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Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Brandon Bell, Getty Images Tech leaders are set to have a big presence. On January 20th, Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States to serve his second term. Immediately after his victory, many tech leaders publicly congratulated Trump and started making moves to win his favor, including schmoozing with the incoming president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and making donations to his inauguration committee. Tech leaders should have a visible presence at Trumps inauguration, with Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Shou Zi Chew, Sundar Pichai, and Sam Altman all reported to be present. Musk is also scheduled to speak at a pre-inauguration rally, and Zuckerberg will reportedly host a black-tie event on Inauguration Day.Well be covering the event and how tech leaders are a part of it.How to watch Donald Trumps inaugurationC-SPAN will be hosting a livestream on YouTube. The livestream is scheduled to begin at 7AM ET, and the swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 12PM ET. The inauguration will take place indoors at the United States Capitol Rotunda because of projected cold weather.

Pokmon TCG is popping right now, and it's not going to slow down throughout 2025 thanks to Prismatic Evolutions, the upcoming Journey Together expansion and the heavily rumoured return of Team Rocket cards. The current problem is stock, which is a massive challenge when finding recent sets for RRP in stores. Luckily, Amazon has our backs with Booster Bundles from Scarlet and Violet, including the immensely popular Surging Sparks. UK Deals: Pokmon TCG Booster BundlesWhat's the point of ripping open boosters if you have nothing to chase? The good news is all of the below Booster Bundle deals have some immense chase cards that are either starting to even out or skyrocket in value. This is the best way to avoid the pricey world of single-card sales. Imagine buying a selection of Booster bundles and finding a 100+ banger? It's not guaranteed, but it's the thrill of the chase, right?Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletSurging Sparks Booster BundlePokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletTemporal Forces Booster Bundle23.94 at Amazon Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletTwilight Masquerade Booster Bundle23.94 at AmazonPokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletShrouded Fable Booster BundlePokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletStellar Crown Booster Bundle23.61 at AmazonPokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletSurging Sparks Booster BundlePokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletSurging Sparks Booster BundlePikachu ex 238/191 (SIR)Credit: Pokmon Company International / Creatures Inc.Surging Sparks is starting to calm down on the singles market thanks to recent restocks, but Pikachu ex-SIR still holds its value. Granted, it's a much more respectable 280, but that's still a lot of money for many people for one card. It's a damn sight cheaper than November 2024 when this card was selling for well over 400, with some listings touching 500. Long story short, grab some Surging Sparks booster bundles while they're in stock and cheap. You never know!Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletTemporal Forces Booster BundlePokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletTemporal Forces Booster Bundle23.94 at AmazonRaging Bolt ex 208/162 (SIR)Credit: Pokmon Company International / Creatures Inc.Honestly, I hated this Paradox rehash of Raikou when Scarlet and Violet DLC 2 dropped, but Raging Bolt has grown on me. Everyone wants Pokmon to take more risks with their games, so complaining about them taking risks is a bit of an oxymoron to me. This bad boy is currently zapping around the singles market for around 90. That's a slow creep from around the mid-70 mark around November 2024, but it's a climb nonetheless. As this set runs out of stock, this price is bound to get higher, so get ripping some Temporal Forces. Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletTwilight Masquerade Booster Bundle Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletTwilight Masquerade Booster Bundle23.94 at AmazonEevee 188/167 (IR)Credit: Pokmon Company international / Creatures Inc.You thought I'd go for Greninja's ex (SIR) for this one, right? Too obvious and Illustration Rares need some love. Most of these cards are slept on right now, so it's a great time to snap them up. Eevee IR is a prime example of how Illustration Rares will climb in value for their artwork; don't sleep on them. Eevee IR is currently going for around 70, which has jumped from around 50 in October and November 2024. Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletShrouded Fable Booster BundlePokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletShrouded Fable Booster BundleCassiopeia 094/064 (SIR)Credit: Pokmon Company international / Creatures Inc.Shrouded Fable has shade thrown at it in the Pokmon TCG community. Still, plenty of awesome Chase cards have settled in price and are valuable. Cassiopeia 094/064 (SIR) is one of the coolest trainer cards, Secret Illustration Rares. It goes for around 40/50 on the single card market, which is a nice settling point from its 35/40 value at the end of 2024. Suppose you're a big fan of Fezandipidi, Okidoki, Punkidori and Pecharunt. In that case, this is a top mini-expansion to rip open.Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletStellar Crown Booster BundlePokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletStellar Crown Booster Bundle23.61 at AmazonTerapagos ex 170/142 (SIR)Credit: Pokmon Company international / Creatures Inc.My take on the Scarlet and Violet era is solid artwork is and will be more valuable than Pokmon. We're seeing bloody Magikarp cards going for good money right now; go back to the early 2000s and tell yourself that and kill yourself from the bans. Terapagos ex 170/142 (SIR) is one of the weirder legendaries in Pokmon. Still, it's the basis of Terastalisation and featured heavily in Pokmon Horizons anime. It's a stunning card that fetches around 70 raw, which is a nice settling point between the 60 to 90 fluctuations we saw back in 2024. Stellar Crown is also a slept-on set, but there are many superb Illustration rares and chase cards like this. Get those booster bundles ripped!Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

According to Mark Gurmans Power On newsletter, supply of the current generation iPhone SE, which debuted in 2022, is quickly shrinking. This is unsurprising, given the fact that were all expecting a new iPhone SE to debut in just a couple months. However, it is uniquely interesting, as it indicates that Apple likely has no plans to keep the current generation model around.iPhone SE 4 recapThis spring, likely around April, Apple is going to release a new iPhone SE. Some suggest that it might be called iPhone 16E instead. Its going to be the biggest redesign in the history of iPhone SE, with an all new design, a 6.1 OLED display, an upgrade to Face ID, USB-C, and much more. The new iPhone SE model is also going to gain support for Apple Intelligence, bringing features like Genmoji and Notification Summaries to Apples entire smartphone lineup. However, with all of those upgrades, the new iPhone SE is going to cost more. Rumors suggest the new model will have a higher price tag of at least $499.Typically, when Apple introduces new models at a higher price, they keep around an older model at a reduced price, to better serve markets. For example, Apple kept around the M1 MacBook Air model for a couple years at a lower price, as the redesigned M2 MacBook Air started at a $200 higher price tag.Current Apple Store inventoryFor better or for worse though, that probably wont be the case with iPhone SE 3. As appealing as itd be for Apple to sell a ~$300 iPhone to attract new buyers, that likely wont be the case, given the fact that iPhone SE 3 production has seemingly already ramped down:The drawing down of inventory is a reliable sign that a new model is coming. But it also suggests that Apple probably wont keep the current version around at a reduced price after the update is here. That seems like a missed opportunity, since a cheap iPhone couldve helped Apple make inroads in some markets. The current SE costs $429, and the new one might be more than that given its enhanced features.Personally, this news doesnt really disappoint me. Even though a brand-new sub-$400 iPhone would be appealing, its important to remember that Apple based the current generation iPhone SE on the 2017 iPhone 8. The iPhone SE 3 is dated technology, stacked with a good chipset and good cameras. Other than that, it doesnt hold up to Android competition in the $300-400 price range.Apple also stopped selling the iPhone SE 3 within the European Union late last year. The new USB-C regulation law went into effect, and Apple could no longer sell any lightning iPhones, including iPhone 14 and iPhone SE 3, in the European Union.If you want an iPhone SE 3 currently, for whatever reason you can still order it online and receive it within a few days. Its just that in-person Apple Store inventory is running shy.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Image by Justin Sullivan via Getty / FuturismRx/MedicinesThe Supreme Court is slated to hear arguments from a group of conservatives who think that the Affordable Care Act is violating their religious rights by offering coverage for an extraordinarily effectiveHIV prevention medicine.As SCOTUSblog reports, the highest court in the land is taking up theBecerra v. Braidwood Management case, named for Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Texas-based corporation Braidwood Management, which is owned by Republican megadonor and alleged voter fraudster Steven Hoze.Initially filed in 2020, this lawsuit against the federal government argues that the ACA's mandated coverage of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PReP) drugs and hundreds of other preventative services, including screenings for STIs and cancer, as well as the HPV vaccine is unconstitutional.PreP is extremely effective at preventing HIV infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PReP drugs like Truvada Descovy can reduce the risk of getting HIV by 99 percent when taken correctly, which is a huge deal for anyone who remembers how people were dying in droves from AIDs just a few decades ago.And specifically, many of those hundreds of thousands of deaths were gay men. That, plus some homophobia, is why Braidwood, Kelley Orthodontics, and