Nigeria - Sen. Suleiman Adokwe, Chairman Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, says the National Assembly will soon amend the act establishing the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adokwe stated this on Tuesday while delivering his goodwill message at the opening of the Consumer Forum of the NFVCB holding in Bauchi State. He said that the amendment will further strengthen and reposition the board. The forum with the theme: “The Movie Industry: The case for Peace, Economic Development and Social Engineering”, is holding at the Yankari Games Reserve from Jan. 29 to Feb 1. According to Adokwe, the NFVCB is a critical agency of government that should be strengthend for it to effectively handle modern realities and challenges in the evolving Nigerian motion picture industry. “The Senate will give all necessary backing and strengthen the act establishing the NFVCB for it to be more effective in delivering on its mandate. “Even if it requires amending the act for it to be very effective, we shall do it for the film and video sector to strive. “Our artistes are struggling because of piracy and other unlawful activities affecting their creativity,” he said. Adokwe noted that the movie industry was not just an economic venture, but a veritable instrument for peace building and national integration. He, therefore, urged producers and relevant stakeholders to tell the Nigerian story in good light by promoting what bind Nigerians together. “The movie is a very crucial tool for social engineering, as it can be used to cause war or promote peace. However, our movie stakeholders are being called on upon to promote peace and stop war, they should not watch our country fall apart,” he urged. The Executive Director of the NFVCB, Mr Adedayo Thomas, said that the forum was for stakeholders to brainstorm and chart a common front for the industry in the North-East. “The Consumer Forum is a flagship program of the board, aimed at sensitising the local population, especially the young and unemployed, entrepreneurs, financiers and government of the enormous potentials available in the film industry. “This is also a platform to educate participants on how to take advantages of these opportunities for empowerment and building a strong economy and better society. “We are here to chart a framework that will create a basis for the film and video industry as a tool for economic growth and sustainable peace in the North-East.” he said. He noted that youths and trained artisans from the region would be exposed to, hitherto, dormant areas of the film industry, get employed and leverage on opportunities. NAN reports that representative of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), and other industry players, especially from the North were present at the event. Investors, members of the academia, students and other young talents in film and theatre were also present at the forum. The NFVCB is a Federal Government body that regulates the films and video industry in Nigeria. The Board is empowered by law to classify all films and videos whether imported or produced locally. It is also the duty of the Board to register all films and videos outlet across the country and to keep a register of such registered outlets among other functions. (NAN)

As Bitcoin prices began skyrocketing and more users started investing in the cryptocurrency, more and more Bitcoin apps began popping up. However, some of these apps, despite having been banned, are still available to users in popular app stores. Security experts discovered over 600 blacklisted Bitcoin apps that were still available for download to users. Security researchers analysed over 18,000 apps across 20 app stores to find that 661 blacklisted Bitcoin apps were still available to users, leaving users vulnerable to hackers. Researchers at RiskIQ found that three percent of apps with "Bitcoin exchange" in the title, 2.6% with "Bitcoin wallet" in the title and 2.2% with "cryptocurrency" in the title have been blacklisted. Researchers also found that GooglePlay, which hosted 272 of the blacklisted apps, as well as APKFiles and 9Apps – both of which hosted 54 and 52 blacklisted apps respectively – were the top app stores guilty of making the blacklisted apps available to users. According to RiskIQ researchers, the cybercriminals behind the banned apps can steal money and data by tricking users that have downloaded the malicious apps into handing over massive sums of money or sensitive and personal details. "We are seeing threat actors around the world exploiting what is already a hostile currency in a lawless digital world. Before handing over any cash or personal data, investors should carry out thorough research into the exchange and wallet apps they intend to use," RiskIQ EMEA vice president Fabian Libeau said in a statement. "By checking the developer's name, user reviews and the number of app downloads, investors can measure the validity of an app and be more confident in their choice." Researchers also warned that the rise in unofficial and potentially malicious apps could likely scare off potential investors looking to purchase Bitcoin.

Maintenance ended and everything back to normal. If you notice or have any problems let us know.

