Latest News - Page 962

Microsoft has removed a controversial counterclaim defenses against the Federal Trade Commission's decision to block the Activision merger.

The FTC is challenging Microsoft's proposed $68.7 billion buyout of Activision-Blizzard. U.S. regulators are pushing the merger into Phase 3 administrative proceedings, and depending on what happens during this phase, the merger could be litigated in court on an administrative or federal level. Microsoft is prepared to fight for the merger in all courts as well as offer any concessions or remedies required.

As part of the proceedings, Microsoft recently published a 37-page document that defends the merger against the FTC's allegations. The initial document had some interesting defenses. Microsoft had argued that the FTC's block would violate its constitutional Fifth Amendment rights, namely those of Equal Protection. Microsoft had claimed that the FTC's proceedings are not valid because the agency "wields significant executive power" and potentially violates Article II of the U.S. Constitution, and that the FTC's procedures "arbitrarily subject Microsoft to administrative proceedings rather than to proceedings before an Article III judge," thus violating Microsoft's right to procedural process under the Fifth Amendment.

Skybox Labs, a third-party support studio who has helped co-develop some of gaming's most popular shooters and strategy games, has been acquired by NetEase Games.

Following a spree of studio startups and buyouts across Japan, the United States, and Canada, Chinese games titan NetEase is expanding even more. The latest acquisition is Skybox Labs, a dev that's worked on games like Halo 5, Halo Infinite, Age of Empires, and even Grandia II. This is actually the second team of Halo developers that NetEase now has in its ranks, with the first team forming their own studio called Jar of Sparks.

Skybox Labs will remain independently operated under NetEase and the studio's three co-founders Shyang Kong, Derek MacNeil and Steven Silvester leading the teams. Skybox will also continue its current path in helping other studios bring their games to life as a support studio.

CES 2023 - ASUS' Republic of Gamers lineup has revealed the Raikiri Pro enthusiast controller with interesting new features.

The ROG Raikiri Pro is yet another premium enthusiast-grade controller coming to the market in Q1 2023. What makes the Raikiri Pro stand out from other gamepads is the small built-in OLED panel strip that can add extra flair.

Users can display custom images on the strip, but it's pretty small at 1.3 inches, offers 128x40 resolution, and is limited to just grey. The strip will show various things like battery life and which profile is currently set--gamers can switch between multiple custom profiles--and can even display animated GIFs.

Showcased at CES 2023, the EBO X is a family robot described as a "smart guardian" and robotic protector. What does that mean exactly? Well, if you've spent most of your life watching sci-fi movies then it's more like an Alexa-powered BB-8 from Star Wars than, say, an aggressive ED209 from Robocop. Don't let the cute exterior fool you, there's some serious tech under the dome.

Developed by family robotics company Enabot, the EBO X is equipped with a 4K Stabilized Camera, microphone, and V-SLAM technology so it can accurately map, monitor, and navigate your home. This is bolstered by facial recognition and full movement tracking and detection, which means the whole "robot protector" angle comes in the form of being able to detect a fall by an elderly family member. Or even be on the lookout for someone crying out for help. You can also designate a part of your home as a "restricted area", so if a child or an unwanted guest manages to enter your sanctuary filled with rare Star Wars collectibles, comic books, and vintage movie props, you'll get an app alert or call to let you know someone isn't where they should be. On top of all of that, it's also a cute little robot pet with Auto Navigation and AI Face Recognition technology.

The EBO X can also facilitate two-way communication, keeping family members connected via the EBO Home App and the robot's 4K camera. Though when it comes to video chat using the EBO X, versus a standard smartphone, it might be a little weird looking at the floor whilst talking to your spouse, sibling, or partner.

With CES 2023 underway in Las Vegas, it's a time for companies to showcase the expected and the unexpected - from advances in AI to the latest in display and everyday computing technology. For sports-tech company Catapult, the annual show means showcasing the world's first smart American football. Which, to be honest, is something that we'd assume would have been here by now on account of what it brings to the table (or field) for sports teams.

