Month: February 2024
Remedy Entertainment acquires rights to the Control franchise from publisher 505 Games
Remedy Entertainment has acquired the full rights to its Control franchise.
Remedy Entertainment has confirmed it has acquired the full rights to the Control franchise from 505 Games, the company that originally published the 2019 title.
Remedy confirmed as such in an investor’s post on its official website. The post states that “all publishing, distribution, marketing and other rights” pertaining to the Control franchise have been reverted to the Finnish developer.
“The Control franchise is in the core of Remedy,” the post continues. “Having acquired the full rights to Control, Condor [a multiplayer side project for Control], and Control 2, Remedy is now in a position to make the right product and business decisions focusing on long-term franchise growth.
Control 2 was officially announced back in 2022, but there’s been no further information on the sequel in the interim. Since then, Remedy Entertainment has also released Alan Wake 2, which launched to critical acclaim and several 2023 Game of the Year nominations.
Furthermore, development is underway on remakes for the first two Max Payne titles, as well as Condor, a multiplayer-focused title set in the Remedy Connected Universe (which encompasses Alan Wake, Control, and potentially Quantum Break).
This will likely be welcome news for fans of Control and Remedy Entertainment projects at large. The timing of the announcement is quite apt, too; earlier in February 2024, Remedy CEO Tero Virtala stated that Control 2 and other projects “have all increased development pace” due to Alan Wake 2’s strong commercial performance.
Alan Wake 2 also has two paid DLC expansions on the way this year; The Lake House and Night Springs. While it’s been confirmed that neither will lead directly into Control 2, creative director Sam Lake stated that they’ll feature some hints about what’s to come in the sequel to Alan Wake’s sister franchise.
We consider Alan Wake 2 to be one of the best horror games released in recent years. And for more games of a similar vein, be sure to browse our best single-player games list for recommendations on more excellent titles.
Overwatch 2 DDoS attack causes major issues for players
The hugely popular online multiplayer game Overwatch 2 was hit with a major DDoS attack on Wednesday (Feb 28) which
The post Overwatch 2 DDoS attack causes major issues for players appeared first on ReadWrite.
The hugely popular online multiplayer game Overwatch 2 was hit with a major DDoS attack on Wednesday (Feb 28) which left some players unable to play the game.
According to a post on X from Blizzard Customer Service, a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack caused disconnects, latency, and more issues for Overwatch 2 players.
[#Overwatch2 #Warcraft] We are currently experiencing a DDoS attack, which may result in high latency and disconnections for some players. We are actively working to mitigate this issue.
— Blizzard CS – The Americas (@BlizzardCS) February 28, 2024
Some users could not access the game at all and were experiencing frequent disconnects. While others were able to connect to the game’s servers and join a match, but very high latency made the game all but unplayable.
Blizzard seems to have resolved the issue fairly rapidly, posting an update around three hours later stating that the issues should be resolved and users should be able to play the game as expected.
Causing additional frustration for users who attempted to push through the attack is the Overwatch 2 rule that “Repeatedly leaving or disconnecting during competitive matches in Overwatch 2 can result in Competitive Play restrictions being placed on the account.” Several frustrated fans have reported that repeated disconnects caused by the DDoS attack have resulted in automatic temporary bans being placed on their accounts.
In January, Microsoft laid off nearly 2000 Activision Blizzard staff. This included letting go of a large portion of its e-sports division, people who worked on online games such as Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty. A popular Call of Duty X account reported that just 12 of the previous 72 staff remained in the e-sports division.
This leaves questions open as to the capacity of the decimated department to maintain Blizzard’s reputation for excellent service and much-loved fan events such as The Overwatch League and to handle the fallout of such attacks such as resolving user suspensions caused by the attack.
What is a DDoS attack?
A distributed denial of service attack is one of the most common cyberattacks performed by malicious actors. Frequently performed using hijacked computers, in a DDoS attack hackers use many machines to flood a service with so many requests that it gets overwhelmed. This means that legitimate service users – in this case, people who want to play Overwatch 2 – can’t use the service.
In some cases, users will be completely unable to connect to the service, and they may connect but have the connection interrupted with a disconnect. Often they will experience an extreme slowdown due to high latency – often referred to as lag.
Featured image credit: Blizzard
The post Overwatch 2 DDoS attack causes major issues for players appeared first on ReadWrite.
What Is The Max Level In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
The wait is over and we finally have our hands on Final Fantasy Rebirth after all the crossovers with other
The post What Is The Max Level In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? appeared first on ReadWrite.
