Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on invites sent out to lucky fewLet's-a go?Image credit: Nintendo / Eurogamer News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 28, 2025 Invitations for Nintendo's Switch 2 hands-on events have been sent out to fans who previously applied to try the hotly-anticipated upcoming hardware.If that's you, well, it's worth checking your email inbox and spam folder now.Posting on social media, numerous fans have included screenshots of their successful entries in Nintendo's ticket sweepstake.lol what if i took a trip to LA [image or embed] TheAllergyGirl (@thealogian.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 1:04 AMTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.Of course, not everyone got an invite. Nintendo appears to have notified unsuccessful applicants, too. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.The Nintendo Switch 2 World Tour will visit London between 11th and 13th April, shortly after the event series kicks off on 4th April in Paris, before visiting other European capital cities such as Berlin, Madrid and Amsterdam.Attendees are expected to get around four hours with Switch 2 - and presumably will be able to try the new Mario Kart.A second version will simultaneously tour North America, with dates in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Toronto.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart 9 have been revealed - but questions remain.Watch on YouTubeThe tour is currently set to conclude on 1st June in Seoul, after visiting Tokyo and Melbourne, though further dates in Hong Kong and Taipei are expected.Nintendo is yet to say when exactly Switch 2 will be released - but could it be around then, as the tour concludes?

Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt is taking a sabbatical after 11 years on the series, and will start developer Arrowhead's next game on his return.Helldivers 2 released early last year, but as Pilestedt noted in a social media post, he's been "living it since early 2016", while development of the first game began in 2013."11 years of working 'around the clock' on the same IP has made me set aside family, friends and my lovely wife... and myself," he wrote."I am going to take some time now to redeem what was lost from all of those that supported me for over a decade."Helldivers 2 - Omens of Tyranny | PS5 & PC GamesWatch on YouTubeOf course, support on Helldivers 2 will continue while he's away, considering it's proven such a success - it topped 8m sales in March and was PlayStation's biggest ever launch on Steam.Arrowhead did recently come under fire, however, for the high cost of its Killzone 2 collaboration, which the studio then gifted to players for free."When I'm back - I will start working on the next Arrowhead game," Pilestedt added. That will likely be a long way off, but it's exciting to consider what could be next for the studio.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Until then, there's the newly announced Helldivers film adaptation. Pilestedt confirmed Arrowhead will be involved, but in a limited capacity as he acknowledged the development team are "not Hollywood people".Further, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani joked he wants as "many A-list actors as possible" to be in the film, but only if "they all get killed violently immediately".

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereIf you havent played as Godzilla in Fortnite, you have a few more days to do so. The iconic monster is set to leave the game on Friday, January 31, and may never return. Unfortunately, transforming into this creature will be harder, as Epic Games just nerfed its spawn rate. The good news, however, is that the spawn rate will be buffed later this week.The spawn rate of Godzilla was temporarily reduced in FortniteWhen Epic Games first released Godzilla, the spawn rate was 20%. Shortly after, the Fortnite creator buffed it to 40%, followed by a 100% spawn rate. The increased rate allowed many players to transform into Godzilla or at least fight him more frequently. However, this is no longer the case, as the monster spawns less frequently.On Monday night, Epic Games nerfed the spawn rate of the monster. The current rate is 60%, so in theory, Godzilla should spawn in the majority of games. This was the only thing that was changed, as the creatures health and damage remained the same.Godzillas spawn rate was nerfed with the latest hotfix. Image by VideoGamerTo become Godzilla in Fortnite, you will need to be the first player to enter his portal. The portal randomly spawns in one of the predetermined locations on the map, and you will have to be close to it to have a chance. Furthermore, make sure to grab a couple of weapons before going for the portal, as you will certainly encounter enemies around it.If you havent transformed into Godzilla yet, Epic has some good news. The spawn rate of the monster will be increased later this week. Considering that Godzilla leaves the game on Friday, we expect this change to kick in on Wednesday morning. The Fortnite creator clarified that the spawn rate will go back to 100%, which will allow one player in every match to become Godzilla. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

