• Half-Life 2: Episode 3 doesn't exist because Left 4 Dead does
    www.eurogamer.net
    Half-Life 2: Episode 3 doesn't exist because Left 4 Dead doesNew Half-Life 2 documentary shows off never-before-seen footage of Episode 3.Image credit: Valve News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Nov. 17, 2024 As part of this weekend's special anniversary update, Valve has given fans a sneak peek of the cancelled Half-Life 2: Episode 3 project.As well as sharing stunning concept art and gameplay prototypes, the Half-Life 2 team reunited in the documentary to talk about the development of Episode 2.The developers also revealed that Episode 3 didn't make it after the team switched focus to concentrate on getting Left 4 Dead "out the door".Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary.Watch on YouTube"Left 4 Dead needed an all-hands-on effort to ship, and so we put down [Episode 3] to go help Left 4 Dead," explained developer David Speyre."It was a really tight shipping schedule and it required a lot of work from everybody to get it out the door. It was worth it - I mean, Left 4 Dead came out great. But it took long enough - and this is the tragic and almost comical thing about it - it took long enough that by the time we considered going back to Episode 3, the argument was made like, well, we missed it. It's too late now. We really need to make a new engine to continue the Half-Life series."Now, in hindsight, that seems so wrong. We could have definitely gone back and spent two years to make Episode 3."The documentary also delves into specific details like weapon design, such as the ice gun that could be used to create cover, ascend over obstructions, or provide players makeshift ledges to get down the side of mountains, and so on.But at the end of documentary, Valve boss Gabe Newell admitted that one of the reasons Episode 3 never came to be was because his "personal failure was being stumped"."You can't get lazy and say, oh, we're moving the story forward. [But] that's copping out of your obligation to gamers. Yes, of course, they loved the story - they love many, many aspects of it, but sort of saying that your reason to do it is because people want to know what happens next"You know, we could have shipped it. Like, it wouldn't have been that hard. My personal failure was being stumped. Like, I couldn't figure out why doing Episode 3 was pushing anything forward."The team did, however, reflect that if Episode 3 had been realised, we may not have seen other sequels like Portal 2 or Left 4 Dead 2.Newell also added that without Episodes, Dota may not have been made."If it weren't for the Episodes, there'd be no such thing as Dota. I know that sounds really weird, but it was the things that we learned in developing the Episodes that led to, you know, Team Fortress 2, to more rapid updates."The full documentary is available to watch online above. Don't forget that to mark Half-Life 2's 20th anniversary this weekend, Valve also released a special anniversary update, bundling in commentary, the previously separate Episodes 1 & 2, and more. Oh, and the game's free to keep over the next few days.
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  • Fortnite player falls victim to hired NPC boss betrayal
    www.videogamer.com
    You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereFortnites gameplay is always one for the players who like to create epic moments during their quest for Victory Royale. The looped island provides plenty of resources that help players dominate lobbies and remain the last man standing toward the endgame.To achieve that easily, players would sometimes hire an NPC in the game who would assist them by either pinging enemies around them or even providing them with resources such as ammo and health. However in the latest Remix season, NPCs have been made extinct and in their place, bosses are hireable only if you defeat them.So one Fortnite player did the obvious and got the boss to fight on their side until it turned into a brutal backstabbing moment for them that ultimately cost them the win.Fortnite player slams boss NPCs in Remix season making them lose gamesA Fortnite player named Reeves_Wilmoth shared the incident with a clip on the FortniteBR subreddit where they wrote, Ice Spice is not only the worst addition this season, but also a back stabbing no good bot that cost me a crowned Victory Royale.As a context they shared the video clip of themselves camping on top of a Zipline tower with the hired NPC boss when randomly the boss threw a Chiller Grenade right next to the player, causing them to slide down and get eliminated by fall damage.Fortnite player got thrown off by Ice Spice NPC boss they hired. Image by Reeves_Wilmoth.The player in frustration further said, Im pissed off at this bots mechanics. I enjoy the mythic rifle and the grappler she drops, but her boy had messed me up more than helped me by throwing down damn ice bombs that shoot me 20 feet in the wrong direction every time I shoot at someone, even costing me victory royales like I showed above. I had 8 elims and was top 3.The incident sparked an outrage in the Fortnite community as players shared similar instances on NPCs costing them to lose in crucial moments during gameplay. As a solution, one player suggested, Yea I dismiss her every match I win the Shark so shes no longer following me.Another player who faced a similar tragedy shared, She is the absolute worst. It took a whole team of us the other day to figure out how to make her stop throwing ice at us in the middle of nowhere with nobody else around. We tried dancing, we tried everything. It took mad long & we didnt even know what we did to get her to stop. Its best to never have her with you. She is the worst bot ever introduced to the game by far & will likely cost you the match.So the next time you defeat a boss in Fortnite Remix, make sure to dismiss them as a follower if you dont want them hindering your gameplay. To do so on PC, simply press your mouse wheel and click on Dismiss Follower under the Follower Comms wheel. On console, do the similar function by long pressing the left D-Pad. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share
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  • I spent my life savings on a motion capture suit. Do I regret it?
