Ubisoft knows what you think of Vikings: their reputation in history as bloodthirsty invaders, interested in Britain only to pillage its riches. And so, in today’s reveal trailer for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, this version of history is addressed head on.
You see Vikings and their families spending some quiet, quality time together back home in Norway, where Valhalla’s saga begins, and that things weren’t so (Alfred the) Great in Britain either – where the majority of Valhalla actually takes place.
Of course, this first trailer barely scratches the surface of the game – and indeed how its portrayal of Vikings, Saxons and various other groups living in Britain will actually look (though actual footage arrives very soon). Will good old King Alf really be a moustache-twirling pantomime villain? No, lead producer Julien Laferrière assures me, as we settle down to talk Valhalla in detail. Will all Vikings be good guys? No, again. But what seems certain is how Valhalla has been entirely shaped by this principle Vikings were not only invaders but settlers as well. They were ferocious warriors, yes, but also a group of people with a rich culture, living gods and huge mythology – all of which Valhalla will explore in detail. Central to all that will be a new village settlement hub – a home for main character Eivor and their comrades, a familiar starting point for adventures and a place you’ll see your decisions play out.
Loot and village.
It’s another adjustment for a series well past its early transition into RPG territory (Origins) and already able to boast about real mastery of the genre (Odyssey), one which feels like it will fill some of the few remaining blanks in that latter game’s formula. So, instead of embarking on a never-ending journey to defog all the map, Valhalla’s narrative is being built around your settlement, and through it. “It’s your own Viking village you’ll see prosper and grow, and which your clan mates will live in,” Laferrière tells me via video call. “It’s at the centre of our quests and the centre of the decisions you make. We want players to see the consequences of their actions.” Big story arcs will begin and end here, the impact of your decisions rippling through your growing community. You’ll see the effects of alliances – such as weddings to forge relationships between clans – and the consequences of “harsh choices you have to face”. It’s also where you’ll see some of the game’s romances play out (if you choose to indulge in those).
“It really changed the shape of the game we were making,” Laferrière says. “Instead of exploring one territory, then moving on to another and having no real opportunity or reason to return, the settlement changes the structure. So you’ll go on an adventure and then be encouraged to come back to your settlement. It changes the way we’re playing the game we’re making – at least, that’s the bet we’re making.” It’s not an entirely new concept for the franchise, but it’s been a long time since Assassin’s Creed tried to give players a proper home (boats and trains aside, AC3’s rather basic Homestead is the last good example). It’s also a tried and tested idea for the genre. As Laferrière speaks, he describes the settlement as a place of importance in Valhalla reminiscent of Skyhold and the Normandy, which players returned to time and again. As you grow your village, new buildings will be available to customise and upgrade such as a barracks, blacksmith and tattoo parlour.
Eivor the Bearded.
Yesterday’s artwork strongly hinted at Valhalla’s focus on Britain – something made clearer by today’s trailer – and this is where Eivor’s new home will be founded. But you can’t have a Viking game without seeing Scandinavia, and Norway is the setting for the start of the game. “You have to understand where these people are coming from,” Laferrière explains. “You’ll feel the harshness of the lands, the political pressure there at the time. You’ll feel all that and hopefully you’ll understand why you have to move to England where most of the game takes place.” Britain will then make up the bulk of the game’s map, Laferrière adds, but “a few surprise areas” will also feature.
Looking cross.
It’s in Britain, of course, you’ll eventually meet King Alfred, who the trailer paints as the villain of the piece, complete with some Templar-looking artefacts in the background. But Laferrière assures me that Alf will be more of a complex character when you meet him in-game. “He is shown in that [villainous] way in the trailer but over the course of the game you’ll see there’s a lot more nuance to him,” I’m told. The game looks set to cover the Viking campaign against him (the one which led to him being on the run, burning cakes) and his eventual success at pushing the Norse back and unifying swathes of England. “Alfred the Great is a very important historical figure we want to treat right,” Laferrière says. “And to do so it’s all in the subtleties and nuances you’ll find.”
We haven’t touched on Valhalla’s main character Eivor in great detail, though partly this is due to Ubisoft avoiding plot spoilers and partly because, more than ever, I get the feeling we’ll be crafting our own version of this hero as the story progresses. One thing the trailer doesn’t tell you is that Eivor can be played as either male or female, and that your choice of gender is only part of the customisation you’ll get. Beards, tattoos and war paint options will be available to pick from. Your gear will also be customisable, Laferrière says, as will your Viking longboat. (Oh, and you get a Viking longboat.) You can dual wield weapons, and shields make a return after people complained they were left out of Odyssey. Why does the trailer focus on the male version of Eivor only, I asked? The answer, as was the case with Odyssey’s Kassandra and Alexios, is that the marketing will “showcase both at different points”.
That’s so raven.
The other character in the trailer is the mysterious hooded figure which Eivor seems to associate with Norse god Odin – hanging around with a raven, the animal he is commonly linked with. Odyssey let players meet characters and creatures of Greek legend – and it seems like Valhalla will continue in this fold. “We’re obviously using the mythology,” Laferrière says. “We have found a cool way of integrating that with our lore which for today goes into major spoiler territory. But what I’ll say is their gods were part of their daily life. They were believed to be roaming the earth, involved in fights – that was part of the Viking spirituality. And that’s how we treat it in the game, which is true to beliefs and practices at the time.”
Naval gazing.
As for the raven, as many players have guessed, it will be your animal companion in Valhalla, just as eagles were in previous games. “We have a bunch of new abilities for the raven,” Laferrière teases. “We used it as a reason to re-explore the way players can explore the world so it is less reliant on UI. If you notice a distraction somewhere it’s probably because there’s some content there.” And if you thought having a home might mean less exploring the unknown this time around, it sounds like there will still be plenty of that too. “We want to make a world that rewards players for their curiosity. It links in with Vikings being great explorers – so the world is meant to be meaningful.”
Once again, you’ll be exploring both on land and on water, though it sounds like the naval battles of the past have been dialled back somewhat. There’s no sitting and firing cannons at other boats – Vikings just didn’t do that. Instead, your longships act as your fastest means of travel through the English countryside, along waterways which were the main roads of the era. Boats are also your fastest method of escape after launching an assault on a waterside fort. “Any military location you encounter on the rivers of England is fully raidable,” Laferrière explains. “We want you to be playing the ultimate Viking fantasy, so you’ll get to have your Viking buddies going with you on a longship. Sometimes you’ll get resources to take back and upgrade your settlement, or maybe additional firepower to help take down higher level bandits in the region.”
Blade’s back.
This mention of having friends along for the ride makes me wonder if there was any truth to rumours Valhalla might dabble with co-op play (which has not returned after a shaky effort in 2014’s Unity). Ubisoft has confirmed to me this isn’t the case – although some kind of interactivity seems to be on the cards. “Valhalla is a single player game,” a Ubisoft spokesperson clarified, “with many online components, encouraging players to share their progress and creativity”. One thing Ubisoft is willing to pin down for long-time fans is a continuation of the franchise’s overall arc for those engaged in that – meaning more backstory on the First Civilisation, and a third outing for present day character Layla (whose story suddenly got interesting in Odyssey’s final expansion). “We’ve found a way to blend the present day into a new type of experience for players,” Laferrière concludes. “And present day is playable – I can confirm that.”
For more than two and a half years, Valhalla has been in development by the Assassin’s Creed Origins team at Ubisoft Montreal. Led by Ashraf Ismail, creative director of series standouts like Origins and Black Flag, it has also had the support of an eye-popping 14 other studios worldwide. It’s a monumental project, designed from scratch to debut on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X later this year (along with versions for PS4, Xbox One and Stadia). And it looks ready, again, to redefine what Assassin’s Creed can be.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