Throw the word "smart" in front of something like a football and you can guess what's happening, tracking a football's movements in real-time with all of that juicy data streaming to the cloud. We're talking over 1000 metrics, created via a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and LPS antennas. By tracking the football teams and coaches will not only be able to see exactly where and how an athlete with the ball moves on the field but also follow the ball's movement right down to trajectory. Catapult has partnered with Energous Corporation to ensure that the football's embedded tracker charges wirelessly, and looks like just another football.

When it comes to wireless charging, Catapult is integrating Energous's WattUp solution that can charge multiple devices, wireless, from a distance. Which, yeah, means no need to take the ball to the sidelines and pop it on a charging dock or pad. Of course one of the biggest concern when modifying something as uniform as a ball, especially when used professionally, is the overall weight. On that note, Catapult has confirmed that a tiny LPS (Local Positioning System) chip is completely sealed within the football; and undetectable.

UK regulators at the Competition for Markets Authority have delayed their final decision on the Microsoft-Activision merger by eight weeks in an effort to better understand the complexity of the games market. Depending on the CMA's current angle, this delay could help or hinder Microsoft's chances in passing the merger.

Although the Microsoft-Activision merger has been approved in four jurisdictions, the billion-dollar games companies are facing opposition from three key worldwide markets: the United States (FTC), United Kingdom (CMA), and Europe (EC). All three of these regulatory bodies have delivered initial remarks and issue statements that criticize the deal, and the FTC has moved to a Phase 3 administrative proceeding in which it is prepared to bring the merger in front of an internal judge for a ruling. Microsoft, however, is prepared to defy the FTC and attempt to close the deal and defend itself in a federal trial.

While neither the CMA or the European Commission have tried to block the merger as the FTC has, both are scrutinizing the deal for any potential anticompetitive effects. The process is lengthy and requires examination, interpretation, and compilation of thousands of internal documents that include various data metrics and information sheets, alongside executive testimony and consultation from industry experts. That's why the CMA has delayed its final report deadline by 8 weeks and now expects to have something ready no later than April 26, 2023.

We've been hearing an awful lot about next-gen PCIe 5.0 SSDs, with MSI unveiling its first consumer-focused PCIe 5.0 SSD offerings at CES 2023 (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas.

The new MSI Spatium M570 and Spatium M570 Pro were spotted by the folks at Tom's Hardware, being shown off at the MSI booth.

MSI's upcoming Spatium M570 and Spatium M570 Pro are both super-fast, with the flagship MSI Spatium M570 Pro rolling out with Micron 232-layer NAND chips and Phison's upcoming E26 controller. MSI's second-fastest Spatium M570 uses the same Phison E26 SSD controller, but uses TLC-based memory.

AMD has finally revealed what we've been reporting on leaks for a while now at CES 2023 with the introduction of their new Ryzen CPUs rocking second-gen 3D V-Cache technology. The new flagship Ryzen 9 7950X3D has been announced, and man, what a processor it will turn out to be.

The new AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor is a 16-core, 32-thread CPU with a base CPU clock of up to 4.2GHz and a boost CPU clock of up to 5.7GHz, with a whopping 144MB of cache, and a 120W TDP. This is the same CPU clocks as the Ryzen 9 7950X, which is available now, but we have a TDP that has 50W shaved off it -- 120W versus 170W.

AMD has benchmarks of its new flagship Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor during its CES 2023 keynote, comparing it against Intel's current best Core i9-13900K "Raptor Lake" CPU which had the new Ryzen 9 7950X3D being between 9% and 24% faster in gaming.

Samsung has revealed its new Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor at CES 2023 -- or the Consumer Electronics Show -- which kicked off in Las Vegas a few days ago.

The new Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor is a behemoth new 57-inch monitor that rocks a native resolution of 7680 x 2160 -- so 8K wide, 4K high -- with a 32:9 aspect ratio.

