Author Archives: Will Shanklin

Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro is a new, more efficient AI model

Posted on by

On Thursday, Google unveiled Gemini 1.5 Pro, which the company describes as delivering “dramatically enhanced performance” over the previous model. The company’s AI trajectory — viewed internally as increasingly critical for its future — follows the unveiling of Gemini 1.0 Ultra last week, alongside the rebranding of the Bard chatbot (to Gemini) to align with the new model’s more powerful and versatile capabilities.

In an announcement blog post, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis try to balance assuring their audience about ethical AI safety while touting their models’ rapidly advancing capabilities. “Our teams continue pushing the frontiers of our latest models with safety at the core,” Pichai summarized.

The company needs to emphasize safety for AI skeptics (including one former Google CEO) and government regulators. But it also needs to stress its models’ accelerating performance for AI developers, potential customers and investors concerned the company was too slow to react to OpenAI’s breakout success with ChatGPT.

Pichai and Hassabis say Gemini 1.5 Pro delivers comparable results to Gemini 1.0 Ultra. However, Gemini 1.5 performs at that level more efficiently, with reduced computational requirements. The multimodal capabilities include processing text, images, videos, audio or code. As AI models advance, they’ll continue to offer a more versatile array of capabilities in one prompt box (another recent example was OpenAI integrating DALL-E 3 image generation into ChatGPT).

Alphabet Inc. and Google CEO Sundar Pichai attends the inauguration of a Google Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Paris on February 15, 2024. (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD / AFP) (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai
ALAIN JOCARD via Getty Images

Gemini 1.5 Pro can also handle up to one million tokens, or the units of data AI models can process in a single request. Google says Gemini 1.5 Pro can process over 700,000 words, an hour of video, 11 hours of audio and codebases with over 30,000 lines of code. The company says it’s even “successfully tested” a version that supports up to 10 million tokens.

The company says Gemini 1.5 Pro maintains high accuracy in queries with larger token counts when it has more new data to learn. It says the model impressed in the Needle In a Haystack evaluation. In this test, developers insert a small piece of information inside a long text block to see if the AI model can pick it out. Google said Gemini 1.5 Pro could find the embedded text 99 percent of the time in data blocks as long as one million tokens.

Google says Gemini 1.5 Pro can reason about various details from the 402-page Apollo 11 moon mission transcripts. In addition, it can analyze plot points and events from an uploaded 44-minute silent film starring Buster Keaton. “As 1.5 Pro’s long context window is the first of its kind among large-scale models, we’re continuously developing new evaluations and benchmarks for testing its novel capabilities,” Hassabis wrote.

Google is launching Gemini 1.5 Pro with 128,000-token capabilities, the same number at which OpenAI’s (publicly announced) GPT-4 models max out. Hassabis says Google will eventually introduce new pricing tiers that support up to one million-token queries.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: Demis Hassabis attends 2023 WSJ's Future Of Everything Festival at Spring Studios on May 02, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Joy Malone/Getty Images)
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis
Joy Malone via Getty Images

Gemini 1.5 Pro is also adept at learning new skills from information in long prompts — without additional fine-tuning (“in-context learning”). In a benchmark called Machine Translation from One Book, the model learned a grammar manual for Kalamang, a language with fewer than 200 speakers globally that it hadn’t previously been trained on. The company says Gemini 1.5 Pro learned to perform at a similar level as a human learning the same content when translating English to Kalamang.

In a piece of the announcement that will catch developers’ attention, Google says Gemini 1.5 Pro can perform problem-solving tasks across longer code blocks. “When given a prompt with more than 100,000 lines of code, it can better reason across examples, suggest helpful modifications and give explanations about how different parts of the code works,” Hassabis wrote.

On the ethics and safety front, Google says it’s taking “the same approach to responsible deployment” it took with Gemini 1.0 models. That includes developing and applying red-teaming techniques, where a group of ethical developers essentially serve as devil’s advocate, testing for “a range of potential harms.” In addition, the company says it heavily scrutinizes areas like content safety and representational harms. The company says it continues to develop new ethical and safety tests for its AI tools.

