Amazon Web Services today announced Ocelot, its first-generation quantum computing chip. While the chip has only rudimentary computing capability, the company says it is a proof-of-principle demonstrationa step on the path to creating a larger machine that can deliver on the industrys promised killer applications, such as fast and accurate simulations of new battery materials. This is a first prototype that demonstrates that this architecture is scalable and hardware-efficient, says Oskar Painter, the head of quantum hardware at AWS, Amazons cloud computing unit. In particular, the company says its approach makes it simpler to perform error correction, a key technical challenge in the development of quantum computing. Ocelot consists of nine quantum bits, or qubits, on a chip about a centimeter square, which, like some forms of quantum hardware, must be cryogenically cooled to near absolute zero in order to operate. Five of the nine qubits are a type of hardware that the field calls a cat qubit, named for Schrdingers cat, the famous 20th-century thought experiment in which an unseen cat in a box may be considered both dead and alive. Such a superposition of states is a key concept in quantum computing. The cat qubits AWS has made are tiny hollow structures of tantalum that contain microwave radiation, attached to a silicon chip.The remaining four qubits are transmonseach an electric circuit made of superconducting material. In this architecture, AWS uses cat qubits to store the information, while the transmon qubits monitor the information in the cat qubits. This distinguishes its technology from Googles and IBMs quantum computers, whose computational parts are all transmons. Notably, AWS researchers used Ocelot to implement a more efficient form of quantum error correction. Like any computer, quantum computers make mistakes. Without correction, these errors add up, with the result that current machines cannot accurately execute the long algorithms required for useful applications. The only way youre going to get a useful quantum computer is to implement quantum error correction, says Painter. Unfortunately, the algorithms required for quantum error correction usually have heavy hardware requirements. Last year, Google encoded a single error-corrected bit of quantum information using 105 qubits. Amazons design strategy requires only a 10th as many qubits per bit of information, says Painter. In work published in Nature on Wednesday, the team encoded a single error-corrected bit of information in Ocelots nine qubits. Theoretically, this hardware design should be easier to scale up to a larger machine than a design made only og transmons, says Painter. This design combining cat qubits and transmons makes error correction simpler, reducing the number of qubits needed, says Shruti Puri, a physicist at Yale University who was not involved in the work. (Puri works part-time for another company that develops quantum computers but spoke to MIT Technology Review in her capacity as an academic.) Basically, you can decompose all quantum errors into two kindsbit flips and phase flips, says Puri. Quantum computers represent information as 1s, 0s, and probabilities, or superpositions, of both. A bit flip, which also occurs in conventional computing, takes place when the computer mistakenly encodes a 1 that should be a 0, or vice versa. In the case of quantum computing, the bit flip occurs when the computer encodes the probability of a 0 as the probability of a 1, or vice versa. A phase flip is a type of error unique to quantum computing, having to do with the wavelike properties of the qubit. The cat-transmon design allowed Amazon to engineer the quantum computer so that any errors were predominantly phase-flip errors. This meant the company could use a much simpler error correction algorithm than Googlesone that did not require as many qubits. Your savings in hardware is coming from the fact that you need to mostly correct for one type of error, says Puri. The other error is happening very rarely. The hardware savings also stem from AWSs careful implementation of an operation known as a C-NOT gate, which is performed during error correction. Amazons researchers showed that the C-NOT operation did not disproportionately introduce bit-flip errors. This meant that after each round of error correction, the quantum computer still predominantly made phase-flip errors, so the simple, hardware-efficient error correction code could continue to be used. AWS began working on designs for Ocelot as early as 2021, says Painter. Its development was a full-stack problem. To create high-performing qubits that could ultimately execute error correction, the researchers had to figure out a new way to grow tantalum, which is what their cat qubits are made of, on a silicon chip with as few atomic-scale defects as possible. Its a significant advance that AWS can now fabricate and control multiple cat qubits in a single device, says Puri. Any work that goes toward scaling up new kinds of qubits, I think, is interesting, she says. Still, there are years of development to go. Other experts have predicted that quantum computers will require thousands, if not millions, of qubits to perform a useful task. Amazons work is a first step, says Puri. She adds that the researchers will need to further reduce the fraction of errors due to bit flips as they scale up the number of qubits. Still, this announcement marks Amazons way forward. This is an architecture we believe in, says Painter. Previously, the companys main strategy was to pursue conventional transmon qubits like Googles and IBMs, and they treated this cat qubit project as skunkworks, he says. Now, theyve decided to prioritize cat qubits. We really became convinced that this needed to be our mainline engineering effort, and well still do some exploratory things, but this is the direction were going. (The startup Alice & Bob, based in France, is also building a quantum computer made of cat qubits.) As is, Ocelot basically is a demonstration of quantum memory, says Painter. The next step is to add more qubits to the chip, encode more information, and perform actual computations. But they have many challenges ahead, from how to attach all the wires to how to link multiple chips together. Scaling is not trivial, he says.

