Archived News:
Wednesday, Mar 22, 2023 World Water Day
Unreal Engine 5 Videos [6:29 pm ET] – Share – 18 Comments
A couple of new videos from Epic's State of Unreal Technical Showcase show off
new features in upcoming games powered by Unreal Engine 5.
The
trailer for Lords of the Fallen highlights advanced character
customization, real time lighting of complex environments, and other advances.
There's also a
State of Unreal Trailer for Senua's Saga: Hellblade II looking at
next-level real-time facial animation that jumps clean over the uncanny valley.
Word is:
We're pushing the boundaries of realtime facial animation in Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, as showcased at GDC 2023 with Unreal Engine.Continue here to read the full story.
Unreal Editor For Fortnite and Creator Economy 2.0 Launch [6:29 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
A
blog post from Epic announces the first beta of the promised
Unreal Editor For Fortnite is now available for free on the
Epic Games Store
(Fortnite, which is
also free, is required). The post also explains this marks the launch of Creator
Economy 2.0, a way for Fortnite content creators to share in the revenue
generated by their creations. Here's a
new
trailer with a look at how this will allow you to exercise your creativity
in the battle royale/survival shooter. Here's more:
Engagement payouts proportionally distribute 40% of the net revenue from Fortnite’s Item Shop and most real-money Fortnite purchases to all island publishers on a monthly basis. Payouts are based on what players enjoy in Fortnite and account for things like island popularity, engagement, and attracting new players.Continue here to read the full story.
Engagement payout funds are separate from Support-A-Creator, and are designed to reward island creators who publish content in Fortnite. We’ve removed the Support-A-Creator device from the game entirely, which means creators can focus on developing fun and engaging experiences without asking you to use their Creator Code. Every time you play your favorite island or game in Fortnite, you are supporting its creator monetarily, no code required!
To learn more about Creator Economy 2.0 and engagement payouts, or to join the Island Creator program, please visit the Creator Portal.
King Arthur: Legends Rise Announced [6:29 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Kabam Games announces King Arthur: Legends Rise, a squad-based RPG coming
to PC via
Steam and to mobiles with crossplay support. This doesn't yet have a release
date, but one will be announced later this year. This will be set in a version of
Camelot reimagined using the Unreal Engine 5, and as the title suggests, will
feature the adventures of a younger Arthur. An
Early Preview Trailer accompanies the announcement with a first look. Here's
more:
Embark on an action-packed, turn-based RPG adventure that takes you on a dark and mysterious journey inspired by the perilous adventures of a young King Arthur. Gather a party of loyal knights and warriors to defeat the fearsome enemies that threaten the kingdom. Explore a vast, interactive world and collect powerful Arthurian heroes to build an unbeatable team. Equip your heroes with the best weapons and gear, and upgrade them to face even greater challenges. Prepare to engage in visually stunning squad battles against epic bosses and mythical monsters. Will you be able to vanquish your enemies and restore the kingdom to its former glory?Continue here to read the full story.
Bat Boy in May [6:29 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
X PLUS and Sonzai Games announce Bat Boy, a throwback platformer coming
to Windows and consoles on May 25th.
This
trailer shows off the game's 8-bit style and reveals that the bat in
question is Louisville Slugger, rather than a flying mammal. But you don't have
to wait in the on-deck circle, as there's a playable demo right now
on Steam. The
description reminds us that it's all fun and games until your teammates are
brainwashed into participating in the Trials of Darkness:
Ryosuke isn't just your regular high-school kid — Ryosuke is Bat Boy! He and his fellow sports-star friends secretly battle against the evil invading forces of interdimensional mage Lord Vicious, hellbent on hosting sinister athletic events for his own amusement. When Lord Vicious brainwashes Bat Boy’s fellow squad in order to participate in the Trials of Darkness, it’s up to Bat Boy to traverse a hostile world on his quest to free the minds of his sports-hero squad before they fall victim to the Trials. Along the way, Bat Boy will encounter all manner of allies and goons as he fights his way to the final confrontation with Lord Vicious.Continue here to read the full story.
Evening Multiplex [6:29 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Official trailers.
- Dead Island 2 – Cinematic Title Sequence [4K Official].
