– From the Sunny Shores of Hawaii to the Marble Steps of the US Capital, Loot Boxes Stir Controversy

From humble beginnings in the State of Hawaii, the issue of “gambling” in games has crossed the nation all the way to the steps of the US Capitol Building. One US Senator from New Hampshire is already questioning the ESRB and the Federal Trade Commission about what needs to be done to curb gambling in gaming. Senator Maggie Hassan spoke with FTC members about the department’s stance on loot boxes as a mechanic that could lead to deeper addiction in other areas.

– Tencent & Four Other Investors Bring $131.6M to Kakao’s Coffers

Kakao has received a huge influx of investment dollars thanks to five companies providing over $130M in revenue. Subsidiaries of Tencent will contribute 50B Won each as will South Korea’s Netmarble. Actozsoft will provide an additional 20B Won, Bluehole Studio and Premier Growth-M&A PEF will each add 10B Won bringing the sum total to 140B Won or $135.6M USD.

Crowfall – Growing the Murder

Crowfall development pace continues to increase as the game pushes boldly into 2018. Red Thomas makes a trip to the team’s studio to find out what fans can expect on the immediate horizon, and is granted an unexpected treat.

Sea of Thieves – ‘Scale Tests’ to Set Sail This Weekend – If You Played Beta, You Can Play Again

If you are a previous beta tester for Sea of Thieves, you’ll be able to take part in another weekend’s game play when Rare conducts “scale tests”. Another will be scheduled prior to the game’s launch After the initial beta event, the team has been working on better network optimization to ensure it can handle a great number of players. The event takes place from Friday, February 16th and runs through Sunday, February 18th for beta testers on all platforms.

World of Warcraft – Chris Metzen Publishes Children’s Book Called ‘Snow Fight: A WarCraft Tale’

The World of Warcraft community site has just posted notification that a brand new book for kids authored by Chris Metzen, one of the most well-known (now former) Blizzard developers. Called “Snow Fight: A Warcraft Tale”, the book shows iconic WoW characters including Varian Wrynn, Thrall and Arthas as they play in the snow. The book’s lesson is one that takes on the negative impact of bullying.

Secret World Legends – Basics of the Agent System Revealed by Community Manager Andy Benditt

Funcom Community Manager Andy Benditt took to Facebook earlier this week to provide some of the first information about the Agent System that is coming to Secret World Legends. Using the system, players can find and recruit NPCs through the use of dossiers that provide useful information including a biography, stats and traits as well as “Agent Support Abilities. Each Agent has two passive abilities that can provide a buff to players who can “equip” up to three agents at a time.

– What Would a Star Wars Activision Game Look Like?

There have been rumors flying about Disney possibly pulling their contract with EA lately after much of the controversy with Star Wars Battlefront 2. The loot crate debacle continues to plague the game world and EA could be seeing a huge hit from one of their top franchises. So, let’s say for example, that Disney pulls their license from EA within the next year, what does that mean for Star Wars games?