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Reviews weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. Flames erupted last Tuesday amid the burned wreckage of the battery storage facility at Moss Landing Power Plant. It happened after a major fire there burned for days and then went quiet for weeks. The reignition is yet another reminder of how difficult fires in lithium-ion batteries can be to deal with. They burn hotter than other firesand even when it looks as if the danger has passed, they can reignite. As these batteries become more prevalent, first responders are learning a whole new playbook for what to do when they catch fire, as a new story from our latest print magazine points out. Lets talk about what makes battery fires a new challenge, and what it means for the devices, vehicles, and grid storage facilities that rely on them. Fires in batteries are pretty nasty, says Nadim Maluf, CEO and cofounder of Qnovo, a company that develops battery management systems and analytics. While first responders might be able to quickly douse a fire in a gas-powered vehicle with a hose, fighting an EV fire can require much more water. Often, its better to just let battery fires burn out on their own, as Maya Kapoor outlines in her story for MIT Technology Review. And as one expert pointed out in that story, until a battery is dismantled and recycled, its always going to be a hazard. One very clear example of that is last weeks reignition at Moss Landing, the worlds biggest battery storage project. In mid-January, a battery fire destroyed a significant part of a 300-megawatt grid storage array. The site has been quiet for weeks, but residents in the area got an alert last Tuesday night urging them to stay indoors and close windows. Vistra, the owner of Moss Landing Power Plant, didnt respond to written questions for this story but said in a public statement that flames were spotted at the facility on Tuesday and the fire had burned itself out by Wednesday morning. Even after a battery burns, some of the cells can still hold charge, Maluf says, and in a large storage installation on the grid, there can be a whole lot of stored energy that can spark new blazes or pose a danger to cleanup crews long after the initial fire. Vistra is currently in the process of de-linking batteries at Moss Landing, according to a website the company set up to share information about the fire and aftermath. The process involves unhooking the electrical connections between batteries, which reduces the risk of future problems. De-linking work began on February 22 and should take a couple of weeks to complete. Even as crews work to limit future danger from the site, we still dont know why a fire started at Moss Landing in the first place. Vistras site says an investigation is underway and that its working with local officials to learn more. Battery fires can start when cells get waterlogged or punctured, but they can also spark during normal use, if a small manufacturing defect goes unnoticed and develops into a problem. Remember when Samsung Galaxy Note phones were banned from planes because they kept bursting into flames? That was the result of a manufacturing defect that could lead to short-circuiting in some scenarios. (A short-circuit basically happens when the two separate electrodes of a battery come into contact, allowing an uncontrolled flow of electricity that can release heat and start fires.) And then theres the infamous Chevy Boltthose vehicles were all recalled because of fire risk. The issues were also traced back to a manufacturing issue that caused cells to short-circuit. One piece of battery safety is designing EV packs and large stationary storage arrays so that fires can be slowed down and isolated when they do occur. There have been major improvements in fire suppression measures in recent years, and first responders are starting to better understand how to deal with battery fires that get out of hand. Ultimately, though, preventing fires before they occur is the goal. Its a hard job. Identifying manufacturing defects can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, Maluf says. Battery chemistry and cell design are complicated, and the tiniest problem can lead to a major issue down the road. But fire prevention is important to gain public trust, and investing in safety improvements is worth it, because we need these devices more than ever. Batteries are going to be crucial in efforts to clean up our power grid and the transportation sector. I dont believe the answer is stopping these projects, Maluf says. That train has left the station. Now read the rest of The Spark Related reading For more on the Moss Landing Power Plant fire, catch up with my newsletter from a couple of weeks ago. Batteries are a master key technology, meaning they can unlock other tech that helps cut emissions, according to a 2024 report from the International Energy Agency. Read more about the current state of batteries in this story from last year. New York City is interested in battery swapping as a solution for e-bike fires, as I covered last year. Keeping up with climate BP Is dropping its target of increasing renewables by 20-fold by 2030. The company is refocusing on fossil fuels after concerns about