In an astonishing feat of laziness, Amazon Prime Video service has adorned the iconic 1922 horror film "Nosferatu" with a slapdash poster that was obviously generated using AI.The poster first discovered by eagle-eyed netizens last falland resurfaced as Robert Eggers' remake of the beloved classic wows critics in theaters turns the vampire Count Orlok's monstrous visage into a yassified rendition with a strangely slender body, his harrowing appearance replaced with an aesthetic straight out of a "Twilight" movie.To add suck further blood out of the original's legacy, its iconic use of typography was exchanged for a font that closely resembles Papyrus, a typeface so widely hated that it spawned its own series of "Saturday Night Live" sketches.In other words, it's exactly the kind of uninspired slop you'd expect an AI image generator to spit out. It's a sign of the times highlighting a worrying trend as companies like Amazon continue to undermine the work of human artists by leaning into cheapo AI.The online reaction to the insipid art was resoundingly negative."A horrible one-two punch of anti-art sentiment," tweeted podcast host Danny Vegito."Amazon Prime is using generative AI to replace movie posters for iconic films that already exist and already have posters they could use," artist Jon Neimeister, who worked on the hit video game "Hearthstone," wrote in a Bluesky post earlier this week. "Not only are we forced to see this shit everywhere, but they're overwriting art history with it."Other users pointed out that despite years of technological advancements in the generative AI space, the image is riddled with conspicuous technical issues."God, that looks horrible," another Bluesky user responded. "His finger is melting into his clothing. Three years of hype and it still CAN'T DO FINGERS."Other users pointed out that the oversized Moon in the background mysteriously blocks the clouds behind it.A stark line that runs vertically through the background also suggests a lazy Photoshop job unbefitting for a movie of such repute.Worse yet, as plenty of others argued, the 1922 classic has its own highly creative and original marketing material that could've been used or adapted instead.There's a good chance Amazon was trying to cash in on the hype surrounding the most recent interpretation of "Nosferatu," which stars Bill Skarsgrd as Count Orlok. A quick scan on an Amazon Prime section titled "Horror movies" shows the sloppy poster featured prominently, suggesting the tech giant was attempting to fit the vintage movie in with B-level drivelor trick users into thinking they were looking at the new version.The kerfuffle is particularly ironic considering that the original 1922 film was itself accused of being an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel "Dracula." The minor changes, such as renaming Count Dracula to Count Orlok, were glaring to the point that Stoker's widow sued the makers of the 1922 movie for copyright violation.But in spite of efforts to destroy remaining prints, the movie's eerie qualities were undeniable, and it became a classic in its own right (like "Dracula" before it, the film fell into the public domain several years ago.)One thing's for sure: Amazon's tacky poster is unlikely to ever attain the cachet of "Nosferatu" and its iconic imagery unless it's reappropriated by future screenings in a mocking fashion, that is.As the use of generative AI continues to encroach on virtually every aspect of our daily lives, we should expect to encounter more bargain-basement reskins like this one at least until consumers rebel at human creativity being buried under a deluge of AI slop.More on generative AI: Facebook Planning to Flood Platform with AI-Powered UsersShare This Article

"No wonder this algorithm is so messed up."FUbarIn a run-of-the-mill fight on social media you know, the type that the ultra-wealthy used to remain aloof from Elon Musk deployed an appalling slur against disabled people."F u r*tard," the 53-year-old billionaire quipped on X-formerly-Twitter after a user accused him of spreading disinformation on the platform he owns.That childish retort is, it seems, one of the Donald Trump advisor's favorite words. A quick analysis of Musk's tweets reveals that over the past year, he's repeatedly used the disability-denigrating slur. He seemed particularly in its thrall in Decemeber, when he dished it out at least six times half of which came on a single day, December 18.Derived from the antiquated "mental retardation" terminology to describe people with intellectual disabilities, the so-called "r-word" has increased in popularity over the past few years as right-wing, fascist rhetoric has gained a greater foothold both online and in real life.Along with Musk, folks that populate what used to be known as the "alt-right" like fellow traveler Laura Loomer have also embraced the term as a catch-all for those who support ideas they oppose. Last year, for instance, the "proud Islamophobe" directed it at "Thrift Shop" artist Macklemore after he released a video supporting Palestine, calling him a "straight-up r*tard."Positivity, PleaseBeyond the ableist term's gross resurgence, it's also ironic that Musk has lobbed it so repeatedly given that in recent weeks, the site's owner has called for less "negative" rhetoric and even announced that he plans to change X's algorithm to promote "positivity."After first issuing his plea for pleasantry on December 30, folks on the platform and its increasingly popular competitor, Bluesky, clowned on Musk for failing to embody his own newfound ideal. With his penchant for slur usage once again going on main, those jabs only continued."No wonder this algorithm is so messed up," tweeted one observer."So does this come under 'positive', or 'informative'?" pondered another, quote-tweeting Musk's "F u" tweet.For all his terrible rhetoric, flinging this horrendous slur is yet another jarring mask-off moment for Musk that reminds us who he really is. When it comes to negativity on X, the call is clearly coming from inside the house.More on Muskian missives: Elon Musk Endorses Nazi-Linked German Party, Even Though It Opposed Teslas GigafactoryShare This Article

