• Doom: The Dark Ages and new mystery game headline first Xbox Direct of 2025
    metro.co.uk
    What are you most excited to see? (Microsoft)Microsoft will be sharing new details for three of its 2025 games as well as reveal an entirely new project from an unspecified studio.We were only talking about upcoming games showcases earlier today and, lo and behold, Microsoft has just confirmed that they will be hosting one this month.Its not too surprising, considering Microsoft has held one of its Xbox Developer Directs every January since 2023. Last years was a particularly strong showing thanks to its reveal of Bethesdas Indiana Jones game.With any luck, this upcoming one will be just as good, especially since one of the four games to be highlighted will be brand new. Although so little is currently known about Doom: The Dark Ages that it may as well be too.When is the 2025 Xbox Developer Direct showcase?According to Microsoft, its next Xbox Developer Direct is scheduled for Thursday, January 23 and will air at 6pm GMT. For what its worth, thats precisely the date leaker eXtas1s claimed yesterday.The showcase will be streamed via Microsofts official social channels, so you can watch it either on YouTube or Twitch. Microsoft hasnt specified how long it will last but, based on the last two, you can probably expect it to run between 40 and 50 minutes.What Xbox games will be shown at the 2025 Xbox Developer Direct?Microsoft has promised four games will be highlighted by their respective developers. The first is Doom: The Dark Ages from id Software, which was annouced during Microsofts summer showcase last year.This is definitely the biggest draw of the lot, since it has been nearly five years since Doom Eternal and its reveal trailer only gave fans a glimpse of its medieval-esque action.Second is South Of Midnight by Compulsion Games. This is the studios first release since 2020s We Happy Few and will hopefully be a stronger showing than that game wound up being.Its certainly one of the more unique first-party offerings from Microsoft thanks to its stop motion style cut scenes, Deep South setting, and gothic fantasy inspirations.Third is Clair Obscura: Expedition 33, the debut title from Sandfall Interactive. Despite coming from a French studio, this turn-based role-player takes obvious inspiration from Japanese titles, with its reactive combat bringing to mind Nintendos Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games.All three games are slated to launch this year, although its worth highlighting how only South Of Midnight is exclusive to Xbox Series X/S and PC. The other two are coming to PlayStation 5 as well.Microsoft has strongly implied other Xbox exclusives could make the jump to PlayStation further down the line, but its unclear if theyll discuss any of that this month.Xbox release schedule for 2025Microsoft has a few other games it has scheduled for 2025 that, for whatever reason, are being omitted from the Developer Direct. The first is fantasy role-player Avowed from Obsidian Entertainment, which you think would make an appearance since its coming out on February 18 and is so far the only Xbox game to have an exact launch date.Theres also Obsidians The Outer Worlds 2, which was confirmed for 2025 during last years The Game Awards. Then theres the Fable reboot, which we still havent really seen much of. A proper gameplay demonstration is sorely needed, along with confirmation that its out this year.Last is the full release of free-to-play side scroller Towerborne, which launched as an early access title last September.The only other game to be teased for the showcase is a mystery new title, with Microsoft only saying that viewers will visit a surprise location to see another studios brand new game.More TrendingAll this really tells us is that this wont be an already announced game, like the Perfect Dark reboot or, heaven forbid, Rares Everwild. Theres also no telling if the plan is to have it out in 2025 or whether this will be related to a major IP or something entirely new.The surprise location remark is strange and doesnt really suggest any existing rumours about upcoming games, such as MachineGames Quake reboot. Its not even clear if its an in-game location or where the developer is based.The last time Microsoft teased a new reveal at a Developer Direct, it turned out to be Hi-Fi Rush, which shadow dropped that very same day and went on to become a critical darling for Microsoft and developer Tango Gameworks though that wasnt enough to protect Tango from closure. Whatever that extra game is, it definitely isnt Hi-Fi Rush 2 (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
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·123 Просмотры
  • Assassins Creed Shadows gets new parkour system as Ubisoft faces difficult year
    metro.co.uk
