Month: January 2023

When does Redfall come out? All about the new Microsoft game

Redfall has been dropped during the Xbox Developer Direct and this is all we know of the game so far.

Arkane Studios has made it clear: “vanpiro esiten”. Redfall has dropped during the Xbox Developer Direct, an event that has left us great moments like the announcement (and immediate release) of Hi-Fi Rush. Arkane Studios (creators of Dishonored and Prey) has put us the “long teeth” with his new vampire game Redfall, which certainly looks pretty good.

Redfall DOWNLOAD
4

Redfall is, in essence, an open world shooter in the style of other games like the beloved Left 4 Dead. Vampires have taken over the city and our mission is to exterminate them all. We can play both solo and in cooperative mode for 4 people. On the other hand, Arkane has stressed that the online mode is just one of the many sections that make up the title and that it is also completely optional.

When will Redfall be released?

Redfall was first announced at the showcase that Xbox and Bethesda held last June 2021. Since then, we’ve had a steady drip with gameplay samples and trailers, plus a first announcement of a 2022 release. As you can see, none of this ended up happening and Bethesda confirmed the first delay of Redfall, which would now go to May 2022.

However, it was not until this latest Xbox Developer Direct that the final release date was confirmed: May 2, 2023. While Arkane has not made a “Hi Fi Rush“At least we can now mark this date in our calendars in peace.

On which consoles will I be able to play Redfall?

Redfall is a Microsoft exclusive title and as such, will only be playable on Xbox X/S Series and PC. In addition, it will also be available through Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription-based game service.

If you want to buy the starting game, the standard edition will cost you €7999. On the other hand, you also have the Bite Back Edition, which includes the Hero Pass, new skins and additional weapons. In this case, its price would amount to €10999.

What’s new in Redfall?

The guys at Arkane are pretty well known for games like Dishonored or the more recent Deathloop, which may give you a couple of clues about what Redfall will be like. For starters, the title bases its gameplay on stealth. On the other hand, Redfall is the name of the town where the action takes place and is located on an island in Massachusetts. As Arcane explains, Redfall represents the largest open world the studio has created to date.

The cause of all our problems is the vampire invasion, which occurred because of the failed experiment of a scientist. Inside Redfall, we will have total freedom to explore its streets and buildings, besides being able to enter the Nests through a portal.

The game has four characters to choose from: Devinder Crousley, Layla Ellison, Remi de la Rosa and Jacob Boyer. Each one of them has different characteristics and combat styles, to be customized within an extensive skill tree.

In addition, each protagonist has their own story: Devinder Crousley is a cryptozoologist (a grave robber), Layla Ellison is a biomedical engineering student with telekinetic powers, Remi de la Rosa is an engineer who is accompanied by a small robotic dog and finally, Jacob Boyer is about a one-eyed ex-military and sniper.

Whoever we are, our mission remains the same: to free the town of Redfall from vampire domination. The town is divided into two districts (the city and the rural area) that we will be able to visit from the beginning of the game. You have to keep in mind that each environment will represent a different challenge and that you will have to vary your tactics.

Minecraft Extreme Day 9: JuanSGuarnizo, also eliminated!

There are only 42 participants left of the 64 that started. This is running out!

Once again, Minecraft Extreme had the lowest number of deaths: only 4 lives lost in the whole day. However, with those 4, 2 more streamers were eliminated, a good proof of the stage we are already at in the competition.

Beyond the casualties chapter -which is always the most fun to know, let’s not deny it-, Minecraft Extreme Day 9 left two very funny moments. The first one has to do with Ibai Llanos, who managed to catch the 1,000 fish he had as a “challenge” (and we put it in quotation marks), all dressed up in a fisherman’s jacket and hat. Likewise, there was a really curious moment when Karchez met a turtle… and it was carrying the name of Mbappé (the nickname given to the Paris Saint Germain and France striker is “Ninja Turtle”).

Most Viewed Minecraft Extreme Day 9

The ninth day of the series had small changes in the Spanish TOP 5, although the general trend remains the same:

  1. Auronplay: 115,800 peak viewers.
  2. Ibai Llanos: 95,500 viewers.
  3. Rubius: 57,600 viewers.
  4. Xokas: 24,500 viewers.
  5. Biyin: 10,765 viewers.

As the regular reader of these posts will have noticed, in this ranking we only include the Spanish streamers, since TVTOP only makes the TOP chart with them. However, this does not detract from the fact that in the Latin TOP 10 there are real records being beaten, such as ElSpreen with 158,000 viewers of maximum peak.