The wait is over and we finally have our hands on Final Fantasy Rebirth after all the crossovers with other games, and the grind to get to the game’s max level can begin in earnest. But what are we looking at, how long is it going to take, and, more importantly, will it be worth the effort?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth max level cap
To get yourself to top tier in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth you need to get to Level 70. That, for now at least, is as high as you can go. Those of you who played Final Fantasy 7 Remake might remember the level cap there was only 50, so we have considerably more room to grow here.
It looks as though we are starting at level six, but immediately after you win your first battle you will level up.
While the 70-level cap means you have plenty of room to experiment and buff your character along the journey, it also means you are going to have to grind, baby, grind if you want to get to the 70 mark.
Playing on Easy is certainly not going to help here as you are going to want the extra XP the higher levels afford you.
Hard Mode could well be where it is at for you if you are hell-bent on making it to the top. Completing the game on Hard Mode is also the pre-requisite for Platting the game anyway, so if you want the trophy you will probably be heading immediately there anyway.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth released at midnight for all regions on the PlayStation Store and costs $69.99 USD for the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Standard Edition. $99.99 USD for the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Deluxe Edition.
You can also cough up $349.99 USD for the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Collector’s Edition, exclusively available at Square’s website.
The post What Is The Max Level In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? appeared first on ReadWrite.
Now it’s the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s turn to leak in unofficial renders
Unofficial renders of what the Z Flip 6 could look like. | Image: OnLeaks / SmartPrix
Yesterday was the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, now it’s the Z Flip 6’s turn to have its alleged design leak in a series of unofficial renders from OnLeaks and SmartPrix ahead of its rumored July unveiling.
While the overall form-factor of the device is similar to last year’s Z Flip 5, including a 6.7-inch inner folding display and 3.4-inch cover screen, SmartPrix reports that its thickness could increase from 6.9mm to 7.4mm, prompting speculation about what the extra internal space could be used for. The front-running theory comes from a GalaxyClub report from last year, which said the Z Flip 6’s battery capacity could increase from 3,700mAh to 4,000mAh. It’s a move that could (hopefully) address the so-so battery life we experienced on the Z Flip 5.
Good Morning #FutureSquad! Another day, another leak with your very first look at the #Samsung #GalaxyZFlip6 (360° video + sharp 5K renders + dimensions)!On behalf of @Smartprix https://t.co/x1mL7WcRyR pic.twitter.com/nJ5wA47nxL— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) February 29, 2024
Other specs include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and a return of the dual camera setup from last year. SmartPrix reports that they’ll once again both have 12-megapixel resolutions. GalaxyClub earlier reported that Samsung was testing the inclusion of a 50-megapixel main camera in the Z Flip 6, but it’s unclear if it’ll make it to the final device. Available colors include light purple and mint green.
Although it’s impossible to tell from the renders, you have to imagine that Samsung’s suite of Galaxy AI features is going to make an appearance on its upcoming foldables. What’s less clear is whether there’ll be any new AI tools, or whether the features will be similar to what we saw on the Galaxy S24.
Unofficial renders of what the Z Flip 6 could look like. | Image: OnLeaks / SmartPrix
Yesterday was the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, now it’s the Z Flip 6’s turn to have its alleged design leak in a series of unofficial renders from OnLeaks and SmartPrix ahead of its rumored July unveiling.
While the overall form-factor of the device is similar to last year’s Z Flip 5, including a 6.7-inch inner folding display and 3.4-inch cover screen, SmartPrix reports that its thickness could increase from 6.9mm to 7.4mm, prompting speculation about what the extra internal space could be used for. The front-running theory comes from a GalaxyClub report from last year, which said the Z Flip 6’s battery capacity could increase from 3,700mAh to 4,000mAh. It’s a move that could (hopefully) address the so-so battery life we experienced on the Z Flip 5.
Good Morning #FutureSquad! Another day, another leak with your very first look at the #Samsung #GalaxyZFlip6 (360° video + sharp 5K renders + dimensions)!
On behalf of @Smartprix https://t.co/x1mL7WcRyR pic.twitter.com/nJ5wA47nxL
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) February 29, 2024
Other specs include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and a return of the dual camera setup from last year. SmartPrix reports that they’ll once again both have 12-megapixel resolutions. GalaxyClub earlier reported that Samsung was testing the inclusion of a 50-megapixel main camera in the Z Flip 6, but it’s unclear if it’ll make it to the final device. Available colors include light purple and mint green.
Although it’s impossible to tell from the renders, you have to imagine that Samsung’s suite of Galaxy AI features is going to make an appearance on its upcoming foldables. What’s less clear is whether there’ll be any new AI tools, or whether the features will be similar to what we saw on the Galaxy S24.
Spaces Hosts on X Can Now Broadcast Video During a Chat Session
Spaces, or live audio chat sessions on Twitter (now X), now support video, owner Elon Musk announced on Wednesday by reposting a video tutorial by the user DogeDesigner.
