For now, ChatGPT remains the better-rounded and more capable product, offering a suite of features that DeepSeek simply cannot match.Read More

Ubisoft confirmed that it's laying off yet more employees and closing its Leamington office as it restructures in Europe.Read More

Japanese ratings board demands changes to Assassin's Creed ShadowsThe option to toggle amputation on/off has been permanently removedImage credit: Ubisoft News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Jan. 27, 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadows will be censored in Japan when it releases in March 2025.As detailed by developer/publisher Ubisoft in a statement, there will be "differences in content" between the Japanese edition and the versions available overseas despite the game securing a CERO Z rating, the equivalent of a mature/18+ classification.Japan's rating board, CERO, confirmed that whilst players in Europe and North America will be able to toggle amputation on/off, for Japanese players "the option to switch amputation on/off from the game settings has been removed" and "amputating the neck and limbs of enemies during gameplay is now always impossible."CERO also required Ubisoft to amend how severed body parts are presented in-game in order to authorise Assassin's Creed Shadows' Japanese release.CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 was also heavily censored in Japan.

Dauntless and Fae Farm developer Phoenix Labs has laid off "a majority" of its workers one month after releasing a poorly-received update to the former title as part of its launch on Steam.The company announced the move in a post on LinkedIn, saying that today is "another difficult day" for the studio. It added that the decision was part of "unfortunate but necessary changes to [its] operations.""We recognize and deeply appreciate the contributions of every individual impacted," the statement continues. "Their talent, dedication, and creativity have left an indelible mark on our company and our games." It added that it would be sharing "more details" in the weeks ahead about what these departures mean for Fae Farm and Dauntless, its two released games. Dauntless is a free-to-play live service game, while Fae Farm is a premium game with online multiplayer.Today's layoffs come a few months after Game Developer reported on turmoil at the studio after a 2023 acquisition by blockchain firm Forte Labs. Former Phoenix Labs employees told us that the then-new parent company instituted a culture of strict secrecy, cutting off communication between teams and going so far as to seemingly conceal its ownership of the developer from prospective employees.Related:Shortly after our reporting, Phoenix Labs launched its flagship monster-hunting game Dauntless on Steam, only to be criticized by players for its new in-app monetization design and erasing previous progression with the new "Awakening" update. The game still has an "Overwhelmingly Negative" number of reviews on Steam.Poor reception of this update may have dented the company's fortunes at the end of 2024, making today's layoffs more likely. According to SteamDB, the number of concurrent players spiked briefly at about 3,200 when it first launched on Steam, but it steeply declined in the days after. Today the game is only averaging between 130-160 CCU on a given day.Phoenix Labs' Dauntless was a hit when it first launchedwhat changed?When Dauntless first launched in 2019, the game was a bona fide hit, picking up 500,000 players after launching across the Epic Game Store, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The gamefunded and published initially by Epic Gameswas an early adopter of cross-platform gameplay. This was only two years after Epic Games "accidently" activated cross-platform functionality in its flagship battle royale game Fortnite, which was followed by public campaigning by CEO Tim Sweeney for platforms like Xbox and PlayStation to lower the multiplayer walls between platforms.Today, cross-play multiplayer is a widely-supported feature for many games and is no longer a unique selling point.Phoenix Labs continued support for Dauntless but also spun up other teams to work on games like fairy-farming simulator Fae Farm and the now-cancelled dragon-themed crafting survival game codenamed "Project Dragon," along with other games ultimately cancelled in 2024. Many of these projects were spun up under then-parent company Singaporean publisher Garena (a subsidiary of Sea Ltd), which divested from Phoenix Labs in 2023.The company let go over 160 employees before this massive layoff, in the months since the acquisition by Forte Labs. In that time, its new owner reportedly pressed developers to draft methods for integrating blockchain technology in its games for the purposes of buying and selling, and trading in-game goods, according to former employees who spoke with Game Developer. No blockchain games or game mechanics have been publicly revealed by Phoenix Labs.Game Developer has reached out to Phoenix Labs for comment and will update this story when a response is issued.