Minecraft Extreme Deaths Day 9

As we said in the first paragraph: this ninth day of Minecraft Extreme has been the one with the fewest deaths in the whole competition. Only 4 lives have been lost, although among them there have been 2 eliminations (the ratio is also the highest to date). Among them was the famous Mexican youtuber JuanSGuarnizo, who says goodbye to the competition. Likewise, another of the most watched youtubers, ElMariana, also leaves the series. Both had reached the ninth day with only 1 life.

With these 2 eliminations we have a total of 42 participants left. Let’s not forget that when 20 participants are reached, it will enter a Hunger Games format, although the days of the semifinals and finals are already stipulated. The deaths were as follows:

  1. Roiereal: 1 death.
  2. JuanSGuarnizo: 1 kill (eliminated).
  3. ElMariana: 1 kill (eliminated).
  4. Robleis: 1 death.

Is this the end of Uncharted games and possibly The Last Of Us?

Final moments for Last of Us

Given the success of The Last Of Us, both the games and the HBO series, fans of the franchise might be hoping that developers, Naughty Dog, are planning another game. While this could potentially happen, the studio has been very clear that it’ll only happen if there is a compelling enough storyline. While a plot outline has already been submitted, Naughty Dog has yet to confirm whether they’ll continue with it or not, and what will happen to Uncharted.

The newest game in The Last of Us franchise is an upcoming multiplayer title. Naughty Dog has admitted that this is their most ambitious title ever. Neil Druckmann, Co-President at Naughty Dog, even told Buzzfeed that they consider the multiplayer game to be another chapter in The Last of Us universe. 

The Last of Us DOWNLOAD
Uncharted and The Last of Us Ending Soon

He continued to explain that the studio is in the privileged position where they can decide what games and titles they want to make. Just because a particular franchise is successful, that doesn’t mean Naughty Dog has to continue bringing out new games. 

Naughty Dog works with Sony as the publisher. This means that their projects are all funded by Sony. Druckmann noted that they’re very privileged in the support they receive from Sony as the publisher allows them relative freedom in choosing which title to work on. Where other studios may face pressure to continue producing games within a successful genre, that’s not the case for Naughty Dog.

After all, Uncharted was a very successful franchise with Uncharted 4 quickly becoming Naughty Dog’s top selling game. Despite the great success of the franchise, Naughty Dog was able to finish off the series and call it a day. That’s right, Naughty Dog won’t be releasing any more Uncharted games.

Just like they did with Uncharted, Naughty Dog could walk away from The Last of Us, despite its current success. Naughty Dog does have other projects that they’re working on which includes rumored new IP. However, Naughty Dog would make another The Last of Us under one condition.

That condition being that they come up with a compelling story. Since the developers can decide whether or not they want to work on another game in the franchise, having a good storyline is important. They want to ensure the storyline has the same universal message and statement about love that the first two games did. If they can come up with a good story, then they’ll tell it. If not, the second game had a good ending and the franchise can stop there if necessary.

Uncharted and The Last of Us Ending Soon

It should also be noted that just because Naughty Dog isn’t going to make another game in the Uncharted franchise other external developers can continue with the franchise. The same will go for The Last of Us. Naughty Dog has announced that they’re open to the idea of an outside studio continuing with these franchises.

If you’re a fan of The Last of Us, you can continue to enjoy the television series on HBO, streaming Sundays. The first season is set to wrap up on 12 March. As for gaming, we’re still waiting for details on the new The Last of Us multiplayer game.

Morning dawns at HBO: The Dark Night is officially over

Starting on February 11, HBO Max will no longer have Christopher Nolan’s Batman film series available on its streaming service. This means that, as of now, viewers in areas where HBO Max is supported have only 16 days left to watch some of the greatest superhero movies ever made. In the United Kingdom, you can still watch the film series on Now TV.

HBO Max DOWNLOAD

The Dark Knight trilogy, comprising of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, was a major success that brought the Batman franchise back to the big screen after two poorly received films in the mid-90s. The three films together earned a total of $2.46 billion between 2005 and 2012, and received numerous awards and accolades.

Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed Batman films were instrumental in setting the tone for the current trend of grittier, neo-noir detective-style Batman movies. This includes Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Batman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Robert Pattinson’s role in 2022’s The Batman. In a review of The Batman, it was called a “stunningly meticulous and tension-filled DCEU movie that doesn’t lose sight of the iconic vigilante’s comic book roots.”

