What bargains have you picked up? (Sony Interactive Entertainment)The Wednesday letters page worries that Trumps tariffs will delay the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2, as a reader looks forward to Indiana Jones at Christmas.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukUnexpected bargainIts been a fairly unexciting Black Friday so far, despite my hopes that I might be able to pick up a Nintendo Switch cheap, but I have found a few bargains. I got Spider-Man 2 for 43.50 from the PlayStation Store and EA Sports FC 25 for 35 at the same time. Im thinking about getting Star Wars Outlaws too, which seems to be floating around 40 at most stores.These are pretty good deals but unlike previous years I havent seen anything super cheap that tempts me. Therere usually some games for 10 to 20 that I decide to take a gamble one but theres been nothing like that this year thats taken my fancy. Suicide Squad is the only 2024 game in that price range and thats certainly not something Id pay any amount for.Interested to hear what other peoples experiences are though and if they can recommend any other deals. I feel like trying something unique, that I wouldnt usually because of the price, but Im not seeing anything like at the moment.SoldatBad timingAll this talk about the Nintendo Switch 2 being unveiled in January might make logical sense but people dont seem to be taking seriously all this tariff talk from Trump. He said this week itd be 35% from China, which is a huge increase in the cost of anything made there, including all video game consoles.I dont see Nintendo announcing the Switch until they know exactly whats going on, because how are they going to look if they say that Switch 2 is $300, or whatever, and then a month later they have to increase the price by a third because Trump came into office?That is a disaster waiting to happen for them and could kill the whole console in the publics eyes. Nintendo are a cautious company when it comes to business and I dont see them willing to take any chances with a situation as volatile as this. It wouldnt shock me if the Switch 2 was delayed into the autumn or even 2026.GablinChristmas adventureKudos wheres deserved. As long as the Indiana Jones game turns out well (and based on your preview thats looking promising), Microsofts actually done a decent job of an end of year line-up.People seem to like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and once the capacity issues on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are fixed that seems like it will please people into flying (not me personally).Call Of Duty isnt something that generally appeals to me but as Im likely to resubscribe to Game Pass for Indie, having two campaigns to play through in December is good. Also, something about Indy feels like it fits a Xmas break.TimEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukTime is a flat circleIm not sure I understand the point of the Zelda timeline. None of the games reference each other (except Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom, which arent on the timeline) so what does it matter? Nintendo could make a typo with their list, and nobody would ever be able to prove it didnt make sense or was obviously wrong.Theres barely any story in any of these games anyway, so I really dont think you want to be tied down by continuity as well. As usual, fans focus on completely the wrong things, potentially distracting the creators from doing the stuff that matters. Imagine if Nintendo decided not to do an idea or add a feature because it wouldnt fit the timeline. None of that matters, only the game.NestorAlternative dimensionThose Metroid Prime rumours sound pretty convincing, so I look forward to more remasters. I hope they put as much effort into them as they did the excellent first one, as Id never played any of them before but I loved that and have become a little obsessed with the series now.I do wonder what the future of 2D Metroids are though. Metroid Dread was a big hit, bigger than Nintendo expected, but weve heard nothing about any kind of follow-up. I would like both styles to continue, as theyre both quite different and yet Nintendo dont seem to make any Metroid game very often.Hopefully, if Metroid Prime 4 is successful then Nintendo will start to go bigger on the franchise and well get more new games more often.JoscLack of dino crisisI really dont understand why Capcom is so averse to giving Dino Crisis another go. It took till now to get it properly on modern formats but theres still no sign of a remaster or remake or sequel.I know dinomania was strong in the 90s, thanks to Jurassic Park, but the Jurassic World films were all very successful, even if they werent very good, and theres a new trilogy coming up as well. With a female protagonist no less, so now we can pretend its an official Dino Crisis film.If they did a new game, Im sure itd be very different to the originals, so whatever problems they have with the original gameplay being outdated is irrelevant. Basically, all it needs to do is have dinosaurs in it, and be a survival horror, and its Dino Crisis game, everything else can changed.Although, how were the dinosaurs there, originally? Was it a time machine or cloning like Jurassic Park? I think it was a time