Author: Trafficblast

As part of the Pokemon 2019 Press Conference today, a wacky-sounding new Pokemon app called Pokemon Sleep was announced. Seriously. The Pokemon Company and Nintendo are working together to try to “turn sleep into entertainment.”

Pokemon Sleep is launching in 2020, and The Pokemon Company joked that “several Snorlax were consulted on this.”

“Pokemon Sleep aims to turn sleeping into entertainment by having a player’s time spent sleeping, and the time they wake up, effect the gameplay,” reads a line from the app’s official description.

More details about the specific functionality of the app are being saved for a later date.

Nintendo is working on a new peripheral called the Pokemon Go Plus Plus. That is actually its name. The idea is that you’ll sleep with the new peripheral and it’ll monitor your sleep patterns, apparently. The device has an “embedded accelerometer” that can track how you sleep and then beam it to your phone.

“This new device also has the same functions as the original Pokemon Go Plus, so Trainers can use it with Pokemon Go during the day and with Pokemon Sleep at night,” The Pokemon Company said.

While you have to wait a while longer to experience Pokemon Sleep, Pokemon Go is being updated to introduce some sleeping Snorlax for players to catch. Here is what the Plus Plus looks like:

For more on the Pokemon 2019 Press Conference, check out the stories linked below:

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A new version of the Nintendo 3DS game Detective Pikachu is coming to Nintendo Switch. The Pokemon Company announced this during its 2019 Press Conference today.

“The details of this game are still a mystery,” reads a line from the company’s announcement. It seems more details will be announced at a later date.

The Switch game will resolve the cliffhanger from the 3DS game, The Pokemon Company said. The ending to the Switch game will be different to the movie starring Ryan Reynolds.

The new Detective Pikachu game for Switch is being developed by Creatures Inc., the Japanese studio that has worked alongside The Pokemon Company on numerous Pokemon games over the years.

It sounds like it’s early days for the new Detective Pikachu game for Switch, as The Pokemon Company said developer Creatures Inc. “has plans to create” the game but it is unclear if development has begun.

In addition to the new Detective Pikachu game for Switch, a sequel to the Detective Pikachu movie is reportedly in the works. That is not a big surprise as the movie was generally well-received and it made a lot of money.

For more on the Pokemon 2019 Press Conference, check out the stories linked below:

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The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is going after Sony over claims that the PlayStation company made “false or misleading statements” to Australian gamers in regards to refunds. Specifically, the ACCC said in a statement that it takes issue with Sony Europe’s statement in September 2017 that the company was not required to provide refunds for downloaded games, or if two weeks had passed since the purchase.

“Sony Europe also allegedly told consumers it did not have to provide refunds unless the game developer told the consumer the game was irreparably faulty or otherwise authorized a refund. It also told consumers that it could provide refunds using virtual PlayStation currency instead of money,” the ACCC’s statement continues.

The ACCC says these claims are “false or misleading.” Under Australian Consumer Law, consumers are entitled to a refund, repair, or replacement “if a product is faulty because it is not of acceptable quality, is not fit for purpose or does not match descriptions made by the businesses, depending on the seriousness of the fault.” Sony is running afoul to this with its refund policy, the ACCC says.

“We allege that Sony Europe gave false and misleading information to their customers about their rights in relation to games sold via its PlayStation Store,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said in a statement. “Consumer guarantees do not expire after a digital product has been downloaded as we allege Sony Europe told consumers, and refunds must be given in the form of original payment unless a consumer chooses to receive it in store credit.”

He added: “Consumers who buy digital products online have exactly the same rights as they would at a physical store. Sony Europe’s alleged conduct may have caused Australian consumers to not seek a refund, replacement or repair for a faulty game when the Australian Consumer Law gave them a right to do so.”

Further still, the ACCC says Sony Europe made a statement in October 2017 that its own liability to provide a refund for faulty products was “limited,” but the ACCC says this is not true. According to Australian Consumer Law, all businesses that operate in Australia must comply. This is the same argument that the ACCC used against Valve over that company’s refund policy. Valve ended up paying a $3 million fine related to the ACCC’s campaign, and a notice is now posted on Steam’s Australian store that outlines the refund policy.

“No matter where in the world a company has its headquarters, if it is selling to Australian consumers, the Australian Consumer Law applies,” Sims said.

The ACCC is demanding that Sony make good to consumers with “pecuniary penalties, injunctions, declarations, correctives, and costs.”

You can read the full complaint against Sony here on the ACCC’s website [PDF]. This action comes amid rumors of Sony preparing to officially announce the PlayStation 5.

The next big update for Red Dead Redemption 2‘s online mode has arrived, and it adds a new challenge and multiplayer mode, as well as a cool raccoon hat and more.

The new Challenge is the Wild Animal Kills Challenge, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. In the new free roam event, you face off against other hunters with the aim of bagging the biggest animals. Small animals are 1 point, medium are 2 points, and large are 3 points. As the match progresses, terrifying animals like wolves, cougars, and bears will appear, and you can earn bonus points for killing them. You cannot attack other human hunters in this new challenge.

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The new Red Dead Online multiplayer mode, meanwhile, is called Head for the Hills. A Showdown mode, it sounds like a lot of fun. Here is the description:

“Players take turns making a last-ditch run across no-man’s-land to their safe house, while opponents have only one objective: to hunt you down. Stake out the high ground, hide in the shadows or stalk your enemies out in the open, but don’t let them get to safety.”

Two more Showdown modes, Public Enemy and Sport of Kings, will be released over the next two weeks, and more details are coming soon, Rockstar said.

Also new in Red Dead Online with the update is a nice bonus of $50 RDO for completing the first Land of Opportunities mission, which is called Honor Among Horse Thieves. Players can get $75 RDO for beating the Kill Them, Each and Every One mission, while you can also earn 10 Gold bars for completing the Destroyed by Grief mission.

Additionally, Rockstar is giving all Red Dead Online players a care package that comes with:

• 5x Potent Miracle Tonic
• 5x Potent Snake Oil
• 5x Potent Health Cure
• 5x Potent Bitters
• 120x Express Revolver Ammo

You can pick up the package in your camp lockbox or through the post office.

Also new in Red Dead Online this week are a variety of new outfits, including the Flora Corseted Chemise and Paddon shirts, as well as the plaid cap, racoon hat, and shaffer chaps. A new emote, “How Dare You,” is also now available. Finally, everyone who enables 2-Step Verification gets a special version of the raccoon hat; you can see it below. Players who enabled 2-Step Verification also get 10 Gold bars and $500,000 in cash for GTA Online.

Go to the Rockstar Newswire to see a full rundown of what’s in the new Red Dead Online update.

Red Dead Redemption 2 has shipped 24 million copies, making it one of the most successful games ever released. The online mode recently left beta, and Rockstar has big plans to continue to support it with new content over time.

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