earnings. Booooo. (Reuters) This refinery planned to be a hub for alternative jet fuels in the US. Now the project is on shaky ground after the Trump administration has begun trying to claw back funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. (Wired) Alternative jet fuels are one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025. As I covered, the fuels will be a challenge to scale, and thats even more true if federal funding falls through. (MIT Technology Review)Chinese EVs are growing in popularity in Nigeria. Gas-powered cars are getting more expensive to run, making electric ones attractive, even as much of the country struggles to get consistent access to electricity. (Bloomberg) EV chargers at federal buildings are being taken out of servicethe agency that runs federal buildings says they arent mission critical. This one boggles my mindthese chargers are already paid for and installed. What a waste. (The Verge) Congestion pricing that charges drivers entering the busiest parts of Manhattan has cut traffic, and now the program is hitting revenue goals, raising over $48 million in the first month. Expect more drama to come, though, as the Trump administration recently revoked authorization for the plan, and the MTA followed up with a lawsuit. (New York Times) New skyscrapers are designed to withstand hurricanes, but the buildings may fare poorly in less intense wind storms, according to a new study. (The Guardian) Ten new battery factories are scheduled to come online this year in the US. The industry is entering an uncertain time, especially with the new administrationwill this be a battery boom or a battery bust? (Inside Climate News) Proposed renewable-energy projects in northern Colombia are being met with opposition from Indigenous communities in the region. The area could generate 15 gigawatts of electricity, but local leaders say that they havent been consulted about development. (Associated Press) This farm in Virginia is testing out multiple methods designed to pull carbon out of the air at once. Spreading rock dust, compost, and biochar on fields can help improve yields and store carbon. (New Scientist)

Scheme now set to open two years later than plannedHawkins Brown has been forced to restart concept design on a 90m library scheme in Manchester due toescalating construction costs.The 13-storey scheme for Manchester Metropolitan University was given planning a year ago and was supposed to be finished for 2028.But the project is having to go back to RIBA stage 2 with the university now hoping to open the new library two years later than planned. The move is likely to require a new planning application if the redesign issignificantly different to what has been approved.The approved scheme features a distinctive zig zag pattern, with the architect and university declining to comment on whether it would be retained under the new proposals being drawn upIn a statement, the university said: Since announcing the granting of planning permission for the new library building back in February 2024, work has been undertaken to fully understand the costs involved in delivering the visionary design.The original design was developed prior to significant cost escalations within the construction sector the result being a significant increase in the building costs.The refreshed vision and design brief has been agreed and Hawkins Brown, along with other members of the original design team, have commenced RIBA 2 designs. While precise timelines will continue to be developed and may change, we are planning for the new library building to be open to students from September 2030.Both the university and Hawkins Brown declined to comment on whether the schemes distinctive zig zag shape would be retained.But the spokesperson added: As a result of the proposed changes we are currently working through the details and any timescales for planning approval. We will communicate this when confirmed along with the project team who will take project forward.The university re-located the existing library to the former John Dalton East building on Oxford Road last September ahead of construction work beginning.Under its approved proposals, the new library would see the 1970s All Saints Library and neighbouring All Saints Building cut in two under the plans, with the latter to be totally demolished and the former to be stripped back to its core and covered with a new faade.The scheme apprved last year is due to be built on a site in the middle of ManchesterAs well as Hawkins Brown, the design team includes specialist library architect Schmidt Hammer Larsen, with Turner & Townsend on board as project manager alongside planning consultant Deloitte and cost consultant Gardiner & Theobald.Planit IE is also on the team as landscape architect while Buro Happold has multiple roles including structural and civil engineer, facade engineer, MEP engineer, fire engineer and transport consultant.The university spokesperson added: The design team remains largely unchanged with the same architect delivering the new scheme.The building approved last year was due to house around 3,800 study seats, a range of event spaces, bookable rooms, a prayer facility, wellbeing spaces, office space for library staff and 9,000 linear metres of books.

