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Nintendo Direct June 2023 recap: New Mario games, Star Ocean, and more

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The June 2023 Nintendo Direct shed plenty of light on the Big N’s plans for the Switch in the rest of 2023. Headline acts include a brand-new 2D Mario game and a Super Mario RPG remake launching just months apart. Square Enix is remaking Star Ocean, WarioWare is back in town, and there’s even a new Dragon Quest Monsters in the works.

Nintendo also teased a few new Mario projects for 2024, including a Princess Peach game and a Switch remake of a 3DS classic.

There’s a lot to see, and our June Nintendo Direct recap lists it all out for you.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

The first new Super Mario Bros. game in over a decade adds a generous touch of imagination to the mix, thanks to the Wonder Flowers and their surreal effects. Check out the trailer in our Super Mario Bros. Wonder recap.

New Pikmin 4 trailer

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Nintendo finally pulled the curtain back and showcased Pikmin 4 gameplay, including Oatchi’s helpful abilities and a look at some of the vibrant worlds in store. A demo is planned for sometime before the game launches in July 2023.

Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2 on Switch

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If you can’t wait until July for Pikmin, you can grab the first two games in their HD forms on the Switch eShop. They’re available individually or bundled together with a slight discount. A physical version of the bundle will launch sometime later in 2023.

Star Ocean 2 remake

Square Enix announces Star Ocean 2 remake: A group of pixel characters is standing in a city square near a fountain

Square Enix is bringing Star Ocean The Second Story to life once again, but unlike First Departure, this is a full remake with new features and revamped visuals. Check it out in action in our Star Ocean 2 remake recap.

Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon for Switch

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Nintendo is remastering Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon for Nintendo Switch, updating the 3DS game for modern audiences with slick new visuals. There’s no release date for it yet, though.

New Princess Peach game

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Princess Peach finally gets to star in her own game for the first time since the Nintendo DS’ awkward Super Princess Peach. It’s a bit early to say what’s actually going on, though it evidently revolves around some kind of theatrical motif. Nintendo promised more information in the coming months.

Splatoon 3 summer splatfest

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Summer is here, and Splatoon 3 is celebrating with ice cream and a splatfest. The latest tournament kicks off on July 14, 2023, and asks you to pick your favorite ice cream: mint (the correct choice), strawberry, or vanilla.

New Dragon Quest Monsters game

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After years of slumber, Dragon Quest Monsters is coming back with a brand-new entry: The Dark Prince. This one follows the main antagonist of Dragon Quest 4 who trains and manipulates monsters, since he’s not allowed to actually cause them any harm. Square Enix promised new monster synthesis and 500 critters to train, including some that are new to the Dragon Quest series, when Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince launches on Dec. 1, 2023.

Vampire Survivors on Switch

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The hit indie game is finally launching on Nintendo Switch on Aug. 17, 2023.

New WarioWare game

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Wario is back for more mini-game shenanigans in WarioWare: Move It! This time, you’ll be moving your entire body to control the action. It raises some accessibility questions, but Nintendo will no doubt have more to say about control methods before the game launches on Nov. 3, 2023.

Super Mario RPG Remake

Super Mario RPG is getting the remake treatment. It’s set for launch in November 2023, and you can get a glimpse of it in action in our Mario RPG remake recap.

Just Dance 2024

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Ubisoft’s classic Just Dance series is still going strong, and you can check out the latest one in a new trailer.

Mario+Rabbids Sparks of Hope DLC

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The Last Spark Hunter is the last piece of Sparks of Hope DLC, and it’s out now.

Persona 5 Tactica trailer

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We already knew Persona 5 Tactica existed and was launching on the Switch, but the Direct highlighted a new trailer with a bit more info.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC

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The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is getting a little bit closer. Nintendo teased more info soon, but for now, you can check out a bit of what to expect in a meaty new trailer.

Sonic Superstars for Switch

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We also knew Sonic Superstars was coming to Nintendo Switch, but we get to see a little bit more of it in this new trailer.

Headbangers Rhythm Royale announcement

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Why have a standard rhythm game when you can have one with pigeons?

Detective Pikachu 2 finally surfaces

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Detective Pikachu 2 is real, and while the trailer tells us basically nothing about the game, it still sets the tone for our return to Rhyme City.

Palia for Nintendo Switch

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Palia, the ambitious new cozy game from former Blizzard devs, is also coming to Nintendo Switch.

Batman Arkham Trilogy on Switch

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The Batman Arkham games are finally coming to switch, bundled together in one convenient package. Expect it to launch sometime in fall 2023.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1

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Konami announced the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection during Sony’s May PlayStation Showcase, and now we get a look at what all comes in it. The answer is a lot, including remasters, original games, and even a graphic novel. The collection launches on Oct. 24, 2023.

More Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC

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Another new course is coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe along with some familiar faces from the past.

Silent Hope, a new dungeon crawler

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XSEED is publishing a new dungeon crawler with a fairytale twist.

Penny’s Big Breakaway

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Penny’s Big Breakaway is a stylish new platformer starring Penny, her yo-yo, and a mob of penguins chasing her through a dozen expansive worlds.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

 

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

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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.

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

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Kuwait bans ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’ video game, likely over it featuring Saddam Hussein in 1990s

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.

Kuwait has not publicly acknowledged banning the game, which is a tentpole product for the Microsoft-owned developer Activision and is set to be released on Friday worldwide. However, it comes as Kuwait still wrestles with the aftermath of the invasion and as video game makers more broadly deal with addressing historical and cultural issues in their work.

The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.

There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.

Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.

“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”

Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.

“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.

But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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