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      Why Roblox’s definition of “games” is key to the Epic vs. Apple case

      Kyle Orland · news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Monday, 17 May, 2021 - 15:31

    Just some of the characters that don

    Enlarge / Just some of the characters that don't star in games anymore, according to Roblox.

    Roblox, the massively valued user-created gaming platform, has removed any mention of "games" from its user interface. It's a seemingly small semantic change that nonetheless could have some major implications in the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple trial .

    The Verge notes that what was once the "Games" tab on the Roblox website is now listed as "Discover" (though the URL still retains the old roblox.com/games/ address). Individual games are now referred to as "experiences" across the website and the mobile Roblox apps, while the word "game" seems to have been scrubbed altogether.

    "The term 'experiences' is consistent with how we’ve evolved our terminology to reflect our realization of the metaverse," a Roblox spokesperson told The Verge. "Roblox is an online community where people do things together in virtual worlds, and over the years, we began referring to these worlds as experiences, as they better represent the wide range of 3D immersive places—from obbys [obstacle courses] to virtual concerts—that people can enjoy together with their friends."

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      Including Hackers in NATO Wargames

      Bruce Schneier · news.movim.eu / Schneier · Friday, 29 January, 2021 - 18:03

    This essay makes the point that actual computer hackers would be a useful addition to NATO wargames:

    The international information security community is filled with smart people who are not in a military structure, many of whom would be excited to pose as independent actors in any upcoming wargames. Including them would increase the reality of the game and the skills of the soldiers building and training on these networks. Hackers and cyberwar experts would demonstrate how industrial control systems such as power supply for refrigeration and temperature monitoring in vaccine production facilities are critical infrastructure; they’re easy targets and should be among NATO’s priorities at the moment.

    Diversity of thought leads to better solutions. We in the information security community strongly support the involvement of acknowledged nonmilitary experts in the development and testing of future cyberwar scenarios. We are confident that independent experts, many of whom see sharing their skills as public service, would view participation in these cybergames as a challenge and an honor.