Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Netflix’s sci-fi adaptation 3 Body Problem finally gets a full-sized trailer

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Netflix’s long-anticipated sci-fi series 3 Body Problem finally has a full trailer, following a short teaser released last year. This new trailer is over two minutes long and absolutely filled with exciting moments and tantalizing clues. Watch it below.

The show’s based on a hit book series by Chinese author Liu Cixin. The showrunners include David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, formerly of Game of Thrones. Yes, everyone hates them because of the ending of HBO’s fantasy epic, but here’s the thing. 3 Body Problem is the first novel in the finished Remembrance of Earth's Past series, and the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones, when working from pre-existing material, were absolutely iconic. So this could be very good, though it has suffered from delays.

As for the plot, well it’s complicated and hard to even discuss without getting into spoilers. The books are out there if you can’t wait until the show’s March 21 release date. As a clue, the clunky title actually refers to a common problem with both classical physics and quantum physics involving Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation. In other words, it’s hard sci-fi, but the books have plenty of action and mystery set-pieces, and the show looks to follow suit. Expect plenty of advanced technologies and otherworldly weirdness.

3 Body Problem stars Benedict Wong, Eiza González and several Game of Thrones alums including Jonathan Pryce and John Bradley. Besides Benioff and Weiss, screenwriter Alexander Woo is on-board as a co-showrunner. Woo’s best known for his work on True Blood and The Terror, among other well-regarded series.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-sci-fi-adaptation-3-body-problem-finally-gets-a-full-sized-trailer-200027248.html?src=rss

SAG-AFTRA strikes deal for AI voice acting licensing in video games at CES 2024

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SAG-AFTRA, the union representing thousands of performers, has struck a deal with an AI voice acting platform aimed at making it easier for actors to license their voice for use in video games. Under the deal, which was announced during a press event at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, SAG-AFTRA members will be able to work with Replica Studios to license their voice to game studios.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's top negotiator, said that the agreement “paves the way for professional voiceover artists to safely explore new employment opportunities for their digital voice replicas.” The agreement comes as Hollywood is still grappling with the use of AI. Last year, SAG-AFTRA reached a deal with Hollywood studios that included AI protections following a months-long strike. As a result, studios are now required to pay actors (and obtain their consent) before using an AI-generated version of their likeness.

SAG-AFTRA’s latest agreement with Replica Studios seems to follow a similar framework. According to Crabtree, the agreements cover the creation of so-called “digital voice replicas” and how they can be used by game studios and other companies. The deal has provisions for minimum rates, safe storage and transparency requirements, as well as “limitations on the amount of time that a performance replica can be employed without further payment and consent.”

Notably, the agreement does not cover whether actors’ replicas can be used to train large language models (LLMs), though Replica Studios CEO Shreyas Nivas said the company was interested in pursuing such an arrangement. “We have been talking to so many of the large AAA studios about this use case,” Nivas said. He added that LLMs are “out-of-scope of this agreement” but “they will hopefully [be] things that we will continue to work on and partner on.”

Even so, some well-known voice actors were immediately skeptical of the news, as the BBC reports. In a press release, SAG-AFTRA said the agreement had been approved by "affected members of the union’s voiceover performer community." But on X, voice actors said they had not been given advance notice. "How has this agreement passed without notice or vote," wrote Veronica Taylor, who voiced Ash in Pokémon. "Encouraging/allowing AI replacement is a slippery slope downward." Roger Clark, who voiced Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, also suggested he was not notified about the deal. "If I can pay for permission to have an AI rendering of an ‘A-list’ voice actor’s performance for a fraction of their rate I have next to no incentive to employ 90% of the lesser known ‘working’ actors that make up the majority of the industry," Clark wrote.

SAG-AFTRA’s deal with Replica only covers a sliver of the game industry. Separately, the union is also negotiating with several of the major game studios after authorizing a strike last fall. “I certainly hope that the video game companies will take this as an inspiration to help us move forward in that negotiation,” Crabtree said.

