- Following Sony’s Helldivers debacle, Ghost of Tsushima’s PSN requirement also gets it removed from Steam in over 170 countries Gamesradar
- Ghost of Tsushima’s PC port has been delisted in nearly 200 countries and territories without PSN access, even though most of the game won’t require a sign-in PC Gamer
- Ghost Of Tsushima Director’s Cut no longer available on Steam in almost 180 countries due to PSN requirement Rock Paper Shotgun
- Sony Refunds ‘Ghost Of Tsushima’ PC Orders After New PSN Requirement Forbes
- Steam, Epic and GMG are canceling Ghost of Tsushima PC pre-orders in non-PSN countries The Verge
Tag Archives: requirement
Helldivers 2 drops PSN account linking requirement for Steam players after widespread backlash – Rock Paper Shotgun
- Helldivers 2 drops PSN account linking requirement for Steam players after widespread backlash Rock Paper Shotgun
- PlayStation Reverses Course on Helldivers 2 PSN Account Requirement IGN
- As Helldivers 2’s Steam reviews begin to recover, Arrowhead’s CEO shares an ‘accidental’ cape design based upon its Overwhelmingly Negative rating, and of course the community wants it added to the game PC Gamer
- Sony Is Making A Truly Terrible Mistake With ‘Helldivers 2’ — Update: Sony Reverses Course Forbes
- Sony backtracks, now says it won’t make Helldivers 2 players on Steam link a PSN account. The Verge
Helldivers 2 has been pulled from sale in 177 countries as its PSN linking requirement rolls out – Eurogamer.net
- Helldivers 2 has been pulled from sale in 177 countries as its PSN linking requirement rolls out Eurogamer.net
- Helldivers 2 has been pulled from Steam in 170 countries without PSN access, while Valve ignores its own policy to issue refunds for players with over 100 hours Gamesradar
- ‘Tarkov’ And ‘Helldivers’ Controversies Prove Devs Should Talk To Fans Forbes
- Steam’s biggest game just became unplayable for millions of us, refunds issued GAMINGbible
- With over 84 thousand negative Helldivers 2 Steam reviews in two days, developer Arrowhead seems to be grappling with Sony over its controversial PSN sign-in requirement PC Gamer
Hogwarts Legacy gameplay – open world, combat, and Room of Requirement
Publisher Warner Bros. Games [579 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/warner-bros-games”>Warner Bros. Games and developer Avalanche Software [17 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/avalanche-software”>Avalanche Software have released new gameplay footage of open-world Action RPG [530 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/rpg/action-rpg”>action RPG Hogwarts Legacy [13 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/games/hogwarts-legacy”>Hogwarts Legacy showcasing the open world, combat, and Room of Requirement.
Get the latest details below.
In the first section of gameplay, the player, a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft [62 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/witchcraft”>Witchcraft and Wizardry in the late 1800s, mounts their broom flying low over the open world. Flying above the Scottish Highlands, the player lands to explore a hamlet which provides an opportunity to meet different witches and wizards while also participating in quest opportunities. The player then mounts an Onyx Hippogriff (a Hippogriff variant exclusive to pre-orders) to traverse the landscape as it changes to winter and the land is covered by snow.
In a deeper dive of the combat, the player, wearing the Dark Arts cosmetic set, walks through the Forbidden Forest before riding a Thestral to the Dark Arts Battle Arena. The Dark Arts Cosmetic Set, Thestral Mount, and Dark Arts Battle Arena are available exclusively in the Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe Edition or for purchase in-game in the Dark Arts Pack. The player immediately casts an Avada Kedavra spell to show the enemy’s health bar instantly go to zero. Tools such as potions and plants from the Room of Requirement can be brought with the player into combat to help defeat enemies more efficiently.
