Category: Game

Reverse Engineering The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer for Speedrunning Optimization

2025-05-03

To optimize their speedrun of The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer, the author and his brother reverse-engineered and modded the GameCube game. They discovered debug features and out-of-bounds glitches, and statically reverse-engineered the combat system code using Ghidra. To experiment more easily, they created a mod that displays enemy health, applying it via Action Replay codes. This revealed interesting damage information, such as Mr. Incredible's punches doubling in damage with successive hits and higher damage against frozen enemies. They also explained why some known cheat codes were invalid, needing developer mode to work. Finally, the author shared some out-of-bounds glitches and developer mode features like flight and debug overlays.

SimCity Megacity: A Six Million Strong Totalitarian Nightmare

2025-05-03
SimCity Megacity: A Six Million Strong Totalitarian Nightmare

Vincent Ocasla spent four years building Magnasanti, a totalitarian SimCity 2000 metropolis with a population of six million. Inspired by the Buddhist Wheel of Life, the city reflects a dark commentary on social control and power dynamics. Lacking hospitals, schools, and fire stations, citizens rarely live past 50, existing within a highly regimented environment. Ocasla views Magnasanti not as a mere game, but an artistic expression commenting on the harsh realities of power, oppression, and social control, using the game as a medium to explore these themes.

Beat Saber's Secret: Instructed Motion in VR Game Design

2025-05-02
Beat Saber's Secret: Instructed Motion in VR Game Design

Beat Saber's success isn't solely due to music and rhythm; its core lies in the design concept of 'Instructed Motion.' The article argues that scoring isn't based on precise timing, but on the breadth and accuracy of player movements. This isn't limited to music games; the VR combat game Until You Fall exemplifies this, guiding players through specific defensive and offensive motions to enhance immersion and control game intensity and player feeling.

GTA VI Delayed Until May 26, 2026

2025-05-02
GTA VI Delayed Until May 26, 2026

Rockstar Games announced a delay for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, pushing the release date back to May 26, 2026. This marks a full year delay from the previously hinted 2025 release window. Rockstar cited the need for additional time to ensure the game meets quality expectations, apologizing for the postponement. While disappointing for fans, the delay wasn't entirely unexpected, with insiders previously suggesting a 2025 launch was unlikely. The delay highlights the complexities of game development and the commitment to delivering a high-quality product.

Game Game Delay

GTA 6 Delayed Until May 2026: A Year-Long Postponement

2025-05-02
GTA 6 Delayed Until May 2026: A Year-Long Postponement

Rockstar Games has announced a significant delay for Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), pushing the release date from Fall 2025 to May 26, 2026. The company apologized for the postponement, citing the need for extra time to deliver the high-quality experience players expect. This delay creates more breathing room for competing titles in the latter half of 2025, but also presents challenges for games initially slated for release around the same time next year. Platform details remain scarce, leaving the possibility of a PC release alongside PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S open for speculation.

Game delay

SimCity Megacity: A Dystopian Masterpiece

2025-05-02
SimCity Megacity: A Dystopian Masterpiece

Vincent Ocasla, a 22-year-old architecture student from the Philippines, spent a year and a half creating Magnasanti, a dystopian metropolis in SimCity 3000. This sprawling city, boasting a population of six million, is a chilling testament to oppressive social structures and control. Inspired by Koyaanisqatsi, Ocasla uses the game as a medium to explore themes of societal control and abuse of power. Magnasanti's citizens, trapped in a hyper-efficient police state, endure poverty, repression, and a life expectancy of only 50 years. This isn't just gaming; it's a profound critique of real-world issues.

Epic Games Defeats Apple: Fortnite Returns to iOS, Developers Can Bypass App Store Fees

2025-05-01
Epic Games Defeats Apple: Fortnite Returns to iOS, Developers Can Bypass App Store Fees

Following a major legal victory against Apple, Epic Games announced that its Epic Games Store will allow developers to open webshops, enabling players to make out-of-app purchases and circumvent Apple and Google's fees. This move stems from Apple's App Store's 30% commission, with a judge ruling that Apple couldn't prevent developers from directing users to buy digital goods outside the Apple ecosystem. Epic is bringing Fortnite back to the iOS App Store, incentivizing users to purchase digital goods directly through Epic for better prices. The Epic Games Store's new webshops feature will make it easier for other developers to follow suit. Starting in June, Epic will waive its cut from the first $1 million earned annually by each game, only taking a percentage after surpassing that milestone—a more developer-friendly model than Apple's.

