Welcome to Tech Bytes! In this series, we bring you the biggest news hitting the Tech and Gaming fields, putting it into an excellent, simple brief for you to quickly catch up on so you’re up to speed over dinner and drinks.
After last month’s big blowout of tech and gaming announcements, October 2024 calms things down a little. Nevertheless, there are still some notable things that happened during the month that are worth talking about! Here is a round-up of all the news:
343 Industries and Halo start anew
The Halo series is at a low point, with its most recent title (Halo Infinite) facing criticism from fans and its development studio battling with mismanagement. But better days may come yet, especially with the studio announcing a slew of changes.
343 Industries is no more—in a sense. The studio is undergoing a rebranding, now calling themselves simply Halo Studios. But that isn’t the sole change. The studio also revealed that they will be switching from their proprietary Slipspace Engine to Unreal.
Though the team had spent a lot of effort to create the Slipspace Engine, it proved to be difficult to use and strained development. With the move to Unreal, it is hoped that its ease of use will aid work for future Halo games.
Speaking of new Halo games, Halo Studios hasn’t committed to a date for when the newest title will be released. However, they did tease what it may look like in their video announcement of the changes. There are more detailed landscapes and foliage than we have ever seen before, and that will surely excite Halo fans on the potential.
Alien: Isolation gets a sequel
While we are on the topic of new games, we have received exciting news about a beloved title. Fans of Alien: Isolation rejoice, as a sequel to the game is being developed—how appropriate given that we are in spooky season!
As part of the 10th anniversary of the release of Alien: Isolation, Creative Assembly (developers of the game) announced the sequel on X (formally Twitter) to the delight of fans. Creative Director Al Hope wrote, “On the 10th anniversary, it seems only fitting to let you know that we have heard your distress calls loud and clear. Today, on behalf of the team, I’m delighted to confirm, on behalf of the team, that a sequel to Alien: Isolation is in early development.”
Understandably, there is little info to garner from the announcement, and the wait for its release will most likely take years—but nonetheless, it is worth celebrating. Alien: Isolation remains one of the best video game adaptations from the Alien franchise, so to have a continuation for it is a massive win for fans. We will patiently wait for news as the studio continues to work on the sequel.
Tesla introduces new autonomous vehicles and robots
Tesla had an event this month that talked about their newest line of vehicles, but it wasn’t one you can drive. Instead, the spotlight came to their latest electric vehicles that are purpose-built for self-driving.
The first is dubbed the Robotaxi and appears much like Tesla’s regular cars, but if you take a peek inside, you’ll see that it has no pedals or steering wheel. That’s not the only unconventional design feature. The Robotaxi also has no plug for charging, instead relying on inductive wireless charging to get it fully back up to speed.
The Robotaxi only has space for two passengers, but there is a larger vehicle called the Robovan that can handle higher capacities. Built to look like a passenger car from a science fiction film, the Robovan can carry up to 20 people inside or be used to transport goods.
But vehicles weren’t the only thing on the agenda for the event. Near the end, Elon Musk introduced humanoid autonomous robots called Optimus which are touted to be robotic assistants. These robots can do daily tasks like watering plants and babysitting children. Musk says that these robots are slated to cost US$20,000 to US$30,000 “long term”.
As always, there should be scepticism about whether these announcements will come to fruition. But if there is a company with the biggest chance of making it a reality, it would be Tesla.
Apple updates iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini
With September all about the iPhone, Apple has dedicated the last week of October to their Macs, specifically the iMac and MacBook Pro, as they prepare for the incoming Apple Intelligence.
For those looking to buy these computers, now is the time as both devices will be updated to the company’s latest M4 chip. Initially introduced for the 7th generation iPad Pro and 2024 Mac Mini, the iMac and MacBook Pro will get massive performance boosts with the power of the new processor. While the iMac just gets the base M4 chip, buyers have the option to choose between the M4 Pro and the M4 Max processor for the MacBook Pro.
Speaking of the Mac Mini, it will also receive an update. Apple has managed to make the device even smaller – now measuring five inches in both length and width. Despite the smaller size, it still has plenty of ports. The front has two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack, while the back contains I/O for ethernet, HDMI, and three USB-C.
Pre-orders are now available for the updated devices, with the iMac starting at S$1,799, the MacBook Pro starting at S$2,199, and the Mac Mini starting at S$849.
Firewalk shut down by Sony
After the disastrous debacle that was Concord, Sony has made the unsurprising decision to permanently close Firewalk Studios—sunsetting the game for good.
Alongside Firewalk Studios, mobile game studio Neon Koi also receives the axe and the shutdowns are set to affect 210 jobs between the two studios. Hermen Hulst, CEO of the PlayStation Studio Business Group, writes in an internal email that Concord was not able to hit Sony’s targets which culminated in the studio’s closure.
As for Neon Koi, the company is adopting a “re-focused approach” and thus, the decision was made to cancel their unannounced AAA mobile live-service action game and not move forward with the studio for their future plans.
While Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi may be getting shuttered, Sony will be looking to place some of those impacted within their list of studios. As for Concord, it ends the story of possibly PlayStation’s biggest failure in recent years. As the saying goes, it only goes up from here.
This marks October 2024’s edition of Tech Bytes, and we hope this round-up gives you insight into tech to be excited about. Check with us again in November 2024, as we bring you more byte-sized news every month!
Visuals courtesy of Tesla, Apple Singapore, and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
