Alan Emrich, a game designer on the Master of Orion series, passed away earlier this week, according to members of the ConsimWorld forums.According to his bio on Board Game Geek, Emrich designed both computer and tabletop games. During his time as a developer, he founded the board game company Victory Point Games, co-designed Totaler Krieg! World War II in Europe, and helped start several LA-based game conventions.Emrich's video game credits include include Warlords II, Empire Deluxe, and Castles II. His MobyGames page also credits him as a consultant on the 2016 remake of Master of Orion.Famously, Emrich coined the term "4X" (then "quadruple-X") to describe strategy games built around exploration, expansion, extermination, and exploitation. It was first used in his review for Orion in 1993, which he said contained "the essential four Xs of any good strategic conquest game.""Players must rise from humble beginnings, finding their way around the map while building up the largest, most efficient empire possible," his review reads. "Naturally, the other players will be trying to do the same, therefore their extermination becomes a paramount concern. A classic situation, indeed, and when the various parts are properly designed, other Xs seem to follow."Prior to reviewing Master, Emrich worked with Tom Hughes to help refine the game's design. The pair were credited, and also worked on the finished game's strategy guide. Emrich would later pen guides for Empire Deluxe and Master of Magic, where he re-teamed with Hughes.Members of the wargaming board game community remembered Emrich as "a longtime giant of the gaming world, both tabletop & digital. [...] Alan's influence will be rippling through the hobby gaming world for many years to come, and he is gone too soon," wrote Armchair Dragoons.

According to Game Post, one of Bungie's unannounced projects, codenamed 'Gummy Bears,' has changed development hands. The outlet reports the upcoming title is now in the hands of an internal, unnamed PlayStation team that features "around 40" ex-Bungie staff.Last year, Bungie laid off 220 employees following the release of Destiny 2: The Final Shape. It also moved 115 employees over to PlayStation Studios to build out one of its projects said at the time to be in incubation. Prior to Shape's release, Gummy Bears was said to be "in a holding pattern" as Bungie put its focus on that Destiny 2 expansion, and now its extraction shooter Marathon.Gummy Bears has been described by Game Post as a team-based MOBA (the genre made popular by Riot Games' League of Legends and Valve's DOTA 2) which marks Bungie's first foray into that particular genre. It's also reportedly designed with a younger audience in mind, as opposed to older demographics drawn to previous titles like the Destiny and Halo series.Last September, Game Post noted a then-recent patent filing from Bungie concerning "controlling game behavior of defensive objective characters in a virtual environment." The patent noted the mechanic has been used in genres like MOBA and tower defense titles, and the inclusion of "behavior trees" for defensive AI units, would could "may be used to control the actions of the defensive objective character."In the past, a patent filing from Bungie for touchscreen controls on phones and handheld devices was discovered in advance of the reveal for Destiny: Rising, a mobile spinoff of the studio's sci-fi shooter franchise.You can read Game Post's full breakdown on what 'Gummy Bears' is here. Game Developer has reached out to PlayStation for comment, and will update when a response is given.

Justin Carter, Contributing EditorJanuary 10, 20252 Min ReadImage via Piranha Games/Enad Global 7.At a GlanceEnad is restructuring the two studios after failed cost-cutting measures for Toadman and weak sales for MechWarrior 5: Clans.Swedish holding company Enad Global 7 has restructured two of its subsidiaries, Toadman Interactive and Piranha Games. It plans to "wind down" the former studio, and cut 38 employees at the latter, which has developed titles such as MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries and MechWarrior 5: Clans.In its Piranha announcement, Enad CEO Ji Ham revealed Clans sold "below expectations," and stated the layoffs will "ensure [the studio] continues to operate with a sound profitability while being able to ship new content according to plan.""The team at Piranha truly delivered a high-quality game that exceeded both internal as well as external expectations," he continued. "Despite the phenomenal work by the team at Piranha, the game failed to reach new audiences and expand its core audience as anticipated and therefore has not met the necessary sales targets, which has forced us to undertake necessary actions."Separately, level designer Julian Disterheft said this was Piranha's second wave of layoffs since Clans' release last October. In his post, he affirmed that sales for that title "just weren't there to keep the studio at that size. Its a money in, money out situation and the money just wasn't coming in.""Thanks to Piranha for the opportunity," he wrote. "And huge shout out to the players of MechWarrior Online. Love you guys."Toadman was the original name for Enad, which was founded in 2013 as a work-for-hire studio. It rebranded in 2020 and assigned the Toadman name to one of its subsidiaries, which went on to be a support developer for Everquest, Planetside 2, and Warhammer Vermintide.As for Enad, it gradually acquired the likes of Piranha, Daybreak Game Company (DC Universe Online), and Big Blue Bubble (Power Chord).Last September, Toadman laid off around 100 contract and full-time employees after it'd completed support work on Helldivers 2 and Dead Island 2.Shutting down Toadman "did not come lightly," wrote Enad, which said comes after several cost-cutting measures and attempts to make the studio "profitable." By ceasing its operations, Enad hopes this will help "deliver on [our] long-term strategy." 