Animal Crossing: New Horizons is something of a phenomenon, in case you hadn’t noticed. Not only has it sold by the bucketload, but it has also attracted celebrity fans like Danny Trejo and Elijah Wood, and seems to be the perfect tonic for the current coronavirus lockdown. Heck, we awarded it a well-deserved 10/10 when we reviewed it at launch, and in general, our admiration for this unique life sim has only grown over time.
However, any video game is likely to grow stale over time, even the best ones in the world – and now we’re a few weeks past the game’s release, it seems a fine time to ask that most vital of questions: are you fed up of Animal Crossing yet?
Damien McFerran, Editorial Director
Before I answer that question, it’s probably worth me outlining my own personal history with the Animal Crossing series, because I think it has some bearing on where I am right now.
I got the GameCube version thanks to the overwhelming hype which surrounded its release, and pretty much bounced right off it. I didn’t have the time to dedicate to such a massive undertaking, and therefore my first ‘real’ experience of Animal Crossing was Wild World on the DS – a platform which I could take with me anywhere and was, therefore, a better fit for my hectic lifestyle.
I immersed myself in Wild World’s charms, playing it solidly during lunchtimes and in the evenings. Then I kind of stopped. The allure passed pretty quickly and I moved on to other DS games. Next up was New Leaf, which was pretty much the same story – I went in hot, I thought the game was amazing, then put it aside as other, more pressing titles appeared.
Perhaps the key issue here isn’t with the game – which offers a staggering amount of gameplay potential and content – but with me?
I’m sorry to say that the story remains the same with New Horizons. For the first few weeks, I played it every single day without fail – not booting up the game meant I risked my island being overtaken by weeds, or I could potentially lose a villager without even knowing. The improved customisation options hooked me in for longer than usual, but I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t loaded the game up for over a week now, and the longer I leave it, the less likely it feels that I’ll ever return. I know that my island will already be covered in weeds and the thought of collecting all of those apples, cherries, oranges and pears fills me with existential dread (there’s also the small fact that my real-world garden requires lots of care and attention right now, as my wife keeps reminding me).
It’s not that I’ve been hit with fatigue as much as fear; because I’ve had other games that have needed my attention (Lonely Mountains: Downhill, I’m looking at you), my limited game time in each day has been taken up elsewhere, and that means New Horizons has been pushed to the bottom of the pile. As I did with New Leaf, I’m sure I’ll pluck up the courage to load up New Horizons again soon, but my overriding fear is that I won’t have the stomach to fully commit myself to the cause every single day – and that’s really what’s needed for a game of this nature.
Perhaps the key issue here isn’t with the game – which offers a staggering amount of gameplay potential and content – but with me? Between running a network of sites, producing content, reviewing games and juggling the commitments of a house and family, my own ‘real-life’ game of Animal Crossing has robbed me of the time needed to truly enjoy Animal Crossing: The Video Game?
Gavin Lane, Features Editor
For me, Wild World was my first Animal Crossing and will likely always be my ‘favourite’. After devouring that game on DS, the idea of being tied down to a television seemed absurd. From my point of view, Animal Crossing was something you squeezed into your daily routine whenever and wherever you could, no matter what. You could be sitting on the bus or the train or the toilet and it wasn’t a problem – on a portable system you always had time pop into your village, check turnip prices and make sure your favourite residents weren’t packing their bags.
So, this is the first Animal Crossing I’ve played on big TV screen and every time I fire it up I’m still amazed at just how pretty it looks. PS5 and Xbox Series X won’t be losing any sleep, of course, but the lighting and attention to detail in New Horizons make it a pleasure to throw on the telly. Perhaps that’s a factor in why I’ve played it every day since launch – even at the expense of other games I’m itching to spend some real time with (hello Streets of Rage 4).
Much has been made of the fortuitous timing of New Horizons’ release, and it’s been a great help personally getting through this lockdown. Where pre-COVID-19 I might have gone for stroll of an evening to get some much-needed fresh air away from a computer monitor, I’ve found myself wandering around my island, idly catching bugs, fishing or arranging flower beds as a way to decompress at the end of the day.
In fact, it’s telling that I haven’t made much progress at all in terms of my house extensions or things like that. I managed to complete my fossil collection a couple of evenings ago, but that’s about it. I’ve been using the game more as a relaxation tool, and it’s in that capacity that I’m returning every night.
I can’t say whether I’ll still be playing when life returns to ‘normal’ again, but I’ve got more than my money’s worth from New Horizons in these past two months and I’m happy to potter about watering plants and making Star Trek uniforms. Lovely!
Just like Gav upstairs my first dive into the wild world of Animal Crossing was on Animal Crossing: Wild World, although unlike his Gavvishness it’s not my favourite. Looking back it was great for the time, but it’s aged poorly and has naff all to do in comparison to the modern counterparts. Then it was New Leaf, and now it’s that other one that I’m supposed to be talking about.
Even though not all of the 150 hours I put in were entirely voluntary – having to play video games for a career is hard – I can honestly say that through the frustrations of trying to find certain fish and having to wait days for things to happen, I’ve enjoyed every one of those hours spent.
Suffice it to say though, the lustre is starting to lose its sparkle somewhat. What was a daily ritual every morning and most evenings has now become a dip-in-dip-out sort of affair. My island’s in largely good shape, I have some of the residents I want, but the drive to go back and get into the game isn’t as strong as it once was.
When I do pick it up though, I quite quickly tumble into a spiral of lost hours, even though when I booted it up I was certain I didn’t have much to do. Hell, last night after what was rather a frantic and exhausting day of more video games for money, I had so little energy for anything I just booted up the game and wandered around for a bit with no real purpose. And you know what? It was wonderful.
New Horizons may not have the vice-like grip it had on me before, and I may not be playing it as much as I once had, but I think it’s a game I’ll always be dipping in and out of, especially if these updates keep coming.
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.
