Twitch comments on ‘solution for hate-raiding’

Twitch promises solution to hate-raiding

#TwitchDoBetter has been trending as streamers, particularly from marginalized groups, protest the simplicity and prevalence of what's called hate raiding.

Twitch has responded and claimed it's working on solutions to combat the scourge and has apparently identified a vulnerability in its automated filters that will help prevent armies of bots from clogging up channels.

• Hate-raiding has become an acute issue for Twitch
• Marginalized streamers being persistently harassed
• Account names containing offensive terms are used
• Multiple streamers report that the issue has worsened

New tools: “We're launching channel-level ban evasion detection and account verification improvements later this year,” according to Twitch. “We’re working hard to launch these tools as soon as possible, and we hope they will have a big impact.”

Persistent threat: Twitch acknowledges that its “work is never done” on this front and will keep communicating with streamers. A report released earlier this year revealed that 15% of user reports led to enforcement actions, while only 2% of reports against hateful comments and harassment were acted upon. 

What metal band appeared in a side-quest in Sacred 2?

a) Iced Earth
b) Van Canto
c) Alestorm
d) Blind Guardian

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.

Try not to embearass your guests in Bear and Breakfast

Ever dreamed of running your own little hotel? Ever wish you had round little ears, a stubby tail, and a big hairy body? Well guess what, Bear and Breakfast lets you live out this fantasy.

Bear and Breakfast stars Hank, a bear who runs a bed and breakfast for people. Fix up an old shack to make it fit for human habitation and explore the surrounding woods and get to know its denizens. It's the first game from Romanian developer Gummy Cat, and we learned a bit more about the game and its development from Game Director Rareș Cinteză and Art Director Loana Șopov.

• From Pun to Game: Bear and Breakfast began as a pun that got out of hand. After some prototyping and pitching to developers, Armor Games decided to help them get the title published. 
• Part Builder, Part Adventure: Gummy Cat is merging management gameplay with exploration, adventure, and mystery to provide some contrast and higher stakes to the management side. “Obviously, a mysterious element was the perfect catalyst to break some of the monotony sometimes associated with management games.”
• A 2021 Release: Bear and Breakfast is scheduled to launch this year on PC and Switch. “We're trying to run a tight ship for now, focusing on the platforms we announced, but nothing is off the table,” according to Gummy Cat.

Game development is always a tricky business, and the pandemic hasn't exactly made it easier. “We all had at least some experience working in the gaming or creative industries, but didn't spare us the many, many, many, many, many mistakes that come with creating your first game”.

While the pandemic caused some challenges for the team, Bear and Breakfast is almost ready to introduce Hank and invite players to join him in his entrepreneurial endeavors. If you want to learn more about Gummy Cat, you can read the full article on the DailyBits website!

Looking back at Pokémon’s Hoenn region

The Pokémon 25th anniversary celebration continues, and it's time for a retrospective on Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire’s Hoenn region, which also appeared in Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire.

The evolutionarily exceptional Eevee is in the spotlight on the August 14th-15th Pokémon Go Community Day, and there are a fair few events coming up in Pokémon Masters EX too.

Pokémon Café Mix

• Game update with 15 new stages
• Dragonite Event until August 25th

Pokémon GO

• Community Day between August 14th and 15th
  • Two-day event focused on Eevee
  • Evolve Eevee between August 13th and 16th to gain special attack

Pokémon Sword & Shield

• Code to unlock Coalossal distributed during Players Cup Invitational
  • Based off Wolfe Glick's Coalossal from Players Cup II

Pokémon Masters EX

• Howling Shield of Eternity from August 11th to September 15th
  • Sync Pair: Hop & Zamazenta
• Poke Fair Scout from August 11th to September 15th
  • Sync Pair: 5 star Sygna Suit Leon & Eternatus
• Welcome Back Rally from August 11th to September 11th
  • Log-in bonuses and special missions for returnees
  • Must have been absent for 30 days or more

Goombas attack Nintendo World ride

A chunk of Nintendo World scenery collapsed onto one of the Yoshi Adventure rides at the Nintendo World theme park in Osaka, fortunately without causing any injuries as the debris fell into an area inaccessible to the public.

The ride was shut down while the debris was cleared out and the incident is being investigated. The gravitationally challenged scenery was shaped as four goombas, and fell several meters.

Typhoon season: The four goombas may have fallen victim to strong winds, as Japan's annual typhoon season peaks between August and September, and the ninth typhoon of the year is due to hit the Kansai region.

Fit for a Kong: The incident occured on August 9th, and the ride was opened again the following day following safety checks. A Donkey Kong-themed expansion will be added to the theme park soon.

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.

• Sonic added to Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania in special 30th anniversary Sonic & Tails crossover
• Official Kirby website gets a makeover and is now full of gibberish placeholder news articles ahead of 20th anniversary, pointing to an announcement soon
• First-person mod for The Ascent provides a whole new perspective on the isometric cyberpunk RPG
• Idris Elba reveals Knuckles will appear in the second Sonic movie and that the British actor will play Sonic's Echidna frenemy
• Frostpunk 2 announced by 11 bit Studios that takes place 30 years after the apocalyptic blizzard
• There will be a new Pokémon Presents taking place on 18th August, which will showcase news on Pokemon Pearl, Diamond and Legends: Arceus

What metal band appeared in a side-quest in Sacred 2?

ANSWER: Blind Guardian!

Sacred 2 may not be that fondly remembered, but it holds the dubious honor of being the only game where you can help the metal band Blind Guardian hold a concert. You can meet the band's singer, Hansi Kursch, in Clearview and he will tell you the story of how zombie fans stole the band's equipment. Obviously, it's up to you to get it back.

If you help the band get their instruments back, you can watch Blind Guardian rock out in a virtual concert. As an added bonus, you can use their instruments as weapons too. Why exactly is a fantasy metal band on tour in Ancaria? Don't ask so many questions, just enjoy the music!

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!