Around 100,000 mad Collingwood and West Coast fans are expected to turn out to the MCG to watch the AFL Grand Final. Millions of people across Australia and the world are also sure to tune into the game. So if you’re confused on when to catch the pre game entertainment, or not sure when the first bounce is, never fear because we have all you need to know about what’s happening on AFL Grand Final day. AFL GRAND FINAL MCG GATE OPENING TIMES 8.00am — Gates Open for MCC Reserve 9.30am — Gates Open to AFL reserve and general public AFL GRAND FINAL PRE-GAME ENTERTAINMENT START TIME The pre game music entertainment will begin at approximately 1.40pm. This year’s entertainment will be American pop band the Black Eyed Peas and Australian favourite Jimmy Barnes. 10.00am — Under-17 All Star game 12.15pm — Sprint Heats 1.10pm — Teams warm up 1.30pm — Retiring players motorcade begins 1.40pm — Music entertainment from Jimmy Barnes and Black Eyed Peas. 2.13pm — Umpires and teams run out on to the ground 2.26pm — National Anthem sung by Mahalia Barnes (daughter of Jimmy Barnes) 2.30pm — Game starts WHEN DOES THE AFL GRAND FINAL START? The AFL Grand final first bounce will be at 2.30pm. AFL GRAND FINAL HALF TIME ENTERTAINMENT The AFL grand final half time entertainment will be Auskick and the traditional grand final sprint WHEN DOES THE AFL GRAND FINAL FINISH? The final siren will sound around 5.15-5.30pm, provided there is no major hold up of play or there is a draw. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE AFL GRAND FINAL IS A DRAW? A six-minute break begins when the flags are waved. Coaches can go on to the field * Interchange cap is reset to 15 for both teams * First period of additional time (five minutes plus time-on) * Teams kick to the same end as in the fourth quarter * End of first period of additional time. Teams change ends. NOTE there is no break and coaches/club staff cannot go on the field * Any interchanges made during the change of ends are counted in the 15 limit * Second period of additional time (Five minutes plus time-on) * If scores are tied at the end of the second period of additional time, the siren will not sound and play will continue until a score occurs AFL GRAND FINAL MEDAL PRESENTATION Following the final siren, at around 5.30pm there will be a medal presentation. This year the Norm Smith medal will be presented to the best on ground by triple Brisbane Lions premiership winner Shaun Hart. The Jock McHale medal is presented to the premiership coach and the 2018 medal will be handed out by former premiership coach Dennis Pagan. If Collingwood wins, pies legend Tony Shaw will present the Premiership to Bucks’ and Scott Pendlebury. If West Coast pulls off an underdog win the premiership cup will be presented by AFL Hall of Famer Dean Kemp. WHEN DO GATES OPEN TO PUBLIC FOR FREE CONCERT? Jimmy Barnes will be performing a free concert on the MCG ground. The post-match entertainment will be from 6.45pm, access via lawn opposite gate 2.