Game

Polygon Sold to Valnet, Massive Layoffs Ensue

2025-05-01
Polygon Sold to Valnet, Massive Layoffs Ensue

Gaming news website Polygon has been sold to click-farm giant Valnet, resulting in significant layoffs. Many employees have expressed shock and concern on social media about losing their jobs. Polygon co-founder and former editor-in-chief Chris Plante confirmed his departure. The sale price was undisclosed, and the press release made no mention of the layoffs. Some editors reportedly remain. Valnet, known for operating numerous content aggregation sites, has previously faced accusations of exploitative content practices. The acquisition has raised concerns about the future of gaming journalism.

Microsoft Raises Xbox Prices Globally, Games to Cost $80

2025-05-01
Microsoft Raises Xbox Prices Globally, Games to Cost $80

Microsoft has announced a global price increase for its Xbox consoles, with games also set to cost $80 later this year. The Xbox Series X and Series S have seen price hikes of $100 and $80 respectively in the US, while the UK saw smaller increases. Other European countries experienced price increases similar to the US. Microsoft cites market conditions and rising development costs as the reason for the increase. This follows a similar price hike for Sony's PS5, signaling a wider trend of rising prices in the video game industry.

Game

Nintendo Switch 2's Game-Key Cards Spark Game Preservation Debate

2025-05-01
Nintendo Switch 2's Game-Key Cards Spark Game Preservation Debate

Nintendo's new Game-Key Cards for the Switch 2, which act as download keys rather than containing the full game, have sparked a debate among game preservationists. Concerns center around the potential for unplayable games if Nintendo's servers ever shut down. While some criticize Nintendo for neglecting preservation efforts, others argue that frequent game updates render cartridges obsolete, and the shift to digital distribution is inevitable. The discussion highlights the ongoing tension between physical media and digital distribution in the gaming world.

Game

Stockhausen's Friday from Light: A Sonic Spectacle of Temptation and War

2025-05-01

Karlheinz Stockhausen's opera, Friday from Light, the fifth in his 'Light' cycle, depicts Lucifer's attempt to tempt Eve into his revolution against Heaven. Blending vocal, instrumental, electronic music, and dance, the opera unfolds through alternating 'Real Scenes' and 'Sound Scenes,' creating a fantastical journey of temptation, war, and eventual reconciliation. A children's war serves as the dramatic climax, symbolizing the brutality of human conflict. The birth and ascension of hybrid beings offer a counterpoint of hope and redemption.

Malicious Mod Found in BeamNG.drive Exploits 6-Year-Old Chromium Vulnerability

2025-05-01
Malicious Mod Found in BeamNG.drive Exploits 6-Year-Old Chromium Vulnerability

While playing BeamNG.drive, the author discovered a malicious mod, "American Road," that triggered an antivirus alert. Analysis revealed obfuscated JavaScript and shellcode leveraging a six-year-old Chromium Embedded Framework vulnerability (CVE-2019-5825). This vulnerability allowed the mod to inject shellcode into memory, downloading and executing a DLL that steals passwords and personal information. The malicious code was disguised as a Patreon banner. The infected mod has been removed from the official repository, and the author's account suspended. Users are urged to remove the mod and scan their systems.

EA Cuts Hundreds of Jobs, Cancels Titanfall Game

2025-04-30
EA Cuts Hundreds of Jobs, Cancels Titanfall Game

Electronic Arts (EA) is laying off 300 to 400 employees, including about 100 at its Respawn Entertainment subsidiary, and canceling a new Titanfall game codenamed R7. The cuts are part of a strategic realignment to improve resource allocation and drive future growth. R7, an extraction shooter set in the Titanfall universe, was in early development. This follows EA's earlier reduction of its fiscal year bookings estimate after the underperformance of EA Sports FC 25 and layoffs at BioWare after the disappointing sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Game

EA Cuts 300 Jobs, Including Respawn Layoffs

2025-04-29
EA Cuts 300 Jobs, Including Respawn Layoffs

Electronic Arts (EA) announced significant layoffs today, impacting approximately 300 employees across the company. This includes the previously reported 100 job cuts at Respawn Entertainment. The cuts primarily affected EA's Experiences team, encompassing customer support, fan care, and marketing roles, with reductions in other departments as well. Affected employees will have the opportunity to apply for internal positions before termination. EA stated the restructuring aims to realign teams and resources to drive future growth. The Respawn layoffs included developers, publishers, and QA testers on Apex Legends, and smaller teams working on the Jedi team and two canceled projects—one previously reported, the other rumored to be a new Titanfall game. This follows previous layoffs at EA in recent years.