    Assassins Creed Shadows gets new parkour system as Ubisoft faces difficult yearMichael BeckwithPublished January 9, 2025 3:38pmUpdated January 9, 2025 3:38pm Is this enough to encourage you into picking up Assassins Creed Shadows? (Ubisoft)Ahead of Assassins Creed Shadows launch next month, Ubisoft has shared a surprisingly thorough breakdown of its revamped parkour mechanics.It is not hyperbole to say Assassins Creed Shadows may be the most important release in publisher Ubisofts history, considering the tumultuous year it had in 2024.The companys shares were already dropping all last year and between a string of underperforming titles and cancellations, there have been serious discussions of Ubisoft selling itself off to Tencent.Time will tell if Assassins Creed Shadows is successful enough to pull Ubisoft out of the fire, but in the meantime the publisher is trying to drum up hype for the February 14 launch, with a lengthy breakdown of the games parkour mechanics.Parkour usually comes as standard in an Assassins Creed game, especially one with ninja protagonist Naoe as one of its playable characters (although the playable samurai, Yasuke, can do parkour as well).A recent blog post from Ubisoft reveals that the parkour system has been given an overhaul for Assassins Creed Shadows. For starters, long time fans will need to get used to the crouch and dodge buttons switching places.This is to take into account a new prone stance and the ability to transition from a dodge move into parkour, as explained by associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois:In Shadows, dodge has been merged with parkour down mechanics, which unlocks a whole bunch of new parkour moves, says Lemay-Comtois, This new mapping also disconnects stance-switch (e.g. standing, crouching, prone) from parkour, ensuring you can use any stances without accidentally going down a rooftop when you dont want to.The blog goes on to break down all the different parkour moves at your disposal, but despite the wide array of techniques, it also sounds like parkour will be slightly more restrictive than usual.Compared to previous Assassins Creed games, youll only be able to scale and climb surfaces that actually have physical handholds to grab onto. This doesnt mean there are fewer climbing opportunities, but youll need to be more creative with how you traverse the world.This is a pretty big deal for us, continues Lemay-Comtois, This means we had to be more thoughtful about creating interesting parkour highways and afforded us more control about where Naoe can go, and where Yasuke cant, making our two playstyles even more contrasted.Why is Assassins Creed Shadows so important to Ubisoft?While these changes might be important for established Assassins Creed fans, a reworked parkour system isnt necessarily something thats going to attract new players.Maybe thats what Ubisoft is counting on and is now prioritising keeping hold of the current player-base and maybe winning back anyone who has dropped off the series.Ubisoft is certainly putting all its eggs in the Assassins Creed basket with how many games it has planned for the series, but those plans could radically change if Assassins Creed Shadow underperforms even a little bit.Ubisoft needs a big win after the messy 2024 it had. Star Wars Outlaws was clearly meant to be what propped the company up that year but, despite being a solid game, it wasnt the blockbuster Ubisoft wanted.It had what Ubisoft called a soft launch last August, and was what apparently spooked them into delaying Assassins Creed Shadows into 2025.More TrendingAccording to analyst Chris Dring, it was also only the second-best selling Star Wars game of the year, meaning EAs Star Wars Jedi: Survivor sold more copies in 2024 despite being a year old at that point.This isnt even mentioning the half-hearted launch of Skull And Bones (a game that took over 10 years to be completed), the abrupt cancellation of XDefiant, and Beyond Good & Evil 2 still being stuck in limbo.As for the proposed Tencent buyout, talks have apparently stalled due to Ubisofts current owners, the Guillemot brothers, being unwilling to relinquish control, according to Reuters.Assassins Creed Shadows being a hit would give the brothers more leverage in a potential sale. Conversely, its failure would reinforce the idea that Ubisoft needs new leadership. Assassins Creed Shadows two playable protagonists will have slightly different playstyles (Ubisoft)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
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·123 Просмотры
  • The Philips Hue Smart Light Bar Extension at Its Lowest Price, Producing Millions of Colors
    gizmodo.com
    Looking to enhance your home entertainment setup? Philips Hues Smart Play Light Bar Extension is seeing a significant price drop, making this premium ambient lighting solution more accessible than ever. Whether youre a gaming enthusiast or simply want to create the perfect movie-watching atmosphere, this light bar offers versatile lighting options that can transform your entertainment space.See at AmazonRight now, the Philips Hue Play Light Bar Extension is available for $50 at Amazon right now, down from its regular price of $80. Thats a substantial 38% discount that saves you $30. And youll want to snag it while you can, because people absolutely love these types of light bars, and theres no way itll stay in stock very long.Perfect mood lighting, no matter the roomThis extension bar adds another point of colorful light to your existing Hue Play setup, letting you create even more immersive lighting effects. The bar can produce millions of colors and various shades of white light, from warm to cool tones, giving you endless possibilities for setting the perfect mood. Its worth noting that this is an extension unit, so youll need the base kit with