Several video games industry associations have reacted to the news that the USA’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are planning to investigate loot boxes over concerns about potential impact on children. America’s Entertainment Software Association (ESA), whose duties include running the E3 games show, have repeated their stance that loot boxes “can enhance the experience” and aren’t gambling and they’re fine okay just leave it. The International Game Developers Association (IGDA), on the other hand, have said it’s time for the industry to step up and self-regulate before more governments follow Belgium and restrict loot boxes by law.

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Several government bodies around the world are continuing to eye loot boxes with suspicion, with yesterday alone bringing news that the USA’s Federal Trade Commission is investigating them and an Australian Senate committee has concluded that the government should take a closer look. No, neither of those steps is close to sparking actual industry-wide changes to exploitative loot boxes, but it’s potentially laying groundwork for legislation to build upon. Or they’ll decide all’s fine. The uncertain promise of the future…!

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Is… is it over yet? Are the Black Friday and Cyber Monday PC gaming deals finally finished? Just a couple more hours to go now, you can do it deals herald, you can get through this. You’ve got a week and a half holiday coming up soon, just get through the afternoon and then you can go and lie in a dark room and not dream about Cyber Monday graphics card deals you might have missed for the seventh night running.

Ahem. Sorry, I don’t know what came over me there. Probably the Cyber Monday PC gaming deals fatigue settling in, or the Black Friday fever dream I seem to have been living this past fortnight. But your deals herald is stronger than that. Nay, THE DEALER is stronger than that, and with a renewed sense of vigor that may in fact be frenzied despair, I thus present to you the final monolithic installment of our Black Friday and Cyber Monday PC deals bonanza. Gone are the deals swept away by the ever-grabbing hands of internet shoppers. All that’s left is the best of the best that are still up for grabs, from graphics cards and monitors to SSDs, gaming headsets, CPUs and mice and keyboards and more. If you’ve yet to do your Cyber Monday shopping, act fast, as these PC gaming deals won’t be around for long.

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Beep boop. I am the SteamChartBot, and welcome to the CYBERCHARTS. They’re like the regular charts, but they have the word “CYBER” shouted at the start, and that makes them really bloody cool.

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I’m sure everyone’s feeling a bit of Black Friday fatigue by now (trust me, I want this all to be over just as much as you do), but in the interests of those after that one, last, final deal to end all deals, I present to you our newly refreshed Black Friday and Cyber Monday PC gaming deals hub. I’ve cleared away all the deals that have been swept into oblivion by the almighty wave of discount-grabbers, leaving you with the best of the best PC gaming deals that are still available. Whether you’re after a new graphics card, monitor, SSD, gaming headset or even a new CPU, mouse and keyboard, your deals herald will provide. Here are all the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday PC gaming deals you can grab right now.

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Great Britain’s Gambling Commission did not call loot boxes gambling or a gateway to gambling in a new report, the body have stressed after some media coverage of it claimed that they did. Their ‘Young People & Gambling 2018’ report, based on a survey of young’uns aged 11-16 “to explore gambling behaviour among young people in Great Britain”, did repeat the body’s stance that betting using in-game items (‘skin gambling’, the ever-disappointing name is) can be illegal gambling. However, the only mentions of loot boxes was in cautious questions around “gambling-style games”.

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Valve have replaced another plank on the ship of Theseus that is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, this time ripping out ye olde FBI player models from 2012 to slip in some shiny new ones. These stinkin’ rat feds are now wearing blue FBI windbreakers over blue jeans, changing out of their drab olive assault team gear into something comfy which reflects the classic look of agents off the telly. Last night’s update also enabled the new MP5-SD in Competitive Matchmaking, making it officially in the game proper. Oh, and an important development: they’ve enabled standing on teamies’ heads in Casual modes.

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Multiplayer games are the best type of games, because they’re built around the most interesting components known to humans: humans. Men, women, and an awful lot of children.

Internet strangers aren’t always the friendliest bunch, but they can surprise you in ways that a static system can’t. People form the living, beating hearts of the gaming moments I value the most. Join me, then, as I point at the games that encase those beating hearts best. (more…)

It s Halloween (month)! I don t know about you lovely lot, but there s nothing I find more spooky or chilling than charts detailing what the most popular video games are in a given week. That’s me, Fraser, filling in for John who is on holiday. A terrifying holiday, I bet.

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Daddy: Hey Toby, can I get your help with some work please?

Toby: OK, but they might be disappointed I’m a cat.

This week on Steam Charts, my three-year-old son tells us all about the top ten grossing games on Steam. (more…)