Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite and the Unreal Engine , has acquired the game development toolset creator RAD Game Tools , headquartered in Kirkland, Wash.
RAD is one of those companies that runs under the radar, but has quietly influenced much of the modern games industry. If you've played any video game that was made in the last 21 years or so, there's a good chance the game was using RAD's Bink tool to encode its video files. Bink, a specialized codec, has been used in more than 25,000 games on 14 different platforms , dating back to the end of the 1990s. RAD launched a follow-up codec, Bink 2, in 2013.
Quite a lot has been going on:
The 4 Best Dungeons & Dragons Video Game Adaptations | CBR
There have been plenty of games based on Dungeons & Dragons over the years, some of which have handled the property better than others. A few of these titles focus on getting the rules as close to pen and paper as possible, while others try to emulate the sense of open-ended creativity that comes alongside the tabletop game. Here are four of the best Dungeon & Dragons video game adaptations.
Baldur's Gate II is widely regarded as one of the best Dungeons & Dragons games ever made, inspiring scores of future titles to follow its lead in delivering an unparalleled isometric RPG experience. This sequel to the original Baldur's Gate leaves no stone unturned in its efforts to improve nearly every aspect of its predecessor.
Best video games of 2020 | CNN Underscored
From next-generation standouts to modern Nintendo classics, here are our favorite games that made a very strange 2020 much more enjoyable.
Aside from any Star Wars title, Spider-Man: Miles Morales was next on my most-excited-to-play list. I was late to the party with the original Spider-Man on PS4 and didn't want to make the same mistake, especially after the trailer and gameplay samples were released. Miles Morales expands the story beyond Peter Parker and introduces you to his history, his family, his specific New York City and his powers.
Soothing Video Games - The New York Times
Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.
"Video games don't have a reputation for offering tranquility," writes Julie Muncy. "People tend to think of them as more likely to give a stress-addled adult a headache than lead them into a zen state of relaxation." She goes on to recommend several, like "Stardew Valley," that can rest the mind during these stressful times.
Have you ever played a video game that calmed you, whether it was intended to or not? Do you think video games intended to "calm the mind" can be fun? Worthwhile for the relaxation they might bring?
While you're here, how about this:
Sci Fi Saturday: Can Video Games Save a Lone Survivor? | Mind Matters
In "High Score" (3:50 min) by Adrien Vallade, Lou Maurice De Reparaz, Brian Lim, Elodie Ferrer, Pablo Cortes, "In a post-apocalyptic world, a man takes refuge in an arcade."
This is a very short "short" from a French company. The animation scenes of ruin are very well done. Not wholly clear why the video arcade manages to work without a reliable power system but every film is allowed one improbable incident (only one ). At any rate (no spoilers), the wholly lone guy actually finds an opponent to play the game with.
New Caltech Study: Neural Networks Playing Video Games Teach Us About Our Own Brains –
When you are driving a car, your brain is taking in an enormous amount of visual information and using it to make driving decisions, such as when to brake or change lanes. The brain needs to determine what kind of information in your field of view is necessary for making these decisions. For example, the position of another car is very important, but a cloud in the sky or the color of that car does not really have an impact on the way you drive.
A new study from Caltech compares brain scans of humans playing classic Atari video games to sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) networks that have been trained to play the same games. Led by graduate student Logan Cross, the researchers compared the trained AI’s behavior with that of humans and discovered that the activity in the artificial “neurons” in the AI looked quite similar to activity in the human brain.
What I learned playing 30+ years' worth of Jeopardy! video games | Ars Technica
Accordingly, Friday may also mark the end of an era for one of video gaming's most enduring franchises (and for Trebek as an enduring digital gaming personality rivaling football's John Madden). Since the first PC releases of Jeopardy! in 1987, there have been more than 40 distinct video game versions of the quiz show released across at least 27 different platforms (that includes "Sports Edition" spin-offs and the like).
It's rare for a single gaming brand to encompass so much of gaming's short history. That's especially true for a licensed brand that's not controlled by a single company—GameTek, Rare, Hasbro, Atari, Sony, THQ, and Ubisoft have all been attached to Jeopardy! games over the years.
The Video Games WIRED Loved Most in 2020 | WIRED
In any normal year, a list of the 10 best recently released video games would adequately encompass that year in games. Not in 2020.
The best way to describe the way we consumed games in 2020 was as "comfort food." Sticking the same pack of over-buttered popcorn in the microwave every day after work just to feel something. Ordering a 4-pound bag of childhood-favorite shoestring licorice on Amazon and slurping it down within a week. There were lots of new games we adored—the stylish and sexy action indie Hades , for one, is WIRED's unofficial game of the year.
Happening on Twitter
Thrilled to have @radgametools as part of the Epic Family. We can't wait to bring your best-in-class tech to even m… https://t.co/ze4wL2ETxI EpicNewsroom Fri Jan 08 13:21:28 +0000 2021
Fortnite developers, Epic Games, has purchased a massive, abandoned mall that will become the company's new headqua… https://t.co/PEH8Yi6whg IGN Mon Jan 04 22:31:04 +0000 2021
Epic Games buys mall. https://t.co/23V8wljR0k tha_rami (from 30,000ft) Mon Jan 04 17:37:43 +0000 2021
Epic Games buys shopping mall to convert into new headquarters https://t.co/Yd8vfROEbB eurogamer (from United Kingdom) Mon Jan 04 13:55:50 +0000 2021
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