#GravitasPlus with Palki Sharma Upadhyay | From Mario to GTA to Call Of Duty, Video games have come a long way. Today, the gaming market is bigger than the global box office, but how viable is gaming as a career? Is it a 'Last man standing' industry?

Gravitas Plus: The Gaming Industry

The inclusion of breakdancing at the 2024 Olympics may been surprising but organisers were drawn to the sport`s potential to attract a younger fanbase and grow the Olympic audience in the internet age, Paris Games chief Tony Estanguet said. 
 
Breakdancing was one of four new sports to win a spot at the Games in Paris - alongside surfing, skateboarding and sports climbing - after the International Olympic Committee ratified their inclusion earlier this month. 
 
Estanguet added that though the decision to add breakdancing to the Games roster had come in for some criticism, most of the feedback he had received had been overwhelmingly positive. 
 
"What attracted us to this sport was its ability to attract the youth," he told Reuters in an interview. "It`s a sport that is widely watched on all digital platforms, widely consumed by young people. 
 
"It`s very impressive technically and physically, what these athletes manage to do, and that`s why we were attracted to this sport. The feedback has been very good. 
 
"There are always a few critics, but overall... I see that throughout the different regions of France, there is very positive feedback on the addition of breakdance as a new sport." 
 
Games` organisers had been on the hunt for new sports to broaden the appeal of the Olympics and breakdancing fit the bill because it had already been part of the programme at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in 2018, he added. 
 
"We found climbing, skateboarding, surfing and breakdance, and we are really adding events that come from a completely different world, with fans, who would not necessarily be connected to the Olympic Games otherwise," Estanguet said. 
 
"This allows us to expand the number of fans and viewers." 
 
The 2020 Games in Tokyo were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public opinion on whether the event should go ahead is mixed, with 60% of respondents in a November poll saying the Tokyo Games should be postponed further or cancelled. 
 
Estanguet said there are no such reservations about the 2024 Olympics in France. 
 
"What is a matter of public opinion in Tokyo is specific to Tokyo," he added. "We carried out a survey this week which shows that in France, Paris 2024 continues to receive wide support from the French."

The inclusion of breakdancing at the 2024 Olympics may been surprising but organisers were drawn to the sport`s potential to attract a younger fanbase and grow the Olympic audience in the internet age, Paris Games chief Tony Estanguet said.

The inclusion of breakdancing at the 2024 Olympics may been surprising but organisers were drawn to the sport`s potential to attract a younger fanbase and grow the Olympic audience in the internet age, Paris Games chief Tony Estanguet said. Breakdancing was one of four new sports to win a spot at the Games in Paris - alongside surfing, skateboarding and sports climbing - after the International Olympic Committee ratified their inclusion earlier this month. Estanguet added that though the decision to add breakdancing to the Games roster had come in for some criticism, most of the feedback he had received had been overwhelmingly positive. "What attracted us to this sport was its ability to attract the youth," he told Reuters in an interview. "It`s a sport that is widely watched on all digital platforms, widely consumed by young people. "It`s very impressive technically and physically, what these athletes manage to do, and that`s why we were attracted to this sport. The feedback has been very good. "There are always a few critics, but overall... I see that throughout the different regions of France, there is very positive feedback on the addition of breakdance as a new sport." Games` organisers had been on the hunt for new sports to broaden the appeal of the Olympics and breakdancing fit the bill because it had already been part of the programme at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in 2018, he added. "We found climbing, skateboarding, surfing and breakdance, and we are really adding events that come from a completely different world, with fans, who would not necessarily be connected to the Olympic Games otherwise," Estanguet said. "This allows us to expand the number of fans and viewers." The 2020 Games in Tokyo were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public opinion on whether the event should go ahead is mixed, with 60% of respondents in a November poll saying the Tokyo Games should be postponed further or cancelled. Estanguet said there are no such reservations about the 2024 Olympics in France. "What is a matter of public opinion in Tokyo is specific to Tokyo," he added. "We carried out a survey this week which shows that in France, Paris 2024 continues to receive wide support from the French."

Olympics-Breakdancing included in Paris 2024 to reach out to youth: Games Chief

Judit Polgar might be the one woman in the world who knows how Beth, the heroine of the hit Netflix series 'The Queen’s Gambit,' really feels. Like Beth, Polgar, who is from Hungary, stood out during her career because she regularly beat the world’s top players, including Garry Kasparov, in 2002, when he was ranked No&nbsp;1.

Polgar, the only woman to ever be ranked in the Top 10 or to play for the overall world championship, retired from competitive chess in 2014. Watching the series, which she described as an “incredible performance,” gave her a sense of déjà vu, particularly in the later episodes.

But there was one respect in which she could not identify with Beth’s experience: how the male competitors treated her.

“They were too nice to her,” Polgar said. When Polgar was proving herself and rising in the world rankings, the men often made disparaging comments about her ability and sometimes jokes, which they thought were funny but were actually hurtful, she said.

And no one ever resigned to her, as Shapkin did to Beth in Episode 7 by gallantly holding her hand near his lips.

“There were opponents who refused to shake hands,” she recalled. “There was one who hit his head on the board after he lost.”

Not every woman has had negative experiences. Irina Krush, who won her eighth US&nbsp;Women’s Championship last month, said she felt as if the chess community and men in particular were supportive of her when she was an up-and-coming player. She said of the series, “The spirit of what they are showing conforms to my experience.”

Whether what happens to Beth is typical or not, the popularity of 'The Queen’s Gambit' has inspired anew a debate about inequality and sexism in chess and what, if anything, can be done about them.

Though chess would seem like one area where men and women should be able to compete on equal footing, historically, few women have been able to do so. Among the more than 1,700 regular grandmasters worldwide, only 37, including Polgar and Krush, are women. Currently, only one woman, Hou Yifan of China, ranks in the Top 100, at No&nbsp;88, and she has been playing infrequently, even before the pandemic.

The superiority of men in the game is so well established that the best female players have freely acknowledged it. In a recent issue of Mint, in an article titled 'Why Women Lose at Chess,' Koneru Humpy, an Indian player currently ranked No&nbsp;3 among women, said men are just better players. “It’s proven,” she said. “You have to accept it.”

The dearth of women at the top of the game is one reason that there are separate tournaments for women, including a world championship; the World Chess Federation even created titles for women, such as women grandmaster.

Having such institutionalized, second-class status might seem like a bad idea, but not according to Anastasiya Karlovich, a grandmaster who was the press officer for the World Chess Federation for several years. She said the women’s titles permit more female players to earn a living as professionals, thereby increasing their participation in the game.

Karlovich said the Netflix show has helped her indirectly: It has made the parents of her chess students look at her differently.

“They have more respect for me. They understand better the life of a player,” she said.

While some men have speculated that the reason there are so few top female players is because they are not wired for it — Kasparov once said that it is not in their nature — women think the overriding reason is cultural expectations and bias.

Krush said the cultural cleaving between boys and girls happens at a young age. Scrolling through lists of the top players in the United States who are 7, 8 and 9, Krush pointed out that there are only a handful of girls in the Top 10.

That creates and reinforces another problem that discourages women’s participation: too few social contacts. Jennifer Shahade, a two-time U.S. women’s champion who has written two books about women in chess ('Chess Bitch' and 'Play Like a Girl!') and is the women’s program director at the US Chess Federation, said teenage girls tend to stop playing chess because there are so few of them and they want the social support. That Beth is a loner is likely an important reason she does not quit playing in tournaments.

Of 74,000 members in total, the US Chess Federation said it has about 10,500 female members. Shahade wants to increase that number, as well as their participation. To that end, she and the federation started an online chess club in April to keep female players engaged during the pandemic. In the last few weeks, there have been between 80 and 140 participants, with quite a few older players. The last meeting also had a special guest: Kasparov, who has become a big booster of women’s chess since his retirement from competition in 2005. He was also a consultant on the Netflix series.

To keep the momentum going, Shahade is launching a new online group called the “Madwoman’s Book Club.” The title refers to a pejorative name used for the queen in the 15th and 16th centuries after it became the most powerful piece on the board. The first meeting, this Friday, already has 100 people signed up.

The subject of the discussion should come as no surprise: 'The Queen’s Gambit'&nbsp;by Walter Tevis, the book on which the Netflix series is based. 
&nbsp;

Judit Polgar might be the one woman in the world who knows how Beth, the heroine of the hit Netflix series 'The Queen’s Gambit,' really feels. Like Beth, Polgar, who is from Hungary, stood out during her career because she regularly beat the world’s top players, including Garry Kasparov, in 2002, when he was ranked No 1.

Judit Polgar might be the one woman in the world who knows how Beth, the heroine of the hit Netflix series 'The Queen’s Gambit,' really feels. Like Beth, Polgar, who is from Hungary, stood out during her career because she regularly beat the world’s top players, including Garry Kasparov, in 2002, when he was ranked No 1. Polgar, the only woman to ever be ranked in the Top 10 or to play for the overall world championship, retired from competitive chess in 2014. Watching the series, which she described as an “incredible performance,” gave her a sense of déjà vu, particularly in the later episodes. But there was one respect in which she could not identify with Beth’s experience: how the male competitors treated her. “They were too nice to her,” Polgar said. When Polgar was proving herself and rising in the world rankings, the men often made disparaging comments about her ability and sometimes jokes, which they thought were funny but were actually hurtful, she said. And no one ever resigned to her, as Shapkin did to Beth in Episode 7 by gallantly holding her hand near his lips. “There were opponents who refused to shake hands,” she recalled. “There was one who hit his head on the board after he lost.” Not every woman has had negative experiences. Irina Krush, who won her eighth US Women’s Championship last month, said she felt as if the chess community and men in particular were supportive of her when she was an up-and-coming player. She said of the series, “The spirit of what they are showing conforms to my experience.” Whether what happens to Beth is typical or not, the popularity of 'The Queen’s Gambit' has inspired anew a debate about inequality and sexism in chess and what, if anything, can be done about them. Though chess would seem like one area where men and women should be able to compete on equal footing, historically, few women have been able to do so. Among the more than 1,700 regular grandmasters worldwide, only 37, including Polgar and Krush, are women. Currently, only one woman, Hou Yifan of China, ranks in the Top 100, at No 88, and she has been playing infrequently, even before the pandemic. The superiority of men in the game is so well established that the best female players have freely acknowledged it. In a recent issue of Mint, in an article titled 'Why Women Lose at Chess,' Koneru Humpy, an Indian player currently ranked No 3 among women, said men are just better players. “It’s proven,” she said. “You have to accept it.” The dearth of women at the top of the game is one reason that there are separate tournaments for women, including a world championship; the World Chess Federation even created titles for women, such as women grandmaster. Having such institutionalized, second-class status might seem like a bad idea, but not according to Anastasiya Karlovich, a grandmaster who was the press officer for the World Chess Federation for several years. She said the women’s titles permit more female players to earn a living as professionals, thereby increasing their participation in the game. Karlovich said the Netflix show has helped her indirectly: It has made the parents of her chess students look at her differently. “They have more respect for me. They understand better the life of a player,” she said. While some men have speculated that the reason there are so few top female players is because they are not wired for it — Kasparov once said that it is not in their nature — women think the overriding reason is cultural expectations and bias. Krush said the cultural cleaving between boys and girls happens at a young age. Scrolling through lists of the top players in the United States who are 7, 8 and 9, Krush pointed out that there are only a handful of girls in the Top 10. That creates and reinforces another problem that discourages women’s participation: too few social contacts. Jennifer Shahade, a two-time U.S. women’s champion who has written two books about women in chess ('Chess Bitch' and 'Play Like a Girl!') and is the women’s program director at the US Chess Federation, said teenage girls tend to stop playing chess because there are so few of them and they want the social support. That Beth is a loner is likely an important reason she does not quit playing in tournaments. Of 74,000 members in total, the US Chess Federation said it has about 10,500 female members. Shahade wants to increase that number, as well as their participation. To that end, she and the federation started an online chess club in April to keep female players engaged during the pandemic. In the last few weeks, there have been between 80 and 140 participants, with quite a few older players. The last meeting also had a special guest: Kasparov, who has become a big booster of women’s chess since his retirement from competition in 2005. He was also a consultant on the Netflix series. To keep the momentum going, Shahade is launching a new online group called the “Madwoman’s Book Club.” The title refers to a pejorative name used for the queen in the 15th and 16th centuries after it became the most powerful piece on the board. The first meeting, this Friday, already has 100 people signed up. The subject of the discussion should come as no surprise: 'The Queen’s Gambit' by Walter Tevis, the book on which the Netflix series is based.

How 'The Queen's Gambit' started a new debate about sexism in chess

On Monday, Facebook Inc launched a cloud gaming feature on its Facebook platform. The free service allows users to play and stream games without downloading them.

The catalogue includes racing behemoth Asphalt: 9 Legends, and WWE SuperCard. The best part? You don't need to download the games to play them!

''We recently had 200,000 people playing our cloud-streamed games per week in limited regions, so while it’s not exactly a secret, I’m excited to lay out what we’re building'', the company announced in its blog post.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/imran-khan-writes-to-facebook-ceo-seeking-ban-on-islamophobic-content-338010" hreflang="en">Imran Khan writes to Facebook CEO seeking ban on islamophobic content&nbsp;</a>

"We're not spinning off a separate cloud gaming service," the company announced in a blog post.

All cloud-based games can now be played on Facebook's gaming tab, or its news feed.

The new feature, however, is a small-scale addition, and does not look like it will be competing directly with Google's Stadia, Nvidia's GeForce NOW, or Amazon's Luna, that are looking to penetrate the high-end gaming market.

''No special hardware or controllers needed – your hands are the controllers since we’re launching with native mobile games. And you can play these games with a mouse and keyboard on desktop'', the blog post said.

Available to Android and web users, the feature will soon be available on iOS as well.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/facebooks-zuckerberg-twitters-dorsey-to-testify-before-us-senate-panel-after-us-election-337677" hreflang="en">Facebook's Zuckerberg, Twitter's Dorsey to testify before US Senate panel after US election</a>

"Apple treats games differently and continues to exert control over a very precious resource," the company said. Facebook also added that it is unsure about launching the games on Apple's App Store, claiming it may not be the most "viable'' path.

''More than 380 million people play games each month on Facebook, and people will play cloud-streamed games right alongside those playing instant games in HTML5. And if we do our jobs right, you won’t notice how the games are delivered", the blog post added.

On Monday, Facebook Inc launched a cloud gaming feature on its Facebook platform. The free service allows users to play and stream games without downloading them.

On Monday, Facebook Inc launched a cloud gaming feature on its Facebook platform. The free service allows users to play and stream games without downloading them. The catalogue includes racing behemoth Asphalt: 9 Legends, and WWE SuperCard. The best part? You don't need to download the games to play them! ''We recently had 200,000 people playing our cloud-streamed games per week in limited regions, so while it’s not exactly a secret, I’m excited to lay out what we’re building'', the company announced in its blog post. Also read: Imran Khan writes to Facebook CEO seeking ban on islamophobic content "We're not spinning off a separate cloud gaming service," the company announced in a blog post. All cloud-based games can now be played on Facebook's gaming tab, or its news feed. The new feature, however, is a small-scale addition, and does not look like it will be competing directly with Google's Stadia, Nvidia's GeForce NOW, or Amazon's Luna, that are looking to penetrate the high-end gaming market. ''No special hardware or controllers needed – your hands are the controllers since we’re launching with native mobile games. And you can play these games with a mouse and keyboard on desktop'', the blog post said. Available to Android and web users, the feature will soon be available on iOS as well. Also read: Facebook's Zuckerberg, Twitter's Dorsey to testify before US Senate panel after US election "Apple treats games differently and continues to exert control over a very precious resource," the company said. Facebook also added that it is unsure about launching the games on Apple's App Store, claiming it may not be the most "viable'' path. ''More than 380 million people play games each month on Facebook, and people will play cloud-streamed games right alongside those playing instant games in HTML5. And if we do our jobs right, you won’t notice how the games are delivered", the blog post added.

Now you can play cloud-based games on Facebook!

Among Us is a game that has the teens to adults' eyes fixed at their screens in this pandemic.&nbsp;

Developed by an Indie gaming company Innersloth, Among Us is an online multiplayer game that was developed in 2018 but only gained momentum when various gaming industry influencers started online streaming about it during the lockdown in 2020.

The game is a social behaviour deduction game that takes 4-10 players and puts then on a spaceship with different roles and tasks for each player in three different maps — where 1-3 players are designated with the role of impostors (who have to sabotage the tasks on a spaceship and kill other players) and the rest are crewmates (who need to finish the tasks to keep the spaceship running and save identify the impostors to save themselves and their fellow crewmates). The tasks range from swiping your card to navigating the ship, set up in different rooms.

Truth be told, I have played the game on various occasions too, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. During my adventures, however, I got talking with various other players spread across the three servers — Asia, Europe and North America — and realised that while. I was playing in my free time, a lot of others were getting addicted to it.

This brings me to the main question: Can Among Us be the next Pokémon Go?&nbsp;

Pokémon Go was a Niantic game which took the world bg storm a few years ago and some governments — local and national — even had to impose restrictions and bans on the mobile app. In order to catch the virtual Pokémons, people were walking on the roads aimlessly and either getting hurt themselves or hurting others unknowingly. The situation became grim that several deaths and/or critical accidents occurred due to the addiction of this game.&nbsp;

Then came PUBG, a game for which the Indian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/narendra-modi">Narendra Modi</a> was publically asked if he has a solution to getting rid of the addiction of the popular mobile game. From being a team combat game in which you had to kill your opponent team, it became a hub of betting and the addiction led to children hating their parents and adults losing money due to betting and buying cheat codes.&nbsp;

Pokémon Go and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/explainer-indias-pubg-ban-and-what-it-means-326098">PUBG</a> are the two most recent and popular games that led the mobile-addicted generation astray.&nbsp;

So, can Among Us, too, have that impact? I talked to a 13-year-old from the UK about his experience with the game, and unsurprisingly he told me how much he loved the game. However, he also laughed about how he also dreams about killing other players and revealing a single bone in his dreams. One other 16-year-old girl from the Netherlands told me how she wished she could also call emergency meetings when she doubted someone stole her food.&nbsp;

A mother from Malaysia told me how tired she is of seeing her children constantly be on the phone because of this game, and her 16-year-old laughed and said, "To be honest, I once bumped into a park bench because I was trying to do the calibration task and didn't realise that I was so close."

I have read on various discussion portals online about how many people have started dreaming about running around in the Skeld map or (like that 13-year-old) dream about doing tasks and murdering fellow shipmates. Some have even claimed that they dreamt about being stuck in the loop of swiping the card in the Admin room.

So the real question, I figure, here is if it is these games that are getting the players getting addicted or is it the players of the 21st century who concentrate a little too much on one thing and start getting obsessed about it. In either case, it is advisable to ration the time spent on this game, especially for teens.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US elections 2020</a>

One thing, however, that has benefitted from this game — other than the creative Halloween costumes — is the spirit of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">voting in the United States</a>.

In the game, when someone is killed, the team gathers around for meetings, or call 'emergency meetings', to discuss which player(s) can be an impostor(s) and whom do the others suspect (aka 'sus'). At the end of the designated discussion time, each player has to vote (or skip) against the player they want to vote out.&nbsp;

This voting method is being used by the youth to popularise the concept of voting a few weeks before the upcoming US elections in which the US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> is contesting against his Democratic rival and former Vice President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.

The players usually encourage others to vote for the 'sus' player, rather than skipping and losing the game to impostors. Once a player votes, the avatar gets a badge of 'I voted' for that round of discussion.

This game was also recently used by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/internet-in-splits-after-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-plays-among-us-to-urge-viewers-to-vote-336908">Alexandria Ocasio-Corte</a>z, the US Representative for New York's 14th congressional district, to encourage people to vote. She took to Twitter to spread out the message and said, "Anyone want to play Among Us with me on Twitch to get out the vote?"

