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Cyberpunk 2077 is currently 'satisfactory' despite Sony's warnings
CD Projekt RED calls Cyberpunk 2077's stability performance 'satisfactory,' but Microsoft and Sony might think otherwise.
After seven months of being delisted, Cyberpunk 2077 is back onto the PlayStation Store. Sony has put up a warning message telling PS4 users to expect performance issues, and Microsoft has also done the same for the Xbox One version.
CD Projekt RED President Adam Kicinski says the game is currently in an acceptable state. It's certainly acceptable enough for it to get back on the PS Store, but not without the warning notice.
Continue reading: Cyberpunk 2077 is currently 'satisfactory' despite Sony's warnings (full post)
New Avatar game is pushing Snowdrop engine 'to its limits'
Ubisoft Massive is going all out with its new Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora game and plans to flex its new next-gen Snowdrop engine to its limit.
Driven by new optimizations in its powerful Snowdrop engine, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will be a spectacle for next-gen consoles. The team at Ubisoft has hyped up the new Avatar game, promising crazy next-gen graphics, lighting effects, and an immersive/reactive world. To make the Avatar game, Ubisoft Massive worked directly with Lightstorm Entertainment, the production company responsible for the high-end visuals of the first Avatar, gathering feedback directly from the creators of Pandora and using it to create an in-game world.
In a recent blog post, creative director Magnus Jansen talks about the amount of effort that's been put into the project.
Continue reading: New Avatar game is pushing Snowdrop engine 'to its limits' (full post)
Forza Horizon 5's localized weather system brings tons of variety
Forza Horizon 5 will be a next-gen spectacle on Xbox Series X/S with 4K graphics, and the in-game weather effects will make every part of Mexico look and feel unique.
Playground Games is making something special with Forza Horizon 5. The game will be a flagship experience on Xbox Series X with 4K HDR (although only at 30FPS) complete with ray-traced visuals in the ForzaVista mode, but the immersion will come from all angles. The environments are ultra-realistic and make a Mexican playground for sports racing; the devs are using high-end 12k resolution sky captures to make Forza Horizon 5 look better than ever, complete with new engine optimizations for global illumination, shadows, and dynamic weather.
The weather effects in particular will go a long way with immersion. Playground says the weather is localized, meaning different areas of the map will have different weather; there could be a dust storm to the south and a torrential rainstorm by the coast. The devs are also modeling weather patterns after real-life seasons, so expect to see the world change based on what time of year it is.
Continue reading: Forza Horizon 5's localized weather system brings tons of variety (full post)
Halo Infinite's mysterious Fracture events give unique rewards
Halo Infinite isn't just a game, but a platform gateway for all future Halo titles. That's why 343i wants to cram as much content as possible in the new shooter.
343 Industries seems to be going all out with Halo Infinite's multiplayer content. The devs have an ambitious roadmap with seasonal battle passes that rotate every 3 months, complete with new challenges, activities, objectives, and unlockables. The developers promise a lot of content ranging from new armor sets and cosmetics to actual game-changing features like new vehicles, weapons, and equipment.
There's still a few mysterious pieces to this new grand Halo puzzle. In a recent update, 343i mentions a new event called Fractures which could be timed world events that take place within Infinite's sandbox. I'm honestly getting Destiny-esque vibes here and I'm imagining something big.
Continue reading: Halo Infinite's mysterious Fracture events give unique rewards (full post)
Quantic Dream is apparently making a game with microtransactions
Independent developer Quantic Dream is pivoting towards microtransaction-driven games following games like Detroit Become Human and Heavy Rain.
Quantic Dream is mostly known for its high production value singleplayer games with actors and next-gen graphics, including Beyond Two Souls and Detroit Become Human. The company's next game could break that convention with an online title.
The studio recently put up a new job listing for a Senior Economy Designer, which directly mentions economic models with "purchase drivers and pricing". This usually accompanies an online-driven game.
Continue reading: Quantic Dream is apparently making a game with microtransactions (full post)
Pentagon explains how it plans to reveal more about UFOs in the future
The highly-anticipated report on UFOs or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) by the Office of The Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has been released online for public viewing.
The report by the ODNI explores the possibility that these nearly 150 sightings of UAPs by U.S. government personnel (USG) are a threat to national security and what the Department of Defense plans on doing to understand the threat. According to the report, there is very limited high-quality data on UAPs, which has led the report to be inconclusive on their origin or intent.
However, the report states how the U.S. government will make moves to understand UAPs better and, therefore, be able to explain them. According to the report, there needs to be standardized reporting implemented for sightings and consolidation of data, allowing for a deeper analysis. "As the dataset increases, the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) ability to employ data analytics to detect trends will also improve. The initial focus will be to employ artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms to cluster and recognize similarities and patterns in features of the data points", the report reads.
Continue reading: Pentagon explains how it plans to reveal more about UFOs in the future (full post)
Here's why the National Intelligence UFO report didn't confirm aliens
The report provided by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence investigates the potential threat of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).
There are many interesting points to bring up in the 9-page document, but for the purpose of this article we will concentrate purely on why the US government didn't confirm the existence of aliens. After reading through the document you can understand that the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) simply doesn't have enough data to confirm or rule out the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
The UAPTF mainly concentrated on reports from military aviators and found that the data provided to them had large variability, with minimal patterns. Essentially the dataset was too small. The patterns that were noticed regarded the size of a UAP, shape, and particularly its method for propulsion. The document goes on to state that there are probably multiple explanations for these UAPs, as not all of them are the same which means they require different explanations.
Continue reading: Here's why the National Intelligence UFO report didn't confirm aliens (full post)
Pentagon UFO report confirms 18 incidents of the unexplainable
The highly anticipated report from the Office of The Director of National Intelligence regarding UFO sightings by military personel has been released.
June 25 has arrived and the Pentagon report ordered to be presented to the Senate regarding UFOs, or as outlined in the document, UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). The document has been unclassified and free for public viewing here. Under a section in the document states that there are 18 incidents described in 21 reports that a UAP performed unusual movement patterns of flight characteristics that may have demonstrated the use of advanced technology.
The report reads, "Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion. In a small number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with UAP sightings." The Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) currently holds a small amount of data that isn't enough to confirm if its valid or not, rendering the reporting largely inclusive, according to the report.
Continue reading: Pentagon UFO report confirms 18 incidents of the unexplainable (full post)
China announces they'll send the first humans to land on Mars by 2033
A new space race may have just begun as China has announced they will be sending the first humans to land on Mars.
The ambitious plans were announced by Wang Xiaojun, the head of the state-owned China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). Xiaojun made the announcement at the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021) where he gave a speech called "The Space Transportation System of Human Mars Exploration". China has its eyes set on Mars, and the nation plans on getting humans there in three stages.
The first stage will see the country send robots to the surface of the Red Planet to collect samples and then return back to Earth. These robots would also be tasked with finding a suitable base site for when humans land. The second stage will feature humans being sent there to build a permanent settlement. The last state includes large-scale Mars to Earth cargo trips that will include cargo from Earth being shipped to Mars and cargo from Mars being shipped back to Earth.
Continue reading: China announces they'll send the first humans to land on Mars by 2033 (full post)
El Salvador is giving every single citizen $30 in Bitcoin for free
El Salvador is already the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, but now the country will be giving every single citizen $30 in Bitcoin which is only going to do wonders for the country... and cryptocurrency in general.
Salvadorans will need to simply sign up for the Chivo e-wallet -- with one big cavaet: you'll need facial recognition to sign up for that e-wallet in order to get your $30 in free Bitcoin. El Salvador will need to buy over $100 million in Bitcoin required to give each adult in El Salvador (there's 6.5 million Salvadorans) their $30 worth of BTC.
President Nayib Bukele explained: "The wallet app will even work anywhere with a cell connection, and you won't have to have a cell plan for the app".
Continue reading: El Salvador is giving every single citizen $30 in Bitcoin for free (full post)
Windows 11's new 100% dev revenue share is for apps only, not PC games
Microsoft clarifies that it has separated revenue shares for apps and PC games.
Windows 11 brings a lot of changes to both consumers and developers alike (consumers get new features like DirectStorage and Auto HDR, for example). The new Microsoft Store will let app developers add in their own payment processing platform to completely circumvent any revenue share to Microsoft. Devs that use their own payment system for their apps get to keep 100% of all revenues from purchases made in that app.
This doesn't apply to PC games, however. PC game developers will instead enjoy a 85-15 split where devs get to keep 85% of all revenues, leaving 15% for Microsoft.
Continue reading: Windows 11's new 100% dev revenue share is for apps only, not PC games (full post)
Witcher 4 won't be revealed at WitcherCon in July
WitcherCon promises to deliver "lots of surprises and exclusive first looks," but a new Witcher game won't be among them.
Although CD Projekt RED plans to start development of a new Witcher game in 2022, the devs have no plans to reveal the project any time soon. The Witcher 4 certainly won't be at the new WitcherCon in July. The convention will instead focus on season 2 of the Netflix series as well as tidbits of lore and other cross-media content.
"In case you're wondering, no new Witcher game will be announced at WitcherCon, but there are still lots of reasons to tune in! Look out for the full schedule reveal coming soon!" the convention's website says.
Continue reading: Witcher 4 won't be revealed at WitcherCon in July (full post)
Like Battlefield 2042, Halo Infinite's multiplayer also tells a story
Halo Infinite has a story-driven campaign based around hope and classic themes, but the free-to-play multiplayer will also expand the lore.
Like Battlefield 2042 and Call of Duty Warzone, Halo Infinite's online multiplayer will also continually expand the game's storyline through updates and content. Each of Halo Infinite's battle passes will have its own theme and push the story forward a bit more, but 343i is vague on how exactly this will work.
343i's Joseph Staten confirms Infinite's first battle pass season will be called Heroes of Reach, and that the time is a "transformational moment in Halo history." Every 3 months, the battle pass updates will bring new story beats, new armors, modes, weapons, vehicles--the works. No specifics on season 2 have been announced yet.
Continue reading: Like Battlefield 2042, Halo Infinite's multiplayer also tells a story (full post)
Halo Infinite armor rarity scheme and consumables confirmed
343 Industries confirms our suspicions: Halo Infinite's cosmetic armor unlocks are separated in tiers of rarity, and it looks like consumables like XP boosts may be for sale too.
A while back, 343i said it would sell premium items in Halo Infinite's store. This aligned with our previous predictions of cosmetic-only monetization. 343i has also said gamers will always know what they're about to buy beforehand, confirming the in-game store (yes, Infinite will sell cosmetics for real money) will let users purchase content in a straightforward way. There's no lootboxes or REQ packs this time around.
Now it looks like there's another part of Infinite's monetization. New screenshots from Infinite's in-game economy show a consumables tab, which suggests gamers may be able to buy things like XP boosts from the online store. These could also be earned by purely playing the game too.
Continue reading: Halo Infinite armor rarity scheme and consumables confirmed (full post)
Forspoken will deliver the best visuals 'ever seen in open world game'
Luminous Productions, the team behind Final Fantasy XV, wants to push the PS5 to its limits with its new game Forspoken. The team has lofty aspirations and is using AMD's new FidelityFX Super Resolution tech to make it happen.
In a recent tech showcase, Luminous Productions boss Takeshi Aramaki discussed the studio's ambitions with Forspoken. The game will run at high spec on the PS5, aiming for 4K resolution at higher frame rates (probably 4K 60FPS) using the potent Luminous Engine, which was so powerful that it far outstripped the PS4/Xbox One's capabilities in FF15.
Now console tech is able to keep up, but the devs are still using tricks like dynamic resolution in order to hit consistently high frame rates.
Continue reading: Forspoken will deliver the best visuals 'ever seen in open world game' (full post)
Insomniac's next game may tackle multiplayer for Sony's PS5
Insomniac Games' next project might be a multiplayer-based game that helps Sony diversify PS5's first-party games lineup.
While Guerrilla Games, the devs behind Killzone, double-down on Horizon Forbidden West, it looks like Insomniac could be making PlayStation's next big multiplayer game. A new Systems Designer job listing at Insomniac directly mentions multiplayer:
"Insomniac Games is searching for a rockstar Systems Designer with experience in multiplayer games. This role is responsible for overseeing and executing on many aspects of the game including, but not limited to, multiplayer features, mechanics, and systems design, as well as helping to determine the conventions, processes and practices used to create the product."
Continue reading: Insomniac's next game may tackle multiplayer for Sony's PS5 (full post)
Authorities announce one of the largest cryptocurrency seizures ever
One of the world's biggest cryptocurrency seizures just happened as authorities announced hundreds of millions of dollars of cryptocurrencies had been seized.
The announcement comes from the UK Metropolitan Police's Economic Crime Command, who said that the seizure of $158.8 million in virtual currencies is the largest seizure to ever happen in the country. The authorities also believe the seizure could be one of the largest seizures of cryptocurrency to ever happen in the world. The seizure was reportedly related to a money laundering case that was being investigated.
Details of the operation to seize the assets were kept to a minimum, but authorities did say that Crime Command was able to perform the operation after receiving intelligence on asset transfers. Joe Ryan, Detective Constable, said, "Criminals need to legitimize their money; otherwise, it risks being seized by law enforcement. The proceeds of crime are almost always laundered to hide the origin, but by disrupting the flow of funds before they are reinvested, we can make London an incredibly difficult place for criminals to operate." For more information on this story, check out this link here.
Continue reading: Authorities announce one of the largest cryptocurrency seizures ever (full post)
Hubble reveals odd 'see through' galaxy that lacks dark matter 'glue'
When NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is online and working it can produce some shocking images of the cosmos, and this is no exception.
The image seen above taken by Hubble is of NGC 1052-DF2, or DF2. This galaxy, in particular, continues to perplex astronomers as estimates show that it lacks any dark matter, which is an "invisible form of matter that provides the gravitational glue to hold galaxies together" according to NASA. The team behind the discovery has published their findings in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The researchers found that DF2 is actually 72 million light-years which is more than most astronomers previously estimated at 42 million light-years. Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University says that DF2 is a cosmic cotton ball that is a "see-through galaxy" that features stars spread out. The diameter of DF2 is almost as large as our galaxy, but DF2 only contains 1/200th of the amount of stars as the Milky Way.
Continue reading: Hubble reveals odd 'see through' galaxy that lacks dark matter 'glue' (full post)
Death of massive star causes giant ghostly 'hand' to emerge in space
The scenario proposed sounds impossible, but it's actually quite real. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has the images to prove it.
So, what are we exactly looking at here? The above image clearly shows a "hand", but it's not a galactic being of any kind, it's the remnants of a massive star dying in a supernova explosion. What appears in the image in the shape of a hand is what is known as a pulsar, an extremely dense corpse of what was once a large star.
The pulsar in the image named MSH 15-52 has many energetic particles surrounding it, and those energetic particles combined with the debris left over from the explosion have created the glorious image of a hand reaching for something. That "something" is an enormous gas cloud called RCW 89. The ghostly "hand" is located 17,000 light-years away from Earth, and according to astronomers, the light emitted from the supernova explosion would have reached Earth around 1,700 years ago, making MSH 15-52 one of the youngest supernova explosions we have found in the Milky Way galaxy.
Continue reading: Death of massive star causes giant ghostly 'hand' to emerge in space (full post)
Martian colonists will fear these very deadly issues from above
The first humans that land on Mars to begin colonizing the red planet will be faced with several life-threatening issues.
The main issues for colonizers are that planets lack of atmosphere, extreme weather, extreme temperatures, radiation, and humans would be experiencing a different amount of gravity than their bodies are used to. Another problem that isn't readily discussed is the issue with space debris colliding with Mars. Due to Mars having less than 1% of Earth's atmosphere, space debris such as meteors don't tend to break up when they are entering Mars' atmosphere.
In fact, most space debris make it to the surface, causing impact craters, which is something that usually doesn't happen on Earth. A 2013 study estimated that Mars sees as many as 200 small asteroids reach its surface, causing impact craters of at least 12.8 feet in diameter. If humans began colonizing Mars with settlements, you can understand the catastrophe that would fall upon the settlement if even one of these meteors struck it.
Continue reading: Martian colonists will fear these very deadly issues from above (full post)





