a handful of individual Texans, have maintained for years now that the ACA's preventative care mandate "violates their religious beliefs by making them complicit in facilitating homosexual behavior, drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman."As plaintiff Joel Miller said in 2023, he and his family do not "engage in the behaviors that makes [sic] preventive treatment necessary" because, as he put it, his wife is "past her childbearing years." (Which is itself a chilling peek into type of mind that would bring a case like this.)Ironically enough, the first Trump Administration defended the ACA's no-cost preventative care requirements back in 2020, as CNN notes in its reporting of the case reaching the SCOTUS docket. It's unclear whether president-elect Donald Trump's new administration will do so especially because one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, Gene Hamilton, runs a nonprofit alongside incoming deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.Beyond Hamilton, the plaintiffs inBraidwood v. Becerra have another heavyweight in their corner: former Texas solicitor general Jonathan Mitchell, the architect of the state's six-week abortion ban.In 2022, a federal judge in Texas ruled partially in favor of the plaintiffs, striking down the clause that required businesses to cover the lawsuit's laundry list of preventative medicines and services for free. The next year, another conservative jurist in the Longhorn State doubled down on that ruling and issued a nationwide injunction against "any and all agency actions taken to implement or enforce the preventive care coverage requirements."Last year, the Justice Department appealed the decision, which found that the decision made by lower courts "jeopardizes healthcare protections that have been in place for 14 years and that millions of Americans currently enjoy."SCOTUS has not yet set a date for the hearing, which advocates say will not only harm queer Americans, but anyone seeking preventative care."It could harm so many people," Shelly Skeen, a senior attorney at the Dallas-based Lambda Legal nonprofit, told the LGBTQ website them. "I want folks to recognize that this is not limited to people who are LGBT. This could have more broad impacts on all of us."More on conservative challenges: Trump Blames California Wildfires on "Worthless Fish"Share This Article

See at Sling TV Watch the Premier League on USA Network from $40 a month Sling TV See at Sling TV See more details See at ExpressVPN Best VPN for streaming ExpressVPN See at ExpressVPN See more details See at Now Watch the Premier League in the UK from 15 with Now Now See at Now See more details See at Fubo Watch the Premier League in Canada from CA$30 per month Fubo Canada See at Fubo See more details See at Optus Watch the Premier League in Australia from AU$7 a month Optus Sport See at Optus See more details Table of Contents Man City will be looking to prove their recent resurgence isn't a flash in the pan as they host an Ipswich side looking to claw their way out of the relegation zone.After a disastrous run of just one win in 13 matches at the tail end of 2024, City appeared to have turned a corner after kicking off the new year with a run of three consecutive victories. That streak was brought to a halt in midweek, however as Pep Guardiola's side let a two-goal lead slip away against Brentford to draw 2-2, raising further doubts over whether the Citizens can claim a Champions League qualification spot this term. Up next for City is an Ipswich side that saw their hopes of escaping relegation dented after slipping to a 0-2 defat at home to Brighton on Thursday. Despite that result, Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys remain just one below 17th placed Wolves, and in-form forwards Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap may fancy their chances against a decidedly unconvincing City defence.Ipswich Town take on Manchester City on Sunday, Jan. 18, at Portman Road, with kickoff set for4:30 p.m. GMTlocal time. That makes it a 11:30 a.m. ET or 8:30 a.m. PTstart in the US and Canada, and a3:30 a.m. AEDTkickoff in Australia in the early hours of Monday morning.Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the match as it happens, wherever you are in the world. Manchester City have been boosted in the run up to this game with the news that star striker Erling Haaland has signed a new nine-and-a-half-year contract with the club. Alex Pantling/Getty ImagesHow to watch Ipswich vs. Man City in the US without cableSunday's Ipswich vs. Man City match will be broadcast on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at theNBC Sports websitewith a valid login. It can also be streamed via Sling TV and other, more expensive streaming TV services. Sling TV/CNET Sling TV's Blue plan includes USA Network, making it a great option for fans wanting to watch Premier League action. It's $40 a month and features over 40 channels, including other sports channels like ESPN and FS1.Read our Sling TV review. See at Sling TV How to watch the Premier League 2024-25 season from anywhere with a VPNIf you find yourself unable to view EPL matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the games -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. James Martin/CNET 2024 Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands ExpressVPN isour current best VPN pickfor people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month.Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. 61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months) See at ExpressVPN Livestream Ipswich vs. Man City in the UKSunday's afternoon kick-off at Portman Road is exclusive to Sky Sports, showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and UHD channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game. Now TV Sky subsidiary Now offers streaming access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for 15, or sign up to a monthly plan from 35 per month right now. See at Now Livestream Ipswich vs. Man City in CanadaIf you want to stream this EPL game live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights to every Premier League fixture once again this season. Fubo Fubo is the go-to destination for Canadians looking to watch the EPL this season, with exclusive streaming rights to every match. It costs CA$30 a month, though you can save some cash by paying quarterly or annually. See at Fubo Livestream Ipswich vs. Man City in AustraliaFootball fans Down Under can watch EPL matches live on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League fixture of the 2024-25 season live in Australia. Optus With exclusive rights to stream all EPL matches live this season, as well as German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga games, streaming service Optus Sport is a particularly big draw for Aussie soccer fans.If you're already an Optus network customer, you can bag Optus Sport for a reduced price, with discounts bringing the price down to as low as AU$7 a month. If you're not, a standalone monthly subscription to the service starts at AU$25. See at Optus Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPNWith four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommendBrave.

Lossberg worked with a Farrow & Ball color consultant to mock up various moods for the different rooms. They used bold wall colors and varnishes with soft beige as the basic tone to add distinct accents and to create an appealing atmosphere. Shes especially proud of the furniture choices, which include a number of family heirlooms. Even the new items they bought were refurbished vintage pieces from a small family business in Austria. The family spends most of its time in the open kitchen with adjoining living and dining areas. Keeping the large doors and windows open in summer means the line between home and nature is blurred.Since we dont have food delivery services or many restaurants around here, we started cooking and baking from scratch, says Lossberg. We lose ourselves in gardening, and we get creative and make pottery. In summer, there are lots of nice swimming spots around, and fall is great for collecting mushrooms in the woods and baking twist bread in our fire pit. In winter we sit in front of the fireplace and take long walks in the woods. The tranquility that Lossbergs family enjoys means that sometimes you can hear horses from the farm across the way, roosters from the village, or a tractor driving by. When their routines in Berlin allow it, they come to Schorfheide as often as they can, whether on long weekends or on holidays. Lossberg even comes out to the countryside for half-day breaksoutings that shes discovered can feel like mini-vacations.Caroline Lossbergs country home was originally published by AD Germany. It was translated by John Oseid.The family enjoys a lot of time in the propertys big garden.Lossberg and her partner were taken with the open-plan living and dining areas from their very first visit.

Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House chief strategist, has described the tech titans gathering at Mondays inauguration as supplicants to Donald Trump making an official surrender, akin to the Japanese surrender to allied forces on the deck of the USS Missouri in September 1945.Bannon, who served as architect of Trumps 2016 presidential win but later fell out with the president-elect after he criticized his intellect and members of his family, told ABC News in an interview airing Sunday that Trump broke the oligarchs who had previously been aligned against him.Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Metas Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Googles Sundar Pichai and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew are expected to be at Trumps second inauguration, having already visited him at Mar-a-Lago. They, or the firms they founded or represent, have given generously to Trumps inaugural fund.Jeff Bezos came, Trump said last week. Bill Gates came. Mark Zuckerberg came. Many of them came numerous times. The bankers have all come. Everybody is coming.Bannon, who served four months in jail for defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating January 6, told the outlet that the tech power-players lined up after Mark Zuckerberg visited Trump and said he would attend the inauguration. Zuckerberg had previously barred Trump from Metas Facebook and Instagram after the 2021 US Capitol riots.Zuckerberg later said he was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming administration.Bannon said after Zuckerbergs visit, the floodgates opened up and they were all there trying to be supplicants. I look at this, and I think most people in our