machine and so they were actual dinosaurs and not lab-made ones.GeoffreyGC: It involved a space-time vortex, or something, so they were real dinosaurs from the past.Double threatI see Mass Effect director Casey Hudson has had to shut down his studio before even getting to announce a game. Apparently they couldnt get all the funding they need. Yet more proof that the whole business of making games is completely messed up. He shouldve had investors knocking at his door but now what will happen? Hell give up making games or go back and work at EA or something?After Dragon Age: The Veilguard didnt blow the doors off I wouldnt be surprised if EA were ready to shut down BioWare entirely, or at least cut them down to a shadow of themselves. What was their last hit? Dragon Age Inquisition almost a decade ago? If I was a bean counter Id be sharpening the knives and thats unfortunate.AustinLet them cookI really hate to see people cheering on acquisitions. There was plenty of that going on when Xbox was buying Activision Blizzard and what did that lead to, exactly as GC predicted? Hundreds of redundancies. Not to mention Xbox giving up any sense of competing with PlayStation, with their new multiformat policy. In short, it was a disaster.This company that owns FromSoftware isnt big enough to cause that kind of trouble but its still not going to be good news. As Phil Spencer is now learning (but apparently never predicted) once you spend a lot of money on buying a company your boss and investors expect you to make that money back very quickly.This will put huge pressure on FromSoftware to make new games as quickly as possible and that is going to have an obvious effect on quality. I wouldnt be surprised if Hidetaka Miyazaki ended up leaving as soon as his contract allowed, just like all the execs from Activision Blizzard did, and then where will we be?A developer needs two things: plenty of funding and to be left alone to do their own thing. Sure, the publisher has to make sure theyre actually working on something they cant waste years just prototyping or whatever but it should be a loose leash thats kept on them as much as possible.I feel its a shame theyre even owned by a larger company, let alone that larger company now being owned by Sony. Maybe the deal wont go through but if it doesnt the target is already on their back and someone else will step in after Sony to try and buy them instead.CranstonInbox also-ransI find it very hard to imagine that any of Segas plans for movies are going to work. They just dont make any sense, given most of these games didnt have a story. And not even just the old ones, whats the plot of Crazy Taxi thats going to be winning it an Oscar?FuttermanI remember a reader questioned recently why other publishers dont try and copy Animal Crossing, given its been such a massive hit. I agree it doesnt make much sense, no matter whether you care about the game or not, but apparently Ubisoft is rumoured to be making one with the codename Alterra. May be too little too late though.Tom MeadowsMore TrendingEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.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

GTA clones are a dying breed and we think we know whyMichael BeckwithPublished November 27, 2024 1:00am There used to be loads of GTA clones, but theyve gradually dwindled (Rockstar)As the launch of GTA 6 approaches, why are other publishers no longer trying to copy the most successful video game ever?They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and that expression is especially relevant for the games industry. Its full of copycats or clones as theyre often referred to and while the term can be used derogatorily, its not necessarily a bad thing.Game of the Year contender Astro Bot was praised for its similarities to Super Mario Galaxy; Yooka-Laylees biggest selling point was how much it explicitly copied from Banjo-Kazooie; and without any new Castlevania games, fans dont complain when titles like Hollow Knight crib elements from Konamis series.One franchise that used to get many imitators was Grand Theft Auto and youd think they would have grown even more commonplace given the series enduring popularity. Yet it seems the opposite has happened instead, with fans having less direct alternatives than ever in the more than decade long wait for GTA 6.What is a GTA clone?First, we need to settle on what constitutes as a GTA clone. Fortunately, theres an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the subject, which highlights the following elements:Open world environment that can be freely exploredGunplay and vehiclesA sequence of missions to progress the story that involve shooting and/or drivingOptional side-missions and mini-gamesA storyline that includes themes of crime, violence, drugs, sex, and other mature (potentially controversial) topicsThe mid-2000s were full of such games, following the release of GTA 3, and some even spawned their own series, such as Mafia, The Getaway, and, of course, Saints Row.While none of them reached the same level of popularity as GTA, they cultivated their own audiences during that decade, offering developer Rockstar some healthy competition.When looking back over the 2010s, though, there are signs that the well was already drying up. Thats not to say GTA clones