Submitted by WA ContentsHAS design and research built a museum featuring curved walls resembling landscape caves China Architecture News - Feb 03, 2025 - 13:35 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Bangkok-based architecture firm HAS design and research has built a museum featuring curved walls for "endless spiritual perception" in Hefei, China. The project is described as "a poetic sanctuary" by the architects.Named Simple Design Archive, the 440-square-metre museum is situated in Anhui, China, it is well-known for the renowned Huangshan alpine, whose breathtaking alpine landscape gives visitors a sense of eternity and limitless spiritual vision.The building features openings instead of windows, creating a sense of mysteryModern Northern European furniture and contemporary Asian artwork are collected at the Simple Design Archive, a hybrid museum.Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee, the founders and architects of HAS Design and Research, were also influenced by this exceptional natural beauty, which led them to design an endless natural flow experience for the museum and art spaces.In contrast to traditional museums, which typically open directly to the public, the Simple Design Archive has a distinct entrance. Hung And Songkittipakdee (HAS) has installed almost ten curving walls at the entrance, which resemble landscape caves facing the sky, in response to the crowded and noisy surroundings.By progressively altering the height of the wall apertures, these walls not only block out the noise from the outside highways but also transform the cave into a poetic sound sanctuary by creating a "echo chamber" courtyard.During the day, cicadas and birds from the wild world are drawn to the echo chamber courtyard in front of the museum by the aromatic landscape vegetation.The extended curved wall forms a natural entrywayThis offers city dwellers a new kind of relaxation by bringing a natural and refreshing micro-ecosystem to the cacophonous surrounds and offering tourists a rich and varied audio feast.In the afternoon, the curving walls create a church-like hallowed place by blocking the harsh western sunshine and letting some sunlight into the echo chamber courtyard. This gives the normally everyday city life a feeling of remarkable ritual.The wall also introduces a unique play of light and shadow to the interior spaceWith its curving walls that reach from the outside to the inside, the external architecture has an impact on the inner space. This creates a dynamic and flowing look that delicately blends the interior and exterior spaces.The entryway leads to the curved gallery, where the external seasonal skylight forest garden's tall walls are completely open except for a five-meter-tall skylight.The transparent foyer seamlessly integrates with the forestThis forest region gives the space a timeless and everlasting air by coordinating with the sun's movement to cast distinctive light and shadows on the seasonal trees below.The art and materials library, on the other hand, offers visitors a calm and stress-free viewing experience with its endless, continuous walls that blend art collections with handcrafted wooden furniture.The internal art gallery spaceIn addition to using continuous walls as architectural features for directing, showing, and storing purposes, Simple Design Archive employs these walls to demarcate indoor and outside locations.The external curved wall brings a sense of tranquility to the interior spaceArchitects Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee are working on this project with the goal of creating a lyrical haven that skillfully combines indoor and outdoor areas.In addition to being a museum and collection space, it provides residents of the crowded and bustling metropolis with a sense of spatial belonging and deeper spiritual healing.This method gives the city and its residents a new sense of life that goes beyond the confines of the architectural site.The extension of the interior space provides visitors with a relaxing nature effectNature and architecture merge seamlessly into one anotherHung And Songkittipakdee (HAS) have designed a unique circulation for these art spacesThe internal art space exudes elegance and timelessnessThe floating ceiling creates a pure effect, akin to sunlight pouring down from the skySeasonal skylight forest garden links both exterior and interior spaces seamlesslyThe unique seasonal skylight forest garden imbues the interior with spirituality and ritualThe curved wall and ceiling provide a dynamic experienceThe