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Indie games had quite the moment this week with announcements for both Nintendo Switch and Xbox Game Pass. New games, like SteamWorld Heist 2, are on the way, as known quantities like Harold Halibut are being served to subscribers of the Game Pass buffet.
The newest indie games coming to consoles
Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City allows gamers to adopt the role of a city-exploring petite black cat. The chaos that ensues is reminiscent of Untitled Goose game, developed by House House.
The small feline must find its way home in a sprawling city, but side quests, of course, abound in this much-anticipated title. Developed and published by Double Dagger Studio, the port comes to Switch and Xbox Series X/S on May 9.

SteamWorld Heist 2
SteamWorld Heist 2 comes later in the year on Aug. 8. Fans of the series have been clamoring for more information on the turn-based successor to Steam World Heist (2015), which takes its theme from the indie classic Steam World Dig (2013). SteamWorld Heist 2 is out on all platforms on August 8.

Cat Quest 3
In a weird combination of the above themes, Cat Quest 3 takes on the high seas in a paws and pirate adventure that asks players to “Sail the Purribean.” The cute cat captain game plunders its way onto PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and Steam on Aug. 8.

Another Crab’s Treasure
Another Crab’s Treasure was the last big indie game announced during the Switch live stream. Game Pass subscribers will also get this souls-like hermit crab quest on day one, April 25.
Xbox Game Pass April lineup announced
Top games for the April Game Pass include EA Sports’ NHL 24, Orcs Must Die! 3 and Manor Lords for PC gamers.
NHL 24 is available through EA Play’s partnership with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, meaning subscribers will have to belong to the highest tier of service to get on the ice in time for the Stanley Cup.
Robot Entertainment’s Orcs Must Die! 3 has an established following and the tower defense titles are available immediately for subscribers.
Manor Lords players need to wait until April 26 for Early Access on PC for the strategic medieval title. This game is one of the most eagerly awaited of 2024 and its challenging tactical and real-time-strategy (RTS) elements will be a test for seasoned fans of the genre.
The full list of Game Pass Games in April
Available now:

Harold Halibut (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Populous: The Beginning (PC via EA Play)
Sid Meir’s Alpha Centauri (PC via EA Play)
Sim City 3000 Unlimited (PC via EA Play)
Orcs Must Die! 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
EA Sports NHL 24 (Console via EA Play)

Coming later in April:

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 23
Another Crab’s Treasure (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 25
Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC) – April 26
Have a Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 30