Justin Carter, Contributing EditorJanuary 27, 20252 Min ReadImage via Frontier Developments.At a GlanceReports indicate Nexon canceled a Warhammer RPG from developer Thought Pennies, which led to major layoffs at the studio.A Warhammer RPG in development at Thought Pennies was recently canceled by South Korean developer and publisher Nexon.Sources speaking to Eurogamer allege the title was a collaboration between the two studios. Rumors of the project's end stirred last week, and a representative for Thought Pennies told the outlet that Nexon "made a strategic change.""The partnership worked well and we got a lot of good input...but late last year, we agreed to end [it]," the spokesperson said.Last November, Thought Pennies eliminated positions after losing funding on a then-unknown project. At the time, CCO Daniel Erickson claimed the similarly unnamed publisher opted to pursue a new "strategic direction," and didn't disclose further specifics.A team-up between Games Workshop (which owns Warhammer) and Nexon was first announced in 2021. Said project was to be based on the Warhammer Age of Sigmar fantasy franchise, which Eurogamer's sources corroborate.When the project was first revealed, Nexon teased it as a PvE game for PC, mobile, and consoles. Thought Pennies wasn't named as a developer back then, and this would have been its debut project after starting up in 2020.Not all Warhammers are equalWhile there have been Warhammer 40,000 games for decades, developers have only recently begun making video games based on the Age of Sigmar miniatures. It debuted with two mobile games in 2018, and its most recent title was Frontier's Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin in 2023.There was an Age of Sigmar game last year, an autobattler subtitled Soul Arena, but that was canceled.Meanwhile, the 40K license is still attracting players. It was recently revealed Warhammer 40K: Space Marine II hit 6 million players since its September 2024 launch, and was a success for publisher Pullup Entertainment. Owlcat Games' Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, another game under the sub-series banner, has recently sold 1 million copies. More 40K media, games and otherwise, is on the horizon.Likewise, there are a consistent number of games based on the Warhammer Fantasy setting, with the most recent entry being 2023's Blood Bowl 3.With how successful recent Warhammer games have been, and how ongoing a presence it's had in the medium, it makes Nexon canceling its Sigmar RPG even more surprising.About the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

There is a new Humble Bundle of interest to game developers, The Complete Godot 2025 Course bundle by Zenva. This bundle contains a collection of up to 24 courses for Godot Engine 4.x at both beginner and intermediate levels. The vast majority of training materials in this bundle have not been featured in previous Humbles. The bundle is composed of the following courses:1$ TierIntro to Godot 4 Game DevelopmentGodot 4 Mini-ProjectsMedian TierMobile Game Development with GodotBuild a Walking Simulator with Godot 425$ TierIntermediate Godot Essential Programming PatternsThe Comprehensive Godot Multiplayer CourseConstruct a Multiplayer Lobby in GodotCreate a Horror Game in Godot 4Discover Procedural Generation in Godot 44X Strategy Game in Godot & C# Unit 1 Hex-Based Map4X Strategy Game in Godot & C# Unit 2 City Spawning4X Strategy Game in Godot & C# Unit 3 UnitsDevelop a Complete Roguelike Game in GodotGit and GitHub for Godot Version Control EssentialsMake Custom Plugins for Godot from ScratchCreate 3D Spatial Shaders with Godot 4Build a Complete Hypercasual Game with GodotComplete Godot Project In-Game ShopBuild a Tower Defense Game in Godot 4Develop a Bullet Hell in Godot 4Build a Complete, Fully-Fledged 2D Game with GodotBuild a Complete Puzzle Game with Godot and C#Make a Metroidvania in Godot 4Make an AI State Machine in Godot 4Outside of the $1 tier, none of the courses have been featured in previous Humble Bundles. The courses are redeemed using a single key on the Zenva website. Using our links helps support GFS (thanks so much if you do!) and if you have an issue with opening the link, try opening it in a new tab and it should work just fine. You can learn more The Complete Godot 2025 Course bundle by Zenva about in the video below.