Innovative ways to view broadcast content such as scripted shows, sporting events, and recently released movies are advancing at breakneck speed. Buyers should beware, however, that not all methods for accessing entertainment content are on the up-and-up. Several devices, for instance, promise extreme "cord-cutting" and incredibly wide access to content at a relatively low, one-time cost. There's a good reason why these devices are so cheap and offer so much: they provide a gateway to pirated content, facilitating copyright infringement on a massive scale. Unsurprisingly, the sellers of two such "smart TV boxes” are embroiled in copyright litigation. As explained in the two most recent complaints, Universal City Studio Prod. et al. v. TickBox TV and Netflix Studios, et al. v. Dragon Media Inc., the devices in question, TickBox TV and Dragon Box, don't come with any pre-loaded content. Instead, purchasers plug the devices into their TVs and then download open-sourced software. That software launches a user-friendly TV-screen display allowing users to choose from various general categories of content, such as "Kids," "TV Shows," "Sports," and "Videos." Those categories then break out into more specific "add-ons" such as "Box Office," "In Theaters," and "Live TV." Clicking on the add-on menus initiates online searches for the desired content. Those searches are unlikely to return offerings such as Amazon Prime, HBO Now, or Hulu. The Dragon Media complaint related how a Dragon Box search last December in the "In Theaters" add-on returned such movie choices as "Thor: Ragnarok" and "The Shape of Water," neither of which have been authorized for outside-theater viewing. Less than a month after it had been released in theaters, a Dragon Box search for the movie "Coco" returned 100 different unauthorized sources. An "In Theaters" choice on TickBox TV last October returned 44 sources for "War for the Planet of the Apes," another movie available only in theaters. Dragon Box and TickBox TV users don't pay a penny to watch these movies or any of the other content the software discovers. Indeed, the device makers tout such unfettered access in their advertisements, product packaging, and social media. The Dragon Media complaint recites how the company urges consumers to "Get rid of your Premium Channels" and lures buyers in with "You no longer have to pay for PPV [pay-per-view] events." The company's Facebook page promotes "Free movies still in theaters in HD and 3D." The TickBox complaint relates such promotional statement as "enjoy unlimited access to ALL the hottest TV shows, Hollywood blockbusters, and LIVE sporting events ... ABSOLUTELY FREE." The TV boxes call to mind Napster, Grokster, and other past online piracy facilitators. Like those peer-to-peer file-sharing services, Dragon Box and TickBox TV are capable of accessing unprotected entertainment content. But the vast majority of the content the boxes' software discovers is copyrighted, and that is in fact the type of programming access the box sellers pitch to potential customers. The makers of Dragon Box and TickBox TV are likely to suffer the same fate as Grokster. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held in MGM Studios v. Grokster that the file-sharing service constituted third-party copyright infringement by intentionally inducing others to unlawfully obtain copyrighted material. In Grokster, when assessing if the service's third-party actions led to others' copyright infringement, Justice Souter wrote that a defendant's actions must be based on "purposeful, culpable expression and conduct," and not on "mere knowledge of ... actual infringing uses." The “classic instance of inducement," the Court explained, "is by advertisement or solicitation that broadcasts a message designed to stimulate others to commit violations.”

Server in maintenance We are offline at the moment, please don't panic.

Tracker's Name: HardBay Genre: Other Sign-up Link: https://hardbay.club/signup/open/ Closing date: --- Additional information: This tracker has temporary sign up open for new users to come in.

Anyone can download and play Fallout 4 completely free this weekend, and all versions are on sale. The Fallout 4 free weekend promo is available on PC. It kicks off on Thursday, February 1 and lasts until Sunday, February 4. The free weekend can be grabbed through Steam. During the free weekend, all versions of the game will be on sale. The base game will get a 33% discount, the Fallout 4 Game of the Year Edition and all DLC will be 40% off, and the season pass has the highest discount at 50% off. As is the case with free Steam weekends, any progress you make will carry over to the full version if you buy it. Seeing as you’ll be downloading the full game, expect the download to be big.

