Game marketing is creating more strange bedfellows. Epic Games is addingLeague of Legends champion Jinx to Fortnite today (November 4th) at 8PM Eastern, just ahead of her debut in the Netflix series Arcane on November 6th. She'll be available in the battle royale shooter's Item Shop alongside themed gear like a pickaxe, spray, Back Bling, a lobby soundtrack and loading screens.
It's not a one-way partnership, either. Riot Games is bringing League of Legends, Runeterra, Teamfight Tactics and Valorant to the Epic Games Store. This won't matter much if you're a fan (you probably downloaded those games a long time ago), but it might expose some Fortnite players to Riot's titles.
Epic has been rapidly expanding its gaming-themed expansions in recent months. It just added two Resident Evil heroes in late October, and previous updates have added characters from the likes of God of War, Halo and Street Fighter. However, the League of Legends update is unique as a tie-in for a streaming TV series — it's about as convenient a promotional tool as you can get.
At long last, Crystal Dynamics has revealed exactly when Spider-Man will arrive in Marvel's Avengers. The iconic superhero will join the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game on November 30th as a PlayStation exclusive.
There will be a hero event to accompany Spidey's debut. After discovering AIM's plan to make its Synthoid army unstoppable, Spider-Man teams up with the Avengers to tackle the threat. Crystal Dynamics hasn't offered a proper look at its take look on the hero yet, unfortunately.
Mark those calendars! A slew of content and reworks is all dropping on November 30!
🔊 Klaw Raid: Discordant Sound ⚙️ Gear Upgrade and Resources Reworks 👕 Earned Cosmetics 🕸️ Spider-Man Hero Event for PS4 and PS5 💡 ...and more!
The studio initially said it would add Spider-Man early this year, but that obviously didn't pan out. Kate Bishop and Clint Barton (both of whom have been known as Hawkeye) also arrived in Marvel's Avengers later than planned.
Along with Spider-Man, an update later this month will add more cosmetic items (including outfits inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe), a new type of enemy called Echoes and a Klaw raid. The resource and gear upgrade systems will also be reworked and the power level cap will be increased.
The Spider-Man announcement follows an especially rough week for the game. In its annual report, Square Enix called Marvel's Avengers "an ambitious title for us in that we took on the GaaS (Games as a Service) model," though the game had "unfortunately not proven as successful as we would have liked." The report also notes that "the new challenge that we tackled with this title produced a disappointing outcome." Yikes. Crystal Dynamics also removed the widely reviled XP and resource booster microtransactions on Tuesday.
The initial sales of Marvel's Avengers were lower than Square Enix expected, and the company posted a loss of around $67 million for the quarter in which it was released. There's been a bit of a turnaround since then, though. The Black Panther expansion was well received and the game recently landed on Xbox Game Pass. However, Xbox players won't be able to swing into battle with Peter Parker.
You may have to wait a while to take advantage of C-band 5G's potentially higher speeds. The Wall Street Journal has learned that AT&T and Verizon are delaying their C-band rollouts by at least a month to help the Federal Aviation Administration address aircraft interference concerns. They had originally planned to use the newly available frequencies on December 5th, but AT&T said it was pushing its launch to January 5th after the Transportation Department requested a delay.
Verizon hasn't formally confirmed its delay, but it will reportedly move the C-band 5G deployment by "about a month" in step with its rival. We've asked the carrier for comment.
The FAA wants to issue requirements that bar pilots from using some automated poor-weather safety systems that might conflict with the new 5G technology, according to The Journal's sources. Air transport industry figures are worried this could play havoc with flights, but telecoms claim there's no evidence to suggest the expanded 5G will create problems.
Both wireless networks have a strong incentive to keep any delays to a minimum. The C-band slice they're using (between 3.7GHz and 3.98GHz) represents a sweet spot for 5G service with more bandwidth than low- or mid-band 5G, but without nearly as much interference as millimeter wave frequencies. It could alleviate congestion in other frequency bands, too. The expansion promises a more substantial improvement over LTE that could drive subscriptions, not to mention more upgrades to 5G phones.
