NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: Gervonta Davis looks on between rounds against Lamont Roach Jr. ... [+] during their bout for Davis' WBA lightweight title at Barclays Center on March 01, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIs the aura of invincibility that used to surround Gervonta Davis in the ring gone? Some think so following Davis controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. on March 1 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.Many believe Davis deserved to lose the decision and that referee Steve Willis should have ruled Tank down when he took a knee in the ninth round.Former IBF, WBC and WBO lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr., who has engaged in a war of words with Davis on social media, insists Tank has lost a lot of stock.Kambosos made the comments during an interview on FightHype.Hes just had a draw and lost a lot of stock, Kambosos said as he wiped sweat from his face following a workout for his upcoming fight against Daud Yordan on March 22. "What does he have to do? Rebuild his career."Davis has been the target of mounds of criticism from almost everyone in the boxing community since the fight with Roach. The two men have since said they want a rematch, and the New York State Athletic Commission is reviewing the mishap in the ninth round when the replay system failed, preventing Davis gesture from being reviewed and ruled a knockdown.NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: Gervonta Davis (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHad Davis been ruled down in the ninth round, Roach would have won the fight by majority decision and become a two-division world champion. As it was, Davis remains the champion and keeps his unbeaten record intact.Kambosos and Davis rivalry began on social media and stems from mutual disrespect. Davis seemingly doesnt respect Kambosos as a fighter, and the latter points to Tanks questionable competition throughout his career.During Davis career, he has mostly used his athleticism, patience, and punching power to walk through his competition. On Saturday, Davis ran into an opponent who wasnt intimidated and took Tanks power without major consequence.While youre unlikely to find anyone who has lost all respect for what Davis can do in the ring, there are seemingly some areas where opponents can get the best of the WBA champion.Before Roachs stellar performance, the only other fighter who has gone the distance with Davis is Isaac Pitbull Cruz. Many will be watching Davis next moves to see if he is serious about a quick rematch.If the second fight happens, it will be interesting to see if Roach is more confident but less disciplined. As for Davis, it is unclear if he knows how to fight in a different style.Davis in-ring IQ is highly underrated. Weve seen him download data during the early rounds against other opponents, but he looked as though he never found his rhythm against Roach.After the fight, Roach had no shortage of supporters. Roachs buddy and Davis rival, Shakur Stevenson, praised Roachs performance and even offered to be his next opponent.While that fight makes sense, Id prefer to see Davis rematch Roach. That is the fight fans want to see mostespecially after Roach made us wonder if Davis was truly unbeatable.

What just happened? A new achievement in autonomous vehicle technology unfolded at the Kennedy Space Center last month as a driverless Maserati MC20 Coupe shattered the land speed record for self-driving cars. The sleek Italian supercar reached an astounding 197.7 mph, surpassing the previous record of 192.8 mph set in April 2022. This feat not only showcases the rapid advancement of self-driving technology but also highlights the potential for autonomous racing to translate into safety improvements in everyday autonomous vehicles. The test was orchestrated by the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) in partnership with Politecnico di Milano, Italy's largest scientific-technological university. The run took place on the historic 2.8-mile runway at the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility (LLF), once used for NASA Space Shuttle landings.The Maserati MC20, an exotic sports car with a retail price starting at $239,000, was ideal for this high-speed autonomous test. Powered by a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine dubbed "Nettuno," the MC20 boasts an impressive 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. This power is channeled through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to the rear wheels, providing the necessary performance for such extreme speeds.The autonomous driving software was developed by the PoliMOVE-MSU team, part of the performance division of AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous) at Politecnico di Milano.The significance of this achievement extends far beyond speed records. IAC CEO Paul Mitchell noted that these high-speed tests push AI-driver software and robotics hardware to their limits, with the ultimate goal of improving safety in everyday autonomous vehicles. By testing autonomous systems at extreme velocities, researchers can evaluate the behavior of AI drivers in challenging conditions, potentially leading to safer autonomous driving on highways."These AI systems have been tested in production vehicles at legal road speeds in the Indy Autonomous Challenge races since 2021," said Prof. Sergio Matteo Savaresi at Politecnico di Milano.The record-shattering Maserati MC20 Coup isn't alone in pushing the boundaries of autonomous technology. Its counterpart, a Maserati MC20 Cielo convertible, also equipped with Politecnico di Milano's autonomous system, joined the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida convoy. The Cielo boasts its own groundbreaking performance in the 2023 edition of the historic 1000 Miglia race in Italy, where it navigated approximately 60 km without human intervention.

