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The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) today revealed a new campaign touting the positive impact of video games on peoples' lives.

Game Generation aims to showcase the "power of play in building community, forging inclusivity, and inspiring creativity."

The campaign comes in response to consumer data from the ESA which shows that 73% of Americans play video games to relieve stress, while 63% agree that gaming improves problem solving skills, and 52% agree it develops teamwork and collaboration.

Launching as part of Game Generation is an online platform designed to help players and parents learn more about the benefits of video games, connect with others, and access resources for "positive play."

Sharing stories is a core part of Game Generation, and the ESA will run a number of live events and promotional campaigns to highlight the benefits of gaming.

"Game Generation is about celebrating the more than 164 million Americans who love video games and the positive impact that play can have, not only in players' lives but across communities, families, industries, and in tackling societal challenges," said ESA CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis.

"Video games are made to challenge us and to be fun -- but they also bring people together from different backgrounds, help build empathy, and inspire game-changing innovations in everything from education to healthcare, and even conflict resolution.

"This initiative will amplify the collective experiences of the millions who, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or political views, enjoy video games and share that joy with their children, families, and friends."

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ESA launches Game Generation campaign to highlight positive impact of gaming - GamesIndustry.biz

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars are moving a second home game in 2020 overseas to London's Wembley Stadium in an attempt to increase their local revenue and escape the bottom quartile of the league in that category.

With the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders moving into new stadiums for the 2020 season, the Jaguars felt an additional home game in London -- which generates twice the money of a home game at TIAA Bank Field -- was the best way to offset the boost those teams will be receiving from those relocations and stabilize the long-term future of the franchise.

The Jaguars are spearheading a proposed $700 million entertainment district development around the stadium that would result in additional revenue, but until that happens Jaguars president Mark Lamping said adding another home game in London is the right action for the team to take.

"For clubs like the Jaguars, we are entering an uncertain time," Lamping said. "That uncertain time is related to three teams that in the past were teams that were with us in the bottom of the league in terms of revenue. They have taken steps, steps that we would not consider, but they've taken steps to fix their revenue by leaving Oakland, by leaving St. Louis, and by leaving San Diego. That has had an impact in terms of all the other teams that are where we are in terms of the league.

"We know that Lot J [the name for the proposed entertainment district], in conjunction with all the things that [owner] Shad [Khan] has already invested in, those will continue to pay dividends for us but we can't snap our fingers and get Lot J open tomorrow. So we're waiting to go from where we are now, which is Lot J just a vision, to it actually being open. We need to be looking for those opportunities to supplement our revenue situation and we believe that London fits that bill."

The games will be held on back-to-back Sundays; dates and opponents will be announced in April when the league reveals the schedule. However, the Jaguars did protect home games against Pittsburgh and Chicago, so the opponents will come from this list: Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Cleveland, Detroit and Miami.

It's likely to be between mid-October and mid-November because the annual Florida-Georgia game is being played at TIAA Bank Field on Oct. 31 and the Jaguars have either played their London game that week or had a bye week at that time.

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The Jaguars' contract with the NFL to play one home game annually at Wembley Stadium began in 2013 and expires after the 2020 season. Khan said previously he wanted to extend the deal beyond 2020 but the league declined to do so because the collective bargaining agreement with players expires after this season. Khan said on a conference call that he would not rule out possibly playing more than one home game in London beyond 2020, though.

Khan said he doesn't expect fans to react negatively to a second London home game.

"I think if you go back when the first game was announced and really historically what that's done for the city and done for the Jaguars, so my expectation is that it should be very positive," he said. "Everything we're doing helps the city, helps us, and that's what you need a small-market team to do to get on a competitive footing with all the resources you need to compete with the other big-market teams."

The Jaguars have repeatedly stressed how critical playing in London is for their long-term stability in Jacksonville. The deal Khan struck with the NFL for those annual games granted the team extended territorial rights in the United Kingdom as well as receiving the ticket revenue from the game at the 90,000-seat stadium. Lamping has said the monies the Jaguars receive from that game account for 11% of the franchise's local revenue (down from 12% in 2016 and 15 percent in 2014).

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Jaguars to play two London games in 2020 to boost revenue - ESPN

On an average day, about a dozen new games are released on Steam. And while we think that's a good thing, it can be understandably hard to keep up with. Potentially exciting gems are sure to be lost in the deluge of new things to play unless you sort through every single game that is released on Steam. So thats exactly what weve done.If nothing catches your fancy this week, we've gathered thebest PC gamesyou can play right now and a running list of thenew games of 2019.

