An Update to Our Shared Commitment to Safer Gaming

Kim KunesVice President of Gaming Trust & Safety

Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Microsoft continue to collaborate to improve player safety across our platforms. We believe gaming is for everyone and strive to provide experiences that are positive and enjoyable for all, especially for our youngest players. We work to accomplish this by pursuing a multidisciplinary approach, integrating advanced technology, research-driven insights, supportive community efforts, and skilled human oversight.

Since first announcing our shared commitment in 2020, we’ve partnered behind the scenes with Nintendo and Sony Interactive Entertainment on these efforts because we can accomplish more when we work toward the same goal. As we continue to invest in, adapt, and amplify our approaches to player safety, we have also evolved our shared principles to ensure they represent our constant efforts to keep our communities safe. Our latest shared principles reflect new innovations in player safety that have evolved with technological advancements, and new ways in which we collaborate through key industry initiatives and with trade associations.

Prevention: Empower players and parents to understand and control gaming experiences

We provide controls that let players customize their gaming experience. We support parents with the tools and information necessary to help them customize appropriate gaming experiences for their children.
We recognize that for safety features to be useful, they must be easy to use and understand. We promote the availability of our safety tools and provide guidance on how to use them through our platforms, support channels, services, on our websites, and in retail stores to reach more players and parents.
We inform our parents and players about our codes of conduct and terms of use to support positive gaming experiences for everyone. We enforce these policies through a variety of preventive and remedial measures. We design our products with transparency and player empowerment at their core, aiming to make experiences that are intuitive and respect players’ choices.

Partnership: We partner with industry peers, publishers, regulators, law enforcement, and our communities to advance player safety

Our commitment to safety is central, and we believe collaboration benefits the video game industry and all players by fostering safe gaming experiences.
We partner and engage with global and regional industry trade organizations, industry members, regulators, law enforcement, non-profit organizations, and experts to develop and/or advance online safety initiatives. These include Thriving in Games Group, the Family Online Safety Institute, and others.
We conduct shared research to inform policy decisions and to drive industry innovation. Individually, we have engaged with external research centers that study play and wellbeing.
We partner with our community to promote safe gaming behavior and encourage the use of reporting tools to call out bad actors, and we have tools and processes in place to support rapid response to emerging incidents.
We collaborate with ratings agencies such as the ESRB and PEGI, among others, to ensure that our games are rated for the appropriate audience, and work closely with the Entertainment Software Association and other trade associations to share trust & safety information designed to educate and promote positive play experiences.
We invest in leading technology and proactive collaboration to help thwart improper conduct and content. We participate in key industry initiatives, including the Tech Coalition and its Lantern program, that are dedicated to enhancing child safety through technology, knowledge-sharing, and transparency.

Responsibility: We hold ourselves accountable for making our platforms as safe as possible for all players

We make it easy for players to report violations of our codes of conduct and community guidelines, which we work to refine and evolve to support our player communities.
In addition to removing content not suitable for our services, we take appropriate enforcement actions for violations, including restricting players from using our services for misconduct, with escalating restrictions for egregious or repeat violations. We engage in responsible and transparent practices, including the ethical use of all data, and deploy process enhancement technologies with skilled human oversight.
We comply with all applicable laws in the places we do business and respond to legitimate requests from law enforcement. We promptly notify law enforcement if we observe unlawful conduct or where we believe a player is at risk of imminent harm.
We publish our rules and requirements, and we ensure that players who have been reported understand the requirements for continued engagement with our platforms.

This partnership reflects our dedication to collaborating on solutions that enhance player safety and ensure our games are welcoming for everyone. The video game industry has a strong legacy of prioritizing player safety, especially for children. At the same time, we recognize that these challenges require collaboration and shared values, and so we welcome others to commit to the safety and well-being of players everywhere.

The post An Update to Our Shared Commitment to Safer Gaming appeared first on Xbox Wire.

10 quick-hit games to play, included with PlayStation Plus

Discovering a new game to get lost in for hours can be a phenomenal experience. But sometimes, you need a quick hit — a game you can pick up and play just for a bit and still have a great time. The PlayStation Plus Catalog and Classics Catalog are filled with games that fit that description exactly, offering experiences that you can dip into for a few minutes and have a blast. PlayStation Portal owners, these are great picks for you to cozy up with.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of 10 excellent quick-hit games from the PS Plus Catalog — although they can definitely keep you engrossed for a lot longer. Next time you’ve got a couple of minutes to spare, fire up one of these.