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Anyone want to play Among Us with me on Twitch to get out the vote? (I’ve never played but it looks like a lot of fun)
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1318276809977434112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Whether or not the game has had (or will have) any impact on the number of Americans getting registered to vote is not clear. However, like all other things, one can hope.&nbsp;

Among Us is a game that has the teens to adults' eyes fixed at their screens in this pandemic. Developed by an Indie gaming company Innersloth, Among Us is an online multiplayer game that was developed in 2018 but only gained momentum when various gaming industry influencers started online streaming about it during the lockdown in 2020.

Among Us is a game that has the teens to adults' eyes fixed at their screens in this pandemic. Developed by an Indie gaming company Innersloth, Among Us is an online multiplayer game that was developed in 2018 but only gained momentum when various gaming industry influencers started online streaming about it during the lockdown in 2020. The game is a social behaviour deduction game that takes 4-10 players and puts then on a spaceship with different roles and tasks for each player in three different maps — where 1-3 players are designated with the role of impostors (who have to sabotage the tasks on a spaceship and kill other players) and the rest are crewmates (who need to finish the tasks to keep the spaceship running and save identify the impostors to save themselves and their fellow crewmates). The tasks range from swiping your card to navigating the ship, set up in different rooms. Truth be told, I have played the game on various occasions too, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. During my adventures, however, I got talking with various other players spread across the three servers — Asia, Europe and North America — and realised that while. I was playing in my free time, a lot of others were getting addicted to it. This brings me to the main question: Can Among Us be the next Pokémon Go? Pokémon Go was a Niantic game which took the world bg storm a few years ago and some governments — local and national — even had to impose restrictions and bans on the mobile app. In order to catch the virtual Pokémons, people were walking on the roads aimlessly and either getting hurt themselves or hurting others unknowingly. The situation became grim that several deaths and/or critical accidents occurred due to the addiction of this game. Then came PUBG, a game for which the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was publically asked if he has a solution to getting rid of the addiction of the popular mobile game. From being a team combat game in which you had to kill your opponent team, it became a hub of betting and the addiction led to children hating their parents and adults losing money due to betting and buying cheat codes. Pokémon Go and PUBG are the two most recent and popular games that led the mobile-addicted generation astray. So, can Among Us, too, have that impact? I talked to a 13-year-old from the UK about his experience with the game, and unsurprisingly he told me how much he loved the game. However, he also laughed about how he also dreams about killing other players and revealing a single bone in his dreams. One other 16-year-old girl from the Netherlands told me how she wished she could also call emergency meetings when she doubted someone stole her food. A mother from Malaysia told me how tired she is of seeing her children constantly be on the phone because of this game, and her 16-year-old laughed and said, "To be honest, I once bumped into a park bench because I was trying to do the calibration task and didn't realise that I was so close." I have read on various discussion portals online about how many people have started dreaming about running around in the Skeld map or (like that 13-year-old) dream about doing tasks and murdering fellow shipmates. Some have even claimed that they dreamt about being stuck in the loop of swiping the card in the Admin room. So the real question, I figure, here is if it is these games that are getting the players getting addicted or is it the players of the 21st century who concentrate a little too much on one thing and start getting obsessed about it. In either case, it is advisable to ration the time spent on this game, especially for teens. US elections 2020 One thing, however, that has benefitted from this game — other than the creative Halloween costumes — is the spirit of voting in the United States. In the game, when someone is killed, the team gathers around for meetings, or call 'emergency meetings', to discuss which player(s) can be an impostor(s) and whom do the others suspect (aka 'sus'). At the end of the designated discussion time, each player has to vote (or skip) against the player they want to vote out. This voting method is being used by the youth to popularise the concept of voting a few weeks before the upcoming US elections in which the US President Donald Trump is contesting against his Democratic rival and former Vice President Joe Biden. The players usually encourage others to vote for the 'sus' player, rather than skipping and losing the game to impostors. Once a player votes, the avatar gets a badge of 'I voted' for that round of discussion. This game was also recently used by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the US Representative for New York's 14th congressional district, to encourage people to vote. She took to Twitter to spread out the message and said, "Anyone want to play Among Us with me on Twitch to get out the vote?" Anyone want to play Among Us with me on Twitch to get out the vote? (I’ve never played but it looks like a lot of fun) — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 19, 2020 × Whether or not the game has had (or will have) any impact on the number of Americans getting registered to vote is not clear. However, like all other things, one can hope.

'Emergency meeting': Is Among Us the new Pokémon Go?

To keep kids at bay from digital content which could addiction among youngsters, China is now enforcing strict measures.&nbsp;

According to Xinhua, a China-backed news agency, China will revamp a law to effectively ban internet products, and services that are capable of inducing addiction among kids.

Additionally, social networks are required to set and follow time and consumption limits. This includes game content, and livestream services, according to Reuters.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/china-imprisons-several-men-for-confining-children-in-internet-de-addiction-centres-311764" hreflang="en">China imprisons several men for confining children in internet de-addiction centres</a>

As part of China’s move to reform internet consumption, people can now raise complaints with internet providers to set in motion “necessary measures” in case of cyberbullying. People can now also ask internet providers to block and/or delete certain content.

The law will take effect next year starting June 1.

This is not the first time China has attempted to limit internet usage, especially in terms of gaming. Due to their efforts, companies like Tencent have started reforming their own mechanisms.

What does a ban mean?

Internet content creators on websites and portals will be required to put measures in place, to avoid production of “addictive” content.

Even though the law will only formally be enforced in China, this could impact the games and services made directly in China.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/business-economy/smartphone-addiction-digital-dependency-could-doom-the-youth-265243" hreflang="en">Smartphone addiction: Digital dependency could doom the youth</a>

The revised laws were&nbsp;voted for adoption by the National People's Congress Standing Committee on October 17, Saturday. The laws&nbsp;state that internet product and service providers "shall not offer minors products and services that induce&nbsp;addiction", as reported by Xinhua&nbsp;

Companies will be required to provide "corresponding functions" to limit consumption for minors.

Additionally, as per the new law, schools will now be required to report harassment and sexual assault of minors to the authorities.

To keep kids at bay from digital content which could addiction among youngsters, China is now enforcing strict measures. According to Xinhua, a China-backed news agency, China will revamp a law to effectively ban internet products, and services that are capable of inducing addiction among kids.

To keep kids at bay from digital content which could addiction among youngsters, China is now enforcing strict measures. According to Xinhua, a China-backed news agency, China will revamp a law to effectively ban internet products, and services that are capable of inducing addiction among kids. Additionally, social networks are required to set and follow time and consumption limits. This includes game content, and livestream services, according to Reuters. Also read: China imprisons several men for confining children in internet de-addiction centres As part of China’s move to reform internet consumption, people can now raise complaints with internet providers to set in motion “necessary measures” in case of cyberbullying. People can now also ask internet providers to block and/or delete certain content. The law will take effect next year starting June 1. This is not the first time China has attempted to limit internet usage, especially in terms of gaming. Due to their efforts, companies like Tencent have started reforming their own mechanisms. What does a ban mean? Internet content creators on websites and portals will be required to put measures in place, to avoid production of “addictive” content. Even though the law will only formally be enforced in China, this could impact the games and services made directly in China. Also read: Smartphone addiction: Digital dependency could doom the youth The revised laws were voted for adoption by the National People's Congress Standing Committee on October 17, Saturday. The laws state that internet product and service providers "shall not offer minors products and services that induce addiction", as reported by Xinhua Companies will be required to provide "corresponding functions" to limit consumption for minors. Additionally, as per the new law, schools will now be required to report harassment and sexual assault of minors to the authorities.

China's new law bans content deemed 'addictive' for kids

It's time to take a trip down memory lane.

Did you grow up playing these video games? | Tech It Out

Tokyo residents on Thursday (July 23) skeptically looked forward to another year-long wait for the Olympics after this year's scheduled Games were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tokyo residents skeptically look forward to another year-long wait for Olympics

Who would have thought an empty Signal Iduna Park hosting the fiercest derby in German football history – Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich, Der Klassiker? Who would have thought the giant yellow flags and the iconic yellow wall will get replaced by glaring empty seats? Who would have thought that miles away in countries like South Korea and Belarus, fans will get replaced by mannequins and human-shaped board cuttings? But that is what experts and authorities call the "new norm”. COVID-19 has made a lasting impact and the world of sports has been one of the unfortunate victims of the dreaded virus.

Financial ramifications and the hit sporting bodies have already taken with tournaments, events, series getting cancelled/postponed is simply scary numbers and can put the world of sports down to its knees. But following the common rule of any sport – “Never Give Up” – sports are kicking back to life but with a different taste for fans and followers of competitive action.

Empty stadiums, substitutes sitting 6-7 feet apart, support staff, camera crew wearing masks and gloves, enough to give a feel that the world is going through an unprecedented survival crisis. But football comes as a sigh of relief that there is light at the end of the tunnel, the joyous feeling that life is coming back to normalcy.

Eerie echo

Yes, the booming noise of the ball being passed, players communicating or managers barking instructions seems a bit offbeat but that is what is the new norm. With the return of Premier League, La Liga and Serie A – top European action would be back to life, although it feels like sport is inside a ventilator – fighting for its survival. 
 
<img alt="Coronavirus impact on sports" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6a3c5bbd-a836-47af-bca2-d24600ae6df8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Denmark%20%281%29.jpg" />

Fans would be glued to their television sets watching their favourite superstars back in action but the atmosphere created by those who flock into stadiums will be missing for the foreseeable future. It is indeed a strange feeling to see players, who are involved in a heavy contact sport like football, aren’t allowed to shake hands or give high-five after scoring a goal, and what is even more ridiculous is to see players, who will be breathing down the other players' neck in a while, are sitting feets apart wearing masks and gloves on substitute benches, despite being tested constantly. But that is what the new norm is.

Where's the saliva?

