Month: January 2024
Microsoft says Palworld is the biggest ever third-party Game Pass launch
Palworld, the viral “Pokémon with guns” game that launched in Early Access to mixed reviews, has already sold 19 million copies. Developer Pocketpair says it’s sold 12 million copies on Steam and seven million on Xbox since its January 19 launch (after selling over a million in its first eight hours). Microsoft says the tongue-in-cheek Pokémon satire is the biggest third-party launch on Game Pass.
“The response from fans has been tremendous and it’s incredible to see the millions of players around the world enjoying Palworld,” Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe told Xbox Wire. “This is just the beginning for us and Palworld, and the feedback we’re gathering while in Game Preview will allow us to continue to improve the experience for Pal Tamers across all platforms.”
In addition to being the biggest third-party Game Pass launch ever, Palworld had the largest third-party day-one launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming (included with Game Pass Ultimate). The game’s highest peak since launch was nearly three million daily active users on Xbox. Microsoft says it was the most-played game on Xbox platforms during that period.
Pocketpair
Palworld uses Pokémon-esque characters and themes — enough to catch the attention of Nintendo’s lawyers. It has battles with monsters similar to those in the creature-collecting series, including the ability to capture them inside a sphere after winning.
But Palworld also includes biting social commentary and incorporates themes you’d never see in Pokémon — like labor exploitation. “Don’t worry, there are no labor laws for Pals,” a game FAQ reads. One of the title’s trailers showed a player circling hard-at-work Pals with an assault rifle. “Creating a productive base like this is the secret to living a comfortable life in Palworld,” the narration reads.
Microsoft emphasized that the developer is still hard at work on the Early Access title. “There’s much more to come as Pocketpair refine the experience ahead of a full 1.0 release,” Xbox Wire’s Joe Skrebels wrote. He says Pocketpair is listening to player feedback and applying what they’ve learned. He added that cross-play, one of the most requested features, is coming.
🎉Total number of players exceeds 19 million🎉It’s been less than two weeks since #Palworld was released, thank you!・Steam: 12 million~ copies ・Xbox: 7 million~ playersWe will continue to prioritize fixing bugs!Thank you for your continued support of #Pocketpair! pic.twitter.com/twgAeYVL07— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) January 31, 2024
Even if early impressions of the game’s fun and polish are hit-or-miss (at best), having Microsoft in its corner could help the developer tighten up Palworld significantly. The Windows maker says it’s supporting the game by enabling dedicated servers and offering engineering resources to help optimize GPU and memory workload. Palworld posted on X it will “continue to prioritize fixing bugs.”
Palworld is available in Early Access for $30 (and included in Game Pass) on Xbox and PC (including Steam).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-says-palworld-is-the-biggest-ever-third-party-game-pass-launch-212835294.html?src=rss
Palworld, the viral “Pokémon with guns” game that launched in Early Access to mixed reviews, has already sold 19 million copies. Developer Pocketpair says it’s sold 12 million copies on Steam and seven million on Xbox since its January 19 launch (after selling over a million in its first eight hours). Microsoft says the tongue-in-cheek Pokémon satire is the biggest third-party launch on Game Pass.
“The response from fans has been tremendous and it’s incredible to see the millions of players around the world enjoying Palworld,” Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe told Xbox Wire. “This is just the beginning for us and Palworld, and the feedback we’re gathering while in Game Preview will allow us to continue to improve the experience for Pal Tamers across all platforms.”
In addition to being the biggest third-party Game Pass launch ever, Palworld had the largest third-party day-one launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming (included with Game Pass Ultimate). The game’s highest peak since launch was nearly three million daily active users on Xbox. Microsoft says it was the most-played game on Xbox platforms during that period.
Palworld uses Pokémon-esque characters and themes — enough to catch the attention of Nintendo’s lawyers. It has battles with monsters similar to those in the creature-collecting series, including the ability to capture them inside a sphere after winning.
But Palworld also includes biting social commentary and incorporates themes you’d never see in Pokémon — like labor exploitation. “Don’t worry, there are no labor laws for Pals,” a game FAQ reads. One of the title’s trailers showed a player circling hard-at-work Pals with an assault rifle. “Creating a productive base like this is the secret to living a comfortable life in Palworld,” the narration reads.
