Jan 16 2019
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roblox

Roblox Hires Online Safety Expert as Director of Digital Civility

Posted by | News, PC, Xbox One | No Comments

Fortnite is getting all the attention, but online free-to-play game Roblox is still one of the most popular gaming destinations for young people around the world, with an active user base in the millions. Much of that crowd is under 18. Roblox Corporation has made numerous steps to ensure online safety, a top concern for parents whose kids enjoy exploring virtual worlds.

The Roblox Corporation has recently hired British online safety expert Laura Higgins as its Director of Digital Civility (the staff page lists her as Online Safety Operations Manager). Higgins has 20 years of experience working with online safety and educational organizations like the South West Grid for Learning. Higgins will work to create a safe, fun, productive environment for players, as well as develop educational resources for parents.

“Because Roblox is rapidly growing into one of the most popular places for kids and teens to hang out and play online, we have a duty to make sure that when they use our platform they can explore their creativity freely and safely,” said Higgins. “We have an opportunity to engage with young people in a unique way, and I hope that by listening to them and giving them a voice, we can help shape their positive behaviors both online and offline. I am beyond delighted to be joining this world-class team of innovators, and I look forward to working with external partners around the world.”

Roblox’s new Digital Civility Initiative will work to improve programs for parents, enhance user experience, and extend Roblox’s educational work with schools.

Roblox originally launched on PC way back in 2006 as a building creation game using Lego-like blocks. It’s also available on mobile devices and Xbox One. The ESRB has rated the Xbox One version E10+ for Fantasy Violence.

Jan 16 2019
0
rocket league

Cross-Platform Support Now Available for PS4 in Rocket League

Posted by | News, PlayStation 4 | No Comments

In an update this week Psyonix has officially announced a highly requested feature for multiplayer sports-car game Rocket League: Cross-platform support for PlayStation players. The PlayStation Cross-Play Beta is live now for Rocket League. Players on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch can matchmake and play with each other, regardless of platform.

Rocket League had previously supported cross-platform play between Xbox, Switch, and PC. Sony was notoriously the last holdout, refusing to support cross-platform play even while other companies, like Microsoft and Nintendo, played nice. Leave it to the incredible popularity of Fortnite to finally change Sony’s stance last fall, as they started the PlayStation Cross-Play Beta program.

The Cross-Play Beta is enabled by default in Rocket League. To double check, head to the Options section of the main game menu to ensure that Cross-Platform Play is checked off.

Cross-platform play is supported in both random matchmaking and private matches. Psyonix is planning on releasing a cross-platform party system as their first update of 2019. The party system will allow for players to team up with friends across any platform.

“Today’s announcement is an important one for us here at Psyonix, because we know how much our community has wanted full cross-platform support for quite some time,” states the announcement post. “It’s because of you, our fans, and our generous partners on all systems and services that have made this possible in the first place. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for your passion and persistence as we continue to do our best to make Rocket League the best experience we can.”

Rocket League is available on PC (Win, Mac, Linux), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch. It originally launched in 2015 and remains a popular multiplayer sports game, replacing traditional soccer players with customizable cars. It’s rated E for Everyone.

Jan 08 2019
0
Tropico 6

Tropico 6 Delayed to March, Free DLC to Early Pre-Orders

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Kalypso Media has again pushed back the release date for Tropico 6, the latest in the island simulation series. It was originally set to launch on PC in January 2019; now it’s releasing March 29 (console versions to follow later). As compensation, the company is offering the first planned DLC for free for anyone who pre-orders Tropico 6 before January 10.

You can pre-order through Steam, Kaylpso’s website, or any other digital platforms to get in on the deal. But you must pre-order by 10 am Pacific/1pm Eastern on January 10 to qualify. The first planned DLC is due out Q2 2019.

Simon Hellwig, Owner and Director of Kalypso Media, posted an open letter to fans addressing the delay. “Over the holidays, I have played Tropico 6 for many hours and really liked what I saw. But, in my humble opinion, it is not enough to like a game – I want to love it! And Tropico 6 is good, but not very good, or outstanding. Yet. Combining my own opinion and the response we had from thousands of dedicated beta players around the world, Kalypso has decided to postpone the release of the game for another couple of months.”

Hellwig specifically mentions pathfinding, multiplayer, and general AI simulation could all use more tweaks and balances, none of which can be done over night.

Tropico 6 is shaping up to be the definitive Tropico game as you manage your banana republic’s economy, infrastructure, and people. For the first time in the series you can control and run multiple islands in a single archipelago. Tropico 6 also supports cooperative and competitive multiplayer for up to four would-be dictators.

Tropico 6 is now set to launch on March 29 on PC, Mac, and Linux. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions are due later this summer.