Whereas in cricket, fans of the domestic arena are accustomed to watching matches in almost empty stadiums. But the empty seats, noise of clapping and almost zero atmospheres could irk modern cricket fans. Could you imagine the ICC World Cup 2019 final between England and New Zealand behind closed doors? However, there is still hope that the stump mic could make things interesting in Test cricket. But with strict protocols like saliva ban coming into play, which could potentially disrupt the balance between the willow and ball, Test cricket could very well end up battling for its survival, again. An artificial wax, there’s no word on that. A new norm? Yes, for a while at least.

Video-conference?

Denmark’s footballing world witnessed something interesting as 10,000 fans joined in via Zoom app watch party and watched live football. Players, as usual, felt motivated by seeing their supporters watching them. This is something Indian Premier League (IPL) side Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore talked about during a podcast. Fans joining via video-conferencing apps with digital screens in place of stands? Surely, feels like a Hollywood movie. Imagine, watching MS Dhoni ‘finishing off in style’ through video-conferencing!

The resumption of major European football leagues has already given us a glimpse of how the future looks like. More stadiums would open, employments will resume, leagues will feed themselves with sponsorship and broadcast rights, it will work as an economical boost but can it fill the void left by fans? Well, until a vaccine is developed, this is the new norm. Fans, players, everyone would have to get used to it, no matter what. However strange it may seem, Liverpool after waiting for 30 long years for a Premier League title won’t be able to celebrate it 'together'. Even the players won’t be allowed to go overboard as they are role models to millions. A huge shame? No, as the situation demands it to be like it. New norm? Yes. 
 
<img alt="Sports" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ccc1fb42-b76b-4bdb-98d3-f3b4af4503bf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/sports_2.jpg" />

But then there are talks going about allowing a limited crowd into the stadiums in countries where the situation is better compared to others. Whatever the future throws into the way, fans, players and everyone associated with it will have to bring another crucial aspect of the sporting world – adaptability.

But one thing is definite, human life has always fought back whenever a crisis has struck, and it continues to do so. And sports, it has time and again taught one of the crucial aspects of life – the will to fight back from the toughest of setbacks, and it will continue to do so. &nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Who would have thought an empty Signal Iduna Park hosting the fiercest derby in German football history – Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich, Der Klassiker? Who would have thought the giant yellow flags and the iconic yellow wall will get replaced by glaring empty seats?

Who would have thought an empty Signal Iduna Park hosting the fiercest derby in German football history – Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich, Der Klassiker? Who would have thought the giant yellow flags and the iconic yellow wall will get replaced by glaring empty seats? Who would have thought that miles away in countries like South Korea and Belarus, fans will get replaced by mannequins and human-shaped board cuttings? But that is what experts and authorities call the "new norm”. COVID-19 has made a lasting impact and the world of sports has been one of the unfortunate victims of the dreaded virus. Financial ramifications and the hit sporting bodies have already taken with tournaments, events, series getting cancelled/postponed is simply scary numbers and can put the world of sports down to its knees. But following the common rule of any sport – “Never Give Up” – sports are kicking back to life but with a different taste for fans and followers of competitive action. Empty stadiums, substitutes sitting 6-7 feet apart, support staff, camera crew wearing masks and gloves, enough to give a feel that the world is going through an unprecedented survival crisis. But football comes as a sigh of relief that there is light at the end of the tunnel, the joyous feeling that life is coming back to normalcy. Eerie echo Yes, the booming noise of the ball being passed, players communicating or managers barking instructions seems a bit offbeat but that is what is the new norm. With the return of Premier League, La Liga and Serie A – top European action would be back to life, although it feels like sport is inside a ventilator – fighting for its survival. Fans would be glued to their television sets watching their favourite superstars back in action but the atmosphere created by those who flock into stadiums will be missing for the foreseeable future. It is indeed a strange feeling to see players, who are involved in a heavy contact sport like football, aren’t allowed to shake hands or give high-five after scoring a goal, and what is even more ridiculous is to see players, who will be breathing down the other players' neck in a while, are sitting feets apart wearing masks and gloves on substitute benches, despite being tested constantly. But that is what the new norm is. Where's the saliva? Whereas in cricket, fans of the domestic arena are accustomed to watching matches in almost empty stadiums. But the empty seats, noise of clapping and almost zero atmospheres could irk modern cricket fans. Could you imagine the ICC World Cup 2019 final between England and New Zealand behind closed doors? However, there is still hope that the stump mic could make things interesting in Test cricket. But with strict protocols like saliva ban coming into play, which could potentially disrupt the balance between the willow and ball, Test cricket could very well end up battling for its survival, again. An artificial wax, there’s no word on that. A new norm? Yes, for a while at least. Video-conference? Denmark’s footballing world witnessed something interesting as 10,000 fans joined in via Zoom app watch party and watched live football. Players, as usual, felt motivated by seeing their supporters watching them. This is something Indian Premier League (IPL) side Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore talked about during a podcast. Fans joining via video-conferencing apps with digital screens in place of stands? Surely, feels like a Hollywood movie. Imagine, watching MS Dhoni ‘finishing off in style’ through video-conferencing! The resumption of major European football leagues has already given us a glimpse of how the future looks like. More stadiums would open, employments will resume, leagues will feed themselves with sponsorship and broadcast rights, it will work as an economical boost but can it fill the void left by fans? Well, until a vaccine is developed, this is the new norm. Fans, players, everyone would have to get used to it, no matter what. However strange it may seem, Liverpool after waiting for 30 long years for a Premier League title won’t be able to celebrate it 'together'. Even the players won’t be allowed to go overboard as they are role models to millions. A huge shame? No, as the situation demands it to be like it. New norm? Yes. But then there are talks going about allowing a limited crowd into the stadiums in countries where the situation is better compared to others. Whatever the future throws into the way, fans, players and everyone associated with it will have to bring another crucial aspect of the sporting world – adaptability. But one thing is definite, human life has always fought back whenever a crisis has struck, and it continues to do so. And sports, it has time and again taught one of the crucial aspects of life – the will to fight back from the toughest of setbacks, and it will continue to do so. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Coronavirus impact: Sports, fans and the 'new norm'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bianca-andreescu-not-done-yet-after-grand-slam-breakthrough-248802">Bianca Andreescu</a> said that she has "forgotten how it feels to lose" after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/canadian-teen-bianca-andreescu-topples-record-chasing-serena-williams-in-us-open-final-248338">US Open</a> champion reeled off her 14th victory in a row on Monday in Beijing.

The 19-year-old Canadian beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 in the China Open first round despite a second-set wobble.

But Simona Halep became the first major casualty in the Chinese capital, beaten by Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, with the Romanian appearing to struggle with a back injury.

Andreescu's run of victories has brought her the US Open and her home Canadian Open in recent weeks, propelling her into the limelight.

"I wanted to just keep the momentum going," said the teenager, after her first match since stunning Serena Williams in the final at Flushing Meadows in early September.

"I'm on a roll right now, hopefully, I can just keep it up because I think it gives me a lot of confidence," added the world number six, who has qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals.

"I don't want to sound cocky or anything, but I kind of forgot how it feels to lose, which I think is a good thing."

Andreescu looked all set to carry on her blistering form against Sasnovich and emphatically captured the first set.

But she struggled with her serve in the second, totting up six double faults and was in danger of losing her cool in the Beijing heat and haze.

Normal order was restored in the deciding set, Andreescu breaking Sasnovich's first service game and then holding her own to take a 3-0 lead and an advantage she refused to surrender.

In round two the Canadian plays Elise Mertens, the world number 23 from Belgium.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fight-for-your-dreams-bianca-andreescu-embraces-path-to-us-open-joy-248384">Andreescu</a> said that her stunning victory at the US Open had yet to fully sink in, even three weeks on.

"But I think I've learnt a lot from the past couple of weeks, during the tournament, even after the tournament with all the media, all that," she said.

"I think I'm managing it really well. I think that's why I feel good coming into this tournament."

There was no such joy for the reigning Wimbledon champion Halep, who lost 6-2, 6-3 in 64 minutes to bring her China Open to an early end.

Halep, fifth in the world, was far from her best as she went down meekly to the 38th-ranked Alexandrova in the second round.

The 28-year-old was also forced out of last week's Wuhan Open because of her troublesome back, which she says has plagued her for more than a decade.

China Open title-holder Caroline Wozniacki swatted aside Lauren Davis of the United States, 6-1, 6-3, to give her the perfect start to the defence of her crown.

Bianca Andreescu said that she has "forgotten how it feels to lose" after the US Open champion reeled off her 14th victory in a row on Monday in Beijing. The 19-year-old Canadian beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 in the China Open first round despite a second-set wobble.

Bianca Andreescu said that she has "forgotten how it feels to lose" after the US Open champion reeled off her 14th victory in a row on Monday in Beijing. The 19-year-old Canadian beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 in the China Open first round despite a second-set wobble. But Simona Halep became the first major casualty in the Chinese capital, beaten by Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, with the Romanian appearing to struggle with a back injury. Andreescu's run of victories has brought her the US Open and her home Canadian Open in recent weeks, propelling her into the limelight. "I wanted to just keep the momentum going," said the teenager, after her first match since stunning Serena Williams in the final at Flushing Meadows in early September. "I'm on a roll right now, hopefully, I can just keep it up because I think it gives me a lot of confidence," added the world number six, who has qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals. "I don't want to sound cocky or anything, but I kind of forgot how it feels to lose, which I think is a good thing." Andreescu looked all set to carry on her blistering form against Sasnovich and emphatically captured the first set. But she struggled with her serve in the second, totting up six double faults and was in danger of losing her cool in the Beijing heat and haze. Normal order was restored in the deciding set, Andreescu breaking Sasnovich's first service game and then holding her own to take a 3-0 lead and an advantage she refused to surrender. In round two the Canadian plays Elise Mertens, the world number 23 from Belgium. Andreescu said that her stunning victory at the US Open had yet to fully sink in, even three weeks on. "But I think I've learnt a lot from the past couple of weeks, during the tournament, even after the tournament with all the media, all that," she said. "I think I'm managing it really well. I think that's why I feel good coming into this tournament." There was no such joy for the reigning Wimbledon champion Halep, who lost 6-2, 6-3 in 64 minutes to bring her China Open to an early end. Halep, fifth in the world, was far from her best as she went down meekly to the 38th-ranked Alexandrova in the second round. The 28-year-old was also forced out of last week's Wuhan Open because of her troublesome back, which she says has plagued her for more than a decade. China Open title-holder Caroline Wozniacki swatted aside Lauren Davis of the United States, 6-1, 6-3, to give her the perfect start to the defence of her crown.

