Explaining a few differences between RPGs, Japanese RPGs

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Mar 30, 2015 1:30 AM CDT

Nintendo and Sony are extremely popular in their native country of Japan, but Japanese game studios have to make changes on story lines of games - especially role-playing games - in an effort to cater to audiences in both countries. A well known Japanese game director recently spoke about what he believes are the differences between RPGs in the United States and JRPGs available in Japan.

"One difference is that [Xenoblade Chronicles] did a good job of incorporating the innate heroism of JRPGs... allowing the user to become the hero, to become the protagonist," said Tetsuya Takahashi, director at Monolith Software, speaking in the newest Iwata Asks interview series. "On the other hand, games made in the west - and this is only my personal opinion - they are very well made, down to the last detail, but there's something stoic about them, and often the heroism aspect seems to take a bit of a back seat."

It's hard enough to make a hit video game in one region of the world, but trying to get it to translate elsewhere can sometimes seem like an impossible task.

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Fan made 'Super Mario 64' HD remake hits Unity

Ben Gourlay | Gaming | Mar 30, 2015 12:50 AM CDT

It's hard to believe, but it was almost 20 years ago that Nintendo ushered in 3D console gaming with 'Super Mario 64' - even if it's blocky polygons have aged about as well as Keith Richards. But now, one enterprising devotee has remade the entire first level of the game, and it's even playable in a web browser for you right now!

Unity developer Roystan Ross says that "Everything is just as you remember" with the exception of some minor changes, including "some really minor stuff that nobody cared about like red coins or the Wing Cap or the Big Bob-omb. Replacing them are crowd pleasers like giant springs and coin blocks."

'Super Mario 64 HD' is available here, or at least until Ninty's legal eagles swoop down like Koopa Troopers: https://roystanross.wordpress.com/super-mario-64-hd/

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Night vision eye drops give you 50m of night vision in the dark

Science for the Masses, an independent "citizen science" organization has theorised that Chlorin e6 (Ce6), a natural molecule that can be created from algae and other green plants, can be used to create an eye drop that would give wearers amplified eyesight in dark environments.

This molecule is found in some deep sea fish, and forms the basis of some cancer therapies, and has been used in previously prescribed intravenously for night blindness. The lab's medical officer, Jeff Tibbets, said: "There are a fair amount of papers talking about having injected it in models like rats and it's been used intravenously since the 60s as treatments for different cancers. After doing the research, you have to take the next step".

After that, the scientists had to moisten the eyes of biochemical researcher Gabriel Licina, with 50 microliters of Ce6. The effect was reportedly almost instantanous, and after an hour, Licina could distinguish shapes from 10m (32 feet) away in the dark, and after a little while longer, even further distances. Licina said: "We had people go stand in the woods. At 50 metres, I could figure who they were, even if they were standing up against a tree".

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Intel rumored to acquire FPGA giant Altera for $10 billion

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Mar 29, 2015 10:37 PM CDT

Intel is preparing one of its largest acquisitions to date, with Altera. Altera is a well-known manufacturer of SoC and FPGAs, and could seriously bolster Intel's already strong position in the market.

The rumored acquisition would give Intel even more control of the server market, of which it already dominates with 98% market share. Datacenters are moving toward FPGA-based products, as they are reprogrammable chips that can run specific tasks faster than Intel's own chips on their own. Microsoft and Baidu are already shifting into Altera's FPGA chips, alongside Intel's own chips with good results.

Considering Intel manufacturers Altera's FPGAs, Intel acquiring the company could see them integrating FPGA onto their chips for additional performance. One of the big reasons for Intel to splash out $10 billion on Altera is that companies like Microsoft and Baidu could integrate FPGA with ARM-based solutions, which is Intel's biggest threat right now. Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy said: "If Intel owns Altera, the chance of that happening is zero percent".

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Malware trap turns PCs into zombies for expanding global botnet

Michael Hatamoto | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Mar 29, 2015 5:35 PM CDT

A single Command and Control server could be responsible for running a botnet using a number of different malware programs to infect users. It appears the cybercriminals are infecting as many machines as possible, and the botnet can be sold or rented to clients - spreading via manipulated Word documents attached to emails.

Security firm G DATA found a fake rail card invoice is one tactic criminals are using to help infect new victims. Instead of being an actual rail card invoice, however, the installed malware builds up a botnet, as criminals are able to remotely hijack infected PCs.