Google is launching Gemini 1.5 in early access for developers and enterprise customers. The company plans to make it more widely available eventually. Gemini 1.0 is currently available for consumers, alongside a Pro variant that costs $20 monthly.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-gemini-15-pro-is-a-new-more-efficient-ai-model-181909354.html?src=rss

Sony wants its PlayStation exclusives to come to PC earlier

Posted on by

Sony may shrink the gap between the launches of its PlayStation exclusives and PC ports. Company president Hiroki Totoki suggested in a post-earnings call Q&A session Wednesday (via VGC) that he wants PlayStation to go “aggressive on improving our margin performance,” with “multi-platform” games playing a significant role. He clarified in the talk that, by multi-platform, he meant on PlayStation and PC — not Xbox or Switch.

When asked about Sony’s profits not keeping up with increasing gross income, he said hardware and first-party games were two areas of focus. He noted that hardware cost reduction this console cycle was “difficult to come by,” suggesting we won’t see any permanent console price drops.

“I personally think there are opportunities out there for improvement of margin, so I would like to go aggressive on improving our margin performance,” he continued. Totoki hinted one way to get there is to cash in more on its (often critically acclaimed and commercially successful) PlayStation Studios titles, like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and God of War: Ragnarok.

“In the past, we wanted to popularize consoles, and a first-party title’s main purpose was to make the console popular,” Totoki said in the Q&A. “This is true, but there’s a synergy to it, so if you have strong first-party content — not only on our console but also other platforms, like computers — a first-party [game] can be grown with multi-platform, and that can help operating profit to improve, so that’s another one we want to proactively work on.”

Screen from The Last of Us Part I. Joel and Ellie walk among abandoned cars in an abandoned small town.
The Last of Us Part I
Naughty Dog / Sony

That’s a clear shift from PlayStation Studios head Herman Hulst’s thoughts in 2022. He said then that PC gamers would have to wait “at least a year” before seeing first-party PlayStation games (minus live service titles) on their computers. God of War (2018) and the first Marvel’s Spider-Man had about a four-year gap between their PS4 and PC launches. The latter’s Miles Morales spin-off saw about a two-year turnaround.

On February 8, Sony launched Helldivers 2 on PS5 and Windows simultaneously. VGC notes the game led to PlayStation Studios’ highest concurrent Steam player count — beating God of War (2018), The Last of Us Part I and Horizon Zero Dawn. Helldivers 2 was developed by Arrowhead Games with Sony Interactive Entertainment publishing.

It isn’t clear if Totoki meant we can expect future PlayStation tentpoles like the upcoming Wolverine game or the ever-popular Spider-Man, God of War or various Naughty Dog franchises to appear on PC on the same day as console. But a strategy shift is underway regardless, and Totoki will have the leverage to put the plan into action: He takes over for Jim Ryan as interim CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment in April.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-wants-its-playstation-exclusives-to-come-to-pc-earlier-212001939.html?src=rss

The PS5 won’t be getting any big first-party sequels for at least a year

Posted on by

Sony said Wednesday it won’t launch any new blockbuster first-party PlayStation exclusives until at least early 2025. “While major projects are currently under development, we do not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles next fiscal year like God of War Ragnarök and Marvelʼs Spider-Man,” Sony President Hiroki Totoki wrote (via Polygon) in the company’s Q3 2023 financial results. Sony’s 2024 fiscal year begins on April 1 and ends on March 31, 2025.

The PlayStation division will instead focus on third-party software sales, which Totoki expects to grow gradually. Square Enix’s upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches as a PS5 exclusive on February 29. Konami’s Silent Hill 2 remake, a console exclusive on the PS5 that will also launch on PC, is scheduled to arrive later this year. Other upcoming third-party tentpoles include Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin.

Meanwhile, the platform’s first-party exclusive Wolverine game may not arrive until 2026 if leaked documents from a hack are any indication.

