Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

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

28 Years Later was partially shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max

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Danny Boyle’s zombie sequel 28 Years Later was shot using several iPhone 15 Pro Max smartphones, according to a report by Wired. This makes it the biggest movie ever made using iPhones, as the budget was around $75 million.

There are some major caveats worth going over. First of all, the sourcing on the story is anonymous, as the film’s staff was required to sign an NDA. Also, the entire film wasn’t shot using last year’s high-end Apple smartphone. Engadget has confirmed that Boyle and his team used a bunch of different cameras, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max being just one tool.

Finally, it’s not like the director just plopped the smartphone on a tripod and called it a day. Each iPhone looks to have been adapted to integrate with full-frame DSLR lenses. Speaking of, those professional-grade lenses cost a small fortune. The phones were also nestled in protective cages.

Even if the phones weren’t exclusively used to make this movie, it’s still something of a full-circle moment for Boyle and his team. The original 28 Days Later was shot primarily on a prosumer-grade camcorder that cost $4,000 at the time. This camcorder recorded footage to MiniDV tapes.

28 Years Later is the third entry in the franchise and is due to hit theaters in June 2025. The film stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes and Cillian Murphy. This will be the first of three new films set in the universe of fast-moving rage zombies. Plot details are non-existent, but all three upcoming movies are being written by Alex Garland. He co-wrote the first one and has since gone on to direct genre fare like Ex Machina, Annihilation and, most recently, Civil War. He also made a truly underrated TV show called Devs.

As for the intersection of smartphones and Hollywood, several films have been shot with iPhones. These include Sean Baker’s Tangerine and Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/28-years-later-was-partially-shot-on-an-iphone-15-pro-max-182036483.html?src=rss

Here’s what a TV show based on Untitled Goose Game could have been like

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Cast your mind back to 2019, when many people were captivated by the idea of terrorizing a quaint English village as a loud, annoying goose. Untitled Goose Game was an absolute delight, but it was fairly short and left me wanting more. In another universe, a TV adaptation would have happened already. While that didn't quite pan out here, we do have a funny proof-of-concept to enjoy.

House House, the game's developer, released a "proof-of-concept for a hypothetical Untitled Goose Programme" on its YouTube channel on Friday. The studio created the short with Playdate maker and Untitled Goose Game publisher Panic and animation house Chromosphere Studio. It's a great four-minute clip that's well worth your time. It shows a goose bullying a journalist and groundskeeper during a TV interview. The art style is lovely, the Wallace and Gromit-esque humor is on point and the goose is just as much of a jerk as the one in the game.

Sadly, House House says that the show didn't gain traction and those involved put the idea on the shelf. But at least we get this very amusing video out of it. If nothing else, it reminded me that I need to play the Panic-published Thank Goodness You're Here, which seems similarly silly.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/heres-what-a-tv-show-based-on-untitled-goose-game-could-have-been-like-165116660.html?src=rss

The next Like A Dragon game recasts a series regular as an amnesiac pirate

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Update October 17, 1:17PM ET: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has dropped a new gameplay trailer that shows some naval combat in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. It shows off some melee action too, with Majima summoning sharks and large monkeys to help him in battle. You'll be able to try this ridiculous action earlier than expected, as the release date has moved up a week from February 28 to February 21.

Our original story follows below:

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio simply cannot stop pumping out Like A Dragon (aka Yakuza) games. The studio and publisher Sega have revealed that the next entry will hit PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Steam on February 21, just 13 months after Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth debuted. The latest spinoff has a typically kooky twist that’s not exactly kept secret by its title: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

A seven-minute announcement trailer shown at the studio's RGG Summit features Goro Majima, a regular of the series, explaining what's been going on with him recently. About six months earlier, Majima washed up on an island near Hawaii with no memory of how he got there, only to be helped out by a child with a pet tiger cub. It didn't take long until Majima ran afoul of some pirates and swiftly became a pirate captain himself.

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes place a year after the events of Infinite Wealth and Ichiban Kasuga's exploits in that game. You'll assemble your crew, upgrade your ship, engage enemy vessels and discover hidden islands. Majima will have two fighting styles that you can switch between on the fly. Opt for the Mad Dog option to vex enemies with "speed, agility and flair," and then switch to Sea Dog to dual wield short swords and "pirate tools," according to a press release. However you slice it, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii already looks way more fun than the 45 minutes I spent playing Skull and Bones.

While February 21 isn't too far away in the grand scheme of things, there are plenty of other Like A Dragon-related things to help keep you occupied in the meantime. Like A Dragon: Yakuza, a live-action TV show based on the series, will debut on Prime Video on October 24. The franchise is also debuting on Nintendo Switch the same day with a port of Yakuza Kiwami, a remake of the first game.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-next-like-a-dragon-game-recasts-a-series-regular-as-an-amnesiac-pirate-142935001.html?src=rss