vanished overnight. We found a fan curated list of them on Reddit, and you can see such titles started coming out less frequently but never entirely went away. 2006 alone had eight GTA clones but a decade later in 2016, only two were released.It does omit some examples, like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and Lego City Undercover, and we contest the inclusion of Cyberpunk 2077 (which has some rough similarities but is an action role-player first and foremost), but even so its clear that publishers were no longer trying to compete directly with Rockstar. Lego City Undercover was actually a great little game (Warner Bros. Games)This can also be seen in those aforementioned series that were poised as GTAs main competition. The Mafia series (which is published by GTA parent company Take-Two) fell off the map after 2016s Mafia 3 (barring a couple remasters) and is only now slated to make a comeback with 2025s Mafia: The Old Country.The Getaway hasnt had a new entry since 2006 and only lives on as a TV show that most people probably dont know is based on a video game. Meanwhile, Saints Row is likely dead thanks to the underwhelming 2022 reboot and closure of developer Volition.Its especially surprising there havent been more blatant copycats in recent years given the long gap between GTA 5 and GTA 6. If anything, that was the perfect opportunity to give desperate fans an alternative to chew on, but now GTA 6 is due to come out in 2025 (barring any delays).Why are there so few GTA clones?So, what could be the cause of this? The simplest explanation is that GTA is just too big to compete with nowadays. GTA 5 first came out in 2013 and even then it was a huge money maker, making $1 billion in only three days.It didnt achieve that by luck, or merely good game design, but in large part because it was the most expensive video game of all-time, with an estimated budget of over 170 million ($214 million). Rockstar hasnt said how much GTA 6 is costing them but rumours suggest $2 billion (including ongoing support and marketing).Even if thats not true the fact that it cant be discounted out of hand tells you all need to know about why other publishers dont even try to compete. Especially when you consider the huge amount of talented staff youd need and the massive time frame involved in actually making the game.The more GTA 5 continues to rake in money, the more Rockstar has to spend on GTA 6 and the less able everyone else is of making a comparable game.GTA Online, the multiplayer mode that is primarily responsible for GTA 5s longevity, doesnt just print money, its constant updates ensure that while there are no new games, from Rockstar or anyone else, fans are still kept engaged with new content. If it had been less popular then we wouldve got GTA 6 a lot earlier than this.GTA 6 is not just an important release for Rockstar and Take-Two, but for the industry as a whole. Grand Theft Auto is one of a handful of game franchises where even people whove never touched a video game know about it.Its part of a wider global culture and a new entry means a lot of money stands to be made, which in turn could lead to an invigorated interest in the wider games market from both a consumer and investor standpoint.The industry may love chasing trends but GTA 6 has ascended beyond that. Trying to ride its coattails with a similar game risks only garnering a fraction of its success and most publishers wont be satisfied with that.Normally that doesnt put them off it certainly hasnt stopped them all trying to jump on the live service game bandwagon but the money and effort required to make a GTA clone on the same scale as Rockstar Games is just too much.Technically, someone like Microsoft or Sony could afford it, but for them its not worth the risk. Not when they already make money off every microtransaction in GTA Online. GTA clones were commonplace in the early 2000s (Sony Interactive Entertainment)Why arent there more crime-based video games?The logistical explanation for why there are so few GTA clones is fairly straightforward but whats more puzzling is that so few games take the more obvious route of trying to make a crime-themed game thats set in the real world but doesnt necessarily have the size or scope of GTA.Cops and robbers is one of the stalwarts of the playground and yet despite Rockstar proving how popular the concept still is, there are very few games that deal with the concept or any of the other crime-related activities in GTA.The nominees for The Game Awards 2024 were recently announced and of the dozens of games included only two non-indie titles, that werent sports sims, were set in the real world, with no overt fantasy elements: Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth (a series which was at one point compared to GTA but is now far too over-the-top to bear any real resemblance).Setting a game in the real world is not necessarily any more expensive than a fantasy setting. Theres almost no real-world licensing in GTA, to make it seem authentic, so its very hard to understand why there arent more attempts to create a crime game with a similar tone but a smaller scale.There are games like Payday, but ignoring the mess that franchise has got itself into its a fairly minor hit in the grand scale of things and