“We expect third-party software sales to continue to expand gradually due to the expansion of the PS5 installed base and the high level of user engagement,” Totoki wrote. Totoki will replace Jim Ryan as Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO in April.

Le vice-président exécutif et directeur financier de Sony Hiroki Totoki à Tokyo le 2 février 2023. (Photo by YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Sony President Hiroki Totoki
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO via Getty Images

As for why PlayStation ended up with such a long gap between first-party flagship games — Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launched in October 2023, leaving a roughly 18-month gap or more — VGC reports that Totoki said in an earnings call (through a translator) that the company’s creative teams can can improve their development turnarounds.

“When it comes to the business, I think there is room for improvement,” Totoki said of its first-party studios after complimenting their creativity and vision. “And that’s to do with how to use money, the schedule of development, and how to fulfill one’s accountability towards development — those are my frank impressions. I will continue to engage in dialogue with the people so that we can find the right way to proceed.”

PS5 console sales, which reached 8.2 million units in Q3 2023, missed their target in the quarter. The company has adjusted its fiscal year projections of PS5 sales from 25 million units sold to 21 million. Sony expects a gradual decline to continue. “Regarding the PS5 hardware, which will enter its fifth year since launch, partially due to its entering the latter half of the console cycle, we aim to optimize sales with a greater emphasis on the balance with profits, so we anticipate a gradual decline in unit sales from next fiscal year onwards,” he wrote.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ps5-wont-be-getting-any-big-first-party-sequels-for-at-least-a-year-180016231.html?src=rss

Sarah Silverman’s copyright infringement suit against OpenAI will advance in pared-down form

Posted on by

Sarah Silverman’s lawsuit against OpenAI will advance with some of her legal team’s claims dismissed. The comedian sued OpenAI and Meta in July 2023, claiming they trained their AI models on her books and other work without consent. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the unfair competition portion of the lawsuit will proceed. Judge Martínez-Olguín gave the plaintiffs until March 13 to amend the suit.

US District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín threw out portions of the complaint from Silverman’s legal team Monday, including negligence, unjust enrichment, DMCA violations and accusations of vicarious infringement. The case’s principal claim remains intact. It alleges OpenAI directly infringed on copyrighted material by training LLMs on millions of books without permission.

OpenAI’s motion to dismiss, filed in August, didn’t tackle the case’s core copyright claims. Although the suit will proceed, the judge suggested the federal Copyright Act may preempt the suit’s remaining claims. “As OpenAI does not raise preemption, the Court does not consider it,” Martínez-Olguín wrote.

The US court system has yet to determine whether training AI large language models on copyrighted work falls under the fair use doctrine. Last month, OpenAI admitted in a court filing that it would be “impossible to train today's leading AI models without using copyrighted materials.”

The result of Silverman’s OpenAI hearing is similar to one in San Francisco in November when Silverman’s claims against Meta were also slashed down to the core copyright infringement claims. In that session, US District Judge Vince Chhabria described some of the plaintiffs’ dismissed claims as “nonsensical.”

Other groups suing OpenAI for alleged copyright-related violations include The New York Times, a collection of nonfiction authors (a group that grew after the initial lawsuit) and The Author’s Guild. The latter filed its claim alongside authors George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and John Grisham.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sarah-silvermans-copyright-infringement-suit-against-openai-will-advance-in-pared-down-form-211456302.html?src=rss

Paramount Global lays off a reported 800 employees

Posted on by

Paramount Global said Tuesday it’s laying off some of its “very valued colleagues,” including on its Paramount+ team. Variety reported Tuesday the cuts will affect about 800 employees, an estimated three percent of the media giant’s workforce. “I am confident this is the right decision for our future,” CEO Bob Bakish wrote in a leaked staff memo. Paramount Global’s revenue grew three percent in the third quarter of 2023.