Steam pageRelease: January 31Developer: Kaigan GamesPrice: $7.99 | 6.99 | AU$11.50

Like its popular predecessor, Simulacra 2 is a horror game about rifling through the contents of a smartphone. Specifically, this smartphone belongs to a deceased "young social media influencer", and as a detective's assistant it's your job to figure out the circumstances that led to her untimely death. Of course, you shouldn't expect those circumstances to be obvious or anything short of disturbing, so be forewarned. If you liked Her Story, Orwell, or indeed the first Simulacra, this looks like (grisly) fun.

Steam pageRelease: January 31Developer: HyperstrangePrice: $14.99 | 11.39 | AU$21.50

Elderborn is a violent first-person melee combat game with a grim fantasy aesthetic and an insistence on how "metal af (as fuck)" it is. The trailer does indeed feature metal, as well as a very evil sounding voice espousing some impenetrable lore. The game looks fun though: if you're after a first-person take on hardcore Souls-like combat (the developer's reference, not mine) this could do the trick. It's not often you get a big first-person action RPG from an indie studio that isn't a rogue-like, and the Steam reviews are "very positive". Also if you're reading this and love metal, I've rediscovered the classic Australian doom death album 'Transcendence into The Peripheral' by Disembowelment lately - highly recommended.

Steam pageRelease: January 30Developer: Ministry of Broadcast StudiosPrice: $14.99 | 11.39 | AU$21.50

Here's a 'cinematic platformer' that smashes together your typical Orwellian tropes with modern reality TV spectacle. In other words, a wall separates the protagonist from their family, and the only way to get through is to compete in a deadly reality TV show operated by 'the Regime'. Expect tense platforming, puzzle-solving, a bit of grim humour, and gameplay influenced by Oddworld and Prince of Persia.

Steam pageRelease: January 30Developer: Digital Tales USA LLCPrice: $19.99 | 17.49 | AU$28.95

Bookbound Brigade is a Metroidvania platformer with multiple playable characters (all with unique abilities) and a literary theme. It's hard for me to get a read on exactly how that theme applies: You'll apparently encounter various famous literary and historical figures throughout the game, but your relationship to them is vague. "What if all the protagonists of books lost their memory?" the blurb reads. "Venture into their world and beat the hell out of historical and literary characters you studied in school!" Sounds cruel, to be honest.

Steam pageRelease: January 30Developer: Binary JellyfishPrice: $4.99 | 3.99 | AU$7.50

Impossible Soaring is a game about doing mad (yet graceful) tricks through the air at blistering speeds. The gameplay video above is dreamlike and, frankly, beautiful: you can choose to take the safest routes through giant foliage, or crumbling bridges, or apocalyptic landscapes, or you can take the most dangerous routes and amass a ton of points. Whatever the case, this looks like a great little game to have installed for short blasts of cathartic airborne speed.

These games were released between January 27 and February 3 2020. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read ouraffiliate policyfor more info.

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Five new Steam games you probably missed (February 3, 2020) - PC Gamer

We know what the PS5 dev kit looks like, but what about the consumer version? (pic: Twitter)

The Wednesday Inbox hears some insider stories from a mobile game developer, as one reader recommends Lego City Undercover for kids.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

Late revealSo a lot of news this week from Sony and yet we dont seem to have learnt anything really. Except for the Xbox 360 Ive always been a PlayStation gamer but I have to say even I felt Sony were a bit off taking advantage of Microsoft always going first at E3 and seeing them basically admitting it was a bit rich. But does that imply that Sony knows when Microsoft is going to announce all their details?

Im beginning to wonder if both of them are going to do their reveals a lot later than we imagine. If the PlayStation 5 reveal is this month surely wed have heard about it by now, if only as a leak? And if Sony wants to wait for Microsoft to go first when do they think thats going to be? Considering the Xbox One was revealed in May, just before E3.

Maybe Microsoft will do their event at E3 and Sony after that? So maybe July or August? I think thats got to be a possibility at the moment, but its hard to really tell. And thats without even adding Nintendo into the equation. Theyre going to E3 arent they, GC?Zebra

GC: Youd assume so, but they havent confirmed anything yet.

Day one requirementsRE: Carl. At first I dont see PlayStation 5/Xbox-whatever-its-called graphics being that much of a step up, although I do expect Gran Turismo (7 is it?) to look amazing, but then Driveclub still does now so it wont be a massive wow.

Give it a year or two into the gen and games will look amazing though, I think. I was mega impressed with the trailer the for new Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2 though, if the real-time graphics look as good as that then I think were all in for a treat. Ive been stung by early trailers before though, so Ill take it all with a pinch of salt.

