Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Robocode: Revive the Thrill of Java Robot Battles

2025-02-18

Robocode is a Java-based robot combat programming game where players write code to control their robot tanks in real-time battles. This article provides a beginner's guide, API documentation, tutorials, and links to active community resources, along with a preview of the upcoming Robocode Tank Royale platform. Whether you're a seasoned programmer or a coding novice, Robocode offers a fun and engaging way to experience the thrill of programming.

(robocode.sourceforge.io)

Game

David Lynch's Almost-Directed Return of the Jedi

2025-02-18

This article delves into the little-known story of David Lynch almost directing 'Return of the Jedi.' It recounts the initial director selection process at Lucasfilm and why Lynch ultimately declined. The article interweaves Lynch's humorous account of the experience, highlighting the stark contrast between his unique artistic style and the 'Star Wars' franchise. By comparing Lynch's style with that of the eventual director, Richard Marquand, and analyzing excerpts from Lynch's unfinished script, the author explores how different the iconic film might have been under Lynch's direction.

(www.benningtonreview.org)

Game Star Wars filmmaking

R.E.M.'s Rise and Fall: From College Radio Kings to Mainstream Muzak

2025-02-17

This article chronicles the rise and fall of R.E.M., the iconic American rock band. Starting in a small college town outside Atlanta, their unique sound and commitment to independent artistry propelled them to fame as college radio darlings. However, their journey led them to a major label deal with Warner Bros., achieving mainstream success. Despite commercial triumphs, R.E.M. faced criticism for compromising their initial ethos. The article explores their successes and failures, their influence on subsequent rock acts, and the inherent tensions between independent music and commercialization, ultimately culminating in their 2011 breakup. The author questions why, despite their immense influence, R.E.M.'s legacy feels somewhat diminished today.

(yalereview.org)

Game Rock Music

Kartoffels v0.7 Released: Cave Generation Overhaul and RISC-V Switch

2025-02-17

Kartoffels is a game where you program firmware for a virtual potato. Version 0.7, boasting 122 commits, introduces significant improvements. Cave generation now uses cellular automata and white noise for more realistic results, solving previous issues with overly isolated caves. The game engine's CPU architecture has shifted from 64-bit RISC-V to 32-bit for better memory management. A new feature tracks each bot's history, paving the way for leaderboards. UI improvements and game mechanic tweaks are also included. Note that this update reset the server, clearing all uploaded bot programs.

(pwy.io)

Game

Tokyo Xtreme Racer Returns: A Nostalgic Trip with Modern Tweaks

2025-02-17

After an 18-year hiatus, Tokyo Xtreme Racer is back! This classic Dreamcast-era racing game, known for its detailed car models and the alluring nighttime scenery of Tokyo's expressways, has been resurrected in a Steam Early Access release. The game faithfully recreates the series' iconic SP battle system but adds modern conveniences like a map showing rival racer locations, easing some of the grind. However, it retains its signature enigmatic challenges and notoriously difficult boss battles. Multiplayer is absent at launch, and some aspects remain unfinished. Despite this, it's a nostalgic trip for veterans and a unique racing experience for newcomers. The game's charm remains, but players should expect a work-in-progress.

(www.thedrive.com)

Game racing game classic reboot tokyo xtreme racer

Anno 1800's Clever Camera-Relative Sun

2025-02-17

Playing Anno 1800, the author noticed the sun's position remains relative to the camera, not the world, causing shadows to always fall from the same direction. While less realistic than a fixed world sun, this design cleverly prevents shadow occlusion issues that can flatten the scene from certain camera angles. The author highlights this seemingly small feature's significant visual impact, praising the game's developers for also including automated camera rotation (F3) and UI hiding (Ctrl+G) for video recording.

(simonschreibt.de)

Game lighting

Improving Sega CD PCM Audio Quality with Low-Pass Filtering

2025-02-17

This article delves into the reasons behind the poor audio quality of the Sega CD's PCM sound chip and proposes a solution: using low-pass filters to enhance audio quality. It explores differences in audio hardware across various Genesis models and the role of low-pass filters in audio processing. Through experiments, the author compares the effectiveness of different types of low-pass filters (Butterworth IIR filters) and provides code examples. Ultimately, the author successfully improves the sound quality of Sega CD PCM audio and summarizes important considerations when implementing IIR filters in software.

