Microsoft wants Call of Duty on Switch

Microsoft has no intention of keeping Activision Blizzard games exclusive

President of Microsoft Brad Smith has stated that Activision Blizzard's games will remain available on PlayStation, and that they would like to bring more of them to Switch.

Why all this magnanimity? Well, Microsoft needs to convince the US Federal Trade Commission that acquiring Activision Blizzard will not harm the marketplace and that they don't have anticompetitive motives for the acquisition.

• The US FTC is reviewing Microsoft's intent to acquire Activision Blizzard
• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is ‘confident’ it will be approved
• Call of Duty: Ghosts from 2013 was the last Call of Duty game on a Nintendo console

Inclusivity: “We’d like to bring it to Nintendo devices,” Smith told CNBC, along with “other popular titles that Activision has, and ensure that they continue to be available on PlayStation”.

Minecraft: Smith suggested looking at Microsoft's Mojang acquisition as an example of how Microsoft will handle Activision Blizzard. “I think is a clear indicator of what we hope to do”.

What cheat code gave players a thousand simoleons in The Sims 1?

a) Motherlode
b) Nessie
c) Rosebud
d) Jokeplease

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today's issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Meta Worms NFT scheme ends up exposing Team17’s toxic culture

Team17 recently announced its Meta Worms NFTs, leading to swift backlash and denouncement by fans and a prompt cancellation of the company's crypto-art ambitions. That was not the end of the story, however, as curious journalists and disgruntled employees started revealing Team17's dark side.

Eurogamer recently published a lengthy report detailing a veritable laundry list of major issues within Team17, painting a very troubled picture of undervalued and demoralised staff.

Dev revolt: Team17's management made it very clear that any public criticism of their ill-fated NFT project “could be cause for disciplinary action.” Workplace harassment is also another big issue.

Statement: Team17 responded to the report by claiming it's conducting ‘constant reviews’ of its management practices. At the same time, it emerged that the annual staff bonus scheme was cut by more than £1,000 despite Team17 enjoying record profits.

Mixed reaction to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC

The Mario Kart community is somewhat torn over the recent announcement of new Mario Kart 8 DLC.

The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rerelease for Switch included all the DLC from the original game, and now – five years after the game launched on Switch – there is suddenly another batch of tracks coming.

On-the-fence: Fans are debating the new tracks on Reddit, and the biggest complaint seems to be that Nintendo is just milking Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rather than bringing out a new game.

Old and new: Some are complaining about the visual style of the new tracks, calling them lazy reworks of tracks from earlier games – while others say they actually prefer the new style. How do you feel about the new tracks? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Brave Browser rewards you for surfing

Maybe your internet connection is fast, but what about your browser? The Brave Browser is built from the ground up for speed, privacy and providing an ad-free Internet.

You can opt-in for ads that respect your privacy, and even earn rewards. It’s quick and easy to use, featuring the same comforts and conveniences you expect from a modern browser.

Fresh Moss: Book II details revealed

An indie showcase published on the PlayStation.Blog has unveiled the upcoming Moss: Book II for PlayStation VR, which features a new Boopables system that gives players a “physical presence that impacts the virtual world around us.”

Tobii delivering PSVR2 eye-tracking?

Sony are currently talking to eye-tracking company Tobii about supplying solutions for PlayStation VR2. No details are forthcoming since “negotiations are ongoing.”

Sound and physics in Green Hell VR

Incuvo Games has put together a teaser for Green Hell VR that focuses on the game's soundscape and how its physics will shape the game's feel across a range of actions from bashing things to stabbing paper.

• Play online for free on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 from February 12th to 14th in celebration of Valentine’s Day
• Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit game rights up for auction as Saul Zaentz Co decides to offload its holdings
• Sony Group has revealed a “superhuman AI agent” that will hopefully just be driving cars in Gran Turismo 7 rather than taking control of any nuclear arsenals
• EA will not release The Sims 4 Wedding Stories game pack in Russia since the country's Anti-Gay Law would have forced them to make changes to the pack
• Nintendo publishes EarthBound Player’s Guide online to accompany the cult classic's launch on Switch Online

What cheat code gave players a thousand simoleons in The Sims 1?

ANSWER: Rosebud!

It's surprisingly hard to get the original The Sims to run on a modern computer, despite it being a landmark success that brought PC gaming to whole new audiences. Should you manage to jump the technical hurdles, you might want to give yourself a little extra something for your effort.

Remember how Charles Foster Kane got his money? Well, just type rosebud into the cheat bar (accessed by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+C) to conjure 1000 simoleons from thin air. If you type an exclamation mark into the cheat bar, you will repeat the previous command, so you can get disgustingly rich without wearing out your fingers typing. The same code works in the later games, so just invoke the spirit of CFK if you need loadsamoney.

Players are probably hoping Call of Duty won't be a cloud version if it does finally come to the Switch in the future. The Kingdom Hearts Collection was released yesterday via cloud gaming, and it doesn't seem to be working out for everyone, even with a day one patch.

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey. If you have any feedback or news tips for the team, please email us!