Shane Snider, Senior Writer, InformationWeekJanuary 7, 20252 Min ReadBorka Kiss via Alamy Stock The United Kingdoms antitrust watchdog on Tuesday said it would launch investigations into three areas of digital activity as the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act comes into full force -- giving regulatory power over major players like Apple and Google.While the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) did not specify which companies would be investigated, under its strict strategic market status (SMS) designation, only the largest tech firms would be considered.The announcement says two investigations would begin immediately and a third would begin in about six months. Once a company receives SMS designation, the CMA would have the authority to curtail practices like using access to customer data to gain unfair advantage, make it easier for consumers to switch providers, and more.A CMA report released in November called out Apple and Googles dominant market positions in mobile as potential investigation targets, saying a revenue-sharing agreement between the two companies stifled competition.We are committed to implementing the regime in a way that is predictable and proportionate, moving at pace whilst respecting fair process, CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said in a statement. The process for designing any interventions will also be participative and transparent, with the aim of keeping innovation-led markets open and bringing firms on the journey with us.Related:The investigations will be complete within the statutory limit of nine months, the CMA said. Significant fines -- up to 10% of the companys global turnover -- could be levied if the CMA finds a breach in consumer protection law.US tech firms are facing increasing scrutiny from regulators abroad. The EUs Digital Markets Act is also taking aim at antitrust concerns, with probes targeting Apple, Google, and Amazon in March. Possible fines could also reach 10% of those companies global turnover, potentially costing the companies billions of dollars.CMAs Impact on M&A, and US Firm FocusIn a blog post, lawyers with Morgan Lewis said the UKs new rules could have a profound impact on potential mergers and acquisitions for the worlds leading tech companies.The UK CMA has gained a reputation in recent years as an aggressive and impactful antitrust enforcer, lawyers Joshua Goodman, Omar Shah, R. Ryan Hoak, and Jack Ashfield wrote. The UK DMCC only bolsters its powers and as such it is more relevant that ever to consider the role of and approach to the UK SMA as part of the global merger review process.Related:Critics of newly granted antitrust regulation powers like DMCC say the rules discriminate against US firms and jeopardize investment and cooperation between countries. Given that the United Kingdoms digital sector accounted for nearly 1.9 million jobs in 2022 and contributed over [$174 billion] to the UK economy in 2020, the UK government should tread carefully, writes Meredith Broadbent, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, in a post.InformationWeek has reached out to Google and Apple for comment and will update with any response.Read more about:RegulationAntitrustAbout the AuthorShane SniderSenior Writer, InformationWeekShane Snider is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of industry experience. He started his career as a general assignment reporter and has covered government, business, education, technology and much more. He was a reporter for the Triangle Business Journal, Raleigh News and Observer and most recently a tech reporter for CRN. He was also a top wedding photographer for many years, traveling across the country and around the world. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children.See more from Shane SniderNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Are you sitting down? You should be sitting down for this. Make sure youre sitting down.1975 is now 50 years ago.To put this in perspective, when the biggest film of1975 a humble little horror thriller about a shark that gets hunted down by a trio of alcoholics because the poor fish committed the unforgivable crime of being very hungry initially opened in theaters, the big movie from 50 yearsago was Charlie ChaplinsThe Gold Rush.Thats right.Jawsis as old now as silent movies were whenJaws came out. (I told you you should be sitting down for this.)If you were alive for 1975 or even if you just remember watching the movies of 1975 as a kid in the 1980s or 90s this can be a very tough pill to swallow. But we have no choice. We have to accept it. Time marches on.And for the 25 movies below, which run the gamut from huge blockbusters to arty classicsto big awards movies to the tiny indie debuts of some of the 20th centurysbiggest filmmakers,time has marched on to such a degree that they are now all half a century old. Every single one. Old old old. Sigh.Still sitting down?The movies that came out in the year 2000 are now 25 years old. 2000 was a quarter century ago.None of this makes any sense.Regardless, here are 25 movies turning 50 years old in 2025.25 Movies Turning 50 in 20251975 was a big year for movies all of which are now 50 years old.READ MORE: 10 70s Movies That Could Never Be Made TodayThe Most Anticipated Movies of 202520 movies we cant wait to see in 25.