- League of Legends - Milio Champion Spotlight - Gameplay.
- Lords of the Fallen - State of Unreal Technical Showcase Trailer GDC.
- Organs Please — Full Release Date Trailer.
- [Project M] Official GDC Trailer - NCSOFT.
- SMITE - Season of Hope - Cinematic Trailer.
- Teamfight Tactics - The Masters of Shadow - Chibi Champion Showcase.
Evening Consolidation [6:29 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Metaverse [6:28 pm ET] – Share – 3 Comments
- Mark Zuckerberg raged at employees over news report, ordered them to resign, leaked email shows.
- Opera version 97.0.4719.26. Thanks Neowin via Console General.
Evening Tech Bits [6:28 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Console General.
Into the Black [6:28 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments
Last Link of the Day:
Renfield - Final Trailer.
Obituary: Beloved hacking veteran Kelly ‘Aloria’ Lum passes away at 41.
Obituary: Beloved hacking veteran Kelly ‘Aloria’ Lum passes away at 41.
Counter-Strike 2 Announced [4:38 pm ET] – Share – 17 Comments
Valve announces Counter-Strike 2, officially taking the lid off of what
has become a poorly-kept secret of late, though all the leaks may have just been
viral marketing. This new era for the multiplayer first-person shooter will
officially begin this summer, but limited playtesting is underway right now.
Check out
this FAQ for details on how to join the test. Key takeaways are that
the game is being remade using the Source 2 engine, and players will retain all
the items they've earned playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The
new version will also include new features, which will be announced closer to
the launch. But the Counter-Strike
Website has first details and videos showing off some of what's
new. Here's a summary:
CS2 is a free upgrade to CS:GO, marking the start a new era of Counter-Strike on Valve's Source 2 engine. The game's full range of new features will be announced at launch, but during the limited testing period we'll be evaluating a subset of those features to get it ready for the worldwide release.
Here's some of what CS2 will mean for players:
- Upgraded and overhauled maps
- Game-changing dynamic smoke grenades
- Tick-rate-independent gameplay
- Redesigned visual effects and audio
- All of a player's CS:GO items go with them to CS2
Redfall Online Requirement May Be Removed [11:10 am ET] – Share – 20 Comments
Developer Arkane says "we listen" in response to complaints following the
recent
reveleation that Redfall will require an online connection, even for
the single-player campaign. Game director Harvey Smith discusses the controversy
with Eurogamer, saying he's "not supposed to promise anything," but that the
company is "looking into" the online requirement, and is "working actively
toward fixing that in the future." The conversation addresses accusations that this was to sell more stuff, but Harvey says the game will have no store and no
microtransactions. He explains the online requirement is intended to collect
metrics on the player experience:
So why be online if you're not with other people? Smith said the game was designed that way to better help Arkane understand how people were playing it, and when they got into difficulty.
"It allows us to do some accessibility stuff," Smith said. "It allows us for telemetry, like - if everybody's falling off ladders and dying, holy shit that shows up. And so we can go and tweak the ladder code. There are reasons we set out to do that that are not insidious."
Amazon Luna Expands [11:10 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Amazon announces the chance for more gamers to become lunatics, saying
Amazon Luna has expanded beyond the
United States. The
Luna Blog says the cloud gaming service is now also available in the United
Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. Word is: "Amazon Prime members can play a rotating
selection of games on Luna at no additional cost. Prime members can also link
their Ubisoft Connect account to Luna, and play select Ubisoft PC games they
already own on their Fire TV or other compatible devices." Here's
more:
Starting today, we’re excited to bring Amazon Luna to everyone in Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom, making it easy to instantly start gaming on select devices that you already own, including Fire TV. Gamers in the U.S. have been enjoying Luna for the past year and we’re thrilled to expand the service, giving more customers the opportunity to play high-quality, immersive games without expensive gaming hardware or lengthy downloads.
The Luna Controller is designed and optimized for Luna, connecting directly to the cloud via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to effortlessly control your game and reduce gameplay latency. Thanks to Luna Controller’s technology, gamers can seamlessly switch between compatible screens — such as Fire TV to mobile phone — without additional pairing or configuration changes. The Luna Controller is now available in Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Morning Patches [11:10 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Official patches.
Morning Multiplex [11:10 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Official trailer.
- Lies of P - 11 Minutes of New 4K Gameplay. The pee is a lie.
Morning Interviews [11:10 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Harvey Smith on the politics of Redfall, and how its undead were born from real-life bloodsuckers.
- Redfall Hands-on & Q&A - Harvey Smith Talks Length, Open World Challenges, and Differences with Previous Games - Wccftech.
- Spring Sale Special: Safe In Our World speaks on mental health awareness! - GOG.com.
Morning Mobilization [11:09 am ET] – Share – 11 Comments
Morning Tech Bits [11:09 am ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Thanks Neutronbeam.
- Growth in Gaming PCs and Gaming Monitors to Lag in 2023, According to IDC.
- New method gets better performance out of atomically thin transistors.
- Google's AI Explains Google's Monopolistic Practices in Great Detail.
- How to Love Technology Again (may require registration or subscription).
- Marvell to Cut 4% of Workforce in Response to Chip Slowdown (may require registration or subscription).
- Indian-American Rahul Roy-Chowdhury named CEO of Grammarly.
Morning Safety Dance [11:09 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Thanks Ant.
- The Amateurs Jailbreaking GPT Say They're Preventing a Closed-Source AI Dystopia.
- Vulnerability Summary for the Week of March 13, 2023 - CISA.
- Sam Altman's Worldcoin just launched its highly anticipated iris-scanning ID program. Thanks Neutronbeam.
- PayPal Data Breach Exposes Personal Information of 35,000 Users. Thanks DSLReports.
- Windows 11 Snipping Tool vulnerability can reveal sensitive information in screenshots. Croppy news. Thanks DSLReports.
- Microsoft confirms recent Defender LSA issue on Windows 11, issues workaround.
- Clop ransomware claims Saks Fifth Avenue, retailer says mock data stolen. Thanks DSLReports.
- Ecuadorian TV presenter wounded by bomb disguised as USB stick.
Morning Legal Briefs [11:09 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
- FCC Fines 15 Year-Old Pirate Radio Station in NYC $2 Million. Litigating the hell out of the 20th century.
Hardware Reviews [11:09 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Neutronbeam.
- Case: ASUS TUF Gaming GT502 Review - TechPowerUp.
- Case: Cooler Master MasterBox TD500 Mesh V2 - OCinside (German).
- Case: Enermax StarryKnight SK30 Mid-Tower Chassis - TweakTown.
- Graphics Card: Gigabyte G5 2023 (RTX 4060) Review - IGN.
- Laptop: Asus ROG Strix G16 Gaming Laptop Review- Beauty and Brawn - Tom's Hardware.
- Monitor: Alienware AW2524H 500Hz - TechRadar.
- Monitor: Alienware AW2524H 500 Hz Gaming Monitor Review - Tom's Hardware.
- Mouse: Lenovo Legion M7 Review- Did Lenovo make a mouse that is not E-Waste? - Gen3D Tech (video).
- SSD: Netac NV7000 2 TB NVMe SSD Review - Guru3D.
Out of the Blue [11:09 am ET] – Share – 10 Comments
I have to hand it to Acleacius, who immediately came up with the theory that the
brain fog I mentioned yesterday could be allergy-related. I don't have severe
allergies, but I do have problems every spring, so I believe he's correct. I'm
not completely clogged, but now that I'm thinking about it, I'm aware of my
scratchy eyes/throat and slightly stuffy ears/eyes. I'm pretty sensitive to OTC
antihistamines, so it will have to get pretty bad to get me to the point where I
pop one of those, but it is still helpful to understand why I've been feeling a
bit impaired.
Scratchy Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.Stories
- 90-year-old tortoise named Mr. Pickles is now a father of three. It's a big dill. Thanks RedEye9.
- Burrowing badgers halt some train service in the Netherlands.
Science
- 'Vibrant' Roman mosaic discovered under supermarket construction site.
- The Promise of Studying Human Aggression in the Wild. Thanks Max.
Media
- Honest Trailers - Everything Everywhere All At Once.
- Driving A Tesla Upside-Down (10ft Tall Wheels). We live in interesting times. Thanks VideoSift.
Creature Features
Follow-up
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