"The malware behaves like a matryoshka doll on the system," said Ralf Benzmuller, head of G DATA SecurityLabs. "It gradually reveals its potential and actual aim. We suspect that the infected systems are intended for use as zombie PCs in the Andromeda/Gamarue botnet."

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North Korean's exposed to the world through smuggled media devices

Chris Smith | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Mar 28, 2015 6:01 PM CDT

Some North Korean residents have been reportedly using Chinese media players worth $50 to watch smuggled information about the outside world in the form of TV, news and movies. Named 'notels' or 'notetels,' these devices contain USB and SD card support alongside live radio and TV capabilities.

To keep the device running, you can charge them through the help of a car battery which is explained by Gizmodo as helpful due to North Korea's unreliable electricity infrastructure.

With 18,000 units smuggled across the border by a single man and North Korean defector named Lee Seok-young, he told Reuters in an interview about the importance of these products and how the end-users are getting around authorities questioning their practice: "To avoid getting caught, people load a North Korean DVD while watching South Korean dramas on a USB stick, which can be pulled out. They then tell the authorities, who feel the heat from the notel to check whether or not it has been recently used, that they were watching North Korean films."

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Aussie underdog CS:GO team Vox Eminor loses a player

Chris Smith | Gaming | Mar 28, 2015 5:44 PM CDT

We've talked about these Aussie battlers before as they caused a global upset by taking down 3DMAX, ESC Gaming and Dignitas to qualify for the latest ESL tournament.

In sad news, Azad "topguN" Orami is the second ever person to depart from their active roster, quoting life commitments are now taking over as a priority.

Quoted as "the spiritual backbone of the team," the ex-CGS player was well known for his witty humor and amazing Desert Eagle plays.

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The F-35 JSF continues to destroy taxpayer dollars at alarming rate

The escalating cost of the already expensive F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) increased $4.3 billion in 2014 alone - as the project already racked up more than $113 billion than original expected costs, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) discovered.

The US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy all will have F-35 aircraft designed to one day replace legacy fighter jets. However, the F-35 designed for the USMC won't be operational until this summer, if all goes according to plan, while the Navy won't receive aircraft until 2018.

"Affordability is our number one priority, making the F-35 affordable... there's been a lot of improvements and a lot of changes," said Joe DellaVedova, Pentagon F-35 program spokesperson, when asked by ABC News regarding major cost issues. "We have done a lot to reduce the cost of the program... it is going to be able to deliver on the capabilities that the warfighter is going to need."

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Elon Musk on AI: they would treat us like 'pet Labradors'

We've heard Elon Musk talk about artificial intelligence before, with not-so-great things to say, and he is back saying that when AI gets to the point of being smarter than people, they will treat us like 'pet Labradors'.

The quote is coming out of a recent interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson, where Musk was warning the world on superintelligence. According to author Nick Bostrom, superintelligence is "any intellect that greatly exceed the cognitive performance of humans in virtually all domains of interest". Musk said to Tyson: "I mean, we won't be like a pet Labrador if we're lucky".

Tyson and Musk had a great back-and-forth talk about superintelligence, where Tyson continued saying "we'll be their pets", with Musk replying that "it's like the friendliest creature". Tyson replied with "no, they'll domesticate us", with Musk agreeing, but adding "Yes. Or something strange is going to happen" to which Tyson replied "they'll keep the docile humans and get rid of the violent ones". Musk agreed, saying "yeah" while Tyson added "and then breed the docile humans".

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Prepare for multi-part Transformers sequels, and spinoff films

Anthony Garreffa | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Mar 28, 2015 12:37 AM CDT

Paramount Pictures has just gone Transformers crazy, with the studio wanting to setup a Marvel-like connected universe franchise for its Transformer franchise.

The studio has said that it's working on setting up a Transformers "incubator", where writers are tasked to come up with crazy ideas for new Transformers movies. Deadline is reporting that Paramount wants Akiva Goldsman, the writer behind I Am Legend and I, Robot to come on as Lead, where he would work with Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay. Paramount reportedly wants writers to come up with ideas not just for a multi-part Transformers sequel, but spinoff movies, too.

Goldman will reportedly not be penning any scripts, but he will be on the hunt for writers. Paramount is hoping to get a new Transformers movie ready for Michael Bay, but he has said that he probably won't be directing the new Transformers - but we've heard that before.

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