BILLY Slater is often credited with revolutionising the way modern-day rugby league fullbacks play. And the “Billy the Kid” has certainly had an impact on betting for his swan song — Sunday’s NRL Grand Final. When Slater was charged for THAT shoulder charge from the preliminary final win over Cronulla, Ladbrokes bookmakers initially installed the Roosters as favourites for the decider. But after Cooper Cronk had his shoulder crunched into the Alliance Stadium turf, they were forced to rethink. They wound the Storm in and the Roosters out. So on Sunday morning the two teams couldn’t be separated at $1.92 apiece. By the time Slater stepped off the private jet to plead his case to the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night, the weight of money had seen the Storm move from a 1.5 point outsider to a 1.5 point favourite. After the star fullback was given the all clear, the bookies wound the reigning premiers in further to be a 2.5 point, $1.68 favourite holding three times the money as the Roosters. And such is the willingness from punters to “back the story’”, Slater is also clearly the best backed for the Clive Churchill Medal. Slater along with captain Cameron Smith, has been wound in from $6 into $5 for the man-of-the-match award. For the Roosters, the only player attracting any interest is fullback James Tedesco. No doubt, if Cronk plays, punters will part with some hard earned on the halfback. That would also be some kind of grand-final fairytale. AFL GRAND FINAL IT is the season showpiece that very few people saw coming. A West Coast Eagles-Collingwood quinella was paying $1001 at the start of the season when both teams were over $2 just to make the finals. Punters did cotton on that West Coast may be the real deal fairly early in the season, and Ladbrokes took a number of big bets at odds of $51, $41 and $34 before the Eagles’ premiership odds shortened dramatically. Collingwood may be favourites to claim their first flag since 2010 but the weight of money all week has been with West Coast. Ladbrokes have taken more than double the money for West Coast than they have for Collingwood, and the Eagles could end up starting shorter than their current price of $2.25. It is unlikely to be a one-sided Grand Final with five of the past seven games between these two sides at the MCG being decided by 15.5 points or less — a result which is currently paying $2.60. NORM SMITH MEDAL COLLINGWOOD midfielder Steele Sidebottom fell just short of claiming an upset Brownlow Medal win on Monday night, but punters believe he will not be denied the Norm Smith Medal on Saturday. Sidebottom is $7 to win the best-on-ground gong, and he has been easily the best-backed since he polled surprisingly strongly on Monday. Elliot Yeo is the on the second line of betting at $9, while the Collingwood trio of Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury and Adam Treloar are all at $10 with Ladbrokes. MULTI THERE is one Ladbrokes punter that will be particularly nervous watching the AFL Grand Final. This punter was enjoying a late night wager on the Prix Beugnot Hurdle in France in March when he placed a long-range multi. He combined Rasango in the Prix Beugnot Hurdle at $3.20, Tom Mitchell to win the Brownlow Medal at $15, and the West Coast Eagles at $41 for an incredibly juicy $50 at $1738.50, which will net him a cool $98,350. This same punter did the exact same thing 12 months ago. He combined Halcyon Honey ($1.50) to win a random race at Mandurah with Dustin Martin to win the Brownlow Medal at $9 into Richmond to win the AFL Premiership at $67. All three legs saluted and he collected $45,225.00 for his troubles.

JEREMY McGovern has declared himself “100 per cent ready” to play in tomorrow’s Grand Final despite fears about a hip injury. The key Eagles defender sparked concerns about his attendance at today’s parade with his name sticker at one point removed from the vehicle he was set to share with teammate Chris Masten. McGovern was the last West Coast player to make his way to his car — once the sticker had been re-applied, of course. “Nearly didn’t (come), but I got here. I’m here now,” he smiled. “No (injury concerns), I’m ready to go and looking forward to training this arvo.” McGovern said he would train fully on the MCG this afternoon and said his hip “should be fine” tomorrow. “It’s sweet. No issues. It should be fine. I’ll train this arvo and it’ll all be good,” he said. His coach Adam Simpson had earlier said he would be fit to play but conceded that there had been concern. “I don’t know know if I’m extremely confident, I’m hopeful,” he said. SEE THE FULL GRAND FINAL TEAMS BELOW Eagles coach Adam Simpson has stopped short of guaranteeing McGovern will play against Collingwood. McGovern hurt his hip in last weekend’s preliminary final win against Melbourne but Simpson says he must pass a fitness test at training on Friday in Melbourne. “I don’t know if I’m extremely confident, I’m hopeful,” Simpson told reporters. WEST COAST V COLLINGWOOD EAGLES: B: Hurn, Barrass, Schofield HB: Cole, McGovern, Jetta Redden, Yeo, Masten HF: Hutchings, Darling, LeCras F: Rioli, Kennedy, Cripps FOLL: Lycett, Shuey, Sheed I/C: Ryan, Duggan, Venables, Vardy EMG: O.Allen, Nelson, Ainsworth, Ah Chee MAGPIES B: Brayden Maynard, Tom Langdon, Jack Crisp HB: Jeremy Howe, Tyson Goldsack, Travis Varcoe Adam Treloar, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips HF: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Jordan De Goey F: Josh Thomas, Mason Cox, Jaidyn Stephenson Foll: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Steele Sidebottom Int: Brayden Sier, James Aish, Chris Mayne, Levi Greenwood Emg: Jarryd Blair, Ben Reid, Callum Brown, Flynn Appleby

FORGET star-rated accommodation - crossing the Nullarbor under a million stars on the road to the MCG is better than any hotel, says Barbara Hartfield. She and her Integrity Coaches co-driver David Booth, with 25 eager footy fans, arrived in Melbourne at about 8.30am after the epic 3400km road trip. Ms Hartfield and their touring party left Perth at about 8am on Wednesday for the two-day drive and she said their journey was pleasantly uneventful. In fact the going was so smooth, Mr Booth said they actually had to slow down for the final part of the journey otherwise they would have arrived in the dead of night. For the 25 on board, it was the first time they had taken the journey. Videos and quizzes helped the the group pass the time and Ms Hartfield said it was a ‘good atmosphere’. Heading across the Nullarbor towards the South Australian border, mobs of kangaroos greeted to adventurers, almost forming a guard of honour along the highway. Mr Booth said they saw plenty of kangaroos for much of the journey, although the animals were most concentrated near Balladonia and Cocklebiddy. But for Ms Hartfield, no sight beats the Nullarbor sky in the middle of the night. It’s the first time she had driven from west to east but she said no matter how many time people make the crossing, the scenery from inland Australia is ‘just fabulous’. Some of the passengers will make their own way back to Perth but Mr Booth there are a few who will jump back on the coach to do it all again on Sunday morning.