internal openings not only connect the spaces but also serve as visual axesBringing peace of mind and a perception of eternal spaceThe interior wooden furniture echoes the forest garden, bringing a sense of nature into the spaceThe seasonal skylight forest garden creates a unique interplay of light and shadowView from the entrance to the foyerThe forest in the front coexists with the oval bubbles wallThe curved wall not only guides the flow of movement but also creates a unique framing effectThe infinite curved wall extends from the inside to the outsideThe curved wall extends upward, creating a unique skylight effectGround floor planGeometry planAxonometric diagramWest elevationHAS design and research, previously, completed a showroom like "a snowy landscape" in Hefei, China. In addition, the firm designed a public ground interior made of disc-like thousands of aluminum rods in Bangkok, Thailand.HAS design and research is an internationally recognized, leading architecture practice by architects Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee.Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee / HAS design and research explore Asias architectural language through a design + research parallel approach, emphasizing the analogy of nature and man-made nature. Project factsProject name:Simple Design ArchiveLocation:Hefei, ChinaCompletion year: 2024Architecture firm:HAS design and researchLead architects:Jenchieh Hung, Kulthida SongkittipakdeeDesign team:Jenchieh Hung, Kulthida Songkittipakdee, Atithan Pongpitak, Tapanee LaddahomLighting consultant: Jenna Tsailin LiuLighting technology: Visual Feast (VF)Landscape consultant:Weili YangConstruction consultant: Zaiwei SongConstructor:Guangdong Xingyi Decoration Group Anhui Co., LtdGross built area:440m2All images W Workspace.All drawings HAS design and research.> via HAS design and research

Turnover in Middle East region grew more than sixfold in 2023The King Salman stadium in Riyadh is expected to host the final of the 2034 World CupTurnover at Populous almost quadrupled in 2023 following a string of high profile commissions in the Middle East, according to the firms latest published accounts.The international practices EMEA arm, based in London, posted income of 135m in the 12 months to 31 December 2023, up 288% from 34.9m which it brought in the previous year.Its pre-tax profit has also ballooned from 731,000 in 2022 to more than 12m in 2023 in what its chairman Peter Rigby described as a standout year for the firm.The Middle East contributed the bulk of the increased revenue, with income from the region soaring from 14.8m in 2022, when it was already Populous largest market, to 103m in 2023.The firms major projects in the region include two stadiums listed as potential venues for the 2034 World Cup, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya and the Aramco Stadium in Khobar.The practice also fared well in Europe, with income increasing from 8.6m to 21m on the back of several major projects including the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, the MUCcc Arena in Munich and a new stadium for AS Roma in Rome.However, in the United Kingdom, where the firms plans for a London version of the MSG Sphere was called in by former communities secretary Michael Gove during the year, income dipped from 11.1m to 10.7m.Populous plans for the MSG Sphere venue in Stratford were called in by Michael Gove in 2023 and pulled by the developer in early 2024The Sphere project was pulled in January 2024 by its US backer, MSG Entertainment, which said the 21,500-seat venue had become a political football.Staff numbers have also jumped by more than 100, from 166 employed in 2022 to 288 in 2023, as the practice opened new regional offices in Madrid and Germany and expanded its Middle East base in Riyadh.The accounts show that the firm was owed nearly 49m from debtors during the year, up from 12.1m in 2022.Populous EMEA managing director Chris Lee said the results reflect the firms deliberate strategic expansion across Europe and the Middle East, emphasizing the establishment of practices in key locations led by strong local leadership with deep expertise.He added: This approach underscores the companys commitment to delivering the highest-quality architectural and design services in sports, entertainment, transportation, and major events. By appointing leaders from each country, Populous aims to integrate local knowledge with its global expertise, ensuring culturally and regionally relevant solutions for clients across the EMEA region.