If you use Google Drive frequently, there’s a good chance the included search tool has not been helpful to you at times. Simply typing in what you might think will lead you to the file you’re looking for can instead generate overly broad results that don’t go anywhere. Drawing inspiration from Gmail, Google hopes to fix that problem by introducing a new set of filters below the search bar that allow users to quickly and easily refine any query. As you can see from the GIF the company shared, you can limit results by file type, modification date, location and more.
Google
Google Drive already offers a way to filter files, but the company has hidden that feature behind a sub-menu you access by tapping the right-most icon on the search bar. So it’s safe to say most people probably don’t know it even exists. By contrast, the new “search chips” are impossible to miss. If you want to check them out in their beta form, there’s a sign-up form. When the search chips are ready, they’ll be available to all Workspace users.
Facebook is bringing monetization features into yet another part of its service: groups. The social network is testing new tools that allow group admins to make money, with new shopping, fundraising and subscription features.
The company announced the updates at its annual Communities Summit event, where it said the new features will help people who run groups “sustain” the communities they have built. With the changes, Facebook is group admins three ways to monetize their communities. The first two, community shops and fundraisers, mirror features elsewhere on the platform. Community shops is an extension of Facebook’s existing features, and allows group admins to sell themed merch or other goods. Likewise, fundraisers will enable admins to crowdfund specific projects or otherwise “offset the costs of running the group.”
But the third feature is entirely new: paid subgroups. Subgroups are essentially smaller groups-within-a-group where members pay a monthly fee to participate. While Facebook is also allowing group admins to set up free subgroups, the paid version of the feature is the company’s latest effort to create subscription-based products. Elsewhere, Facebook has been hyping subscriptions as a way for creators to make money, either via newsletters or fan subscriptions for streamers. In the context of groups, subscriptions are meant to enable access to exclusive or specialized content like “coaching or networking or deeper conversations.”
Facebook
Maria Smith, Facebook’s VP of Communities says that Facebook doesn’t expect all groups will want or need paid features, but that many groups already sell their own merch or organize fundraisers. So bringing the tools directly to them could be useful. On the other hand, groups have also been home to Facebook’s most toxic and divisive content, and the company has at times struggled to keep problematic groups in check.
Given Facebook’s track record here, it feels almost inevitable that some groups will find a way to misuse these tools (Facebook is planning a slow rollout, so most groups won’t have access to these features right away.) Smith notes that subgroups will have the same moderation tools as the wider group and that it could in some cases make it easier for admin to handle. “It’s going to classify the discussions in the different subgroups and then they can manage them more efficiently,” she said. She added that groups and subgroups will also be required to follow the company’s commerce guidelines and fundraising rules.
As much as groups have been maligned, the feature is also the one that Facebook frequently points to as proof that its platform can bring people together and be a force for good. Facebook has also indicated that groups will play an important role in its plan to build a metaverse. “We're focused on building bridges from our apps on 2D screens into more immersive virtual experiences,” Mark Zuckerberg said at the start of Thursday’s event. “Facebook, and your groups, are going to be central to this.”
Zuckerberg is still explaining what a Metaverse means for the social network and the company now known as Meta. But it’s not hard to imagine that today’s Facebook groups could one day inhabit virtual spaces within the metaverse, though that vision is still “a ways off,” says Smith.
In addition to the new monetization features, Facebook announced several other updates for groups, including:
New customization features that allow admins to change background colors, font styles and other aspects of the way groups look
Community chats to make it easier for admins and group moderators to reach each other
A new “featured” section so group admins can pin content that stays at the top of the group
Facebook also plans to start testing a new set of features that will streamline the groups and Pages experience for admins who manage both a group and a corresponding page. It’s still not totally clear exactly how this will work, but Facebook says the goal is to bring some group-specific features, like moderation tools, into Pages while also giving admins the ability to “use an official voice when interacting with their community.”
Blue Origin has failed in its lawsuit against NASA over SpaceX's lunar lander contract. CNBCreports the Federal Court of Claims has ruled against Blue Origin, dismissing the company's claims. While the opinion is currently sealed, Blue Origin's case had revolved around accusations NASA ignored "key flight safety requirements" when handing the Human Landing System to SpaceX.
