Sony buys Firewalk Studios

Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony Interactive Entertainment struck a deal with Firewalk Studios to publish a PlayStation 5 exclusive multiplayer game. Now, it's buying the studio outright. Sony announced that it reached an agreement with ProbablyMonsters Inc to acquire the studio.

The deal will roll Firewalk Studios and its team into the PlayStation brand. But its operations will continue to be run by the studio's existing management team. However, Sony didn't mention anything about the PS5-exclusive title it's working on, but it wanted to highlight the team's experience with working on Destiny at Bungie and Activision.

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Netflix's ad-supported tier to get 1080p video quality, two simultaneous streams in Canada

Netflix is making its ad-supported plan a more viable option for users who don't mind ads for a more affordable price. Subscribers of this tier in Canada and Spain will get a video quality boost from 720p to 1080p and support two simultaneous streams. Other markets with the ad plan will get it sometime this month.

The streaming service has supposedly been "pleased" with the progress of its Basics with Ads tier. Add to that the recent licensing deals mean the ads tier now offers "on average ~95 percent content parity globally (by viewing)" with the no-ads plans.

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Comixology's Marvel Comics app to shut down in June

Image: Marvel Comics

Comixology's Marvel Comics app will shut down on June 2, following layoffs at Amazon (Comixology's parent company since 2014) that hit the comic storefront hard. If you bought comics on the app, you can access them through the Marvel Unlimited app. May 2 will be the cutoff date for new purchases in the app. Any purchases made up to that date will transfer to Marvel Unlimited. 

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Google Pixel Fold will reportedly have a bigger battery than Samsung's Fold

Google's first foldable is expected soon if the rumours are to be believed. And it'll supposedly sport a larger battery than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold4. The rumoured Pixel Fold will supposedly launch during Google I/O on May 10 (like the rumoured Pixel 7a). According to leaked internal marketing materials, the device is to have a larger battery “that Google says will last for 24 hours, or up to 72 hours in a low power mode.” 

It will reportedly also sport a closed-book 5.8-inch phone that folds out into a 7.6-inch tablet, a Google Tensor G2 processor, and a retail price starting at USD 1,700 (around CAD 2,285). The Pixel Fold will reportedly be three-quarters of an ounce heavier at 10oz (around 283g). Google claims it sports the "most durable hinge on a foldable," which is a likely dig at how Samsung's original Fold was notoriously breakable. The company will also supposedly throw in a free Pixel Watch with your purchase.

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