We have a super-smooth 240Hz refresh rate, 1000R curvature, quantum mini-LED technology, and VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. The Matte Display reduces light reflection on the screen, which Samsung says will minimize distractions during the "most intense gaming sessions".

Sabrent has just released its new USB Type-C To Dual 3.5" SATA and Raid Docking Station with CFast/SD Card Readers and USB Type-A Port (DS-2BCR) which has a wicked list of features and functionalities, so let's dive into what it can do.

The new Sabrent USB Type-C To Dual 3.5" SATA and Raid Docking Station with CFast/SD Card Readers and USB Type-A Port (DS-2BCR) lets you use your SSD or mechanical disks in single mode, or RAID mode, with solid and durable metal construction that packs two removable HD trays.

It's compatible with 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA III disks, but don't worry: it's backward compatible with SATA I and SATA II standards. Sabrent includes a locking key that prevents the accidental removal of the HD trays during operation. There's also fast and reliable USB Type-C connectivity with speeds that can burst over 1GB/sec (1000MB/sec).

The folks at Sabrent truly don't sleep, with their latest product reveal being a new KVM switch that might look simple, but it packs the usual rocket-style punch from the company... introducing the new USB Type-C Dual KVM Switch with Power Delivery (USB-CKDH).

Sabrent's new USB Type-C Dual KVM Switch with Power Delivery (USB-CKDH) lets users share a mouse, keyboard, and even dual displays through the USB Type-C Dual KVM Switch with Power Delivery (USB-CKDH) with up to 4K 60Hz through mirror or extended display modes. You can even dock it easily to charge up your USB-C devices at up to 60W through USB Power Delivery (USB-PD).

There are even some LED indicators for power, input, and power statuses so you can keep an eye on what's going on while there's control at your fingertips with a single switch at the end of a flexible, one-meter tether. Sabrent has included not one but two one-meter USB Type-C to Type-C cables, too.

The United Kingdom's Competition for Markets Authority (CMA) has delayed the deadline for its final report on the Microsoft-Activision merger.

UK antitrust regulator CMA has published a new administrative timetable for its decision-making deadlines on the Microsoft-Activision merger. The CMA now expects to make a final decision on whether or not the merger should go through in late April.

The CMA's statutory period--which is when everything should be wrapped up--is now set for April 26, 2023. The regulators had originally expected to deliver a final report on March 1, 2023. This means the CMA will make its decision on the merger on that date.

CES 2023 - Sony has officially announced the PlayStation 5's new accessibility controller platform.

PlayStation's studios are widely praised for a wide breadth accessibility options in their games, but Sony has yet to make its own version of the excellent Xbox Adaptive Controller. Until now, that is.

On stage at CES, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan revealed Project Leonardo, a new accessibility platform that's extremely customizable, adaptive, and versatile for disabled gamers. Sony is working directly with gamers and organizations to ensure Project Leonardo meets all the needs of players everywhere.

CES 2023 - Sony has announced new console sales figures and confirms that Holiday 2022 was the best period for PlayStation 5 console sales yet.

The PlayStation 5 console has now sold-through over 30 million consoles to date, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan announced on stage at CES 2023. These numbers are significant for two reasons: Sony rarely gives out sell-through data, which is actual sales to consumers and not shipments to retailers, and the figure implies that PS5 shipments have surpassed previous numbers.

As of September 30, 2022, Sony confirmed the PlayStation 5 has sold-in, or shipped, 25 million units globally. The resulting jump from 25 million to 30 million confirms that Q3 2022 was the best period for PS5 sales. Depending on demand and availability, shipments are typically higher than sell-through numbers. Sony's Jim Ryan addressed this by saying December 2022 was the best period of all time for PS5 console sales.

The Last of Us franchise has now become Sony's third best-selling modern first-party PlayStation franchise of all time, beating Spider-Man game sales.

