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December 7, 2024
Issue No. 131
CURATOR:
Welcome to this week's AtherXplorer, covering the latest in gaming, blockchain, and everything in between.
This week’s top picks include:
Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI Launches o1 Model, Debuts ChatGPT Pro at $200
OpenAI has officially launched its o1 model, a significant evolution in reasoning model capabilities that includes better handling of complex tasks, image-based reasoning, and enhanced accuracy. The model is now available to ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers globally and will be available to Enterprise and Education users next week. The o1 model can analyze images, including photos and sketches, and provide detailed plans and responses.
The launch of o1 coincides with the rollout of a new subscription tier, ChatGPT Pro, which is targeted at professionals and organizations requiring scalable, research-grade AI tools. ChatGPT Pro offers unlimited access to OpenAI's most advanced capabilities, including exclusive versions of the o1 reasoning model, GPT-4o, and the Advanced Voice feature, for $200 per month.
The o1 model has shown significant advancements in its capabilities, including a 34% reduction in major errors on difficult problems and the ability to analyze and explain image uploads. The model has also demonstrated a competitive edge in early benchmarks, including successfully solving 83% of problems in the International Mathematics Olympiad qualifying exam.
OpenAI has also introduced safety enhancements, including a rigorous safety test that scored 84, compared to 22 for its predecessor. The company has indicated plans to further expand the model's functionality, including web browsing, file uploads, and richer API integration.
AI-integrated AI Browser ‘Dia’ Gets a Teaser
The Browser Company, the startup behind Arc Browser, has teased its new web browser, Dia, which focuses on AI tools. The browser is set to launch in early 2025 and promises to create a new environment where AI is integrated into the browsing experience. According to the company's website, "AI won't exist as an app. Or a button. We believe it'll be an entirely new environment—built on top of a web browser."
The company's CEO, Josh Miller, has shown early prototypes of Dia's features, including a tool that helps users write sentences and fetch facts from the internet. The browser also understands the user's browser window and can fetch links to insert into emails. Additionally, users can type in commands in the address bar to perform various actions, such as fetching documents or scheduling calendar meetings.
Dia also promises to perform actions on the user's behalf, such as adding items to an Amazon cart or emailing participants in a video shoot. However, it's unclear how well these features will work in practice, and the company acknowledges that it's not the only one working on AI-powered browsing tools. The Browser Company's challenge will be to create a browser that seamlessly integrates AI features and generates revenue for the company.
AWS’ re:Invent Conference Was Full of AI
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has made several significant announcements at its annual re:Invent conference, highlighting the company's efforts to empower enterprises with advanced AI, data analytics, and generative tools. One of the biggest announcements is the introduction of multi-agent orchestration to its Bedrock platform, allowing enterprises to build collaborative AI agents and streamlined workflows.
AWS has also unveiled several new features and tools, including Bedrock Automated Reasoning, which catches 100% of AI hallucinations, and Model Distillation, which enables companies to train smaller, faster AI models. Additionally, AWS has introduced the next generation of SageMaker, integrating analytics and ML tools into a unified platform, and has debuted the Nova family of generative AI models, targeting text, image, and video creation.
Other notable announcements include the launch of Qodo Cover, a fully autonomous regression testing agent, and HyperPod Task Governance, a feature that optimizes GPU usage and reduces idle time, cutting AI infrastructure costs by up to 40%. AWS has also announced Intelligent Prompt Routing and Prompt Caching on Bedrock, offering cost savings of up to 30% and 90%, respectively, for running AI applications.
AWS has also introduced new tools to simplify retrieval augmented generation (RAG) workflows for both structured and unstructured data, including Amazon Bedrock Knowledge Bases and GraphRAG. Furthermore, the company has introduced Bedrock Data Automation, a gen AI-powered ETL tool that processes multimodal content at scale, streamlining data preparation and expanding AI's ability to leverage diverse enterprise datasets.
In Other AI News…
Gaming
Ubisoft to Sunset XDefiant in 2025
Ubisoft has announced that it will be discontinuing development on XDefiant, a free-to-play first-person shooter game, due to its inability to attract and retain enough players to compete in the market. As a result, new downloads, player registrations, and purchases will no longer be available, and the game's servers will remain active until June 3, 2025.
The decision to sunset XDefiant will have significant consequences for the teams working on the game, with the closure of Ubisoft's San Francisco and Osaka production studios, and the ramp down of its Sydney production site. A total of 277 people will be affected by the layoffs, with 143 departing in San Francisco and 134 likely to depart in Osaka and Sydney.
Despite the challenges, Ubisoft remains committed to developing Games-as-a-Service experiences and will apply the lessons learned from XDefiant to its future live titles. The company is also undergoing a period of restructuring, with a focus on evolving its production and business practices to drive growth, innovation, and creativity.
CD Projekt Q3 Revenue Down, Focused on Witcher 4 Development
CD Projekt, the Polish developer behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, has released its financials for the third quarter of 2024, showing a significant decline in revenue. The company made 227.5 million PLN (or $55.2 million) in sales revenue for the quarter, down 49 percent from the same period last year. Net profit also fell by 61.4 percent year-over-year to 78.1 million PLN.
