YouTube creators are increasingly optimizing their content for TV screens.There was an uptick in 4K videos and creators earning revenue from TV viewership this year.YouTube exec Kurt Wilms broke down the top performing content on the big screen.2024 was a breakout year for watching YouTube on the big screen.YouTube said this month that creator earnings from TV were up more than 30% year over year, and the share of videos uploaded in 4K was up over 35%.Kurt Wilms, senior director of product management at YouTube, said more creators are making highly produced, episodic content. Wilms leads teams responsible for YouTube's "living room" efforts."2024 was the year of living room," Wilms told Business Insider. "Creators across the board, no matter what content they're making, are leaning into optimizing their content for the biggest screen."Historically, many creators thought their audiences would be watching on a mobile phone and didn't expect them to watch for an hour or two in one sitting, Wilms said. But now, creators are no longer limited to thinking about making content in bite-sized pieces.Michelle Khare, who has 4.8 million subscribers, is an example of a YouTube creator focused on episodic content. Her "Challenge Accepted" series is divided into episodes and seasons. She also categorizes her content on YouTube and organizes similar-themed videos into playlists, which makes it easier to watch them all at once on a TV screen."One of the things that has happened throughout 2024 is content that's maybe traditionally viewed on television, like sports and kids' content, is performing well for us on the TV," Wilms said. "It's gained a lot of momentum."In YouTube Studio, creators can see their analytics related to how different videos performed across devices such as mobile, web, and TV."I would assume for most creators over time they're going to see a shift and TV viewership pick up," Wilms said. "I just think that's an overall industry trend and viewing trend that's going to happen."Looking ahead, Wilms said his team is thinking about how to better enable features that let the audience interact with creators more easily on the big screen. Kurt Wilms is senior director of product management at YouTube. YouTube Here are 3 high performing types of content on the YouTube app for TVs, according to Wilms:Watch-along sports contentA popular search term for sports-related content on YouTube is "watchalong," which is what creators call commentary-related videos for live events, including sports."You can come before a game to see the news, the predictions, the clips, the interviews, all leading up to a game," Wilms said. "When the game's going on, you can see real-time reaction highlights and commentary on the plays. Then, when the game is over, you can see all the official highlights and pundits talking about what they thought of the game."NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone subscribers can watch two to four streams together based on program start and end times with a feature called multiview.Wilms said next year, his team would continue to pilot a feature called "watch with," where the viewer can watch both an event and a creator at once on screen."Watch with was born out of this idea that creators are commentators," Wilms said. "We're in the early stages of development on this feature. But we think it's going to be amazing for creators and viewers."Content geared to kidsKids' content also performs well on TV, Wilms said."I think because one of the big value props of YouTube on the big screen is the ability to co-watch it with others, whether it's friends or family," Wilms said.In the last year, the Ms. Rachel YouTube channel, which has 12.8 million subscribers, had one of the platform's highest watch times on TVs, the company said this month.Last year, YouTube combined YouTube and YouTube Kids into one app for the living room. Now, YouTube is rolling out a feature for TVs called Parent Code, which allows parents to set a PIN code to access adult-focused content on the app.Long-form video podcastsYouTube creators are redefining what a podcast is.Traditionally, a podcast was thought of as an audio-only experience. But now, many creators make video podcasts that resemble a talk show format."With video podcasts in the living room, you can put it on your TV and watch or listen to it while you do something else hands-free," Wilms said.Wilms said viewers generally choose to watch content on the big screen over a mobile phone or a computer for three main reasons: they are dedicated fans of a creator; they want to watch content with others; or they are at home and watch while they do something else, like clean or make dinner.

One of the most secretive elements about Robert Eggers Nosferatua reimagining of a silent film that famously lifted its plot from Draculais what Count Orlok would look like. Before the film hit theaters, marketing material showed the vampire played by Bill Skarsgrd only in silhouette or shadow. This was couched in discussion of how freakishly terrifying the character would appear on-screen, but now that the movies out, audiences are also taking note of a surprising grooming choice. Obviously its that mustache! In a spoiler-y interview with Variety, Eggers was asked why Count Orlok has such distinctive facial hair. As is often the case with this writer-director, it started while he was doing extensive research ahead of production.To try to make a more scary vampire than weve had in quite some time, I went back to the folklore, he told the trade. Its something that I like anyway, but the early folk vampire was written about by people who believed that vampires existed. There was going to be some good stuff there, and the vampire of folklore is a putrid, walking undead corpse. That led to, he explained, wondering What does a dead Transylvanian nobleman look like?From there, Eggers said, he figured that meant this complex Hungarian costume with very long sleeves, strange high-heeled shoes and a furry hat. It also means a mustache. No matter what, theres no way this guy cant have a mustache. Try to find a Transylvanian person whos of age who can grow a mustache that doesnt have a mustache. Its part of the culture. If you dont want to bother Googling, think of Vlad the Impaler. Even Bram Stoker had the sense to give Dracula a mustache in the book. So there you have it: its a culturally appropriate choiceas you can see, other characters in the film, including Willem Dafoes Prof. Von Franz, also rock stachesand its one Stoker himself took into consideration while working on the 1897 novel that started it all.Nosferatu is in theaters now. 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.

By Thomas Maxwell Published December 26, 2024 | Comments (0) | OpenAI and Microsoft define AGI as AI software that can generate $100 billion in profit. Stefano Guidi/Getty OpenAI and Microsoft have a secret definition for AGI, an acronym for artificial general intelligence, or any system that can outperform humans at most tasks. According to leaked documents obtained by The Information, the two companies came to agree in 2023 that AGI will be achieved once OpenAI has developed an AI system that can generate at least $100 billion in profits. There has long been a debate in the AI community about what AGI really means, or whether computers will ever be good enough to outperform humans at most tasks and wipe out major swaths of the economy.The term artificial intelligence itself is something of a misnomer because much of it is really just a prediction machine, taking in keywords and searching large amounts of data without really understanding the underlying concepts. But OpenAI has received more than $13 billion in funding from Microsoft over the years, and that money has come with a strange contractual agreement that OpenAI would stop allowing Microsoft to use any new technology it develops after AGI is achieved. OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit under the guise that its technology was supposed to benefit humanity. The idea behind cutting off Microsoft once AGI is attained is that AGI would cause harm to humanity in the hands of a for-profit company. In exchange for investing billions in a nonprofit, Microsofts current agreement with OpenAI guarantees it a slice of profits until it reaches a predetermined cap somewhere in the tens of billions; the cap is meant to ensure most profit goes back to building products that benefit humanity, supposedly.As has been well documented at this point, OpenAI is no longer interested in this non-profit model, because the structure makes it difficult to raise more money and compete against other AI players. Since October, The Information says Microsoft and OpenAI have been negotiating changes to their arrangement, which also includes the tech giant serving as OpenAIs exclusive cloud hosting provider. Microsoft and OpenAI have been on diverging paths for some time now. It was recently reported that the latter has begun incorporating AI models developed in-house into its 365 Copilot product in order to improve cost and efficiency. It doesnt make sense for Microsoft to continue relying on OpenAI, an independent company, for technology that it believes will be the backbone of its productivity software going forward. Microsoft needs proprietary tech.OpenAI, for its part, is far away from achieving $100 billion in profit on technology whose true value remains speculative, which means it would likely have to keep giving its technology to Microsoft for a long timenot great when it looks like they are headed towards being competitors. And handing over large amounts of its revenue makes it less attractive to new investors, which it will need as it continues to burn cash. Getting rid of the cloud hosting agreement could also allow OpenAI to negotiate better hosting costs with an alternative provider.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published December 26, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 23, 2024 By AJ Dellinger Published December 23, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 23, 2024 By Matt Novak Published December 23, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 20, 2024

By Passant Rabie Published December 26, 2024 | Comments (0) | The American Meteor Society received more than 150 reports of fireballs in the night sky. Bethany T./The American Meteor Society Hundreds of stargazers reported fireballs over the southeastern U.S. earlier this week. But this was no natural phenomenonjust another case of dead satellites littering Earths orbit. The fireworks came from defunct Chinese satellite that reentered through Earths atmosphere on Saturday night and burned up over New Orleans, Louisiana. The satellites reentry resulted in bright streaks across the skies over several states, including Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi, according to reports shared online. Although the satellite didnt pose a threat to onlookers, its uncontrolled reentry highlights the need for better regulation of nonoperational space junk. Update: Chinese surveillance satellite enters Earth's atmosphere over New Orleans, Louisiana!pic.twitter.com/UGyp8Tx5dz US Civil Defense News (@CaptCoronado) December 22, 2024 The American Meteor Society received 152 witness reports of fireball sightings around 11 p.m. ET on December 22, but dismissed the event as not a true fireball. Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell later identified the source of the fireball as the Chinese imaging satellite SuperView 1-02, which reentered over New Orleans before heading north, he wrote on X. SuperView 1-02 was operated by Bejing-based company SpaceView, and launched in December 2016 as one of two satellites belonging to a constellation for civilian remote sensing. The two satellites were Chinas first high-resolution Earth imaging satellites, according to Space.com. They were initially placed in the wrong orbit, ending up in an elliptical orbit instead of a circular one, and had to gradually raise their orbit over time to begin their mission.SuperView 1-02 was decommissioned around two years ago, and left to reentry through Earths atmosphere in an uncontrolled manner. Some satellite operators equip spacecraft with the capability of performing a controlled reentry in order to minimize risk, but China is known for bad orbital etiquette. The South China Morning Post downplayed the incident, reportingthat the satellites reentry created a spectacular light show but posed no real danger, and adding that the event was unintentional. Defunct satellites wandering around Earth orbit are at serious risk of collision with other spacecraft. There are more than 27,000 pieces of orbital debris currently being tracked by the Department of Defenses global Space Surveillance Network, with lots of smaller pieces also floating around undetected. Moving around at high speeds, even the smaller bits of material, like micrometeoroids, can jeopardize active spacecraft in orbit.The European Space Agency (ESA) is developing ways to improve spacecraft reentry capabilities to help reduce orbital debris. The Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (DRACO), launching in 2027, is a satellite designed to gather data during its reentry through Earths atmosphere after a short-lived mission. Better understanding the science of reentry could help scientists design future spacecraft that dont risk damaging other machines in space when they are decommissioned.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published December 21, 2024 By Margherita Bassi Published December 20, 2024 By Matt Novak Published December 19, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 11, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 9, 2024 By Matt Novak Published December 4, 2024

Pavilion / STUDIO PIPPASave this picture!Gif 02Architects: STUDIO PIPPAAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:592 ftYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Jlia TtoliManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: EKSPER, Multipedras, So Geraldo Lead Architect: Priscila Gabriel More SpecsLess SpecsText description provided by the architects. The pavilion project originated from the client's premise: it needs to look like it has always been there.