Larian has put out Baldur's Gate 3's last big community update of 2024, and it brings some nice news. Registration's now open for the stress test of Patch 8 that's set to take place early next year, so you you can throw your username in the hat if you wish.As the studio revealed late last month, Patch 8 is the final major update for BG3, it swears. What'll be in it? Well, a heap of things, such as crossplay, a photo mode, and 12 new subclasses - with the latter including the likes of a College of Glamour bard, bladesinging wizards, and drunken master monks.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. In that announcement, Larain made mention of stress testing for the update happening in January 2025, and it's now opened up registration for that test, so you can apply to be a part of it by going to this link. You'll just be reigering your interest, so you might not get picked, but it's worth a shot if you fancy it.As for why the test - which is available to folks on PC via Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation, but not Mac or GOG - is taking place, Larian explained: "A stress test aims to do exactly what it sounds like; rigorously test the latest game version to detect any instability or gameplay issues before Patch 8 releases. With your help, well be able to keep an eye on any funny business. To see this content please enable targeting cookies."Bringing cross-play to a game the size of Baldurs Gate 3 has been no easy task, and we want your help to test-drive this new functionality. Share the stress test registration link to summon your friends and settle in for a cross-play campaign, or head to the Larian Studios Discord Server to look for a group to play with."While mods should be ok, Larian also says this test'll be a chance for it to see how they mesh with Patch 8's new fgeatures, hopefully meaning that by release, load orders won't be giant barrel explosions waiting to happen. The studio's also winding down console mod curation for the holidays from today, but it'll be back on that grind in the new year.While you wait, Larian's also done its own advent calendar thingy that you can use to help celebrate whichever holidays you celebrate this time of year. There's even a video that sees Swen Vincke cheekily shoulderbarge somone who used to work for Eurogamer.

We'll Lu-seeFallout season two likely won't see Fallout 76 take its TV crossovers to a whole new level, as its devs don't want to "give fan service for just the sake of doing it""We probably won't go out of our way to add a whole bunch of stuff specific to the show, because we don't feel like we need to."Image credit: Bethesda/Prime Video News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Dec. 20, 2024 The second series of Amazon's Fallout TV show has already commenced filming, and even if we've still likely got plenty of time to wait until we see what Lucy, Maximus and The Ghoul get up to in New Vegas, that doesn't mean people aren't excited.It'll no doubt be a boon for Fallout games too, with the first series having brought players to the likes of Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 in droves, as the latter did some little crossovers with the show too. Given these were most limited to things like outfits, and the show's now cemented itself as the hit no-one could be 100% sure it would be heading into season one, as part of an interview about playable ghouls and other stuff, I asked 76's lead producer Bill LaCoste if the team will be looking to level up what it does crossover bit-wise for season two.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "I would imagine it would probably be along the same lines," LaCoste told me, "Because we have an appreciation for the TV show, the story its trying to tell and the characters it's trying to [portray], and we also have an appreciation for the story of Fallout 76 is trying to tell."So, very, very limited amounts of crossover, where it actually makes sense, because again, we're on extreme ends of the [Fallout] timeline as well. So, some of that crossover doesn't make sense. We just want to make sure that it's done in a way that is supportive of the TV show, but also allows us to just coexist within this story overall that's being told."We probably won't go out of our way to add a whole bunch of stuff specific to the show, because we don't feel like we need to. We feel like it's great to let the TV show do its thing and for people to love the TV show for what it is, but also love our game for what it is, and not just give fan service for just the sake of doing it. We'll do some things that make sense, [the] Vault 33 suit made sense, it's something that exists in the world and you can have it, but yeah, we'll probably keep that relatively light would be my guess."So, some stuff, but nothing that'd feel too out of place in the world of Appalachia, with its mothmen cults and giant snakes. Ok, I'm being a bit facetious there, but it will be interesting to see what Bethesda does do Fallout game-wise to coincide with Fallout season two, given how much chatter the series' lack of a recent release that the first series spawned, for better or worse.In the meantime, however, we will all at least have Fallout 76's playable ghoul to try out, in between squinting at alleged photos of Fallout season two sets.

Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo LifeIf there were a trophy for missing open goals, Nintendo would have a fair few in the cabinet. For example, why didn't we get a new Donkey Kong game back when the Super Mario Bros. movie launched last year? Why wasn't the Wii U called 'Wii 2'? And why, for the love of god, is there no Nintendogs game on Switch?There was a part of me, obviously swayed by some kind of Mandela effect, that was convinced the doggy daycare sim had gone on walkies on our beloved Nintendo hybrid in the last eight years. But no, I have consulted the Ancient Scrolls (our games database) and braved the Switch eShop, and no such game exists. That is, apart from the eerily similar-looking Little Friends: Dogs & Cats, but that's no purebred Nintendo puppy.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube This isn't a franchise I've thought about for the best part of 20 years, but, upon realisation, the absence of a doggy in the Switch window seems like a glaring omission. The OG sold like hotcakes on the DS (heck, it was the handheld's second best-seller after New Super Mario Bros.), and while the creatively-named follow-up, Nintendogs + Cats, on the 3DS wasn't quite as big of a Moment, I struggle to think of many people who have never experienced the pain of trying to teach one of these virtual dogs to respond to its name.Images: NintendoYou'd think Nintendo would do everything in its power to bring some of that DS and 3DS crowd over to the new system after the dark years of the Wii U, but no! Little-known curios like 'Zelda' and 'Mario' were apparently a "better business decision", whatever that means.The question is: why? The sales figures are clear as day, the cosy gaming scene has blossomed on Switch, and if deep cuts like Another Code and Endless Ocean have been given a seat at the table this year, why not the prize pup? I can only assume that there's one simple answer: Nintendo hates puppies Switch hardware.I played Nintendogs because I wasn't allowed a real dog (something that I, a fully grown adult, am totally over), and all of the appeal was in replicating the 'real dog' experience without any of the messy, real-life stuff. The catch is that all of that fun was tied to the DS and, in most of those instances, the Switch ain't gonna play ball.Think about it; you pet, play with and clean the pup via the touchscreen. Training is a strangely realistic case of shouting into the microphone with varying degrees of impatience. You meet other dogs by putting the device in 'Bark Mode' and crossing paths with similar users in the real world hey, StreetPass has a lot to answer for. A game without any of those features isn't Nintendogs, it's more like... well... Little Friends: Dogs & Cats.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kI suppose I could give my GoodBoi a belly scratch on the Switch's touchscreen, but docked mode isn't going to give the same dopamine hit. I understand Little Friends subbed in motion controls as a replacement, but I have clear memories of mindlessly petting the air on the Xbox Kinect's Kinectimals and the hilariously-titled follow-up Kinectimals: Now with Bears! (an attempt to capture the Nintendogs fever if I've ever seen one), and let me tell you, it was not the same.This, paired with the absence of a mic and the biggest sin of them all no StreetPass-style wireless functionality, makes it difficult to imagine what Nintendogs on Switch would look like. Perhaps things would be different if the Switch 2 delivers on all of the above, but unless the form factor drastically changes to prioritise handheld play over everything else (and, looking at those rumours, it won't), I might have to start being content with the idea that this is a Nintendo franchise better off going to live on the farm.See? You do still have a reason to keep that DS charged.But what do you think? Is there a home for Nintendogs on Switch and Switch 2? Would you like to see the series return one day? Bark your thoughts in the comments.Would you like to see a new Nintendogs game on Switch/'Switch2'? (0 votes)No results yet, check back later... Who's a good boy?Are we barking up the wrong tree?Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related Articles'Switch 2' Is Projected To Be The "Clear Winner" In The Next Console GenerationWhile either Sony or Microsoft will "struggle mightily"46 Games You Should Pick Up In The Nintendo Switch eShop Holiday Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherNintendo Shares Special Message: "Thank You For Joining Us Now And Into The Future"The Switch might be winding down, but more games are on the way

In BriefPosted:8:01 AM PST December 20, 2024Lerer Hippeau files to a raise Fund IXLerer Hippeau, one of New Yorks most prolific A-list VC firms, has filed to raise its ninth fund, according to an SEC filing made Wednesday. There is no target raise amount.Lerer Hippeau did not immediately respond to our request for comment.The firm, founded in 2010, has more than $1.2 billion in assets under management, according to Pitchbook, and has invested in more than 400 companies including footwear maker Allbirds, eyewear maker Warby Parker, social media platform Pie, gifting platform On Me, mattress company Casper, and the online furniture marketplace Kayio.Last year, it announced the close of two new funds: Select Fund IV for $85.9 million, which we reported would be used to back companies from Series A to C, and Fund VIII for $143 million, which we reported would focus on pre-seed and seed-stage companies.Topics

In BriefPosted:7:36 AM PST December 20, 2024Image Credits:Malte Mueller / Getty ImagesArizonas getting an online charter school taught entirely by AIThe newest online-only school greenlighted by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools comes with a twist: the academic curriculum will be taught entirely by AI.Charter schools independently operated but publicly-funded typically get greater autonomy compared to traditional public schools when it comes to how subjects are taught. But Unbound Academys application, which proposes an AI-driven adaptive learning technology that condenses academic instruction into a two-hour window, is a first for the model. (Unbounds founders have been running a similar program at a high-end private school in Texas, which appears to be in-person.) Unbounds approach leans on ed-tech platforms like IXL and Khan Academy, and students engage with interactive, AI-powered platforms that continuously adjust to their individual learning pace and style. There will be humans, just fewer of them, and maybe not actual accredited teachers: it will adopt a human-in-the-loop approach with skilled guides monitoring progress who can provide targeted interventions and coaching for each student.Academic instruction is whittled down to just two hours. The remainder of the students day will include life-skills workshops covering areas such as critical thinking, creative problem-solving, financial literacy, public-speaking, goal-setting, and entrepreneurship. The online-only school targets students from fourth to eighth grades. TopicsAI

In BriefPosted:7:23 AM PST December 20, 2024Image Credits:Josh Brasted / Getty ImagesRansomware attack on health giant Ascension hits 5.6 million patientsA May ransomware attack on Ascension, a U.S. healthcare giant with more than 140 hospitals and dozens of senior living facilities, allowed hackers to steal personal and sensitive health information on 5.6 million patients, according to a new filing with Maines attorney general. The cyberattack caused widespread disruption across its hospital system, with some staff describing harrowing lapses in healthcare as a result, including delayed or lost lab results, and medication errors.The Black Basta gang was blamed for the attack, which saw the group steal patients medical information, like dates of service, lab tests, and procedure codes; payment information, such as credit card and bank account numbers; and reams of personal information, including patient names, addresses, and dates of birth. The hackers also stole patients identity documents, like driving licenses and passports. According to the Dept. of Health and Human Services list of data breach investigations, the Ascension hack ranks as the third-largest healthcare-related breach of 2024.Topics

Movie & Games TrailersBack in ActionBy Vincent Frei - 20/12/2024 What happens when retired CIA agents try to live a normal life? Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx star in Back in Action, whose quiet family life is turned upside down when their cover is blown!The VFX are made by:MPC Scanline VFXCrafty Apes (VFX Supervisor: Blake Goedde)Redefine (VFX Supervisor: Jeremy Dineen)ILMFotoKemThe Production VFX Supervisor is Erik Nash.The Production VFX Producer is Jacquie Barnbrook.Director: Seth GordonRelease Date: January 17, 2025 (USA) Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2024

BCN3D, a Spanish manufacturer of fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printers, has secured a new investment round intended to strengthen its position in the light industrial segment of additive manufacturing. The funding coincides with the relocation to a new production facility in a European technology hub. This site, now fully operational, is configured for increased throughput and refined quality control measures. The timing of the investment aligns with the first anniversary of BCN3Ds Omega I60, an industrial FFF printer introduced in 2023 and used for producing large-scale prototypes, tooling, and end-use components.Executives say the capital injection supports a strategic pivot toward scaled, efficient manufacturing. According to CEO Xavi M. Faneca, This move enables a focused effort on light industrial applications, addressing evolving customer requirements for greater reliability and expanded throughput. The European facility, now fully operational, is configured for advanced quality control and capacity expansion. Backing has reportedly come from established industrial investors who see potential in increasing the availability of systems that can fill the gap between laboratory prototyping and heavy-duty production lines.The BCN3D Omega I60. Photo via BCN3D.Introduced a year ago by the Barcelona-based equipment provider, The Omega I60 operates at speeds of up to 150 mm/s and includes a heated chamber and automated humidity controls for materials. It has been integrated into workflows at organizations that previously found traditional injection molding dies time-consuming or expensive to produce. Wisconsin Precision Casting, a U.S.-based investment casting foundry, integrated the Omega I60 into its operations to produce plastic patterns for low-quantity batches. The printers ability to produce multiple parts simultaneously at speeds up to 150 mm/s has significantly reduced production times and costs. Similarly, Camper, a global footwear brand, has utilized the Omega I60 to accelerate prototype development, enabling rapid in-house iterations and improving both the quality and lead time of new designs.The system was displayed at Formnext 2024, which took place last month in Frankfurt, demonstrating its capabilities to attendees who sought systems that bridge the gap between concept modeling and short-run manufacturing. BCN3D plans to continue refining both hardware and materials portfolios. Future adjustments may include further development of high-strength filaments or process automation features.Recent Large-Format FFF IntroductionsIn 2024, BigRep, a German company specializing in large-format FFF equipment, unveiled its VIIO 250 printer at RAPID + TCT. The VIIO 250 features a 250-liter build volume and integrated automation capabilities. According to reported specifications, it supports unattended operation and uses engineering-grade and fiber-reinforced materials, making it suitable for industries such as automotive that require consistent output and minimal operator intervention.Elsewhere, Raise3d, a 3D printer manufacturer focused on improving speed and precision, launched the Pro3 HS line and its Hyper Core filament series. The Pro3 HS printers employ motion control systems to maintain accurate deposition of fiber-rich filaments designed for enhanced thermal conductivity. This refinement in filament composition aims to improve interlayer bonding and mechanical integrity, ultimately supporting better Z-directional strength and surface finish.New BigRep VIIO 250. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.Ready to discover who won the 20243D Printing Industry Awards?What will the future of 3D printing look like?Which recent trends are driving the 3D printing industry, as highlighted by experts?Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to stay updated with the latest news and insights.Stay connected with the latest in 3D printing by following us on Twitter and Facebook, and dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry YouTube channel for more exclusive content.Featured image shows the BCN3D Omega I60. Photo via BCN3D.

Brought to you by:As the year comes to a close, AN is looking back on some of the most interesting building envelopes covered in 2024. The list includes projects from around the world with a variety of material expressionsincluding glass, aluminum, concrete, and timberas well as programmatic functions, featuring a library, community center, institutional facilities, apartments, and offices.To keep up to date on the latest projects and most innovative enclosures, subscribe to our Friday Facades+ Newsletter! A mural by Jos Parl was digitally printed on the facade of the Far Rockaway Library. (Jeff Goldberg)New York CityIn Far Rockaway, Queens, Snhetta has designed a new branch for the Queens Public Library using orange-tinted glazing to reference the neighborhoods dramatic sunsets, which cascade over the Atlantic Ocean. Each IGU was also digitally printed with the composition Style Writing, a mural by Brooklyn artist Jos Parl. Snhetta worked closely with the glazier to appropriately balance the glazings transparency and color to allow light into the building, while also making sure that Parl mural is legible from the exterior. A new building designed by HDR in Rochester, Minnesota for Mayo Clinic was wrapped in a highly custom double-layered facade punctuated by oculi windows. (Dan Schwalm)Rochester, MinnesotaTo signal the scientific prowess of a new research facility for the Mayo Clinic, HDR designed a complex double-skin envelope consisting of a perforated-aluminum scrim that encases an inner layer of glazing. Views were maintained through selected cutouts in the scrim, which the architects call oculi, that reveal spans of glass with the least potential for solar heat gain and glare. The project also had to consider how to prevent snow accumulation and allow for cleaning and maintenance. To overcome these challenges, the architects added ice cleats to the scrims sloped surfaces and devised a series of hatches through the scrim that allow window washers to clean the buildings oculi openings.GROUPWORKs 8 Bleeding Heart Yard uses aluminum to mimic the stone facades of the past. (Timothy Soar)LondonIn London, GROUPWORK has brought old buildings back from the dead with its project 8 Bleeding Heart Yard. The firm reclad an aging midcentury office with aluminum panels that are detailed to resemble the facades of eight historic structures that once stood on the site. Working with Donald Insall Associates, a preservation firm, GROUPWORK sourced archival drawings of the original block to inform the design. The building also possesses founder Amin Tahas trademark references to mannerist architecture (and Venturi Scott Browns iconic Sainsbury Wing) with purposefully incorrect or slipped details occurring across the envelope. During daylight hours the central control buildings stainless steel panels reflect the sky. (Egemen Karakaya)Karapinar, TurkeyIn the deserts of Central Turkey lies one of the European continents largest solar fields. To support this vast photovoltaic array, Bilgin Architects crafted a rectilinear control center building that is wrapped in a grid of reflected stainless steel panels. Set against the broad horizon of the desert, the building nearly disappears during the daytime, only to reemerge at night thanks to a luminous backlighting configuration. Each of the panels is of varying degrees of perforation, protecting a glazed inner layer from the hot desert sun.Board-formed concrete was chosen for the facade of Shanfeng Academy to emulate the white plaster which is traditionally used in Suzhou. (Zhu Runzi)Suzhou, ChinaIn Suzhou, China, OPEN Architecture created an extension to Shanfeng Academy, an elite bilingual school. The campus layout is experimental, consisting of five primary volumes that are accessible through a multistory network of gardens and circulation paths. What ties the five structures together is the use of white board formed concretethis material references Suzhous traditional architecture, which is often constructed using white plaster. Though largely opaque, the volumes receive light through punched window openings of various sizes and shapes.The Inuusirvik Community Wellness Hub serves Iqaluit, Nunavut, the fastest growing city in Canada. (Andrew Latreille)Iqaluit, Nunavut, CanadaLateral Office, a Toronto-based practice, has completed a new community center located in the arctic territory of Nunavut. Named the Innuusirvik Community Wellness Hub, the building serves the city of Iqaluits Inuit community. Faced with the territorys extreme weather conditions and challenging material limitations, Lateral Office opted to clad the structure with brightly colored corrugated-metal panels, a choice that allows the building to stand out in the snow. Interestingly, the building is not designed to repel snow accumulation, as are most structures in northern climates. Instead, taking cues from the Indigenous igloo construction, the buildings form actually encourages snow accumulation, which provides additional thermal insulation during the winter.Flad Architects designed stepped precast concrete panels for Torrey View, a life science research campus, to emulate the sites canyon geology. (Jason ORear)San DiegoIn San Diego, Flad Architects have designed a new life sciences campus located within a canyon. To emulate the geology of the surrounding site, the architects wrapped the structure in a series of ridged precast concrete panels that frame expansive window openings. The panels stepped geometry also functions to repel water and dirt. Flad Architects worked closely with Clark Pacific, the manufacturer of the panels to create the precise color and mix of the concrete. An outer layer of shingled glass panels marks the entrance to MITs newest building. (Dave Burk)Cambridge, MassachusettsThe Schwarzman College of Computing, a new computer science facility of MITs campus, innovates with the use of glass curtain wall. To improve the buildings thermal performance and create a unique visual identity, architects at SOM implemented a double-layer facade along the front entrance of the structure. The panels on this outer elevation are purposefully overlapping, acting as glass shingles, and are upheld by two large V-shaped braces from below.The Shady Brook Office Building was faced with Accoya wood slats that are expected to silver with age. (Robert Tsai)DallasThe Shady Brook Office Building reimagines office space design in Texas, a notoriously hot state. Instead of building an enclosed air-conditioned boxthe norm for office construction in TexasCunningham Architects opted to use passive design strategies for the project and place the buildings circulation on the exterior. These corridors are shaded by the slats of Accoya wood that wrap the building and are ventilated via the venturi effect, wherein wind is compressed through the corridors, creating a pleasant breeze. The accoya cladding is expected to silver overtime, allowing the building to age gracefully.The apartments are clad with overlapping precast concrete panels. (Francisco Nogueira)Leiria, PortugalA bold new apartment building in Leiria, Portugal negotiates the juncture between a residential neighborhood and an urban corridor. Designed by Bureau des Msarchitectures, a practice that includes artist Didier Fiza Faustino, the structure is faced with a patchwork of concrete and gold-finished aluminum panels, the latter a reference to the yellow hues of the adjacent neighborhood. The aluminum panels act as modular sunshades, allowing tenants to open and close windows throughout the day. Taking advantage of its site, the building is half circular in plan, adding a unique formal expression to Leirias urban fabric.To dive even deeper into the world of high-performance envelopes, check out our live Facades+ events, coming soon to a city near you!

All images courtesy of Alexis Mata and The Hole, shared with permissionPsychedelic Distortions and Glitches Streak Across Alexis Matas Bold PaintingsDecember 20, 2024ArtGrace EbertFrom digital glitches to mind-bending distortions, Mexico City-based artist Alexis Mata is interested in how visual information gets lost or skewed as it shifts from one context to another. In his oil paintings, bouquets and vast desert landscapes spread across the canvas as if melting or stretching into unrecognizable forms. When your eyes look too long at the same thing, your mind makes the change, he shares.Mata excavates the relationship between analog and digital realms, and his process incorporates both modes of artmaking. Preliminary sketches fill notebooks that travel everywhere the artist does, while he continually snaps photos and records video as references.AI experiments help Mata better translate the strange, disorienting outcomes that these rapidly evolving tools can produce. But his research isnt just visual. I enjoy experimenting by writing poems or haikus in AI and seeing what emerges. Its an exploratory process, he notes.Rendered in bold color palettes, the trippy paintings draw connections between digital mishaps and the ways our brains warp an image, whether in moments of intense focus, dream states, or with the help of hallucinatory substances. I like to think that entire worlds are created within dreams, and these worlds ask to be brought into the light, he says.Many of the paintings shown here are on view in Fata Morgana through January 25 at The Hole in Tribeca. Explore more of Matas work, which spans stained glass and textiles to drawing and sculpture, on his website and Instagram.Next article