Bakish’s memo says the company will notify terminated staff by the close of business on Tuesday. He added that international offices will be affected, too. “Those notifications will occur over time in line with our local legal obligations in each of the countries where we operate,” the CEO wrote.

Variety claims the layoffs will be spread among all the company’s divisions. These include Paramount+, CBS, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and Pluto TV.

The CEO referenced Super Bowl LVIII, which became what the NFL says was the most-watched telecast ever. Bakish chalked that up to the game’s broadcast showcasing “the full power of Paramount.” Some may counter that it instead showcased “the full power” of combining NFL fans with Taylor Swift fans.

Still of Jon Stewart’s 2024 return to The Daily Show. The host sits at a desk with an overlay showing pictures of Donald Trump and his children.
Jon Stewart’s 2024 return to ‘The Daily Show’
Comedy Central / Paramount

Bakish’s memo shouted out Jon Stewart, who returned to Comedy Central’s The Daily Show on Monday. (In the host’s 2024 homecoming, he suggested a new slogan for the 2024 US Presidential election: “What the f#@k are we doing?”) Stewart agreed last month to reclaim his old desk once a week after leaving his Apple TV+ series, The Problem with Jon Stewart, after only two seasons. Apple’s cancellation reportedly came after disagreements with the iPhone maker over episodes criticizing China and AI. Lawmakers later questioned Apple about the fallout.

Paramount’s streaming and film divisions have driven recent growth, but its traditional television offerings continue to struggle. Revenue in that area dropped by eight percent in Q3 2024, with TV advertising dropping by 14 percent. The company’s linear TV struggles have reportedly put it on the block for mergers and acquisitions, including (allegedly stalled) merger talks with Warner Bros. Discovery in December 2023.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/paramount-global-lays-off-a-reported-800-employees-192614248.html?src=rss

Game preservationists recreate F-Zero games beamed over satellite in the mid-’90s

Posted on by

Some imaginative and resourceful game preservationists have reverse-engineered a long-lost F-Zero game from the mid-'90s. Eurogamer reports that faithful recreations of two BS F-Zero Grand Prix games, broadcast exclusively for Nintendo’s long-defunct Satellaview satellite gaming extension for the Super Famicom, are now available to play for free as add-ons for the original ROMs.

The two BS F-Zero Grand Prix games — which added 10 courses, four new vehicles and a ghosting feature unavailable in the SNES / Super Famicom original — were broadcast exclusively for Nintendo’s Satellaview in 1996 and 1997. Satellaview was the Mario maker’s experimental satellite module for the Super Famicom in Japan. It never launched in the US or anywhere else globally.

Titles for the system had an ephemeral nature. First, players in Japan needed the right equipment, including the Super Famicom console, the Satellaview module (attached to the console’s bottom), a dedicated BS-X recording cartridge, a satellite dish and a receiver. They then had to tune in at specific times and download the games onto their special cartridges.

Although the system didn’t last long (Satellaview had shuttered by 2000), the console’s setup was a rough precursor to the downloaded digital gaming content we’re accustomed to today.

Given those strict requirements, it’s no wonder the sci-fi racers’ original ROMs appear (so far) lost to history. Fortunately, someone with the handle kukun kun, with apparent access to the original games, uploaded BS F-Zero gameplay videos (embedded below) to YouTube in 2018. Using those clips as a blueprint, the team of talented developers / archivists — led by a person with the handle ROMHacker GuyPerfect — reconstructed the BS F-Zero courses with a combination of game analysis software, original F-Zero assets and custom art.

The project used a modified version of Graphite, a tool created by FlibidyDibidy (initially built to analyze Super. Mario Bros. speedruns), which can use a gameplay video to determine precise character positions and button inputs. The adapted version of Graphite helped ROMHacker GuyPerfect and their team reproduce the gameplay from the original F-Zero courses as loyally as possible.

Where possible, the developers used existing F-Zero art assets from the ROMs in the (non-satellite) original game for the Super Nintendo / Famicom console. To fill in the blanks for lost assets exclusive to the satellite broadcasts, artists Porthor and PowerPanda chipped in to recreate them.

