Gaming News

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5) Gets Its First Price Drop at Amazon Ahead of Black Friday

Amazon's big Black Friday sale event may not start up until tomorrow, but the retailer is already offering quite a few early deals for shoppers to dig into. When it comes to games, there are several on sale there already that have caught our eye, including a little discount on Dragon Age: The Veilguard for PS5. It's currently down to $62.99, just 10% off its list price of $69.99. It's a small discount but welcome nonetheless if you're stocking up on games for yourself or trying to hunt down some gaming gifts for loved ones during the big Black Friday sale event. Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5) Drops to $62.99 at Amazon If you're in need of some convincing before jumping into this Dragon Age: The Veilguard deal, look no further than...

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STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl Review in Progress

A certain kind of friction can go a long way in creating a challenging and punishing game that’s also gripping. When developers leave you to figure things out for yourself amid dangerous enemies that can kill you on a moment’s notice, rarely giving you an easy way out of a mess, it becomes clear that the survival instincts embedded in the STALKER series are very much alive in the long-awaited STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Then there’s the type of friction that prevents you from engaging with it in earnest, like poor technical performance, bugs that are sometimes hilarious but at others game-breaking, or nonsensical enemy behavior. STALKER 2 has both kinds of friction in equal measure. It just can’t stop getting in its own way, but for...

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Palworld Dev May End Up Getting Help From an Unlikely Source in Its Nintendo Patent Lawsuit: An 8-Year-Old GTA 5 Pokémon Mod

As Palworld developer Pocketpair’s patent battle with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company rumbles on, one patent expert has suggested the key to the cause may be found in an old GTA 5 mod. Earlier this month, Pocketpair confirmed the three Japan-based patents, which revolve around catching Pokémon in a virtual field, that it's being sued for allegedly infringing. After Palworld’s huge launch earlier this year on PC and Xbox, comparisons were made between Palworld’s Pals and Pokémon, with some accusing Pocketpair of "ripping off" Pokémon designs. But rather than file a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have gone down the patent route. They want 5 million yen (approx $32,846) each plus late payment damages...

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Star Wars Outlaws Has Dropped to Just $50 for Black Friday

If you chose patience with Star Wars Outlaws, then here is your reward. The new Star Wars game has been discounted in the Black Friday sales, now down to $49.99 on PS5 and Xbox. That's $20 off the original list price and potentially a much better offering for anyone unsure of the game when it launched back in late August. The deal also features Amazon's exclusive limited edition content pack, which includes Rogue Infiltrator cosmetics for Kay and Nix. It's likely the best deal we're getting on the game before Christmas, so snap it up if you've been waiting for a sale, or want to gift it to someone over the holidays. This could be a good time to jump on the game since it's not been long since Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment...

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Yakuza / Like a Dragon Tech Chief Finally Wants to Make a Dragon Engine for 'High-Spec Consoles'

The technical director of Yakuza / Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has said he wants to make a new Dragon Engine after eight years and 10 games in the current one. Yutaka Ito told Automaton he'd like to build a new game engine focusing on "high-spec" consoles, but made clear this wasn't an official decision by RGG Studio just yet. "The Like a Dragon series has evolved technologically with each title, but at the core of the series is the Dragon Engine that was developed for Yakuza 6," Ito said. "In this sense, personally, I’d like to try to make a new Dragon Engine specialized for high-spec consoles, and with it, to develop a new action-adventure game. This is just what I personally feel, so it has nothing to do with the...

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Starfield Hits 15 Million Players as Patch Adds Achievement-Friendly Creations, New Land Vehicle and Quest, and More

Bethesda’s Starfield has seen 15 million players since launching in September 2023. Starfield hit six million players on its day of release to become the biggest launch in Bethesda Game Studios history, surpassing the likes of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Fallout 4. Those player numbers were boosted, of course, by Starfield’s day one launch into Game Pass. "We're thrilled that so many of you have embarked on this journey with us, and we appreciate your feedback,” Bethesda said in a post on its website. “We are always looking for ways to improve your experience playing the game.” To that end, Bethesda has released a new update that makes a number of important changes and additions. Creations by Verified Creators now have the...

