TheResident Evilfranchise has been so core part to video games that its impossible to imagine a world without it. Over the decades, the series has been through so much, and had many highs and lowsand whats higher for the whole enterprise than Resident Evil 4? Capcoms put out so many versions of Resident Evil 4 over the years, including an acclaimed current-gen remake back in 2023. But its very first release was for the Nintendo Gamecube on January 11, 2005 as the penultimate game in a series of console exclusives dubbed the Capcom Five, and marked a big shakeup for the series. After several versions had been concepted and scrapped, longtime series director/producer Shinji Mikami took the reigns on a full reinvention. By that point, he and other developers felt things had gotten long in the tooth and hoped to spice things up in the right ways. Among Mikamis key changes were replacing zombies with a new undead enemy called the Ganados, employing a more dynamic camera instead of fixed angles, and not centering the story on the evil Umbrella Corporation. But the biggest shift was in howthe game was played: rather than slow, tank-like controls, he wanted more of an action focus and third-person, over-the-shoulder shooting. That style of gameplay didnt sit well with everyone on the team, but they came around once he explained whyhe wanted the changes he did. In a 2004 interview with IGN, producer Hiroyuki Kobyashi similarly reassured the fanbase this was still a proper Resident Evilgame, just one that could also serve as a jumping on point for those who either bounced off the earlier entries or hadnt played the games at all. Capcom By now, we all know Resident Evil 4received critical acclaim and is regarded as one of the best games of all time. Its also one of the most influential: from Gears of War and Dead Space to the more recentLast of Us and God of War, you can find a lot of its DNA in any major third-person game that came out between 2006 to basically now.Similar mimicry was found in other survival horror series at the time, with then-new installments for Silent HillandAlone in the Darkalso trying to go for an action/horror blend, but not with quite the same success or glowing reception. Later Resident Evil games continued the third-person shooter combat, and the first-person Resident Evil Villagewas developed as a blend of that game and 2017s Resident Evil 7, according to Village director Morimato Sato.But ResidentEvil 4s biggest impact came as it was ported over to the PlayStation 2 in October that same year. In a way, it was the games most definitive version, since it featured new features and material not found in the Gamecube version, including the Separate Ways side-story starring supporting character Ada Wong. The PS2 was notable for having an incredible third-party game library back in the day, and RE4was among the cream of the crop.Resident Evil has never been a PlayStation-exclusive series, but the two are forever linked, and like with Final Fantasy, it meant something at the time to have a mainline entry on a PlayStation console.However, its jump to the PS2 wasnt without its bumps. Once Capcom revealed Resident Evil 4 wasnt Gamecube exclusive, Mikamis anger at the situation helped lead to the creation of several new developers. The first was Clover Studio, where Mikami and Hideki Kamiyathe man whose scrapped RE4 ideasDevil May Cryworked on cult classics like God Hand and Okami. After that studio closed, the two helped co-found PlatinumGames, which Kamiya led the studio and directed its flagship action series Bayonetta and the beloved 2017 gem Nier: Automata. For him, things have come full circle: having departed Platinum in 2023, hes now in charge of the recently-announced Clovers Studio, which is making a follow-up to Okami.Meanwhile, Mikami founded Tango Gameworks, which went on to create the Evil Withingames and 2023s extremely awesomeHi-Fi Rush. Microsoft shut Tango down afterRushsrelease, but the studio has been recently reborn by Krafton. Mikami left Tango before its closure, and it seems hes since started up a new studio thats presumably doing its own thing. Capcom Whatever that Mikamis next project ends up being, itll inevitably garner comparisons to his previous work, andResident Evil 4in particular. Theres just no escaping that games shadow, both because of how deeply its become entrenched in video games over the decades, and also because its playable on pretty much everything in some capacity. Even if Capcom suddenly decided to stop the survival horror franchise right this moment, that wouldnt do much of anything. Resident Evil 4refuses to be forgotten, and it likely never will be, since its become so entrenched in the medium. 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.