These titles add to the already strong start to the month with Game Pass’ additions of LEGO 2K Drive and Tomb Raider Definitive Edition.
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Binance Holdings Ltd., the world’s largest digital asset exchange, has obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license in Dubai after co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao agreed to give up his voting control in the local entity, according to people familiar with the matter not identified in the Bloomberg report.
This long-awaited license is a significant win for Binance, which has faced a series of regulatory challenges over the past two years. The exchange was forced to pay $4.3 billion in penalties to U.S. authorities in November, and as part of the deal, Zhao was required to step down as CEO.
The VASP license allows Binance to offer a broader range of services to customers in the emirate, including retail cryptocurrency trading. Prior to this, Binance’s local unit, Binance FZE, had held “Operational MVP” licenses for broker-dealer and exchange services since mid-2023.
One of the final conditions set by the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) before granting the full VASP license was for Zhao to relinquish his voting control of Binance FZE. Officials wanted to ensure that the Dubai operations would align with the agreement Binance reached with U.S. authorities, under which Zhao was forced to resign as CEO.
Changpeng Zhao loses control
After resolving the issue of Zhao’s voting control, Binance and VARA conducted a comprehensive review of the products the exchange plans to offer in Dubai. The billionaire Zhao remains the ultimate beneficial owner of Binance FZE’s Abu Dhabi-based parent company, according to the people familiar with the matter.
The VASP license comes as Binance’s smaller competitors, such as OKX and Crypto.com, have already obtained the coveted status, allowing them to serve a broader customer base in Dubai.
Binance’s new CEO, Richard Teng, has vowed to improve the company’s compliance and relations with regulators worldwide. In the past year, several countries, including India and Belgium, have taken steps to prevent Binance from operating locally without the necessary approvals.
Teng has stated that Binance, which does not have a formal headquarters, is in discussions with various jurisdictions about potentially serving as a global base for the company.
The report follows a Binance executive and another company official being detained in Nigeria in mid-March. The company subsequently requested the release of the company officials earlier this month.
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Cryptocurrency miners are stockpiling near-record amounts of Bitcoin, hoping the token will rise in value and offset a drop in new supply that will cut the rewards for verifying transactions in half, according to a recent Financial Times report.
Major listed miners like Marathon Digital, CleanSpark, and Bitfarms have collectively hoarded Bitcoin worth around $2.8 billion, according to data from The Miner Mag. This comes just days before the reward for mining is cut in half.
After the change, which is set to take place on Friday, global miners will only receive 450 BTC daily (3.125 BTC per block) for verifying the latest transactions, down from the current 900. This quadrennial adjustment was built into the creation of cryptocurrency as a way to hedge against inflation.
Hedge funds have been betting against listed crypto miners, anticipating that the halving will likely hurt their profitability. As a result, their share prices have fallen this year.
The industry spends heavily on energy and technology to compete for new Bitcoin, and less efficient miners are expected to be pushed out of the market as production costs rise. Larisa Yarovaya, associate professor of finance at the University of Southampton commented:
Mining companies are playing a constant game of chicken with each other. […] It’s a business model that’s based more than ever on faith that bitcoin’s price will go up and demand for it will grow.
To offset the decline in mining rewards, crypto executives and traders are betting that Bitcoin, which hit a record high last month, will continue to rise in value this year, following a trend established after previous “halvings.”
Miners are currently holding 46,200 BTC in reserve, the highest recorded level since May 2022, when a market-wide crash forced them to sell their holdings, according to The Miner Mag.
Major US-based miners have significantly increased their Bitcoin hoards. CleanSpark held over 5,000 BTC at the end of March, a 2,400% increase from the same period a year earlier. Marathon Digital has grown its holdings by 50% to 17,300 BTC, while Bitfarms and Riot have increased their holdings by 50% and 20%, respectively. Matthew Schultz, executive chair at mining firm CleanSpark said:
Everyone is hopeful Bitcoin will go up in value and that will solve rewards being cut in half.
This optimism has been fueled by Bitcoin’s 121% rise in the past six months, as US regulators approved stock market funds that invest directly in the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin surged to a record high of $73,800 in mid-March but has since dropped more than 14% to below $60,000. Asher Genoot, chief executive of US miner Hut 8:
Bitcoin is going to be worth more in the future than it is today.
Bitcoin miners are optimisitic
Miners have struggled with profitability after a debt-fueled expansion during the 2021 crypto bull market was curtailed by a crash. However, as the latest halving approached, they spent over $1 billion on new equipment to gain market share and squeeze out competitors.
Despite the miners’ optimism, hedge fund short sellers continue to maintain sizeable bets against a number of them. About 24% of Marathon’s shares are out on loan, indicating strong short interest, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Short interest in Hut 8 has risen this year from less than 10% to over 14%, while bets against Riot Platforms have dipped slightly but remain above 19%.
Miners are also hoping that increased activity on the Bitcoin network, such as the trading of non-fungible tokens, will boost their transaction fee revenue. However, experts caution that it is too early to tell whether this will be sufficient to keep mining activity economically viable in the long run.
The report follows an early Bitcoin miner moving 50 Satoshi-era BTC in a widely covered transaction. The Bitcoin mining industry was also in the spotlight in mid-March, when President Joe Biden’s proposed 30% tax on crypto mining power faced criticism for potentially harming the industry and erasing investor wealth.
Featured image: Ideogram
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Cities Skylines 2 apology department has been called into action again as the floundering city sim, the sequel to one of the best city sims of all time, continues to disappoint at every turn. Fans of the game are getting resigned to the fact that developer Colossal Order is really struggling with this one and that after problem after problem, the ill-advised and over-priced DLC Beach Properties has now been transformed into a free add-on with refunds available for those who purchased it originally.
Roundly panned as “a disgrace” when it was first released the Beach Properties DLC included a new Waterfront zone, and some other unremarkable assets like, er trees. However, there was no beach. Go figure.
Part of the problem lies in that players want Colossal Order to fix the game they bought, not release pointless asset packs. Obviously, shareholders and profit margins might not agree but to their credit, refunds have been introduced and all work on future paid DLC postponed indefinitely according to a report in Eurogamer.
“We let you down”
A joint statement from Paradox and Colossal Order reads: “We see and understand the disappointment. We asked for your patience and support, and you’ve shown those,” the statement reads. “In return, we let you down. We thought we could make up for the shortcomings of the game in a timeframe that was unrealistic, and rushed out a DLC that should not have been published in its current form. For all this, we are truly sorry.”
On the Forum a post explaining the refund reads: “We see and understand the disappointment many have expressed after the release of Beach Properties and agree that this DLC felt rushed and should not have been published in the state that it was.
We have therefore decided to make the asset pack a free addition to the game, compensate those who bought it to the extent possible, and provide additional content within the Ultimate Edition in an effort to repay the loyalty we’ve seen in the community since the release of Cities: Skylines II.
Cities Skylines 2 needs a breakthrough quickly and with the pedigree behind it, hopes are still high.
The post Cities Skylines 2 apologies continue as recent DLC gets refunded appeared first on ReadWrite.