power supply and a Hue Bridge to make it work.What makes this light bar particularly versatile is its mounting options. You can position it behind your TV using the included clips and double-sided tape for a clean backlight effect, stand it on a cabinet for ambient lighting, or even lay it flat on the floor for dramatic wall washing effects. The system integrates seamlessly with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free control, and with Matter support, it plays nice with other smart home devices.For anyone already invested in the Philips Hue ecosystem or looking to expand their smart lighting setup, this discounted extension bar offers a perfect opportunity to enhance their home entertainment lighting at a more budget-friendly price point. The ability to sync with your media content, combined with its flexible mounting options and wide color range, makes it a valuable addition to any modern entertainment setup.If youre interested in making your home feel more cozy on a regular basis or just playing around with the colors in any given area, this extension unit is the way to go. Youll love having access to all the different shades and seeing how versatile it truly is when you have it in action in front of you. And saving money? Well, thats the icing on the cake.See at Amazon
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·123 Просмотры
  • Samsungs AI-Powered Galaxy Buds3 Pro Are Nearly 60% Off With a Trade-In
    gizmodo.com
    The new year is here and with it comes a bunch of opportunities to save on a variety of electronics and personal devices. Last year, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds3 Pro and right now you can get them for as low as $150. These noise-cancelling earbuds are normally priced at $250, but after a trade in, you can get a credit of up to $100. If you dont have an old pair of headphones to trade in, no worries.Those without a trade-in can still save $40 for a limited time, getting the Buds3 Pro for just $210.See at SamsungA Comfortable FitThe Galaxy Buds3 Pro are designed to be Samsungs most comfortable in-ear headphones yet so they can stay in all-day comfortably for an immersive listening experience.Adaptive active noise cancellation means the earbuds can change modes on their own automatically based on your surroundings. This allows you to stay alert to whats around you while still not being distracted by ambient sounds as youre listening to your music, podcasts, or audiobooks on the go. The adaptive equalizer can even tell how you are wearing them and tailor-fit the sound you hear to your ears. You can even pair them with your TV to experience full 360-degree immersive sound that feels like its coming from all around you.With Galaxy AI, you can have conversations across the language barrier, face-to-face, in real time. This is the kind of ability joked about by Douglas Adams with the babel fish inThe Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxyseries of novels. But now its really coming I guess. They say Hola, and youll hear Hello, in your ear.Touch controls make it easy to pause, skip, accept calls and more without needing to remove your phone from your pocket.Samsung Credit With Trade-inBy trading in your old pair of earbuds, you can save up to $100 on your new Galaxy Buds3. Samsung is accepting a wide array of in-ear headphones are part of the offer. If you hand over a set of Galaxy Buds2 Pro, youll receive the full $100 credit. A standard pair of Galaxy Buds2 will net you $50 as will the original Galaxy Buds Pro. Samsung is also accepting Apple AirPods. Trade in the AirPods 2 and youll get a $75 credit.The trade-in will bring the price of the Galaxy Buds3 Pro to as low as $150. Without a trade-in, you can still save $40, getting the new earbuds for just $210down from $250.See at Samsung
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·127 Просмотры
  • Watch Live as Bezoss Big Rocket Attempts Its First Launch
    gizmodo.com
    By Passant Rabie Published January 9, 2025 | Comments (0) | New Glenn on the launchpad ahead of its anticipated liftoff. Blue Origin Blue Origins highly-anticipated New Glenn rocket is gearing up for its big debut. If all goes well with the rockets inaugural flight, it could pose some competition for industry favorite SpaceX. New Glenn is scheduled for liftoff during a three-hour launch window that opens on Friday, January 10 at 1 a.m. ET. The rocket will launch from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. A livestream of the launch will begin around an hour before liftoff on Blue Origins website. Third party provider NASASpaceflight is also livestreaming the launch, which you can watch below. Blue Origin, founded by the second richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, first announced its $2.5 billion New Glenn rocket nearly 10 years ago. The 320-foot-tall (98 meters) rocket is designed to lift 45 tons to low Earth orbit and 13 tons to Geostationary orbit.New Glenn is partially reusable, with its first stage designed to last for 25 missions and powered by seven methane-burning BE-4 engines. By comparison, SpaceXs Falcon Heavy is a partially reusable, heavy-lift rocket capable of carrying 63 metric tons to low Earth orbit and 26 metric tons to geostationary orbit. Both Falcon Heavys side boosters and New Glenns first stage are designed