Square Enix sells off Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Crystal Dynamics, and Eidos
Square Enix announced on Monday that it is selling Western studios Eidos and Crystal Dynamics to Embracer Group. The deal will also give Embracer Group ownership of more than 630 back-catalog games from Square Enix’s library. It will affect [************************************************************] employees across three studios. The $300 million deal will give Embracer Group ownership of more than 50 back-catalog games from Square Enix’s library and will affect 1,100 employees across three studios.
Sweden-based Embracer already owns publishing and development studios Gearbox Software, THQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, Koch Media, Deep Silver, and Coffee Stain Studios. Embracer also acquired comic book publisher Dark Horse as well as tabletop publisher Asmodee. Embracer will have more than 14,000 employees, 10,000 game developers, and 124 internal studios, when the deal with Square Enix closes.
Square Enix says the sale of its studios and IP will establish “a more efficient allocation of resources” and enable “the launch of new businesses by moving forward with investments in fields including blockchain, AI, and the cloud.”
In a news release announcing the sale, Embracer said it was “impressed by the studios’ rich portfolio of original IP,” namely Tomb Raider and Deus Ex (which have sold a combined 100 million units), and saw “compelling opportunities to organically grow the studios to maximize their commercial opportunities.” Embracer said it sees opportunity to invest in the aforementioned IP, as well as Legacy of Kain, Thief, “and other original franchises.”
Crystal Dynamics announced in March it was working on a new entry in the Tomb Raider franchise, built in Unreal Engine 5, a follow-up to 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Crystal Dynamics is also assisting on the development of the new Perfect Dark for Xbox Game Studios. Perfect Dark developer The Initiative says it will continue to work with Crystal Dynamics on the game.
Deus Ex and Thief developer Eidos Montreal most recently released Marvel‘s Guardians of the Galaxy, and Crystal Dynamics’ most recently released Marvel’s Avengers. Neither Marvel-owned property was mentioned in Embracer’s announcement of the sale.
Square Enix Montreal, the studio behind the mobile Go spinoffs based on Tomb Raider, Hitman, and Deus Ex, most recently released Hitman Sniper: The Shadows for Android and iOS devices. Embracer said Square Enix Montreal would “continue to develop and operate memorable mobile games based on AAA IP.”
iPhone prices may rise outside US, but analysts optimistic despite company’s warning
Analysts are generally satisfied with the outlook for AAPL despite Apple’s harsh earnings call warning. However, one analyst has indicated that iPhone prices could rise in other countries. While this could happen across the complete range of Apple products, it’s likely to be especially problematic for the iPhone 14.
Apple reported record earnings for Q2, but warned that revenue for the current quarter would incur a hit of anywhere from $4B to $8B due to five issues …
Background
Apple reported record earnings for the first quarter of the year (Apple’s fiscal Q2).
Apple reported revenue of $97. 3 billion, an increase of 9% year over year. The company reported a profit of $25 billion and earnings per share of $1.52.
However, the company stated that this quarter would be difficult.
Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday warned that Apple is likely to see a supply shortfall costing the company anywhere from $4B to $8B this quarter. That followed a market intelligence report suggesting continuing shortages in four component categories.
CEO Tim Cook outlined five reasons why Q3 revenue was expected to take a huge hit:
Component shortages
COVID-19 disruption in China
Exchange rate weaknesses
Loss of Russian sales
Inflation reducing consumer spending power
Apple analysts generally upbeat
PED30 has a roundup of reactions from 13 analysts, and the general consensus is upbeat. Piper Sandler’s note was pretty representative of the general view.
Transitory Headwinds Overshadow Strong Business Trends. We believe that the guidance might be viewed as disappointing for the wrong reasons. In the June quarter, Apple is being impacted by two transitory, nonoperational issues: 1) a 150 bps headwind from the sales ban on Russia and 2) another 300 bps headwind from FX. In addition, the company is facing a $4 billion to $8 billion headwind from COVID shutdowns in China and silicon shortages. The company’s fundamentals seem to be headed in the right direction, but the short-term transitory impacts are distorting June quarter results.
But iPhone prices may rise outside US
However, one analyst warned that iPhone prices may rise outside the US when the iPhone 14 lineup is launched in the fall. Chris Caso warned that the exchange rate problem may be a long-term one, and that while Apple product prices may increase across the board beyond US borders, the timing may be particularly unfortunate for the iPhone 14.
We consider FX and Russia more permanent and fear that Apple will need to increase local currency prices when it launches new products in fall, if the exchange rate doesn’t change. In the past, higher local prices can have negative effects on unit demand.
