Judgment
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Yakuza spinoffs ‘Judgment’ and ‘Lost Judgment’ finally arrive on Steam
In a surprising turn of events, Sega has released Yakuza series spinoffs Judgment and Lost Judgment on Steam.
‘Lost Judgment’ will let you team up with a dog detective
A gameplay trailer shows some of what you can see and do in the sequel.
Sega will release a ‘Judgment’ sequel on September 24th
Takayuki Yagami will go undercover at a high school in ‘Lost Judgment.'
UK Supreme Court rules that Uber should treat drivers as workers
Uber has lost its appeal to the UK's Supreme Court to deny its drivers basic employee protections.
'Judgment' hits PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Stadia on April 23rd
Ryu ga Gotoku's detective game is getting visual upgrades and better loading times.
UK court rules police facial recognition trials violate privacy laws
Facial recognition is unreliable, dystopian and, according to a British court, incompatible with privacy and data protection legislation.
Our favorite games of 2019
The end of 2019 is nigh, which means it's time for us to take stock of this year's crop of games. And it's been quite a year -- not quite the heights of 2017, to be sure, but still more than we here at Engadget can reasonably play between all the gadgets we review and events we attend. So rather than declare a list of winners, we'll tell you about the titles that captured our hearts and minds this year, the games of 2019 that made our days just a little better and will stick in our memories as we round the corner into the next decade and beyond.
‘Judgment’ is a sublime detective game for everyone
Grizzly murders. A ridiculously smart hero haunted by his past. A shady group of individuals who will do anything, it seems, to cover up their terrible deeds. These are the hallmarks of a great detective story, and Judgment, the latest video game from Japanese developer Ryu ga Gotoku (RGG) Studio, has all of them.
Sega will still release 'Judgment' worldwide despite actor's arrest
Sega isn't stopping the international release of Judgment despite halting Japanese sales over a voice actor's arrest for cocaine use. The company has confirmed that Ryu Ga Gotoku's PS4 legal drama is still coming to the West (including the US and UK) on June 25th, and has posted a trailer to match. The character voiced by Pierre Taki in Japan (Kyohei Hamura) is still present in the new clip, but he isn't as prominent as he was the first time around.
Sega pulls 'Judgment' sales following voice actor's cocaine arrest
Sega has halted the sales of Yakuza spin-off Judgment in Japan after Pierre Taki, one of its actors, was arrested on suspicion of using cocaine. Taki voiced and served as the model for a yakuza named Kyohei Hamura in the game, which was released in its native country as Judge Eyes for the PS4 in December. According to The Mainichi, his urine sample tested positive for cocaine and he also later admitted to using a small quantity.
'Yakuza' spin-off 'Judgment' comes to PS4 on June 25th
If you're a fan of the popular Yakuza game, then you've probably been eagerly anticipating the newest installment of the gangster series. Judgment will be available for PlayStation 4 on June 25th.
Substantial Scrolls update adds new modes next month
A substantial update for Scrolls, the collectible card game from Minecraft developer Mojang, is in the works and slated to drop sometime next month. The patch will extend customization options, add a new mode called Judgment, toss in some spectator tools and top it all off with over 40 new Scrolls to unfurl. In Judgment, players create a deck of cards (or Scrolls) from a randomized set and engage in five different competitive matches. Based on your performance over those five matches, you'll then receive a corresponding reward. The mode is designed to level the playing field between expert and more novice spellcasters. Spectator mode allows players to watch their friends matches. Scrolls launched its premium beta back in June. Interested parties looking to buy into the beta can currently access the game for $20 through the game's official site.
Google to pay $0 in damages to Oracle, wait for appeal
After watching Judge Alsup strike down its patent and Java API infringement claims, Oracle seems to be cutting its losses, agreeing to accept $0 in damages from Google. Confused? So was the Judge, who reportedly responded to the proposal by asking, "is there a catch I need to be aware of?" No catch, but Oracle isn't giving up, stating that it's taking its case to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. If successful, the appeal could put the two firms back in Alsup's courtroom, perhaps asking for somewhere between the previously proposed $32.3 million and today's sum total of zilch. We'll let you know when the drama comes around again.
The Daily Grind: What game have you judged without playing it?
