4/20/2018

4/20/2018

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Alexa to Help Players with COD: WWII

This week Activision rolled out a Beta of an Alexa skill that will help players with Call of Duty: WWII. The skill uses machine learning and natural language processing to analyze a player’s performance and then give timely feedback to players about everything from their kill/death ratio to how their friends are doing. The skill will also let players know about promotions and other in-game news. The skill is currently only in English, with plans to get French and German skills later.

Rumors say Black Ops IIII Will Have No Single-Player Mode

If you believe the rumors, Black Ops IIII will have no campaign mode, the first in its series to launch with only Multiplayer. Activision is keeping tight-lipped, but sources who claim to know say that not only will Black Ops IIII be multiplayer-only, it will also have a Battle Royale mode, cashing in on the current trend in shooters. None of the AAA studios have done a battle royale game yet, so if Black Ops IIII were to get there first, it could be a major win for Activision.

Dutch Gaming Authority Cracks Down on Lootboxes

The Dutch Gaming Authority, the Dutch organization responsible for regulating games of chance, performed a 10-game lootbox study. The organization found 4 of those 10 games (unnamed) to violate Dutch gambling regulations. The study claims that lootboxes promote addictive behaviors and charges 4 of the games with providing players with items worth real money outside of the game. Games with lootboxes violating regulations have been given until June 20th, 2018 to modify their games to be in compliance.

eSports Competition Comes to High School

Soon, high school students will be able to represent their schools in MOBA, fighting, and sports video games. The National Federation of State High Schools, an organization that serves as the governing body for high school sports like football, is adding eSports to their list of competitive games. The organization, however, has restricted any first person shooter games from appearing in its competitions or on its website, saying they violate the “education mindset” of the NFHS.