Tom McKay and Luke Dale, two of the voice actors that worked on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, have revealed details about what it was like working on the RPG. In an interview with BBC, McKay described working on the game as one of the most amazing and unusual acting challenges that he has faced.You would kind of go down one channel of a decision and then come halfway back up and go down another one and then maybe all the way back up to the beginning and back down, said McKay. And thats not an acting challenge that you ever would have in TV or film.He also spoke about the secretive nature of game development, saying that his NDA prevented him from even interacting with fans of the franchise that might grill him about Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.It was almost like working for GCHQ (British intelligence agency) or something, said McKay. You couldnt talk to anyone about it and people in the studio couldnt even talk to their partners in some cases about what they were doing.When fans did ask him about why he was spending time in Prague, he would respond by saying that he loves the city and visits often for holidays. Id be like: I just love Prague. And I come here very often for lots of holidays, he said.Dale also spoke about how the studio behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 worked with him on his character, praising creative director Daniel Vvra for his forensic understanding of the vision he had for the game.So you do the scene and youve got three four different people coming over to you, said Dale. Can you do that? Can you just be aware of this? Me and Tom are like: OK can we distill this down? And Daniel is really good at helping us to do that because its his brainchild and he knows exactly what he wants every time.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 recently came out on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game was a massive hit, getting more than a million sales 24 hours. Earlier this week, the game hit another milestone, crossing 250,000 concurrent players on Steam. For more details about the open-world RPG, check out our review.There is also a host of post-launch content planned for the game, including free updates as well as paid DLC. In a roadmap revealed back in January, Warhorse revealed that the first paid DLC, Brushes With Death, will be coming in Summer. It will be followed up by Legacy of the Forge in Autumn, and Mysteria Ecclesia in Winter. Each of the DLCs will focus on their own stories.The paid DLC will be available to purchase separately. Players that want to get all of them anyway can grab the Expansion Pass or the Gold Edition of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which includes all of the content.For further details, check out our host of tutorials, including 13 tips and tricks that you should know, how you can increase your inventory limit, and how you can earn money quickly. Here are also our thoughts on why Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an addictive experience for players.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Wacom has updated its Intuos Pro range of pen displays: the first update to the popular line of professional graphics tablets for eight years.The update introduces a larger 16:9 active drawing area, improves ergonomics of the on-board ExpressKeys and touch dials, and upgrades the bundled stylus to Wacoms Pro Pen 3.Prices remain unchanged at $249.95 for an Intuos Pro Small, $379.95 for an Intuos Pro Medium and $499.95 for an Intuos Pro Large.Wacom Intuos Pro graphics tablets(2017 and 2025 models)Intuos Pro Small(2017)Intuos Pro Small(2025)Intuos Pro Medium(2017)Intuos Pro Medium(2025)Intuos Pro Large(2017)Intuos Pro Large(2025)Size10.6 x 6.7 x 0.3 in(269 x 170 x 8 mm)8.5 x 6.4 x <0.3 in(215 x 163 x <7mm)13.2 x 8.5 x 0.3 in(338 x 219 x 8 mm)11.5 x 8.1 x <0.3 in(291 x 206 x <7 mm)16.8 x 11.2 x 0.3 in(430 x 287 x 8 mm)14.8 x 10.0 x <0.3 in(377 x 253 x <7 mm)Active area6.2 x 3.9 in(160 x 100 mm)7.4 x 4.1 in (187 x 105 mm)8.7 x 5.8 in(224 x 148 mm)10.4 x 5.8 in(263 x 148 mm)12.1 x 8.4 in(311 x 216 mm)13.7 x 7.7 in (349 x 195 mm)Weight1.0 lbs (0.45 kg)0.53 lbs (0.24 kg)1.5 lbs (0.7 kg)0.91 lbs (0.41 kg)2.9 lbs (1.3 kg)1.46 lbs (0.66 kg)StylusPro Pen 2Pro Pen 3Pro Pen 2Pro Pen 3Pro Pen 2Pro Pen 3Presssure levels8,1928,1928,1928,1928,1928,192Tilt recognition606060606060Resolution5,080 lpi5,080 lpi5,080 lpi5,080 lpi5,080 lpi5,080 lpiExpressKeys65810810Touch rings/dials1 x ring1 x dial1 x ring2 x dials1 x ring2 x dialsMulti-touchYesYesYesYesYesYesRelease date201720252017202520172025Recommended price$249.95$249.95$379.95$379.95$499.95$499.95Smaller, lighter and more accurate than their 