RockstarThe power of GTA 6 is undeniable: Im sure many players will buy PS5 or Xbox Series X|S just to enjoy the game from day one, and so is Take-Twos boss Strauss Zelnick. While fans keep hoping to see the game on PC, he reminds them of Rockstars traditional approach to multiplatform releases.So with [Sid Meiers Civilization 7], its available on console and PC and Switch right away, he told IGN. With regard to others in our lineup, we dont always go across all platforms simultaneously. Historically, Rockstar has started with some platforms and then historically moved to other platforms.Earlier, he explained that the company has an approach to platforms which weve seen before, and they will make more announcements in due time. I do believe that the right strategy for our business is to be where the consumer is, and historically what this company has done is address consumers anywhere they are, on any platform that makes sense, over time.So while PC support is not complicated, players will have to wait. Mike York, the former Animator on Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, said that PC versions come later because they want to prioritize what sells and see the release and an opportunity to introduce new improvements that were not feasible on consoles due to their hardware limitations.Well, there is a narrow ray of sunshine for PC gamers: data miner Tez2 found some files that possibly point to GTA 6 coming to PC earlier than expected, although there is no date.Zelnick said that the PC version of a multiplatform game can generate 40% of total sales or even more, so the reason for a late PC launch is not in Take-Two doubting its profitability. While the sales of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have been dropping, Zelnick noted PCs growing importance.We have seen PC become a much more and more important part of what used to be a console business, and I wouldnt be surprised to see that trend continue, he said. Of course, there will be a new console generation.However, he is sure the GTA 6 release will cause a meaningful uptick in console sales.When you have a big title in the market and we have many of them coming, historically that has sold consoles.And I think that will happen this year. I dont think tariffs are going to be our friend, but I think there will be a meaningful uptick in console sales in calendar 25 because of the release schedule, not just coming from us, but coming from others. So Im not concerned about that [console sales falling]. I think the trend that youd want to focus on is this increasing share of the market that is reflected in PC.I am certain he is right, and there will be plenty of players lining up to buy the PS5 or Xbox just to play GTA 6. If you are a PC warrior, stock up on patience, this version will likely arrive a year or so after the console launch, which is still scheduled for the fall of 2025.Join our 80 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 Take-Two Boss Believes GTA 6 Will Cause Meaningful Uptick in Console Sales appeared first on CG SHARES.

DuneCrawl is an upcoming online co-op game created by Alientrap Games. The team has great news: the demo version of the game is now available on Steam.If you missed our first coverage about the game, DuneCrawl combines 3D characters with vibrant painterly 2D environments and sets you to explore the dust seas on top of a giant walking crustacean armed with cannons. In this isometric perspective adventure, you team with up to three other friends via online and local coop modes, and together as a squad, youll interact with quest-giving NPCs, defend the local towns from bandits, discover hidden plunder, ride armored scarabs and defend your title as the greatest freebooter this side of the seven sands.Through this gameplay overview trailer, we could have a further look at the core gameplay, including combats with various enemies in the wasteland, such as jar-headed invaders, how you can ride beetles and race for gold and ores, as well as mechanics that allow you to buy weapons or equipment from merchants, and more:One thing highlighted by the developer is a small trick that helps you defeat the opponents more easily climb into a cannon and shoot yourself onto the enemy crawler. Meelee combat starts!This demo will let you explore the games intro level, which is about 20 minutes long and supports multiplayer. Download its demo version from Steam and follow the developer on X/Twitter so you dont miss out on major updates about the game in the future.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 Try Out The Demo Version Of Cute Online Co-Op Adventure Game DuneCrawl appeared first on CG SHARES.

According to Activision founder Bobby Kotick, Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger was at one point in time interested in buying Nintendo, or at least interested in exploring the idea of buying Nintendo.Kotick said on the Grit podcast that Munger was not a fan of video games, but saw an opportunity to potentially make a bid for Nintendo. Munger is said to have floated the idea of spending some of Berkshire's immense holdings on making moves in the video game space. One of Munger's ideas, apparently, was to buy Nintendo."He goes, 'You know, I was looking at a couple other companies in your sector. I think if we bought yours, we should buy that company Nintendo, too,'" Kotick recalled. "He said, 'Have you guys looked at it? I was like, 'Yeah.' It was trading [at the time] at like 13 billion, with 7 billion in cash. He goes, 'You know, I don't think anything is gonna go really bad before I'm dead, and then if it goes bad after I'm dead, they'll just chalk it up to the folly of an 82-year-old, so you don't have to be so concerned about disappointing me."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - D1 Refined Edition $48 (was $60) for Nintendo Switch See at Amazon See at Walmart Fans of Nihon Falcom's classic action-RPG franchise Ys can grab the latest physical release at a discount right now. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - D1 Refined Edition launched in January for $60 on Nintendo Switch and PS5, but Amazon and Walmart have dropped the price of the Switch edition to $48. It's unclear when the 20% discount will expire, but physical editions of Ys games rarely received discounts. And just like other Ys games, the launch version of The Oath in Felghana comes in an oversized display box with a handful of collectibles. Continue Reading at GameSpot

World of Warcraft has officially announced February 25 as the release date for Patch 11.1, Undermined, with The War Within Season 2 starting a week later on March 4. Players dont have to wait long before they can dig into the first major content update for World of Warcraft: The War Within.

The Harry Potter reboot at HBO is still pretty swamped in terms of castings for the upcoming first season, but it seems that one fan-favorite actor thats had their name circulating around the project might have been placed into consideration for an unexpected role.

NVIDIAs contributions to accelerating medical imaging, genomics, computational chemistry and AI-powered robotics were honored Friday at the Precision Medicine World Conference in Santa Clara, California, where NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang received a Luminary award.The Precision Medicine World Conference brings together healthcare leaders, top global researchers and innovators across biotechnology. Its Luminary award recognizes people transforming healthcare by advancing precision medicine in the clinic.For nearly two decades, NVIDIA has advanced computing in healthcare working with researchers and industry leaders to build instruments that enable scientists to better understand life sciences, medical imaging and genomics.We built, if you will, a computational instrument. Not a gene sequencer and all the incredible scientific instruments that you all talk about here in our case, it was a programmable scientific instrument, Huang said in his acceptance speech. We built it in service of researchers and scientists as you strive to better understand life in our universe.The first use of accelerated computing in life sciences was in the 2000s and the introduction of the NVIDIA CUDA parallel computing platform in 2006 paved the path for researchers to demonstrate how NVIDIA GPUs could be used in medical imaging applications like CT reconstruction.NVIDIA developed and continues to develop GPUs that are at the heart of AI and machine learning that are changing the world, including precision medicine, said Dr. Gad Getz, an internationally acclaimed leader in cancer genomics and the director of bioinformatics at the Massachusetts General Hospital, as he presented the award.Today, NVIDIA AI and accelerated computing is impacting analysis, interpretation and translation of sequencing data, new sequencing technologies, imaging data, spatial technologies, single-cell genomics, proteomics, molecular dynamics and drug development, as well as the large language models that can be used by doctors, patients, students and teachers to learn this field, Getz said.Advancing Precision Medicine With Accelerated ComputingHuang spoke about the ways AI will support the work of doctors, scientists and researchers advancing medicine. By investing in AI, he explained, research organizations and businesses can set up a powerful flywheel that continuously improves in accuracy, efficiency and insights by integrating additional data and feedback from every expert who interacts with it over time.Even though people say you want humans in the loop with AI, in fact, the opposite is true. You want AI in the loop with humans, Huang said. The reason for that is because when the AI is in the loop with humans, it codifies our life experience. If theres an AI in the loop with every single researcher, scientist, engineer and marketer every single employee in your company that AI in the loop codifies that life experience and keeps it in the company.Looking ahead, Huang said that in the coming years, AI will advance with incredible speed and revolutionize the healthcare industry. AI will help doctors predict, diagnose and treat disease in ways we never thought possible. It will scan a patients genome in seconds, identifying risks before symptoms even appear. AI will build a digital twin of us and model how a tumor evolves, predicting which treatments will work best.I wouldnt be surprised if before 2030, within this decade, were representing basically all cells, said Huang. We have a representation of it, we understand the language of it, and we can predict what happens.Huang predicts that surgical robots will perform minimally invasive procedures with unparalleled precision, robotic caregivers will assist nurses and other healthcare professionals, and robotic labs will run experiments around the clock, accelerating drug discovery. AI assistants, he said, will let doctors focus on what matters most to them: patients.In his talk, Huang also thanked the medical research community and highlighted how great breakthroughs come from partnerships between technology companies, researchers, biotech firms and healthcare leaders. Over 4,000 healthcare companies are part of the NVIDIA Inception program designed to help startups evolve faster.Learn more about accelerated computing in healthcare at NVIDIA GTC, a global AI conference taking place March 17-21 in San Jose, California.