Okay, let's face it, there are a lot of MMOs out these days. And MMOs aren't like single-player games, where you can jump in and play for a few hours to get a decent idea of the gameplay. No, to really get an idea of what an MMO is like you need to sit down and play for quite some time, get a feel for the community, chat with other players... It's a long road, and no one can walk it for every game. So we wind up judging games out of hand. We form an opinion about games that we've never played based on screenshots and snippets of reviews. We decide that Aion is a grindfest, Second Life is a nightmarish adult playground, Age of Conan is a bug-filled exercise in silliness, and Wizard101 is exclusively for children below age 10. But there's more to these games. Each one of these games has a lot more going on than that simple and short description -- a description that may not even be accurate now, if it ever was true. So what about you? What game have you formed an opinion on without any play time, either now or in the past? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Jury issues verdict in Android suit, finds that Google doesn't infringe Oracle patents
It appears that the jury has come to a conclusion in the Oracle v. Google trial, determining that Android does not infringe Oracle patents. Judge William Alsup of the US District Court for Northern California exonerated the search giant following a trial that lasted three weeks, ruling that Google did not infringe on six claims in US Patent RE38,104, along two claims in US Patent 6,061,520. Jurors were dismissed following today's ruling, with the trial's damages phase reportedly set to begin on Tuesday. According to The Verge, the jury did determine that Google was responsible for two counts of minor copyright infringement, relating to the order of Java APIs and several lines of rangeCheck code, which could be matched with a maximum penalty of $150,000 for each count. Regardless, it appears that the lawsuit, which dates back to 2010, when Oracle filed against Google for copyright and patent infringement related to Sun's Java code, could finally be coming to a close.
WRUP: Make it work, columnists
Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" -- otherwise known as WRUP. Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game, and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too! In WoW, just as in the fashion world, one day you are in, and the next ... you are out. All right, designers. This week, we learned the new transmogrification feature coming in patch 4.3 will let us revisit World of Warcraft fashion trends of the past. And that's your inspiration for this week's challenge: You have until midnight to create a post-4.3 look for any level 85 character that says, "I'm here, I'm tier, and I'm fabulous!" Already, though, this shirtless paladin outfit here worries me. We're so close to the deadline, and it just looks ... unfinished. Barbaric Loincloth? Frankly, he looks like a homeless Abercrombie model. And this other paladin ... is this Judgement tier? I'm concerned. It's a little ... stumbled home from Blackwing Lair at 3 a.m., don't you think? [takes a long, lengthy, silent look] I'll leave you alone.
California Supreme Court says warrantless searches of suspects' text messages are legal
Planning on getting arrested in California any time soon? You'd better make sure your text archives are free from any incriminating information as the state's Supreme Court has now ruled it legal for police to check your missives folder without the need for a warrant. The justification for this privacy intrusion is that a phone search is "incidental" to a lawful arrest and its contents, much like the contents of your pockets or bags, fall within the realm of reasonable search. Two of the judges in the case did dissent, with one noting that "never before has it been possible to carry so much personal or business information in one's pocket or purse," which she argues should afford your iPhone, Droid or BB a higher level of privacy protection than, say, the packet of gummy bears you have in the other pocket. What do you think?
Jagex Games Studio wins patent infringement case
Jagex Games Studio, renowned as the maker of RuneScape, has announced its success in securing a non-infringement judgment in a case brought against it by PalTalk Holdings. PalTalk initiated patent infringement legal proceedings against Jagex (as well as Activision-Blizzard, Sony, Turbine, and NCsoft) after being awarded a settlement in a similar claim against Microsoft in 2009. PalTalk claimed that Jagex had infringed on U.S. patents relating to server group messaging systems and further alleged that it had suffered "in excess of tens of millions of dollars" in damages. Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard didn't pull any punches when expressing his displeasure at the perceived frivolity of the claim. "It is exceedingly unfortunate that the U.S. legal system can force a company with a sole presence in Cambridge, UK to incur a seven digit expense and waste over a year of management time on a case with absolutely no merit," he said. "This anomaly, which could easily break smaller studios, doesn't happen in the UK since you can pursue frivolous litigants for the costs of such claims," Gerhard stated.
Final Justice: Strip Langdell of 'Edge' trademarks, court proposes
In a followup to EA's legal victory against declared trademark "troll" Tim Langdell earlier this week, a U.S. district judge has proposed the cancellation of Langdell's trademarks filed with the Patent and Trademark Office. The trademarks are for various phrase combinations using the word "Edge" (e.g., "Cutting Edge"), confirms GamesIndustry.biz, and have been used by Langdell for years to force companies to change their game titles or pay settlements to him -- until EA stood up over the "Mirror's Edge" dispute. Evidence provided by EA in its counterclaim showed that Langdell used doctored Edge magazine covers and box art to support his claim to the trademarks. The court's judgment to strip Langdell of his trademarks is currently pending agreement from EA and Langdell's legal teams (which is expected), but does not address possible criminal penalties that Langdell could be subject to through further litigation.
Nintendo loses DS flash cart case in French court
According to a post on Maxconsole, a court in Paris has just dismissed a lawsuit filed by Nintendo over the use of flash carts on the DS. Apparently, the gamemaker was attempting to halt the use of the cartridges due to their ability to circumvent copy protection and allow for pirating of software, but a judge in France took a decidedly different view. As the carts are often used for homebrew and DIY projects, the court holds that owners of the console should be able to develop software much as a license holder of Windows might. Furthermore, the article claims that the court also deemed Nintendo's strict control of development "illegal" (Maxconsole's words), and said that development of software for the system shouldn't be hamstrung by the need for proprietary kits. This ruling follows a recent Spanish case in which the court dismissed Nintendo's lawsuit over flash carts claiming that while the add-ons do violate DRM, they also legitimately extend the functionality of the console.