to return to Earth for controlled landings on floating platforms at sea. For its first mission, the heavy-lift launch vehicle will carry Blue Origins Blue Ring Pathfinder, an orbital platform thats been referred to as a space truck. Blue Rings first flight will test its ground systems and operational capabilities as part of the DarkSky-1 (DS-1) mission, which is sponsored by the Pentagons Defense Innovation Unit, according to Blue Origin. Were excited to demonstrate Blue Rings advanced in-space operations on New Glenns inaugural mission, Paul Ebertz, senior vice president of Blue Origins In-Space Systems, said in a statement. Blue Ring plays a critical role in building a road to space, and this mission is an important first step for Blue Ring and enabling dynamic and responsive operations that will greatly benefit our nation.This is also New Glenns first National Security Space Launch certification flight, which could pave the way for the rocket to carry national security payloads on future missions. Bezos big rocket debut could fuel his rivalry with his rocket billionaire nemesis, SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Blue Origins current rocket, New Shepard, is mainly used to launch space tourists on suborbital flights to the edge of space. New Glenn, on the other hand, would officially put Blue Origin on the map when it comes to the orbital payload business. SpaceX has had a largely significant head start, making it the industry favorite. Whether Blue Origin can catch up or not is yet to be seen, but there is a lot riding on New Glenns first time soaring toward the skies.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published January 8, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 8, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 7, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published January 6, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 6, 2025 Isaac Schultz and Passant Rabie Published January 4, 2025
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·123 Просмотры
  • Valine House Conversion / LDSRa
    www.archdaily.com
    Valine House Conversion / LDSRaSave this picture! Michiel DecleeneArchitects: LDSRaAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:220 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2022 PhotographsPhotographs:Michiel DecleeneMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Valine is the conversion of a narrow, tall and deep row house. Before the conversion, it was a spacious and pleasant house with a small garden oriented to the west. On the ground floor, the veranda and the ground floor of the extension are demolished. The small garden turns into a large garden with a floating caravan above it.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The living spaces are organized around the transition between inside and outside, in-depth and in height. The existing staircase, spiral staircase, void and bridge create a loop between the kitchen on the ground floor and the living space and caravan on the second floor. In the caravan, a storage room, an additional bathroom and a toilet will have space. On the second floor, the offices will be organized. The offices have access to a roof garden and a bay window. The rooms on the third and fourth floors will be arranged as bedrooms with a bathroom.Save this picture!Valine is a personal project. It is radical in its interventions and empathetic in how it gives place to life in and around the house. The house is boldly designed and richly detailed. The relationship between rooms and floors is increased by removing floors. The organization in plan is derived from the design in cross-section. The house seems to have an extra floor. And there are several extra rooms in the house. As a result, the house is generous and indulgent.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The joinery of the rear facade, the awnings and the folding door make the relationship between inside and outside pronounced. The collection of rainwater in the pond adds to the project. During the day, you shift with the light of the sun. The folding door is open. The boundary between inside and outside blurs. We would like to invite you to stop by.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeLDSRaOfficePublished on January 09, 2025Cite: "Valine House Conversion / LDSRa" 09 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025469/valine-house-conversion-ldsra&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
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·122 Просмотры
  • Drawing in Blender on a Wacom Movink 13
    www.youtube.com
    Our Grease Pencil Instructor Paul roadtests Wacom's portable pen display, the Movink 13! He offers up some key tips to working on pen displays in general, and shows us his set up for working on the go."WHO IS CG COOKIE?"We are real people! (OK, maybe some of us are cyborgs - we don't ask.) CG Cookie is a small crew of Blender artists, baking fresh videos for the Blender community. If you love what we do, consider enrolling to http://cgcookie.com to stream 100's of Blender courses with passionate Blender instructors there to answer your questions. "WHERE SHOULD I START LEARNING BLENDER?"For Blender beginners, we have a free tutorial series "Getting Started with Blender" https://rb.gy/khqdl7 "I WANT MORE CG COOKIE IN MY LIFE!"Got it. Here's where you can reach us!http://instagram.com/cgcookie http://twitter.com/cgcookie http://facebook.com/cgcookieinc Want Blender news in your mailbox? Sign up here for spam-free newsletter https://cgcookie.com/newsletter #CGCookie #blendertutorial #b3d
