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Press Start: The dearly departed

By Owen S. Good

The past week seemed to be about the things that aren’t there: Konami finally confirmed Silent Hills was scrapped, which made the publisher’s voluntary de-listing from the New York Stock Exchange more significant than it would seem on its own. Valve quickly walked back a program of paid mods in the Steam Workshop after a storm of grass-roots dissent, though the idea still has advocates. Heck, even MLB 15 The Show made news with nothing — by recreating the bizarre, empty-stadium game the Baltimore Orioles played in real life on Wednesday (pictured above).

Below you will find some of the week's must-read stories, a mix of original reporting and long reads. Welcome to Press Start, a recap of the week in games and gaming culture to get you ready for the one ahead.

Last Week in Five Stories




  1. Valve kills paid mods on Steam, will refund Skyrim mod buyers

    Just a few days after launching paid mods on Steam through the Skyrim Workshop, Valve is removing the payment option, citing customer feedback. Valve says it will refund Steam users who purchased a Skyrim mod on Steam.

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  2. Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

    The Avengers: Age of Ultron may be the first of Marvel's "Cinematic Universe" to bend under future obligations. Age of Ultron is nearly impossible not to appreciate in the moment. It's big, sprawling, excellently choreographed, human where it needs to be.

    avengers thumb press start




  3. A Saudi prince is using video games to fuel an intellectual renaissance in the Middle East

    Terrorist, cartoon stereotype, evil oppressive dictator. It's through those lenses that much of the non-Arab world sees the population of the Middle East. And it was this realization, this moment of clarity about how the world might view his culture, that led Prince Fahad Al Saud to try and play a part in disrupting that singular, often incorrect trope

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  4. The intimate particulars of Kitty Powers

    Rich Franke is a game developer with an impressive resume that includes Burnout Paradise, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit and Tearaway. He is also drag alter-ego Kitty Powers, who is the focus of his first independent game, a charming, funny and engaging dating sim called Kitty Powers' Matchmaker.





  5. Indie Developer Science Fair

    A celebration of games industry creativity with 11 projects from Heart Machine, Drinkbox Studios, Double Fine and more.

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The Latest

When does Apex Legends’ Sun Squad Collection Event start?

By Johnny Yu
/ new

Filed under:

Pokémon Go Giovanni counters, team line-up in late March 2023

By Julia Lee and Matthew Reynolds
/ new

Filed under:

Pokémon Go leader counters for Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff in late March 2023

By Julia Lee and Matthew Reynolds
/ new

Pokémon Go ‘From the Shadows’ Special Research quest steps, rewards

By Matthew Reynolds
/ new

John Wick 4 director remembers the ‘magic’ of Lance Reddick on set: ‘literally infectious’

By Tasha Robinson
/ new

Keanu Reeves ‘believes he is John Wick while making John Wick’

By Tasha Robinson and Austen Goslin
/ new

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