President Donald Trump halted on Feb. 3 his threat to put tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, postponing a potential 25% tariff after meeting with each government. But a 10% tariff for all goods imported into the U.S. from China went into effect on Feb. 4, applying on top of existing tariffs for Chinese imports. So much of the gaming industry relies on China to produce its wares, from consoles, computer components, and accessories to board game and tabletop miniatures. Its not just that your console is going to be more expensive, Joost van Dreunen, New York University professor and author of the Super Joost newsletter, told Polygon in an interview. Its everything around it as well.When Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese goods in 2019, video game consoles, certain toys, and other technology were exempt. Thats not the case this time, despite a protest from the Entertainment Software Association, the main trade group that represents the game industry. Video games are one of the most popular and beloved forms of entertainment for Americans of all ages, the ESA said in a Feb. 3 statement. Tariffs on video game devices and related products would negatively impact hundreds of millions of Americans and would harm the industrys significant contributions to the U.S. economy.The full impact of the additional tariffs has yet to be seen; a lot of products are already in the U.S. waiting to be sold, and companies are still sorting out how theyll be impacted. It leaves a lot of questions: Will console prices go up? What about consoles produced outside of China but that rely on components made there? Will the tariffs impact the cost of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, which is currently in production? Will it hurt the already struggling video game industry?Polygon spoke to van Dreunen, an expert in the video game industry, as well as Washington State University economics professor Christopher Clarke to find answers.How do tariffs work?Tariffs are essentially a federal tax on goods imported into the U.S. When a package arrives in, say, the port of Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Houston, or wherever, it has to go through customs, Clarke told Polygon. The domestic company that brought it from abroad has to pay the government.Companies usually pass the cost of those taxes on to consumers via increased prices. In addition, other governments typically apply retaliatory tariffs as a response or punishment and China already has. On Monday, the Chinese government put into effect 10%-15% tariffs on crude oil, liquefied natural gas, farm machinery and select other products from the United States, reports NPR, meaning that oil and machinery exported from the U.S. will cost more for Chinese importers.Thats going to harm our exporting businesses as well, Clarke said. It can have these chain effects. Now the exporter businesses arent having as many sales, so they cant hire as many people, and that can harm jobs. Theres not as much income, and people cant buy as much stuff. Thats ultimately what harms the economy.The Consumer Technology Association, a trade group advocating for the tech industry, put out a study in January predicting that a 60% flat-rate tariff on Chinese goods which Trump threatened during his 2024 campaign would cause video game console prices to jump by 40%. The tariff that went into effect this week is lower, and a CTA spokesperson told Polygon that the organization doesnt have updated estimates. But the gist of the study remains true: Tariffs mean that American consumers will end up paying more for video game consoles and accessories. Its not a shift that will happen tomorrow, though: The price of an Xbox Series X isnt going to immediately go up.But as companies face the burden of tariffs, prices will rise, experts told Polygon and that can mean a poorer domestic economy in general, which never bodes well for leisure goods and cultural exports like video games.Theres a lot of worry among consumers that Nintendos upcoming console, the Switch 2, will have a high price tag made even higher due to tariffs. Their impact on the new hardware is unclear, though. MST Financial analyst David Gibson wrote on X in February that the Chinese tariffs are unlikely to affect the Switch 2, since Nintendo previously moved part of its production pipeline to Vietnam the company and electronics manufacturer Hosiden have tried to get to 50% of production from Vietnam, he wrote. Nintendo made the move in 2019, after threats of a previous U.S. trade war with China. Gibson posited that Nintendo could send its Vietnamese-made consoles to the U.S. to avoid tariffs against China.Still, a lot of Nintendo Switch consoles and their components will be produced in China, Clarke said and that will impact gamers. Trump could also extend tariffs to cover Vietnam, which would render any production relocation moot, van Dreunen said. Currently, less than 1% of video game consoles are made in the U.S., Clarke added. The CTA published a study in October 2023 that found that tariffs wont pressure technology manufacturers into bringing production to the U.S., as Trump has repeatedly suggested.Completely reshoring technology manufacturing operations back to the United States is simply not practically or economically feasible given the scale and complexity of required resources and underlying economic production structure, the study said. Instead, its likely that, as Nintendo did, companies will continue to diversify production operations, pushing pipelines from China into Vietnam, India, and elsewhere.Beyond price increases for consumers, van Dreunen said game companies will likely look for ways to lower costs. The inflation to the industry at large, over the whole of it, will continue to depress demand, he said. Were already having a rough time with layoffs and low single-digit increases year over year. Were going to continue to see that particularly as tariffs take hold.The chaotic implementation of it all tariffs being threatened and then put on hold, as with Canada and Mexico, for instance doesnt help. Just the threat of a trade war is enough to create volatility in the market, especially in an industry thats already struggling. As the Washington Post put it, the tariff chaos is a feature, not a bug.Its a tool to create a lot of noise, van Dreunen said. Its a campaign to create a lot of chaos, to obfuscate some other things. Its not a new conversation, and its a very obvious political tactic. Gaming, in that sense, provides a great lens to see what the landscape looks like more clearly. I would reserve my emotional reaction and think a little deeper as to what is actually changing around us as a result.