    www.blendernation.com
    I spent my life savings on a motion capture suit. Do I regret it? By Jamie on November 18, 2024 3D News With the rise of AI motion capture tools, should you still invest into hardware motion capture setups? Jamie Dunbar compares several solutions to let us know.Over the last few years AI motion capture tools have became the rage. In this video I put the most popular AI tools to the test and compare them to a Rokoko mocap suit.Can AI replace these expensive suits? And which tools do I recommend you use?
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  • US, China, agree machines must not control nuclear weapons
    www.theregister.com
    ASIA IN BRIEF President Xi Jinping of China and President Joe Biden of the USA have pledged to continue working together to ensure AI does not harm humanity.The two met on Saturday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru.In the Chinese and American accounts of their meeting, both leaders affirmed the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons.The two leaders also made remarks about continuing work to ensure AI is used productively.The Chinese readout also included the following statement.There is no evidence that supports the irrational claim of the so-called cyberattacks from China.China itself is a target of international cyberattacks, and consistently opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks.- Simon SharwoodSamsung close to settling labor disputeSamsung Electronics appears to be close to settling a ten-month dispute with local unions.The agreement includes several key points: paid time off for union members to attend meetings, two million loyalty points for all employees that can be used to purchase company products, a 5.1 percent wage increase, and expanded long-term service leave.The agreement also promises unquantifiable items, like mutual respect and improved labor-management relations, and joint corporate social responsibility activities.But the proposed deal covers on 2023 and 2024 conditions for next year havent been agreed.LG reveals wearable and stretchy displayLG last week introduced a display panel that can stretch from 12 inches to 18 inches over 10,000 times.The 100 ppi full color RGB display is an upgrade from a 2022 prototype that only stretched two inches.The device is made of a silicon substrate thats similar to substances used in contact lenses.The screen was debuted at a demonstration at LG Science Park before being featured [VIDEO] at Seoul Fashion Week where LG hit the runway to show off clothes that change color and display moving images.Singtels profits plunge while battling disruptions, scamsAsian telecoms giant Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) last week reported a 42 percent drop in first-half net profit, which landed at S$1.23 billion ($920 million).The drop was attributed [PDF] to the exceptional gain of S$1.2 billion in the prior year after a merger.The telco also drew attention in its home last week when government ministers addressed an October 8 outage that saw, among other services, emergency hotlines disrupted.The root cause of the outage was attributed to a technical issue which affected the proper functioning of a network component in one of the two systems supporting Singtels fixed line voice service.Two systems, housed in different telephone exchanges, are configured to automatically handle the full load should one experience a malfunction. However, that did not happen and the services experienced a disruption.Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling suggested in parliament [VIDEO] that the government is now considering diversifying emergency hotline providers.Singtel also made headlines after reports of a woman scanning QR code to receive a free ice cream and finding she was billed $7.99 on her phone bill for allegedly subscribing to a mobile service even after immediately cancelling the subscription.The Register asked Singtel to confirm the incident and better understand the carriers approach to preventing QR code scams, but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.Despite the eventful week, the CEO reportedly found time to express optimism over an incoming Donald Trump presidency. Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon feels new opportunities could arise as businesses may be inspired to relocate operations or investments to Southeast Asia.Vietnam threatens Chinese e-commerce giants with banVietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade set a deadline of the end of November for Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu to register with the government, or face having their apps and domains blocked.Until the companies have complied with regulations, both platforms are required to cease advertising and marketing activities.The move comes amid concerns over the platforms' deep discounting practices, which have raised issues for local businesses, as well as fears about the sale of counterfeit products.The government is also considering ending a tax exemption on imported goods under $40. Vietnam's e-commerce market, now valued at $22 billion, is growing rapidly, but the government is focusing on regulating foreign platforms to ensure fair competition and consumer protection.Japan to postpone cybersecurity billThe Japanese government will likely delay the submission of a bill for an "active cyberdefense" system until next year.Local media reported that there is just not enough time to thoroughly consider the bill in the upcoming session of parliament as other issues have priority.Cyber attacks are an imminent threat. We will accelerate our efforts to formulate a bill to further enhance our response capabilities on the cyber security front so that we can submit it to the Diet as soon as possible, stated this years new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, in a press conference last Monday.APAC DealbookRecent alliances and deals spotted by The Register across the region last week include:The parent company of telecom company Reliance Jio, Reliance Industries, and Disney completed the transaction that will see the pair create a digital streaming joint venture for the Indian market.Malaysias TM Global, the wholesale business arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), is expanding its data centers in Cyberjaya and Johor. The expansion includes a second phase for the Klang Valley Data Centre (KVDC) and Iskandar Puteri Data Centre (IPDC), offering a combined capacity of 20MW.GoTo Group, Tencent Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud announced agreements to enhance cloud infrastructure and digital talent in Indonesia. Tencent Cloud will invest USD 500 million to build a third data center by 2030 in the country, Alibaba Cloud, which already operates three data centers, plans to double its training efforts to 800,000 individuals by 2033 and establish a university skills center. Both will be built around GoTo cloud service contracts.
