Google and Match Group reach temporary agreement on in-app payments

Match Group, the parent company of Tinder and Hinge, claims it has won “concessions” from Google in its antitrust battle against the search giant. On Friday, Match withdrew a restraining order after the two sides came to a temporary agreement on in-app payments.

Match filed the order against Google one day after it sued the company, alleging it had broken federal and state antitrust laws. At the center of the dispute is a policy change Google plans to implement next month. In the fall of 2020, the company “clarified” its stance on in-app payments, announcing it was moving toward requiring all Android developers to process payments involving “digital goods and services” through the Google Play Billing system. Following multiple extensions, developers have until June 1st to comply with the policy.

Match, however, claims Google had “previously assured” the company that it could use its own payments system. The company also claims Google threatened to remove its apps from the Play Store if Match did not comply with the policy change by the upcoming deadline.

Under their temporary agreement, Google will allow Match apps to remain on the Play Store and won’t remove them for including alternate payment systems. Additionally, the search giant has agreed to make a “good faith” effort to address Match’s concerns with Google Play Billing. Match, in turn, will make an effort to offer Google’s billing system as an option to consumers.

Lastly, instead of paying Google a commission on in-app purchases that occur outside of the company’s payment system, Match is establishing a $40 million escrow fund. Starting July 1st, Match will keep track of fees it would have normally owed Google. The fund will stay in place until the two sides go to court next April.

Following Match’s announcement, Google accused the company of publishing a “misleading” press release that “mischaracterizes” the terms of their agreement. “Match Group’s claim that it can’t integrate Play’s billing system because it lacks key features contradicts the fact that Match Group has been proactively and successfully using Play’s billing in more than 10 of its apps,” Google said. The company added it would file a countersuit against Match for violating its Developer Distribution Agreement ahead of their 2023 trial.

Ubisoft’s free-to-play ‘Roller Champions’ heads to PC and consoles on May 25th

After it first unveiled the game at E3 2019, Ubisoft will finally release Roller Champions on May 25th, the publisher announced today. The free-to-play title will be available on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – as well as Xbox Series X/S and PS5 throu…

‘Fall Guys’ lands on Switch, Xbox and Epic Games Store on June 21st

It’s been over a year since Mediatonic confirmed Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout was coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch. After somedelays, the wait is almost over. The ridiculously fun battle royale platformer is coming to those platforms, as well as Epic Games Store, on June 21st. A dedicated PlayStation 5 version is on the way too. Full cross-play and cross-progression will be available across all platforms as well.

What’s more, Fall Guys is going free-to-play. Epic pulled a similar move with Rocket League after snatching up Psyonix. Existing players on PlayStation and Steam will receive a legacy pack, which includes three costumes and some other bonuses. Newcomers who pre-register can claim some swag as well. 

It’s not a huge shock that Fall Guys is coming to the Epic Games Store — Epic bought Mediatonic parent Tonic Games Group last year. Users have needed an Epic account to play Fall Guys since November, when cross-progression was added. However, the game will no longer be available to new players on Steam. Those who already bought it on that platform will still get new content and updates, though.

A new season will also get underway on June 21st. Mediatonic is resetting the counter and calling it Season 1: Free For All. It will be the first seasonal update since November and, as ever, there will be new levels and more cosmetics.

For the first time, there will be a premium (i.e. paid) season pass with 100 tiers and extra cosmetic items. Those who receive the legacy pass will get free access to the premium season pass for season one. A free season pass will still be available with other items to unlock. 

Crowns will no longer be used for currency to buy items in the store. The crown rank feature will be boosted with more rewards. Unspent crowns will be converted into Kudos. There will be another in-game currency called Show-Bucks, which can be used to buy the premium season pass. Costumes that are on the way include Ezio from the Assassin’s Creed series, along with Mecha Godzilla and Mothra.

There’s one more big update on the way: a level creator. This was announced as being “under construction” and, while it won’t be arriving any time soon, it’s an exciting feature to look forward to.

The game debuted on PS4 and Steam in August 2020 and was an instant hit, racking up millions of players on PC in just a few days and becoming the most-claimed game in the history of PlayStation Plus at the time. It seems player numbers have dropped quite a ways since the early days — having increasingly lengthy seasons likely hasn’t helped. However, the arrival of Fall Guys on more platforms, the free-to-play shift and a new season should all bring new and lapsed players into the fold.

The Morning After: Apple may be testing USB-C iPhones

Oh my, it might actually be happening. I’ve wanted this for a while, and Apple’s excuses for sticking with its Lightning connector get weaker each year. Now a report from Bloomberg says the company is testing new iPhones and adapters with USB-C — what MacBooks and iPads already use.

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Engadget

An adapter currently in testing could “let future iPhones work with accessories designed for the current Lightning connector” — you may recall the in-box adapters that appeared when Apple nixed the headphone port from its smartphones.

It’s probably not entirely altruistic. The EU has been pushing for a universal phone charging standard for years and recently proposed legislation that would make USB-C the de-facto charging port for all phones.