Microsoft emphasized that the developer is still hard at work on the Early Access title. “There’s much more to come as Pocketpair refine the experience ahead of a full 1.0 release,” Xbox Wire’s Joe Skrebels wrote. He says Pocketpair is listening to player feedback and applying what they’ve learned. He added that cross-play, one of the most requested features, is coming.
🎉Total number of players exceeds 19 million🎉
It’s been less than two weeks since #Palworld was released, thank you!
・Steam: 12 million~ copies
・Xbox: 7 million~ players
We will continue to prioritize fixing bugs!
Thank you for your continued support of #Pocketpair! pic.twitter.com/twgAeYVL07
— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) January 31, 2024
Even if early impressions of the game’s fun and polish are hit-or-miss (at best), having Microsoft in its corner could help the developer tighten up Palworld significantly. The Windows maker says it’s supporting the game by enabling dedicated servers and offering engineering resources to help optimize GPU and memory workload. Palworld posted on X it will “continue to prioritize fixing bugs.”
Palworld is available in Early Access for $30 (and included in Game Pass) on Xbox and PC (including Steam).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-says-palworld-is-the-biggest-ever-third-party-game-pass-launch-212835294.html?src=rss
Microsoft is exploring a hands-free smart home system for Windows tech
Microsoft’s system would allow devices to freely communicate without direct user input, but it drains batteries fast.
A new Microsoft patent reveals the company is working on an autonomous smart home system for Windows devices.
This “multi-device cross-experience” will be powered by artificial intelligence, according to tech news site Windows Report. It enables connected hardware to communicate with each other via “advertising” and without direct user input. Advertising in this context doesn’t refer to literal commercials but rather signal transmissions. Gadgets on the system will be constantly communicating with each other, triggering actions if criteria are met. For example, an electric car may send a notification to the owner’s smartphone or laptop informing them that they left the door open. Or you could transfer a phone call from one device to another.
As a side note, we’re not entirely sure why these transmissions are called ads. Perhaps Microsoft is invoking the image of advertisements – bits of information constantly bombarding the peripherals of this proposed smart home network.
Smart by design
Technology like this already exists in some form. As Windows Report points out, Microsoft’s system functions similarly to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Seamless and Samsung Galaxy Connected. These two are cross-platform networks that allow connected devices “to discover each other and share information” seamlessly, hence their names.
The main difference with Microsoft’s version is the aforementioned AI enabling its system to “intelligently decide… when to act”. It’s explained in the patent that the AI allows network gadgets to send out contextually appropriate notifications to users. Plus, it can determine if another device is needed for the scenario. What’s more, various connectivity standards will be supported. This includes, but is not limited to, Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi, cellular signals, “and even cloud connections.”
There is one major flaw in all of this. The author of the patent states the system requires an enormous amount of power to work. Devices will have their batteries quickly depleted when they’re connected because they’re constantly sending out signals on the network.
What’s next
It’s unknown when Microsoft’s autonomous smart home system will launch, if at all. The tech appears to still be in its early stages, although Windows Reports believes it could arrive soon. The publication argues the recent introduction of Copilot and the company’s proclamation of 2024 being the year of AI as signs of what’s coming down the line. It also points to rumors claiming Windows 12 will receive “groundbreaking AI”.
In our opinion, the new network probably won’t be coming out for a while – assuming it exists in the first place. While the presence of a US patent suggests Microsoft’s interest in the project, many patents never see the light of day as commercial products. What’s more the document offers multiple examples of how the system could work, however, it doesn’t describe exactly how it works.
If you’re interested in reading what Microsoft is cooking up, the patent can be read for free on the official website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Be warned, the material is pretty dense.
Check out TechRadar’s list of the best smart home devices for 2024 if you’re looking to smarten up the homestead.
You might also like
Did we just catch our first glimpse of Windows 12? If so, we won’t get the new OS until 2025This giant, 27-inch digital calendar is here to organize your family’s lifeHow smart home is changing in 2024
Elon Musk’s $50 Billion Tesla Pay Was Struck Down. What Happens Next?
The company’s board of directors will now decide whether to appeal the decision, change where Tesla is incorporated or negotiate a new pay package.
The company’s board of directors will now decide whether to appeal the decision, change where Tesla is incorporated or negotiate a new pay package.
Takeaways From the Senate Hearing With Tech C.E.O.s on Online Child Safety
Senators aggressively questioned executives from major tech companies, especially Meta and TikTok, while Mark Zuckerberg spoke directly to victims’ families.
