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Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

news.ycombinator.com Megan Farokhmanesh 2025-07-25 21:27:51

Late in the evening on July 23, developers with games tagged as NSFW on Itch.io, a digital marketplace, began to notice something strange. Their work—whether it was a game about navigating disordered eating as a teenager, or about dick pics—no longer appeared in search results. “No notification or anything,” says former NYU Game Center educator and developer Robert Yang, whose work explores gay history and culture. “Just found out via Bluesky.” Itch.io is deindexing, or removing from its searc

Topics: collective game games itch shout

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Remembering Descent, the once-popular, fully 3D 6DOF shooter

arstechnica.com Unknown 2025-07-26 00:00:51

C:\ArsGames We love games here at the Ars Orbiting HQ, from modern to ancient and all points in between. With that in mind, we've partnered with the folks at GOG.com to create a store page featuring a hand-curated list of some of our favorites from GOG's catalog. At the end of every month, we'll rotate a couple of titles off the list and add a few new ones; altogether, we have a list of about 50 games to set in front of you. Twice a month, we'll publish a personal retrospective like this one, wh

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Netflix Launches a Surprise 'Happy Gilmore' Game Alongside the New Film

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-26 03:00:08

It's all in the hips -- err, rather, it's all in the fingers -- in Happy Gilmore: Golf Mayhem '98 Demo, a new Netflix game based on the Adam Sandler film. The streaming giant launched the surprise game the same day it released Happy Gilmore 2, a sequel to the classic '90s film. The game is a chaotic trip down memory lane, just the way Happy would have wanted. "I don't want a piece of you. I want the whole thing." Netflix Anyone with a Netflix subscription (which start at $8 a month) can play t

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Games Look Bad: HDR and Tone Mapping (2017)

news.ycombinator.com View All Posts Promit 2025-07-25 22:26:37

This is Part 1 of a series examining techniques used in game graphics and how those techniques fail to deliver a visually appealing end result. See Part 0 for a more thorough explanation of the idea behind it. High dynamic range. First experienced by most consumers in late 2005, with Valve’s Half Life 2: Lost Coast demo. Largely faked at the time due to technical limitations, but it laid the groundwork for something we take for granted in nearly every blockbuster title. The contemporaneous revi

Topics: color contrast film games tone

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Steam, Itch.io are pulling 'porn' games. critics say it's a slippery slope

news.ycombinator.com Megan Farokhmanesh 2025-07-26 07:27:51

Late in the evening on July 23, developers with games tagged as NSFW on Itch.io, a digital marketplace, began to notice something strange. Their work—whether it was a game about navigating disordered eating as a teenager, or about dick pics—no longer appeared in search results. “No notification or anything,” says former NYU Game Center educator and developer Robert Yang, whose work explores gay history and culture. “Just found out via Bluesky.” Itch.io is deindexing, or removing from its searc

Topics: collective game games itch shout

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Netflix’s push into tie-in games now includes two weird Happy Gilmore titles

theverge.com Andrew Webster 2025-07-26 08:00:00

Netflix seems to have finally settled on something resembling a strategy for its gaming efforts, and one of the key pillars is games tied to its shows and movies. That’s how we got the likes of Squid Game: Unleashed and Black Mirror’s Thronglets. Now, as Happy Gilmore 2 hits the streaming service, it’s accompanied by a pair of games that show just how promotional Netflix can be. The first game is actually pretty fun, though it’s not really a whole game. It’s called Happy Gilmore: Golf Mayhem ’9

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Steam, Itch.io Are Pulling 'Porn' Games. Critics Say It's a Slippery Slope

news.ycombinator.com Megan Farokhmanesh 2025-07-26 12:27:51

Late in the evening on July 23, developers with games tagged as NSFW on Itch.io, a digital marketplace, began to notice something strange. Their work—whether it was a game about navigating disordered eating as a teenager, or about dick pics—no longer appeared in search results. “No notification or anything,” says former NYU Game Center educator and developer Robert Yang, whose work explores gay history and culture. “Just found out via Bluesky.” Itch.io is deindexing, or removing from its searc

Topics: collective game games itch shout

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Games Look Bad: HDR and Tone Mapping

news.ycombinator.com View All Posts Promit 2025-07-27 09:26:37

This is Part 1 of a series examining techniques used in game graphics and how those techniques fail to deliver a visually appealing end result. See Part 0 for a more thorough explanation of the idea behind it. High dynamic range. First experienced by most consumers in late 2005, with Valve’s Half Life 2: Lost Coast demo. Largely faked at the time due to technical limitations, but it laid the groundwork for something we take for granted in nearly every blockbuster title. The contemporaneous revi

