Month: July 2024
The Sky Cipher Xbox Wireless Controller is real and you can pre-order it now
Microsoft has officially revealed the special edition Sky Cipher Xbox Wireless Controller, and pre-orders are open now.
Microsoft has officially revealed a new special edition Xbox Wireless Controller. Named Sky Cipher, this translucent blue variant can be pre-ordered right now.
Announced via a recent Xbox Wire news post, the Sky Cipher Xbox Wireless Controller features a striking translucent blue shell that shows off the inner parts of the gamepad. Every other aspect of the controller, including its buttons, grips and analog sticks, are also varying shades of blue.
The controller is available to pre-order now for $69.99 / £64.99 and at the Xbox online store as well as participating retailers. However, there doesn’t appear to be an official release date for the gamepad as of yet.
Today’s reveal of the Sky Cipher Xbox Wireless Controller lines up with a leak from French outlet Dealabs who accurately claimed the gamepad would feature a translucent design, similar to the Forza Horizon 5 edition from some years ago. In its leak, Dealabs suggested the controller would “most likely” launch on August 13, so buyers may only have a couple of weeks to wait should they choose to pre-order now.
Interestingly, the Sky Cipher Xbox Wireless Controller will also debut revised packaging for official Xbox gamepads.
“Sky Cipher introduces a new packaging design for Xbox controllers that embodies our commitment to reducing product carbon footprint,” the Xbox Wire post reads. “Single-use plastics have been removed from the packaging and the traditional paper manual has been replaced with a QR code for a digital quick start guide. Additionally, the packaging is now 22% smaller and 21% lighter, further reducing its environmental footprint.”
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The company’s leader asks you to think of it as “a diamond-encrusted mouse.”
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Is Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions crossplay or have cross progression?
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions isn’t just a single player affair, you’ll be able to hop online and battle it out… Continue reading Is Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions crossplay or have cross progression?
The post Is Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions crossplay or have cross progression? appeared first on ReadWrite.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions isn’t just a single player affair, you’ll be able to hop online and battle it out against other Potterheads for the Golden Snitch.
Because of this, many are wondering if the game is crossplay so they’re able to take to the skies with their friends on other platforms.
Additionally, you might want to purchase the game for different systems too, so it’s integral you learn whether cross progression is a feature, or whether you have to start from scratch.
Here, we answer both of those questions, giving you the full rundown on if Quidditch Champions has them and how they work.
Does Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions have crossplay or cross progression functionality?
The short answer is yes, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions does allow crossplay between all supported platforms.
This means that if you’re on PC you’re able to play with Nintendo Switch owners, PS5 gamers, so on and so forth.
This is amazing for the overall player base and should allow for the online portion of the game to stay healthy for as long as possible.
Moving to cross progression, Quidditch Champions has that also, meaning if you own the game on different platforms, you take your journey over there too.
Portkey Games has stated that “everything you earn goes with you” suggesting that it’s not only the XP that’s carried over, it’s any Gold, or if you’ve unlocked other aspects of the game too.
This is perfect for those who play on Xbox for example and then want to take their Quaffle throwing on the go with the Steam Deck, granting instantaneous pick up and play functionality.
All in all, the developers have really made the effort to make it as easy as possible for you to play with Harry Potter lovers no matter what device they own, something you don’t see too much since more complex titles require serious balancing that is no easy task.
Other Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions articles you may like
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Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions playable characters
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions system requirements
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Bungie is laying off 220 employees and moving others to PlayStation
Image: Bungie
Another round of layoffs has hit Bungie. Bungie CEO Pete Parsons made the announcement on the studio’s website, citing the increasing costs of development and economic conditions as the reason for the reduction of staff — a refrain that’s become common in the last two years of prolific video game industry layoffs. Parsons wrote that 220 roles would be eliminated, representing 17 percent of the company’s workforce.
Additionally, Parsons wrote that Bungie was working to integrate another 155 employees into other departments within Sony Interactive Entertainment. These numbers, combined with the 100 people laid off in October of last year, mean that Bungie has lost roughly 40 percent of its total workforce in the last 12 months. Bungie had around 1,200 employees last year before 100 people were laid off amid a delay to the big Destiny 2: The Final Shape expansion.
This latest layoff announcement was accompanied by the news that Bungie employees are working on a new game.
“We are working with PlayStation Studios leadership to spin out one of our incubation projects – an action game set in a brand-new science-fantasy universe – to form a new studio within PlayStation Studios to continue its promising development,” Parsons wrote.
Parsons offered an explanation for all the news, stating that Bungie grew too quickly and spread its leadership team too thin among its many projects. This had a knock-on effect on the studio’s known projects, resulting in what Parsons called a “quality miss” with Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion and the delay of its next game, Marathon.
“We were overly ambitious, our financial safety margins were subsequently exceeded, and we began running in the red,” he wrote.
Parsons wrote that Bungie will continue to focus on Destiny 2 and Marathon. “We still have over 850 team members building Destiny and Marathon, and we will continue to build amazing experiences that exceed our players’ expectations.”
Image: Bungie
Another round of layoffs has hit Bungie. Bungie CEO Pete Parsons made the announcement on the studio’s website, citing the increasing costs of development and economic conditions as the reason for the reduction of staff — a refrain that’s become common in the last two years of prolific video game industry layoffs. Parsons wrote that 220 roles would be eliminated, representing 17 percent of the company’s workforce.