2017 counterpartsThe Intuos Pro pen tablets are aimed at a wide range of professional graphics workflows: Wacom namechecks illustrators, video editors, animators, motion graphics and 3D artists.According to Wacom, todays update the first since 2017 addresses common user requests about the design of the tablets, and is focused on improving accuracy of workflow.The 2025 models are thinner and lighter than their 2017 counterparts, with the new designs reducing desktop footprint while increasing the size of the active drawing area.The drawing area is now standardized to a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the report rate the number of times per second the pens position is detected has been increased from 200 pps to 300 pps.The update also moves the on-board controls the ExpressKeys and dials from the side of the tablet to the top, and replaces the old iPod-style touch ring with a new raised dial.Wacom told us that the change is intended to reduce accidental key presses, and to improve precision when using the dial, which now clicks audibly into position as it rotates.Battery lifespan has also been improved: from 12 to 16 hours, according to Wacoms own figures.Now come with the Pro Pen 3The pens bundled with tablets have also been upgraded, from the Pro Pen 2 to the Pro Pen 3.Both support 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and a +/- 60 tilt angle, but the Pro Pen 3 is designed to be more customizable, with the user able to change the grip, button layout and weight distribution by swapping modular parts bundled with the Intuos Pros in and out.The tablets are also compatible with third-party pens, including models from Staedtler, Lamy and Pilot.Still no official Linux driver, although third-party drivers are availableFor 3D artists working on Linux workstations, the new Intuos Pros officially only support Windows and macOS.Wacom does contribute to the Linux Wacom Project, but there is still no official Linux driver for its products.No price changes from the 2017 modelsUnlike some of its other recent product updates, Wacom has not raised the prices for the new Intuos Pros, which remain identical to the 2017 models.However, those prices are higher than those for the equivalent pen tablets from manufacturers like Xencelabs, which Wacom attributes to the quality of its products, and the cost of R&D.Price and system requirementsIntuos Pro pen tablets are compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS 13.0+. The Intuos Pro Small costs $249.95, the Intuos Pro Medium costs $379.95, and the Intuos Pro Large costs $499.95.Read more about the 2025 Intuos Pro pen tablets on Wacoms websiteHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Dino Patti reacquired Jumpship, creator of Somerville, and made an investment in Viewfinder creator Sad Owl Studios.Read More

Remedy revenues rise 49% during FY24, Alan Wake 2 recoups development costsOctober 2023 horror survival title has exceeded two million units soldImage credit: Remedy News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Feb. 12, 2025 Remedy has published its financial results for the fiscal year, reporting major growth in revenue and decreases in operating losses compared to the same period last year.The report also included results for the three months ended December 2024, during which time Alan Wake 2 recouped its development costs, started to accrue royalties, and exceeded two million units sold.Here's what you need to know:The numbers:Q4 2024Revenue: 11.7 million (up 13.1%)Operating loss: 1.4 million (compared to operating loss of 12.8 million in 2023)FY 2024Revenue: 33.9 million (up 49.3%)Operating loss: 4.3 million (compared to operating loss of 28.6 million in 2023)The highlights:Remedy attributed the 49.3% jump in revenue for FY2024 to development fees from Control 2, which it will self-publish, and the Max Payne 1 and 2 remake financed by Rockstar. Revenue was also generated by royalties from Control and Alan Wake Remastered.By the end of the fourth quarter, Alan Wake 2 had recouped its development and marketing costs. The game has also begun generating royalties, and has exceeded two million units sold since its October 2023 launch.Alan Wake Remastered was fully depreciated during this period, and no longer counts as an asset.Over the past year, Remedy has hit significant milestones such as acquiring the rights to its Control franchise from 505 Games and entering a partnership with Annapurna.The latter saw Annapurna finance 50% of Control 2, and gained the rights to expand the Control and Alan Wake franchises into film and television.Remedy's partnership with Annapurna led to a 3.4 million write-off of past development costs related to the Control franchise