With version 2.2 of Honkai: Star Rail looming, a new leak has unveiled several mini-games that will reportedly be in the update coming next month.
The Reddit board Honkai Star Rail Leaks has shared images suggesting there will be four mini-games, amongst other surprises like the beloved cartoon character Hanu returning in Clockie’s Extras.
To collect all of the rewards on offer, players will have to complete Brother Hanu: Way of the Wolf, Hanu Wars, Dreamy Slots, and Hamster Ball Knight if the rumor is correct.
As well as the games, events are expected to be added where players can get rewards if they complete them within a certain period. This could include Clockie: Dreamjoy Memoir where there’ll be a series of challenges to finish and a four-star Harmony Light Cone and Stellar Jades to collect.
The Light Cones are a kind of weapon, ranging between 3- and 5-star rarity, that characters can be equipped with. All will provide a variable boost to HP, ATK, and DEF, and have a passive ability that can be activated if the Cone is equipped by someone of the same path.
The updated version of the run-based role-playing game is slated for release on May 8 which is in line with HoYoverse’s usual update schedule. Players will see the continued story set in Penacony, with the main story arc concluding in the Planet of Festivities.  Honkai: Star Rail 2.1 “Into the Yawning Chasm” was released last month.

Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.2 leak receives worrying feedback
While the leak hasn’t yet been confirmed, players are taking to Reddit to share their dissatisfaction at the potential of the mini-games returning.
The reason for this is that many are branding some of the games ‘unplayable’ due to lagging issues.
At the moment, Honkai: Star Rail is available on PC, mobile, and PlayStation 5 consoles. Complaints have started rolling in for those who use mobile play as the mini-games are said to not work well on these devices.
One Reddit user said: “Not the hanu minigame. I still make nightmares about this.”
Others are already saying goodbye to rewards as they report struggling in previous attempts, while some are concerned about motion sickness: “That hanu mini-game & the 3D wall is gonna be the death of me. Motion sickness is a pain in the ass.” 
Featured Image: Via Ideogram
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Full disclosure. This is exciting. One of my most played gaming series ever is SSX and SSX Tricky back on the PlayStation 2. I would probably cry if they ever brought the franchise back properly. Recently we heard that the creators of the SSX games had a spiritual successor canceled, because well, you know, big company boards don’t always care what the people want eh? Me especially.
Anyway, a beacon of light for arcade snowboarding fans has just popped into the inbox so say hello to Tricky Madness, a homage to the arcade snowboarding games of yesterday (to be fair, it looks more than a homage but sssshhh).
Developer Nathan Dearth is hoping to release the game on Steam by the end of the year and says: “Tricky Madness is a love letter to the beloved snowboarding games of the early 2000s. Taking inspiration from what made them so good, fans of earlier titles will feel right at home in this refreshed interpretation with a familiar tricking system and iconic snowboarding tricks. With more polished gameplay, modern graphics, and modern system accessibility, “
Dearth says he’s “ready to bring people the ultimate modern arcade snowboarding experience they’ve waited decades for.”
Damn right.

