Category: Technology

Alan Wake II, the sequel to Remedy Entertainment’s 2010 cult hit, is scheduled to come out on October 17th, 2023, for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 and PC. There are two playable protagonists in Alan Wake II: Wake himself and FBI agent Saga Anderson. The sequel is a single-player psychological horror experience, just like the original.

In the new game, Anderson is investigating a rash of ritualistic murders plaguing the small town of Bright Falls in the Pacific Northwest. She connects the incidents to the disappearance of horror writer Alan Wake (who vanished 13 years ago, appropriately), and things get spooky very quickly from there. Meanwhile, Wake is trapped in the Dark Place, attempting to write his way out of a hellish, surreal prison. Wake’s world is full of shifting spaces and looping realities, while Bright Falls is a picturesque canvas ripe for hidden horrors.

“After certain events have transpired, fans can play Wake and Anderson’s respective stories in any order they choose,” a Remedy Entertainment spokesperson said on the PlayStation Blog. “Their journeys echo and foreshadow each other, in this intense atmospheric story, taking players on two separate dark and disturbing paths.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alan-wake-ii-will-drop-on-october-17th-for-xbox-series-x-ps5-and-pc-210405566.html?src=rss 

At some point in the not-too-distant future, you’ll be able to experience the Resident Evil 4 remake in virtual reality. Capcom revealed during today’s PlayStation Showcase that PS VR2 support is on the way. The VR mode will be a free update for the PS5 version of Resident Evil 4, though Capcom didn’t say when it will be available. One thing the company has confirmed: you’ll be able to wield Leon’s knife more freely.

This is not a massive surprise given that several other Resident Evil games have VR support (Resident Evil Village can be played on PS VR2) and the RE4 remake is one of the most widely acclaimed games of the year so far. Still, if you’ve been looking for a reason to revisit Resident Evil 4 — or perhaps to pick up a PS VR2 headset in the first place — the news may be music to your ears.

Elsewhere, Sony showed off more PS VR2 games during the stream, including Arizona Sunshine 2. The zombie-splattering sequel will arrive later this year. Synapse, an action shooter from nDreams Studio, will hit PS VR2 on July 4th.

Meanwhile, those who have been waiting for Beat Saber to land on PS VR2 won’t have to wait much longer. The rhythm game is coming to the platform today, along with a new pack of Queen songs. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-resident-evil-4-remake-will-support-ps-vr2-211538618.html?src=rss 

It’s not a handheld console, but Sony is preparing to release a device that will allow PlayStation 5 users to stream their favorite games to a portable display. Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan shared the existence of “Project Q” on Wednesday during the company’s PlayStation Showcase. He said the device would allow PlayStation gamers to stream any PS5 game, excluding PlayStation VR2 titles, over WiFi and the company’s Remote Play protocol. The device features an 8-inch “HD display” and “all the buttons and features” found on a DualSense controller. Ryan did not say how much the device would cost but promised Sony would share more information about Project Q soon. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/project-q-is-a-dedicated-ps5-streaming-device-due-later-this-year-211814445.html?src=rss 

At the end of Sony’s PlayStation Showcase today, the company gave us our first extended look at Spider-Man 2, including a fair bit of gameplay showing off both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Perhaps most significant, though, Parker is wearing the iconic black Venom suit — for those less familiar with Spider-Man lore, the Venom suit gives Parker a ton of wild additional powers. But, it’s also an alien symbiote that quite possibly could be affecting Peter’s best judgement. How he ends up with the suit remains a mystery, but I wager it’ll be a big part of the new game.

The preview also showed an extended action sequence where gameplay seamlessly flips between controlling Parker and Morales. A lot of the gameplay feels familiar, particularly in the hand-to-hand fighting area, but the new suit clearly offers a ton of new moves, while a wild chase through Queens gives a good sense of the kind of action we can expect outside taking down hordes of bad guys. We also got to see a new trick for Miles, as he now has a sort of “wingsuit” glider that lets him float over extended distance. This trick wasn’t part of the Spider-Man: Miles Morales game from 2020 where we first got to control the younger Spidey. 