as a one-off expense.Last September, Remedy received a 15 million loan from Tencent to support the developer in self-publishing its games.Looking at its current games portfolio, FBC: Firebreak is in full production and will be Remedy's first self-published title. Control 2 entered full production at the end of Q4, while the Max Payne 1 and 2 remake is making "steady progress" in full production."2024 was full of concrete actions that will enable future growth," said Remedy CEO Tero Virtala. "We were very happy to announce the strategic partnership with Annapurna in August, as well as the convertible loan from Tencent in September."With Annapurna, we can further grow our audiences and expand our franchises beyond games, whereas the financing from Tencent supports our self-publishing strategy."Virtala added: "We are in a great place to begin our strategy period 2025-2030 and have set targets we are confident in reaching. 2025 will mark the start of a new growth era for us.Looking ahead, Remedy expects its revenue to increase compared to the previous year, and for its operating profit to be positive. It has set itself a target of doubling its 2024 revenue by 2027 "with continued growth beyond this milestone."

Jumpship co-founder reacquires studio from ThunderfulDino Patti also obtains shares in Viewfinder developer Sad Owl StudiosImage credit: Jumpship News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Feb. 12, 2025 Jumpship co-founder Dino Patti has reacquired the studio following layoffs at Thunderful last November, in addition to obtaining shares in Viewfinder developer Sad Owl Studios.Patti and Chris Olsen founded Jumpship in 2017 to develop its action-adventure title Somerville into an IP. The studio was acquired by Thunderful in 2022 following the game's launch. Olsen departed from Jumpship shortly after.Patti took on a role as strategic advisor for Thunderful during this process.Following the reacquisition, Patti is now preparing to reboot Jumpship "in a new direction.""I can't lift the veil just yet, but I truly believe the current investment and publishing landscape has gone stale," he said. "It needs a complete overhaul to better serve talented game developers and, most importantly, the players."Patti continued: "Jumpship has always been about pushing the boundaries of emotions, storytelling, and innovation in gaming. I want to take the company in a completely new direction while staying true to that vision."This is more than just a business decision; it's about reigniting the passion and vision that first sparked Jumpship while taking it further than ever before."

Chris Kerr, News EditorFebruary 12, 20251 Min ReadImage via CrytekCrytek is laying off 15 percent of its workforce and pausing production on Crysis 4.The company broke the news on X and explained the layoffs will impact its development and shared services teams.The German studio currently has around 400 employees, meaning around 60 people could lose their jobs.Crytek claimed the layoffs are a result of the "complex, unfavorable market dynamics that have hit our industry these past several years.""This has not been an easy decision to make, as we deeply appreciate the hard work of our talented teams," reads the statement. "After putting the development of the next Crysis game on hold in Q3 2024, we have been trying to shift developers over to Hunt: Showdown 1896."While Hunt: Showdown 1896 is still growing, Crytek cannot continue as before and remain financially sustainable. Even after ongoing efforts to reduce costs and cut operating expenses, we have determined that layoffs are inevitable to move forward."Crytek will offer severance packages and career assistance services to those impacted.The company insisted it will be able to become sustainable by prioritizing Hunt: Showdown 1896."We have a very strong gaming service and remain fully committed to to its operation," continues the statement. "We will continue to expand and evolve Hunt: Showdown 1896 with great content and drive our strategy for our engine CryEngine."Read more about:LayoffsAbout the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Chris Kerr, News EditorFebruary 12, 20252 Min ReadImage via RemedyAt a GlanceAlan Wake 2 has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and is now generating royalties for Remedy.Control 2 entered full production in February 2025. The original title has now topped 4.5 million sales.Remedy saw annual revenue increase by 49.3 percent YoY to 50.7 million.Alan Wake 2 has started to generate royalties for developer Remedy after passing 2 million sales worldwide. The title had already recouped development fees and marketing costs.The Finnish studio shared the news in its fiscal report for the year ended December 31, 2024.It explained Alan Wake 2 saw "particularly high activity" around October 2024, when Remedy launched the Lake House expansion and a physical edition of the game. Those projects were followed up by the launch of a PlayStation 5 Pro update in November.Control, which debuted in 2019, has now sold over 4.5 million units worldwide. 600,000 units were sold in 2024.Discussing its wider project slate, Remedy said Control 2 entered full production earlier this month after the company verified the velocity of asset creation and established clear pipelines.Max Payne 1&2 is currently making "steady progress" in full production and is on track to meet key development objectives.FBC: Firebreak, a multiplayer shooter that serves as a Control spin-off, is also in full production and completed a closed technical test with external players in December. Remedy continues to expand its self-publishing team with a view to launching the title in 2025.Remedy working to deliver 'significant commercial success' by 2030Looking at the company's financial performance, Remedy saw full-year revenue increase by 49.3 percent year-on-year to 50.7 million ($52.6 million). The company posted an annual operating loss of 4.3 million ($4.4 million), but that's an improvement on the 28.6 million ($29.6 million) loss recorded during the previous fiscal year.Remedy expects revenue and operating profit to increase during 2025 and intends to deliver "sustainable, significant commercial success" by the end of the decade."We have two established own franchises, Control and Alan Wake, which are linked through the Remedy Connected Universe. Remedy will self-publish upcoming games, in which Remedy owns the IP. Growing and expanding the two franchises will be a key part of our future. In addition, we work with a partner franchise Max Payne that was originally created by Remedy," said the company, discussing its long-term prospects."By 2030, we aim to be a highly regarded creative studio with sustainable, significant commercial success. We have set ourselves the following financial targets: 1) Double the 2024 revenue by 2027 with continued growth beyond this milestone and 2) EBITDA margin of 30 percent by 2027 and maintain that minimum level throughout the strategy period."Read more about:Remedy EntertainmentTop StoriesFinancialsAbout the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Wacom has completely overhauled its Intuos Pro drawing tablets to make them more compact, convenient, and customizable for creative professionals. This is the biggest redesign for the Intuos Pro lineup since its introduction in 2013, featuring a new layout that relocates user controls from the side to the top of the tablet and replaces the previous touch ring with mechanical dials. Its a huge change, but one I quickly welcomed in the short time I had to test it myself.The Intuos Pro is Wacoms pen tablet targeting industry creatives like 3D artists, illustrators, and photo editors who prefer to work on their own (typically calibrated) displays. Unlike Wacoms Cintiq or One range, the Intuos Pro doesnt have a built-in screen, making it easier to throw into a bag and connect to computing devices.There are three sizes available: Small (269.99), Medium (399.99), and Large (549.99). Ill update with US pricing when it goes live later today. Each model is actually smaller than its equivalent predecessor, yet feature larger active areas that make better use of that space. For example, the 2025 Medium measures 11.5 x 8.1 inches versus 13.2 x 8.5 inches for the 2017 version, yet features a drawing area of 10.4 x 5.8 inches compared to 8.7 x 5.8 inches for the previous model. Theyre slimmer overall too, featuring a new 0.16-0.28 inch (4-7mm) sloping design instead of the previous 0.3-inch (8mm) thickness.The most noticeable change, however, is the layout. Where all previous Intuos Pro models had user controls like customizable buttons and touch-sensitive wheels on the side, these have now been shifted to the top of the tablet. That both greatly reduces the space on either side of the active pen area and makes it easier for left-handed or ambidextrous users to configure for their workflows. The touch wheel has also been replaced by tactile mechanical dials one on the Small, two on the other sizes which provide more precision when scrolling through the tools and actions users allocate to them. The customizable express keys have also been updated to a round space-saving design, with five buttons on the Small and ten on the two larger models.Heres a size comparison for each version next to the Pro Pen 3. Image: WacomThe Intuos Pro lineup works with devices running Windows 10 or macOS 13 or later. It