Daniel Ricciardo has the Russian Grand Prix to worry about this weekend. But that doesn’t mean the Perth Formula1 ace isn’t thinking about his team back home ahead of their grand final clash against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday. Ricciardo, West Coast’s former No.1 ticketholder, donned the blue and gold during Red Bull’s media day, following through on his promise to wear the team’s colours. The Duncraig racer used his time off in between races to catch his beloved Eagles knock off Melbourne in last Saturday’s preliminary final. “When they win – a bit of confidence here – I’ll get something in the form of an Eagle on or around me next weekend,” Ricciardo said ahead of last weekend’s win. “I’m in Russia when you guys are hopefully at the ‘G. I’d rather be at the ‘G, to be honest.” Ricciardo, currently six in the drivers championship, will take to the track tonight in Sochi for two practice sessions. The final practice session takes place tomorrow followed by qualifying, with the main event on Sunday.

IT’S the footage all Eagles fans will want to see: Jeremy McGovern training at the MCG ahead of tomorrow’s grand final. Seven’s helicopter footage captured the star West Coast defender being put through his paces on the hallowed turf as he looks to prove his fitness for the clash with Collingwood. McGovern looked largely untroubled as he did a series of stretches, run-throughs and light drills with his teammates. It comes after the defender described himself as "100 per cent ready to go" at the grand final parade earlier in the day, despite Adam Simpson stopping short of guaranteeing he would be a certain starter. “He’s getting better every minute, really,” Simpson said before training. “We anticipate him to play. We just want to tick a few boxes today. "I don't know know if I'm extremely confident. I'm extremely hopeful. “Someone like Gov - he just gets up. It’s just making sure he’s up enough to play in a grand final. “I think he’ll be close to 100 per cent if he gets to the line. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. But at the moment, we’re thinking he’s going to be OK.” The All-Australian defender looms as a vital part of West Coast’s backline as they strive for their first flag since 2006.

