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Netflix’s game studio is slowly but surely dropping new titles, adding around 40 mobile releases in 2023. One such game is the universally-acclaimed Metroidvania/roguelike action gem Dead Cells, which was just announced as part of the streamer’s “Netflix & Thrill” promotion for Halloween. I wouldn’t exactly call this a horror game, but you do play as a headless blob-infused ghost and it’s heavily inspired by the Castlevania series, so sure why not.

Dead Cells: Netflix Edition looks to include the full original game along with all kinds of DLC, including the recently-released crossover with the aforementioned genre stalwart Castlevania. A traditional Netflix subscription gives you access to the game on both iOS and Android devices. It remains to be seen if you can use the official game controller app to play the game on a supported television.

If you’ve been living underneath a rock that changes location each day, Dead Cells is a sidescrolling roguelike with procedurally generated maps that reset each run. The world is vast and filled with secrets and power ups. Many of these upgrades stick around from run to run, making this more of a “roguelite” like the equally stunning Hades. The Metroidvania aspect kicks in because there are parts of the map unavailable to you when you first play, requiring traversal mechanics (like the double jump) that you pick up as you play. It’s an addictive formula with one heck of a gameplay loop. There’s a reason it’s sold more than 10 million copies across platforms.

In addition to Dead Cells, Netflix also announced the forthcoming release of an enhanced version of horror puzzler Slayaway Camp. This game has you controlling a cute lil psychotic slasher called Skullface. The heartwarming tale tasks you with solving isometric puzzles and killing annoying camp counselors. Slayaway Camp: Netflix & Kill likely includes DLC from Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut – Deluxe Edition, among other goodies.

Both of these spook-adjacent games are coming soon, though Netflix hasn’t dropped actual release dates. They’ll come out before Halloween, however, or else what’s the point. Just like all Netflix games, they won’t have ads or in-app purchases, just sweet, sweet gameplay.

There’s also a Dead Cells animated series in the works. Interestingly, there’s no home for it yet, but this move certainly hints that it could premiere on Netflix, particularly with the platform’s recent push into animated game adaptations. A recent Netflix animation event teased shows based on Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider and Devil May Cry. The streamer has also released a couple of well-regarded cartoons based on the Castlevania franchise. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-nabs-the-iconic-dead-cells-for-its-ever-growing-games-library-150038384.html?src=rss 

Microsoft and Amazon are facing more antitrust scrutiny. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says it will investigate the cloud services market in the country to determine if companies are engaging in anti-competitive practices.

Amazon (through Amazon Web Services) and Microsoft are by far the biggest players in that field in the UK. Between them, they had a market share of between 70 and 80 percent last year, according to a report from media regulator Ofcom, which asked the CMA to investigate the market. Google is in third place with a relatively paltry share of between five and 10 percent.

Ofcom believes that competition in the market is constrained by a number of factors that make it hard for customers to switch suppliers or use more than one at the same time. A key issue is egress fees, which customers often have to pay to transfer their data to another service. “The cost of transferring data between rival providers can discourage customers from using more than one cloud provider and in some cases make switching more costly,” Ofcom said in its report.

A lack of interoperability and portability can make it overly laborious for customers to configure their data and apps to work on different services, the regulator said. Discounts can also dissuade customers from using more than one provider.

Those factors give Microsoft and Amazon a leg up over the competition, Ofcom suggests. “Limits on the ability of customers to credibly threaten to switch away can reduce the competitive pressure on the market leaders, giving them a degree of market power,” the report states. “If customers have difficulty switching and using multiple providers, it could make it harder for competitors to gain scale and challenge AWS and Microsoft effectively for the business of new and existing customers.”

In addition, Ofcom notes that some cloud service providers have raised concerns over the business software licensing practices of some cloud players, especially Microsoft. “We have received submissions that say Microsoft engages in several practices that make it less attractive for customers to use Microsoft’s licensed software products on the cloud infrastructure of rival providers compared to Microsoft Azure,” the report states. “The submissions allege that this limits their ability to compete for customers.” The products in question include Windows and Microsoft 365. Ofcom says that Microsoft has disputed the veracity of these claims.

“We welcome Ofcom’s referral of public cloud infrastructure services to us for in-depth scrutiny,” CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said in a statement. “This is a £7.5 billion [$9.1 billion] market that underpins a whole host of online services — from social media to AI foundation models. Many businesses now completely rely on cloud services, making effective competition in this market essential.” The CMA plans to conclude its investigation by April 2025.

Microsoft and Amazon both say they’ll work constructively with the CMA. Amazon took issue with Ofcom’s claims, telling Reuters that the watchdog’s conclusions were rooted in “a fundamental misconception of how the IT sector functions, and the services and discounts on offer.”

The cloud has been a sticking point in another Microsoft-CMA tussle. The watchdog initially blocked the company’s proposed $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard due to concerns that Microsoft would hold too much power in the cloud gaming market. Microsoft later pledged to sell cloud game streaming rights to Activision Blizzard titles to Ubisoft if the deal goes through. That concession, made as part of Microsoft’s revised agreement, “opens the door to the deal being cleared,” the CMA said in September. The regulator will make its final decision on the merger this month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-and-amazon-face-a-uk-antitrust-probe-over-cloud-services-151515071.html?src=rss 

With its popular and well-regarded Ioniq lineup, Hyundai has been conspicuously absent from the list of major automakers signing on to use Tesla’s North America Charging Standard (NACS). Now, the Korean automaker has announced that it has reached a deal to adopt NACS in North America starting in Q4 2024 in the US, with Canada to follow in the first half of 2025. 

Hyundai’s EVs with a NACS port will gain access to more than 12,000 Superchargers across North America, doubling the number of DC fast chargers available to customers. “This new alliance will provide Hyundai EV owners confidence in their ability to conveniently charge their vehicles… with at least 30,000 stations across North America,” said Hyundai Motor North America CEO José Muñoz.

Upcoming Hyundai EVs equipped with NACs, including the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and upcoming Ioniq 7, will gain access to the chargers in late 2024. New and older CCS charger-equipped vehicles will be able to use them in the first quarter of 2025, the company said. 

Along with access to Tesla’s network, Hyundai is teaming up with BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes to develop a North American network with at least 30,000 chargers. The first US stations are set to open in the summer of 2024, with chargers in Canada following at a later date. 

The lack of fast chargers has been a high hurdle for EV adoption, so most automakers have looked at Tesla as at least a stopgap solution. Hyundai Motors (including Kia) recently overtook GM for second place in US EV sales, but it’s still a distant second to Tesla, which sold 300,000 more EVs last year.

So far, major automakers that have now signed up to use Tesla’s Supercharger network include Hyundai, Fisker, Ford, GM, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian and Volvo. Those still in talks reportedly include Stellantis and Volkswagen. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hyundai-evs-will-support-teslas-nacs-charging-starting-in-q4-2024-120517284.html?src=rss