Steam's Winter Sale is finishing soon, so be sure to grab the bargains while you can across Steam Deck and PC as we cover the end date and when you can expect the next saleTech14:20, 27 Dec 2024Don't miss your chance to save on Baldur's Gate 3(Image: Steam)Steam's Winter Sale carries into 2025, but not by much. In fact, Valve's huge deals are offering sooner than you might think.It's a good time to be a PC gamer with Epic Games is handing out free games daily, and Steam's discounts are always very welcome but they won't last forever.Here's all you need to know about the end of the Steam Winter Sale, and the next batch of offers on the platform in case you missed something on your wishlist.Elden Ring is one of the greatest games of all time(Image: Steam)Valve said the deals are running into 2025, and while that's true, the sale still finishes on January 2 at 6pm UK time.Need to find some deals quickly? We've got you covered across new releases, iconic titles, and indie darlings with our sale roundup.Content cannot be displayed without consentSteam has a series of themed sales that run throughout the year, and it's worth noting there are new midweek and weekend deals every week.As of the time of writing, we're expecting the next major sale event to be the Real Time Strategy Fest on January 20, although that's subject to change and restricted to a specific genre.After that, there are other sales but the next biggie is Steam Next Fest on February 24, which is focused on upcoming games and demos.So, if you're looking for the next big quarterly sale, you'll be waiting until March 13, 2025 for the Steam Spring Sale. That'll be followed in late June by the Summer Sale, and then we're back around for another Autumn Sale before you know it.Article continues belowStill, there are plenty of genre-focused deals to be found in the spaces between, so be sure to add games to your wishlist on PC or Steam Deck and get yourself ready for whenever those discounts happen. Doing so not only means you'll get notifications when you use Steam, but you'll also get an email reminder, too, so you never miss a deal again.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

Cancelled GTA Online discovered as Rockstar is hit by another Christmas leakAdam StarkeyPublished December 27, 2024 3:22pmUpdated December 27, 2024 3:49pm GTA Online has a longer history than expected (Rockstar)Early plans for GTA Online have been unearthed, as a separate leak reveals details around past Halo games.As the studio behind one of biggest gaming franchises in the world, its perhaps unsurprising that Rockstar Games is often affected by leaks.The developer was famously subject to a hacking incident in 2022 by British teenager Arion Kurtaj, who was ordered to be detained in hospital indefinitely in December last year. The leak itself included footage and screenshots from the upcoming GTA 6.Another GTA leak happened around Christmas Day last year, which included the source code for GTA 5. In whats starting to become an unfortunate tradition, more material from past games in the series has emerged online for Christmas this year.What is in the new GTA leak?This leak stems from GTAForums user FrankieLiberty, who has released a bunch of old Rockstar assets, including design documents for an early version of GTA Online from 2001, GTA San Andreas, and handheld entries GTA Advance and GTA: Vice City Stories.As detailed by X account GTAVI_Countdown, the documents show a version of GTA Online was in development in 2001 at Barking Dog Studios (now known as Rockstar Vancouver), the developer behind 2006s Bully. This version, which was apparently cancelled due to technical limitations, had many features present in the actual GTA Online today, like character customisation, different playable factions, the ability to own properties, and a skill system for certain attributes.FrankieLiberty has released this information as a sign of protest against an individual known in Rockstar fan communities as John Doe, who has allegedly been selling these stolen assets for a profit.Select ex-developers have made a killing off his sales while being entirely protected with him acting as a fence, they wrote on the forum. John Doe has easily made tens of thousands of dollars, often times reselling the same asset priced at e.g. 2k dollars to five different parties.That cannot stand AND shouldnt stand any longer John Doe has done enough damage, to his buyers, to Rockstar and to our whole community, by being a greed-driven, deeply irresponsible bad faith actor who thinks of themselves as the Robin Hood of stolen property.By posting these assets online, in what is billed as a Christmas gift for the community, FrankieLiberty hopes John Does assets will be devalued as he wont be able to resell them any longer for profits.What is the Halo leak?Coincidentally, this wasnt the only gaming leak over Christmas. As reported by dataminer Visceral, early builds and unreleased content from Bungie-developed Halo games have cropped up online.The material, which dates back to 1998 prior to 2001s Halo: Combat Evolved, stems from a Halo Digsite project; which was a collaborative effort between Halo modders and developer 343 Industries (recently renamed to Halo Studios) to restore cut content from past Halo games.While its unclear who actually leaked the Digsite files, X user DogbrainLudus, who recently left the project, confirmed the leak is real. I nor any of the recent Digsite departures did this, they wrote, before clarifying that they dont know who uploaded it.The source of the leak might be unknown, but some believe this will mark the end of Halo Digsite and could potentially damage the chances of future collaborations between modders and developers.More TrendingIn October, the rebranded Halo Studios confirmed it was working on multiple Halo games in Unreal Engine 5, with one rumoured to be a remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved. Halo Infinite proved to be not quite so infinite (Microsoft)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