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  • The Art Of Filipe Pagliuso
    www.iamag.co
    Discover the Art of Filipe Pagliuso, a freelance character designer and illustrator whos produced numerous works for Magic The Gathering, amongst other clients.Filipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe PagliusoFilipe Pagliuso
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  • The Art Of Julian Bauer
    www.iamag.co
    Discover the Art of Julian Bauer, a freelance illustrator and designer based in Germany. His work includes, but is not limited to, matte painting for animated films, various music album artworks and designs, and game concepts and 2D assets. Julian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian BauerJulian Bauer
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  • I'd forgotten how stylish the original GTA: San Andreas was until the latest Definitive Edition update
    www.vg247.com
    Good ColoursI'd forgotten how stylish the original GTA: San Andreas was until the latest Definitive Edition updateAh yes, this game had what the kids call 'aura' these days.Image credit: Rockstar Games Article by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on Nov. 17, 2024 GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition's launch in 2021, three years ago, was infamously rough. From badly upscaled textures, to shoddy character models, to broken animations (and plenty more), the three games that defined modern open worlds were butchered. Now, Rockstar Games has wowed everyone by pulling off a complete 180.The November 12, 2024, update to the Definitive Edition collection across PC and consoles (with the old gen and Switch getting it a day later) doesn't just fix a lot of what was broken. It also brings back the classic lighting (now enabled by default) that tied the entire visual presentation together in the original console releases.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. I promptly jumped into GTA: San Andreas, the one installment I'd been meaning to quickly revisit for a while, to check what was new, and found myself quickly absorbed by its world for a couple of magical hours during which, as it was back in my high school days, I barely made any story progress. Just driving around and enjoying the refreshed vistas was a blast from the past.I've actually played a lot of San Andreas over the years, but mostly on PC through the original release from 2005. That version was always regarded as the most solid one (plus it nurtured a vibrant modding community), yet it always missed the vibrant color hues from the OG console versions, and thus felt far flatter visually, or at least more 'realistic' in a way that felt weird for anyone who'd played the 2004 release on PS2 (or later on Xbox). Image credit: Rockstar Games, VG247For some weird reason, despite all the ports and re-releases the classic GTA trilogy has enjoyed over the years, Rockstar has always managed not to deliver an 'ultimate' way to enjoy these games. The original console releases has a framerate which was rough and could only be 'fixed' through advanced emulation. The aforementioned PC port wasn't exactly the same, something and that also applied to GTA 3 and Vice City. Later ports in modern consoles always screwed something up, with the 360 one being the sole exception. And you know how the Definitive Edition originally went.Now, with original developer Grove Street Games removed from the collection's credits and Video Games Deluxe taking over, the Definitive Edition feels several steps closer to definitive. The vibes are restored, and even if you could argue the modern lighting looks better at times (especially at night), restoring the fog and giving each city its own unique weather and set of skies, alongside much-needed color grading, has truly made a world of difference. Image credit: Rockstar Games, VG247After so many years playing the PC version of San Andreas, I'd simply forgotten how great the true original release looked. Sometimes (far too often, I'm afraid), in the pursuit of a clearer image and realism with remasters and remakes, a good chunk of the original artistic vision is erased, and the Definitive Edition collection was a prime example of that. Even if it had felt okay-ish for a while now - as in not utterly broken - this giant rework and visual refresh is a reminder of everything that was lost.Los Santos simply 'pops' in a way that a brutish approach to more modern graphics couldn't achieve, and it was just a matter of getting the colors right and that moody fog back in the game. Perhaps younger players who never played the original releases will be turned off with the highly saturated look that San Andreas sported back in the day, but it's hard to back to a sauceless visual presentation after realizing the older GTAs were never meant to look clean or realistic. After