overview for theangriestbird

The UN Made AI-Generated Refugees [404 Media] in c/technology@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 2 points 1 hour ago

i guess my point is that I understand why the researchers are doing it - the UN gave them money to research ways the UN could use AI, so that is what they did. It's not like the research is unethical in the sense that it directly harms participants. Maybe it's a dumb waste of money, but at that point, the question is more for the UN leaders that said "we should give someone money to research AI". And I don't know that 404 Media has the pull to interview those people.

Less than 20% of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4’s soundtrack is made up of songs from the original games [VGC] in c/gaming@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 2 points 1 hour ago

definitely licensing issues, 100%. The record company owns the old song and doesn't want to allow it in the game again, at least not for a reasonable price. Could the artists re-record songs to bypass the record company, like Taylor Swift did? Yeah sure, but only if they are still around, and only if they care that much about being in the Tony Hawk remake. Re-recording songs includes re-doing all the mixing and mastering, and that is a decent chunk of time and money for essentially no return on investment. Most of the bands in original Tony Hawk that are still around are pretty focused on ROI at this point.

The UN Made AI-Generated Refugees [404 Media] in c/technology@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 4 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

I feel like the article answers the question, or rather it gives the researchers a chance to answer the question:

When I spoke with them, both Albrecht and Fournier-Tombs were clear that the goal of the workshop was to spark conversation and deal with the technology now, as it is.

“We’re not proposing these as solutions for the UN, much less UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). We’re just playing around with the concept,” Albrecht said. “You have to go on a date with someone to know you don’t like ‘em.”

Fournier-Tombs said that it’s important for the UN to get a handle on AI and start working through the ethical problems with it. “There’s a lot of pressure everywhere, not just at the UN, to adopt AI systems to become more efficient and do more with less,” she said. “The promise of AI is always that it can save money and help us accomplish the mission…there’s a lot of tricky ethical concerns with that.”

She also said that the UN can’t afford to be reactive when it comes to new technology. “Someone’s going to deploy AI agents in a humanitarian context, and it’s going to be with a company, and there won’t be any real principles or thought, consideration, of what should be done,” she said. “That’s the context we presented the conversation in.”

The goal of the experiment, Albrecht said, was always to provoke an emotional reaction and start a conversation about these ethical concerns.

“You create a kind of straw man to see how people attack it and understand its vulnerabilities.”

So if you read the headline and have the obvious visceral reaction, if you are asking yourself that question from the article, it kind of sounds like that is the point. They're doing it now so that if people see it and say "that's stupid", hopefully that stops xAI or someone else from trying this to profit on the suffering of poor people. Alternatively, if people see it and say "wow this actually helped me understand", that is also useful for the world at large. It doesn't sound like the latter is the case, but that's why you test a hypothesis.

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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 | Review Thread (beehaw.org)

submitted 4 hours ago by theangriestbird@beehaw.org to c/gaming@beehaw.org

0 comments fedilink

Game Information

Game Title: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4

Platforms:

PlayStation 5 (Jul 11, 2025)
PlayStation 4 (Jul 11, 2025)
Xbox Series X/S (Jul 11, 2025)
Xbox One (Jul 11, 2025)
Nintendo Switch (Jul 11, 2025)
PC (Jul 11, 2025)

Trailer:

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 85 average - 100% recommended - 18 reviews

Critic Reviews

But Why Tho? - Kyle Foley - 9 / 10

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 is another example of how to breathe new life into a classic without losing touch with what makes the originals great.

COGconnected - Stephan Adamus - 85 / 100

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is an excellent sequel. It has the smooth skateboard gameplay we all know and love, with tons of features and modes.

ComingSoon.net - Tyler Treese - 9 / 10

Iron Galaxy has done a great job of recreating some classic stages, creating their own, and really nailing the spirit of these games. Tony Hawk has never looked or played better, and I can't wait to see where the franchise goes from here.

Everyeye.it - Italian - 8.3 / 10

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is a must-see for those who grew up on skateboarding (whether enjoyed or played first-hand).