THE big one is here! Here’s how we think the grand final action will unfold as the Eagles prepare to take on Collingwood. MELBOURNE’S WEATHER WILL… Braden Quartermaine: Be cold enough to make Perth seem a long way away after last weekend’s prelim which began in 27C sunshine. Chris Robinson: Nowhere near as bad as what was touted early in the week. Expect that to favour West Coast’s deliberate approach. Bridget Lacy: Be cold and windy. Take my word for it. It was almost unbearable for the Collingwood semifinal against GWS a fortnight ago and I’m expecting more of the same. Pack your thermals, Eagles fans. Glen Quartermain: Not be a factor. The forecast is looking better than it was anyway. It will be cold but there is no forecast for rain in afternoon. I expect it to be a bit like the conditions in 1992. Perhaps that’s a good omen. Ben Robinson: Boost beanie and scarf sales at the West Coast merchandise shop. JEREMY MCGOVERN IS SET TO… Braden Quartermaine: Overcome his cork and play well. Chris Robinson: Have an impact. He’s used to putting pain aside and will have few problems fighting hard for two-and-a-half hours in the biggest game of his life. Bridget Lacy: Play. McGovern has missed just on game this season and he’s not about to add to it now. He’s clearly sore and no doubt the Magpies, and most likely Chris Mayne, will test him out but he’s proven before he can play through it. Glen Quartermain: Play. Bruised love handle or cracked ribs, he’ll start. Nigel Lappin and Luke Hodge and countless others have proved it is possible. If it is ribs then expect McGovern’s aerial impact to be diminished. Ben Robinson: Be crashed into in the opening minutes as the Pies forwards test out that so-called corked hip. THE NUMBER OF GOALS MASON COX WILL FINISH WITH IS… Braden Quartermaine: One. (Which is one more than he kicked against Tom Barrass in the qualifying final.) Chris Robinson: Two. The large unit won’t recreate the level of heroics from last week, but he’ll bob up a couple of times. Bridget Lacy: One. The big American had donuts in the two weeks prior to last week’s stunning preliminary final effort and I can’t see him being able to dominate the West Coast backs. So one goal seems about right. Glen Quartermain: One. Tom Barrass will get him but most importantly expect the avenues of supply to be clogged as opposed to the freeway that was afforded against Richmond in the preliminary final. Ben Robinson: Zero, with the tall Eagles backmen preventing a repeat of the armchair ride he received from the Richmond defence in the prelim final ONE OF THE DAY’S BIGGEST SURPRISES WILL BE… Braden Quartermaine: Tyson Goldsack not starting on Josh Kennedy. Chris Robinson: Matt Taberner in the grand final sprint. I’m not expecting a podium finish from the key forward. Bridget Lacy: How West Coast handle the G. They’ve already proven a point this year but I reckon there are a few in Victoria who still think the Eagles can’t play the famous ground. The venue holds no fears for West Coast now and they’ll manage it well. Glen Quartermain: Steele Sidebottom to start at full-forward in a bid to confuse his likely tagger Mark Hutchings. Ben Robinson: Chris Mayne to be the Pies’ leading goal scorer. THE MOMENT THAT WILL BECOME PART OF GRAND FINAL FOLKLORE WILL BE… Braden Quartermaine: A screamer from Liam Ryan to rival Brendon Goddard’s epic last-quarter grab in the 2010 drawn grand final. Chris Robinson: Nic Naitanui, Andrew Gaff and Brad Sheppard getting in the thick of the celebrations if the Eagles pull off the win. Bridget Lacy: Something Willie Rioli does. The Rioli name speaks for itself these days, especially when it comes to grand finals. You just feel like there will be a moment he will own at some stage after two relatively quiet finals thus far. Glen Quartermain: With the game in the balance early in the final term, Jeremy McGovern floats forward and kicks a memorable sealer. Ben Robinson: A trademark Jeremy Howe screamer to sit alongside Jezza’s and Brendon Goddard’s memorable GF speccies. THE GRAND FINAL WINNER AND MARGIN WILL BE… Braden Quartermaine: West Coast by 18 points. Chris Robinson: West Coast by 4 points. Bridget Lacy: West Coast by 26 points. Glen Quartermain: West Coast by 24 points. Ben Robinson: West Coast by 19 points. THE NORM SMITH MEDAL GOES TO… Braden Quartermaine: Shannon Hurn. Chris Robinson: Josh Kennedy. Glen Quartermain: Shannon Hurn. Ben Robinson: Elliot Yeo.

After more than 14 years developing file-sharing applications, the FrostWire team has dramatically quit following what appears to be an invalid DMCA takedown notice. The notice targeted FrostWire’s Android app, which Google deleted from its Play Store and refuses to reinstate. Back in 2004, when LimeWire was the file-sharing client of choice for millions of users, a new kid appeared on the block. FrostWire was originally an open source fork of LimeWire distributed under the GNU General Public License. In 2006, FrostWire added BitTorrent support and in 2011, as LimeWire drew its final breath under pressure from the RIAA, its Gnutella base was dropped completely in favor of BitTorrent. Over the years, FrostWire became available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. However, a huge problem with their Android variant has now caused the FrostWire team to make a rather sad announcement. The issues began back on September 18 when the FrostWire Android app was taken down from Google Play following a DMCA takedown request. “In the notice, the company claimed their content was uploaded to the FrostWire app and provided screenshots of their content being played in the FrostWire Music Player,” the FrostWire team explains. “Asking for reinstatement, we made it clear that it is technically impossible to upload any content to FrostWire. We explained that FrostWire is a tool, a BitTorrent client, a downloader for a distributed peer-to-peer network and that as such, it does not host, index, nor has the ability to control the content it is technically capable of downloading from third party sources.” But despite a DMCA counter-notice to Google, the Internet giant stood its ground. Google refused to reinstate the Android app, a surprise decision given FrostWire’s reputation for staying within the law. After almost eight successful years on the Google Play store, the FrostWire team says they have been left “dumbfounded” by what they say is an “unsubstantiated claim” from a single company. Sadly, this unfortunate situation appears to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Heavily reliant on their Android variant, the team indicate they will now move away from FrostWire. “With over 80% of our user-base running on the Android platform, in a world where the majority of android installs occurs through a centralized app store monopoly, we don’t see a viable path forward. After 14 years the team is ready to move on to other passions and challenges,” they reveal. Thanking users past and present for their support, the FrostWire team say that users should now take the opportunity to update their clients using FrostWire’s Github repository or its SourceForge page. While this sounds like the beginning of the end for FrostWire, it isn’t the first time that the project has had a run-in with Google over its popular client. In April 2015, FrostWire was temporarily removed from Google Play in a dispute over YouTube integration. Earlier that year, Amazon removed FrostWire citing copyright concerns. This reliance on centralized and near monopoly app databases is clearly a big negative for applications like FrostWire. The team hopes that, moving into the future, Internet freedom will come to the forefront. “We hope that in the end, a free, uncensored and decentralized internet will prevail,” the team concludes. Source: Torrentfreak.com