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As Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Steam Reviews Collapse to ‘Overwhelmingly Negative,’ Dev Admits It ‘Completely Underestimated’ Excitement for the G

The hotly anticipated Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has endured a rough launch, with players reporting ridiculously long initial loading screens lasting in some cases for hours on end. Things are so bad that Asobo Studio’s full price flight sim, which Microsoft Game Studios published across PC and Xbox and straight into Game Pass yesterday, November 19, is now on an ‘overwhelmingly negative’ Steam user review rating. Even those who do manage to load into the game are having problems, with players reporting missing content. In a video message to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s disgruntled community, Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Sebastian Wloch, Asobo CEO and co-founder, explained why the launch had gone so...

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FromSoftware Parent Kadokawa Confirms Sony’s Buyout Intent, but Insists ‘No Decision Has Been Made at This Time’

Kadokawa Corporation has confirmed it has received a buyout offer from Sony, but insists it has yet to make a decision on whether to sell up. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Sony was in talks to buy Kadokawa, whose subsidiary FromSoftware is behind smash hit Elden Ring, the Dark Souls and Armored Core games, and PlayStation exclusive Bloodborne. Kadokawa has now confirmed the report, with a note from CEO Takeshi Natsuno issued after shares in the company skyrocketed on the news. “There are some articles on the acquisition of Kadokawa Corporation (hereinafter ‘the Company’) by Sony Group Inc,” Natsuno said. “However, this information is not announced by the Company. The Company has received an initial letter of intent to...

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The Callisto Protocol Gets Mammoth 8K 30fps Update for PS5 Pro

The Callisto Protocol has joined the growing list of games playable in 8K resolution on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Striking Distance Studios’ The Callisto Protocol launched in December 2022 as a triple-A Dead Space spiritual successor, but it met with mixed reviews, performance problems, reports of studio crunch, and issues with crediting staff who worked on the game. The Callisto Protocol initially failed to meet parent company Krafton's sales expectations, with Glen Schofield, who co-created Dead Space and directed The Callisto Protocol, leaving Striking Distance Studios after significant layoffs. Now, The Callisto Protocol has received an update enabling 8K at 30 frames per second on Sony’s mid-gen console upgrade. Alternatively, you...

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Now Ghostface Is Out for Mortal Kombat 1, Players Can See the Actual Face Under the Mask

Ghostface is out now in Mortal Kombat 1, and players can finally see exactly who is under that most famous of horror masks. Warning! Spoilers for Ghostface’s true identity in Mortal Kombat 1 are below. Developer NetherRealm had confirmed Mortal Kombat 1’s Ghostface is none other than Billy Loomis, the main antagonist of the 1996 Scream film and the original Ghostface killer played by Skeet Ulrich. But now Ghostface is out Mortal Kombat 1 players can see the actual face behind the mask when they perform a Fatality or Fatal Blow against him. Here’s how Billy looks in Mortal Kombat 1: While this clears things up on one Ghostface, what about the others? If you pick a Ghostface mirror match, dialogue between the two reveals one is...

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Global Release Times Confirmed

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl developer GSC Game World has confirmed the global release times for its hotly anticipated post-apocalyptic shooter. In a tweet, GSC said the November 20 release date for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl kicks off at 8am PT / 11am ET, and is consistent across both PC and Xbox Series X and S. It also launches straight into Xbox Game Pass as part of Wave 2 of November 2024’s lineup. GSC has also confirmed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s final PC system requirements. The game provides four graphics presets: low; medium; high; and epic, as well as a target resolution and FPS for each. The high graphics preset is what GSC calls 'recommended,' and provides 60fps gameplay at 1440p. For that high graphics preset...

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Aussies: Is It Worth Buying a Steam Deck in 2024?

2024 has seen a string of unlikely events. Eternally in-fighting Britpop band Oasis reformed and set its sights on a world tour, human-sized Cheeto Donald Trump secured a second term in the White House, and Valve announced that it was finally releasing the Steam Deck into the Australian market, delighting Aussie gamers and likely putting the noses of grey importers firmly out of joint. As of earlier this week those Aussie Steam Decks have started shipping out directly from Valve’s local warehouse complete with an Aussie power supply and sold at a price point that substantially undercuts the inflated charges of every grey importer we checked at the time of writing. So, if you were planning on getting a Steam Deck then buying one directly...

