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Silent Hill 2 remake images leak, 'aren't even close' to final version
The first images of Bloober Team's new Silent Hill 2 remake have leaked out, but they depict a very early pitch build of the game and are reportedly do not reflect the current version that's in development.
Bloober Team, the devs behind The Medium and Layers of Fear, are working on a new remake of Silent Hill 2. This happens to be one of the most closely-guarded and lauded horror games ever made, and fans are up in arms over newly leaked images of Bloober Team's remake. Now insiders like Dusk Golem, who have excellent track records with Capcom titles, have stepped in to assuage fans.
According to Dusk Golem, the leaked images aren't from a finalized version of the Silent Hill 2 remake. Far from it. They're actually small snippets from a proof-of-concept version that was built specifically to convince Konami (and from what it looks like, PlayStation) on the idea of Bloober Team handling a remake. These leaks are from 2018.
Continue reading: Silent Hill 2 remake images leak, 'aren't even close' to final version (full post)
This Spider-Man mod shows us what the new TMNT should be like
One talented modder has added Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael into Insomniac's new Spider-Man PC game, showing us what a new TMNT should look like.
Modder Chase aka Space_Dasher has done what hasn't been accomplished in 6 years: Effectively helped create a new TMNT game using custom skins. It's not a new game exactly...but the totally tubular turtles really do add a new layer of depth to the game.
The famous shell-shockers have been added into Insomniac's new Spider-Man game as a downloadable PC mod, effectively transforming Peter Parker's adventure into a highly acrobatic ninja romp befit of the old Eastman and Laird comics. It might sound weird to see Leonardo sling on webs and tie up enemies using spider-silk, but it's actually surprisingly fitting. It's kind of like the 90s crossover that we've always wanted--maybe in some alternate dimension the turtles got soaked in TGRI mutagen and bitten by a radioactive spider...
Continue reading: This Spider-Man mod shows us what the new TMNT should be like (full post)
New Perfect Dark game: a cross between Bourne Identity and James Bond
If Microsoft's Matt Booty can be believed, the new Perfect Dark game should mix spy thriller action with suave and sophisticated confidence.
We haven't seen much of the new Perfect Dark reboot from Microsoft's secretive games studio The Initiative. The game was formally announced in 2020 with a 2-minute trailer consisting mostly of flycam footage and not any actual gameplay sequences. But according to Microsoft, the game will take the best of the worlds of James Bond and The Bourne Identity, indicating a "super spy fantasy" that features a skilled Joanna Dark with an arsenal of slick and dangerous gadgets.
"We're rebooting the game very carefully. Some of those things don't age well, right? What's super cool about Perfect Dark and Joanna Dark is the super agent fantasy, the spy fantasy, the Borne Identity and James Bond kind of thing, that's always a cool meme that people want to lean into, but we have to make sure we bring it forward in the right way. So we're moving very carefully," Booty said at PAX West.
Continue reading: New Perfect Dark game: a cross between Bourne Identity and James Bond (full post)
Arkane wanted to apologize to original Prey devs for using series name
Ex-Arkane Studios head Raphael Colantonio never wanted to use the Prey series name for the 2017 shooter.
Prey 2017 was one of the best games I've played in recent memory. It was my favorite game of the year and with its mind-bending storyline, innovative mechanics, and incredible environments, it remains one of the most intriguing games of the PS4 console gen. But the game was never meant to be called Prey.
In a recent interview with the Game Maker's Notebook, Colantonio expressed frustration with Bethesda and gave a brief look at what it was like to work on the game behind the scenes. Bethesda gave Arkane a lot of freedoms to create something they wanted to make, but that freedom didn't extend to the game's name. Bethesda made Arkane call the game Prey despite having nothing to do with the fan-favorite shooter from 2006 with its weird alien sphincter doors and crazy portals.
Continue reading: Arkane wanted to apologize to original Prey devs for using series name (full post)
New Friends and Family plan adds tremendous value to Game Pass
Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass already has tremendous value with content. Now it's getting even more value through savings and discounts.
There's two ways to add value to a subscription service: Content and savings. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has become exponentially more valuable over time with the sheer volume of content that it offers (over 440 games to date, with more on the way), but now Microsoft is adding more icing on the cake with its new shared family subscription options.