'Forgot how it feels to lose,' says Bianca Andreescu after 14th win on spin

Qatar will inaugurate the third of its eight World Cup stadiums when the Education City ground hosts the Club World Cup semi-final tie on December 18, FIFA said on Monday.

The 40,000-seat venue seven kilometres (four miles) outside central Doha will also host the third-place play-off and the final of the tournament which gets underway on December 11.

The inaugural game will see Liverpool, as European champions, face either CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey, Al Sadd of Qatar or minnows Hienghene Sport of New Caledonia who are Oceania champions.

The 2022 hosts have so far inaugurated the newly-built al-Janoub stadium in May, as well as the Khalifa International stadium which opened in 1976 and was relaunched in 2017 after a full refurbishment.

"With all three venues located a maximum of 12 kilometres from central Doha, the FIFA Club World Cup 2019 will provide a glimpse of Qatar's compact nature ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022," FIFA said in a statement.

"Taking place around the same time of the year and with matches kicking off from 17:00 local time, this year's tournament will also give teams and fans alike the chance to experience Qatar's mild winter."

Average temperatures are expected to range between 15 and 24 Celsius, it added.

Hassan al-Thawadi, the secretary-general of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said following Al-Janoub's opening in May that two further new stadiums would be ready "by the end of this year (or) first-quarter" 2020.

The exact date would depend on the timing of events to launch the two venues, he added.

"By 2021 all our stadiums will be ready," he said.

Qatar will inaugurate the third of its eight World Cup stadiums when the Education City ground hosts the Club World Cup semi-final tie on December 18, FIFA said on Monday.

Qatar will inaugurate the third of its eight World Cup stadiums when the Education City ground hosts the Club World Cup semi-final tie on December 18, FIFA said on Monday. The 40,000-seat venue seven kilometres (four miles) outside central Doha will also host the third-place play-off and the final of the tournament which gets underway on December 11. The inaugural game will see Liverpool, as European champions, face either CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey, Al Sadd of Qatar or minnows Hienghene Sport of New Caledonia who are Oceania champions. The 2022 hosts have so far inaugurated the newly-built al-Janoub stadium in May, as well as the Khalifa International stadium which opened in 1976 and was relaunched in 2017 after a full refurbishment. "With all three venues located a maximum of 12 kilometres from central Doha, the FIFA Club World Cup 2019 will provide a glimpse of Qatar's compact nature ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022," FIFA said in a statement. "Taking place around the same time of the year and with matches kicking off from 17:00 local time, this year's tournament will also give teams and fans alike the chance to experience Qatar's mild winter." Average temperatures are expected to range between 15 and 24 Celsius, it added. Hassan al-Thawadi, the secretary-general of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said following Al-Janoub's opening in May that two further new stadiums would be ready "by the end of this year (or) first-quarter" 2020. The exact date would depend on the timing of events to launch the two venues, he added. "By 2021 all our stadiums will be ready," he said.

Qatar to inaugurate new 2022 stadium during Club World Cup

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Many of the world's top triathletes battled the heat and humidity in Tokyo on Friday (August 16) at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Olympic qualifying race, which doubled as a test event for the Games.

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As the year-end draws closer, Apple has revealed a list summing up best apps and top games of the year. &#39;Enlight Videoleap&#39; was rated as the best app. &lsquo;Affinity Photo&rsquo; was the best app of the year on iPad. The list of top apps for 2017 includes WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, PayTm, Messenger, SHAREit, Instagram, Google Maps, Uber, Hotstar, Amazon, Ola cabs, Gmail, Wynk, MyJio, My Airtel, Google Chrome, Flipkart, Snapchat and imo video calls and chat. Aurora HDR 2018 emerged as the best app of the year for Mac. Calm featured as the best app of the year on iPhone in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and the United Kingdom.&nbsp;

For die-heart gamers, the list also revealed the top game of the year, Splitter Clitters topped the list in most countries. The Witness featured as the best game on iPad in a host of countries. The world of apps and gaming saw a significant boost this year. Augmented Reality was one of the top features across some of the most noticeable applications and games this year. Besides this, real-time competitive gaming also garnered much popularity in 2017.&nbsp;

Not only this, Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year. &quot;Our App Store editors have chosen the most download-worthy games and apps based on topics and trends that were popular on the App Store throughout the year,&quot; noted the official release.&nbsp;

It must be noted that the list varies from country to country.&nbsp;

Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year

As the year-end draws closer, Apple has revealed a list summing up best apps and top games of the year. 'Enlight Videoleap' was rated as the best app. ‘Affinity Photo’ was the best app of the year on iPad. The list of top apps for 2017 includes WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, PayTm, Messenger, SHAREit, Instagram, Google Maps, Uber, Hotstar, Amazon, Ola cabs, Gmail, Wynk, MyJio, My Airtel, Google Chrome, Flipkart, Snapchat and imo video calls and chat. Aurora HDR 2018 emerged as the best app of the year for Mac. Calm featured as the best app of the year on iPhone in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and the United Kingdom. For die-heart gamers, the list also revealed the top game of the year, Splitter Clitters topped the list in most countries. The Witness featured as the best game on iPad in a host of countries. The world of apps and gaming saw a significant boost this year. Augmented Reality was one of the top features across some of the most noticeable applications and games this year. Besides this, real-time competitive gaming also garnered much popularity in 2017. Not only this, Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year. "Our App Store editors have chosen the most download-worthy games and apps based on topics and trends that were popular on the App Store throughout the year," noted the official release. It must be noted that the list varies from country to country.

Best of 2017: Apple reveals top games and apps of the year

A truck driver in Japan playing Pokemon Go while driving hit two pedestrains,&nbsp;killing one and injuring the other. 
 
This was the first death reported in Japan with regard to the Nontendo Co&nbsp;game. 
 
The driver was arrested for negligent driving on Wednesday evening, the&nbsp;Tokushima prefectual police informed. A decision on his prosecution has not&nbsp;been made yet. 
 
A spokesperson for Naintic, Pokemon Go developer, said that the company had&nbsp;added a pop-up to the game screen last month to dissuade the player from&nbsp;driving the moment the speed increased. 
 
The popularity of the across the world has increased crowds in parks and public&nbsp;places as users search for monsters in the game. 
 
Various sign boards have been installed in Japan asking users to avoid creating&nbsp;nuisance. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

While another pedestrian was injured in the accident, the driver has been arrested for negligent driving

A truck driver in Japan playing Pokemon Go while driving hit two pedestrains, killing one and injuring the other. This was the first death reported in Japan with regard to the Nontendo Co game. The driver was arrested for negligent driving on Wednesday evening, the Tokushima prefectual police informed. A decision on his prosecution has not been made yet. A spokesperson for Naintic, Pokemon Go developer, said that the company had added a pop-up to the game screen last month to dissuade the player from driving the moment the speed increased. The popularity of the across the world has increased crowds in parks and public places as users search for monsters in the game. Various sign boards have been installed in Japan asking users to avoid creating nuisance. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Truck driver kills pedestrian while playing Pokemon Go in Japan

Usain Bolt roared into Olympic history here Sunday, capturing an unprecedented third consecutive 100m crown to confirm his place in the pantheon of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.&nbsp; 
 
The 29-year-old Jamaican legend, competing in his final Olympics, powered over the line in 9.81seconds, vanquishing drug-tainted American rival Justin Gatlin who took silver, with Andre De Grasse of Canada claiming bronze. 
 
(AFP)

The 29-year-old Jamaican, competing in his final Olympics, scored a time of 9.81 seconds to beat drug-tainted American rival Justin Gatlin

Usain Bolt roared into Olympic history here Sunday, capturing an unprecedented third consecutive 100m crown to confirm his place in the pantheon of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. The 29-year-old Jamaican legend, competing in his final Olympics, powered over the line in 9.81seconds, vanquishing drug-tainted American rival Justin Gatlin who took silver, with Andre De Grasse of Canada claiming bronze. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Bolt makes history with third 100m gold

Adjusting quickly to the Olympic atmosphere and its unfamiliar environment will be key for Andy Murray as he bids to defend the title he won in London four years ago, the world number two has said. 
 
The Scot, who beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer en route to gold in 2012, is representing Britain in the men&#39;s singles in Rio and will also partner his brother Jamie in the men&#39;s doubles. 
 
&quot;Here it&#39;s totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I&#39;ll try and treat it like any other tournament and prepare as best I can,&quot; he told reporters. 
 
&quot;I remember when I was in Beijing (in 2008), the whole atmosphere surrounding an Olympics is different because you&#39;re around loads of the best athletes in the world. 
 
&quot;It was just nice being surrounded by the best athletes from your country, seeing them coming back with medals, it feels a lot more like a team environment.&quot; 
 
Half of the men&#39;s top 10 will miss this month&#39;s Olympics. World number four Stan Wawrinka pulled out with an injury on Tuesday, joining his Switzerland team mate Federer in sitting out the Games. 
 
Other notable absentees include Canadian Milos Raonic and Czech Republic&#39;s Tomas Berdych, who withdrew citing concerns over the Zika virus, and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who has decided to focus on the ATP Tour. 
 
Murray, however, said the competition would still be fierce. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s still a pretty strong field, a lot of the top-20 players are here even if unfortunately there&#39;s a few of the top 10 missing,&quot; the 29-year-old added. 
 
The tennis competition at the Rio Games takes place from Aug. 6-14. 
 
