PlayStation Eyes New Investment For PC Mobile Push

TORONTO -- Right-hander Luis Castillo pitched 7 1/3 innings, Cal Raleigh homered and the visiting Seattle Mariners defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 Friday in the opener of an American League wild-card series.

Campaigns will include PlayStation's "Monthly Check-In" campaign, where you can earn points just for playing any game on your console. Other activities will require you to win tournaments or unlock trophies to earn points -- or even be the first player in your local time zone to make it to platinum for a blockbuster title (which indicates that a player has achieved 100% completion in that game).

A statement issued by executive chairman Ben Heap on behalf of the board said The Star Sydney accepted the findings of the report, "including the finding of unsuitability" and acknowledged "the gravity of the conduct".
The radical shift is reflected in its recent deals including the $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie, the studio behind the multiplayer "Destiny" franchise, which Sony operates outside its PlayStation Studios network.

Digital collectibles are also on their way to the PS5 via the Stars program. Collectibles could be figurines of iconic characters -- think Solid Snake or Ratchet & Clank -- or they could be representations of famous Sony devices throughout history. 

Sony is producing a growing number of game adaptations, with this year's "Uncharted" movie grossing more than $400 million globally and a TV series based on "The Last of Us" franchise from its Naughty Dog studio launching on HBO next year.

And just when things looked on the up for 2016, the Eels were struck down by allegations of salary-cap rorting that eventually led to the stripping of 12 points and a complete restructure of their administration.

The PlayStation Stars program will launch later this year, though an exact time frame hasn't been provided yet. CNET reached out to PlayStation, but the gaming giant didn't immediately respond for comment.

"You should think of collaborations on the game development side first and foremost, but it's also not unthinkable with our PlayStation Productions efforts that we explore opportunities," Hulst said of the FromSoftware investment.

British-Ghanaian gamer Annabel Ashalley-Anthony smiled at her brother Adam, after the tournament match at a gaming hub organized by Melanin Gamers, a collective she hopes will change the video game landscape.

After her brother Alan was harassed online for the color of his skin, Ashalley-Anthony made it her mission to build a community where people could play together away from the racism, misogyny and homophobia sometimes associated with online games.

Sony on Thursday introduced its PlayStation Stars loyalty program for PS5 and PS4 gamers. It'll be free to join, and players will be able to earn loyalty points by completing a variety of campaigns and activities. Players can choose from a catalog of options to redeem points, including PlayStation Network wallet funds and select PlayStation Store products.

The Star Entertainment Group (TSEG) says it has a plan for "a multi-year transformation of the governance, accountability and capabilities, culture and risk, and compliance management practices of the organisation".
A statement from the commission said The Star had met its deadline to make submissions as to why the regulator should not take disciplinary action against it, and they would be considered before determining its response.

The company says it has taken "significant and urgent remedial steps, including increased risk, compliance, and security staff, approval of upgrades to surveillance technology as well as permanently exiting junkets and closing the Marquee nightclub".

Sony, whose studios are known for single player console games such as "Spider-Man" and "God of War", has outlined ambitious plans to release titles on PC and mobile and offer live service games, byte-on.org.au which provide continuous updated play.

Four years ago, Ashalley-Anthony and her two brothers established a crew of video game enthusiasts dedicated to providing a safe space for online gamers of diverse ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities.

Interim appointments were in place, with changed reporting lines to create better accountability and independence for risk management, "to ensure we move swiftly to strengthen The Star Sydney's operations and risk and controls management".

Hulst, who is based in the Netherlands and took up his post in 2019, has overseen the growth of PlayStation Studios to 19 studios, with additions including Nixxes, which ports console games to PC, and mobile developer Savage Game Studios.

"Further investments in areas that will strengthen the expansion on to PC, on to mobile and into live services, that's definitely a possibility for us," Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, told Reuters in an interview without providing further detail.

Ghana is one of the countries leading the way. The West African nation had the continent's second highest per-capita gaming population in 2021, with 27% of citizens actively playing, according to Esports analytics leader Newzoo.