Tuesday 25 June 2024

The Morning After: Apple may face another huge EU fine

The European Union isn’t entirely happy with Apple’s approach to its Digital Markets Act and there could be financial consequences. In preliminary findings of its investigation, the European Commission says the company breached Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules by failing to let App Store developers freely tell users about alternate payment options outside of Apple’s ecosystem, what it calls anti-steering rules.

It has been investigating Apple’s behavior since March. Regulators added that although Apple is entitled to receive a payment for helping developers find new customers through the App Store, “the fees charged by Apple go beyond what is strictly necessary for such remuneration.”

Apple told Engadget in a statement, “We are confident our plan complies with the law and estimate more than 99 percent of developers would pay the same or less in fees to Apple under the new business terms we created.”

There are wider repercussions: Apple is reportedly planning to withhold those intriguing new AI features in Europe due to regulations and the possibility that they could affect privacy rules.

— Mat Smith

Paramount+ is raising prices again for all of the Tulsa King fans out there

Google is reportedly building AI chatbots based on celebrities and influencers

Uber is locking New York drivers out of its apps and blaming a city pay rule

New difficulty mod in Stardew Valley will purge your saves if you use a guide

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

The US government has issued a warning to employees with Pixel phones, mandating a security update by July 4. It’s a high-severity firmware vulnerability in the Android operating system that could open up devices to “limited, targeted exploitation.” Government employees who do not install the security update by July 4 must “discontinue use of the product.” However, patch notes and comments aren’t specific about how it works.

Continue reading.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison and has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act. According to a letter from the US Department of Justice obtained by The Washington Post, Assange is specifically pleading guilty to “conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States.”

He will return to Australia, his country of citizenship, right after the proceedings. The Justice Department prosecutors are reportedly recommending a sentence of 62 months, and as Assange already spent more than five years in a UK prison, he won’t be spending any time behind bars in the US.

Continue reading.

TMA
FromSoftware

Elden Ring’s giant Shadow of the Erdtree expansion dropped on Friday, and the first big bad you’ll face is the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, a fearsome creature that uses wind, lightning and ice attacks. But it’s not really a lion. It’s two giants in a costume, a la traditional Chinese dance lions. That information, however, probably won’t help you beat it. The DLC is even more punishing than the base game.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/gwp5BeG

from Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/gwp5BeG

Resident Evil 2 Remake Developers Celebrate Game Being the Franchise King

resident evil 2 remake sales milestone

Capcom Development Studio 1 has celebrated the success of the Resident Evil 2 remake belatedly after it became the best-selling game in the series.

The developers were unable to celebrate Resident Evil 2 remake passing the 10 million milestone in 2022. However, recent financial reports revealed that the game has edged ahead of Resident Evil 7 and hit a whopping 13.9 million copies sold as of March 2024.

Resident Evil 2 remake devs hold belated celebration

”Resident Evil RE:2 surpassed 10 million copies sold in July 2022, and is currently the highest-selling game in the series, having sold over 13.9 million copies!
At the time, we were staying at home, so we weren’t able to celebrate, but we were finally able to do so ?
The positive feedback from everyone who has played the game is encouraging to all of our staff!”

The franchise revival that began with Resident Evil 7 has seen a real shift in the best-sellers list. Resident Evil 5 and 6 were the top sellers for some time, but since 2017, Resident Evil 7, 2 remake, and Village have all come into the converstation. Resident Evil 3 and 4 remakes are also not too far behind, with 8.7 and 7 million units sold, respectively.

The sales of the remake dwarf that of the original. The 1998 title has sold just under 5 million copies to date.

The post Resident Evil 2 Remake Developers Celebrate Game Being the Franchise King appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.



from PlayStation LifeStyle https://ift.tt/N4ChtkS

Monday 24 June 2024

Ex PlayStation Boss Thinks We Should Have One Standard Console in Future

PlayStation vs. Xbox

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Shawn Layden reckons that it’s time for PlayStation vs Xbox debates to end. His proposal: “one standard home console technology.” Layden believes that the differences between both platforms are negligible, which was not the case in the past.

Companies need to get PlayStation vs Xbox platform war ‘out of the way,’ says Shawn Layden

Speaking to IGN Live 2024 (via GamesRadar), Layden said that Sony and Microsoft used to manufacture their consoles with very different architectures, making the differences between them noticeable. However, that is no longer the case, with both companies producing very similar hardware using the same type of technology from manufacturers like AMD.

Layden said that things like “ray tracing differentials” aren’t very noticeable, especially since most players don’t have high-end displays. “Xbox, PlayStation, high-end PC — that’s almost at a plateau where all things being equal, they’re pretty much the same,” Layden remarked. “We’d be in a better world if we could get down to one standard home console technology that we could come together, and get this platform war thing out of the way”

Layden’s suggestion hasn’t been well received by players who believe that both Sony and Microsoft should have competition in the market.

The post Ex PlayStation Boss Thinks We Should Have One Standard Console in Future appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.



from PlayStation LifeStyle https://ift.tt/nbzmlr5

Elden Ring DLC Difficulty Results in Controversy and Negative Player Reviews

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC difficulty

FromSoftware might have finally broken players’ resolve with Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC‘s difficulty level. The usual “git gud” brigade is having such a hard time with the content that the DLC has continuously been review bombed on Steam since its launch, with many complaining about a significant spike in difficulty level.

Bandai Namco responds to Elden Ring DLC difficulty controversy

Elden Ring DLC reviews on Steam range from negative to mixed, which is in stark contrast to critic reviews. This is particularly amusing because critics often come under fire for complaining about unfair difficulty spikes, giving birth to silly internet phrases like “game journo difficulty.” Well, the tables have turned and neither Bandai Namco nor FromSoftware have any plans to dial the challenge down.

Over on X, Bandai Namco called out folks complaining about difficulty:

In a new interview with The Guardian, FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki said that dialling down Elden Ring’s difficulty would “break the game.” “Had we taken that approach, I don’t think the game would have done what it did, because the sense of achievement that players gain from overcoming these hurdles is such a fundamental part of the experience,” Miyazaki explained.

Elden Ring DLC’s difficulty is here to stay. Players will just have to “git gud.”

The post Elden Ring DLC Difficulty Results in Controversy and Negative Player Reviews appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.



from PlayStation LifeStyle https://ift.tt/8MlNH5K

Sony Working on PS3 Backwards Compatibility for ‘Select’ Games – Report

Select PS3 games might come to PS5 via backwards compatibility

Rumor has it that Sony is attempting to bring “select” PS3 games to PS5 via backwards compatibility. PS3 games are currently only available on modern consoles via PS Plus Premium‘s streaming service, which isn’t available in a large number of regions due to lack of appropriate infrastructure.

Select PS3 games will reportedly run on PS5 natively

The rumor in question comes from XboxEra’s Nick “Spheshal_Nick” Baker, who has somewhat of a mixed reputation when it comes to leaks. However, as of late, Baker has been spot on with nearly all of his leaks, so we’re not dismissing this one right away.

According to Baker, if Sony’s efforts bear fruit, select PS3 games will run on PS5 (and possibly also PS4) natively and no streaming will be required. If true, this means that PS Plus Deluxe (alternative to Premium in non-streaming regions) may finally get PS3 classics as part of the catalog.

Full PS3 backwards compatibility and emulation remains a pipe dream. It has often been theorized that PS3’s complicated infrastructure is to blame for the lack of cross-gen support. But with Sony finally starting to bring PS2 games to modern consoles, it’s speculated that first-party PS3 games might get the same treatment.

The post Sony Working on PS3 Backwards Compatibility for ‘Select’ Games – Report appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.



from PlayStation LifeStyle https://ift.tt/u6QnCUg

Sony Offers Free Astro Avatars in Lieu of PS Stars as Days of Play Ends

PS Stars Days of Play

Sony has once again acknowledged the ongoing PS Stars outage as Days of Play 2024 campaign comes to an end with no resolution in sight. Players are still locked out of redeeming their points and it’s unclear if they’re earning points for their purchases while the loyalty program is down.

Redeem free avatars while PS Stars Days of Play digital collectible is inaccessible

In addition to being locked out of points, PS Stars members have also been temporarily denied the Days of Play Community Celebration Digital Collectible. Sony says it’ll share more information on the status of PS Stars and when players can redeem said collectible, but in the meantime, use the regional codes below to unlock four Astro Bot avatars (pictured above) for free:

  • North America: MKHX-PJGL-HQA2
  • Europe, Australia, and New Zealand: JPFQ-66LN-QGLJ
  • Japan: 4GDE-JE36-4L6E
  • South Korea: 8M8N-HE7E-A8XP

“We’re aware of an issue with PlayStation Stars and are actively working on a solution,” reads an official statement on the PlayStation website. “We’ll share more information on redeeming the Days of Play Community Celebration Digital Collectible as soon as we have it. In the meantime, we’re giving four Astro avatars to the community to say thank you for taking part.”

It’s not a lot, but it’s something!

The freebie is only available until July 11, 2024, so grab it before it’s gone.

The post Sony Offers Free Astro Avatars in Lieu of PS Stars as Days of Play Ends appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.



from PlayStation LifeStyle https://ift.tt/f5mRC74

Sunday 23 June 2024

Getting Started In Shadow Of The Erdtree And More Gaming Tips For The Week

This week, we’ve got tips for helping you get started on the right foot in Shadow of the Erdtree. We’ll also help you determine just which of the many swords Cloud finds in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the best, and how to use Starfield’s robust new settings to tailor the game to your liking.

Read more...



from Kotaku https://ift.tt/eurAmcw