I wont be upgrading at launch anyway, I always wait at least a year before moving to the new gen, to allow patches to iron out bugs and give time for a decent library to build up. By then I might have finished my backlog, which grew this weekend by finally buying the two latest Far Cry games at 2 for 10.

Saying this, if the PlayStation 5 does actually release fully backwards compatible, Ill jump in early for once and give my two PlayStation 4s to my mum and uncle. The former only has an Xbox One and the latter is still using my old PlayStation 3, still, its pretty cool two people in their 60s are gaming regularly.Lost-Sock-

VIP treatmentUntil last year I worked at one of the worlds largest mobile gaming companies and remember hearing about some of the amounts of money people spent in our games on a weekly basis. It was not uncommon for some players who were from oil sheikh families to be paying upwards of 20,000 a month in one of our games.

One thing that Im not sure the average gamer knows though is that most mobile games companies have what is known as a VIP team, whose job it is to look after our high spenders by being a point of contact to them regarding any game issues and giving them exclusive swag and other things like inviting them to the studio.

To be contacted by the VIP team you have to meet a certain threshold for spending, which was actually not as high as you think. I certainly found it interesting when I joined the company that such a service existed for normal players and not influencers like you might expect.Anon

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

Easy nineJust finished Hellblade and wow, what a masterpiece in storytelling. I havent had a game move me as much since Shadow Of The Colossus on PlayStation 2, and Ive played many games in-between. I looked up your review and was surprised you gave it a 6. I did read the review but I guess we definitely have different opinions here. Its an easy 9 for me.

The game is a mesmerising experience I feel everyone should at least try, if they enjoy story-based games. The fighting, the sound design, the graphics, the mental health theme, the evocative storyline, the puzzles (which I personally didnt have much issue with) all add up to grab you like no game has in years.

My question is about the sequel. Hellblade 2 has easily become a must-play game for me. Do you have any interviews with Ninja Theory coming up? Id love to know more about the game and if a 2020 release is likely. (I also wish Steven Hartley (voice actor) has a major part in the sequel as I loved his parts in the game.)Jag

GC: Microsoft hasnt done any press for the Xbox Series X yet (although we are seeing Ori And The Will Of The Wisps next week) but hopefully Ninja Theory will be doing interviews later in the year. Its implied that Hellblade 2 is a launch game.

Blown awayGood recommendation from Dj Kj for Alek. I also have a Denon AVR-X2200 and would highly recommend it. Its hard to find now and has been replaced by the Denon AVR-X2600.

Regarding speakers, I cant recommend the Q Acoustics range highly enough. These little beauties sound fantastic (I have a pair in my bedroom).

I did find on my travels this excellent bundle that is outstanding value for money (and Richer Sounds are usually very happy to price match.

Retailer Richer Sounds is the only place that comes to mind, as I have used them for around 20 years now. Theyd be happy to let you try some options out and also recommend some. Only advice Id add is to trust your own ears. I tried out some Whardale Speakers that had won an award but they sounded dog rough to me.

Everyone has their own preference in the end. Hope this helps. Your entertainment/gaming experience is about to be blow away.Chaosphere616 (gamertag)

Either or4K 60fps on consoles would be quite an achievement considering my friends GTX 1080 and my RTX 2060 Super (both 350 cards) can just about achieve this. Hitman 2 in 4K usually flutters between about 45fps and 60fps. The choice I have at the moment is 4K 60fps with medium or low graphic settings or 1080p ultra at above 60fps. I personally prefer the 1080p ultra with HDR.

If consoles would focus on ultra-level graphics at 1080p 60fps, itd be much more impressive.Anon

GC: Phil Spencer has been suggesting hes more interested in frame rate lately (which is a change from when we discussed the issue with him), so well see.

All ages GTAKeep seeing various recommendations for games suited for children around the age of five and figured it was about time I made my recommendation.

Lego City Undercover gives children in that age the thing they want most: the ability to explore. For those that are still somehow unaware, just imagine a Lego GTA.

Now, they arent likely to be able to complete many missions at first, that bits your job, ideally with them watching. They then get to emulate you and just explore, collecting the millions of little studs, riding rollercoasters, riding pigs, horses, chasing bank robbers, flying helicopters or UFOs; just letting their imaginations lead the way while you continue to unlock new areas by completing some genuinely entertaining sequences.

Its by far the best Lego game, easily suited for all children aged 4 to 104. Sorry 105-year-olds, youll have to just watch.Antony

Perfect startRE: Alek Kazam and Switch games for a four-year-old. My third son is three and we have 15 minutes on the Switch every evening. Smash Bros. is perfect, as you can play against each other (ideally on a stage where you cant fall off the edge) without any pressure in order to get used to controlling a character.

We also play the Yoshi and Kirby games as you can essentially carry them through it whenever things get complex (which isnt often in those games). Id also recommend Pokmon; you can do the running around and then pass the controller over for the battles kids soon learn which move is which and its surprising how much autonomy they have at such a young age.AudioSpanks

GC: Pokmon is good for kids just learning to read too.

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

Silent perfectionA lot of talk about games needing to be remade because the older versions are unplayable. Silent Hill has been mentioned as a candidate for reconditioning. A game in my opinion which is a masterpiece and damn near perfect, saying you wouldnt attempt to play the game because the controls are different than the typical streamlined AAA control scheme you find in every game nowadays or the game looks old, even though early 3D games had their own artistry the same with good pixel art from the generation prior.

To me its like a film buff saying they wish older movies would be remade because they arent in colour. If thats the case maybe youre into this medium for superficial reasons, only wanting to play the next big thing and not caring about games preservation.MT

GC: Silent Hill is many things, but we wouldnt say perfect was one of them. The graphics were terrible even 20 years ago, the controls were never great, and all the sudden logic puzzles at the end are very jarring. Games arent like movies, and movies arent like games.

Inbox also-ransThe brilliant Wreckfest is only 19.99 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at Argos.Dev

A MediEvil 2 remake does not sound like a good idea, no matter what the composer says. Why do those games get so many second chances and still no new Ape Escape!Roddy

This weeks Hot TopicThe question for this weekends Inbox was suggested by reader Coolsbane, who asks whats the worst game in your favourite video game series?

What do you consider to be the worst entry in your favourite (or at least one you really like) video game franchise? Is it actively bad by other standards or does it just look that way compared to the others? Is it a mainline entry or a spin-off and are the reasons you dont like it something that couldve been fixed or was it just a fundamentally bad idea?

Do you usually buy all entries in the franchise in question and did the game affect whether you bought the next one or how you feel about the series in general?

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

The small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: The Last Of Us Part 2 adults only, PS5 60fps graphics, and Mario Kart Legacy

MORE: Games Inbox: PS5 graphics expectations, Nintendo secrets, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake hype

MORE: Games Inbox: Nintendo Switch success, Ocarina Of Time remake, and Astral Chain sales figures

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Games Inbox: When will the PS5 be revealed? - Metro.co.uk

Inside a room on the campus of Becker College last week, administrators from academic institutions across New England scribbled notes and posed questions to panelists not about traditional education, but Super Smash Bros., Overwatch and League of Legends.

Behind the panelists, a massive flat-screen television depicted video game characters battling in a Pokemon arena. Computer systems and internet bandwidth dominated the conversation, not for studies, but related to computer gaming. Pamphlets at the entrance defined esports including its phonetic pronunciation and definition.

For those new to the gaming world, Becker defined it as a multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers.

As the first school in the nation to offer an esports management degree, and the first in the state to offer varsity esports scholarships, few institutions boast a better resume to define the sport. With that few schools offered a better location last week for the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) to showcase esports, which remain unknown in the mainstream and carry stigmas for those pursuing it.

Parents, maybe around my age, they may think youre frying your brain just playing video games all day, Becker College President Nancy Crimmin said. I had a friend call me in a panic the other day and say, My 7-year-old just said he wanted to be a professional gamer. I said, 'Thats fabulous. Do you know how much money he can make?

The NECC will begin hosting sanctioned esports competitions beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year. Experts expect esports to experience double-digit growth over the next 20 years. The industry is expected to generate $1.5 billion in 2020.

Becker College is included in that growth. One of Worcesters oldest colleges renovated a school building at 80 William St. in Worcester to an esports center outfitted gaming equipment.

Two old-school arcade systems welcome visitors into the space. Around the corner on the first floor, students competed in a Smash Bros. tournament during the NECC showcase. The gaming goes beyond casual after-school competition. Upstairs, 22 state-of-the-art computers are housed in three rooms for varsity gamers to compete against other schools across the country.

During the showcase, Becker College squared off against New England College in an Overwatch competition. Each team wore matching uniforms as they sat in separate rooms, the glow from the monitors lighting up the players faces. A coach accompanied each team in their respective rooms.

The movement in this sport came from the players rapid-firing away on the keyboards, the team communication airing through a headset.

Esports is just as team-oriented as basketball or baseball. Those things translate very well, Becker College junior Vinnie Carrabino said. Playing with my team, we go through the highs and the lows. Were there playing until midnight, 1 oclock in the morning, trying to figure out how do we win? I also played athletics in high school, I was doing the same exact thing. How do I beat this team? What can I do to do more?

The varsity competition consists of players that were selected after a round of tryouts. Like other team sports in college athletics, programs recruit and offer scholarships. Teams practice and host workouts. Some gamers at the showcase compared the workload to a 40-hour workweek.

Competitions also exist for less demanding leagues like club sports. Both complement the academic programs on campus, which offer first-in-the-nation esports management degrees.

The esports degree can focus on an array of topics like video game design, marketing and financing, business development and event management.

Reese Dikmak, a sophomore from Marlborough, enrolled at Becker College with a background in business. As a lifetime gamer, esports intrigued him but he was still hesitant to dive in.

At the end of the day, as I did have a background in business, I had no idea if this was going to flop in the next four years or only grow, Dikmak said. When I got involved in the esports program here, it fell right in line with all of the plans I wanted to go down. It has become more and more clear to me that it really is only a growing industry that Im proud Im going to be a part of.

After about a decade since the creation of an interactive media program, which includes game design, the esports umbrella at Becker College, consists of more than 500 students.

Its hard to imagine what the next 20 years will look like, General Manager of New Initiatives at Becker College and Executive Director at Massachusetts Digital Games Institute Tim Loew said. But its clear that people expect this isnt going anywhere. Its sort of like rock n roll in the 50s.

Within Becker and the NECC, esports is looked at as The Beatles rather than a nameless one-hit-wonder. They envision a multibillion-dollar industry with countless opportunities for students on campus and after they graduate.

For those who compete in esports, they view themselves as the foundation of the department. As the programs continue to expand, each class leaves its fingerprints on the growth.

One of my goals is, Im going to graduate and Im not going to be a part of this team anymore and I want to make sure I leave it in a stronger part than I found it, Carraboino said. And make sure they understand this is something very special. Hold on to it and grow it.

Originally posted here:

Recruiting, scholarships to top gamers: Welcome to the world of esports at Worcesters Becker College - MassLive.com

Its official, Fable Fortune is shutting down. After only three years of running, the Fable-based card game will be closing its doors next month. In the meantime, it is no longer possible to use the in-game store.

After months of dwindling player numbers, another free game bites the dust. Youve got to wonder if giving a game away for free isnt enough to draw players, what is?

Well, perhaps the trick lies in actually offering players something of lasting value.

Fable Fortune was a free game, supposedly. You could download and start with no money involved. Then if you wanted to keep playing, you had to nickel and dime your way forward, buying packs of cards to build your collection.

Say you started out with the game when it released in 2017. Fast forward three years. The game is shutting down. Every single last penny you have spent on Fable Fortune is completely wasted. You wont even get to play with the cards youve bought.

Once those servers go down on March 4, it all disappears. Your collection and all your money gone forever. If you invested your time and money in the game, it is now wasted, which is why supposedly free games are so worthless.

The real kick in the butt here is that the people who supported Fable Fortune get nothing. Here is a game that really relied on the goodwill of a small number of people. Now that things havent worked out, those people cant even access their collections.

The developers really should give the players some options. Maybe the ability to host their own servers? That way if anyone actually cares about the game, theyd still be able to play it. The way things are, no one is going to remember Fable Fortune within a year except maybe for all those players who feel like theyve been ripped off.

This article was edited by Gerelyn Terzo.

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Fable Fortunes Demise Proves Why Free Games Are a Waste of Time - CCN.com

Florence, released in February 2018 for iOS devices and shortly thereafter for Android, is a 20-chapter story of Florence Yeoh, a young cellist living a routine life who meets and falls for a street performer named Krish. It wasn't a huge sellerdirector Ken Wong told Game Informer in 2019 that sales were "okay"but it was a major critical hit, winning "best mobile game" titles at The Game Awards, DICE Awards, GDC Awards, and BAFTAs, among others.

Next week, Florence's tale of "the spectacular and bleak moments of her very first love" will come to PC via Steam and GOG. It's a linear experience, and not very longthe Steam listing puts it at around 30 minutes, with gameplay including light puzzles and minigames that reflect or reveal Florence's thoughts and actions. But the story's the thing: Publisher Annapurna Interactive described it as "short, but deeply meaningful."

Florence will sell for $6 on PC (the price isn't currently listed on Steam but Annapurna confirmed it in the announcement), and will include the outstanding soundtrack that you can get a listen to on Spotify. (Do note that the track titles kind of blow the narrative arc, so if you're really invested in an unspoiled experience you'll want to stay away from that.) You can find out more about Florence at florencegame.com.

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Award-winning mobile game Florence is coming to PC - PC Gamer

The biggest census of UK games workers ever conducted has been carried out by the British games industry trade association UKIE, highlighting some of the demographics, inequalities and struggles of the UK games industry.

3,208 people working within the UK games industry responded to the census, including developers, artists, musicians and those working behind the scenes in areas such as business management, IT and marketing. It spanned everyone from CEOs to freelance workers, but it didn't include the games media industries, meaning press and influencers were not involved.

The most striking result to come out of the census is what almost twice as many people within the games industry suffer from depression, anxiety, or both compared to the national average. According to UKIE, 31 percent of respondents disclosed their mental health problems, with both junior and mid-level workers, as well as CEOs of smaller companies, reporting it more than others.

In particular, writers were most likely to report anxiety, while quality assurance workers were most likely to report depression. While more junior roles face higher rates of anxiety and depression, directors and CEOs of smaller businesses are also more likely to suffer from them as well. CEOs of larger businesses were, by far, the least likely to report both.

UKIE claims that the gradually reducing stigma towards discussing mental health could be a reason why junior workers are seemingly more susceptible to mental health problems. While junior staff have less job control and lower wages than their seniors, which could explain the rise in mental health problems, these workers also tend to be younger and may be more open to discussing their mental health than their older counterparts. UKIE notes that the results don't mean older industry workers are less likely to be depressed or anxious, they're simply less likely to be open about it.

The census also explores other demographics. Women make up 28 percent of the industry, and so are underrepresented compared to the broader population's equal split of men and women. It's also less representative than other industries, such as music and performing arts (46 percent) and publishing (53 percent), with UKIE stating that the number of women in games is "significantly below the overall UK workforce". Mental health problems are also more prevalent than for male workers, with 35 percent of women reporting anxiety and 26 percent reporting depression.

Non-binary people are better represented than the national average, however, with 2 percent of respondents saying they are non-binary, compared to 0.4 percent of the population.

Ethnically, the UK games industry is very, very heavily weighted towards White British workers. BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) workers totalled 10 percent, while White British made up a massive 67 percent. Interestingly, even though the representation of BAME workers is well below the national average, it is actually higher than a lot of other creative industries. Film, TV, video, radio and photography had just four percent, and marketing only seven.

Queer people also have a much greater presence in the games industry than in wider society, with people who identify anywhere within the LGBTQ+ umbrella making up more than a fifth of the UK games industry (21 percent). Surprisingly, more people identified as bisexual than as gay or lesbian (11 percent versus five percent), and asexuality was at one percent. This is significantly more than the national average, which puts queer people at around 3-7% of the population.

Transgender people are also more common in the games industry, with three percent of respondents identifying as trans, an increase from the one percent of the general public.

However, LGBTQ+ people of all kinds were much, much more likely to report anxiety and depression than straight and cisgender workers. Over half of the transgender people interviewed reported depression and anxiety, while lesbians, gays, bisexuals and those of other non-straight sexualities all reported higher levels of both compared to straight workers.

Finally, it appears as though the UK games industry is less responsive to working lengthy crunch hours, with only 3.5 percent saying they work more than 50 hours per week. Three quarters worked more standard working hours of up to 40 per week.

The report itself goes much more in-depth, exploring topics such as neurodiversity (only two percent of workers are Autistic, for instance) and carer statuses (22 percent of workers cared for children), and from this UKIE came up with a number of strategies to improve the games industry going forward.

The importance of diversity initiatives was stated, with UKIE encouraging the industry to work towards inclusion in everything from hiring processes to education schemes. It also hopes the industry will improve its hiring of international workers, saying it should make an "ongoing commitment" to improving recruitment, retention and support of international workers.

Critically, UKIE also stated that the games industry should be open to more research of this type going forward. Better tracking of diversity and progress in the sector is required, and it should "continue to collaborate with independent researchers to provide further rigorous and objective insight about working in games".

You can read the bullet-pointed key findings through the UKIE website, where you can also download the full, 60-page report.

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UKIE census reports that 31% of the UK games industry has depression or anxiety - PC Gamer

John Klinnert doesnt exactly remember why he decided to become a referee more than 40 years ago.

"I suppose I figured I could do better than some of the refs that I had," he said with a chuckle.

He officiated his first basketball game in 1977, and last year stepped onto the hardwood with his whistle for the 3,000th time. He works high school basketball, a few college basketball games and some football games in the fall.

That's a lot of miles and a lot of late nights.

"From Maple Grove to Moorhead, the only town I've missed is Rogers, he said. And if I go from Elk River to Moorhead on Highway 10, the only town I missed is Sauk Rapids. I can tell you some story I remember in every single town."

Klinnert is still adding to those stories. At a time when many officials quit after a couple of years, he has no plans to step off the court.

Enforcing the rules of the game was a natural progression for Klinnert, a five-sport athlete at New York Mills High School, who went on to be a coach and school administrator for 18 years. He now operates JK sports in Fergus Falls, selling sports gear.

At 72, the lanky, white-haired Klinnert is slowing down a bit, at least by his standards. He wants to be a fan when his grandchildren play basketball, so he'll only referee about 30 games this winter.

"The highest I ever worked was 93 games in a year, he said. I remember having one stretch where we worked 17 times in 16 days."

John Klinnert, 72, of Fergus Falls throws the jump ball to start the boys' basketball game between Pelican Rapids Vikings and Barnesville Trojans on Jan. 31, 2020.

Matt Mikus | MPR News

A Minnesota State High School League official said 30 games is about average for basketball referees roughly two games a week during the season, which stretches from late November to early March.

Klinnert gets paid about $125 for working two games a night, part of an ever-changing crew of three officials.

After 43 years of pounding up and down the hardwood, Klinnert insists he still gets excited for every game. He estimates hes officiated about 85 tournament finals, winner-take-all games with fans packed to the rafters and tension filling the gym like a fog.

"And when you walk out there, boy, I get the shivers even thinking about some of those games, because it's a feeling," he said.

One of those games, back in 1983, stands out. It was a five-overtime final in Crookston to decide which team would go on to the state tournament.

"Littlefork-Big Falls beat Ada, and the ball hung on the rim and fell off, he said. Otherwise Ada would have gone to the state tournament.

Like many high school officials, Klinnert does the job because he loves the game.

"Because if you're reffing only for the $100 bill, you will not last. You will not last," said Klinnert. "The day that I'm not excited to go to a game, I should call it quits."

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Fewer and fewer people are willing to make the commitment. More young officials only stay for a couple of years. A national survey in 2017 of all levels of officials in all sports found 70 percent quit after three years.

The state high school league uses a three-year benchmark when trying to recruit and retain officials, spokesperson Tim Leighton said.

Retaining the officials has become the challenge, he said. Whats happening in officiating now is there are sportsmanship issues, theres jobs, theres family, theres low rate of return in terms of the stipend you receive. Those are all things that are driving officials away. Theyre saying, This just isnt for me.

Leighton insists theres no shortage of officials in Minnesota, even though in the past year, a few basketball and football games have had to be rescheduled because no referees were available.

Long-term, I think were going to be just fine. We would always love to have more officials, but I think were always going to get the games covered, he said. I think there are enough officials to get the games covered.

Still, he admits more officials are putting limits on their commitment to the sport which can put a strain on scheduling.

There are some officials that are spoiled, said Leighton. Theyll only work boys games, theyll only work with certain partners and theyll only work within five miles of their house. Thats becoming problematic.

Klinnert likes working with younger officials, sharing tips and tricks for managing the game. He has routines for every part of the game, so he doesnt lose focus.

But he has no sympathy when a younger official complains about the long drive, or the late night.

"I tell them point-blank: Get rid of that attitude. he said. For these kids it's the biggest game in the state of Minnesota tonight. If you don't feel that way, then don't referee."

Klinnert is a throwback, and hes proud of the long hours and lost sleep.

"Old referees, on the way home we're talking about the game, he said. And young referees in some cases don't even know if they played a zone or if they played man to man. The game is over and now let's go see what's on Facebook. That's a difference."

Over four decades, he cant remember many times hes turned down a chance to work a game.

"I took off for my 50th wedding anniversary. I took that night off," he said.

But the demands of refereeing late nights, nominal pay and lots of travel can take their toll. And there are other challenges, too: Being yelled at by coaches turns off a lot of officials, and Klinnert said he sees that mostly in his younger colleagues. That observation is supported by national surveys, which have found that abusive treatment by coaches, players or fans is the top reason officials quit.

Klinnert said that might be changing. In recent years, he's seen more respect from student athletes. After games, they often thank him and his referee team for their work. In 2015, the Minnesota State High School League started a Thank A Ref program, encouraging schools to let officials know theyre appreciated.

And over the years, Klinnert said, hes also gotten a bit more tolerant of coaches yelling at him.

"Take a deep breath, he said. Sometimes you just stand there and let him let them rip you and then walk away, it's all part of the game."

