Streaming Wars 2.0

Good Morning. Welcome to the very first edition of Loading Screen — we’re glad you could join us!

Today is National Book Lover’s Day 📖. Do you know if your favorite gaming title was first introduced as a novel? Be a true fan and read the original text: Rainbow Six, The Witcher, Dynasty Warriors.

— Jason Liu, Derek Neville, and Tim Rhyne

HEADLINES

Netflix launches Game Controller. Netflix just dropped a new app that enables users to use their mobile device to play games on their tv. While streaming cloud games is not a new concept, this is a bold move by Netflix to launch a dedicated product for gaming. As part of Netflix’s cloud gaming plans, a new gaming studio has already been launched, led by a former Executive Producer of Overwatch. New games are expected to be bundled into the streaming subscription.

PlayStation Plus tests 4K streaming. PlayStation is set to leapfrog Xbox Cloud Gaming with their latest beta to Premium members, which allows users to stream games in up to 4K resolution. Available titles include God of War, Fortnite, Destiny 2 (+ several others).

$1 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is Back. Not to be outdone, Microsoft is bringing back $1Game Pass Ultimate. But this time, there’s a catch — it now only lasts 14 days.

You can now turn off YouTube recommendations. In an announcement made on Tuesday, YouTube now allows users who have turned off Watch History to have a clutter-free home experience. Will reverting back to Web 1.0 be the new trend as privacy considerations come front and center?

HUD

• 🎞️ Call of Duty Modern Warfare III reveal trailer premiers today at 10 ET (featuring central villain, Makarov)

• 👾 Nintendo adds Pokemon Trading Card Game and Pokemon Stadium to Switch Online

• 📉 Indian mobile gaming startup cuts half its workforce with new tax treatment

PATCH NOTES

• Valve released Dota 2 7.34 patch notes completely in emoji

• Blizzard dropped patch 1.1.1 for Diablo 4 — higher mob density and higher unique drops

• Respawn launched Apex Legends Season 18 (Resurrection) with complete Revenant rework

• Blizzard also dropped the Overwatch 2: Invasion trailer. Gameplay starts on August 10th

THIS DAY IN GAMING HISTORY

• 🔥 Lord British was assassinated in Ultima Online by Rainz’s FireField spell (1997)

• 🧟‍♂️ Organ Trail Director’s Cut, which parodies The Oregon Trail as a zombie survival game, releases for Android and iOS (2012)

DEEP DIVE

Gran Turismo hits the big screens

Gran Turismo now joins the growing list of video games that have transitioned from video games to movies and television.

Among die-hard racing games fans, the Gran Turismo (GT) franchise was one of the first to make it to the mainstream, particularly when it came to bridging arcade with simulation. Originally launched in 1997, GT now boasts 7 titles, with its latest release in 2022.

What you may not know about the Gran Turismo movie is that it follows the real life journey of professional racer Jann Mardenborough. Jann was discovered through GT Academy — a collaboration between Nissan and Sony, where sim racers competed against each other in a series of real life racing challenges for a Nissan racing contract. By winning GT Academy in 2011, Jann beat out 90,000 other entrants.

The line between sim racing and real life racing is starting to blur dramatically. The pandemic pushed many professionals and hobbyists to build at-home rigs when race tracks were closed. On any given day, you may find current F1 World Champion, Max Verstappen, in an open lobby on iRacing.

Gone are the days of “rubber band” steering wheels as manufacturers took advantage of sim racing’s rising popularity and released modern gear, such as force-feedback steering wheels and even motion rigs. It’s not uncommon for true enthusiasts to have rigs that cost more than a new car.

HIVE MIND

Relevant

• League of Legends player’s straw poll results

• Faker’s thoughts on the F vs. D debate

DEAL FINDER

• Sony PS5 on sale for $449.99 (-$50) at major retailers including Target, Best Buy, Amazon.

• Ubisoft makes 5 Assassin’s Creed titles free to play for a limited time. Includes Valhalla.

MAJOR W

• 🤖 AI unlocks creative modding with this Celebrity Mortal Kombat concept

• 🥇 Netcompany joins Astralis in empowering Danish women's Counter-Strike Team

• 💸 Gem Capital creates new $50M fund to invest in gaming studios

F IN THE CHAT

• 😈 Diablo 4 players poke fun at new patch and damage system

• 🤑 Developer pushes limits on Steam as game listed for $1M

• 📺 Guinness World Records copyright-striking YouTube channels

• ⛏ Mojang EULA update restricts “Minecraft” usage within primary titles for creative content among other changes

CREATOR SPOTLIGHT

Josh Barracks - Behind the Gaming, Grooves, and Giggles

Josh Barracks is working to bring fun back to Gaming, he delivers a unique-vibey experience in Warzone 2 that brings music and comedy together. Okay, maybe Warzone 2 is not your thing, but Josh’s daily routine could be used for anyone seeking the road to professional success.

• Network and collaborate with others

• Prioritize learning

• Consistency

Josh is currently running on 50 days of Warzone DMZ, of which the majority have been collaborations with other creators of varying sizes. He works tirelessly off-stream experimenting with new editing techniques or brainstorming content ideas. This routine has been applied over several years and allowed him to make the leap into full-time content creation late last year. Since the jump, he has expanded his following massively, with over 900k on Tiktok alone.

Josh streams every weekday on Twitch between 4-8 PM EST.