The latest rumor about Apple's folding iPad suggests that the device has a Face ID dot projector underneath the display, instead of in the display bezel like on the currently shipping iPad ProAn iPad Pro and Apple PencilOne of Apple's early prototypes for the folding iPad Pro reportedly has a new feature. The device is said to have a "metal superstructure lens," which leaker "Digital Chat Station" believes incorporates the Face ID infrared projectors, underneath the screen.As it stands now, the projector is under the glass of the iPad Pro, but not under the usable area of the screen. Rumor Score: Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Diller Scofidio + Renfro(DS+R) recently announced a design at Boston University thats part of an institutional expansion and goal of achieving carbon neutrality on the Charles River campus by the year 2040.The proposal grants a new home to the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, which was established after a naming donation in 2014. Standing 186 feet and 12 stories, it will be realized as the tallest mass timber structural design in the northeastern United States.Image courtesy of DS+R The choice of a mass timber structural frame for the 70,000-square-foot building reduces its embodied carbon footprint by 87%. This adds to the energy savings offered by combing installed solar screens and a triple-glazed envelope system. DS+R notes that 85% of all its spaces require no perimeter heating or cooling.Image courtesy of DS+R Image courtesy of DS+R Research spaces are arranged in a vertical stack to culminate in double-heighted, revealed "living rooms" that "broadcast" the...

The countdown to 13th Annual A+Awards winners' announcement has begun! Stay updated by subscribing to Architizer's Awards Newsletter.Whether its a dash to A&E after an overly ambitious encounter with a mandoline or for a longer stay when a bit more help is required to get back on our feet, nobody loves a trip to the hospital. Medical spaces are very rarely places we look forward to visiting. Of course, they are institutions of necessity, but for too long, their design clinical, functional and indifferent to anything other than cleanliness has conjured feelings of stress, isolation and waiting-room purgatory.Yet, hospitals dont have to feel like this. Research shows that the built environment plays a crucial role in psychological well-being and physical recovery. Studies have linked natural light with improved circadian rhythms and shorter hospital stays, while exposure to nature has been proven to lower blood pressure and reduce the need for pain medication. All the while, thoughtful layouts can ease staff fatigue and reduce medical errors while considered acoustics lessen stress for patients and caregivers alike.Thanks to this research, architects and designers are now shaping healthcare spaces that feel more like boutique hotels, designed to include biophilia, support the community, and, most crucially, improve health. They recognize that comfort and dignity are not luxuries that should be reserved for only those who can afford them. They are essential components of care.The following eight projects challenge the clinical clich, showcasing exceptional design that can make all the difference. Especially when youd much rather be anywhere else.Dental ClinicBy IFAgroup, Gdask, PolandJury Winner, Hospitals and Healthcare Centers, 13th Annual A+AwardsPhotos by Hanna PoczyskaFor many, visiting the dentist can be a daunting experience; studies indicate that approximately 36% of people in the U.S. have a fear of dental treatment, with 12% experiencing extreme fear. Addressing this widespread anxiety, IFAgroup transformed a historic granary in Gdasks Wrzeszcz district into a dental clinic that feels more like a boutique hotel than a medical facility. The clinic houses 15 dental offices and a prosthetic laboratory, all organized around a three-story foyer connected by a central spiral staircase.Patients are greeted by a lounge area where live classical piano music enhances the serene atmosphere. To ensure optimal acoustics, 1,615 square feet (150 square meters) of soundproofing materials including sprays, upholstery and directional sound screens were meticulously integrated. The design thoughtfully incorporates materials that reflect the buildings original character: raw architectural concrete, walnut doors, exposed brick walls, leather pendant lamps and steel accents.Kia LabBy Davood Boroojeni Office, West Azerbaijan Province, IranPopular Winner, Hospitals & Healthcare Centers, 12th Annual A+AwardsPhotos by Parham Taghioff.Kia Lab challenges the idea that hospitals should be closed-off institutions. Designed by Davood Boroojeni Office, the medical facility in Iran includes a shared urban space within its structure. An external staircase leads to an open-air first-floor terrace (as is typical in traditional Iranian architecture). Staircases act not just as circulation but as social spaces that are essential for conversation, rest and connection. These things are vital for good heath and wellbeing. Unlike many hospitals Kia Lab embeds itself into the community of the city rather than sitting apart institutionally and shows how healthcare spaces can be both functional and civic-minded.Steno Diabetes Center CopenhagenBy Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects with MIKKELSEN Architects, Herlev, DenmarkPopular Winner, Hospitals & Healthcare Centers, 11th Annual A+AwardsPhotos by Rasmus HjortshjNorthern Europes largest diabetes hospital, SDCC is designed around the idea that treatment doesnt just happen inside consultation rooms. Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects and MIKKELSEN Architects include biophilic principles throughout, with a central two-story garden, six courtyards,and a public rooftop garden designed to be part of the healing process. Wood finishes replace conventional hospital interiors, and waiting areas encourage movement, with spaces dedicated to diet, exercise, and education. With its anodized aluminium faade, SDCC is a model for how hospitals can function as places of education, treatment, prevention and wellbeing in equal measure.Acibadem Ataehir Hospital, Childrens Pavilion & HeadquartersBy Gensler with FXCollaborative, TurkeyPhotos by Orhan KolukisaA hospital, childrens pavilion and headquarters in one, Acibadem Ataehir takes a holistic approach to healthcare. Designed by Gensler, with FXCollaborative handling the architecture, it prioritizes patient comfort and medical efficiency in equal measure. The lobby sets the tone with a digital artwork by Hakan & Sleyman Ylmaz, visualizing the thousands of births across Acibadems network as blooming flowers. It is a reminder that hospitals arent just places of illness, they are also places for new life.Biophilic elements, intuitive zoning and indoor gardens enhance the surroundings, while the Childrens Hospital includes a friendly mascot to help guide young patients through their visit with a sense of familiarity and comfort. In the upper floors, the 16-story headquarters maximizes daylight exposure for staff, with terraces offering much-needed breathing space from the intensity of hospital work.Institute for Specialized Medicine & Intervention (ISMI)By HOK, Montreal, CanadaPhotos by Claude-Simon LangloisFor many, a hospital visit is stressful enough. Now consider navigating it as a marginalized patient in a system that is not designed for you. ISMI, designed by HOK, changes that by focusing on inclusivity and psychological comfort. Instead of sterile corridors, the facility takes cues from spa environments, using soft lighting, natural materials and flexible rooms that allow for greater patient agency. Intuitive wayfinding removes language barriers with visual symbols, while staff well-being is supported through private lounges and an on-site gym in the understanding that better care starts with better working conditions.Alder CentreBy Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, United KingdomPhotos by Rob Parrish and Timothy SoarThe loss of a child is an unimaginable experience, but the right environment can offer comfort, support and a sense of sanctuary. Designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, the Alder Center is intentionally domestic in scale, with a communal kitchen and lounge replacing the usual sterile waiting room. Counseling rooms are more akin to bedrooms, to provide a softer, less clinical atmosphere, while a secluded helpline room ensures private support is uninterrupted. A walled garden, inspired by The Secret Garden, offers a quiet retreat. Thoughtfully designed and deeply humane, the Alder Centre is a rare example of architecture that truly understands the emotional landscapes it serves.University of California, San Francisco, Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry BuildingBy ZGF Architects, San Francisco, CaliforniaPhotos by Bruce DamonteMental health is among the most pressing health issues in the world, yet treatment remains inaccessible for many due to systemic underfunding, stigmatization, and a shortage of practitioners. The Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building at UCSF seeks to change this by providing an open, uplifting, and integrated approach to mental healthcare. A soaring five-story atrium brings daylight deep into the space, while transparent consultation rooms challenge the stigma around psychiatric care.The projects material palette takes inspiration from San Franciscos historic architecture, replacing the clinical coldness of traditional psychiatric hospitals with warmth and familiarity. With an extensive art program, intuitive color-coded wayfinding and collaborative research spaces, its a model for how mental health treatment can be both visible and integrated.Oshida Animal HospitalBy FEDL (Far East Design Lab.), Saitama, JapanPhotos by Koichi TorimuraArchitects and designers are not only tackling our own health and well-being our pets, too, are benefitting from spaces designed with care and consideration. Oshida Animal Hospital, designed by FEDL focuses on transparency, and a connection to the wider community. Located along a pedestrian route the hospital is designed to engage both pet owners and the general public, to build awareness of animal care. Large windows flood the interior with natural light to reduce stress for staff, visitors, and animal guests, while an open-plan layout makes treatment areas more visible, to build a sense of trust and accessibility.The countdown to 13th Annual A+Awards winners' announcement has begun! Stay updated by subscribing to Architizer's Awards Newsletter.The post Sick of Bad Design? These 8 Healthcare Centers Challenge the Clinical Clich appeared first on Journal.

Remedy Entertainment has released a new update for Control Ultimate Edition out of nowhere, adding all the previously released outfits exclusive to pre-orders. Its available for PC players and will arrive for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in the near future.The Extradimensional Suit from the AWE DLC, unlocked by finishing the Crowd Control or Deadline challenges from the SHM arcade machine, is also available. However, perhaps the biggest addition is Dr. Yoshimi Tokuis Guided Imagery Experience, with Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima providing voiceovers. It was previously exclusive to the Digital Deluxe Edition on PS4.Other notable features include HDR support, an Ultra preset for ray tracing, support for rendering resolutions above 4K, up to 48:9 ultrawide monitor support, and more. PC players can even look forward to DLAA and DLSS 3.7. Furthermore, the audio in the end credits isnt related to the issue but the result of unintended channel mixing, which the update fixes.Check out the full patch notes below for more details. You can also check out our review for Control Ultimate Edition here.March 2025 Update (1.30) Release Notes (PC)OUTFITSThe following outfits are now available to all players. The outfits can be accessed and equipped from the Control Point in the Central Executive Sector area.Astral Dive Suit (formerly a pre-order exclusive)Tactical Response Gear (formerly a pre-order exclusive)Urban Response Gear (formerly a pre-order exclusive)Extradimensional Suit (formerly obtainable in the AWE DLC by finishing SHM)MISSIONSAll players will receive the mission Dr. Yoshimi Tokuis Guided Imagery Experience, featuring voiceover by Hideo Kojima. The mission is playable when you pick up the Dr Tokui Tapes collectible in the Extrasensory Lab of the Research Sector. (This mission was previously exclusive to the PlayStation 4 Digital Deluxe version of Control.)GRAPHICSAdded HDR supportAdded new Ultra ray tracing preset, which gets you more rays per pixel and higher temporal stabilityAdded ultrawide monitor support for up to 48:9 monitorsAdded an FOV scaling setting for the gameplay cameraUpdated SDR to 10bit (from 8bit), which reduces visible color bandingImproved graphics adapter detection at startup, with automatic selection between DX11 and DX12Implemented screen aspect ratio fixes for ultrawide monitorsYour current monitor resolution can now reliably be selected from the screen resolution and rendering resolution menusAdded rendering resolution support beyond 4KImplemented texture streaming fixesRay tracing bug fixesDLSS SUPPORTAdded DLSS support for arbitrary resolutionsAdded DLAA supportUpdated DLSS to DLSS 3.7, with higher temporal stabilityFilm grain added back to DLSS SRFixed shadow resolution when DLSS is enabledAdded resolution dependent mip map bias for DLSS. This enhances texture quality, for example when applying the DLSS Performance setting.GENERALUpdated the audio on cinematics and end credits to remove unintended channel mixing. You will no longer hear anything that isnt intended to be heard. (It wasnt the Hiss, it was us. Sorry.)Several bug and crash fixes

Warhorse Studios next big patch for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 launches on March 13th. Alongside over 1,000 fixes, it adds new features like modding and Barber Mode for free. The latter allows players to adjust Henrys hairstyle and facial in Zhelejov and Kuttenberg for a small price.Modding is arguably more exciting, allowing players to create and customize their experience like never before. Of course, there will also be improvements to combat, NPCs, and much more, with the patch notes totaling 34 pages.Unfortunately, you must wait until March 13th to read through them all, so stay tuned. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. As a direct sequel to the original, it garnered extensive critical acclaim check out our review, where we gave it a nine out of ten. It also sold two million copies in less than two weeks.Alongside Barber Mode, Warhorse has features like Hardcore Mode and Horse Races on the way. Starting this Summer, its first paid DLC, Brushes With Death, will launch, followed by Legacy of the Forge in Autumn and Mysteria Ecclesia in Winter.