Euphoria and Cuckoo star Hunter Schafer was observed speaking with a fan earlier this week when he posted a photo of his encounter with the actress to his Instagram. The man in the photo is Konami alum Hideo Kojima, the Japanese video game developer known for his work on niche titles like Penguin Adventure and Policenauts, neither of which were released in the United States. (You also might know him from a little game called Death Stranding.) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hideo Kojima (@hideo_kojima)Schafer is apparently collaborating with Kojima and Get Out director Jordan Peele on OD, a project which, according to its website, explores the concept of testing your fear threshold [] while blurring the boundaries of gaming and film. Sophia Lillis (It, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) and Udo Kier (Hunters, Bacurau) will also appear.The actress stirred debate about her gaming bonafides last year when, during a photo shoot for Vogue, she appeared to be using a Nintendo Switch as a controller despite the console being in portable mode. Schafer has yet to comment on the controversy.

So you want to get out of jury duty. Sure, you could wear a "F*ck The Police" T-shirt to the courthouse, or loudly proclaim that the frequency of your bowel movements will make sitting through the trial an impossibility. But before resorting to antics and goofs, you should try one of the perfectly legitimate paths to avoiding jury duty.Because let's face it: Though we know we should be proud of doing our civic duty, few among us are excited to see an envelope in the mail that reads summons. Since the jury summons process is designed to be as random as possible, you never know when that dreaded letter may arrive in the mail, or what kind of court case you might be assigned to, and the responsibility can be hard to work around if you've got a lot of other obligations.If you couldnt already guess, this guide isnt going to dwell on the nuances of performing your civic duty. I'll assume youre an upstanding citizen who has an ethical reason for getting out of your jury summons. Plus, the consequences for lying to evade jury duty can result in serious fines or even criminal contempt charges, with jail time as a possibility, so you definitely aren't going to do that. With that out of the way, here are all the legal ways you can avoid jury duty.Legitimate claims to get out of jury dutyKeep in mind that your initial jury duty summons is only for attending jury selection day, not the jury service itself. To find a legitimate way out of your summons, begin by looking at anything that prevents you from being physically present for duty or that indicates you would not be able to be an impartial juror. If any of the following excuses apply to your situation, you can file a written response to your summons that clearly lays out all the reasons why you cannot serve on that date. Below, I'll outline the sort of proof different excuses require. (Note that what you put in this letter is not a guarantee that you will successfully get out of jury dutyeach local court has their own procedures for these letters, and the courts consideration of your request. )You have an economic hardshipMaybe you own a small business that cannot run without your presence, or maybe your family will suffer significant financial hardship if you are eventually selected to be a juror. Financial hardship is a legitimate claim to get out of your jury summons, but youll need several documents in addition to your excuse letter. Youll need to provide your current tax forms showing your financial status, documentation showing present employment status (wages, hours, etc.), and any document showing your inability to provide support for you or your family as a result of jury service.Note: Government jobs and some large employers will pay employees during jury duty, but many other jobs will not. Unfortunately, missing work doesnt usually qualify as a claim for economic hardship in and of itself (no matter how true it may be).You have a medical hardshipCourts cant expect you to show up if you have a legitimate medical limitation. You dont have to prove youre in a coma, either. For instance, if you have IBS, you could consider explaining why this would prevent you from sitting and focusing on a case for large stretches of time. Those looking to claim medical hardship must provide a signed statement from a licensed physician that indicates your condition and how long its expected to last.Youre a caretakerYou might have dependents or individuals you care for who cannot be alone all day while you attend your summons. If youre a caregiver for someone under the age of 16, you must provide copies of the birth certificates of the children you care for and an explanation as to why there are no other options for them while youre at jury duty. All other caregivers (like for a parent, partner, or sibling) need a doctors note detailing the patients diagnosis and confirmation that their services as a caregiver are required.Youre a full-time studentIf youre currently a student, youre probably in the clear. Full-time students need to submit