A former Disney employee who was fired for misconduct has admitted to hacking into the companys menu creation software to alter key details, including food allergy information that could have been dangerous to customers at the resorts restaurants. A complaint brought by the Justice Department last year claimed that a man named Michael Scheuer had committed a variety of computer crimes after being fired from the company that he worked at. The impacted company wasnt named in the complaint, though additional reporting revealed the company to be Disney. Now, its been reported that Scheuer, who formerly worked as the companys Menu Production Manager, has reportedly admitted to the computer crimes in question as part of a plea deal. Court Watch reports that Scheuer has agreed to pay Disney restitution as well as a government fine. Scheuers lawyer, David Haas, reportedly said: Mr. Scheuer is prepared to accept responsibility for his conduct. Unfortunately, he has mental health issues that were exacerbated when Disney fired him upon his return from paternity leave. Haas added: No one was ever at risk of injury and he is deeply remorseful for what happened. When reached for comment by Gizmodo, Haas confirmed Court Watchs report, while noting that no plea date had yet been set. The plea date is the date at which a defendant actually enters a guilty plea, after a plea deal has been worked out between the defense attorney and prosecutor.Scheuers attacks on the company allegedly took place over a period of three months. During that time he manipulated the menus of restaurants owned and operated by Disney, the original complaint states. The more benign of these attacks involved defacing various menus by changing their font to Wingdings, thus rendering them incoherent. In other cases, Scheuer is said to have interjected profanity into the menus. The most serious crimes, however, involved Scheuers efforts to manipulate allergen information on the menus. Scheuer is also accused of conducting denial-of-service attacks on the work accounts of several of his former colleagues.Court Watch reveals additional details about what Scheuer apparently did, based on newly revealed court documents: Scheuer changed the wine regions of alcoholic drinks to locations that had mass shootings. Court documents say he, in one instance, added a swastika to a menu. Scheuer also admitted to leaking the link and login he used to change the menus onto the dark web. Thankfully, none of the restaurant menus that Scheuer manipulated were ever distributed to venues.Disney was actually hit with an unrelated wrongful death lawsuit last year after a woman died while dining at a restaurant operated on one of Disneys Florida properties. The woman had an allergy to nuts and dairy and she and her husband had been incorrectly told by their waiter that the meal she had ordered could be made without those ingredients. The case rose to prominence after Disney attempted to get the case thrown out based on a forced arbitration clause in the couples Disney+ trial subscription. After much outcry, Disney announced it would desist from its gross legal strategy and let the lawsuit go to trial.

Ever wondered how to achieve cinematic-quality renders in Unreal Engine without overcomplicating things? In this video, Ill share my secret render settings that I personally use to create stunning visuals effortlessly! Whether youre curious about anti-aliasing, resolution, or video export settings, this guide has you covered.You'll also learn why I prefer specific settings, like 1 spatial sample and 7 temporal samples, and how these small adjustments can make a big difference in your final output. Plus, Ill show you how to utilize the Movie Render Queue, export in Apple ProRes, and optimize your workflow for post-production. Get the assets I used in this scene:Characters: https://www.fab.com/listings/76fa9062-e41c-45ae-8cd8-294ce0df7030 https://www.bigmediumsmall.com/specialops Scene : https://www.fab.com/listings/fd8e055e-df06-43cd-8c09-c9c8efb1c440 This workflow has helped me create cinematic visuals quickly and efficiently. Watch the full video to learn all the tips and tricks!If you have any questions or suggestions, drop them in the comments. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for more Unreal Engine secrets!#UnrealEngine #RenderSettings #UE5

Project Files: https://www.patreon.com/posts/119850314 . Here is the unreal engine space toolkit project updated into unreal engine 5.5 version. Here you can walk on a planet, then get on a spaceship, then fly into space, then spacewalk and get back in spaceship, fly to another planet and get off there and walk again on surface. Everything happens seamlessly. Here is a list of features on the project, - Spaceship.- Jetpack powered character.- Planet gravity system.- Local gravity system for spaceship interior.- Planet generator system. - Planet foliage system. - Planetary auto material.- Spacewalking. - Interplanetary hyper speed travel.- Planetary atmosphere. - And many more. Unreal Planet Generator series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTm9yU0zou76TN6uGb1VAhO5WXSIsbwv Space ship in this tutorial series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTm9yU0zou7PViZcDZxTbF0bFmJDYCms Full Playlist of Unreal Engine Planet Gravity System: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTm9yU0zou7bipRGFV4RXC965-XAQHGs // ! https://www.patreon.com/codelikeme Patrons will have access to project files of all the stuff I do in the channel and other extra benefitsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb6Jh9EBV7a_Nm52Ipll_Q/join Like my facebook page for more content : https://www.facebook.com/gamedevelopersclub/ Follow me on twitter : https://twitter.com/CodeLikeMe2 Follow me on reddit : https://www.reddit.com/user/codelikeme #CodeLikeMe #unrealengine #ue4 #indiegamedev

submitted by /u/gallifreyfalls55 [link] [comments]

First-person shooter games have evolved a lot over the years. From their action-heavy beginnings in Doom and Quake to the rise of online multiplayer games such as Apex: Legends and Valorant, the genre has become as diverse as the people who play it.

Those first few hours of a new Assassin's Creed game are always special. While players will get to see first-hand the new environment that they'll be exploring, they will also learn more about the game's protagonist, along with the general tone of the story. Still, before any of this can be established, the first glimpse into the adventure is provided by an opening line that can define the game yet to come.