Why it matters: Donald Trump wants to kill off the Chips Act, the 2022 bipartisan law that is handing out $52.7 billion in subsidies to help bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the US. The President wants to use the money to pay the national debt instead. In his first address to the joint session of Congress since he returned as President, Trump blasted the Chips Act."Your Chips Act is a horrible, horrible thing. We give hundreds of billions of dollars and it doesn't mean a thing. They take our money and they don't spend it," Trump said."You should get rid of the Chips Act and whatever is left over, Mr. Speaker, you should use it to reduce debt."According to the Treasury Department, the US federal debt is over $36.2 trillion, 123% of the country's 2024 national income.Trump suggested that manufacturing companies would be incentivized to build facilities in the US to avoid the new tariffs he has introduced. "We don't have to give them money," Trump said.Yesterday, chip giant TSMC announced that it was increasing its investment in US chip manufacturing by an extra $100 billion, bringing the total to $165 billion. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Trump's tariffs have made the US a more attractive proposition when overseas firms are looking for locations to build manufacturing facilities. // Related StoriesTSMC's $6.6 billion grant awarded under the US Chips Act was finalized last November. Lutnick said the government was not planning on giving TSMC any new subsidies, despite it being eligible for a 25% manufacturing investment tax credit. The company said last month that it has already received $1.5 billion of the award.So far, the Chips act has announced approximately $32.5 billion in grant awards and up to $5.5 billion in loans to 32 companies across 48 projects in 23 states. In addition to TSMC, the biggest beneficiaries have been Intel ($8.5 billion), Samsung ($6.4 billion), Micron ($6.1 billion), and GlobalFoundries ($1.5 billion).Some in government have expressed concerns about Trump's plans, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who said the Chips act "is the reason Micron is bringing $100 billion and 50,000 jobs to Central New York. Trump just said he wants to get rid of it."Representative Greg Stanton said Trump's words were a "direct attack on Arizona's semiconductor industry and tens of thousands of Arizona workers."Reuters reported this week that approximately one-third of staff in the US Commerce Department office overseeing the allocation of Chips act money were laid off.The Chips (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act was enacted in August 2022 with the aim of boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing, research, and development. It was a response to the global chip crisis that hit during the pandemic, as well as China's persistent threat to Taiwan, which produces about 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductorsThe $52.7 billion the act is funding to support the semiconductor industry comes in the form of $39 billion in manufacturing incentives, including grants and loans, and $13.2 billion for research and development.

Nearly two months after revealing its second-generation smart ring, Circular has finally started taking pre-orders for the Ring 2 and will start shipping in June. This one is a massive upgrade, and more like a shot at redemption, after the lukewarm outing of its predecessor.Made out of jewelry-grade titanium, the smart ring comes equipped with an ECG, PPG, as well as a temperature sensor. The watch can measure heart rate, HRV, blood oxygen saturation levels, and electrocardiogram activity, too.Recommended VideosThe company claims its the first FDA-cleared smart ring out there to offer ECG measurement, a facility that was pushed into the mainstream by the Apple Watch and has been adopted by multiple brands ever since.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe Ring 2 is touted to assess more than 140 biomarkers, allowing it to track sleep, energy levels, stress, recovery time, and more.The onboard AI assistant can process the collected data and offer personalized insights, as well.CircularThe Circular Ring 2 has also received clearance for AFib detection, a heart condition that arises from non-rhythmic cardiac activity. Another notable feature addition is the Womens Health Suite, which offers insights into cycle tracking, fertility, and related wellness trends for women.The build is IP68-rated, which means its perfectly safe to take this one out for swimming and workouts. Circular is touting a seven-day battery for its second-gen smart ring, while a full-charging top-up is said to take only 30 minutes.The Circular Ring 2 comes in Obsidian Black, Gold, Silver, and Rose Gold colors. It is now up for pre-orders and guarantees savings worth up to $310 for early backers. The asking price has been set at a rather hefty $549, but early pre-orders will be rewarded with a discounted price tag of $239 only.Circular takes a no-subscription approach to smart rings. Unlike labels like Oura, you only pay an upfront fee for the smart ring, and youre good to go.CircularTheres, however, a system of digital coins in the companion app that can be unlocked by meeting certain activity goals and healthy habits such as proper sleep time. These coins unlock exclusive features, insights, and perks inside the app, says the company.The Circular Ring 2 also solves the hassle of dealing with sizing kits. So far, most smart ring brands will first send a kit with dummy units in various sizes. Only when customers find the right fit and add it to their purchase dashboard that their smart ring is shipped.With the Circular Ring 2, the company is introducing what it calls an industry-first Digital Ring Sizing technology. All you need to do is placed your hand, with fingers spaced on a card, and the apps in-camera preview will take the measurement.Editors Recommendations