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·352 Просмотры
  • Get the Edge of Any Texture in Unreal Engine 5.4 Material Tutorial
    www.youtube.com
    FAB - https://www.fab.com/sellers/CGHOW Whatsapp - https://bit.ly/3LYvxjK Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/Ashif NFT - https://opensea.io/CGHOW Twitter - https://twitter.com/cghow_ If you Liked it - http://bit.ly/2UZmiZ4 Channel Ashif - http://bit.ly/3aYaniw Support me on - paypal.me/9953280644Get the Edge of Any Texture in Unreal Engine 5.4 Material Tutorial #cghow #UE5 #UE4Niagara #gamefx #ue5niagara #ue4vfx #niagara #unrealengineniagara #realtimevfxVisit - https://cghow.com/ Unreal Engine Marketplace - https://bit.ly/3aojvAa Artstation Store - https://www.artstation.com/ashif/store Gumroad - https://cghow.gumroad.com/
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·130 Просмотры
  • Add BLOOM in Blender
    www.youtube.com
    How to add the bloom effect in the viewport and renders in Blender.FREE! hard surface pack: https://artstn.co/m/VXojd https://chuckcg.gumroad.com/l/czdfop?layout=profile Hard Surface Kitbashing in Blender / Create a Mech: https://youtu.be/boPc8_9FzDE HDRI: https://polyhaven.com/hdris 3D Assets(Free & Paid) https://chuckcg.gumroad.com/ https://www.artstation.com/chuckcg/store?tab=digital_product https://blendermarket.com/creators/3d-models Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chuckcg Water shader for blender: https://chuckcg.gumroad.com/l/sxbcnw?layout=profile More TutorialsModeling and texturing temple ruins: https://youtu.be/70q0LzWYADU How to add vegetation and trees: https://youtu.be/gHSxy76yz0s How to create rocky surfaces: https://youtu.be/g9T3vDtTAPk #blender #b3d #3D
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·256 Просмотры
  • I saw MSIs new flagship gaming laptops, and theres one I really want
    www.popsci.com
    Ive loved Sid Meiers Civilization games for decades, so Im really excited about the upcoming Civilization VII. What Im not excited about is how my current laptop probably wont be able to handle one turn, let alone just one more turn. But this wouldnt be an issue if I had the latest MSI Titan 18 HX gaming laptop.Ive spent the last few days in Las Vegas at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, where Ive been eye-to-eye with the latest tech (more of which Ill share in the coming days). Few things, however, have been quite as eye-catching as the Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Norse Myth and I might have caught its acid-etched eye, too.If youre wondering where the laptop gets its name, well, there it is, right there, carved into the magnesium-aluminum alloy lid. Its an incandescent dragons eye peering out from its textured motif, complete with Norse runes that mean Dragon. (The same mythical beast can be found on the medallion embedded in the laptops palm rest.) As for whats inside the Dragon Edition, well, thats fire, too.First theres the 18-inch Mini-LED 4K 120Hz 16:10 screen with VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification, which is run by an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM (another CES 2025 big reveal). Theres an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM, plus four M.2 NVMe slots in a Super RAID 5 configuration capable of read speeds of up to 18,000MB/s. And OverBoost Ultra gives up to 270W of headroom for pushing intense campaigns and applications. As for the I/O giving all that somewhere to go, there are two Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, three USB-A 3.2 Gen. 2 ports, HDMI 2.1 with up to 8K60 output, and a full-sized SD card reader.If all that sounds like it might run as hot as an angry dragon, it might if it wasnt for an exclusive Vapor Chamber Cooler and a dedicated heat pipe for the one PCIe Gen. 5 SSD (the rest are Gen. 4) to avoid thermal throttling. Powering this desktop-level nearly 8-pound transportable is a 99.9WHr battery, plus a 400-watt power supply. Rounding out the features are Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, a Dynaudio-designed six-speaker system (featuring two subwoofers), a SteelSeries keyboard with Cherry MX switches and per-key RBG illumination, and a Mystic Light seamless haptic RBG touchpad.OK, so you might need some of Smaugs treasure to afford the Dragon Edition, but you can always opt for the standard, more subdued Titan 18 HX and get the same specs without the styling (or choose step-down components if the budgets tighter). Or theres the rest of the 18-inch laptop family, including the new Raider, Stealth, Vector, and Crosshair Series. These offer many of the same core features, like the GeForce RTX 50 Series, but dont stack quite as many slots or push quite the same output. You can opt for AMD processors and different SoC chips. Plus, theyve got differing aestheticssome more gamer and others more office-friendly. The one thing they would all have in common if I had them is me angrily muttering about grain and gameplay mechanics.
    0 Комментарии ·0 Поделились ·113 Просмотры