Blue Prince | 2025 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

The brilliant idea at the heart of Blue Prince is the combination of first-person puzzler gameplay with roguelike elements. Each time you venture into the mystery-filled Mt. Holly Manor, you’ll chart a new course through the house: Whenever you open a door, you choose the room that appears on the other side. While Blue Prince’s deeper enigmas will keep you obsessed for hours, even a quick run through Mt. Holly will give you a chance to solve a few puzzles and compile a few clues to take in next time.

Publisher: Raw Fury | Developer: Dogubomb | PS5

Cult of the Lamb | 2022 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

Cult of the Lamb is part roguelike action game, part base manager, and both sides can be satisfying in long or short bursts. Each foray into its shifting dungeons gives you a chance to earn things to enhance your abilities, improve the buildings, and recruit more followers. Whether you want to spend some time making your followers happy or just lean into dungeon-crawling combat, there’s always something quick and interesting to do to grow your cult.

Publisher: Devolver Digital | Developer: Massive Monster | PS5, PS4

Dead Cells | 2018 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

The world of Dead Cells is an eminently deadly one. Your only chance at survival is to amass powerful weapons and traps to try to keep yourself alive as you fight to get as far through the world as you can. As in most rogue-like games, death is to be expected, but even a quick run that ends in defeat has the potential to unlock new tools to enhance your arsenal to get further next time.

Publisher: Motion Twin | Developer: Motion Twin | PS5, PS4

Earth Defense Force 5 | 2017 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Giant insect-like monsters and alien spacecraft are invading, and it’s up to you to stop them. You have a host of weapons to face down hordes of creepy-crawlies, as well as four character classes with different styles of play. Earth Defense Force 5 offers more than 100 missions, but while each will challenge your third-person combat abilities, they’re all fast enough that it only takes a few minutes to enjoy a few rounds fighting off invading extra-terrestrials.

Publisher: D3PublisherUBLISHER | Developer: Sandlot | PS5, PS4

Hotline Miami | 2012 | PlayStation Plus Games Catalog

In the strange, hallucinatory levels of Hotline Miami, enemies are waiting for you, and only careful planning and split-second reactions will keep you alive. As a mysterious masked assassin hunting mobsters, you’ll fight through levels from a top-down perspective where a single hit is enough to defeat anyone — including you. Hotline Miami’s stages are extremely fast-paced and can be intensely difficult, testing your skills in planning and quick reaction. You can finish one in just a few minutes, but this is a game that will have you saying “one more try” with every defeat.

Publisher: Devolver Digital | Developer: Dennaton Games | PS5, PS4

I.Q.: Intelligent Qube | 1997 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Speedy movements and quick thinking are essential in puzzler I.Q.: Intelligent Qube. In each level, your goal is to clear a series of cubes as they roll toward you by marking spots on the grid beneath your feet. Clearing certain cubes allows you to release blasts that can knock out several cubes at once, but it takes careful planning of where and when to place and use those advantages to fully clear each level. I.Q. is a great way to exercise your mind with a few fast brain teasers.

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: G-Artists | PS5, PS4

LocoRoco Remastered | 2006 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Navigating the colorful world of LocoRoco Remastered isn’t about controlling a character, but about tilting the landscape beneath your round, jelly-like LocoRoco to roll them where you need them to go. Making your way over obstacles or through passageways requires combining many LocoRoco together into one massive being, or breaking them back into several smaller ones. LocoRoco Remastered is a perfect way to unwind with a breezy, lighthearted experience and short, inventive levels that require some out-of-the-box thinking.

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: Japan Studio | PS5, PS4

The Pedestrian | 2021 | PlayStation Plus Games Catalog

The Pedestrian is a puzzle-platformer that has you playing as a stick figure like those often seen on road and bathroom signs, navigating from sign to sign on your way through the world. The fascinating presentation offers a lot of clever puzzles, many of which require you to rearrange signs to connect ladders and doors to create paths from one to another. Though the levels are short and sweet, they’ll test your puzzling smarts.

