The developers of a cozy and atmospheric upcoming game Vivarium, featuring Ghibli-style 2D animation inspired by the anime series Heidi and Chie the Brat manga, shared some updates on the game, demonstrating some of its locations.The game focuses on life inside a mysterious terrarium. In the newly showcased video, the developers show the in-game house with plenty of shortcuts, loops, and interconnected pathways and compare the system with a miniature Souls world or a Zelda dungeon. Its also worth noticing that each door interaction is hand-drawn.The developers have plans to reveal more of the games locations with the release of another major trailer. Check out other updates shared by the creators:Follow the developers on X/Twitter to keep up with the updates. Also,dont forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post This Atmospheric Retro Cel-Anime Game Got Updates appeared first on CG SHARES.

Senior Material Artist Kai Mergener, the creator behind various tools like this custom node designed for essential splatter operations, is currently exploring procedural rain effects in Substance 3D Designer and sharing his progress.Fluid simulations have always posed a challenge for Kai, which is why he set out to replicate their visual behavior within Substance 3D Designer using Signed Distance Fields (SDFs). Drawing inspiration from real-life observations, particularly how rain interacts with a windowpane, he experimented with his own approach to simulate the effect. While there is still some stuff to refine, the method is already said to achieve realistic surface tension and organic movement.Heres roughly how it works, according to Kai:Pixel Processor for generating animated rain streaks;Poisson Distribution for small and medium drops;Animated Perlin Noise and Tile Sampler to simulate larger drops forming and vanishing;SDF transformation to capture surface tension and allow for smooth interpolation;Time function animation to flipbook, then rendering with Blenders Cycles.The artist plans to share an in-depth tutorial on this setup once he refines drop snapping and improves realism, so stay tuned and follow Kai Mergener on LinkedIn for updates.See more of his works on ArtStation and join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Creating Realistic Raindrop Effects In Substance 3D Designer Without Fluid Simulations appeared first on CG SHARES.

Creating an empire from the ground up might sound like a daunting task, but the journey is worth the effort in Civilization VII. The new title in the iconic franchise is finally here after eight years of waiting and there are plenty of new mechanics to keep veteran players on their toes. Of course, if you're brand new to the Civ series, then you have a plethora of knowledge to absorb as your first empire comes to fruition. To help you along the way, we have a wealth of guides that answer any questions you might have in Civilization VII.Table of Contents [hide]Civilization VII Guides HubGeneral FAQsCivilization VII Guides HubOur guides hub is split into different categories to help streamline your navigation. We have guides on general FAQs, gameplay-related questions, and lists that will help you make better decisions as you progress in Civilization VII.General FAQsWhile Civ 7 lays most of its features out plainly for you to see, there are some hidden options and general questions you might have at the beginning or midway through the game. For any basic inquiries, we have you covered in this section.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Moana 2 Limited Edition Steelbook on 4K Blu-ray $66 | Releases March 18 Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Moana 2 on Blu-ray $41 Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder DVD at Amazon Moana 2's upcoming 4K and standard Blu-ray releases are up for preorder at major retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, ahead of its March 18 release. If you're interested in the 4K edition, you may want to order soon. If other recent Disney releases are any indication, Moana 2's Limited Edition Steelbook could sell out before launch. Walmart has already sold out twice, but it's back in stock now. Amazon, meanwhile, unlocked preorders for Moana 2's Steelbook Edition a few hours after Walmart. The 4K edition also comes with standard Blu-ray and digital versions of the hit Disney movie.Preordering from Amazon or Walmart locks in a preorder price guarantee, so if the price happens to drop between now and March 18, youll pay the lower price. Continue Reading at GameSpot

Players need to farm various materials to get new abilities and equipment in Blox Fruits, the Roblox game based on the beloved anime One Piece. But, all resources vary in rarity, which makes some extremely difficult to obtain. And of course, the rarer the material, the more you will need it. Therefore, in this guide, we will tell you how to get and use the Dark Fragment in Blox Fruits.

Agent 47 hides a victim in a smooth way and more accidental wins.

Cue the Nerf Herder. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reportedly returning to TV with a reboot-sequel series that will see Sarah Michelle Gellar reprising her role as the SoCal slayer of the supernatural. According to reports from Hollywood trades Deadline and Variety, a new Buffy series is nearing a pilot order at Hulu, and that pilot will be directed by none other than Oscar-winning filmmaker Chlo Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals).According to Variety, while Gellar will return as Buffy, the series will focus on a new slayer. Gellar would appear in a recurring role, not as its lead star.Sister writing team Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, showrunners on Poker Face, are said to be writing the pilot, executive producing, and showrunning the sequel series. Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon is reportedly not involved.Zhao has described Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a very important show for me. [Buffy] was everything for me for a few years in college, Zhao told Google in a 2022 interview, describing herself as a fangirl of the show. Vampires, witchcraft, teen romance, I mean what else do you want?The character of Buffy Summers first appeared in the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was written by Whedon and starred Kristy Swanson as the titular high schooler/slayer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was reimagined as a television series in 1997, and ran for seven seasons the first five on The WB and the final two on UPN. The series amassed a fervent fanbase, thanks to its humor, LGBT themes, melodramatic twists, and memorable villains.Gellar has previously dismissed returning to Buffy, but left the door open for another slayer to take up the mantle. I am all for them continuing the story, because theres the story of female empowerment, Gellar told SFX magazine in 2023. I love the way the show was left: Every girl who has the power can have the power. Its set up perfectly for someone else to have the power.In addition to Gellar, the Buffy TV series also starred Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, and James Marsters. Boreanazs character Angel was spun off for his own series, which ran for five seasons. After Buffy the Vampire Slayers seven-season run, Whedon oversaw three more seasons in comic book form. Publisher Dark Horse released dozens of Buffy comic stories, and the character has been further explored in audio series and young-adult novels.In 2021, Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Charisma Carpenter accused creator Whedon of recurring abusive behavior on the set of the series, garnering support from her costars Gellar, Amber Benson, and Michelle Trachtenberg. Carpenters accusations against Whedon followed similar complaints levied against him by actor Ray Fisher, who accused Whedon if gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable conduct on the set of 2017sJustice League.Buffy the Vampire Slayer is currently streaming on Hulu.