It’s unlikely to be part of the iPhone 14, though. The report suggests the port change wouldn’t arrive “until 2023 at the earliest.” Subsequent comments from reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggest this could be part of a wider move away from Lightning ports, also used on Apple’s AirPods, mice and keyboards.

— Mat Smith

 

The biggest stories you might have missed

Peloton’s rowing machine is almost here

Still no exact launch date, though.

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Peloton

Peloton’s long-rumored (slightly leaked) rowing machine was the major announcement of this year’s Homecoming fan event. Having said that, we didn’t hear all that much about it. Expect a stylish rower with a huge screen, with a red cord attaching the handle to the machine.

It can’t land soon enough: The company has struggled to adapt to the pandemic recovery as people return to the gym and the office. Peloton revealed a massive $751.1 million loss in its latest quarter.

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The iPod created the two-headed monster that finally killed it

Apple’s music player led to smartphones and streaming.

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Apple

The iPod’s death has been a long time coming. It’s already been eight years since Apple discontinued the iconic iPod classic, but the final iPod is bowing out of the company’s stores now. We all know it changed Apple’s fortunes and the music industry at large, but the iPod was, eventually, a victim of its own success.

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McLaren will join Formula E in 2023

The legendary F1 outfit will acquire the Mercedes-EQ team.

Ahead of Formula E’s Gen3 debut next season, McLaren Racing announced its move to Formula E for season nine, committing to prepping a team when the series’ new spec makes its first competitive laps. McLaren will acquire the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team — the world championship team. Driver Nyck de Vries also won the individual series title in 2021 to complete the double trophy season.

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‘Genshin Impact’ studio announces new action RPG

Battle interdimensional monsters in ‘Zenless Zone Zero.’

On Friday, games studio HoYoverse shared the first trailer for Zenless Zone Zero, an action RPG in a modern urban setting. The game pits players against Ethereal, monstrous creatures borne from another dimension. HoYoverse hasn’t explicitly said how it plans to monetize Zenless Zone Zero, but it sounds like the game will employ a similar system to the one in Genshin Impact — one of the biggest free-to-play hits in recent years, which has also made money at the same time.

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Recommended Reading: Behind the wheel of the Ford F-150 Lightning

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning first drive review: Worth the wait

John Beltz Snyder, Autoblog

The Ford F-150 is an insanely popular truck, so the debut of the electric version is an important moment for the US automaker. Our colleagues at Autoblog went behind the wheel for some initial impressions of the F-150 Lightning.

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Twenty Thousand Hertz

Part two of the story behind the iconic Windows start up sounds continues with the company’s decision to retire the audio in Windows 8. If you missed the first episode, former Microsoft lead UI designer Jensen Harris and sound designer Matthew Bennett discuss the clips. That episode covers the “Ta-da!” from Windows 3.1 through Windows 7, including the chime Brian Eno created for Windows 95.

Why FIFA’s split with EA Sports could prove to be a hugely expensive error

Iain Macintosh, The Athletic

The final FIFA-branded soccer game from EA Sports will be FIFA 23 as the two parties will part ways after working together to build the iconic series. The Athletic explains why FIFA’s decision to make its own games (yes, plural) could prove to be a costly mistake.

McLaren will join Formula E in 2023

Team news is starting heat up ahead of Formula E’s Gen3 debut next season, and today one of the bigger expected announcements was made official. Ahead of the Berlin E-Prix, McLaren Racing announced its move to Formula E for season nine, committing to fielding a team when the series’ new spec makes its first competitive laps. Rumors began to swirl weeks ago that the company was coming to the all-electric racing series. 

True to the reports, McLaren will acquire the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team. Current team principal Ian James will remain to ensure “a smooth transition.” Mercedes-EQ is the current world championship team and driver Nyck de Vries won the individual series title in 2021 to complete the double trophy season. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown explained that it was “satisfying” to provide a new home for the “class-leading” Formula E team that Mercedes has built. No word on a driver line-up just yet, but de Vries’ stablemate Stoffel Vandoorne will move to DS Penske next season.

“McLaren Racing always seeks to compete against the best and on the leading edge of technology, providing our fans, partners and people with new ways to be excited, entertained and inspired,” Brown said in a statement. “Formula E, like all our racing series, fulfills all those criteria.”

McLaren is certainly no stranger to Formula racing. As the second-oldest active team in F1, the constructor made its debut in 1966 at Monaco. It amassed eight constructors championships in the 70s, 80s and 90s with 12 individual drivers championships. Its most recent trophy-winning season was 2008 when Lewis Hamilton won his first championship (and did so in quite dramatic fashion).

McLaren also has experience racing EVs as it competes in the off-road Extreme E series. The racing series is still in its infancy after it first debuted in 2021, however, like Formula E and Formula 1, Extreme E is also sanctioned by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile). McLaren also fields two cars in IndyCar as Arrow McLaren SP, an open-wheel series it returned to in 2021 after a 40-year break. The team is a joint effort between Arrow Electronics, McLaren Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

McLaren joins Maserati as a major manufacturer entering Formula E next season. Maserati announced in January that it would participate in the series, and in April it revealed a partnership with the Monaco-based ROKiT Venturi Racing. Nissan also recently took full ownership of the e.dams team it has partnered with since 2018. In the lead up to this weekend’s Berlin E-Prix, German team ABT Sportsline revealed plans to return to Formula E next season and Avalanche Andretti announced it would run Porsche powertrains starting in 2023.

