Welcome to our annual breakthroughs issue. If youre an MIT Technology Review superfan, you may already know that putting together our 10 Breakthrough Technologies (TR10) list is one of my favorite things we do as a publication. We spend months researching and discussing which technologies will make the list. We try to highlight a mix of items that reflect innovations happening in various fields. We look at consumer technologies, large industrial-scale projects, biomedical advances, changes in computing, climate solutions, the latest in AI, and more.Weve been publishing this list every year since 2001 and, frankly, have a great track record of flagging things that are poised to hit a tipping point. When you look back over the years, youll find items like natural-language processing (2001), wireless power (2008), and reusable rockets (2016)spot-on in terms of horizon scanning. Youll also see the occasional miss, or moments when maybe we were a little bit too far ahead of ourselves. (See our Magic Leap entry from 2015.)But the real secret of the TR10 is what we leave off the list. It is hard to think of another industry, aside from maybe entertainment, that has as much of a hype machine behind it as tech does. Which means that being too conservative is rarely the wrong call. But it does happen.Last year, for example, we were going to include robotaxis on the TR10. Autonomous vehicles have been around for years, but 2023 seemed like a real breakthrough moment; both Cruise and Waymo were ferrying paying customers around various cities, with big expansion plans on the horizon. And then, last fall, after a series of mishaps (including an incident when a pedestrian was caught under a vehicle and dragged), Cruise pulled its entire fleet of robotaxis from service. Yikes.The timing was pretty miserable, as we were in the process of putting some of the finishing touches on the issue. I made the decision to pull it. That was a mistake.What followed turned out to be a banner year for the robotaxi. Waymo, which had previously been available only to a select group of beta testers, opened its service to the general public in San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2024. Its cars are now ubiquitous in the City by the Bay, where they have not only become a real competitor to the likes of Uber and Lyft but even created something of a tourist attraction. Which is no wonder, because riding in one is delightful. They are still novel enough to make it feel like a kind of magic. And as you can read, Waymo is just a part of this amazing story.The item we swapped into the robotaxis place was the Apple Vision Pro, an example of both a hit and a miss. Wed included it because it is truly a revolutionary piece of hardware, and we zeroed in on its micro-OLED display. Yet a year later, it has seemingly failed to find a market fit, and its sales are reported to be far below what Apple predicted. Ive been covering this field for well over a decade, and I would still argue that the Vision Pro (unlike the Magic Leap vaporware of 2015) is a breakthrough device. But it clearly did not have a breakthrough year. Mea culpa.Having said all that, I think we have an incredible and thought-provoking list for you this yearfrom a new astronomical observatory that will allow us to peer into the fourth dimension to new ways of searching the internet to, well, robotaxis. I hope theres something here for everyone.

Other World Computing's CES 2025 offerings include massive storage with the OWC ThunderBlade X12 and connectivity with the OWC Active Optical Cable.OWC ThunderBlade X12The OWC ThunderBlade X12 is a high-capacity, high-bandwidth storage device aimed at video professionals, including digital imaging technicians on film and TV productions. OWC offers it can be used as a production shuttle RAID in a portable size.The aim of the device is that it solves the niche problem of a RAID solution compatible with RAID 5, that handles both massive storage capacities and sustained fast speeds for on-set footage ingestion. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Remedy Entertainment has been on a roll lately with titles like Control and Alan Wake 2. Its future line-up also looks very promising, with FBC: Firebreak coming this year. Max Payne 1 + 2 Remake has also entered full production, with Control 2 to follow at some point in 2025.With production values ramping, its interesting how Remedy has drawn inspiration from Naughty Dog of The Last of Us fame. This isnt a recent development either. Alan Wake 2 director Kyle Rowley said in the Behind the Voice podcast that he brought this up while working on Quantum Break.When I came to Quantum Break, I was excited about working on something that had One of my favorite games at the time was Uncharted And I remember discussing it with our lead animator. I was like, We should be aiming to kind of be like the European version of Naughty Dog. That would be cool if we could get that same level of feel, and that was the type of game I like to play. I was excited about working on it. Given the success of Alan Wake 2, which sold over 1.8 million copies as of November 2024, its safe to say that Remedy has achieved a similar expertise in crafting memorable narratives.Alan Wake 2 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here, where we gave it a nine out of ten.

When compared to the first-party outputs of other platforms, the Xbox Series X usually comes up short. However, 2024 saw significant improvements with several high-profile exclusives. Of course, there are plenty of third-party titles worth playing on the console as well, so without further ado, check out the 15 best Xbox Series X games of 2024.Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024Launch issues, Career Mode bugs, performance problems (more so on PC than console) even with all that in mind, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a worthwhile new addition to the Xbox library. The sheer range of new aircraft combined with new activities in Career Mode, World Photographer including walking outside your plane in multiple rich biomes and additional aircraft systems offer a rich experience. And when it works, theres nothing quite like soaring the skies and peering down all creation.