Image credit: RAICThe Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is honoured to announce the 43 new Fellows inducted into the RAIC College.A Fellowof the RAIC Collegeis a member of theRAIC who has achieved professional eminence or has rendered distinctive service to the profession or to the community at large. Nomination and advancement to Fellowship is administered by the RAIC College.Fellowship is bestowed upon individuals through a nomination process administered by the RAIC College and recognizes members for their contribution to research, scholarship, public service, or professional standing to the good of architecture in Canada, or elsewhere.Fellows will be officially inducted to the RAIC College on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at a convocation ceremony during the2025 RAIC Conference.The complete list of new Fellows include the following.2025 New FellowsAlberta & Northwest TerritoriesBen BarringtonChristopher FilipowiczCameron GilliesGrant MooreAtlanticCarole CaronStephen KoppBritish Columbia / YukonKatherine (Kate) GersonMarion LaRueMona LemoineRodney MaasJohn WallManitobaMichael BanmanOntario (Northeast & Nunavut)Louis BlangerDarryl HoodGlen D. MilneChristopher MoiseThe late Gerry PilonOntario (Southwest)Safdar AbidiVaidila BanelisAndrew Batay-CsorbaStasia BogdanDeanna BrownNicola CasciatoSteven CaseyDonald ChongRaymond ChowSue Jean ChungDavid DowCecily B. EckhardtDavid FortinAlar KongatsMartin LiefhebberDaniel LingMark MichasiwAnya MoryoussefPaul RaffMichael J. TreacyBarbora Vokac TaylorBrenda WebsterQuebecJean-Pierre ChupinMartin HouleNicolas RangerAndrew Paul ToddThe post RAIC College Welcomes 43 New Fellows appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Nvidia has teamed up with the state of Utah on an AI education initiative to improve workforce training and economic growth.Read More

Since the nascent period of online games in the late '90s and 2000s, publisher NCSoft and its massively multiplayer online role-playing games have been a mainstay. The company's one significant edge against competitors like Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft was its focus on bridging the divide between Western and Eastern MMORPG audiences with a cross-continental portfolio including Lineage II, Aion, and Guild Wars 2.As live service games have become increasingly high risk for the industry, the long-running publisher sees a path through the turmoil, with its sights on company expansion. In 2025, the publisher intends to double down on its live service business in the wake of layoffs and restructuring to reaffirm its position on the global marketall with a focus on its MMORPG pedigree.Current CEO of NC America Jeonghee Jin said she hopes the industryand the companyis on the upswing after laying off workers. According to her, NCSoft is recalibrating its approach to supporting Western game developers, with the hope of not repeating mistakes from years past.Building a new NCSoftWhile NCSoft has maintained steady success with legacy titles such as Lineage II and Guild Wars 2, the company has struggled across other ends of its portfolios. During the 2010s, NCSoft made efforts to expand in the United States, but that ultimately led to the shuttering of the sci-fi MMO Wildstar and its developer Carbine Studios, and the online music-rhythm game Fuser from developer Harmonix (now owned by Epic Games). In recent years, it's laid off workers and underwent a general restructuring in late 2024."The last two years have been pretty bad for many game companies, including NCSoft, but honestly, I've seen cycles like this in the game business, and most other businesses," said the CEO. "We are always seeing these ups and downs, and especially right after the COVID lockdown period. We're now seeing a lot of layoffs and cancelations of promising projects, but I'm still actually very hopeful because I feel like we're kind of at the bottom of that cycle, and that a rise is happening."In 2024, Jin was named CEO of NC America following her time as the former senior vice president and CEO of Pearl Abyss America, where she helped expand the reach the South Korean MMORPG Black Desert Online. Since she joined the company, NCSoft has made numerous investments within European and Korean development studios for new IPs, including a new first-person shooter from Moon Rover and an RPG known as Breakers from Vic Game Studios, respectively.Jin acknowledged the publisher's past misfires, saying she joined the company with the hope of learning from its mistakes. "When I joined, I had a lot of thoughts on where we can do things with NCSoft," they continued. "This publisher has such a rich history within the MMORPG space across the Korean and western markets, and that makes it such a unique company.""Going back to the '90s, NCSoft was one of the first MMORPG developers, and they've done a lot of experiments with trying to break through to other markets. Generally those titles have been doing great mostly in Asia, but to a lesser degree in western regions, which we want to work on more."There have been a lot of investments with NCSoft over the years, and a lot of experiments, and some of them went great, but others not so much. I think a lot of people only remember failures, but there are a lot of achievements as well which definitely paved the way for other Korean companies and Asian developers who wanted to go global. I feel very optimistic now as we invest more within the western market, which we see a growth opportunity for."Image via NCSoft.Image via NCSoft.Now in 2025, Jin is heading up the new NCSoft office in Southern California following a notable restructuring effort. According to Jin, her current vision for NCSoft is a publisher that releases modern games that are more approachable for wide audienceswhich includes the online shooter Project LLL.NCSoft will also lean into its steady successes within online live service games, which they still see growth potential in. Along with titles from Moon Rover and Vic Game Studios, a recent investment in Mistil Games and their upcoming third-person shooter Time Takers show how NCSoft is heading