Get a job, Sonic! (Sega)A seemingly harmless bit of Sonic trivia has made enough waves for an official Sega manager to publicly stress its actually not true.For a series all about a blue mammal that runs fast, Sonic The Hedgehog fans are fiercely particular about its ongoing continuity and lore.Sega has recognised that enough people care about it to try and tidy up 30+ years worth of Sonic lore, with recent games like Sonic Frontiers and Sonic X Shadow Generations chockful of references and call-backs to older titles.The company is so dedicated to keeping things consistent that, following the release of a new Sonic The Hedgehog annual for kids, its had to issue a correction regarding Sonics living situation.As shared on X, one page in the annual offers a simple profile on Sonic himself, and it mentions he lives in Green Hill Zone. Seems innocuous enough and makes sense considering thats the iconic introductory level in the first ever Sonic game.However, as this detail gained traction, associate Sonic lore manager (yes, that is an actual job title for someone at Sega) Chris Hernandez took to social media to stress that this isnt true at all and Sonic is actually homeless.This was something we caught early on, but it looks like an older draft got through on accident, explained Hernandez. Sonic doesnt have a home, hes still a drifter.For such a harmless detail, fan responses have been bizarrely positive and suggest fans take this matter quite seriously. Thank you, its pretty obvious but not for everyone so its nice to have an official statement, replied X user Zoom.Others like Rubber duck and CoralReefee are especially enthusiastic about the idea of Sonic being homeless. Who wouldve guessed that Sonics lack of a house was so pivotal to his character, but there you go.One fan, childishgamzeno, was especially surprised to learn of this info, with Hernandez replying with the always has been meme.More TrendingSo, Sonics been living on the streets for over 30 years? Youd think hed have enough to buy a house with all the rings hes picked up. Either rings arent legal tender or house prices are stupidly expensive in Sonics world.Some fans, like Musicedge2 and DWN_Infinty, however, have brought up how Sonic has been shown living in houses in other games. These are the arguments Sonic fans have nowadays, apparently.Its such a strange thing to get hung up on when other media, like the Sonic Boom cartoon and the live action movies, have given Sonic a house to live in (he even has adoptive parents in the latter) and nobody had an issue with those. Or maybe people did, and weve just mercifully avoided those social circles.Whatever the case, this shows that Sega is trying to take Sonic lore just as seriously as the fans do. It doesnt seem like everyone is entirely satisfied with whatever answers the company gives, but when have Sonic fans ever agreed on anything? What if Sonic isnt even blue?! (X)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

By Passant Rabie Published November 19, 2024 | Comments (5) | Starship Super Heavy Booster splashed down off the coast of Texas. SpaceX Shortly after launching its Starship rocket for the sixth time, SpaceX opted out of performing a booster catch, letting the rockets first stage dive into the ocean instead. Its not the result the company was hoping for, but data from the flight will undoubtedly inform future attempts. Starship lifted off on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET from SpaceXs Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas for its sixth integrated test flight. The suborbital launch was supposed to include the Super Heavy booster being caught by the massive Mechazilla tower after reentry, but SpaceX declared it a no-go for the booster catch roughly four minutes after liftoff. Starship shortly after launch on November 19, 2024. Photo: C&J Images A lot of things need to go well for that to line up, a SpaceX spokesperson explained during the live broadcast. Instead, the booster had to perform a soft soggy landing off the coast in Texas because not all criteria for a catch were met, SpaceX added. The company cited safety concerns for the team, the public, and the launch pad itself as the reason why SpaceX skipped the booster catch attempt, according to the broadcast. The boosters splashdown was still impressive to watch, as the massive rocket slowed down on its way to the surface of the water before gently diving in like a humpback whale after a full breach. On its way down, the booster lit up 13 of its engines before paring down to only three engines right before splashdown, which took place around seven minutes after launch. Starships sixth test flight did include some other milestones, including the re-lighting of one of the rockets six Raptor engines in space for the first time. The rocket also carried its first payload, a stuffed toy in the shape of a banana (check out the image in the above tweet, showing the lone banana), which served as a zero gravity indicator. The Starship upper stage managed to survive reentry and perform a controlled soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean at 6:05 p.m. ET. Earlier in October, Starship launched for a groundbreaking fifth test flight. For the first time, the rockets Super Heavy 232-foot-tall (71 meters) booster gently came down towards the tower, which caught the rocket with its extended mechanical arms like a giant pair of chopsticks.This year saw Starship inch closer towards operational flights, with each test flight proving more successful than the one before it. SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the first time in April 2023, but its debut was less than ideal as the vehicle entered into a fatal tumble that forced ground controllers to issue a self-destruct command right before the four-minute mark of the mission. In November 2023, Starships second test flight resulted in the in-flight destruction of both the Super Heavy booster and upper stage, but it was still a major improvement from its inaugural flight. For thethird test flight in March, Starship successfully performed a stage separation, completed a full-duration burn of the second-stage engines, demonstrated internal propellant transfer for NASA, and tested the Starlink dispenser door. Starships fourth liftoff in June broke new grounds compared to its previous test flights, with the rocket largely surviving peak heating and max aerodynamic pressure during its controlled reentry. Ultimately, SpaceX plans on retrieving and reusing both Starships booster and its upper stage. The companys founder and CEO Elon Musk recently expressed SpaceXs goal of catching the upper stage using Mechazilla by early next year. SpaceX is also moving towards more frequent launches of Starship, with Musk aiming for 25 launches in 2025. Starships sixth test flight also included a special guest: President-elect Donald Trump, who attended the launch in Texas alongside his new friend Musk. The pairs growing alliance might be an indication that Musk may get his wish and see Starship fly more frequently by next year. Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published November 19, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published November 19, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published November 14, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published November 11, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published November 8, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published November 8, 2024

The cryptocurrency industry has long been fueled by a libertarian ethos that sees government oversight and regulatory scrutiny as the enemy of economic freedom. At the same time, it is also an industry that has sought to reproduce goods and services that already exist in the traditional, regulated economy. In theory, the end result of this setup is a marketplace ungoverned by the traditional strictures (or, more accurately, guardrails) of modern economies. In practice, it means that crypto organizations often flout financial laws, only to then claim that the law does not (or should not) apply to them. This week, the Lido DAO, one of web3s largest decentralized autonomous organizations, suffered a legal blow in a litigation case that has sought to clarify yet another one of cryptos many legal gray areas. Lido is currently being sued in a class-action lawsuit that accuses it of having sold unregistered securities. An LLC representing the DAO has leaned heavily into web3s notion of decentralization, in an effort to get Lido and its associates off the hook. Dolphin CL, LLC, which represents Lido, has made the claim that the organization is just software and does not represent a legal entity and, therefore, cannot be held liable for its action, court documents claim. However, a federal judge shot down that argument this week, maintaining that Lido is, indeed, a legal entity and, therefore, must be subject to the same laws and regulations. Judge Vince Chhabria found that, under California law, Lido represents a general partnership and is therefore subject to the same regulations that such arrangements are beholden to. He also found that those organizations deemed Lidos institutional investorsthat is, the large companies that fronted much of its money and managed its operationsshould be deemed members of that partnership and, therefore, held liable. Those companies include investment firm Paradigm Operations, well-known venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, and investment firm Dragonfly Digital Management. A fourth firm, Robot Ventures, was excluded as a partner.The severe weirdness of Lidos legal defense strategy should be noted. Dolphin CL, LLC, is a new company that was formed in July, at the behest of Lidos investors, to respond to the litigation against it, Bloomberg reports. Dolphin, itself, is represented by a law firm, Brown Rudnick LLP, the outlet writes. Again, Dolphin has argued that Lido is just an algorithmically run program and, therefore, cannot be held liable for whatever happened to people who lost money on its crypto tokens. In his ruling, Chhabria seemed to highlight the crypto industrys ongoing attempt to elude legal definition (and, therefore, culpability), writing that [the lawsuit brought against Lido] presents several new and important questions about the ability of people in the crypto world to inoculate themselves from liability by creating novel legal arrangements to profit from exotic financial instruments.Much mystification has gone into what the crypto industry is and does. DAOs, which have been referred to by their proponents as revolutionary governance models in corporate decision-making, have more in common with traditional corporations than their stans want to let on. Like the rest of crypto, their proponents claim that their decentralized status entitles them to operate outside the bounds of traditional financial regulation and legal scrutiny. That seems to work fine until a situation like this, where everybody gets dragged into court and web3s hifalutin, amorphous terminology suddenly needs to be firmly and consistently nailed down. The Lido case revolves around another such legalistic quandary. Lido is being sued by the plaintiff, a man named Andrew Samuels, on the basis that it sold unregistered securities. Samuels bought LDO, Lidos tokens, and subsequently lost money on that investment. Now, as a litigant, Samuels accuses Lidos founders of having set up the DAO with the explicit goal of avoiding