The PC version of Metal Gear Survive comes out day and date with consoles, and today, we get an idea of what kind of PC you’re going to need for the job. Konami revealed the minimum and recommended PC specs for Metal Gear Survive earlier. The specs were published on Steam, and they’re relatively modest. Considering Survive uses the same engine as Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain – which ran pretty well on most PCs – there was no worry that the upcoming game would require higher specs. Konami didn’t provide frame-rate or resolution targets for either set, unfortunately. See below for the entire list. Minimum OS: Windows 7 x64, Windows 8 x64, Windows 10 x64 (64-bit OS Required) Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 (3.40 GHz) or better; Quad-core or better Memory: 4GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 (2GB) or better (DirectX 11 card Required) DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 20GB available space Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card Recommended OS: Windows 7 x64, Windows 8 x64, Windows 10 x64 (64-bit OS Required) Processor: Intel Core i7-4790 (3.60GHz) or better; Quad-core or better Memory: 8GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (DirectX 11 graphic card required) DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 20GB available space Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card (Surround Sound 5.1) It was recently revealed that the game requires a constant internet connection, and includes microtransactions. Metal Gear Survive is out February 20 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Bluehole and Microsoft will be deploying PUBG Xbox One patch 7, which includes various optimizations, bug fixes, and vehicle gameplay changes. The biggest changes included with this update are adjustments to the vehicle gameplay mechanics, which modifies the damage players can inflict on vehicles. In addition, the update increases areas of vulnerability on vehicles. We’ve included the full release notes below: Gameplay We’ve listened to your feedback and further modified the damage players can inflict on vehicles, increasing areas of vulnerability. This includes: Increased damage to the vehicle body, and significant damage to the wheels when targeted with gunfire Increased vehicle damage when successfully targeted with a grenade Both driver and passenger will suffer increased injuries from crashing into objects or other vehicles (Dacia, UAZ, and Buggy) Slight reduction to player damage when being struck by a vehicle Optimization Continued optimization to controller input lag Visual quality of reticle is improved (Red Dot, Holographic, and 2x Sight) Bug fixes Resolved issue where inventory may highlight the wrong column when looting The sensitivity setting for 4x Scope is now also applied to the permanent scope on the VSS Auto-run (double-clicking the left stick) is disabled when aiming down sights Players can now use the D-Pad while in the map view without switching melee, pistol, or throwing weapons Removing the marker from the map when pressing (Y) will no longer switch primary/secondary weapons Fixed issue where the crosshair is not correctly displayed after players reconnect to a game session According to the PUBG Xbox development team, the new update will be deployed on all Xbox systems at 1AM PST / 10AM CET. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is available now for Xbox One and PC. The game recently surpassed 4 million players on Microsoft’s console since its release back in December of last year, and as reported earlier, PUBG already has more than 30 million players across both Xbox and PC.

There’s a new patch available on test servers for PUBG, and it brings with it some big changes to Miramar. The patch is out now, and anyone can download the test build of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds to test out the changes for themselves. This is the first update that changes parts of Miramar, the game’s desert map, based on player feedback. In particular, the update adds new off-road tracks for easier navigation, and improves the loot in certain areas. The update also adds several bits of cover and buildings to some areas to make engagements more interesting. The map has been the subject of much criticism from the game’s community, with some going as far as removing Miramar from the game’s files. Like the previous test patch, this one also brings a new anti-cheat measure. Developer PUBG Corp noted that this new solution requires more testing, and stressed that it’s still under development. Compatibility and stability issues may arise, and PUBG Corp is asking players for screenshots and details of these issues if they do crop up. Outside of that, the patch upgrades the replay feature, but this unfortunately means older replays will no longer be playable. For the full list of notes, see below: Miramar improvements Added more buildings and cover across the map to improve the engagement experience Added more off-road routes for easier vehicle navigation Upgraded the item spawn level of certain areas for loot balancing (some areas will spawn better loot) Replay The replay system has now been updated to a newer version and past replay files cannot be played anymore Bug fixes Fixed the issue where heal and boost items could be used underwater Fixed the issue where characters would get stuck in certain areas on Miramar Fixed the issue where wall textures on some Miramar buildings were not displaying correctly Fixed the issue where certain buildings near by Hacienda del Patron were not displaying correctly