69 employees will be let go, and the remaining 42 will be tasked with wrapping Toadman's remaining work-for-hire projects with Daybreak and Cold Iron Studios.Read more about:LayoffsAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Amazon is currently offering the second generation Apple AirPods Pro wireless noise-canceling earbuds for only $179.99 shipped, a savings of nearly 30% off. This deal is not quite as good as the one we saw during Black Friday (when it dropped to as low as $155), but it's the lowest price since then. This discount brings the price down to the same level as the AirPods 4 ANC, which retails for $179. Between the two, the AirPods Pro is still Apple's best earbuds because it offers better sound quality and better noise cancellation.Apple AirPods Pro for $179.99Apple AirPods Pro 2 (USB)The AirPods Pro is the best-sounding "truly wireless" earbuds for iPhone users thanks to its passively isolating in-ear design combined with excellent active noise cancellation, low-distortion driver and amp, and the Apple H2 chip. It also has useful features like Adaptive Transparency Mode, which lets you better hear your surroundings without removing your earbuds, and Conversation Mode, which automatically enhances the voices of people you're talking to. The second generation AirPods Pro replaces the Lightning port with a more universal USB Type-C port so you don't have to mix and match cables, and also includes a MagSafe charging case as standard.Should you get the AirPods Pro over AirPods 4 with ANC?The AirPods Pro is a superior earbud, which is why it retails for $70 more than the AirPods 4 ANC. Both feature active noise cancellation, but the AirPods Pro produces better sound quality and more effective noise cancelling because of its design. The AirPods 4 ANC is an open-ear style earbud with non-adjustable tips. They're designed to sit right outside of the ear which while comfortable means you get plenty of sound leakage and ambient noise intrusion. On the other hand, the AirPods Pro is an in-ear style of earbud that sits right inside your ear canal, sealing the passage and passively isolating it from the ambient air. Adjustable tips are included to accomodate different sized ears and ensure you get that proper sealing fit, which is very important to squeeze out the best performance. At this price, the only compelling reason to still go for the AirPods 4 ANC is if you don't like the intrusive nature of in-ear style earbuds in general.The AirPods Max Drops to $399 (Same as Black Friday)Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear HeadphonesThe AirPods Max is the crown jewel of Apple's AirPods lineup, but that quality doesn't come cheap. The wireless headset is normally priced at $550, but Amazon has recently dropped the price down to $399. That's a $150 (28%) off and matches the best deal during Black Friday. Unlike its AirPods brethren, the AirPods Max is a more traditional style over-ear headphone. If you're not a fan of earbuds, then the best hi-fi noise cancelling headphones might be right up your alley.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced the nominees for the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards and the list reveals Astro Bot, Helldivers 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are leading the charge with six nominations each.The 2025 D.I.C.E. Awards will take place on Thursday, February 13 at 11pm ET/8pm PT at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas and there will be 60 games from 2024 competing for awards in 23 categories. Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Helldivers 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will all be up for the top honor of Game of the Year. The Best Game of 2024IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250While we already revealed which games earned the most nominations, we'd also like to share Balatro and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II came in second with five nominations each, and 1000xResist, Animal Well, and Batman: Arkham Shadow came in third with four nominations each.You can check out the full list of D.I.C.E. Awards 2025 nominees below, and you can also see how they compare to our IGN Awards from 2024 and how these nominees and winners are picked.Outstanding Achievement in AnimationAstro BotCall of Duty: Black Ops 6FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTHNevaWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2Outstanding Achievement in Art DirectionBlack Myth: WukongIndiana Jones