Game

Rad Type: Revolutionizing Gamepad Typing

2025-04-29

Rad Type introduces a revolutionary approach to gamepad text input. It utilizes a circular arrangement of letters controlled via the thumbstick, dramatically increasing typing speed compared to traditional gamepad keyboards. The article details four iterations of Rad Type, each refining the user experience, from an initial clock-face design to a streamlined final version. The author's journey, including challenges and solutions, offers valuable insights into improving gamepad text input.

One Million Chessboards: A Massively Multiplayer Chess Game Unlike Any Other

2025-04-28
One Million Chessboards: A Massively Multiplayer Chess Game Unlike Any Other

A developer built a website called 'One Million Chessboards' featuring, you guessed it, one million chessboards! All players share the same boards, moving pieces instantly without turns. The developer overcame significant technical hurdles, building the backend in Go (their first Go project!), utilizing a single writer thread and numerous reader threads, and implementing optimistic locking for concurrency. This project is a technical feat; play it and experience massively multiplayer chess like never before!

From Bevy to Unity: A Game Dev's Engine Migration Tale

2025-04-28
From Bevy to Unity: A Game Dev's Engine Migration Tale

The author initially used Rust and the Bevy engine to develop the game "Architect of Ruin." However, due to challenges in collaboration, insufficient abstraction levels, high migration costs due to frequent engine updates, and low AI-assisted development efficiency, they eventually switched to Unity and C# in January 2025. After a three-day experimental port, they found that Unity offered significant advantages in collaboration, rapid iteration, and leveraging a mature ecosystem, leading to a full migration. Although the migration process was challenging, it ultimately significantly improved development efficiency and brought new momentum to game development.

Revisiting Earthsea: A Stunning Illustrated Edition of a Classic Fantasy Series

2025-04-28
Revisiting Earthsea: A Stunning Illustrated Edition of a Classic Fantasy Series

The author rereads Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea cycle in a new, fully illustrated omnibus edition featuring art by the beloved Charles Vess. This massive volume includes all six novels, along with short stories and afterwords. While praising the beautiful artwork, the author expresses some reservations about its style compared to Vess's other works. The large page size and slightly small font size present minor reading inconveniences, but overall the experience is positive. The author finds the Earthsea books as compelling as ever, particularly highlighting the dark and brutal nature of *Tehanu*. This new edition offers a fresh appreciation for this classic fantasy world, showcasing Le Guin's masterful world-building and character development.

Reverse Engineering a 1991 Winter Olympics Game: Unpacking Copy Protection and Anti-Debugging

2025-04-28

A computer scientist, driven by nostalgia for a childhood DOS game, "The Games: Winter Challenge", embarked on a reverse engineering journey. He discovered the game employed a code wheel copy protection mechanism and anti-debugging measures, with multiple releases and cracks existing. Deep analysis unveiled the code wheel check's intricacies, revealing hidden copy protection checks that subtly break gameplay. He successfully bypassed all copy protection, fixing broken versions available on GOG and elsewhere, and shared his patching tool.

Are AAA Games Getting Worse? Data Says No

2025-04-28
Are AAA Games Getting Worse? Data Says No

The author initially believed AAA games were declining in quality, hypothesizing that the increase in open-world games and sequels was to blame. However, after analyzing data from the IGDB database, this hypothesis was refuted. The data shows that the number of AAA open-world games and major sequels peaked in the late 2010s and has been declining since. While open-world AAA game ratings have dipped slightly in recent years, overall, they remain comparable to other AAA game types. The author concludes that it's not the game genres themselves, but a shift in personal perception that accounts for the feeling of declining quality.

Retro Gaming UI Showcase: A Blast from the 80s Past

2025-04-27

This article showcases a vast collection of user interface screenshots from classic 80s home computers and consoles, including the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC. The screenshots depict UIs for various games and programs, spanning programming languages like BASIC, FORTH, and ASM. Classic games such as Boulderdash and Bomb Jack are represented, showcasing the simple yet charming UI designs of the era.

Coding a Text Adventure in C: A Step-by-Step Guide

2025-04-27

This tutorial isn't a C programming primer, but rather a guide to building a text adventure game using C. Starting with a simple "Hello World" program, the author incrementally adds code, culminating in a fully functional game. The tutorial emphasizes incremental development, ensuring each step produces a runnable program. The author chose C for its low-level access, offering insight into the constraints of early game development. Suitable for those with some programming experience, the tutorial provides code samples and explanations.

Magic: The Gathering – Turing Machines and the Twin Prime Conjecture

2025-04-27
Magic: The Gathering – Turing Machines and the Twin Prime Conjecture

The collectible card game Magic: The Gathering is surprisingly complex, capable of simulating a Turing machine and theoretically performing any computation a computer can. However, using it for calculations is impractical. More intriguingly, players are using the game's mechanics to tackle mathematical problems, such as the twin prime conjecture. One player devised a strategy where the damage inflicted depends on the truth of the conjecture: if it's true, the damage is infinite. While this doesn't prove the conjecture, it showcases a fascinating interplay between games and mathematics, offering a novel perspective for math enthusiasts.

M4 Mac Mini: Surprisingly Playable AAA Titles via Crossover

2025-04-27
M4 Mac Mini: Surprisingly Playable AAA Titles via Crossover

The entry-level M4 Mac Mini, surprisingly, runs multiple Windows games smoothly after installing CrossOver. Titles like Black Myth: Wukong, Counter-Strike 2, and Assetto Corsa were tested, showing decent performance despite some tweaking and compatibility issues. While input lag exists and some high-refresh-rate mice are unsupported, the overall experience is impressive, hinting at a brighter future for Mac gaming.

Game Mac Gaming

Back from the Dead: Cassette Tapes Stage a Comeback in Argentina's Music Scene

2025-04-26
Back from the Dead: Cassette Tapes Stage a Comeback in Argentina's Music Scene

In Argentina's indie and punk scenes, cassette tapes are experiencing a nostalgic revival. Offering a tangible and emotional connection to music, they appeal to artists and fans alike. This resurgence stems from nostalgia, a preference for physical objects over digital formats, and their use as a statement of identity. For independent musicians, cassettes offer a low-cost, easily distributable alternative. While challenges like sound quality exist, the unique experience and emotional resonance of cassettes have cemented their place in Argentinian music culture. This phenomenon serves as a compelling case study in how cultural values shape consumer trends and highlights the potential of analog formats in a digital world.

Commodore OS Vision 3.0: A Retro-Fueled Linux Distro Packed with Games

2025-04-26

Commodore OS Vision 3.0, a free, fan-made Commodore-inspired Linux distribution (based on Debian Bookworm), is now available. Boasting over 200 free Linux-compatible games and a trove of classic Commodore titles and demos, it's a nostalgic gamer's dream. It also features Commodore OS BASIC V1, a modern BASIC implementation with 3D graphics and physics. A new resource hub, Commodore OS Central, is under development, aiming to become a game installer and community platform. A retro-styled settings manager allows for easy configuration of ROMs, emulation, and startup options.

Game

Interactive Neural Forest World in Your Browser

2025-04-25

The author trained a neural network to transform a video of a forest trail, captured with a phone, into an interactive virtual world explorable in a web browser. Unlike traditional video games, this world relies not on pre-defined geometry, lighting, and animations, but solely on a neural network generating new images based on previous images and control inputs. Overcoming early model limitations, the author improved the training method and network architecture to achieve a relatively smooth interactive experience. This showcases a novel approach to generating virtual worlds using neural networks, promising a future of more realistic and convenient world building.

Gym Class: Hiring a Senior Animation Engineer for Meta Quest Hit

2025-04-25
Gym Class: Hiring a Senior Animation Engineer for Meta Quest Hit

Gym Class, a leading social game on Meta Quest with millions of downloads and a 4.9-star rating, is expanding! They're seeking an experienced Animation Engineer to lead the design, development, and implementation of character animation systems in Unity. This role demands expertise in Unity and C#, proven mobile game animation experience, strong understanding of IK, animation blending, and state machines, and a knack for mobile performance optimization. You'll lead a high-performing team and shape the future of character movement in the game.

Crack the Code: A Guide to Logiquiz

2025-04-25

Logiquiz, also known as a self-referential quiz or puzzle, is a meta-puzzle where questions refer to themselves or other questions within the quiz. The goal is to mark each answer as correct (green bar) by clicking it twice. Strategy involves reading all questions, eliminating obviously wrong answers, solving straightforward questions first, and iteratively updating answers as new information emerges. Success relies on logic and deduction, making it a challenging yet engaging puzzle for players of varying skill levels.

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