Birmingham-based Howells and BPN are among the practices with projects shortlisted for this years awardsOne Centenary Way, designed by HowellsSource: Hufton+CrowInvisible House, by BPN ArchitectsSource: Henry WoideNew visitor facilities at Hanbury Hall, designed by HowellsSource: Greg HolmesWilliamson House, by John Pardey ArchitectsSource: Richard ChiversOld Fire Station, by KKE ArchitectsSource: KKE ArchitectsCoventry University, College of Arts & Society, by BDPSource: Nick CavilleUniversity of Staffordshire Woodlands Nursery, by FCBSSource: Daniel HopkinsonManresa House, by OMI ArchitectsSource: Paul Karalius1/8show captionNine projects across the West Midlands, ranging from higher education buildings to residential conversions and cultural schemes, have been shortlisted for the RIBA West Midlands Awards 2025.Among the practices with shortlisted projects are Birmingham-based Howells, recognised for its work on Hanbury Hall, a new pavilion at the Grade I-listed National Trust property, and One Centenary Way, a large-scale commercial office building in Birminghams Paradise development.BPN Architects, also a frequent nominee in the region, has been shortlisted for Invisible House, a private residence designed to integrate with its rural surroundings.Other projects include Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios net-zero carbon University of Staffordshire Woodlands Nursery and the conversion of a former fire station into housing by KKE Architects Ltd. Coventry Universitys College of Arts & Society, designed by BDP, is also on the list, along with Glancy Nicholls Architects Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Medical Teaching Building. The shortlist is completed by Manresa House by OMI Architects and Williamson House by John Pardey Architects.Source: Verity MilliganElizabeth Garrett Anderson Medical Teaching Building, by Glancy Nicholls ArchitectsTim Collett, chair of the judging panel and associate professor in architecture at the University of Nottingham, said: This years shortlist includes nine exciting buildings that offer a wonderful range of typologies and scales from large academic and commercial buildings to homes, a nursery and a pavilion.All projects shortlisted for RIBA Awards will be visited by a regional jury, and the winning projects will be announced later this spring.The winners will then be considered for several RIBA Special Awards, including the RIBA Sustainability Award and RIBA Building of the Year, before being considered for a RIBA National Award, which will be announced in summer.The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects and announced in September, with a winner to be announced in October.