a copy of their student ID or class schedule to explain why they cant show up on their summons date. Youre a senior citizenEach court system has its own rules, and many state courts recognize that jury duty can be an extreme hardship for many senior citizens. Some states, like Mississippi and South Carolina, will excuse you if youre over 65 years old. Others, like Arkansas and Colorado, have no specific exemptions for senior citizens. This resource details a state-by-state age of exemption for jury duty.Expressing mental/emotional instability can keep you off of a juryWhile it might be difficult to share deeply personal information, a diagnosis of mental illness could get you out of the jury box. Even if you dont have a diagnosis, its worth explaining extenuating circumstances, like a death in the family. This excuse could be particularly handy in very complex cases involving scientific issues, which would require jurors to be free of mental distractions.You cant be impartialEven if you dont know the details of the case yet, you might have a good reason why you can never be an impartial juror. For instance, if youre a contractor who often works with your local police department, you should write in and explain that this makes you biased toward (or against) police officers right off the bat. Similarly, if your family member works in law enforcement, point out how this makes you highly subjective one way or another.What to do to not get picked for jury dutyIf you cant get out of attending jury selection, here are some ideas you can try to make sure no lawyer wants you in their courtroom.Be overly enthusiastic. Try a little reverse psychology and act like you really want to be on this jury. Lawyers generally avoid individuals who seem overly eager, since that type of juror could potentially have an agenda in mind before even hearing the case.Have your mind made up. If you truthfully have a stance that pertains to the case, make it clear. For instance, if youve been wronged by an insurance company in the past, then you shouldnt be a part of a case that deals with an insurance claim.Be an expert of some kind. Lawyers want to be able to mold jurors minds. If youre able to convey that youre already an expert on some issue related to the case, chances are that youll be dismissed.Mention veto rights. If you get selected for jury duty, this is your last shot. The presiding judge asks you to swear that you will reach a verdict on the case based on the merits of the facts presented to you in court by the prosecution and defense teams. You can refuse to swear to this commitment. Tell the judge about your legitimate veto rights as a juror, which means that its the jurys right to find a verdict as they see fit. This is known as jury nullification, and while it is totally legal, its a pain to the prosecution and the court.How to postpone jury dutyIf you can't get out of it altogether, you can at least kick the can down the road: You can usually change your date of jury service just by asking, no explanation needed. From there, you can choose your own jury duty datepick the right days, and your jury service could be an hour or two instead of a day or a week.You can usually put off jury service for up to six months, two or three times after being summoned. Rules vary by state, but most will let you reschedule for a later date. For example, in New York, you can postpone your service once online or by calling a toll-free number at least one week before your date of service. Make sure to have your juror index number handy when you go online or call, and check your home states regulations because they might be different.Choose a jury duty date when everyone wants to leave work earlySome extra advice, from Lifehackers own Stephen Johnson: Since they let you pick the date you want to serve, choose the day before a long weekend. Lawyers and judges want to skip work early too, so no one is likely to start a case on that day. Ive done this twice, and potential jurors were dismissed by 11 a.m. both times.Heres another hot tip: Request to move your service date to December. Apparently this time of year, theres a greater chance that the court cancels or postpones the hearingits the holidays, after all. In the best case scenario, the court doesnt recall you for the new date, and you get off scot-free.Whatever you do, dont lie to the courtAs fun as it may seem, this is no time to pull a Liz Lemon. Never lie openly in court or make false claims in front of the judgeyou could end up paying for it with jail time. In cases where the judge thinks youre trying to make a mockery of their court, they have the right to sentence you to a jail term of up to two years. Thats a lot longer than your jury service would last.Requests to be excused are reviewed by the courts on a case-by-case basis. Dont be a no-show or leave jury selection early because you assume your reasoning was valid. You might end up with a steep fine, and theres also the possibility of the court sentencing you to up to two years of jail time on charges of contempt of court.For more jury facts, check out our debunking of some pervasive myths about jury duty.