In case you weren’t watching the live-streamed event, Sony showed off a slate of games, including a few exclusives, coming to the PlayStation 5.
The wait for details on next-gen games has been long, but the good news is that there seems to be plenty in the pipeline coming this holiday when the PS5 launches, and shortly thereafter in 2021. What came as a surprise during the event was that we got a closer look at the DualSense controller and the actual console itself, which had yet to be revealed to the public.
We know you want to get quickly caught up, so we’re going to fill you in on the biggest announcements that made a rumble at the event.
At the very end of the showcase, Sony finally pulled the veil from its PlayStation 5 console. There were a lot of questions surrounding what it might actually look like, and the results? It looks like, well, a console. It has white sides, with a glossy, curved center. The biggest news is that there will be two version of the console, one being a slightly slimmer all-digital version with no disc drive. We also got a good look at some accessories coming soon. One of the big missing pieces still is the price.
Sony showed a teaser and what appeared to be some gameplay for Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. This one has some truly varied landscapes and environments, and it looks amazing. Perhaps my favorite part of the trailer was seeing the photorealistic scan of Lance Reddick, who seems to control one of the factions you’ll encounter in the game.
Rockstar announced that GTAV is coming to the PS5. It’s the game’s second remaster, having first come out on the PS3, then to the PS4. With the PS5 version, Rockstar is amping up the visuals for the game’s release for 2021. Sony said that PS Plus on PS5 users will get GTAV for free when the game launches.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is launching on the PS5 this holiday when the console is scheduled to launch. Sony showed in-game footage, which looked unsurprisingly spectacular and speedy. Marvel’s Spider-Man served as a tech demo for showing off how quickly the PS5’s hardware could render the city’s horizon, so it’s not a huge surprise to see a sequel coming. Though, it is somewhat of a surprise to see it happening so shortly after the original game.
Sony showed off Gran Turismo 7, the next installment in the long-running driving sim franchise. That franchise has already achieved photorealism with previous entries, though from the trailer, it seems like Sony is leaning into the audio capabilities of the PS5.
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Ratchet & Clank gets a new entry on PS5
Insomniac Games is bringing Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart to the PS5. No release date was given. You can see some of the weapon play (always a quirky, exciting part of the game) and the main mechanic, the inter-dimensional rifts, in the trailer above. Insomniac says that the PS5 hardware enabled the team to stream in new planets and environments quickly without the need for loading screens.
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Square Enix unveils Project Athia
Project Athia is a new title developed exclusively for the PS5 by Square Enix. Not many details were shared, but it looks to be an action-heavy platforming title with mythical elements. Check out the trailer for yourself.
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Returnal is a new game coming exclusively to PS5
This new exclusive title for the PS5 features a protagonist who repeatedly experiences moments of trauma. It’s a truly awkward name that sounds like it should belong in the Metal Gear Rising series. That said, it has a cool look and the gameplay seems like it’s a roguelike, where some of your progress will persist after you die.
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SackBoy: A Big Adventure, a LittleBigPlanet spin-off, is coming to PS5
Sony unveiled a trailer for SackBoy: A Big Adventure, a new platforming title that’s very much in the style of LittleBigPlanet. It seems like a good time if you like that game’s floaty physics, and I kind of can’t believe that something like this doesn’t already exist.
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Destruction Allstars looks like Twisted Metal meets Titanfall
If you’re looking for a game that mixes driving, explosions, and some platforming, Destruction Allstars looks like it’s uniquely qualified to quell your craving.
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Stray, a game that features cats in a cyberpunk world, is coming to PS5
It’s tough to tell exactly what you’ll be doing in Stray, but since it has cats, they really don’t need to explain it anymore.
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Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a PS5 exclusive
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a new exclusive coming to PS5.
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There’s a new Oddworld game coming to PS5
Lorne Lanning introduced a new entry in the quirky, long-running Oddworld series called Oddworld Soulstorm. It has a darker tone to previous titles, but there’s still a good share of platforming and oddities.
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We got our first look at Ghostwire: Tokyo gameplay
Ghostwire: Tokyo made an appearance during the Sony event, and we got to see the first gameplay since the game made its debut last year at E3. It’s a first-person melee and magic-based title where you have to save Tokyo by ousting the ghosts that threaten to take it over. You know, no biggie. It’s coming in 2021.
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Godfall, Gearbox’s third-person slasher, is coming in holiday 2020
We got another look at Godfall, Gearbox’s new game that is likely to be a launch title for the PS5. The look hasn’t changed much since we last saw it, so that might be a good sign that it’ll meet its holiday 2020 launch window.
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Solar Ash is the new game from the makers of Hyper Light Drifter
The creators of Hyper Light Drifter unveiled their new title, Solar Ash, which features a protagonist that looks quite familiar. Though this game ditches the tilt-shifted perspective, the art style is similarly gorgeous to Hyper Light Drifter.
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Hitman III is coming January 2021
The next installment in the rebooted Hitman franchise is coming to PS5 (it’s coming to PS4, as well). IO Interactive shared a trailer that shows a little bit of a mission in Dubai played out. It looks impressive, if not a little iterative. There’s nothing wrong with some more Hitman.
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Astro’s Playroom is coming to PS5
Sony is developing Astro’s Playroom, a platforming game set in the world of the cute AstroBots. Thankfully, this one probably won’t require you to have one of Sony’s peripherals, like a camera or a VR headset — but who knows, since Sony unveiled a new camera for the PS5, maybe it will?
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Little Devil Inside is coming to PS5
This might be one of the games I most looking forward to playing from the showcase. It has a unique visual style, and the adventure seems to take your character just about everywhere.
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The creators of Octodad have a new game called Bugsnax
Bugsnax, a new game from the studio that made Octodad, is coming holiday 2020. You really should just watch the trailer. This title is coming to PS4, as well.
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A very sweaty NBA 2K21 is coming to PS5
There’s a new NBA 2K basketball game coming to the PS5. It’s actually launching before the console is available, but Sony showed off some pre-alpha footage of the game running on the PS5. There’s plenty of sweat particles, moving cloth, and all of the other stuff you expect from a fancy sports game on a next-gen console.
FromSoftware is prepping a remaster to Demon’s Souls, the first game in the Souls series, for PS5. It’s being worked on by BluePoint Games. There doesn’t seem to be any gameplay in the trailer, but it looks nice.
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Arkane showed off some Deathloop gameplay
Deathloop is a stylish, hyper-violent first-person shooter made by Arkane, the studio responsible for Prey and Dishonored. Similar to Ghostwire: Tokyo, this one was announced last year. It looks like it rolls in all of the gameplay that makes Dishonored really fun, but it seems to borrow some cool “elusive target”-style mechanics from the likes of Hitman.
Capcom’s next entry in the popular Resident Evil franchise is coming to PS5. Like RE7, this one is played in first-person perspective, which might sound dodgy for a horror game, but it worked well last time. Things were happening very quickly in the trailer, but I swear I saw some familiar iconography and enemy types to Resident Evil 4, one of my favorite games. I guess I’ll need to watch this trailer again. It’s coming in 2021.
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.
