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Microsoft lays off 1,900 staff after Activision gaming buyout
Microsoft lays off 1,900 staff after Activision gaming buyout
by  AFP

Microsoft is laying off 1,900 people, or eight percent of staff, from its gaming division as it consolidates the blockbuster buyout of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard. Spencer told employees that Microsoft and Activision were committed to finding a "sustainable cost structure" to grow the gaming business, which employs 22,000 people and includes the Xbox division.

'We don't hit women': How Yakuza differs from GTA
'We don't hit women': How Yakuza differs from GTA
by  AFP

The "Yakuza" gangster series has long been seen as a Japanese "Grand Theft Auto" but Masayoshi Yokoyama, one of the main designers of the hugely successful games, dismisses any such comparison. "The plots of the games in the series have gradually moved away from purely yakuza themes to focus on social issues and the story no longer only concerns the underworld," Yokoyama said.

From Japan to the world: how to translate a game
From Japan to the world: how to translate a game
by  AFP

Behind the global success of Japanese video games lies a delicate task: appealing to overseas players whose expectations on issues such as sexism are increasingly influencing the content of major titles. With the majority of sales for big games now outside Japan, everything from slang words to characters' costumes must be carefully considered for a global audience.

Amazon tightens police access to Ring camera video
Amazon tightens police access to Ring camera video
by  AFP

Amazon on Wednesday said it will stop letting police directly ask people for video from the company's Ring doorbell or home security cameras. Ring launched the Neighbors app in 2017, giving people using its home security cameras a way to share videos of thieves stealing delivered packages or stray pets passing by.

Musk to fund legal challenges to Irish hate speech bill
Musk to fund legal challenges to Irish hate speech bill
by  AFP

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has he will fund legal challenges to pending Irish hate speech legislation he says would limit freedom of expression, in an interview published Wednesday. "And we will also fund the legal fees of Irish citizens that want to challenge the bill as well," he added.

EU to ramp up efforts to shield sensitive assets from China
EU to ramp up efforts to shield sensitive assets from China
by  AFP

The European Union will unveil a raft of measures Wednesday to better coordinate action on protecting sensitive technology and stopping critical infrastructure from falling into the hands of geopolitical rivals like China.

US pastor who pocketed investors' $1.3m says God told him to do it
US pastor who pocketed investors' $1.3m says God told him to do it
by  AFP

A US pastor who sold a worthless cryptocurrency to his flock and pocketed $1.3 million, using some of it to remodel his house, has insisted he was only doing what God told him. "Out of that 1.3, half a million dollars went to the IRS and a few $100,000 went to a home remodel that the Lord told us to do."