Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

How to watch Xbox’s Toyko Game Show livestream

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Xbox is releasing new content this week. This Thursday, September 26, you can catch the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 Broadcast, which will feature announcements from Xbox Game Studios, Activision, Blizzard Entertainment and Bethesda. The broadcast will also feature new games from Xbox's third-party retailers — primarily those based in Asia. Last year's show included a list of new titles coming to Game Pass and first looks at a few games.

The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 Broadcast will be available to watch on Tokyo Game Show's YouTube channel in Japanese, English and a range of other languages. It will also offer audio descriptions in both languages and Japanese and American Sign Language. You might have to wake up pretty early for it, though, as the broadcast airs at 7PM JST, which is 6AM ET or 3AM PT. Anyone based in the UK can catch it at a more reasonable 11AM. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-xboxs-toyko-game-show-livestream-140057083.html?src=rss

The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games have been remastered and will arrive on December 10

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Back in July, comic publisher Dark Horse leaked plans for a remaster of the two Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games at San Diego Comic-Con. Now, the games' original developer Crystal Dynamics, along with Aspyr, have revealed that the remastered versions of the games are real and that the collection will be available on December 10. Further, while they announced the remastered bundle at a PlayStation State of Play event, it won't be coming out just for the PS4 and the PS5, but also for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via Steam and Epic Games. 

The Soul Reaver titles are single-player action-adventure games, wherein the players control an "ex-vampire" named Raziel in the fictional land of Nosgoth. They were remastered by Aspyr, which recently released Star Wars: Bounty Hunter and which players may know as the developer behind the remastered versions of Tomb Raider I-III. The new remastered visuals feature enhanced textures, new models and visual effects, but players can switch to the original graphics if they want to play the games in the state that they were originally released in back in 1999 and 2001. They can also play with classic controls or switch to a new control scheme that suits modern controllers more. 

In addition to the improved graphics and controls, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered comes with a brand new map and compass, as well as a photo mode that will let players easily take screencaps. It's now available for pre-order on PC and PlayStation with a 10 percent discount until launch day. Xbox players can now also pre-order the collection, but Switch owners will have to wait a bit more before they can purchase it. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-legacy-of-kain-soul-reaver-games-have-been-remastered-and-will-arrive-on-december-10-133039552.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Get ready for Meta Connect

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Meta’s annual VR / AR shindig kicks off a few hours after this newsletter hits your inboxes. As usual, it’ll lay down the direction of travel for the next year of strapping stuff to your face. So, before the awkward stage banter begins, it’s worth reading up on what’s to come. We’ve prepared our usual roundup of all the rumors, scuttlebutt and leaks about what we’ll see.

That includes Orion, a pair of Buddy Holly glasses offering augmented reality in a more user friendly package. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already hinted about its potential, but he added we’ll only see the prototype today. We can also expect a cheaper version of the Quest 3 and some more AI doodads to come to the Ray-Ban smart glasses.

Once you’ve studied up, you can follow our coverage of Meta Connect 2024 live to get a blow-by-blow of the show the minute it happens. Everything kicks off at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, but the color commentary will start long before then.

— Dan Cooper

Caroline Ellison, CEO of Alameda Research and advisor to FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, has been sentenced to two years in prison. Ellison pled guilty at the end of 2022 for her role in the FTX fraud and was a key witness in Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial. Ellison will spend a further three years on supervised release once she has left prison. In a statement, the disgraced crypto executive expressed remorse for her conduct.

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Image of not a Drowzee with its own minigun.
Pocketpair

Depending on your loyalties, Palworld is either an exciting spin on the adventure genre or a shameless rip-off of Pokémon, but with guns. Developer Pocketpair is being sued in Japan by Nintendo, who is firmly in the latter camp, but that isn’t yet slowing Palworld’s progress. The title was just surprise-launched for the PS5 in 68 countries, with Japan an obvious exception.

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Image of the Duolingo Piano
Duolingo

I’ve been a fan of cute pianos that teach you how to play for a long while and have reviewed a few for Engadget. Now, Duolingo is getting in on the action, teaming up with baby digital piano makers Loog to produce its own learning piano. It’ll integrate with Duolingo’s app, which has music courses to teach folks how to grasp the basics of playing. And, did I mention that I really want to play with one of these?

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Image of the TikTok Music announcement, saying it will close November 28
TikTok Music

TikTok has announced TikTok Music, the company’s streaming service to rival Spotify and Apple Music, is closing down. The platform announced it’ll cease operations on November 28 and delete all user data and login information soon after. It has advised subscribers to reach out to their payment platforms of choice to get refunds before that date. Don’t worry though, I’m a technology journalist and even I didn’t know TikTok had its own standalone streaming service.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111528327.html?src=rss

TikTok Music is on its way out

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TikTok Music is shutting down following an attempt to translate views on its base app to music streaming. The music arm announced the news that accounts will close by November 28, with all user data and login information deleted.  