regulatory scrutiny for its fundamentally illegal business. However, Lido has maintained that it is not selling securities at all.This debate is, in many ways, the debate, when it comes to the crypto industry. For years, web3 benefited from transacting in uncharted regulatory territory. As the industry has grown larger and more influential, however, scrutiny of its activity has grown. Today, whether assets represent a security or a commodity is an increasingly intensifying debate. Securities are considered financial instruments that often represent a stake in a particular company, while commodities are goods that have a particular investment value. Crypto proponents have argued that they are not selling securities and, thus, are not beholden to the financial laws and regulations that govern traditional stocks. By contrast, crypto proponents have likened it to gold, a resource of relative scarcity that is considered a commodity. This argument extends itself even to the federal government, where the Securities and Exchange Commission has repeatedly referred to various crypto assets as securities, while the Commodity Future Trading Commission has called crypto a commodity. The regulatory discrepancy has led to a confusing legal turf war that has sought to determine the exact nature of digital assets.Gizmodo reached out to Lido for comment. Those rooting for Lido in the suit predictably criticized the judges decision. Today, a California judge dealt a huge blow to decentralized governance, wrote Miles Jennings, a16z cryptos General Counsel and Head of Decentralization, on Monday following Chhabrias ruling.

Riken Yamamoto Honored in 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony VideoSave this picture! Shigeru Ohno | Nagoya Zokei UniversityThe Pritzker Architecture Prize has released a special video honoring Riken Yamamoto, the 2024 Laureate. Presented in a documentary-style format, the film celebrates Yamamoto's distinguished architectural career and his contributions as the 53rd Laureate, honored earlier this year in Chicago. This milestone coincided with the 100th birthday of Cindy Pritzker, co-founder of the Prize with her late husband, Jay A. Pritzker.The film offers viewers a closer look of Yamamoto's approach, highlighting key moments from the Pritzker Prize ceremony, including "Cindy's Dinner"a tradition where new Laureates gather with previous winners and Jury members at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Additionally, the documentary features Yamamoto's Laureate Lecture and a panel discussion at S.R. Crown Hall, organized in collaboration with the Illinois Institute of Technology's College of Architecture. These segments provide insights into Yamamoto's belief in architecture's power to shape society and address social needs.Save this picture!Born in 1945 in Beijing and later relocating to Yokohama, Japan, Yamamoto developed a passion for architecture as a means of social transformation. He founded Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop in 1973, creating works that bridge public and private life, focused on human connection. His projects span residential and civic spaces across Japan, China, South Korea, and Switzerland, notable for their transparency, modularity, and community focus. Among his acclaimed works are The Circle at Zrich Airport (2020), the Tianjin Library (2012), and Nagoya Zokei University (2022). Related Article https://www.archdaily.com/1014408/listen-to-2024-pritzker-prize-winner-riken-yamamoto-explain-his-creative-process-and-architectural-journey?ad_campaign=special-tag Riken Yamamoto is showing us that the architect has the possibility, if not the responsibility, to change the current system from within. The ordinary can be extraordinary. That architecture can bring change to a social system regarded as unchangeable. --Manuela Luc-Dazio, Executive Director Save this picture!The video also presents commentary from notable architects and past Laureates, such as Norman Foster and Deborah Berke. Foster remarks on Yamamoto's influence on urban spaces, while Berke highlights, "His work is exquisite and precise, but I think the most important thing about it is how subtle it is and how willing he is as an architect to let the buildings be background in order to foreground human interaction." Yamamoto's commitment to using architecture as a tool for social change is a recurring theme throughout the film, as emphasized by Jury Chair Alejandro Aravena: "Architecture is a tool to achieve a much bigger goal and creating a sense of community in a world that is desperate to get that may be the way that we architects can give a modest contribution."Save this picture!With built projects worldwide, Riken Yamamoto's five-decade career is marked by designs that foster community awareness and emphasize social responsibility. His portfolio includes diverse works such as housing, schools, civic spaces, and city planning worldwide. Honored with numerous accolades, Yamamoto's commitment extends beyond buildings. Recognized as an Academician by the International Academy of Architecture in 2013, his legacy is redefining architecture's societal impact on a global scale. Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorNour FakharanyAuthorCite: Nour Fakharany. "Riken Yamamoto Honored in 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony Video" 20 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023796/pritzker-architecture-prize-ceremony-video-honors-2024-laureate-riken-yamamoto&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Save this picture!Sesc Pompia / Lina Bo Bardi. Image Mara GonzlezAlthough there is more of a balance between women and men in architecture today, the landscape was quite different a few decades ago. Pioneering women architects have been resistant in a profession dominated by men, and have faced skepticism in challenging contexts, such as construction sites itself. Zaha Hadid commented on the difficulty of inclusion in what she called the "boys club", listing the difficulties in coming to agreements or creating partnerships. Lina Bo Bardi, in turn, used her strong personality to overcome the sexism of her time. Even though these difficulties, women have always found a way to stand out and bring priceless contributions to the profession.On countless occasions architecture has remembered famous architects and their material discoveries through time, but what about recognizing women's contributions to the discipline? Discussing their pioneering material explorations is key to understanding their role in projects. With an analysis of the work of the well-known architects Lina Bo Bardi, Norma Merrick Sklarek and Zaha Hadid which introduced innovative techniques and material trends the following discussion brings to light how women's ideas have influenced the development of architecture. Identifying their approaches on how to managing structures and materials helps to understand the personality of their work and how to implement similar strategies in the future. Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992)The work of the Italian-Brazilian architect contains her life history within it. After her studies at the University of Rome, she moved to Milan, where she collaborated with Gio Ponti and later became interested in editorial work. Posterior to the devastation caused by the Second World War, she met Pietro Maria Bardi and moved permanently to Brazil. Characterized by creating a dialogue between modernism and popular culture, her work aimed to reinvent space and reconstruct architecture. Her approach to concrete design of public buildings follows the same line of exploring new strategies to define space. 'Architecture and architectural freedom are above all a social issue that must be seen from inside a political structure, not from outside it.' - Lina Bo Bardi SESC Pompia: Public Concrete DesignWithin her work in the SESC Pompia in So Paulo, Lina Bo Bardi plays with concrete to add expression to architecture. Located on the site of an old factory, the architect created a community center that incorporates culture, sports and pleasure.Save this picture!Keeping the old factory's brick materiality, the strategy adds two concrete volumes connected by elevated walkways, maintaining the city level free from visual and physical disruptions. The building highlights concrete as its main feature, which not only functions as a structure but also includes vertical and horizontal planking for aesthetic purposes.Save this picture!The architect established a connection between the building and its surroundings, while also creating a gathering place for people in the heart of the city.Save this picture!So Paulo Museum of Art (MASP): A Floating Concrete BlockSome might wonder why this project brought worldwide attention to Bo Bardi. In part, the answer lies in the fact that creating an architectural model that was concerned with its public role promoted a democratic, horizontal and plural urban life. Save this picture!After receiving the commission to build the new museum of art, Bo Bardi had one condition to respond to: the building couldn't block the panoramic views of the lower-lying parts of the city. As such, suspended under two pre-stressed concrete beams which rest on massive piers the building frames an unobstructed collective space for the gathering of So Paulo's residents.Save this picture!Playing with the contrast of the building's structure and space, the architect creates a dialogue between lightness and mass. The material strategy brings out two architectural movements: modernism and brutalism. The encounter of glazing and free floor plans with the concrete piers and structural system defines the project's identity. Applying color to the beams, the design highlights the project's main structure, clarifying how structure dominates the building's formal language.Norma Merrick Sklarek (1926-2012)Born in Harlem, New York City, Norma Merrick Sklarek is known as one of the pioneering women in architecture and the first woman to achieve an architecture license in California. After collaborating in different projects that played with glass faades in architecture firms such as Gruen Associates, she co-founded a female-only firm: Sklarek, Siegel and Diamond. 'Architecture should be working on improving the environment of people in their homes, in their places of work and their places of recreation. It should be functional and pleasant, not just in the image of the architects ego.' - Norma Merrick Sklarek U.S Embassy in Tokyo: Modular SystemsWith a modernist design, the US Embassy building combines materials to define a modular faade system. Without overloading the building, the design strategy incorporates glass panels with exterior faade cladding panels to distinguish the horizontal bars, creating a simple and well-organized look to its rectangular shape.Save this picture!Pacific Design Center: New Dimensions of Glass BuildingDuring her time at Gruen Associates, she participated in the design of the Pacific Design Center, located in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. In collaboration with the architect Cesar Pelli, their work is known as an architectural landmark of the city. The multi-use facility for the design community reinvents a center that used to be a low-scale residential and commercial area into an enormously colorful milestone. Save this picture!From workshops and showrooms to spaces of leisure, the layout was developed in three stages, where Merrick participated in the first two. The first building, known as the 'Blue Whale' is distinguished by its 750,000 square foot blue glass cladding, followed by the incorporation of a bright green building. The project's design strategy highlights the use of out-scale dimensions, new shapes and bright colors.Zaha Hadid (1950-2016)"There are 360 degrees. Why stick to one?" Just as Zaha Hadid questions staying with one point of view, her architecture develops a different face from every point of view. The Pritzker Prize-winning architect and mathematician is recognized for designing outside creative and technological boundaries, which led her work to experiment with sensuous curves, geometry, and parametricism. Maintaining traditional materials like concrete and steel, she achieves innovative forms which play with traditional structural possibilities and create a visual appearance that defies gravity. 'I don't think that architecture is only about shelter, is only about a very simple enclosure. It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think." - Zaha Hadid Heydar Aliyev Center: Developing the Building's SkinBreaking the rigid Soviet architecture commonly seen in the city of Baku, Zaha Hadid Architects proposed a new architectural expression for the nation's building for cultural programs. Save this picture!Through a continued relationship between the building's interior and the surrounding plaza, the project merges with the city's urban fabric. Aiming to connect both spaces and guide users into the building, the strategy applies undulations, bifurcations, floods and inflections to the surface. With the right use of geometry and technology, the project creates a fluid space.Save this picture!The design process adds a combination of construction systems and advanced technologies to achieve the building's envelope. Based on two collaborating systems a concrete structure combined with a space frame system the project develops a column-free space that allows continuity in the user's movement. The architect's proposal in the surface geometry introduces innovative structural solutions such as curved 'boot columns' or 'dovetail' tapering to support the building's skin.Save this picture!The material strategy incorporates Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GRFC) and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyester (GFRP), which are able to respond to different situations: from the plaza to the envelope.Dongdaemun Design Plaza: Digitizing ConstructionFollowing her passion with parametric building design, Zaha Hadid explores construction digitalization such as three dimensional building information modeling (BIM) within the design process. With the incorporation of advanced softwares, the project was able to test engineering and construction requirements to achieve the complexity of the design, without losing control of details.Save this picture!The building's material strategy was also achieved through the digitization process. For example, the faade's cladding system is built from over 45,000 panels, each of them in different sizes and curvatures, which was managed after a mass-customization system. Depending on the season and time of the day, the building creates a dynamic visual effect produced by pixelation and perforation patterns within the facade.Save this picture!This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Women in Architecturepresented by Sky-Frame.Sky-Frame is characterized by its empathic ability to take on different perspectives and points of view. We are interested in people and their visions, whether in architecture or in a social context. We deeply care about creating living spaces and in doing so we also question the role of women in architecture. From the arts to the sciences, women shape our society. We want to shed more light on this role, increase the visibility of Women in Architecture and empower/encourage them to realize their full potential.Initiated by Sky-Frame, the "Women in Architecture" documentary is an impulse for inspiration, discussion, and reflection. The film's release is on November 12, 2024.Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.__________Originally published on October 13, 2022.

Pokemon Trading Card Game Pockethas attracted players in large numbers since its recent launch, and seen revenues to match. In fact, less than a month on from release, the app is only continuing to gather increasing momentum, as per a report published by Pocketgamer.biz.Citing AppMagic estimates, the report claimsPokemon Trading Card Game Pocketstotal earnings since release stand at $120.8 million as of November 17. It raked in $35.8 million in its first week and $48.5 million the next, and crossed the $100 million total revenue mark on November 15, less than three weeks from release. As per a prior report, in its first four days,Pokemon TCG Pocketbrought in $12.1 million in revenue.November 15 was also the day that the app saw its highest daily earnings so far at $8.4 million. On average, its daily earnings stand at $6.4 million, which is significantly higher than what even the evergreenPokemon GO currently sees. Its total revenue 19 days in, however, is a little under $20 million lower than whatPokemon GObrought in in the same period after its release in 2016.As per the report,Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocketslargest audience is in Japan, accounting for $50.6 million of its revenue so far, which is a 42 percent share. The United States follows in second place, having spent over $33 million on the app so far.Within 48 hours ofPokemon Trading Card Game Pocketslaunch for iOS and Android, The Pokemon Company announced that it had surpassed 10 million downloads. Less than a week later, it was announced it had topped 30 million downloads.

The long-awaited Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is now available for Xbox Series X/S and PC alongside Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Unfortunately, it seems to have run into a snag at launch with complaints of long initial loading times. Some users also report loading past 90 percent without any further progress.Microsoft and Asobo Studio are aware of the issues, per the official MSFS Support account on Twitter. With so many users initializing the sim concurrently, we have a large number of server requests. We are working to help resolve the issues as soon as possible. The account also recommends rebooting if the initial load doesnt go beyond 90 percent. The only other solution is to wait for the game to load normally.The issues are widespread enough to warrant an Overwhelmingly Negative response on Steam, with only 18 percent of the 968 user reviews (and rising) giving it the thumbs-up. Other notable issues include no mouse control in the user interface, though pressing Alt + Enter seemingly brings up the cursor. Stay tuned for more updates and possible solutions in the meantime.We are aware of user reports of long initial loading times into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.With so many users initializing the sim concurrently, we have a large number of server requests. We are working to help resolve the issues as soon as possible.For users whose MSFS Support (@MSFS_Support) November 19, 2024

https://adapt.one/editorial/link/213/Coca-Cola%27s+AI-generated+TV+holiday+ad+falls+flat+with+consumers/This showcases that AI might not be ready for prime-time yet, at least, not if you want to connect with consumers.

Dr Mike Jelinek joins ADAPT ONEDiscover the bold designs of concept artist Dr Mike Jelinek.https://adapt.one/editorial/link/212/Dr+Mike+Jelinek+joins+ADAPT+ONE/

Tuesday, November 19th, 2024Posted by Jim ThackerBiteTheBytes releases World Creator 2024.3html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Originally posted on 21 April 2024. Scroll down for the World Creator 2024.3 update.BiteTheBytes has begun its World Creator 2024 releases, the latest annual series of updates to the GPU-based terrain generator.World Creator 2024.1 adds a new rivers system, carving river valleys through terrain, plus Polygon Layers for raising or flattening terrain, three new filters, and a bridge tool for Blender 4.1.World Creator 2024.2 adds a 3D stamping system and support for MatCap materials.World Creator 2024.3 adds new snow and debris Simulation Layers, a new Shape Layer for 3D primitives, plus new filters and distributions.Pricing and licensing for the software has also been updated, changing the prices of perpetual licenses, and re-introducing rental-only subscriptions.A procedural GPU-based terrain generator used by leading games and VFX studiosA GPU-based terrain generator combining procedural and manual editing workflows, World Creator has been used by artists at games and VFX studios including Blizzard Entertainment, Crytek, Blur Studio and Cinesite.The software began life as a plugin for the Unity game engine, before evolving into a standalone application in 2017, and becoming independent of Unity with 2022s World Creator 3.Artists create terrain using a layer-based workflow, sculpting or stamping the basic 3D forms, and generating linear land forms like mountain ranges, rivers and roads along vector paths.The terrain can be modified using a large set of filters, including those mimicking the effects of erosion and sediment deposition, previewing the results using World Creators built-in ray tracing renderer.Users can export terrain to DCC applications and game engines in 3D formats like OBJ, FBX and glTF, or as 2D texture maps, including height maps and flow maps, with support for 32-bit EXRs.New rivers system carves river valleys based on slope angle and water flowThe main new feature in World Creator 2024.1 is the new Rivers system.As the name suggests, it carves river valleys through terrain, with users able to generate the rivers automatically, from hand-placed source points, or from scratch for greater control.The width, depth and sinuosity of the river is determined by the slope of the terrain at each point along its length, and by flow parameters controlling the throughput of water.Users can also modify the results with parameters to control river and valley shape, and overall settings to control branching, lake formation and sea level.Other changes: Polygon Layers, new filters and performance updatesOther key changes include the return of Polygon Layers, for creating custom raised or flattened areas in terrain.The feature was previously available in World Creator 2, where it was known as Shape Layers.There are also three new filters, Hexagons, Squeeze and Rocky Layers.Under the hood, performance has been improved, and for users of non-NVIDIA GPUs, there have been fixes for all AMD issues.The Bridge Tools the integration plugins for DCC applications have also been updated, with a new plugin for Blender 4.1.BiteTheBytes puts its changelogs in its customer portal, so you can only view them if youre an existing user, but you can find more details of the new features in the online documentation.Updated 22 June 2024: BiteTheBytes has released World Creator 2024.2.Key changes include a new 3D stamping system: the Model Shape Layer can be used to import a 3D mesh and place it into terrain as a 2D projection, as shown above.The update also adds support for MatCap materials, which can be used for terrain visualization via the updated Fast Render mode.There is also a new render mode, Textured Render, intended for low-end GPUs. It shows terrain colors, but is not ray traced.In addition, there are 10 new noise types, available as Distributions and Filters.Updated 19 November 2024: BiteTheBytes has released World Creator 2024.3.Its a sizeable update, adding two new Simulation Layer types one for snow, and one for debris and a new Shape Layer type for 3D primitives.There is also a new Erosion filter for Sediment Flows, five new Effect filters (Chipped, Scatter, Shore/Beach, Strata, Kuwahara), and four new distributions (Sea Level, Filter Change, Melt, Occlusion).The update also improves workflow for creating gradient/sat-map materials, and makes terrain generation about 15% faster than in the previous release.Pricing: new perpetual license prices and subscription plansSince the release of World Creator 2024.2, BiteTheBytes has also changed the pricing and licensing for the software.Previously, pricing was based on number of staff, with Professional licenses, for studios with up to five employees, costing $289, and Company licenses, for larger studios, costing $1,289.That has now changed to a revenue-based model, with Indie licenses, for users with revenue under $100,000/year, costing $149. Terrain is capped at 4,096 x 4,096px resolution.Professional licenses are now for users with revenue under $500,000/year, and cost $249.98, while Enterprise licenses now cost $1,699.98. By default, prices include 12 months maintenance, although it is possible to cancel this.BiteTheBytes has also re-introduced subscriptions, with rental costing $119.88/year for Indie users, $179.88/year for Professional users, and $1,289.88/year for Enterprise users.Availability and system requirementsWorld Creator 2024.3 is available for Windows 7+ only. Integration plugins are available for Blender 2.93+, Cinema 4D R25+, Houdini 19.0+, Unity 2020+ and Unreal Engine 4.26+.For users with revenue under $100,000/year, perpetual Indie licenses cost $149.98, and are limited to 4K resolution. Rental costs $119.88/year.For users with revenue under $500,000/year, perpetual Professional licenses cost $249.98. Rental costs $179.88/year.For users with revenue over $500,000/year, perpetual Enterprise licenses cost $1,699.98. Rental costs $1,289.88/year.Read an overview of the new features in World Creator 2024 on the product websiteHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.Latest NewsChaos ships Corona 12 Update 1 for 3ds Max and Cinema 4DArchitectural renderer gets new live link to Chaos Vantage, better volumetric caustics, and new AI-based render upscaling system.Wednesday, November 20th, 20245 key features in Blender 4.3Now available: read our pick of the new features in the open-source 3D software, from Grease Pencil 3 to updates to Eevee and Cycles.Tuesday, November 19th, 2024BiteTheBytes releases World Creator 2024.3Big update to the real-time terrain generator adds new snow and debris simulation tools, and changes pricing and licensing.Tuesday, November 19th, 2024Free tool: Reallusion's Blender Auto Setup pluginNewly rebranded plugin transfers 3D characters, shaders, rigs and animation from Character Creator and iClone to Blender.Monday, November 18th, 2024Download VFX Assets' free 2D Cloud Textures PackGet 125 free cloud textures on black backgrounds for background compositing in VFX or motion graphics projects. Commercial use.Sunday, November 17th, 2024Create perfect topology for animated charactersNew Gnomon Workshop tutorial reveals how to create 3D characters with animation-friendly, production-ready topology in Maya and ZBrush.Saturday, November 16th, 2024More NewsEphere releases Ornatrix 3 for Cinema 4DMaxon releases Red Giant 2025.2 and Universe 2025.1Nekki releases Cascadeur MobileUnreal Engine 5.5: discover 10 key features for CG artistsBlackmagic Design releases Fusion Studio 19.1Blackmagic Design releases DaVinci Resolve 19.1Get the Blender Studio's free Brushstroke Tools for BlenderFoundry releases Mari 7.1 in betaScene Group releases Cavalry 2.2Maxon releases ZBrush for iPad 2025.1Foundry discontinues ModoEpic Games to share new free assets on Fab every two weeksOlder Posts