Game of Thrones fans can cross out that reported date for season 8 because it’s evidently false. It was reported earlier that Game of Thrones star, Maisie Williams, had stated the highly anticipated final season would begin airing in April 2019 on HBO. According to, the now refuted quote, that was reported by Metro, Game of Thrones would finish filming in December 2018. This would give the show a shocking few amount of months, four to be exact, to bring the final season to air. However, the truth has turned out to be something much different and far less confirmed. It’s been known for awhile that there would be a long wait between Game of Thrones season 7 and season 8. The fantasy epic is set to return in 2019 but, obviously, an exact month and date has yet to be nailed down just yet. Maisie William’s previous supposed comments did line up with the typical season premieres of Game of Thrones. However, the final season of the series should be anything but typical. The discrepancy was cleared up by Williams herself. After apparently seeing the story circle around with her “quote,” Williams took to her Twitter account to clarify that the statement, while not a complete manufacture, is far more accurate. It certainly doesn’t reveal the air month of the final season of Game of Thrones. Maisie Williams wrote that it’s from an very old interview was somehow retrofitted to apply to season 8. It’s unclear what season Williams was referring to exactly in the original interview with Metro. Although it could have been almost any season. Game of Thrones has typically begun airing in April of each year. The notable exception being season 7, which had a later start date of August. This was due to the filming restrictions of the season. Those filming restrictions occurred because winter had finally arrived in Westeros and the show needed some locations to look decidedly more wintery. It would, therefore, stand to reason that whenever season 8 hits in 2019, it’ll also be later in the year as Westeros will be need to be even further into its long and dangerous winter. The invasion of the White Walkers won’t feel nearly as believable if everything surrounding them in bright and sunny. Filming for season 8 is already set to be the most ambitious and daunting yet. The year long delay between season 8 and 9 is occurring to give the series the proper time to prepare for all the logistics of the gigantic series. Filming has already been confirmed to go through Summer 2018, after beginning at the end of 2017. So while it’s possible it all might wrap up in December 2018, that’s probably not information that Williams (or any other actor) has at this time. Of course, the truth does come as a little bit of a blow to fans hoping to get their Game of Thrones fix as soon as possible. Still, April 2019 being the beginning of the end for Game of Thrones always seemed pretty unfeasible, given what is known about the final season. Maisie Williams clarifying her quote doesn’t mean that Game of Thrones season 8 won’t begin airing in April. It’s certainly still possible. It just means that the actress, nor anyone else has confirmed when Game of Thrones will start to wrap up.

Tracker's Name: HD-Forever (HD-F) Genre: HD Sign-up Link: https://hdf.world/register.php Closing date: Very soon! Review's Link: HD-Forever | HD-F | HD Movies | 2018 Review Additional information: HD-Forever (HD-F) is a French Private Torrent Tracker for HD Movies Releases.

It has become tough to survive in today's times when it comes for a film to sustain itself. Piracy only adds to the bane. A new modus operandi 'Digital Crime Unit' will come into play India - Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat will be the first film to be dealt by Maharashtra cyber ‘Digital Crime Unit’ to stop piracy. Makers of Padmaavat approached Maharashtra Cyber ‘Digital Crime Unit’, it's an anti-online piracy unit in association with film industry. The Cyber Cell of the Maharashtra Police has started a 'Digital Crime Unit' that works towards systematically eliminating websites that upload pirated content. The makers have approached the new unit after the reports of Padmaavat being heavily pirated on the internet.... Sanjay Leela Bhansali (director) and Viacom 18 (producer) have requested the government to look into this trend of piracy, which has become a menace.Earlier films like Udta Punjab and Toilet Ek Prem Katha had found their way on social media days before their release. Meanwhile, Padmaavat has done brisk business in its first 5 days; it has garnered about Rs 120 crore. Coming back to the story of piracy control, Maharashtra Cyber ‘Digital Crime Unit’ is A 4-month old anti-online piracy unit in association with Motion pictures association of India, producers guild & Indian Music Industry.

More clamping down on Kodi is underway as the Premier League has take moves to ward off illegal streaming of matches through Kodi boxes. The warning comes in the form of a court case brought by the Premier League against internet hosting provider Ecatel and its facilitation of illegal streams of the League’s football games. A Dutch District Court in The Hague ordered Ecatel to stop providing services that can be used for illegal streaming of Premier League matches or otherwise face a €1.5 million, anti-piracy organisation FACT reports. The court action was taken by the Premier League after Ecatel apparently ignored warning to stop hosting servers that were being used for illegal streaming which were infringing upon its copyright. And the action appears to be a shot across the bow to any other internet services that facilitate the illegal streaming of Premier League football. “This is a crucial judgement for the Premier League, and for other sports and rights holders. It sends a clear message to rogue server and hosting providers that by facilitating illegal streams they themselves can be subject to legal action,” said Kevin Plumb, Premier League director of legal services. “An injunction and financial penalties of up to €1.5 million is a clear warning to others operating in this area, and provides the basis on which we can now take action against other dedicated server providers or illegal ISPs across Europe as part of our global protection work.” While Kodi does provide access to legitimate streaming services, there are other parts of its open ecosystem that are more legally grey. And is would appear that some organisations are taking a very dim view on having their content streamed by an illegitimate source. As such we wouldn’t be surprised to see more companies and organisations like the Premier League take further actions to curtail illegal streaming through Kodi.