(Reuters)

'Here it's totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I'll try and treat it like any other tournament'

Adjusting quickly to the Olympic atmosphere and its unfamiliar environment will be key for Andy Murray as he bids to defend the title he won in London four years ago, the world number two has said. The Scot, who beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer en route to gold in 2012, is representing Britain in the men's singles in Rio and will also partner his brother Jamie in the men's doubles. "Here it's totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I'll try and treat it like any other tournament and prepare as best I can," he told reporters. "I remember when I was in Beijing (in 2008), the whole atmosphere surrounding an Olympics is different because you're around loads of the best athletes in the world. "It was just nice being surrounded by the best athletes from your country, seeing them coming back with medals, it feels a lot more like a team environment." Half of the men's top 10 will miss this month's Olympics. World number four Stan Wawrinka pulled out with an injury on Tuesday, joining his Switzerland team mate Federer in sitting out the Games. Other notable absentees include Canadian Milos Raonic and Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych, who withdrew citing concerns over the Zika virus, and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who has decided to focus on the ATP Tour. Murray, however, said the competition would still be fierce. "It's still a pretty strong field, a lot of the top-20 players are here even if unfortunately there's a few of the top 10 missing," the 29-year-old added. The tennis competition at the Rio Games takes place from Aug. 6-14. (Reuters)

Rio 2016: Andy Murray bids to defend title he won in London four years ago

Shares in Nintendo plunged today after it warned that the Pokemon Go mania sweeping the world would not translate into bumper profits, taking the wind out of a dizzying rally that saw the firm&#39;s value more than double. 
 
The stock dived 17 per cent to 23,405 Yen by the break after the Kyoto-based firm warned in a statement on Friday evening that the hugely popular game would have only a &quot;limited&quot; impact on its bottom line. 
 
Markets had cheered the app&#39;s global success as a great sign for Nintendo&#39;s nascent move into the mobile games market. 
 
That sent it soaring as investors bought the narrative, pushing it above 30,000 Yen at one stage and briefly making the firm more valuable than Sony.&nbsp;But analysts had warned that the rally was overdone since the actual impact of the game on Nintendo&#39;s finances would be moderate at best, a point it confirmed on Friday. 
 
Nintendo is the creator of the Pokemon franchise but the game, released on July 5, was developed by US-based Niantic. The Japanese firm&#39;s affiliate, Pokemon Company, is on track to receive licensing fees for the game.&nbsp;Nintendo has invested in Niantic and owns about one-third of the Pokemon Company. 
 
It also stands to make money from a device to be used with the application called &quot;Pokemon Go Plus&quot; but &quot;the income reflected on (Nintendo&#39;s) consolidated business results is limited&quot;, it said. 
 
&quot;Taking the current situation into consideration, the company is not modifying the consolidated financial forecast for now,&quot; the statement said. 
 
Since its launch Pokemon Go has sparked a worldwide frenzy among users who have taken to the streets with their smartphones.&nbsp;The app uses satellite locations, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters on real-world settings, challenging players to capture and train them for battles. 
 
Uneasy 
 
Pokemon Go was seen as a shot in the arm to Nintendo, which also created the Donkey Kong, Super Mario and Legend of Zelda brands after it abandoned a longstanding consoles-only policy and opened the door to licensing some of its characters for mobile game use. 
 
&quot;I think Nintendo issued that statement because it was uneasy with how high the shares were rising,&quot; said Hideki Yasuda, analyst at Ace Research Institute. 
 
&quot;There has been a view that Nintendo cannot succeed in the smartphone business. Even if Pokemon Go does not directly contribute to Nintendo&#39;s earnings, it owns other characters like Super Mario and Zelda. These things were factored in and boosted its shares.&quot; 
 
But Yasuda added the firm&#39;s shares may rally again after an &quot;adjustment period&quot;. 
 
The smartphone app has now been launched in more than 40 countries, but until last week in Japan where Nintendo started the mythical creature franchise 20 years ago was kept waiting. 
 
Pokemon, short for &quot;pocket monsters&quot;, has been a constant in Japan since being launched as software in 1996 for Nintendo&#39;s Game Boy console.&nbsp;Authorities in a number of countries have expressed safety and other concerns about the craze. 
 
Players from San Francisco to Lagos have been warned after trespassing, including some youngsters crossing the Canada-US border.&nbsp;Some walked into sensitive military facilities and a nuclear power plant, while other players found themselves the victims of robbery or violent crimes. 
 
The Japanese government issued a rare safety-guide warning over dangers gamers could face, from heat stroke to online scams. 
 
(AFP)

Pokemon Go was briefly more valuable than Sony,?but analysts warned that this was unsustainable

Shares in Nintendo plunged today after it warned that the Pokemon Go mania sweeping the world would not translate into bumper profits, taking the wind out of a dizzying rally that saw the firm's value more than double. The stock dived 17 per cent to 23,405 Yen by the break after the Kyoto-based firm warned in a statement on Friday evening that the hugely popular game would have only a "limited" impact on its bottom line. Markets had cheered the app's global success as a great sign for Nintendo's nascent move into the mobile games market. That sent it soaring as investors bought the narrative, pushing it above 30,000 Yen at one stage and briefly making the firm more valuable than Sony. But analysts had warned that the rally was overdone since the actual impact of the game on Nintendo's finances would be moderate at best, a point it confirmed on Friday. Nintendo is the creator of the Pokemon franchise but the game, released on July 5, was developed by US-based Niantic. The Japanese firm's affiliate, Pokemon Company, is on track to receive licensing fees for the game. Nintendo has invested in Niantic and owns about one-third of the Pokemon Company. It also stands to make money from a device to be used with the application called "Pokemon Go Plus" but "the income reflected on (Nintendo's) consolidated business results is limited", it said. "Taking the current situation into consideration, the company is not modifying the consolidated financial forecast for now," the statement said. Since its launch Pokemon Go has sparked a worldwide frenzy among users who have taken to the streets with their smartphones. The app uses satellite locations, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters on real-world settings, challenging players to capture and train them for battles. Uneasy Pokemon Go was seen as a shot in the arm to Nintendo, which also created the Donkey Kong, Super Mario and Legend of Zelda brands after it abandoned a longstanding consoles-only policy and opened the door to licensing some of its characters for mobile game use. "I think Nintendo issued that statement because it was uneasy with how high the shares were rising," said Hideki Yasuda, analyst at Ace Research Institute. "There has been a view that Nintendo cannot succeed in the smartphone business. Even if Pokemon Go does not directly contribute to Nintendo's earnings, it owns other characters like Super Mario and Zelda. These things were factored in and boosted its shares." But Yasuda added the firm's shares may rally again after an "adjustment period". The smartphone app has now been launched in more than 40 countries, but until last week in Japan where Nintendo started the mythical creature franchise 20 years ago was kept waiting. Pokemon, short for "pocket monsters", has been a constant in Japan since being launched as software in 1996 for Nintendo's Game Boy console. Authorities in a number of countries have expressed safety and other concerns about the craze. Players from San Francisco to Lagos have been warned after trespassing, including some youngsters crossing the Canada-US border. Some walked into sensitive military facilities and a nuclear power plant, while other players found themselves the victims of robbery or violent crimes. The Japanese government issued a rare safety-guide warning over dangers gamers could face, from heat stroke to online scams. (AFP)

Nintendo shares plunge on Pokemon Go warning

Usain Bolt delivered on his top billing by winning the 200 metres at the London Diamond League on Friday but the Jamaican was upstaged for once as American sprint hurdler Kendra Harrison broke one of the oldest world records in the book. 
 
Bolt, running his first 200 metre race in a year since his last outing on the track before the Olympics, struggled for his usual rhythm as he laboured to victory in 19.89 seconds. 
 
However, having pulled out of the Jamaican trials last month with a hamstring strain, he was delighted to get through Friday&rsquo;s race uninjured and can now go away and fine-tune for his attempt at the triple-triple of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay golds in Rio. 
 
Harrison, however, will be watching the Games on TV having finished sixth in the 100m hurdles at the US trials after breaking the national record in May. 
 
She earned some consolation - as well as a $50,000 bonus - on Friday with a stunning world record. 
 
After delivering a silky smooth performance to win, the clock initially showed a modest 12.58 seconds. 
 
However, it was quickly corrected to 12.20, one hundredth of a second faster than the mark set by Bulgaria&#39;s Yordanka Donkova in 1988 - four years before Harrison was born. 
 
Brianna Rollins (12.57), Kristi Castlin (12.59) and Ali Nia (12.63), all Rio-bound after finishing 1-2-3 in the US trials, finished in the same order, behind Harrison on Friday. 
 
&quot;I wanted to come out here with a vengeance to show that even though I won&#39;t be going to the Olympics I had to give it all I had,&quot; said Harrison, who collapsed to the track in tears when she saw the revised time. 
 
There was a more muted celebration for Bolt, who nevertheless delighted the crowd by winning then spending his usual remarkable amount of time signing autographs, posing for photos and giving endless media interviews. 
 
After a steady start he led halfway round the bend, but only just. As he hit the straight and the crowd expected the sort of surge that brought him three Olympic golds on the same track four years ago, it didn&rsquo;t happen. 
 
Rocking noticeably, he had to work all the way to the line, for a time considerably shy of American LaShawn Merritt&#39;s season-leading 19.74. Panama&#39;s Edward Alonso was second in 20.04 with Briton Adam Gemili third in 20.07. 
 
&quot;I tried to hold my form. I&#39;m not fully in shape and I don&rsquo;t think I executed well - I need more work,&quot; said Bolt, who turns 30 next month. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to see it again. I wasn&#39;t that impressed,&quot; he added of his performance. 
 
&quot;But I&#39;m feeling good and happy I could run and finish the race without any injuries.&quot; 
 
Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas will also head to Rio in confident mood after posting a world-leading 49.55 to win the women&#39;s 400 metres, setting up a mouth-watering one-lap showdown with Allyson Felix. 
 
There was plenty to cheer for the home fans in the Olympic Stadium now decked out in the claret and blue of its new tenants, West Ham United soccer club. 
 
Britain&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s 4x100m relay team opened proceedings by triumphing in a national record 41.82 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year. 
 
Laura Muir also channelled the spirit of 2012&#39;s &quot;Super Saturday&quot; when the crowd roared her home in a gutsy front-running victory in the women&rsquo;s 1500m for a huge personal best and another British record of 3:57.49 &ndash; knocking Olympic champion Kelly Holmes off top spot. 
 
Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut won a disappointing 100 metres final in 10.02, having been the only man to dip under 10 seconds with a 9.96 in the heats. 
 
The action continues on Saturday, with the day&rsquo;s highlight being the 5,000m, featuring home favourite Mo Farah. 
 
(Reuters)

American sprint hurdler Kendra Harrison broke one of the oldest world records in the book though she has not qualified for the Olympic Games

Usain Bolt delivered on his top billing by winning the 200 metres at the London Diamond League on Friday but the Jamaican was upstaged for once as American sprint hurdler Kendra Harrison broke one of the oldest world records in the book. Bolt, running his first 200 metre race in a year since his last outing on the track before the Olympics, struggled for his usual rhythm as he laboured to victory in 19.89 seconds. However, having pulled out of the Jamaican trials last month with a hamstring strain, he was delighted to get through Friday’s race uninjured and can now go away and fine-tune for his attempt at the triple-triple of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay golds in Rio. Harrison, however, will be watching the Games on TV having finished sixth in the 100m hurdles at the US trials after breaking the national record in May. She earned some consolation - as well as a $50,000 bonus - on Friday with a stunning world record. After delivering a silky smooth performance to win, the clock initially showed a modest 12.58 seconds. However, it was quickly corrected to 12.20, one hundredth of a second faster than the mark set by Bulgaria's Yordanka Donkova in 1988 - four years before Harrison was born. Brianna Rollins (12.57), Kristi Castlin (12.59) and Ali Nia (12.63), all Rio-bound after finishing 1-2-3 in the US trials, finished in the same order, behind Harrison on Friday. "I wanted to come out here with a vengeance to show that even though I won't be going to the Olympics I had to give it all I had," said Harrison, who collapsed to the track in tears when she saw the revised time. There was a more muted celebration for Bolt, who nevertheless delighted the crowd by winning then spending his usual remarkable amount of time signing autographs, posing for photos and giving endless media interviews. After a steady start he led halfway round the bend, but only just. As he hit the straight and the crowd expected the sort of surge that brought him three Olympic golds on the same track four years ago, it didn’t happen. Rocking noticeably, he had to work all the way to the line, for a time considerably shy of American LaShawn Merritt's season-leading 19.74. Panama's Edward Alonso was second in 20.04 with Briton Adam Gemili third in 20.07. "I tried to hold my form. I'm not fully in shape and I don’t think I executed well - I need more work," said Bolt, who turns 30 next month. "I don't want to see it again. I wasn't that impressed," he added of his performance. "But I'm feeling good and happy I could run and finish the race without any injuries." Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas will also head to Rio in confident mood after posting a world-leading 49.55 to win the women's 400 metres, setting up a mouth-watering one-lap showdown with Allyson Felix. There was plenty to cheer for the home fans in the Olympic Stadium now decked out in the claret and blue of its new tenants, West Ham United soccer club. Britain’s women’s 4x100m relay team opened proceedings by triumphing in a national record 41.82 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year. Laura Muir also channelled the spirit of 2012's "Super Saturday" when the crowd roared her home in a gutsy front-running victory in the women’s 1500m for a huge personal best and another British record of 3:57.49 – knocking Olympic champion Kelly Holmes off top spot. Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut won a disappointing 100 metres final in 10.02, having been the only man to dip under 10 seconds with a 9.96 in the heats. The action continues on Saturday, with the day’s highlight being the 5,000m, featuring home favourite Mo Farah. (Reuters)

Harrison breaks 28-year record as Bolt overcomes injury to head to Rio

Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil.&nbsp;The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find &quot;PokeStops&quot; stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. 
 
&quot;Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody&#39;s coming. You should come on down too,&quot; Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook on Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). 
 
Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. 
 
Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city&#39;s landmarks like Copacabana beach.&nbsp;Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America&#39;s first Olympics from August 5-21.&nbsp;Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. 
 
(AFP)

'Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too', said Mayor Eduardo Paes on Facebook

Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil. The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find "PokeStops" stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. "Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too," Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook on Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city's landmarks like Copacabana beach. Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America's first Olympics from August 5-21. Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. (AFP)

Pokemon Go welcome at Rio Olympics, mayor says

India&#39;s Anirban Lahiri has targeted a top 10 finish at next week&#39;s British Open at Royal Troon as the reigning Asian Tour number one gears up for a bumper month of golf that ends with the Rio Olympics in August. 
 
Lahiri, who turned 29 last week, finished tied for 31st in his British Open debut in 2012 and will make his fourth appearance at the championship at the Scottish links from July 14-17. 
 
&quot;The Open is truly a special tournament,&quot; Lahiri told the Asian Tour. &quot;I&#39;ve had a couple of decent outings but feel like I missed out both times on a top-10 finish. 
 
&quot;Hopefully Troon suits my eye and I can play consistently throughout the week. A top-10 or better would be my goal this year. 
 
&quot;I like playing links courses,&quot; Lahiri added. &quot;You have to be creative and strategically efficient to play well on them. Also I am comfortable flighting down my ball-flight, which is a must in windy conditions. 
 
Lahiri, whose tied fifth finish at the PGA Championship last year is the best by an Indian golfer, feels consistency has been lacking from his game in his first full season on the PGA Tour. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a very slow and sluggish season. I have been inconsistent and have got off to good starts on a few occasions only to have a disappointing weekend. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s frustrating when your &#39;A&#39; game feels right around the corner but does not show up as frequently as you would like. 
 
&quot;In any case the first season on a new tour is always the toughest and I&#39;m satisfied that I am in a good position to keep my playing privileges for next year.&quot; 
 
While a number of top-ranked male golfers have withdrawn from the Rio Games due to Zika fears, Lahiri, ranked 62nd in the world, is excited at the prospect of representing India at the Aug. 5-21 Games, which will see the sport return to the Olympics after a 112-year gap. 
 
&quot;Managing energy levels and conditioning are a big challenge this season,&quot; Lahiri added. &quot;I will look to skip a few events leading up to the big ones if I feel like I need to take a break. 
 
&quot;My coach will be here in America for two weeks to work on all aspects of the game and sharpen it up for the majors and the Olympics. 
 
&quot;Hopefully I can pace myself just right to peak during the majors and Olympics. That&#39;s the goal.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

Lahiri finished tied for 31st in his British Open debut in 2012 and will make his fourth appearance at the championship

India's Anirban Lahiri has targeted a top 10 finish at next week's British Open at Royal Troon as the reigning Asian Tour number one gears up for a bumper month of golf that ends with the Rio Olympics in August. Lahiri, who turned 29 last week, finished tied for 31st in his British Open debut in 2012 and will make his fourth appearance at the championship at the Scottish links from July 14-17. "The Open is truly a special tournament," Lahiri told the Asian Tour. "I've had a couple of decent outings but feel like I missed out both times on a top-10 finish. "Hopefully Troon suits my eye and I can play consistently throughout the week. A top-10 or better would be my goal this year. "I like playing links courses," Lahiri added. "You have to be creative and strategically efficient to play well on them. Also I am comfortable flighting down my ball-flight, which is a must in windy conditions. Lahiri, whose tied fifth finish at the PGA Championship last year is the best by an Indian golfer, feels consistency has been lacking from his game in his first full season on the PGA Tour. "It's been a very slow and sluggish season. I have been inconsistent and have got off to good starts on a few occasions only to have a disappointing weekend. "It's frustrating when your 'A' game feels right around the corner but does not show up as frequently as you would like. "In any case the first season on a new tour is always the toughest and I'm satisfied that I am in a good position to keep my playing privileges for next year." While a number of top-ranked male golfers have withdrawn from the Rio Games due to Zika fears, Lahiri, ranked 62nd in the world, is excited at the prospect of representing India at the Aug. 5-21 Games, which will see the sport return to the Olympics after a 112-year gap. "Managing energy levels and conditioning are a big challenge this season," Lahiri added. "I will look to skip a few events leading up to the big ones if I feel like I need to take a break. "My coach will be here in America for two weeks to work on all aspects of the game and sharpen it up for the majors and the Olympics. "Hopefully I can pace myself just right to peak during the majors and Olympics. That's the goal.” (Reuters)

India's Anirban Lahiri targets British Open top 10

Zimbabwe&#39;s Brendon de Jonge added his name to the list of golfers withdrawing from the Olympics today, as Spain&#39;s Sergio Garcia confirmed he will compete in Rio. 
 
While world number one Jason Day of Australia and Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy are among the golfers skipping the Rio Games because of concerns over the Zika virus, de Jonge said his was a &quot;truly a business decision&quot;. 
 
&quot;The reason for my decision is not my concern about the Zika virus. It is truly a business decision,&quot; De Jonge said in a statement to GolfChannel.com. &quot;It would have been a great honour to play for my country.&quot; 
 
De Jonge is currently 160th on the FedEx Cup points list and needs to finish in the top 125 at the end of the season to keep full playing rights. Competing in the Rio Games from August 5-21 would mean missing two PGA Tour events. 
 
&quot;I am truly disappointed, but my current position on the FedEx Cup points list does not allow me the luxury to skip the John Deere Classic or the Travelers Championship,&quot; the 35-year-old added. 
 
&quot;I must finish in the top 125 to gain entry into our FedEx Cup play-offs. This has to be a priority for me and my family.&quot; 
 
De Jonge`s withdrawal means that Zimbabwe will not be represented in Rio, but Spain&#39;s Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. 
 