supports both a wired USB-C to USB-A connection and wireless via Bluetooth 5.3, the latter providing up to 16 hours of battery life when fully charged, according to Wacom. Users can jump between USB and Bluetooth via a switch on the side of the tablet, allowing it to pair with two devices simultaneously.It comes with the same customizable Wacom Pro Pen 3 stylus that ships with Wacoms Cintiq Pro and Movink display tablets, which features adjustable thickness and buttons. One perk if you already own these tablets is that the Pro Pen 3 can switch between devices, which is useful if youre working across multiple tablets. The new Intuos Pro is also compatible with previous-gen Wacom Pro Pens and EMR styluses from Pilot, Dr Grip, LAMY, and Staedtler.Using the same pen across multiple Wacom tablets is a blessing if like switching between display and non-display models. Image: WacomI was able to handle a pre-production sample for a short time. While a full review will come later when I can test a final version, the slimmer design felt well-constructed and wasnt flimsy. The slope wasnt significant enough to feel noticeably more comfortable but I wasnt using it for lengthy durations like many creative professionals do. The new layout is a welcome improvement compared to having the buttons and wheel on the sides where my wrist may accidentally activate something, and it didnt take long to adjust to the delightfully tactile mechanical dial.See More:

LatestMachine LearningDeepSeek R1: The Controversial Innovation That Slashes Training Energy by 40% But Is It Really Paving the Way for a Greener Future? 0 like February 11, 2025Share this postLast Updated on February 12, 2025 by Editorial TeamAuthor(s): Hasitha Pathum Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.Image by DeepseekArtificial intelligence (AI) research and development have witnessed exponential growth in recent years. As machine learning models become more complex and powerful, the computational resources required to train these models have surged dramatically. This increase in computational demand has led to rising energy consumption and, consequently, a significant environmental footprint. Amidst these challenges, DeepSeek R1 is making headlines by reducing training energy consumption by an impressive 40%. This breakthrough not only promises to lower operational costs but also heralds a new era of sustainable AI research.In this article, we delve into the transformative impact of DeepSeek R1 on AI training efficiency. We explore how this innovation reduces energy consumption, the implications for operational costs, and the broader environmental benefits. We also examine the technical innovations driving this advancement and discuss the future prospects for sustainable, energy-efficient AI.The past decade has seen deep learning models achieve remarkable feats from mastering complex games to revolutionizing natural language processing. However, the computational power needed to train these models often comes at a significant cost. Large-scale neural networks require enormous amounts of energy, which not only drives up operational expenses Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

Alan Wake 2 has exceeded 2 million sales worldwide.That's up from the 1.3 million copies sold between October 2023 and March 2024, when developer Remedy hailed the horror sequel as its fastest-selling game ever.In its latest financial report to investors, Remedy said the milestone coupled with the release of The Lake House expansion and Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition now means the game has "started to accrue royalties" after recouping its development and marketing costs.Looking ahead, the studio also teased that Control 2, which is being developed in partnership with Annapurna, "has been finalizing the production readiness stage" and will enter full production at the end of February 2025, along with Max Payne 1&2 Remake, which is also "making steady progress in full production."Similarly, FBC: Firebreak, Remedy's multiplayer Control spin-off, continues in full production following a "successful" closed technical test in December, which saw external players test matchmaking and back-end services. While no firm release date was confirmed, FBC: Firebreak will be self-published by Remedy later in 2025."We are in a great place to begin our strategy period and have set targets we are confident in reaching," CEO Tero Virtala said. In IGN's Alan Wake 2 review, we awarded the sequel an impressive 9/10, calling it a "superb survival horror sequel that makes the cult classic original seem like little more than a rough first draft by comparison."Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.