From June 11–13, the CSS Working Group (CSSWG) held its second face-to-face meeting of the year in Coruña, Spain, with a long agenda of new features and improvements coming to language. If 2023 brought us incredible advances like …
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Mistral AI has announced NeMo, a 12B model created in partnership with NVIDIA. This new model boasts an impressive context window of up to 128,000 tokens and claims state-of-the-art performance in reasoning, world knowledge, and coding accuracy for its size category. The collaboration between Mistral AI…
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Last week, Xbox announced it was introducing new Game Pass tiers and raising its subscription prices for existing members on September 12. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took issue with these changes in a filing yesterday to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
In case you missed it, Microsoft revealed a new tier called Xbox Game Pass Standard, a $15 monthly subscription for new members that excludes day-one releases, EA Play, PC Game Pass, and cloud gaming. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes those perks, will have its monthly price raised from $17 to $20. Xbox Game Pass Core, which only offers online play and a smaller library, is raising its yearly sub from $60 to $75 (the $10 monthly fee remains unchanged). PC Game Pass is increasing from $10 per month to $12.
Additionally, the $10.99 Game Pass for Console is no longer be available to new subscribers as of July 10. If existing subscribers fail to renew their membership, they will be permanently locked out of this tier and must subscribe to another, more expensive membership.
In the filing, the FTC blasts Microsoft’s discontinuation of Game Pass for Console, stating that users must pay a substantial price increase (81%) to switch to Game Pass Ultimate. Those unwilling to do so must settle for Game Pass Standard, which the FTC describes as a “degraded product” since it excludes day-one releases.
“[Game Pass Standard] costs 36% more than Console Game Pass, and withholds day-one releases. Product degradation—removing the most valuable games from Microsoft’s new service—combined with price increases for existing users, is exactly the sort of consumer harm from the merger the FTC has alleged.”
The FTC was the primary opposition against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and sees this move as proof of its concerns over the purchase.
“Microsoft’s price increases and product degradation—combined with Microsoft’s reduced investments in output and product quality via employee layoffs[…]—are the hallmarks of a firm exercising market power post-merger.”
The FTC goes on to call the price increases “inconsistent” with the case Microsoft made during the Xbox FTC trial last year. It states, “Microsoft promised that ‘the acquisition would benefit consumers by making [CoD] available on Microsoft’s Game Pass on the day it is released on console (with no price increase for the service based on the acquisition).’ Microsoft’s post-merger actions thus vindicate the congressional design of preliminarily halting mergers to fully evaluate their likely competitive effects, and judicial skepticism of promises inconsistent with a firm’s economic incentives.”
That last portion references Call of Duty: Black Ops 6‘s (the first new entry to release post-acquisition) October 25 launch on Game Pass Ultimate, roughly a month after the subscription tier’s price increase.
In Hollywood, where dreams are made and legends are born, a new force is emerging that promises to redefine the landscape of the entertainment industry, generative artificial intelligence. The question on everyone’s mind shouldn’t be so much about the jobs AI might replace, or mundane tasks…
Paramount has canceled Halo, the live-action TV adaptation of Xbox’s flagship franchise, after two seasons. The show’s second season premiered on Paramount+ earlier this year.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, Halo showrunners Amblin, Xbox, and 343 Industries are seeking a new outlet for a potential third season, with Paramount reportedly supporting the move.
“Paramount+ can confirm that ‘Halo’ will not move forward with a third season on the service,” Paramount said in a statement. “We are extremely proud of this ambitious series and would like to thank our partners at Xbox, 343 Industries and Amblin Television, along with showrunner and executive producer David Wiener, his fellow executive producers, the entire cast led by Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief and the amazing crew for all their outstanding work. We wish everyone the best going forward.”
After years of development, Halo premiered on Paramount+ on March 24, 2022, and stars Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief. Season 1 received a mixed reception from critics and fans, with many lambasting it for deviating from the games’ established lore and characterizations. Season 2, which premiered earlier this year on February 8 and concluded on March 21, was received more positively, with several critics and viewers hailing it as a dramatic improvement. Season 1 currently sits at 70% on Rotten Tomatoes/61 on Metacritic. Season 2 garnered a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes/64 on Metacritic.
For our thoughts on Halo Season 1, check out our video reviews of each episode. You can also read our February interview with the showrunners about how they planned to make Season 2 feel more faithful to the games.
Successful rebuilds require strong foundations. After a drought, Alabama’s Nick Saban reinforced his staff with innovative coordinators like Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin. Urban Meyer urged beloved Gators captain Tim Tebow to inspire his teammates. And during his short tenure at Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher secured extraordinary recruiting classes. The road to success is paved in various ways, but EA Orlando knows football doesn’t have to be rocket science. In EA Sports College Football 25 (CFB 25), coaching chemistry is an engaging skill-tree balancing act, locker rooms come to life with unique player abilities, and roster recruitment is a tense but gratifying public relations minigame. Like a generational talent, CFB 25 possesses all the intangibles, even if some minor fumbles prevent it from snagging unanimous All-American honors.
There’s nothing quite like the pageantry of college football, and EA Orlando’s reverence for gridiron spectacle is apparent from the jump; pirouetting cheerleaders make way for mascots followed by armies of energized players, helmets sparkling brilliantly in the sun. Whether it’s Chief Osceola galloping toward the 50-yard line or Smokey leading the Volunteers’ iconic charge, CFB 25’s fanfare never disappoints. This deep immersion also extends to the impeccable on-field presentation. After breaking from the huddle, my fidgety linemen await the snap as a trio of hulking linebackers turn to the sideline for cues. The world vibrates with “Mo Bamba’s” menacing bassline, and when Penn State’s Nick Singleton shoots the gap toward daylight, Beaver Stadium’s white sea erupts. Thankfully, these awesome atmospheric moments dazzle in every face-off, from big-time rivalry games to routine conference matchups.
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The sleek visuals are paired nicely with speedy gameplay. Agile halfbacks beat defenders to the edge, elusive wideouts catch bullet passes in stride, and powerful rushers tear through pockets in the blink of an eye. Throw a vast array of abilities into the mix, and every play call or pre-snap adjustment has the makings of a memorable highlight. Lobbing balls to tall receivers with the 50-50 physical ability always feels like an exhilarating risk worth taking. And masking coverage shells to force picks with lockdown corners is so gratifying when met with zany celebrations. Improved ball-carrier movement is the cherry on top as simple stick adjustments make slipping through the trenches, turning upfield, or breaking free from pesky backs satisfyingly flashy. CFB 25’s frenetic tempo and big-play potential might lead to a frustratingly disproportionate number of nail-biting shootouts, but fluid controls alongside vibrant on- and off-field animations make playing to the whistle worth all the sweat and tears.
The game’s modest selection of modes, however, is less consistent. Dynasty shines as several emergent systems – namely, coaching archetypes and recruiting procedures – keep the campaign interesting long after winning big. The D-coordinator of an abysmal Coastal Carolina team, I decided to invest skill points in both the motivator and recruiter archetypes, marveling at my team’s respectable XP gains while building rapport by DMing prospective players and their families. I love Dynasty’s slow burn progression; from targeting low-star recruits to finally landing a four-star player years after restoring the program’s athletic reputation. Eventually, my starting lineup of hard-nosed underdogs earned a playoff berth. And even though I never deliver Coastal Carolina a national championship, it’s particularly cathartic to witness my motivator-recruiter philosophy pay off when LSU hands me the keys to Death Valley.
Road to Glory, a solid alternative to Dynasty, touts an impressive catalog of gear customization options, but managing a short list of static meters throughout a three-to-four-year career is not engaging. When I’m not perfecting RPO handoffs in training or taking a knee to ice epic regular season games, I’m allocating a limited supply of “energy” points to maintain high academics, leadership, health, and brand ratings. On paper, cramming for an upcoming midterm while also finding time to enlarge my fandom seems like a fun weekly challenge. In practice, Road to Glory’s off-field loop is akin to completing chores for negligible gameday gains; why attempt a 4.0 GPA if the correlating buff is a lackluster composure increase? Becoming a starter through successful drills and rare in-game opportunities feels like meaningful and dynamic progression, but navigating status bars to flesh out forgettable player attributes just makes me want to quit on the team.
College Ultimate Team (CUT) is nothing new to the EA Sports landscape: Complete challenges (or spend money) to earn points, purchase packs with accumulated points to amass an unstoppable roster, rinse and repeat. CUT attempts to break the mold with interesting challenges that range from learning the basics of the sport to playing historic moments from recent seasons. Its grind will exhaust casual players, but the bite-sized trials mixed with exhilarating PvP play should serve as a welcome reprieve from Dynasty or Road to Glory. Unfortunately, Road to the CFP feels shockingly shallow in comparison to its counterparts. Playing a season against other competitors for mere bragging rights might warrant a few attempts, but with no real incentive or reward beyond leaderboard placement, Road to the CFP will likely remain a short detour.
