Apple has allowed Epic Games to launch its own mobile app store on iOS in Europe, New York spent over $59,000 on console games for inmates, Zenless Zone Zero downloads exceeded 50 million — here’s what happened in the gaming industry over the weekend.
Zenless Zone Zero
- Apple has reconsidered its decision regarding the Epic Games Store and granted permission for Epic Games to release the store on iOS devices in EU countries. According to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, this approval is only "temporary." Apple requires that the next update to the Epic Games Store include several design changes, particularly to the appearance of certain buttons that resemble those in the App Store.
- Discipline in New York prisons is being improved through video games. As reported by the New York Post, the city's Department of Correction has purchased 1,247 games for PlayStation 4 and 5, totaling $59,260, for well-behaved inmates to play. The games purchased include Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6, Madden NFL 24, and NBA 2K24. The newspaper noted that the initiative is controversial even within the department. Some staff believe access to games motivates inmates — especially younger ones — to adhere more strictly to prison rules. However, others argue that the department is pandering to criminals and wasting public funds.
- miHoYo announced that Zenless Zone Zero has been downloaded 50 million times worldwide. The game reached this milestone two days after its release on PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile devices. To celebrate, the studio gave all players 1,600 Polychromes — an in-game currency used to obtain new characters.
- In other news, developer Mike Klubnika and publisher CRITICAL REFLEX reported that sales of the indie horror game about Russian roulette, Buckshot Roulette, have exceeded 2 million copies. They admitted that the project achieved this result much faster than expected. Buckshot Roulette was released on itch.io in December 2023, and became available on Steam in April 2024.