The Federal Business Commission has introduced a new ‘click to block’ rule that requires all companies with subscription services to make it as easy for customers to block their club as it is to sign up.

The new laws also state that all valuable information about such products and services must be honest, cheerful and easy to find, and that buyers must know what they are agreeing to before signing up. Companies must be able to demonstrate that people understood this before signing up for a service or product.

According to the FTC site, any company that violates these laws will be “liable for redress and civil penalties.” The new law will take effect in the United States in 180 days.

The ‘click to block’ rule is part of the FTC’s ongoing review of the 1973 Harmful Choice Rule, which focuses on cases where companies continue to rate customers unless the endpoint takes action. specific to block your contract. An example would be automatic renewals on subscription products and services such as Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus and Nintendo Transfer Online.

The assessment aims to modernize the Harmful Choice Rule to “combat unfair or deceptive practices related to subscriptions, memberships, and other recurring payment programs in an increasingly digital economy where it is easier than ever for companies to enroll consumers in their products and services.”

FTC Chair Lina M. Khan added: “Too often, companies make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription. The FTC rule will put an end to these tricks and traps, saving consumers Americans time and money. No one should be forced to pay for a service they no longer want.”

Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden has touched on the state of the video game business, mentioning that there is a “collapse of creativity” and that relying on blockbusters is “a death sentence.”

Layden earned his title at Gamescom Asia alongside Uncooked Infuriate co-founder and major editorial director Gordon Van Dyke (thanks GI.Biz), where the pair discussed the demise of AA studios.

At the time, Layden said, studios focused simply on whether a game was fun rather than monetization schemes, although they admitted that “the risk tolerance was quite high.”

“Today, the entry costs to make a AAA game run into triple-digit millions,” he endured. “I think naturally your risk tolerance decreases. And you’re [looking] in the aftermath, you’re seeing copycats, because the finance people who draw the line say, “Well, if Fortnite made this much money in this time period, my Fortnite knockoff can make this much in that time period.” We are seeing a collapse of creativity in games today. [with] consolidation of the studio and the high cost of production.

Additionally, Layden said that “AA is gone,” which he called “a threat to the ecosystem.”

Noting that the overall standard of video games, including indie titles, is much higher due to advances in equipment, he maintained: “Now, if we could just get a little more interest, excitement and exposure for these lower budget but super creative and super unusual [type] of games… I would like to see more of that. Because if we’re going to rely solely on box office hits to get by, I think it’s a death sentence.”

AA video games can bring “the new” and will also advance much sooner than AAA video games, Layden said. Most importantly, though, they should look for unique ideas, not monetization.

“If you’re going to pitch me your AA game, and on the first two pages of your deck is your subscription, revenue, and monetization scheme, I’m out. Your first page has to say ‘This game needs to be created and here’s why.’ “he stated.

“I want to see that fire, I don’t want to see ‘here is the head of accounting of the team who is going to explain to you the [game’s monetisation]’.”

Layden also commented on the current trends around AI in game construction, mentioning that it is “not a savior.”

“Artificial intelligence has been in games since almost the first or second game ever made,” he said. “So all this excitement about AI generation seems a little funny to me. I see its applications in certain places for certain things. But it’s just a tool, it’s not a savior. It’s a tool in the way that Excel is a tool “It just helps you speed up your tasks.”

Layden began working for Sony in 1987 and ultimately served as president of SIE International Studios from 2014 to 2019. He has worked as a strategic consultant at Tencent since September 2022.

His comments may be best reflected in video games like Hello-Fi Accelerate, a unique and artistic idea that was once a possibility for Tango Gameworks.

That studio was closed by Microsoft, but acquired through Krafton. And Krafton boss Changhan ‘CH’ Kim has made comments that parallel Layden’s; In particular, the studio’s acquisition focused on the need to preserve its legacy rather than raise cash.

“We wanted to maintain his legacy,” Kim said. “Even though they didn’t have much success in their games, we saw a lot of creatives that were worth pursuing. That’s why we wanted to work with that organization.”

So far, this era has long been an era where Fallout enthusiasts post cool stuff and do a bit of ‘wink, wink, nudge, nudge, have you ever checked the calendar?’ A little more so in this generation, given how much Fallout’s profile has been raised after the television debut.