The opinion will be publicly available sometime after November 18th, when both sides of the lawsuit are expected to supply redactions. NASA put SpaceX's work on hold following the lawsuit, but efforts should resume November 8th.
Blue Origin previously challenged the contract through the Government Accountability Office only to be rejected in July, leading Jeff Bezos' outfit to respond with a lawsuit. The firm even tried drastically undercutting SpaceX with a $2 billion bid, arguing at the time that NASA has historically awarded contracts to multiple partners to make sure a mission launches on time.
It took several years, but the Sensible Soccer sequel is finally close to launching on PCs and consoles. Tower Studios and KPL have revealed that Sociable Soccer will reach PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S and Steam in the second quarter (aka spring) of 2022. The developer isn't yet ready to show the game in action, but it's promising improved gameplay, sharper graphics and better matchmaking than the Apple Arcade version you see here.
If you bought the Early Access release on Steam in 2017, you won't have to pay again. Tower is promising a new code when Sociable Soccer is available through Valve's store.
As you'd expect, Sociable Soccer is practically the antithesis of 'realistic' soccer games like FIFA 22. It's meant to be fast, easy to grasp and whimsical. You can send emojis to your rival, for starters. It won't appeal to diehards who demand real teams and players, but it might fit the bill if you're looking for a quick footie fix.
Thankfully, you don’t have to understand the world of social media in order to buy gifts for the TikTokers, Instagrammers, YouTubers and live streamers in your life. The basics of content creation are relatively simple — lights, camera, action — and the rest is all about personal style. And hashtags, of course. If your holiday list is filled with folks who live online, these are the gifts that are sure to make them.
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Being a social media influencer is a busy business, and nothing helps organize all of those apps like Elgato’s Stream Deck MK.2. The Stream Deck features 15 customizable LCD buttons that can be used to easily launch and manage all sorts of crucial programs, such as YouTube, Spotify, PhotoShop and OBS. You can usually find the MK.2 for around $150, and it’s sold alongside seven faceplates that make it look cute even when it’s just sitting there, available for $10 each. — Jessica Conditt, Senior Editor
If you’re going all-in this holiday season, you might as well get the best. When it comes to APS-C cameras, it’s hard to beat Fujifilm’s X-T4. It captures incredibly sharp images with color-accurate results, plus it shoots video in 4K. It has the essential flip-out display and excellent image stabilization, and all-around, it’s considered among the best. If it helps, think of this one as an investment in your loved one’s small social media business. — J.C.
Most of us will never be professional social media stars, but a custom LED-lit sign with your TikTok handle is cool enough you might just feel like one. The signs allow you to illuminate your handle in color-changing LEDs, alongside the TikTok logo, of course. And if your social media platform of choice isn’t TikTok, there are YouTube and Twitch options available, too. The sign even comes with a remote control so you can change up the lighting colors and settings to suit your mood — or your stream. — Karissa Bell, Senior Editor
You’ve probably seen your share of ring lights, but you probably haven’t seen one with built in cat ears. Is it a little extra? Yes. Is it the cutest ring light you’ve ever seen? Also yes. But besides being cute, Kawaii Lighting’s cat ring light is also a really solid ring light. At 65W with 10 levels of dimming, it can go from super-bright to just-bright-enough, and the included remote control should make it easy to change things up. It also comes with a 68-inch adjustable stand and three phone mounts built in so you can get the perfect angle (or angles) with each shot. — K.B.
Here’s where that personal style comes into play. The Line Lamp by Lightsmoon is an elegant, minimalist light that creates instant vibes. The Line Lamp is designed to fit in the corner of a room or near a wall, where its 150cm-tall bar glows against the surface, reflecting light all around. It supports a near-infinite range of colors and has more than 300 lighting effects, while the frame itself comes in black or white. — J.C.