The winning team selected for the estimated 50,000 contract will draw up plans to restore and enhance the 3.5ha parkland which features five lakes, including ornamental streams and waterfalls.The project aims to celebrate the parks heritage and provide improved facilities for residents and visitors. A new volunteer welfare hut, play area, resurfacing pathways and signage will be delivered.According to the brief: Bradbourne Lakes is a tranquil local park of historical and local significance located in a residential built-up area 2km northwest of Sevenoaks town centre.AdvertisementMeasuring 3.5 hectares and comprising a series of five ornamental lakes with waterfalls, cascades and a circular walking route set in areas of amenity grass, dense overgrown vegetation and clumps of trees, and some striking specimen veteran trees.Originally founded as a market town in the 13th century, Sevenoaks is now a popular commuter belt settlement home to around 30,000 people and located around 40km from London. The latest competition focusses on transforming a large open green area in the north of the settlement.The search for a design team comes a year Sevenoaks District Council sought an architect for a new 2.6 million light industrial development on a 1.3ha site located on the northern fringes of the settlement close to the Bat & Ball train station.Theis and Khan won a RIBA contest for a new community centre in the centre of the neighbourhood in 2015. The disused Grade II-listed Bat & Ball train station next door was converted by Theis + Khan into hireable halls and a caf in 2019.Bids for the latest commission will be evaluated 60 per cent on quality and 40 per cent on price. Applicants must hold employers liability insurance of 5 million, public liability insurance of 10 million and professional indemnity insurance of 2 million.AdvertisementCompetition detailsProject title Bradbourne Re-bourne (Bradbourne Lakes) - Conservation Architect ClientContract value TbcFirst round deadline Midday, 17 February 2025Restrictions TbcMore information https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d04d5d20-348e-41e9-8a03-483c9c9de6fc

The rise of cellular and 5G internet has grown in recent years. Heres why its catching peoples attention.

OpinionFebruary 3, 20255 min readThe Link between Cannabis and Psychosis in Teens Is RealTeens have access to vastly more potent cannabis than their parents had at their age. Parents need to understand the risks, including psychosisBy Carrie E. Bearden edited by Megha Satyanarayana Caption Photo Gallery/Getty ImagesSams father sat slumped on the leather couch in our clinical interview room, head in his hands. He had just finished telling us the long, painstaking history of his sons descent into psychosis. Sam (name changed to protect confidentiality), then 17, had started casually using marijuana with friends in the ninth grade. He dabbled with other substances as well (Xanax, ecstasy), but cannabis was the most consistent.Sams father told me that he and his wife had used cannabis themselves a fair amount in college, and were inclined to agree with their son when he told them, Dont worry, its just pot! They pleaded with him to buy it from cannabis shops, rather than getting it on the street.In California, where I work as researcher and clinician studying the links between cannabis use and psychosis, it is not difficult to get a medical marijuana card, even for a teenager.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Sam started high school as a fairly good student with several friends. Over time, he began using cannabis daily. He took it a variety of ways, first with friends at parties, and then increasingly alone. His parents noticed increasingly odd behavior: He covered up the camera on his laptop and then placed cardboard over the windows in his room. He stopped showering. They occasionally heard him mumbling to himself in his room, and he began refusing to go to school. Against his will, his parents took him to a rehab facility for teens. During the three-week program he was fully abstinent from cannabis, but disturbingly his psychotic symptoms got worse rather than better; simply stopping wasnt enough for Sam to recover.By the time his family came to our clinic, he had had persistent delusions for more than six months. Sam was fully convinced that the government was following him and constantly surveilling him. It took hours for his parents to convince him to get in the car that day. While we dont know if cannabis caused Sams psychosis, it was striking that his symptoms didnt go away when he stopped using. It's possible cannabis had altered his brain chemistry.What people need to know is that cannabis is simply not the same as the original plant used in the 1960s through 1980s, and even as recently as 10 years ago. These new strains of cannabis are highly potent, making them more addictive and potentially more dangerous, and we are still trying to understand what it does to developing adolescent brains. As a scientist and a parent, I recommend that adolescents avoid using cannabis until at least their mid-20s, but I realize that this may not be the most realistic advice. If your teens are going to use todays cannabis, it is critically important that you be aware of the data that show what a different beast this