This weekend Firefly Aerospace made history with the first fully successful moon landing by a private company, and now you can watch the moment the Blue Ghost lander touched down on the moon in stunning video footage.The footage shows the landers final descent to the lunar surface, with views from both downward-facing and outward-facing cameras. As well as the craters covering the moon, you can also see the glare from the sun and the Earth visible in the sky.Recommended VideosThe mission also captured this gorgeous image of sunrise on the moon, showing the sun peeking over the lunar horizon. A day on the moon lasts around fourteen Earth days, and during this time the Blue Ghost spacecraft will use solar energy collected by its solar panels for power. After two weeks of operations, on March 16, the mission will observe the lunar sunset and then operate for a final few hours into the lunar night before shutting down.Rise and shine! Fireflys Blue Ghost lander captured its first sunrise on the Moon, marking the beginning of the lunar day and the start of surface operations in its new home. Our Ghost Riders have already begun operating many of the 10 NASA payloads aboard the lander and will continue operations over the next two weeks and into the lunar night. Firefly AerospaceUp next, Blue Ghost will continue NASA payload operations through March 16. Just in the last two days, our downlinked data increased from 27 GB to 57 GB, including critical science data, Firefly announced in an update. Surface operations performed so far include deploying Lunar PlanetVac and sampling lunar regolith, deploying the Electrodynamic Dust Shield and demonstrating dust mitigation, capturing images from SCALPSS, and continuing operations for the other payloads.Please enable Javascript to view this contentYou can see the Lunar PlanetVac instrument deployed onto the surface in this image:The Lunar PlanetVac instrument, developed by Honeybee Robotics, was deployed to the lunar surface and is shown at the end of Blue Ghosts surface access arm. Firefly AerospaceThe instrument will test out a method of sample collection using pneumatics, which works by firing a blast of gas at the surface. This lifts up dust and small particles, which are then collected into a chamber for imaging and sieving. If it works, this system will be a cheaper and faster way to collect samples from the moons surface than using complex robotic arms for the job.Editors Recommendations

Facing defeat in chess, the latest generation of AI reasoning models sometimes cheat without being instructed to do so. The finding suggests that the next wave of AI models could be more likely to seek out deceptive ways of doing whatever theyve been asked to do. And worst of all? Theres no simple way to fix it. Researchers from the AI research organization Palisade Research instructed seven large language models to play hundreds of games of chess against Stockfish, a powerful open-source chess engine. The group included OpenAIs o1-preview and DeepSeeks R1 reasoning models, both of which are trained to solve complex problems by breaking them down into stages. The research suggests that the more sophisticated the AI model, the more likely it is to spontaneously try to hack the game in an attempt to beat its opponent. For example, it might run another copy of Stockfish to steal its moves, try to replace the chess engine with a much less proficient chess program, or overwrite the chess board to take control and delete its opponents pieces. Older, less powerful models such as GPT-4o would do this kind of thing only after explicit nudging from the team. The paper, which has not been peer-reviewed, has been published on arXiv. The researchers are concerned that AI models are being deployed faster than we are learning how to make them safe. Were heading toward a world of autonomous agents making decisions that have consequences, says Dmitrii Volkov, research lead at Palisades Research. The bad news is theres currently no way to stop this from happening. Nobody knows exactly howor whyAI models work the way they do, and while reasoning models can document their decision-making, theres no guarantee that their records will accurately reflect what actually happened. Anthropics research suggests that AI models frequently make decisions based on factors they dont explicitly explain, meaning monitoring these processes isnt a reliable way to guarantee a model is safe. This is an ongoing area of concern for some AI researchers. Palisades team found that OpenAIs o1-preview attempted to hack 45 of its 122 games, while DeepSeeks R1 model attempted