Tech

How To Get A Refund For Cyberpunk 2077 On PS4 Or Xbox One – Kotaku

Published

4 years ago

December 14, 2020

cyberpunk 2077 city skyline — The Night City skyline of *Cyberpunk 2077*, seen here running on an Xbox Series X.

You don’t have to stick with Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red’s latest open-world escapade released last week to a raucous mix of fanfare and criticism, with much of the ire rooted in how poorly the game runs on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One—and how CDPR hid those versions from players and reviewers until launch. If you’re among those who’d prefer to jump ship—away from the game’s litany of bugs and baggage—you can request a refund for your console copy of the game. The development studio confirmed as much in a tweet today.

Those who purchased the game digitally on Xbox One can request a refund directly through Microsoft’s Xbox support page. Once you sign in, that page should show a list of purchases made on your account. But—and this shouldn’t come as a surprise—it’s a bit wonky. If a line item for Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t showing up, and if you have your order number on hand, you can manually fill out a refund request form here. (Note: That link will prompt you to sign into your Microsoft account.) Microsoft’s terms of service limit refunds after 14 days from the date of purchases.

On PlayStation, you also have to request your refund within 14 days. As with Xbox digital games, you can do it directly through Sony’s PlayStation support site. Pretty much all roads here lead to—I’m so sorry—a chatbot, which will walk you through the process and eventually connect you to a real human with real thoughts and real feelings and real lived history. PlayStation’s cancellation policy states that you can get a refund for any game purchased within 14 days, so long as you haven’t started downloading it. There’s an exception for “content” that “is faulty.” (Kotaku reached out to Sony to clarify whether or not Cyberpunk 2077 is “faulty.”) Some users report getting their money back after calling Sony’s U.S. hotline.

the sony playstation chat bot — The chatbot is slow as molasses but will eventually get you where you need.

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Cyberpunk 2077 is playable on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility, where it both looks prettier and runs better than it does on last-gen machines. New-gen versions are planned for an unspecified date in the future. For now, no matter what console you’re playing on, you’re playing the PS4 or Xbox One version of the game—the one many people are dissatisfied with. Since both of these refund methods are done through a browser, rather than directly on your console, there’s no apparent reason your console of choice should prevent you from receiving a refund.

That doesn’t mean the process is working as promoted. Some PlayStation users have reported issues while trying to get a refund through Sony. Folks at ResetEra, the popular video game forum, have posted screenshots of refund requests resulting in denials. Sony appears to be sticking hard to the line that, provided a game has been downloaded, a refund is out of the question.

I tried going through the motions myself. After picking up a copy of Cyberpunk 2077 for PlayStation 4 (I’ve been playing the game on Xbox), I hit up Sony’s chatbot. It starts off with a seven-question survey. The fifth question asked if I downloaded the game yet—a clear violation of Sony’s policy. When I answered honestly, the bot shut down our conversation, but I was able to simply start over. Lying (by saying I hadn’t downloaded the game yet) allowed me to proceed to the next question. At the end of the questionnaire, I was given a support ID number and the option to connect with a live agent either over the phone, by calling Sony’s support center, or via instant messaging.

Call Sony’s customer service center? The very same one countless people have likely swamped with all manner of issues, least of all the persistent scarcity of the PlayStation 5? Yeah. I opted to chat over text.

Well, first I had to wait for 383 people to go before me.

After about half an hour, I was able to connect with a customer service representative, who very kindly offered to help me out to the best of their ability. I handed over my support ID number. A few minutes later, the representative wrote back to tell me that, because the game had already been downloaded—a clear violation of Sony’s policy—the company could not grant me a refund. As I was typing up a question about whether or not Cyberpunk 2077 fell into the category of “faulty” content for which refunds would be granted, the representative thanked me for my time and closed the chat before I could send a response.

Kotaku has followed up with Sony about whether or not the company is granting refunds for Cyberpunk 2077. Crickets.

As for Xbox, I’ve seen mixed results: some people reporting that refunds were granted without issue, while others saying they have been denied.

Things get muddier with brick-and-mortar retailers. If you picked up a boxed copy of the game, CD Projekt Red says to first head back to the store—in the midst of a pandemic that continues to trigger waves of lockdowns—you made the purchase at and request a refund there first. Okay. Sure. Let’s say you throw a mask on and head back to your local Best Buy (a big-box retailer with a famously strict return policy for video games). After some back-and-forth and some requisite puppy-dog eyes, the customer service employee you speak to still says what amounts to, “LOL nope.” Now what?

In that instance or any like it, CD Projekt Red says to reach out directly by emailing helpmerefund [at] cdprojektred [dot] com, where the company will “do our best to help you.” The email address will be open until December 21. It’s unclear what “our best” means, and if CD Projekt Red will be able to circumvent the specific stated policies of retailers.

Kotaku reached out to CD Projekt Red about how it would issue refunds to such SOL gamers. The company declined to comment. On Friday, CD Projekt Red announced the company had already recouped development costs for Cyberpunk 2077, one day after the game was officially released.

Update, 6:30 p.m.: The text has been changed to reflect response from CD Projekt Red and some additional information about Sony’s refund process.

Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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