While Capcom's Monster Hunter series has always had its fans, 2020's Monster Hunter: World sent it mainstream. Now, Monster Hunter Wilds is the next game in Capcom's long-running action combat franchise, bringing latest-gen console improvements to big creature fights.As players get their hands on the new game when it releases on Feb.28, they'll find Monster Hunter Wilds faithfully preserving the core appeal of the series: set out with weapons, hunt big monsters, harvest their parts and forge them into new weapons and armor. But while the game looks like an expansion of Monster Hunter: World, it has a host of quality-of-life upgrades that ease the experience.Some of these changes are obvious once you start playing, like a seamless transition from camp to the creature-filled regions around it. The Seikret mounts ferry you around (even automatically routing you to your hunt if you'd like), carry supplies and hold a second weapon that you can swap to mid-fight. And the wound system has been greatly expanded, making fights more interactive.There's plenty more to discover in the full game, but here are some beginner tips to help you out in your first hours of Monster Hunter Wilds. CapcomPut time in the training range to find your favorite weaponFor new and returning players, the most important decision to make is choosing which weapons to use. New to Monster Hunter Wilds is a short questionnaire right out the gate that offers suggestions for which of the game's 14 weapons would best suit your preferred playstyle. But nothing replaces hands-on experience, so jump into the training range, where you can try out every weapon and run through their various combos and unique mechanics.If you're new to the series, it's worth playing with most (if not all) of them to understand what each weapon does and doesn't do. If you're a veteran of the series, it's helpful to know what's changed from previous games. You can also find a few tips for each weapon in the start menu: go to the Info tab > Play Guide > Tutorial List for a couple of pointers on each weapon. You can also find a full move list and some suggested combos in Info tab > Play Guide > Weapon Controls, which is handy to have when away from the training range. CapcomAlways eat before a huntAs in previous Monster Hunter games, cooking and eating a meal provides various stat bonuses depending on the dish. While you won't have many options in the early game, even the most basic meal provides bonus health which makes a difference, especially in the early game. Meals don't expire at the end of a hunt, instead lasting a certain period of time, so check to make sure your meal effect is still active after successive hunts.Once the support team has arrived at the camp in the first area, check in with them occasionally to get free rations, which are used to make basic meals. You'll also want to collect ingredients on your travels, including fishing in pools of water using the fishing pole tool. Use these ingredients to cook in the field with your Portable BBQ Grill. Armor crafting screen at the smithy NPC Gemma's forge. CapcomForge armor and weapons to the highest rarity availableYou'll generally get access to new equipment to make after killing large monsters (as opposed to the small monsters roaming around), so when you return from a hunt, check in on equipment trees in Gemma's forge. Craft weapons and armor of the highest-numbered rarity tier to get the best stuff, keeping in mind that there are differences in skills and damage (for weapons) or resistances (for armor) between equipment at the same level. This applies to your Palico as well, so keep them equipped with the best equipment you can.Don't worry about using up all your materials, as you'll keep getting them as you go on hunts. Some materials drop more often than others, even from the same monster, so you may have to kill several to get a full set of armor or craft multiple weapons using the same components. More importantly, even if it seems like a weapon is a dead end, you'll unlock more progression trees as you encounter additional large monsters. The menu screens for equipment are dense, but they contain a lot of information. CapcomInspect weapons and armor to understand what their skills doSo-called equipment skills are perks that apply bonuses in a wide variety of aspects, from better healing to increasing defense to resisting certain types of damage. Some are very situational, like improving attack after conditions are met or boosting special ammo of ranged weapons. You'll get skills from your active weapon, each piece of armor and equipped talisman, racking up half a dozen or more that are active at the same time, and multiple of the same skill will stack.To see what each skill does, open the main menu (Start on PS5) > Items and Equipment tab > Equipment Info and click the Skill Info button (square on PS5). You can also look at them in the weapon/armor forge menu by tapping the Submenu button (triangle on PS5) > Skill Info. This is another way equipped weapons and armor can suit your playstyle, so consider skills when deciding which weapons and armor to craft. The intel pages have a lot of information about how best to take down big monsters. CapcomLook up monster weak points, weaknesses and more intelEach monster has its own strengths and weaknesses, which can help you prepare equipment resistances and elemental attacks to best take them on. You can look up this intel after you've defeated monsters once, though this remains important if you're hunting components to make weapons or armor out of them.To get detailed monster-specific info, go to the in-game menu (click Start on console) > Info tab > Monster Field Guide > Large Monster Field Guide. The dense intel for each monster shows where to find them, which parts are weak or breakable and what kind of damage works best on each part. It also recommends elemental attacks, status effects and items to use -- but most importantly, for repeat hunts, it shows the frequency drop rates for materials and which parts to target for them. CapcomGo for wounds when attacking to stagger monstersThough not the first Monster Hunter game with wounds, now any weapon can inflict them on a monster. When you repeatedly attack an area, a wound will form, which may be visible externally but which pops up clearly as orange-red sections when in Focus Mode (L2 on PS5). Keep attacking wounds and you'll do bonus damage until destroying them, after which you may stagger the monster -- which is a great opportunity to get in easily-interrupted combo damage.Don't worry about dying once or twice on a huntDying while on a hunt is a pain, but you can still come back to finish it afterward (albeit with a financial reward penalty at the end). You'll revive either in the area's main town or, if you've set up a camp, the nearest one of those. This gives you the opportunity to replenish supplies, cook another meal or swap out your equipment for something better suited to your prey. Dying once or twice is OK, but you'll fail the mission if you die a third time. Watch this: I Played Capcom's Upcoming Game Monster Hunter Wilds at Gamescom 00:49

Apple released the first public beta of iOS 18.4 on Feb. 24, more than a month after the release of iOS 18.3. While beta versions of iOS updates might include features that don't make it to your iPhone, Apple announced on Feb. 21 that one feature in the beta will be available when iOS 18.4 is released in April: a new Apple News section called Food.Read more: An Expert's Guide to iOS 18The new section will feature recipes from publications like Good Housekeeping, Food & Wine and more. You'll be able to find other food and restaurant related stories there, too.Developers and beta testers can access this feature now, but since it's still in beta it could be buggy or have other issues. If you want to try the new feature now, before it's released to the general public in April, I recommend downloading the iOS 18.4 beta on something other than your primary device.Here's what you need to know about Apple News Food in iOS 18.4.What is Apple News Food?Apple News Food is a new section in the Apple News app that will be available on all iPhones in April upon the release of iOS 18.4."With the new Food feature, users will be able to find stories curated by Apple News editors, as well as browse, search, and filter tens of thousands of recipes in the Recipe Catalog -- with new recipes added every day," Apple wrote in an email.How do I access Apple News Food?1. Open News.2. Tap Following in the bottom-right corner of your screen.3. Tap Food. AppleYou'll see options for Recipe Catalog and Saved Recipes near the top of the page, and you can scroll down to see other recipes and articles. You can also tap the fork and knife symbol in the top-right corner of your screen at any time while in the Food section to access the Recipe Catalog. Once you're in Recipe Catalog, the fork and knife symbol will be replaced with a box symbol that you can tap to access your Saved Recipes.To save recipes, tap a recipe that you're interested in and then tap Save. The recipe will be stored in your Saved Recipes.How much does Apple News Food cost?The Food section is free to everyone, but the free version only gives you access to a few stories and recipes each day. With the free version of this section, I could access recipes like million dollar sausage balls and this cucumber-avocado-tomato sandwich. I'm not a picky eater and will gladly try both of these, but I couldn't access many other recipes I was interested in with the free version.However, if you subscribe to Apple News Plus ($13 a month) you get full access to the Food section. That means you can browse a catalog of thousands of recipes and articles, save recipes in your own digital cookbook and access recipes offline. The recipe catalog makes it easy to find dinner ideas, vegetarian recipes and even cocktails.Can you do anything else with Apple News Food?You'll also be able to access what Apple calls cook mode in Apple News Food, which will show step-by-step instructions in full screen on your device. You'll see one step at a time, but you'll have to swipe on your screen to go to the next step. I tried to ask Siri to go to the next step, and the digital assistant ignored my pleas. This could be a problem if you're cooking and your hands are covered in flour, grease or anything else you don't want to get on your phone, but you still have to go to the next step. AppleThis feature does prevent your iPhone from going to sleep or dimming the screen. Which is nice, because then you don't have to unlock your phone every minute to make sure you're following the directions (not that I've ever done that or anything).Cook mode can also show you a full list of ingredients for each recipe by tapping Ingredients near the top of your screen. That means you don't have to write down an ingredient list the next time you go to the store.However, you can't copy and paste these ingredients or directions from News into another app, like Notes. You can share a link to the recipe, or save it as a quick note, but if you want to ask your roommate or partner to pick up a few ingredients while they're out, you can't easily copy and paste those ingredients into a message.To access cook mode, tap a recipe in the app you want to try then tap Cook.Don't forget, this feature is still in beta so there's plenty of time for Apple to change or adjust it. I'm hoping Apple adds a Siri integration so I don't slather my phone in meatball grease. Developers and beta testers can try Apple News Food now, and everyone will get access to it in April when Apple releases iOS 18.4.For more on iOS 18, here's what you need to know about iOS 18.3.1 and iOS 18.3. You can also check out our iOS 18 cheat sheet. Watch this: iPhone 16E vs. iPhone 16: Spec Breakdown 05:44

Apex Legends' entire French cast of voice actors risk jobs in AI dispute"We are asked to shoot ourselves in the foot."Image credit: EA News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Feb. 27, 2025 The entire French cast of multiplayer shooter Apex Legends has refused to sign an agreement that would allow their voices to train generative AI, risking their jobs in the process.Pascale Chemin, the voice of Wraith, shared a statement on social media (translated on ResetEra) detailing the situation, and while Apex isn't directly mentioned, the other voice actors from the game are all tagged accordingly.In the post, Chemin explained how the cast received an annex to their agreement directly from the publisher (presumably EA), which needed to be accepted before work could continue. This concerned training generative AI.Apex Legends: Takeover Gameplay TrailerWatch on YouTube"These terms weren't acceptable," wrote Chemin. "I was now forced to give up the role I had been working on for almost six years. In no way could I force the rest of the casting members to do the same, but one thing was certain: if we all refused, it could maybe have an impact. Otherwise, it would have been in vain."The whole cast unanimously rejected the agreement. "We wrote a collective letter of refusal that we sent to the publisher and are waiting for an answer," said Chemin. "If we aren't united now so that a clause that protects our voices can be officially added in our contracts - and not just for us here, but for every video game dubbing studio - we'll never get one and we'll be heading for a disaster."To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Chemin described refusing to work as "nonsensical" when there is so little available and many actors are struggling for money."But we aren't simply asked to work," she continued. "We are asked to give up our expertise to train the generative AI that will replace us tomorrow. We are asked to agree to what we specifically fight against. We are asked to shoot ourselves in the foot. We are asked to support AI."Eurogamer has contacted EA for a response.The use of generative AI is growing rapidly throughout the industry in all sorts of areas. EA in particular has over a hundred AI projects to assist development, with CEO Andrew Wilson stating last year AI is "the very core of our business".One example of this shown was a forthcoming hub coming to The Sims that will include AI-powered discovery through photo-based searching, or the ability to create Sims based on a photo.Yet the use of generative AI in voice acting specifically is of huge concern to the acting community. It's the key reason US actors' union SAG-AFTRA has been on strike since July last year, predominantly due to a dispute over the exploitative use of AI.Chemin's post is a prime example of this AI use, which many actors believe is not suitably safeguarded against.Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect, Bayonetta 3) spoke with Eurogamer earlier this year to explain why the SAG-AFTRA strike remains ongoing."It's a huge issue for all of us and the repercussions are vast," she said. "So to me, it makes sense that everyone needs to take their time. As performers - and we saw this in the writers strike and the theatrical contract strike - we're just the canary in the coal mine."The producers who actually do the work with us, they want to get back to work and they are open to having really productive conversations. I think the people in the room who are representing a more large-scale corporate interest, their priority is profit protection in the future, which means leaving all the options open. But what I'm not sure they understand is that leaving those options open leaves performers in great jeopardy."

Motor company Honda has unveiled a glimpse at a Pokmon motorbike themed around Legendary creature Koraidon, star of Pokmon Scarlet and Violet. Read more

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereMarvel Rivals has a meteoric rise in its popularity with multiplayer gamers and its casual lobbies, particularly Quickplay, have proven popular among players looking for laid-back gameplay with their favorite Marvel heroes. However, players have also raised issues regarding the games broken skill-based matchmaking following consecutive losses.While some see this as a chance to hone their talents, others see it as undercutting genuine competition, sparking community debates. Despite this, player interest remains high, with casual modes flourishing in the games destructible environments and team-based mayhem.Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals competitive and ranked lobbies are gaining a loyal following. This has further laid the groundwork for Marvel Rivals in-game tournaments, such as the Season 0 Championship, which concluded in January 2025 with a $14,500 prize pool. With Season 1s Eternal Night Falls event reaching its end towards March, NetEase is stepping up its esports goals that they claim will enhance the gaming ecosystem.NetEase reveals ambitious plans with Marvel Rivals esports and crossoversIn the NetEase Q4 2024 Earnings Call, during the Q&A session, NetEase devs were questioned about the introduction of an esports tournament or the companys desire to make Marvel Rivals into a robust esports title.Marvel Rivals has revealed the EMEA Invitational roster for this season. Image by VideoGamer.Answering the question, NetEase replied, The team does have plans for esports. Were going to announce our esports plans to further enhance the gaming ecosystem. Were also going to do a lot of crossover events and promotions with other media in the future.The statement made by NetEase also aligns with their newly announced Marvel Rivals EMEA Invitationals that have already attracted top esports organizations like Fnatic, Luminosity, and Sentinels. Popular streamers like Ninja and Shroud have also expressed an interest in building esports teams dedicated to the game, which will further build its credibility in the esports scene.Itll be quite interesting to see if Marvel Rivals forms a massive tournament of its own competing with giants like Fortnites FNCS, League of Legends, or DOTA that currently dominate the esports scene with a massive player base.On the other hand, when it comes to crossovers, Marvel Rivals players are looking forward to movie and TV shows such as the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again tie-ins, similar to the one NetEase did with the recent Captain America Brave New World film. Must-Listen: VideoGamer Podcast #10 - Cracking Atomfall w/ Ben Fisher Marvel RivalsPlatform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Fighting, ShooterRelated TopicsMarvel Rivals Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereDead By Daylight fans have a lot to look forward to next month. BeHaviour are yet to reveal the March 2025 roadmap, but plans have already changed thanks to the extension of Resident Evil 2v8, plus the delay of Chapter 35. While the delay of Chapter 35 is officially known, DBD leaks has revealed the delay of an event that will be joined by extra Bloodpoints.Dead By Daylight leaks reveal Chaos Shuffle delayAricarna on the DBDLeaks Discord originally revealed that Chaos Shuffle was planned to return on March 4th where it would last until March 11th. However, according to Aricarna, the LTM has now been delayed to March 18th, and it will allegedly last until March 31st.According to the leaker, the LTMs return will also be accompanied by Bloodhunt. This is where BeHaviour Interactive typically offer 2x Extra Bloodpoints for players. Although not stated by the leaker, its also possible the event could return with even more Bloodpoints via daily login rewards.The return of Chaos Shuffle in March is not confirmed by BeHaviour Interactive, so this is by no means official. The only occurrences we officially know of for next month are Resident Evil 2v8 mode ending on March 4th, and the Chapter 35 PTB coming out on March 11th.Chaos Shuffle is a popular LTM, so seeing it return would be great. According to leaker Dvveet, the mode will return in the summer, and this time it will be in the form of a new iteration. No specific details about whats new have been shared.Image credit: DBDLeaks DiscordFor more Dead By Daylight content, check out ourranking of the top 10 DLC expansions to buyalong with a ranking of thebest killer perksandbest survivor perks.Dead by DaylightPlatform(s):Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Survival Horror7VideoGamerRelated TopicsDead by Daylight Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share