Developer Direct round-up: the big questions about Xboxs 2025 line-upGameCentralPublished January 23, 2025 9:10pmUpdated January 23, 2025 9:11pm Ninja Gaiden 4 Microsoft has had a very good start to the year (Xbox Game Studios)GameCentral gives an overview of the latest Xbox Developer Direct and is impressed by the quality of the games and the density of Microsofts release schedule.They may be a tad overproduced, with that tinge of insincerity that seems to permeate most Microsoft events, but the Xbox Developer Directs are now firmly established as something to genuinely look forward to.Nintendo Directs are still the gold standard for such showcases, with their usually endless stream of reveals and a minimum of blather, but Microsofts equivalents are far more consistent than Sonys consistently disappointing State of Play events.The first Developer Direct of the year has become particularly reliable entertainment, with this years showcasing Doom: The Dark Ages, Ninja Gaiden 4, South Of Midnight, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.None of the games had release dates prior to Thursday but what stood out is that apart from Ninja Gaiden 4 which hadnt been announced till now and only has a vague autumn 2025 date everything else is out in either April or May.Thats a surprise, as together with Avowed in February (and Indiana Jones And The Great Circle on PlayStation 5 this spring) that is a very stacked first half of the year. So stacked in fact that it seems to almost guarantee that there will be other big Microsoft published games released in the second half of the year, beyond just Activision Blizzard titles such as this years Call Of Duty.Fable and The Outer Worlds 2 are nominally due this year, but they have no date and Microsoft has never talked about them in detail, leading to many assuming theyd be delayed. Their release this autumn now seems far more certain, perhaps accompanied by other surprises.Theres also the prospect of Perfect Dark and/or Gears Of War: E-Day but it seems more likely that Microsoft will leave them to next year. After all, it promised it would get into a regular cadence of new releases but Microsoft has promised a lot over the years and rarely delivered.But now it seems clear that their plan to never go more than a few months without a first party release at least in terms of something theyve published, not necessarily something made by an internal studio is coming true.And yet almost all these games are multiformat releases, also coming to PlayStation 5 and, probably in most cases, Nintendo Switch 2.If Microsoft had been putting out this many high quality games even just a few years ago then their hardware sales might never have collapsed and they wouldnt necessarily have needed to buy Activision Blizzard, and go third party, at all.Its a chicken and egg situation though. If they hadnt bought Activision Blizzard they wouldnt have been under so much pressure to go multiformat or to get their publishing business in order.Although there is the question of how well any of these games will sell. Doom and Ninja Gaiden have never been massive sellers, and few would bet on Avowed breaking any records. South Of Midnight and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 did look very good but theyre clearly not blockbusters either.More TrendingBut if Microsoft is happy to continue publishing such games, then thats the best news any gamer could ask for: a massively rich company indulging and publishing avant-garde games that it already knows arent going to make a dent in their profit margins.The situation is peculiar, and youve got to ask how long it will last, but while Microsoft made no attempt to explain their multiformat policy (no execs were featured in the Direct, which is another reason why theyre so good) the only one that was still an Xbox console exclusive is South Of Midnight.Thats probably because its by a smaller studio and they didnt have the capacity to make a PlayStation 5 version yet. Although, as ever, theres still a degree of uncertainty about whether Microsoft has entirely given up on the concept of exclusives. But if Fable is on PlayStation 5 from the start, or within three months like Indiana Jones, that surely is the end of any further prevarication.Theres an intense irony in the fact that the moment Microsoft has chosen to go multiformat is also when their publishing schedules finally gain a sense of consistent quality and variety. Perhaps these games will actually prove to be disappointments after all, we havent played any of them yet but theyre definitely all interesting and exciting, and at this stage thats all that matters. The biggest hitter from the Direct (Bethesda)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.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

