What price would be right? (Rockstar Games)The Tuesday letters page doesnt think Mario Kart is a Nintendo Switch 2 launch game, as one reader is adamant they dont want a PlayStation 6.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukOnly if its worth itA story is doing the rounds claiming some in the industry hope that GTA 6 costs $80-100, as it will allow other companies to follow suit with their new releases. This has gone down about as well as youd expect on social media, with many arguing GTA 6 is probably the only game that could justify a higher price point given the hype and the expected Rockstar Games quality.I would agree with this, as like them or loathe them, Rockstar just does it better. Its been said before but stand anywhere on a Rockstar map and something (usually hilarious) will happen. Their world design is just beyond everyone else and the trailer/rumours would suggest theyre going all in on non-player character intelligence this time, which will only increase the mini-stories that appear at random.If other AAA companies want to start charging $80-100 then theyd better get working on quality, or theyll find out the hard way when their incomplete, shallow experiences dont do the numbers they expect. Even EA Sports FC, usually a guaranteed runaway success, has faced the wrath of customers voting with their wallets because it needed another six months in development, and theyre sick of the terrible quality control.I dont mind my score disappearing once or twice, or player hair turning weird, but four months post-launch these things should be fixed! No wonder it can be picked up for under 25 already.If anyone should be allowed to charge a little more, its indie developers who consistently give us the best games of the year. I have over 100 hours in Balatro now, and it costs about 12Dipper PinesGC: EA Sports FC 25 was the best-selling game of 2024 in the UK.People in their wrong mindJust read on your page that game publishers are hoping that GTA 6 will be 100 when it comes out, so they can jack up the price. The problem with that is GTA games dont come about that often, its 10+ years since Rockstar brought out there last game, with multiple free DLCs for the best part of 10 years.Games like EA Sports FC and Call Of Duty, to name a few, have a yearly release, no one in their right mind would pay a 100, knowing that within 12 months there will be a new one coming out. GTA is like the golden egg now, you buy it and for 10+ years everything that comes out is free. If all games go to 100 Ill be giving up gaming, it wont be worth it in my eyes.DavidFalcon punchIf Nintendos last release for the Switch is some kind of purposefully niche fan wish fulfilment thing, I will go nuts. If its F-Zero Ill probably explode.I realise its just a rumour, but I would love for Nintendo to say to hell with it and spend a ton of money making a great game they know not that many people will buy but will just be really good and something the developers want to do.I mean, whats $20 million or so to a company that makes as much money as they do? I get the feeling they do this anyway sometimes, with things like Bayonetta and Famicom Detective Club. Nintendo are the least rich of the three console makers but theyre the only ones that do things like this.End the Switch with a bang, instead of just fading away, and I swear Ill pre-order the Switch 2 the minute youre able to.BensonEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukLast man standingSomehow, I dont think the PlayStation 6 reveal trailer is going to be outdoing the Nintendo Switch 2, if Sony thinks that releasing it in 2027, or anytime near that, is going to work. Im sure it will be around that time, because theyve already said the PlayStation 5 has peaked, but only in terms of console sales.In terms of games released it barely seems to have started and has basically been stalled for the last two years. Compare that to the Switch 1, which is now going into retirement with the best version of almost every Nintendo franchise and multiple 10/10 games, to the PlayStation 5 which had some good cross-gen games at the beginning?The irony is the best games on the PlayStation 5 are Returnal and Astro Bot and theyre the ones that Sony didnt really push and sold the least. We shouldnt encourage any monopoly in the games industry but at this point I dont care if Nintendo do dominate for a generation or two. At least Id trust them to make some decent games.KankerLonging way downIve been playing The Longing on iOS for hours. On day 344, wandering around for hours with no idea of where to go to progress the game. I finally managed to figure how to climb a ledge into an unexplored area and I crept along a narrow tunnel in the dark. I come across a huge cliff. Despite the warnings, I jump off thinking therell be something special down there for me.There was something special. A one way ticket to heaven! Game over!Interesting game but I dont have the patience to start over again at day 400.RaveA familiar problemOf all the questions that still exist about the Switch 2, the one Im most interested in is how Nintendo manage the backwards compatibility aspect. Its the one I most see them being tripped up by and why I cant quite cast the shadow of the Wii U from my mind.I understand, in principle, why Nintendo has opted to include backwards compatibility in terms of coaxing consumers to the Switch 2 without sacrificing their existing catalogue of playable games (plus, it keeps software sales ticking over from now until the console launch). But what then?It feels like Nintendo will have to work hard to convey what is a Switch 2-only title and what isnt. Plus, at what point if ever will new games not have to labour the point that they are only for the Switch 2? Im reminded of the New Nintendo 3DS, and while it was released towards the