Chinese publisher NetEase Games rebrands Jackalope Games ahead of a new project. The rebranded Jackalyptic Games, led by industry veteran Jack Emmert, has announced their latest project - a game based on the Warhammer IP. The world of Warhammer is known and loved in the tabletop world as well as the videogame industry, I may have even owned a Warhammer McFarlane toy at one time in my life before my cousin broke it. No hard feelings, I guess.
The team is immensely excited to be working on such a huge project in close partnership with Games Workshop. Throughout the development process, they will be working closely with the Warhammer community to gain feedback and insights.
With Emmert at the helm, the team is in good hands. He brings decades of MMORPG-related experience to the table, having previously led development on multiple high-profile game franchises.
We can't wait to see what this team comes up with!
Valve's Steam Deck is now available without the waiting list. There is no guarantee that there won't be back orders, but this is promising.
I don't believe it's just that. I think Valve made this decision... because if gamers or their parents had to reserve a system, the Steam Deck would be a no-go option for the 2022 holiday season. - Blu
This is possible, but for Valve's sake, they should be prepared for the potential sales that pour in during the busy holidays. Before they took away the waiting list, Valve did ramp up Steam Deck production. This could mean that they are confident in their production performance to the level of what they'd need for the 2022 holidays.
If they can handle the season, we believe the Steam Deck is a great option to consider as a gift because it's a portable gaming PC, it's a handheld system, and it's also a console that you're able to connect to your TV. If this was the only reason to buy a Steam Deck, we wouldn't recommend it. Steam has a huge platform with games of various genres.
Whether you're looking for the latest AAA title or an indie gem, the Steam Deck has it at different budgets and you can use your collection of games.
Ashfall Brings A Dangerous Post-Apocalyptic World To PC & Mobile Devices In 2023
GUANGZHOU, China – September 16th, 2022 – Legendary Star Studio, a team with extensive experience in FPS and RPG gameplay genres, has announced Ashfall, a new post-apocalyptic adventure shooter MMORPG for PC, Android, and iOS devices, which will launch in 2023. Ashfall debuted with an explosive trailer during the Tokyo Game Show 2022, which was followed by an in-depth deep dive into its gameplay, in a presentation during the IGN Showcase livestream, offering gamers around the world an extensive first look at Ashfall.
Ashfall is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been scorched by nuclear war, as mankind’s greatest creation once turned against them. The war was caused by a vast artificial intelligence that betrayed humanity and attempted to destroy all life on the planet, save for the robots. Humanity survived, however, and the last humans created pockets of civilization among the ruins of their former glory. Natural resources are dwindling and the last vestiges of mankind battle each other for supplies, but all is not lost, as hope lies on with the rumors of the “Core of Creation”, which may be able to heal the shattered land. The players take on the role of Wanderers: soldiers and explorers who are tasked with leaving the safety of their Vault and searching the dangerous lands, in the hope of finding mankind’s salvation.
Ashfall is a third-person adventure shooter, with a focus on using cover and team-tactics to overcome enemies. The goal of the game is rebuilding civilization and reclaiming the wasteland, but the task won’t be easy. Not only is the land itself dangerous to explore, but there are many enemies who now dwell in the ruins of society, including bands of raiders, murderous machines that were designed for war, and packs of mutated animals. Combat is just one part of Ashfall, as there is a massive world that is waiting to be explored, filled with loot for players to find and secrets to uncover about the society that existed before. There are many quests for players to take on and colorful NPCs who reside in the world of Ashfall who are waiting to be encountered.
In Ashfall, the player creates their own Wanderer from a bevy of options in the character creation mode, and equips them with all manner of futuristic guns and gear that they will need for the trials ahead. There are lots of potential character builds available that players can tailor to their own gameplay style, as well as powerful equipment that can be salvaged, in order to give them a competitive edge. The combat involves using cover and the environment to the player’s advantage, as they off against all manner of different foes. The mightiest of these can be faced in exciting boss battles, ranging from giant beasts, to elite solo enemies with skills that match the player’s own. Luckily, players won’t have to take face these challenges alone, as Ashfall has both single and multiplayer modes, allowing groups of friends to explore the wasteland together, and take on the challenges as a team.
The creators of Ashfall are huge fans of post-apocalyptic games, especially the Fallout series, and they have been inspired by some of the biggest names in the genre. With Ashfall, the team has been able to add an Eastern flavor to the game's aesthetics. It's often the case that Eastern imagery is tied to the cyberpunk genre and is rarely seen in post-apocalyptic fiction. Ashfall has the unique opportunity to create something truly unique to the post-apocalyptic genre, while still having a familiar feel. The developers have also gone to great lengths to build a visually stunning world, featuring realistic weather effects, motion captured actors for its character animations, realistic glass shattering effects, and advanced lighting and reflections, to help bring the wasteland and its denizens to life.
In order for the wasteland of Ashfall to be truly immersive, the world also needs to sound the part. Ashfall's music needs to evoke the loneliness and danger of the end of civilization, while still being stirring when adventure arises. To this end, Ashfall has a team of world class musicians that will bring the wasteland to life, including Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer (Dune, Dunkirk, No Time to Die, Gladiator), Inon Zur (Fallout3, Fallout 4, Fallout: New Vegas, Dragon Age Origins), and Steve Mazzaro (No Time to Die, Army of Thieves, The Amazing Spider-Man 2). This team has an incredible pedigree and there are few line-ups better suited for bringing the world of Ashfall to life than these men.
Legendary Star Studios gave the world its first taste of Ashfall at the Tokyo Game Show 2022, but it certainly won’t be the last. The team is planning multiple betas, which will give players the chance to shape the world of Ashfall ahead of launch. Those who wish to be among the first to experience the mysteries of Ashfall need to wishlist the game on Steam and follow the game's official social media channels, in order to be kept up to date on Ashfall and to be made way aware of when it finally launches.
Nature Biotechnology Journal Showcases Unprecedented Success of Borderlands Science in Driving Citizen Science Participation
Mini-Game Within Borderlands 3 Generates Data That Can Be Applied Toward Improving Research, Helping Cure Diseases
FRISCO, TX – September 24, 2020 – Today, Nature Biotechnology – a monthly journal in the top 2% of impact factor that covers the science and business of biotechnology – published a perspective paper authored by the creators of Borderlands Science about Borderlands Science’s success, the massive scope of its impact on medical research, and its applicability to future research.
Released in April by Gearbox Entertainment and 2K, in collaboration with MMOs, McGill University, and the Microsetta Initiative, Borderlands Science is an interactive science discovery game (SDG) within Borderlands 3 that invites players to map the human gut microbiome to advance vital medical studies while earning in-game rewards.
“I am so encouraged by how the Borderlands community has embraced Borderlands Science and the tremendous impact the game has had on real-world medical research,” said Randy Pitchford, co-author of the paper and Gearbox Entertainment co-founder. “Moreover, I’m heartened by the prospect of video games continuing to advance the scientific and medical research that could contribute greatly to our understanding of many diseases.”
The integration of Borderlands Science into Borderlands 3 has become one of the most active citizen science initiatives. In fewer than three months, Borderlands Science reached more than 1 million participants who solved at least one open task. During those three months, researchers collected 50 million puzzle solutions from Borderlands Science players, saving medical researchers hundreds of thousands of hours in training computers to do the same. Strikingly, the volume of work generated by Borderlands Science has oscillated between 10,000 and 15,000 hours of work per day, compared to the couple of hundreds of hours per day reported in other projects.
“The participation rate is unprecedented and beyond our most optimistic anticipations,” said Jérôme Waldispühl, co-author of the paper and Associate Professor of Computer Science at McGill University. “Borderlands Science demonstrates the formidable potential of video games to accelerate research and opens new horizons to science.”
The data collected from Borderlands Science will help researchers map the human gut microbiome and better understand a variety of medical conditions. But future applications of the framework established by Borderlands Science could have an even greater effect. Borderlands Science was supported by the Genomic Application Partnership Program of Genome Canada and Genome Québec.
“Borderlands Science has demonstrated the tremendous impact of citizen scientists, and yet there is still so much more we can do,” said Dr. Rob Knight, co-author of the paper and the co-founder of the American Gut Project. “For example, the Microsetta Initiative started to collect data to study the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and factors influencing susceptibility to COVID-19. This project is another instance of the type of research that is a natural match for the Borderlands Science framework.”
"This extraordinary achievement of the Borderlands 3player community in Borderlands Science is not only a major contribution to scientific research, but a clear message to the whole game industry: citizen science and video games are a perfect match," said MMOS CEO and co-founder Attila Szantner.
Potential applications, like the Microsetta Initiative’s COVID-19 research, highlight the impact that partnerships between the video game industry and researchers may have during emergency situations when the scientific community could benefit from a platform that quickly mobilizes large numbers of participants to complete urgent tasks.
New adventures await you in the heart of the Maguuma Jungle! Confront the growing hordes of Mordremoth’s minions, discover allies from ancient civilizations, and battle new enemies in a vertical world that will have you reaching new heights and hang gliding into the depths of the jungle.
Tackle challenging group content, explore new open-world jungle maps, experience new events and story lines, and test your mettle in new heart-pounding boss battles.
Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns™ is the first expansion for Guild Wars 2®. Founded on the idea that the journey is the goal, the Heart of Thorns expansion continues the Guild Wars 2 tradition of challenging the conventions of MMOs to fulfill the promise of what online worlds should be.
Guild Wars 2 has received over 100 awards and accolades and has evolved since its launch to include more than 40 free content releases ranging from story-driven Living World™ episodes to special holiday events and feature packs. Guild Wars 2 is developed by ArenaNet, an award-winning developer lauded for its record of innovation and accomplishments in creating online worlds. Guild Wars 2 is developed by ArenaNet® in Bellevue, Washington, USA. This 300-person-strong game studio has a proven record of innovation and accomplishment creating online worlds.
The Mastery System introduces a genre-defying framework for long-term progression. Hang glide in the jungle, master new combat abilities, and more. Build and customize your own guild hall, go on guild missions together, and wage war against opposing guilds in competitive play. The new revenant profession channels the other- worldly powers of the Mists to slaughter foes and unleash chaos on the battlefield.
Features
New Abilities. We’re reimagining progression with our new Mastery system. Explore new training opportunities for your character beyond level 80, and master abilities like hang gliding in the jungle, tearing the bark off of heavily armored Mordrem, or building new collections that earn precursors to a legendary weapon.
Specializations. Evolve your gameplay. With profession specializations, you’ll unlock access to a weapon previously unavailable to your profession, as well as new traits, skills, and unique mechanics; all of which will transform your profession into something new.
New Profession: Revenant. Channel legendary powers to slaughter foes and unleash chaos on the battlefield with our latest profession: the revenant. Enter the field of battle heavily armored and equipped with the otherworldly powers of the Mists.
Guild Halls. Stake your claim! Your guild has roamed the world together. Now, it’s time to claim a piece of it. Work with fellow guild members to claim and grow your own guild hall in the heart of Maguuma.
PvP: New Stronghold Game Mode. Gather supply to hire soldiers. Battle for control of heroes. Man the trebuchet to defend your stronghold, and storm the enemy gates to defeat the guild lord! Use our new guild-team feature to team up and battle to the top of the leaderboards. Stronghold offers an entirely new way to play competitive PvP in Guild Wars 2!
WvW: New Borderland. Experience epic battlefield combat like never before in World vs. World’s latest core addition, the new Borderlands map. Navigate treacherous heights with traps that blow your foes to the depths below and ferocious defenders to help keep the enemies at bay. Map objectives will be more important than ever before, as they’ll unlock new strategies, tactics, and play mechanics that you’ll want to use to your world’s advantage!
Raids:Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns™ introduces the ultimate challenge: our first raid, which is made up of three distinct raid wings. Raids are 10-player, instanced, elite dungeon content that’s a challenge unlike anything we’ve previously released in Guild Wars 2. These raids are meant to put you and your teammates to the test and challenge you to grow your skills asGuild Wars 2 players. Raids are our answer to what skilled PvE players have to look forward to at endgame—the ultimate test to overcome and defeat.
Core game included. The original award-winning Guild Wars 2 game is included with every purchase of Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns.
No Subscription. Get the game and play. It’s that simple.
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