intellectual property

AppWizard
May 23, 2026
A recent poll revealed that 74% of respondents want a continuation of the Destiny saga in the form of Destiny 3, while 14% prefer a new intellectual property, 6% wish for Halo 7, 4% want a deeper commitment to Marathon, and 2% hope for a reboot of the RTS series Myth. However, reports indicate that Destiny 3 is not currently in active production due to budget constraints, and a release may not occur until the 2030s. The project known as Gummy Bears has been spun off into its own studio, limiting Bungie's immediate options for new franchises.
AppWizard
May 22, 2026
IO Interactive has decided to implement Denuvo Digital Rights Management (DRM) into the game 007 First Light just days before its launch, leading to significant discontent among potential players who have expressed their frustrations on Steam and initiated refund requests. Players criticize Denuvo for its impact on game performance and restrictions on PC users, with many stating they will not purchase the game at launch as a result. Denuvo has faced scrutiny for its effectiveness, as many games have been cracked despite its use. The likelihood of IO Interactive reversing its decision to include Denuvo seems low, reflecting a trend among game publishers prioritizing anti-piracy measures over consumer satisfaction.
TrendTechie
May 20, 2026
The Moscow City Court has ruled against the unauthorized distribution of nearly one hundred Soviet films, following a request from Mosfilm. The ruling targets the torrent tracker torrentino.com, and Mosfilm has 15 days to file a formal lawsuit for a permanent ban on the pirated content. If they do not file, the temporary protective measures will be lifted. The affected films include 94 titles, such as "War and Peace," "The Irony of Fate," and "Solaris." This action follows a prior ruling that blocked access to four Soviet films on rutor.org.
AppWizard
May 20, 2026
Lords of the Fallen 2, the third installment in the series, is progressing towards a tentative launch in 2026 after a gameplay showcase at The Game Awards 2025. CI Games has concluded its multi-year exclusivity agreement with Epic Games, allowing the game to potentially launch on Steam while maintaining collaboration with Epic for Unreal Engine and other services. The exclusivity termination is described as "conditional in nature." The console versions will remain unaffected by these changes. The game has sparked discussions due to comments from CI Games' CEO about "political correctness" and the introduction of more revealing armor sets for female characters. Eurogamer's review of the rebooted Lords of the Fallen rated it two stars, noting it as "a perfectly acceptable Soulslike" but critiquing it for "Soulslike clichés and performance woes."
AppWizard
May 19, 2026
Valve updated Steam's tagging system on May 18th, removing 28 outdated tags, introducing 17 new ones, and adjusting existing categories. The new tags include Bullet Heaven, Desktop Companion, Organizing, Cleaning, Decorating, Wuxia, Xianxia, Falling Blocks, Espionage, Samurai, Zoo, Wolves, Capybaras, Animals, Cult, Poker, and Language Learning. The retired tags include 3D Vision, Ambient, America, Blood, Crowdfunded, Cult Classic, Documentary, Drama, Dungeons & Dragons, Electronic, Experience, Feature Film, Foreign, GameMaker, Games Workshop, Illuminati, Kickstarter, LEGO, Masterpiece, Mature, Movie, Narration, NSFW, Roguevania, RPGMaker, Warhammer 40K, Web Publishing, and Well-Written. Existing tags like Clicker and Conversation were rebranded to Incremental and Dialogue Heavy, respectively. The updates aim to improve user navigation and reflect current gaming trends.
AppWizard
May 15, 2026
Netmarble has released Game of Thrones: Kingsroad for PC, featuring an open-world rendition of Westeros and three classes: Knight, Sellsword, and Assassin. The game became available on May 14, 2026, through platforms like the Netmarble Launcher, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. To celebrate the launch, Netmarble is hosting four events with rewards including a Rare Wildling Outfit and a Legendary Artifact Box. A mobile version of the game is set to launch on May 21, 2026. The game is officially licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on behalf of HBO.
AppWizard
May 12, 2026
An unencrypted build of Forza Horizon 6 has leaked ahead of its May 19 launch for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. Playground Games has warned PC users that accessing this version could result in 'franchise-wide and hardware bans.' The leak is believed to be linked to a reviewer or someone with early access to the game.
AppWizard
May 12, 2026
Forza Horizon 6 has leaked in its entirety on Steam, allowing unauthorized access due to a lack of encryption. Playground Games stated that the leak was not a preload issue but likely orchestrated by someone with early access, such as a reviewer. SteamDB confirmed that the leak was facilitated by an individual with privileged access and clarified that they did not distribute keys or facilitate downloads. In response, Playground Games issued bans against players using pirated copies, emphasizing the seriousness of the breach. The official launch of Forza Horizon 6 is scheduled for May 19.
AppWizard
May 11, 2026
Shift Up has announced plans for the sequel to Stellar Blade, with new information expected to be revealed within the year. The sequel is set to launch before 2027 and aims for a simultaneous release on PC and console platforms, as Shift Up is bringing publication in-house to avoid previous exclusivity issues with Sony. Development of Stellar Blade 2 is reportedly progressing smoothly, meeting targeted quality standards. Additionally, Shift Up is working on a new intellectual property called Project Spirits, which is also progressing well, with more details expected by the end of the year.
Winsage
May 6, 2026
Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI has shifted from an exclusive agreement to a non-exclusive one, allowing OpenAI to offer its products on various cloud platforms while Microsoft remains its primary cloud partner. Microsoft is facing potential challenges, including its worst quarterly performance since 2008 and internal sales cuts due to low interest in its AI offerings. Despite this, CEO Satya Nadella reported that Microsoft 365 Copilot has reached 20 million paid enterprise seats, with user engagement increasing. However, there are concerns about the willingness of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 users to pay for Copilot. The non-exclusive agreement may weaken Microsoft's competitive edge, as OpenAI can now license its models to competitors. Microsoft is developing its own in-house AI models and has made leadership changes within its Copilot division to secure its position in the AI market. The future of Copilot in Windows 11 remains uncertain, but Microsoft continues to innovate with AI features across its platforms.
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