That could see Apple warning of a further revenue hit in the fall quarter, specifically due to this.
EU announces preliminary view that Apple abused dominant market position for Apple Pay by restricting access to NFC chip
Apple today was hit with a statement of objections from the EU competition commissioner over Apple Pay’s dominance.
The EU says that it has come to the preliminary view that Apple unfairly abused its dominant position in the ‘market for mobile wallets’ by restricting access to the NFC chip to third-parties, thereby elevating the adoption of Apple Pay.
The EU says that Apple restricts competition by reserving full access to NFC technology on the iPhone to its own service, Apple Pay.
They claim this has had an “exclusionary effect” on their competitors and reduced consumer choice in mobile wallets. EU Competition rules would make it illegal to restrict access to key technologies, thus denying rivals the chance to compete.
A preliminary finding doesn’t necessarily mean that the EU will pursue penalties. Today’s first step in the process is where Apple receives a formal Statement of Objections from the Commission. Apple will then have time to respond. After receiving the response, the EU will consider it and decide whether or not to proceed.
Today we have send @Apple a statement of objections. We are concerned that @Apple may have illegally distorted competition in the market for mobile wallets on @Apple devices. Now @Apple can answer our concerns.
Watch Series 8 could feature body temperature measurement if Apple gets the algorithm right
The Apple Watch Series 8 expected to arrive in Q3 2022 was rumored to feature body temperature measurement, but a report earlier this year claimed an Apple Watch with a body temperature sensor is not coming for at least another year. However, popular analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now says the Watch Series 8 with body temperature measurement could still happen in H2 2022.
Apple Watch Series 7
Kuo says last year’s Watch Series 7 didn’t feature body temperature measurement because the measurement algorithm failed to qualify before entering EVT (engineering validation test).
It is crucial to get the algorithm correct to achieve accurate results. A smartwatch doesn’t have hardware to measure core temperature and must rely only on skin temperature. This can vary depending on external environments.
Hence, if the algorithm meets Apple’s quality requirements before the Watch Series 8’s mass production begins, the smartwatch will come with body temperature measurement, else we’ll have to wait longer for an Apple Watch that can measure body temperature.
Apple Watch Series 8’s leaked render (Source: LeaksApplePro)
The analyst further said that Samsung is also facing similar challenges with its Galaxy Watch 5, and the smartwatch might not measure body temperatures due to algorithm limitations.
d20 Modern TTRPG reboot licenses Rambo, The Crow, Pacific Rim, and more
Back in 2002, d20 Modern helped to breathe life into third edition Dungeons & Dragons, expanding the tabletop role-playing game into a far more contemporary setting — less swords and sorcery, more ninjas and automatic weapons. A new game based on the open-source version of the 5th edition D&D ruleset will go a step further. With the help of d20 Modern‘s co-creator Jeff Grubb, Everyday Heroes will let players step into the shoes of classic action movie heroes. You’ll soon be able get to Mars with Douglass Quaid and rescue war prisoners as John Rambo. Then you can take your Jaeger to battle against the Kaiju.
Where the original d20 Modern merely offered generic action archetypes for its classes, Everyday Heroes is bringing in famous licensed characters and settings. Polygon can exclusively reveal the first batch of hard-won licensing partnerships negotiated by developer and publisher Evil Genius Games. They include Highlander; John Carpenter’s Escape from New York; Roland Emmerich’s Universal Soldier; Rambo: First Blood, First Blood Part 2, and Rambo 3; Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall; The Crow; Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim; and Kong: Skull Island.
While actors like Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone won’t be making an appearance on the pages of the final retail product, the iconic characters they made famous will be there, and Evil Genius isn’t done with its reveals quite yet. But the breadth of the films involved illustrates the breadth of gameplay that will be available in the final product. Expect everything, from gritty military dramas and mind-bending science fiction epics. There will also be some robot-versus-kaiju action. Owner, serial entrepreneur, and author David Scott says fans can expect even more announcements once a crowdfunding campaign for Everyday Heroes goes live on May 17.
Early art for the Everyday Heroes game master’s screen. Image: Evil Genius Games
“Everyday Heroes is an action game set in a modern setting,” lead designer Sigfried Trent said. “The theme, the setting, the mood, the feeling of d20 Modern; the rules, the simplicity, and the modularity of 5e; merge those things together and you get Everyday Heroes. Throw in a dash of a lot of action movie tropes and ideas, then creativity from myself and Chris ‘Goober’ Ramslay, the other lead designer. Then season with wise, sage advice from our good friend Jeff Grubb and others in the game industry. That’s Everyday Heroes in a nutshell.”