“Fallout Day will arrive on October 23, where we will host our first #FalloutDay stream,” Bethesda mentioned in its announcement of the festivities, which appear to be streaming on Bethesda’s professional YouTube and Twitch channels, with the preview trailer. The developer part of the publication is also eager to collide Facebook and Steam.

“Join Jon Rush and Bill LaCoste as they give you a glimpse of what we’ve been working on in Fallout 76,” Bethesda said, “The party continues from there with our friends FalloutforHope for their community parade. See you soon!”

In a separate tweet, the studio showed that along with this broadcast that begins at 8pm BST/3pm EST/12pm PST on October 23will do a number of things in 76 to help proclaim the month, in addition to Halloween through its appearance, with a Spooky Scorched and Trick or Deal with an in-game match taking place from October 22 to November 5. in numerous issues through Twitch releases, some double XP, and an annual CAMPlaystation tournament in November.

It’s great to see FalloutforHope, a community-run equity capital initiative that sometimes focuses on things like modding, be a part of some professional festivities, and its founder, Ken Vigue, shared exactly what that means to him and his group in a nice tweet.

Do you have any plans for this generation’s Fallout month? Tell us below!

The French union representing Don’t Nod staff is seeking employees who may suffer an accident based on a “reorganization” plan that puts up to 69 jobs at risk.

The reorganization was announced yesterday along with the company’s unredacted financial statements and the exit was described as “extremely necessary” to stabilize and protect itself in an increasingly aggressive industry.

Furthermore, in a comment on its website, the Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) accused the Don’t Nod control of hiding behind “the economic situation” and “the very competitive market”, forcing staff to pay for the mistakes of their leaders.

“The Don’t Nod union section, and the STJV as a whole, cannot tolerate the responsibility for the company’s failures falling on its employees,” the union said. “We call on all Dont Nod workers to mobilize now to safeguard their jobs and working conditions.”

Although no explicit plans are mentioned, STJV said he believes a “large-scale social movement” is important, related to the accident that recently took place at Ubisoft over the writer’s mandate to return to the administrative center.

STJV further added that both the union and Don’t Nod employees had been under ultimatum control over the company’s status for months. For example, in February, the union expressed concern that the studio was taking more initiatives than it would sustain, to the detriment of its team.

The organization also pointed to Don’d Nod’s decision to relax two projects and complete the Jusant production series as additional ultimatum signals.

The World Federation of Actors (FIA) has declared its support for the SAG-AFTRA video game collision.

The FIA ​​represents artists from more than 60 countries, who “unanimously voted” in favor of SAG-AFTRA during a meeting held in New Zealand in the past.

A solution was proposed collectively through Actors’ Fairness Association, ACTRA Canada and Fairness UK along with artists’ unions from Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay.

He highlighted the issues raised through SAG-AFTRA, along with the central factor of AI, “which raise[s] an existential threat to the livelihoods of performers by replicating their voices, likenesses and performances without appropriate consent or compensation.”

The FIA ​​stated that it will offer “all legally permitted support for as long as necessary” throughout the collision.

He added that the union federation “will oppose corporate exploitation, the uncontrolled use of AI and [the] a broader fight for fair wages, reasonable working conditions, and the protection of the rights of performers and their creative contributions.”

“The fight for worker empowerment must be as globalized as the multinational corporations that benefit from our work, which is why the FIA’s support for SAG-AFTRA will continue to be a symbol of the solidarity that must exist between us all,” said FIA President Gabrielle Carteris. .

“Our unity means global solidarity for a fair and dignified workplace for performing artists around the world.”

FIA Joint Secretary Dominick Luquer added: “Workers’ struggles know no borders, and all members of our federation understand this. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our union brothers in SAG-AFTRA and look forward to a quick, but most importantly, fair solution – resolution to their strike.”

SAG-AFTRA called for a video game collision on July 26 after nearly 18 months of negotiations with companies including Activision, Digital Arts, Disney, WB Games and Tug 2 Productions.

Since then, more than 100 games have signed the union’s Meantime Word and Tiered Funds Sovereign Word, according to the FIA, which provides anti-AI protections and better operating statuses that SAG-AFTRA sought during negotiations.