Ninja Gaiden 4 by makers of Bayonetta out in 2025 Ninja Gaiden 2 Black out nowGameCentralPublished January 23, 2025 7:48pmUpdated January 23, 2025 9:11pm Why have one new Ninja Gaiden game when you can have three? (Xbox Game Studios)The mystery game in the Xbox Developer Direct was not quite such a mystery after all, as its revealed to be Ninja Gaiden 4 for Xbox and PS5.Despite Microsoft making a promise of a surprise new game reveal, during its Developer Direct on Thursday evening, the rumours quickly narrowed down what it was to either an Ecco The Dolphin reboot or a new Ninja Gaiden.Perhaps unsurprisingly, its the latter which turned out to be right, although the annoucement that Ninja Gaiden 4 will be a collaboration between series creator Team Ninja and Bayonetta and NieR:Automata developer PlatinumGames was a bit of a shock.The game will be published by Xbox Game Studios, not Team Ninja and franchise owner Koei Tecmo, but it will be released on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC (and, were willing to bet, Nintendo Switch 2) this autumn.Although the third person action is very much within Platinums area of expertise they had previously vowed to stop working on games where they dont own the IP. Considering the trouble the developer seems to be in at the moment, with no new games in some time and a number of high profile staff exits, its not hard to imagine why they backtracked on that.The brain drain has left Platinum a little short on big name directors though and Ninja Gaiden 4 producer and director Yuji Nakao has never directed a game of this size before, with his most significant credit so far being one of four producers on Bayonetta 3.Nevertheless, Ninja Gaiden 4 does look like vintage Platinum, with the developers emphasising the speed of the action and what looks like a complex combat and parry system.Theres also lots of platform-like traversal going on, with wall-running, swinging on a grappling hook, and grinding along rails.Although series regular Ryu Hayabusa is in the game, and is implied to be playable at some point, the protagonist is new character Yakumo from the rival Raven clan, who can use one of two different styles of combat.Ever since the reboot in 2004, Ninja Gaiden became one of the few Japanese-made franchises to be closely associated with Xbox, so its not hard to see why Microsoft signed up to publish this new entry. Although Tomonobu Itagaki, who was responsible for the reboot, is not involved, as he left Team Ninja some time ago to set up his own studio.More TrendingItagaki was producer and director on the 2008 reboot sequel though and a remaster of that, made in Unreal Engine 5 and called Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, was also announced during the Developer Direct. Surprisingly, its out now for 39.99 on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.The problem with that is that the remaster looks arguably better than Ninja Gaiden 4, whose visuals seem more abstract, with a more distant camera. The latter probably means it plays better but its a bit awkward seeing the two next to each other.This year is the 30th anniversary of Team Ninja and theyre really going all out to engineer a comeback for Ninja Gaiden, which hasnt had a new game in over a decade now.In fact, theres also a third game thats already been announced: a 2D title called Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, which is by the developers of indie title Blasphemous. Its good to have Ninja Gaiden back (Xbox Game Studios)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.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

Now is a good time to reflect on your desire to start a website. Hostinger Website Builder offers a unique opportunity to save 80% and pay a meager $2.49/mo for it. Moreover, it includes 3 free months, AI-powered tools, a free domain, and much more, all essential for website start-ups.Heres what else this wonderful Hostinger deal brings to the table.Save Up to 80% on Hostinger Website BuilderHostinger Website Builder Winter Sale: All the DetailsApart from being the greatest website hosting, Hostinger specializes in website building. However, what if we told you this limited-time Hostinger Website Builder deal is bundled with its fast and reliable hosting?So, now were talking! Hostinger Website Builder offers two money-saving deals:Premium at $2.49/mo, 80% offBusiness at $3.49/mo, 75% off HostingerBeware that these deals arent indefinite and theyll soon expire. But because theyre still on and ready to rock your world, you can enjoy amazing features, such as:Free email150+ website templatesMarketing integrationsMobile EditingFree domain for a year100 websitesAI Website BuilderThe great thing about Hostinger is its e-commerce website building, which starts with the Business plan at $3.49/mo. You get everything from the Premium plan, with the addition of:E-commerce tools (100+ payment methods, 500 products, inventory management)0% transaction feesAI Tools like AI writer, blog generator, heatmaps, SEO, and image generatorAs you can see, Hostinger Website Builder is well-equipped to handle all your needs. Heck, at $3.49/mo, its Business plan at 75% off might be the cheapest e-commerce website builder you can currently get!How to Save 80% on Hostinger Website Builder?In case you missed it, we left a blue button above where you can go directly to Hostinger and grab the deal. Use any of the buttons or specific links in the article and you can grab your piece of cake promptly.Just register for Hostinger, follow the steps on the screen, and youre good to go. Vital to know is that you dont need to be tech-savvy or have any previous experience. Since Hostinger supplies a free domain, you can start right away.Once the domain is registered, pick a template, personalize your website, and click Publish.Keep in mind that Hostinger also comes with top-of-the-line web hosting deals.Its Premium and Business web hosting plans offer tons of features. However, its also among the top cloud hosting options, with the Cloud Startup plan at $7.59/mo as part of the January 2025 sale.Be sure to explore Hostinger and make tremendous savings along the way.All discounts can be accessed via the buttons/links in this article.Explore Hostinger Website Builder Deals