The Wild Robot is one of many movies available to stream on Peacock.Peacock is offering a big discount on yearly subscriptions ahead of Valentines Day. Through Feb. 18, new and lapsed subscribers both can get one year of Peacocks ad-supported Premium plan for $29.99, which is over half off its usual $79.99 cost. Youll pay for your year all at once, as opposed to paying monthly, but the savings per month are huge; instead of the usual $7.99 monthly cost for Premium, youre paying $2.50.Peacock is best-known in some circles as the home of U.S. version of The Office, but there are plenty of other great TV shows and movies on the service to keep you busy through your discounted year of service. Polygons senior curation editor Pete Volk recommends Columbo (perfect either before or after you watch Poker Face also on Peacock), Conclave, Asteroid City, the first 3 IP Man films, Baby Assassins, Escape from Mogadishu, to name a handful. Also, Piece by Piece, the film documenting the life and success of Pharrell Williams animated with Legos, is out Feb. 7 on Peacock. Oh, and The Wild Robot is streaming, too.This promotion doesnt apply if you already pay for a Peacock subscription. However, if you have a Peacock account and arent a paid subscriber, you can sign in and use the code WINTERSAVINGS to get in on this promotion.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 are down to $79.99 (from $119.99) on Woot for the next five days or until they sell out. If youre a Prime member, you also get free shipping; otherwise, itll cost you an extra $6 (just a heads-up, though: These wont ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or any P.O. B\boxes). Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 at Woot Get Deal Get Deal at Woot These AirPod-like earbuds have triangular stems, which reportedly help with fit and touch controls. You can pinch the front of the stem to control playback and ANC, and swiping on the back changes the volume. The controls are mirrored on both sides, though customization is limitedyou can set the pinch-and-hold gesture to either toggle ANC, activate Samsungs Bixby voice assistant, or enable the AI-based Interpreter feature through the Samsung Wear app, but thats about it.Each earbud has a single 11mm dynamic driver, so sound quality should be fine for casual listening, but if youre after audiophile-level quality, you might find the Galaxy Buds 3 lacking, notes this PCMag review. They support Bluetooth 5.3 and the AAC, SBC, and Samsung Scalable (SSC) codecs, but that last one only works on Samsung phones. If you have an iPhone or another (non-Samsung) Android device, youre stuck with only AAC or SBC codecs and youll miss out on some AI features like live translation in Conversation Mode. You can still connect them via Bluetooth, but the Samsung Wear app wont give you full functionality (like tweaking EQ settings, toggling ANC, and more). If LDAC support for higher-quality streaming is a must-have for you, you might want to check out the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99.99) instead.The Buds 3 come with a 90-day Woot limited warranty and have an IP57 rating, meaning they can handle sweat and rain, making them a decent option for workouts. They also support Google Fast Pair and automatic switching between Samsung devices (though multipoint connectivity isnt included). That said, their battery life isnt greatfive hours per charge with ANC on (or six without), plus 19 extra hours from the case. You can charge them via USB-C or wirelessly.

There are a lot of music streaming services to choose from right now. Many of us subscribe to Spotify or Apple Music, but still others may use YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or Tidal. They all have their pros and cons, but if price is the most important factor for you, it's a good time to check out Apple's offering.Apple Music usually costs $10.99 for individual users, $16.99 for families, and $5.99 for studentspretty standard for music streaming pricing. Today, however, Apple announced an impressive deal for eligible new subscribers: Six months of Apple Music for $2.99. That's not three dollars per months, but three dollars total. Who's eligibleThat's a pretty great value for six months of Apple Music, but there are some strict caveats. For one, this is for new subscribers. If you have an active Apple Music subscription, or you used to subscribe but canceled in the past, you can't take advantage of this offer, which is a bummer. (I'd personally love to snag the next half a year for $3 instead of $66.)On top of that, you aren't eligible if you're also currently eligible for an Apple Music three-month free trial. Apple offers this trial to users who buy an eligible new Apple device, including an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Apple TV, AirPods Pro, AirPods, AirPods Max, Beats headphones and speakers, HomePod and HomePod mini. If you recently bought any of these devices, your connected Apple ID is likely eligible for the free trial, so you can't take advantage of this discount deal. (That said, three months of Apple Music for nothing is also a great value.)Apple isn't running this promotion on a whim. The company (specifically Apple Music) is sponsoring this year's Super Bowl Half-Time show. Don't be surprised to see some ads for this deal this Sunday.How to subscribe to Apple Music for $3If you are eligible for the promotion, you may see the offer appear in your Apple Music app itself. Just open the app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and make sure you're signed in with your Apple Account. Apple says the offer should automatically appear, but if not, head to the Home tab. When you do see the offer, hit "Accept Now." You can also head to the official site for this promotion and hit Redeem Now to kickstart the process. You have until Feb. 27 to take advantage.Six months for $3 is a great deal, but it is a bit dangerous: Half a year is a long timelong enough to forget you're subscribed to the service. If you don't cancel before that six month deadline, Apple will automatically bill you $10.99 as part of the standard month plan.As with any trial or discounted subscription, I always recommend setting a reminder at least a few days before the renewal date. That way, you can be sure to cancel in time.