movement look at this, as President Trump broke the oligarchs. He broke them and they surrendered. Bannon added, with a laugh: They came and said: Oh, well take off any constraints, no more checkings, everything.I view this as September of 1945, the Missouri, and you have the [Japanese] imperial high command, and hes like Douglas MacArthur. That is an official surrender, OK, and I think its powerful, Bannon added.The comments come as Joe Biden warned that an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy and of the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people.But according to the White House archives, Biden had not uttered the word oligarchy in the context of American politics until last week. Progressive Democrats called out Biden for being an imperfect messenger having courted and relied on big-ticket donors during his 50-year career.Its cowardly that after representing the oligarchs for 50 years in office, he calls out this threat to our nation with just days left in his presidency, said Nina Turner, a national co-chair for the senator Bernie Sanders last presidential campaign.Biden, Turner added, enabled, benefited from and emboldened the system that threatens us all, while he will ride off into the sunset and wont feel the harms of whats been built.Bidens comments came in the shade of Zuckerbergs announcement that Facebook and Instagram were dropping their factchecking services and would rely on a system of community-contributed notes.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Headlines USFree newsletterGet the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morningPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionZuckerberg said the decision was made because Facebooks factchecking, brought in in December 2016, had done more harm than good in terms of public trust.The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards, once again, prioritizing speech, Zuckerberg said. So were going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms.Biden hit back, calling the decision a really shameful choice.Zuckerberg also accused the Biden White House of pressuring Facebook to censor certain topics and posts, particularly around Covid vaccines.Basically, these people from the Biden administration would call up our team and, like, scream at them and curse, he told the podcaster Joe Rogan. It just got to this point where we were like: No, were not gonna, were not gonna take down things that are true. Thats ridiculous.Zuckerberg said he was not against vaccines per se. But he told Rogan that while the Biden administration was trying to push the Covid-19 vaccination program, they also tried to censor anyone who is basically arguing against it.

Empty Your PocketsWhoopsie, after allegations from the FTC that Genshin Impact has been misleading players about lootbox odds, its developer has been left with a $20 million fine and some rule changesProbably a long time coming, really. News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Jan. 19, 2025 Genshin Impact maker HoYoverse is in a spot of trouble, as it has to pay a $20 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission over accusations of deceiving players.HoYoverse has made a bit of a blunder. In a recent complaint filed by the US Department of Justice for the FTC, the Genshin Impact developer was accused of having "unfairly marketed loot boxes to children that obscured real costs and misled all players about the odds of obtaining prizes." That's obviously not an ideal complaint for HoYoverse, but as it turns out, as reported in a press release from the FTC, the developer has actually agreed to pay a $20 million fine to settle the charges. Not only that, though, but the company is now blocked from allowing children under 16 from making in-game purchases without parental consent, something I'm surprised wasn't around in the first place.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. In a statement, the director of the FTC's bureau of consumer protection said that "Genshin Impact deceived children, teens, and other players into spending hundreds of dollars on prizes they stood little chance of winning. Companies that deploy these dark-pattern tactics will be held accountable if they deceive players, particularly kids and teens, about the true costs of in-game transactions."The press release itself noted that the complaint "alleges that Genshin Impacts purchasing process obscures the reality that consumers commonly must spend large amounts of real money to obtain 'five-star prizes,' and that some children have spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars to win them Players must exchange real dollars for bundles of virtual currency that then have to be re-exchanged multiple times to open loot boxes, with exchange rates in unusual denominations. This complicated system, according to the complaint, misleads consumers about the amount of money that players spend on loot boxes on an ongoing basis, and the amount of money that players would likely need to spend to obtain certain prizes."On top of that, the developer will now be "prohibited from selling loot boxes using virtual currency without providing an option for consumers to purchase them directly with real money." Sorry HoYoverse! Maybe next time don't make a game with currency systems that are purposefully designed to exploit players.