Set to launch not long from now on February 4,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is promising an authentic, grounded open world action RPG experience unlike most of what we see from the genre, and naturally, the game has had no shortage of eyes on it leading up to its release. To prepare for its launch, here, were going to go over a few key details about the game that you should know, from its open world setting to the sort of gameplay experience it looks set to deliver and more.SETTINGOne ofKingdom Come: Deliverancesbiggest selling points was its open world setting and how it was completely grounded in realism. Thats something that Warhorse Studios is looking to repeat with Deliverance 2. Set in the the early 15th century, the game will once again take players to what the developer says is an authentic and grounded recreation of Central Bohemia. You can also expect a much larger world this time around, though well get to that in a bit.STORYAs its name implies,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is a direct follow-up on its predecessor, which many were surprised by when Warhorse Studios first made the announcement. That, of course, means former blacksmith Henry will once again feature as the protagonist, and once again, you can expect him to become embroiled in a number of large-scale conflicts, on top of his own personal tale of revenge. According to the developer, the game will feature over 5 hours of cutscenes, so theres going to be plenty of story to get through.TWO MAPSSequels love to go bigger and better, and sure enough,Deliverance 2is doing that by having not one, but two full-fledged open world maps. The two maps will see players exploring the region known as the Bohemian Paradise and the city of Kuttenburg, though they will be entirely separate from each other. Overall, Warhorse Studios says the game is supposed to be about twice as large as its predecessor.KUTTENBURGThe aforementioned city of Kuttneburg is going to be a major location inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2.One of the worlds biggest hubs of trade and civilization at the time, the large silver mining city will be a new kind of environment for the IP. Speaking to IGN about the city, art director Viktor Hschl said, We are trying to depict a realistic, immersive, and believable medieval world that is being reconstructed to the best of our knowledge. Naturally, to achieve that, we are not only having our in-house historian, but we are very closely working together with universities, historians, museums, re-enactors, and a group of experts from different ethnicities or religious beliefs that we are actively incorporating into development as external advisors.LENGTHWarhorse Studios has made an effort to impress upon everyone just how massive of an experienceKingdom Come: Deliverance 2is going to be, and that certainly seems to be reflected in its runtime. According to its developer, the game is going to be about 80-100 hours long. Presumably, those looking to dive fully into its optional offerings will be able to get even more out of it.REPUTATION SYSTEMChoice and consequence mechanics are clearly going to be a big focus inDeliverance 2, and a reputation system will have a big role to play in that. Specifically, depending on your play style, Henry can develop different kinds of reputations for himself, which changes the way NPCs react to him. So if, for instance, you like to do a lot of thieving, NPCs will behave accordingly. Interestingly enough, Warhorse Studios says that will also impact what kinds of decisions Henry will be making in turn, both on micro and macro levels.COMBAT DETAILSKingdom Come: Deliverancesfirst-person melee combat wasnt to everyones tastes, butDeliverance 2is seemingly making some key improvements. On top of tighter controls, more responsive action, and mechanics that area easier to master, the developer is also promising more meaningful variety across different weapon types. That means swords and maces, for instance, will have their own fighting styles, advantages, and disadvantages, which should offer some interesting depth.CROSSBOWS AND FIREARMSKingdom Come: Deliverance 2sgreater emphasis on variety where weapons are concerned will also extend to newly introduced ranged options. Specifically,the game features crossbows and some firearms as available weapons, with neither having been an option in the first game. Obviously, melee combat is going to be your primary means of engagement in combat situations, though you are going to have ranged options now as well, at the very least.SURVIVAL ELEMENTSSurvival elements will continue to play an important role inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Players will have to ensure that Henry is eating and sleeping regularly, and how you choose to tackle those problems will have consequences. For instance, if Henry is found sleeping somewhere he shouldnt be, he will be woken up rather than being allowed to finish his rest. Meanwhile, depending on where you go to sleep, Henry can also be attacked and ambushed while hes sleeping.ALCHEMYHenry is a blacksmith by trade, but alchemy will also be an important part of the gameplay loop inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Specifically, going out into the world and looking for resources to gather will be something players will be doing plenty of, with those resources then being used to craft a variety of potions (and yes, the saving potion is returning as well).GRAPHICS MODESAs confirmed by Warhorse Studios,Deliverance 2will feature Performance and Fidelity modes both PS5 and Xbox Series X, with the former running at an upscaled 1440p at 60 FPS, and the latter at an upscaled 4K and 30 FPS. On Xbox Series S, meanwhile, the game will run at 1080p and 30 FPS, with no 60 FPS option offered.PS5 PRO ENHANCEMENTSUnsurprisingly,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is