Klinnert said hes never ejected a player from a game, and he's tossed out only one coach, after a last-second call during a college tournament game.

"He came out onto the court and I won't say exactly ... what he told me, but I had to evict him from the game, he said. And they had to hold him down after the game.

It was a few years before he saw that coach again, but before their next game together, they shook hands and put the confrontation behind them.

Klinnert stands by that controversial call. But he acknowledges he does sometimes blow a call. When it happens, he always calls the coach later to apologize.

For the last several years, about 15 to 20 high school officials have reached the 40-year mark.

Only a handful mark a half-century of officiating each year.

As long as his knees hold out and he still feels that ripple of excitement before every game, Klinnert has no plans to hang up his whistle.

"How long will I ref? I don't know. I tell people I'll ref until I ref my last game."

The rest is here:

'I'll ref until I ref my last game': 3000 games and counting, this official still loves the game - Minnesota Public Radio News

This story is part of CES 2020, our complete coverage of the showroom floor and the hottest new tech gadgets around.

In a packed ballroom at the Mirage hotel at CES 2020, a neon green logo beckoned me toward it like a siren calling to sailors in The Iliad. Fortunately for me there were no treacherous rocks waiting to send me to a horrible death. Instead there was just the Black Shark 2 Pro, a gaming phone with a glowing logo on the back.

Gaming phones are right at home in the flashy confines of CES, but they also signal a subtle shift in the phone market toward more niche audiences. TheRazer Phone launched in 2017, bringing with it a new category of phones built with features geared toward gaming. These features included an LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate (instead of the standard 60Hz), a top-of-the-line Snapdragon processor and a logo on the back that glowed.

In 2020, you can find a dedicated gaming mode on mainstream flagship phones such as the Google Pixel 4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus. The OnePlus 7T and 7 Pro both have 90Hz high refresh rate screens. And there are now three phones that are built from head-to-toe for gamers: The Asus ROG Phone 2, the Nubia Red Magic 3S and the Black Shark 2 Pro.

The Black Shark 2 Pro was originally announced in July 2019, but will beavailable in the US at some point starting at $599(539 or about AU$1,030). Unfortunately Xiaomi, which makes the Black Shark, couldn't say when. The Black Shark 2 Pro is almost identical to the Black Shark 2. The major difference is that the new Pro version has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus processor instead of the regular 855 variant.

The Black Shark 2 Pro comes in a vibrant metallic blue and orange color.

The 855 Plus processor features 15% faster graphics and a CPU clock speed of up to 2.96GHz as opposed to the regular 2.84GHz speed of the 855. This means the Black Shark 2 Pro is at the top of the Android performance food chain alongside the ROG Phone 2, Red Magic 3S, OnePlus 7T, Nubia 20 and Meizu 16s Pro.

The beefy processor also means you'll be able to get the absolute best sustained performance out of your phone during long bouts of gaming. And to keep that processor cool, the Black Shark 2 Pro implements a direct touch multilayer liquid cooling system. Xiaomi claims it can reduce the temperature of the CPU by 14 degrees. For comparison, the Red Magic 3 phone has a built-in fan to keep it cool.

The Black Shark 2 Pro has a 6.39-inch AMOLED Samsung screen with a 60Hz refresh rate. By comparison, the refresh rates on the Red Magic 3 is 90Hz and the Asus ROG Phone 2 is 120Hz. But there aren't tons of Android games that take advantage of that rate.

The Black Shark Phone 2 Pro's screen has a 240Hz touch-report rate, however. That refers to the number of times per second the screen updates where you've touched. This could in theory lead to a lower latency rate. In fact Xiaomi says that the Pro has a response speed of 34.7 milliseconds, which would put it ahead of any other gaming phone.

The Black Shark 2 Pro in a Nintendo Switch-style case.

Another unique feature to give mobile gamers more of an edge is a touchscreen feature called Master Touch 2.0, which lets you resize both left and right touch zones and the pressure-sensing value. So you can have a light button touch in one game and pound the crap out of your screen in another.

Like the original Black Shark phone, there's a Sharkspace slider button that will put your phone into a gaming mode that optimizes performance, clears your phone's memory and minimizes outside interruptions.

Another wonderful aspect of the Black Shark 2 Pro is the accessories Xiaomi makes for it.

We're looking forward to testing the Black Shark 2 Pro phone. But for now, here's how its specs stack against other leading gaming phones.

Now playing: Watch this: First look: Black Shark 2 Pro impresses with performance

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Black Shark 2 Pro: We go hands-on with the gaming phone and its bonkers specs - CNET