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Sony will terminate its Sony Rewards program

Sony has announced that it will be ending its rewards program at the end of this year. No, it’s not PlayStation Stars, the loyalty program that rewards you digital collectibles for completing certain gameplay tasks. Nor is it the defunct PlayStation Rewards program, which offered PSN bonuses for the most voracious PlayStation gamers. It’s terminating the Sony Rewards program offered through the Sony and PlayStation-branded Visa credit cards.

The company updated the FAQ and Terms and Conditions pages to reflect that it will sunset the Sony Rewards website and mobile app on December 31, 2024, and new members will no longer be accepted into the program effective immediately. Pre-existing Sony and PlayStation cardholders will still be able to redeem points, access their account and submit bonus points and purchase credit request forms through the app between now and New Year’s Eve. However, they cannot send physical bonus points and credit request points by mail after July 21.

Additionally, members can no longer earn points through offers or partner offers, and they can’t link their accounts to the Sony Store or Movies Anywhere. The Sony Rewards customer service will cease operation on February 14, 2025. As far as the Sony and PlayStation credit cards are concerned, cardholders will be contacted by Comenity Bank in due time about changes to the credit card programs but they can keep using them until December 31.

The Sony Rewards program launched in 2017, allowing you to accrue enough points through your Sony or PlayStation credit card to redeem items only from the Sony brand. Redeeming points for PlayStation games seems like a great perk at first glance, but the redemption process is inflexible and the APR for purchases sits at a high 27.99%. The Xbox Mastercard, which Microsoft introduced last year, has the same issue but the APR can be 20.99%, 26.99% or 31.99%, depending on your balance. Plus, there’s no cash back.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-will-terminate-its-sony-rewards-program-224538912.html?src=rss

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Embracer Group plans to use AI in game development

Embracer Group is making the move to using AI in game development following the mass layoff and game cancellations months ago. The parent company of THQ Nordic, Gearbox Entertainment and Crystal Dynamics - Eidos Montreal detailed in its annual report (via Game Developer) that it is adopting an AI policy to its game production model, despite the controversy around the use of AI in the games industry and beyond. It said that not using AI will lead to the company lagging behind other major game developers and publishers like EA, Sony, Square Enix and Ubisoft, claiming that the tech will help expedite the development process and give players an optimized gameplay experience.

“AI has the capability to massively enhance game development by increasing resource efficiency, adding intelligent behaviors, personalization, and optimization to gameplay experiences,” Embracer said in the report. “By leveraging AI, we create more engaging and immersive experiences that provide each player with a unique, dynamic and personalized experience.”

Along with listing the benefits of using AI in and outside of game development, Embracer said it understands that adopting the technology is not without risks. It noted that AI may “produce unethical, biased, discriminatory or completely wrong results if it has not been properly trained, instructed or used for purposes it was not designed.”

Embracer’s plans to adopt AI comes several months after it laid off 1,500 employees and canceled 80 games over the past year, along with shuttering studios like Volition of Saints Row fame. Despite concerns that AI will replace human workers, Embracer says it doesn’t intend to use it that way. It went so far as to say AI will open doors to entry into the games industry for some developers, including those with disabilities who can’t operate certain equipment the same way as non-disabled people. Only time will tell if they’ll keep that promise.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/embracer-group-plans-to-use-ai-in-game-development-163040373.html?src=rss

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  • The Best Disney Movie Sets You Can Buy in 2024Cristina Alexander
    Disney+ is bundling Hulu and Max into one streaming service and ready to embark on the password-sharing crackdown — all while increasing subscription prices on an annual basis. And to make things even worse, they’re removing content from the platform and rendering them inaccessible anywhere else, even original shows (RIP Willow). If your love of Disney movies goes beyond a Disney+ subscription, you’re probably considering going back to purchasing physical media. Lucky for you, we searched for th
     

The Best Disney Movie Sets You Can Buy in 2024

18. Květen 2024 v 23:30

Disney+ is bundling Hulu and Max into one streaming service and ready to embark on the password-sharing crackdown — all while increasing subscription prices on an annual basis. And to make things even worse, they’re removing content from the platform and rendering them inaccessible anywhere else, even original shows (RIP Willow).

If your love of Disney movies goes beyond a Disney+ subscription, you’re probably considering going back to purchasing physical media. Lucky for you, we searched for the best Disney movie sets for you to add to your physical media collection — whether you want a nostalgia hit or you want to share your favorite classic Disney movies with your children. Here are the best Disney movie sets available in 2024 to get you started.