certainly something you can imagine a big publisher doing better.So why arent there more heist games? More police games (from both sides of the law)? More street racing games? More gang management titles or drug-running simulators? Or any of the other many ideas which GTA touches upon but doesnt always cover in detail.To distinguish themselves further these games could be more serious in tone or more comedic. They could be based on an existing licence (how about a video game version of Heat or Oceans Eleven?) or an extension of an existing franchise. But it never happens and theres no sign it ever will.This is the greatest puzzle of GTAs success, to the point where you can only assume publishers feel anything crime related is going to fail, because people will always prefer Rockstars games.Perhaps they judge that because GTA Online is so successful theres no space for another crime-based game and that its impossible to pry enoughpeople away from GTA. That does make some amount of sense but why did it take them two years and innumerable failures to realise the same thing about live service games?Why dont Rockstar make more games?At this point, the only one capable of delivering something truly GTA-like is, funnily enough, Rockstar itself. Red Dead Redemption is very similar, including in terms of its level of success, and theres still some demand for a sequel to Bully, aka GTA in school.More TrendingBut given how important GTA is and how each iteration gets bigger and bigger, Rockstar is increasingly finding less and less time to work on anything else.After GTA 5, the only wholly new game it released was Red Dead Redemption 2. Even after it comes out, GTA 6 will likely take up most of the studios time for a decade or more and if they have time to make anything else itll probably just be Red Dead Redemption 3.It may be a stretch to say the era of GTA clones is over, as smaller takes on the concept will always exist, whether its mid-budget AAA games like the new Mafia title or indie titles like 2019s Shakedown: Hawaii.But for all intents and purposes GTA is too big to copy and as the cost of making games continues to rise thats only going to become more true over time. The only thing that might change the status quo is if GTA 6 isnt a success, but the chances of that are even more remote than another publisher making a big budget crime game. Is GTA simply too big to copy now? (Rockstar/YouTube)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

A mystery is finally being solved

Moana 2 opens in theaters this week just in time for the time honored tradition of Thanksgiving movie going. The sequel follows up the the most-streamed film on Disney+ with a new adventure starring Moana (Aulii Cravalho)and Maui (Dwayne Johnson). The first film introduced Moana as the next in line to lead the people of Motunui, which in Western media has been interpreted as her being a princess of sorts; in the sequel, her adventures continue as she learns how to be a leader. And yes, thats very reminiscent to a royal in training, if by royal we mean next chief and wayfinder in the making. Yes, Moana is officially featured as a canon member of the Disney Princess line up for that reason but truly her status is up for interpretation. Moana voice actress Aulii Cravalho spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the Disney Princess discourse as it relates to her character. Films are always representative of their times. For todays day and age, we want to see a young woman being the hero of her own story. So, yeah, she is a princess, but shes also a hero. I like that those two words are now interchangeable.It makes a bit more sense that Disney Princesses and Frozens Royal Queens (Anna and Elsa do not count as princesses) are separate Disney heroine categories, a classification that is, lets be real, mostly about selling toys under different banners. Thankfully, Moanas look will always remain thematically appropriate to her unique story; according to Cravalho, You probably wont see Moana in a ballgown. And thats fine.Moana 2 addresses the same princess or not? question in a very meta way, with Moana claiming shes not a princess and Maui pointing out a lot of people think she is. And so she will continue to be Disney Princess Moana of Motunui, chief in waiting and wayfinder. Moana 2 opens in theaters this week and Moana is now streaming on Disney+. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Circulation Retail and Repair Workshop / DDAASave this picture! Kenta HasegawaRenovation, StoreShibuya, JapanArchitects: DDAAYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Kenta Hasegawa More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. There is a four-way junction a short walk from Ebisu Station, where you will find an art gallery, CAGE GALLERY, and the Hender Scheme flagship store, sukima Ebisu, both run by laicoS, across the road from each other. laicoS seeks out interesting properties and creates galleries and shops to match the context. This project involved renovating the semi-basement space of a building on one corner of the four-way junction into a place called circulation for repairing and reselling products.Save this picture!circulation aims to circulate products by primarily repairing in-house and other companies' products by