News that GOG.com has delisted 29 games this month is a sobering reminder that at any moment the games you own could vanish from your PC game libraries at any time and there’s not much you can do about it. Admittedly, GOG’s games include titles that many gamers may not have heard about. But history has shown that this happens to well-known titles too and on platforms with millions of users like Steam and Origin. So how is it that something you’ve legitimately bought can be whipped away in a heartbeat? Don’t we have consumer protection laws against that? Personally, I’d like to see protections in place to keep games from disappearing for purely licensing reasons if they still have legions of fans and are being played by many… How is it that my games can just vanish? The laws around your digital assets will differ depending on where in the world you live, but in most jurisdictions there are no clear laws stating that you unequivocally own and have the right to your digital games in perpetuity. In the U.S. the Federal Trade Commission outlines some of the reasons why this is the case. By far the main reason has to do with the terms of the agreement you make when you create an account on a gaming platform or when you click purchase. When you buy a game on a digital platform, you’re essentially just paying to access the content — in other words, you own a license but not the actual game. Accessing content is not the same as owning it. It means that if the seller changes their terms or conditions, goes out of business, or has licensing issues, that content can become inaccessible. This happens a lot more than you might think. Indeed, if you haven’t been across gaming news on a regular basis you might have missed the delisting of games like Titanfall, Battlefield 2, Rocket League, Fable 3, Deadpool, Evolve, and Mortal Combat from Steam, and games like Assassin’s Creed Origins, Darksiders III, and Far Cry 5 from EA’s Origin platform. What reasons do the platforms give for delisting? When reasons are given, and they’re not always forthcoming, they can be surprisingly varied. Expiring licenses is a biggy and explains the disappearance of titles like the James Bond game Quantum of Solace from Steam — publisher Activision simply no longer had a license to kill. In the case of Rocket League’s delisting from Steam in 2021, the game’s owner Epic decided to make the game free to play on the Epic Game Store. Although removing the game was controversial, it paid off in that it increased the game’s player base to nearly 1 million soon after. These are some of the more understandable explanations, but there are more obscure reasons, as is the case with EA’s Battlefield 2 and Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall. Battlefield 2 was delisted from digital platforms despite being hugely popular.  Battlefield 2 was delisted from digital platforms despite being hugely popular. Dominic Bayley / IDG Battlefield 2 was delisted from digital platforms despite being hugely popular. Dominic Bayley / IDG Dominic Bayley / IDG In Battlefield 2’s case, it was delisted from Steam when the company that ran the game’s multiplayer servers, GameSpy, shutdown. Titanfall’s removal, on the other hand, had in part to do with some malicious activity. After the game’s online servers were subjected to multiple DDOS attacks, Respawn made the call to discontinue the game and cancel subscriptions. Another reason that accounts for quite a lot of delistings is when games lose a large amount of their player base. That can be because they are getting a little old, which was the case with some games in EA’s Need for Speed franchise, or players could simply cease to find them fun or interesting. Need For Speed: Carbon was one game delisted from online platforms back in 2021.  Need For Speed: Carbon was one game delisted from online platforms back in 2021. Dominic Bayley / IDG Need For Speed: Carbon was one game delisted from online platforms back in 2021. Dominic Bayley / IDG Dominic Bayley / IDG The removal of the Need For Speed games from five gaming platforms ruffled quite a few fans’ feathers when it happened back in 2021. In fact, the outcry was enough for EA to release a statement to the effect that the studios simply didn’t have the manpower to keep games operating beyond their use-by date. “The number of players has come to a point where it’s no longer feasible to continue the work behind the scenes,” a spokesperson said, and it’s a valid point. As much as we like to think developers and publishers have endless resources, the truth is that they need to keep making and selling games to be profitable and many simply can’t do that when their staff are busy keeping old titles alive. So, what should you do about it? In some cases, you can simply buy a physical copy of the game, but thanks to the rise of downloadable games not every game is released in that format. It’s worth noting, too, that if you do find a physical copy, legal conditions still apply. Again, you don’t own the software, just the DVD and the license, and under the terms of that license you have limited rights. Personally, I’d like to see protections in place to keep games from disappearing for purely licensing reasons if they still have legions of fans and are being played by many. Whether that’s new laws to protect gamer interests or the creation of some kind of not-for-profit organization that can rehome delisted games is worth some thought. For now, though, the one power you do have is to choose where you buy and play your digital games. The terms of the agreements will differ from platform to platform, and some are generally better than others, so be sure to read the fine print when you can. Read...