into new territory."It's good for us to have more diverse genres in the portfolio, and with NCSoft America and the Western divisions, we are now in a better position to bring these titles to a broader audience."Finding success within the live service modelThe video game industry within recent years has been a volatile and challenging space for developers to operate in. With record layoffs and studio closures, studios are also juggling ballooning development budgets and expectations for success."I think there are still a lot of successful titles right now, and they're still being loved by so many players, and not really having a really negative impact on their communities," she continued. "So I see a lot of bright and some dark sides of the business right now. But I know we're going to see that rise once again, and we'll do it all together as industry comrades. I'm also really looking forward to all the projects that we are working on, so I'm very positive and optimistic about the future."Jin explained that NCSoft still thinks its central publishing role supporting a wide variety of studios has advantages over being a studio supporting one game. Live service games need "happy" players, and tracking player behavior can be a task that's too big for one dev team."It can be very stressful...for any publisher and developer working on live service games, they hear a lot of harsh comments and feedback all the time," she said. "But that's why a core publisher exists for [live service games]. A really good team has to support that and figure out how to engage the community and guide the game over time."For online games, the communities they foster can be a driving factor in future success. Along with maintaining a successful launch for Throne and Liberty, NC America also has the western launch of Blade & Soul Neoa visual and gameplay remaster of its popular martial-arts action MMOaims for a "nostalgic" trip back to a classic MMO experience for long-time fans, and the type of game that NCSoft plans to spotlight in the years ahead."I'm feeling great about the current projects we are working on, like one potential project we are preparing just made me feel very optimistic about the future of NCSoft's business in the West, and I feel I have a clear vision about how I want to run the business at this point," said Jin. "In the first few months while I was here, I did a lot of studying and reflecting on the history of NCSoftwhat did well and what didn't, and I talked to as many people as possible at the headquarters to figure out their perspectives about the Western regions and the growth opportunities there.""I'm in a very good place where I can plan confidently for our next projectsI feel good for what's ahead."

TheIGF(Independent Games Festival) aims to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize independent game developers advancing the medium.This year, Game Developer sat down with the finalists for the IGF's Nuovo Award and the Seamas McNally Grand Prizeahead of GDC to explore the themes, design decisions, and tools behind each entry. Game Developer and GDC are sibling organizations under Informa.Nuovo Award nominee Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity is an experience in movement and transformation across stunning,alien worlds that you're tasked with bouncing, flinging, and leaping through.Game Developer caught up with Sam Atlas, the Nuovo Award-nominated game's creator, to talk about its surprising origins in body horror, the thought and design processes that go into shaping the game's colorful landscapes, and the challenges that come from creating visual accessibility features in a game that can sometimes border on visually-overwhelming with its shifting cosmos.Who are you, and what was your role in developing Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity?I'm Sam Atlas! I did everything except the music and some other sound effects for Extreme Evolution, which were composed and recorded by DL Salo.What's your background in making games?This is my 4th standalone game and the follow-up to the Space Hole trilogy. Before my own games, I made mods especially on the Source (Half Life 2) engine (I generally made level pack style single-player mods).I've got a background in general software, so I approach game development from a holistic/ synergistic approach (i.e. mix tech and design).How did you come up with the concept for Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity?It started as a vague project called Flesh, which was going to be more of a horror game about an organism seeking humanity through the mechanical accumulation of human parts.It was a brain in a void, and the game would have been in first person, with real-life footage of hands/organs as the tools you use. These tools would be used to, for example, paddle your hand to swim the psychic-brain around.Accumulation and the imitation of humanity were themes; but it was more body horror.What development tools were used to build your game?Unity, chatGPT, VSCode, Blender (lightly for certain 3d), Unity ProBuilder (the majority of custom 3d meshes), Paint.NET, Davinci Resolve, Audacity, and my camera phone! I take videos/photos of natural patterns, such as waves or light reflecting on water, or fire, and loop those in the video editor (by flipping and tessellating the videos).Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity explores many different forms of movement as you explore its dizzying visual landscapes. What thoughts went into creating the various ways players could evolve to move around? What made a form of movement feel interesting to you to include in the game?One core design idea for the game was "a platformer where every pickup extends your range." The main design idea here was to begin stumblinga speck of dust or a pebble rolling/shamblingand by the end to be a maximally-empowered platformer (i.e., fling yourself, drive up walls, hang in the air indefinitely etc). So, a lot of the form design derived from trying to find a middle ground between "can go anywhere" and "can only tumble along the ground." The name "Extreme Evolution" alludes to this: starting at the most basic (a clunky, oblong egg) and eventually the most obscene (Deity, a hovering orb that spits out projectiles that seek pickups and count as part of your body). "Drive to Divinity" is also a reference to this, and another literal description of the game.Movement often comes with unique shapes that feel alien, but also convey some of their capabilities to the player through shape and form. What thoughts went into making movement feel somewhat clear while also keeping things mysterious?For this, I think the key is to make the rules of the world consistent and to use visual cues to explain how objects interact. Furthermore, I have a short flavor text for each form, which, when combined with its name, was intended to convey some efficient expectation to the player. For example, "Cor" is "the oblong car," and it is both a corrupted motorcycle and a corruption of the word "Car." But as is the case in nature, the "Car" remains around in the world as well. I wanted the world to have a sense of logic and consistency to it, as well as a mix of earth-references and references that seem alien.You put a great deal of thought and work into the visuals of your games, crafting this sense of moving through higher realities of color and shape. What feelings were you looking to evoke in the player with the cosmic visual work in this game?My goal is to create an environment that you haven't seen before. I think the fun of the game is a repeating cycle of "what's over there?" and following intuition. I want to encourage the player to feel in control of their experience. I make games essentially by playing through them extremely slowly, making the levels in front of me as I go. So, whichever game I make tends to represent my feelings during development, or the feeling that I wanted.What thoughts went into birthing this whole new visual cosmic universe? How do you craft whole worlds to platform in that capture this sense of being otherworldly and alien through your use of color and shape?Iteration, willingness to cut ideas/areas, and gradually narrowing the focus of my work as a level progresses. It takes many, many coats of paint (and sometimes major cuts) to make sure each zone has a good feeling. For this game, the whole overall thing was "playable" a year before release in an alpha form, but everything went through major revisions following that.Basically, I become more focused/editorial as I get deeper into development, but every level starts with some kind of simple idea (for example, "Thyroid" was conceived as "Jump," a delta where you are given many exits to choose between; the name "Thyroid" was chosen due to the geographical notion of the thyroid as a gateway to the body from the head). Sometimes, the name of the level is a remnant of that original idea and separate from the actual level (which sometimes is funny, so I leave it in). Often, levels become most extreme at some middle point in developmentthe most visual elements, the most pickups, etc. Then, over time, like a sine wave, I cut/uncut stuff until it feels right.What challenges do you face in creating visuals that can be so powerful they border on overwhelming? What is it like to pore over these visions as you weave them together while developing the game?I like to develop the game intuitively, so the border between "too much" and the right amount is always revealed only by the end of the project (but really, many years after).I also will sometimes revert to an earlier version but keep a single element from the newer (cut) revision, resulting in a hybrid that is mostly the old but with some specific improvement. I also have learnt to be sensitive (and un-offended) to the way people respond to visuals; people respond in a very specific way (they avoid playing) if it's making them nauseous, so I do mix my own feelings with the (sometimes visceral) player reactions. If you go too far everywhere, it also reduces the sense of change when entering spaces that are more or less intense.You have put in some systems to help players who may have difficulties or health issues that are affected by the game's visuals, but they cannot be turned all the way off. What ideas go into balancing the need to protect the player with preserving the vital visual style of Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity?I think of accessibility as a natural tool to make games better. I think it's absolutely a balance; another element of this issue (ensuring people don't have a physically painful experience playing the game) is to represent the game as accurately as possible in marketing materials. And, while you can turn lots of the effects off, there is a limit because I wanted to make sure every version of the game at least emphasized the separation of foreground and background.Using the Mod menu (unlocked about an hour into the game) you can go further into untested effects. However, because of the large amount of complex color correction, there are cases where turning an effect off might result in the ground and sky being too close in color. The major effect which produces nauseous feelings in my game is using uncleared buffers; this results in pixels which can change each frame as their behavior becomes so unpredictable. To balance this, I've tried blurring in the past, but now I use blur (and motion blur) as sparingly as possible because I find it tends not to be worth its nauseousness-to-budget, so to speak.The representation of nothingness as infinitely-complex static feels too perfect and fitting for the game and the game's themes (nothingness/everythingness) to not be on by default in my mind, but I also have no qualms about the idea that some future playerbase might prefer it off. Ownership and setting your own goals is an intention of the game. I mostly focus on making sure the geometry of the level still reads and making sure the default modes reflect what I personally prefer when enabling accessible graphics options. I'm happier with how I've managed the accessibility features in Extreme Evolution over Space Hole 2020, but it's something I spend a lot of time thinking about for future projects.