reselling, customizing, and holding workshops. Given this, we wanted to design the space as an extension of our previous work with them, such as the laicoS showroom and sukima Osaka, and in doing so, provide sustainable value by repurposing and repairing the space, including its context, rather than creating something new.Save this picture!Save this picture!The space at the front is used for selling products, and the workshop at the back is used for repair work. The workshop is insulated and sealed to control humidity, protecting the quality of the shoes customers have entrusted to the store and preventing the spread of dust. The remaining space for selling shoes is left as it was. A counter appears when you open the ready-made extra-large aluminum-frame sliding door halfway between the sales space and the workshop.Save this picture!The sales space floor is sloped, making it difficult to place furniture and shelves as usual. The old shoe racks with casters from the client's collection are lifted and attached to the wall in this space.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Shibuya, JapanLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeDDAAOfficePublished on November 27, 2024Cite: "Circulation Retail and Repair Workshop / DDAA" 26 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023988/circulation-retail-and-repair-workshop-ddaa&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

Radical Social Housing Project in Barcelona Wins the 2024 RIBA International PrizeSave this picture!Modulus matrix -85 social housing in Cornell, Barcelonaby Peris + Toral Arquitectes. Image Courtesy of RIBAThe Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded its 2024 International Prize to Modulus Matrix, an 85-unit social housing development in Cornell, near Barcelona. Designed by Peris + Toral Arquitectes, the six-story timber-framed building is a notable example of innovative social housing design. Its modular structure, based on a 3.6m x 3.6m grid inspired by traditional Japanese homes, creates a flexible and adaptable living space. The design prioritizes cross-ventilation, dual orientation, and a central communal courtyard, fostering social interaction and community building.Save this picture!The building's modularity allows for various apartment configurations, catering to diverse family structures and evolving needs. The design intentionally challenges conventional layouts, placing kitchens centrally and eschewing a hierarchy between living, eating, and sleeping areas. Inspired by architect Marta Peris's research into the films of Japanese director Yasujir Ozu, the project embodies a careful consideration of intergenerational dynamics. This approach creates what the architects term a "democratic house," promoting fluidity and interaction within each dwelling.Save this picture!The use of mass timber construction contributes to low CO emissions, and the modular system shortens construction time, making it a potentially scalable model for addressing housing shortages. Modulus Matrix's design features carefully considered details, including acoustic solutions and Barcelona shutters for privacy and shading. Related Article The Impact of Co-Living in Spain: 5 Projects with Multigenerational Shared Spaces The project's success in creating a comfortable and adaptable living environment is highlighted by positive feedback from residents who initially expressed reservations about the unconventional layout but later embraced its flexibility and functionality. The project's success is also rooted in its collaboration with IMPSOL (the Metropolitan Institute of Land Development and Property Management), a public body that provides land for socially innovative housing projects, demonstrating a successful public-private partnership model.Save this picture! Peris + Toral Arquitectes' inspiring housing project in Spain embodies the kind of transformational spirit that is both aspirational and demonstrates genuine change. By embracing flexibility and longevity through long life, loose-fit architecture, it is a radical approach to social housing that creates a place designed for people to adapt and inhabit in the long term. This visionary scheme allows for new and future ideas of what constitutes a family and should be seen as a blueprint for delivering sustainable, quality housing around the world at scale. It is a strong example of the ways in which architects can create new and implementable solutions to the common challenge of creating housing for all. - RIBA President Muyiwa Oki Save this picture!The RIBA International Prize jury praised Modulus Matrix for its visionary approach to social housing, its adaptability to changing societal needs, and its sustainability. The project's success serves as a significant example of how architectural design can create not only efficient and sustainable housing but also foster community and enhance the lives of its residents. The RIBA International Prize Grand Jury was chaired by Lu Wenyu, Co-founder of Amateur Architecture Studio, withTosin Oshinowo, Founder and Principal of Oshinowo Studio and Curator of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023, and Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, and Director, Research and Development, The Museum of Modern Art.Save this picture!The shortlist for the RIBA International Prize 2024 comprised of: Save this picture!Concurrently with the International Prize, the RIBA also presented the International Emerging Architect Award 2024 to ARCity for their "Six Bricolage Houses" project in Shenzhen, China. This award recognizes architects with ten years or less of experience who demonstrate significant contributions to the field. ARCity's project, located in Nantou Ancient City, showcases a pioneering approach to urban renewal through the creation of six self-built homes. The design integrates sensitively with the existing historic fabric, blending modern construction with the informal character of the urban village.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorCite: Maria-Cristina Florian. "Radical Social Housing Project in Barcelona Wins the 2024 RIBA International Prize" 26 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024028/radical-social-housing-project-in-barcelona-wins-the-2024-riba-international-prize&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

Nvidia Reveals Swiss Army Knife of AI Audio Tools: FugattoBy John P. Mello Jr.November 26, 2024 5:00 AM PT ADVERTISEMENTEngage with IT decision makers and key influencers. TechNewsWorld's B2B marketing services deliver sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Fill your funnel and grow revenue with our lead gen expertise. Get Started Today. High-powered computer chip maker Nvidia on Monday unveiled a new AI model developed by its researchers that can generate or transform any mix of music, voices and sounds described with prompts using any combination of text and audio files.The new AI model called Fugatto for Foundational Generative Audio Transformer Opus can create a music snippet based on a text prompt, remove or add instruments from an existing song, change the accent or emotion in a voice, and even produce sounds never heard before.According to Nvidia, by supporting numerous audio generation and transformation tasks, Fugatto is the first foundational generative AI model that showcases emergent properties capabilities that arise from the interaction of its various trained abilities and the ability to combine free-form instructions.We wanted to create a model that understands and generates sound like humans do, Rafael Valle, a manager of applied audio research at Nvidia, said in a statement.Fugatto is our first step toward a future where unsupervised multitask learning in audio synthesis and transformation emerges from data and model scale, he added.Nvidia noted the model is capable of handling tasks it was not pretrained on, as well as generating sounds that change over time, such as the Doppler effect of thunder as a rainstorm passes through an area.The company added that unlike most models, which can only recreate the training data theyve been exposed to, Fugatto allows users to create soundscapes its never seen before, such as a thunderstorm easing into dawn with the sound of birds singing.Breakthrough AI Model for Audio TransformationNvidias introduction of Fugatto marks a significant advancement in AI-driven audio technology, observed Kaveh Vahdat, founder and president of RiseOpp, a national CMO services company based in San Francisco.Unlike existing models that specialize in specific tasks such as music composition, voice synthesis, or sound effect generation Fugatto offers a unified framework capable of handling a diverse array of audio-related functions, he told TechNewsWorld. This versatility positions it as a comprehensive tool for audio synthesis and transformation. Vahdat explained that Fugatto distinguishes itself through its ability to generate and transform audio based on both text instructions and optional audio inputs. This dual-input approach enables users to create complex audio outputs that seamlessly blend various elements, such as combining a saxophones melody with the timbre of a meowing cat, he said.Additionally, he continued, Fugattos capacity to interpolate between instructions allows for nuanced control over attributes like accent and emotion in voice synthesis, offering a level of customization not commonly found in current AI audio tools.Fugatto is an extraordinary step towards AI that can handle multiple modalities simultaneously, added Benjamin Lee, a professor of engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.Using both text and audio inputs together may produce far more efficient or effective models than using text alone, he told TechNewsWorld. The technology is interesting because, looking beyond text alone, it broadens the volumes of training data and the capabilities of generative AI models.Nvidia at Its BestMark N. Vena, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research in Las Vegas, asserted that Fugatto represents Nvidia at its best.The technology introduces advanced capabilities in AI audio processing by enabling the transformation of existing audio into entirely new forms, he told TechNewsWorld. This includes converting a piano melody into a human vocal line or altering the accent and emotional tone of spoken words, offering unprecedented flexibility in audio manipulation.Unlike existing AI audio tools, Fugatto can generate novel sounds from text descriptions, such as making a trumpet sound like a barking dog, he