Topics: color contrast film games tone

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Apple TV+: MLS commissioner shares confusing Season Pass viewership numbers

9to5mac.com Marcus Mendes 2025-07-27 04:05:43

Apple tends to be pretty tight-lipped when it comes to viewership data. But in a midseason press conference earlier today, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber offered a rare (but puzzling) update on how MLS Season Pass has been performing in 2025. According to Garber (via Sports Business Journal), matches are averaging 120,000 unique viewers per game, a figure he said represents a 50% increase compared to last year. Interestingly, he said the jump is not necessarily due to the Apple TV

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Steam and Itch.io Are Pulling ‘Porn’ Games. Critics Say It’s a Slippery Slope to More Censorship

wired.com Megan Farokhmanesh 2025-07-27 10:52:42

Late in the evening on July 23, developers with games tagged as NSFW on Itch.io, a digital marketplace, began to notice something strange. Their work—whether it was a game about navigating disordered eating as a teenager, or about dick pics—no longer appeared in search results. “No notification or anything,” says former NYU Game Center educator and developer Robert Yang, whose work explores gay history and culture. “Just found out via Bluesky.” Itch.io is deindexing, or removing from its searc

Topics: collective game games itch shout

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Apple’s New Game Overlay in macOS 26 Could be So Much More

gizmodo.com Kyle Barr 2025-07-28 04:30:17

Gaming on Mac has come a long way, but if people are going to take it seriously—like, really seriously—Apple still has some work to do. The new public beta for macOS 26 and its gaming updates won’t convince the naysayers, but I see it as the tipping point, and all Apple needs to do is relax for once and let the players take control. For macOS 26, Apple added a new Game Overlay and Games app. The former acts as an easy way to adjust brightness, volume, or call friends while in-game. It also has

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The Outer Worlds 2 Walks Back $80 Price, Now Launching at $70

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-28 03:24:40

The Outer Worlds 2 from Obsidian Entertainment was set to be the third game to follow the trend started by Mario Kart World of having a launch price of $80. Instead, it's another game that saw a price reduction after the initial announcement. Last month, The Outer Worlds 2 was one of the big titles shown at the Xbox Games Showcase and even had its own dedicated show after the event. Obisidan revealed the release date of Oct. 29 and the hefty price tag of $80, but the developer has since changed

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I Tried iOS 26 for a Month. These 3 Features Stand Out Most

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-28 11:09:20

Apple released the first public beta of iOS 26 on July 24, more than a month after the company announced the next iOS version at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. That means developers and public beta testers can try the upcoming iPhone features before others get them this fall. And this is an important iOS version for Apple. According to Bloomberg, some Apple investors are frustrated with the company's delay in artificial intelligence features. Apple is also facing an antitrust laws

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Once a relative haven for adult games, itch.io begins removing explicit titles

arstechnica.com Unknown 2025-07-28 16:40:54

Indie game clearinghouse itch.io is the latest online gaming storefront to take action to remove or limit the availability of some adult content, bowing to pressure from payment processors spurred by an Australian grassroots group's campaign against certain sexualized content. Wednesday night, itch.io creators and users began noticing that many adult-oriented games and content were no longer appearing in search results on the platform. Other creators reported that their adult-focused titles had

Topics: content games io itch payment

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No, of Course You Can’t Actually Play the New Lego Game Boy

wired.com Verity Burns 2025-07-28 13:31:18

Back in January, as the world awaited news on the Switch 2, Lego jumped in and teased a collaboration with Nintendo that would bring the classic Game Boy console back to life in brick form. Now it’s here—and it looks even better than we expected. But the promo video for launch has caused a fair bit of confusion as to whether you can actually play it. The video is a remake of part of the original Game Boy commercial from 1989. As the included brick-built game cartridges are placed into the GameP

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The biggest changes coming to your iPhone with iOS 26

theverge.com Jay Peters 2025-07-28 16:17:44

is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Apple recently announced iOS 26, the next major software update for iPhones, and it’s packed with a whole bunch of new features. The biggest change is a new design, but there are lots of smaller improvements and additions as well that could make a difference in how you use your iPhone every day. If you want to kick the tires before the update’s wider release this fall, you ca

Topics: apple games ios new verge

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Hacker sneaks infostealer malware into early access Steam game

bleepingcomputer.com Unknown 2025-07-28 20:49:47

A threat actor called EncryptHub has compromised a game on Steam to distribute info-stealing malware to unsuspecting users downloading the title. A few days ago, the hacker (also tracked as Larva-208), injected malicious binaries into the Chemia game files hosted on Steam. Chemia is a survival crafting game from developer ‘Aether Forge Studios,’ which is currently offered as early access on Steam but has no public release date. Chemia on Steam Source: BleepingComputer titled Chemia , also t