Microsoft is rolling out its new Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family subscription tier that offers up to five people access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $22 a month. For reference, a normal Game Pass Ultimate subscription is $14.99 for one user, so upgrading seems like a no-brainer, especially if you have just one extra friend who's willing to chip in (let alone four). This new tier will tremendously benefit consumers and help onboard more subscribers, boost possible monetization and game sales, and overall inflate Microsoft's internally-tracked KPIs.
Continue reading: New Friends and Family plan adds tremendous value to Game Pass (full post)
Callisto Protocol dev Striking Distance Studios under fire for crunch
Call of Duty alum Glen Schofield confirms that his new studio, Striking Distance Studios, is currently working long hours and crunching in order to finish The Callisto Protocol.
In a few years' time, crunch has gone from normal standard operating procedure to a vilified, anti-worker practice. Companies like Rockstar Games and Naughty Dog have instituted major reforms that help reduce the overworking conditions for their employees. That isn't the same for indie developers, though, especially those who are on a tight schedule with a tight budget.
In a now-deleted Tweet, Glen Schofield recently confirmed that his dev team is crunching hard to get The Callisto Protocol ready for its December 2022 launch.
Continue reading: Callisto Protocol dev Striking Distance Studios under fire for crunch (full post)
New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles AAA game set for 2023
Paramount is bringing back its $8 billion dollar franchise, A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game is currently in development
TMNT is back in the limelight. Paramount and Nickelodeon have released two big TMNT games in 2022--the excellent Shredder's Revenge, a beat-em-up throwback recreation of the immortalized 1990s arcade game, and the new Konami Cowabunga Collection, a mega-pack of old-school favorites featuring 13 TMNT games. Now a new big AAA game is in the works, too.
In a recent interview featured in the September issue of Toy World, Paramount's head of consumer products and experiences Lucy Dixon delivered the totally tubular announcement:
Continue reading: New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles AAA game set for 2023 (full post)
Gamers use a glitch to play Halo Infinite couch co-op
343 Industries cancelled Halo Infinite's couch co-op, but the mode is actually playable using a specific glitch.
Gamers have found ways to access unpublished Halo Infinite content, including Forge, which has been a modder's dream--people are sharing creations left and right including this awesome Toy Story map. Now Halo Infinite modders and players are playing local couch co-op in Halo Infinite's campaign...even though 343i had officially cancelled the mode.
Turns out this is an older glitch that involves some menu trickery. The performance seems pretty solid and users aren't reporting crashing or stuttering with combat/AI. Twitter user Halo Creations shared a quick tutorial on how to access couch co-op in Halo Infinite and it's actually pretty easy. This trick works on both Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
Continue reading: Gamers use a glitch to play Halo Infinite couch co-op (full post)
AI asked to show what real life cartoon characters look like
An artificial intelligence system that has recently caught the spotlight for numerous reasons has been asked to produce images of real-life iconic cartoon characters.
The artificial intelligence that was requested to produce the images is called Midjourney, which is an AI program that is designed to produce images from textual descriptions. The tool recently went into open beta in July and has since grown in popularity as users are able to enter descriptions of whatever they can think of to produce a completely unique image. Midjourney is extremely impressive, as I have personally used it to generate several wallpaper images for my desktop.
The AI system is capable of recognizing specific words such as 4K, real-life, noir, cartoon, high detail, and more. Using these words and more, you can write a prompt such as; Portrait image of Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty in real life. Taking this principle of being able to request basically whatever you want, one Midjourney user decided to create an award-winning image and enter it into an art competition undisclosed of its creation process.
Continue reading: AI asked to show what real life cartoon characters look like (full post)
NASA gives update on launch of the most powerful rocket in the world
The launch of NASA's most powerful rocket was recently postponed after a malfunction occurred that was unable to be remedied in time.
NASA has taken to its social channels and blog to provide an update on the condition of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the target date for the second launch attempt. Writing on the NASA Artemis Twitter account, the space agency explains that a team has reviewed the data from the first launch attempt and decided to lock in the second attempt for September 3. The launch window is set for two hours and will begin at 2:17 pm EDT (18:17 UTC).
In a blog update, NASA explains that teams fixed a leak on the tail service mast umbilical. Engineers replaced a flex-hose, and a loose pressure sensor line, which they concluded was the most likely source of the leak. Additionally, NASA states that after reviewing the first launch, teams have decided they will alter their scheduling to allow for the engines to cool down to appropriate temperatures for launch, which was part of the reason why the first launch had to be postponed.