It also looks like the game’s map will be bigger than ever before — the first game covered most of Manhattan, but from this preview we’ve also seen Queens, and a huge portion of the chase sequence took place on the water, as well. The original Spider-Man already put together a convincing and massive version of New York City, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this one expands on it. We’ll get the chance this fall, though there’s still no official release date. Insomniac Games did say they hoped to share a final date “soon.” 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/first-look-at-spider-man-2-gameplay-shows-spidey-in-the-venom-suit-212740681.html?src=rss 

What do you think Bungie would do for its first non-Destiny game in over a decade? A return to the franchise that helped make it a gaming giant, of course. The developer has unveiledMarathon, a follow-up to the classic first-person shooter series for Macs. This isn’t a sequel or remake, mind you. Instead, it’s a multiplayer “extraction shooter” that has mercenary Runners exploring a lost colony.

While there’s no single-player component, game director Chris Barrett says this will still “feel” like a Bungie game between the mechanics and rich universe. Player actions will also influence the plot — you might find an artifact that unlocks an area for all players. There are persistent zones and seasons, although we wouldn’t expect a repeat of similar elements in Destiny.

Marathon is in development for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. While there isn’t much more to share at this point, Bungie says the next update will be “much closer to launch” and include gameplay. It’s safe to say there’s a lot riding on this title. It’s proof that Bungie isn’t content to iterate on Destiny forever, and will show what the company can do with a multiplayer-only experience. And for old-time fans, this is a chance to return to a beloved franchise 27 years later.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bungie-revives-marathon-as-a-multiplayer-shooter-212630605.html?src=rss 

One of the best surprises of 2020 is about to get a sequel. On Wednesday, Sony revealed Ghostrunner 2 during its latest PlayStation showcase. The company showed a brief trailer highlighting the game’s cyberpunk setting. According to the PlayStation Blog, Ghostrunner 2 is set one year after the events of the first game. Players will once again play as Jack, but by the sounds of it, they can expect a more expansive experience this time around. Publisher 505 Games says the game will feature more challenging combat and platformer sections, with levels that allow for more player freedom. You will also get dialogue choices that will allow you to get a better sense of the game’s world. Oh, and did I mention you’ll get to drive a motorbike in Ghostrunner 2? The game will arrive on PlayStation 5 later this year.       

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ghostrunner-2-will-bring-together-cyberpunk-ninjas-and-motorbikes-this-year-213153418.html?src=rss 

China may have conducted digital espionage against the US’ Pacific interests. Microsoft and the National Security Agency (NSA) have revealed that an alleged state-sponsored Chinese hacking group, Volt Typhoon, installed surveillance malware in “critical” systems on the island of Guam and elsewhere in the US. The group has been operating since mid-2021 and reportedly compromised government organizations as well as communications, manufacturing, education and other sectors.

Volt Typhoon prioritizes stealth, according to the investigators. It uses “living off the land” techniques that rely on resources already present in the operating system, as well as direct “hands-on-keyboard” action. They use the command line to scrape credentials and other data, archive the info and use it to stay in targeted systems. They also try to mask their activity by sending data traffic through small and home office network hardware they control, such as routers. Custom tools help them set up a command and control channel through a proxy that keeps their info secret.

The malware hasn’t been used for attacks, but the web shell-based approach could be used to damage infrastructure. Microsoft and the NSA are publishing info that could help potential victims detect and remove Volt Typhoon’s work, but they warn that fending off intrusions could be “challenging” as it requires either closing or changing affected accounts.

US officials speaking to The New York Times believe the Guam infiltration is part of a larger Chinese intelligence collection system that includes the reported spy balloon that floated across American nuclear sites early this year. The focus Guam is concerning as it’s home to Andersen Air Force Base, a major station that would likely be used for any US answer to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. It’s also a key hub for ships in the Pacific.

The Biden administration has stepped up efforts to protect critical infrastructure, including plans for common security requirements. The US fell prey to multiple attacks on vital systems in recent years, including gas pipelines and meat suppliers. The Volt Typhoon discovery underscores the importance of tougher defenses — malware like this could compromise the US military at a crucial moment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-says-china-installed-malware-in-us-systems-in-guam-195805235.html?src=rss 

The PlayStation 5’s 2023 release slate is taking shape, and one of the upcoming titles is a sequel to 2015’s Helldivers. It emerged during today’s PlayStation Showcase that Arrowhead Game Studios is working on Helldivers 2. The follow up is slated to arrive on PS5 and PC later this year.