The 8th Immortal Andrew Johns joins host Danika Mason to dive into the week that was and gear up for a huge weekend of Prelim Footy. Joey gives his thoughts on how the Kalyn Ponga situation should have been handled, what Trent Robinson and the Roosters need to do to upset the Storm and if the wet weather in Sydney will favour either the Panthers or the Sharks. Danika and Joey talk about the best Grand Final Entertainment performances and if this current era is the best. All that and more on another episode of Immortal Behaviour. Read...

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Although Amazon is currently readying the troops for its Prime Big Deal Days event (aka October Prime Day), which officially begins October 8, we’re already seeing a number of early laptop deals. I’ve curated a list of the best laptop deals below. Why should you listen to my recommendations? Valid question! I oversee PCWorld’s laptop review program, so I handle everything from assignment to publication. I also carefully maintain our best laptop deals roundup on a day-to-day basis as well as our best laptops of 2024 roundup on a weekly basis. Since I spend a good amount of time every day searching the web for the best laptop deals, I’m pretty tuned in to popular trends and able to pluck the good deals from a sea of bad ones. To assemble the list below, I looked at everything from graphics and storage space to design and form factor. I also checked out Amazon’s pricing history with Camel Camel Camel. Don’t forget to check out our Prime Big Deal Days 2024 hub for more great deals in other tech categories. First published on Sept. 24, 2024. Last updated on Sept. 24, 2024. Best Prime Big Deal Days deals on budget and mid-range laptops HP Stream 14, includes 16GB of RAM and an Intel Celeron N4120 CPU, $309 ($90 off at Amazon) HP Envy 360, includes a convertible form factor and an Intel Core Ultra 5 125U CPU, $759.99 ($240 off at Amazon) Acer Swift Go 14, includes an OLED display and an Intel Core Ultra processor 155H, $799.99 ($200 off at Amazon) The HP Envy x360 is a great laptop with a powerful Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor and a versatile convertible form factor. It’s zippy enough for general browsing and productivity tasks, and the convertible form factor means you can fold the screen all the way back. Being able to use a laptop in different positions is useful if you’re a frequent traveler, especially when using the device in a cramped space like an airplane seat. The 15.6-inch 1080p display is also nice as it has touch capability. This is good news if you’re a regular doodler or note taker. Best Prime Big Deal Days deals on premium laptops Asus VivoBook S 16 OLED, includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU and a 3200×2000 OLED display, $999.99 ($100 off at Amazon) Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro, includes an OLED touchscreen and an Intel Core 7 Ultra CPU, $1,371.99 ($78 off at Amazon) Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, includes Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and a Snapdragon X Elite CPU, $1,604 ($95.99 off at Amazon) The above laptop deals are all fantastic, but there’s one that really stands out from the rest. For under a grand, you can pick up the Asus VivoBook S 16 OLED, which boasts a powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU as well as a stunning 3200×2000 OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The CPU has 16 cores, 22 threads, and can run up to 5.1GHz. That means it should blitz right through day-to-day tasks and office work. The OLED display is ideal for entertainment or graphic design work, as this type of panel is capable of producing inky blacks and rich colors. The laptop itself also weighs just 3.31 pounds, which is perfect if you travel often. Best Prime Big Deal Days deals on high-end gaming laptops Asus TUF Gaming A15, includes a 1080p 144Hz refresh rate display and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, $1,034.99 ($365 off at Amazon) MSI Katana 17, includes 32GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, $1,259 ($140 off at Amazon) Asus ROG Strix G16, includes a 165Hz refresh rate display and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, $1,282.76 ($117.23 off at Amazon) MSI Katana A17, includes a 240Hz refresh rate display and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, $1,699.99 ($300 off at Amazon) If you’re looking for a great gaming experience at a reasonable price point, the Asus TUF Gaming A15 is