Additionally, Parsons wrote that Bungie was working to integrate another 155 employees into other departments within Sony Interactive Entertainment. These numbers, combined with the 100 people laid off in October of last year, mean that Bungie has lost roughly 40 percent of its total workforce in the last 12 months. Bungie had around 1,200 employees last year before 100 people were laid off amid a delay to the big Destiny 2: The Final Shape expansion.
This latest layoff announcement was accompanied by the news that Bungie employees are working on a new game.
“We are working with PlayStation Studios leadership to spin out one of our incubation projects – an action game set in a brand-new science-fantasy universe – to form a new studio within PlayStation Studios to continue its promising development,” Parsons wrote.
Parsons offered an explanation for all the news, stating that Bungie grew too quickly and spread its leadership team too thin among its many projects. This had a knock-on effect on the studio’s known projects, resulting in what Parsons called a “quality miss” with Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion and the delay of its next game, Marathon.
“We were overly ambitious, our financial safety margins were subsequently exceeded, and we began running in the red,” he wrote.
Parsons wrote that Bungie will continue to focus on Destiny 2 and Marathon. “We still have over 850 team members building Destiny and Marathon, and we will continue to build amazing experiences that exceed our players’ expectations.”
Helldivers 2 leans into fire weapons with its August update
Helldivers 2’s latest update, coming Aug. 8, brings the fire in the form of flamethrowing weapons, perfect for barbecuing extraterrestrial… Continue reading Helldivers 2 leans into fire weapons with its August update
The post Helldivers 2 leans into fire weapons with its August update appeared first on ReadWrite.
Helldivers 2’s latest update, coming Aug. 8, brings the fire in the form of flamethrowing weapons, perfect for barbecuing extraterrestrial insects.
It’s called the “Freedom’s Flame” Warbond, which is how developer Arrowhead Game Studios refers to these live-service updates. The new weapons look good and certainly lend a new and satisfying way to play the multiplayer shooter.
To be clear, fire weapons have been in Helldivers 2 since its February 2024 release date; this just leans further into the concept. Players will get a close-quarters shotgun that sprays “incendiary phosphorous” — which I believe is a violation of the Geneva Conventions — and a new flamethrower with longer range, as well as a matching sidearm.
There will also be two armor sets in the Warbond, conferring a passive trait of 75% damage resistance to fire. Players will also be able to retitle themselves as a Fire Safety Officer, and paint their shuttle, Hellpod, and exosuits in Safety Orange. Additionally, the Hellpod (the vessel players take to planetary surface) can be outfitted with a huge flame-blast as it touches down, getting the critters crispy before they even debark.
How much will Helldivers 2’s newest content pack cost?
Arrowhead has promised these Warbond updates will come out on a regular basis, and told players they can expect them to carry a certain theme. Warbonds typically cost 1,000 Super Credits, which is an in-game currency that is freely earned through play, or bought outright for $9.99.
The last Warbond, which launched in June, was the “Viper Commandos” set of weapons and gear, which evoked action movies set in a jungle, such as Predator. Before that was May’s “Polar Patriots,” which put the heroes in cold-weather gear.
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US debt hits $35 trillion milestone: Took 200 years to reach $1 trillion but only 4 years to add $12 trillion in new debt
In 2021, we wrote a piece highlighting a startling fact: “80% of all US dollars in existence were printed in the last 22 months.” Back then, the money supply surged from $4 trillion in January 2020 to $20 trillion by
The post US debt hits $35 trillion milestone: Took 200 years to reach $1 trillion but only 4 years to add $12 trillion in new debt first appeared on Tech Startups.
In 2021, we wrote a piece highlighting a startling fact: “80% of all US dollars in existence were printed in the last 22 months.” Back then, the money supply surged from $4 trillion in January 2020 to $20 trillion by […]
The post US debt hits $35 trillion milestone: Took 200 years to reach $1 trillion but only 4 years to add $12 trillion in new debt first appeared on Tech Startups.
Bumble and Hinge stalkers could track users within two meters on dating apps, researchers say
In a frightening twist, researchers have found vulnerabilities in the design of dating apps Bumble and Hinge which could allow… Continue reading Bumble and Hinge stalkers could track users within two meters on dating apps, researchers say
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In a frightening twist, researchers have found vulnerabilities in the design of dating apps Bumble and Hinge which could allow stalkers to pinpoint victims’ locations down to two meters.
Researchers from the KU Leuven University in Belgium found six dating apps had the same issue after analyzing 15 of the most popular.
In the published paper titled ‘Swipe Left for Identity Theft,’ the dating platforms are said to “allow for pinpointing a victim’s exact location, enabling physical threats to user’s personal safety.”
None of these apps explicitly share the exact location of potential suitors, but they do have location-based features. This is so people can find relevant matches within their area.
Through a process of oracle trilateration, where an attacker gauges three positions representing the location of the victim, the researchers found that Badoo, Bumble, Hinge, and Hily are all susceptible to this approach.
While this is worrying for anyone, the team reached out to the companies behind the apps and they changed how their distance filters work so they’re no longer vulnerable to the technique.
Dating apps to ‘expose’ sensitive data
These geo-location-based apps were also found in this research to “routinely expose personal data to other users.” This could include information that they’re not actually aware of.
A broad privacy analysis of user data risks was carried out too, with the findings pointing to the app’s UI exposing “large amounts of personal and sensitive data to even unsophisticated adversaries.
“While users may feel compelled to share such data, there is a particular risk when APIs leak data hidden in the UI as well as exact user locations, as users will not be aware that they are sharing this data, which can lead to additional harm.”
The paper concludes that “the apps’ privacy policies generally fail to inform users about these privacy threats and leave the burden of protecting personal (sensitive) data to the users.”
Image Credit: Via Ideogram
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