Content Creators Coalition urges Congress to investigate YouTube’s ‘non-disparagement agreements’ with artists American artist-led lobbying group the Content Creators Coalition – aka C3 – has called on the judiciary committees in US Congress to investigate those recent reports that YouTube has included so called ‘non-disparagement agreements’ in partnership deals it has struck up with artists. Various sources recently told Bloomberg that such clauses have been included in agreements reached between the Google video site and certain specific artists which YouTube is directly supporting by funding video production and/or marketing activities. The inclusion of such terms is probably not surprising, given how much YouTube dissing there has been within the music community in recent years. The music industry, of course, is hoping to get copyright law reformed to reduce the reach of the so called safe harbour. Many record labels and music publishers – and artists and songwriters – reckon YouTube exploits the safe harbour to pay much lower royalties than other streaming services. In its report on the ‘non-disparagement agreements’, Bloomberg conceded that such terms “are common in business”, though noted that other streaming platforms directly supporting artists are not generally making similar demands. Either way, in a letter to the chairs of the Congressional judiciary committees in both the Senate and the House Of Representatives, C3 argues that the ‘don’t-diss-YouTube’ clauses are “clearly aimed at thwarting the Congressional review of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s safe harbours as well as the public debate about the issue”. The US Copyright Office, which sits under the Library Of Congress, has been reviewing the American copyright safe harbour for sometime. Meanwhile in Europe, safe harbour reform is contained with the draft copyright directive that is still going through the motions. Referencing the Copyright Office review, and the American music industry’s resulting campaign calling for safe harbour reform, the C3 letter goes on: “An unprecedented groundswell of artists have called out Google for gaming outdated laws to facilitate YouTube’s profiteering from rampant music piracy on its service. In filings to the Copyright Office, a cross section of music creators argue that the DMCA’s safe harbours are actually ‘safe havens’ that allow platform monopolies to use the ubiquity of unlicensed free music on their services as a cudgel in negotiations to drive down their own licensing costs”. On the ‘non-disparagement agreements’, the letter goes on: “We are deeply troubled by recent reports indicating that ‘YouTube has asked musicians to agree not to disparage the streaming-video service in exchange for promotional support, according to people familiar with the matter, a way to quell persistent criticism by artists’. Simply put, Google has abused its monopoly power to give artists pennies on the dollar and appears to be further abusing that power to buy the silence of artists who might otherwise speak out and draw public scrutiny to these practices”. The letter concludes: “With jurisdiction over copyright and antitrust laws, the judiciary committees are uniquely situated to get to the bottom of these apparent abuses. We ask that you do so swiftly”.

Prominent members of Canada's entertainment industry are calling for a new federal agency to locate and shut down websites that are portals for illegally obtained video and audio content. Bell Canada, Rogers Communications Inc., Quebecor Inc., Cineplex Inc., the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and several other organizations have banded together to create FairPlay Canada. They argue that Canadian jobs are at risk because consumers can get access to TV shows, movies and music from websites that don't pay for the content that they stream to consumers. They want the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to use its power as a regulator to require Canadian internet service providers to shut down access to the pirated material. They also want the CRTC to set up an independent agency to help locate the pirate websites. The CRTC is in the final weeks of public consultations about the distribution of music, TV and other content via the internet. The agency has set Feb. 13 as a deadline for final comments in order to submit its report to the federal cabinet by June 1.