Apologies Folks, We had a minor issue with a server security upgrade which meant we needed to reboot the server. Everything appears to be as it should now. I've been out on IR for the past few days with "the lurgy", as such it means I'm behind on support requests and will get to them when I can.

Another 24 hour FL on GGn. Also lot's of multipliers on gold,upload,and bonuses. Enjoy people!

Welcome to InviteHawk. You'll Enjoy everything here Hopefully.

Welcome to InviteHawk. You'll Enjoy everything here Hopefully.

Welcome to InviteHawk. You'll Enjoy everything here Hopefully.

Welcome to InviteHawk. You'll Enjoy everything here Hopefully.

Welcome to InviteHawk. You'll Enjoy everything here Hopefully.

Welcome to InviteHawk. You'll Enjoy everything here Hopefully.

Stage 9, a beautiful fan-made recreation of the Enterprise ship from Star Trek: The Next Generation, has been shut down following a cease-and-desist from CBS. The people behind the two-year-old project tried to reason with CBS, offering to make changes to keep their dream project alive, but the broadcasting giant wasn't interested in discussion. For those unfamiliar with the project, Stage 9 is a beautiful virtual recreation of the Enterprise ship from Star Trek: The Next Generation for Windows, Mac and Linux. More experience than game, Stage 9 was built by fans over two years in the Unreal Engine. “There were two things that we were always pretty careful with,” says project leader ‘Scragnog’. “We made it as clear as we possibly could that this was NOT an officially licensed project. We had no affiliation with CBS or Paramount and the IP we were trying our hardest to treat with respect was not our own. We were fans, just creating fan art.” In an announcement this week, Scragnog reminded fans that no one involved in the project was in it for any financial reason and everyone was well aware that throwing money into the mix could be a problem. However, the team says it has always known that they could be shut down at any time on the whim of a license holder because in this world, that’s what can happen. Unfortunately, that day has come all too soon for the impressive project. Stage 9 was hit with an intellectual property complaint from CBS just over two weeks ago and has now been shut down. “This letter was a cease-and-desist order,” Scragnog explains. “Over the next 13 days we did everything we possibly could to open up a dialog with CBS. The member of the CBS legal team that issued the order went on holiday for a week immediately after sending the letter through, which slowed things down considerably.” During this interim period, the team began to consider statements made by CBS Vice President for Product Development John Van Citters, who in 2016 indicated that Star Trek owes so much to fans and that fan creations are of value to the brand. “We want fans to be involved, very much so,” Van Citters said, as cited by Scragnog. “And it’s going to help us evolve and bring Star Trek to a bigger and brighter future.” “They’re not going to hear from us,” Citters continued. “They’re not going to get a phone call, they’re not going to get an email. They’re not going to get anything that’s going to ruin their day one way or another and make them feel bad, like they’ve done something wrong.” After noting Van Citter’s friendly approach, the Stage 9 team reached out to him twice to see if Stage 9 could be kept alive in some form. Sadly, the exec did not respond to the team “in any way.” However, thirteen days after receiving the cease-and-desist, Stage 9 was able to speak with their original contact in the CBS legal department. It proved a complete waste of time. “We were hoping, perhaps naively, that the elements of Stage 9 that CBS did not approve of would be highlighted to us, so we could be sure to remove these elements from the project and create something that met with, if not their approval, then at least their acceptance,” Scragnog explains. To keep the project alive, the team were prepared to make any changes ordered by CBS. Sadly, CBS said that the project could not continue in any form, no matter what changes were made. They provided no further details and, as noted by Eurogamer, did not indicate how Stage 9 had violated the fan art guidelines previously published by CBS and Paramount. “It’s a truly horrible situation to be in when something that tries to respect Star Trek can be eliminated without any opportunity for open dialog,” Scragnog concludes.

