Konami is developing a baseball video game in partnership with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) alongside an international esports competition.

Very little has been revealed about the game given the deal was just announced today, July 20, but the two companies said the new game "will allow the global baseball community, National Federations, and gamers worldwide to participate in a potential newly/jointly created WBSC esport international baseball competition."

It therefore appears the game will lean heavily into this competitive side, with Konami's representative director Hideki Hayakawa also describing it as a "global esports initiative".

He continued: "We wish to continue to support the development of the baseball and softball communities around the world through our games by utilizing our experiences in games and eSport."

The two companies also collaborated for a virtual baseball event last year that used Japanese-only game eBaseball: Powerful Pro Baseball 2020 to create events including a Home Run Derby and a full tournament.

"Following our partnership and immense success at the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series last year, the WBSC is proud to work with a video game publishing giant like Konami on this exciting new project, which has unlimited potential to further grow our sport and connect with audiences that we’ve not yet reached before," said WBSC president Riccardo Fraccari.

"The WBSC, together with Konami, aims to harness esport to expand the baseball population worldwide while adding another powerful tool for National Federations to attract and make our sport relevant to new audiences and players [and] gamers in their respective countries and territories.”

Konami's other premiere sports franchise, eFootball (previously Pro Evolution Soccer), has had a difficult few months since a pretty disastrous pre-release version was released last September. The development team attempted to "regain the trust" of players but even its major update in April failed to improve much, with IGN saying it was bad in our 4/10 review.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

House of the Dragon could be just the beginning for the Game of Thrones spin-off that follows the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, House of the Dragon co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik explained how the upcoming series could be the backbone for even more stories.

“The Targaryens span both directions,” said Sapochnik, refering to both the past and future of the family's timeline. “So as a spine to other possible stories and spinoffs … this is a great place to start.”

House of the Dragon is set two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones. Starring Paddy Considine and Emma D’Arcy, it chronicles the ultimate fall of House Targaryen, including the Targaryen civil war, also known as the Dance of the Dragons.

“I liked the idea of focusing on one family, and obviously the Targaryens have a lot of drama to go around,” said HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys. “I also liked the echo of how empires can quickly fall — those are the types of conversations we are having in our own country, which I don’t think is anything I would’ve thought we’d be talking about 20 years ago.”

It also happens to be the first Game of Thrones spin-off to head to our screens, with an earlier project canceled despite a $30 million pilot having been produced. Then there’s the upcoming Jon Snow series, which will presumably act as more of a sequel to the original series.

Three more spin-off shows are also in the works. 10,000 Ships will tell the story of Princess Nymeria, an ancestor of House Martell and founder of the kingdom of Dorne. This series is set a millennium before the events of Game of Thrones, making it even more of a history lesson than House of the Dragon.

Another spin-off show is set in Flea Bottom – the shady, slum district of King’s Landing. Finally, 9 Voyages will tell the story of Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as the Sea Snake and the head of the House of Velaryon.

Although House of the Dragon will feature some familiar names for fans of the show, its setting might feel a little different.

“The biggest difference about this series is the fact that dragons exist in this [era], whereas they were an extinct species that came back to life in the original show,” said co-showrunner Ryan Condal (at least 17 dragons will appear in the show, according to THR). “So, there’s an infrastructure built around them. There’s a dragon pit, saddles, and dragon keepers — this monk-like order that takes care of them.”

Thankfully, you won’t have to wait long to find out how that all works – House of the Dragon will debut over at HBO on August 21, 2022.

Want to find out more about Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon? Check out the latest details from the show and find out everything you need to know before it airs.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

House of the Dragon could be just the beginning for the Game of Thrones spin-off that follows the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, House of the Dragon co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik explained how the upcoming series could be the backbone for even more stories.

“The Targaryens span both directions,” said Sapochnik, refering to both the past and future of the family's timeline. “So as a spine to other possible stories and spinoffs … this is a great place to start.”

House of the Dragon is set two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones. Starring Paddy Considine and Emma D’Arcy, it chronicles the ultimate fall of House Targaryen, including the Targaryen civil war, also known as the Dance of the Dragons.

“I liked the idea of focusing on one family, and obviously the Targaryens have a lot of drama to go around,” said HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys. “I also liked the echo of how empires can quickly fall — those are the types of conversations we are having in our own country, which I don’t think is anything I would’ve thought we’d be talking about 20 years ago.”

It also happens to be the first Game of Thrones spin-off to head to our screens, with an earlier project canceled despite a $30 million pilot having been produced. Then there’s the upcoming Jon Snow series, which will presumably act as more of a sequel to the original series.

Three more spin-off shows are also in the works. 10,000 Ships will tell the story of Princess Nymeria, an ancestor of House Martell and founder of the kingdom of Dorne. This series is set a millennium before the events of Game of Thrones, making it even more of a history lesson than House of the Dragon.

Another spin-off show is set in Flea Bottom – the shady, slum district of King’s Landing. Finally, 9 Voyages will tell the story of Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as the Sea Snake and the head of the House of Velaryon.

Although House of the Dragon will feature some familiar names for fans of the show, its setting might feel a little different.

“The biggest difference about this series is the fact that dragons exist in this [era], whereas they were an extinct species that came back to life in the original show,” said co-showrunner Ryan Condal (at least 17 dragons will appear in the show, according to THR). “So, there’s an infrastructure built around them. There’s a dragon pit, saddles, and dragon keepers — this monk-like order that takes care of them.”

Thankfully, you won’t have to wait long to find out how that all works – House of the Dragon will debut over at HBO on August 21, 2022.

Want to find out more about Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon? Check out the latest details from the show and find out everything you need to know before it airs.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption publisher Take Two Interactive has announced its "unwavernig support" for its employees in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, the historic 1973 judgment used to secure abortion rights across the United States.

As reported by Eurogamer, a statement was shared on Take-Two subsidiary Zynga's Twitter (below) that announced the publisher is expanding its employee travel and lodging benefit programmes across the U.S. and is also adopting the Maven benefits platform, which "provides critical support across fertility, pregnancy, adoption, parenting, and pediatrics".

Message from Take-Twohttps://t.co/WbdY06Xy4z pic.twitter.com/vWHYtQUFzm

— Zynga (@zynga) July 19, 2022

Take-Two said it "acknowledges that the United States Supreme Court ruling regarding Roe vs. Wade is a significant event" and it "would like to affirm our unwavering support for all our colleagues in the U.S. and around the world.

"As always, our people are the heart of our company, and we remain dedicated to protecting their health, wellbeing, and safety," it added.

Bungie was the first studio to speak out against the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs. Wade when its intensions leaked back in May.

"By creating a divide between those who posses the fundamental right to make healthcare decisions that are right for them, and those who do not posses that same freedom, this decision, should it become final, will have far-reaching consequences that will be felt for generations across socio-economic lines," the Destiny developer said.

Since then, various other companies including Double Fine, ArenaNet, and Outerloop Games have publicly spoken out against the decision. Sony and Insomniac Games also reportedly donated $50,000 each to the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project.

Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption publisher Take Two Interactive has announced its "unwavernig support" for its employees in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, the historic 1973 judgment used to secure abortion rights across the United States.

As reported by Eurogamer, a statement was shared on Take-Two subsidiary Zynga's Twitter (below) that announced the publisher is expanding its employee travel and lodging benefit programmes across the U.S. and is also adopting the Maven benefits platform, which "provides critical support across fertility, pregnancy, adoption, parenting, and pediatrics".

Message from Take-Twohttps://t.co/WbdY06Xy4z pic.twitter.com/vWHYtQUFzm

— Zynga (@zynga) July 19, 2022

Take-Two said it "acknowledges that the United States Supreme Court ruling regarding Roe vs. Wade is a significant event" and it "would like to affirm our unwavering support for all our colleagues in the U.S. and around the world.

"As always, our people are the heart of our company, and we remain dedicated to protecting their health, wellbeing, and safety," it added.

Bungie was the first studio to speak out against the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs. Wade when its intensions leaked back in May.

"By creating a divide between those who posses the fundamental right to make healthcare decisions that are right for them, and those who do not posses that same freedom, this decision, should it become final, will have far-reaching consequences that will be felt for generations across socio-economic lines," the Destiny developer said.

Since then, various other companies including Double Fine, ArenaNet, and Outerloop Games have publicly spoken out against the decision. Sony and Insomniac Games also reportedly donated $50,000 each to the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project.

Discord announced today that it is finally adding voice chat integration to Xbox consoles.

The addition means that Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One owners will be able to talk to their friends on Discord Voice chats from their consoles, rather than having to use other devices.

In a press release, Discord notes that Xbox Insider will be able to use its voice chat feature on their consoles, starting today. The feature coming at a later date for all users. As Discord notes, the feature has been widely requested by users. Previously the company allowed Xbox owners to connect their accounts, but could only be used to display information, like Gamertags.

Discord also confirmed that Discord Voice chat on Xbox will allow users to transfer their voice call from the app (Desktop or mobile) directly onto their consoles using the Xbox mobile app. As you can see from the image below, the transfer process looks pretty straightforward.

Discord integration announcement for Xbox came roughly seven months after the company announced that it was finally allowing PS4 and PS5 owners to connect their PSN accounts to their Discord profile.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Discord announced today that it is finally adding voice chat integration to Xbox consoles.

The addition means that Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One owners will be able to talk to their friends on Discord Voice chats from their consoles, rather than having to use other devices.

In a press release, Discord notes that Xbox Insider will be able to use its voice chat feature on their consoles, starting today. The feature coming at a later date for all users. As Discord notes, the feature has been widely requested by users. Previously the company allowed Xbox owners to connect their accounts, but could only be used to display information, like Gamertags.

Discord also confirmed that Discord Voice chat on Xbox will allow users to transfer their voice call from the app (Desktop or mobile) directly onto their consoles using the Xbox mobile app. As you can see from the image below, the transfer process looks pretty straightforward.