The Oscars might have expanded the Best Picture category to 10 spots, but it still limits the nominees in other categories to just fivemaking for a more competitive race, but also resulting in inevitable snubs. Todays Academy Awards announcement brought a lot of glory to box-office hits Wicked and Dune: Part Two, but neither Best Picture nominee garnered recognition for their directors. That did not sit well with Dune star Josh Brolin, who stepped up to defend Denis Villeneuve. Dune fans will recall that while Villeneuve did get nominations in the Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay categories for 2022s Dune (it lost both to CODA), he was also passed over for Best Director that year. His only Best Director nomination to date came with 2017s Arrival (he lost to La La Lands Damien Chazelle). Brolin, who played Gurney Halleck in the Dune films and also collaborated on a pair of elaborate art book tie-ins, took to his Instagram stories to air his reaction to Villeneuves snub. As Variety reports, he recorded himself speaking directly to the camera: Just want to say congratulations to the Dune best picture nomination, to Greig Fraser for cinematography, for best visual effects, special effects, for Patrice [Vermett] for production design and for sound, I believe. He continued. Apparently, I am going to quit acting because Denis Villeneuve didnt get nominated. This is just how this thing works. It makes no sense to me. Thats okay. [Editor] Joe Walker, Denis Villeneuve, you deserve it. Its an amazing film. I think it was even better than the first one. But the people who have gotten accolades sure deserve it. Happy to be a part of it. Congratulations everyone. That reference to quitting acting echoes back to an interview Brolin did with Variety in November 2024 where he made the initial declaration: If he doesnt get nominated this year, Ill quit acting. It was a better movie than the first one. When I watched it, it felt like my brain was broken open. Its masterful, and Denis is one of our master filmmakers. If the Academy Awards have any meaning whatsoever, theyll recognize him. (The trade also notes that Brolin posted a similar social media message when Villeneuve was left off the Best Director list for the first Dune.)Presumably, therell be another chance to reward that hard work on Arrakis with Dune Messiah, said to be Villeneuves next project. If somehow Hollywoods Oscar voters drop the ball again, head straight to Brolins Instagram to commiserate. 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.

Nothing Design Co. Headquarters / Range Design & ArchitectureSave this picture! James John JetelArchitects: Range Design & ArchitectureAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:3500 ftYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:James John JetelManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Interstate More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. This expansion of an existing structure into a furniture design studio and showroom aims to unify and express a variety of spatial qualitiesto make and house furniture, address daylighting and energy performance considerations for a south-facing facade, and build upon Chicago's historical pattern of common brick structures with face-brick fronts.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!To expand the volume, common brick-bearing walls were extended vertically and due to the proximity of the property line no openings were allowed in these walls. As a result, access to light was limited to the street and yard facing edges of the building. Taking cues from Chicago's historical pattern of face-brick fronts and common brick sides, terra-cotta colored paver bricks were employed as a brick screen on the street. This creates a distinct and contextual facade that filters natural light thereby reducing the cooling load from the direct southern exposure. At the yard-facing side of the building the brick screen, executed in common brick, transforms a second-floor patio extending the perceived edge of the space. A bi-folding, glazed door folds away to extend the usable area into the patio.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Brick, both reclaimed and new, were critical to aesthetic considerations. Chicago is a city of brick; tapestried by the infinite variability of the material's module and mass. The structure is ultimately anchored within this contextthe material is used to provide structure, respond to the context, filter light, and create a distinct identity for the project.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Chicago, United StatesLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on January 23, 2025Cite: "Nothing Design Co. Headquarters / Range Design & Architecture" 23 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025619/nothing-design-co-headquarters-range-design-and-architecture&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

The highly anticipated new season of Severance just debuted on Apple TV, and its already making huge waves! Join Josh and Austin as they break down the mind-bending opening scene of Season 2, dissecting the techniques behind each shot. For the video version of this podcast, check us out on YouTube @copilotco.- CoPilot Co. is a global, tech-driven production studio that specializes in XR virtual production, film production, and AI tool development. We are committed to helping people realize their boldest ideas through sharing our expertise, consulting on virtual production studio builds, and creating AI tools for XR environment building. CONNECT: copilotco.iocollabs@copilotco.iohttps://www.instagram.com/copilotco/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/copilotxr/ https://www.tiktok.com/@copilotco https://open.spotify.com/show/1vzV4lv0WjzOnjBEhRpakS https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flying-blind-a-copilot-production/id1791188534

The ability to fly wont save you from becoming a land predators next meal. At least, thats what one pterosaur may have found out. An international research team recently discovered rare neck vertebrae from a prehistoric flying reptile that was likely bitten by a crocodile-like animal 76 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.The team published their recent findings in the Journal of Palaeontology.This rare find could help researchers better understand the predator-prey dynamics of that time and give a better understanding of how crocodilians found their foods.A Rare VertebraDuring an international field course in 2023, the research team unearthed the neck vertebra of a juvenile pterosaur. The fossil was found in Canadas Dinosaur Provincial Park, which is located in Alberta a hot spot for prehistoric discoveries. According to a press release, the vertebra has a circular four-millimeter-wide puncture mark from a crocodilian tooth, and is a rare find.Pterosaur bones are very delicate so finding fossils where another animal has clearly taken a bite is exceptionally uncommon. This specimen being a juvenile makes it even more rare, said Caleb Brown of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and lead author of the paper, in a press release.The team believes it was the vertebra of Cryodrakon boreas, an Azhdarchid pterosaur. This species was only recently identified in 2019 after a research team uncovered remains of a different C. boreas in Dinosaur Provincial Park.The findings indicated that this was one of the largest species of flying reptiles in that area at that time with a wingspan of about 32 feet.The specimen uncovered in 2023 was only a juvenile and likely had a 6-foot wingspan.Prehistoric InteractionTo verify if the puncture mark was indeed a bite and not caused during excavation or fossilization, researchers ran the vertebra through micro-CT scans and compared it to other fossilized pterosaur vertebrae.After confirming that the scans showed a bite mark, the research team could then begin piecing together what life was like in this region during the Cretaceous Period, over 70 million years ago. According to the study, understanding the food chain in a prehistoric ecosystem is a major goal in paleontology.There is currently little evidence of predators that consumed pterosaurs. This may be because pterosaurs had fragile bones, making it difficult to find well-intact fossilized remains. Flight may have also been an advantage to avoid predation, but again, there isnt enough evidence to support it. What this find does help researchers understand, is how these two species may have interacted.Bite traces help to document species interactions from this period. We cant say if the pterosaur was alive or dead when it was bitten, but the specimen shows that crocodilians occasionally preyed on, or scavenged, juvenile pterosaurs in prehistoric Alberta over 70 million years ago, said Brian Pickles from the University of Reading and co-author of the paper, in the press release.This is the first evidence of prehistoric crocodilians in North America as opportunistic feeders, especially on giant pterosaurs. Other crocodilian bite marks have been found on pterosaur fossils in other countries, such as Romania. Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Journal of Palaeontology. A juvenile pterosaur vertebra with putative crocodilian bite from the Campanian of Alberta, CanadaJournal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Cryodrakon boreas, gen. et sp. nov., a Late Cretaceous Canadian azhdarchid pterosaurA graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.

Computer modeling shows that Nyasasaurus could be the earliest known dinosaur, or else a close relative of early dinosaurs. (Credit: Mark Witton/The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsJust because we havent found dinosaur bones near the equator doesnt mean they dont exist just that we havent looked in the right places.A study modeling the extinct beasts evolution, published in Current Biology, points to the earliest dinosaurs establishing themselves near the Earths center, then spreading out to other parts of the globe. So far, the oldest known dinosaur fossils dating back about 230 million years hail from farther south, including Brazil, Argentina, and Zimbabwe.Rethinking Dinosaur OriginsBut, because fossils from each area differ so much from each other, that suggests the creatures were already evolving. Following that line of logic meant that earlier versions of the creatures must have lived elsewhere. Experts hadn't yet established where that where was and the ambiguity inspired the research team.Dinosaurs are well studied but we still dont really know where they came from, Joel Heath, a University College London graduate student and an author of the study, said in a news release. The fossil record has such large gaps that it cant be taken at face value.To point out possible dinosaur origin locations, the team built a computer model based on known fossil sites, evolutionary trees of dinosaurs and their reptile relatives, and geography. Perhaps most importantly, it treated areas that have not yet yielded dinosaur bones as areas where no fossils have been found not where no fossils exist.After putting all that information together, the team came up with a likely location an equatorial supercontinent known as Gondwana. This area, which encompasses todays Amazon, Congo basin, and Sahara Desert, was likely a hot, dry environment.So far, no dinosaur fossils have been found in the regions of Africa and South America that once formed this part of Gondwana, said Heath. However, this might be because researchers havent stumbled across the right rocks yet, due to a mix of inaccessibility and a relative lack of research efforts in these areas.Pinpointing Dinosaur Ground ZeroFrom that location, the creatures moved as they evolved, some south, into the areas where the oldest known fossils have been found. Others travelled north into Laurasia, the supercontinent that eventually split into Europe, Asia, and North America.The fossil record supports the equatorial area as a sort of Dino Ground Zero, because it is literally a midpoint. Evidence of the earliest dinosaurs have been found in southern Gondwana, while other fossils of close relatives have been identified Laurasia.The researchers suspect that if and when any dinosaur fossils are found there, they will be much smaller than fearsome beasts like Tyrannosaurus rex more dog-sized than Godzilla-sized. Those bones will also likely be outnumbered by other small reptiles.But first, paleontologists will need to start digging closer to the equator.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

Nature, Published online: 23 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00231-yIn an unprecedented move, research-grant reviews have been suspended indefinitely at the worlds largest public funder of biomedical research.

Nature, Published online: 22 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08457-yThe maternal X chromosome in female mice impairs cognition through the silencing of certain genes and accelerates ageing of the hippocampus.