Google subscribers whose subscription ends after November 28 should automatically get a refund or can request one through Google Play before TikTok Music shuts down. On the other hand, Apple users must request a refund through Apple support before the 28th to get one. Anyone who actually uses TikTok Music might want to wait a minute, though, as the premium service will no longer be available once a refund is processed. Speaking of deadlines, anyone who wants to transfer their playlists from TikTok Music to another music streamer has to do so by October 28. 

TikTok Music first launched in Indonesia and Brazil in July 2023. It replaced another music platform called Resso from ByteDance (TikTok's parent company). Around the same time, it became available as a closed beta test in Australia, Mexico and Singapore, fully launching in those locations that October. Despite ByteDance filing for a "TikTok Music" trademark application in May 2022, the platform never made it to the US. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-music-is-on-its-way-out-143058957.html?src=rss

Behaviour Interactive snaps up Darkest Dungeon developer Red Hook Studios

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It’s been a topsy turvy year for Dead by Daylight maker Behaviour Interactive, which has released two spin-offs, laid off dozens of workers and shut down a studio that was working on another offshoot of its tentpole project. Now, Behaviour is bringing another developer into the fold, as it has bought Darkest Dungeon developer Red Hook Studios.

The Vancouver-based outfit will continue to operate as a “fully independent studio,” albeit under Behaviour’s umbrella. Terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed, but Red Hook likely won’t have come cheap — nearly seven million copies of the Darkest Dungeon games have been sold to date. Behaviour has also kept on Red Hook’s entire 29-strong staff.

"Earlier this year, we established an ambitious goal for our future as a publisher — to make Behaviour synonymous with horror, and surround Dead by Daylight with a library of similarly exceptional horror games,” Behaviour CEO and co-founder Rémi Racine told GamesIndustry.biz in a statement. “Our acquisition of Red Hook is another emphatic step towards this objective, with more to come."

This is the fourth studio Behaviour has snapped up in the past two years, following SockMonkey Studios, Codeglue and Fly Studio. It also opened a new studio in the UK last year and forged partnerships with third-party developers such as Supermassive, which made the recently released The Casting of Frank Stone.

However, things haven’t been entirely plain sailing for the publisher. It fired around 140 workers this year across two rounds of layoffs amid restructuring efforts.

Last week, Behaviour canceled Project T, a co-op shooter set in the DbD universe. It also closed the studio that was working on the game, Seattle-based Midwinter Entertainment, two years after buying it. All Midwinter workers were offered roles at Behaviour’s studios in Canada.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/behaviour-interactive-snaps-up-darkest-dungeon-developer-red-hook-studios-142036727.html?src=rss

Spotify’s AI Playlists are rolling out for Premium users in the US

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Spotify’s beta AI Playlist feature is now rolling out for Premium users in the US, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. It lets you create and refine custom playlists using text prompts. It initially arrived in April in the UK and Australia.

The company describes it as a tool “to effortlessly turn your most creative ideas into playlists.” Spotify provided several examples, including “Upbeat folk music for a scenic fall road trip” and “2000 era hype jams for the tailgate.” If its initial results don’t quite hit the mark, you can refine the playlist with further prompts, such as “less peppy” or “hold the Nickelback.”

Four phone screens showing the steps to create an AI Playlist in Spotify mobile.
Spotify

Spotify says the feature leans on personalization, choosing tracks it thinks you’ll like based on your listening habits. The company says the AI produces the best results with prompts about genre, mood or artists. But you can try topics like animals, activities, movie characters, colors and emojis, too.

Premium subscribers will find AI Playlists in the Spotify mobile app. (Spotify appears to be rolling out the feature gradually, so you may need to wait for it to arrive.) Navigate to Your Library, tap the + button and choose “AI Playlist.” Then, use the pop-up chat tool to start generating your custom tracklists.

Update, September 24, 2024, 4:05PM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that the feature is rolling out gradually and may not appear yet for all Premium subscribers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/spotifys-ai-playlists-are-now-available-for-premium-users-in-the-us-130008423.html?src=rss

Prime Day deals include three free months of Amazon Music Unlimited for new users

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Amazon is hoping to get more people hooked on Music Unlimited with a pre-Prime Day offer. Those who haven't tried the service before can get three months of access for free. The offer is even better for Prime members who haven't checked out the music-streaming platform. They can use it for four months at no extra cost. Music Unlimited typically costs $11 per month without Prime and $10 per month for Prime members.