Time zones: CST (UTC -6), MST (UTC -7), PST (UTC -8)What drives you? Working on something you believe in? At Discogs, we believe in sharing music with the world. Our technical teams build a product that opens the doors to discovery for millions of music lovers. The Senior Full Stack Software Engineer for the Marketplace - Inventory Management team will be responsible for building a robust inventory management system using modern React, Python, and GraphQL.LocationThis is a remote position. Open to candidates located in OR, WA, CA, CO, TX, ILCompensationStarting Base Salary Range: $125,000 - $132,000 yearlyWho Were Looking ForThe Senior Full Stack Engineer acts as a senior member of a group of passionate engineers to help us create software and services for the Discogs product. As a technical subject matter expert, this role is instrumental in driving our technology vision forward and evangelizing development and testing practices that drives Discogs transformation and growth strategies. Requires great ability to multi-task across projects as well as to adapt to different areas of the code where previous knowledge, skills, and experience may not exist. This role provides strong technical leadership and mentorship to develop the capabilities of other team members. This role motivates and fosters collaboration across the teams.What Youll AccomplishReasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Plan, develop, and deploy server-side and client-side software in sprint cycles.Observe, debug and optimize production systems with thousands of concurrent users.Research new frontiers, prototype implementations and share knowledge.Communicate openly and collaborate frequently with Product and Engineering teams to quickly deliver high quality products that maximize value to the Discogs ecosystem.Take responsibility over large, complex features from concept to design to delivery with no guidance.Maintain, rebuild and adapt legacy codebases alongside modernizing our stack.Assists team with estimation and prioritization of development efforts.Coaches and mentors other engineers by providing recommendations, technical oversight, code reviews and feedback.Other duties as assigned.What Youll ContributeMinimum Experience and EducationMust Have:5+ years of experience developing software solutionsBuilding, operating, troubleshooting and optimizing production systems under load.Delivered software using Python and JavaScript with frameworks.Interface with relational databases using SQL.Using Git and conducting code reviews within a sprint SDLC.Familiarity with Build systems, DevOps and CI/CD procedures.Familiarity with cloud services.Possess advanced knowledge in your specialization to be able to guide and mentor team members.Experience designing and leading a software project from requirements to delivery with no guidance.Experience completing a significant refactor of an existing software project.Experience independently researching and leading technical discussions with peers.Thoroughly understands the business vision, mission, and strategy and how their code supports and affects business outcomes.Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from key stakeholders and decision makers.Working knowledge of taking a large complex project, breaking it down into sub-tasks, and completing those tasks as required.Shows initiative and seeks evidence in data to support ideas.Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) from four-year college or university in math\computer science related field, or equivalent work experience.Great to have:eCommerce experienceCompleted large-scale systems migrations.Use of containerization and orchestration technologies, Docker and Kubernetes.FastAPI, Adriane, React, GraphQL, Kafka, React Native, Flask, Gherkin, PlaywrightAWS, DataDog, Sentry, CloudflareServerless functions, distributed/edge systems and event driven architectures.ADA / WCAG Compliance

Meta is shutting down its third-party fact-checking program on Instagram and Facebook, the company said on Tuesday, and will instead rely on Community Notes, a user-driven moderation system similar to that used by X. It's also removing restrictions on topics such as gender and immigration."It's time to get back to our roots around free expression on Facebook and Instagram," Zuckerberg said in a video, referencing his 2019 Georgetown University speech advocating freedom of expression.Going back roughly a decade, including during the first Trump administration, Meta implemented complex content moderation systems in response to societal and political pressures. Zuckerberg said in the video that it didn't always work out as desired: "The problem with complex systems is that they make mistakes. Even if they accidentally censor just 1% of posts, that's millions of people. We've reached a point where there's too many mistakes and too much censorship."Citing as a "cultural tipping point" the 2024 US elections, in which Donald Trump won a second term as president, Zuckerberg said the company will prioritize speech by simplifying policies, reducing mistakes and restoring free expression.These changes come two weeks ahead of Trump's inauguration and as Meta faces ongoing criticism for its handling of misinformation; allegations of political bias; and criticism regarding the broader societal impact of its platforms.One of the biggest challenges for social media companies over the last decade has been decision-making about what content is allowed on their platforms, and what to remove, including political and medical misinformation and hate speech. Critics have long charged that what social networks, especially Facebook, Twitter (now X) and YouTube, have been doing is censoring speech. Others, however, have said some sort of oversight has been crucial in the face of a deadly pandemic and a rising tide of disinformation.Introducing