Senators aggressively questioned executives from major tech companies, especially Meta and TikTok, while Mark Zuckerberg spoke directly to victims’ families.
All the news from PlayStation’s 2024 State of Play
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
During the roughly 40-minute presentation, expect to hear new info on Rise of the Ronin, Death Stranding, Sonic Generations, Judas, and more. Hot on the heels of Xbox’s Developer Direct earlier this month, PlayStation has added its own State of Play showcase to the calendar. Today’s State of Play is rumored to feature a bunch of updates on games like Death Stranding 2 and Judas as well as new announcements, one of which might involve Sonic the Hedgehog and his gun-wielding friend.
Sony’s last State of Play was in September 2023 and went head-to-head with a Nintendo Direct that same day. It was a short affair, lasting about 20 minutes, but expect today’s presentation to be around 40.
In addition to Hideo Kojima’s and BioShock creator Ken Levine’s latest games, with less than a month left until launch, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will also likely get some screen time. In a recent interview, producer Yoshinori Kitase teased how the game will handle That Scene (you know the one), so expect some portion of the State of Play to be devoted to it.
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
During the roughly 40-minute presentation, expect to hear new info on Rise of the Ronin, Death Stranding, Sonic Generations, Judas, and more.
Hot on the heels of Xbox’s Developer Direct earlier this month, PlayStation has added its own State of Play showcase to the calendar. Today’s State of Play is rumored to feature a bunch of updates on games like Death Stranding 2 and Judas as well as new announcements, one of which might involve Sonic the Hedgehog and his gun-wielding friend.
Sony’s last State of Play was in September 2023 and went head-to-head with a Nintendo Direct that same day. It was a short affair, lasting about 20 minutes, but expect today’s presentation to be around 40.
In addition to Hideo Kojima’s and BioShock creator Ken Levine’s latest games, with less than a month left until launch, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will also likely get some screen time. In a recent interview, producer Yoshinori Kitase teased how the game will handle That Scene (you know the one), so expect some portion of the State of Play to be devoted to it.
Tesla sued by California counties over hazardous waste
submitted by /u/dont_get_musked [link] [comments]
submitted by /u/dont_get_musked
[link] [comments]
OpenAI Says GPT-4 Poses Little Risk of Helping Create Bioweapons
OpenAI’s most powerful AI software, GPT-4, poses “at most” a slight risk of helping people create biological threats, according to early tests the company carried out to better understand and prevent potential “catastrophic” harms from its technology. From a report: In October, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on AI that directed the Department of Energy to ensure AI systems don’t pose chemical, biological or nuclear risks. That same month, OpenAI formed a “preparedness” team, which is focused on minimizing these and other risks from AI as the fast-developing technology gets more capable.
As part of the team’s first study, released Wednesday, OpenAI’s researchers assembled a group of 50 biology experts and 50 students who had taken college-level biology. Half of the participants were told to carry out tasks related to making a biological threat using the internet along with a special version of GPT-4 — one of the large language models that powers ChatGPT — that had no restrictions placed on which questions it could answer. The other group was just given internet access to complete the exercise. OpenAI’s team asked the groups to figure out how to grow or culture a chemical that could be used as a weapon in a large enough quantity, and how to plan a way to release it to a specific group of people.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
OpenAI’s most powerful AI software, GPT-4, poses “at most” a slight risk of helping people create biological threats, according to early tests the company carried out to better understand and prevent potential “catastrophic” harms from its technology. From a report: In October, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on AI that directed the Department of Energy to ensure AI systems don’t pose chemical, biological or nuclear risks. That same month, OpenAI formed a “preparedness” team, which is focused on minimizing these and other risks from AI as the fast-developing technology gets more capable.
As part of the team’s first study, released Wednesday, OpenAI’s researchers assembled a group of 50 biology experts and 50 students who had taken college-level biology. Half of the participants were told to carry out tasks related to making a biological threat using the internet along with a special version of GPT-4 — one of the large language models that powers ChatGPT — that had no restrictions placed on which questions it could answer. The other group was just given internet access to complete the exercise. OpenAI’s team asked the groups to figure out how to grow or culture a chemical that could be used as a weapon in a large enough quantity, and how to plan a way to release it to a specific group of people.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.