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Double TroubleDisney Plus' Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man isn't even out yet, but you can already look forward to two more seasons of itLet's just hope it's actually good.Image credit: Marvel/ Disney News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Jan. 28, 2025 The upcoming animated Disney Plus series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man isn't out until tomorrow, but it's already got two more seasons on the way.Most of us don't know if Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is any good or not yet, given that the first two episodes aren't officially out until tomorrow, January 29, but clearly Marvel and Disney are convinced by it, as the show has apparently been greenlit up to season 3. Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios' head of streaming, television, and animation, recently spoke with The Movie Podcast, where he shared that he's "now read all the scripts for season 2, we're halfway through the animatics." To see this content please enable targeting cookies. He went on to say that "Jeff [Trammell, lead writer] is building brick by brick and this show starts to pay off, you feel it in season 1, you grow connected to these characters so that when everything starts to lock into place and pay off by the end of the season. I don't know about you guys, but I feel it really in my soul. And it just gets deeper and deeper in subsequent seasons. We're greenlit through season 3, so in a couple weeks I'm going to hear his pitch for the third season. I'm like a fan, I cannot wait." Guess we'll have some sort of idea tomorrow if that two season renewal pays off! To see this content please enable targeting cookies.If Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has somehow gone under your radar since its announcement, the animated show acts as an origin story of sorts for the character set during his earlier days as the web-slinger, though it is important to note that it is set in an alternate timeline from the main films, so don't expect any particular continuity there necessarily. In this world, Norman Osborn is Peter's mentor instead of Tony Stark, so I'm sure we can expect some tension there given who Osborn goes on to become.

Judgment 2Outriders dev People Can Fly shares some good news as it returns to the Gears of War series to help The Coalition develop E-DayPeople Can Fly, the talented team that has extensive history with the Gears of War series, is returning to work on the next big mainline title.Image credit: Microsoft, The Coalition, People Can Fly News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on Jan. 28, 2025 The next big Gears of War game was revealed at last summers Xbox Games Showcase. Its called Gears of War: E-Day, and it acts as a prequel to the events of the core series, depicting the chaos of the eponymous Emergence Day.While weve always known that Microsofts The Coalition studio is developing the game, todays announcement reveals that it has one hell of a partner in People Can Fly.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Anyone familiar with Gears of War, or even the classic PC shooter scene, will be very familiar with People Can Fly. The Polish studios history with the Gears series extends as far back as the first game, having contributed to all three mainline games.The studio was later given an opportunity to create its own spin-off in Gears of War: Judgment, which sadly isnt as well remembered today. Since then, People Can Fly created Bulletstorm, and Outriders.Returning to collaborate on the next chapter of this legendary saga is both a privilege and an exciting opportunity to build upon the intense, visceral action and rich storytelling that fans have come to love, said studio CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski.The Coalition, for its part, was enthusiastic about this partnership. Studio head Mike Crump added that Gears of War: E-Day is not just our next major game; its a return to what makes Gears of War games special and authentic. Dom likes it. | Image credit: Microsoft, The Coalition, People Can FlyThis is good news for fans of People Can Fly, which has been having a rough go of it in recent years. The studio creates excellent shooters, but they just cant seem to find a big enough audience for continued investment. More recently, the developer laid off over 120 developers as it scaled back development of an unannounced project, and suspended its self-publishing plans.While Gears of War: E-Day may not be the next new thing from People Can Fly, it at least means the studio will remain in business for a while longer, which will hopefully be enough to secure a brighter future for one of the most talented studios in the industry.Our team at People Can Fly, made up of dedicated Gears of War fans, is pouring everything we have into creating an experience that will exceed expectations, People Can Fly development director, Guillaume Barry, added.While we cant share more just yet, were eager for the day when we can show all the exciting things weve been working on says Guillaume Barry, Development Director at PCF.Gears of War: E-Day does not have a release target, but some suggested it could be released as early as this year - though that seems unlikely.