Update January 10 2024, 12:45PM ET: This story was updated to include reactions from voice-over actors. 

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sag-aftra-strikes-deal-for-ai-voice-acting-in-video-games-at-ces-2024-191533846.html?src=rss

Cinematic mystery game Immortality comes to PS5 on January 23

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The modern classic mystery game Immortality is finally coming to PS5 on January 23 and it’ll cost $20, which is in line with the price on other platforms. It already exists on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Android and iOS. The game was originally released back in 2022.

For the uninitiated, Immortality is more of an interactive film trilogy than a video game, recalling full-motion titles from the 1990s. The surreal narrative tasks you with solving the disappearance of an actress named Marissa Marcel. You do this by scrubbing through video clips and gathering clues. Creator Sam Barlow has likened the gameplay to a “mental Metroidvania”, in that you return to previously-viewed clips once you have a new understanding of some aspect of the mystery.

We loved the title upon release and it made our list of the best games of 2022. The script, penned by writers behind films like Wild at Heart and TV shows like Mr. Robot, is not just good for a video game, but engaging throughout. The atmosphere is moody and tense, recalling the cinematic stylings of Alfred Hitchcock and, especially, David Lynch. Immortality is geared more towards cinephiles than mainstream gamers, so don’t expect a lot of action. The acting performances, however, are excellent.

Sam Barlow made a similar game called Her Story, which was also well-received, and the less popular Telling Lies. He’s been involved with several entries in the Silent Hill franchise, including Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Shattered.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cinematic-mystery-game-immortality-comes-to-ps5-on-january-23-191054771.html?src=rss

HBO’s The Last of Us has found its Abby

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The second season of HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us is about to go into production. That means we're starting to find out the actors who have been cast in key roles from the second game, including the most pivotal new character of them all, Abby. No spoilers here, but Kaitlyn Dever, the star of Booksmart and No One Will Save You, is taking on the challenging role. (Let's just say we hope she nukes all of her social media accounts.)

“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material,” the show's co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann told Variety. “Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro [Pascal], Bella [Ramsay] and the rest of our family.”

Abby is described as “a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved.” As it happens, Dever and Druckmann have worked together in the past. She played Cassie, the daughter of Nathan Drake, in the epilogue of Uncharted 4, a game that Druckmann co-directed.

Dever is joining the series just after it won eight Emmy awards (including acting honors for Storm Reid and Nick Offerman), and that's even before the delayed main ceremony takes place this Sunday. Pascal and Ramsay are nominated for their performances, while the show is up for Outstanding Drama Series. Overall, The Last of Us snagged 24 Emmy nominations this year, more than any other show except for Succession.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hbos-the-last-of-us-has-found-its-abby-182020670.html?src=rss

The Mandalorian (and Grogu) are coming to theaters, with series creator Jon Favreau directing

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It’s official. The Mandalorian and his little green buddy are coming to the big screen, and before Dave Filoni’s long-anticipated crossover film event. The movie, appropriately titled The Mandalorian & Grogu, will be helmed by Jon Favreau, who created the Disney+ streaming TV show.

Fans have been speculating why there hasn’t been a renewal announcement regarding a new season of The Mandalorian, and this could be why. The film’s going into production this year, which is likely when a new season of the show would have been created. Beyond Favreau, the producers include franchise luminaries Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni. There’s no plot synopsis, but Kennedy says the “new story is a perfect fit for the big screen.”

Director Jon Favreau not only created The Mandalorian TV show, but kickstarted the entire MCU when he directed a little film called Iron Man. He also helmed Elf, Swingers and live-action remakes of The Lion King and The Jungle Book.

Disney has offered no information regarding where in the timeline this film would take place, but one assumes it would be set directly following the events of both The Mandalorian season 3 and the first season of Ahsoka. This means that Mando and his ridiculously cute ward could become involved with Grand Admiral Thrawn’s attempts to rebuild the empire.