The company isn't leaving existing subscribers entirely out in the cold. Those with an individual Amazon Music Unlimited plan can upgrade to the Family Plan at no extra cost for two months.

Amazon Music Unlimited includes more than 100 million songs, many of which are available in high definition and/or spatial audio. The service also includes ad-free versions of many popular podcasts.

While it may not be the first music streaming service that springs to mind for most folks, Amazon Music Unlimited may be worth checking out. The HD music selection is particularly notable, since Spotify has yet to offer that feature.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-three-free-months-of-amazon-music-unlimited-for-new-users-184228736.html?src=rss

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is now due out in March 2025

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Tales of the Shire, a cozy life sim set in the world of Lord of the Rings, has gotten a new release date and a strange new name. It’s scheduled for release on March 25, 2025 and it’s now called Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, because apparently referencing the Shire wasn’t enough to clue in fans. LOTR diehards are well known for being ignorant about the franchise they love. That was extreme sarcasm.

Anyways, this information was served up during Private Division and Wētā Workshop’s Hobbit Day Showcase, which revealed a lot of new footage and included plenty of interviews with the game’s designers. Wētā Workshop is actually helping to develop the game, after making effects for all of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth films.

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game (that really rolls off the tongue) was supposed to come out in 2024, but it was delayed so the developers could iron out some bugs and present a fully realized version of their original vision. Here’s hoping that translates to a polished gameplay experience in March.

For the uninitiated, this is a cozy sim. There are elements of Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and other games in the genre. There’s farming, fishing and a deep character interaction system. Of course, there’s also a big emphasis placed on cooking huge feasts. We all know how much hobbits love a good feast.

The game looks cute enough and, heck, I’m always down for a new cozy sim. However, the developers have confirmed that there will be no romance, despite the emphasis on cultivating relationships and friendships. The developers say that romance simply doesn’t fit the tone of the game. In any event, Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game will be released for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also coming to Netflix.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tales-of-the-shire-a-the-lord-of-the-rings-game-is-now-due-out-in-march-2025-180726777.html?src=rss

Indie classic To the Moon comes to Xbox Series X/S and PS5 October 8

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The emotional 2011 indie game To the Moon will soon be playable on Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Developer Freebird Games and publisher Serenity Forge announced this week that ports for the consoles will arrive on October 8 for $10. At the same time, they released a new installment in the series — a short called Just a To the Moon Series Beach Episode that offers one of the series’ endings. It’s available now on Steam.

To the Moon is a time travel adventure that follows two doctors who have developed a way to help dying patients fulfill their greatest dreams by taking them back in time within their minds. The patient at the heart of the story is an elderly man named Johnny, whose final wish is to go to the moon. The game, which originally launched for PC, has become beloved over the years and eventually expanded to mobile and Nintendo Switch.

Freebird Games followed it up with another episode called Finding Paradise, which focuses on a different patient, and the time-travel murder mystery, Imposter Factory. There’s also a heartfelt short called A Bird Story. They’re all tear-jerkers. The developer has described the latest, Beach Episode, as “​​half of an ending” to the series.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/indie-classic-to-the-moon-comes-to-xbox-series-xs-and-ps5-october-8-193949307.html?src=rss

OpenAI staffers reportedly ‘taken aback’ by ‘ominous’ logo rebranding

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OpenAI could undergo massive changes next year, which include getting a brand new logo. According to Fortune, though, staff members were less than enthused when they got a sneak peek of its supposed new logo at a recent company-wide meeting. The company's hexagonal flower symbol, which has become pretty recognizable thanks to ChatGPT's popularity, is gone. Instead, it's replaced by a large black "O" or a simple ring or circle that staffers reportedly found to be devoid of creativity — ominous, even. 

Based on how the publication's sources described it, the new logo sounds like the complete opposite of OpenAI's current one, which was designed to represent "precision, potential and optimism." The company apparently started its redesign efforts a year ago after hiring new people for its internal creative and design team. Fortune says one of the reasons OpenAI is going for a brand new look is because it doesn't own the typefaces used for its logo and its website. The company is, perhaps, looking to solidify its identity as it becomes more of a household name. 

Fortune also previously reported that OpenAI is changing its convoluted non-profit corporate structure next year. The company started as a non-profit, and a non-profit entity still controls its for-profit arm. Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, reportedly told employees that the company is moving away from its non-profit structure and is becoming a more traditional for-profit company. If OpenAI's leaders listen to employee feedback, though, then the new OpenAI will debut with another logo and not one that even its own people find sinister.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-staffers-reportedly-taken-aback-by-ominous-logo-rebranding-160017936.html?src=rss