said. These features provide creators in music, film, and gaming with innovative tools for sound design and audio editing.Fugatto deals with audio holistically spanning sound effects, music, voice, virtually any type of audio, including sounds that have not been heard before and precisely, added Ross Rubin, the principal analyst with Reticle Research, a consumer technology advisory firm in New York City.He cited the example of Suno, a service that uses AI to generate songs. They just released a new version that has improvements in how generated human voices sound and other things, but it doesnt allow the kinds of precise, creative changes that Fugatto allows, such as adding new instruments to a mix, changing moods from happy to sad, or moving a song from a minor key to a major key, he told TechNewsWorld.Its understanding of the world of audio and the flexibility that it offers goes beyond the mask-specific engines that weve seen for things like generating a human voice or generating a song, he said.Opens Door for CreativesVahdat pointed out that Fugatto can be useful in both advertising and language learning. Agencies can create customized audio content that aligns with brand identities, including voiceovers with specific accents or emotional tones, he noted.At the same time, in language learning, educational platforms will be able to develop personalized audio materials, such as dialogues in various accents or emotional contexts, to aid in language acquisition.Fugatto technology opens doors to a wide array of applications in creative industries, Vena maintained. Filmmakers and game developers can use it to create unique soundscapes, such as turning everyday sounds into fantastical or immersive effects, he said. It also holds potential for personalized audio experiences in virtual reality, assistive technologies, and education, tailoring sounds to specific emotional tones or user preferences. In music production, he added, it can transform instruments or vocal styles to explore innovative compositions.Further development may be needed to get better musical results, however. All these results are trivial, and some have been around for longer and better, observed Dennis Bathory-Kitsz, a musician and composer in Northfield Falls, Vt.The voice isolation was clumsy and unmusical, he told TechNewsWorld. The additional instruments were also trivial, and most of the transformations were colorless. The only advantage is that it requires no particular learning, so the development of musicality for the AI user will be minimal.It may usher in some new uses real musicians are wonderfully inventive already but unless the developers have better musical chops to begin with, the results will be dreary, he said. They will be musical slop to join the visual and verbal slop from AI.AGI Stand-InWith artificial general intelligence (AGI) still very much in the future, Fugatto may be a model for simulating AGI, which ultimately aims to replicate or surpass human cognitive abilities across a wide range of tasks.Fugatto is part of a solution that uses generative AI in a collaborative bundle with other AI tools to create an AGI-like solution, explained Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at the Enderle Group, an advisory services firm in Bend, Ore.Until we get AGI working, he told TechNewsWorld, this approach will be the dominant way to create more complete AI projects with far higher quality and interest.John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John.Leave a CommentClick here to cancel reply. Please sign in to post or reply to a comment. New users create a free account.Related StoriesMore by John P. Mello Jr.view allMore in Audio/Video

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Get all Revit Courses: https://balkanarchitect.com/?utm_source=youtube&amp ;amp;utm_medium=65YT24My Revit project files: https://www.patreon.com/balkanarchitect?utm_source=youtube&amp ;amp;utm_medium=65YT24Get my Personal Revit Template + Family Pack: https://balkanarchitect.com/p/balkan-architect-architecture-template-metric In this comprehensive video, we dive into the full range of documentation that can be produced in Revit. We cover everything from working views, creating views from levels, and duplicate views, to 3D views like default, camera, and walkthroughs (check out our previous video for more on that!). We also explore sections and elevations, callouts, drafting views, and legends. Additionally, we cover various schedule types such as schedule/quantities, graphical column schedules, material takeoff, and more. Finally, well show you how to create sheets and place views. Don't miss this in-depth guide to mastering Revit documentation!Subscribe for more!Please Like this Tutorial!Follow me on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balkanarchitect/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Balkan-Architect-278024016289562/?modal=admin_todo_tour Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArchitectBalkan Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro01:08 - How to make floorplans, Level tool and Plan views04:28 - Making different Working views, Duplicate View options08:51 - 3D views, Camera, Walkthrough10:05 - Callouts sections and Drafting views12:21 - Schedules 16:57 Sheets17:54 Outro65YT24