and the Great CircleLEGO Horizon AdventuresThe Plucky SquireSenua's Saga: Hellblade IIOutstanding Achievement in Character1000xRESIST - WatcherFINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH - Yuffie KisaragiIndiana Jones and the Great Circle - Dr. Henry "Indiana" JonesINDIKA - IndikaSenua's Saga: Hellblade II - SenuaOutstanding Achievement in Original Music CompositionAstro BotHelldivers 2Monument Valley 3Senua's Saga: Hellblade IIStar Wars OutlawsOutstanding Achievement in Audio DesignFrostpunk 2Helldivers 2Monument Valley 3Senua's Saga: Hellblade IIStill Wakes the DeepOutstanding Achievement in Story1000xRESISTIndiana Jones and the Great CircleMetaphor: ReFantazioStill Wakes the DeepThank Goodness You're Here!Outstanding Technical AchievementAstro BotBatman: Arkham ShadowIndiana Jones and the Great CircleSenua's Saga: Hellblade IIWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2PlayAction Game of the YearBatman: Arkham ShadowBlack Myth: WukongCall of Duty: Black Ops 6Helldivers 2Stellar BladeAdventure Game of the Year1000xRESISTANIMAL WELLIndiana Jones and the Great CircleThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownFamily Game of the YearAstro BotCat Quest IIILittle Kitty, Big CityThe Plucky SquireSuper Mario Party JamboreeFighting Game of the YearBlazing StrikeDRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZEROMortal Kombat 1: Khaos ReignsTEKKEN 8UNDERDOGSRacing Game of the YearF1 24MotoGP24NIGHT-RUNNERS PROLOGUERole-Playing Game of the YearFINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTHDragon Age: The VeilguardELDEN RING: Shadow of the ErdtreeLike a Dragon: Infinite WealthMetaphor: ReFantazioSports Game of the YearEA SPORTS College Football 25EA SPORTS FC 25MLB The Show 24NBA 2K25PlayStrategy/Simulation Game of the YearBalatroCaves of QudFrostpunk 2Tactical Breach WizardsSatisfactoryImmersive Reality Technical AchievementAlien: Rogue IncursionBatman: Arkham ShadowSkydance's BEHEMOTHStarship HomeUNDERDOGSImmersive Reality Game of the YearAlien: Rogue IncursionBatman: Arkham ShadowEscaping WonderlandSkydance's BEHEMOTHUNDERDOGSOutstanding Achievement for an Independent GameANIMAL WELLBalatroGrunnINDIKAMouthwashingMobile Game of the YearBalatroHalls of TormentMonument Valley 3Paper TrailWuthering WavesOnline Game of the YearCall of Duty: Black Ops 6Diablo IV: Vessel of HatredHelldivers 2Marvel RivalsWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2Outstanding Achievement in Game DesignANIMAL WELLAstro BotBalatroHelldivers 2UFO 50PlayOutstanding Achievement in Game Direction1000xRESISTANIMAL WELLLorelei and the Laser EyesRivenThank Goodness You're Here!Game of the YearAstro BotBalatroBlack Myth: WukongHelldivers 2Indiana Jones and the Great CircleIGN is proud to be the official media partner of the D.I.C.E. Awards and we will be exclusively streaming the ceremony, which will be co-hosted by Greg Miller and Stella Chung.If you want to know more about how these nominees were picked and how the winners are chosen, the AIAS has shared the following;"The Academys 30K+ members, comprised of the interactive publishing and development communities, recognize excellence in 23 different interactive game categories in one of the highest forms of recognition in the industry, the AIAS wore, "Titles were played and evaluated by members of the Academys peer panels to determine final nominees. These panels, one for each award category, are comprised of the game industrys most experienced and talented experts in their chosen fields. Winners are determined as part of a confidential voting process and will be revealed on the evening of the show. A list of all the peer panelists can be found here."Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

In almost every respect, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is an improvement on its 2018 predecessor. Eschewing a seedy, neo-noir aesthetic in the tradition of Michael Mann in favor of the French Riviera, Pantera at times feels like a vacation movie for Gerard Butlers Nicholas Big Nick OBrien and OShea Jackson Jr.s Donnie Wilson. Seven years after the pair left their cat and mouse games between a good thief and a mean cop with the thief having the upper hand, the sequel is generally a lot more fun as the two work in simpatico on the same side in a sunny locale.The best stretches of Den of Thieves 2 are thus the scenes of Butler and Jackson just vibing by the Mediterranean and doing their own version of a buddy comedy despite the fact that this movie is ostensibly about hardboiled tough guys with scruffy necks and lousy alimony payments. The setup is Nick may (or may not) be tempted to join a big heist Donnies got cooking, but its when the pair are just enjoying their down timeand the movie savoring their chemistrythat Den of Thieves 2s bland machismo gives way to genuine entertainment.And the best bit is a shoutout Den makes toward Jacksons family heritage and a lyric so iconic that its still quoted to this day in a movie about cops and robbers.The sequence in question occurs at the midpoint after Nicks showed up in Donnies swanky condo overlooking the Nice skyline. It is here Donnie is unconvincingly posing as a French financier who never speaks French. Somehow this front has conned actual