Blockchain technology – the tech at the heart of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin – is being praised all over the world because of its transformative capabilities. The blockchain system keeps an incorruptible record of transactions/procedures dating back to the moment it is first introduced. Because of its advantages, blockchain tech is finding its way into a growing variety of industries including banking, healthcare, fintech, online music sales, video rendering, ridesharing, and many others. Now, a team of developers at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has released an update for a Peer to Peer (P2P) BitTorrent client that harnesses the power of blockchain tech. The BitTorrent client is called Tribler. According to its developers, even if all torrent sites get closed down it would still be able to find new content for its users. Tribler’s latest blockchain innovation helps to improve the client’s performance when providing anonymity for its users. Better Anonymity The main driving force behind Tribler’s development has always been to create a decentralized BitTorrent client that preserves the anonymity of its users. Originally launched in 2006, Tribler has been working hard to create a decentralized ecosystem for torrenting. Even back in 2014, lead Tribler researcher Prof. Pouwelse made the claim that: “Tribler makes BitTorrent anonymous and impossible to shut down.” Tribler is unique because it doesn’t rely on central servers like sites such as The Pirate Bay. Instead, it uses a P2P system similar to Tor to allow its users to share content without divulging their IP addresses. Tribler also uses end-to-end encryption to help conceal the activities of Tribler users both seeding and sharing files. The latest blockchain addition permits the software to reward users that share their bandwidth with other users. In turn, developers say it will permit Tribler to more effectively provide anonymity for its users. How Tribler Works When people search a regular BitTorrent client, the software looks for torrent files or magnet links stored on a centralized server. This allows governments to close down the servers belonging to popular BitTorrent sites – leaving users unable to find content. Tribler, on the other hand, is a Tor-like network that allows peers to communicate directly. This means that there is no central server for copyright holders or authorities to target. Tribler users’ traffic is bounced around a network created by fellow users. Each user lends their bandwidth to others as they hop around the network – to conceal their true location. The only nodes that users do not create are entry and exit nodes: the most vulnerable points in the network. Those are handled via automated code based machines that are protected with a VPN. Pouwelse explains how those autonomous nodes work as follows: “They utilize very primitive genetic evolution to improve survival, buy a VPN for protection, earn credits using our experimental credit mining preview release, and sell our bandwidth tokens on our integrated decentral market for cold hard Bitcoin cash to renew the cycle of life for the next month billing cycle of their VPS provider.” Faster Speeds Sharing bandwidth with other users to provide anonymity results in slower torrenting speeds. Pouwelse explains that the blockchain reward system will improve those download speeds, but only for users that truly deserve it: “With the integrated blockchain release today we think we can start fixing the problem of both underseeded swarms and fast proxies. Our solution is basically very simple, only social people get decent performance on Tribler. This means in a few years we will end up with only users that act nice. Others leave.” For Tribler users that are in it for the long term, the new blockchain will be a blessing. It will emphasize the social side of the community by giving preference to those that stick around and do the most work. Dr. Johan Pouwelse, the lead developer at Tribler, explains: “You help other Tribler users by seeding and by enhancing their privacy. In return, you get faster downloads, as your tokens show you contribute to the community.” Going Forward? Some people might question the need for Delft University’s ongoing commitment to this decentralized BitTorrent project. However, the team is convinced that it is helping to build an ethical network in which people are rewarded for helping others. Apparently, they aren’t alone. The new addition got a strong response from academics when it was presented last week at Stanford University. In addition, the Internet Engineering Task Force is considering Tribler’s blockchain implementation as a possible official Internet standard. A mobile version of Tribler also exists. It aims at helping people to share videos directly with each other without the need for sites like YouTube. In theory, Tribler means that people could avoid problems with receiving recompense for the videos they create, by allowing them to earn cryptocurrency tokens directly for their content. For anybody who is interested in becoming part of the Tribler community, it is available for free here.

Canada’s largest communication companies including Rogers and Quebecor have joined forces with content creators (CBC, Corus Entertainment, etc.) and unions across the country to stop the illegal download and streaming of movies, TV shows, live sports and music. Together, they have filed an application to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to block all websites that give access to pirated materials. According to their analysis, piracy accounts for a $55-billion loss in Canada’s cultural industries. In fact, in 2017 alone, over 1 million Canadian households owned Android boxes that allowed them to access pirated materials for free. Fair Play Canada, the given name for the coalition, urges the CRTC to mandate an “Independent Piracy Review Agency” that would be dedicated to identifying all the websites involved in pirating materials. The CRTC would then order all Canadian internet service providers to block those websites, as well as issue warnings to viewers who are suspected of illegally downloading or streaming from them. While many people are showing their support for this initiative, others believe it is a violation of net neutrality, which pushes the case that internet providers should treat all content equally. Some fear that providers could end up abusing their power to block websites at their will. Navdeep Bains, the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minster, spoke on this matter by assuring that Canada remains committed to “maintaining one of the best intellectual property and copyright frameworks int he world to support creativity and innovation to the benefit of artists, creators consumers and all Canadians.” The CRTC has confirmed it will review the proposal and also assured Canadians of their strong commitment to net neutrality.