In the final video, the player visits the Room of Requirement. The entire space can be personalized and the architecture can be changed as the player conjures objects into the space. Conjurations can be found at Tomes and Scrolls in Hogsmeade or rewarded for completing various activities throughout the game. Utility items like planting pots and brewing stations can also be customized. Over the course of gameplay, the player will be able to conjure the Loom which can be used to customize and add magical properties to their gear. And finally, the player walks to the Vivarium where beasts are cared for. A Graphorn, Niffler, Kneazle and Mooncalf are revealed. By petting and feeding a beast, they will give the player the magical ingredients needed to customize and upgrade their gear. A toy chest is also available to play with the beasts and the beasts can be given individual names.
Hogwarts Legacy is due out for PS5 [3,948 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/playstation/ps5″>PlayStation 5, Xbox Series [3,066 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/xbox/xbox-series”>Xbox Series, and PC [16,547 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/pc”>PC via Steam on February 10, 2023, followed by PS4 [24,383 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/playstation/ps4″>PlayStation 4 and Xbox One [11,703 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/xbox/xbox-one”>Xbox One on April 4, and Switch [12,715 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/nintendo/switch”>Switch on July 25.
Watch the footage below.
Gameplay Showcase II
Gameplay Clips
Combat Dark Arts Battle Arena Gameplay
Flight Open-World [154 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/open-world”>Open-World Gameplay
Room of Requirement Gameplay
Vivarium Beast Care Gameplay
Overture to the Unwritten Video Musical
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s Phone Number Requirement Will Only Affect Some PC Players
Update 10/14/2022: Activision has clarified that the controversial Overwatch 2 phone policy that was also thought to be in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will only affect some PC players.
As reported by PC Gamer, an anti-cheat blog post on Call of Duty’s website made clear that only those on PC will need to register a phone number before playing Modern Warfare 2. Existing Call of Duty: Warzone players who’ve previously verified their accounts will not need to provide any further details, however.
“The SMS policy for Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 on Battle.net is the same as the requirement for Call of Duty: Warzone on PC, which was implemented in May 2020. A mobile phone number must be linked to your Steam Account to play Modern Warfare II on that platform,” the post said.
Original Story: The controversial Overwatch 2 feature that required players to connect a phone number to their account before playing is also coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
As reported by PC Gamer, the requirement will seemingly be applicable to all Modern Warfare 2 players instead of just the minority of those playing Overwatch. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, newly created Overwatch 2 accounts, and newly created Call of Duty: Modern Warfare accounts require a phone number,” a Blizzard support page reads.
It’s unclear if Activision will backtrack the phone number requirement just as Blizzard did for Overwatch 2, reducing it so that only new players had to add a number, but the Modern Warfare 2 phrasing wasn’t changed alongside Overwatch 2’s on the support page.
A phone number is required by Blizzard for account security, as notifications will be delivered after suspicious login attempts, password changes, and security features change. It also lets players unlock their accounts without a password and recover lost account details.
One other snag to the service is its lack of compatibility with pre-paid phone services. While its website states that “pre-paid plans may not work” instead of it being a definitive feature, this essentially means that those who don’t have a rolling phone contract cannot play Overwatch 2 and, potentially, Modern Warfare 2.
It’s not the only controversary surrounding Blizzard following the release of its hero-shooter sequel, as the game has so far been plagued by DDoS attacks that led to lengthy wait times for those eager to play.
Whether Modern Warfare 2 suffers from similar issues remains to be seen, but fans will find out when the game launches on October 28.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Overwatch 2: Blizzard Scrapping a Phone Number Requirement for ‘Majority’ of Players
After negative feedback, Blizzard is scrapping Overwatch 2’s requirement for a non-prepaid phone for most players. The change should come into effect this Friday, October 7.
In a forum post, Blizzard community manager Jodie wrote: “We designed Overwatch 2 to be a live service, which enables us to be responsive to a variety of player feedback. We have made the decision to remove phone number requirements for a majority of existing Overwatch players. Any Overwatch player with a connected Battle.net account, which includes all players who have played since June 9, 2021, will not have to provide a phone number to play. We are working to make this change and expect it to go live on Friday, October 7. We will update players once it is in effect.”