Despite the decline, CD Projekt's CFO Piotr Nielubowicz described the quarter as "very strong," citing the continued success of Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion Phantom Liberty, which have sold 30 million and 8 million copies, respectively. The company's revenue for the first three quarters of 2024 was 652.3 million PLN, a 15 percent decline compared to last year's three-quarter figure.
CD Projekt is now shifting its focus to its upcoming projects, including The Witcher 4, codenamed "Polaris," which is currently in full production. The game will be developed in Unreal Engine 5 and is intended as the start of a new series of games. Out of CDPR's 650 developers, 400 workers are currently devoted to Polaris, with another 64 staffers handling the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, and 42 employees working on a multiplayer Witcher spinoff.
Vietnam Issues Decree 147/2024 to Regulate Online Games
The Vietnamese government has issued Decree 147/2024, which introduces stricter regulations on online games and internet services. The decree, effective from December 25th, 2024, aims to control unlicensed titles and gambling apps distributed via Google Play and the App Store. Foreign app store providers are required to remove applications violating Vietnamese laws upon request by authorized agencies.
The decree establishes strict licensing requirements for games, categorizing them into four types: G1, multiplayer games with a centralized server; G2, server-based games without player interaction; G3, games with player interaction but no server; and G4, offline or non-interactive games. App store providers and game companies must ensure the accuracy of game license information, and non-compliance will result in administrative penalties and technical measures to block content.
The decree also introduces strict rules on virtual currencies and items, prohibiting the exchange of virtual items for cash, cards, vouchers, or tangible items of value outside the game. Trading virtual items between players is also prohibited. Additionally, games rated 12+ must avoid sexually suggestive content, revealing characters, or adult-oriented dialogue, and combat is limited to animated, non-human, or unrealistic human portrayals.
In Other Gaming News…
Web3, Metaverse, and NFTs
Bitcoin Spot ETFs Have Accumulated More BTC than Satoshi While Price Reaches Over $100K
Spot Bitcoin ETFs have collectively surpassed the amount of Bitcoin held by Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. As of Thursday's market close, the ETFs held 1,105,690 Bitcoin worth $110 billion, exceeding Nakamoto's estimated 1.1 million Bitcoin. This milestone represents a significant development in the maturation of the crypto market and the growing influence of Wall Street investors.
The growth of spot Bitcoin ETFs has been rapid, with the products launching in January and already surpassing Nakamoto's holdings in less than a year. Bloomberg ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas described the development as "mind-blowing," noting that the products are "literal babies." The ETFs have pulled in $2.4 billion since Monday, coinciding with Bitcoin's historic climb past $100,000.
The milestone is also significant because it marks the first time that institutional investors have surpassed the holdings of Bitcoin's creator. The fact that Wall Street's most prestigious brands have played a central role in surpassing Nakamoto's holdings is somewhat ironic, given Bitcoin's origins as a decentralized, peer-to-peer currency.
Pudgy Penguins Unveils $PENGU Token and Airdrop
Pudgy Penguins, the third-largest NFT collection by market capitalization, has announced the launch of a new token called PENGU on the Solana blockchain. The token will be distributed to NFT owners who have Pudgy Penguins, Lil Pudgys, Pudgy Rods, and other collections associated with the project. The token's supply will be allocated based on a distribution plan, with 23.5% reserved for existing Pudgy Penguins NFT holders and 22.02% reserved for the broader Solana and Ethereum communities.
The launch of the PENGU token comes as Pudgy Penguins' NFT collection floor price has surged to a new all-time high of over $62,000, surpassing its previous peak of $57,000 in February 2024. The increase coincides with Bitcoin's breakthrough above $100,000 and reflects broader market momentum affecting major NFT collections.
The PENGU token launch represents a strategic pivot for Pudgy Penguins as market attention shifts from NFTs to fungible tokens and meme coins. The move addresses historical NFT liquidity challenges while leveraging Pudgy Penguins' established brand presence, which includes over 3 million social media followers and 32 billion views on Giphy.
RTFKT Announces Cease of Operations
RTFKT is shutting down after being acquired by Nike in 2021. The company announced the plan to wind down its operations on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating that it is proud of everything it has achieved together.
RTFKT was known for its Ethereum-based NFTs and physical collectibles and had partnered with artists like Takashi Murakami. The company has also worked with Nike on several shoe collections, including one that featured NBA superstar LeBron James. However, despite its initial success, RTFKT's NFT collections, including its flagship Clone X set, saw declining prices, and the company ultimately fell victim to the broader disinterest in NFTs.
The closure of RTFKT marks the end of an experiment by Nike to accelerate its digital transformation and serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming, and culture. The acquisition of RTFKT was seen as a key step in this process, but ultimately, it was not enough to sustain the company.
In Other Web3 & Metaverse News…
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