Here again with your weekly anime/gaming news, for the most prominent/important of such events! This past week, we’ve had quite a few seirous happenings in the world of gaming, and two announcements regarding new anime releases that are sure to make many people very happy.
Gaming News:
Zenimax v. Oculus
Zenimax, the gaming company behind games such as Dishonored, Prey, and Doom, on February 1st, won $500 million from Oculus, the famed VR company. In a lawsuit that has been going on since 2014, Zenimax was contending that former Zenimax employee John Carmack used Zenimax experience and technology in order to develop Oculus Rift VR. In Janurary, a court finally confronted the case, coming to some rather interesting conclusions.
Ultimately, the jury ruled that Oculus was innocent of the charges, having used original software and code in order to develop its VR tech. This allowed Oculus to dodge a $4 BILLION fee, the one originally proposed by Zenimax, but they weren’t all in the clear. The jury also ruled that Palmer Luckey, co-owner of Oculus, had actually violated a non-disclosure agreement signed with Zenimax. There were other smaller allegations involving copyright, but in the end, Oculus was able to get away with a loss of only $500 million, compared to $4 billion. However, Oculus wanted to appeal the ruling, and Zenimax is clear that, despite being happy with the court victory, they are not satisfied with how it ended up. You can bet that in coming months, or maybe even years, this feud will continue.
GameStop’s Circle of Life
I think many people know of GameSstop as THE gaming store. It is the easiest to find, the most convenient and prominent gaming-related company, and overall, has seen lots of business over the past few years. However, last week, GameStop came under fire, as the internet circulated rumors of a terrible “Circle of Life” program that had been implemented. The COL program has always been part of GameStop’s operation, focusing on Pre-Owned Games, Reservations, New Sales, and Trades. Recently, though, it appears that District Leaders have began pushing this system harder than ever, setting up sales goals that, if not met, would threaten GameStop’s employees with termination.
As such, GameStop’s employees have reportedly felt inclined to lie to their customers about their stock, simply to meet their quota and safeguard their jobs. Employee interviews and insider information has spread across the internet, spreading rumors of guilty consciences, misleading customers, and overbearing District Leaders. In response, to these rumors, however, some employees have spoken out, saying that those who complain about the COL program are fringe cases, and should not be taken to implicate GameStop as a whole. Regardless, such information has put a rather dark stain on the gaming company, one that the internet is responding to rather vehemently. Perhaps this controversy will die down given time, or perhaps GameStop will be forced to action. Who knows?
Anime News:
Aho Girl Gets a Summer Anime!
Ah, on a lighter note, thank goodness, the comedy manga, Aho Girl has been announced for an anime adaptation this summer! Aho Girl is wonderfully light hearted, all about a clueless high school girl named Yoshiko Hanabatake, experiencing daily hijinks, and eating bananas. With her serious neighbor and presumable love interest, Akuru Akutsu, she lives her life, makes new friends, and tries not to get zeroes on her tests.
Originally started in 2012, Aho Girl’s manga has continued rather successfully over the past few years, releasing eight volumes, with the most recent release on October 17, 2016. Such success has prompted an official American release, under the name, Ahogaru: Clueless Girl, also announced in October! With such a light-hearted anime on the horizon, I gotta say, I’m really looking forward to it- but not nearly as much as the next announced series!
Attack on Titan Season 2 Release Date Announced!
Hell. Yes.
Just two days ago, February 5th, Attack on Titan’s official website announced that the series would be returning on April 1st! Just for context, the first episode of the anime was released on April 7th, 2013. You know, it’s almost a shame- it’s SO CLOSE to exactly four years.
Regardless, that’s basically it. We got a release date, and I’m personally just really hyped for it. Attack on Titan was the first anime that I felt I could talk about with more people than just the hardcore anime fans. It was extremely popular, and so many people watched it, so it was cool getting to experience that with friends who normally don’t watch anime! I’m remaining hopeful that this next season can continue to bring the hype- regardless of what differences may arise between the anime and the manga. The story of Eren and the Survey Corps, is one I am looking forward to continuing!
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