Naughty Dog's violent opus The Last of Us has amassed 37 million sales, the developer today announced in a special update post. The series is poised to celebrate its 10 year anniversary in 2023 and Sony is prepared to mark the occasion with a info blowout on the upcoming Last of Us live game.

"We are so proud to share that the entire The Last of Us franchise has sold through more than 37 million copies globally as of December 2022, and is continuing to reach new and old players every day. To know that Joel, Ellie, and our whole cast of characters have been experienced and loved by so many of you drives the entire studio forward," the developer wrote in the post.

Microsoft is prepared to fight the FTC tooth and nail should its $68.7 billion Activision merger proposal be approved by overseas regulators.

Yesterday the FTC's Chief Administrative Law Judge Michael Chappell held a pretrial scheduling conference with lawyers from the FTC, Microsoft, and Activision. While the call was routine and procedural, Microsoft's counsel Beth Wilkinson revealed the company will attempt to close the merger with Activision if the deal is approved by the United Kingdom's Competition for Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Commission's antitrust regulators.

Why is this significant? Microsoft is willing to go to federal court to defend the merger and is also willing to play hardball with the Federal Trade Commission. The trillion-dollar tech giant has high confidence that the deal is not in violation of antitrust or anticompetition law. If Microsoft tries to close the deal, the FTC will need to file an injunction and challenge the merger in a federal court.

Despite recent negative trends, Square Enix reiterates plans to aggressively invest in blockchain gaming in the hopes of capturing the nascent Web 3.0 market.

In the span of a year, NFTs, blockchain, and cryptocurrency went from a hot topic among video game publishers to practically falling off the planet entirely. There's a good reason for that: the market is extremely volatile and speculative. Crypto is embroiled in controversy, especially with the recent developments with FTX. Previous attempts to further the market have failed: Konami and Ubisoft both cashed in on the NFT trend to muted success, damaging their reputations among gamers in exchange for paltry sums of crypto.

Despite the obvious significant risks, Square Enix still wants in on this new market and the publisher is spending big on adapting its core franchises into blockchain games. In a recent New Year's Letter, Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda makes optimistic comments about blockchain.

Square Enix aspires to release and publish its games simultaneously across the globe, however PlayStation exclusivity deals are holding back the Japanese video games company.

Square Enix and Sony have a decades-long relationship that's as old as the PlayStation platform. The Final Fantasy maker has signed multiple lucrative exclusivity deals with PlayStation in an effort to secure upfront royalties and to continue Sony's so-called virtuous cycle where success brings more success over time. Now after many years of such deals, PlayStation has become the dominant platform that publishers like Square Enix simply can't afford to ignore, which gives Sony significant power when negotiating deals with third-party partners like Square Enix.

Meanwhile, faced with a rapidly diminishing yen and record-breaking game development spending, the Japanese publisher wants to expand its horizons onto the global video games market. In a recent New Year's Letter, Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda outlines an interesting plan to unify the company's publishing units across all geographies.

Payday 3 is officially on for a 2023 release, developer OVERKILL has re-confirmed.

After nearly 10 years of heisting, the Payday franchise is set to return to the shooter market with a fully-fledged sequel. Payday 3 will launch in 2023 on consoles and PC with distinct FPS chaos set in a modern day high-tech world, complete with advancements like crypto hacking and more.

To mark the game's incoming release, OVERKILL Software has released a short but sweet teaser that shows the four original clown-faced robbers and promises a "new criminal dawn." The game also has a Steam page that reveals a few quick tidbits about Payday 3's features.

Nightdive's new System Shock remake is schedule to release in early 2023, but we've been here before. Now it looks like the release schedule is locked in.

After nearly 7 years of development, the System Shock remake is almost here. The remake was originally announced in 2016 with a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $1.35 million in just 30 days, however the developers at Nightdive had significantly overestimated their delivery capabilities and had originally expected to launch the System Shock remake in 2017.

Now with years of extra development time and a fully-fledged publisher with Plaion's Prime Matter label, the end is in sight.