definitely worth checking out, as it’s a very well-rounded machine. Between the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, this laptop should fly through most games on the higher graphics settings. The 1080p display is also quite spacious at 15.6-inches and the 144Hz refresh rate should keep things looking nice and smooth in the heat of battle. It also comes with 1TB of SSD storage, which is a good amount of space if you’ve got a massive games library. Best early Prime Big Deals Day deals on gaming laptops under $1,000 HP Victus, includes an Intel Core i5-12450H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 GPU, $589.99 ($110 off at Amazon) Gigabyte Aorus 15, includes a 360Hz refresh rate display, an Intel Core i5-12500H CPU, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, $979 ($120 off at Amazon) Acer Nitro 16, includes 1TB of SSD storage, an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, $957.47 ($342.52 off at Amazon) Acer Nitro V 16, includes a 165Hz refresh rate display, a AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, $967.49 ($162.05 off at Amazon) The Gigabyte Aorus 15 deserves a call-out because of its wickedly fast 360Hz refresh rate display. That’s an incredibly high number, so this display should churn out silky-smooth visuals, which is important during more intensive matches. It also comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU and an Intel Core i5-12500H CPU, meaning it has enough juice to run most games on the Medium or High graphics settings, but you may want to dial those settings back on more modern titles. The display, measuring a roomy 15.6-inches, is pretty spacious with a resolution of 1920×1080. It’s not the highest resolution we’ve ever seen, but it’s perfectly fine for most games. More awesome Prime Big Deal Days 2024 tech deals Our PCWorld editors have curated best deal roundups across all the major tech categories: Best Amazon tech deals across PCWorld’s top categories Laptop deals: Best of Prime Day 2024 Monitor deals: Best of Prime Day 2024 SSD and storage deals: Best of Prime Day 2024 USB flash drive deals: Best of Prime Day 2024 Thunderbolt dock and USB-C hub deals: Best of Prime Day 2024 Office chairs and standing desks: Best of Prime Day 2024 Battery charger deals: Best of Prime Day 2024 Chromebook deals: Best of Prime Day 2024 Laptop deals FAQ 1. What kind of laptop should I get? Well, it depends on your needs and lifestyle. A 2-in-1, for example, is a good fit for someone who travels often. You can swing the screen back 360 degrees and use it in tablet mode for taking notes or you can prop it up like a tent for watching movies with others. If gaming is a top priority, then you’ll want to look into a laptop with powerful internal hardware and a display with a high refresh rate. For those of us who need a basic laptop for general web browsing, a low-powered Windows laptop should do you just fine. 2. How can I tell whether a laptop is a good Prime Day deal? I always use Camel Camel Camel, which is a pricing history platform. You can make a free account and the interface is pretty easy to navigate. Let’s use the Asus VivoBook 16 as an example. Plug the ASIN, which is the part of the URL that starts with the letter B (B0BT6NKLQR in this case), into the search bar and hit search. Once the result generates, scroll down and you’ll see a graph of its price history. You’ll see a big dip in the price this month, the lowest price it has ever been in fact. That’s a big drop from the end of March when it was as high as $741.16. 3. Do laptop brands matter? Not particularly when you’re hunting for deals, as long as you stick to household names. All of the big manufacturers like HP and Acer make perfectly capable machines and they all offer pretty steep discounts on their online retail storefronts. You may have a personal preference, though. Dell, for example, has great customer service and their website is easy to navigate. As for HP, their back-to-school guide is laid out in a really straightforward way. 4. How much memory do I need in a laptop? I always tell my friends and family to shoot for at least 8GB of RAM. Anything less than that and you may very well notice a slowdown. If you can go higher than 8GB, that’s great! The more RAM you have, the snappier your laptop will be, especially when it comes to general browsing or making spreadsheets. 16GB of RAM is better for productivity tasks and gaming, and 32GB of RAM is perfect for photo editors. Read...

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