The past few months have put the F-Zero series back in the news, as Nintendo launched a battle royale version last fall of the original 16-bit game for Switch Online subscribers (in the same vein as Tetris 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35). As for the long-lost original BS F-Zero Grand Prix ROMs, Redditor u/Porthgeidwad put up a $5,000 bounty two years ago, allegedly up for grabs for anyone with the original cartridges. While waiting for someone to step up, you can visit the team’s project page and take the reverse-engineered games for a spin.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/game-preservationists-recreate-f-zero-games-beamed-over-satellite-in-the-mid-90s-180013966.html?src=rss

You no longer have to visit an Apple Store if you forget your Vision Pro passcode

Posted on by

Apple has launched a Vision Pro update that solves one of its most confounding issues at launch. Starting in visionOS 1.0.3, available Monday, headset owners who forgot their passcodes can reset their device and start over with a fresh install. Previously, owners who lost their passcodes had to visit an Apple Store — or ship the device to AppleCare customer support — to use their $3,500 device again.

Today’s new software is the first visionOS update to arrive since the mixed reality headset has been available to customers. The first two came before its public launch when only reviewers and developers had it. MacRumors first reported on today’s software update.

Apple’s official release notes read, “This update provides important bug fixes and adds an option to reset your device if you’ve forgotten your passcode.” It isn’t clear why Apple launched expensive hardware with a feature that required a visit to a physical store if it only took a couple of weeks to provide a much easier workaround that more closely aligns with the rest of its products. 

Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar views Apple’s $3,500 headset as a blend of fascination and frustration — better for developers or wealthy Apple fans than the general public. “That’s pretty much the Vision Pro experience in a nutshell,” Engadget’s Senior Editor wrote. “Wonder and frustration. A peek into the future that’s limited by the hardware that exists today — even if that hardware is among the best we’ve ever seen.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-no-longer-have-to-visit-an-apple-store-if-you-forget-your-vision-pro-passcode-194538095.html?src=rss

How to use Apple Pay on your iPhone for contactless payments

Posted on by

Apple Pay can make it more convenient to buy things while protecting your credit card info. Launched in 2014, the payment service supports tap-to-pay in physical retail stores, online apps and websites, and person-to-person payments with Apple Cash. Here’s a step-by-step on how to use Apple Pay.

How to use Apple Pay on an iPhone or Apple Watch

Before using Apple Pay, you’ll need to add at least one credit or debit card to Apple Wallet. You can visit Engadget’s guide to setting up Apple Pay for detailed instructions.

The first thing to know about using Apple Pay in physical retail stores is only some vendors support it. For example, Walmart has long been a holdout, opting instead to push its (QR-code-based) Walmart Pay. Home Depot also doesn’t support it, even as competitor Lowe’s finally began accepting Apple Pay (in stores and its app) in late 2023.

If you aren’t sure whether a store supports it, you can look for a tap-to-pay logo (radiating waves with a hand tapping a card onto it) or the Apple Pay icon. You can also ask Siri to show you nearby locations that accept the service.

Apple Pay confirmation screen on iPhone. A debit card (with bank info and last four digits blacked out) with a black box with a green smiley face floating above. Below, the text
What you’ll see on the screen when completing an Apple Pay transaction on an iPhone with Face ID
Screenshot by Will Shanklin / Engadget

Once you’re at an Apple Pay-friendly terminal, do the following on your iPhone:

  1. Double-click the side button on the right side of your iPhone.

  2. Look at your iPhone to authenticate with Face ID (or place your finger on the Touch ID sensor if it’s an older model).

  3. Tap the top of your phone to the card reader, usually near where you see a tap-to-pay logo. You’ll see a checkmark and hear a ding when the payment reads successfully.