When hosts create a new Spaces session, they will see a new option to “enable video,” and can use their phone’s front or back-facing cameras, in either landscape or portrait mode, for their video feed.
Currently, only hosts can turn on video, making them front and center of attention, while co-hosts and listeners are represented by icons surrounding the broadcast. Users have to join the Spaces session to view the video, just as they do to listen in.
BREAKING: Video Spaces are now live on Here’s how to host a video space: pic.twitter.com/PgYHiq0jhU— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) February 28, 2024
Video Spaces are distinct from X’s live broadcasting feature, which lets users stream video to their profile and followers’ timelines. The latter is more akin to the old Periscope functionality that Twitter supported back in its heyday. Tag: TwitterThis article, “Spaces Hosts on X Can Now Broadcast Video During a Chat Session” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Spaces, or live audio chat sessions on Twitter (now X), now support video, owner Elon Musk announced on Wednesday by reposting a video tutorial by the user DogeDesigner.
When hosts create a new Spaces session, they will see a new option to “enable video,” and can use their phone’s front or back-facing cameras, in either landscape or portrait mode, for their video feed.
Currently, only hosts can turn on video, making them front and center of attention, while co-hosts and listeners are represented by icons surrounding the broadcast. Users have to join the Spaces session to view the video, just as they do to listen in.
BREAKING: Video Spaces are now live on
Here’s how to host a video space: pic.twitter.com/PgYHiq0jhU
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) February 28, 2024
Video Spaces are distinct from X’s live broadcasting feature, which lets users stream video to their profile and followers’ timelines. The latter is more akin to the old Periscope functionality that Twitter supported back in its heyday.
This article, “Spaces Hosts on X Can Now Broadcast Video During a Chat Session” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
The 256GB Google Pixel Tablet with charging dock is cheaper than ever
Google’s Pixel Tablet can also serve as a smart display for your home, and if you’ve ever wanted to get one, todays’ the day. The company’s official Amazon store is selling the 256GB Pixel Tablet with a charging speaker dock for only $449 — that’s $150 less than retail and is an all-time low for the device on the website. It’s the first tablet with the Google Tensor G2 chip, which enables artificial intelligence-powered features such as high-quality video calls and smooth streaming, among other things. The 11-inch device is also the first tablet you can Chromecast to and use as an extra screen.
As a smart display, the Pixel Tablet can serve as a digital photo frame or a control center for your smart home devices. Its charging dock can keep it charged 24/7, and you can also use it as a speaker for when you want to play music. We gave the tablet a score of 85 in our review, praising it mostly for its abilities as a smart display. It responded well to our commands — if you want to use it to control connected devices with your voice, just wake it up by saying “Hey Google.” But it also comes with a Hub Mode that brings up a dashboard, showing your smart devices and giving you a quick way to monitor your security cameras or to switch lights on and off.
We also tried using the tablet as a TV substitute, since it has the capability to act as a Chromecast receiver. While it does work that way as Google promised, take note that the tablet has to be docked for you to be able to cast movies and shows to it. As a tablet, the device runs full Android and can open any app for the platform. It’s a better smart display than it is a tablet, but we still found the device enjoyable to use.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-256gb-google-pixel-tablet-with-charging-dock-is-cheaper-than-ever-091352263.html?src=rss
Google’s Pixel Tablet can also serve as a smart display for your home, and if you’ve ever wanted to get one, todays’ the day. The company’s official Amazon store is selling the 256GB Pixel Tablet with a charging speaker dock for only $449 — that’s $150 less than retail and is an all-time low for the device on the website. It’s the first tablet with the Google Tensor G2 chip, which enables artificial intelligence-powered features such as high-quality video calls and smooth streaming, among other things. The 11-inch device is also the first tablet you can Chromecast to and use as an extra screen.
As a smart display, the Pixel Tablet can serve as a digital photo frame or a control center for your smart home devices. Its charging dock can keep it charged 24/7, and you can also use it as a speaker for when you want to play music. We gave the tablet a score of 85 in our review, praising it mostly for its abilities as a smart display. It responded well to our commands — if you want to use it to control connected devices with your voice, just wake it up by saying “Hey Google.” But it also comes with a Hub Mode that brings up a dashboard, showing your smart devices and giving you a quick way to monitor your security cameras or to switch lights on and off.
We also tried using the tablet as a TV substitute, since it has the capability to act as a Chromecast receiver. While it does work that way as Google promised, take note that the tablet has to be docked for you to be able to cast movies and shows to it. As a tablet, the device runs full Android and can open any app for the platform. It’s a better smart display than it is a tablet, but we still found the device enjoyable to use.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-256gb-google-pixel-tablet-with-charging-dock-is-cheaper-than-ever-091352263.html?src=rss