HBO Max removes The Dark Night Trilogy

The decision to remove the Dark Knight trilogy from HBO Max is unusual, as the films are not currently available to stream on other popular platforms such as Netflix or Prime Video. It is also unclear where the films will be available to stream after February 11. We also don’t know why the films are being booted from HBO Max, or whether the Dark Night will ever rise again. 

The Dark Knight trilogy is not the only superhero-related content that will be leaving HBO Max. Recently, it was announced that two popular HBO Max shows, Titans and Doom Patrol, will be ending after their fourth seasons have aired. Both shows were transitioned to HBO Max after the closure of their original platform, DC Universe, in January 2021. However, despite their popularity, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that the shows will not continue beyond their fourth seasons.

HBO Max removes The Dark Night Trilogy

The removal of the Dark Knight trilogy and the end of Titans and Doom Patrol from HBO Max will result in a decrease in the platform’s superhero content. While there are still a variety of superhero movies and shows available to stream on HBO Max, such as Joker, Wonder Woman, and Teen Titans, the loss of Nolan’s critically acclaimed films and popular TV shows is a significant blow to the platform’s offerings. It seems like a questionable move to remove such highly-regarded content from the platform and bring their respective series to an end.

Check out this exciting new Minecraft armor trim feature!

The latest version of Minecraft Java Edition (Snapshot 23SW04A) introduces a new feature called Armor Trims, which allows players to customize and enhance the appearance of their characters with unique designs. Due to the parity between Minecraft Java Edition and the former standalone Bedrock Edition, we expect the new feature to soon be available within the beta program as well. 

https://minecraft.en.softonic.com/ DOWNLOAD

Below, we’ll take a comprehensive look at the new Minecraft feature, as well as the types of armor trims you can obtain. 

Minecraft Armor trims

The Armor Trims in Minecraft Java Edition are a new cosmetic feature that can be applied to armor by using a Smithing Template. The design of the trims is based on the biome or structure where the Smithing Template was found. The following is a list of the available Armor Trims and where they can be found:

Pillager Outpost – Sentry Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Desert Pyramid – Dune Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Shipwreck – Coast Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Jungle Temple – Wild Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Ocean Monument – Tide Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Ancient City – Ward Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Woodland Mansion – Vex Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Nether Fortress – Rib Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Bastion Remnant – Snout Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

Stronghold – Eye Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

End City – Spire Armor Trim

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

How to use the new armor trim feature

New armor trims in Minecraft 1.20

To use Armor Trims, you will need to have a Smithing Table. When interacting with the Smithing Table, you will notice that there is a new slot. To apply the trim, first place the Smithing Template in the new slot, then add the piece of armor you wish to modify. As stated above, the Smithing Templates are scattered around each dimension and reality, and you’ll need to explore all sorts of ancient structures to find them. 

Finally, insert a material from the following list to determine the color of the trim: 

  • Iron
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Lapis
  • Emerald
  • Diamond
  • Netherite
  • Redstone
  • Amethyst
  • Quartz

Once you’re done, you’ll be able to remove your upgraded armor from the Smithing Table. All you need to do now is equip your shiny new armor or put it on an armor stand to brag about your riches. 

Update on Minecraft 1.20

As we reported last year, Minecraft 1.20 is expected to arrive sometime during the first quarter of 2023. We initially expected it to release in January, but it seems there might be some progress to go before we get to see a finished update. However, what’s pleasant to see this time around is that Mojang is sticking to the idea of developing the update with the community’s input. 

If you haven’t yet tested any of the Minecraft 1.20 snapshots or beta releases, try them out. The new features added so far bring a lot more variation and opportunity into the game. And, with the new armor trims, there’s a way to stand out and be recognizable on multiplayer servers, without having to remove your armor.

Hitman World of Assassination: All about the free Hitman 3 update, the Freelancer mode and when it comes out

Hitman 3 becomes Hitman World of Assassination and will include content from Hitman 1&2 as well as the new Freelancer mode.

In early January, IO Interactive surprised fans of the Hitman saga with an announcement: Hitman 3, the company’s latest title, which enjoys very positive reviews from both critics and the public, would become Hitman World of Assassination. A change that goes beyond the name and that will integrate both the content of the previous games of the trilogy: Hitman 1 and Hitman 2, as well as a new game mode: Hitman Freelancer.

Hitman World of Assassination DOWNLOAD

Today, the fans of Agent 47 are in luck. After a long wait, World of Assassination and Freelancer mode finally make their debut on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. New content, simplification of the purchase process and a new game mode that will completely change the experience of Hitman players.