Topics: chemia encrypthub game malware steam

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How Samsung's Galaxy AI Boosts Gaming Performance

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-28 16:39:00

You're just one swipe from clearing the final round or beating your personal best in the game you've been grinding through for the past three months. But at the pivotal moment, the frame stutters and a push alert hijacks your screen. Just like that, your six-month streak ends -- not with a bang or a whimper, but with a cheerful notification chime about your upcoming dental appointment. Mobile gaming has become serious business, and smartphones are now expected to perform like full-fledged gamin

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Killing Floor 3 Review: Two Bloody Steps Forward, One Step Back

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-28 17:00:00

Killing Floor 3 is a case study in contradictions, positively iterating on the best aspects from the series' past while introducing confusing features that would make more sense in another game. Put simply, the new changes make Killing Floor 3 a AA-feeling horde shooter with a battle pass. It's a pick-up-and-play arcade game with a loadout system. But most bafflingly of all, the game introduces a complex, grindy weapon modding system even though there's a rather limited arsenal to stuff all tho

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The Best Co-op Games to Play With Your Friends in Every Scenario

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-28 19:01:00

Despite how gaming has changed over the years, one thing remains the same -- people love playing games together. Whether you're solving a puzzle, hunting monsters or escaping Hell, it's better with a friend (or three). It should come as no surprise that games like Split Fiction and It Takes Two from Hazelight Studios, which focus on cooperative play, were critical successes. Some of my best memories are marathon gaming sessions with friends, squished together on a couch or logging in online fro

Topics: friends game games op players

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No, of Course You Can't Actually Play the New Lego Game Boy

wired.com Verity Burns 2025-07-28 23:31:18

Back in January, as the world awaited news on the Switch 2, Lego jumped in and teased a collaboration with Nintendo that would bring the classic Game Boy console back to life in brick form. Now it’s here—and it looks even better than we expected. But, the promo video for launch has caused a fair bit of confusion as to whether you can actually play it. The video is a remake of part of the original Game Boy commercial from 1989. As the included brick-built game cartridges are placed into the Game

Topics: boy game play playable video

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Spotify takes a swing at gaming with a mini golf game ahead of ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ release

techcrunch.com Lauren Forristal 2025-07-29 00:33:35

Netflix and Spotify have teamed up to launch a golf-inspired game as a way to promote “Happy Gilmore 2,” the sequel to Adam Sandler’s 1996 comedy film, which premieres on Netflix this Friday, July 25. This partnership represents a new venture for Spotify, as the music platform has never teamed up with another company to create a gaming experience within its app before. Gaming is an area Spotify has largely overlooked, so working with the streaming giant is notable, even if only for a promotion

Topics: disrupt experience game happy spotify

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Donkey Kong Bananza review: Nintendo's latest 3D platformer is an instant classic

engadget.com Unknown 2025-07-29 04:15:48

The best Nintendo games do two things. The first is introducing a delightful gaming mechanic — take Ultrahand in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey for some recent examples. The second is building a world around that mechanic for players to explore. Obviously games are more than one specific tool, and building a compelling game around a good mechanic is no small task. But when it all comes together, look out. You’ve got a game that people will remember for

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Lego’s Game Boy Model Is Pocket-Sized Perfection

gizmodo.com James Whitbrook 2025-07-29 04:30:20

We got you an early sneak peek at just one of Lego’s new reveals for San Diego Comic-Con last night, but the brickmaker took to the convention floor to kick off SDCC 2025 in style with even more reveals. There’s a lot to love, but the absolute highlight is the nostalgic joy of the company’s new brick-built Game Boy. Alongside the new Stranger Things BrickHeadz collection (check out all those details here!), Lego came to SDCC with three major new product sets: the first is its previously teased

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Lego's Comic-Con 2025: Game Boy, Stranger Things, Wicked and Batman Sets Debut

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-29 01:20:00

Cue your oohs and aahs, because Lego is giving fans a first look at its San Diego Comic-Con showstoppers that starts today. When visitors step into the Lego booth, they'll find a brick-built model of the convention floor, along with sneak peeks at new Lego-fied products for Wicked, Stranger Things, DC's Batman and the Nintendo Game Boy. The toy giant dropped the news just ahead of the four-day event. Universal and Lego collaborated on six releases inspired by Wicked: For Good, and while the new

Topics: ahead fans game lego set

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I Couldn't Stop Shooting Zombies in Killing Floor 3, but It's Two Bloody Steps Forward, One Step Back

