Blog/Videos

Video Games Articles

video games lawyer
ESIC Bans Counter-Strike Coaches in Cheating Probe
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has issued sanctions against 37 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) coaches, banning them from tournament play for five to 36 months. According to the announcement, the coaches exploited a bug in CS:GO’s spectator mode that allowed them to see other players’ locations. While ESIC’s investigation has only recently begun, some non-ESIC…

video games lawyer
EA Takes Heat for Advertising FIFA Loot Boxes in Kids’ Catalog
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

Some gamers and parents were distressed to find an EA advertisement for FIFA loot boxes in a UK toy catalog. The advert was placed in an in-store catalog for Smyths Toys and encouraged players to “Use FIFA points to open [Player] Packs” in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), a popular in-game mode. FUT allows players to…

video games lawyer
Epic, Apple Want Judge to Decide Case
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

In a surprising development, Apple and Epic Games have together declined Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Brown’s suggestion that the Fortnite case be decided by a jury. The parties apparently disagreed with the judge’s statement that “individual judges [don’t] have the be-all and end-all here,” and want her to decide both the facts and merits of Epic’s…

video games lawyer
Monday’s Hearing May Foreshadow Epic v. Apple Outcome
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

Monday’s hearing in the ongoing battle of Epic Games v. Apple gives the court a second opportunity to consider Apple’s request to block App Store access to Epic’s Unreal Engine and Epic’s as-yet-unfulfilled plea to force Apple to reinstate Fortnite to the App Store. There is little reason to believe Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will…

video games lawyer
Risks, Issues, and Concerns Related to Digital Ownership
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

The increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies and blockchain has created a virtual Wild West within the digital economy. While many view the rise of cryptocurrencies as a digital-money revolution, regulators and lawyers are scrambling to bring legal order to the blockchain frontier. Cryptocurrencies promise to transform the way people view money, transact business, invest in their…

video games lawyer
Microsoft Buys Bethesda in Massive Deal Worth $7.5 Billion
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

In one of the biggest gaming acquisitions of all time, Microsoft is acquiring ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent company, for $7.5 billion. Bethesda is the studio behind several of gaming’s best-selling franchises, including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, and Doom. The Fallout series has sold over 33 million units and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim alone…

video games lawyer
Sony Announces PlayStation 5 Release Date and Prices
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

On Wednesday, Sony announced that both models of its PlayStation 5 (PS5) will launch in North America on November 12. The standard edition will retail for $499.99, while the all-digital version will be priced at $399.99. The announcement came at the end of a 40-minute video presentation that revealed trailers for several PS5 launch titles.…

video games lawyer
Apple Countersues “Cold-Blooded” Epic Games
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

In the latest development in the Epic Games v. Apple battle, Apple has slapped Epic with a counterclaim. Apple is now suing Epic for its “open, admitted, and deliberate breach of its contractual obligations and the cold-blooded launch of its ‘hotfix’” – meaning, Epic’s circumvention of Apple’s In-App Purchase feature. In the counterclaim, Apple dramatically…

video games lawyer
Judge Issues Split-Decision in Latest Round of Epic v. Apple
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:
0

Epic has filed another motion for a preliminary injunction requesting that Fortnite be placed back on the App Store and that its developer account be reinstated. The motion, filed September 4, is the latest development in Epic’s struggle to end what it views as Apple’s anticompetitive behavior and exorbitant commission structure. In the filing, Epic…