Community NotesIn the US, Meta will now implement Community Notes, where users write and rate notes to provide context for potentially misleading posts. In a blog post, Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer, highlighted the system's safeguards, noting it requires agreement from people with diverse perspectives to help prevent bias. Users can sign up as contributors starting today.Meta also plans to adjust how it enforces policies to reduce censorship errors. Severe violations, like those involving terrorism and child exploitation, will still rely on automation, but less severe issues will require human reporting before action is taken.Kaplan echoed Zuckerberg, emphasizing a "more personalized approach to political content" that lets users control how much they see."Meta's platforms are built to be places where people can express themselves freely," he wrote. "That can be messy. ... But that's free expression."Additionally, Meta will personalize how users see political and civic content, reversing its 2021 reduction in such posts. Kaplan called that approach "blunt." Content from followed Pages and people will now be ranked like any other post, based on likes and views. Kaplan said that the fact-checking program, launched in 2016 to combat misinformation, evolved into a tool that sometimes stifled legitimate political debate."Over time we ended up with too much content being fact checked that people would understand to be legitimate political speech and debate," he wrote. "Our system then attached real consequences in the form of intrusive labels and reduced distribution. A program intended to inform too often became a tool to censor."Zuckerberg said it will take time to get the new approach right, and that there is still a good deal of illegal material to figure out how best to remove. "These are complex systems; they are never going to be perfect," he said.

It's basically a portable power stationwith a difference. There are a lot of portable power stations on the show floors of CES 2025, but this one is designed to disappear seamlessly behind your refrigerator or onto a wall. Because the BioLite backup battery isn't built to be portable.The idea behind the BioLite battery is to provide a simple way to back up key parts of your home without relying on the complicated and expensive processes of installing a big whole-home battery.These batteries aren't built to be moved around like the typical power station, but that means it's very easy to imagine how to put them to use. Can solar panels save you money? Interested in understanding the impact solar can have on your home? Enter some basic information below, and well instantly provide a free estimate of your energy savings. CES 2025: The Coolest Gadgets and Concepts We've Seen So Far See all photos Small but powerfulThe BioLite Core battery packs 1.5kWh of storage capacity in a unit that also includes an inverter, but the BioLite Complete package also comes with a second unit, the same size and shape, with another 1.5 kWh of storage. That total of 3 kWh is important -- it's the minimum size for a home battery to qualify for the 30% federal tax credit. The Core has a retail price of $1,999, while the Complete retails for $2,999 -- or $2,099 after the credit.If you want more than 3 kWh, you can add more battery modules -- up to 10.5 kWh.The battery units themselves are slim -- just 2.8 inches wide -- and are flat, at 13 inches by 29 inches. Contrast that with the usual blocky portable power stations that are built to be hauled around with you on camping trips or elsewhere. A BioLite module is designed to hide in the nooks and crannies of your home, like the space behind or above your fridge or mounted flat on an out-of-the-way wall.Easy to connect and installThe BioLite batteries can connect to a standard 120-volt outlet without an electrician's help because they don't integrate with your home's electrical panel or broader electrical system. Instead, they work like a battery-connected power strip or a big uninterruptible power supply. You plug the BioLite into the outlet so it can charge from the wall, and you plug your refrigerator or whatever else you want to back up into the BioLite or its connected power strip. BioLite's backup battery is slim enough to fit behind your refrigerator and powerful enough to keep it running for a couple of days. BioLiteHome battery systems that are capable of backing up your entire home have to connect behind the electrical panel, and that kind of work is typically not suited for DIY. A battery system that can push power back to the grid would likely require permitting with your power company. Because the BioLite doesn't do any of that, you don't have to pay the thousands of dollars that you'd expect to pay a battery installer or electrician.The system works similarly to an uninterruptible power supply or UPS, but it's worth noting the switchover time is not as instantaneous as it is with a UPS. Your fridge probably won't notice the change from grid power to backup power when the lights go out, but a desktop computer might restart.More than just backup powerBioLite reps told me the batteries can do more than just keep your refrigerator running when the power goes out. Like truly portable power stations, they can be charged via solar panels, and the company plans to have those ready for release this year as well. That can keep your appliances on even longer than the dozens of hours one of these systems can run a refrigerator.Another tool is that the batteries can be used to shift your energy usage around expensive time-of-use utility rates. You can run your appliances off of the battery when electricity is most expensive and recharge the battery at times when it's cheapest. These settings are handled in the app.BioLite expects to ship the batteries later this year, but you can reserve a unit now.