Warner Bros. Discovery and BT are forming a massive sports TV business

Warner Bros. Discovery will soon be operating a massive sports programming platform for the UK and Ireland. The merged WarnerMedia and Discovery company already owns the Eurosport network, and now it’s also making BT Sport its wholly owned subsidiary. This joint venture will bring together the sports programming of Eurosport and BT, which include the UEFA leagues, the Premier League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, the Olympic Games, tennis Grand Slams such as the Australian Open and Roland-Garros, as well as cycling tours such as Tour de France. 

Sports streaming service DAZN was on the cusp of acquiring BT Sport for $800 million back in February, but BT Group ultimately decided on going on a 50:50 joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery. Initially, Eurosport and BT Sport will retain separate brands, but they will be brought together under a single brand in the future. The BT Group will receive £93 million ($113.3 million) within three years following the transaction completion and up to £540 million ($658 million) of additional payment based on how the business performs during the earn-out period. 

While the joint sports venture is set to become a massive competition for Sky Sports, it will enter a new agreement with Sky for the distribution of their combined sports programming beyond 2030. BT TV and BT Sport subscribers will also also get access to the discovery+ streaming service, which serves as home to Eurosport’s live and on-demand videos in the UK and Ireland. 

EA will stop using FIFA’s name in its soccer games next year

Electronic Arts is calling it quits with FIFA after nearly 30 years of using the soccer governing body’s name in the titles of its games. FIFA 23 will be the last EA game with that branding when it arrives later this year. Starting in 2023, the annual soccer sim games will use the moniker “EA Sports FC” instead. More info about the first title in the revamped series will be revealed in July 2023.

Other than the rebranding, the EA Sports FC games may not be vastly different from what fans are used to in the long run. EA still holds licenses for more than 300 soccer partners and has exclusive agreements with the likes of the Premier League, MLS, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A.

You can expect next year’s title to still have more than 19,000 players, 700+ teams, north of 100 stadiums and 30 leagues. Features such as career mode, Ultimate Team and VOLTA Football will still be present too. It’s unclear, however, what the move will mean for the inclusion of the World Cup in future titles.

In the meantime, EA Sports and Racing executive vice-president Cam Weber said his team and FIFA “are excited to deliver the greatest, most expansive EA Sports FIFA ever later this fall.” He said there will be more teams, players, competitions, leagues and game modes than in any previous games. These updates will not only be present in FIFA 23, but also in FIFA Mobile, FIFA Online 4 and esports.

“We’re thankful for our many years of great partnership with FIFA,” EA CEO Andrew Wilson said in a statement. “The future of global football is very bright, and fandom around the world has never been stronger. We have an incredible opportunity to put EA Sports FC at the heart of the sport, and to bring even more innovative and authentic experiences to the growing football audience.”

The end of the partnership isn’t too surprising. FIFA expressed concern last fall about one entity (i.e. EA) having too much of the soccer gaming pie. It was talking with developers and other parties about how to “widen” the scope of its gaming and esports offerings. EA, on the other hand, said soon after the launch of FIFA 22 that it was “reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA” ahead of a possible rebranding. It filed a trademark application for “EA Sports FC” around the same time.

There are, of course, financial considerations at play. The New York Times reported in October that FIFA makes around $150 million per year through its licensing agreement with EA. In negotiations with the publisher, FIFA is said to have asked for a payment of over $1 billion for each World Cup cycle of four years. The two sides were also reportedly at odds over the scope of the partnership as well, including aspects like exclusivity.

Meanwhile, FIFA says EA will be able to release its next game as FIFA 23 under a non-exclusive, temporary extension of their partnership. This year’s edition will include both the men’s and women’s editions of the World Cup for the first time. 

The governing body noted it will release games created in collaboration with other developers in the third quarter of this year. These will be non-simulation titles, and the first one will be connected to the men’s World Cup, which starts in November in Qatar. 

Perhaps most significantly, FIFA said it’s in talks with “leading game publishers, media companies and investors” in relation to “a major new FIFA simulation football game title for 2024.” It may be fairly short notice to make a game on a comparable level with the current FIFA series for next year, unless FIFA is able to work with the likes of Pro Evolution Soccer/eSoccer developer Konami. Still, it seems there will be soccer sims bearing the FIFA branding beyond this year, even if they aren’t from EA.

“I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said, seemingly in total sincerity. “The FIFA name is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25 and FIFA 26 and so on — the constant is the FIFA name and it will remain forever and remain THE BEST.” 

Update 5/10 3:50PM: Added more details from FIFA.

‘League of Legends’ mockumentary ‘Players’ heads to Paramount+ on June 16th

Paramount+ has released the first trailer for Players, its long-awaited League of Legends mockumentary from American Vandal creators Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda. Set to debut on June 16th, the series centers on Fugitive Gaming, a fictional pro t…