Disney Legacy Animated Film Collection

In celebration of Disney’s centennial anniversary last year, Disney released an ultimate collection of 100 animated Disney and Pixar films, ranging from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Elemental.

With the collection you get 100 films on Blu-ray discs, plus a digital code for each one. Also included are 18 Blu-ray discs of bonus content from Pixar. All of those discs are housed in three massive volumes that fold out like a super-sturdy pop-up book, displaying each film’s movie poster next to its disc slot.

Beyond the movies themselves, you also get a collectible crystal Mickey ears hat with a Disney100 engraving. On top of that, there’s a lithograph, plus a numbered certificate of authenticity. All of this comes at a very expensive price.

Toy Story - 4 Movie Collection

If you’re a Pixar buff, the Toy Story - 4 Movie Collection is a great way to introduce your kids to the one movie that revolutionized animation at Disney and beyond as well as three of its sequels. This collection will take them on a journey through friendship and adventure from the point of view of the toys that come alive when their owners leave the room and explore the big world around them.

The Toy Story quadrilogy serves as a visual wonder for children, but for adults, the films are an exercise in observing how far CGI graphics have come over a 24-year span — from Toy Story to Toy Story 4 — and how they continue to improve in the years after. It's a great collection to pick up ahead of Toy Story 5.

Ultimate Pixar Collection

Complement the Toy Story quadrilogy with the Ultimate Pixar Collection, giving you the best Pixar movies from the studio’s heyday. In addition to the first two Toy Story movies, the collection comes with A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, and Ratatouille. As a bonus, it has Pixar Shorts Collection (Vol. 1) and The Pixar Story, the documentary that gives you a look inside Pixar Animation Studios and hear insights from the animators who work there.

There are 27 Pixar films in total, but this collection, which was published in 2008, is the only one we could find on Amazon that’s of good quality. That leaves 15 movies missing: Wall-E, Up, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Brave, Monsters University, Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Finding Dory, Coco, The Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4, Onward, Soul, Luca, Turning Red, Lightyear, and Elemental.

High School Musical: 3-Movie Collection

If you want to share memories of the Friday nights you come home from school to watch a Disney Channel Original Movie with your family, the High School Musical: 3-Movie Collection is the best movie set to do it. This collection comes with High School Musical: Encore Edition, which gives the original and sing-along cuts of the film; High School Musical 2: Extended Edition, which has a musical number not seen in the original airing; and High School Musical 3, the only film in the series to release in theaters.

The High School Musical set will get you and your family into karaoke mode and belt out your favorite songs, from “Breaking Free” to “Bet On It.” Bonus points if your kids are already watching High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+ and singing along to songs from that show — and following Olivia Rodrigo’s music career outside of it.

Disney Thrills & Chills: 4-Movie Collection

The Disney Thrill & Chills: 4-Movie Collection is made for fans of the most iconic Disney Parks rides and attractions. This collection carries an even balance of two horror movies and two comedies, including Tower of Terror, The Haunted Mansion (the 2003 one with Eddie Murphy), Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (or The Wind in the Willows in the UK), and The Country Bears.

This set is excellent if you love the cinematography of the films that are inspired by the greatest Disney attractions, and want to introduce your kids to the stories behind them. That way, they’ll get an inkling of what to expect when they visit them at the parks.

Disney Classics Complete 55 Disk Movie Box Set 1937-2018

The Disney Classics Complete 55 Disk Movie Box Set 1937-2018 is one of the best Disney movie collections to start building up your physical Disney movie library. This collection carries iconic animated films from the first 81 years of the Disney movie canon, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Fantasia, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmations, The Fox and the Hound, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Hercules, Lilo & Stitch, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and Moana, among many others to share with your children.

Note: You will need to find European Blu-ray player for this collection because the discs will not work on American-made ones.

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.

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  • The Best Disney Games on PS5 in 2024Cristina Alexander
    Plus the best Star Wars and Marvel games. The House of Mouse has churned out excellent games for PlayStation in recent years, whether they’re programmed exclusively for the PS5 or PS4 titles that can be played on the PS5 as well. Whichever version you have, you can experience the same magic playing fun Disney games as you can …
     

The Best Disney Games on PS5 in 2024

18. Únor 2024 v 05:30
Plus the best Star Wars and Marvel games.

The House of Mouse has churned out excellent games for PlayStation in recent years, whether they’re programmed exclusively for the PS5 or PS4 titles that can be played on the PS5 as well. Whichever version you have, you can experience the same magic playing fun Disney games as you can …

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