The SMS Protect system was intended to help curb cheating and disruptive behaviour from players, and it will remain in effect for those making brand new accounts.
“Accounts that were not connected to Battle.net as well as new accounts will still have to meet SMS Protect requirements, which helps to ensure we’re protecting our community against cheating. If a player is caught engaging in disruptive behavior, their account may be banned whether they have a new account or not,” reads the statement.
The post ends by saying the team “will make further adjustments in this area if it is required.” The statement does not confirm whether the previous block on prepaid phone numbers has been removed, and we’ve asked Blizzard for comment.
Overwatch 2’s free-to-play nature should mean it’s accessible to all players with a compatible device. However, a side effect of a new security measure from Blizzard is leaving some users out in the cold.
Over on Twitter, user Jack Saint brought the community’s attention to Overwatch 2’s SMS Protect policy, which says all players must connect a phone number to their battle.net account to launch Overwatch 2.
blizzard isn’t letting people play overwatch 2 if they have… a prepaid phone plan?? pic.twitter.com/NkVOMuFGDJ
— Jack Saint (@lackingsaint) October 5, 2022
Blizzard made this news public last week, but the players only began noticing on a larger scale after the game went live yesterday. According to a news release on Overwatch’s official website, the SMS Protect functionality is a solution to combat “both cheating and disruptive behavior” in Overwatch 2. Part of the release says the following:
“Starting October 4, 2022, all players across all platforms, including consoles, are required to have a phone number attached to their battle.net account to launch Overwatch 2. The same phone number cannot be used on multiple accounts at the same time, and players can’t use the same phone number to create multiple accounts. A phone number can only be used once when making a new account, and certain types of numbers, including pre-paid and VOIP, cannot be used for SMS Protect.”
The part that’s causing problems is the last sentence, where it says prepaid phone plans are not eligible for SMS Protect. Prepaid phone plans, from companies like Cricket Wireless, require users to pay the bill before receiving service. These plans also rarely require a contract, making them a more attractive option for people who can’t afford or don’t want to spend as much money on a contract phone plan from Verizon or T-Mobile. Unfortunately, these are the people Overwatch 2 is currently excluding because of the SMS Protect requirement.
For example, in a post on r/Overwatch, one user said this phone requirement made them feel bad about having a prepaid phone plan, writing in part, “I’m really upset and oddly ashamed for not meeting this ‘standard’. Never thought I would be disqualified from playing overwatch based on my ability [to] afford a phone contract, but here we are… Blizzard is the first company to make me feel too poor to play a game.”
And, it’s not as if Overwatch fans with prepaid phone plans can even return to the original game, either, as Blizzard shut down the Overwatch servers to prepare for the sequel’s launch this week. Rather, players who launch Overwatch will be prompted to update to Overwatch 2. Blizzard made the decision to shut down Overwatch 1 in order to retain a unified player base in the new game.
When IGN reached out for comment, Blizzard responded, saying, “We plan to address this sometime soon, potentially this afternoon.” We will update this story when Blizzard addresses the lack of access for users with prepaid phone plans.
That’s not the only issue Overwatch 2 faces during its launch week, as players online are also complaining about lengthy queues. Multiple posts on Twitter cite wait queues with upwards of 20,000 people in line ahead of them.
This isn’t uncommon for massive online games during their launch window, as Final Fantasy XIV fans are no doubt familiar with. Blizzard also told IGN there will be a communication later today addressing the server wait times.
Tried to get into Overwatch. Waited for about 30 mins to go from 400 in the queue to zero. When I got to the front, it said ‘Searching for Server’. When it found one, I was 30,000 in the queue.