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Final Fantasy 14 Announced for Mobile With Tencent Studio Spearheading Development

Final Fantasy XIV is the latest online multiplayer game to head to mobile, joining Diablo and Monster Hunter among others. It is being developed by Tencent subsidiary LightSpeed Studios, which is responsible for PUBG Mobile and recently added Dragon's Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno to its ranks as part of its newly-established Japan Studio. The official release calls it an "exciting extension of the beloved franchise" and says it will capture the "immersive experience of the original title in a fresh, mobile-friendly format." It's unconfirmed whether the new mobile title will include cross-progression or any of the expansions, but LightSpeed Studios does plan to retain lifestyle content including fishing, Triple Triad, and chocobo...

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AU Deals: Spider-Man 2 Swings Quite Low, Stupidly Cheap PC Peripherals, a $65 Outlaws, and More!

Welcome to a hump day of humdinger discounts. As you would've no doubt seen already, I'm tracking some very early Black Friday Sales in a gigantor article. That being said, I also wanted to do a smaller daily deals round-up that affords me the space to talk about crusty old games (my favourite thing). Speaking of which... In retro news, I'm busting out a 26-shaped cake (and The Robot) for Bust A Groove on PS One. One of those Damn, I Wish They Remastered That games of yore, this 1v1 dance fighter was a rhythm genre pioneer with a catchy-as-hell soundtrack. I first became entranced by it via a one-level demo of this Heat Stage on an Official PlayStation Magazine disc. I bought the full game and was soon cuttin' some rug with a wider...

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Flight Simulator 2024 Players Getting Stuck in Hours-Long Loading Screens, Xbox Says It's Working on the Issue

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is officially out today, and fans are eagerly hopping into their virtual cockpits to take to the skies once again. Or at least, they're trying. Players are taking to social media to report initial loading screens that are lasting for two hours or more. Its propensity for hanging at around 97 percent has led to memes about "Microsoft Flight Simulator 97" and other jokes. Some fans aren't even that lucky, getting stuck at around six percent. In a post on X/Twitter, Microsoft said that it's aware of the problems and working on a solution. "We are aware of user reports of long initial loading times into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. With so many users initializing the sim concurrently, we have a large...

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 1 Update Returns XP Tokens to Players After Backlash

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has a new update that returns XP tokens to players after a backlash sparked by their removal following the launch of Season 1. Patch notes published today, November 19, confirm “legacy” XP tokens (aka XP tokens you've been hoarding since Modern Warfare 2) are now back in players’ hands. Their surprise availability with the launch of Season 1 was welcomed by players deep into the Call of Duty grind, but their equally surprising removal caused an outcry. At the time, developer Treyarch said it patched the legacy XP tokens out of Black Ops 6 because their accidental introduction, which it blamed on a UI bug, "introduced some potential risk to game stability." Elsewhere, today’s update improves the hitmarker...

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Marvel Rivals: Behind the "Imperial Protocol" Series of Cosmetic Skins Debuting in Season Zero – IGN First

For free-to-play hero battle games, regardless of the specific gameplay and platform, the topic of skins and outfits are integral. Skins give players a way to make their characters stand out from those of others, and of course they serve as a good monetization opportunity for developers. As long as the price, quantity, and acquisition method are reasonable, most players are willing to celebrate them. As a super hero team-based PvP shooter in the Marvel universe, adding a skin system to Marvel Rivals may be one of the most no-brainer things to do. These heroes, who were created years if not decades ago, have seen many evolutions and transformations since their debuts in their original comics, with some even having completely...

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Remedy Reveals How Many Copies Control 2 and Firebreak Need to Sell to Break Even

Remedy has provided a rare insight into the business of making video games, even going as far as to reveal exactly how many copies its future games need to sell in order to break even. The video game industry is typically secretive when it comes to its commercial realities, and rarely does it provide development or marketing budgets or sales projections. But Remedy, developer of Alan Wake 2, has done just that in an investment-focused meeting, discussing the upcoming Control 2 PvE shooter FBC Firebreak. It’s worth prefacing this by saying Remedy is talking about the sales needed to make a 100% return on investment (ROI) on these games, and that’s expected over a period of three to five years after. The game budgets, Remedy said, were...