With the release of DeepSeek R1, there is a buzz in the AI community. The open-source model offers some best-in-class performance across many metrics, even at par with state-of-the-art proprietary models in many cases. Such huge success invites attention and curiosity to learn more about it. In this article, we will look into implementing a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system using DeepSeek R1. We will cover everything from setting up your environment to running queries with additional explanations and code snippets.As already widespread, RAG combines the strengths of retrieval-based and generation-based approaches. It retrieves relevant information from a knowledge base and uses it to generate accurate and contextually relevant responses to user queries.Some prerequisites for running the codes in this tutorial are as follows:Python installed (preferably version 3.7 or higher).Ollama installed: This framework allows running models like DeepSeek R1 locally.Now, lets look into step-by-step implementation:Step 1: Install OllamaFirst, install Ollama by following the instructions on their website. Once installed, verify the installation by running:# bashollama --versionStep 2: Run DeepSeek R1 ModelTo start the DeepSeek R1 model, open your terminal and execute:# bashollama run deepseek-r1:1.5bThis command initializes the 1.5 billion parameter version of DeepSeek R1, which is suitable for various applications.Step 3: Prepare Your Knowledge BaseA retrieval system requires a knowledge base from which it can pull information. This can be a collection of documents, articles, or any text data relevant to your domain.3.1 Load Your DocumentsYou can load documents from various sources, such as text files, databases, or web scraping. Heres an example of loading text files:# pythonimport osdef load_documents(directory): documents = [] for filename in os.listdir(directory): if filename.endswith('.txt'): with open(os.path.join(directory, filename), 'r') as file: documents.append(file.read()) return documentsdocuments = load_documents('path/to/your/documents')Step 4: Create a Vector Store for RetrievalTo enable efficient retrieval of relevant documents, you can use a vector store like FAISS (Facebook AI Similarity Search). This involves generating embeddings for your documents.4.1 Install Required LibrariesYou may need to install additional libraries for embeddings and FAISS:# bashpip install faiss-cpu huggingface-hub4.2 Generate Embeddings and Set Up FAISSHeres how to generate embeddings and set up the FAISS vector store:# pythonfrom huggingface_hub import HuggingFaceEmbeddingsimport faissimport numpy as np# Initialize the embeddings modelembeddings_model = HuggingFaceEmbeddings()# Generate embeddings for all documentsdocument_embeddings = [embeddings_model.embed(doc) for doc in documents]document_embeddings = np.array(document_embeddings).astype('float32')# Create FAISS indexindex = faiss.IndexFlatL2(document_embeddings.shape[1]) # L2 distance metricindex.add(document_embeddings) # Add document embeddings to the indexStep 5: Set Up the RetrieverYou must create a retriever based on user queries to fetch the most relevant documents.# pythonclass SimpleRetriever: def __init__(self, index, embeddings_model): self.index = index self.embeddings_model = embeddings_model def retrieve(self, query, k=3): query_embedding = self.embeddings_model.embed(query) distances, indices = self.index.search(np.array([query_embedding]).astype('float32'), k) return [documents[i] for i in indices[0]]retriever = SimpleRetriever(index, embeddings_model)Step 6: Configure DeepSeek R1 for RAGNext, a prompt template will be set up to instruct DeepSeek R1 to respond based on retrieved context.# pythonfrom ollama import Ollamafrom string import Template# Instantiate the modelllm = Ollama(model="deepseek-r1:1.5b")# Craft the prompt template using string. Template for better readabilityprompt_template = Template("""Use ONLY the context below.If unsure, say "I don't know".Keep answers under 4 sentences.Context: $contextQuestion: $questionAnswer:""")Step 7: Implement Query Handling FunctionalityNow, you can create a function that combines retrieval and generation to answer user queries:# pythondef answer_query(question): # Retrieve relevant context from the knowledge base context = retriever.retrieve(question) # Combine retrieved contexts into a single string (if multiple) combined_context = "n".join(context) # Generate an answer using DeepSeek R1 with the combined context response = llm.generate(prompt_template.substitute(context=combined_context, question=question)) return response.strip()Step 8: Running Your RAG SystemYou can now test your RAG system by calling the `answer_query` function with any question about your knowledge base.# pythonif __name__ == "__main__": user_question = "What are the key features of DeepSeek R1?" answer = answer_query(user_question) print("Answer:", answer)Access the Colab Notebook with the Complete codeIn conclusion, following these steps, you can successfully implement a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system using DeepSeek R1. This setup allows you to retrieve information from your documents effectively and generate accurate responses based on that information. Also, explore the potential of the DeepSeek R1 model for your specific use case through this.Sources Asif RazzaqAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences. Meet 'Height':The only autonomous project management tool (Sponsored)