The thing you need to know about OpenAI, according to OpenAI, is that its only goal is to solve the most important challenge of our time in order to benefit all of humanity and the whole world. That will continue to be the case, the organization said in an announcement on Friday, even as it restructures itself from a corporation controlled by a nonprofit to a stand-alone corporation that happens to throw a lot of money at an affiliated nonprofit.How does this restructuring help OpenAI fulfill its mission of benefiting all humans and things non-human? Well, its simple. OpenAIs current structure does not allow the Board to directly consider the interests of those who would finance the mission. Under the new structure, OpenAIs leadership will finally be able to raise more money and pay attention to the needs of the billionaires and trillion-dollar tech firms that invest in it. Voila, everyone benefits. Not mentioned in the press release is the fact that a year ago the non-profit board that oversaw OpenAI unsuccessfully tried to give CEO Sam Altman the boot for outright lying in ways that, according to former board member Helen Toner, made it difficult for the board to ensure that the companys public good mission was primary, was coming firstover profits, investor interests, and other things,With its new structure, OpenAI wants to maintain at least a facade of altruism. The for-profit company will be incorporated as a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation, which means that its board can consider how the companys actions impact stakeholders like employees and customers in addition to its fiduciary responsibility to shareholders (Corporate law experts have pointed out that normal corporations are also perfectly free to do this). Other publicly traded Delaware Public Benefit Corporations include Laureate Education, which operates a string of for-profit universities around the world, including one that was accused multiple times of misleading students about the cost of its degree programs (Laureate sold Walden University prior to the university settling a class action lawsuit earlier this year for $28.5 million). Another is Lemonade Inc., an insurance company that once advertised, and quickly apologized for, an AI feature it claimed could detect fraudulent customers by analyzing their faces.Mixed in with all the effective accelerationist saviorism in OpenAIs announcement, is the clear message that the new company plans to raise a ton more money to further its drive toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). According to reporting from The Information, OpenAI and Microsoft have defined AGI as systems that can generate at least $100 billion in profits. You know, the hallmark of intelligence. What will become of the nonprofit that currently oversees the company is less clear, although it certainly wont be pinching pennies. It wasnt a very traditional nonprofit to begin with, having quickly churned through $137 million in donated cash from Elon Musk and other tech moguls in addition to more than $100 million in free computing from Google, Microsoft, and others in order to create generative AI systems that now benefit for-profit corporations.After the corporate transition is complete, the nonprofit wont have any oversight duties at OpenAI but it will receive shares in the new for-profit company and be one of the best-resourced non-profits in history, according to OpenAIs press release. That will allow it to pursue charitable initiatives in sectors such as health care, education, and science. Needless to say, it wont be long before we all start benefitting from its charity.

By Passant Rabie Published December 27, 2024 | Comments (0) | An artist's impression of the Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun. NASA The Parker Solar Probe survived its super close encounter with the Sun, resuming communication with its mission operations team a few days after its scorching hot flyby. NASAs solar probe transmitted a beacon tone back to Earth just before midnight on Thursday, indicating that the spacecraft is in good health and operating normally, the space agency wrote in a blog update. Parker Solar Probe had gone quiet during its closest approach on Tuesday, an expected communications blackout that meant the mission operations team would not know whether or not the spacecraft survived its daring Christmas Eve feat. The team can now rest easy knowing that the missions most daunting quest was successful. During its closest approach, Parker Solar Probe came within just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the Suns surface. At that distance, the solar probe broke its own record for closest solar approach by a spacecraft. For perspective, Earth is 93 million miles (149 million kilometers) away from our host starnearly 25 times farther from the Sun than Parker was on Tuesday. During its closest approach, the spacecraft was traveling at a record-breaking speed of 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometers per hour), making it the fastest a human-made object has ever travelled. During the probes closest approach to the burning ball of plasma, it withstood temperatures of about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (982.2 degrees Celsius). Because Parker gets so close to the Sun, it also needs an extra thick heat shield to survive scorching hot temperatures.The mission is expected to send back detailed telemetry data regarding its status on January 1, 2025, according to NASA. This close-up study of the Sun allows Parker Solar Probe to take measurements that help scientists better understand how material in this region gets heated to millions of degrees, trace the origin of the solar wind (a continuous flow of material escaping the Sun), and discover how energetic particles are accelerated to near light speed, NASA wrote in its blog update. Previous close passes have helped scientists pinpoint the origins of structures in the solar wind and map the outer boundary of the Suns atmosphere. The Parker Solar Probe launched in August 2018 with a mission to touch the Sun. Before Tuesdays record-breaking encounter with the star, the spacecraft has carried out 21 close approaches to the Sun, coming as close as 4.51 million miles (7.26 million km) of the solar surface. With each approach, the solar probe inched its way closer to the surface of the Sun. In November, the Parker Solar Probe carried out its seventh and final flyby of Venus, setting it up for its closest approach yet.This weeks flyby is the first of three close approaches to the Sun made at the same distance. Each solar encounter feeds the mission with precious data about our host star, which could clarify the complex physics of our star and the way its dynamic phenomenafrom its explosive eruptions to its windaffects the rest of the solar system.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published December 26, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 23, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 23, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 21, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 20, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 20, 2024