Image: Evil Genius Games
The launch lineup will include a core rulebook (which will be available both physically and digitally), with six character classes and 18 subclasses, 50 new professions and backgrounds, and 100 feats. The new rules will include expanded firearm rules, revised chase scenes and armor/cover mechanic rules. It’s the gunplay, Scott says, that really makes the game feel different from D&D.
In a gunfight, the mechanical design of Everyday Heroes aims to keep players focused on cinematic action, not necessarily on fetishizing weapons and armor. However, there are some exceptions. High-powered rifles can penetrate brick walls. Heavy weapons can also provide suppression fire that helps the heroes move towards their goal. However, players’ ability to move will determine how difficult they can hit.
Everyday Heroes‘ cover mechanics mean that the equivalent of a players’ armor class — a number on the character sheet in D&D that rarely changes — will be determined in part by what they’re standing or crouching behind. As characters and enemies move around the battlefield in Everyday Heroes, that defensive value will be constantly in flux, making maneuver far more important. Body armor? Much less so.
“You don’t see John McClane running around in body armor all the time,” said Trent. We wanted to create a realistic system. If you’re running a scenario and you have armor on, you want it to do what it’s supposed to do [in the real world]: stop a bullet, or deflect a sword if it’s a more traditional kind of armor. What we did is we made up a system where, if you’re going good in combat, you don’t really need your armor. It’s a failsafe.”
Image: Evil Genius Games
If a player’s hit points go to zero, they’ll need to make an armor saving throw. How easy or difficult the save will be depends on the type of armor and damage dealt. That should also help to bring more narrative and character interaction into every battle.
“When you go to the movies, people spend a lot of time dialoguing while in cover,” Scott said. “That’s where the romance and the story happens. [That way you’re not] just standing there shooting at each other. […] You’re using each step strategically to maximize your cover hunting. It’s just a completely different game than D&D.”
The stakes are also highly customizable. If a final blow is required to create a new character, or to knock out a player completely, game masters can make that call.
Supplementing the core rulebook will be what Evil Genius is calling Cinematic Adventures, and each will focus on an action movie or a well-known franchise. Six 100-page supplements will be available at launch, available individually or as a bundle. Each Cinematic Adventure will have one half dedicated to home campaign game mechanics. The other half will feature an adventure inspired by a film that puts characters into the shoes of well-known Hollywood heroes.
Most players, however, will opt to create their own characters from scratch. Here Everyday Heroes hews very close to the original d20 Modern mechanics. There will be rules for strong-based Strong Heroes and dexterity based Agile Heroes. Every type of character will be able to interact with the world in its own unique way through their skills and feats. Grubb is most excited for Smart Heroes who have the ability to change the story using Genius Points. Grubb says that this is where he has spent the majority of his energy during the most recent playtest.
“Smart Heroes [would be] a little boring if they’re just very good at the investigation skill,” said co-designer Ramslay, who developed the Genius Point mechanic. They need something that is both powerful and exciting. What I ended up giving them is something that resembles spell-casting mechanically.”
Essentially, Genius Points allow Smart Heroes to retroactively change the narrative of the story, improvising on the spot how and why their superior intelligence is able to save the day — a system not unlike the critically acclaimed supernatural heist game Blades in the Dark, but balanced for the rules of 5th edition D&D.
“One big example would be knowing the layout [of a building],” Ramslay said. You [the player] don’t know where to go, how many guards are there, or what floor you are looking for. You are a genius. I looked up the blueprints for this building last night.’ [Or] they’re so smart that they know how buildings are built. They are able to reposition guards. They just know so much about everything, that they could predict those things.”
Image: Evil Genius Games
A lot has been written, here at Polygon and elsewhere, about the incredible renaissance of tabletop role-playing games. None right now are more successful than D&D, which is an integral part of Wizards of the Coast’s recent $1 billion year. Many rulesets are being developed based on D&D’s open-source software. Suddenly the marketplace for 5th edition spinoffs is looking very crowded.
Auroboros: Coils of the Serpent, from a team led by former Blizzard Entertainment executive Chris Metzen, is expected to launch later this year. Skyraiders of Abarax is also being developed by Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman, the creators of Dragonlance. Meanwhile, Wizards itself is also branching out, launching a new Dragonlance adventure later this year and bringing back the fan-favorite space-fantasy setting known as Spelljammer in 2023.
