported them."
Kaplan cited three recently added Overwatch features Blizzard has been using to fight toxicity: allowing console users to report players, notifying players when a user they complained about has been banned, and giving in-game warnings to players who have been reported.
Blizzard Using YouTube to Find Toxic Overwatch Players
Blizzard announced it is using social media like YouTube to track down toxic Overwatch players.
Game director Jeff Kaplan said in a new developer update, which you can watch below, Blizzard has begun proactively searching social media sites to "look for incidents of very toxic behavior." Kaplan specifically cited YouTube as one of the sites which Blizzard is using to find toxic users. Kaplan said Blizzard has been actioning these users "oftentimes before anybody has even reported them."
Kaplan cited three recently added Overwatch features Blizzard has been using to fight toxicity: allowing console users to report players, notifying players when a user they complained about has been banned, and giving in-game warnings to players who have been reported.
The Top 25 Game Anniversaries in 2018
Video games are a young medium, all things considered. But while games don't have quite the long history of their visual siblings like film and television, they do enjoy some four-plus decades of commercial success dating back to the rise of the arcade classics like Pong.
So with no small dosage of nostalgia we're remembering those games that celebrate major milestones this year: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and yes, even 40 years. And while there are more games that meet the criteria than we can include – Mario Party, Burnout Paradise, and Grim Fandango to name just a few – there are some real gems included below that deserve a little recognition on their big anniversaries. So, without further ado, here are our picks for 25 game anniversaries you're going to want to remember in 2018!
The Top 25 Game Anniversaries in 2018
Video games are a young medium, all things considered. But while games don't have quite the long history of their visual siblings like film and television, they do enjoy some four-plus decades of commercial success dating back to the rise of the arcade classics like Pong.
So with no small dosage of nostalgia we're remembering those games that celebrate major milestones this year: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and yes, even 40 years. And while there are more games that meet the criteria than we can include – Mario Party, Burnout Paradise, and Grim Fandango to name just a few – there are some real gems included below that deserve a little recognition on their big anniversaries. So, without further ado, here are our picks for 25 game anniversaries you're going to want to remember in 2018!
PlayStation Network Back Up After Brief Outage
Update: Sony's PlayStation Network is now reportedly back online, with all services running, according to the Network Service Status page. This includes account management, social features, and more.
IGN will update this page should any more details about the outage arise.
Original story follows:
The PlayStation Network (PSN) is currently down, and Sony is investigating the cause, but it may be difficult for players to currently dive into this week's biggest releases, Monster Hunter World and Dragon Ball FighterZ.
PlayStation confirmed on Twitter some users are experiencing issues logging into the PSN, and the network seems to be affected worldwide. The PlayStation Network Service Status website reveals most services are experiencing issues across PS3 and PS4 consoles. At the time of reporting, only PlayStation Vue is problem-free.
PlayStation Network Back Up After Brief Outage
Update: Sony's PlayStation Network is now reportedly back online, with all services running, according to the Network Service Status page. This includes account management, social features, and more.
IGN will update this page should any more details about the outage arise.
Original story follows:
The PlayStation Network (PSN) is currently down, and Sony is investigating the cause, but it may be difficult for players to currently dive into this week's biggest releases, Monster Hunter World and Dragon Ball FighterZ.
PlayStation confirmed on Twitter some users are experiencing issues logging into the PSN, and the network seems to be affected worldwide. The PlayStation Network Service Status website reveals most services are experiencing issues across PS3 and PS4 consoles. At the time of reporting, only PlayStation Vue is problem-free.
IGN Movies Podcast: The Oscar Nominations
Welcome back to the IGN Movies Podcast! This week, Jim Vejvoda and Tom Jorgensen are joined by our new Executive Editor of TV, Laura Prudom, to discuss at length what we thought of this year's Oscar nominations
The Shape of Water led the pack with 13 nominations, but this year's nominations also saw a slew of praiseworthy firsts. We discuss what we thought of the various nominated films, performers, and directors as well was which movies and artists we think were overlooked this year.
We also give our thoughts on those Captain Marvel set photos that revealed Carol Danvers' costume and react to those rumors that Netflix might distribute Cloverfield 3.
Listen to our latest podcast by clicking the lovely large type below - right click to download.
IGN Movies Podcast: The Oscar Nominations
Welcome back to the IGN Movies Podcast! This week, Jim Vejvoda and Tom Jorgensen are joined by our new Executive Editor of TV, Laura Prudom, to discuss at length what we thought of this year's Oscar nominations
The Shape of Water led the pack with 13 nominations, but this year's nominations also saw a slew of praiseworthy firsts. We discuss what we thought of the various nominated films, performers, and directors as well was which movies and artists we think were overlooked this year.
We also give our thoughts on those Captain Marvel set photos that revealed Carol Danvers' costume and react to those rumors that Netflix might distribute Cloverfield 3.
Listen to our latest podcast by clicking the lovely large type below - right click to download.
Fortnite Update Now Available
Fortnite patch V.2.3.0 is available now, introducing bug fixes and quality of life improvements to the game.
The full patch notes are available on Epic Games' website, and include details on a new consumable, added options for both console and PC players, and a host of bug fixes.
The Save the World Winter event has ended, but there will be more Mutant Storms in this new event season, featuring Minibosses introduced during the Holiday Event. Players will be able to earn more seasonal gold from new quests, which can be put toward evolution materials in the Event Store.
The Chug Jug is a new Legendary consumable which allows players to gain max health and shields if they can stay safe for 15 seconds while consuming it. AutoRun has also been added to the game, and quitting a match early will no longer award stat or challenge progress.
Fortnite Update Now Available
Fortnite patch V.2.3.0 is available now, introducing bug fixes and quality of life improvements to the game.
The full patch notes are available on Epic Games' website, and include details on a new consumable, added options for both console and PC players, and a host of bug fixes.
The Save the World Winter event has ended, but there will be more Mutant Storms in this new event season, featuring Minibosses introduced during the Holiday Event. Players will be able to earn more seasonal gold from new quests, which can be put toward evolution materials in the Event Store.
The Chug Jug is a new Legendary consumable which allows players to gain max health and shields if they can stay safe for 15 seconds while consuming it. AutoRun has also been added to the game, and quitting a match early will no longer award stat or challenge progress.