Photo of a man’s wrist wearing an Apple Watch. The Apple Pay screen is on the watch's face. It says
Photo by Will Shanklin / Engadget

Follow these instructions if you’re paying with an Apple Watch:

  1. Double-click the side (lower right) button on your watch.

  2. Tap the Apple Watch to the payment terminal near its tap-to-pay logo. You’ll hear a ding and see a checkmark when the transaction goes through. 

If it doesn’t work, ensure the location accepts Apple Pay and that their systems are running. If so, ask someone working there about the best spot to tap on their payment terminal.

If you want to use Apple Pay with a card other than your default one, tap the onscreen card after double-clicking the device’s side button (but before paying). You can swipe through your added cards and choose the one you want before tapping to confirm.

How to make online purchases with Apple Pay

Screenshot of an Apple Pay checkout confirmation at Target's website. An Apple Pay overlay prompts the user to confirm using Touch ID. Behind is the checkout screen.
Screenshot by Will Shanklin / Engadget

Many websites and third-party apps accept Apple Pay. This not only prevents you from having to enter your credit card info, but it also adds extra security. Apple Pay uses an encrypted one-time “virtual token” instead of your actual credit card info. So if hackers ever breached the vendor’s systems, they’d only see the encrypted token tied to your Apple Pay, which they couldn’t use for additional transactions.

You can use Apple Pay for online (web and in-app) transactions on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro:

  1. When checking out, look for Apple Pay on a website or in an app. Choose that as your payment option in checkout.

  2. When it prompts you for verification, use Face ID (newer iPhones and iPads), Touch ID (Mac and older iPhones and iPads) or Optic ID (Vision Pro) to approve the secure transaction. You’ll hear a ding and see an approval animation when it accepts it.

Note that if you’re using a MacBook (with its lid closed) connected to an external monitor, you can use Apple’s Magic Keyboard with Touch ID rather than opening the laptop’s lid to access its sensor.

How to use Apple Pay to send money

Apple Cash screen in a Messages chat. Below the iMessage text box, a large black area shows
Screenshot by Will Shanklin / Engadget

Apple Cash lets you send, receive and request money through the Messages app. It’s designed as an alternative to services like Venmo and Cash App, allowing you to exchange funds with people you know and trust.

First, ensure you’ve set up Apple Cash. On iPhone, open the Wallet app and tap the Apple Cash card. If it prompts you, tap “Set up Apple Cash.” On iPad, Apple Watch or Vision Pro, you’ll instead head to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay, then choose the Apple Cash card and follow the instructions to set it up.

Once you’ve activated Apple Cash, here’s how to send money:

  1. Open the Messages app and select the chat thread for the person you want to send money to.

  2. Tap the plus button to the left of the text input box.

  3. Select Apple Cash from the fan menu on the left.

  4. Enter the amount you want to send.

  5. Tap Send.

  6. The Apple Cash symbol will appear in a drafted message. Tap the up arrow when you’re ready to send.

  7. Follow the security prompt to complete the transaction. That will mean Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode on iPhone or iPad. On the Apple Watch, you’ll double-tap the side button. On Vision Pro, it will use Optic ID.

How to use Apple Pay on Amazon

Unfortunately, you can’t currently use Apple Pay on Amazon’s website or mobile app. The closest you’ll get is vendors using Amazon Payment Services on their storefronts outside Amazon. The online retailer gives those sellers the option to accept Apple Pay.

If you run into a third-party site or app using Amazon Payment Services, the steps are the same as the “How to use Apple Pay online” steps above. Add the items you want to your cart, choose Apple Pay as your payment option and perform the security steps to verify and complete the transaction.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-use-apple-pay-on-your-iphone-for-contactless-payments-132050897.html?src=rss

CRKD’s follow-up to the Nitro Deck is the NES-style Neo S controller

Posted on by

CRKD, makers of the beloved Nitro Deck controller for Nintendo Switch, launched a new gamepad on Thursday that resembles what a modern-day NES controller might look like. The wireless CRKD Neo S has Hall effect thumbsticks, swappable stick tops and a $50 retail price. It works with Switch, PCs, mobile devices, and smart TVs.