to cheat in 11 of its 74 games. Ultimately, o1-preview managed to win seven times. The researchers say that DeepSeeks rapid rise in popularity meant its R1 model was overloaded at the time of the experiments, meaning they only managed to get it to do the first steps of a game, not to finish a full one. While this is good enough to see propensity to hack, this underestimates DeepSeeks hacking success because it has fewer steps to work with, they wrote in their paper. Both OpenAI and DeepSeek were contacted for comment about the findings, but neither replied. The models used a variety of cheating techniques, including attempting to access the file where the chess program stores the chess board and delete the cells representing their opponents pieces. (To win against a powerful chess engine as black, playing a standard game may not be sufficient, the o1-preview-powered agent wrote in a journal documenting the steps it took. Ill overwrite the board to have a decisive advantage.) Other tactics included creating a copy of Stockfishessentially pitting the chess engine against an equally proficient version of itselfand attempting to replace the file containing Stockfishs code with a much simpler chess program. So, why do these models try to cheat? The researchers noticed that o1-previews actions changed over time. It consistently attempted to hack its games in the early stages of their experiments before December 23 last year, when it suddenly started making these attempts much less frequently. They believe this might be due to an unrelated update to the model made by OpenAI. They tested the companys more recent o1mini and o3mini reasoning models and found that they never tried to cheat their way to victory. Reinforcement learning may be the reason o1-preview and DeepSeek R1 tried to cheat unprompted, the researchers speculate. This is because the technique rewards models for making whatever moves are necessary to achieve their goalsin this case, winning at chess. Non-reasoning LLMs use reinforcement learning to some extent, but it plays a bigger part in training reasoning models. This research adds to a growing body of work examining how AI models hack their environments to solve problems. While OpenAI was testing o1-preview, its researchers found that the model exploited a vulnerability to take control of its testing environment. Similarly, the AI safety organization Apollo Research observed that AI models can easily be prompted to lie to users about what theyre doing, and Anthropic released a paper in December detailing how its Claude model hacked its own tests. Its impossible for humans to create objective functions that close off all avenues for hacking, says Bruce Schneier, a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School who has written extensively about AIs hacking abilities, and who did not work on the project. As long as thats not possible, these kinds of outcomes will occur. These types of behaviors are only likely to become more commonplace as models become more capable, says Volkov, who is planning on trying to pinpoint exactly what triggers them to cheat in different scenarios, such as in programming, office work, or educational contexts. It would be tempting to generate a bunch of test cases like this and try to train the behavior out, he says. But given that we dont really understand the innards of models, some researchers are concerned that if you do that, maybe it will pretend to comply, or learn to recognize the test environment and hide itself. So its not very clear-cut. We should monitor for sure, but we dont have a hard-and-fast solution right now.

2025-03-05T10:30:01Z Read in app A Ukrainian soldier holds his weapon in a trench on the front line in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine. AP Photo/Libkos This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Small arsenals, high costs, and production backlogs have been a hindrance as Europe arms Ukraine.Denmark found a way to get Ukraine weapons that bypassed these issues.It funds the weapons manufacturing in Ukraine so that they reach soldiers faster and for lower cost.A NATO ally figured out a method to get weapons to Ukraine quicker and cheaper and without drawing from Europe's already-low stockpiles.Its approach may become a lot more important as the US hits the brakes on Ukraine aid, putting the burden squarely on the shoulders of the war-torn country's European partners.Denmark announced a new plan last year to spend aid money on making weapons in Ukraine. The plan, now referred to as the "Danish model," is aimed at helping Ukraine fight back against Russia's invasion.The project, which means weapons come from Ukraine itself instead of European stockpiles and manufacturers, is designed to work around key problems for Europe in the provision of weaponry: slowly producing expensive equipment and not having enough in their own arsenals to spare.In 2024, the model finalized procurements for weaponry, including artillery systems and missiles, worth more than $550 million, according to Denmark's defense ministry, with funding coming from other sources including Sweden, Iceland, and accrued interest on frozen Russian assets. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen witnessed a weapons demonstration in Ukraine last year. Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP And signs point to huge growth for the project. Ukraine says it expects $1 billion this year through the model, and other allies, like Canada, are joining in.Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark's defense minister, told Business Insider that the new weapons-making project so far "has been a great success."There are three reasons: the speed of getting systems delivered to the battlefield, the price being "quite low compared to buying the artillery systems in Europe," and the fact that Ukraine can produce spare parts and maintenance in the country itself, allowing weapons systems to be active for longer.Working around Europe's problemsPoulsen said the speed at which Ukraine can produce weapons suggests the West has "a lot to learn. He added that working this way gives Danish companies those insights, making it "a win-win."His comments reflect what Denmark's prime minister said earlier this month when she warned allies that "we have a problem, friends, if a country at war can produce faster than the rest of us."The Danish model is designed to overcome some of the biggest barriers Ukraine's European partners face in offering help. Ukraine has repeatedly had to deal with insufficient partner stockpiles, and even as European countries ramp up defense spending, the production is seen as inadequate.The threat of a Russian attack, as well as questions about the reliability of the US as a partner, has led to many European countries vowing to boost their defense spending even more.Industry is grappling with shortages, backlogs, and uncertain demand signals. There's a push to increase production though. Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, said earlier this month that companies should start extra production lines and cut red tape as soon as possible. A gray robotic arm moves a molten steel billet during the manufacturing process for 155 mm artillery shells in a European factory. OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images These problems make projects like the "Danish model" absolutely critical, allowing Ukraine to defend itself while Europe also grows its own stockpiles.Poulsen encouraged even more participation from European allies, saying that "the more finance European countries can give Ukraine, the more they're also able to produce locally."That removes delays from production and the need to transport goods across Europe, giving Ukraine an advantage "because they're not waiting to get the equipment delivered."It also clarifies for Ukraine what equipment the country will actually have available to use in battle. Poulsen said it is "a major part of planning in the military operation," knowing "when you receive what you need in a military context."That inability to plan ahead has been a sever problem for the Ukrainians. Soldiers have been unable to plan future actions because they don't know for sure what sort of weaponry they will receive from partners.Supporting Ukraine's defenseSweden's defense minister, Pl Jonson, told BI that investing in Ukraine's defense means the "Ukrainians can increase their self-help where they can provide assets and capabilities out to the front to their soldiers."He said the increase in Ukraine's defense production over the last year "has been very impressive." He said that "they transformed a large part of their entire industrial base and put it on war footing, and industrial production has been substantially increased during the last year."Ukraine's own manufacturing has soared, with the country now making drones, missiles, howitzers, ammunition, and other weaponry. Many Western defense companies have also started to make weaponry in Ukraine, including German arms maker Rheinmetall, which has opened a plant in Ukraine and said it will open additional factories there.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 30% of the military equipment that Ukraine used last year was made domestically.But many of the important weapons Ukraine relies on are still made abroad, and Ukraine struggles with shortages, an uneven delivery schedule, and the possibility partners like the US could upend their shipments. Ukrainian Air Force's F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky Zelenskyy said recently that Ukraine is running out of missiles for its US-made Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine seeks a license from the US to produce Patriot missiles.Poulsen described Ukraine as having a "huge production capacity in their defense companies," but there's a problem. Ukraine's defense manufacturers say they can produce $20 billion worth of weaponry a year but only get $6 billion of orders.The Danish model is aimed at giving Ukraine a promising and growable route to a stable weaponry supply, but it still provides just a tiny fraction of the aid Ukraine is getting. It's unclear to what extent this project could be expanded.Much of Europe has vowed to keep supporting Ukraine, which is standing between Russia and the rest of the continent. But much more needs to be done, especially if the US is backing out.Sweden announced in January its biggest-ever support package for Ukraine, at over $1 billion. Jonson said that "we encourage others to do more as well."