If youve kept up with The White Lotus the past couple of seasons, you know that its never really a matter of if someone will end up dead, but rather when and who. Based on the just-released official season 3 trailer, it seems like this trip might be even deadlier, with at least one body bag making an appearance and a violent robbery shown among the local crime threatening the idyllic Thailand resort. Give it a watch below.Series creator Mike White has already teased that this season will be about death. The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex, and I think the third season, it would be a satirical and funny look at death and eastern religion and spirituality, White says. While he doesnt confirm that there will be more than one death this season, it doesnt seem likely that a season about death will stop with just one body.In addition to the body bag and the local crime both shown and alluded to in the trailer, we also see an increasingly worried and stressed out Jason Isaacs (who has an impeccable Southern accent in this by the way) loading a gun with no clear intended target.Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), who seems to be trying to move on from what happened in Maui in season 1, may have stumbled into something dangerous as well. We see her talking with resort staff about reaching out to the police and with someone at dinner about going home in a goddamn body bag.Many of the characters this season seem like theyre trying to escape something, as many White Lotus characters do. But as some of them may soon realize, death comes for us all, whether were ready for it or not.But with death often comes rebirth. At the end of the week, you will be an entirely different person, says the voice at the beginning of the trailer. If this season really is diving into ideas of Eastern religion and spirituality in relation to death, we might be seeing more than just death in the literal sense. We could also see the death of ideas, behaviors, or other elements of these characters pasts as they are reborn from their experiences at the White Lotus both good, bad, and everything in between.That being said, we know that theres going to be at least one body this season based on the trailer and previous seasons of the show. This seasons cast is stacked, and we cannot wait to get to know these characters, no matter how long they might last. Itll certainly be entertaining to see who will and wont survive this season of The White Lotus.The White Lotus season 3 premieres Sunday, February 16 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

SummaryCuisineer is out January 28!New features on Xbox include seasonal festivals with event-exclusive delights, a new wardrobe feature to collect and change your costume, new weapons for your battles in dungeons, and more.Get a deeper look at four of the seasonal festivals and their bonuses.The cozy roguelite dungeon crawler and restaurant simulation game Cuisineer makes its way to Xbox today, bringing a buffet of new features to hungry players. Whether you want to try a new outfit for protagonist Pom, swing new weapons like the Salt n Pepper Shakers while adventuring, or set the perfect ambiance in your restaurant with the gramophone, there are layers of flavor in this Xbox offering.One feature Im especially excited for you to sink your teeth into are the new seasonal festivals. With this release, Poms hometown of Paell will celebrate eight brand-new festivals, and Im going to prepare you to make the most of them by highlighting four festivals today. For each one, Ill let you in on the goodies you can grab and showcase an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at some cute concept art.Spring ReunionEach season has two festivals, and one of Springs is known as the aptly named Spring Reunion, which takes place on the date of Spring 9. The townsfolk of Paell decorate the town and hide eggs in unexpected places, and theyre all up for grabs. This is an egg-cellent opportunity to gather some last-minute supplies before opening your shop as customers today are in the mood for egg-based dishes.If you want to take these bright and cheery colors with you into the seasons ahead, then make sure you have some profits saved up to purchase a set of Spring Reunion furniture, and the Spring Bunny outfit, made available by merchants in town for a limited time.Fireflame FestivalThe Summer festival I want to spotlight is the Fireflame Festival, which takes place on Summer 19. The Cuisineer developers are a small team based in Singapore, which makes sense if youve seen the dishes and delicious food illustrations in this game. The Fireflame Festival brings another helping of cultural inspiration from Asia.Summer is hot and that means spicy. During this festival, customers crave meals with Tasty Spice and Flaming Spice ingredients. Luckily you can search around the Cheelee lanterns in town for these ingredients. Make this occasion extra special by visiting town at night to release beautiful lanterns or fireworks to light up the sky. But make sure you save some time to grab the Fireflame restaurant decorations and Festive Dragon outfit from town merchants before the festival comes to a close.Harvest JubileeFall promises a bountiful harvest. See for yourself during the Harvest Jubilee, which takes place on Autumn 7. The trees of Paell take on an autumnal hue, and your fellow residents have even decorated the fountain in front of your restaurant as a giant pumpkin. And while harvests are important, so is candy. Check the numerous candy baskets around town to gather up some sugar in the form of Sweet Sap ingredients that will be perfect for satisfying the sweet tooth your customers bring to your restaurant on this day.If youre the type that wants to bring this farm-to-table energy to your restaurant even after fall ends, the merchants in town have you covered with the Farmer outfit and Harvest Jubilee furniture. Fun fact: dressing up in the Farmer outfit will have you matching Poms best friend, Biscotti.Solanum GalaThe year closes strong with Solanum Gala on Winter 17, one of the coziest festivals yet. Red, green, and white abound in the snowy town of Paell, and a giant Solanum tree is right outside your restaurant. Your customers keep the color theme by asking for dishes with red and green Tomato ingredients, and yes, you can gather free Tomatoes around town.My absolute favorite part of Solanum Gala is the festive outfit you can purchase. Turn Pom into a Santa cat with the Nyanta outfit. The hood fits Poms cat ears! For those who want to hold on to the holidays for as long as possible even after Solanum Gala has ended, you can purchase some merry furniture for your restaurant on this day only.Preview the OutfitsIn closing, here is the adorable concept art for each of the seasonal outfits I mentioned. The festivals I showcased today are just scratching the surface of the new features available in Cuisineers Xbox release, out tomorrow, January 28. Happy cooking!CuisineerXSEED Games$29.99Pre-orderUpon receiving a startling letter from her parents, the independent adventurer Pom swiftly returns home to Paell, only to find her parents gone and their beloved restaurant abandoned. Now left with mounting debts and a village in dire need of some fine cooking, Pom will have to delve into the deepest dungeons for the scarcest spices, rarest meats, and the most valuable vegetables she can find to keep her parents dream alive.Dive into dungeons and cook up a storm as Pom, an adventurer-turned-restaurateur! Cuisineers food-focused action challenges you to build your dinner the hard way: by dungeon-diving for materials and ingredients. Wield your cooking utensils against giant chickens, artillery shrimps, fire-breathing peppers, and other pesky perils, sipping boba tea along the way. Work with local artisans to customize your kitchen, and tailor your dining hall to the needs of loyal patrons eager to experience the rare recipes youve cooked up. The Xbox Series X/S and Windows Store release of Cuisineer plates its enticing gameplay with fresh ingredients like new weapons, year-round festivals, a wardrobe feature, and more tasty inclusions that are sure to spice things up.A Smorgasbord of DungeonsExplore procedurally generated biomes such as the Green Ruins, Frozen Fjord, and Konpeito Swamps that change their size, shape, and resources every time you visit.Craft Your Own Culinary Experience Cook over 100 different recipes from around the world, from crunchy Popiah rolls to rich Kaya jam, from double-fried crispy chicken with zesty lemon, to sweet treats piled high with berries. Get the right dishes to the right customers and customize your kitchen and dining hall with the help of local artisans.Master the Flavors of FightingKnock out monsters and rivals with Salty, Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Umami, Frosty and Toasty powers that unleash flame, poison, chain lightning, and other fantastic effects. You can also fight with unique utensils and gourmet gear, like Spatula, Smackerel, Swordfish, and the newly added Konpeito Fist weapons! Take Quests to GoFrom Naicha the Bubble Tea seller to Alder the big friendly carpenter, Paell is full of sweet and spicy townsfolk to befriend. While youre dungeon diving, be on the lookout for items the townsfolk need. Youll be rewarded with gold, new items, and even more recipes to take your cooking and adventuring to new heights.