In a short span of time, we’ve gone from wondering if there would ever be another Star Wars movie to there being, well, a whole bunch of them. The Mandalorian & Grogu will likely lead to Dave Filoni’s unnamed crossover movie that features characters from across ‘The Mandoverse’, including Ahsoka, Boba Fett, Ezra Bridger, CGI Luke Skywalker and more.

There’s also a movie in the works chronicling the further adventures of Rey, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and a film exploring the origins of the Jedi and Sith directed by James Mangold. On the TV side of things, Ahsoka has been greenlit for a second season. Before that, however, there’s the Jude Law vehicle Skeleton Crew and a show set hundreds of years before the Skywalker Saga called The Acolyte. Star Wars: The Bad Batch is also getting a third and final season.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-mandalorian-and-grogu-are-coming-to-theaters-with-series-creator-jon-favreau-directing-174732996.html?src=rss

Alan Wake is coming to Dead by Daylight on January 30

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Even though it often seems Behaviour Interactive is on the verge of running out of horror icons to add to Dead by Daylight, it's still managing to bring notable characters to the hit survival horror game. The next well-known name to hit DbD is the one and only Alan Wake.

One of the protagonists of Alan Wake 2, widely regarded as one of the best games of 2023, the renowned author is officially coming to DbD on January 30 as part of the next chapter. However, you can try playing as the new survivor on the latest public test build on Steam right now.

Actors Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta are once again lending their likeness and voice, respectively, to Alan Wake. As you might expect, you'll hear new voicelines from Wake as he tries to survive the horrors of The Fog. Of course, he wields a flashlight in this game too. Wake gets extra movement speed while shining a flashlight and if he successfully dazzles a killer, they'll be temporarily slowed down.

Alan Wake is joining a litany of classic horror characters in Dead by Daylight, including Chucky, the Demogorgon from Stranger Things, the Xenomorph and Ellen Ripley from Alien and Sadako from The Ring. Nicolas Cage (yes, the actual Nicolas Cage) is in the game too.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alan-wake-is-coming-to-dead-by-daylight-on-january-30-171513476.html?src=rss

Microsoft will finally show off its Indiana Jones game on January 18

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Microsoft has set a date for its next gaming showcase. Its second Developer_Direct event will include more details on Avowed, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and strategy title Ara: History Untold. Most intriguingly though, MachineGames will at long last reveal details about its Indiana Jones game, three years after the project was announced.

The Wolfenstein studio will offer up over 10 minutes of game and developer insights. Along with the first gameplay trailer, we'll learn about the story and setting and find out just how you'll control the legendary archeologist.

On the Avowed front, Obsidian will take a deep dive into some gameplay from the action RPG, which should hit Xbox and PC this year. We'll see gameplay from Oxide Games' Civilization-esque Ara: History Untold too. Last but not least, Ninja Theory will offer a behind the scenes peek at Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Perhaps we'll finally get a release date for that title, which is slated to arrive this year.

The first edition of Developer_Direct took place last January. It was then that Microsoft both announced and suddenly released Hi-Fi Rush, one of the most highly rated games of 2023. Perhaps Microsoft will have a similar surprise up its sleeves this year.

One thing's for certain though: there won't be any updates on Activision Blizzard games. Xbox says its freshly acquired publisher will have news to share later this year.

The Developer_Direct will start at 3PM ET on January 18, and you'll be able to watch it on Xbox's and Bethesda's social channels. Afterwards, at 4PM ET, Elder Scrolls Online fans can tune in to a global reveal to find out what's coming to the MMORPG in its next major chapter.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-will-finally-show-off-its-indiana-jones-game-on-january-18-161700133.html?src=rss

Meta will hide topics like self-harm and eating disorders from teens

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Meta is introducing one of its most significant privacy updates yet related to teen user protection, the company announced today. They greatly expand on previous content control measures aiming to lock down teens' privacy settings, following recent lawsuits by US states and others.

The new measures will hide content related to self-harm, graphic violence, eating disorders and other harmful topics from teens on Instagram and Facebook. Related content will now be restricted from users under 16 in their Feeds and Stories, even if it's shared by an account they follow. When teens search for those topics, they'll instead by directed to "expert resources." The company said it consulted with experts in adolescent development to determine what type of content to block. 

