UK Deals – Far Cry Primal under £23
Valve Permanently Bans Match-fixing Counter-Strike Players
In order to protect the integrity of competitive Counter-Strike Go matches, Valve has opted to permanently ban any players involved in match-fixing.
Valve outlined the bans, along with the reasoning for said bans, over on the Counter-Strike Go website, saying that for the top-level competitive play to continue to entertain, the sport must retain its integrity.
“Back in January and early February 2015 we took action after we discovered that a small number of professional CS:GO players were engaged in match-fixing,” reads the post.
“Our decision was to ban these players indefinitely from involvement in Valve-sponsored events. To clarify, the bans for these players are permanent, and players proven to have taken part in match-fixing will be permanently banned.”
New App Lets You Watch Sony Movies in 4K
A new app allowing users to stream Sony's video library in 4K was unveiled at the company's CES press conference today.
Ultra is a new service that will allow users to stream Sony pictures - and that's Sony pictures only - in 4K on compatible Sony BRAVIA TVs.
According to The Verge, the catalog will contain 40 to 50 titles to start, including Chappie, Elysium, Fury, and Men in Black 3.
As 4K displays become increasingly popular (and more affordable) in home tech, it's an unsurprising move from the company; streaming service heavy-hitters Netflix and Amazon Prime premiered 4K compatibility last year.
Sony’s New Music Speaker Screws Into Any Light Socket
At its Consumer Electronics Show press conference today, Sony revealed its LED light speakers will be coming to US this year. The speaker is set up "just by screwing it into a light bulb socket," according to Sony, allowing it to blend "seamlessly" into "any living space."
Sony first showed off its light-bulb speakers during CES 2015, but until now the product was only available in Japan. The wireless speakers are part of Sony's Life Space UX line of consumer electronics.
Among the other products shown off were its portable Ultra Short Throw Projector, which Sony promises is capable of projecting a 22-inch to 80-inch image "onto walls, tables, or any other adjacent surface" and comes equipped with internal speakers and a battery.
BoxBoy! Sequel Releases in Japan
Nintendo has just announced (and simultaneously released) a sequel to last year's hit 3DS game BoxBoy! in Japan.
This surprise sequel, titled BoxBoy! One More Box, is available right now on the Japanese eShop for 680 yen. Check out the announcement trailer below, which showcases Qbby's ability to release multiple boxes at a time.
There's no word yet on when or if the title will be making its way to the west, but an announcement for other territories is likely just a matter of time. As such, stay tuned to IGN for potential news of a more widespread release.
The original BoxBoy! released last year to much critical acclaim, earning a spot on IGN's Top 25 3DS Games list. For more on HAL Laboratories' charming 2D puzzle series, check out our glowing BoxBoy! review.
Nvidia and Volvo to Partner in Creating Self-Driving Car
Volvo intends to use Nvidia Drive PX 2 for its self-driving cars.
According to Venture Beat, the Swedish automobile manufacturer is purchasing several hundred of the supercomputer designed to boost the intelligence of self-driving cars.
Nvidia recently unveiled the Drive PX 2 at its CES 2016 press conference. It operates on the Nvidia Pascal GPU and uses 12 CPU cores capable of handling 8 teraflops worth of processing power. The Drive PX 2 is expected to make driving safer, according to Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang.
Nvidia and Volvo to Partner in Creating Self-Driving Car
Volvo intends to use Nvidia Drive PX 2 for its self-driving cars.
According to Venture Beat, the Swedish automobile manufacturer is purchasing several hundred of the supercomputer designed to boost the intelligence of self-driving cars.
Nvidia recently unveiled the Drive PX 2 at its CES 2016 press conference. It operates on the Nvidia Pascal GPU and uses 12 CPU cores capable of handling 8 teraflops worth of processing power. The Drive PX 2 is expected to make driving safer, according to Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang.
Square Dissolves Shinra Technologies in 2.2 Billion Yen Loss
Square Enix's cloud-based gaming service Shinra Technologies is being shut down, with the company suffering an "extraordinary loss" of 2.2 billion yen.
According Square's announcement, Shinra Technologies Japan, as well as its New York branch, are being dissolved. The New York division will be officially closed on March 31, 2019, while the Tokyo-based division will close on June 30 of this year.
Shinra Technologies "has been trying to raise funds necessary for further business operations from third party investors," Square Enix explained in a statement. Unfortunately, however, the company was unable to find "prospective investors," and as such has decided to close the business.
Square Dissolves Shinra Technologies in 2.2 Billion Yen Loss
Square Enix's cloud-based gaming service Shinra Technologies is being shut down, with the company suffering an "extraordinary loss" of 2.2 billion yen.
According Square's announcement, Shinra Technologies Japan, as well as its New York branch, are being dissolved. The New York division will be officially closed on March 31, 2019, while the Tokyo-based division will close on June 30 of this year.
Shinra Technologies "has been trying to raise funds necessary for further business operations from third party investors," Square Enix explained in a statement. Unfortunately, however, the company was unable to find "prospective investors," and as such has decided to close the business.
Reddit Putting Out Coffee Table Book of Favourite AMAs
Prefer your AMAs in book form? Reddit's got you covered.
In a 400 page volume, Ask Me Anything - Volume 1 compiles AMAs from an eclectic number of influential figures, including Bill Gates, Louis C.K., President Obama, and a guy who operates nuclear missiles.
"Contained within these pages is a cross-section of what it looks like to be alive in this day and age -- and indeed, what makes us human", writes Reddit's editorial team on the Reddit blog. "With illustrations by u/youngluck and an introduction from the aforementioned mods, Ask Me Anything: Volume One is the interview you’ve always wanted to read because it was conducted by you."