Happy 12th Birthday Deathlord! : HBD: 1. For each Torrent, multiply your upload by 12x. 2. All 12 uploaded torrent winners will win! * Only the correctly uploaded torrents count! * The game lasts until midnight (until February 5) and starts again at 0:01 the following day! * If at midnight (or before) a torrent is deleted for some reason, it does not matter to the game !!! (So if the 10th torrents of the day are deleted, then a new torrent 10 needs to be uploaded to have 12) * If you have the 12th torrent, it's not the 13th, but we're back from the beginning! Eg like: 10, 11, 12, 1, 2 .... ** The torrent (s) of torrent # 12 can choose: - 12x as many DL points as MB is uploaded torrent - We will deduct 12GB from downloading

Hi, dear members! If you have free time and you want to help thesacracorona site, you can help us with activity / advertising / coding / maintenance or new function implementations, send a message here.

Microsoft announced today that it has acquired PlayFab, a "complete backend platform for live games" that is used in more than 1200 games, including Killing Floor 2, Pathfinder Adventures, Battletech, and Planetary Annihilation. The company described the move as "an important step forward for gaming at Microsoft" and said that it will help make the creation of connected games more accessible for smaller-scale developers. PlayFab is a premade platform that provides a range of online services and analytics that enable developers "to focus on building great games instead of backend technology," the company said on its blog. The technology will compliment Microsoft's Azure cloud-based server infrastructure, which currently has servers operating in 42 locations around the world. "Our platform of scalable game services, game analytics, and LiveOps tools are helping more than 3,000 studios progress from shipping static software to creating games that scale gracefully and evolve over time with new content, live events, and frequent updates," PlayFab co-founder and CEO James Gwertzman said. "Today we power more than 1200 live games, and have served over 700 million players. We process more than 1.5 billion transactions a day, nearly 20,000 transactions a second. Our technology is used by some of the biggest entertainment companies, including Disney, NBC Universal, Wizards of the Coast, Nickelodeon, Bandai Namco, Rovio, and Capcom, as well as fast-growing indies like Fluffy Fairy, Nvizzio, and Hyper Hippo." "We’re mobilizing to pursue our extensive opportunity in a 100-plus-billion gaming market," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during a recent shareholder meeting. "This means broadening our approach to how we think about gaming end to end, about starting with games and how they’re creating and distributed, and how they’re played and viewed." The acquisition also appears to jibe with Microsoft's announcement last week that all of its first-party games will be included in its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. "We’ve only scratched the surface of the opportunity this new model brings to the industry and what we can deliver to our fans," Xbox boss Phil Spencer wrote last week. "We firmly believe Xbox Game Pass will be a catalyst to create new opportunities for game developers and publishers to innovate in the way games are developed and delivered, leading to entirely new ways to play."

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is set to arrive on February 20 on the Windows Store but not on Steam, an absence that was widely reported as somehow the fault of Valve. "Steam's rules do not allow it," a bold-faced subheader in the Google translation of German gaming site GameStar.de. But the auto-translation from German to English is, to put it generously, a little iffy—"The platform is where people play, and people play in the social spaces of Xbox Live, which means that if Xbox Live exists somewhere, we can get a game out there" is one clear-as-mud bit—and exactly what "rules" would be broken isn't actually specified. As it turns out, the decision to keep the AoE redo exclusive was solely Microsoft's, and unrelated to what Steam does or doesn't allow. "We’ve chosen to release Age of Empires: Definitive Edition in the Windows Store and we’re excited about what that entails, including tons of Xbox Live goodness (achievements, cloud saves, multiplayer on the fastest, more reliable gaming network and more)," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement. "Offering games like Quantum Break, Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Halo Wars 2, and more in our Store has already improved both the Store and Windows 10 by accelerating support for features like unlocked frame rate, and making the overall consumer experience better. Competition on the PC is good for the industry and good for gamers, it drives innovation and more value for customers." Microsoft is also leaving open the door to bringing the game to other storefronts, eventually: "Before selling on another store front, we want to make sure customers have the best experience, and other store fronts need to fully support Windows 10 before we bring Age of Empires: Definitive Edition over," the rep added. Such a move wouldn't be unprecedented, and could happen relatively quickly. Remedy's Quantum Break was initially released on the Windows Store but a Steam version was announced just six months later; the Steam edition also supports Windows 7, while the Windows Store version (of both games) is Win10-only. Given that the latest Steam hardware survey indicates that 70 percent of its users are still running Windows 7, that's a big chunk of potential audience that's being excluded. The greater challenge facing Microsoft isn't just that it's digital storefront is bad, but that it's reputation for badness is so deeply entrenched that a significant number of gamers would rather wait for new releases to appear elsewhere than deal with it. We reported in April 2017 that after years of vague promises and (re)commitments to PC gaming, "The Windows Store still sucks," and our recent Sea of Thieves shenanigans clearly indicates that the situation hasn't changed: Fun was had, but it also led to the prediction that the game won't succeed on PC "because the Microsoft Store is still nearly impossible to navigate, and getting a party together using the Xbox app is a confusing pain."