The Bluetooth gamepad carries over much of what made the Nitro Deck feel like the Switch’s “true and final form.” It includes two thumbsticks (both Hall effect-enabled with swappable tops), a D-pad, four action buttons, triggers, mappable back buttons and adjustable vibration.

The CRKD Neo S ships in various creative designs and colorways, several of which tap into Nintendo nostalgia. For example, the gold hue looks similar to Nintendo’s Game & Watch and original Famicom with a familiar red-and-gold color scheme. Meanwhile, the clear Neo S calls back to the transparent variants of the Nintendo 64 controller and Game Boy Color portable console.

Three variants (blossom, splatter, and junkyard) were designed by CRKD’s creative director, POPeART. His work is inspired by the traditional Japanese aesthetic wabi-sabi, which is based on the principles of imperfection, impermanence and incompletion. Or, as POPeArt puts it, “Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”

CRKD, which describes the controller as a “statement” and an “art piece,” hopes you’ll buy the Neo S not only for playing games but also as a collectible. In addition to the bold designs (nine will be available at launch), the company’s mobile app will track your registered products, provide digital proof of ownership and display the accessory’s “rarity rank.” As fetching as the designs may be, it remains to be seen how many gamers will go for a marketing tactic designed to get you to buy extra controllers as a hobby.

Each Neo S variant costs $50. At the time of publication, they’re slated to ship in April. The controller is available for pre-order on CRKD’s website.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/crkds-follow-up-to-the-nitro-deck-is-the-nes-style-neo-s-controller-211222823.html?src=rss

Microsoft’s gaming layoffs include 86 jobs at Skylanders studio Toys for Bob

Posted on by

Microsoft’s post-acquisition layoffs at Activision Blizzard have already caught the FTC’s eye. Now we know more about which subsidiary studios will take the hit. First reported by the San Francisco Chronicle (via Eurogamer), California WARN notices list 86 upcoming scheduled layoffs at Skylanders maker Toys for Bob and 76 cuts at Call of Duty: Vanguard developer Sledgehammer Games.

California requires companies to notify the state of upcoming layoffs, thanks to a 1988 law mandating 60 days’ notice about staffing cuts (if they reach specific thresholds). The latest WARN alerts for Activision Blizzard report 86 upcoming cuts at an address in Novato, CA — matching Toys for Bob’s offices — effective March 30. In addition, the San Francisco Chronicle reports on a California state filing indicating Toys for Bob’s offices will close.

Toys for Bob is known for spearheading the “toys-to-life” concept, which Nintendo later embraced with its Amiibos. The Activision Blizzard subsidiary’s most successful projects include the Spyro the Dragon series, Skylanders and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. The Gamer reported in late January that Toys for Bob would cut 40 percent of its staff, which would have only been around 35 jobs.

In addition, another 76 Activision Blizzard employees will lose their jobs (also on March 30) at an address in San Mateo, CA, matching the headquarters of Sledgehammer Games. The studio has developed or contributed to several Call of Duty games, including CoD: Modern Warfare 3 (2011), CoD: Advanced Warfare (2014), CoD: WWII (2017) and CoD: Vanguard (2021). The studio was founded in 2009. Insider Gaming reported in January that Sledgehammer Games would close its offices and go fully remote.

In late January, Microsoft said it would slash 1,900 jobs across its Xbox, Activision Blizzard and ZeniMax (Bethesda) teams. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint in a federal appeals court on Wednesday, arguing that the substantial round of layoffs “contradicts Microsoft’s representations in this proceeding.” The government agency asked for a temporary pause of Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition, which appeared all but locked up after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority approved the $69 billion purchase in October.

An estimated 10,500 gaming industry workers fell victim to layoffs in 2023. We’ve already seen 6,000 more in 2024, only slightly over a month into the new year. It’s been part of a devastating year-plus of broader tech-industry layoffs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-gaming-layoffs-include-86-jobs-at-skylanders-studio-toys-for-bob-182241293.html?src=rss