The year 2023 did not have a happy ending for the Sony PlayStation manufacturer. In December 2023, Autorité de la Concurrence, the French antithrust body, imposed a fine of 13.5 million Euros for abusing its power to hurt the reputation of third-party PlayStation controller manufacturers. According to the claims, Sony pushed a software update in November 2015, which resulted in the third-party controllers' regular disconnections. 

Apart from pushing the software update, Sony is said to have abused its power by not allowing manufacturers to access Sony's Open License Program and refusing to communicate with interested applicants. After investigating the case, the French regulator fined Sony's parent company and three subsidiaries. 

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Sony is Negatively Impacting Third-Party PlayStation Controllers, Fined 13.5 Million Euros 

The French regulators, Autorité de la Concurrence, said Sony decided to tackle the counterfeiting problem by pushing a software update on the PlayStation 4 in November 2015. After the update, the unlicensed PS4 controllers or the third-party controllers faced regular discontinuation, disrupting the PS4 controller market and helping Sony hold the market's monopoly. According to Autorité de la Concurrence, Sony's move was "detrimental" and "caused harm" to the third-party controller manufacturers, resulting in a negative brand image for them.

Amidst the connection issues, manufacturers only hoped to enter Sony's Open License Program to gain an official PlayStation license over the controllers. Sony seemed to have abused its power by refusing to communicate the program access criteria with the interested manufacturers and not allowing them to enter their program. Additionally, Sony impeded its rival companies from joining the PlayStation's licensing program. "Sony applied the criteria in a discretionary manner, even though access to the program was the only way to avoid disconnections," the French Authority stated in their announcement.

According to Autorité de la Concurrence (via TheGamer):

The Authority notes that by refusing to communicate to manufacturers who requested them the criteria for access to the OLP program, Sony was able to apply them in a discretionary manner, even though access to the latter was the only means of [avoiding] disconnections.

Due to Sony's infraction, the PlayStation controller market was highly disrupted, and the brand image of the third-party controller manufacturers was tarnished. After abusing its powers, Sony ruled the market with its heavily priced first-party controllers. The French Authority has fined the parent company alongside three of its subsidiaries.

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited
• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. K.K 
• Sony Interactive Entertainment France
• Sony Group Corporation

After the French Authority's announcement, Sony has not commented on the Autorité de la Concurrence's findings and the 13.5 million Euros fine. 

Activision Blizzard has confirmed that Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Open Beta was the biggest in the franchise's history through an official X post. The Black Ops 6 Open Beta ended with a massive positive response from gamers, as it showcased various new additions coming to the franchise, including the new movement and human shield features, which were used by players during the beta session.

According to the X post by Activision Blizzard, the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Open Beta was on top in terms of total players compared to all the past Beta Sessions, alongside maintaining the same ranking in total hours played, playtime per player, and most matches played.

Also read: Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Live Action Trailer Revealed

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Open Beta Beats Records in Total Players

Treyarch and Raven Software delivered an extremely satisfying experience to gamers with the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Open Beta last week. Moreover, after the tepid fan response from recent COD titles such as Modern Warfare 3, fans are desperately looking for a refreshing Call of Duty experience from the developers.

It seems the Black Ops 6 Open Beta did exactly that, offering fans new game modes, weapons, a fluid movement style, and a decent campaign to look forward to. The Open Beta lets players enjoy the latest 'omnidirectional movement', where one can sprint, dive, and slide in any direction they desire. This movement style is the newest addition to the franchise, as the previous COD games only focused more on fast and responsive movement towards a singular direction, when in action.

Various fans and content creators have also confirmed that this movement style makes the gameplay much more special and allows for creative moments in intense situations. With the Open Beta over, Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is also ready to bring a brand new campaign set in the early 1990s. Fans can enjoy the story mode with the official release on October 25, 2024. Activision has described the campaign to be a "dynamic and intense spy thriller", highlighting the iconic Black Ops theme from the previous games. Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Moreover, gamers can also catch the game on day one through the PC Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate.

BGMI is one of the most popular battle royale games in the country. Adding to its popularity are the ample in-game cosmetics, which include gun skins, car skins and costumes. Recently, Krafton has been adding a variety of voice packs of popular BGMI content creators and athletes. All of these can be purchased with the help of the in-game currency, Unknown Cash (UC). Here are all the ways that you can buy UC in BGMI. 

Also Read: How to Buy UC in BGMI? All Methods Explored

How to Buy UC in BGMI with Extra Bonus?

There are multiple ways of buying UC in BGMI. The most common way of purchasing UC is through the game. All you have to do is go to the app, select the UC pack you wish to purchase and then proceed to make payments. If you buy UC from your Android device, this is how much you will have to pay: 

However, if you use an iOS device, your UC will cost: 

Additionally, if the players are looking for some lucrative offers, then they will have to try buying UC from trusted third party apps like the Rooter Shop or Uni Pin. Apps like the Rooter Shop will send the UC directly to your account if you purchase from them. What is more interesting is that you will get a lot of lucrative offers, which include bonuses that are not available in the game. In addition to this, you can also avail more discounts through the app if there is a promotion going on. The Uni Pin app works in the same way. Here are all the things you can buy from UC in BGMI: 

• Outfits
• Treasures
• Parachute skins
• Emotes
• Accessories
• Gun skins
• Vehicle skins

Once you have purchased UC, you can spend it on buying anything in the game. 

Sony officially revealed the PlayStation 5 Pro at their Technical Presentation today. The PlayStation maker did not hold back on their latest console, as the PS5 Pro offers a significant upgrade over the regular console from 2020, and in major ways. The PlayStation 5 Pro advances the console gaming technology with a colossal GPU upgrade, new Ray Tracing improvements, and new AI-driven models to impact video game visuals. Gamers can also achieve a much smoother experience in terms of FPS, as showcased by Mark Cerny, at the PS5 Pro Technical Presentation.

Also read: Sony To Reportedly Launch PlayStation 5 Pro Version In 2024

When is the PlayStation 5 Pro Releasing?

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The PlayStation 5 Pro will be available on November 7, 2024, priced at $699. the console will only come with the adapters, and Dual Shock Controller, as the vertical stand will be sold separately. While the PS5 Pro seems like a considerably expensive option for a console, Sony has promised to deliver a significant upgrade over the previous generations of PlayStations.

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PlayStation 5 Pro Specs

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As the PS5 Pro Technical Presentation concluded, fans have been wondering what will the new console bring hardware-wise. The PS5 Pro specification list includes the 'Big Three', as told by Mark Cerny at the presentation. These include a 45% faster RDNA GPU in the new console, which offers 67% more Compute Units, and 12% faster RAM compared to the regular PlayStation 5. Additionally, the PS5 Pro comes with Advanced Ray Tracing, calculating complex geometric rays at double and triple rates compared to previous hardware.

Lastly, a custom hardware addition has been made to the Pro version of the PlayStation 5 console called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which boosts visuals with AI-driven upscaling, while also maintaining solid framerates across resource-heavy titles. According to Sony, The PS5 Pro is easily the most powerful console they have ever made and is a "worthy addition" to the PlayStation family.

Some of the best games that can take advantage of the powerful PS5 Pro technology include Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Final Fantasy XVI, Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us Part II, Demon Souls Remake, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Ghost of Tsushima, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, and Alan Wake 2. The PS5 Pro claims to hold up solid 60 frames per second across all the titles while offering groundbreaking visuals with its Ray Tracing and AI technology. With the official release only a few months away, fans are excited to see what Sony brings to the table.

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Renowned industry leader in the gaming sector, NODWIN Gaming is bringing DreamHack India and Hyderabad Comic Con this year, in November. The organization has announced this in collaboration with Insider, as the country's largest pop culture celebration is set to take place on November 15, 2024, and will conclude on November 17.

NODWIN Gaming acquired Comic Con India earlier this year, promising a massive gathering where fans can indulge in various events and discuss pop culture, as the event spreads its wings across multiple domains such as movies, anime, TV Shows, video games, and much more.

Also read: NODWIN Gaming Acquires Middle East And Turkey-Based Company Ninja Global FZCO

NODWIN Gaming Set to Bring Dream Hack India and Comic Con Soon

NODWIN Gaming's Comic Con events will be held in five cities and will cater to a huge audience of pop culture enthusiasts. The event is often seen as a comfortable space for fans to interact with like-minded individuals. Aside from the display of the pop-culture theme, one can also spot activities such as cosplay competitions, merchandise, and more interactive experiences.

Alongside the return of the Hyderabad Comic Con (HCC), the DreamHack is also making its addition to the event this year. The DreamHack premier gaming event is celebrating its 5th anniversary, adding new elements to the Comic Con. DreamHack India is popular for its fascinating LAN tournaments across various esports competitive games such as Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. Additionally, it is also known for hosting events, tech expos, and meet-and-greets. Combining the Hyderabad Comic Con with DreamHack, occupants of the venue are looking at an electrifying experience where they get to experience the joy of two separate events at once. DreamHack x Hyderabad Comic Con promises the youth a colossal event this year, following a three-day format that will incorporate various opportunities for fans to explore the pop culture world, in a much interactive fashion.

The gameplay trailer of FAU: G- Domination went live at the FAU-G: Domination World Premiere Event and the pre-registration of the made-in-India game is also going on right now. The Prime Minister had urged the gaming industry to develop a world-class game, and FAU: G- Domination was nCore and Nazara's answer. The game's trailer showcases all the different maps of the game and all the weapons. 

Not just that, the trailer also shows multiple locations and firefights to show the kind of experience Dot9 and nCore Games want to give to their audience. 

Also Read: FAU-G: Domination Pre Registration is Live Now

FAU-G: Domination: Everything You Need To Know Before Launch

The game has been dedicated to Bharat Ke Veer, under the mentorship of actor Akshay Kumar. Furthermore, to extend their support to families of India’s Armed Forces Martyrs, Nazara will donate Rs. 25,00,000 to Bharat Ke Veer. Additionally, the game will showcase specific cosmetic items such as badges, of which 100 per cent of the proceeds will be given to Bharat Ke Veer. 

To make the gaming audience aware of the game, Nazara Publishing has decided to partner with many gaming influencers and give attractive pre-registration bonuses. Talking about the game, Nitish Mittersain, Founder and CEO of Nazara Technologies said: 

We’re delighted to finally showcase FAU-G: Domination and open pre-registrations for the game after a period of public testing that verified what we knew — FAU-G: Domination can address the demand of Indian gamers for locally relevant content. We can’t wait to share more with you on the road to release through our marketing initiatives.

The game goes beyond the realm of just being a genre and aims to raise awareness about India’s defence and military power. For that, NIBE Limited — India’s leading defence manufacturer is acting as the Defence Subject Matter Expert for FAU-G: Domination. Talking about it, Ganesh Nibe, Chairman and Managing Director, NIBE Group said: 

We’re proud to contribute to FAU-G: Domination towards bringing a true-to-life representation of India’s defence efforts to the widest possible audience. The next-generation of the nation are digital natives and FAU-G: Domination gives us a platform to showcase what keeps India safe and secure.

Pre-registration for the game is live right now and the ones who have pre-registered for the event will get attractive rewards like the Beast Collection, which includes a frame, banner, avatar, sticker, spray, and charm, as well as six gun skins: sawed-off shotgun, USP, Scout rifle, M4, Uzi, and Kabar.