(jsgroth.dev)

Game Sega CD Low-Pass Filter

Game Art Legend Viktor Antonov Passes Away at 52

2025-02-16

Viktor Antonov, the art director of Half-Life 2 and designer on the Dishonored franchise, has passed away at the age of 52. Former Valve writer Marc Laidlaw confirmed the news on social media, expressing deep sadness. Antonov moved to Paris from Bulgaria at 17 and went on to work on numerous iconic games, including Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, the Dishonored series, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Fallout 4, Doom, and Prey. He prioritized projects over companies, highlighting his dedication to creative work. His passing is a significant loss to the gaming industry, and his talent and contributions will be remembered.

(www.eurogamer.net)

Game game art

Leaked: Massive Directory of The Sims Design Documents

2025-02-16

A massive directory of what appears to be internal The Sims design documents has surfaced online. Hundreds of files detail nearly every aspect of the game's development, from character modeling and animation to game mechanics and software architecture. The sheer volume and size of the files offer a rare glimpse into the complexity and scale of a large-scale game development project. This leak provides fascinating insight into the design and development processes of The Sims, sparking interest in game development workflows and documentation management.

(donhopkins.com)

Game The Sims Document Leak

Basketball's Data-Driven Revolution: From All-Arounders to Specialists

2025-02-15

Basketball is undergoing a data-driven revolution. Decision-making has shifted from intuition to precise data analysis, transforming the game from a reliance on points, assists, and rebounds to leveraging thousands of data points to optimize every aspect. The three-point shot reigns supreme, and the '3-and-D' player (three-point shooting and defense) is highly sought after. Technology, including motion capture and analytics systems, allows coaches to meticulously analyze player movement, maximizing possession efficiency. While this data-driven approach has made the game more predictable, it raises questions about the future of basketball.

(nabraj.com)

Game basketball analytics player specialization basketball technology

Nintendo's Anti-Palworld Patent War Goes Global: US Patent Granted

2025-02-15

Nintendo secured a US patent in February 2025 for a creature-capture system, seemingly targeting Palworld. This follows a lawsuit filed in Japan against Pocketpair, the Palworld developer, for intellectual property infringement. The new patent, similar to one granted late 2024, uses subtly different wording to broaden its scope, suggesting Nintendo might expand the legal battle globally. The outcome depends on pending US patent applications, with one previously rejected but appealed by Nintendo.

(gamerant.com)

Game Patent

Diablo Speedrun Champion Exposed as Cheater

2025-02-15

Maciej "Groobo" Maselewski reigned supreme in Diablo speedrunning for years, his 3-minute, 12-second Sorceror run seemingly unbeatable. However, a team of speedrunners, attempting to replicate his seemingly lucky dungeon runs using external software, uncovered inconsistencies. An automated search through billions of legitimate Diablo dungeons proved Groobo's run impossible within the game's legitimate parameters. This revelation sparked controversy within the speedrunning community, exposing years of unearned praise and accolades based on fraudulent gameplay.

(arstechnica.com)

Game game cheating speedrun diablo

Steffi Graf's Pickleball Pivot: From Tennis Legend to Competitive Newbie

2025-02-15

Twenty-five years after retiring from tennis, Steffi Graf finds herself competing in the fast-paced world of pickleball. While nerves were never an issue during her illustrious tennis career, the quick pace and unfamiliar dynamics of pickleball presented a new challenge. Graf, along with husband Andre Agassi, will be participating in the Pickleball Slam 3 in Las Vegas, vying for a $1 million prize purse. Graf highlights pickleball's accessibility and ease of learning, suggesting it complements rather than threatens tennis. Despite needing to adapt her style, Graf relishes the challenge and the chance to reignite her competitive spirit in this new arena.

(www.cnn.com)

Game Steffi Graf Andre Agassi

PSP Gains WPA2 WiFi Support via Custom Firmware

2025-02-15

Years after its official discontinuation, the Sony PSP continues to receive community support. The ARK custom firmware team has integrated the wpa2psp plugin, enabling PSPs to connect to WPA2-encrypted Wi-Fi networks. This means even with modern security protocols on your router, your PSP can once again access the internet. While currently limited to 2.4GHz and AES encryption, this is a significant achievement for PSP enthusiasts.

(wololo.net)

Game Custom Firmware

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles iOS Version Shut Down Due to Unfixable Bug

2025-02-14

Square Enix has shut down the iOS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and removed it from the App Store due to an unfixable bug preventing access to purchased content. The bug stemmed from changes to the in-app purchase model. Players who made in-app purchases in January 2024 or later can contact Apple Support for a refund. The game remains available on Android, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.

(www.theverge.com)

Game Final Fantasy Game Shutdown

Windows 10's Sunset: 40% of Steam Gamers Face an Upgrade Dilemma

2025-02-14

Microsoft will end free software updates, technical support, and security fixes for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. This leaves a significant portion of users, over 40% on Steam, facing a difficult choice: upgrading to Windows 11. Windows 11's stringent hardware requirements prevent many from upgrading, pushing gamers to explore alternatives like SteamOS. While Valve plans wider SteamOS adoption, a desktop release remains elusive. Continuing to use the unsupported Windows 10 leaves users vulnerable, forcing many to consider upgrading their hardware or operating system.

(www.pcguide.com)

Game

Accidental X-Ray TV Invention in Nazi Germany: The World Without a Mask

2025-02-13

In this 1934 German comedy, unemployed electrical engineer Harry Palmer (Harry Piel) accidentally invents x-ray television while assisting inventor Tobias Bern. While lacking Piel's usual death-defying stunts, the film's comedic elements, largely thanks to Kurt Vespermann, compensate. The film offers a glimpse into early television technology in Nazi Germany, subtly criticizing capitalists and the misuse of technology, reflecting the socio-political context of the time. Despite a somewhat predictable plot, it's an interesting film showcasing a lesser-known period of cinematic history.

(scifist.net)

Game German cinema Nazi era sci-fi comedy

Reverse Engineering the League of Legends Game Engine for High-Fidelity Datasets

2025-02-12

This article details the creation of a high-fidelity League of Legends dataset by reverse engineering the game engine and replay file format. Existing datasets and analytics tools suffer from low granularity, imprecision, and incompleteness. The author's tool captures precise player positions, ability usage timings, and damage calculations at millisecond intervals. The article describes the technical challenges, including decrypting internal replay files, emulating the game engine, and processing encrypted packets. This work has significant implications for reinforcement learning and offers valuable insights into data extraction for similar games.

(maknee.github.io)

Game

Ne Zha 2 Shatters Box Office Records, Ushering in a New Era for Chinese Animation

2025-02-12

The Chinese animated film "Ne Zha 2" has taken the Chinese box office by storm, becoming the first film to surpass $1 billion in a single market and the first non-Hollywood title to join the coveted billion-dollar club. In just eight days and five hours, it shattered the box office record previously held by "The Battle at Lake Changjin," becoming China's highest-grossing film of all time. The next day, it surpassed "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to become the highest-grossing film ever in a single market. Its success stems from its stunning visuals, captivating storytelling, and deep cultural resonance, resonating with audiences on a profound level. This triumph injects a much-needed boost into the Chinese film industry and sets a new benchmark for Chinese animation on the global stage.

(www.globaltimes.cn)

Game Ne Zha 2 Chinese Animation Box Office Chinese animation Box Office Record

Katamari Damacy's 20th Anniversary: A Postmortem of a Miracle

2025-02-11

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Katamari Damacy development team reveals the behind-the-scenes story of its creation. Born from a frustration with the industry's lack of originality, this unique game, centered around rolling a growing ball to collect objects, aimed for an unparalleled experience. The postmortem details successful aspects like simplified controls, atmospheric sound design, and areas for improvement such as conveying scale and camera angles. Ultimately, Katamari Damacy's success stands as a testament to its unique style and innovative gameplay, a true miracle in the gaming world.

(www.gamedeveloper.com)

Game

DOOM in Google Sheets?! You Won't Believe This!

2025-02-11

This incredible project brings the classic DOOM game to life... inside a Google Sheet! Using Google Apps Script and JavaScript, the developer renders DOOM frame-by-frame by changing cell background colors. While performance is limited by the cell-by-cell update process, the novelty of playing DOOM in a spreadsheet is undeniably captivating. A pre-configured version is available for easy access. Get ready for retro gaming with a twist!

(github.com)

Game

Civilization VII Founders Edition: Conquer the Ages!

2025-02-11

Sid Meier's Civilization VII Founders Edition launches with early access on February 6th, 2025! It includes the base game, early access (up to 5 days early), the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack, the Crossroads of the World Collection, and the Right to Rule Collection (6 DLCs total, releasing by September 2025). Enjoy additional leaders, civilizations, wonders, and cosmetic options. Experience a revamped empire-building journey across distinct ages with deeper strategic gameplay and cross-platform multiplayer.

(civilization.2k.com)

Game

Atari 2600+ & 7800+: Retro Gaming Reimagined

2025-02-09

Atari's new 2600+ and 7800+ systems bring classic Atari gaming to modern TVs via HDMI. Both boast retro designs and compatibility with original controllers. The 7800+ includes a wireless gamepad, though its quality is questionable. While load times are slow and some game compatibility issues exist, the high-definition visuals and ease of connection to modern displays make them attractive for retro gaming enthusiasts and collectors.

(www.goto10retro.com)

Game

Nintendo's Game & Watch: A Retrospect of Handheld Gaming History

2025-02-09

This article chronicles the history of Nintendo's Game & Watch series of handheld electronic games, from the Silver Series in 1980 to various iterations throughout the late 1980s, including the Gold, Wide Screen, and Multi Screen series. Known for innovative designs, classic games, and elegant aesthetics—features like metallic faceplates, dual screens, and colored LCDs—the Game & Watch series represents a pivotal moment in Nintendo's history and the handheld gaming market.

(itizso.itch.io)

Game

Public Domain Day Film Remix Contest Winners Announced!

2025-02-08

The 2025 Public Domain Day Film Remix Contest has concluded! Queline Meadows's "When I Leave the World Behind" took first place, masterfully blending film, images, music, and text to evoke a powerful sense of nostalgia. Samantha Close's "The Archive Boogie" and Samara Meyer's "THE SITUATIONSHIP" won second and third place respectively, showcasing the breadth of 1929 cinema and the richness of public domain resources, and a daring sapphic love story. Three honorable mentions further highlighted diverse film styles: Jeremy Floyd's "Moving Pictures Aren't What They Used to Be," William Webb's "Hoffman's Honeymoon," and DIEGO DIAZ & CAN SARK's "The Wayback Machine." All entries can be viewed on the Internet Archive.

(blog.archive.org)

Game film remix internet archive

The Deck: Offline Multiplayer Card Games Aggregator

2025-02-08

The Deck is an offline multiplayer card game aggregator written in Dart and Flutter, solving the problem of missing cards during game nights. It designates one device as the 'table,' allowing all players to see the cards in real-time for an immersive experience. The open-source project welcomes contributions and provides detailed instructions for building and releasing on iOS and Android, along with troubleshooting common issues.

(github.com)

Game Card Games Multiplayer

Donkey Kong's Broken Ladder Glitch: Luck and Skill Combine for a New Kill Screen

2025-02-08

The 'broken ladder' glitch in the classic arcade game Donkey Kong, long thought impossible to exploit, has been conquered. Player Kosmic, using an emulator and a hefty dose of luck, utilized the glitch to not only complete the game but discover a new, true kill screen at level 22-6. The glitch exploits a random delay in Donkey Kong's barrel throwing, giving Mario precious extra frames. This achievement highlights the game's intricate mechanics and underscores the crucial role of both skill and chance in overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges.

(arstechnica.com)

Game game glitch luck

The Sickest Amiga Setup at GERP 2025

2025-02-08

At GERP 2025, a modified Amiga 1200 stole the show. This wasn't just any Amiga; it served as the competition hub, running entries and connected to a VCR, CRT TV, and genlock for multi-source video output to a large screen. Boasting a 68060 accelerator, ample RAM, and a network card, it even leveraged a Raspberry Pi for modern connectivity. More than a retro machine, this Amiga 1200 was a demoscene powerhouse, highlighting the enduring appeal and expandability of the Amiga platform.

(www.datagubbe.se)

Game demoparty

I Built the PS1 Backwards Compatibility Emulator for the PS2

2025-02-08

A Sony Computer Entertainment engineer recounts his experience developing the PlayStation 2's PS1 backward compatibility. Initially tasked with emulating the PS1's sound hardware, his work became obsolete when the chip was integrated into the PS2. Unexpectedly, he was then assigned to emulate the PS1's graphics processor, a significant challenge. He successfully completed the task, enabling most PS1 games to run on the PS2 and contributing significantly to its launch success. This became the most important and proudest achievement of his career.

(freelansations.medium.com)

Game

Football Manager 2024 Skips a Season: A Surprisingly Smart Move

2025-02-07

Football Manager 2024 has been delayed, foregoing an update with the new season's player data and issuing refunds to pre-order customers. While disappointing for fans eager for updated rosters, this decision showcases Sports Interactive's boldness and long-term vision. Annual sports game releases are often criticized for their lack of innovation and prevalence of microtransactions. Football Manager's delay represents a thoughtful departure from this trend, prioritizing quality over rushed deadlines. This unexpected move could signal a refreshing change in the sports game landscape, promising future improvements and innovation.

(arstechnica.com)

Game sports game football manager

Category: Game