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Minecraft Theme Parks Coming From Company Behind Legoland

Minecraft theme parks are coming to the U.S. and UK from Merlin Entertainments, the company behind Legoland, Alton Towers, and Madame Tussauds. The Mincraft theme parks will be built in existing Merlin locations in 2026 or 2027 with further locations across the globe coming later. It's unclear which locations will see the Minecraft attractions built as of yet, but Merlin did say it will be investing in excess of £85 million ($110 million) in the first two. Merlin is looking to "bring Minecraft adventures to life," the company said. "This will include the development of first-of-its-kind concepts for Minecraft-themed guest accommodation, retail, and food and beverage, alongside exciting experiences including a Minecraft-themed ride at...

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The Wild Story Behind Disco Elysium’s Spiritual Successors: Allegations, Legal Threats, and a USB Stick

When Disco Elysium launched in 2019 to critical and commercial acclaim, some said it had the greatest writing ever in a video game. What’s gone on since between the people who made it, well... you couldn’t make it up. Five years later, many of the creators of Disco Elysium have struck out on their own, leaving original developer ZA/UM behind to either make spiritual successors or different games entirely. You'd think everyone would be happy getting on with the making of their new games, but lawsuits (both resolved and some ongoing), legal threats, and behind-the-scenes finger pointing have added an element of farce to proceedings. Then last month, a total of three studios each claiming to be carrying the Disco Elysium torch in one...

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Xbox Game Pass November 2024 Wave 2 Lineup Announced

Microsoft has announced the next wave of games coming to Game Pass, taking subscribers up to the end of November. Today, November 19, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) hits Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass as a first-party day one release from Xbox Game Studios and developer Asobo Studios. Tomorrow, November 20, GSC Game World's long-awaited Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) hits Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass as another day one launch. Also on November 20, Little Kitty, Big City (Console) launches into Game Pass Standard. It’s already available with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. November 20 is a big day for Game Pass, with PlateUp! (Console) also launching on...

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Baldur's Gate 3 Player Numbers Are Up Compared to Last Year, Seemingly Due to Mods

Baldur's Gate 3's players numbers are up compared to this time last year, seemingly due to official mod support from developer Larian Studios. Larian director of publishing Michael Douse shared the improvement on X/Twitter, revealing the average daily active users is up 20% over 2023. "Mods are very good," Douse said of the improvement, referencing the release of official mod support as part of Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 7. The Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, which released in August 2023, is also enjoying an increase of 3% in average daily peak concurrents and a 61% boost in Steam Deck users compared to last year. This increase is impressive for a largely single-player game. Baldur's Gate 3 does have cooperative multiplayer but...

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EA Investigating Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Issues on PlayStation 5 Pro

EA is currently investigating issues with the PlayStation 5 Pro version of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor but fell short of revealing when fans who spent $699.99 on Sony's latest console can expect a fix. Following reports yesterday that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was one of several games with issues on PS5 Pro, alongside the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Silent Hill 2, and Alan Wake 2, EA has confirmed it is at least aware of the issue. "We’re aware of issues with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on PlayStation 5 Pro and are actively investigating," it said on X/Twitter. Digital Foundry discovered what it called "severe image quality problems" in the PS5 Pro version of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. "There are severe image quality concerns when...

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Report: Sony in Talks to Buy Kadokawa, Owner of Elden Ring and Dark Souls Developer FromSoftware

Sony is reportedly in talks to buy Kadokawa, whose subsidiary FromSoftware is behind smash hit Elden Ring, the Dark Souls and Armored Core games, and PlayStation exclusive Bloodborne. Reuters reports that Sony is looking to add to its entertainment portfolio. Kadokawa’s business extends into areas that fit into Sony’s broader entertainment offering, which includes anime, manga, TV, and film. Kadokawa is a prolific publisher of anime, and Sony already owns anime streamers Crunchyroll and Funimation. Talks between Sony and Kadokawa are reportedly ongoing. If the talks are successful, Reuters said, a deal could be signed in the coming weeks. Sony and Kadokawa declined to comment when asked by Reuters. Kadokawa is the majority owner...