Fallout 76 has a bright future ahead of itself, with countless more content updates in store before ongoing support for the game eventually comes to an end. However, despite having a golden opportunity to experiment with new content inspired by the Fallout show, Fallout 76 seems committed to telling its own stories instead.

Amid all the weird and wonderful announcements at CES 2025, there is one accessory for an Apple product that caught my eye. Remember the M4 Mac mini's awkwardly placed power button, which requires you to lift the device to power it on? It's one of the most baffling design decisions Apple has ever made. Now, accessory maker Satechi has a solution for that.The company's CES launches include the Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure, which has a cutout exactly where the Mac mini's power button is located. This means that you can press the power button without moving the Mac mini all that much. The dock sits flush against the base of the Mac mini, and only raises the height of the device a little bit. That, coupled with the cutout, is enough to let you easily press the power button.The Satechi dock has a USB-C cable that allows it to connect to the M4 Mac mini, which means that you'll have to sacrifice one USB port on your computer to use this dock. It also has an SSD enclosure that lets you expand your Mac mini's storage by up to 4TB. Additionally, it includes useful ports on the frontan SD card slot and three USB-A ports. (Every photographer will tell you that it's incredibly convenient to not have to contort yourself to plug in an SD card.) Satechi claims that the aluminum dock has heat-dissipating vents that keep the device cool, but those claims remain untested at the moment.This Satechi dock is scheduled to release in Spring 2025; there's no price for it yet. If it's priced well and works as advertised, then it may offer a nice alternative way to upgrade the storage on the new M4 Mac mini. Now, someone: Please make something as elegant to let me charge Apple's Magic Mouse.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.You can get thousands of free e-books over the course of 2025 if you know whereand whento look. All year long, Amazon is offering up free Kindle e-books to readers, with new opportunities popping up every month. This month, Prime members canget two free Kindle e-booksfrom Amazon's First Reads program in January.What is Amazon's First Reads?Amazon First Reads is a program aimed at Prime members that offers early access to new e-books across many genres, as curated by First Reads editors (one of your many Prime Member benefits). Prime members can choose to download one free e-book every month from a rotating listthough some months that number is bumped up to twoand non-members get them for a discounted price. These e-books can be read on any compatible Kindle device or via the free Kindle app. Amazon Kindle (16 GB) Display size: 6 glare-free, Resolution: 300 ppi, Storage: 16 GB, Battery life: Up to 6 weeks. $109.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $109.99 at Amazon How to get your free Amazon Kindle e-books in JanuaryGo to the First Reads landing page to see the full list of e-books available this month. Once you find a book that seems interesting, click the "Shop Now" button from the First Reads landing page. Make sure youre not being redirected to the Kindle or Amazon mobile application, because you won't see the free book option there; instead, use your internet browser on your phone or computer. Make sure youre not clicking the Pre-order for... button, as that will direct you to pay; instead, click the Read for Free or the "Buy Now with 1-Click" button under the "First Reads" banner on the book's Amazon page (don't worry, you won't be charged). This will send the e-book directly to the Kindle linked to your Amazon account. You can see what it should look like from the screenshot below. Credit: Daniel Oropeza Youll know you did it right when you see a Thanks, [your name]! order summary indicating the e-book is being auto-delivered to the Kindle Cloud Reader.Free Amazon Kindle e-books available in January 2025This month, you can choose two from ten new Kindle e-books. Amazon notes the genre for each of the books above the title, offering a quick way to narrow down your options. If you hover over the "See Editor Notes" under the "Shop Now" button, you'll be able to read a short description from the First Reads editor who picked the book. Here are your options for January 2025. Choose two of these 10 e-books: Family Drama by Danielle Prescod (Author), Mindy Kaling (Introduction). The Rules of Fortune: A Novel $5.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $5.99 at Amazon Short Story by Lee Child. Eleven Numbers: A Short Story $1.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon Domestic Thriller by Tamara L. Miller. Into the Fall: A Thriller $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Historical Fiction by Megan Chance. Glamorous Notions: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $4.99 Save $3.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $4.99 Save $3.00 Women's Fiction by Angela Brown. Some Other Time: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $5.99 Save $4.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $5.99 Save $4.00 Dark Fantasy by Mallory Pearson. Voice Like a Hyacinth: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $4.99 Save $3.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $4.99 Save $3.00 Crime Thriller by Sherry Rankin. The Killing Plains $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Romantic Comedy by Sonali Dev. There's Something About Mira: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Historical Fiction by Peter Golden. Their Shadows Deep: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Romance by Heidi McLaughlin. The Art of Starting Over $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 SEE 7 MORE