Quick-commerce startup Zepto has moved its domicile to India from Singapore, joining a growing number of Indian startups that have moved their headquarters home ahead of an IPO in the country.The transition marks the fastest shift of registered headquarters to India by a startup in the country, according to Zeptos chief financial officer Ramesh Bafna.Indian authorities recently made it easier for companies to flip their headquarters back home. Some startups, like Pine Labs, have been in the process for relatively longer.Zeptos move follows similar relocations by other prominent Indian startups, including PhonePe and Groww. Many Indian startups had originally set up holding companies overseas so they could get access to foreign capital more easily.Several Indian startups registered in Singapore to keep open the option of a U.S. listing, which is not permitted for companies based in India. Flipkart, Eruditus and Udaan are among those that chose this route.The Indian IPO market has emerged as one of the worlds strongest in the past two years, leading many founders to move their official operations to the country. Swiggys $1.35 billion IPO in November was the largest public listing by a tech company globally last year.Zepto, which raised more than $1.35 billion last year and is currently valued at $5 billion, plans to file for an initial public offering later this year, seeking to raise as much as $1.1 billion, according to a source familiar with the company. The startup, which delivers groceries, wellness products and household goods within 10 minutes in urban areas, is fast catching up to Zomato-owned Blinkit, which commands the market.

Tencent, a Chinese technology conglomerate, has released Hunyuan3D 2.0 to streamline the creation of high-quality 3D assets. This system relies on two core modelsHunyuan3D-DiT for geometry and Hunyuan3D-Paint for textureto produce intricate shapes and realistic surface details. Internal evaluations indicate lower Condition-Model Matching Distance (CMMD) and Frchet Inception Distance (FID) than competing platforms, suggesting strong alignment between user inputs and final outputs. Hunyuan3D-Studio, a companion interface, adds features such as sketch-to-3D conversion and simplified polygon output, aiming to reduce bottlenecks in animation and modeling tasks.Tencents Hunyuan3D-DiT produces high-resolution geometry while Hunyuan3D-Paint applies textures. Image via Tencent.Hunyuan3D-DiT focuses on generating base geometry, capturing details like subtle fabric folds or precise facial features that earlier models sometimes missed. Hunyuan3D-Paint then applies vibrant textures by leveraging diffusion and geometric priors. This decoupled approach has shown advantages in both speed and adaptability, with Tencents performance data indicating consistent gains over alternative systems. Hunyuan3D-Studio complements these core modules by offering tools for low-polygon stylization and basic rigging, potentially benefiting designers and developers who need fast iteration cycles.Questions have arisen about whether Hunyuan3D 2.0 can extend into 3D printing workflows. Other AI-based platforms, including Meshy and Backflip, have already demonstrated how automated geometry and texture generation can produce files suitable for additive manufacturing. While Tencent has not explicitly highlighted 3D printing applications, the open-source framework may invite adaptation for prototyping or multi-material prints. The capacity to generate both high-resolution and low-polygon meshes could fit the varied requirements of individuals who use industrial or desktop 3D printers.Hunyuan3D 2.0. Image via Tencent.AI Innovations Supporting the 3D Printing IndustryNvidia, a GPU manufacturer, has pursued similar goals with Magic3D. This generative AI technology creates 3D models from text prompts, producing a low-resolution mesh that is later refined to higher resolution. Internal demonstrations show an example involving a blue poison-dart frog on a water lily, with the entire process taking around 40 minutes. Nvidia positions Magic3D as a successor to DreamFusion, an earlier text-to-3D model introduced by Google researchers. According to technical details, Magic3D can execute some tasks in about half the time compared to its predecessor, using text-to-image models that optimize volumetric data for 3D rendering.Elsewhere, Shenzhen-based 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Lab has also joined the text-to-3D trend with PrintMon Maker, an AI tool that generates 3D models from brief user prompts or images. Early users reported delays due to heavy traffic, but Bambu Lab has stated that server capacity issues have been resolved. PrintMon Maker integrates with Bambu Studio, allowing direct import of generated files for slicing and fabrication on the companys printers. The workflow supports separate color channels and customizable features such as bases and eye styles, appealing to a range of skill levels.The PrintMon Maker editing interface on MakerWorld. Image via Bambu Lab.Ready to discover who won the 20243D Printing Industry Awards?What will the future of 3D printing look like?Which recent trends are driving the 3D printing industry, as highlighted by experts?Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to stay updated with the latest news and insights.Stay connected with the latest in 3D printing by following us on Twitter and Facebook, and dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry YouTube channel for more exclusive content.Featured image shows Hunyuan3D 2.0. Image via Tencent.