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AU Deals: $49 FC 25s, All-Time Low Elden Ring, and the 60 Buck Range for Space Marine 2, FF7 Rebirth, and More!

Gird your bank account because the end-of-year savings have begun in earnest. Now is the best time to take aim at that game you've been coveting for months. Just make sure you're ready to pull the trigger on the purchase quickly, as I'm seeing deals disappear not too long after they pop. Happy hunting! In retro news, I'm celebrating the 30th anniversary of the piggybacking oddity that was Sonic & Knuckles for Mega Drive. Dubbed "lock-on technology" by Sega, the general idea was to pop the top on this adapter and slap on either a Sonic 3 or Sonic 2 cartridge to inject a playable Knuckles the Echidna in. With Sonic 2, that meant ol' mate punchy could be used to wall-climb and inexplicably glide in the usual level layouts. In Sonic 3...

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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Game Awards Nomination Sparks Renewed Debate Among Fans

The full list of Game Awards 2024 nominees has dropped, and one release in particular has been sparking plenty of discussion on social media and elsewhere. Since the nominees were revealed Monday morning, fans have been discussing whether Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree deserves to be on a list that also includes Metaphor: ReFantazio, Black Myth Wukong, Balatro, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. They mainly point to it being an expansion pack that can only be accessed by completing the main game, making it less of a standalone experience than comparable ones like The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine. "As amazing as Shadow of the Erdtree was, it getting a GOTY nom just kind of rubs me the wrong way. Yes, it was expansive, but it wasn't the...

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Halo Original Trilogy 8LP Soundtrack Vinyl Box Set Now Available to Pre-Order on IGN Store

The Halo series not only redefined the first-person shooter market, but it opened a new pathway for video game soundtracks. Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori crafted the soundtrack for each of the first three entries in the Halo series, offering unique sounds with each score. The first entry, Halo: Combat Evolved, combined orchestral cues with unique instruments like military snares. Halo 2 possibly had one of the most anticipated launches ever, with a sweeping new sound that ended up in the Billboard 200. And finally, Halo 3 brought a 60-piece orchestra and 24-voice choir to further push the ever-evolving sound of Halo. To celebrate these iconic soundtracks, the all-new Halo Original Trilogy Soundtrack 8LP Vinyl Box Set is...

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Assassin's Creed Syndicate Gets Surprise 60fps Update on Xbox Series X and S, PS5 and PS5 Pro

Ubisoft has issued a surprise update for Assassin's Creed Syndicate on Xbox Series X and S, PS5, and PS5 Pro that lets you play at 60 frames per second. The free patch offers doubled framerate on each console, Ubisoft said in a post on its website. There’s also 4K resolution on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PS5 Pro. Xbox Series S, and you'd expect, misses out on 4K. Syndicate launched in 2015 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC as the ninth major game in Ubisoft’s long-running action adventure series. It’s set in London 1868, at the height of the Industrial Revolution. You lead an underworld organization and grow your influence to fight those who exploit the less privileged in the name of progress, with Assassin Jacob Frye and his twin sister Evie as...

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The Game Awards 2024: The Complete List of GOTY Nominees

The Game Awards 2024 nominations are officially here, with Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Metaphor: ReFantazio all in line to take home major hardware. Topping the list are the Game of the Year nominees, which as expected include Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. The last game has already sparked some debate among fans about whether an expansion should be considered for the GOTY category. Here's The Game Awards' official criteria. Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth led the way with seven nominations, while Metaphor followed with six. PlayStation games received 16 nods, making it the most nominated publisher. You can read the...

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Roblox Blocks Under 13s From DMing Others Outside Games Amid Scrutiny Over Child Protection

Roblox has announced significant changes designed to protect children who play on the platform amid increased scrutiny and concern from parents. As part of the changes due in the coming months, users under the age of 13 will no longer be able to directly message others on Roblox outside of games or experiences (also known as platform chat). Roblox will also introduce a built-in setting that limits users under the age of 13 to public broadcast messages only within a game or experience. By default, users younger than 13 will not be able to directly message others. Parents can change this setting in Parental Controls. From today, users under the age of nine will only be able to access games or experiences with content labeled Minimal...

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