end of the consoles life (and only had eight compatible games), those huge black headers across the game boxes came across as a marketing and branding headache.Nintendo learned a lot of lessons from the Wii U. But having a clean slate felt like a massive advantage. Yes, they committed to a Wii U version of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. Yes, they ported many Wii U titles across to the Switch. But it was always clear from the off that the Switch was a completely new and different console. Personally, backwards compatibility is a Switch 2 feature Id happily do without to ensure theres no ambiguity whatsoever.NeedlemouseGC: We understand your concern, but Nintendo has been marketing console model exclusives since the days of the Game Boy Color in the late 90s. Earlier than that if you count the Famicom Disk System in Japan.Worth keepingIf you own a PlayStation 4 or 5 you can get free three months of Apple TV+ currently by logging into the Apple TV+ app on either console mentioned. They have the Tetris film on there for anyone who hasntseen it and other good TV shows and films. You can be a new or returning customer for Apple TV+ to get the three months.I had three free months at the end of last year on my PlayStation 5 and when I tried to get the current offer on PlayStation 5 I wasnt eligible for this new deal, so I logged into my PlayStation 4 console and using the same Apple account I got three free months!Ive kept hold of my PlayStation 4 for PlayStation VR games and also some games I own on PlayStation 4 are not compatible with PlayStation 5.Andrew J.PS: Just platinumed Astro Bot! So pleased with that.Not pole positionI dont think Mario Kart will be a Switch launch title. Maybe a Christmas release or timed with the second Mario movie. I think it was picked for the trailer because it was an expected title that doesnt need a lot of explanation.Nintendo clearly didnt want to do a deep dive trailer for the reveal and if theyd picked something really new, like the next 3D Mario, theyd have faced disappointment and complaints that they didnt go into more details. Mario Kart doesnt face similar obstacles.It also leaves the April Direct to have more of a wow factor when each reveal is a new thing weve not seen yet and not just an explanation of the brief look weve just seen.Mario Kart is a safe marketing placeholder and will probably sell by the truck load.I do wish the Direct was sooner, early March or something, but I guess three months between reveal and full details worked for the first Switch.At least Civilization 7 can keep me busy until then and hopefully well see that get mouse compatibility on Switch 2.Euclidian BoxesGC: Its an interesting thought, that didnt occur to us at first, but you could be right.Inbox also-ransI wish EA was as determined to constantly bring back SSX and Dead Space as they are Battlefield and Need For Speed. Why does those games keep getting second chances, when they havent been big in so long?BootlesSo Microsoft went from the Xbox 360 to being the biggest third party publisher on a new Nintendo console. Its funny how things work out, eh?JohnsonMore TrendingEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.GameCentralSign up for exclusive 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

Curvy Dining / Unknown Surface StudioSave this picture! Rungkit CharoenwatRestaurantBangkok, ThailandArchitects: Unknown Surface StudioAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:250 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2025 PhotographsPhotographs:Rungkit Charoenwat Lead Architects: Cievanard Nattabowonphal, Piyanat Songkhorh, Nonglak Boonsaeng More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. A Blooming Flower in Bangkok's Industrial Landscape. Curvy Dining, designed by Unknown Surface Studio, is a delicate white dining caf emerging within an industrial landscape located at Soi Srinakarin - Rom Klao 19, Bangkok. This contribution transforms an expansive, boundary-free site into a stand-alone dining caf that is thoughtfully designed to foster a seamless dialogue between architecture and nature. The caf balances openness and enclosure, creating an inviting space that blurs the line between built form and the surrounding environment.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Drawing inspiration from the flowers that naturally grow on-site. Curvy Dining embodies the concept of blooming, translating organic forms into spatial arrangements. The design simplifies the essence of a flower's radial symmetry into a geometric languagestarting from a singular point, expanding outward, and evolving into a structured yet fluid architectural form. This abstraction process refines natural curves into a rhythmic play of sunburst lines and radial formations, subtly echoing petals in motion.Save this picture!To create contrast, the outer boundary follows a squared framework, providing a sense of definition in the otherwise open landscape. The caf's circulation, however, follows a subtractive design approachspaces are carved out to define the movement, creating a slow reveal as visitors navigate through the outdoor areas. These pathways intertwine with green pockets, fostering an auto-landscape effect where architecture and nature light coexist seamlessly.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Bangkok, ThailandLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on January 21, 2025Cite: "Curvy Dining / Unknown Surface Studio" 20 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025903/curvy-dining-unknown-surface-studio&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

Nature, Published online: 20 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00076-5Oceanographer Andrea Kealoha studies how the devastating Lahaina wildfire of 2023 affected the coral systems of Maui.

Tatiana BaevaWith more than 6 years of professional experience as 3D Artist in the industry, specializing in prop and environment asset creation, Tatiana Baeva focuses on crafting intricate gameplay assets and modular kits for game levels. Recently, she shared a detailed guide to creating peeled wallpaper using the Houdini system she developed for one of her interior environments.Take a look at more examples made with this system below:Tatiana BaevaTatiana BaevaTo begin the process, Tatiana divided the wallpaper damage she aimed to create into three categories: large fallen pieces, peeled seams, and small torn-off fragments. She started by uploading the rooms layout geometry and worked through each segment, from selecting the width to preparing the mask for simulation. After merging all the segments, she applied various materials and finalized the interior.Tatiana BaevaTatiana BaevaTatiana BaevaTatiana BaevaVisit the projects page for details, and follow Tatianas ArtStation for more great environment art. She also plans to release this HDA for public access, so stay tuned and join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us on Instagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Creating Peeled Wallpaper With Custom-Made Houdini System appeared first on CG SHARES.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is the first-ever rogue-lite take on our favorite heroes in a half-shell, blending the fast-paced action of Hades with the charm and personalities of the four Turtles we have come to love.

PlayStation StoreLunar New Year promotion comes to PlayStation Store on 22 January*! Enjoy up to 75% off on a huge range of incredible games until 12 February. Highlighted titles include Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, TEKKEN 8, Persona 3 Reload and Resident Evil 4.Head to PlayStation Store to enjoy savings now!View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imagePlayStation PlusPlayers who join PlayStation Plus during 22 January to 4 February can save 25% on a 12-month PS Plus Extra membership, or join 12-month PS Plus Deluxe with an even bigger 35% discount!Current PlayStation Plus Essential or Extra members can save 35% on the remainder of their membership when upgrading a current plan to PlayStation Plus Deluxe.**With PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe, get access to monthly games, exclusive discounts, online multiplayer, and hundreds of games through the Game Catalog and Classics Catalog, including hit titles like God of War Ragnark, Grand Theft Auto V, Like a Dragon Gaiden and many more. Explore the Classics Catalog with PlayStation Plus Deluxe, try select games like the epic Black Myth: Wukong with Game Trials, and more.****Level Up New Years Play starts on 22 January 00:00 JST and concludes on 12 February 23:59 JST. Products may have different sales periods. See specific offer details on product detail pages or retailer sites. Not applicable for Indonesia.**Not applicable for Indonesia.***Availability of Classics and Game Catalog varies over time, region/country, and plan. See https://www.playstation.com/Plus for details and updates on PlayStation Plus offerings. PlayStation Plus is an ongoing subscription subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically (at the then-current PS Store price) at the frequency you choose at purchase until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms

By the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the Sonic cinematic universe has gotten considerably bigger. Shadow the Hedgehog and Gerald Robotnik expand the Sonic family, and a mid-credits scene promises to add even more fan-favorite characters for the eventual sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 4. As Sonic 3 hits digital release this week, Polygon took time to speak to Sonic the Hedgehog franchise director Jeff Fowler about the future of the series and what it holds for two new characters.In Sonic 3s mid-credits stinger, an army of Metal Sonics show up to neutralize Sonic. But a savior arrives: Amy Rose, cloaked and armed with a giant mallet, and she lays waste to the robotic Sonic clones. Neither Metal Sonic nor Amy speaks during the scene, which leaves their places in the story open-ended for now.Read on for Fowlers insight into the addition of Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, who have been teed up to appear in a fourth live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie.Polygon: When did you know you were going to expand the franchise with Metal Sonic and Amy Rose?Jeff Fowler: We actually had the idea pretty early, during storyboarding. We love doing these teasers, and with [Sonic the Hedgehog] having 30-plus years of games, there are so many amazing characters. Were all dying to get a female character in the mix with Amy, but at the same time, to honor how they were both introduced in Sonic CD. So it felt very cool to honor that chronology and have them simultaneously introduced.Of course, it would be reckless and irresponsible to not have had at least some story conversations you dont want to just put a character in there and then wake up after the movies out and have no idea what to do with them.With Shadow, we knew by bringing him in at the end of [Sonic the Hedgehog 2], that was going to more or less commit us to the Sonic Adventure 2 storyline, or at least something that honored that storyline. With the movies, what we always try to do is honor the characters and stories that made them so iconic, but also give it a movie coat of paint. So now thats the challenge with Amy and Metal.I cant really speak to any of the Sonic 4 stuff, but I will just say that we never put these characters in lightly its always because we think theyre going to bring something interesting and new to the story. That really is the overall goal: to make each of these films unique. We never want to repeat ourselves. We never want to feel like were making the same movie. Its always got to take us into new territory tonally, and offer up something new, and give people a reason that they have to get out and see it. Because you dont want it to feel familiar or expected or, worst of all, predictable. So yeah, thats the next challenge.Do you have an internal wishlist of which actors might voice those characters?Absolutely. I mean, traditionally, in most of his incarnations, Metal Sonic doesnt speak. Thats not to say that once the story and scripting process begins, there wont be the question asked, What if we did give him a voice? All those conversations have yet to be had.But I think with Amy, as we work through her character when that work is committed to well be figuring out whos the best match in terms of personality. I mean, Amy is a little different from Shadow. His character has stood up over time. I think [based on] Amys original introduction, we have some different story needs [we cant just rely on] Sonic CD. But theyre both really exciting opportunities. They are creative conversations still to be had, so well just have to wait and see.Sonic the Hedgehog 3 arrives on digital rental and purchase platforms on Jan. 21.

At a rally following the inauguration ceremonies, President Trump had a desk brought out on stage where he signed a number of executive orders. The first of the evening took aim at 78 of the Biden administration's orders, including the October 2023 guidelines for AI."The revocations within this order will be the first of many steps the United States Federal Government will take to repair our institutions and our economy," the text reads. There's no explanation for any of the selections, just a long list with "the following actions are hereby revoked" as an introduction. Some were related to the on-going response COVID-19 pandemic while others concern immigration, climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).Biden's executive order outlined an ambitious plan to establish protections for the general public and best practices for the federal government with regard to artificial intelligence. More specifically, the EO sought new standards for safety and security in addition to protocols for AI watermarking and both civil rights and consumer protections. It also laid out plains to mitigate the impact on workers from businesses using AI as well as launched a new federal jobs portal seeking "more AI talent."In singular executive orders on Monday, Trump also withdrew the US from the Paris climate agreement for the second time. He did so during his first term, but Biden reinstated US participation when he took office.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/trump-executive-order-rescinds-bidens-ai-framework-012825311.html?src=rss

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

The way Kardell Thomas sees things, it wasnt so much the schools as it was the system that let him down.When thinking about the pros and cons of college players forming a union as they navigate their way through anindustry thats changing by the day,the story of the offensive lineman who has signed with four schools in five years is a good one to tell.Thomas father, Karl, died in 2023 after kidney problems became too much to overcome. Kardell wont name names, but he said he was promised help from one of his schools when his dads health started deteriorating.Help never came. Thomas suffered injuries. Rumors spread about marijuana use, even though Thomas says he never failed a drug test. All-too-frequent trips to the transfer portal were laced with endless questions about whether he was durable or dependable enough.After weaving through stops in Louisiana, Florida and Missouri, Thomas ended up with Deion Sanders, though he barely got on the field at Colorado in his final year of eligibility.By the time he got there, it was too late anyway.I feel like if I couldve had NIL in my third year, I couldve bought my dad a kidney, and maybe he wouldnt have died, Thomas said of the name, image and likeness payments that are changing college sports.Could a players association have made things better?Thomas is one of around 4,000 athletes who have joined forces with what would like to be one of the most disruptive forces in a disrupted industry.Athletes.orgheld a meeting with more than 50 of those players over the weekend leading up toMondays national title gamebetween Ohio State and Notre Dame.It describes itself as the players association for college athletes one of two trying to establish a footholdin an industry that has the NCAAs Student-Athlete Advisory Committee but nothing in the way of formalized athlete groups outside the NCAA tent.One of its members is Grant House the Arizona State swimmer whose name graces theHouse settlementthat is set to dictate the terms of many of the industrys thorniest issues: revenue sharing, NIL payments, roster limits, Title IX and more.Its not just about my name on the case, House said. I did this for these guys around me. I did this for the other couple dozen guys in the room across the hall and all around the country, too.Another is Diego Pavia, the junior-college-turned-Vanderbilt quarterbackwho sued for a fifth year of eligibilityand whose plight is the tip of a potential move to allow all players a fifth year. (Pavia attended the meeting in Atlanta but did not give interviews.)Yet another isSedona Prince, the basketball player whoseviral video of the sparse weight roomat womens March Madness in 2020 remains a bracing symbol for all that doesnt work in college sports.What I care about is making a change, making a real change, which is what Im doing, Prince said in an interview with the Associated Press last week. Advocating for athletes, negotiating for athletes, giving thousands and thousands of athletes generational wealth.Players as employees scares schools but interests the athletesThe organizations cofounder, Jim Cavale, said the mission of athletes.org is not necessarily to have players declared employees. Still, when those who attended the meeting this weekend were asked if theyd like to know more about the pros and cons of an employment model, 94% said yes.Its not do the athletes want to be employees, do the athletes not want to be employees, he said. Its, how are the athletes treated, and theyve been treated like employees for a long time.Many in the college space view the idea of athletes as employees as an existential threat, claiming athletic departments will have to make massive cuts to programs if forced to put hundreds of players across all sports on the payroll, earning scholarships, retirement benefits and potentially NIL money.Those power brokers breathed a sigh of relief over the past two weeks when plaintiffs in a pair of major pushes toward an employment model atDartmouthandSouthern California halted their legal actions.Cavale argues that nobody should be so sure employment is a game killer.Some athletes, he argues, might not want that because they could owe payroll taxes on their scholarship and benefits and, without NIL money to offset that, end up in the red. Others, especially in football and basketball, might be able to make a profit.Thats the wideness and breadth of college athletics, Cavale said. So many schools, so many sports, so many athletes. Its not just a one-size-fits-all thing.Names behind the NCAA lawsuit hope decisions will benefit everyoneThough House and Prince have their names on the lawsuit, most of the decisions being made because of it are being hashed out by lawyers, judges, conferences and the NCAA.Its been five years of every day being different than the day before it, House said. Its about adapting and adjusting and being malleable and about working for solutions that actually help everyone.Prince said there are things shed like to see for instance, she hopes schools will max out the 22%, or $20.5 million, theyll be allowed to pay players next school year because if you dont pay your student-athletes, youre not going to have student-athletes.Her confidence in that happening isnt all that high, though, which is whyshes also pushing for a bigger seat at the table.Historically, over and over, time and time again, unless you force their hand to make a change, theyre not going to do it by themselves, she said. So, I hope, I pray it could be an equitable and fair system that feels right.Eddie Pells, AP national writerDoug Feinberg, AP basketball writer, contributed to this report.