A green screen is the ideal way for a streamer or YouTuber to start stepping up their content. Having a physical green screen gives you way more flexibility to play with your background or just to get rid of anything distracting in your surroundings. This one is great because at about 60 inches wide and 78 inches tall, you’ll have plenty of space to work without feeling cramped. And, when you’re done, it folds up neatly into an easily portable aluminum case. — K.B.
Don’t ask about the cat ears — just support the person in your life who wants to wear them. Razer is an iconic gaming brand, making the Kraken BT Kitty Edition perfect for the live streamer or e-girl influencer in your life. The headset supports Bluetooth 5.0 (that’s what the “BT” stands for, though there’s also a black wired version for $150), it’s pink and it has two light-up cat ears right on top. The Kraken BT Kitty Edition uses Razer Chroma RGB to power the lights on the ears — both feline and the actual ear cups — meaning it’s all customizable as well. — J.C.
It takes a lot of accessories, gadgets and gear to manage a successful social presence, and the Holographic Rave Fanny Pack from SoJourner is the perfect way to keep it all contained in a trendy bag. The pack comes in a range of colorways to fit your loved one’s unique style, with three pockets and an adjustable waistband. Best of all, it’s only around $20. — J.C.
What better gift for the social-obsessed than the TikTok edition of What Do You Meme. Like other iterations of the game, it borrows meme-worthy moments from IRL (in this case, TikToK) and players compete to come up with the funniest captions. The game itself is simple enough that even those with zero knowledge of TikTok can play, but should still have enough Easter eggs to keep the real fans engaged. As an added bonus, the TikTok version of the game also has QR codes on the back that will take you straight to the corresponding video on each card. — K.B.
T-Mobile is offering its customers another perk. Folks with a new or existing T-Mobile or Sprint postpaid cell or home internet plan can snag a year of access to Paramount+ Essential at no extra cost starting on November 9th. T-Mobile also offers subscribers on eligible plans free access to Apple TV+ and Netflix.
T-Mobile perks just keep getting better with one year of @paramountplus ON US. Watch a mountain of movies and Paramount originals starting 11/9.
Paramount+ Essential is the lower tier of the streaming service and it typically costs $5/month or $50/year. There are some ads and although you won't be able to stream your local CBS station, you can catch live NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League games. The offer is also open to current Paramount+ subscribers.
Even though it won't cost T-Mobile subscribers anything extra for a year, they'll still need a credit card to sign up for Paramount+. If you don't cancel your plan before the year is up, Paramount+ will start charging for a monthly subscription. So it's probably worth setting a reminder to cancel if you don't plan to keep using the service after 12 months — Paramount+ won't send you a reminder that your free access is running out.
Along with live sports, Paramount+ offers a wide selection of shows from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and other Viacom networks, as well as Paramount movies such as A Quiet Place Part II and PAW Patrol: The Movie. Paramount+ has originals as well, of course, including severalStar Trek shows, Evil, South Park movies and the terrific The Good Fight.
Google is honoring South Korea's law requiring support for third-party payments, but not quite in the way you might have expected. The Wall Street Journalreports Google will allow the use of alternative payment systems for Play Store apps in South Korea. Check out with a supporting app and you'll have the choice of billing methods for the transaction. However, this won't let developers duck Google's fees.
The company stressed that it would still charge service fees, but would cut that cost by four percent to help offset costs from running a separate billing system. E-book and music streaming app developers would pay Google a six percent cut instead of the previous 10 percent, for instance, while most creators will pay 11 percent instead of 15 percent. Some very popular developers won't see much change at all, though, dropping from 30 percent to 26 percent. More implementation details are coming in the "weeks and months" ahead.
Senior public policy director Wilson White argued that Google still needed to take a cut to "continue to invest" in Android and the Play Store. The fees help keep those platforms free, White said. They also fund the advancement of Android, developer tools and security.
Whether or not Korean regulators will accept Google's approach isn't clear. The new law doesn't bar Google from taking a slice of in-app purchases, but the small drop in fees might not be enough to offset the costs of third-party systems. The law was meant to open up app stores and foster competition — that won't happen if it's too cost-prohibitive to use third-party payments. While this might stop Google from suing developers who offer alternatives, it may still discourage those developers from considering alternatives in the first place.
