This explosive new demo invites players to experience a slice of the exciting vehicle and melee combat and exploration in SAND LAND. Step into the roles of the Fiend Prince Beelzebub, his chaperone Thief, and the fearless Sheriff Rao as the band of heroic misfits journeys across this colorful world via Battle Tanks, Battle Amors, and Motorcycles. Fans who play the demo will receive 30 B-grade steel and 30 B-grade bolts in the final game after launch, which can be used to enhance vehicles in Spino.Continue here to read the full story.
When you join a Steam Family, you automatically gain access to the shareable games that your family members own and they will also be able to access the shareable titles in your library. The next time you log in to Steam, this new 'family library' will appear in the left column as a subsection of your games list. You maintain ownership of your current titles and when you purchase a new game it will still show up in your collection.Continue here to read the full story.
Best of all, when you are playing a game from your family library, you will create your own saved games, earn your own Steam achievements, have access to workshop files and more.
At GDC 2024, Inworld and NVIDIA collaborated on a new technology demo called Covert Protocol to showcase NVIDIA ACE technologies and the Inworld Engine. In the Covert Protocol tech demo, you act as a private detective who completes objectives based on the outcome of conversations with characters in the scene. Covert Protocol unlocks social simulation game mechanics with AI Digital Humans acting as custodians of crucial information, presenting challenges, and catalyzing key narrative developments. Digital humans play a critical role in the experience.Continue here to read the full story.
Powered by the Inworld Engine and leveraging NVIDIA ACE, each player's journey through Covert Protocol is unique. Players’ real-time decisions and strategic planning lead to different game outcomes, ensuring that no two playthroughs are alike. This level of AI-driven interactivity and player agency opens up new possibilities for emergent gameplay, where players must think on their feet and adapt their strategies in real-time to navigate the intricacies of the game world.
Steel Seed is a stealth action-adventure game set in a dark, sci-fi world where humanity is on the brink of extinction due to seemingly irreparable climate change. Join protagonist Zoe and her flying drone companion KOBY as they investigate the depths of a hostile underground facility in search of answers and the key to mankind's survival.Continue here to read the full story.
The Highway Patrol Expansion for Police Simulator: Patrol Officers extends the game map beyond Brighton's borders, opening up driveways to the bustling Brighton highway district and introducing new tasks like high speed monitoring, cargo checks on trucks, and highway assistance. However, with the highways open, car thefts surge, leading to thrilling chases and tactical maneuvers. Equipped with the new spike strips and roadblocks, officers have even more tools to stop fleeing criminals which are particularly helpful when playing with two players in multiplayer mode. Additionally, when it comes to accidents on the highway, they must be ready to tackle fires at accident sites using fire extinguishers. To help them accomplish all these new tasks even better, the expansion includes two new vehicles: the new Interstate Police Vehicle ensures that officers can perform their duties with a touch of vintage flair, and the Endurance Police Vehicle is equipped with a heavy-duty device that officers can use to stop fleeing vehicles at full speed.Continue here to read the full story.
Don the uniform and step into the shoes of an American police officer tasked with maintaining law and order on busy highways. Patrol on foot and behind the wheel in an immersive, open-world environment with heart-pounding cases to solve across multiple biomes. Protect and serve across a single-player experience, seamlessly blending freeplay missions and a narrative-driven story campaign punctuated by career progression and exhilarating events.Continue here to read the full story.
Experience a realistic simulation in a dynamic and reactive world inspired by North American locales. Field calls from Police HQ or tackle tasks assigned at the station and assist with traffic stops, vehicle accidents, and dangerous shootouts. Complete story missions to advance the overarching narrative, impacted by a dynamic morality system based on officer behavior. Keep the citizens of Caminora safe by handling cases with care and mastering tactical driving, firearms and patrol helicopters.
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The 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s largest gathering of game industry professionals and enthusiasts who are devoted to the art and science of making games, begins its 38th edition today at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. The week-long conference will feature more than 1,000 experienced speakers, 700 insightful sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions and networking events alongside 345 exhibitors on the GDC Expo floor.
Starting with two days of GDC Summits on March 18 and 19, the conference offers deep dives into specific game development disciplines, with central topics that include level design, art direction, artificial intelligence, user interface design, community management, technical artistry, game narrative, math in game development and much more. The summits equip attendees with actionable skills and philosophies to incorporate into their careers and hobbies.
TraceMark™ for Gaming uniquely addresses the challenge of content leakage, especially during the sensitive pre-release phase of game development. It introduces a deterrent effect by enabling the precise tracing of leaked content back to its source. This capability makes potential leakers think twice, knowing that any unauthorized distribution can be directly linked to them. As a platform-agnostic tool, TraceMark™ effortlessly integrates into various stages of the game's lifecycle, providing a consistent layer of protection. Its adaptability ensures that, irrespective of the development phase or platform, TraceMark™ serves as an effective measure to discourage leaks by holding individuals accountable, thereby contributing to the overall integrity of the content distribution process.Continue here to read the full story.
This morning Balatro hit a momentous milestone...
ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD!
We still have some fun things planned for the future, but for now...