GAMES.CH - Olaf Bleich - German - 87%

"Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" certainly impressed in our review and recreates the feel of the game "back in the day." At the same time, it offers more substance, especially in the long run. In addition to a whole host of unlockables, there are many advanced features, including multiplayer and pro options, online leaderboards, and the park editor. These should keep experts entertained for a long time to come.

Game8 - Michael Gerra-Clarin - 80 / 100

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is nostalgic fever dream that is an upgrade in more ways than one, despite it not being completely faithful to the original games.

GameSpot - Mat Paget - 8 / 10

Though it trips up a bit in its Career mode, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 still manages to deliver a marvelous game of skate.

Gameblog - French - 8 / 10

Some remakes simply have the 'money-spinner' label stuck to their foreheads, but Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 exudes passion through every pore. One could argue that it takes too few risks, but that's a small criticism for such a great game. This second update is pure fun. It's pure arcade fun, with an addictive formula, new cards for the first time in 15 successful years, and an abundance of cosmetics to unlock. A must for fans of the franchise.

Gameliner - Rudy Wijnberg - Dutch - 4 / 5

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is a content-rich and finely tuned remake that thrills fans and newcomers alike, though it lacks the impact and innovation of its predecessor.

IGN - Luke Reilly - 8 / 10

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 proves yet again the series’ over-the-top skateboarding formula is totally timeless, even if some of the changes to THPS4 miss the mark and the soundtrack has been fumbled.

IGN Spain - Rafa Del Río - Spanish - 8 / 10

True to its original philosophy, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 returns with a fresh look, featuring numerous changes and improvements that remind us why the series was the king of the genre for years. Beyond its free skating, challenges, combos, moves, and visual enhancements, this comeback is pure, unadulterated love for the world of skateboarding. Iron Galaxy brings back the roguelike format of the first episodes and invites us to crush the stages over and over again to become the best skaters with a range of modes and challenges, competitions, and free skating that is very difficult to resist.

Impulsegamer - Gareth Newnham - 4 / 5

A solid remake that doesn't quite stick the landing thanks to some bewildering soundtrack choices

NintendoWorldReport - Neal Ronaghan - 9 / 10

While the 1+2 remake was excellent, Activision's track record with the series since the mid-2000s has been spotty at best. I'm thrilled that the skateboarding in this game feels just as good as it did 20+ years ago and that this goes beyond just a simple remake, with so many fun and enjoyable post-game challenges that builds off of the foundation. Something is lost in Tony Hawk 4's transition to the 2-minute timer, but I still had a great time saving Painter Neal from the shark in San Francisco. And the quality of the original levels Iron Galaxy made makes me hopeful for the future of the series, whether it leads to a brand new game or an attempt at remaking Tony Hawk's Underground. Regardless of whether or not you bring nostalgic baggage for the format from the fourth game, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is an excellent video game that will keep you kickflipping and reverting to increasingly higher scores for a long time.

Shacknews - Asif Khan - 9 / 10

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is a faithful recreation of two pivotal entries in the franchise’s storied history. While some fans may be waiting for remakes of Tony Hawk’s Underground, I am happy to finally get my hands on a remake of my favorite game in series history.

TechRaptor - Andrew Stretch - 9.5 / 10

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is a faithful recreation of the original with all of the bells and whistles of a modern-day port. Smoother gameplay, new levels, and new goals make this a perfect THPS game for new and old fans alike.

The Games Machine - Gabriele Barducci - Italian - 8.5 / 10

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is a great remake. While it plays on nostalgia, the collection also takes advantage of all the skills you can practice during your gaming sessions. The camera issues still persist.

Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 8 / 10

Overall, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is an absolutely fun title if your main exposure to the series was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2. You're essentially getting more of the same, but the formula was already solid enough that getting more of what you know in newer locations is a good thing. The conclusion is more complicated if you were an aficionado of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. With the types of changes and omissions made, a portion of the game feels more like it was inspired by the fourth mainline entry in the series rather than a remake or remastering effort. Purists will be disappointed by these decisions. If you aren't bothered by the changes, you'll find this to be a very good title overall.

XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 8.8 / 10

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is a brilliant package only marred by a loss of 4's story mode charm.

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The UN Made AI-Generated Refugees [404 Media] (www.404media.co)

submitted 4 hours ago by theangriestbird@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

4 comments fedilink

Corpus Christi at risk of running out of water by Spring 2027 in c/usnews@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 4 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

i gotta say...if i lived in Corpus Christi, I would be panicking if I read this headline. Like I would immediately start planning a move.

Less than 20% of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4’s soundtrack is made up of songs from the original games [VGC] in c/gaming@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (2 children)

there are apparently a few cases where they didn't get the same song, but they got a new song from the same artists. But yeah...it's a bummer from a game preservation perspective

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Less than 20% of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4’s soundtrack is made up of songs from the original games [VGC] (www.videogameschronicle.com)

submitted 1 day ago by theangriestbird@beehaw.org to c/gaming@beehaw.org

7 comments fedilink

What are signs that the game devs aren't gamers themselves? in c/gaming@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 2 points 1 day ago

I seem to remember even FF7 allowing this.

The Future of Forums is Lies, I Guess in c/technology@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Question: what would happen if the server implemented something like Anubis on the application and/or create post pages? Would that not block most bots from completing these forms? Is that just not feasible at our scale?

The health of U.S. kids has declined significantly since 2007, a new study finds [NPR] in c/science@beehaw.org

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The health of U.S. kids has declined significantly since 2007, a new study finds [NPR] (www.npr.org)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by theangriestbird@beehaw.org to c/science@beehaw.org

2 comments fedilink

Link to the abstract: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2836060

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Valve provides clarification following reports it pulled controversial Steam mod worldwide at request of South Korean government [Eurogamer] (www.eurogamer.net)

submitted 2 days ago by theangriestbird@beehaw.org to c/gaming@beehaw.org

0 comments fedilink

Does anyone play Final Fantasy XIV? in c/gaming@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah I hear that a lot, I tried to speed run ARR but just ran out of motivation before I got there 😔

6

Orc City is A Twitter Meme Of Yesteryear [Aftermath] (aftermath.site)

submitted 2 days ago by theangriestbird@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

0 comments fedilink

4

4 things to know about the deadly Texas floods and ongoing search efforts [NPR] (www.npr.org)

submitted 2 days ago by theangriestbird@beehaw.org to c/usnews@beehaw.org

1 comments fedilink

Ted Cruz Denies Flash Flooding in Texas Was Caused by Weather Manipulation in c/usa@midwest.social

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 7 points 2 days ago

that's just what a man with a weather-controlling doomsday device would say! i would expect no less from the zodiac killer.

Does anyone play Final Fantasy XIV? in c/gaming@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 5 points 2 days ago (8 children)

I played for a lil while, trying to get into it to play with my friends. The only MMO i've gotten DEEP into was the original Guild Wars, and that is obviously a bit different from other MMOs, so I wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea. I ended up falling off before finishing the base Realm Reborn MSQ. I found the same problem I always have with MMOs - the initial loop is really fun and addicting and I'm enjoying learning the world, but then I hit a point where doing the quests just feels like a slog to endgame. I did some dungeons with my friends once that was possible, and it mostly just felt like I was struggling to keep up with something that everyone else had done 50 times over already. It stunk that I had to do story quests solo, and could only really party up for dungeons. Much preferred the GW experience of playing the MSQ together.

Idk, I'm not trying to trash on the game, I can tell it's really well made and I'm happy for all y'all. It just didn't resonate for me.

The Open-Source Software Saving the Internet From AI Bot Scrapers in c/technology@beehaw.org

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 42 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This snip at the end is so good:

Iaso said she thinks AI companies follow her work, and that if they really want to stop her and Anubis they just need to distract her.

“If you are working at an AI company, here's how you can sabotage Anubis development as easily and quickly as possible,” she wrote on her site. “So first is quit your job, second is work for Square Enix, and third is make absolute banger stuff for Final Fantasy XIV. That’s how you can sabotage this the best.”