Assassin's Creed Shadows adding the ability to go prone has prompted a rethink of the series' usual controlsNot all surfaces are now climbable, either.Image credit: Ubisoft News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 7, 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadows features a rejig of the series' usual controls due to the addition of being able to go prone.In a blog published today that goes into detail on Shadows' parkour system, developer Ubisoft noted that the Assassin's Creed franchise's typical crouch and dodge buttons have been swapped. This change is due to the mapping of the prone ability to the same button as crouch, which now sits on the X button on a standard Xbox controller. Tapping X now makes your character crouch, while holding X will make you go prone. The ability to dodge, roll, and drop down while parkouring is now mapped to the B button instead."In Shadows, dodge has been merged with parkour down mechanics, which unlocks a whole bunch of new parkour moves," Shadows' associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois said. "This new mapping also disconnects stance-switch (eg. standing, crouching, prone) from parkour, ensuring you can use any stances without accidentally going down a rooftop when you don't want to."Many traditional Assassin's Creed parkour moves return as expected, including the ability to perform a recovery roll to reduce impact and noise when landing from height. The ability to climb down has been augmented by another, flashier, option to perform a directional dodge over a ledge, meanwhile:Watch on YouTubeIf you're high enough to take fall damage, an additional prompt when parkouring downwards will be required. Of course, the franchise's handy hay bales are still present to cushion your fall in certain spots.Watch on YouTubeFinally, here's a look at Shadows protagonist Naoe demonstrating the new prone position. You can, of course, assassinate enemies while prone. Thus:Watch on YouTubeOne other big change within Shadows is that only some surfaces will be climbable. This is a change to how various recent Assassin's Creed entries have let you scamper all over cliffs and up sheer rock faces, influenced in part by the Shadows' addition of a grappling hook. In short, it means you'll need to look more carefully for surfaces that have physical handholds."This is a pretty big deal for us," Lemay-Comtois says. "This means we had to be more thoughtful about creating interesting parkour highways and afforded us more control about where Naoe can go, and where Yasuke can't, making our two playstyles even more contrasted."Assassin's Creed Shadows will finally arrive on 14th February after last year's high-profile delay. We recently learnt that Naoe has a "Naruto run" and that the game will have a "canon" story option for players who don't like making narrative choices.

Former Annapurna Interactive staff reportedly taking over Private Division portfolio following Take-Two saleIncluding Kerbal Space Program.Image credit: Squad/Private Division News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 7, 2025 Former Annapurna Interactive staff - who departed the acclaimed video game publisher last September as part of a "mass exodus" - have reportedly established a new company and will be taking over indie label Private Division's portfolio, which was sold by Take-Two last year.Annapurna's entire video game division - responsible for publishing the celebrated likes of Cocoon, Outer Wilds, and Sayonara Wild Hearts - departed the company late last year, reportedly following a dispute with owner Megan Ellison. At the time, there was suggestion all 25 former employees might reunite under a new name, Verset, which was originally intended to be an Annapurna Interactive spin-off before negotiations broke down.And now, Bloomberg reports former Annapurna Interactive staff are indeed working together again, as part of a still-unnamed new company, which is said to have inherited the games and franchises of Private Division - the indie-focused label behind the likes of Kerbal Space Program 2 that was sold by Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive in November.At the time, Take-Two said it had made the decision to sell the label so it could focus its resources on "growing our core and mobile businesses for the long-term", and that the unnamed buyer had purchased the rights to "substantially all" of Private Division's live and unreleased titles - with the exception of Moon Studios' No Rest for the Wicked.According to Bloomberg's latest report - which cites "people familiar" with the matter - Private Division's buyer was Texas-based private equity firm Haveli Investments. Haveli reportedly then struck a deal with ex-Annapurna employees to fund their new company and place them in charge of distributing the former Private Division titles. These are include the Kerbal Space Program series, upcoming Lord of the Rings farming game Tales of the Shire, and Pokmon developer Game Freak's new action-adventure IP.Bloomberg adds the new arrangement will likely result in a number of layoffs among the approximately 20 Private Division employees Haveli inherited as part of its purchase, although specifics are reportedly still to be finalised.As for what remains of Annapurna Interactive, the publisher previously said it was hiring to fill vacancies left following last year's mass exodus, and that it was "focused on moving forward". Annapurna's future projects - which all appear to be unaffected despite last September's events - include the likes of Mixtape from Beethoven and Dinosaur, Wanderstop from The Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden, and No Code's Silent Hill: Townfall.Annapurna Interactive's first in-house title, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, seemingly faces more significant challenges, however. Game director Chelsea Hash and all other full-time members of the development team reportedly left amid last year's departures, but the company said work would continue despite these setbacks.