also confirmed to feature PS5 Pro support. In addition to the aforementioned Performance and Fidelity modes, on Sonys more powerful console, the game will also feature a Pro mode, which will run the game at an upscaled 4K (courtesy of PSSR) and 60 FPS.PC REQUIREMENTSFor those hoping to play the game on PC,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2srequirements can be fairly steep. On the lowest settings, to run the game at 1080p and 30 FPS, youll need either an i5-8400 or a Ryzen 5 2600, alongside either a GeForce GTX 1060 or a Radeon RX 580, and 16 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, for a recommended setup that plays the game at 1440p and 60 FPS, youll require either an i5-13600K or a Ryzen 5 7600X, as well as either a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or a Radeon RX 6700 XT, and 24 GB of RAM. Regardless of which setup youre playing on, youll also need an SSD and around 100 GB of free storage.HIGH AND ULTRA REQUIREMENTSKingdom Come: Deliverance 2shigh-end PC requirements are where things get really demanding. To play the game at 1440p and 60 FPS at high settings, youll need either an i7-13700K or a Ryen 7 7800X3D, alongside either a GeForce RTX 4070 or a Radeon RX 7800 XT, and 32 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, for ultra settings, most of the requirements will remain the same, though on the GPU front, youll need either a GeForce RTX 4080 or a Radeon RX 7900 XT.EXPANSIONSIts clear thatKingdom Come: Deliverance 2isnt going to be lacking in content upon its release, but Warhorse Studios has plans to add plenty more in the post-launch period as well. The developer has confirmed that it will release three expansions for the action RPG, though at this stage, theres not much else thats known about them. Presumably, well learn more once the game itself is out.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Need to set up a production pipeline for your next VFX, animation or game development project? Check out open-source pipeline and project management tool Tik Manager 4.The Python-based tool is intended to be simple enough to deploy on small projects but robust enough to scale to heavy loads, and integrates with a range of industry-standard DCC apps.An intuitive, robust pipeline system for VFX, animation and games workDeveloped by DNEG Lead Creature TD Arda Kutlu, Tik Manager has been publicly available since 2019, but Kutlu describes version 4, released last year, as a milestone update.Although technically a successor [to the 2019 version], its essentially a complete rewrite based on extensive user feedback. In comparison, the previous version was quite limited in scope.Since the 4.0 release, Kutlu has continued to update Tik Manager regularly the current release is version 4.3 and has just launched a dedicated website for the software. Handles collaborative file access, version control and task managementTik Manager is designed to be artist-friendly, with an intuitive, no-fuss interface that lets users focus on the art, not the process, but robust enough to scale to larger projects.It has the core functionality that you would expect in a pipeline system, with users able to manage access permissions for shared files, create and assign tasks to be completed, manage versioning of assets, and publish updates to other team members.When publishing updates to a scene, Tik Manager automatically extracts the latest versions of the assets required and validates them against the technical standards defined for the project.Other noteworthy features include a localization option, making it possible for team members to cache files locally to reduce data traffic to cloud storage platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox.Works with a range of key DCC applications, across Windows, Linux and macOSTik Manager works cross-platform it is possible to combine Windows, Linux and macOS machines in the same pipeline and integrates with a range of key CG applications.As well as general-purpose 3D modeling, animation and FX tools like Maya, Houdini, Blender and 3ds Max, it works with texturing apps Mari, Photoshop and Substance 3D Painter, lighting and look dev tools Gaffer and Katana, and Nuke for compositing.The software also integrates with Flow Production Tracking, Autodesks production-tracking platform, formerly known as Shotgun and ShotGrid.Kutlu tells us that he plans to continue adding integrations, including both ZBrush and Unreal Engine, with Unreal Engine likely to be the platform next to receive support.System requirements and licensingTik Manager runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. Version 4.3 integrates with 3ds Max, Blender, Gaffer, Houdini, Katana, Mari, Maya, Nuke, Photoshop and Substance 3D Painter.The source code is available on GitHub under an open-source GPL v3 license. You can download compiled builds for free, although currently only for Windows.If you want to support development, you can join Arda Kutlus Patreon, or make a one-off donation via the PayPal button at the foot of the project homepage.Download open-source VFX and games pipeline system Tik Manager from the project websiteRead more about Tik Manager in the online documentationHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Artist and tools developer Tawan Sunflower has released Paint System, a free add-on that turn[s] Blender into Photoshop.The tool implements Photoshop-style layer painting in the open-source 3D software, enabling users to create non-photorealistic textures by painting directly onto 3D objects.A promising free add-on for painting non-photorealistic textures in BlenderTawan Sunflower describes Paint System as a simple but flexible painting system for non-photo-realistic-rendering in Blender in the video above, he describes it as inspired by the painterly look of Netflix animated series Arcane.It