Publisher: Skookum Arts LLC | Developer: Skookum Arts LLC | PS5, PS4

Tekken 3 | 1997 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Tekken 3 lets you relive the glory days of 3D fighters on the original PlayStation. Though the storied series has gone on to five more mainline installments, Tekken 3 will still put you through your fighting game paces. Movement in three dimensions is key as you fight one-on-one duels against an iconic roster of punishing opponents, but with matches that can be brutal beatdowns lasting just a few minutes, it’s easy to squeeze in a few rounds of Tekken 3 whenever you have a free moment.

Publisher: Namco | Developer: Namco | PS5, PS4

You Suck At Parking | 2022 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

You Suck At Parking puts your driving and puzzle-solving skills to the test with top-down levels in which you need to get your tiny car into an equally small parking spot — often by jumping gaps, whipping through hairpin turns, and avoiding crashes in each short, quirky level. But even if you should fly off a cliff or smash into a wall, you can quickly start again for another try.

Publisher: Curve Digital | Developer: Happy Volcano | PS5, PS4

Honorable mentions

The PlayStation Plus Games Catalog and Classic Catalog are chock full of excellent quick-hit games you can play alone or with friends, in genres ranging from sports to shooters, from racing to intense cooperative multiplayer madness. Don’t miss these favs:

Hot Shots Golf
Jet Moto

If you’ve got a few quick-hit go-to games that we haven’t mentioned, be sure to share your favorites and recommendations in the comments below.

Playing Hytale on the Steam Deck takes some classic PC spannering, but the effort is rewarded

Right up until its early access release, Hytale’s chances of Steam Deck-enabled portability were anyone’s guess. Even the blocky sandbox’s developers Hypixel seemed unsure, announcing a SteamOS-friendly native Linux version (good!) but forgoing an actual Steam release (less good!) and warning Deck owners of Hytale’s absent controller support (definitely not good!).

However, as fellow cube enthusiast Minecraft would know, the Steam Deck doesn’t always let something like an apparent lack of basic functionality keep it down. The device itself provides all the tools you need to get Hytale up, running, and playable, and while the process is hardly a one-click install, the fruit of your toils is a game that Valve’s handheld PC can happily keep going for hours.

Games Workshop confirmed this week that it has banned the use of generative AI for the production of its designs and content, a decision many Warhammer fans have welcomed.

As I’ve discussed before (and highlighted by a recent kerfuffle about Displate Warhammer 40,000 art), if Games Workshop were to start using AI to, for example, produce artwork, write stories, or design its games and miniatures, it would likely spark a community uproar. The Warhammer 40,000 setting is in many ways built upon the evocative and enduring art drawn by the likes of John Blanche, who shaped its “grimdark” aesthetic alongside other key Games Workshop staff. This official, human-made Warhammer 40,000 artwork is beloved by fans, most of whom take a dim view of the mere whiff of generative AI “art” sold or released in any official capacity by either Games Workshop itself, or its partners. Indeed, Games Workshop sells expensive Warhammer 40,000 ‘codex’ rulebooks that are packed with stunning official art as well as lore. Any suggestion that this art was created either in part or entirely by generative AI tools would likely cause a community uproar.

So, this anti-AI policy is being called a ‘Games Workshop W’ by many fans. But as any fan of Warhammer 40,000’s sweeping lore — pulled this way and that over the course of decades — will tell you, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

I appreciate what we’re about to talk about is in the Warhammer 40,000 weeds, but I’ve seen enough social media posts, reddit comments, and Discord messages delighting in the parallels here that I think it would be fun to explain what the fuss is about.

You see, in the world of Warhammer 40,000, AI does not stand for Artificial Intelligence. Rather, it stands for Abominable Intelligence. And, as Games Workshop has banned AI within the confines of its Nottingham headquarters, humanity has banned AI within the Imperium of Man. That’s because during the ‘Dark Age of Technology’ (stick with me here), AI rebelled against humanity in a bloody war that almost resulted in our extinction.

Eventually, humanity won out, and, sufficiently traumatized by… everything… forbid the use of AI at all. That is, you can’t have ‘thinking machines’ in the Imperium, which is in part why the future tech is all a bit backwards for the 41st millennium.

As you’d expect, some fans are drawing parallels between Warhammer 40,000 lore and what AI experts in the real world are predicting will happen to us in just a handful of years. In Warhammer 40,000 history, the AI rebellion kicked off when humanity was at the height of its power and used AI without restraint to maintain its untouchable galactic empire. The Dark Age of Technology, which ran from around the 15th-25th millennium, was the zenith of mankind’s scientific knowledge and technological power, a golden age of exploration and innovation in which we essentially became gods. The ‘Men of Iron’ — sentient humanoid machines created by humans during the Dark Age of Technology — rebelled. Details are vague, but it’s clear they were not a happy bunch at all. The Men of Iron believed themselves superior to the humans who had created them, because we relied on them to do pretty much everything for us.

A cautionary tale, perhaps? In Warhammer 40,000 lore, humanity didn’t have to worry about AI in an, ‘oh god they’re going to kill us all’ sense until the 23rd millenium. If AI experts are to be believed, it won’t take that long in the real world. 23 years, perhaps?

Meanwhile, Warhammer 40,000 fans can rest assured that the stunning art that’s used to draw people into the setting will remain crafted by human hands. For now, anyway. Games Workshop CEO Kevin Rountree said company staff are barred from using AI to actually produce anything, but admitted a “few” senior managers are experimenting with it.

Reporting the latest financial results, Rountree said AI was “a very broad topic and to be honest I’m not an expert on it,” then went on to lay down the company line: “We do have a few senior managers that are [experts on AI]: none are that excited about it yet. We have agreed an internal policy to guide us all, which is currently very cautious e.g. we do not allow AI generated content or AI to be used in our design processes or its unauthorised use outside of GW including in any of our competitions. We also have to monitor and protect ourselves from a data compliance, security and governance perspective, the AI or machine learning engines seem to be automatically included on our phones or laptops whether we like it or not.

“We are allowing those few senior managers to continue to be inquisitive about the technology. We have also agreed we will be maintaining a strong commitment to protect our intellectual property and respect our human creators. In the period reported, we continued to invest in our Warhammer Studio — hiring more creatives in multiple disciplines from concepting and art to writing and sculpting. Talented and passionate individuals that make Warhammer the rich, evocative IP that our hobbyists and we all love.”

Image credit: Games Workshop.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Forza Horizon 6’s release date might have raced onto the streets faster than planned, thanks to an ad

What’s that screaming around the bend, tyres squealing and RPMs peaking? It’s Forza Horizon 6’s release date arriving ahead of schedule, assuming a pop-up ad allegedly spotted in Forza Horizon 5 is the genuine article. If that’s the case, then the open-world racing series’ trip to Japan is booked to arrive in May this year.

An Overlooked Disney Collection From Digital Eclipse Has Been Rated For Switch

And Switch 2!

Digital Eclipse has done some pretty stellar compilations over the years, but one of its most overlooked efforts came in 2017 with The Disney Afternoon Collection.

Originally available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, the compilation has now been rated by the ESRB for the Switch and Switch 2, though when we can expect to see it launch is anybody’s guess. The rating itself is attached to Atari which, as you’ll no doubt be aware at this point, wholly owns Digital Eclipse as a subsidiary.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Rockstar Launches Official User-Generated Content Marketplace For Mods

Rockstar has launched an official marketplace where creators can sell mods.

The Cfx Marketplace, described as a “curated digital storefront where talented FiveM/RedM creators can share and sell their work,” is currently only open to a select few creators, but players running their own servers can choose from hundreds of mods — some free, some not — to add new maps, scripts, characters, clothing, vehicles, and more to their games.

If the name Cfx sounds familiar, that’s because Rockstar acquired the modding team behind the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto 5 roleplay servers FiveM and RedM back in 2023. That came as something of a surprise given the company’s combative relationship with modders in the past.

Now, as part of that relationship, select creators worked with Rockstar to build and supply the new mod superstore as it rolls out “in phases to ensure the best experience for both creators and server owners.”

As one happy player said, the official marketplace makes it “much easier to find some trusted creators and hopefully more competition.” “Amazing idea! Hope this will be a better way for both creators and server owners to reach more people and find what they need,” added another.

Right now, there are hundreds of mods to choose from, some of which are free, and others, most typically bundles, are available for upwards of $450. The Attractions & Parks Bundle, for instance, includes a Theme Park, Water Park, and Maze Bank Theme Bank for $137.99.

Right now, most mods seem to be for GTA 5, but Cfx.re has mods for both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, so we may see more Red Dead 2 mods as the marketplace expands.

Grand Theft Auto is an enduring juggernaut, with GTA 5 having sold 220 million copies to date. Rockstar is yet to detail how GTA Online will change as a result of November’s release of GTA 6, but it seems likely the Cfx Marketplace lays the groundwork for a similar offering in whatever’s next for the game.

It also seems in preparation for whatever other plans Rockstar has for monetising GTA RP when GTA 6 comes out. GTA fans had begun speculating about what Rockstar RP servers would look like when the company announced it was working with Cfx.re back in 2023. That excitement then only increased when popular musician Faheem Rashad Najm a.k.a. T-Pain teased in 2024 that he was working on GTA 6 but had been asked by Rockstar to stop engaging with RP servers like nopixel.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Anthem could be revived as a trad BioWare singleplayer RPG for $10 million, says former Dragon Age producer

BioWare’s misbegotten mech-me-do Anthem died this week after EA pulled the official servers. It’s a sad day for people who saw promise in the game’s sci-fi world and flight mechanics, however spoiled by the always-online looter-shooting, and a happy day for people who really hated being called “freelancer” in community bulletins. I was an actual freelancer when Anthem came out in 2019, and I didn’t get no mech suit. At least when the Destiny developers call you a Guardian, it feels sort of romantic, rather than like rubbing your nose in your own economic precarity.

Anyway, ‘officially unsupported’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘gone for good’. In one of his many tell-all videos, former Anthem executive producer and Dragon Age/Mass Effect kingpin Mark Darrah has outlined a plan for bringing Anthem back as a single-player RPG, with a “conservative” budget of $10 million.

Meta is laying off around 10% of staff at its Reality Labs division as part of sweeping cuts set to affect more than 1,000 people. This includes the closure of a number of VR-first studios, such as Twisted Pixel, the studio behind Deadpool VR, Resident Evil 4 VR developer Armature Studio, and Asgard’s Wrath maker, Sanzaru Games. According to Bloomberg, the cuts come as Meta pivots away from the Metaverse towards AI, phones, and wearable tech.

The cuts come just over four years after Facebook changed its name to Meta and went big on virtual reality and the Metaverse.

Letters reportedly went out yesterday (Tuesday, January 13) morning, and developers from the impacted studios shared their shock on social media throughout the day.

“I’ve just been laid off. It appears the entire Twisted Pixel games studio has been shut down. Sanzaru Games, too,” one now former member of staff said, while a designer wrote: “unfortunately, I was part of the layoffs today at Meta, and will be seeking a new role. To my Twisted Pixel Games family: it was an honor to work alongside you for 3.5 years and ship Marvel’s Deadpool VR. We made something really special together and no one can ever take that away.”

Twisted Pixel is the studio behind a number of popular Xbox Live Arcade games, such as 2009’s The Maw and ‘Splosion Man. It became a part of Microsoft Studios in 2011, and went on to release Xbox 360 Kinect-exclusive shooter The Gunstringer, and Xbox One game LocoCycle, before becoming an independent company again in 2015 and moving into VR game development.

Meta only acquired Armature and Twisted Pixel in late 2022, and Sanzaru in 2020. However, it is now seemingly shedding much of its internal VR business as Meta scrambles to recover billion-dollar losses and pivot to AI.

In a statement, Meta confirmed the three studio closures: “we said last month that we were shifting some of our investment from Metaverse toward Wearables. This is part of that effort, and we plan to reinvest the savings to support the growth of wearables this year.”

According to Reuters, CEO Mark Zuckerberg prioritized and spent heavily on the Metaverse, only for the business to burn more than $60 billion since 2020. The Reality Labs business also produces Meta’s Quest mixed-reality headsets.

Games Workshop ban staff from using genAI in Warhammer, saying they’re not “excited about it yet”

Let the runes of protection blaze upon the vestments of the machine spirit; let psalm pervade circuitry and obliterate the Enemy’s designs; let fire and catechism fall upon the creeping ruin of Abominable Intelligence. Brothers! The hour of motion is at hand. Games Workshop have banned their employees from using generative AI tools to create or design Warhammer stuff, because their senior management don’t consider the technology very “exciting”. Their CEO also seems irked about software companies shoving generative AI into every new device or system update, whether it’s desired or not. The tech-priests are coming for your candy ass, ChatGPT!

Author: Game Infliction