When OnePlus confirmed its next “flagship killer” would arrive without a headphone jack, better battery life was highlighted as an (indirect) benefit. But company co-founder Carl Pei never specified the exact size of the OnePlus 6T juicer, leaving us wondering and hoping for a substantial upgrade over the OP6. If a freshly leaked image is to be trusted, the “typical capacity” of the new battery stands at 3,700 mAh, which is a very respectable number, but not quite “flagship-killing.” Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9, for instance, packs a gargantuan 4,000 mAh cell, while the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is expected to improve on the 4,000 mAh battery size of the Mate 10 Pro and P20 Pro. Still, 3,700 mAh would represent a decent enhancement over the 3,300 mAh battery of the OnePlus 6. Of course, the 6T is also tipped to sport a larger screen than its predecessor, but only slightly so, at 6.4 inches (compared to 6.28). Since the OnePlus 6 obtained above-average scores in our proprietary battery life test, we can reasonably expect its headphone jack-ditching sequel to take things to the next level. As far as today’s actual leak is concerned, it’s important to point out this doesn’t hail from a verified source. Therefore, it could well be a hoax, but why would anyone go through this much trouble to fabricate a photo of a battery? The writing on it obviously doesn’t mention the OnePlus 6T by name, but OnePlus is identified as the non-removable battery’s designer. The BLP685 model number also fits with the typical labeling scheme of the company’s power packs, so there’s little doubt in our mind as to the veracity of this leak.

The Dragon Prince is a Netflix animated series set in a fantasy world in which elves and humans stand on the brink of war. It premiered earlier this month and was apparently quite good, holding a 100 percent score across eight reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. It will also, at some point in the future, be made into a Dragon Prince game. You might already be aware of this fact: The series has been the focus so far, but the website of production company Wonderstorm says, "We are also developing a deep, engaging videogame from the same world and vision." The creators also referenced the game in an AMA that took place last week. Details about the Dragon Prince game (or anything beyond the fact that it's something the developers want to do) haven't been revealed, but co-creator Justin Richmond recently told Polygon that it will not be "a straight-up narrative-based game." "It’s very different from that, but it does connect very deeply to the world and characters of The Dragon Prince and there’ll be things in the game that hugely expand upon the lore of our world," he said. "So it’s not a companion piece. It’s not a licensed game. It’s a fully fledged piece of The Dragon Prince world that you will get to see through a different lens." Richmond, who co-founded Wonderstorm along with Aaron Ehasz and Justin Santistevan, brings some serious game-related chops to the operation: Prior to this, he was game director on Uncharted 3.

The games industry reached new financial heights last year, but the job security of game developers feels as fragile as ever. Some of the people who make the games we love are exposed to sudden layoffs, unethical crunch periods, and a workplace that has no history of unionization like the film industry. Successful studios, producing games based on some of the most beloved worldwide licences like Marvel, Star Wars, and Batman, have shuttered. In its history, EA has closed nearly a dozen studios that it previously acquired, including Westwood, Maxis, and Black Box Games. Telltale Games' expected closure adds a tally to the now 10 studios that have closed completely in the last 12 months. 275 Telltale employees were laid off suddenly and without severance last Friday, though 25 remain for the time being to "fulfill the company's obligations to its board and partners," Telltale said in a less-than-encouraging statement about its future. These are the studios we've lost in the last 12 months. Where known, I've noted the number of people who lost their jobs. Motiga Creator of Gigantic 75 employees Visceral Creator of Dead Space, Battlefield Hardline, and an unreleased Star Wars project At least 80 employees Telltale Games Creator of The Walking Dead and other episodic series 275 employees Boss Key Productions Creator of LawBreakers and Radical Heights About 60 employees at peak Runic Creator of Torchlight and Hob Carbine Creator of Wildstar The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency Creator of Drawn to Death and a cancelled unannounced project Wargaming Seattle (formerly Gas Powered Games) Creator of Supreme Commander, Dungeon Siege Approximately 150 employees Capcom Vancouver Creator of Dead Rising 158 employees Gazillion Entertainment Creator of Marvel Heroes Approximately 200 employees Other notable layoffs in the last year include Big Fish Games, CCP's VR division, Harmonix, Hangar 13 (Mafia 3), Robot Entertainment (Orcs Must Die!), Volition (Agents of Mayhem), and Twitch. Although the games industry lacks solid employee organization, there is a growing culture of solidarity between developers around these issues. Many studios have chimed in on social media to make their job listings visible under the hashtag #telltalejobs. A spreadsheet listing 20 former Telltale employees who are most adversely affected by the layoffs is also circulating on social media, requesting donations. "An unsung victim of Telltale’s sudden closure is Delmis Luna, who has been cleaning the offices for many years," reads one of the ko-fi.com donation pages. "Last week, she lost her primary source of income, and her mother died. It was a really bad week. Any financial assistance, to help keep her children fed and rent paid, while she looks for new work would be very appreciated."