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-29 03:00:00

Killing Floor 3 is a case study in contradictions, positively iterating on the best aspects from the series' past while introducing confusing features that would make more sense in another game. Put simply, the new changes make Killing Floor 3 a AA-feeling horde shooter with a battle pass. It's a pick-up-and-play arcade game with a loadout system. But most bafflingly of all, the game introduces a complex, grindy weapon modding system even though there's a rather limited arsenal to stuff all tho

Topics: floor game killing new series

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Indiegogo is getting acquired by Gamefound, a board game crowdfunding company

theverge.com Jay Peters 2025-07-29 04:00:00

is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Indiegogo is being acquired by the board game crowdfunding platform Gamefound, which plans on “integrating Indiegogo’s global community of 38 million members with Gamefound’s state-of-the-art crowdfunding technology,” the companies announced this morning. Gamefound has built “the best tech in crowdfunding, hands down,” Indiegogo CEO Julie dePontbriand tells The Verge. “By joi

Topics: ceo depontbriand gamefound indiegogo tabletop

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Itch.io is removing NSFW games to comply with payment processors' rules

engadget.com Unknown 2025-07-29 08:30:45

Itch.io has deindexed and hidden all adult games from its browse and search pages to make sure it doesn't lose the ability to sell with the payment processors it uses. The gaming marketplace, which mainly hosts titles from indie developers, has admitted in an announcement that it wasn't able to give creators advance notice. It "had to act urgently to protect the platform’s core payment infrastructure," it said, because the "situation developed rapidly." The website explained that it recently ca

Topics: games io itch payment processors

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Lego's Game Boy set is here, sadly not playable

engadget.com Unknown 2025-07-29 12:21:38

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . After teasing it earlier this year, Lego has unveiled its Game Boy set. The 421-piece model is a "brick-built replica of the original Game Boy" and has buttons you can press, including the +Control Pad, A and B buttons and Select and Start — though you can't play games on it, obviously

Topics: boy game lego nintendo set

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There's No Way a Controller This Good Should Be So Affordable

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-07-29 11:00:17

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. GameSir Super Nova Multiplatform Controller $50 at Amazon Pros Solid hardware Lots of customization Plenty of pro features Mappable buttons Affordable Cons Mobile app is limited PC app UI needs work No Xbox support I've used a lot of GameSir products over the years, and it's gotten to the point where I'm never sure what to expect when they send a new

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Latest Tech News

Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

Remembering Descent, the once-popular, fully 3D 6DOF shooter

Netflix Launches a Surprise 'Happy Gilmore' Game Alongside the New Film

Games Look Bad: HDR and Tone Mapping (2017)

Steam, Itch.io are pulling 'porn' games. critics say it's a slippery slope

Netflix’s push into tie-in games now includes two weird Happy Gilmore titles

Steam, Itch.io Are Pulling 'Porn' Games. Critics Say It's a Slippery Slope

Games Look Bad: HDR and Tone Mapping

Apple TV+: MLS commissioner shares confusing Season Pass viewership numbers

Steam and Itch.io Are Pulling ‘Porn’ Games. Critics Say It’s a Slippery Slope to More Censorship

Apple’s New Game Overlay in macOS 26 Could be So Much More

The Outer Worlds 2 Walks Back $80 Price, Now Launching at $70

I Tried iOS 26 for a Month. These 3 Features Stand Out Most

Once a relative haven for adult games, itch.io begins removing explicit titles

No, of Course You Can’t Actually Play the New Lego Game Boy

The biggest changes coming to your iPhone with iOS 26

Hacker sneaks infostealer malware into early access Steam game

How Samsung's Galaxy AI Boosts Gaming Performance

Killing Floor 3 Review: Two Bloody Steps Forward, One Step Back

The Best Co-op Games to Play With Your Friends in Every Scenario

No, of Course You Can't Actually Play the New Lego Game Boy

Spotify takes a swing at gaming with a mini golf game ahead of ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ release

Donkey Kong Bananza review: Nintendo's latest 3D platformer is an instant classic

Lego’s Game Boy Model Is Pocket-Sized Perfection

Lego's Comic-Con 2025: Game Boy, Stranger Things, Wicked and Batman Sets Debut

I Couldn't Stop Shooting Zombies in Killing Floor 3, but It's Two Bloody Steps Forward, One Step Back

Indiegogo is getting acquired by Gamefound, a board game crowdfunding company

Itch.io is removing NSFW games to comply with payment processors' rules

Lego's Game Boy set is here, sadly not playable

There's No Way a Controller This Good Should Be So Affordable

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