Garcia, 36, wrote on Twitter: &quot;I know there r some dangers but representing Spain, trying to make golf grow &amp; becoming an Olympian r too important so I`ll be at @Olympics.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Spain's Sergio Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904

Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge added his name to the list of golfers withdrawing from the Olympics today, as Spain's Sergio Garcia confirmed he will compete in Rio. While world number one Jason Day of Australia and Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy are among the golfers skipping the Rio Games because of concerns over the Zika virus, de Jonge said his was a "truly a business decision". "The reason for my decision is not my concern about the Zika virus. It is truly a business decision," De Jonge said in a statement to GolfChannel.com. "It would have been a great honour to play for my country." De Jonge is currently 160th on the FedEx Cup points list and needs to finish in the top 125 at the end of the season to keep full playing rights. Competing in the Rio Games from August 5-21 would mean missing two PGA Tour events. "I am truly disappointed, but my current position on the FedEx Cup points list does not allow me the luxury to skip the John Deere Classic or the Travelers Championship," the 35-year-old added. "I must finish in the top 125 to gain entry into our FedEx Cup play-offs. This has to be a priority for me and my family." De Jonge`s withdrawal means that Zimbabwe will not be represented in Rio, but Spain's Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. Garcia, 36, wrote on Twitter: "I know there r some dangers but representing Spain, trying to make golf grow & becoming an Olympian r too important so I`ll be at @Olympics." (AFP)

Golf: De Jonge out, Garcia confirms for Olympics

Twice major winner Jordan Spieth is still undecided about whether to participate in August&#39;s Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games or opt out because of the Zika virus like several of his fellow professionals. 
 
The American world number two is the highest-ranked golfer left in the field after number one Jason Day withdrew on Tuesday, citing concerns over Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organization says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. 
 
&quot;Right now, I&#39;m uncertain,&quot; Spieth told reporters ahead of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. 
 
&quot;I have not received enough information to make an informed decision either way or not so as we gather more information I will be able to make a decision one way or the other. 
 
&quot;When I feel confident, I will make a decision either side.&quot; 
 
Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but the Games have already been hit by several high-profile withdrawals. 
 
Ireland&#39;s Shane Lowry, the world number 25, also withdrew on Tuesday, saying his decision was based on firm medical advice. 
 
World number four Rory McIlroy pulled out this month, saying the risk of contracting Zika was one he was &quot;unwilling to take&quot;. 
 
Fiji&#39;s Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have also withdrawn because of the virus, along with Australia&#39;s Marc Leishman. 
 
World number eight Adam Scott has confirmed he will not travel to Rio because of his busy schedule. 
 
The Zika virus can cause crippling defects in babies and has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre in adults. 
 
(Reuters)

Jordan Spieth, the world number two is the highest-ranked golfer left in the field after number one Jason Day withdrew on Tuesday

Twice major winner Jordan Spieth is still undecided about whether to participate in August's Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games or opt out because of the Zika virus like several of his fellow professionals. The American world number two is the highest-ranked golfer left in the field after number one Jason Day withdrew on Tuesday, citing concerns over Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organization says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. "Right now, I'm uncertain," Spieth told reporters ahead of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. "I have not received enough information to make an informed decision either way or not so as we gather more information I will be able to make a decision one way or the other. "When I feel confident, I will make a decision either side." Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but the Games have already been hit by several high-profile withdrawals. Ireland's Shane Lowry, the world number 25, also withdrew on Tuesday, saying his decision was based on firm medical advice. World number four Rory McIlroy pulled out this month, saying the risk of contracting Zika was one he was "unwilling to take". Fiji's Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have also withdrawn because of the virus, along with Australia's Marc Leishman. World number eight Adam Scott has confirmed he will not travel to Rio because of his busy schedule. The Zika virus can cause crippling defects in babies and has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre in adults. (Reuters)

Golfer Spieth unsure about taking part in Rio

While for many the big news at E3 was all about consoles, there was major news but on a smaller scale. 
 
So although the games on mobiles may be simpler in technology and graphics, their place in the gaming industry is solid. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s just that everyone has a phone at the ready,&quot; explained Eric Brummel, of independent developer Loot Interactive. &quot;They have it in their pocket and so it&#39;s just a real convenient way to game and people love to game and it&#39;s right there and it&#39;s super easy to pull out your phone and kill some time.&quot; 
 
Tencent Holdings Ltd, one of the China&#39;s leading social network and online entertainment company,&nbsp;is nearing a $6.6 billion deal to buy a majority stake in Finland&#39;s Supercell Oy, a person familiar with the matter said, in what would be the biggest-ever purchase of a mobile games maker. 
 
Tencent&#39;s purchase of Supercell would surpass the previous record gaming acquisition in November 2015, when Blizzard paid $5.9 billion for &#39;Candy Crush Saga&#39; creator King Digital Entertainment. 
 
Tong Xu, CEO of Locojoy Ltd, a renowned mobile game developer, displayed Locojoy&#39;s latest game &#39;Dragon Raja&#39; at E3. That game has only been released in South Korea where it grossed $2 million dollars in the first month of its release. 
 
&quot;The mobile gaming industry will never die, it will just keep growing and growing everywhere and will become part of your life,&quot; Xu said. 
 
According to private equity investment firm Digi-Capital, the mobile games industry was worth $29 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow to $45 billion by 2018. 
 
The games on release are not all new, but sometimes recoded or rebooted popular games of the past. 
 
Brummel, who was at E3 showing a reboot of the 1982 classic arcade game Q*bert explained &quot;You know how fashion is very cyclical, a lot of video games are like that as well. People, once they get to the point of playing a lot of modern games, they kind of have a yearning to sort of go back and play some of the games they played during their childhood and sort of go back to the more simple clean game mechanics that games like Q*bert will provide.&quot; 
 
&#39;Dragon Raja&#39; was just one of the mobile games on show with graphics that rivalled those on the larger consoles. According to Xu, the power of the mobile shouldn&#39;t be underestimated. 
 
&quot;The capacity of the mobile is just becoming bigger and bigger and a lot of things can be streamed so that&#39;s why that although the device is small the experience doesn&#39;t have to be small so that&#39;s why our team in Korea are bringing PC games to your mobile so that you can enjoy it everywhere you go,&quot; she said. 
 
She added &quot;The market in some of the developed countries has pretty much stabilised because everyone has got enough smartphones but in some developing countries like India, we talk to them and they have 300 million smartphones and they are still developing rapidly so this industry keeps growing.&quot; 
 
Bethesda Softworks, who are behind numerous console blockbusters including &#39;The Elder Scrolls&#39;, &#39;Doom&#39; and &#39;Dishonored&#39; were also showing off some of their content which was also available on mobiles including &#39;Fallout Shelter&#39; and &#39;The Elder Scrolls: Legends&#39;. 
 
&quot;&#39;Fallout Shelter&#39; was on nobody&#39;s radar but literally a year ago today nobody knew it even existed and we announced it and launched it that night and a year later 50 million people have played it so you can approach it any number of ways but there&#39;s no one platform that&#39;s going to dominate like &#39;Oh everything&#39;s going to this&#39;. I think they all have a place and role in making the industry grow and making it that much more viable,&quot; said&nbsp;Pete Hines, Bethesda&#39;s Vice President of PR and Marketing. 
 
Many mobile games are free to download but make their revenue by selling extra functions or options within the games. According to recent research of US based mobile gamers by Newzoo, there is an almost even split between male and female consumers although men are significantly more likely to spend more on the games.

Easy access hike up mobile games demand though the majority of them are basic in technology and graphics

While for many the big news at E3 was all about consoles, there was major news but on a smaller scale. So although the games on mobiles may be simpler in technology and graphics, their place in the gaming industry is solid. "I think it's just that everyone has a phone at the ready," explained Eric Brummel, of independent developer Loot Interactive. "They have it in their pocket and so it's just a real convenient way to game and people love to game and it's right there and it's super easy to pull out your phone and kill some time." Tencent Holdings Ltd, one of the China's leading social network and online entertainment company, is nearing a $6.6 billion deal to buy a majority stake in Finland's Supercell Oy, a person familiar with the matter said, in what would be the biggest-ever purchase of a mobile games maker. Tencent's purchase of Supercell would surpass the previous record gaming acquisition in November 2015, when Blizzard paid $5.9 billion for 'Candy Crush Saga' creator King Digital Entertainment. Tong Xu, CEO of Locojoy Ltd, a renowned mobile game developer, displayed Locojoy's latest game 'Dragon Raja' at E3. That game has only been released in South Korea where it grossed $2 million dollars in the first month of its release. "The mobile gaming industry will never die, it will just keep growing and growing everywhere and will become part of your life," Xu said. According to private equity investment firm Digi-Capital, the mobile games industry was worth $29 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow to $45 billion by 2018. The games on release are not all new, but sometimes recoded or rebooted popular games of the past. Brummel, who was at E3 showing a reboot of the 1982 classic arcade game Q*bert explained "You know how fashion is very cyclical, a lot of video games are like that as well. People, once they get to the point of playing a lot of modern games, they kind of have a yearning to sort of go back and play some of the games they played during their childhood and sort of go back to the more simple clean game mechanics that games like Q*bert will provide." 'Dragon Raja' was just one of the mobile games on show with graphics that rivalled those on the larger consoles. According to Xu, the power of the mobile shouldn't be underestimated. "The capacity of the mobile is just becoming bigger and bigger and a lot of things can be streamed so that's why that although the device is small the experience doesn't have to be small so that's why our team in Korea are bringing PC games to your mobile so that you can enjoy it everywhere you go," she said. She added "The market in some of the developed countries has pretty much stabilised because everyone has got enough smartphones but in some developing countries like India, we talk to them and they have 300 million smartphones and they are still developing rapidly so this industry keeps growing." Bethesda Softworks, who are behind numerous console blockbusters including 'The Elder Scrolls', 'Doom' and 'Dishonored' were also showing off some of their content which was also available on mobiles including 'Fallout Shelter' and 'The Elder Scrolls: Legends'. "'Fallout Shelter' was on nobody's radar but literally a year ago today nobody knew it even existed and we announced it and launched it that night and a year later 50 million people have played it so you can approach it any number of ways but there's no one platform that's going to dominate like 'Oh everything's going to this'. I think they all have a place and role in making the industry grow and making it that much more viable," said Pete Hines, Bethesda's Vice President of PR and Marketing. Many mobile games are free to download but make their revenue by selling extra functions or options within the games. According to recent research of US based mobile gamers by Newzoo, there is an almost even split between male and female consumers although men are significantly more likely to spend more on the games.

Mobile games market bullish despite competition from consoles

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