DeepSeek is quickly shaking up the state of AI in the US, but while several of Apples competitors deal with negative fallout, Apple isfor now at leastbenefiting from DeepSeek in three ways.#1: Reclaiming worlds most valuable companyApple for years has been in fierce competition with several other companies for being the worlds most valuable company based on market cap.Its been the top company on numerous occasions, but most recently was dethroned by NVIDIA amid the current AI-driven surge. DeepSeeks fast impact on the US stock market, however, has sent shares from many tech players tumbling (including NVIDIA) while Apples stock has actually increased in value.As I write this, Apple is again the most valuable company in the world, and DeepSeek is to thank for it.#2: The power of the App Store chartsIve read a lot of articles about the rapid ascent of DeepSeek over the weekend. Do you know how most articles have proven claims of DeepSeeks popularity? They point to the App Store charts.DeepSeek currently has the top downloaded app on Apples iPhone App Store. And that means a lot, especially for an app most of us had never heard of until now.In a season where Apple is constantly facing legal battles related to the App Store, DeepSeek is just the latest evidence of how much the App Store top charts have become a major signifier of cultural clout in the world.#3: Avoiding AI competitors woesApple is undoubtedly investing a lot of money into AI. But its also one of the only major US players that doesnt appear to be negatively impacted by DeepSeeks reported ability to succeed on a budget.While other companies have aggressively touted the need for significant capital investment in AI, DeepSeek has showed the US that we may be taking things too far.Apples approach of quietly building from within sets the company up to avoid some of the major questions its competitors are now facing, and also feel bolstered in its belief that on-device processing is the way of the future.DeepSeek and Apple: wrap-upIts extremely early to say what kind of lasting impact on the AI landscape DeepSeek will ultimately have. For now though, its making waves and unsettling many US tech companies. Perhaps Apple is one of those companies too, but at least for now, its also benefiting from DeepSeeks early success.What do you think about DeepSeeks impact on Apple? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel