Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Balatro: A Modern Take on Solitaire

2025-02-27

The creator of the puzzle game Balatro reveals its design inspiration: the classic card game Solitaire. The goal was to recapture Solitaire's relaxing, low-stakes vibe, creating a comforting pastime. While Balatro incorporates meta-game elements like achievements and challenges, these weren't designed to artificially extend playtime. Instead, they guide players to explore the game's mechanics and offer additional goals. Ultimately, the developer aimed for Balatro to be an evergreen game, offering the same satisfying experience as a quick game of Solitaire.

(localthunk.com)

Game

Minecraft LCE Decompilation Project Launched: Reviving a Classic

2025-02-26

An ambitious project has begun to decompile Minecraft Legacy Console Edition (LCE) for the Nintendo Switch. The Switch version was chosen due to its inclusion of function symbols and the use of the easily-matched Clang compiler. Challenges include a lack of complete symbol information and the need to reconcile code across different platforms. The team is overcoming these by leveraging symbol information from the Wii U version and type information from the Switch version. The project aims to provide a foundation for game research and modification, and to offer insights into similar decompilation efforts.

(github.com)

Game

Playing Pokémon FireRed with GPT-4: An AI Adventure

2025-02-26

This project details an attempt to get GPT-4 to autonomously play Pokémon FireRed using RetroArch. The author implemented methods for reading game memory, using OCR for text recognition, and creating a game memory database to allow the AI to explore, battle, and interact with NPCs. However, programmatic input control proved a major hurdle; RetroArch's UDP input system was unreliable, and keyboard-based input required window focus, limiting automation. Despite this, the project showcases the potential of AI in gaming and provides valuable insights into future LLM applications in this field.

(github.com)

Game

Warner Bros. Discovery Axes Game Studios, Cancels Wonder Woman Game

2025-02-25

Warner Bros. Discovery announced sweeping cuts to its games division, shutting down three studios and canceling the planned Wonder Woman game. Monolith Productions (creators of the Middle-earth: Shadow games), Player First Games (developers of the struggling MultiVersus), and WB Games San Diego were all closed due to a disappointing 2024 performance. The company will now focus on four core franchises: Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones, shifting to a strategy of 'fewer but bigger franchises'.

(www.engadget.com)

Game

Activision Confirms AI-Generated Content in Call of Duty

2025-02-25

Activision has finally admitted to using AI-generated content in its games, specifically the Call of Duty franchise. This revelation comes as no surprise to players who had previously suspected the AI origins of certain in-game assets. Steam now requires disclosure of AI-generated content, and Activision has obliged on the Black Ops 6 Steam page. While Activision states that its team uses AI tools to assist in developing some game assets, the extent of AI's involvement remains unclear. Players have already pointed out several suspect assets, including a six-fingered Santa Claus and a potentially AI-generated Zombies map logo. This confirmation has sparked considerable discussion among players and highlights the use and controversies surrounding AI in game development.

(www.dexerto.com)

Game Activision

King of the Grid: A Z80 Sandbox Bot Competition

2025-02-25

A Z80-based sandbox game where developers write bots to compete for dominance on a 32x32 grid. Two bots start in opposite corners, battling for survival by gathering food, moving, and cloning themselves. Written in Z80 assembly or C, bots can utilize shared memory for communication. The last bot standing wins! An online IDE and command-line build process are provided, along with game recording and sharing capabilities. This is an AI programming competition challenging algorithmic efficiency and strategic thinking.

(github.com)

Game

Save 120+ Hours: AI-Powered Steam Data Analysis

2025-02-24

Save over 120 hours per month on Steam data scraping! This service uses AI to automatically scrape and clean Steam data, providing insightful analytics to help you understand the Steam market and make informed game development decisions. Whether crafting a pitch deck or assessing market competition, data-driven insights eliminate guesswork, empowering strategic game development.

(www.gginsights.io)

Game Steam data analysis AI-powered

Civilization VII's Collaboration with the Shawnee Tribe: A Symphony of Gaming and Cultural Preservation

2025-02-24

In developing Civilization VII, Firaxis Games collaborated with Shawnee Chief Ben Barnes to authentically portray Shawnee history and culture. This collaboration not only resulted in accurate in-game depictions of the Shawnee civilization and leader Tecumseh but also extended to establishing a recording studio to support the preservation of the Shawnee language. This is not only a successful game development story but also a touching tale of gaming and cultural preservation intertwined.

(civilization.2k.com)

Game

Avatar: Seven Havens – A New Chapter in the Avatarverse

2025-02-23

The creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are bringing a new 26-episode animated series to Nickelodeon: Avatar: Seven Havens. Set in a world ravaged by cataclysm, a young Earthbender discovers she's the new Avatar, but in this dangerous era, she's hunted by both human and spirit enemies. She and her long-lost twin must uncover their origins and save the Seven Havens before civilization collapses. This marks a significant expansion of the Avatar universe, produced by Avatar Studios.

(deadline.com)

Game Avatar

Ultima VII: Revisited - A 3D Remake of a Classic RPG

2025-02-23

Ultima VII: Revisited is a replacement engine for the classic RPG Ultima VII. It renders the game in 3D and fixes numerous issues plaguing the original, such as low frame rate, companions' inability to feed themselves, and UI conflicts with environment lighting. Creator Anthony Salter aims to let players experience this ahead-of-its-time classic in a new way, appreciating its unique 3D world and clever design through a modern 3D engine and improved game systems.

(www.u7revisited.com)

Game Engine

OpenJKDF2: Open-Source Reimplementation of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II Engine

2025-02-23

OpenJKDF2 is a function-by-function reimplementation of the Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (JKDF2) engine in C, with 64-bit ports for Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, and Linux. It aims for fidelity to the original, including the original byacc and flex for COG script parsing. A valid copy of JKDF2 is required; the DRM-free GOG version is recommended. Multiple configurations are supported, using OpenGL and WebGL rendering. The project is ongoing, with features like Android and iOS support planned. A WebAssembly demo is available.

(github.com)

Game

Half-Life: A Revolution in FPS Storytelling

2025-02-23

Released in 1998, Half-Life revolutionized the first-person shooter (FPS) genre. Valve broke from the traditional FPS model of separating levels from narrative, seamlessly integrating storytelling into the gameplay for an immersive experience. Silent protagonist Gordon Freeman, a scientist, confronts an alien invasion and uncovers a government conspiracy. No lengthy cutscenes interrupt the intense action; players are constantly in control, experiencing the unfolding story firsthand. Half-Life's success stemmed not only from its innovative game design but also from its profound shift in how games tell stories, a legacy that continues to impact the industry.

(www.filfre.net)

Game Half-Life Game Storytelling

Tetris in PostScript: A Real-time Game in Under 600 Lines

2025-02-22

A developer has implemented a real-time Tetris game using PostScript, remarkably achieving it with only 600 lines of code (around 10KB) and 69 distinct operators. The game features arrow and spacebar controls, increasing game speed, 7 tetrominoes, high scores, and a Nintendo-style scoring system. It runs in GhostView on macOS and draws some implementation inspiration from MeatFighter.

(github.com)

Game Real-time game

Exult 1.10.1 Released: Fixing Ultima VII Compatibility Issues

2025-02-22

The Exult project recently released version 1.10.1, fixing crashes in the Windows version caused by older CPU incompatibility, and the inability to install mods on the Android version. The project aims to bring the classic RPG Ultima VII to modern operating systems, constantly improving the gaming experience. The latest release also features new icons and improved combat mechanics.

(exult.sourceforge.io)

Game Game Port

Amazon Pays $1 Billion for Full Creative Control of James Bond Franchise

2025-02-22

Amazon has secured full creative control of the James Bond franchise for a reported $1 billion, ending the long reign of producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. This acquisition follows Amazon's $8.5 billion purchase of MGM, but an additional $1 billion was necessary to fully acquire the creative rights to the Bond IP. This marks a new era for the franchise, with Amazon planning to expand the Bond universe, developing spin-offs including a potential Bond girl movie and series focused on villains. However, concerns have been raised about Amazon's potential to compromise the quality control that Broccoli and Wilson maintained, potentially damaging the brand's image.

(deadline.com)

Game James Bond Franchise Acquisition

Twitch's 100-Hour Highlight Limit Sparks Outrage: Erasing Gaming History?

2025-02-22

Twitch announced a new 100-hour limit on archived highlight videos, sparking controversy among users. While Twitch claims only 0.5% of users will be affected, many gamers fear the move will erase significant portions of gaming history. Highlights allow streamers to showcase their best moments permanently, unlike full broadcasts which auto-delete after seven days (or 60 for partners). Twitch cites the cost of indefinite storage and aims to promote features like Clips and the mobile feed. However, users criticize the impact on shared gaming history, especially for speedrunners who use highlights to document world records and important moments, arguing the loss is incalculable.

(arstechnica.com)

Game game streaming video archive

RealDOOM: Running DOOM on 16-bit Processors

2025-02-22

RealDOOM is a work-in-progress port of the DOS version of DOOM (based on PCDOOMv2) to real mode, aiming for accuracy to the original game. Currently supporting DOOM1 and DOOM2 WADs, with plans for Ultimate DOOM. Development focuses on ASM rewrites of the render code and restoring removed features like sound and save games. While there are limitations on texture size and node counts, the project boasts performance benchmarks across various processors and quality settings.

(github.com)

Game

Surface-Stable Fractal Dithering on a Playdate: A Tale of Optimization

2025-02-22

This post details the author's attempt to implement surface-stable fractal dithering on the Playdate handheld, a device with a 1-bit monochrome screen. The process proved challenging due to the limited hardware capabilities. The author meticulously documents the journey, including implementing perspective-correct texture mapping, displaying brightness on a 1-bit screen, and optimizing the fractal dithering algorithm itself. Through numerous optimizations, including algorithmic simplification and switching from a half-space rasterizer to a scanline rasterizer, the author achieves a frame rate of 20-22 FPS, but acknowledges further improvements are possible.

(aras-p.info)

Game Rasterization

The Rise and Fall (and Acquisition) of Dungeons & Dragons

2025-02-21

This article details the tumultuous history of TSR, Inc., and its flagship game, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Once a dominant force, TSR's mismanaged marketing, internal power struggles, and the rise of Magic: The Gathering led to its financial ruin and eventual acquisition by Wizards of the Coast. The piece explores TSR's successes and failures, highlighting the cutthroat nature of the gaming industry and offering reflections on company management, market shifts, and gaming culture.

(www.filfre.net)

Game Dungeons & Dragons Tabletop Games

Twitch Implements 100-Hour Storage Cap for Highlights, Sparking Controversy

2025-02-20

Twitch announced a new 100-hour storage limit for highlights and uploads, effective April 19th. Content exceeding this limit will be automatically deleted. The platform cites the ineffectiveness of highlights in driving engagement and the high cost of storage as reasons. This decision has drawn criticism, particularly from the speedrunning community, who rely heavily on Twitch archives for record-keeping. While Twitch claims minimal user impact, the move threatens to erase valuable speedrun history and significantly alter the platform's community ecosystem.

(www.theverge.com)

Game storage limit speedrunning

RT64: A Cutting-Edge N64 Graphics Renderer

2025-02-20

RT64 is a modern N64 graphics renderer built on the latest APIs (D3D12 and Vulkan), designed to enhance gameplay in emulators and native ports. It utilizes ubershaders to eliminate stutters, supports high-resolution rendering and downsampling, widescreen, and high frame rate (HFR). Powerful features include texture pack support, memory optimizations, and framebuffer reinterpretation. Future development includes ray tracing, a game script interpreter, and model replacement, promising a revolutionary upgrade to the N64 gaming experience.

(github.com)

Game Renderer Graphics Enhancement

FiveM: The alt:V Integration Disaster

2025-02-20

This post details the disastrous integration of the former alt:V team into the FiveM project. The ex-alt:V team demonstrated a profound lack of teamwork, ignoring communication and unilaterally altering code and build systems, resulting in numerous regressions. They failed to test their changes, disregarded backward compatibility, and treated the original development team with arrogance. Specific examples highlight the ex-alt:V team's technical incompetence, lack of accountability, and malicious behavior towards the original team. Ultimately, the destructive actions of the ex-alt:V team led to the departure of the original FiveM developers and plunged the project into chaos.

(fivem.team)

Game

Microsoft's Muse AI: Savior or Grave-Digger for Gaming?

2025-02-20

Microsoft unveiled Muse, an AI model aimed at assisting game development and even optimizing classic titles for modern hardware. However, the technology has sparked a strong backlash from game developers. They worry that AI tools like Muse will reduce development costs, leading to layoffs and ultimately devaluing the creative contributions of game developers and artists, potentially harming the artistry and creativity of the gaming industry. This highlights the dilemma of AI in gaming: the tension between technological advancement and artistic creation, alongside job security, is increasingly prominent.

(www.wired.com)

Game AI game development

Screwball Scramble: Viral Hit, Copyright Takedown, and a 50-Year Legacy

2025-02-20

The classic toy Screwball Scramble is experiencing a viral resurgence. A humorous TikTok review by Drinks On Me garnered over 15,000 views, while a Reddit user, captainepeper, created a web-based version before being forced to take it down by TOMY due to copyright infringement. Despite this, the toy's ingenious design and challenging gameplay continue to captivate players, with Vsauce's Michael even creating a video that amassed over 12 million views. Screwball Scramble's 50-year legacy is a testament to its enduring appeal, challenging players' skill and patience, and sparking nostalgia for childhood memories and classic toys.

(medium.com)

Game Nostalgia Toy Viral Marketing

Valve Opens Team Fortress 2's Source Code to the Public

2025-02-19

Celebrating its upcoming 20th anniversary, Valve has unexpectedly released the full client and server source code for Team Fortress 2, inviting players to modify, extend, or even rewrite the game. This move aims to empower the community and extend the life of this classic shooter. Despite recent struggles with bots, TF2 retains a dedicated player base. The open-source initiative is expected to unlock a wave of creative mods and potentially even entirely new games. However, all modifications must remain free of charge.

(gamerant.com)

Game Community Creation

Microsoft Shows Real-Time AI Game Generation Prototype: WHAM

2025-02-19

Microsoft showcased a prototype real-time AI video generation tool called WHAM. This tool instantly generates game footage based on user input, allowing scene transitions by simply feeding new sample frames. While currently limited to a very low resolution (300x180) and frame rate (10fps), with noticeable distortions, it represents a significant step towards AI-generated interactive experiences. Microsoft envisions a future where AI can create high-quality interactive games on the fly.

(arstechnica.com)

Game AI gaming real-time generation

Subway Poker: A Novel Commute Game

2025-02-19

A new game called "Subway Poker" is taking the urban commuting world by storm. This innovative game blends the excitement of poker with the unpredictable nature of public transport, adding a fun twist to your daily journey. Two players each select a row of five seats and assign card values to the passengers (Child=10, Teenager=J, Woman=Q, Man=K, Elderly=A). The highest-ranking poker hand at the agreed-upon end station wins. Strategy involves observing passenger flow, choosing advantageous seats, and predicting passenger types based on time of day and other factors. This game has apparently gained popularity in cities around the world, but players need to adapt their strategy to the specific layout of their local subway.

(experience.prfalken.dev)

Game Commute Subway

Niantic, Pokémon Go Maker, in Talks to Sell to Saudi Arabia's Scopely

2025-02-19

Niantic, the creator of the 2016 hit Pokémon Go, is reportedly in talks to sell its video game business to Scopely, a Saudi Arabia-owned company, for approximately $3.5 billion. The deal would include Pokémon Go and other mobile games. While Pokémon Go was a global phenomenon, Niantic struggled to replicate its success, leading to staff cuts and canceled projects. This acquisition is part of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund's broader strategy to diversify its economy by investing in the gaming industry, with Scopely acting as a key player in their mobile gaming ambitions.

(finance.yahoo.com)

Game

X-Plane: Flight Sim's Secret Weapon: Blade Element Theory

2025-02-19

X-Plane uses a unique 'blade element theory' to simulate flight, breaking the aircraft into countless small elements, calculating the forces on each, and precisely simulating the aircraft's flight behavior. Unlike other simulators relying on simplified 'stability derivatives', X-Plane's accuracy and range of application are far broader, accurately predicting aircraft behavior under various flight conditions, including engine failures, turbulence, stalls, spins, and transonic effects. It truly predicts flight characteristics from aircraft geometry alone.

(www.x-plane.com)

Game flight simulation blade element theory

Fighting Fantasy: The Classic Gamebook Series Returns to the US!

2025-02-19

The iconic Fighting Fantasy gamebook series, a revolutionary blend of nonlinear narratives and dice-rolling RPG mechanics, is returning to the US in early 2025! Created in 1982 by Sir Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson, this multi-million-selling series boasts over 20 million copies sold worldwide. Steve Jackson Games has partnered for a historic 50-book publishing deal, bringing this beloved classic to a new generation of adventurers.

(www.sjgames.com)

Game Fantasy

Category: Game