A reveal trailer evoked both the irreverent tone of Starship Troopers and the desolate landscapes of Death Stranding while tossing in a whole bunch of aliens. Arrowhead has switched from the original game’s top-down perspective to third-person, over-the-shoulder gameplay. You’ll have access to overpowered weapons to help you take down hordes of enemies, according to the PlayStation Blog. You’ll need to be careful around your squad, though, as friendly fire will be active.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/helldivers-2-is-coming-to-ps5-and-pc-later-this-year-202722294.html?src=rss 

The first project out of Haven Studios is Fairgame$, and it looks like it packs plenty of neon-tinged, anarchist multiplayer action. Fairgame$ is an online, competitive heist game about classism and rebelling against billionaires, and it’s heading to PlayStation 5 and PC. There’s no release date at the moment. 

Haven is the new studio headed up by veteran producer Jade Raymond, who’s best known for her work on the Assassin’s Creed franchise in the early aughts.

The reveal video for Fairgame$ shows a trio of young adults in stylish accessories blasting, sliding and shooting their way past high-tech security systems and corporate agents. On the PlayStation Blog, creative director Mathieu Leduc describes the game as “a thrilling competitive heist game where you join an underground movement to rob the ultra-rich and rebalance the scales…. Trespass inside forbidden locations around the world, fill your pockets like a kid in a candy store and unravel the nefarious plans of untouchable billionaires.”

Fairgame$ is a PvP experience with emergent sandbox gameplay, according to Leduc.

Raymond spent nearly a decade at Ubisoft as an executive producer and managing director on the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Watch Dogs franchises. She joined Google in early 2019 as the head of game development for Stadia, the company’s new cloud gaming platform. Stadia was a short-lived experiment for Google, and Raymond left in February 2021 amid a broader shutdown of the service. She opened Haven just a month later and announced her team was building a PlayStation-exclusive original IP, and Sony purchased the studio outright in 2022.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fairgame-looks-like-payday-and-the-division-with-a-gen-z-twist-202407857.html?src=rss 

The world’s governments have taken note of generative AI’s potential for massive disruption and are acting accordingly. European Commission (EC) industry chief Thierry Breton said Wednesday that it would work with Alphabet on a voluntary pact to establish artificial intelligence ground rules, according toReuters. Breton met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in Brussels to discuss the arrangement, which will include input from companies based in Europe and other regions. The EU has a history of enacting strict technology rules, and the alliance gives Google a chance to provide input while steering clear of trouble down the road.

The compact aims to set up guidelines ahead of official legislation like the EU’s proposed AI Act, which will take much longer to develop and enact. “Sundar and I agreed that we cannot afford to wait until AI regulation actually becomes applicable, and to work together with all AI developers to already develop an AI pact on a voluntary basis ahead of the legal deadline,” Breton said in a statement. He encouraged EU nations and lawmakers to settle on specifics by the end of the year.

In a similar move, EU tech chief Margrethe Vestager said Tuesday that the federation would work with the United States on establishing minimum standards for AI. She hopes EU governments and lawmakers will “agree to a common text” for regulation by the end of 2023. “That would still leave one if not two years then to come into effect, which means that we need something to bridge that period of time,” she said. Topics of concern for the EU include copyright, disinformation, transparency and governance.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the service most associated with AI fears, exploded in popularity after its November launch, on its way to becoming the fastest-growing application ever (despite not having an official mobile app until this month). Unfortunately, its viral popularity is paired with legitimate fears about its capacity to upend society. In addition, image generators can produce AI-generated “photos” that are increasingly difficult to discern from reality, and speech cloners can mimic the voices of famous artists and public figures. Soon, video generators will evolve, making deepfakes even more of a concern.

Despite its undeniable potential for creativity and productivity, generative AI can threaten the livelihoods of countless content creators while posing new security and privacy risks and proliferating misinformation / disinformation. Left unregulated, corporations tend to maximize profits no matter the human cost, and generative AI is a tool that, paired with bad actors, could wreak immeasurable global havoc. “There is a shared sense of urgency. In order to make the most of this technology, guard rails are needed,” Vestager said. “Can we discuss what we can expect companies to do as a minimum before legislation kicks in?”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-and-the-european-commission-will-collaborate-on-ai-ground-rules-192035744.html?src=rss