Continue reading: NASA gives update on launch of the most powerful rocket in the world (full post)
Fans say Halo is a party game first as 343i focuses on PVP competition
Halo fans are objecting to 343 Industries' focus on competitive PVP, saying that Halo is and always should be a game that's fun and you can play with friends.
Yesterday 343i delivered a disappointing update to Halo fans: Halo Infinite's split-screen co-op has been cancelled, effectively cutting out a big portion of local play. Infinite is now the only Halo game not to feature split-screen campaign co-op. It does however support four-player split-screen multiplayer but only on the Xbox Series X/S. The Xbox One version is limited to just two players.
Comments made in the developer announcement video also ruffled some feathers, namely the messaging behind Halo being a competitive game first and foremost. Fans chimed in the video's comment section to voice their concerns, saying that Halo has really been more about sharing, camaraderie, and aloof fun rather than the white-knuckled high-stress esports action that influenced Infinite's development.
Continue reading: Fans say Halo is a party game first as 343i focuses on PVP competition (full post)
Hideo Kojima on Metal Gear Solid: It's been 7 years, I miss everything
Today marks the 7th anniversary of the last mainline Metal Gear game to date, and Hideo Kojima's last Metal Gear game ever made. Now the renowned developer looks longingly back at the game's development.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain turns 7 today, and the gaming world is celebrating by sharing tons of art, screenshots, videos, and impressions on the sequel-turned-punctuation-mark. How does Kojima feel about this bittersweet anniversary? In a somewhat rare and candid Tweet, Hideo Kojima says he "misses everything" about Metal Gear Solid, which brings to mind the sad breakup between Kojima and Konami in 2015.
Recent reports indicate that Kojima and Konami are currently on talking terms, but don't expect Metal Gear Solid VI any time soon. Kojima won't be involved in future Konami games and Konami may not be willing to spend the tens of millions required to make an in-house AAA game like that any more.
Continue reading: Hideo Kojima on Metal Gear Solid: It's been 7 years, I miss everything (full post)
Call of Duty's release on PlayStation has an expiration date
Xbox's Phil Spencer confirms that Call of Duty will eventually leave PlayStation hardware, aligning with previous nebulous statements about the future of the franchise on competing hardware.
Call of Duty's time on PlayStation hardware is on a countdown clock. Microsoft has confirmed that Call of Duty's release guarantee on PlayStation has an expiration date.
"In January, we provided a signed agreement to Sony to guarantee Call of Duty on PlayStation, with feature and content parity, for at least several more years beyond the current Sony contract, an offer that goes well beyond typical gaming industry agreements," Microsoft's Phil Spencer told The Verge.
Continue reading: Call of Duty's release on PlayStation has an expiration date (full post)
Halo Infinite couch co-op cancelled as 343i goes back to basics
343 Industries has officially cancelled Halo Infinite's split-screen couch co-op mode so it can focus on the game's ailing live service model.
Halo Infinite isn't in good shape right now (but that might change with a big update on November 7 that includes Forge). Season 3 has been delayed by an entire quarter, being pushed back from its slated November launch to a March 7, 2023 release. Split-screen couch co-op has also been cancelled, meaning this will be the first Halo game not to allow people in the same household to play the campaign together on the same console.
343i says the reason for the cancellation is so it can focus on other things including a new list of priorities that are affecting the entire studio, Forge, and other new game modes like the oft-rumored Tatanka battle royale.
Continue reading: Halo Infinite couch co-op cancelled as 343i goes back to basics (full post)
Halo Infinite's Forge is basically like Bethesda's Creation Kit
343 Industries confirms Halo Infinite's highly anticipated Forge mode will be coming in the next five months, and delivers updates on the mode's feature set.
We've previously reported that Halo Infinite's Forge mode is the largest creation tool that 343i has ever made. It's something special and features its very own scripting language. Modders have had access to Halo Infinite's Forge for quite some time, and one of them is even building a startlingly accurate rendition of Andy's room from Toy Story.
Now 343i finally has an update on what's on the horizon with Forge. Ske7ch and Joseph Staten underline just how powerful Infinite's Forge mode is and how it could transform gameplay with crazy new features. The devs are even making two new official new Halo Infinite maps in Forge.
Continue reading: Halo Infinite's Forge is basically like Bethesda's Creation Kit (full post)
Powerful $16 million attack helicopter shot down confirms officials
A $16 million attack helicopter has reportedly been shot down, according to the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Taking to Facebook on Thursday in a new Russian military losses report by Ukrainian officials, the Ukrainian Air Force Command wrote that on August 31 that Air Force anti-aircraft missile units destroyed a Russian helicopter, "probably Ka-52," along with an unknown number of occupants that were operating the flying vehicle. This isn't the first Russian Ka-52 Alligator helicopter that has been shot down, as Newsweek reports that over the past month, "numerous" have been destroyed, with one being near the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
The Ukrainian defense Twitter issued a new report on Twitter on Thursday, writing that at the time of posting, there had been a total of 23 armed Russian tanks destroyed, 33 armored combat vehicles, 24 artillery systems, and about 48,350 Russian personnel killed. Ukraine also announced via Facebook that it had conducted bomb strikes on ground targets linked to Russian military forces. These targets were ammunition warehouses, base posts, combat armored equipment, and positions of anti-aircraft equipment.
Continue reading: Powerful $16 million attack helicopter shot down confirms officials (full post)
NASA has discovered a fascinating new Martian aurora
A study on the Mars aurorae titled "Patchy Proton Aurora at Mars: A Global View of Solar Wind Precipitation Across the Martian Dayside From EMM/EMUS" has been published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
New data released by a collaboration between NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission and the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) has revealed observations of multiple proton aurorae on Mars. MAVEN first discovered proton aurorae on Mars in 2018, a type of Martian aurora that occurs when the solar wind from the Sun interacts with Mars' upper atmosphere and which at the time appeared smooth and evenly distributed across the hemisphere.
Charged particles in the solar wind cause the aurorae, and sometimes turbulent conditions on Mars generate "patchy proton aurora," which EMM was able to observe. Solar wind generally struggles to reach the upper atmosphere of Mars due in part to its magnetic field, but turbulence allows charged particles to enter the atmosphere and glow while they slow down.
Continue reading: NASA has discovered a fascinating new Martian aurora (full post)
NASA agrees to pay Elon Musk's SpaceX $1.4 billion for space transport
SpaceX has scored another NASA contract for being the transportation service between Earth and the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA has officially awarded SpaceX five additional crew transportation missions to the ISS via its Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) program, which is a program that is designed to give private companies partnerships to develop Crew Transportation System (CTS).
NASA outlines in its filing that due to Boeing's technical/scheduling challenges and SpaceX already proving its Dragon capsule capable with four post-NASA certification launches under its belt, Elon Musk's company has been selected to receive the award to ensure continuous scientific activity on the ISS by the US and its partners.
Continue reading: NASA agrees to pay Elon Musk's SpaceX $1.4 billion for space transport (full post)
NASA's Webb digs for space treasure, takes 1st picture of alien world
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has only been operating for a few months now, and it has already captured its first direct image of an exoplanet.
Using Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), the high-tech space telescope was able to capture a gas giant planet orbiting the star called HIP 65426, which was first discovered in 2017 with the Very Large Telescope located in Chile. Webb followed up on previous observations of the star, and using its infrared instruments, the space telescope focused on the exoplanet HIP 65426 b.
Notably, exoplanets aren't particularly easy to spot as they are much fainter than the stars they're orbiting. As for HIP 65426 b, this exoplanet is about 10,000 times fainter than its local star in the near-infrared and a couple thousand times fainter in mid-infrared light. Another factor for HIP 65426 b's dimness is how far away it is from its parent star, with estimations putting its orbit around HIP 65426 at 100 times the distance between the Sun and Earth.
Continue reading: NASA's Webb digs for space treasure, takes 1st picture of alien world (full post)
This AI-generated artwork just won first place in a state competition
Discord user Sincarnate, whose real name is Jason Allen, posted on a Discord server about his recent win at the Colorado State Fair's fine art competition.
Allen is the president of Incarnate Games, a tabletop gaming company based out of Colorado. Allen won first place in the digital art category of the state's competition with a submission called "Theatre D'opera Spatial," which he printed on canvas. However, to create the artwork, Allen used artificial intelligence (AI) software called Midjourney, directing it to make the final piece using prompts instead of drawing it himself.
Allen's work has attracted the ire of many digital artists and enthusiasts online, with Twitter users proclaiming that "we're watching the death of artistry unfold before our eyes - if creative jobs aren't safe from machines, then even high-skilled jobs are in danger of becoming obsolete."
Continue reading: This AI-generated artwork just won first place in a state competition (full post)






