Greenhouse gas emissions could affect satellite launches in the future, new research suggests. As it builds up, the pollution causes Earths upper atmosphere to contract, potentially raising the risk of satellite collisions in orbit.Its yet another way that fossil fuel emissions are having a tangible impact on things people rely on daily, especially as telecommunication companies launch megaconstellations of satellites into orbit. Space, it turns out, is a finite resource and itll have to be better managed as climate change makes things even more restricted, the study authors contend. Weve really reached the end of that era of space is big, and I think we should stop saying that, says William Parker, lead author of the study, which was published today in Nature Sustainability, and a PhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. People dont realize that the space sustainability issue is really an issue that impacts them directly.Weve really reached the end of that era of space is bigGreenhouse gas emissions trap heat in the lower atmosphere, raising global average temperatures on Earth. Another side effect is less heat makes it into Earths upper atmosphere, and the heat that does dissipates more easily into space. That results in cooling and contraction in the upper atmosphere. You can think of it like a balloon shrinking if you put it in a freezer, Parker says. People rely on a strong atmosphere to eventually pull down dead satellites and other orbiting debris, most of which eventually burns up as it falls through the atmosphere. But as the atmosphere becomes less dense, it reduces drag on space debris, allowing it to linger in orbit for longer and extending the lifespan it has to crash into other objects.Satellite carrying capacity could decline between 50 to 66 percent between the altitudes of 200 and 1,000 km above Earth, according to the study. That would be 75 years from now, in a worst-case scenario with high greenhouse gas emissions from continued fossil fuel development and increasingly energy-intensive lifestyles on Earth. Fortunately, that means theres still some time to limit the risks that greenhouse gas emissions could pose to satellites. In a middle-of-the road scenario thats considered a more likely outcome, with moderate greenhouse gas emissions through the end of the century, carrying capacity at the same altitudes would decrease between 24 to 33 percent. That would still be a significant change that satellite operators would have to prepare for, especially since lower Earth orbit is becoming much more crowded. Humans have launched around 20,650 satellites into space since 1957, around 11,100 of which are still functioning. Those numbers have skyrocketed over the past decade with the advent of satellite internet services. SpaceXs Starlink alone reportedly has plans to send as many as 42,000 satellites into orbit. Collisions are a growing concern as junk builds up in space. SpaceX satellites had to perform 50,000 collision avoidance maneuvers in just the first half of 2024 to avoid other spacecraft and debris. And as greenhouse gas emissions grow, they may have to maneuver around even more obstacles. Theres been previous research into how greenhouse gas emissions cause shrinking and cooling in the upper atmosphere. The study published today is likely the first attempt to quantify the impact that decreasing atmospheric density has on the orbital capacity of lower Earth orbit, according to Petr cha, a researcher in the atmospheric physics department at Charles University who was not involved with the new paper. Parker and his colleagues used atmospheric models to estimate how many satellites can safely orbit in different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. cha notes that there are other factors that could cause short-term anomalies in density, however, particularly considering what little understanding scientists have on how gravity waves will respond to atmospheric changes caused by greenhouse gas emissions.Parker wants to make sure that we can avoid a tipping point where all the traffic in lower Earth orbit triggers cascading collisions, which could lead to humans losing access to certain parts of space, sort of like a road closure after a highway pileup. At this point, humans rely on satellites for everyday services from GPS to weather forecasts. We all want to make sure that future generations are able to take advantage of the benefits that we get from space, Parker says. I think the goal behind this paper was to engage the public a little bit space sustainability impacts them. And to make sure that within the satellite operator community, people are aware that this resource is finite and its changing.See More: