It's time to bid farewell to the androids of Westworld. HBO has cancelled the sci-fi title after four seasons, even though showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy were hoping for a fifth to reach the ending they had in mind. Nolan and Joy were trying to negotiate for a last season as recently as October, but their discussions clearly did not pan out. In a statement, HBO said:

"Over the past four seasons, Lisa and [Jonathan] have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step. We are tremendously grateful to them, along with their immensely talented cast, producers and crew, and all of our partners at Kilter Films, Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. It’s been a thrill to join them on this journey."

Westworld used to be one of HBO's tentpole projects, with 54 Emmy nominations and even a win for Thandiwe Newton as Outstanding Supporting Actress. Its ratings and viewership have plummeted over the years, however, and it never quite recovered. For fans, the fact that the show hadn't been renewed immediately after the latest season ended was already a bad sign.

As The Hollywood Reporter notes, approximately 12 million viewers tuned in to watch the show's critically acclaimed first season across platforms. And, while we thought that Westworldreturned to form in its third season, its numbers kept on tumbling until only 4 million viewers stuck around to watch the latest episodes. That's most likely not enough for HBO to justify a renewal. Apparently, the fourth season cost the network $160 million for eight episodes, which is more than what it spent on House of Dragons. The Game of Thrones prequel had ten episodes and averaged 29 million viewers for each one. 

For many people, the list of their most hotly anticipated video games will include "whatever Hideo Kojima is working on." If you're one of those folks, you may be interested to learn that a video showing the Death Stranding auteur's next title seems to have leaked ahead of a formal reveal from his studio, Kojima Productions.

The video, which has been removed from Streamable for violating the platform's terms of service, shows a character who looks like Mama from Death Stranding. That character was played by Maid and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor Margaret Qualley. The character shown here navigates dark corridors with the help of a flashlight while an ominous figure follows them. Eventually, someone or something catches up to them. A game over screen is then shown, along with text reading "A Hideo Kojima Game" and "Overdose."

Reporter Tom Henderson noted that the footage was the same as the leaked video he described in June at Try Hard Guides. Kojima Productions seemingly asked him to take down the initial report — a request that Try Hard declined.

The presentation of the video is bizarre. The gameplay footage has a picture-in-picture view of a person seemingly playing the game, as though they are a Twitch streamer. Text reading "camera player 1" appears at the top of the screen, suggesting that this is from a playtest. The footage appears on a YouTube-style interface, indicating that it may have been stored on Google Drive. It gets stranger, because someone has filmed that footage offscreen. That version of the video is then played on a tablet, which, according to a pretty prominent reflection on that screen, is being filmed offscreen a second time by a shirtless person.

It's all very unusual. As Polygon notes, there's at least a small chance that the footage is fake, even though creating it would require a lot of effort from some prankster. Qualley's character model looks just like the one used in Death Stranding —which may indicate that Overdose is a direct follow-up to Kojima's last game. It's also odd to see the name of a game's creator pop up during a game over screen, though this is likely work-in-progress footage (though it's not impossible to imagine Kojima actually putting his name on a game over screen). 

In any case, we may not have to wait too much longer to gain more clarity as to what's going on here. Kojima has been teasing his next project, and he's a regular presence at The Game Awards, the next edition of which takes place in a month. Kojima is developing a game in partnership with Microsoft, but a Death Stranding sequel is reportedly in the works too.

If the reports and rumors hold up, Overdose will be the first full horror game from Kojima. The only horror project that the Metal Gear creator has released to date is P.T., an infamous playable teaser that's no longer available. It was designed as a proof of concept for Silent Hills, a project that was canceled amid Kojima's acrimonious departure from Konami (which, coincidentally, just revived the Silent Hill franchise).

Meanwhile, Kojima claimed this week that he'd received some “ridiculously high” offers for Kojima Productions. However, he has no plans to sell the company as he wants to retain creative independence.

Well, it finally happened: Elon Musk has officially taken over Twitter. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Engadget’s Karissa Bell to discuss how Musk is reshaping the social network. Are all the changes bad, or is there some method to his madness? (Spoiler: It looks more like desperation than anything else.) Also, we dive into some recent Google AI news, and Devindra explains why the new Apple TV 4K is genuinely great.

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

• Elon Musk’s Twitter fiasco – 1:26

• Thinking of leaving Twitter? Here are some platforms to check out – 21:49

• Google announces package tracking in Gmail – 29:55

• Texas AG sues Google over facial recognition data collection – 35:23

• The PS VR2 will cost $550, arrives February 22, 2023 – 38:07

• Xiaomi’s 12S Ultra concept phone has a massive camera with interchangeable lenses – 40:35

• Working on – 43:42

• Pop culture picks – 48:57

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Karissa Bell
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

Substack users now have another way to interact with their favorite writers, podcasters and video makers. The platform now has a chat feature, where creators can hang out with their subscribers and perhaps forge deeper links with their communities. "Chat is a community space reimagined specifically for writers and creators— it’s like having your own private social network where you make the rules," Substack said in a clear dig at Twitter.

The feature is only available through Substack's iOS app for now. You won't be able to chat with your favorite Substack writers and podcasters on the web or Android just yet, but chat will eventually be available there.

The company noted that creators can decide the tone and topic of chat threads. They can switch the chat function off and reactivate it whenever they like, and they can decide whether to open it up to everyone or only paid subscribers.

The first time that a creator starts a chat, a notification email will go out to all of their subscribers. That seems a little spammy, but at least it's a one-time thing. After that, readers will be alerted to a new chat thread only if they have push notifications switched on.

Creators have a few moderation options, according to an FAQ. They can turn off replies in a chat thread, delete replies and stop subscribers from posting images (readers can flag and hide explicit images as well). Creators can also ban users from chat threads and comments. However, it doesn't seem that there's a way for a writer to appoint trusted moderators to handle that stuff on their behalf for the time being.

Substack pointed out that many newsletter writers have taken to the likes of Discord, Slack and Telegram to chat with their subscribers. Its developers have been working with a group of writers over the last few months to simplify things with an in-house chat option. However, writers may not be willing to give up on external platforms until Substack has more robust chat moderation options. This marks just the beginning of the chat feature and other social functions on the platform, as Substack says more updates are on the way.

Square Enix has revealed that Symbiogenesis, an upcoming project that was widely rumored to be Parasite Eve-related, is actually something else — and it's centered around NFTs (non-fungible tokens). The publisher described Symbiogenesis as "its first digital collectible art project designed from the ground up for Web3 fans."

Symbiogenesis takes place in a self-contained world containing a large cast of characters that can be collected as NFTs. Square Enix says you'll be able to use these digital artworks as profile pictures on social media accounts, something you definitely wouldn't be able to do by simply taking a screenshot.

In addition, you can use your character "in a story that takes place in an alternate world where the player can ’untangle’ a mystery by completing missions that revolve around questions of the monopolization and distribution of resources," Square Enix said in a press release. That's somewhat ironic, given that the entire perceived value of NFTs is derived from artificial scarcity.

The publisher will start selling NFTs (which will likely be on the Ethereum blockchain) in spring 2023, alongside the debut of "a free browser service" on Google Chrome. The browser-based approach makes some sense. Symbiogenesis wouldn't make it onto Steam, which banned NFT games last year.

This is one of the highest-profile stabs at an NFT-driven gaming experience yet. However, the NFT market has cratered this year. Gamers have largely rejected NFTs too.

Last December, it emerged that Ubisoft had sold barely any NFTs in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the first title in which it employed blockchain tech. A few weeks later, an Ubisoft executive claimed players would benefit from having a marketplace where they could buy and sell NFTs of in-game items, "but they don't get it for now." In April, Ubisoft announced that the game wouldn't receive any more content updates, effectively putting the game on ice and diminishing whatever value Ghost Recon Breakpoint's NFTs had.

It seems Square Enix is facing an uphill battle to make Symbiogenesis a success. It's not a surprise that the company is moving in this direction after announcing in January that it would invest in blockchain games. Square Enix sold off some of its more notable Western studios this year and it initially planned to plow much of the proceeds into the blockchain and other tech before walking back on that plan.