There is a demo on itch.io and you can (and must) wishlist Tricky Madness on Steam right now. What are you waiting for?
Tricky Madness planned features

Eight handcrafted standalone maps each with hidden surprises and experiences.
A dedicated campaign mode set on an open-world mountain with secrets and collectibles.
Eight fully voiced characters with their own backstory, personalities, and snowboarding tricks.
A voiced in-game DJ commentator, hyping you up as you make your way through the game.
Three exhilarating game modes to test your speed and skills including freestyle, time trials, and races.
An enhanced tricking points system encourages you to trick more often for speed boosts and unlocks Uber Tricks and Grinds.

The post Tricky Madness bringing that old-school SSX vibe back to life appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Meta Quest 3 is not only an amazing virtual reality headset for playing games on – although if you do want to play games on it, you can find a list of the best upcoming games this year right over here.
No, besides jumping around to Beat Saber or thrashing away on virtual drumkits, you might have thought about setting up your own VR cinema, kicking back in a VR chair and even throwing VR popcorn around. Did you know however you can do this on your own, with friends, or with absolute strangers – although the popcorn throwing gets annoying when you are trying to watch a movie?
There are several ways to watch movies in the Quest 3 but when it is at its best is when you are watching 3D movies – a list of what we think is the best is further down this page – on a giant virtual screen, and many of the apps we are looking at here will let you change the setting of said virtual screen from a cinema, a drive-in movie theatre, or even a space station orbiting the planets. It’s VR, we can go anywhere remember?
Watching 3D Movies on Quest 3
YouTube VR
There are several ways to go about this depending on the content you wish to watch. Let’s start with the easiest – YouTube VR. Recently an update to the YouTube VR app in the Quest Store has opened up a world of 8k 3D videos for us, many of which are spectacular.
To get to them download the app from the Store – if you already have it, just check you have the latest version and it doesn’t need updating then open it up.
If you have a YouTube or YouTube Premium account, make sure you log in and it will sync with your watch history on your other devices – this is quite useful as it is definitely easier to find the 3D videos in the real world and simply click on them in VR than mess around putting your laser finger at the virtual keyboard to search for them.
Times Square as viewed through Youtube VR on the Meta Quest 32002317119880945-
Hit the Magnifying Button at the top to bring up the search if you are doing it inside the headset – either way, you want to start searching for “8k 180…” you should get an autocomplete that says something such as “8k 180-degree videos” – that’s what you want.
Now don’t be confused by thinking 360-degree videos must be better because you can turn all the way around right? You can, but 360 videos aren’t generally 3D. The 180-degree videos are and in 8K they look stunning – hunt down the one of Times Square at Christmas time for starters. It’s as close to being there without being there as you can get right now.
Meta Quest TV
The recent solar eclipse as seen in Austin, TX on Meta Quest TV’s 3D videos.
While we are on the subject of streaming user content you will also find some great 3D videos showcased on the Meta Quest TV one. If you are into EDM for example there is a great beach one where people are just dancing all around you and in front of you – search for Anjuna – it’s pretty trippy and a great vid to show off your Quest 3 to VR virgins. Have a play around on there and you are bound to find something you like.
Watching 3D movies
Enough of the homemade stuff already, what about watching epic movies in their 3D versions? Around 10 years ago 3D movies in cinemas were all the rage, I saw Gravity in the cinema in 3D and it blew my mind. This has faded but there are blockbusters still with 3D versions out there – there is a 3D version of Dune Part 1 on Blu-Ray for example. What could be more meta than watching Ready Player One in 3D VR? Nothing, that’s what. So you should.
Utilize your own virtual cinema in an app like Bigscreen.
This is a slightly more complex procedure as you either need to stream the Blu-Ray to your Quest 3 which is tough on bandwidth or rip or download the 3D movie for yourself. How or where you go about that is not for this article, but suffice to say, should you get a 3D version of the movie you want to watch on your PC the best bt is to then copy it via USB cable to your Quest headset – this might take about 20 minutes or so but is the best way to avoid any annoying buffering. From there, an app such as Bigscreen will let you watch the movie on a giant screen for an experience you won’t forget in a hurry. Just make sure you select the 3D option in the settings. IN Bigscreen if you register you can even open your room up and allow strangers to join you for the experience.
3D movies generally have two pictures either side by side (SBS) or on top of each other (or OU – Over Under) Select the one which matches what you are trying to watch and the movies will merge into glorious 3D.
Now stick the Quest 3 into lying down mode and enjoy the next two hours (er, you may need your charger plugged in).
There is another good app called Skybox VR which can actually access a USB thumb drive plugged into the side of the Quest 3 so you could technically store a load of 3D movies on one and not worry about your Quest storage – the only issue here is that you can charge your Quest 3 simultaneously, so you may been an old-fashioned interval n the middle of the movie.
Best 3D movies for Quest 3
Well, this is obviously subjective but here are some we heartily recommend.
Ready Player One
There is just something correct about watching the big screen version of Ernest Cline’s modern-day classic about a world taken over by VR actually in VR. With countless retro references to keep the older ones happy, this is a great experience you should definitely treat yourself too.