No Overwatch for me today 🙃
— Skill Up (@SkillUpYT) October 5, 2022
Beyond all this, the big headlines yesterday surrounded the pair of DDoS attacks Overwatch 2 suffered on its launch day. So if you jumped into Overwatch 2 shortly after launch, you likely experienced dropped games or other connection issues as Blizzard worked to fix server issues and stability.
Underneath all of these problems, there is a good game somewhere within Overwatch 2. In our review, we called the sequel great, saying “Overwatch 2 breathes new life into what was once the sharpest multiplayer shooter around, before it had its edges severely dulled by Blizzard’s attention shifting away.”
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
Overwatch 2 phone number requirement axed by Blizzard amid rocky launch
Blizzard’s launch of Overwatch 2 on Tuesday did not go as planned. Many players who attempted to play the revamped Overwatch experienced long queue times, were subjected to server errors, were disconnected from games, and had progress and items not carry over from the original game — that is, if they could connect to Blizzard’s game servers at all. On Wednesday evening, Blizzard apologized for the state of Overwatch 2’s launch and announced a major policy change: It will no longer require a phone number to be attached to a Battle.net account for “a majority of existing Overwatch players.”
“We have made the decision to remove phone number requirements for a majority of existing Overwatch players,” the Overwatch team said in a post on Blizzard’s forums. “Any Overwatch player with a connected Battle.net account, which includes all players who have played since June 9, 2021, will not have to provide a phone number to play.”
Blizzard said it plans to change the phone number requirement for Overwatch 2 for existing players by Friday.
Despite lifting the phone number requirement for much of its player base, an initiative it called SMS Protect, the developer “remain[s] committed to combating disruptive behavior in Overwatch 2” and noted that “accounts that were not connected to Battle.net as well as new accounts will still have to meet SMS Protect requirements, which helps to ensure we’re protecting our community against cheating. If a player is caught engaging in disruptive behavior, their account may be banned whether they have a new account or not.”
Blizzard’s decision to require a phone number for Overwatch 2 — and further restrictions about which types of phone numbers would meet its requirements — was a controversial one. Some players who had pre-paid cell phone plans found themselves locked out from playing Overwatch 2, meaning some customers who purchased the original Overwatch, which was replaced by its sequel wholesale, could no longer play their copy of the game. That issue was exacerbated by the timing of Blizzard’s announcement of the policy: one week before Overwatch 2 launched, and well after the developer started taking pre-orders for add-ons for the game.
As for the status of Overwatch 2’s online play, Blizzard said it’s still working to improve stability for the game’s online service.
“Today we’ve patched a server that is critical to the login experience, and this change has increased login reliability,” the Overwatch team said. “Beyond queues, we’re in progress with another server update that will reduce the occurrences of players being disconnected once they’re already in game.”
Blizzard said it has “made changes to simplify the queuing process,” and expects players to see more streamlined queue times, and is working to address players being dropped from queues.
In Wednesday evening’s update, Blizzard also addressed problems with account merging and missing player items, and incorrectly locked heroes, all of which it said is being investigated and worked on. Blizzard again noted that Overwatch 2’s launch issues “were exacerbated by DDoS attacks,” which have apparently abated since Tuesday.
Blizzard said updates will be posted on the official Overwatch Twitter account (and presumably its forums) as they come in.
FAA rejects proposal to halve pilots’ flight-time requirement amid shortage
A Republic Airways plane approaches the runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, on April 2, 2022.
Daniel Slim | AFP | Getty Images
The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday said it has rejected a proposal to halve the number of hours required to become a co-pilot, as a severe shortage of aviators prompts carriers to cut routes.
Republic Airways, which flies short routes for Delta, American and United, proposed to regulators in April that pilots be allowed to join an airline after 750 hours of flight time once they’ve completed the carrier’s training program.
Normally, 1,500 hours of flight time are required before a new pilot can fly commercially, though there is an exception for certain military experience that cuts the requirement in half.
The so-called 1,500-hour rule was passed after the fatal Colgan Air crash in February 2009 near Buffalo, New York. The crash also led to new requirements for a minimum period of rest for pilots before a flight.