iaremenko - stock.adobe.comNewsDatafy promises to slash massive EBS overprovisioning costsAWS Elastic Block Storage is often over-provisioned. Datafy virtualises EBS volumes to allow customers to scale capacity up and down, and says it will not charge customers if it doesnt cut their costsByAntony Adshead,Storage EditorPublished: 28 Jan 2025 9:49 AWS EBS Elastic Block Storage customers usually massively over-provision cloud storage capacity and pay way more than they should. Capacity utilisation on EBS is between 10% and 30%, according to Datafy, a startup that claims it can slash AWS customers EBS bills by adding greater granularity to their cloud block storage deployments.According to Gurdip Kalley, head of business development at Datafy, the core issue with AWS EBS is that it is effectively a form of direct-attached storage (DAS) but in the cloud, and that differs from other AWS block storage such as FSX which can be one-to-many. And so, because of this, customer devops engineers invariably over-provision capacity because its very difficult to predict usage, especially in Kubernetes deployments.EBS is elastic, but its not that elastic, said Kalley. So, customers pay up front for capacity, just like you do for mobile phone storage and you pay whether you use it or not.According to Kalley, EBS eclipses all other AWS cloud storage services in terms of revenue, with a Datafy-estimated $10bn of income.Its popular because its the easiest way to lift-and-shift storage for EC2 and EKS applications, he said.But theres a problem in terms of scaling. To scale up is easy, said Kalley, but to scale down is far less so.What you have to do is to create a new, smaller volume, move the data, then break all connections with the application and the old volume and connect to the new volume, he said, adding: Customers have said its basically a migration, and theyll do this once or twice, but not after that.What Datafy does is deploy an agent in all instances of customer AWS compute. Here, it determines the size of volumes and replaces single larger volumes with a number of smaller ones.This is where Datafys smarts reside in its virtualisation of many volumes to make them appear as one, and so allow easier scaling as multiple volumes are added and subtracted to right-size capacity.Kalley said there are no non-AWS concepts introduced to the running of Datafy agents and supra-agent intelligence.Customer data is copied from the original volume to the Datafy volume [actually volumes, in the plural], he said. Now, the original can be deleted and the customer will now save money.We can grow capacity in real time as needed, with shrinking taking place to ensure the least possible disruption.Pricing is based on capacity managed and comes in at 20% of AWS capacity managed. If that seems a steep percentage, its because Datafy is confident the customer will pay a lot less than it did for over-provisioned AWS EBS storage.For example, if you were spending $100 per month and now spend $40 per month which assumes a previous utilisation rate of 40% the cost of Datafy would be 20% of the latter figure and a total of $48. And you only pay if you make savings.Datafy is available on the AWS marketplace, starting in Q1 2025.Later in 2025, Datafy will expand its capabilities to Azure and Google Coud Platform block storage.Read more about cloud storageAWS storage: Key storage options in the Amazon cloud. We survey the key cloud storage options available from AWS, which include S3 object storage and its options, block storage in EBS and a range of file storage choices.Five reasons why and when cloud storage is the answer. We look at when cloud storage can be the best choice, with considerations that include performance, scalability and agility, cost, management simplicity, and security and resilience.In The Current Issue:World Economic Forum: Digital supply chains at risk as world faces two years of turbulenceData sovereignty and security in the UKDownload Current IssueEverywoman announces 2025 tech awards finalists WITsendData engineering - Cloudera: Counting the cost of data integration tax CW Developer NetworkView All Blogs

CW+ Premium Content/Computer WeeklyThank you for joining!Access your Pro+ Content below.28 January 2025Turbulent times ahead for techIn this weeks Computer Weekly, the World Economic Forum in Davos highlighted growing risks to digital supply chains we examine the turbulence ahead. Data sovereignty is becoming a growing issue as companies move to the cloud we look at the regulatory challenges. And we analyse the best practices in automated patch management. Read the issue now.Access this CW+ Content for Free!Already a member? Login hereFeaturesin this issueDavos 2025: Digital supply chains at risk as world faces two years of turbulencebyBill GoodwinWorld Economic Forum urges digital business leaders to build the resilience of supply chains, improve cyber defences and develop contingency plansPublic cloud: Data sovereignty and data security in the UKbyMarc Ambasna-JonesWe assess the impact of new regulations and government policy on the ability to use public cloud servicesView Computer Weekly ArchivesNext IssueMore CW+ ContentView All