A tweet from Solidaires Informatique Jeu Vidéo reacts to the perception that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot is shifting that blame for business struggles at Ubisoft onto employees. It demands a 10% increase in salaries across the board, improved working conditions (including a four-day work-week), and an end to abusive managerial policies. There's also a call for a strike, albeit a very contained one. This asks fellow Ubisoft Paris employees to stage a four-hour walkout ten days from now:

Mr. Guillemot asks a lot from his employees, but without any compensation.

• Have salaries kept up with the high inflation of recent years?
• What about the implementation of the 4-day week?
• What has been put in place for the teams that come out of the productions exhausted (like those of Just Dance or Mario)?

We demand:

• an immediate 10% increase for all salaries, regardless of annual increases, to compensate for inflation. With the hundreds of millions of euros obtained from Tencent, there is money in the coffers of the employers.
• the improvement of working conditions, with in particular the implementation of the 4-day week.
• transparency on the evolution of the workforce, both locally and globally.
• a strong commitment against disguised dismissals and a condemnation of abusive managerial policies that push employees to resign.

Continue here to read the full story.

Developer Rocket Flair Studios and publisher Paradox Arc have opened Early Access to Surviving the Abyss on Steam, offering the chance to take the plunge with this single-player strategy game. The title might be thought to imply it is inspired by the James Cameron sci-fi movie The Abyss, but this is a city builder where you manage a deep-sea research facility during the Cold War surrounded by mysterious threats, so nothing could be farther from the truth. Gaze into the Surviving the Abyss EA Release Trailer and read on for more:

Surviving the Abyss puts players in charge of a deep sea research facility, tasked with carrying out secret experiments at the height of the cold war. Exploring and mining the seafloor will provide access to the resources necessary to keep the lights on and the scientists fed, and unlock new options for expansion - but unseen dangers lurk just beyond the lights, waiting for any mistake or opportunity to reclaim the abyss as their own. Expand your base, explore the darkness, and learn to face your fear - and you may just survive the abyss for another day.

Continue here to read the full story.

Ubisoft announces plans to bring Anno 1800 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 16th. This is the first time in 25 years a game from the historical strategy series will come to consoles. The announcement includes news that the original PC edition of the game has now reached over 2.5 million gamers. Word is the success of the PC version has earned its development team a shot at the port:

Developed by the very same studio behind the original PC version of the game, Ubisoft Mainz, the Anno 1800 Console Edition will offer players the full Anno experience with a completely redesigned user interface and controlspowered by the next generation of consoles.

“Anno 1800 is a great success story for the studio and the 25-year-old Anno brand. The popularity and the success of the game on PC gave us the opportunity to develop a console version of the game, thanks to the power of the next generation of consoles. Bringing our most successful Anno game on consoles is a real chance for us to let new players discover our award-winning game for the first time and join our amazing community.” said Stéphane Jankowski, Executive Producer.

Also from Ubisoft is that Season 7 Episode 2- Blizzard Rush for The Crew 2 will arrive in the open world driving game on January 18th. Put on your snow tires and check out this trailer for a look at the cold-blooded no-rules racing this will bring. Here's an explanation:

The Crew 2 Season 7 Episode 2: Blizzard Rush launches as a free update on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on January 18. Motorflix, the in-game motorsports entertainment company, will challenge players with a new country-wide illegal race filled with environmental hazards including an impending snowstorm. Five new Hypercar events will be available at launch, and if you complete them all, you can unlock the BMW M8 Coupé No Rules Edition.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Microsoft is reportedly set to announce thousands of layoffs on Wednesday.
• Suicide Squad Leak Has Fans Worried About Its Online Features.

• Save 25% on Cursed to Golf on Steam.
• Save 25% on Bright Memory: Infinite on Steam.
• Utawarerumono MIDWEEK MADNESS on Steam.
• Toge Productions Anniversary Sale 2023.

• NetEase Declines Activision Blizzard's Request to Extend Game Services in China as Deal Expires on Jan. 23.
• Six reasons why 2023 will be huge for video games (and six reasons why it won't).

• Michael B. Jordan’s Rainbow Six Movie Lands Chad Stahelski.

Official trailers.

• Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCE TRAILER.
• Dead Island 2 – Meet the Slayers- Dani.
• It Returned To The Desert - Release Trailer. Thanks Indie Retro News.
• Rainbow Six Siege: Elite Zero (Sam Fisher) Trailer.

• Taking Syberia into uncharted territory - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Arena World Championship Lands in Dragonflight! — World of Warcraft.
• Apex Legends Matchmaking Update.
• OpTic Texas star Scump announces CoD retirement- “Thanks for everything.”

• Occupy Mars: The Game by PlayWay — Kickstarter. "Occupy Mars is a highly technical, open-world sandbox, survival game about Mars colonization inspired by the most promising technologies and companies that are working toward becoming a multi-planet species. Build and upgrade your base, discover new amazing regions, conduct mining operations, retrieve water, generate oxygen, grow crops, fix broken parts, and learn how to survive on Mars!" Here's a trailer.

• Dead Island 2: Who’s Alive in HELL-A?

• Google plans AirTag clone, will track devices with 3 billion Android phones.
• What it’s like to deliver for Amazon in new Rivian electric vans.

• Bored Ape Flexes $450M Raised For NFT Metaverse With Poop Game. What else do bored apes fling?
• Discord acquires Gas, the popular app for teens to compliment each other.
• Smart home appliances have long lives, but software support is much shorter.

Thanks Ant.

• Microsoft disables default guest auth in Windows Pro.
• Fake SSDs with great reviews are still popping up on Amazon.
• Oracle VM VirtualBox Changelog-6.1.
• Oracle VM VirtualBox Changelog-7.0.

• Vulnerability Summary for the Week of January 9, 2023 - CISA.

• RNC loses complaint claiming Gmail spam filter is biased against Republicans.
• UK lawmakers vote to jail tech execs who fail to protect kids online.

• More restricted military intel ends up on the War Thunder forums…
• Stadia users can now unlock their controller’s Bluetooth…

Last Link of the Day: Honest Trailers - Demolition Man. Since all restaurants became Taco Bell, three shells don't seem to cut it, amirite?

With Forspoken set to launch on PC and consoles one week from today, a new tweet reveals the system requirements for the highly anticipated action/RPG. This also outlines some of the game's PC-specific features, including support for 32:9 resolution, Auto HDR and Direct Storage support under Windows 11, and more. We have a PC FEATURES HIGHLIGHT Trailer with a look at these elements in action. Here are the system specs:

Continue here to read the full story.

Paradox Interactive announces the First Contact Story Pack is coming to Stellaris alongside the upcoming version 3.7 "Canis Minor" update. A look at this chance to explore your inner Zefram Cochrane can be found in this Announcement Trailer. More details are promised for this week. Here's a bit:

For countless ages, your people have looked to the stars with wonder - is there anybody else out there? When we meet, will they be friends or enemies? Will we be the ones to discover them, or are they already here, hiding in plain sight?

The First Contact Story Pack focuses on the experiences of these Pre-FTL civilizations, both from the point of view of the civilizations themselves as well as from the observers. Observation has been revamped with new enhanced systems relating to civilization Awareness, Diplomacy, and Espionage. New Insights can be learned from observing civilizations that have not been corrupted by the galaxy as a whole.

Continue here to read the full story.

The opening bell has rung for World Championship Boxing Manager 2, and the pugilistic sports management sequel is now available for Windows on Steam. As a bonus, all purchases of the game will come with a copy of the first World Championship Boxing Manager, originally released in 1990. If you're undecided, there's a playable demo to take a few jabs at. Here's why Mega Cat Studios and Ziggurat think they have a knockout on their hands:

Brought to life with hand-drawn 32-bit visuals, World Championship Boxing Manager™ 2 is the official sequel to its 1991 predecessor. Players will enlist promising amateur competitive fighters and train them from the ground up on their path to the world championship. They’ll manage their training schedules — including fitness training — to create the best balance for their roster. To keep them on the path to glory, they’ll also need to hire the best staff, gain supporters at all levels, and promote their fighters. The game features former pro boxers Rocky Marciano™, Sugar Ray Robinson™, and Sue “Tiger Lily” Fox as coaches within the game, along with a roster of fantastic fictional fighters, coaches, and training staff. A well-managed team will rise to the top, but one misstep will lead to a TKO!

Tate Multimedia announces Voodolls, a four-player co-op tower defense game in the works at French studio SideRift for launch on Steam this April. But there's a chance to check out the game's voodoo-inspired action before then, as a single-player and co-op closed beta test will kick off on Thursday. This post has all the details on how you can sign up to participate along with a Closed Beta Trailer showing off what to expect. Here's more on the game:

Voodolls is an action-packed co-op tower defence game that puts four fleeing souls into the bodies of four unique voodoo dolls - Voodolls. Work together to escape the clutches of the afterlife as you hold back the waves of hell in order to protect your only one key to freedom, the Puppet Master.

Your journey will not be without threats. The hordes of hell’s minions pursue the dolls through each of the spirit world’s realms. They seek to put a violent end to your journey. Protect the priest, and ensure his safety to keep your hope of escape alive!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Leaked Suicide Squad- Kill The Justice League screenshot hints at GaaS features.

• PC Utility and Security Tools with Avast & Laplink Bundle (pay what you want and help charity).*

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

• Activision Blizzard says NetEase dismisses proposal to extend ties.
• Tencent reveals it fired 100 people for corruption.

• The Last of Us TV series’ viewing figures are off to a great start.
• What HBO's The Last of Us leaves out about the fungus outbreak. Thanks Acleacius.
• The Weeks Ahead Trailer - The Last of Us - HBO Max.