As a show about time travel, Doctor Who has never been unafraid to incorporate contemporary moments into its stories. But this weeks holiday special Joy to the World made a particularly pointed and emotional pull from recent memory part of its whole emotional arcone that writer Steven Moffat felt was impossible to ignore. Part of Joy to the World sees Nicola Coughlans guest companion, the titular Joy, become the host of a mysterious, weaponized briefcase the Doctor has been trackinga process they both discover is deadly for whoever the briefcase latches on to. Trying to puzzle out just how to free Joy from the briefcase without killing her, the Doctor suddenly turns on his new friend: angrily mocking her for putting up a fake front to other people, hiding her misery and sadness on Christmas of all days. The Doctor keeps pushing and poking at Joy until suddenly she lashes out back at him: the reason she whisked herself away to a dingy hotel on Christmas was to avoid other people, and avoid confronting the anger she felt at watching her own mother die in hospital on Christmas Day during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. She died on Christmas day. OnChristmas day, and I said goodbye on an iPad because of the rules she yells at him. She died alone! And those awful people with their wine fridges, and their dancing, and their parties, and I listened to themand I let my mother die alone.I think it was something else in the very first draft, I cant remember what. And then I was sitting there thinking, Why would you be angry on Christmas Day?, Moffat recently told the Hollywood Reporter about the story beat. And I thought, Well, oh my God, thats it! Once youve thought of that one, youre not going to leave it behind. Thats why you would be angry on Christmas Day. Its a particularly pointed reference not just to the pandemic itself, but the anger felt in the UK at the time after a series of reports exposed that several members of the Conservative government at the time, including then-Prime-Minister Boris Johnson, flaunted new rules and laws against gatherings of multiple people during lockdowns throughout 2020, hosting parties at government officesone of several scandals that ultimately lead to Johnsons eventual resignation in 2022. But for Moffat, incorporating that anger, and incorporating the pandemic specifically, felt natural.I think a certain amount of outrage was on the minds of very, very many people. But its not something you want to make a huge point about. It was just looking for a reason that means something about why someones sad on Christmas Day, the writer continued. Ive heard that version of that story so many times. So many times. I dont think theres anyone who doesnt know someone who has that story, or who has that story themselves. Its a piece of our history now. Our very recent history; its defined us. So, if someones going to be angry on Christmas Day, why not that? That was a good reason. Its certainly far from the first timeand definitely wont be the lastwe seeDoctor Who have a less-than-amicable view of contemporary British politics. But perhaps not the cheeriest thing for a Christmas day adventure to dig into. 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.