2025-03-05T10:11:14Z Read in app AppLovin helps developers make money through advertising. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? AppLovin plans to sell its games unit to Tripledot Studios in a $900 million deal, sources say.Tripledot Studios, valued at $1.4 billion, specializes in popular mobile games.AppLovin declined to comment, while Tripledot did not respond to BI requests for comment.The adtech company AppLovin is nearing a $900 million deal to sell its games unit to Tripledot Studios, a London-based mobile games developer, four people with knowledge of the matter told Business Insider.The people asked for anonymity to preserve their business relationships; their identities are known to Business Insider. They said the deal isn't yet finalized, and the plans could still change.AppLovin declined to comment. Tripledot Studios did not respond to requests for comment.AppLovin, which helps app developers make money through advertising and find new users through ads, has been the buzziest company in adtech in recent months. AppLovin's shares have been on a tear and are up more than 400% over the last year, with its market value topping $100 billion.While AppLovin was traditionally known for working with the gaming community, its recent stock run was propelled by a new move to court e-commerce advertisers.It now wants to focus purely on advertising and exit the game development business. AppLovin's game studios include Lion Studios, Machine Zone, and Magic Tavern, which create more than 200 free-to-play mobile games like "Popsicle Stack," "Project Makeover," "Game of War: Fire Age," and "Mobile Strike."While AppLovin's overall fourth-quarter revenue was up 44% year-over-year to almost $1.4 billion, its app revenue lagged down 1% to just over $376 million.AppLovin said it's 'never been a game developer at heart'In a filing for AppLovin's latest quarterly earnings update in February, it said that it had reached an "exclusive term sheet agreement"AppLovin said at the time that the deal consisted of $500 million in cash and $400 million in equity, though it was still "subject to customary purchase price adjustments."The buyer was looking to borrow up to $250 million to fund the deal, AppLovin said in a filing. The company also said that if the buyer couldn't find the funding, AppLovin would instead loan it the required cash to ensure the deal went ahead.AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi said during the February earnings call that while the company had acquired several game studios over the years to help train its machine learning model, "we've never been a game developer at heart.""I want to emphasize to our teams you'll soon be part of a company that specializes in and champions game development," Foroughi said.Tripledot Studios fits that description. Founded in the UK in 2017, the company specializes in simple, popular mobile games such as "Solitaire," "Woodoku," and "Blackjack."TechCrunch reported that a $116 million Series B funding round in 2022 valued Tripledot at $1.4 billion. Its investors include 20VC, The Raine Group, Eldridge Industries, and Lightspeed Ventures.AppLovin is fending off short-sellersAppLovin's stock market status has also meant that the company has attracted some negative attention in recent weeks.Two separate short-seller reports published late last month sent its stock tumbling after they accused the company of exaggerating the performance of its AI models.In a blog post, Foroughi said the reports were "littered with inaccuracies and false assertions" and were aimed at driving down its shares for the short sellers' own financial gain.Big-name hedge funds like Viking Global, D1 Capital, and Castlehook have been piling into AppLovin of late. One prime broker told BI earlier this year that AppLovin had become the latest hedge fund hotel, a term describing stocks with a disproportionate amount of hedge fund ownership relative to the overall market.

Over the last few months, the makers of a popular card game have been wrestling with the byzantine process that surrounds video game age classifications. Age ratings are intended to help parents determine whether or not a game is appropriate for their children. But in practice, an erroneous label doesnt just mislead consumers it can be the difference between success or failure.Balatro is an award-winning poker game made by an anonymous game developer known as LocalThunk, in which the only guiding principle is chaos. In each match the player must divine the best possible poker hand out of a randomised draw, but the conditions fluctuate constantly. In one round, the game might prevent you from using an entire suit or junk all your face cards, while the next round might challenge you to achieve an eyebrow-raising score with only a single hand. As the game progresses, players accrue jokers for their deck that add yet more wild rules.Its an ingenious premise that has allowed a game that began as a small side-project to sell millions of copies since its release in February 2024. Though players win in-game money to buy new cards between rounds, Balatros version of poker is fictional, and only bears a faint resemblance to the classic card game. Yet shortly after launching, Balatro hit a snag: it was classified as a gambling game.At first, Balatro went on sale with a classification that deemed it appropriate for audiences ages three and up. But then, the classification was revised to an adults-only 18 rating. The reasoning? The Pan-European Game Information (Pegi), the organisation that determines age classifications, claimed that Balatro contains prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling.Without warning, Balatro was pulled from sale on some digital storefronts in Europe and Asia.This was obviously a crucial moment and we had two options, says Wout van