Trine developer Frozenbyte is holding something of a Steam sale this week—through February 10, to be precise. They've got a whole host of games on sale, most of them around 80 percent off. Naturally, the Trine series is the forerunner, but there are other games to be had. Sale standouts include: - Trine Enchanted Edition - $2 at 85 percent off - Trine 2: Complete Story - $3 at 85 percent off - Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power - $6 at 75 percent off - Trinelogy (yes, it's all three Trine games) - $8 at 86 percent off - Nine Parchments - $14 at 30 percent off Additionally, Nine Parchments is part of the Trineverse bundle ($16 at 79 percent off), which also includes all three Trine games. Then there's the Frozenbyte Collection 2017 bundle ($13 at 86 percent off), which comes with the Trine series, Shadowgrounds, Shadowgrounds Survivor and Shadwen. Plus you can try most of them before you buy: there are demos for Trine, Trine 2, Shadowgrounds, Shadowgrounds Survivor and Shadwen.

ESL recently signed a deal with Facebook that makes the massive social network its "main broadcast partner" for CS:GO Pro League and ESL One Events. Ahead of the weekend, Facebook took the next step in its process of muscling in on Twitch and 'Tube territory with the launch of the Gaming Creator Pilot Program, a streamer-dedicated initiative focused on "helping gaming creators build more meaningful and more engaged communities on Facebook than anywhere else." The program is still in early days, but the announcement talks about improving discoverability across "surfaces," including Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus, and developing tools that streamers need "to make a living streaming games on Facebook." Naturally, monetization is also integral to that—can't earn a living without money—and Facebook is looking into ways to enable direct payments to streamers during some livestreams. "There's a lot of work to be done, but we’re committed to building the fundamental architecture that gaming creators need to be successful, starting with foundational elements like enabling all creators in the program to livestream in 1080p/60fps," the announcement says. "Most of all, with each new feature we add for gaming video, we’re committed to building it alongside our creators hand-in-hand." 1080p and embedded PayPal links aren't exactly revolutionary, and the ESL's debut event on Facebook did not go entirely smoothly—ESL senior vice president Ulrich Schulze apologized for "technical issues" in a recent AMA, saying, "the viewing experience on the Facebook platform is not yet where they or us want it to be ... It is something everyone involved has been working on around the clock - but obviously that is not enough at this point." But what Facebook does have, that platforms like Twitch and even YouTube do not, is mainstream reach. ESL said that being on Facebook will help it "grow the overall esports audience and to bring our sports to an even broader group of viewers," and Facebook quite clearly positioning its reach as the primary selling point here as well. "Livestreaming and watching others play games is a worldwide phenomena," it wrote. "And when you combine the massive global community of gamers on Facebook, with the community-first format that gaming creators know how to cultivate, we together can shape a creator-first ecosystem on Facebook."

There are currently 13 Original Xbox games in the Xbox One's backwards compatibility lineup, including great games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Psychonauts. More are coming, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed, though he did not give anything away about what these titles might be. "There are a number of [Original Xbox] games in [backwards compatibility] pipeline," Spencer said on Twitter. However, he cautioned that getting OG Xbox games into the catalog is "more complicated" than it is for Xbox 360 titles. Getting permission from the rights-holders for titles is more involved than it is for Xbox 360 titles, he said, which will mean that there won't be as many OG Xbox games in the library as there are Xbox 360. Microsoft has always said the lineup of OG Xbox games in the backwards compatibility won't be as extensive as the Xbox 360 catalog, nor will the releases come as frequently. For comparison, we rarely go for more than a few weeks without new Xbox 360 games being made backwards compatible. All The Original Xbox Backwards Compatibility Games: - Black - BloodRayne 2 - Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge - Dead to Rights - Fuzion Frenzy - Grabbed by the Ghoulies - The King of Fighters Neowave - Ninja Gaiden Black - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Psychonauts - Red Faction II - Sid Meier's Pirates - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic