Red Dead Redemption

The crowd NPCs in Final Fantasy 15 are dumb. They sit and talk, they share food together, and they find any perch in the environment to rest, but they are brainless. Literally. They’re controlled by parasites in the environment. These particular brain worms are known as smart objects – objects placed within the levels that act as magnetic congregation points for these drones, drawing them to a table, for example, where different animations play out depending on how many other NPCs join them. This method of controlling AI has been around since the ‘80s, but newer, more efficient methods will soon be making their way into games. “The next evolution of AI is going to be crowd AI,” Square Enix lead AI researcher Youichiro Miyake tells me, via translator Ben Judd. “Before, it was smart objects forcing different actions on the characters, where next it’s going to be territories that you’ll designate as AI that will force different actions on … [Read more...] about Next-gen could make it easier for AI programmers to create more complex games

EA rolled out a new update for Origin earlier this week to plug a security breach. Origin, like many popular apps, uses a unique URL (origin://) to allow web pages to open corresponding content in the client itself. This is used to direct users to game store pages and so on, so long as they have the Origin Windows client installed. Unfortunately, EA’s implementation contained a flaw that would allow hackers to fool Origin intro running malicious code. All the victim needs to do is click an Origin link. This flaw was brought to light by researches Daley Bee, and Dominik Penner, who provided TechCrunch with a proof-of-concept code. According to the site, the code could also be used to launch Windows PowerShell, which is often used to install ransomware. The good news is that EA fixed the issue in a hotfix released on Monday, so make sure your Origin client is updated. This is actually Origin’s second security snafu in recent memory. In November last year, EA fixed a bug … [Read more...] about Origin update fixes major vulnerability

Like a few other models, Seagate drives are optimised for consoles. As such, you’ll only need to plug in and you’re ready to go – no finicky installs or expert data wrangling required. Even better, this sleek beast comes in at about the same height as your average pencil, which considering it can hold up to around 200 games or 60 installs of Red Dead Redemption 2, makes it handy purchase for folks that love their games. As a desktop based model, it will require a mains connection, unlike the Seagate portable external hard drives . It’s also covered by a two-year warranty. If the Seagate model is not the one for you, give our PlayStation 4 or Xbox One storage guides a go – there’s something in there for everyone. … [Read more...] about Get a 6TB Seagate hard drive for £95

Much like a Netflix for games, Xbox Game Pass gives you access to over 200 titles. These include an array of games new, old (such as Xbox 360 classics) and rather strange. Regular updates ensure new content with each passing month, while Microsoft exclusives such as Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon become available on Game Pass immediately following launch. Games such as The Walking Dead: Michonne and RPG Vampyr have already arrived this month, joining earlier additions Fallout 4 and Just Cause 4, among others. Note that Xbox Game Pass is separate from Xbox Live Gold, which grants you online multiplayer, plus additional deals and free titles. Next up, the current EA offer grants you a full year of unbridled EA Access for £14.99 – saving you 25 per cent off the usual price. Over 50 Xbox titles are contained within EA’s games library – dubbed The Vault. These include instalments from the Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Need for Speed, and Battlefield … [Read more...] about Get 6 months of Xbox Game Pass for £24 -Plus a year’s EA Access for £15

The mighty Humble Bundle store has discounted vast swathes of its Total War catalogue, whether you’re looking to command the troops as Napoleon, or control hordes of unhinged mutant rat-people planning to blow up the moon (can’t get enough of that Total War: Warhammer goodness). With full titles starting from as low as £1.74, and plenty of ginormous discounts to be had on expansions to boot, any strategy fans will definitely want to be taking a look at the Humble Store this weekend. First up, you Kendo the entire Total War: Shotgun 2 Collection for under £10 – considering the full price veers more toward £40, this is one splendid deal. Its stand alone expansion, Total War: Shogun 2- Fall of the Samurai has also been reduced to £6.24. Furthermore, the original Shogun: Total War and its expansion Mongol Invasion can be netted for the princely sum of £1.74. On the fantasy front, Total War: Warhammer is now … [Read more...] about Up to 75% off all Total War this weekend at Humble Bundle – deals from £1.74