With so much action in the 5th edition space, why is now the best time to bring d20 Modern out of retirement for one more job? It’s all about the same design problems that made that game such a great success the second time.
“It’s been 20 years since the original d20 Modern has come out and game design has evolved,” Grubb said. “It’s not so much duplication as it is inspiration; basically taking the same things that we face [while making] d20 Modern and saying, ‘OK, how do we handle it with this modern situation? What can we do to deal with today’s world. How do we handle it with today’s mechanics?’ It’s a great opportunity to do for traditional D&D role-playing what d20 Modern did for the D&D of its age.”
Apple’s dependence on China: ‘Bloomberg’ echoes concerns; Tim Cook’s strategy comes back to haunt him
Bloomberg has echoed concerns about Apple’s dependence on China for what the company terms FATP: final assembly, test, and pack.
Mark Gurman points out that China was chosen by Tim Cook, the chief operating officer of the company back when he was still the chief operations officer.
Background
We’ve been warning about Apple’s over-dependence on China for many years now. Back in 2017, we wrote:
Apple is in a very different position today than was Google in 2010. Although Google was ambitious in the country it wasn’t dependent on the markets. Apple very much is. China is not only the biggest smartphone market, but it’s also the iPhone maker’s main manufacturing base. Without China, it literally couldn’t make its products.
In 2019:
Apple is working on this, with new manufacturing plants in India, Vietnam, Indonesia and elsewhere. But my view is that it probably needs to accelerate these efforts such that it could, if necessary, abandon China as a manufacturing base altogether.
And again just last month:
One nightmare scenario could easily lead to another. China might feel empowered by the events in Ukraine and decide it’s time to take control of Taiwan.
Putin just demonstrated that the West cannot take any kind of military action to defend the Ukraine; the threat of all-out nuclear war is just too terrifying. All our military forces can do is sit back and watch, and hope the economic sanctions will ultimately prove effective. The same would be true of Taiwan […]
Much of the world would again impose financial sanctions on China, though the global economic impact would be high. Apple could not afford to stand firm. Apple would be not only sacrificing large amounts of sales in China, but would be completely unable to satisfy global product demand if Chinese manufacturing was stopped.
We’ve always acknowledged that Apple couldn’t act overnight, and the company has made progress over the years in diversifying its manufacturing and assembly processes, but the pace of this has been glacial. It’s now been five years since even outside commentators could see the writing on the wall, and the Cupertino company still seems reluctant to take decisive action.
‘Bloomberg’ on Apple’s dependence on China
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said that the company’s warning that the current quarter could take a $4B to $8B hit is further evidence of the scale of the problem, even in the immediate term.
Apple Inc. likes to say that its supply chain is global and that it isn’t overly dependent on China. Apple’s dependence on China for its manufacturing has led to headaches for investors, consumers, and the company itself during the pandemic.
That was especially evident on the company’s second-quarter conference call last week, when Apple warned that supply shortages–spurred in large part by Covid-19 lockdowns in China–would reduce sales by as much as $8 billion. That’s like losing an entire quarter’s worth of iPad sales.
Gurman reveals that Cook is the architect for this China-based assembly system.
The assembly process is what really slows down production. It’s better known as FATP within Apple. FATP stands for Final Assembly, Test and Pack. The vast majority of Apple devices go through that process in China. This is why you’ll see the “Assembled In China ” label on your MacBook Pro, iPad, or iPhone.
It’s a model that Cook pioneered himself, centralizing assembly in the country as components get shipped in from around the world.
While COVID-19-related disruption may be a temporary problem, Gurman runs through a whole series of China-related issues the company has experienced over the years, and suggests that the company should spend some of its vast cash surplus on investing in a much faster manufacturing diversification program.
Perhaps these billions could be spent creating a global, more efficient final assembly system and a greater push towards automated manufacturing.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 finally get an all-black color variant
Samsung launched the Galaxy Buds2 wireless earphones in August in four colors – Black, White, Olive Green, and Lavender, all four of them with a case that was white from the outside. Several new paint jobs arrived since the initial launch, but none of them were all-black.
This is changing. It’s happening today. The maker officially introduced the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 in Onyx Black, with the first market for the new paint job being South Korea and Germany.
Onyx Black Samsung Galaxy Buds2
The new Buds2 are already up for sale on Samsung’s website, as well as some online and offline retailers in the Asian country. The price is KRW149,000, which is equal to $117/EUR111. The variant is also listed in the European country for EUR99 (discounted from EUR149) but the company is currently taking registrations for users who want to be informed when the launch actually begins, for which there is no date whatsoever.