enables users to paint directly onto the surface of 3D geometry, using a range of preset brushes: the add-on supports the brushes included in Blenders Essentials asset library.Painting is layer-based, supporting layer opacity, layer clipping, and as of Paint System 1.1.6, the latest release Adjustment Layers.Supports a range of blending modes, including Erase Alpha for erasing parts of a modelPaint System also supports Photoshop-style layer blending modes, including Hue, Saturation, Value, Multiply, Divide, Lighten and Darken: the full list is shown in this part of the demo video.However, one of the most eye-catching is Erase Alpha, which renders that part of the layer transparent, making it possible to erase parts of the object by painting over it, as shown above.Can also be used to paint other material channels, including normal mapsWeve covered other free Blender add-ons for layer-based texture painting on CG Channel before, including HAS Paint Layers and Ucupaint.Paint Systems selling point looks to be its ease of use: it has a simple, intuitive UI, and is designed to avoid users having to manipulate Blenders Shader Nodes.However, artists willing to dive into the node graph can generate an even wider range of results.By adjusting the connections between the node group Paint System creates the rest of a material network, users can paint texture channels other than surface color, including the normal map.Price and system requirementsPaint System is compatible with Blender 4.1+. Its a free download. The source code is available under a GPL v3 license.If you want to support Tawan Sunflowers work, you can back him on Patreon.Download free Blender non-photorealistic painting add-on Paint SystemHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Sonic movie franchise grosses over $1bn at global box officeThird instalment generated $211.5 million worldwide during its first week in cinemasImage credit: Paramount Pictures News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 6, 2025 Paramount Pictures' Sonic film franchise has surpassed $1 billion at the box office worldwide.As reported by Eurogamer, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 grossed $336.3 million globally following its December 20 debut, reaching $211.5 million during its first week in cinemas.The first and second Sonic films, released in 2020 and 2022, generated $725.2 million combined and have since amassed $181 million in consumer spending for online purchases and rentals.The third film, which stars Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog, was critically well-received with an 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A fourth film is currently in development."We are so overjoyed with the amazing response to the Sonic the Hedgehog films from audiences and fans around the world, and are proud to be part of the incredible, world-class filmmaking team that has come together to build this franchise," said producers Neal H Mortiz and Toby Ascher."We make these movies for the fans; and their passion, support, and love for these characters is what drives us every day to continue creating the fast, funny, and action-packed stories that make up the ever-expanding Sonic universe."

Resident Evil 4 Remake had sold over 9 million copies worldwide as of December 19, 2024.That's according to an X post from the development team at Capcom, which thanked players for their support at the turn of the year. The horror title launched in March 2023 and eclipsed 8 million sales in October 2024.Resident Evil 2 Remake remains the best-selling franchise entry with over 13.9 million lifetime sales, although it took the title five years to reach that milestone.In June last year, Capcom confirmed Resident Evil Village had become the fastest-selling title in the series after topping 10 million sales in three years.Given Resident Evil 4 Remake has sold more than 9 million copies in under two years, it's possible the project could eventually take that crown.To date, only three Resident Evil titles have exceeded 10 million sales: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Resident Evil 2 Remake, and Resident Evil Village.In its latest fiscal report, Capcom said it had been conducting "proactive promotional campaigns" to gain wider recognition of key properties such as Dragon's Dogma and Resident Evil and drive "series title sales." The Japanese studio pointed to the continued success of its catalog titles as evidence of that approach paying off.

Paramount Pictures has hailed the success of the Sonic movie franchise after Sonic the Hedgehog 3 helped it pass $1 billion at the global box office.Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which adds Keanu Reeves as Shadow to the cast, recently surpassed $100 million at the international box office, and has earned over $187 million domestically for a cumulative worldwide gross to-date of over $336.3 million. Sonic 3 grossed an estimated $51.2 million during its second weekend in 61 markets, with three markets still to go including China on January 10.The first Sonic the Hedgehog launched in February 2020 starring Jim Carrey as Robotnik. The sequel followed in April 2022, with both movies earning a combined $725.2 million globally, with an additional $181 million in consumer spending from home entertainment rentals and purchases.Spinoff series Knuckles hit Paramount + last April and became the number one kids and family series ever in terms of hours on the streamer.Sonic the Hedgehog 3 launched in December. Paramount said the film is performing better than Sonic 2 on a like-for-like basis. It came as no surprise when Paramount announced that development is underway for a fourth installment of the Sonic the Hedgehog film series, given Sonic the Hedgehog 3s ending teases yet another new Sonic character for that film.Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.