All Hitman World of Assassination Changes

The new Hitman World of Assassination will include the maps of Hitman 1 and Hitman 2. In this way, if you have Hitman 3 in your possession, you will have access to the ICA Facility, Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Colorado, Bangkok and Hokkaido maps from the original Hitman, as well as the Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton maps Creek, Isle of Sgail and Himmelstein from Hitman 2.

World of Assassination also simplifies the purchase process before the arrival of a new game in the series or a DLC: “We are drastically simplifying the purchase experience for new players. Hitman World of Assassination will be the only option available to start playing,” says IO Interactive. “There will be no more confusion about which edition to buy, what content you own, how to redeem Legacy packs or import locations, etc. We’re done with that.”

The Freelancer mode, announced in October and which opens together with World of Assassination, is another of the most outstanding novelties. In this mode, we will have a safe house where we will replenish our ammunition and change our equipment. When going for an objective, it is important to take into account what we have with us, since nothing will guarantee the success of the mission.

When are Hitman World of Assassination and Freelancer mode coming out?

Both Hitman World of Assassination and its new Freelancer mode will be out on January 26 at 5 pm Spanish time. The game servers will be under maintenance from 12 noon until checkout time.

Those who already own Hitman 3 will be able to update it from that time onwards completely free of charge on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

Riot Games Has a Problem: Leaked League of Legends Source Code Could Cost It Several Millions

The American company affirms that it will not pay for the blackmail received.

For more than a decade, Riot Games has faced dozens of problems, each more varied. However, it may now be facing one of the biggest in its history -or perhaps the biggest of all-: the League of Legends source code is owned by hackers.

We have learned the information from the company itself, which has published a tweet commenting on the situation. In this, Riot Games has stated that the hackers are in possession of the source code, as well as that they have received an email where the company is blackmailed: either a “ransom” is paid or the code will be released on the Internet. The company has already said that it does not intend to release a single dollar in this regard.

From here, another novelty arises. The hackers themselves have sent this email to different media outlets, as highlighted by TechBriefly. According to this portal, the hackers have provided Riot Games with two PDF files full of evidence that they have the League of Legends source code. They have also offered to “provide information on how they accessed this data and tips on how to prevent future breaches”. And yes, the most important fact: they are demanding a total of $10 million – the figure is spelled correctly, yes – as “consideration”.

In relation to this attack, from Riot Games have confirmed that “no data or personal information of the players has been compromised“, i.e., they have the source code, indeed, but not the data of the millions of registered users in LoL.

On the other hand, and beyond being intimidated by the attack, the U.S. company will take legal action against those responsible for this act. In fact, they comment that they are “already in active cooperation” with law enforcement agencies to investigate the attack and the group.

Finally, Riot Games apologizes to all players for the possible inconveniences that may arise around the development of the games, since they know that “it will take them weeks” fix everything that happened.

Minecraft Extreme Day 8: we already have a date for the Grand Final (and TheGrefg, eliminated!)

The Murcian streamer says goodbye to the competition after losing all 3 lives.

The eighth day of Minecraft Extreme comes loaded with great news, including a highly anticipated one: we already have a date for the Grand Final of Minecraft Extreme, as well as for the previous rounds.

To begin with, the Grand Final will take place next February 6, 2023, that is to say, there is a week and a half left for this moment to arrive. However, before that, we will have the semi-finals on February 4. Are all the previous days to play? The answer is no, as the servers will be closed on January 29, as well as on February 1, 2, 3 and 5. In other words: there are only 6 days left of Minecraft Extreme as we know it.

Most Viewed Minecraft Extreme Day 8

The TOP 5 viewers of Minecraft Extreme Day 8 had no surprises (for a change). In a Spanish key, the ranking was the same as in the previous days, that is, with people like Ibai and Auronplay at the top. This was the first five:

  1. Auronplay: 151,200 spectators of maximum peak.
  2. Ibai Llanos: 99,500 viewers.
  3. TheGrefg: 58,200 viewers.
  4. Rubius: 55,900 viewers.
  5. ElXokas: 27,000 spectators.
Source: https://twitter.com/tvtop_es/status/1618481495689265152

Minecraft Extreme Day 8 Fatalities

Minecraft Extreme Day 8 has been the day with the fewest deaths of all: “only” 8 lives lost (matching the day itself). However, this does not mean that among those 8 deaths we have had 2 eliminations, that of 23Ricoy and that of one of the heavyweights, TheGrefg. The Murcian streamer says goodbye to the series and will not be able to compete until the end.