Image: Nintendo LifeOne list to rule them all, One list to find them, One list to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them. That's right, precious, it's time to rank the Lord of the Rings games on Nintendo platforms.It began with the forging of the Great Adaptations. One was given to the SNES, immortal, wisest, and fairest of all consoles. Five to the GBA and GameCube, great consoles and pillars of the nostalgia halls. And three, three games were gifted to the DS, which, above all else, needed more power... (Yeah, there was also a bunch on Wii, 3DS, Wii U and Switch, but we wanted to keep the Galadriel thing running as long as possible.)While we wait for Tales of the Shire to join the Fellowship, you'll find the current ranking below. One does not simply rank every Lord of the Rings game, but we've had a stab at it.On this page: Best Lord Of The Rings Games, Ranked - Switch And Nintendo Systems19. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - Volume I (SNES)Publisher: Interplay / Developer: InterplayRelease Date: Oct 1994 (USA) / 23rd May 1995 (UK/EU)The Lord of the Rings: Volume I promised so much in 1994. Magazine previews spoke of a revolutionary adventure with peerless visuals and incredible gameplay a title to challenge the likes of A Link To The Past and countless other action RPGs on the SNES. The final product, though, ranks as one of the most bitterly disappointing uses of Tolkien's world in the realm of interactive entertainment.There are faint glimmers of quality here; the soundtrack is wonderful and almost worth enduring the pain of the gameplay. There are also moments when you're able to ignore the pointless fetch quests and get a feel for what it would be like to journey through The Shire on your risky mission.However, these moments are few and far between, trampled and lost amid the downright broken game design, terrible controls, laughable AI and almost non-existent plot. Tolkien was famously sceptical about media adaptations of his work; this SNES effort would have him spinning in his grave.18. Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (DS)Publisher: Warner Bros / Developer: TT FusionRelease Date: 14th Sep 2010 (USA) / 29th Oct 2010 (UK/EU)The portable version of Aragorn's Quest is different enough to provide a satisfying supplement to the Wii game, but its focus on levelling up your character and acquiring stronger equipment becomes detrimental over time, making the game too easy to complete.The lack of co-op adds to the repetition of its hack-'n-slash gameplay, although a combat system which involves parrying strikes alongside flailing forward with a combo of basic and special attacks helps to make each battle fun. The different locations add fan service to this eight-hour adventure, although a general lack of variety makes it best enjoyed in short bursts.17. The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (DS)Publisher: Electronic Arts / Developer: Artificial Mind & MovementRelease Date: 13th Jan 2009 (USA) / 16th Jan 2009 (UK/EU)Opting for 2D isometric visuals and a reduced class roster, The Lord of the Rings: Conquest on DS is a very different game from what you'll find on beefier Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles. That said, there's still fun to be had here, with a hack-and-slash campaign providing a whistle-stop tour of the three film's narrative beats.It's not the 3D action classic found elsewhere, but it's a neat way of watering the experience down to work in a portable form.16. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (GBA)Publisher: Black Label Games / Developer: Pocket StudiosRelease Date: 24th Sep 2002 (USA) / 8th Nov 2002 (UK/EU)An adaptation of Tolkien's work rather than the Peter Jackson film, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on GBA takes a turn-based tactics approach to the first book in the trilogy. The isometric perspective and simple visuals are very much of their time, but at least it's a faithful enough retelling that we get some Tom Bombadil content.15. The Hobbit (GBA)Publisher: Sierra / Developer: SaffireRelease Date: 11th Nov 2003 (USA) / 24th Oct 2003 (UK/EU)Unlike its 3D GameCube counterpart, The Hobbit on GBA is less about platforming and more about hack-and-slash combat and puzzling. The sword-swinging leaves much to be desired, but the isometric perspective gives the whole thing a vague Zelda air, and there's fun to be had in exploring the locales of Tolkien's original novel without the intrusion of any Peter Jackson CGI.14. LEGO The Hobbit (3DS)Publisher: Warner Bros / Developer: TT GamesRelease Date: 8th Apr 2014 (USA) / 11th Apr 2014 (UK/EU)LEGO The Hobbit on 3DS unfortunately falls short of hitting its mark every step of the way. The lacklustre script, repetitive combat, and crude aesthetics combine with inconsistent audio and minor glitches that all point toward its generally poor quality.It's the type of game that has glimmers of unique design and good intentions, but that fails to live up to its potential. A missing third act made us wonder whether or not this title was released prematurely; it's a game that definitely feels rushed to market before it was ready. Avoid.13. LEGO The Lord of the Rings (DS)Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive / Developer: Travellers TalesRelease Date: 30th Oct 2012 (USA) / 23rd Nov 2012 (UK/EU)Also released on the 3DS and Wii, LEGO The Lord of the Rings on DS shares much of the same gameplay as its 3D counterpart, though, naturally, this version houses the worst visual quality of the three.A couple of new additions to the combat and a full three-movie campaign are nice touches, but with the entire experience being substantially shorter than that found on console, and the portable version being riddled with bugs, it's only worth a play if it's your only option.12. Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (Wii)Publisher: Warner Bros / Developer: Headstrong GamesRelease Date: 14th Sep 2010 (USA) / 29th Oct 2010 (UK/EU)Although the Quest is lengthy, the burden of taking this journey outweighs the reward. While most players will likely experience a thrill of nostalgia and fanboy glee in the early hours of Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, as time wears on, that joy transforms into a pitiful, purposeless trudge.There are some Lord of the Rings games that should not be forgotten, but this one is barely worth playing the first time.11. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (GBA)Publisher: Electronic Arts / Developer: Griptonite GamesRelease Date: 2nd Nov 2004 (USA) / 5th Nov 2004 (UK/EU)Unlike its GameCube RPG counterpart, The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age on GBA is a fully turn-based affair, providing a top-down tactical spin on Peter Jackson's movie trilogy. The battles lack the energy of the beefier GameCube port and without any exploration between them, the gameplay loop can become tiring.That said, the turn-based format did allow the full trilogy to get the portable treatment, which is nothing to be sniffed at.10. The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game (Switch eShop)Publisher: Asmodee Digital / Developer: VirtuosRelease Date: 5th Nov 2019 (USA) / 5th Nov 2019 (UK/EU)The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game offers up an unusual mixture of cooperative play and narrative-driven battles that flies in the face of more traditional digital CCGs. If youre looking for a card game more aligned with the rules of a tabletop effort, with more of a role-playing focus, this is definitely going to appeal.The lack of proper support for online PvP is an odd omission considering how popular that feature is in other entries in the genre, but a refreshing lack of suffocating microtransactions does help soothe that wound.9. LEGO The Hobbit (Wii U)Publisher: Warner Bros / Developer: TT GamesRelease Date: 8th Apr 2014 (USA) / 11th Apr 2014 (UK/EU)LEGO The Hobbit has some strengths, and it's perhaps tempting to look at the sheer size of the world and volume of content and give it a pass. However, the frequently poor design and shoddy gameplay experience represent a low in the franchise.We're often supportive and complimentary of the Lego series for what it does achieve despite its flaws, but this was a sloppy effort from Warner Bros. and TT Games; a typically rushed movie tie-in, and an unfortunate blemish on the lists of Lego and LOTR games.8. The Hobbit (GCN)Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games / Developer: Inevitable EntertainmentRelease Date: 11th Nov 2003 (USA) / 28th Nov 2003 (UK/EU)Forget about the isometric GBA port, The Hobbit on GameCube is a full-blown 3D action platformer which works through all the major beats of Tolkien's original text. Inevitable Entertainment takes some liabilities with the story's structure (including a particularly memorable 'flash-forward' opening sequence), but Bilbo's neat movement and expressive art style make this an enjoyable retelling nonetheless.7. LEGO The Lord of the Rings (3DS)Publisher: Warner Bros / Developer: TT FusionRelease Date: 30th Oct 2012 (USA) / 23rd Nov 2012 (UK/EU)The 3DS port of LEGO The Lord of the Rings shares a lot of the same DNA as its DS brethren with the added bonus of marginally improved visuals. Much like its portable counterpart, this version feels watered down compared to the beefier console port, with reduced level sizes and bugs galore.It's fine if the 3DS is your only option, but the Wii version is an infinitely smarter choice.6. LEGO The Lord of the Rings (Wii)Publisher: Warner Bros / Developer: TT GamesRelease Date: 13th Nov 2012 (USA) / 23rd Nov 2012 (UK/EU)Unlike the watered-down DS/3DS versions, LEGO The Lord of the Rings on Wii is much closer to the full console experience. Some forced motion-controlled sequences aside, this version's open hub world and additional 3D sequences make it by far the best of the bunch on Nintendo consoles.It's just a shame that Nintendo and TT were too busy with LEGO City: Undercover to get this one on Wii U.5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (GBA)Publisher: Electronic Arts / Developer: Griptonite GamesRelease Date: 12th Nov 2002 (USA) / 12th Nov 2002 (UK/EU)Naturally incapable of mustering the 3D hack-and-slash brawling of its GameCube counterpart, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on GBA is the Diablo-meets-Middle-Earth mash-up we didn't know we needed. The looting and summoning abilities make for a pretty addictive gameplay loop, and we are particular fans of the additional Frodo, Gandalf and owyn campaigns.It's far from the high-octane action available on home console, but a welcome departure for fans of skill-based battling.4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (GBA)Publisher: EA Games / Developer: Griptonite GamesRelease Date: 5th Nov 2003 (USA) / 14th Nov 2003 (UK/EU)Much like its GBA predecessor, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King offers a different, Diablo-style top-down take on the Peter Jackson movie. This second instalment (third movie, second game it's confusing) adds in the Rune mechanic for some bonus weapon customisation, but otherwise, there is little difference to the previous game.A little repetitive in the long run, perhaps, but Griptonite Games provides another fun movie retelling for short play sessions.3. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (GCN)Publisher: EA Games / Developer: EA Redwood ShoresRelease Date: 2nd Nov 2004 (USA) / 5th Nov 2004 (UK/EU)The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age on GameCube dares ask the question, 'what if Final Fantasy X was set in Middle Earth?' The exploration and battle structure are a little too similar to Squaresoft's systems, if anything, but we'd be lying if we said the mash-up doesn't work.It's a welcome departure from the hack-and-slash gameplay that defined the previous movie tie-ins and an interesting parallel story to the narrative thread that we movie buffs know all too well.2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (GCN)Publisher: Electronic Arts / Developer: Hypnos Release Date: 31st Dec 2002 (USA) / 14th Mar 2003 (UK/EU)Without an official tie-in game for the prior movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers recounts the story of the first two films in the hackiest, slashiest of ways. This GameCube version goes all out on the action, with three different heroes at your disposal and a long list of combos to remember.While the scope and roster would be beefed up for the sequel, this was just about the coolest retelling of Peter Jackson's coolest movie back in 2002.1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (GCN)Publisher: Electronic Arts / Developer: EA Redwood ShoresRelease Date: 5th Nov 2003 (USA) / 14th Nov 2003 (UK/EU)The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on GameCube takes all the hack-and-slash action of The Two Towers and dials it up to 11. This follow-up boasts an expanded roster, larger levels with interactive environments, Fellowship-wide skill upgrades and, the pice de rsistance, two-player co-op.It doesn't go all out trying to retell the movie's narrative, but the sword-swinging action is more than capable of mustering up the excitement levels, all the same.Well, there it is, every Lord of the Rings game, ranked (well, all the Nintendo ones at least!).Best LOTR Games FAQAre there any Lord of the Rings games on Switch?Switch has just one LOTR game at the time of writing: The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game.But Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game will bring that number up to two on 25th March 2025.Where's Shadow of Mordor?We're only including Lord of the Rings games that appear on Nintendo consoles and, at the time of writing, neither Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor nor Shadow of War have made the jump.Our fingers are crossed that we'll get to sample the beloved Nemesis system on a Nintendo console one day, but for the time being, you'll have to stick to PS4 or Xbox One to play either game.Is The Lord of the Rings: Gollum on Switch?The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is not on Switch, no.A Switch version was announced by Daedalic Entertainment back in 2020, though the port was pushed to a "later" launch date in 2023 while all other consoles received a firm release window. After a less-than-impressive launch, Daedalic Entertainment announced that it was shutting down its internal development division to focus on publishing instead, with the Switch port still in limbo.So, Gollum on Switch isn't officially off the cards, but a Nintendo launch is highly unlikely.How can I change the ranking in this article?If this list DOES NOT PASS with your tastes, be sure to share your thoughts on any of the above by leaving a star rating and see if the ranking changes.This is all ordered in real-time, so, if you haven't had a chance to share your thoughts on some of your favourites yet and you want to get involved, you can click on the Star Rating of any of the games above and rate it out of 10. Even the smallest vote can change the course of the future.What do you make of the above ranking? Have we been Fools of Tooks and missed anything? Head on an adventure down to the comments and let us know.