• Steam Beta Client Update - January 16th.
• Steam Deck Client Beta- January 16th.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• Modders have voiced the entirety of original Final Fantasy 7.

Official trailers.

• Destiny 2: Lightfall - Neomuna Environment Trailer.
• SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake - Kids Explain Trailer.
• Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - Story Trailer.

• We are Subset Games, developer of FTL and Into the Breach, ask us anything! - Reddit.

• Time is running out for nominations for MCV Women in Games 2023.

• Atomic Heart- The Final Preview - IGN.
• Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty- The Final Preview - IGN.
• Wo Long Fallen Dynasty hands-on: A Soulslike with friendship - PCGamesN.

• Remnant: From the Ashes coming to Switch.
• PlayStation Store’s top downloads of 2022.
• This Week's Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale - Xbox Wire.

• New 16-Inch MacBook Pro Has The Longest Battery Life Of Any Portable Mac, Apple Claims It Will Last Up To 22 Hours.
• Laptop Core i9-13980HX smashes 30K barrier in Cinebench, outperforming AMD's Ryzen 9 7900X.
• How to Save Your Smartphone's Battery Life (2023): Tips for iPhone and Android (may require registration or subscription).
• Samsung expands self-repair program to include S22 and Galaxy Book devices.

Thanks Frans.

• With $1.5 billion bill due at month-end, Elon Musk’s options aren’t great.
• Mozilla Firefox 109.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 102.7.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Reports: Twitter’s sudden third-party client lockouts were intentional.
• Taliban start buying blue ticks on Twitter.

Thanks Ant and Console General.

• TSMC's 3nm Journey: Slow Ramp, Huge Investments, Big Future.
• Intel Arc graphics gets enthusiast-style overclocking tool.
• Shutterstock Expands Long-standing Relationship with Meta. Thanks DSLReports.
• HDD Shipments Almost Halved in 2022.
• My lawyer, the robot. Thanks DSLReports.
• SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 19 (Preview).
• Azure Data Studio v1.40.2.
• Visual Studio Code v1.74.3.

• MSI accidentally breaks Secure Boot for hundreds of motherboards. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.

• Elon Musk begins trial over Tesla tweet that cost him $20m.
• Getty Images files suit against one of the biggest AI art tools.
• Wikipedia criticises 'harsh' new Online Safety Bill plans.
• Musk wins legal battle to force laid-off Twitter employees into arbitration.
• Crypto exchanges freeze accounts tied to North Korea.

• The Dame was Loaded - Indie Retro News.
• Murder is Game Over - Christ Centered Gamer.

• Case Fan: CORSAIR AF120 ELITE Fan Review - A Tender Hurricane - TechPowerUp.
• Graphics Card: AMD RX 7900 XTX vs RTX 4090- The Ultimate Comparison!!! - Daniel Owen (video). Thanks Roddy.
• Mouse: Razer Naga V2 Pro MMO Wireless Gaming Mouse Review - TweakTown.
• RAM: Neo Forza MARS RGB 64GB DDR4 4000MHz CL19 Dual-Channel Kit - Nikk Tech.
• SSD: Acer Predator GM7 SSD Review- YMTC Flash Powers the New Efficiency King - Tom's Hardware.

Yesterday I got fed up with a bathroom sink that was draining slowly. This was a recurring problem, and I'd occasionally plunge it to speed things up again. But since it kept happening I decided to try and get to the root of the problem. There are plenty of suggestions on the internet about drain cleaning using the old Science Fair volcano trick of mixing baking soda and vinegar, so I figured this sounded better than paying a plumber. But getting started I also learned why one might pay a plumber for this job. Removing the drain plug revealed its base was completely coated in the most horrific sludge imaginable. This was the obvious source of the slow draining. But it was so disgusting I regretted even becoming aware of it, much less having to clean it. But dealing with grossness is one of my roles in the household, so I powered through it. In the end this turned out great. The drain is now shiny, clean, and draining perfectly. I even managed to avoid yakking along the way.

Draining Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• Airtag-inspired Google tracking device has literally the most unfortunate name ever. Brilliant.

Stories

• Zip line becomes a lifeline for California community cut off by storms. Thanks brother19.
• China's first population drop in six decades sounds alarm on demographic crisis.

Science
Thanks Acleacius and Max.

• Rice breeding breakthrough could feed billions.
• Fluke Discovery of Ancient Farming Technique Could Stabilize Crop Yields.
• New study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying Solomon’s paradox.
• Eating one wild fish same as month of drinking tainted water: study.

Media

• Coolest gaming setup ever?
• Military Historian Reviews the Best Movie Battle Scenes of All Time. Thanks RedEye9.
• Conan Learns About A Star Trek-Themed Town In Canada. Thanks David.

Follow-up

• Jeremy Renner's snowplow injuries 'worse than anyone knows.'