Embark's destruction-based FPS The Finals is making a surprise return this summer for another Closed Beta test.

By Helen Coster NEW YORK The head of engineering for the company that operates former U.S. President Donald

We all have different versions of game day, whether it's cheering your team on to

Gaming's biggest surprise hit of 2023 will come to Xbox consoles this year, after all.

The North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) said on Thursday it has concluded a two-day simulation with power

COPENHAGEN/OSLO A volcanic eruption in Iceland close to the capital Reykjavik is slowing and gas pollution is easing,

Microsoft will keep Call of Duty on PlayStation after it buys the series’ developer, according to a new deal signed with PlayStation. The Xbox and PlayStation makers have been engaged in a sometimes angry war in recent months, as Microsoft attempts to buy Activision Blizzard, the developer of games including Call of Duty. PlayStation’s objections centre around the fact that the deal would give Microsoft too much control over the gaming market, given the dominance of Call of Duty among players on consoles. Those objections have led to legal hearings, as well as opposition from regulators and competition authorities. At times, those legal objections have looked to derail the deal, which would be the biggest ever gaming acquisition if it is completed. But it now looks to be moving forward, after Microsoft announced that it had signed a “binding agreement” to make the games available on other consoles when the deal is complete. The deal could further ease regulators concerns about what would happen to the game as well as the broader console and gaming market if the deal goes ahead. It is the latest piece of good news for Microsoft, which won a legal case last week against objections from the US Federal Trade Commission, and looks to be moving towards closing the deal. “We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games,” said Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s head of Xbox, in a tweet. And Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a tweet, “Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.” The FTC had argued the deal would hurt consumers whether they played video games on consoles or had subscriptions because Microsoft would have an incentive to shut out rivals like Sony. To address the FTC’s concerns, Microsoft had earlier agreed to license “Call of Duty” to rivals, including a 10-year contract with Nintendo, contingent on the merger closing. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Battery breakthroughs are about to trigger a transport revolution ‘Hostile states using organised crime gangs as proxies in the UK’ Powerful solar flare to disrupt communications, Russians warn

A report says Meta Platforms is weighing a proposal that would charge Europeans almost $14 a month for ad-free versions of Instagram or Facebook, Ford and GM lay off an additional 500 workers amid the ongoing UAW strike, and Oddity Tech issues third-quarter guidance higher than initial forecasts.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 6, 2023--

Amazon.com Inc. employees walked off the job Wednesday to protest the company’s return-to-work policies, impact on the climate

Instagram has now launched Threads on the web for everyone. The company launched Theads in early July, and it swiftly became the fastest-growing app in the world. But it has long been without key features of its rival Twitter, seemingly as a result of being released in a rush to capitalise on chaos at that company since Elon Musk bought it late last year. Those missing features have included a web version of the network, so that it can be viewed on desktop computers and other platforms. Now Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has announced that the web experience is available for everyone at threads.net. “Let us know what you think,” he said in his announcement. On the site, one user pointed out that Mr Mosseri’s claim that it was “live for everyone” missed out the people of the European Union. Mr Mosseri confirmed that was still the case, writing that it was “unfortunate”. Instagram has never launched Threads in Europe. It has said that it is worried about regulatory uncertainty – over fears about upcoming rules including the Digital Markets Act – but it might also be an attempt to lobby against those same rules. As well as the web version. of Threads, Instagram has been scrambling to add missing new features to the site. Those have included a chronological feed and the addition of alt text on images. Many more are still waiting to be added, however. Threads does not have a proper search option, for instance – but Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has indicated that is also being worked on. Read More Meta could finally launch Threads feature everyone is waiting for Mark Zuckerberg hits out at Elon Musk for wasting time over cage fight Zoom CEO raises eyebrows by saying people need to go back to the office

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 1, 2023--