EA Sports College Football 25 makes the gridiron feel new again with stellar visuals that heighten the gameday intensity and smooth controls that evoke the high-octane moment-to-moment action that makes college football so beloved. I enjoy the painstaking, time-consuming process of revitalizing weak programs in Dynasty as well as competing against teammates to earn that coveted starting spot in Road to Glory, but some skin-deep progression systems and game modes are concerning; beyond the campaigns, there simply isn’t enough to see or do. Nevertheless, CFB 25 is a confident spiral throw in the right direction, and I’m excited to see how its strong foundation evolves in future releases.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has raised its revenue forecast for 2024, citing strong demand for chips in AI applications. The world’s largest contract chipmaker anticipates growth slightly above the mid-20% range in US dollar terms, up from its previous estimate. This adjustment comes as TSMC…
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn does its best to provide an epic adventure despite clear limitations. This semi-open world action game’s bright spots include an exciting premise, a unique tag-team spin on Souls-inspired combat, and an entertaining exploration mechanic. Unfortunately, it falls short of providing a wholly satisfying or polished adventure, resulting in a respectable but flawed revenge quest.
Developer A44 has crafted an intriguing world that blends a colonial aesthetic and technology (think 18th or 19th century) with magic and fantastical creatures. Soldier Nor Vanek embarks on a mission to kill all gods after they and their armies of the dead have broken into the mortal realm. She finds an unlikely ally in Enki, a small fox-like deity with mysterious reasons for helping Nor slay his kin.
As the two gather a small band of allies to take on their divine foes, Flintlock spins an adequate yarn backed by stronger performances. Meaningful character development could be more consistent, however. While the evolution of Nor and Enki’s uneasy partnership feels largely earned with a few decent revelations, the rest of the supporting cast doesn’t get the same love, making it hard to care about them. The pantheon of primary antagonists feel equally uninteresting, as little time is spent establishing their personalities or purpose in this world; they’re just cool-looking punching bags who occasionally taunt players en route to them. When I did find the narrative interesting, uneven sound mixing meant that the soundtrack often muffled dialogue.
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Flintlock’s combat consists of decent melee combat emphasizing small combos while keeping distant foes at bay using a range of firearms. Hacking away at foes using Nor’s axe feels passable at best. Parrying feels equally mediocre and occasionally unreliable due to questionable timing windows that are tricky to nail even hours deep into the adventure. The action functionally works, but a thin layer of jank holds it back, including dumb-as-rocks enemies that often won’t detect you even when passing well within their view.
Hitting a button allows Enki to lend a hand by bestowing debilitating curses that weaken, stun, or poison targets. It’s a neat assist that bears greater fruit after unlocking several cool upgrades. Eventually, Enki can restrain or distract enemies, imbue your melee weapons with his power, and curse multiple foes simultaneously, among other valuable abilities. Firing Nor’s pistol from the hip to interrupt or counter an assault is a fun strategy that made it my favorite sidearm. Other ranged weapons, such as a rifle, grenade launcher, or flamethrower, don’t stand out or feel good enough to encourage regular use.
Though described as a Souls-lite and sporting familiar genre tropes, such as having to retrieve lost experience points (called Reputation) upon death, I wouldn’t call Flintlock a challenging game. Most threats can be torn right through, and none of the boss fights took more than a few attempts; the final boss, most surprisingly, is the biggest pushover of the bunch. The most interesting and effective combat twist is an experience points multiplier that builds as you execute different attacks and actions, encouraging players to creatively vary their assaults. The catch is you must manually add these points to your XP pool by holding a d-pad button; if you don’t, taking damage resets the counter to zero, meaning you can finish a full encounter and walk away with little to show for it (though bigger enemies still drop a guaranteed large amount of XP). I like how this system added more tension and intentionality to combat.
Flintlock mostly unfolds across two medium-sized landmasses sporting a small number of boilerplate sidequests (with worthwhile rewards) and collectibles such as various XP and upgrade items and lore notes. It’s not the most thrilling world to explore, save for an unlockable network of magic warp points called Rifts that let players soar through the sky to expedite travel. Rifts serve as great shortcuts and sometimes create fun platforming segments, making them one of my favorite mechanics in the game.
Flintlock’s presentation is nothing to write home about, with only a few creative creature designs piquing my interest. With two graphical options, you’re better off sticking with the default Performance mode, as Quality offers a negligible bump. Animations can be stilted and sometimes have an unfinished quality, such as the bad-looking slow-motion kill cam that saps the satisfaction from rifle headshots.
Despite my hangups, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn never plummets to being actively bad. Instead, it coasts along a solid line of mediocrity that results in a moderately good time. It often feels like it wants to say or do more but is held back by its scope and execution, not to mention some technical hiccups. Though it occasionally shows flashes of brilliance, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn falls short of achieving true godhood.
In a major move towards making artificial intelligence more accessible, OpenAI has unveiled GPT-4o mini, its “most affordable and intelligent small model” to date….