“The FAA considers it to be of greater public interest to ensure and maintain the level of safety provided by the foundation of an integrated aviation education required by” current criteria, the agency said in its decision, which was released a day ahead of a regional airline conference in Washington, D.C.
The FAA’s decision comes as airlines grapple with a severe shortfall of pilots, which executives have blamed on service cuts, particularly to small cities.
Republic Airways didn’t immediately comment.
Formula One driver survives horrific crash thanks to halo cockpit requirement
Formula One driver Zhou Guanyu likely wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for the partially closed titanium device that formed a protective layer around the cockpit of his race car. Zhou credited the protection device, known as a halo, for saving his life after a horrific crash during the first lap of Sunday’s British Grand Prix, according to CNN.
“I’m ok, all clear. Halo saved me today,” Zhou tweeted Sunday, along with a selfie. “Thanks everyone for your kind messages!”
Zhou was one of several drivers involved in the turn one crash, which saw his Alfa Romeo flipping over and skidding across the track before crashing into the fencing. The halo, which forms partial protection around the cockpit, prevented Zhou from sustaining serious injuries.
According to CNN:
Zhou’s car ended up wedged between the tire barrier and catch fencing, which is there to protect fans. The awkward nature of the car’s placement meant it took some time to extract him.
Mercedes’ George Russell, who made contact with Zhou during the collision, immediately got out of his car once it had come to a stop and ran over to check on Zhou.
The rookie, who is the first Chinese driver in F1, was eventually pictured being stretchered away by emergency medical personnel and was later given the all clear after being assessed at the medical center.
Photo by Peter J Fox/Getty Images
The halo, which was introduced by F1 in 2018, was initially resisted by some drivers — though several have since credited it with saving their lives. The concept leaked in 2015, following the death of IndyCar driver Justin Wilson during a race when his head was struck by debris. (A number of other F1 and IndyCar drivers have died in similar incidents.)
The halo was originally designed by Mercedes-Benz Motorsports, but the FIA took over the development process and began a round of testing in the fall. Other designs were tested, including a similar design proposal from the Red Bull Racing team.
Since F1 is considered the the most prestigious racing series, many have looked to it to lead the way in this area, and in some ways it has. F1 originally intended to introduce halo cockpits to the sport in 2017, but the plan was delayed, citing the “relatively short timeframe” to implement the requirement. Halos were eventually introduced the following year. Formula E, the electric motorsports series, also includes halo cockpits in its race cars — including some LED accents.
Halo cockpits have drawn ire from some motorsports fans because of how it can muck up the aesthetics. But when you’re flying around a hairpin turn at 200mph and the slightest touch of a bumper can send a race car spinning through the air, the halo can make the difference between life and death.
No Microtransactions or Online Requirement for Gotham Knights
PS Plus only needed for online play
Gotham Knights won’t ship with any microtransactions when it launches for PlayStation 5 on 25th October 2022. It also won’t have any in-game purchases, you won’t need to connect to the internet to play the campaign in single player, and you’ll only have to subscribe to PS Plus should you want to head online for some co-op action. All these points have been confirmed on the game’s official website on a FAQ page.
The page reads: “No. Gotham Knights will not have in-game purchases or microtransactions.” It then explains how you won’t need to be online in order to play the game by yourself, but you’ll obviously need to connect to the internet should you want to utilise online co-op. The page also confirms Gotham Knights won’t have any local couch co-op: “Co-op mode can only be played with online with an internet connection.” A PS Plus membership is required to team up with a friend online, but you won’t be able to play with buddies on other systems via cross-play. The feature “is not planned at this time”.
Today was a bit of an info blowout for Gotham Knights, headlined by an extensive 13-minute gameplay demo. It was also announced the PS4 version has been cancelled “to provide players with the best possible gameplay experience”.
[source gothamknightsgame.com]