Dune Part 1
The best way to experience this sci-fi epic remake is via the £D Blu-Ray. It’s jaw-dropping in scope but you are going to need a charge or two to get through it.

Blade Runner 2049
Again, there’s something about the Quest a little Cyberpunk badass, and the dystopian cityscape of in Blade Runner 2049 fits right in with that vibe.
Avatar: The Way of Water
The original version is a 3D masterpiece and the second, once again, even though it is al these years on matches it for a truly memorable 3D movie experience.
The post How to watch stunning 3D movies in your Meta Quest 3 appeared first on ReadWrite.

The first third-party Apple iOS app store is now live in the European Union, following the introduction of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) which has forced Apple and other platforms to open up their software marketplaces.
AltStore PAL is an open-sourced, crowd-funded app store that has been made specifically for independent developers.
The creator, a University of Southern California student named Riley Testut, says AltStore addresses “the problems” that he and “so many others have had with the App Store over the years.”
In a blog post published on April 17, Testut says AltStore PAL will be starting with two apps, one of which is an emulator serving old Nintendo platforms like the Super Nintendo, and even its rival, the Sega Genesis.

Europe’s coolest alternative app marketplace is HERE!
Introducing AltStore PAL — an Apple-approved version of AltStore exclusive to the EU
Download now from our website for just €1.50/year (+ VAT) https://t.co/3ZfYbq4QNU pic.twitter.com/D5cbkWhi7l
— AltStore.io (@altstoreio) April 17, 2024

“My all-in-one Nintendo emulator Delta – a.k.a the reason I built AltStore in the first place – and my clipboard manager Clip, a real clipboard manager that can actually run in the background.
“Delta will be free (with no ads!), whereas Clip will require a small donation of €1 or more.”
With Delta, gamers can relive the experience of playing several Nintendo consoles all over again, including SNES, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, and more.
AltStore makes it onto iOS — at a cost
Once the two apps have been checked through to ensure they’re running smoothly, AltStore will then be opening the doors to more third-party apps.
Testut says launch day “is a day I’ve been looking forward to for over 10 years.”
This is all due to the Digital Markets Act, passed into law in September of 2022 by the European Commission. The law was made to ensure that “gatekeepers” — platform holders like Apple who control a single online marketplace — still behave in a fair way and leave room for third-party competition.
Although Apple is now forced to allow third parties to inter-operate within its own services, they’ve introduced a “Core Technology Fee” for developers operating under the new business terms for EU apps. This fee is €0.50 for each app download. To meet that obligation, AltStore PAL will charge its users €1.50 per year.
“This obviously isn’t ideal, but our priority is making sure we run AltStore sustainably so that developers can confidently distribute their apps with us,” Testut wrote, “and this ensures we can pay Apple’s CTF no matter how many users we get.”
Featured Image: Via Riley Testut Blog
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