Servan Workspace Project / Studio Vincent EschalierSave this picture! Axel DahlOffice BuildingsParis, FranceArchitects: Studio Vincent EschalierAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:3000 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Axel DahlSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. 49 rue Servan, Paris 11th district. Studio Vincent Eschalier reimagines a complex of four buildings in a transparent project. The studio's approach highlights the existing buildings and their history, while opening to modernity with large floor plates, several living areas and green outdoor spaces. Located in a street of eclectic architecture and industrial heritage, between the lively neighborhoods of Saint-Ambroise and La Roquette, this building was originally built by the prestigious Gaveau piano factory in the 1850s. The Gaveau workshops and stores then gave way to the Legrand shoe manufacturers. Today, 49 rue Servan is a complex of four connected buildings housing 3,440 sq. m. of workspace and 445 sq. m. of green outdoor space. The roof terrace has been converted into a living and working space. An agora under a glass roof seats one hundred people, filled with zenithal light. OSESAM was the project owner for this project.Save this picture!Light and greenery for a workspace focused on user well-being - Finding the right geometries and perspectives, understanding the existing building and using its strengths: Studio Vincent Eschalier takes pride in letting the history of the site shine through. The building's typicity and geometry therefore guided the design of this complex, designed with transparency from east to west. The first building a new construction overlooks Rue Servan. Its facade asserts an industrial style, punctuated by black metal joinery and grounded by a base of light-colored stone from the Paris Basin. The whole is softened by its exposed wooden structure, visible from the street. The space benefits from ample natural lighting. The building and its volume are crowned by a non-accessible green roof, which helps to reduce the site's carbon footprint. The three refurbished interior buildings reflect a more intimate approach. Visitors enter through a tree-lined courtyard. Completely reinvented, the interiors feature light-colored mineral materials to capture light and highlight the spaces' cross-lighting qualities, as well as the structural and technical elements left exposed. The third building features a pavilion roof, a true open-air meeting area. This new circulation flow, both workspace and living space, is entirely designed in wood and benefits from green plant installations. Users can circulate around two remarkable glass roofs, which create a visual connection between the different levels. The first glass roof, identifiable by its geometry, houses the agora. A second glass roof connects the last buildings, opening onto a light-filled showroom. The architecture designed by Studio Vincent Eschalier places visitors at the heart of the real journey, punctuated by a layering of different spatial experiences. The space beneath the glass roofs, the agora, the transparency of Building A, the pavilion and the space under the roof structure on the 4th floor. Each place approaches a unique concept of space. However, all are clearly connected through a repetition of raw, existing materials notably exposed concrete, wood and steel.Save this picture!Sustainable rewriting - Existing volumes have been respected and maximized. The project promotes the dry wood-metal process, and the reuse of materials on-site to limit the carbon emissions. The entire project has been designed with energy efficiency in mind, using geothermal energy, external insulation, new joinery and hydro-economy equipment. The omnipresence of green surfaces and the contribution of open ground help to regulate the heat of the area and promote biodiversity. Between tradition and risk-taking, the Vincent Eschalier architecture and design studio sculpts strong spaces, with raw language and meticulous detail. Founded in Paris in 2009, the studio stands out for the complexity and boldness of its creations. The multi-disciplinary team's work is guided as much by high standards as by the ambition to produce timeless creations. From the interior of a private jet to contemporary apartments and customized workspaces, not forgetting the creation of recycled aluminum door handles, Studio Vincent Eschalier's creations cross several disciplines, the main ones being architecture, interior architecture and design.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Paris, FranceLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on December 27, 2024Cite: "Servan Workspace Project / Studio Vincent Eschalier" 27 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024565/servan-workspace-project-studio-vincent-eschalier&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

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It's been hard to keep up with VR games in 2024, and that's a good thing. The Batman Arkham series got a great new entry, Batman: Arkham Shadow, exclusively on Meta Quest 3. Metro Awakening introduced itself as a VR rendition that acts as a prequel to the Metro series, while Skydance's Behemoth is betting on dark fantasy, building upon the ideas of the underrated The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners games. The psychedelic Thumper got a spiritual successor with Thrasher, and there's even been a quality remake of an old VR game, Arizona Sunshine, after a sequel in 2023.From the outside, VR seems to be going through a pivotal period. If you look at 2023, the space was already gearing up for this momentum with Asgard's Wrath 2, Assassin's Creed Nexus, and the VR version of the Resident Evil 4 remake releasing in the latter half of the year. But these are all big bets considering that the space remains a niche market; motion sickness continues to be one of multiple issues. Though some games have been better at offering more accessibility options, the platform is far from suitable for disabled players.While game releases have been a highlight, the same can't be said for the companies behind them and the headsets themselves. Sony reportedly paused production for the PSVR 2 in March to clear a surplus backlog of units, and PlayStation London Studio (which was behind the likes of Blood & Truth and PlayStation VR Worlds) was shut down in May. Meanwhile, Meta laid off workers within the Reality Labs division; shut down multiple games since last year, as well as the studio behind Echo VR, which the company acquired four years ago; canceled plans for an Apple Vision Pro competitor; closed down the augmented reality studio Spark; and put the VR version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on hold indefinitely.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Long gone are the days when all anime was simply a form of entertainment, with the genre transcended into a great medium to help explore guilt, shame, and most importantly, mental health. Anime thinks deeply about psychological struggle and provides representation and relief in the form of character building and intricate stories. Anime helps promote empathy and understanding for characters that struggle with mental challenges, such as we see in heroes who struggle not to lose themselves and their connection with people and society.

While 2024 was a low-key year for Capcom, the Japanese publisher has been on a recent tear of bringing back beloved franchises. Finishing its spree of Ace Attorney remasters and translations with Ace Attorney Investigations Collection was just the start, as it quickly followed that with the launch of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. What really blew old Capcom fans away, though, was its announcements at The Game Awards 2024. Not only was Onimusha: Way of the Sword a new mainline entry in its franchise, nearly twenty years after the last one, a console sequel for Okami was finally announced.