substance has become and the risk of major mental health issues.All cannabis products contain a mix of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the intoxicating component of the cannabis plant, and cannabidiol (CBD), which may have anxiety-reducing properties. In the 1990s the marijuana in a typical joint contained about 5 percent THC.But genetic modification has drastically increased THC potency; from 1995 to 2015 there has been a 212 percent increase in its content in the average cannabis plant, And its not just joints or pot brownies; with the legalization and commercialization of cannabis, there are few limits on the levels of THC for products like fast-acting vape pens and edibles. What teens like Sam can buy today is nothing like what his parents used in college.Ripley Cleghorn; Source: Cannabis Potency Data, National Institute on Drug AbuseThe risk of psychosis rises with the higher potency of THC, the earlier one starts using, and more frequent use. A Canadian research team studying over 11,000 teens found that for cannabis users, there was an 11-fold increase in the risk of developing a psychotic disorder compared with nonusers. In light of such daunting data, some researchers have begun sounding the alarm. But we are struggling to get this information to the people who most need to hear it: parents, educators and legislators.Andr J. McDonald, modified and restyled by Ripley Cleghorn; Source: Age-Dependent Association of Cannabis Use with Risk of Psychotic Disorder, in Psychological Medicine, Vol. 54, No. 11; August 2024And while there isnt a clear consensus that cannabis causes psychosis, studies like the ones I mention, which are well-designed and carefully analyzed, still indicate that the two things are associated.Another big question we are trying to answer: Why is the increased risk of psychosis so profound in teens? The researchers in my field think it has something to do with the profound rewiring that happens in adolescent brains, which continues into our early 20s. Thats when psychotic disorders typically start. The same molecules in our brains that interact with THC (known as the endocannabinoid system) play an essential role in brain development. And there is growing evidence from both animal and human studies that early cannabis exposure can disrupt the way brain cells, or neurons, respond to what we experience, and how they talk to each other to make those experiences memories.So how do you talk to your kids about todays cannabis? When families come to our clinic for youth at risk for psychosis, we ask the kids about why they use cannabis, what their reasons are and how feel afterward. We ask them why they might stop using, and whether they could stop if they needed to. And then: Why not try stopping for a few days and see how you feel? The answers help us assess whether that teen has a cannabis addiction.Some teens tell us they can stop. But others arent willing. For them we take a harm reduction approach. That is, we recommend avoiding high-potency products and that they choose instead products with higher CBD-to-THC ratios.If you have a teenager at home, or will soon, the odds are that they are going to be exposed to a lot of cannabis in many formsat school, at parties, all around the neighborhood. It is never too early to have that conversation. Part of this is making sure you have good cannabis literacy and encouraging your child to seek out reputable sources of information, rather than believe what they hear from friends or see on social media. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a good start. It can help to set clear rules and boundaries around cannabis use that you all agree on, and establish what the consequences are for breaking those rules. Parents should encourage clear, nonjudgmental communication about use, and encourage their children to share their questions and concerns.For Sam, we recommended ongoing psychiatric treatment and family therapy, which the family found to be helpful in navigating challenges with the very different expectations they now had of their son, given that he was living with a chronic psychotic disorder. If your child starts experiencing worrisome symptoms or unusual behaviorssuch as isolating themselves from others, talking to themselves, or hearing or seeing things that other people dontseek psychological treatment right away. Your family physician or childs pediatrician can provide a referral to a specialist for an evaluation and treatment.Like so many things our children are exposed to now, the vastly changed landscape of cannabis products and their availability is an experiment that none of us consented to in an informed way. The best we can do is to try and make our retroactive consent (and that of our kids) as informed as possible.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Civilization 7 reviewThe king isn't dead, but now's a good time to come at him.Image credit: Eurogamer/2K Review by Sin Vega Contributor Published on Feb. 3, 2025 A competent entry with some poorly executed ideas and a striking lack of personality.Civilization 7 is by no means a bad game. I open with that to acknowledge its competence, and to damn it. Civ is the archetypal 4X, and in some senses, Civ 7 remains a standard-bearer. It's better, in a general sort of way, than most recent attempts to unseat or deconstruct it. There's lots going on, production values are high, and it innovates with a new structure and revamped diplomacy, city expansion, and more.Civilization 7 reviewDeveloper: Firaxis GamesPublisher: 2KPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out on 11th February on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo SwitchBut it's dull. Even some of its most flawed challengers are far more interesting. At times, when I hit a stretch of "just one more turn!" it felt less like an in-joke than a curse.The most immediate changes are to the formula of "take a historical culture from an ancient village to modern world domination" itself. Your choice of leader is now untethered from their historical place. A full game is divided into three ages that require you to choose a new culture (with bonuses less numerical and more specific than in Humankind). Each age partly resets foreign relations, trade, reserves, and building effects. They downgrade cities into towns, themselves a new feature: newly founded settlements can only buy (not build) a limited set of buildings, but grow faster, and can halt that growth to become specialised tributaries instead of cities.The intent is, I think, to break away from slogging through 6,000 years of one path, of warring forever against that one rival, and to allow adaptation and experimentation. The first two ages close with escalating crises that force you to choose negative modifiers (evil doppelgangers of social policies, which are unlocked with culture instead of science) until the act break. It's a move towards narrative - an unpredictable challenge to make the game - and you - less rote. In practice, they're either irrelevant or deeply irritating. Navigable rivers are a new, map-dependent detail that sometimes connect a lake to the sea. Giant camel attack unrelated. | Image credit: Eurogamer/2KPicture a Civ where you're suddenly told everyone's unhappy for no reason. You can influence where the damage falls somewhat, but unless you knew in advance, chances are you didn't focus on getting everyone's happiness above 12-18, considering there's little benefit to being above 1. Excess pools into an empire-wide "celebration": several turns of whichever dull bonus your otherwise irrelevant government type provides.As a child, I played an old copy of Civilization on a yellowed second hand machine while recovering from surgery. When a city was happy, a gentle tune played as people paraded past their town, proclaiming "we love the emperor". In Civ 7, you make Number Go Up until you get 20 percent more of another number. Angry Civ-izens would rampage across that same town, and might declare independence. In 7, they burn down the library and the exact fucking buildings you need to produce things that would make them happier. Grab a tile or add a specialist. I ignored specialists for most of the game, raw resources were way more versatile. | Image credit: Eurogamer/2KMy recourse was to pay for repairs. They burned them down again on the next turn. And the next, and the next. What did the library do to you people?Eventually an unhappy town "rebels" by seamlessly joining another, potentially allied empire. You can't contest it without warring on that empire. You can't grant independence or trade it away. You never exchange anything, in fact, unless you're at war, in which case the AI will concede exactly one settlement. "My metropolis in exchange for survival? Sure! My two villages in exchange for survival and your entire empire? NEVER!"You could raise happiness through trade. Goods acquired via expansion or merchants can slot into settlements to bump production, food, etc. It allows, for example, a single-hex island city that can still build. But you can only redistribute resources after acquiring a new one, just as you can only change social policies after researching a new one. Most goods become useless in the third age until you build a heap of infrastructure, making my trade specialty almost as laborious as its interface. Confusing language and UI around "happiness maintenance" suggests libraries cause unhappiness. As a former librarian: it can go either way. | Image credit: Eurogamer/2KIt's arbitrary. Civ 7 has ideas to add a narrative spin, but the dully numerical execution has the opposite effect. Narrative events are eye-glazing pop-ups amounting to "get 50 culture or 80 food". One crisis was a religious conflict over I don't even know. I founded Buddhism, someone else Orthodoxy. None have any relationship or meaning (there's something very uncomfortable about Pachacuti converting people to Catholicism). The only difference is what bonus you picked for converting cities, which nobody seems to mind. There's a terrible conflict, I'm told. The reality: sometimes a foreign missionary visits a city, so my people burn down three buildings. I repair them one by one, for 20-100 of my 41,552 gold.It's the same for natural disasters, which add a chance that some farms will remain damaged for hours because you didn't manually check every settlement. You can't name continents, rivers, or even your own cities, deepening the sense of disconnect, a lack of character you can't fill in. Oh no what a catastrophe. It'll take like 12 clicks to undo this. | Image credit: Eurogamer/2KAge progress is driven by what are essentially achievements, divided across four "legacy paths". Age 2's economic path was the least tedious: a colonialism-themed race to siphon resources from "distant lands". But its culture path equates culture with religion, which means "acquiring relics", mostly through unexciting research. Age 3 is about ideology - democracy, fascism, or communism (capitalism is a civic - like colonialism, which comes with a quote about how bad it is, so that's all right then). I thought, this might be the first time I'd needed to think about what other empires might do. It was not. It meant so little I'm still not sure if anyone else researched an ideology. Nobody even told me when several wars started, although to be fair I ignored them without consequence. The narrative falls flat, conveying no meaning, binding with nothing, but insisting on chores.Though I recognise the concept - eras defined by more than technology - they're imbalanced, and worse: dull. Dull, too, is diplomacy, built on generating "influence" and spending it to initiate or counteract overtures. Nobody shows any personality, nobody has anything to say and nowhere is anyone's motivation explained, beyond the "agendas", which alter relations based on some arbitrary metric. One leader dislikes you if you have too many mountains, which would be funny if he ever mentioned it, and it wasn't depicted as a bland "-30 leader agenda". I think of Six Ages: Ride like the Wind, where you get guys who obsess about goats, or roast people in song. The age system reduces technology gulfs, but much research feels perfunctory. | Image credit: Eurogamer/2KRelationship modifiers don't specify who they refer to, and you don't even determine your own opinion - if a leader settles on someone's border, you automatically like them less. There's nothing to them. "We were allied in the last age, have great relations and loads of trade? I reject your alliance offer! -30 to relations!". All right, whatever, I forgot you existed anyway.Civ 7 has another key conflict: it wants to be sleek and approachable, but teems with hidden rules and details. Information is absent or buried away in submenus, while microscopic icons - another issue - deliver poorly organised, irrelevant news every turn. Some text is needlessly confusing, and the encyclopedia offers paragraphs on the historical context of grassland, but not what you can do with it. Statistics screens are almost non-existent, laborious layouts make poor use of space, its "breakdowns" are unsortable and near useless, and there's no unit list. If you park an explorer, you're never finding him again.Civilization 7's interface is ashamed that it's a strategy game. But all its obscuration makes it less accessible and convenient, and contradicts the city-growing element, which poses endless questions about what to build where, which tiles to expand into, and why in the christ can't I demolish buildings? There are many "adjacency" bonuses I thought I was using, yet I sailed through to age 3 with double everyone's numbers only to implement a "+1 for every adjacency" policy that amounted to +9, while alternatives produced triple figures. Wonders and buildings are wonderfully modelled, but underwhelming to actually build. You will not remember a single quote. | Image credit: Eurogamer/2KCivilization 7 accessibility optionsHeavily mouse-driven, but definable keyboard shortcuts and a controller option linked to Steam Input. Red-, green-, and blue-blind colour options. Subtitles, OS-voice narration when hovering and/or receiving multiplayer chat. NB: narration is inconsistent, reading overlong descriptions in some menus, partial ones in others, and ignores some things altogether. There's no button to interrupt it, rendering quick browsing impossible. Note that even without narration, tooltips vary in clarity. Likewise, many icons/notifications are so small that tooltips are necessary, but its font scale settings don't tangibly improve matters.As for war, I hesitate to mention that I once went through two ages without a single battle (or alliance), because the other was a tedious whack-a-mole with limited, poorly organised information (thanks for the red alert when a soldier saw my town! Next time, please use that tone when my capital is besieged before it's conquered). Don't start me either on how it wants you to unlock shit. Half the cultures were greyed out because I hadn't jumped through hoops, and the "new game" screen hints you must grind for "memento" bonuses. I don't know if I unlocked none because I play offline, because it's pre-release, or I plain didn't qualify, and I don't care.Civilization 7 is pretty and detailed and sounds fine (I caught that one tune from Colonization!). AI turns are perhaps the fastest I've ever seen, and its UI has enough potential to make some of my complaints feel patchable. Its design broadly works, and a certain kind of city-optimising fan may even love it. But its lack of character is endemic, the extent of its annoying habits and oversights shocking for a series of such pedigree. It's a dull, contradictory game, and instead of showing everyone how it's done, it's felt since hour one like a game that leaves the 4X throne empty.A copy of Civilization 7 was provided for review by publisher 2K.

Grammy Award for best game soundtrack won by indie RPG, beating Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnark"To have been recognised is just a highlight of my career, it truly is."Image credit: Digital Eclipse News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Feb. 3, 2025 Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord beat competition from games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnark: Valhalla to secure this year's Grammy for best video game soundtrack.The soundtrack of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord - a remake of the 1981 RPG - was composed by famed musician Winifred Phillips, who has previously created scores for blockbusters like God of War, Assassin's Creed 3, and LittleBigPlanet.01 - Dragon Slayer.Watch on YouTubeWizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord came on top after being nominated alongside Pinar Toprak (Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora), Bear McCreary (God of War Ragnark: Valhalla), John Paesano (Marvel's Spider-Man 2), and Wilbert Roget, II (Star Wars Outlaws)."I am totally blown away," Phillips said. "I cannot believe this, it's just amazing, and it's like a bright light just exploded in my head. I'm just blown over."It was just such a wonderful experience. Digital Eclipse developed Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord and its a wonderful role-playing game. It's a medieval fantasy in the best tradition of Dungeons & Dragons and traditional medieval fantasy so it was so inspiring to create the music for that."The category was populated with so much brilliance this year and I have so much deep respect for the other nominees in this category. To have been recognised is just a highlight of my career, it truly is."This is the third year the category has run at the Grammy awards. Assassin's Creed Valhalla secured the inaugural award in 2023, whilst Star Wars Jedi: Survivor won last year.

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 hereDiablo 4 and Diablo 3 developer Blizzard has changed tact as of late. Alongside moving development timelines to make sure the two popular ARPG games no longer have conflicting season release dates, the studio is introducing new processes in an attempt to stop buggy releases in the future.Via Diablos global director of community Adam Fletcher, Blizzard is introducing new measures to improve the quality of season launches in the future. Across both Diablo 4 and the aging Diablo 3, fans of Blizzards games should all benefit.Diablo 4 devs move to release more polished seasonsSpeaking to fans on social media, Fletcher explained that there are extensive efforts behind the scenes to release seasons with fewer issues than set launches.While the recent Season of Witchcraft launch for Diablo 4 has been largely well received, there have been major issues with bugged skills affected Necro builds, for example. Of course, with a game as massive as Diablo, some bugs are bound to occur, but Blizzard is aiming for substantially less.There is some extensive efforts to improve the quality of our releases, Fletcher told fans on Twitter. Will take some process changes/changes to a lot of things overall to help on this so it may be a bit before that is reflected but it is a huge thing we are focusing on.With fans clamouring for more expansions, more classes and more content, Diablo 4 is only going to get more complex as the years go on.While no expansion has been announced for 2025 as of yet, fans believe the next one will bring a new Paladin-like holy class that was teased in old Blizzcon artwork. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now For more Diablo coverage, read series lead Rod Fergussons take on why players dont actually want Classic Diablo anymore, or his other take on why other ARPGs should be called Diablo-likes instead. Additionally, read about the departure of D4s lead class designer after fifteen years of service at the game studio.Diablo 4Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Action RPG, RPGSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

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 hereDead By Daylight is set for a stacked February 2025. According to leaks, there is the return of 2v8, we know there will be the Chapter 35 PTB, and right now fans can redeem codes for over 600,000 Bloodpoints and more rewards. In addition, there will be new skins, and we know of a skin that will be arriving later in the year now that DBD devs have confirmed it is not cancelled.Dead By Daylight devs confirm skin is not cancelledBeHaviour has recently released the Lunar New Year skin collection for 2025. This has added a new Dead By Daylight skin for The Skull Merchant that looks really impressive.However, as revealed by leaker Dvveet (via Paulie Esther), there was a Lunar New Year skin planned for Haddie Kaur, too. Screenshots of DBD in other languages show a Haddie Kaur skin was set to be released, but alas it didnt, resulting in speculation that the cosmetic was scrapped.Image credit: @Dveet on XFortunately, BeHaviour Interactive has just confirmed that the skin is not cancelled, and that it will arrive at a later date.In response to the mention of a Haddie Kaur Lunar New Year cosmetic appearing in other regions, BeHaviour Interactive said on X, Were aware that in some regional areas a Cosmetic for Haddie Kaur was advertised as being part of a current Collection. We made the decision to postpone this Cosmetic until later in the year so that we can guarantee its quality.BeHaviour elaborated, Were happy to see everyones joy over this Cosmetic, and are looking forward to sharing it with you!. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Image credit: @DeadbyDaylight on XThe Skull Merchant Lunar New Year skin looks wicked, so hopefully there will be the same quality for Haddie Kaur. We dont know exactly when the Haddie Kaur skin will arrive, but at least we know its coming instead of being scrapped.For more Dead By Daylight content, check out ourranking of the top 10 DLC expansions to buyalong with a ranking of thebest killer perksandbest survivor perks.Dead by DaylightPlatform(s):Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Survival Horror7VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Like the state itself, the rolling plains of Texas Hill Country teem with Spanish Revival architecture, but it was the highlands of another famous place that provided more apt inspiration for a new construction family home in Austin thats not your typical historical reboot.Before this project started, I had spent some time in England seeing the work of Oliver Hill, says San Antonio architect Michael G. Imber, who was impressed with the Arts and Crafts architects paean to the Alhambra at Marylands, the estate Hill built in Surrey in the 1930s. His view of the Spanish Revival style is so different than we have here in the US. He had a fresh eye on the materiality and shape of the forms and masses.That interpretation made plenty of sense in Austin, where the architecture skews more contemporary and less Mission inspired than in Imbers home base of San Antonio. Working with interior designer Vanessa Alexander, of AD PRO Directory firm Alexander Design, and Dalgleish Construction Company, he conceived a U-shaped sequence of spaces that surround a central courtyard and feel as though theyve been carved into the landscape, creating volumes both intimate and grand throughout the home. Its not about being ornamental, Imber says of the gentle flow between indoor and outdoor spaces, which include a traditional belvedere that looks out over the city and beyond. Theres a more humanistic, sculptural approach.An interior courtyard landscaped by Jim Hyatt Studio marries the rugged stone of the Lake Austin surroundings with the cool modernity of the new structure and makes the outdoors an ever-present element in the houses interiors. An antique limestone trough paired with climbing ivy imparts a sense of age.Accentuating a hand-wrought aesthetic was also the design intention of Alexander, who sought to soften and modernize some of the architectures classical interior elements to reflect the homeowners preference for a more relaxed lifestyle before construction even began. For her part, she looked to the simplicity of form in Puglias historic masseria and cave dwellings for inspiration. Theres an authenticity in the context of these really weighty, hand-hewn materials that were not overly manipulated, allowing the space to breathe and be energetically light and youthful, she explains.