this patch, looking at the upscaled textures and UE4-rendered models that still remain rusty as hell through the very de-saturated modern filter is hilarious, and I can't believe we've been stuck with these bangers looking like that for so long. Image credit: Rockstar Games, VG247Mind you, I'd already warmed up to at least Vice City Definitive in recent times, as that game and GTA 3 always felt far less post-processed, yet this patch also made me realize they were missing an extra 'otherworldly' spark. Now, the modern lighting also looks way too clean on them, with the lack of a misty horizon making their admittedly small maps feel even smaller. I don't want the full thing rendered on my screen at once, it was never meant to look like that!Other small but welcome improvements include walking around while aiming heavier weapons than pistols and submachine guns in GTA 3 and Vice City, which essentially makes many of their missions easier, but it's all in the service of making the right upgrades where needed, which should be the main driving force behind every remaster. Preserve the past while preparing the games for the future...without diluting their identities. Image credit: Rockstar Games, VG247I'd say this Definitive Edition is still a couple of smaller patches away from reaching perfection, and it's hard to predict whether Video Games Deluxe will stick to working on it for much longer, but it's suddenly become an easy recommendation for old and new players alike. As long as you overlook some leftover jank and a few plasticky, too UE-ish textures, this feels like the best, most painless way to experience these games two decades after their original launches.The most hilarious thing about this whole story is that we have to thank the recent Netflix port (yes, really) of the Definitive Edition for these updates to the console and PC releases, as most of the new improvements have been brought over from that version. Gaming is so freakin' weird right now, man.
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  • Indias HealthKart valued at $500 million in new investment
    techcrunch.com
    Indian omni-channel nutrition startup HealthKart has raised $153 million in one of the countrys largest consumer startup transactions this year, valuing the business at about $500 million, according to a source familiar with the matter. The new investment was co-led by private equity firms ChrysCapital and Motilal Oswal, with Avendus Capital serving as financial advisor. A91 Partners and asset manager Neo Group also participated in the new investment. Some existing investors sold their shares to the new backers, according to people familiar with the matter. HealthKart counts Peak XV, Temasek, Sofina and wealth manager IIFL among its backers. Gurugram-based HealthKart reported revenue of $118.5 million for the year ending March 2024, cementing its position as Indias largest consumer nutrition platform. The startup sells protein supplements and health accessories.The 13-year-old startup, which spun out of online pharmacy startup 1MG, said it is also buying back shares worth $6.5 milion from employees. The startup was EBITDA profitable in the financial year ending March.The Indian sports nutrition market, currently underpenetrated, is expected to expand due to a rise in fitness awareness and the increasing importance of nutrition and protein, said Arpit Vinayak, VP at ChrysCapital, in a statement.This is a developing story. More to follow.
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  • Oyo founder seeks new investment at $3.8B valuation
    techcrunch.com
    In BriefPosted:8:44 PM PST November 17, 2024Image Credits:Akio Kon / Bloomberg / Getty ImagesOyo founder seeks new investment at $3.8B valuationAn investment vehicle backed by Oyos founder, Ritesh Agarwal, has proposed to inject another $65.1 million into the Indian hospitality startup, according to notices to shareholders that were reviewed by TechCrunch.The investment, through Redsprig Innovation Partners, would value the SoftBank-backed company at $3.8 billion, according to terms shared in a notice to shareholders.While this represents a 38% premium to Oyos recent $2.3 billion valuation in June, the implied price tag remains significantly below the startups 2019 peak of $10 billion. Oyo has raised more than $3.4 billion in equity and debt since its inception, according to Tracxn.Redsprig invested about $100 million in the June funding round, in which Oyo raised $175 million.It remains unclear who else is backing Redsprig and whether Agarwal has settled the $2 billion loan he took in 2019 to repurchase Oyo shares from Peak XV and Lightspeed India.The hospitality group is preparing to file for the third time for an initial public offering within two months, according to a person familiar with the matter.Topics
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