In addition, Meta will be automatically placing existing teen users into the most restrictive control settings, expanding on a previous update that placed only new users into that category. Those users will be unable to opt out of those settings, called "Sensitive Content Control" on Instagram and "Reduce" on Facebook.

The social media giant is also introducing notifications with prompts that direct teens to update their privacy to "turn on recommended settings." That will automatically restrict who can repost their content and tag or mention them. It'll also stop non-followers from messaging teen users and hide offensive comments.

It's the latest in a series of privacy updates designed to protect teens using Meta products. In 2022, the company introduced measures to switch users under 16 to the most restrictive content settings and added a new feature to prevent "suspicious" adults from messaging teens on Facebook and Instagram. More recently, it limited ads targeting teens based on gender.  

Today's update more significantly limits what youths can access, though, following a series of recent lawsuits against the platform. Those include a complaint filed by 41 states accusing Meta of harming the mental health of its youngest users, another filed by Seattle schools over a youth "mental health crisis" and a recent ruling that social media companies will be forced to defend teen addiction lawsuits. 

Another recently unsealed complaint filed by 33 states alleges that Meta "coveted and pursued" users under the age of 13 and has been dishonest about how it handles underage users' accounts when they're discovered. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-will-hide-topics-like-self-harm-and-eating-disorders-from-teens-151012630.html?src=rss

OpenAI admits it’s impossible to train generative AI without copyrighted materials

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OpenAI and its biggest backer, Microsoft, are facing several lawsuits accusing them of using other people's copyrighted works without permission to train the former's large language models (LLMs). And based on what OpenAI told the House of Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee, we might see more lawsuits against the companies in the future. It would be "impossible to train today's leading AI models without using copyrighted materials," OpenAI wrote in its written evidence (PDF) submission for the committee's inquiry into LLMs, as first reported by the The Guardian.

The company explained that it's because copyright today "covers virtually every sort of human expression — including blog posts, photographs, forum posts, scraps of software code, and government documents." It added that "[l]imiting training data to public domain books and drawings created more than a century ago might yield an interesting experiment, but would not provide AI systems that meet the needs of today's citizens." OpenAI also insisted that it complies with copyright laws when it trains its models. In a new post on its blog made in response to the The New York Times' lawsuit, it said the use of publicly available internet materials to train AI falls under fair use doctrine. 

It admitted, however, that there is "still work to be done to support and empower creators." The company talked about the ways it's allowing publishers to block the GPTBot web crawler from being able to access their websites. It also said that it's developing additional mechanisms allowing rightsholders to opt out of training and that it's engaging with them to find mutually beneficial agreements. 

In some of the lawsuits filed against OpenAI and Microsoft, the plaintiffs accuse the companies of refusing to pay authors for their work while building a billion-dollar industry and enjoying enormous financial gain from copyrighted materials. The more recent case filed by a couple of non-fiction authors argued that the companies could've explored alternative financing options, such as profit sharing, but have "decided to steal" instead.

OpenAI didn't address those particular lawsuits, but it did provide a direct answer to The New York Times' complaint that accuses it of using its published news articles without permission. The publication isn't telling the full story, it said. It was already negotiating with The Times regarding a "high-value partnership" that would give it access to the publication's reporting. The two parties were apparently still in touch until December 19, and OpenAI only found out about the lawsuit on December by reading about it on The Times.

In the complaint filed by the newspaper, it cited instances of ChatGPT providing users with "near-verbatim excerpts" from paywalled articles. OpenAI accused the publication of intentionally manipulating prompts, such as including lengthy excerpts of articles in its interaction with the chatbot to get it to regurgitate content. It's also accusing The Times of cherry picking examples from many attempts. OpenAI said the lawsuit filed by The Times has no merit, but it's still hopeful for a "constructive partnership" with the publication. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-admits-its-impossible-to-train-generative-ai-without-copyrighted-materials-103311496.html?src=rss

I’m ashamed how much I love Mercedes-AMG and will.i.am’s attempt to turn cars into DJs

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If you’ve ever wanted to turn your car into a DJ, with the sound controlled by how you drive, then you need to buy a Benz, stat. Mercedes-AMG and will.i.am have turned up at CES 2024 in Las Vegas with what they’re calling MBUX SOUND DRIVE (all caps, as if to be bellowed). Sadly, it’s hard to talk about what it is and what it does without robbing it of its mystery, so apologies in advance: It’s essentially a system that pulls data from the car’s suite of sensors, which then helps control a specially-deconstructed music file. But, as joyless as that description sounds, once you’ve experienced it, you’ll wonder why it hasn’t been done before. Not to mention that, at the risk of gushing, it really does deepen the emotional connection between driving and the music you’re listening to.

The announcement came as part of Mercedes’ CES push, which this year is focused on the power of its audio setup. Alongside the announcement of MBUX SOUND DRIVE, it’s boasting of a new partnership with Amazon Music and Audible. That’ll see Dolby Atmos versions of its exclusive audio dramas, podcasts and books come to compatible vehicles. (The highlight of the event was when legendary British audio producer Dirk Maggs took to the stage, the figure responsible for the latter radio versions of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.)

MBUX SOUND DRIVE works by pairing musical elements in a song with ten inputs taken from the car. Start the car and all you get is the track’s bed, so to speak, looping in the background waiting for you to get moving. Push on the accelerator at low speeds and it’ll add some bass reverb to the song, while turning the steering wheel gets you extra effects or the chorus loop kicking in. It’s only when you open the car up on a clear highway and the main music and lyrics will start blasting, rewarding you for moving along. And then, when you’re coasting toward a stop light, the lead vocal and melody will peel away, returning you to the far less intrusive backing track.

If nothing else, it’s a spectacular piece of hardware and software development, given the fact even the fanciest in-car platform wasn’t designed to do this. It’s worth pointing out the extent of the achievement that’s enabled something like this to happen on an existing system. And there are plans to extend it further so, for instance, if the windshield wipers detect rain, the music will change to reflect the mood.

The demo I experienced had 16 tracks pre-loaded, including The Black Eyed Peas’ I Got A Feeling and Le French’s Night Drive. These songs have all been broken down and rebuilt to take advantage of MBUX SOUND DRIVE’s separated format. When you’re just cruising around a Las Vegas parking lot, it’s all pretty restrained, even if you do put some heavy reverb on while you’re parked. In fact, the whole experience at slow speeds could almost be described as teasing, offering you hints of the song you know and love, but never giving you the whole thing.

It’s only when you (or in this case, your qualified driver) puts their foot down and you suddenly start screaming down the road that the whole song kicks in. Even a song like I Got A Feeling, hardly the most bombastic, suddenly feels epic in this format. The closest thing I can compare it to is those moments in Grand Theft Auto when you’re opening it up on the highway and a great track kicks in. Of course, the best example of that would be cruising down the road while David Bowie’s Somebody Up There Likes Me plays. But, despite will.i.am’s promises that when the system arrives halfway through 2024 all genres will be well-represented, I’m not so sure. After all, it’s clear that tracks primarily based on discrete loops are going to be the easiest to translate and the most well-suited to the environment.

In terms of the future, will.i.am shared his hopes that tracks could be hard-coded to reflect a geography. He used the example of a car going through a tunnel, which would prompt a gas car driver to put their foot down to fill the space with engine noise. But in our electric future, where there is no engine noise, users will instead have to content themselves with the jolt from their favourite song. He added that he also dreams of building in easter eggs for songs, which would only start playing when the car reaches a specific location. On one hand, I’m curious how many musicians would take the time to remix their existing songs for the size of the addressable market. Which, in this case, is only Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with a second-generation MBUX system. Then again, money talks.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/im-ashamed-how-much-i-love-mercedes-amg-and-williams-attempt-to-turn-cars-into-djs-023948867.html?src=rss