Much anticipated by the community, the Ixians unlock radically new playstyles focused on research and diplomacy. They have the ability to control a larger number of drones than other factions and possess unique ways of controlling and limiting opponents’ technology. With their high reliance on Standing, Alliances are essential to their success. Thanks to their reduced reliance on water, however, they are unusually effective in the harsh environment of Arrakis.Continue here to read the full story.
The Heroes of Dune update marks a major milestone for Dune: Spice Wars, allowing players to control legendary individuals from the Dune universe. With each faction offering a choice of two Heroes, players can recruit from a total of fourteen iconic characters, each with its own active skill, global effect, and localized effects. From Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck for the House Atreides to Chani Kynes and Otheym for the Fremen, players can now lead their chosen faction with legendary figures, reshaping the course of history on Arrakis.
Starting on March 25, players will be able access mods through the Cities: Skylines II Modding Beta. Upon release, an in-game editor will be available that allows for players to create or implement Map or Code mods. Using the Paradox Mods platform, also integrated into the Cities: Skylines II experience, creations can be played locally and shared globally. The platform also allows players to discover and curate other available mods, organize their preferred mods into one-click Playsets, and more. Asset modding tools and other options will be made available later this year.Continue here to read the full story.
"Hi everyone, with increased confidence in the quality of our game, we have started preparations on introducing Dark and Darker to a wider audience. As a first step, we are happy to announce the launch of the Dark and Darker store page on the Epic Games Store," Ironmace says on Discord.
"This is a big preparatory step for us in our journey to deliver a polished product to our fans," it continues. "If you have an Epic account, we encourage you to show your enthusiasm and wishlist the game. We will continue working with various partners to give our fans the best options and properly grow the community to foster a long and healthy game. Thanks to everyone for all your love and support!"
Soon, players will be able to play their favorite games from GOG, such as the Witcher series or Cyberpunk 2077, on multiple devices of their choice. With Amazon Luna cloud gaming service, offering even more ways to enjoy games and DRM-free gaming.
Through Luna players will be allowed to play every game already owned on GOG (and that is also available on Luna). There’s absolutely no requirement to purchase anything twice – once bought on GOG, it belongs to the owner forever. Moreover, it works both ways - games available on GOG can be purchased through Luna’s client, seamlessly integrating into the store library.
Aired Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.Story
- Pet DNA company sends back dog breed results from human sample a second time. Like a Buzzfeed "what dog breed are you" quiz. Thanks Boing Boing.
Science
Thanks Max.
- What If Ozempic Is Just a Good Thing? We're conditioned to not believe things that are "too good to be true."
- Startup rolls out revolutionary snack that could set new standard for food.
- Exploring the neurobiological underpinnings of human-dog interaction benefits.
Media
Thanks VideoSift.
- The best examples of teamwork I’ve ever seen 🔥.
- The woolly siphonophore thrives in the deep sea by stretching out to catch a meal.
- You’re An Escape Risk.
Follow-up
- Boeing 737 Max engine issue will take up to a year to fix.
- Hertz CEO steps down following Tesla EV purchase debacle. That hertz.
The Funnies
Alien forces have boarded the colony ship UESC Marathon in the Tau Ceti system, in orbit around humanity’s first interstellar colony. The situation is dire, and as a security officer assigned to the Marathon, your duty is to defend the ship and its crew from the alien threat.
This classic 1994 Bungie™ FPS had a foundational influence on the genre, and is now maintained by the fan community. Experience authentic game play using the original data files, with optional widescreen HUD support, 3D filtering/perspective, positional audio, and 60+ fps interpolation, just in case the original is too authentic.
But eagle-eyed players discovered evidence to the contrary, at least in the release version of the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection before it received a last-minute patch. Footage taken from the PlayStation 5 version of Battlefront Classic Collection and published to reddit showed the version of Asajj Ventress from iamashaymin's mod without credit. Players have reported the latest patch replaces this version of the character with an Aspyr-created version. IGN has asked Aspyr for comment.
A disgruntled iamashaymin told IGN they were hugely disappointed by Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. “This release has been a total mess. The fact they had to release patches both before and immediately after releasing two decade old games really says it all,” they said. “Especially considering part of the patches is rumoured to have removed content they had already said was removed months ago.
Celebratory Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.Stories
- A 1,000-Year-Old Viking Sword Emerges From an English River. This story seems familiar. So this guy is king now, right?
- From riches to ankle bracelet: UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s stunning fall. From Britain’s Bill Gates to Britain's Billy the Kid.
- A cougar attacked them. They fought back for 45 harrowing minutes. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
- 'Snowpiercer' Season 4 Moves to AMC After Being Scrapped at TNT. Thanks RedEye9.
Science
Media
- On This Day In 2003, Howard Had Time For Anne. A true hero. Thanks VideoSift.
- The TRUTH About This YouTube Pilot's Emergency.
Follow-up
- Keurig's new K-Rounds coffee pods are plastic-free and could finally make single-serve coffee-making sustainable. Thanks Max.
- Miami Condo Collapse NEW Security Camera Video, Analysis Updates. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
The Funnies