Google has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit with small app developers who alleged the tech giant violated federal antitrust laws.
As reported by Reuters, Google will pay $90 million, to be split between US-based app developers. The lawsuit claimed that the Google Play Store's policies forced developers to use the storefront's billing system, which imposed a 30 percent fee on all transactions As a response to the lawsuit, Google announced back in 2021 that it would only charge developers a 15 percent fee on the first million dollars of revenue earned from the Google Play Store each year.
In a blog post detailing the settlements, Wilson White, Google VP of Government Affairs & Public Policy, notes that the $90 million Google agrees to pay to settle the lawsuit would be put towards a fund. Should the court approve the proposed settlement, access to the fund will be made available to app developers that generated $2 million or less in annual revenue between 2016 through 2021.
"A vast majority of U.S. developers who earned revenue through Google Play will be eligible to receive money from this fund, if they choose," White notes in the blog post. "If the Court approves the settlement, developers that qualify will be notified and allowed to receive a distribution from the fund."
The lawsuit follows a similar one aimed at Apple, which was settled in August 2021, where the iPhone maker agreed to pay $100 million to US app developers. That settlement also saw Apple clarifying its policies, allowing iOS developers to now reach out to customers and inform them about payment options offered outside of the App Store (and bypassing Apple's 30 percent App Store fee).
Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
Posted inGames, video game|TaggedGames, Video Games|Comments Off on Google Agrees to Pay Small App Developers $90 Million to Settle Lawsuit
Almost two years ago I reviewed the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15, a gaming laptop with two displays. And now Asus is back at it again, this time with the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 that boasts a 16-inch main display with a 14-inch secondary display just below it. It still looks wildly cool and chaotic, but this time around I’ve actually found a use for the second screen.
Specs
Here are the specifications of the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 I’ve been testing:
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU, 16GB GDDR6
Memory: 16GB DDR5 4,800Mhz
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Storage: 1 x 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Webcam: 720p HD IR camera
Ports: 1 x microSD card reader, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C w/DisplayPort support, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C w/DisplayPort support and power deliver, 1 x Ethernet, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
The Duo 16 is a beast. It’s big, heavy and I’m here for it. The black exterior is broken up by a dot matrix design that’s cut in half diagonally on the lid by a blue and purple line, with the rest of the lid left plain, save for the ROG logo that uses the same blue and purple color scheme.
The hinge connects on both outer edges of the housing, with another dot matrix-like design found on the back portion of the housing, along with status lights. As you lift the lid, you’ll feel a touch of resistance the further you push it up. The resistance comes from the lid also pulling up the touch-capable Screenpad+ display, which rests at a 13-degree angle. Underneath the display are a couple of airflow vents to help improve the cooling system.
Below the Screenpad+ is a revamped keyboard and a larger touchpad that can be transformed into a digital number pad. To switch between the touchpad and number pad you long press on the small silkscreened button that’s on the touchpad itself. After a second or two, the touchpad displays a red numpad that you can use to quickly punch in numbers. When you’re done, you long-press on the same button to go back to a standard touchpad.
The 16-inch display is sandwiched between two vertical bezels that are impressively thin. Along the top of the display is a 720P infrared camera that works with Windows Hello to use facial recognition for tasks such as signing in to your Windows account or logging into apps.
On the right side of the deck is a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port that supports DisplayPort for connecting an external monitor. On the left side of the deck is where a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card reader, a second USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with Power Delivery and DisplayPort support, a standard USB 3.2 Gen 2 port and the charging port are found.
On the rear of the laptop’s housing you’ll find three more ports – another standard USB port, an HDMI 2.1 port and a 2.5G Ethernet port.
I’ve said it before, but I really appreciate it when laptop makers spread the ports out as they are on the Duo 16. It looks cleaner than overloading a single side of the laptop with ports, along with the connections and cables that come along with it.
The Duo 16 isn’t something you’ll want to get in the habit of carrying around everywhere with you simply due to its weight of 5.78 pounds. Still, its dimensions are impressively small given that there’s a 16-inch display involved, measuring 13.98 x 10.47 x 0.81 inches.
Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 – Performance and gaming
Inside the Duo 16 I’ve been testing is all of the high-end components I’d put on my wishlist if I was building a gaming laptop from scratch and a budget wasn’t involved. More specifically, the Duo 16 houses an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX mobile processor with 8-cores and 16-threads, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU with 16GB of GDDR6 of memory, a 2TB NVMe SSD for storage and 32GB of DDR5 4,800MHz memory.
It’s a good thing it has specs that are sure to make your friends jealous, too. Performance is good, if not great on the Duo 16 – and when you look at its benchmark scores compared to two equally impressive builds in the Gigabyte Aero 16 and MSI Raider GE76, it sits right in the middle of the two.