Meanwhile, Square Enix may have to try to placate fans who were convinced that Symbiogenesis was actually a revival of 1998's Parasite Eve. After the publisher registered Symbiogenesis as a trademark last month, some pointed out that the term means “the merging of two separate organisms to form a single new organism" — which is one of the foundations of Parasite Eve's story. While that connection is somewhat tenuous, it's hard to blame fans for beingupset and disappointed that the project is ultimately an NFT grift.

AI-powered image generators have been getting most of the press recently. But musical machine learning models have quietly been making great strides in recent years. Holly Herndon has been at the forefront of that revolution. She co-developed (along with partner Mat Dryhurst) Spawn, a singing neural network, for her last album Proto and released Holly+ (in partnership with Never Before Heard Sounds) to the public last year, which allows anyone to use a model of Holly's voice. Now she's released a new single, where the only vocals come her digital twin.

This cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" plays it pretty straight at first listen. Yes it's slower and quieter, but Ryan Norris, who handles the instrumentation, doesn't take any extreme liberties with the arrangement or sound palette. It simply swaps frantic desperation with plaintive resignation. 

What makes it so arresting is that every vocal sound, right down to the sharp inhales before the harmonies kick in, was generated by Holly+. (That's right, it "breathes".) There isn't a human in sight of a vocal booth here. Some of the phrasing is a little stilted and there are occasional digital artifacts, if you listen closely for them. But on the whole this digital model of the real Holly Herndon's voice is impressive in its ability to imitate its creator.

Until now, most major artistsexperimentations with AI have focused on creating generative soundscapes or synth melodies. This is (as far as I know) the first time a machine learning model has taken the mic solo in a pop song. 

Herndon previewed the track way back in March at Sonar Festival, but it largely flew under the radar until it received a proper release this week. (BTW: Go watch the presentation from Sonar for some truly wild real-time demonstrations of Holly+ and Never Before Heard Sounds' technology.) You can attempt to recreate the performance above by recording your own performance of Jolene and uploading it to Holly+, but don't expect the same fidelity of results through the web app. While it's definitely a fun diversion, artists who are serious about using AI to further their craft should explore Spawning, an organization launched by Herdon and Dryhurst earlier this year.

Following a slip-up, HBO has confirmed a release date for its long-expected The Last of Us TV series. The video game adaptation will debut through HBO and HBO Max on January 15th at 9PM Eastern. You'll have something to watch while you wait for Succession, then, although you may want to pace yourself when there are 10 episodes in this initial season.

As you're likely aware by this stage, The Last of Us stars The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal as cynical survivor Joel and Game of Thrones' Bella Ramsey as Ellie, the teen Joel has to smuggle out of a quarantine zone 20 years after a fungal zombie plague wrecks civilization. Big names like Nick Offerman, Gabriel Luna and Anna Torv also star, while game voice actors Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also make appearances.

The show is expected to largely follow the plot of the original game, with Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann serving as writer and executive producer alongside Chernobyl's Craig Mazin. Unlike many game-based productions, The Last of Us will have both the creative input of the developer and critically acclaimed talent behind the cameras. It's just a question of whether or not that combination works in practice, especially for newcomers who aren't attached to the story.

Tidal has already been closing gaps with the competition by adding a free tier and similar upgrades, but its latest improvement may be one of the most important. The streaming music service has finally introduced user profiles that let you easily share your playlists. Make a playlist public and Tidal users can discover your musical tastes through search, or share that track listing through links. You could technically share before, but it was much more difficult until now.

Profiles (and thus playlist sharing) are available now through Tidal's Android, iOS, desktop and web apps. They replace the "My Collection" saved content section in the mobile app. Don't worry about having to start from scratch — your existing saved material will still be available after you create a profile.

Tidal is free to use with ads, although it's limited to a 160Kbps bitrate and doesn't support offline tracks or unlimited skips. Pay $10 per month for Tidal HiFi and you'll remove the ads and restrictions while jumping to a much higher 1,411Kbps quality. At $20 per month, the HiFi Plus plan offers "master quality" 9,216Kbps audio for some songs and direct payouts to the artists you listen to most often.

The addition is arguably overdue when Apple Music, Spotify and other services have had playlist sharing for years. This might not do much to help Tidal grow beyond a small slice of the market. However, you might have a stronger incentive to stick around. The feature will not only let you see what your friends enjoy, but might help you find a new running mix or workday soundtrack.

Tumblr changed enormously in 2018 after it started blocking all adult content, reportedly because images of child sexual abuse were posted on the website. It deleted tons of sex blogs and communities to comply with its new rule, and its already dwindling community never quite recovered since. Now, the website has updated its community guidelines so that the naked human form is once again allowed. Under its new policy, users can post images and videos with nudity, as well as text with mature subject matter and sexual themes, but they still can't post visual depictions of sexually explicit acts or any content with an overt focus on genitalia. 

In its full Community Guidelines page, Tumblr explained that by "visual depictions," it means pictures, videos, GIFs, drawings, CGI and any other kind of visual media. Artwork considered historically significant is an exemption, so long as it's properly labeled. Content with nudity and sexual themes now allowed under the new policy will also have to be labeled so that users can filter them out. 

In addition to the continued ban on visual depictions of sexually explicit acts, users can't post links to adult affiliate networks or anything that promotes escort or erotic services. They also aren't allowed to post images with extreme violence and gore or any kind of content that promotes pedophilia, including images of children when the "intent of the blog is sexually suggestive." Any blog that violates those rules will be removed. Tumblr also admits that the list isn't exhaustive and that further interpretation is up to the company. 

Tumblr was one of the few sites that not only tolerated but seemingly embraced its sex worker and adult artist communities, so it caught considerable flak when, with little warning, it banned adult content four years ago. Earlier this year, it reached a settlement with New York City's Commission on Human Rights, which found that the ban disproportionately impacted LGBTQ+ users. As part of the settlement terms, Tumblr had to bring in an expert to review its moderation algorithms for potential bias. In September this year, it launched Community Labels with the category "sexual themes," hinting that it was going to loosen its rules and would allow some adult content on the website again. That's exactly what happened, but it doesn't look like Tumblr is open to supporting porn communities anytime soon. 

Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic (the company that now runs Tumblr), explained why in a post on his blog. Credit card companies are anti-porn, he wrote in the post, pointing out that they had cut off payments for advertising on Pornhub. "App stores, particularly Apple's, are anti-porn," he continued. The website can't take a chance when most of its users are on mobile. Tumblr also has no means to ensure that individuals featured in sexually explicit content are of legal age and had consented to being pictured or filmed. "I agree with 'go nuts, show nuts' in principle," he said, "but the casually porn-friendly era of the early internet is currently impossible."

Twitter may soon charge users $8 a month for verification, but Elon Musk reportedly plans to give all users a long-requested feature for free: the edit button. According to Platformer’s Casey Newton, the move is in the works alongside the more sweeping changes to Twitter Blue that Musk previewed Tuesday.

For now, Twitter’s edit button is only available to subscribers in the current version of Twitter Blue, which costs $4.99 a month and is only live in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The feature gives users a 30-minute window to change their tweets, and includes a revision history.

Musk so far hasn’t publicly talked (or tweeted) about his plans for the edit button since taking control of the company. But the feature was one of the first Twitter-related topics he raised after he first acquired a large stake in the company this spring. And Twitter confirmed it was working on the feature just hours after Musk polled his followers on whether the platform should have an edit feature. (Millions of his followers vote "yse" in the poll — Twitter has previously said an edit button has long been its most-requested feature.)

At the same time, Musk is also planning more substantial changes to Twitter’s subscription service. He's said he qill allow anyone to get verified if they pay $8 a month, and will also show subscribers fewer ads. He’s also reportedly planning to nix the ad-free articles that’s currently included as perk with Twitter Blue, but wants to work with publishers to allow subscribers behind their paywalls.