On the other hand, Polispol has decided to withdraw from the series by his own decision, as “it was stressing him out a lot and the feeling of unrelenting tension for so many days was exhausting”. Thus, there are now 44 players left out of the initial 64.

  • HDluh: 1 death.
  • 23Ricoy: 1 kill (eliminated).
  • Reborn: 1 kill.
  • Folagor: 1 death.
  • TheGrefg: 1 kill (eliminated).
  • Juan Magan: 1 death.
  • AriGameplays: 1 death.
  • JuanSGuarnizo: 1 death.

US Senate vs Ticketmaster: What’s Really Going on Behind the Scenes of Taylor Swift’s Ticket Sales?

The United States Senate Judiciary Committee wants to know what happened to the problematic ticket sales that took place last November

Last November, thousands of fans who had been saving to buy tickets for “Eras Tour”, the next tour of the singer Taylor Swift, they got an unpleasant surprise. While they were in a virtual queue that lasted for hours, many witnessed how the website crashed and removed the tickets from their carts, even expelling them from the queue.

In addition to the large fees that some of the lucky ones who were able to buy them had to pay, there was also the serious problem of resale. On various websites, tour tickets began to sell for thousands and thousands of dollars, prohibitive prices for many fans, who were also unable to buy them later in the general sale due to the cancellation of the sale by the TicketMaster website. The incident was so serious that the U.S. Senate decided to take up the case at a hearing on Tuesday.

“Blame it on the bots”

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday dealt with the questionable merger between the companies Live Nation and Ticketmaster, two large companies dedicated to the sale of concert tickets. Following the merger, parent company Live Nation Entertainment was formed, which was responsible for ticket distribution for Swift’s new tour.

In a hearing where the popular singer was not present, the president of Live Nation Entertainment, Joe Berchtold, defended himself against the fiasco in ticket sales, denying that his company was in charge of setting the ticket prices and alluding to the intervention of cybercriminals using bots.

“Major ticketing companies, including Ticketmaster, do not set ticket prices, decide how many go on sale or when, and set no service fees. Pricing and distribution strategies are set by artists and their teams”said the manager. “We knew that the bots would attack the sale and we anticipated it accordingly. We received three times the amount of traffic from bots than ever before and for the first time ever they went after our verified follower passcode servers”.

These bots, dedicated to buying tickets in large quantities and then reselling them, did not achieve their goals of buying tickets and compromising their systems, but they did force web administrators to “slow down and even interrupt sales“, something that led to “terrible experience” that Swift’s fans lived through.

After his statement, Berchtold apologized for everything that happened before the Judiciary Committee, as well as to the rest of the legislators present at the hearing: “As we said after the sale, and I reiterate today, we apologize to the many disappointed fans and to Ms. Swift”.

IBM joins the wave of technological layoffs: it will lay off 3,900 employees

Layoffs in the technology industry continue to grow. Microsoft was one of the first companies to carry out this measure, and it was followed by companies such as Google or Spotify. If we add the multiple resignations that have been caused by Elon Musk on Twitter and the poor health of Meta, the situation seems to have no end.

Now, a new company has joined the wave of layoffs in the sector: IBM. Thus, the company that works on the development of hardware and software for computers, and also offers infrastructure and consulting services, has announced a cut of 1.5% of its total workforce.

The reason is due to the results of the last year. Although IBM’s revenues have increased by 5.5% in 2022, profits have fallen to 71% compared to the previous year, with a total cut of 1,639 million dollars. The cause of this monumental drop is due to an extraordinary charge for the pensions of the workers.

IBM to cut about 3,900 workers in tech's latest mass layoff - Los Angeles Times

The announcement was made by James Kavanaugh, the company’s chief financial officer. Kavanaugh has stated that 3,900 people will be laid off, and the majority will focus on workers who remained as a result of the division between the Kyndryl (for technological infrastructures) and Watson Health (Artificial Intelligence for healthcare) units.

However, for next year IBM expects to bill 10,500 million dollars, 5% more than its billing. In fact, the growth of its revenues is above the predictions of its team, so it could be said that the layoffs were a secret announced for some time.

Arvind Krishna, president and CEO of IBM, explains that “our solid performance in the fourth quarter has crowned a year in which we have grown in revenue, above our usual model. Customers around the world increasingly adopted our Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence projects, as technology continues to be a differentiating force in the current business environment.”

However, in the fourth quarter, their revenues stagnated, largely due to the good state of the dollar, which has caused their revenues in other currencies to be translated into a lower total amount. In addition, with the extraordinary charge of pensions, this has caused the need to execute layoffs.