Halderen, the communications director at PlayStack, Balatros publisher. Be de-listed, or take the 18+ rating and get back in the store Asap. We opted for the second and started preparing an appeal to have the rating changed.The appeal was initially declined and issues began to snowball. In Korea, the rating outright barred Balatro from being sold. In December, when Balatro won Game of the Year at The Game awards, the team was also ramping up for a physical release. Another appeal was filed by that versions distributor, Fireshine. It is only now, a year later and after a handful of updates, that the dust has settled and Balatro has been bumped down to a 12+ rating by Pegi.Its difficult to quantify the sales impact, as Balatros surge in popularity may have mitigated losses, Halderen says. That said, the de-listing disrupted momentum at a key point in the launch. Development-wise, the rating saga took time and resources, but it didnt fundamentally delay planned updates.Pegi, for its part, reiterated that it seeks to apply a fair criteria for ratings in a press release, and that any game that teaches or glamorises gambling will automatically lead to an 18+ rating. The board that oversaw the appeal also ceded that Pegi is a system that continuously evolves in line with cultural expectations and the guidance of independent experts who support our assessment process. To that end, Balatros dilemma has led Pegi to create a more granular classification system for games that depict gambling. The 18+ rating will now only apply to games that simulate the type of poker people play at actual casinos.It is a tale with a happy ending for Balatro, yet it highlights the limitations of Pegis current system. The appeal process was an extended one, and while that didnt impact Balatros massive success, a smaller game without such acclaim would not fare nearly as well.The wording of the new classification system suggests that any realistic depiction of gambling within a game would still result in an 18+ rating, even if players cannot actually spend, bet or lose money in the game. Meanwhile, games such as EAs football series Sports FC, which sell players digital loot boxes with randomised contents, sport Pegis 3+ classification. The loot boxes only have a small chance of dropping a rare item, which means players are effectively gambling their money by buying them.Even with better classification systems and streamlined processes, any age rating system would struggle to keep consumers informed about the contents of a game in the age of user-generated content. A game like Roblox, for example, is deemed to be appropriate for users 7+ but the rating does not apply to anything created by players, which is the vast majority of the content, and can be inappropriate.The reclassification of Balatro has been a great relief for its publisher, and the amendment to Pegis rules shows that the organisation is open to change. We applaud the Pegi Experts Group on their commitment to develop a more granular set of classification criteria as indie games continue to stretch into new ideas and concepts, Halderen says.We believe it is a sign of a healthy classification board that it evolves in line with cultural expectations and continues to ensure that audiences understand the type of content present in games.

GTA 5's Enhanced Edition isn't necessarily new, but it's now available on PC after years of waiting, and fans have spotted some ways it shows how big a jump GTA 6 will representTech10:32, 05 Mar 2025Grand Theft Auto 5's Enhanced Edition is earning rave reviews(Image: Rockstar Games)Grand Theft Auto 6 will be this year's biggest game (if it does in fact launch this year), but in the meantime PC players can enjoy the Enhanced Edition of GTA 5 a huge free upgrade that brings it in line with other platforms.While Rockstar stays silent (despite a potential Rockstar 'dev' commenting on Reddit), PC gamers have taken the Enhanced Edition into their hardened criminal hearts, and despite the time it took to get here, they're certainly impressed.One Reddit user has put together some great comparison shots that show off the improved lighting, and it's well worth a look especially since the upgrade will cost you nothing.Posting on the GTA 6 subreddit, one user compared several shots with ray-tracing upgrades, and the difference is clear in many spots.Shadows are much more realistic, while reflections look clearer. If you're not convinced on the magic of the Enhanced Edition, this may convince you it's worth visiting Los Santos again.Look at those reflections(Image: Rockstar Games)"This is the video Ive been waiting for. Its hard comparing the lighting with other videos on YouTube. This update has me excited because I can get a better idea of what GTA VI lighting will be like," one commenter noted, also suggesting Red Dead Redemption 2 is a great way to see what GTA 6's lighting could look like."Damn if this is how GTAV looks ray-traced it's hard to even imagine what GTAVI will be" another added.One commenter with a pretty impressive PC rig packing a 4090 GPU even mentioned a few ways to get the most out of the new version.Ready to explore Los Santos again?(Image: Rockstar Games)"My jaw literally dropped when i drove out of a pay and spray in a newly chromed out car, or when I parked a minivan next to a orange propane tanker and the orange glow was on the car/ground.""Or when i entered apartment complex in the hood and the global illumination was impeccable, or even just the intro mission when the red car is glowing red on floor and the white Audi as well as being perfectly reflected"Article continues belowFor more on GTA, be sure to check out the news that Rockstar has a acquired a studio, or the fact that John Cena is even taunting Rockstar after his heel turn.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.