Horrific abuse of workers at Indonesian external development studio revealed in new report"No viral, no justice."Image credit: Brandoville News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Jan. 7, 2025 A new report from People Make Games has detailed disturbing allegations of abuse towards employees at Indonesian studio Brandoville, a company used for art and animation support in games such as Age of Empires 4 and Assassin's Creed Shadows.In 2021, People Make Games reported on crunch culture and the industry's reliance on outsourcing to external developers in order to meet deadlines. Brandoville Studios was one such developer. Little has changed in the industry since that report, but Brandoville's closure a few months ago has lead its employees to now share further stories of their experiences at the studio.At the centre of this report is Christa Sydney, who worked at the company from 2019 until 2024 and says she was subjected to mental and physical abuse by commissioner Kwan Cherry Lai, wife of Brandoville CEO Ken Lai, who ran day-to-day operations.The full report can be watched in the below video, though please note it contains some incredibly harrowing content and footage.100 Slaps: The Breaking News The Games Industry Ignored in 2024Watch on YouTubeSydney describes how Cherry Lai took her under her wing following a dispute early in her career, but how this led to toxic abuse. Initially, Lai imposed a strict working schedule on employees and would purposefully divide employees through gossip and demeaning words, Sydney said.Sydney was actually part of People Make Games' previous report, but says she was later forced by Lai to film a statement in support of Brandoville against her will. Other employees felt she was being brainwashed, it's reported.Sydney now says she was then continuously abused by Lai, including during a work trip to the XDS '22 conference where Lai micromanaged her time and only allowed her to sleep for a few minutes over the course of four days leading up to the event. Further abuse included imposing daily Christian worship, forcing Sydney to write lines like a schoolchild, daily check-ins over WhatsApp of her outfits as part of "quality control", and humiliating her in front of colleagues.Eventually Lai's abuse became physical, forcing Sydney to film herself slapping her face 100 times as punishment, or hitting her head against a door frame until she was concussed before forcing an apology.Another employee, Caesarion Balthazar, had an arrangement with Lai where she would take part of his salary to assist with his spending habits. This led to her, in Balthazar's words, stealing an amount of money equivalent to a month's salary. Additionally, Balthazar says he was told he owed money for expensive training programmes he hadn't yet taken when he tried to leave the company.A third employee, Syifana Afiati, also says she was abused by Lai during her time at Brandoville from 2019 to 2024. Afiati fell pregnant, but was repeatedly overworked by Lai. At one point during the pregnancy Afiati says she was taken to hospital due to an issue, but was still asked to come into the office and work - to which she declined. Afiati's son was born two months prematurely and sadly died four months later in intensive care, however Lai still expected her to work and provided no sympathy or support from the company.In August 2024, Brandoville Studios went into liquidation, though Cherry and Ken Lai convinced a handful of employees to stay and begin a new company: LaiLai Studios. Sydney was one such employee, but says she was subsequently subjected to direct physical violence from Cherry Lai on multiple occasions.Sydney eventually escaped and compiled evidence against Lai. Media reports in Indonesia went viral, which finally lead to police investigations. This was required due to the local phrase "no viral, no justice", stemming from mistrust in the police and justice system.In response to the allegations, Cherry Lai issued a statement to People Make Games, bizarrely stating: "To me my part of the story is not important, as long as my team are good and safe now." However, further discussion was declined.Other employees claimed Ken Lai was Cherry's "biggest enabler" and should've done more to stop this abuse. Sydney and others however say they believe Ken is yet another victim of Cherry's abuse and his silence comes from a place of fear.The report concludes by noting how the treatment of outsourced workers goes largely unnoticed and unremarked upon by the video games industry due to its discomfort discussing outsourced work, despite it being a crucial part of game development. Eurogamer has contacted Microsoft and Ubisoft for comment on their connections to Brandoville.