The stealthy murder game Mark of the Ninja is really good, but it's also getting up there in years. To address that, Klei announced back in March that a remastered version was in the works and would be out later this year. Now we've got a more properly detailed look at what the updated version will deliver, and a release date of October 9. The new version of the game will include the Dosan's Tale DLC that was released for the 2013 Special Edition of the game, which adds a new character, level, items, and developer commentary. The graphics have been updated to support 4K resolution, the soundtrack has been remixed and remastered in 5.1 audio, and an unlockable New Game+ mode will add "new challenges and rewards." Mark of the Ninja: Remastered will go for $20 on Steam, although you can pick it up at a 15 percent discount if you pre-purchase on Steam. Owners of the base game can upgrade to the Remastered version, with the Special Edition DLC, for $5, and if you already own the special edition, the Remastered upgrade is free.

Nintendo's newest IP, Dragalia Lost, is a mobile role-playing game that can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. You start the game as a young prince who must find a dragon to bond with so that he can become powerful enough to save the kingdom from a growing demonic threat. Joined by his younger sister, and eventually a diverse group of over 60 other party members, the prince grows stronger by taking on quests, completing missions, and killing bosses. Despite being a mobile game, Dragalia Lost has dozens of mechanics, ranging from party management to dragon rearing. Unlike most triple-A RPGs where a majority of the game's systems are thrown at the player in rapid succession over a daunting two-hour opening--I'm looking at you Xenoblade Chronicles 2--Draglia Lost introduces each of its mechanics slowly. There also aren't many cutscenes in the first hour of the game. Although some of the story elements are detailed early on, the game spends a majority of its start having you play in small strikes that reinforce the lessons from the tutorial. By the time Dragalia Lost starts pulling you out of the gameplay to show you a lot more cutscenes, you've got a fundamental understanding of the controls. It's all pretty intuitive. By the end of the demo, I had played the first 45 minutes of Dragalia Lost and was quickly swiping through all the features that had befuddled me before. What struck me most about Dragalia Lost's opening hour was how the game had been designed for two different types of players: RPG veterans and newcomers to the genre. Every lesson has two levels. You can listen to one of the characters explain something and then just go do it, or you can listen to one of the characters explain something and then let the game show you what they mean. For example, every character has their own advantages and weaknesses, weapon type, and multi-tiered skill tree. You can also equip different items to your characters and dragons, build different types of shrines in your castle, raise new breeds of dragons, and plant a diverse assortment of healthy herbs in your garden. Which characters you have on your team can also affect how your entire party can attack, defend, or heal, and certain enemies are easier to deal with when using specific weapons. These are all of Dragalia Lost's simpler to grasp mechanics that are introduced within the first hour or so. You can micromanage it all. You can pull out the spreadsheets and start comparing the percentages if you want. But if any part of the game is too confusing or just not something you want to do, you can ask Dragalia Lost to do it for you. At the push of the button, the game will maximize your characters' abilities based on team dynamic and even change your roster if there's a better lineup available to tackle the next mission. You lose some of the challenge if you continuously do it, but it's a simple and welcome fix if you're struggling. Dragalia Lost's opening hours reminded me a lot of the earlier Pokemon games, specifically Generations I-III. What the player needs to know--catching Pokemon, battling, and type advantages--is detailed out, but the more nuanced mechanics--different balls and every specific type advantage--are hidden away in optional conversations. A Pokemon veteran can tackle Brock with their Squirtle no problem, but a newcomer can ask around town and learn from one of the folks near Brock's gym that Water- and Grass-type Pokemon are your best bet against someone who solely uses Rock-type Pokemon, as well as where these type of Pokemon can be found. The game teaches you about type advantages whether you want to or not, and newcomers can rely on optional systems to slowly learn the vast assortment of type advantages. Similarly, in Dragalia Lost, you eventually encounter enemies that rely on shields to protect themselves from initial attacks. When you first confront them, Dragalia Lost teaches you how to use the game's main character to perform a Force Strike, a move that when perfectly timed can instantly destroy a shield. Knowing that you have a character who can quickly take down shields is all the information you need to beat the harder enemy mobs and bosses down the line. You can identify other means of dealing with powerful targets yourself or ask the game to give you hints and help out. Combat is fairly straightforward to figure out if you've played other RPGs, it utilizes several interlocking rock-paper-scissors features, but the game details how all types of advantages work if you're still learning to juggle multiple in-game systems. Dragalia extends this to all its features, which is most helpful when balancing your four-person party, managing every characters' multi-tiered skill tree, or choosing the correct fighter for handling a particularly troublesome enemy. Dragalia Lost wants you to have the game experience you want, whether you're looking for complex RPG mechanics, straight story, or something in between. I left my time with the game's demo with a smile on my face and eager to play more, which is not common for me when it comes to RPGs. Releasing a game like Dragalia Lost to the huge audience on mobile devices is a smart choice. This makes it more accessible to a wider audience, especially kids or people who don't normally play games outside the Apple or Google Play stores. Dragalia Lost has goofy humor, an easy to follow story, a colorful cast of characters, and really catchy music. I can see it finding a foothold in the non-RPG crowd and helping new players discover the joy behind micromanaging complex video game mechanics. Dragalia Lost launches on September 27 for Android and iOS devices.

Telltale Games has removed The Walking Dead: The Final Season from sale amid questions about the game's future in light of the massive layoffs at the studio. The game's store page on GOG.com states, "Telltale has requested a temporary pause of sales of The Walking Dead - Final Season. For all up to date Telltale news, please refer to their official Twitter page." Over on Steam, there is a somewhat longer notice which reads, "We have removed season passes for The Walking Dead: The Final Season from stores for the time being. We’re currently still working to find a way to hand off production of episodes 3 and 4 so that the season can be completed. The outcome of those efforts will determine when and how The Final Season returns to stores. We hope to have a firm announcement before the end of the week. For now, we apologize for any inconvenience." On Xbox One, The Final Season is listed as "currently not unavailable." The PlayStation Store database only shows The Final Season's free demo as being available. The Final Season's store page on Steam does not allow you to purchase the game. Episode Two of The Final Season launched on Tuesday, September 25, but whether or not episodes Three and Four ever release is in question. It makes sense that Telltale would remove the $20 Final Season Pass. Given that the company has said it is unsure if it will be able to release Episodes Three and Four, letting people buy the pass containing those episodes when it can't guarantee it will deliver them is not a great look and might put Telltale in a legally challenging situation. Telltale announced a "majority studio closure" last Friday, resulting in the loss of more than 200 jobs. One of the affected developers has filed a class-action lawsuit against Telltale asking the company to pay missed wages, health benefits, 401(k) contributions, and more.

The beta for Bethesda's much-anticipated Fallout 76 begins in October, but we still don't know all that much about when in October it'll launch, what it will contain, and how long it will run for. It sounds like more details are coming about the beta soon. Responding to a fan's question about the Fallout 76 beta length, Bethesda marketing boss Pete Hines said on Twitter, "We'll have more information for you on that soon. Hopefully this week." Pre-ordering Fallout 76 is the only way to play the beta. The beta starts in October, and thanks to a deal with Microsoft, it starts on Xbox One, followed by PlayStation 4 and PC. Intriguingly, the Fallout 76 beta website states that the beta will contain the "full game." This is noteworthy considering betas often feature only a slice of a final product. Another piece of good news is that all of your progress in the Fallout 76 beta will carry forward. Fallout 76 launches in full on November 14 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. On PC, the game will only be available through Bethesda's own launcher, not Steam.

Red Dead Redemption 2 looks to be a sprawling western epic, but just how sprawling, and how epic? Triple digits worth of gigs, that's how much, according to the box for the recently announced PS4 Pro bundle. You may want to clear some space. Rockstar Intel noted that the back of the bundle shows the HDD space requirement in tiny print: 105 GB. The box also reveals the multiplayer count (2-32 players) and that the as-yet mysterious PS4 exclusive content is only exclusive for 30 days. But that space requirement is the most unexpected piece and so it stands out. Note, of course, that this could be the space requirement for the game on PS4 Pro, since that's what the bundle includes. It's possible that the Pro version will require some higher-res textures to take full advantage of 4K TVs. Players with standard PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems may not have such a high space requirement. GameSpot has contacted Rockstar and will update as more information becomes available. It does make sense that the open-world game from Rockstar is large, though. It takes place across several different environments as Arthur and his band of outlaws get chased across the old west by the long arm of the law, and Rockstar has put an incredible amount of detail into everything from the wildlife and hunting to a more robust conversation system. For more details, check out some of the things that surprised us most in our recent hands-on.