Discord integration announcement for Xbox came roughly seven months after the company announced that it was finally allowing PS4 and PS5 owners to connect their PSN accounts to their Discord profile.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Assassin’s Creed players are preparing to send off some of their favorite game modes. After news that Ubisoft would be shutting down the multiplayer modes of five Assassin’s Creed titles, fans have banded together to give the games one last hurrah.

Over on the Assassin’s Creed subreddit, a user by the name FarlandsDesign has proposed a weekend of multiplayer ahead of the servers being switched off.

“Assassin's Creed Multiplayer for Brotherhood, Revelations, and III is getting shut down,” they explained. “Let's commemorate them with a well-deserved farewell!”

The plan is to play 3 games across 6 weekends, ensuring the maximum number of people log on at the same time to keep the games going.

Games of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood are planned to take place starting this weekend, 23-24 July, with another round the following weekend on 29-30 July. Sessions of an hour or more will be held at 7 PM GMT, 7 PM GMT-8 (7 PM PDT), and 7 PM GMT+7, on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations will be the second game to be celebrated, with sessions occuring on the two weekends of 5-6 and 12-13 August. Like the Brotherhood sessions, these will take place at 7 PM GMT, 7 PM GMT-8 (7 PM PDT), and 7 PM GMT+7, on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Finally, Assassin's Creed 3 will be played over the weekends of 19-20 and 26-27 August, at 7 PM GMT, 7 PM GMT-8 (7 PM PDT), and 7 PM GMT+7. Agian, PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 are all included.

Earlier this month, Ubisoft announced that it would shut the multiplayer and online modes for 15 games including five Assassin’s Creed titles. DLC for Assassin’s Creed III and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood will also become unplayable.

Other affected titles include Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Liberation, Far Cry 3, Rayman Legends, and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Although the remastered version of Assassin’s Creed III won’t be shut down, the fans have nevertheless decided to see off the original in style.

This isn’t the first time Ubisoft has shuttered its online services, the company made a similar move back in 2021 when it closed multiplayer and online modes for games including Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Rainbow Six Lockdown, Far Cry 2, and Splinter Cell Conviction.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Assassin’s Creed players are preparing to send off some of their favorite game modes. After news that Ubisoft would be shutting down the multiplayer modes of five Assassin’s Creed titles, fans have banded together to give the games one last hurrah.

Over on the Assassin’s Creed subreddit, a user by the name FarlandsDesign has proposed a weekend of multiplayer ahead of the servers being switched off.

“Assassin's Creed Multiplayer for Brotherhood, Revelations, and III is getting shut down,” they explained. “Let's commemorate them with a well-deserved farewell!”

The plan is to play 3 games across 6 weekends, ensuring the maximum number of people log on at the same time to keep the games going.

Games of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood are planned to take place starting this weekend, 23-24 July, with another round the following weekend on 29-30 July. Sessions of an hour or more will be held at 7 PM GMT, 7 PM GMT-8 (7 PM PDT), and 7 PM GMT+7, on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations will be the second game to be celebrated, with sessions occuring on the two weekends of 5-6 and 12-13 August. Like the Brotherhood sessions, these will take place at 7 PM GMT, 7 PM GMT-8 (7 PM PDT), and 7 PM GMT+7, on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Finally, Assassin's Creed 3 will be played over the weekends of 19-20 and 26-27 August, at 7 PM GMT, 7 PM GMT-8 (7 PM PDT), and 7 PM GMT+7. Agian, PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 are all included.

Earlier this month, Ubisoft announced that it would shut the multiplayer and online modes for 15 games including five Assassin’s Creed titles. DLC for Assassin’s Creed III and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood will also become unplayable.

Other affected titles include Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Liberation, Far Cry 3, Rayman Legends, and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Although the remastered version of Assassin’s Creed III won’t be shut down, the fans have nevertheless decided to see off the original in style.

This isn’t the first time Ubisoft has shuttered its online services, the company made a similar move back in 2021 when it closed multiplayer and online modes for games including Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Rainbow Six Lockdown, Far Cry 2, and Splinter Cell Conviction.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Google servers in Europe were brought down yesterday, July 19, as a result of spiking temperatures in the UK and nearby countries.

As reported by PC Gamer, cooling failure brought on by the high temperatures - which set a new UK record at 40.3°C (104.54°F) and caused the country's first red weather warning for heat - caused connectivity issues with Google servers around London, or the europe-west2-a region.

"There was a cooling related failure in one of our buildings that hosts a portion of capacity for zone europe-west2-a for region europe-west2," Google's service health page reads. A previous iteration explained that multiple cloud products were "experiencing elevated error rates, latencies, or service unavailability".

The problems began at 6:13 PM in the UK and weren't solved until 4:45 AM the following morning, though Google said only a "small set of our customers" experienced the termination and loss of virtual machines. Regardless, the company apologised and thanked customers for their patience while its team addressed the issues.

Google wasn't the only company affected, however, as Oracle was also forced to shut down its servers as a result of the high temperature.

"Following unseasonably high temperatures in the UK South (London) region, two cooler units in the data centre experienced a failure when they were required to operate above their design limits," its server status page reads. "As a result, temperatures in the data centre began to climb causing a subset of Compute infrastructure to go into protective shut down."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.