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The area delimited for intervention is located in the garden of a pre-existing house whose plasticity and materiality are reminiscent of the Brazilian modernist movement, evidenced by its exposed concrete roof structure, exposed ceramic brick fences, wooden structural elements and glass frames that provide visual permeability and enable interaction with the landscape.Save this picture!Save this picture!In defiance of current trends in construction, where imposing and increasingly robust elements are prized, we took the path of human architecture, which welcomes its users and dialogues harmoniously with the organic elements of the landscape.Save this picture!The design process consisted of searching for the essence of the existing house, and therefore maintaining the gene of its predominantly concrete materiality, which becomes the object of study in a game of scales and proportions.Save this picture!The study of the volumetric proportion, and especially the height of the ceiling, was a decisive factor in establishing a smaller scale, in order to bring the architecture closer to everyday experiences while also interacting with the landscape.A rectangular concrete block was proposed, measuring 10.5x5.25m and 3m high, which rests in the garden, adjacent to a tree that embraces it as if premeditating its existence. The thicknesses of the slab and structural walls in exposed reinforced concrete were based on the thicknesses of the existing slabs of the house and the slatted panels in Ip wood are also appropriate references to the pre-existing building. The glazing on the side openings are made up of sliding clear glass doors to integrate the vegetation of the garden into the interior of the pavilion, associated with sliding brise-soleils to control the incidence of sunlight and allow moments of privacy, as well as bringing dynamism to the faade.The pavilion's design briefing consisted of a restroom and a pantry, which delimit the core of the hydraulic installations, and an 8m clear span area, which can be adapted for a variety of uses such as presentation halls, exhibitions, offices and collaborative work spaces.Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:South Lake, Brasilia, BrazilLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeSTUDIO PIPPAOfficeMaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on December 26, 2024Cite: "Pavilion / STUDIO PIPPA" [Pavilho / STUDIO PIPPA] 26 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024294/pavilion-studio-pippa&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

In this shader tutorial for Unreal and Unity, we use the player icon we created last week to create a circle sci-fi button. I show how to combine multiply elements to create an active, pressed, and selected state for the button.------------------------------------Subgraph/Material Function Index:Gradients LinearGradient - https://youtu.be/sZBzg-v9d04?si=QDiy1CsgW-mMVsUJ&amp ;amp;t=251 SampleGradient - https://youtu.be/rSn7lUWUN0E?si=WPlixz4L8prnV32G&amp ;amp;t=2223 Sphere Gradient - https://youtu.be/d3VNolKJ_bw?si=Z6uaqA92_sClqpv-&amp ;amp;t=85Helpers AntiAliasing - https://youtu.be/sZBzg-v9d04?si=yJwmNYRkhzW4JFiP&amp ;amp;t=761 AspectRatio - https://youtu.be/fDjEq30dwNM?si=5iScu5SYD9shcxkh&amp ;amp;t=1758 Gradient - https://youtu.be/rSn7lUWUN0E?si=bMv1Wk0DYGsHV2Ty&amp ;amp;t=2200 HistogramScan - https://youtu.be/nj7kKHr8QNM?si=-3Odzad3nCI_eNsm&amp ;amp;t=290 Mirror - https://youtu.be/jxr4YK_m8hc?si=WsT2TJjLEqPQbKsC&amp ;amp;t=835 Posterize - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfY0v4q2dtw&amp ;amp;t=1408 RoundedCorners - https://youtu.be/fDjEq30dwNM?si=Znv2wk6lcJDL1R2T&amp ;amp;t=1254Patterns Animated Cloud Pattern - https://youtu.be/qB8GKIWKOp4?si=Zz_sp2E1yR9JPVvJ&amp ;amp;t=1136 AnimatedSheen - https://youtu.be/jxr4YK_m8hc?si=OO1tL6VqiPE3kVo_&amp ;amp;t=70 Bars - https://youtu.be/rSn7lUWUN0E CircleSegments - https://youtu.be/CXY7RNwokPU?si=igwTDBogjSz4KwoM&amp ;amp;t=56 SquareTiles - https://youtu.be/ChaXcYB4xvQ?si=dye3PAsDSxVCe8Yo&amp ;amp;t=657SDFs Circle - https://youtu.be/GMQym0in8OY?si=X9tSSWsdCwoKvPKy&amp ;amp;t=316 Rectangle - https://youtu.be/fDjEq30dwNM?si=6pataNA5gQySVmQl&amp ;amp;t=89 Operators SDFUnite - https://youtu.be/R_5CTBgkfZ0?si=sy2t2ppeTviChNog&amp ;amp;t=114Time LinearTime - https://youtu.be/jxr4YK_m8hc?si=P80Q0RBWMcmiKRG6 SineTime - https://youtu.be/R_5CTBgkfZ0?si=m6nMyzw7Pb76hPnq&amp ;amp;t=1420UV GridTiles - https://youtu.be/ChaXcYB4xvQ?si=NO-_A1AL92GrWCs2&amp ;amp;t=121 Move - https://youtu.be/R_5CTBgkfZ0?si=5aMYA2ocVdqHzdQj&amp ;amp;t=1010 Perspective - https://youtu.be/rSn7lUWUN0E Polar Coordinates - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfY0v4q2dtw&amp ;amp;t=1011 Scale - https://youtu.be/6UYqtdRoKQ4?si=eVy6RFwycKjYaH4r&amp ;amp;t=602 Tilt - https://youtu.be/jxr4YK_m8hc?si=RyE0GLt0BzDH0w6q&amp ;amp;t=207Here's last week's video on how to create the player icon for the button:https://youtu.be/JbgPKqU7J6w Here's the playlist for the whole series:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL78XDi0TS4lF5ASo3vpUFKenMkhMVeZ5y Shader Book Recommendationshttps://www.bencloward.com/resources_books.shtml ------------------------------Theme MusicPeace in the Circuitry - Glitch Hophttp://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=1526 Background MusicSpeo - The Little Thingshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvCYuyyLgC0 #UnrealEngine #shadergraph #Unity

Sci-fi skyrise modeled using the Random Flow addon in Blender.Shops:blendermarket.com/creators/blenderguppygumroad.com/blenderguppyPatreon:patreon.com/blenderguppy#shorts #b3d #blender3d #3d #3dmodeling #blendermarket #conceptartist #3dmodel #blenderaddon #3dmodel

Many games offer linear experiences, straightforward runs from start to finish that are still enjoyable in their own way. However, there are those that incentivize exploration, where going off the beaten path leads to surprising rewards. Our list of the best video game secrets of 2024 discusses various titles with amazing discoveries that truly enrich your playthrough.We've got everything from companions that take a lot of effort to recruit and collectibles that require quest chain completions, to hidden areas within hidden areas--a "Hidden-ception" if you will. We also talk about tricky puzzles, missable moments, post-credits playthroughs, and alternate endings. Naturally, we not only discuss secrets but also major spoilers for some of these games. Black Myth: Wukong - Secret boss fights and endingBlack Myth: Wukong is a treat for players that like discovering stuff on their own. As noted in our guides hub, the game has character upgrades that you can collect, side quests that aren't obvious at first glance, and hidden areas that have their own mysteries, too.Perhaps the most notable feature is its secret ending, which requires you to unlock and clear the hidden areas in each chapter. Doing so leads to an epic boss fight against Erlang Shen and the Four Heavenly Kings. The Destined One then transforms into a giant, leading to encounters akin to kaiju battles. It also shows a gorgeous ending cutscene that gives you a glimpse into the events from the Journey to the West novel. Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Solas' redemption and his romance with the InquisitorSolas' machinations may have led to the reemergence of forgotten elven gods in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but it's possible for him to find redemption. This presents you with an entirely new ending choice at the game's conclusion.To avoid confronting Solas, you must complete the entirety of the Regrets of the Dread Wolf quest chain to gain Mythal's favor. This has to be done well before the finale. Not only that, but if you choose Solas as the Inquisitor's romance option prior to starting the campaign--i.e. she needs to be a female elf for starters--and if you convince her that she's still in love with him, then the two can be reunited in exile in the Fade. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - 50 relics and the secret epilogueIndiana Jones and the Great Circle stars the globetrotting archaeologist in another unforgettable adventure. While it's not an open-world game in the vein of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, or Assassin's Creed franchises, it's still filled with numerous puzzles and hidden collectibles.Among these collectibles are relics, which are found in Vatican City, Gizeh, and Sukhothai. Should you obtain all 50 relics, including one in the last area, you'll be able to complete a tricky wall puzzle that shows a secret epilogue. Finally, you'll find out what truly happened to a character that's presumed dead. Until Then - New Game Plus and alternate realitiesLet's face it: Most players likely skip or ignore a game's the end credits, which is quite unfortunate. However, this is something you shouldn't do if you're playing Until Then, a visual novel with distinctly Filipino characters, themes, and setting.Once you've finished Until Then's story, you'll realize that something feels off, as though not every narrative thread was fully explained. These aren't gaping plot holes. Rather, they're part of a unique narrative device.After the end credits, choosing to continue brings you back to the game's first location. You might think that everything's the same as before, until you realize that there are a few key changes, such as interactions with different characters and new events that transpire. As you continue all the way to your next playthrough, you slowly piece together the puzzle to learn about the real outcome of the story. The Casting of Frank Stone - Cutting Room Floor outcomesThe Casting of Frank Stone is a collaboration between Supermassive Games and Behaviour Interactive. Set in the Dead by Daylight universe, this is one horror game where you have to make crucial decisions to ensure that all characters survive the night.What makes the campaign even more engaging is the Cutting Room Floor, an expansive feature that lets you replay specific moments to see alternate outcomes. There are hundreds of scenes with multiple interconnected branches to discover, leading you down a path that you may have missed before. For instance, a character named Chris from 1980 time travels to the present day, where she could interact with other protagonists. Of course, she and the other heroes could also meet their gruesome end. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth - Gilgamesh boss fightFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth is packed with so much content that your journey is likely to take a hundred hours. The game has so many activities, including Gold Saucer minigames, Queen's Blood card battles, and characters to date and romance. And, yes, there are several powerful summoned entities that will dazzle you as they lay waste to your opponents.One of these summons is Gilgamesh, who periodically shows up in cutscenes almost like a running joke. However, if you manage to complete all Protorelic objectives in every region, a time-consuming endeavor at that, you'll be treated to a special moment as Gilgamesh's own island emerges from the ocean. After clearing a gauntlet against several other beings, you'll have a shot to battle the legendary warrior himself. Defeat this foe and you'll finally earn the Gilgamesh summon as a fitting reward for your troubles. Fantasian Neo Dimension - Tough bosses and Divine ArtifactsFantasian, the brainchild of Mistwalker, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and Nobuo Uematsu, originally released in 2021 on Apple Arcade. It finally made its way to consoles and PC earlier this year. One of the new additions in Fantasian Neo Dimension is Normal mode, given that the original only had its default Hard mode.This, however, doesn't mean that boss fights themselves are walks in the park. Indeed, battles will still test your mettle, such as the one against Eternal Holy, an entity that emerges if you unwittingly open a particular treasure chest. Furthermore, there are various objectives you can tackle during the game's second half, like the acquisition of Divine Artifacts that unlock the Growth Maps (i.e. skill trees) of party members. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - Scaduview and Abyssal WoodsElden Ring wowed millions of people with its massive open world, brutal boss fights, and intricate level design. We still fondly remember the first time we stepped foot in the underground cities of Nokstela and Nokron, staring at the screen wide-eyed, mouth agape, wondering if what we're seeing was real.The expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, is no slouch in the secrets department either, especially with locations like Scaduview and Abyssal Woods. You can only gain access to the former by navigating the winding passageways of Shadow Keep, before doing an emote to reveal a hidden path. The latter, meanwhile, can also be accessed via Shadow Keep, but you have to go through an illusory painting. Let's just say that you've got your work cut out for you, since the region is filled with tough-as-nails enemies that cause the madness affliction. Stellar Blade - Eidos 9Speaking of the best video game secrets of 2024, Stellar Blade is right up there with all the collectible cans and outfits that you can obtain. But the most memorable has to be Eidos 9, a secret level with a strict unlock requirement.To reach Eidos 9, you need to pick up all sorts of data slates and documents, enough to reach 100% progress with Lily, your trusted companion. If you're unable to do this at a certain point in the game, then Eve and company will go directly to Spire 4 to proceed to the penultimate chapter. However, if you meet the requirements, Lily will ask Eve to travel with her to Eidos 9, a ruined city that's dotted with gigantic tracks that you could slide across. Naturally, you'll find more goodies while you're there. Dragon's Dogma 2 - The Sphinx, the Unmoored World, and the true endingLet's get this out of the way: You need to be ready for a lot of frustrations if you play Dragon's Dogma 2 while unprepared. The game not only has colossal boss creatures that can attack you while you're traveling, but also missable class unlocks and character romances. Perhaps more notoriously, there's a devastating curse known as the Dragonsplague that can wipe out entire towns.But your adventure will be enriched if you're patient enough to explore these lands. Your treks might even lead you to the Sphinx, who presents you with 10 riddles with equally amazing rewards.Well past that point, you can also get the game's true ending. To be clear, you're only given two options by default at the campaign's conclusion: You can either walk away from your dragon-boss opponent or defeat them in battle. But there's also a third option, which requires you to obtain the Empowered Godsbane Blade.The Empowered Godsbane Blade can be used to stab the dragon while it's flying, causing a chain of events. Soon, you'll find yourself in the Unmoored World, where the entire realm is facing graver threats in the form of deadlier monsters and bosses. You can either prevent wanton destruction by eliminating challenging bosses or look for a way to help citizens evacuate. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - Fariba's locationsSometimes, secrets don't need to be all-encompassing or overarching. They can be simple enough but functional nonetheless. That's what we see in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. While this metroidvania title has its fair share of tricky brain teasers, like the ones in the Sacred Archives and Upper City, it also has an NPC that you want to meet during your travels: Fariba.Fariba is a young woman who's very knowledgeable about Mount Qaf, the game's main region. While you do see her in your main hub, she also travels to other places and you usually don't have a clue as to her location. Be sure to purchase her wares if you manage to encounter her, since these reveal the full layout the area where she resides. These should greatly aid you as you further explore the game world. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes - Recruiting Leene and saving PerrielleEiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is an RPG inspired by the classic Suikoden series. Given the inspiration and the title of the game itself, you can expect to recruit 120 characters throughout the campaign. However, there are a few caveats, such as bugs that cause you to miss out on certain companions.Moreover, there's one companion who's missable due to her unlock requirement. It's none other than Leene, the sister of the main character Nowa. There's one specific moment where Leene will be able to join your team, and this happens near the conclusion of the story when Nowa is rallying his allies. Unbeknownst to everyone, an assassin takes aim to end your plans for good.If you've managed to recruit all 119 characters up to that point, Leene will suddenly show up to deflect the assassin's shot, saving the day and joining your squad. Unfortunately, if you have fewer than 119 characters, Leene will never appear and the assassin will kill Perrielle, one of your trusty companions, instead. Hades 2 - Reaching the surface worldHades 2 is twice the fun and twice the size of its predecessor. Not only are you able to explore regions in the underworld as Hades' daughter Melinoe, but you also get to travel to the surface world. There's just one problem: The game never really tells you how to do this.To be fair, reaching the surface world in Hades 2 is part of such a roundabout process that's likely to test your patience. Here's a short summary:You need to have conversations with Hecate, Moros, and Hermes to learn that Mount Olympus is under attack from Chronos' forces.This allows you to complete an incantation, provided that you have the necessary materials.With the incantation active, you'll be able to head to the surface. Unfortunately, Melinoe's lineage has cursed her, causing her health to deplete over time while on the surface.You then have to do a few failed runs until Moros tells you about another incantation.One ingredient that's required for this spell comes from the Realm of Chaos. The floor gates to Chaos have a chance of randomly appearing during your runs, so you just have to keep your fingers crossed.After obtaining the seed for this ingredient, you must plant it and finish a few encounters until it can be harvested.Once you have all the materials, you can finish the incantation to, finally, survive in the mortal realm. Star Wars Outlaws - Jet Kordo's Legacy and Outlaw LegendsOne can think of the Jet Kordo's Legacy/Outlaw Legends quest chain in Star Wars Outlaws as a scavenger hunt of sorts where you have to travel to multiple planets. Basically, this quest chain requires you to find the vaults of an infamous bounty hunter based on the clues that he's left behind. These clues come in the form of holographic images that show landmarks.What makes this secret fascinating is that you really need to be mindful of your surroundings. You have to look at the hologram and then see if a certain rock formation or building matches the image. Your device will also start to beep if you're close enough to your quarry.At the end of it all, you'll receive a nifty reward: the Cocktail Umbrella. This charm, if equipped, counts as part of any gear set. This means you only need to wear two clothing parts to activate a set bonus, as opposed to all three. Is this worth all the trouble? Well, you be the judge. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl - Prypiat Journalist StashStalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl takes players back to the Exclusion Zone several years after the events of the original trilogy. As Skif, you soon realize that someone has left behind containers to try and help other Stalkers in the region. These 12 Journalist Stashes found all over the Zone yield high-end, upgraded equipment like weapons and armors.But, that's not all. If once you've found all 12 containers, you'll learn that there's a secret stash in the ghost city of Prypiat. Getting there, however, is no easy feat, since you need to progress the story further. Upon arriving in the city, though, head to the abandoned apartment that's marked on your map. Inside the journalist's abode, you'll find a crate that contains a modified shotgun and sniper rifle, as well as a sturdy armor piece that grants bonus carry weight. You'll also see the fate of the person who's been trying to help you.That does it for our best video game secrets of 2024 guide. All of these objectives and activities lead you to newfound discoveries as long as you keep your eyes peeled during your adventures.Do you know of other awesome secrets from various games released this year? Let us know in the comments section.More Best Of 2024:Our Favorite Games That Didn't Make The Top 10Best PS5-Exclusive Games Of 2024Best Switch-Exclusive Games Of 2024Best PC-Exclusive Games Of 2024Best Xbox Games Of 2024Best-Reviewed Games Of 2024Best Of 2024 hub

The Wii stands as one of the best selling consoles to this day. So, it comes as a surprise to absolutely no one that it still holds some of the best local co-op and split-screen games ever. Take a trip down memory lane with us as we go over the best of the best when it comes to local co-op on the Nintendo Wii.

A player falls through the map in Dirt and more game fails.