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The Apple Card has landed Apple and Goldman Sachs in hot water. In a press release spotted by The Verge, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said it was fining the two companies a combined $89 million over practices involving the Apple Card. The CFPB says Apple failed to send tens of thousands of disputed card transactions to Goldman Sachs. When it finally sent the transactions to the investment bank, Goldman Sachs failed to follow numerous federal requirements for investigating the disputes, according to the CFPBs announcement. Apple and Goldman are also accused of misleading customers about the Apple Card. Some consumers believed they could make interest-free payments to purchase an Apple device with the credit card but interest charges still showed up on their bill because they were not automatically enrolled as expected. Apple is also accused of keeping its interest-free payment option off of its website if the customer wasnt using a Safari browser. The CFPB also says Goldman Sachs misled customers about the application of some refunds that racked up additional interest charges. The CFPB has ordered Goldman Sachs to pay at least $19.8 million in redress funds and a $45 million civil money penalty. The company is also required to present a credible plan to comply with laws before launching any new credit card product. Apple also received a $25 million civil money penalty that will go to the CFPBs victims relief fund. Apple and Goldman Sachs introduced the Apple Card in 2019, advertising it as a product that could help customers lead a healthier financial life.. Four years later, a report from the Wall Street Journal said that Goldman Sachs was starting to have doubts about the consumer lending industry and thought the venture may have been a mistake.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-goldman-sachs-fined-89-million-for-misleading-apple-card-customers-192538650.html?src=rss
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Ubisoft has disbanded the team behind the recently-released platformer Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, according to a reputable French journalist. The alleged reason for disbanding the team is a simple one. The game didnt meet sales expectations and Ubisoft needed more hands to help on other projects that had a better sales potential. This is according to a translation published on Reset Era. "Most of the team members who worked on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have shifted to other projects that will benefit from their expertise," Abdelhak Elguess, a senior producer on the game, told Eurogamer. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sold around 300,000 copies during its first few weeks of availability, totaling $15 million in revenue, as indicated by a report by Insider Gaming. These sales figures allegedly sealed the fate of the game and its dev team. Ubisoft staffers reportedly pushed higher ups for a sequel, or more DLC, but were allegedly denied. Oddly, the companys executives reportedly refused to greenlight a sequel on the grounds that it would cannibalize sales of the original. Im not sure thats how sequels work, especially when they come out years after the first game, but whatever. This is sad for a number of reasons. First of all, the game was great. The Metacritic aggregate review score sits at 86, while user reviews hover at around 8.5 out of ten. I played it and found it to be a fantastic Metroidvania that could easily sit next to some of the classics of the genre, like Hollow Knight and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Its also a bummer because gamers constantly complain that Ubisoft doesnt try anything new, instead relying on iterative improvements of its core franchises or applying tried-and-true gameplay mechanics to pre-existing IPs. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a retro-style throwback, sure, but its not another lifeless open world map filled with fetch quests and stealth missions. By all accounts, it also looks to have been a positive development experience. The French journalist who broke this story, Gautoz, said he heard from multiple employees that it was the best game production experience in their lives. It was seen as a beacon of hope for people that were burnt out by the endless development cycle of Beyond Good and Evil 2. Why did it underperform? Theres no hard data, but this was a 2D sidescroller that cost a whopping $60. That could be one reason. Only Nintendo can get away with charging full price for retro-style titles. Its also worth noting that this was just one of two sidescrolling Prince of Persia games to release this year, which could have injected some confusion into the market. Evil Empire, the team behind Dead Cells, also soft-launched The Rogue Prince of Persia back in May as an early access title. This is a roguelite spin on the traditional franchise games.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-has-disbanded-the-team-behind-prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-185408301.html?src=rss
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A children's hospital in Scotland now has a gamer-in-residence in what's said to be a first in the UK and Ireland. Steven Mair, the first person to take on the full-time role, will play games with kids at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. As with other gaming-related charitable efforts at children's hospitals, the aim is to help patients relax and minimize feelings of boredom and isolation, while offering them a sense of escapism. Studies have indicated that playing games can help reduce the procedural pain and anxiety of pediatric patients, as well as their caregivers' anxiety. Mair is also organizing gaming events at the facility, fundraising for new gaming equipment and managing gaming volunteers for the Glasgow Childrens Hospital Charity. The charity established the gamer-in-residence position with the help of partners Devolver Digital and Neonhive after raising over 100,000 ($129,000) last year through efforts such as a Scottish Games Sale on Steam for a campaign called Games for the Weans ("weans" is a Scottish word for "kids"). Meanwhile, a $12,000 donation from Child's Play earlier this year will help fund the replacement of older Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems with hospital-adapted consoles. Children in Jaces ward can have long stays and intense treatment plans. This can include physical pain and a lot of new emotions. Often, parents can feel helpless at times. For my son Jace in particular, he is an experienced gamer. His blood disorder prevented him from going outside or starting school," Catherine Reid, the mother of seven-year-old Jace, said in a statement that I could barely get all the way through without welling up. When the gamer-in-residence came round to play Mario on the Nintendo, he immediately lit up and smiled. It was an instant energy boost for him mentally and physically. In reality, I think often what kids want is some quality time and gaming with new friends. This is a fantastic idea. Hospital stays can be tough for anyone, but especially so for kids and their families. You can help support the gaming-in-residence program and other charitable efforts that help young hospital patients through gaming by donating to the likes of the Glasgow Childrens Hospital Charity and Child's Play. Meanwhile, Extra Life's Game Day, an event during which gamers and communities raise funds for children's hospitals, takes place on November 2. You can sign up to take part or make a donation over at the Extra Life website.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-scottish-childrens-hospital-now-has-a-gamer-in-residence-to-play-games-with-kids-182303354.html?src=rss
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