For example, the Duo 16 more or less matches the GE76’s performance in 3DMark tests, but then saw its average frames per second in gaming benchmarks consistently below the GE76’s. That said, it did beat the Aero 16’s scores almost across the board.
My personal experience with the Duo 16 was similar. Using it for everyday, common tasks such as streaming Spotify or Twitch while talking with colleagues and friends in Slack and Discord with a number of tabs open in Edge, I never saw any performance hiccups or slowdowns. I didn’t see any hiccups when gaming, either, but I did expect to see higher fps numbers than I did.
When I first installed Warzone and started adjusting to graphics settings, I thought something was broken. I’m accustomed to seeing the memory bar on the right side of the screen fill up and eventually turn red as it goes past the suggested limit. However, with all graphics settings on high and ray tracing enabled, Warzone didn’t get remotely close to taking up the full 16GB of GPU memory.
With all graphics settings on high, ray tracing turned on, and DLSS set to Quality, the Duo 16 hovered right around 120 fps. If I switched DLSS to performance, the average fps jumped up to 123 – so not much of a difference.
I also spent a good amount of time playing Fortnite, again with all graphics settings on high, and saw an average of 110 fps. At first, I expected performance, even with maxed-out settings, to be higher than those numbers, but then I remembered I was playing at the Duo 16’s full resolution of 2560×1600. I’ll take 120 fps of practically 2K gaming on a laptop any day of the week.
Speaking of the display, I really liked the color quality, saturation and overall clarity of the Duo 16’s screen. With a little bit of tweaking to graphics settings it’s easily within reach to get Warzone or Fortnite to match the display's 165Hz refresh rate.
With the keyboard at the front of the housing, there isn’t a comfortable palm rest. Because of that, Asus includes a palm rest that snugs up to the front of the deck. The keyboard feels like a mix of mechanical and chiclet, with plenty of movement and a silent switch-like sound and feel.
The touchpad is too small to be used all day long, but it does its job and is comfortable to use for short periods of time.
With the Duo 15 I never really found a purpose for the second screen. Sure, I could view my system stats while I was gaming and ensure everything was running smoothly – but I never felt like having the second screen was a true benefit. With the Duo 16, however, I found myself using the second screen for activities I would normally use an external monitor for. For example, I often had Twitch open and streaming on the bottom Screenpad+ while I browsed the web, wrote an email or completed some other random task on the top display.
While gaming, I could have Discord open on the bottom display, for instance, to monitor different chats and servers I’m in. I do wish that more apps and games supported the Screenpad+; it’d be awesome to see an option to manage your custom loadouts in Warzone or perhaps have an always-on map on the bottom screen in Fortnite.
Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 – Battery life
Battery life is always an issue on gaming laptops, but I was surprised at the Duo 16’s performance given that two displays remained on during the battery test. I looked through every settings pane I could find for a switch to turn off the Screenpad+ display to no avail. So I lowered both screens’ brightness to 50% like I always do for battery benchmarks and let the test run.
The Duo 16 powered through 2 hours and 59 minutes before it ran out of power. That’s one minute longer than the single-display Aero 16 lasted in the same test, and 38 minutes less than the GE76 (again, with a single screen).
Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 – Software
When you drop over $4,000 on a gaming laptop, the last thing you want to deal with is preinstalled bloatware and random apps. And with the Duo 16, I’m happy to say that isn’t an issue.
Asus has some of its own apps preinstalled, and the standard Windows 11 apps are present, but that’s par for the course. The Asus app I used the most during my testing was Armoury Crate. It’s in that app where you go to adjust performance settings, view system stats, change the individually lit keyboard’s color scheme or check for firmware and system updates that are specific to Asus.
EA's Battlefield series will seemingly return to including single player campaigns, according to a new job listing at the publisher's Seattle-based studio.
As reported by VGC, the design director will be responsible for "creating a best-in-class single player campaign experience" with a "player-first mentality, motivated by a passionate aim to understand and serve the players who are engaged with the game". The ideal candidate must have a "passion and understanding of single player campaigns and how to innovate within that space."
Battlefield 2042 – the latest game in the series that has had a fairly turbulent post-release period – didn't feature a campaign at all, while other recent entries such as Battlefield V have opted for shorter single player portions or multiplayer-blended campaigns.
The job listing therefore suggests that EA will be backtracking on this somewhat, though it is still unclear exactly what this new project will entail. According to the job listing, the Seattle studio, which was only founded in late 2021, "is focused on building rich, exciting stories with memorable characters and powerful experiences all in the Battlefield universe."
This matches sentiments from Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella in December that EA is now looking to create a "connected Battlefield universe" that explores different routes and business models – perhaps one of which is a dedicated single player project.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
Posted inGames, video game|TaggedGames, Video Games|Comments Off on Battlefield Will Seemingly Reintroduce a Single Player Campaign in Future Games
Basketball legend Michael Jordan will be the cover star of NBA 2K23's special editions and 2K is bringing back the iconic Jordan Challenges to celebrate. The publisher also confirmed a September 9 release date and announced the six-time NBA champion will grace the covers of the aptly named Michael Jordan Edition and the limited Championship Edition.
Jordan was chosen not only because 2K23 matches his iconic jersey number but also, 2K said, because his spirit matches the theme of this year's MyPlayer campaign mode: Answer the Call. "After making 23 the most recognizable number in sports, it was only fitting that for NBA 2K23 we introduce the Michael Jordan Edition," said Alfie Brody, vice president of global marketing strategy for NBA 2K.
While the prices of these editions wasn't revealed – nor the standard edition's cover star – last year's special edition (likely the Michael Jordan edition tier) was $99.99 compared to the standard's price of $59.99/$69.99 depending on the console generation.
The Championship Edition, however, is a brand new tier of NBA 2K editions that comes with a year's subscription to NBA League Pass, which grants access to every actual, real-life NBA game on TV. Given this is $50 by itself, those looking to buy this most expensive edition should expect a hefty price hike.
2K hasn't revealed too much else about what comes in each edition but did confirm that the iconic Jordan Challenges from NBA 2K11 will make a return in this year's game. The Jordan Challenges were a series of ten, well, challenges where players had to recreate defining moments of Jordan's career.
There will be a slight upgrade of 15 different challenges in 2K23, however, pulling moments from Jordan's NBA career with the Chicago Bulls alongside his Team USA playtime. All ten original challenges will be rebuilt from the ground up and feature alongside the remaining five in their own game mode.
2K23 will mark Jordan's fourth appearance on an NBA 2K cover, first appearing in 2K11 (alongside the original Jordan Challenges), then 2K12, followed by the 2K16 Special Edition.
2K promised that more details will arrive soon, while a deeper look at the Jordan Challenges will be released sometime this summer.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
Posted inGames, video game|TaggedGames, Video Games|Comments Off on NBA 2K23 Is Putting Michael Jordan On the Cover While Bringing Back the Iconic Jordan Challenges
This post contains spoilers for both parts of Stranger Things Season 4.
From the moment Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) burst onto the screen playfully mimicking devils’ ears in the Hawkins High cafeteria, it was clear he would have an impact. Competition is stiff given how many beloved characters there are, but Stranger Things has a strong track record of introducing new figures that the group (and us) immediately embrace. As with Max (Sadie Sink) and Robin (Maya Hawke), it is now hard to imagine a time when Eddie wasn’t part of the team. Unlike Max and Robin, he doesn’t survive his first battle, and his heroic death hits hard in the Season 4 finale.
Eddie joins Barb (Shanon Purser), Bob (Sean Astin), and Billy (Dacre Montgomery) on the nearest and dearest departed list — they sure like to off people whose name begins with a B. It is hardly surprising the death toll continues to rise, considering monsters keep attacking the once sleepy Indiana town. Killing audience favorites is inevitable in a landscape filled with this much peril, although the Duffer brothers couldn’t have known how much the metalhead misfit would resonate when they shot the finale.
In a short time, Eddie went from the Hellfire Club’s Dungeon Master to fighting a swarm of actual demobats in the Upside Down. Throughout all nine episodes, Quinn has captured Eddie’s contradictions, including how his gregarious personality clashes with his newfound belief that he is a coward. It hardly seems fair that he won’t be around to fight Vecna in the final season, but Eddie more than made his mark.
Satanic Panic
Long before video games were blamed for instigating real-life violence, Dungeons & Dragons were cited in court as a motive for murder. In the premiere, Eddie’s dramatic reading of a Newsweek article that warns of the D&D dangers is not fiction invented for the series — though it should be noted that the article appeared the year before. The Duffers have drawn on other 1980s geopolitical and cultural events, so it only makes sense that the Satanic Panic swirling around this game would eventually play a role. Eddie wears his “freak” badge proudly, and his cafeteria table walk reinforces how little regard he has for the opinions of the popular cliques. This mindset makes this character a joy to watch, but it also turns him into an easy scapegoat when cheerleader Chrissy (Grace Van Dien) is found dead in his uncle’s trailer.
It would be easy for this new character to retrace the same moody steps as Billy or be a Bizarro World Steve. Elsewhere, Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) bullies in California or basketball douche Jason (Mason Dye) highlight a tendency to lean hard into ‘80s teen movie clichés. No one is writing odes to any of those figures. Thankfully, Eddie is cut from a different cloth. Yes, he does circle the drug dealer with a heart of gold archetype, but there is more to him than being a misunderstood outcast. Eddie is no lone wolf, and his friendships reveal it is silly to assume that his metal aesthetic is a gateway to devil worship. Take his conversation with Chrissy in the woods in “The Hellfire Club” when his goofy antics make her laugh, temporarily breaking Vecna’s grip. His kindness (and her acceptance) goes against the way these interactions typically fare. Chrissy doesn’t pull the mean girl cheerleader act, and he offers empathy and a potential pharmaceutical solution without judgment. Unfortunately, this conversation leads to Chrissy’s late-night visit to his uncle’s trailer, leading to the accusation of murder, followed by the teenager being blamed for everything that hits the town in the finale.
Living Out His Metal Dreams
Over the excessive two-and-a-half-hour runtime — seriously, there is no reason they couldn’t chop this into smaller TV-sized installments — several standout moments do enter the Stranger Things hall of fame. Near the top of that list is Eddie Munson playing like his life depends on it (because it does) and ensuring that Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” gets a similar streaming bump as Kate Bush did. Eddie and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) act as bait to lure the demobats away from Vecna’s attic lair, and what better way to draw attention than “the most metal concert in the history of the world?”
It is a solid use of Eddie’s skillset, and his guitar shredding amid this nightmarish setting would impress his idols. Dustin is in awe and can’t stop smiling as Eddie thrashes those strings — despite the hairy predicament. Eddie has never looked more in his element, and for this brief window, before the terrifying bats reach them, it is a dream come true. Quinn nails the enthusiastic headbanging, guitar solo intensity, and rock star poses. Dustin is right when he labels this “most metal ever,” and along with “Running Up That Hill,” Season 5 will have to go some ways to outdo this musical moment. Even this sequence is an emotional roller coaster anchored by Quinn. From the poignant “Chrissy, this is for you” dedication to the overwhelming giddiness when the duo has achieved their mission.
Eddie's Heroic Death
Okay, everything is going to plan, but of course, the post “Master of Puppets” performance afterglow can only last for so long, and those pesky bats are persistent. Before the gang returns to the Upside Down, there is a lot of foreshadowing regarding which character would bite it. My money was on Steve (Joe Keery) because he keeps talking about the future, but Eddie’s name was added to the RIP speculation list when he had a serious moment with Dustin in Episode 8. Mid-wrestle, Eddie implores Dustin to “never change,” and how he flips from high-spirited to serious suggests he is not long for this world. It is also significant that regret and a desire to be redeemed inform his every move.
Eddie’s arc has been dominated by what he deems cowardice. “Outside of D&D, I’m no hero. I see danger, and I just turn heel and run,” he tells Steve in Episode 7. Considering what Eddie witnessed when Vecna killed Chrissy, it is easy to understand why he fled. The town has brandished him a murder, but Eddie is already punishing himself for something he could not have prevented. Despite assuring Steve there will be no attempts at heroics, it comes as no surprise when rather than retreating, Eddie directly faces the demobats with his makeshift shield and spear. He doesn’t stand a chance but does so anyway, and the people of Hawkins do not deserve Eddie’s sacrifice, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I didn’t run away this time, right?” he asks, but his bloody body already answered the question. No, you can’t see the screen because you’re crying. As if we weren't all already sobbing, Quinn's final delivery, coupled with the tears that fall from his eyes, is a gut punch. This selfless act proves Eddie has as much heart and bravery as the rest of the Stranger Things squad.
His Friendship with Dustin
If you had told me at the start of Season 4 that there would be a friendship that rivals the brilliance of the Steve/Dustin dynamic, I would’ve raised a dubious eyebrow. Boy, would that eyebrow have been proved wrong. The thread of Steve and Eddie being jealous of the other is hilarious and wonderful, addressed during their heart-to-heart in Episode 7. Eddie isn’t a Steve replacement but a welcome addition to the Dustin bestie circle. It also becomes clear the instant Eddie dies in Dustin’s arms that Steve is going to survive because there is no way Dustin or the audience deserves to lose both older brother figures.
Dustin is the one person who defends Eddie when everyone initially believes he killed Chrissy. He continues to beat the innocent drum after Eddie has been declared missing and presumed dead. Only a handful of people know the sacrifice that the Hellfire Club founder made, and while the media is brandishing him as a villain, Eddie dies knowing he made a difference. “I love you too,” is the last thing Dustin says before his friend succumbs to the many demobat bites — shout out to Matarazzo, who also adds to this tearjerker.
“Even in the end, he never stopped being Eddie. Despite everything,” is a lovely, heartfelt (and heartbreaking) eulogy for a man that saved Hawkins (or at least semi-saved), and Dustin’s ode is impossible to top.