natives into getting into business with him, and aroused the attention of Butlers swaggering, hard-drinking and hard-partying hunter of criminals. By this time old Nicks life is a proper shitshow too. The movie begins with him in divorce court where we quickly ascertain he has lost all custody to his children. Meanwhile hes apparently been fired from the LAPD and (unbeknownst to Donnie) is doing some tentative work for the Feds.Still, hes in town and claiming a life on the straight and narrow (with a few curves along the way) hasnt paid shit. He wants in on Donnies racket. And incredulously he is able to talk Donnies European associates into cutting him in. Its all pretty ridiculous, but it leads to moments where during a rooftop midnight party in the summertime, they all are drinking and rizzing up the local talent while rightfully pissing off the nearby Eurotrash.Its a fun vibe that leans into Butlers natural swagger of sweat and spittle. He taunts and flatters in equal measure other crooks in fresh suits. One of them is not convinced of Nicks newfound crookedness though. Smelling bacon practically sizzling off Nicks wrinkled collar, he hisses in French that Nicks still police.Man, fuck the police, Butler retorts in the language of Voltaire.If you missed the winking homage, rest assured Jacksons Donnie does not. While he doesnt quite look directly into the camera and wink, he comes pretty close as he pauses in recognition of this defamation of law enforcement, and then suppress a smile.If you know who his daddy is, youre probably smiling too, especially since Jackson did such an uncanny job of playing him in Straight Outta Compton. Yes, this is Ice Cubes baby boy who has proved to be every bit as charismatic as the old man, as well as a better actor. He gave a fully nuanced performance as Cube in the 2015 musical biopic directed by F. Gary Gray. And you better believe the movie featured whole subplots devoted to the legacy of a song titled Fuck the Police.That song first appeared on the Straight Outta Compton album released in 1988 by N.W.A., the hip hop group Ice Cube rolled with between 87 and 91. Written as a protest anthem against police brutality, the song was accused of promoting hostility toward cops by the powers-that-be; it was banned by radio stations; banned altogether from Australian airwaves by the censors; and received a strongly worded note of disapproval from the FBI to N.W.A.s record company at the time which claimed it misrepresented police.The songs also aged depressingly well considering it was released before Rodney King was severely beaten by the LAPD in 1991, which the cultural upheaval from would sadly not mark the end of excessive force and brutality being used against mostly Black men in the U.S.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The lyrics also make for a good gag in Den of Thieves 2, a movie that can intermittently work when it has fun with its characters. If theres a Den of Thieves 3, just let Donnie and Nick begin by munching on shawarma and go from there.Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is in theaters now.

The Dutch government has reached a deal with Nvidia to supply hardware and expertise for the construction of an AI facility in the Netherlands.The facility will centre around an AI supercomputer aimed at accelerating research and development, as the country pushes to further digitalise its economy, according to a statement made Thursday.The Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs Dirk Beljaarts is currently in Silicon Valley, where he is meeting with executives at Nvidia. The worlds second most valuable company, Nvidia is a world leader in graphics processing units (GPUs) for artificial intelligence applications.Before a shovel can go into the ground, we need to be sure that the required knowledge and hardware is available, said Minister Beljaarts. Today the Netherlands has taken an important step together with Nvidia. This brings the construction of a Dutch AI facility a lot closer.Price increase next week - Book NowThe ministry didnt provide a timeline or specific details for the AI facility. Nvidia declined our request for comment.The Netherlands, which ranked in the top 10 most digitised countries globally last year, is pushing to position itself as a leader in AI. In January last year, the government ringfenced over 200mn to boost local investment in the technology.Asia and the US have taken the lead [in AI] and Europe will have to catch up, said the former economic affairs minister Micky Adriaansens at the time.Key priorities of the governments strategy include fostering AI talent, building infrastructure, ensuring safe applications, and enabling cooperation through entities like the Dutch AI Coalition. Last year, the Benelux nation also embarked on building its own safer large language model (LLM), called GPT-NL.To execute its plans, the Netherlands is going to need more computing power to train AI machines. Aside from Nvidia, Beljaarts is also meeting with chipmaker AMD. The Minister is also in California to strengthen relations between Dutch and American technology companies more broadly, the government said. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

Following the abrupt discontinuation of Apple Pay Later over the summer, Apple has been rolling out support for multiple third-party pay over time alternatives. The latest Apple Pay addition: Synchrony.Pay Later with Apple Pay includes three separate optionsApple Pay already offered two different pay later options:But as noted by MacRumors, today Apple has rolled out support for a third provider.Synchrony has been added to the list of Pay with installments providers in the US. This means youll be able to split certain Apple Pay purchases into multiple installments, similar to what Apple Pay Later offered.Apple describes the feature this way, with a key qualifier:You can pay with installments and rewards using eligible debit and credit cards when you check out with Apple Pay online and in apps, on iPhone and iPad. Some cards from participating banks might not support these features. Contact your bank for more information. When checking out with Apple Pay, you can tap Change Payment Method to find the available Pay Later options for your purchase, including Synchrony where available.Do you use Apple Pays pay over time options? Whats your experience been like? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

TikToks US saga is almost at an end, and its last major source of hopea Supreme Court interventionnow looks unlikely to pan out. Thus, a January 19 ban in the US is looking more realistic than ever. Heres the latest.Supreme Court appears unlikely to stop TikTok banToday, the US Supreme Court heard more than two hours of arguments concerning TikToks impending ban.The general consensus from observers? The ban appears likely to be upheld.While the Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling, the hearing provided plenty of data that indicates the ban wont be stopped by the countrys highest court of law.Sam Baker writes at Axios:Most of the justices homed in Friday on one central point: The law would allow TikTok to keep operating if it used an algorithm other than ByteDances. And ByteDance, as a Chinese company, doesnt have First Amendment rights.Ann Marimow writes at The Washington Post:a majority of justices seemed to embrace Congresss national security concerns about the ability of the Chinese government to harvest the sensitive data of millions of American users and to potentially use that information to blackmail young Americans or turn them into spies.If the TikTok ban is allowed to proceed, then as TikToks legal representative, Noel Francisco, said during the hearing, the app will go dark in the US on January 19.What happens then is anyones guess.President-elect Trump has indicated that he wants to stop the ban, so its possible after his January 20 inauguration well see movement on that front.But if nothing else changes, TikToks time in the US could be coming to an end soon.Whats your take on the TikTok ban? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Better LateJeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin is preparing to launch its New Glenn rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida just after midnight on Sunday.It's been a long time coming: the company has been working on the 320-foot rocket, which shares similar proportions and stats with SpaceX's Falcon 9 workhorse, for well over a decade.But whether it can truly compete with the likes of SpaceX remains an open question. Over that time, the Elon Musk-led company has seized the opportunity to cement itself as the space company and NASA contractor to beat.The mission was originally slated for a January 10 launch, but the date slipped to Sunday almost immediately.So far, the Bezos-led company has launched a much smaller reusable suborbital launch vehicle called New Shepard, which has been sending wealthy space tourists to the Earth's upper atmosphere since July 2021.If successful, New Glenn could offer SpaceX some much-needed competition as US space exploration efforts continue to grow in scope and scale but a failure could represent even more egg on Bezos' face.Stiff CompetitionDespite a lengthy development time and plenty of setbacks, the multi-stage rocket is no slouch. The New Glenn can produce roughly twice as much thrust at liftoff than Falcon 9, but falls short of the Falcon Heavy variant. It's 90 feet taller and 11 feet wider in diameter than a Falcon 9.As part of its NG-1 mission this weekend, Blue Origin is hoping to launch a payload dubbed the "Bue Ring Pathfinder" into orbit, a testbed for the company's Blue Ring spacecraft platform designed to support orbital operations.A lot is at stake for the company and we're not just talking about the longstanding feud between Musk and Bezos.SpaceX is currently firmly in the driver's seat, and NASA's incoming administrator is deeply in the pocketof the firm. Musk's close relationship with president-elect Donald Trump could also make it difficult for Blue Origin to secure important governmental contracts."This is our first flight and weve prepared rigorously for it," Blue Origin's New Glenn senior VP Jarrett Jones told the Orlando Sentinel. "But no amount of ground testing or mission simulations are a replacement for flying this rocket.""Its time to fly," he added. "No matter what happens, well learn, refine, and apply that knowledge to our next launch."Share This Article