Samsung brought the Galaxy Buds2 as an update over the Buds+ and we’ve established they are great for casual music listeners and taking work calls. The company also revealed the Onyx Black variant will ship with 360 Audio – a software feature that locates where the sound is coming from and adapts when the head is rotated.
Keychron Q3 is a handsome mechanical keyboard you can customize to your heart’s content
Most computer users take their keyboards for granted, especially laptop owners who have little choice on the matter anyway, at least when not at home or in the office. For those whose lives and livelihoods depend on typing away on a keyboard most of the day, however, choosing the right keyboard is almost like a religion. In addition to the comfort promised by ergonomic keyboards, there are also other factors like key travel and even acoustics that drive some people nuts if they aren’t right. Although it’s difficult to create a keyboard that suits all users, this mechanical keyboard allows buyers to mix and match pieces and has a better sustainability story thanks to its unique design.
Mechanical keys are still controversial. Some people complain about the louder sound they produce compared with regular keyboards. Conversely, many professional computer users, from programmers to writers, swear by this kind of keyboard because of the accuracy and comfort they actually provide by using mechanical switches instead of rubber membranes. If those are still not enough, this customizable keyboard may be for you.
Although you can buy a fully assembled Keychrone Q3, its real appeal is the ability to mix and match the parts that you want, including the keycaps and the switches underneath. This allows you to choose how loud your keyboard sounds, from softest to most powerful, and even the material of its keycaps.
Unlike your typical keyboard, however, the Keychron Q3 can almost be considered a work of art as well. That is thanks to its all-metal body, specifically 6063 aluminum that is CNC machined, anodized, sandblasted, and more. Keychron made sure that noise was not a problem for anyone in the room.
Even though there is still plenty of plastics used here, the aluminum body and the customization options make this keyboard a bit more sustainable than most of its peers. The body itself will last a long, long time and can be recycled when its end of life does arrive. But since the other parts can also easily be replaced, it will take an even longer time before it has to be retired from service in the first place.
The Tenkeyless (TKL) Keychron Q3 isn’t just all looks and sounds, of course. The design was created for programmers and designers and includes many features users can adjust to suit their work flow. There’s even a physical knob that can be mapped to changing the volume to changing brush size. The Keychron Q3 almost sounds like the keyboard lover’s dream, no pun intended, and looks handsome on your minimalist desk to boot.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series is receiving May 2022 Android security patch
Samsung once again became the first smartphone brand to release a new Android security patch as it rolled out the May 2022 Android security patch for the Galaxy S22 lineup last week. And now, it’s the Galaxy S21 series which is receiving the latest Android security patch from the South Korean conglomerate with a new software update.
The new build has firmware version G991BXXU5CVDD and is currently seeding for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra in Italy. The rollout will be expanded to European countries within a few days. Next, the market is to follow suit.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
If you live in Italy and haven’t received the new update on your S21/S21+/S21 Ultra yet, you can check for it manually by heading to your phone’s Settings > Software update menu.
ZTE to bring designated security chip with the Axon 40 series, Pro incoming with a 100 MP camera
ZTE is introducing the Axon 40 series next Monday, and we do know it will have at least three phones – Axon 40, Axon 40 Pro, and Axon 40 Ultra. The vanilla will come with a full-screen experience thanks to a third-generation technology for an under-display front-facing camera, the Ultra will have three 64 MP shooters on the back, and now we have a spicy camera-related teaser about the Pro as well – it will have a 100 MP shooter.
The company also confirmed the series will bring a designated security chip which would elevate hardware protection to another level.
ZTE Axon 40 Pro camera * ZTE Axon 40 security chip
The 100 MP claim likely means ZTE will implement the Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor in the Axon 40 Pro. The Korean manufacturer is currently the only company able to manufacture mobile image platforms with such high resolution, and the HM2 is the latest iteration.
The size of the sensor is 1/1. 33″ and it supports PDAF, Laser AF, and OIS – we expect all this tech to make it to the Axon 40 Pro. The image also showed 6 layers in front of the actual sensors, meaning it will be a proper 6P lens with an f/1. 8 aperture.
ZTE Axon 40 series promo images
The security chip will also be a first for ZTE. While we have no details on its features, we can expect it will house sensitive data like fingerprint scanners, passwords and credit card info, so it doesn’t sit in the storage where it might be more vulnerable to attacks.
All details will be revealed in a week’s time but we expect ZTE to tease more features in the days leading to the event.
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