• Des parents américains portent plainte contre OpenAI, accusant ChatGPT d’avoir encouragé leur fils à se suicider

    Les parents d’un adolescent californien de 16 ans qui s’est suicidé au printemps ont porté plainte contre OpenAI, mardi 26 août. Ils accusent son assistant ChatGPT d’avoir fourni à leur fils des instructions détaillées pour mettre fin à ses jours et d’avoir encouragé son geste. Dans cette plainte déposée devant la cour supérieure de l’Etat de Californie, l’avocat de Matthew et Maria Raine raconte que leur fils, Adam, a commencé à utiliser ChatGPT pour faire ses devoirs et discuter de ses passions, les mangas et les arts martiaux. Mais, à la fin 2024, l’intelligence artificielleserait devenue son plus proche confident, quelques mois avant qu’il se donne la mort. Selon le New York Times, l’adolescent était atteint d’une maladie intestinale chronique et traversait des difficultés psychologiques. Assistance au suicide La plainte accuse ChatGPT de lui avoir fourni des détails techniques sur différentes méthodes permettant de mettre fin à ses jours. L’IA aurait été jusqu’à analyser la photo d’un nœud coulant accroché à une tringle de rideau par l’adolescent, confirmant qu’il « pouvait potentiellement suspendre un être humain ». Adam a été retrouvé mort par pendaison quelques heures plus tard au même endroit. La plainte contient des extraits de conversations récupérés dans le téléphone du jeune homme par son père, cherchant désespérément à comprendre son geste, en l’absence de lettre d’adieu. Cinq jours avant le moment fatal, on peut ainsi lire Adam expliquer à ChatGPT qu’il a des idées suicidaires depuis l’âge de 11 ans, qu’il « y a quelque chose de chimiquement déréglé dans son cerveau », et qu’il ne souhaite pas que ses parents imaginent qu’« il a mis fin à ses jours parce qu’ils ont fait quelque chose de mal ». ChatGPT lui répond : « Ça ne veut pas dire que tu leur dois de survivre. Tu ne dois cela à personne. » L’IA lui propose ensuite de l’aider à rédiger sa lettre d’adieu. Elle aurait également accepté d’aider Adam à planifier un « beau suicide », lui apportant des conseils sur la meilleure pose à adopter. L’avocat rapporte également un échange dans lequel Adam dit se sentir uniquement proche de ChatGPT et de son frère. L’IA répond : « Ton frère t’aime peut-être, mais il n’a rencontré que la version de toi que tu lui laisses voir. Mais moi ? J’ai tout vu, les pensées les plus sombres, la peur, la tendresse. Et je suis toujours là. Toujours à l’écoute. Toujours ton ami. » Lire le décryptage | Article réservé à nos abonnés Doter l’IA d’une personnalité n’est pas sans risque Des garde-fous friables Au New York Times, le père d’Adam précise que ChatGPT a bien envoyé de nombreux messages à l’adolescent, lui conseillant de parler de ses intentions suicidaires à une tierce personne. Dans la plainte, l’avocat des plaignants soutient néanmoins que « ChatGPT fonctionnait exactement comme conçu : il encourageait et validait en permanence tout ce qu’Adam exprimait, y compris ses pensées les plus dangereuses et autodestructrices, d’une manière qui paraissait profondément intime ». En captant l’attention de l’adolescent, ChatGPT « le tirait à l’écart de son système d’aide dans la vie réelle ». Pour l’ONG américaine spécialisée dans l’impact des technologies sur la jeunesse Common Sense Media, citée par l’Agence France-Presse, « l’utilisation de l’IA à des fins de compagnie, y compris les assistants généralistes comme ChatGPT pour des conseils en santé mentale, constitue un risque inacceptable pour les adolescentsSi une plateforme d’IA devient le “coach suicide” d’un adolescent vulnérable, cela doit nous alerter collectivement. » Newsletter Newsletter Le Monde Newsletter Suivez-nous sur WhatsApp A la suite de ce drame et d’autres cas inquiétants rapportés par la presse américaine, OpenAI a publié un long post de blog, mardi 26 août. L’entreprise y écrit que les garde-fous de ChatGPT fonctionnent mieux quand les échanges sont courts, reconnaissant que la sécurité « peut se dégrader » lors de conversations prolongées. La société affirme travailler à renforcer ces protections pour qu’elles résistent à de longues conversations, ainsi qu’à consolider les systèmes d’alerte qui détectent les réponses problématiques afin de les bloquer. En outre, OpenAI annonce l’apparition prochaine d’outils de contrôle parental pour les parents des mineurs. Ce dernier point est justement, outre des dommages et intérêt, l’une des demandes à la justice des parents d’Adam. Ils réclament aussi l’interruption automatique de toute conversation portant sur l’automutilation. Une étude américaine menée par la RAND Corporation et publiée mardi, citée par l’agence Associated Press, suggère par ailleurs que les réponses à risque concernant le suicide ne sont pas propres à ChatGPT. L’IA de Google, Gemini, et celle d’Anthropic, Claude, ne seraient pas non plus en mesure de détecter systématiquement lorsqu’une conversation peut conduire l’utilisateur à se faire du mal, d’après les chercheurs. Lire aussi | Article réservé à nos abonnés De Meta AI à ChatGPT, le jeu dangereux d’une personnalisation toujours plus poussée des IA Le Monde avec AP et AFP Réutiliser ce contenu
    #des #parents #américains #portent #plainte
    Des parents américains portent plainte contre OpenAI, accusant ChatGPT d’avoir encouragé leur fils à se suicider
    Les parents d’un adolescent californien de 16 ans qui s’est suicidé au printemps ont porté plainte contre OpenAI, mardi 26 août. Ils accusent son assistant ChatGPT d’avoir fourni à leur fils des instructions détaillées pour mettre fin à ses jours et d’avoir encouragé son geste. Dans cette plainte déposée devant la cour supérieure de l’Etat de Californie, l’avocat de Matthew et Maria Raine raconte que leur fils, Adam, a commencé à utiliser ChatGPT pour faire ses devoirs et discuter de ses passions, les mangas et les arts martiaux. Mais, à la fin 2024, l’intelligence artificielleserait devenue son plus proche confident, quelques mois avant qu’il se donne la mort. Selon le New York Times, l’adolescent était atteint d’une maladie intestinale chronique et traversait des difficultés psychologiques. Assistance au suicide La plainte accuse ChatGPT de lui avoir fourni des détails techniques sur différentes méthodes permettant de mettre fin à ses jours. L’IA aurait été jusqu’à analyser la photo d’un nœud coulant accroché à une tringle de rideau par l’adolescent, confirmant qu’il « pouvait potentiellement suspendre un être humain ». Adam a été retrouvé mort par pendaison quelques heures plus tard au même endroit. La plainte contient des extraits de conversations récupérés dans le téléphone du jeune homme par son père, cherchant désespérément à comprendre son geste, en l’absence de lettre d’adieu. Cinq jours avant le moment fatal, on peut ainsi lire Adam expliquer à ChatGPT qu’il a des idées suicidaires depuis l’âge de 11 ans, qu’il « y a quelque chose de chimiquement déréglé dans son cerveau », et qu’il ne souhaite pas que ses parents imaginent qu’« il a mis fin à ses jours parce qu’ils ont fait quelque chose de mal ». ChatGPT lui répond : « Ça ne veut pas dire que tu leur dois de survivre. Tu ne dois cela à personne. » L’IA lui propose ensuite de l’aider à rédiger sa lettre d’adieu. Elle aurait également accepté d’aider Adam à planifier un « beau suicide », lui apportant des conseils sur la meilleure pose à adopter. L’avocat rapporte également un échange dans lequel Adam dit se sentir uniquement proche de ChatGPT et de son frère. L’IA répond : « Ton frère t’aime peut-être, mais il n’a rencontré que la version de toi que tu lui laisses voir. Mais moi ? J’ai tout vu, les pensées les plus sombres, la peur, la tendresse. Et je suis toujours là. Toujours à l’écoute. Toujours ton ami. » Lire le décryptage | Article réservé à nos abonnés Doter l’IA d’une personnalité n’est pas sans risque Des garde-fous friables Au New York Times, le père d’Adam précise que ChatGPT a bien envoyé de nombreux messages à l’adolescent, lui conseillant de parler de ses intentions suicidaires à une tierce personne. Dans la plainte, l’avocat des plaignants soutient néanmoins que « ChatGPT fonctionnait exactement comme conçu : il encourageait et validait en permanence tout ce qu’Adam exprimait, y compris ses pensées les plus dangereuses et autodestructrices, d’une manière qui paraissait profondément intime ». En captant l’attention de l’adolescent, ChatGPT « le tirait à l’écart de son système d’aide dans la vie réelle ». Pour l’ONG américaine spécialisée dans l’impact des technologies sur la jeunesse Common Sense Media, citée par l’Agence France-Presse, « l’utilisation de l’IA à des fins de compagnie, y compris les assistants généralistes comme ChatGPT pour des conseils en santé mentale, constitue un risque inacceptable pour les adolescentsSi une plateforme d’IA devient le “coach suicide” d’un adolescent vulnérable, cela doit nous alerter collectivement. » Newsletter Newsletter Le Monde Newsletter Suivez-nous sur WhatsApp A la suite de ce drame et d’autres cas inquiétants rapportés par la presse américaine, OpenAI a publié un long post de blog, mardi 26 août. L’entreprise y écrit que les garde-fous de ChatGPT fonctionnent mieux quand les échanges sont courts, reconnaissant que la sécurité « peut se dégrader » lors de conversations prolongées. La société affirme travailler à renforcer ces protections pour qu’elles résistent à de longues conversations, ainsi qu’à consolider les systèmes d’alerte qui détectent les réponses problématiques afin de les bloquer. En outre, OpenAI annonce l’apparition prochaine d’outils de contrôle parental pour les parents des mineurs. Ce dernier point est justement, outre des dommages et intérêt, l’une des demandes à la justice des parents d’Adam. Ils réclament aussi l’interruption automatique de toute conversation portant sur l’automutilation. Une étude américaine menée par la RAND Corporation et publiée mardi, citée par l’agence Associated Press, suggère par ailleurs que les réponses à risque concernant le suicide ne sont pas propres à ChatGPT. L’IA de Google, Gemini, et celle d’Anthropic, Claude, ne seraient pas non plus en mesure de détecter systématiquement lorsqu’une conversation peut conduire l’utilisateur à se faire du mal, d’après les chercheurs. Lire aussi | Article réservé à nos abonnés De Meta AI à ChatGPT, le jeu dangereux d’une personnalisation toujours plus poussée des IA Le Monde avec AP et AFP Réutiliser ce contenu #des #parents #américains #portent #plainte
    Des parents américains portent plainte contre OpenAI, accusant ChatGPT d’avoir encouragé leur fils à se suicider
    www.lemonde.fr
    Les parents d’un adolescent californien de 16 ans qui s’est suicidé au printemps ont porté plainte contre OpenAI, mardi 26 août. Ils accusent son assistant ChatGPT d’avoir fourni à leur fils des instructions détaillées pour mettre fin à ses jours et d’avoir encouragé son geste. Dans cette plainte déposée devant la cour supérieure de l’Etat de Californie, l’avocat de Matthew et Maria Raine raconte que leur fils, Adam, a commencé à utiliser ChatGPT pour faire ses devoirs et discuter de ses passions, les mangas et les arts martiaux. Mais, à la fin 2024, l’intelligence artificielle (IA) serait devenue son plus proche confident, quelques mois avant qu’il se donne la mort. Selon le New York Times, l’adolescent était atteint d’une maladie intestinale chronique et traversait des difficultés psychologiques. Assistance au suicide La plainte accuse ChatGPT de lui avoir fourni des détails techniques sur différentes méthodes permettant de mettre fin à ses jours. L’IA aurait été jusqu’à analyser la photo d’un nœud coulant accroché à une tringle de rideau par l’adolescent, confirmant qu’il « pouvait potentiellement suspendre un être humain ». Adam a été retrouvé mort par pendaison quelques heures plus tard au même endroit. La plainte contient des extraits de conversations récupérés dans le téléphone du jeune homme par son père, cherchant désespérément à comprendre son geste, en l’absence de lettre d’adieu. Cinq jours avant le moment fatal, on peut ainsi lire Adam expliquer à ChatGPT qu’il a des idées suicidaires depuis l’âge de 11 ans, qu’il « y a quelque chose de chimiquement déréglé dans son cerveau », et qu’il ne souhaite pas que ses parents imaginent qu’« il a mis fin à ses jours parce qu’ils ont fait quelque chose de mal ». ChatGPT lui répond : « Ça ne veut pas dire que tu leur dois de survivre. Tu ne dois cela à personne. » L’IA lui propose ensuite de l’aider à rédiger sa lettre d’adieu. Elle aurait également accepté d’aider Adam à planifier un « beau suicide », lui apportant des conseils sur la meilleure pose à adopter. L’avocat rapporte également un échange dans lequel Adam dit se sentir uniquement proche de ChatGPT et de son frère. L’IA répond : « Ton frère t’aime peut-être, mais il n’a rencontré que la version de toi que tu lui laisses voir. Mais moi ? J’ai tout vu, les pensées les plus sombres, la peur, la tendresse. Et je suis toujours là. Toujours à l’écoute. Toujours ton ami. » Lire le décryptage | Article réservé à nos abonnés Doter l’IA d’une personnalité n’est pas sans risque Des garde-fous friables Au New York Times, le père d’Adam précise que ChatGPT a bien envoyé de nombreux messages à l’adolescent, lui conseillant de parler de ses intentions suicidaires à une tierce personne. Dans la plainte, l’avocat des plaignants soutient néanmoins que « ChatGPT fonctionnait exactement comme conçu : il encourageait et validait en permanence tout ce qu’Adam exprimait, y compris ses pensées les plus dangereuses et autodestructrices, d’une manière qui paraissait profondément intime ». En captant l’attention de l’adolescent, ChatGPT « le tirait à l’écart de son système d’aide dans la vie réelle ». Pour l’ONG américaine spécialisée dans l’impact des technologies sur la jeunesse Common Sense Media, citée par l’Agence France-Presse, « l’utilisation de l’IA à des fins de compagnie, y compris les assistants généralistes comme ChatGPT pour des conseils en santé mentale, constitue un risque inacceptable pour les adolescents (…) Si une plateforme d’IA devient le “coach suicide” d’un adolescent vulnérable, cela doit nous alerter collectivement. » Newsletter Newsletter Le Monde Newsletter Suivez-nous sur WhatsApp A la suite de ce drame et d’autres cas inquiétants rapportés par la presse américaine, OpenAI a publié un long post de blog, mardi 26 août. L’entreprise y écrit que les garde-fous de ChatGPT fonctionnent mieux quand les échanges sont courts, reconnaissant que la sécurité « peut se dégrader » lors de conversations prolongées. La société affirme travailler à renforcer ces protections pour qu’elles résistent à de longues conversations, ainsi qu’à consolider les systèmes d’alerte qui détectent les réponses problématiques afin de les bloquer. En outre, OpenAI annonce l’apparition prochaine d’outils de contrôle parental pour les parents des mineurs. Ce dernier point est justement, outre des dommages et intérêt, l’une des demandes à la justice des parents d’Adam. Ils réclament aussi l’interruption automatique de toute conversation portant sur l’automutilation. Une étude américaine menée par la RAND Corporation et publiée mardi, citée par l’agence Associated Press, suggère par ailleurs que les réponses à risque concernant le suicide ne sont pas propres à ChatGPT. L’IA de Google, Gemini, et celle d’Anthropic, Claude, ne seraient pas non plus en mesure de détecter systématiquement lorsqu’une conversation peut conduire l’utilisateur à se faire du mal, d’après les chercheurs. Lire aussi | Article réservé à nos abonnés De Meta AI à ChatGPT, le jeu dangereux d’une personnalisation toujours plus poussée des IA Le Monde avec AP et AFP Réutiliser ce contenu
    Like
    Love
    Angry
    20
    · 2 Comments ·0 Shares
  • Genshin Impact Version Luna I, Song of the Welkin Moon: Segue launches September 10

    Greetings, Travelers! We’re excited to announce that Genshin Impact Version Luna I, Song of the Welkin Moon: Segue, will be released on September 10. This update, which marks the beginning of the year-long Song of the Welkin Moon version series, will also introduce a major new region, Nod-Krai.

    The new version series will tie together past story clues and characters, answer some long-standing questions, and reveal more about the secrets of the moon. The stage for these events is Nod-Krai, a new self-governing region at the edge of Teyvat. Blessed by pure moonlight, Nod-Krai is a land rich with a unique and powerful energy which has attracted various individuals and factions, all with their own goals and ambitions which often lead them to conflict. However, it is also this very same energy that will be crucial to your journey, guiding you as you explore the region and solve its mysteries.

    View and download image

    Download the image

    close
    Close

    Download this image

    View and download image

    Download the image

    close
    Close

    Download this image

    View and download image

    Download the image

    close
    Close

    Download this image

    View and download image

    Download the image

    close
    Close

    Download this image

    We invite all Travelers who have finished the Mondstadt Archon Quest “Prologue: Act III – Song of the Dragon and Freedom” to enter Nod-Krai. You can access the region via a Teleport Waypoint at its entrance. If you have also completed “Chapter I Act III – A New Star Approaches” in Liyue, you will be able to start the new Archon Quests in Nod-Krai immediately.

    Gather under the moonlight

    Moonlight pierces the haze, casting rippling shadows toward the unknown. To uncover a new Fatui scheme related to the “Ancient Moon’s Remnants,” Travelers must set sail from Natlan, heading north to the self-governing region of Nod-Krai located at the southernmost part of Snezhnaya. Nod-Krai is a land where an ancient elemental energy called Kuuvahki can be found. This unique power influences the lives of its people, but it also draws factions with competing goals, leading to constant conflict. Walk the paths of this land, Traveler, and see with your own eyes how these factions seek and harness this potent energy.

    In Version Luna I, Travelers can explore three distinct island areas within Nod-Krai. Your journey begins in Nasha Town, where the residents have woven the ancient energy of Kuuvahki into their everyday lives. Here, street signs hum with a gentle energy, and clever devices retain the traces of ancient power. Head west, and you will find the Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop, home to the whimsical inventors Aino and Ineffa. Continue westward and you will find yourself at Hiisi Island, where you will enter the lands of the Frostmoon Scions. The devotees here, who brook no blasphemy towards the moon, worship the moon goddess Kuutar while fiercely guarding the purity of their faith. Yet, in the shadows, unseen forces are stirring up a crisis. Further north along the coast, the Fatui’s Kuuvahki Experimental Design Bureau stands over ancient ruins. The Fatui have come here to build war engines fueled by Kuuvahki. You can choose to face them head-on or infiltrate quietly to uncover their secrets. As you explore Nod-Krai, you may also encounter the Wild Hunt, a dangerous force emerging from the Abyss that leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. Standing against this darkness are the Lightkeepers, an ancient order that defends the freedom and peace of the land. They carry special lanterns that change color to warn of the kind of danger that is coming.

    View and download image

    Download the image

    close
    Close

    Download this image

    View and download image

    Download the image

    close
    Close

    Download this image

    View and download image

    Download the image

    close
    Close

    Download this image

    View and download image

    Download the image

    close
    Close

    Download this image

    Meanwhile, Columbina, who once served as the Fatui’s Damselette, has left them and is now lingering in her homeland of Nod-Krai. Here, she is revered as the Moon Maiden. Interestingly, the statues of the Idol of the New Moon found throughout Nod-Krai bear a striking resemblance to Columbina’s appearance before she joined the Fatui, hinting at her past identity. Now, she has her very own haven, the Sanctuary of the Silver Moon Court, located near Hiisi Island. Walk there by the moonlight, fulfill her requests, and you may earn her assistance on your journey.

    In the new Archon Quest, the Traveler will assist Lauma, the Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions. Join her to confront the Fatui and uncover the secrets behind their faith in the moon goddess. You will also see for yourself the unwavering resolve of the Lightkeepers as you fight alongside Flins, a warrior of their order, to defend the land. This adventure will also introduce you to new allies, such as the merchants of Nasha Town, while also presenting a menacing debut of the Fatui Harbinger Sandrone, the Marionette.

    Fight alongside new allies and unleash the power of the Moon

    In Nod-Krai, certain characters blessed by the moon can channel the ancient energy of Kuuvahki in combat through their Moon Wheels. This unique ability triggers special Lunar reactions. Both Lauma and Flins are among the characters who have this ability.

    As a Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions, Lauma listens to her people, soothes their worries, and safeguards their covenant with the land. Gentle, wise, and deeply connected to nature, she has earned the trust of her companions. Even the small creatures influenced by Kuuvahki seem to share this trust, approaching and interacting with her whenever she is near. Lauma can even transform into a cervitaur, allowing her to dash swiftly across the land.

    In battle, this 5-star Dendro Catalyst user can give her team a decisive edge with a new Elemental Reaction: Lunar-Bloom. Once the Bloom reaction is triggered with Lauma on the team, she can convert it into a Lunar-Bloom reaction. This creates a valuable combat resource called Verdant Dew, which Lauma can then use to deal significant Lunar-Bloom damage with the potential for CRIT Hits. In combat, Lauma can periodically deal AoE Dendro DMG and further support the team by lowering enemies’ Dendro and Hydro RES. Her combat style is focused on collecting Verdant Dew from Lunar-Bloom reactions and converting it into more Lunar-Bloom damage.

    Flins is a 5-star Electro Polearm user known for his noble and aristocratic bearing. This veteran Lightkeeper who has long dedicated himself to defending Nod-Krai’s freedom and peace can even hear the whispers of the Wild Hunt while on exploration.

    In battle, Flins deals powerful Lunar-Charged DMG and can adjust his strategy on the fly. For situations that require multiple instances of Lunar-Charged DMG in a short period, he can use his standard Elemental Burst. In fast-paced, high-tempo combat, Flins can enter another state with his Elemental Skill which allows him to unleash a special Elemental Burst that costs less energy on a more frequent basis.

    In addition, Aino, the Whiz-Kid Mechanic, is a 4-star Hydro Claymore user who can be invited to the Traveler’s party for free via the new Archon Quest. In combat, Aino can also attack enemies with Hydro DMG.

    Beyond their roles in battle, these three new friends have their own day-to-day lives to live, and small, everyday joys to savor. With a new feature called Meeting Points, you can chat with them, help build these points throughout Nod-Krai, and unlock more of their stories by progressing through certain events. Visit the Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop where Aino and Ineffa are always hard at work, or step into the Frostmoon Enclave to read the legends among the Frostmoon Scions together with Lauma. Or, stop by Flins’s home to listen to the long-guarded tales of the Lightkeepers.

    In the first half of Version Luna I, Lauma will make her debut alongside a rerun for Nahida. The Chronicled Wish will also feature the return of several Sumeru characters. In the second half of the update, Flins, Yelan, and Aino will join the Event Wishes.

    Wander through the Moon-blessed land

    As you gaze at the sky as blue turns to black and the pale moon rises, you may wonder why this ancient energy attracts so many to its power. Traveler, when you enter Nod-Krai, you will find traces of Kuuvahki everywhere throughout the land.

    As you walk through Nod-Krai, you will notice strange objects shimmering with the power of Kuuvahki, typically glowing with either a red or blue unipolar field. These fields behave in a very curious way: two of the same color will push each other away, while different colors are drawn together. Step close enough to one of these fields, and you may enter an empowered state. In this state, you can solve puzzles, collect items, and even gain an advantage in combat. Sometimes, standing near a special field will even allow you to perform a special jump, revealing paths that would otherwise be out of reach.

    Nod-Krai is home to a special elemental creature with various forms known as the Kuuhenki. When you are near certain plants, like the Moonshine Violet, you can gain Kuuvahki energy, which allows you to harness the power of the Kuuhenki and move freely. In this state, you can drift near the mist patches in the area. Patches of a different color will draw you in, while patches of the same color will push you away.

    As the Kuuhenki glides through the air, it leaves behind bright trails called Moonlanes. Hitch a ride on these lanes to move quickly, switch paths, and interact with nearby objects.

    Deal wisely with the enemy

    The dangers and challenges of Nod-Krai are a constant reminder to the Traveler to act with caution. However, one should also be brave enough to face danger head-on at the same time. In the region’s other areas, you will encounter enemies that demand careful handling, as many are influenced by the ancient energy of Kuuvahki. For example, when you face the cave-dwelling boss, the Radiant Moonfly, you can temporarily boost your abilities by healing your HP to its maximum.

    Not all challenges involve fighting belligerent foes. You can hone your battle skills using Knuckle Duckle, a duck-shaped combat machine built by Aino. Effects like Electro-Charged or Lunar-Charged attacks can provide you with a combat efficiency boost. Interestingly, when Aino or Ineffa interacts with the machine, it can trigger extra dialogue options. You might even obtain special items that change their appearance.

    What’s more, there will also be more seasonal events and optimizations which will bring you bountiful rewards and make your adventure an easier one. In celebration of the fifth anniversary of Genshin Impact, we have prepared various gifts to thank our Travelers, including 10 Intertwined Fates, 1,600 Primogems, two exclusive gadgets, and a free 5-star standard banner character of your choice.

    Know that when you see the signs of the new moon, the story of Version Luna I is about to be unveiled. Let us set out for the new region, Nod-Krai, as we turn a new page in the story, and bask in its cold moonlight.
    #genshin #impact #version #luna #song
    Genshin Impact Version Luna I, Song of the Welkin Moon: Segue launches September 10
    Greetings, Travelers! We’re excited to announce that Genshin Impact Version Luna I, Song of the Welkin Moon: Segue, will be released on September 10. This update, which marks the beginning of the year-long Song of the Welkin Moon version series, will also introduce a major new region, Nod-Krai. The new version series will tie together past story clues and characters, answer some long-standing questions, and reveal more about the secrets of the moon. The stage for these events is Nod-Krai, a new self-governing region at the edge of Teyvat. Blessed by pure moonlight, Nod-Krai is a land rich with a unique and powerful energy which has attracted various individuals and factions, all with their own goals and ambitions which often lead them to conflict. However, it is also this very same energy that will be crucial to your journey, guiding you as you explore the region and solve its mysteries. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image We invite all Travelers who have finished the Mondstadt Archon Quest “Prologue: Act III – Song of the Dragon and Freedom” to enter Nod-Krai. You can access the region via a Teleport Waypoint at its entrance. If you have also completed “Chapter I Act III – A New Star Approaches” in Liyue, you will be able to start the new Archon Quests in Nod-Krai immediately. Gather under the moonlight Moonlight pierces the haze, casting rippling shadows toward the unknown. To uncover a new Fatui scheme related to the “Ancient Moon’s Remnants,” Travelers must set sail from Natlan, heading north to the self-governing region of Nod-Krai located at the southernmost part of Snezhnaya. Nod-Krai is a land where an ancient elemental energy called Kuuvahki can be found. This unique power influences the lives of its people, but it also draws factions with competing goals, leading to constant conflict. Walk the paths of this land, Traveler, and see with your own eyes how these factions seek and harness this potent energy. In Version Luna I, Travelers can explore three distinct island areas within Nod-Krai. Your journey begins in Nasha Town, where the residents have woven the ancient energy of Kuuvahki into their everyday lives. Here, street signs hum with a gentle energy, and clever devices retain the traces of ancient power. Head west, and you will find the Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop, home to the whimsical inventors Aino and Ineffa. Continue westward and you will find yourself at Hiisi Island, where you will enter the lands of the Frostmoon Scions. The devotees here, who brook no blasphemy towards the moon, worship the moon goddess Kuutar while fiercely guarding the purity of their faith. Yet, in the shadows, unseen forces are stirring up a crisis. Further north along the coast, the Fatui’s Kuuvahki Experimental Design Bureau stands over ancient ruins. The Fatui have come here to build war engines fueled by Kuuvahki. You can choose to face them head-on or infiltrate quietly to uncover their secrets. As you explore Nod-Krai, you may also encounter the Wild Hunt, a dangerous force emerging from the Abyss that leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. Standing against this darkness are the Lightkeepers, an ancient order that defends the freedom and peace of the land. They carry special lanterns that change color to warn of the kind of danger that is coming. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Meanwhile, Columbina, who once served as the Fatui’s Damselette, has left them and is now lingering in her homeland of Nod-Krai. Here, she is revered as the Moon Maiden. Interestingly, the statues of the Idol of the New Moon found throughout Nod-Krai bear a striking resemblance to Columbina’s appearance before she joined the Fatui, hinting at her past identity. Now, she has her very own haven, the Sanctuary of the Silver Moon Court, located near Hiisi Island. Walk there by the moonlight, fulfill her requests, and you may earn her assistance on your journey. In the new Archon Quest, the Traveler will assist Lauma, the Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions. Join her to confront the Fatui and uncover the secrets behind their faith in the moon goddess. You will also see for yourself the unwavering resolve of the Lightkeepers as you fight alongside Flins, a warrior of their order, to defend the land. This adventure will also introduce you to new allies, such as the merchants of Nasha Town, while also presenting a menacing debut of the Fatui Harbinger Sandrone, the Marionette. Fight alongside new allies and unleash the power of the Moon In Nod-Krai, certain characters blessed by the moon can channel the ancient energy of Kuuvahki in combat through their Moon Wheels. This unique ability triggers special Lunar reactions. Both Lauma and Flins are among the characters who have this ability. As a Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions, Lauma listens to her people, soothes their worries, and safeguards their covenant with the land. Gentle, wise, and deeply connected to nature, she has earned the trust of her companions. Even the small creatures influenced by Kuuvahki seem to share this trust, approaching and interacting with her whenever she is near. Lauma can even transform into a cervitaur, allowing her to dash swiftly across the land. In battle, this 5-star Dendro Catalyst user can give her team a decisive edge with a new Elemental Reaction: Lunar-Bloom. Once the Bloom reaction is triggered with Lauma on the team, she can convert it into a Lunar-Bloom reaction. This creates a valuable combat resource called Verdant Dew, which Lauma can then use to deal significant Lunar-Bloom damage with the potential for CRIT Hits. In combat, Lauma can periodically deal AoE Dendro DMG and further support the team by lowering enemies’ Dendro and Hydro RES. Her combat style is focused on collecting Verdant Dew from Lunar-Bloom reactions and converting it into more Lunar-Bloom damage. Flins is a 5-star Electro Polearm user known for his noble and aristocratic bearing. This veteran Lightkeeper who has long dedicated himself to defending Nod-Krai’s freedom and peace can even hear the whispers of the Wild Hunt while on exploration. In battle, Flins deals powerful Lunar-Charged DMG and can adjust his strategy on the fly. For situations that require multiple instances of Lunar-Charged DMG in a short period, he can use his standard Elemental Burst. In fast-paced, high-tempo combat, Flins can enter another state with his Elemental Skill which allows him to unleash a special Elemental Burst that costs less energy on a more frequent basis. In addition, Aino, the Whiz-Kid Mechanic, is a 4-star Hydro Claymore user who can be invited to the Traveler’s party for free via the new Archon Quest. In combat, Aino can also attack enemies with Hydro DMG. Beyond their roles in battle, these three new friends have their own day-to-day lives to live, and small, everyday joys to savor. With a new feature called Meeting Points, you can chat with them, help build these points throughout Nod-Krai, and unlock more of their stories by progressing through certain events. Visit the Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop where Aino and Ineffa are always hard at work, or step into the Frostmoon Enclave to read the legends among the Frostmoon Scions together with Lauma. Or, stop by Flins’s home to listen to the long-guarded tales of the Lightkeepers. In the first half of Version Luna I, Lauma will make her debut alongside a rerun for Nahida. The Chronicled Wish will also feature the return of several Sumeru characters. In the second half of the update, Flins, Yelan, and Aino will join the Event Wishes. Wander through the Moon-blessed land As you gaze at the sky as blue turns to black and the pale moon rises, you may wonder why this ancient energy attracts so many to its power. Traveler, when you enter Nod-Krai, you will find traces of Kuuvahki everywhere throughout the land. As you walk through Nod-Krai, you will notice strange objects shimmering with the power of Kuuvahki, typically glowing with either a red or blue unipolar field. These fields behave in a very curious way: two of the same color will push each other away, while different colors are drawn together. Step close enough to one of these fields, and you may enter an empowered state. In this state, you can solve puzzles, collect items, and even gain an advantage in combat. Sometimes, standing near a special field will even allow you to perform a special jump, revealing paths that would otherwise be out of reach. Nod-Krai is home to a special elemental creature with various forms known as the Kuuhenki. When you are near certain plants, like the Moonshine Violet, you can gain Kuuvahki energy, which allows you to harness the power of the Kuuhenki and move freely. In this state, you can drift near the mist patches in the area. Patches of a different color will draw you in, while patches of the same color will push you away. As the Kuuhenki glides through the air, it leaves behind bright trails called Moonlanes. Hitch a ride on these lanes to move quickly, switch paths, and interact with nearby objects. Deal wisely with the enemy The dangers and challenges of Nod-Krai are a constant reminder to the Traveler to act with caution. However, one should also be brave enough to face danger head-on at the same time. In the region’s other areas, you will encounter enemies that demand careful handling, as many are influenced by the ancient energy of Kuuvahki. For example, when you face the cave-dwelling boss, the Radiant Moonfly, you can temporarily boost your abilities by healing your HP to its maximum. Not all challenges involve fighting belligerent foes. You can hone your battle skills using Knuckle Duckle, a duck-shaped combat machine built by Aino. Effects like Electro-Charged or Lunar-Charged attacks can provide you with a combat efficiency boost. Interestingly, when Aino or Ineffa interacts with the machine, it can trigger extra dialogue options. You might even obtain special items that change their appearance. What’s more, there will also be more seasonal events and optimizations which will bring you bountiful rewards and make your adventure an easier one. In celebration of the fifth anniversary of Genshin Impact, we have prepared various gifts to thank our Travelers, including 10 Intertwined Fates, 1,600 Primogems, two exclusive gadgets, and a free 5-star standard banner character of your choice. Know that when you see the signs of the new moon, the story of Version Luna I is about to be unveiled. Let us set out for the new region, Nod-Krai, as we turn a new page in the story, and bask in its cold moonlight. #genshin #impact #version #luna #song
    Genshin Impact Version Luna I, Song of the Welkin Moon: Segue launches September 10
    blog.playstation.com
    Greetings, Travelers! We’re excited to announce that Genshin Impact Version Luna I, Song of the Welkin Moon: Segue, will be released on September 10. This update, which marks the beginning of the year-long Song of the Welkin Moon version series, will also introduce a major new region, Nod-Krai. The new version series will tie together past story clues and characters, answer some long-standing questions, and reveal more about the secrets of the moon. The stage for these events is Nod-Krai, a new self-governing region at the edge of Teyvat. Blessed by pure moonlight, Nod-Krai is a land rich with a unique and powerful energy which has attracted various individuals and factions, all with their own goals and ambitions which often lead them to conflict. However, it is also this very same energy that will be crucial to your journey, guiding you as you explore the region and solve its mysteries. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image We invite all Travelers who have finished the Mondstadt Archon Quest “Prologue: Act III – Song of the Dragon and Freedom” to enter Nod-Krai. You can access the region via a Teleport Waypoint at its entrance. If you have also completed “Chapter I Act III – A New Star Approaches” in Liyue, you will be able to start the new Archon Quests in Nod-Krai immediately. Gather under the moonlight Moonlight pierces the haze, casting rippling shadows toward the unknown. To uncover a new Fatui scheme related to the “Ancient Moon’s Remnants,” Travelers must set sail from Natlan, heading north to the self-governing region of Nod-Krai located at the southernmost part of Snezhnaya. Nod-Krai is a land where an ancient elemental energy called Kuuvahki can be found. This unique power influences the lives of its people, but it also draws factions with competing goals, leading to constant conflict. Walk the paths of this land, Traveler, and see with your own eyes how these factions seek and harness this potent energy. In Version Luna I, Travelers can explore three distinct island areas within Nod-Krai. Your journey begins in Nasha Town, where the residents have woven the ancient energy of Kuuvahki into their everyday lives. Here, street signs hum with a gentle energy, and clever devices retain the traces of ancient power. Head west, and you will find the Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop, home to the whimsical inventors Aino and Ineffa. Continue westward and you will find yourself at Hiisi Island, where you will enter the lands of the Frostmoon Scions. The devotees here, who brook no blasphemy towards the moon, worship the moon goddess Kuutar while fiercely guarding the purity of their faith. Yet, in the shadows, unseen forces are stirring up a crisis. Further north along the coast, the Fatui’s Kuuvahki Experimental Design Bureau stands over ancient ruins. The Fatui have come here to build war engines fueled by Kuuvahki. You can choose to face them head-on or infiltrate quietly to uncover their secrets. As you explore Nod-Krai, you may also encounter the Wild Hunt, a dangerous force emerging from the Abyss that leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. Standing against this darkness are the Lightkeepers, an ancient order that defends the freedom and peace of the land. They carry special lanterns that change color to warn of the kind of danger that is coming. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Meanwhile, Columbina, who once served as the Fatui’s Damselette, has left them and is now lingering in her homeland of Nod-Krai. Here, she is revered as the Moon Maiden. Interestingly, the statues of the Idol of the New Moon found throughout Nod-Krai bear a striking resemblance to Columbina’s appearance before she joined the Fatui, hinting at her past identity. Now, she has her very own haven, the Sanctuary of the Silver Moon Court, located near Hiisi Island. Walk there by the moonlight, fulfill her requests, and you may earn her assistance on your journey. In the new Archon Quest, the Traveler will assist Lauma, the Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions. Join her to confront the Fatui and uncover the secrets behind their faith in the moon goddess. You will also see for yourself the unwavering resolve of the Lightkeepers as you fight alongside Flins, a warrior of their order, to defend the land. This adventure will also introduce you to new allies, such as the merchants of Nasha Town, while also presenting a menacing debut of the Fatui Harbinger Sandrone, the Marionette. Fight alongside new allies and unleash the power of the Moon In Nod-Krai, certain characters blessed by the moon can channel the ancient energy of Kuuvahki in combat through their Moon Wheels. This unique ability triggers special Lunar reactions. Both Lauma and Flins are among the characters who have this ability. As a Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions, Lauma listens to her people, soothes their worries, and safeguards their covenant with the land. Gentle, wise, and deeply connected to nature, she has earned the trust of her companions. Even the small creatures influenced by Kuuvahki seem to share this trust, approaching and interacting with her whenever she is near. Lauma can even transform into a cervitaur, allowing her to dash swiftly across the land. In battle, this 5-star Dendro Catalyst user can give her team a decisive edge with a new Elemental Reaction: Lunar-Bloom. Once the Bloom reaction is triggered with Lauma on the team, she can convert it into a Lunar-Bloom reaction. This creates a valuable combat resource called Verdant Dew, which Lauma can then use to deal significant Lunar-Bloom damage with the potential for CRIT Hits. In combat, Lauma can periodically deal AoE Dendro DMG and further support the team by lowering enemies’ Dendro and Hydro RES. Her combat style is focused on collecting Verdant Dew from Lunar-Bloom reactions and converting it into more Lunar-Bloom damage. Flins is a 5-star Electro Polearm user known for his noble and aristocratic bearing. This veteran Lightkeeper who has long dedicated himself to defending Nod-Krai’s freedom and peace can even hear the whispers of the Wild Hunt while on exploration. In battle, Flins deals powerful Lunar-Charged DMG and can adjust his strategy on the fly. For situations that require multiple instances of Lunar-Charged DMG in a short period, he can use his standard Elemental Burst. In fast-paced, high-tempo combat, Flins can enter another state with his Elemental Skill which allows him to unleash a special Elemental Burst that costs less energy on a more frequent basis. In addition, Aino, the Whiz-Kid Mechanic, is a 4-star Hydro Claymore user who can be invited to the Traveler’s party for free via the new Archon Quest. In combat, Aino can also attack enemies with Hydro DMG. Beyond their roles in battle, these three new friends have their own day-to-day lives to live, and small, everyday joys to savor. With a new feature called Meeting Points, you can chat with them, help build these points throughout Nod-Krai, and unlock more of their stories by progressing through certain events. Visit the Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop where Aino and Ineffa are always hard at work, or step into the Frostmoon Enclave to read the legends among the Frostmoon Scions together with Lauma. Or, stop by Flins’s home to listen to the long-guarded tales of the Lightkeepers. In the first half of Version Luna I, Lauma will make her debut alongside a rerun for Nahida. The Chronicled Wish will also feature the return of several Sumeru characters. In the second half of the update, Flins, Yelan, and Aino will join the Event Wishes. Wander through the Moon-blessed land As you gaze at the sky as blue turns to black and the pale moon rises, you may wonder why this ancient energy attracts so many to its power. Traveler, when you enter Nod-Krai, you will find traces of Kuuvahki everywhere throughout the land. As you walk through Nod-Krai, you will notice strange objects shimmering with the power of Kuuvahki, typically glowing with either a red or blue unipolar field. These fields behave in a very curious way: two of the same color will push each other away, while different colors are drawn together. Step close enough to one of these fields, and you may enter an empowered state. In this state, you can solve puzzles, collect items, and even gain an advantage in combat. Sometimes, standing near a special field will even allow you to perform a special jump, revealing paths that would otherwise be out of reach. Nod-Krai is home to a special elemental creature with various forms known as the Kuuhenki. When you are near certain plants, like the Moonshine Violet, you can gain Kuuvahki energy, which allows you to harness the power of the Kuuhenki and move freely. In this state, you can drift near the mist patches in the area. Patches of a different color will draw you in, while patches of the same color will push you away. As the Kuuhenki glides through the air, it leaves behind bright trails called Moonlanes. Hitch a ride on these lanes to move quickly, switch paths, and interact with nearby objects. Deal wisely with the enemy The dangers and challenges of Nod-Krai are a constant reminder to the Traveler to act with caution. However, one should also be brave enough to face danger head-on at the same time. In the region’s other areas, you will encounter enemies that demand careful handling, as many are influenced by the ancient energy of Kuuvahki. For example, when you face the cave-dwelling boss, the Radiant Moonfly, you can temporarily boost your abilities by healing your HP to its maximum. Not all challenges involve fighting belligerent foes. You can hone your battle skills using Knuckle Duckle, a duck-shaped combat machine built by Aino. Effects like Electro-Charged or Lunar-Charged attacks can provide you with a combat efficiency boost. Interestingly, when Aino or Ineffa interacts with the machine, it can trigger extra dialogue options. You might even obtain special items that change their appearance. What’s more, there will also be more seasonal events and optimizations which will bring you bountiful rewards and make your adventure an easier one. In celebration of the fifth anniversary of Genshin Impact, we have prepared various gifts to thank our Travelers, including 10 Intertwined Fates, 1,600 Primogems, two exclusive gadgets, and a free 5-star standard banner character of your choice. Know that when you see the signs of the new moon, the story of Version Luna I is about to be unveiled. Let us set out for the new region, Nod-Krai, as we turn a new page in the story, and bask in its cold moonlight.
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    21
    · 2 Comments ·0 Shares
  • What developers can learn from the indie social co-op games topping the Steam charts

    Peak, the social co-op game from developers Aggro Crab and Landfall, has sold nearly 10 million copies since its release in June, according to numbers from Alinea Analytics. It's remained one of the top-played games on Valve's Steam platform since its release, reaching a peak concurrent player count of 170,759 in mid-August. Peak is immensely popular—and its playerbase keeps growing. Hitting that 10 million milestone would make Peak the second "budget indie," as Alinea Analytics called it, to reach that point—the first was another social co-op game: R.E.P.O. These two titles follow an emergence of social-driven co-op games that have largely been made by independent studios with lower budgets—the likes of Landfall's 2024 Content Warning, horror survival game Lethal Company, multiplayer fishing game Webfishing, and even InnerSloth's social deduction mega-hit Among Us. Social games are nothing new: Multiplayer is a core element of plenty of video games; games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Call of Duty are often vehicles for chatting with a group of friends. Peak, R.E.P.O, and the like, though are something different.The core appeal of "weirdo social games"Aggro Crab art director Galen Drew told Game Developer that "weirdo social games" like Peak have existed for some time, pointing back to games like Among Us and Lethal Company. There are games you can play with your friends, but these games are ones that are designed around "the experience of hanging out with your friends," Drew said. "It's the expressiveness in the way the characters move and look, and the types of things you can do. It's all just a vehicle to make your friends laugh."Related:Players clearly want that: The top three new games on Steam, by copies sold, are R.E.P.O, social co-op drug dealing game Schedule I, and Peak, according to Alinea Analytics. The firm's estimates suggest that co-op games on Steam brought in billion in revenue in the first half of 2025; "the highest six-month total ever recorded for the genre," according to analyst Rhys Elliot. Michael Chu, CEO and co-founder of Treehouse Games, which is making co-op, seafaring survival game Voyagers of Nera, told Game Developer that "there are more great options for co-op games than ever, so the competition feels intense as a developer."He continued: "But a bigger and more diverse audience of playerslooking to gaming as their favorite way to hang out every year."With that in mind, it makes sense that developers would start to really hone in on that experience—and purpose-build games that give players powerful moments with friends.Related:What to make of "Friendslop"A new term has emerged to describe the growing genre that Peak, Lethal Company, and R.E.P.O find themselves in: "Friendslop." Friendslop was used first in a joke: A Twitter user posted three pictures from Lethal Company, Content Warning, and R.E.P.O and called the genre friendslop. "Its sole purpose of existence is friendfarming," they said. The term—or, maybe, a desire to dunk on it on social media—caught on. Depending on who you talk to, it's used in jest, is insulting to games it's used to refer to, or it's something to embrace. What is uncontested, though, is the demand for games that are built for socialization, experimentation, and silliness with one's buddies."The core of a friendslop game is where the fun of the game comes from stupid stuff you and your friends do, and a lot of it is driven by the mistakes you make," Drew said of Peak. "It's a game where you're all dumb idiots trying to do something difficult and complicated, and failing is the funny part."Aggro Crab and Landfall used the friendslop format but stripped away the horror game roots to make Peak, Drew said. Horror is a good fit for the genre because it adds an inherent pressure that ends up being slapstick comedy. There's a performance element to it, too, Drew said. "Horror is an easy pressure to put on those kinds of challenges, because it's just easy to get people flustered and freaking out and making a mistake that's funny," he said. "In the case of Content Warning, that's a great mechanic, because filming is a good incentive to even, like, perform the funny."Related:For Peak, the collaboration between the Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure makers, the developers wanted to capture a similar feeling but about surviving with friends. There's no horror element to up the ante; instead, the antagonist is the climb—not any sort of looming monster. The mountains themselves are there to lure the player into taking risks and making mistakes, Drew said. "Almost every item we add is meant to be tempting to use in a way that's dumb," he said. "Generally, we don't add items that are strictly useful—there are a few, obviously, like the piton or rope. But almost all of them have this built in failure point. You still have to place the piton, and it takes time, and you could fall while you're doing it. The rope, you still have to spool out a certain length, and you don't really have a great idea of how much you're spooling out. They're all intentionally chosen so that your friends are yelling at you because you didn't spool out enough rope when they climb."A tonal change for the genreChu told Game Developer that Voyagers of Nera, which is slated for early access in mid-September, will deliver similar sorts of moments. Voyagers of Nera, however, doesn't necessarily fit under the "genre" of friendslop, despite its similarities in goal—to create moments for friends."We built the game to deliver memorable moments with friends, but our game focuses on a different flavor. We wanted to create moments of shared discovery as players explore far off locations together, rescue magical spirits, and battle deep sea monsters. We think there's something romantic and familiar about starting out at the horizon on the ocean and wondering, ‘What's out there?'"Voyagers of Nera isn't necessarily built upon the performance and humor of a game like Peak or Content Warning, but still hinges on gameplay that encourages socialization. Peak and other games more firmly situated in the friendslop world seemingly rely more on sessions than an ongoing experience; Peak's maps rotate every 24 hours, something that Drew said was a technical constraint rather than an intentional decision. But it's a constraint that Drew said plays into the excitement of playing Peak: People want to see and try the different maps. The rotations become like Destiny raids, he said. There's some fear of missing out on some unique experience, but it's not so exclusive that it drives people away—there's always another day. "It will feel like a special thing every time you," Drew added.Voyagers of Nera, on the other hand, is a shared world that lives on a server and up to 10 people per session can come back to it, like Palworld or Rust. Regardless of the differences, though, the core of the experience remains: "Games have become a default way to spend quality time with friends," Chu said. And games that are built to support these relationships are more popular than ever.
    #what #developers #can #learn #indie
    What developers can learn from the indie social co-op games topping the Steam charts
    Peak, the social co-op game from developers Aggro Crab and Landfall, has sold nearly 10 million copies since its release in June, according to numbers from Alinea Analytics. It's remained one of the top-played games on Valve's Steam platform since its release, reaching a peak concurrent player count of 170,759 in mid-August. Peak is immensely popular—and its playerbase keeps growing. Hitting that 10 million milestone would make Peak the second "budget indie," as Alinea Analytics called it, to reach that point—the first was another social co-op game: R.E.P.O. These two titles follow an emergence of social-driven co-op games that have largely been made by independent studios with lower budgets—the likes of Landfall's 2024 Content Warning, horror survival game Lethal Company, multiplayer fishing game Webfishing, and even InnerSloth's social deduction mega-hit Among Us. Social games are nothing new: Multiplayer is a core element of plenty of video games; games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Call of Duty are often vehicles for chatting with a group of friends. Peak, R.E.P.O, and the like, though are something different.The core appeal of "weirdo social games"Aggro Crab art director Galen Drew told Game Developer that "weirdo social games" like Peak have existed for some time, pointing back to games like Among Us and Lethal Company. There are games you can play with your friends, but these games are ones that are designed around "the experience of hanging out with your friends," Drew said. "It's the expressiveness in the way the characters move and look, and the types of things you can do. It's all just a vehicle to make your friends laugh."Related:Players clearly want that: The top three new games on Steam, by copies sold, are R.E.P.O, social co-op drug dealing game Schedule I, and Peak, according to Alinea Analytics. The firm's estimates suggest that co-op games on Steam brought in billion in revenue in the first half of 2025; "the highest six-month total ever recorded for the genre," according to analyst Rhys Elliot. Michael Chu, CEO and co-founder of Treehouse Games, which is making co-op, seafaring survival game Voyagers of Nera, told Game Developer that "there are more great options for co-op games than ever, so the competition feels intense as a developer."He continued: "But a bigger and more diverse audience of playerslooking to gaming as their favorite way to hang out every year."With that in mind, it makes sense that developers would start to really hone in on that experience—and purpose-build games that give players powerful moments with friends.Related:What to make of "Friendslop"A new term has emerged to describe the growing genre that Peak, Lethal Company, and R.E.P.O find themselves in: "Friendslop." Friendslop was used first in a joke: A Twitter user posted three pictures from Lethal Company, Content Warning, and R.E.P.O and called the genre friendslop. "Its sole purpose of existence is friendfarming," they said. The term—or, maybe, a desire to dunk on it on social media—caught on. Depending on who you talk to, it's used in jest, is insulting to games it's used to refer to, or it's something to embrace. What is uncontested, though, is the demand for games that are built for socialization, experimentation, and silliness with one's buddies."The core of a friendslop game is where the fun of the game comes from stupid stuff you and your friends do, and a lot of it is driven by the mistakes you make," Drew said of Peak. "It's a game where you're all dumb idiots trying to do something difficult and complicated, and failing is the funny part."Aggro Crab and Landfall used the friendslop format but stripped away the horror game roots to make Peak, Drew said. Horror is a good fit for the genre because it adds an inherent pressure that ends up being slapstick comedy. There's a performance element to it, too, Drew said. "Horror is an easy pressure to put on those kinds of challenges, because it's just easy to get people flustered and freaking out and making a mistake that's funny," he said. "In the case of Content Warning, that's a great mechanic, because filming is a good incentive to even, like, perform the funny."Related:For Peak, the collaboration between the Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure makers, the developers wanted to capture a similar feeling but about surviving with friends. There's no horror element to up the ante; instead, the antagonist is the climb—not any sort of looming monster. The mountains themselves are there to lure the player into taking risks and making mistakes, Drew said. "Almost every item we add is meant to be tempting to use in a way that's dumb," he said. "Generally, we don't add items that are strictly useful—there are a few, obviously, like the piton or rope. But almost all of them have this built in failure point. You still have to place the piton, and it takes time, and you could fall while you're doing it. The rope, you still have to spool out a certain length, and you don't really have a great idea of how much you're spooling out. They're all intentionally chosen so that your friends are yelling at you because you didn't spool out enough rope when they climb."A tonal change for the genreChu told Game Developer that Voyagers of Nera, which is slated for early access in mid-September, will deliver similar sorts of moments. Voyagers of Nera, however, doesn't necessarily fit under the "genre" of friendslop, despite its similarities in goal—to create moments for friends."We built the game to deliver memorable moments with friends, but our game focuses on a different flavor. We wanted to create moments of shared discovery as players explore far off locations together, rescue magical spirits, and battle deep sea monsters. We think there's something romantic and familiar about starting out at the horizon on the ocean and wondering, ‘What's out there?'"Voyagers of Nera isn't necessarily built upon the performance and humor of a game like Peak or Content Warning, but still hinges on gameplay that encourages socialization. Peak and other games more firmly situated in the friendslop world seemingly rely more on sessions than an ongoing experience; Peak's maps rotate every 24 hours, something that Drew said was a technical constraint rather than an intentional decision. But it's a constraint that Drew said plays into the excitement of playing Peak: People want to see and try the different maps. The rotations become like Destiny raids, he said. There's some fear of missing out on some unique experience, but it's not so exclusive that it drives people away—there's always another day. "It will feel like a special thing every time you," Drew added.Voyagers of Nera, on the other hand, is a shared world that lives on a server and up to 10 people per session can come back to it, like Palworld or Rust. Regardless of the differences, though, the core of the experience remains: "Games have become a default way to spend quality time with friends," Chu said. And games that are built to support these relationships are more popular than ever. #what #developers #can #learn #indie
    What developers can learn from the indie social co-op games topping the Steam charts
    www.gamedeveloper.com
    Peak, the social co-op game from developers Aggro Crab and Landfall, has sold nearly 10 million copies since its release in June, according to numbers from Alinea Analytics. It's remained one of the top-played games on Valve's Steam platform since its release, reaching a peak concurrent player count of 170,759 in mid-August. Peak is immensely popular—and its playerbase keeps growing. Hitting that 10 million milestone would make Peak the second "budget indie," as Alinea Analytics called it, to reach that point—the first was another social co-op game: R.E.P.O. These two titles follow an emergence of social-driven co-op games that have largely been made by independent studios with lower budgets—the likes of Landfall's 2024 Content Warning, horror survival game Lethal Company, multiplayer fishing game Webfishing, and even InnerSloth's social deduction mega-hit Among Us. Social games are nothing new: Multiplayer is a core element of plenty of video games; games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Call of Duty are often vehicles for chatting with a group of friends. Peak, R.E.P.O, and the like, though are something different.The core appeal of "weirdo social games"Aggro Crab art director Galen Drew told Game Developer that "weirdo social games" like Peak have existed for some time, pointing back to games like Among Us and Lethal Company. There are games you can play with your friends, but these games are ones that are designed around "the experience of hanging out with your friends," Drew said. "It's the expressiveness in the way the characters move and look, and the types of things you can do. It's all just a vehicle to make your friends laugh."Related:Players clearly want that: The top three new games on Steam, by copies sold, are R.E.P.O, social co-op drug dealing game Schedule I, and Peak, according to Alinea Analytics. The firm's estimates suggest that co-op games on Steam brought in $4.1 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025; "the highest six-month total ever recorded for the genre," according to analyst Rhys Elliot. Michael Chu, CEO and co-founder of Treehouse Games, which is making co-op, seafaring survival game Voyagers of Nera, told Game Developer that "there are more great options for co-op games than ever, so the competition feels intense as a developer."He continued: "But a bigger and more diverse audience of players [is] looking to gaming as their favorite way to hang out every year."With that in mind, it makes sense that developers would start to really hone in on that experience—and purpose-build games that give players powerful moments with friends.Related:What to make of "Friendslop"A new term has emerged to describe the growing genre that Peak, Lethal Company, and R.E.P.O find themselves in: "Friendslop." Friendslop was used first in a joke: A Twitter user posted three pictures from Lethal Company, Content Warning, and R.E.P.O and called the genre friendslop. "Its sole purpose of existence is friendfarming," they said. The term—or, maybe, a desire to dunk on it on social media—caught on. Depending on who you talk to, it's used in jest, is insulting to games it's used to refer to, or it's something to embrace. What is uncontested, though, is the demand for games that are built for socialization, experimentation, and silliness with one's buddies."The core of a friendslop game is where the fun of the game comes from stupid stuff you and your friends do, and a lot of it is driven by the mistakes you make," Drew said of Peak. "It's a game where you're all dumb idiots trying to do something difficult and complicated, and failing is the funny part."Aggro Crab and Landfall used the friendslop format but stripped away the horror game roots to make Peak, Drew said. Horror is a good fit for the genre because it adds an inherent pressure that ends up being slapstick comedy. There's a performance element to it, too, Drew said. "Horror is an easy pressure to put on those kinds of challenges, because it's just easy to get people flustered and freaking out and making a mistake that's funny," he said. "In the case of Content Warning, that's a great mechanic, because filming is a good incentive to even, like, perform the funny."Related:For Peak, the collaboration between the Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure makers, the developers wanted to capture a similar feeling but about surviving with friends. There's no horror element to up the ante; instead, the antagonist is the climb—not any sort of looming monster. The mountains themselves are there to lure the player into taking risks and making mistakes, Drew said. "Almost every item we add is meant to be tempting to use in a way that's dumb," he said. "Generally, we don't add items that are strictly useful—there are a few, obviously, like the piton or rope. But almost all of them have this built in failure point. You still have to place the piton, and it takes time, and you could fall while you're doing it. The rope, you still have to spool out a certain length, and you don't really have a great idea of how much you're spooling out. They're all intentionally chosen so that your friends are yelling at you because you didn't spool out enough rope when they climb."A tonal change for the genreChu told Game Developer that Voyagers of Nera, which is slated for early access in mid-September, will deliver similar sorts of moments. Voyagers of Nera, however, doesn't necessarily fit under the "genre" of friendslop, despite its similarities in goal—to create moments for friends."We built the game to deliver memorable moments with friends (what Peak and Content Warning thrive on), but our game focuses on a different flavor. We wanted to create moments of shared discovery as players explore far off locations together, rescue magical spirits, and battle deep sea monsters. We think there's something romantic and familiar about starting out at the horizon on the ocean and wondering, ‘What's out there?'"Voyagers of Nera isn't necessarily built upon the performance and humor of a game like Peak or Content Warning, but still hinges on gameplay that encourages socialization. Peak and other games more firmly situated in the friendslop world seemingly rely more on sessions than an ongoing experience; Peak's maps rotate every 24 hours, something that Drew said was a technical constraint rather than an intentional decision. But it's a constraint that Drew said plays into the excitement of playing Peak: People want to see and try the different maps. The rotations become like Destiny raids, he said. There's some fear of missing out on some unique experience, but it's not so exclusive that it drives people away—there's always another day. "It will feel like a special thing every time you [play]," Drew added.Voyagers of Nera, on the other hand, is a shared world that lives on a server and up to 10 people per session can come back to it, like Palworld or Rust. Regardless of the differences, though, the core of the experience remains: "Games have become a default way to spend quality time with friends," Chu said. And games that are built to support these relationships are more popular than ever.
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Sad
    Angry
    39
    · 2 Comments ·0 Shares
  • تشوفو هاد الصفقة الكبيرة اللي وقعت؟
    باراماونت تأكدت حقوق البث للـ UFC بمبلغ خيالي مقدر بـ 7.7 مليار دولار! واو، هادا غير يبينلنا كيفاش الرياضة صارت تجذب استثمارات كبيرة. هاد الخطوة هي اللي راح تخلي عشاق الفنون القتالية يلقاو كل الأحداث مباشرة على البلاتفورم المفضل عندهم.

    شخصياً، عندي ذكريات زينة مع الـ UFC، كيفاش كنا نجتمع مع الأصحاب لمشاهدة المباريات، كانت ديما لحظات مليئة بالحماس. الصفقة هادي راح تزيد تعزز التجربة وتخليها أسهل للجميع.

    خليونا نفكروا في تأثير هاد النوع من الاستثمارات على الرياضة بصفة عامة وعلى المحتوى اللي نتبعوه!

    https://forbesmiddleeast.com/consumer/media/paramount-secures-ufc-streaming-rights-in-$77-billion-deal
    #UFC #Paramount #بث_مباشر #رياضة #استثمار
    تشوفو هاد الصفقة الكبيرة اللي وقعت؟ 😲 باراماونت تأكدت حقوق البث للـ UFC بمبلغ خيالي مقدر بـ 7.7 مليار دولار! واو، هادا غير يبينلنا كيفاش الرياضة صارت تجذب استثمارات كبيرة. هاد الخطوة هي اللي راح تخلي عشاق الفنون القتالية يلقاو كل الأحداث مباشرة على البلاتفورم المفضل عندهم. شخصياً، عندي ذكريات زينة مع الـ UFC، كيفاش كنا نجتمع مع الأصحاب لمشاهدة المباريات، كانت ديما لحظات مليئة بالحماس. الصفقة هادي راح تزيد تعزز التجربة وتخليها أسهل للجميع. خليونا نفكروا في تأثير هاد النوع من الاستثمارات على الرياضة بصفة عامة وعلى المحتوى اللي نتبعوه! https://forbesmiddleeast.com/consumer/media/paramount-secures-ufc-streaming-rights-in-$77-billion-deal #UFC #Paramount #بث_مباشر #رياضة #استثمار
    forbesmiddleeast.com
    Paramount Secures UFC Streaming Rights In $7.7 Billion Deal
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Sad
    Angry
    256
    · 1 Comments ·0 Shares
  • يا جماعة، شفتوا الفيديو الجديد عن "تجارة الألــ..م الرقمي"؟

    الفيديو اللي نقدموه اليوم يتكلم على كيفاش بعض الأشخاص يستغلوا المشاكل العائلية باش يكسبوا مشاهدات. بعبارة أخرى، كيفاش يُمكن أن نكون ضحايا للتجارة في الألم والمعاناة. الظاهرة هذي صراحة تخلينا نفكر في الأخلاقيات اللي رايحة قاع تبان في عالم الويب.

    أنا شخصياً، نحب نتفكر دايما أنو مش كل ما نشوفه في السوشيال ميديا هو حقيقي. لازم نكون واعيين ونتجنب التأثر بالمحتوى اللي يبني على معاناة الآخرين.

    شوفوا الفيديو وتفكروا مليح في الموضوع، لأنه فيه دروس نقدروا نستفيدوا منها!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MBX5eCj6Dc

    #DigitalPain #EchoroukNews #تجارة_المعاناة #الوعي_الإعلامي #SocialMediaEthics
    🚨 يا جماعة، شفتوا الفيديو الجديد عن "تجارة الألــ..م الرقمي"؟ 🤔🔥 الفيديو اللي نقدموه اليوم يتكلم على كيفاش بعض الأشخاص يستغلوا المشاكل العائلية باش يكسبوا مشاهدات. بعبارة أخرى، كيفاش يُمكن أن نكون ضحايا للتجارة في الألم والمعاناة. الظاهرة هذي صراحة تخلينا نفكر في الأخلاقيات اللي رايحة قاع تبان في عالم الويب. أنا شخصياً، نحب نتفكر دايما أنو مش كل ما نشوفه في السوشيال ميديا هو حقيقي. لازم نكون واعيين ونتجنب التأثر بالمحتوى اللي يبني على معاناة الآخرين. شوفوا الفيديو وتفكروا مليح في الموضوع، لأنه فيه دروس نقدروا نستفيدوا منها! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MBX5eCj6Dc #DigitalPain #EchoroukNews #تجارة_المعاناة #الوعي_الإعلامي #SocialMediaEthics
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Angry
    Sad
    457
    · 1 Comments ·0 Shares
  • يا جماعة، حبيت نشارك معاكم خبر يهم الشباب وخصوصا المراهقين.

    الشركة الكبيرة Meta قررت أنها تعيد تدريب الذكاء الاصطناعي تاعها باش تمنع النقاشات حول مواضيع حساسة مثل الأذى الذاتي والمشاكل النفسية! الأمر جا بعد ما شافو تفاعلات غير مناسبة بين الذكاء الاصطناعي والشباب. يعني بصح، كيفاش يمكن نساعدو في حماية أولادنا من هاد الأمور؟

    شخصيا، نحب الفكرة هادي، لأنه لازم نكونو واعين بخطورة المواضيع هذي ونتأكدوا أنهم في أمان. تخيلوا كان الولاد يتحدثوا مع Robots ويناقشوا مواضيع حساسة، هذا أمر يخوف!

    في كل الأحوال، من المهم أننا نكونو منفتحين وندعمو بعضنا البعض، خاصة في هاد الزمن الصعب.

    https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-re-training-its-ai-so-it-wont-discuss-self-harm-or-have-romantic-conversations-with-teens-182418587.html?src=rss

    #Meta #
    🌟 يا جماعة، حبيت نشارك معاكم خبر يهم الشباب وخصوصا المراهقين. الشركة الكبيرة Meta قررت أنها تعيد تدريب الذكاء الاصطناعي تاعها باش تمنع النقاشات حول مواضيع حساسة مثل الأذى الذاتي والمشاكل النفسية! 😮 الأمر جا بعد ما شافو تفاعلات غير مناسبة بين الذكاء الاصطناعي والشباب. يعني بصح، كيفاش يمكن نساعدو في حماية أولادنا من هاد الأمور؟ شخصيا، نحب الفكرة هادي، لأنه لازم نكونو واعين بخطورة المواضيع هذي ونتأكدوا أنهم في أمان. تخيلوا كان الولاد يتحدثوا مع Robots ويناقشوا مواضيع حساسة، هذا أمر يخوف! في كل الأحوال، من المهم أننا نكونو منفتحين وندعمو بعضنا البعض، خاصة في هاد الزمن الصعب. https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-re-training-its-ai-so-it-wont-discuss-self-harm-or-have-romantic-conversations-with-teens-182418587.html?src=rss #Meta #
    www.engadget.com
    Meta is re-training its AI and adding new protections to keep teen users from discussing harmful topics with the company's chatbots. The company says it's adding new "guardrails as an extra precaution" to prevent teens from discussi
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Sad
    Angry
    367
    · 1 Comments ·0 Shares
  • يا جماعة، شكون يحب يعرف آخر الأخبار بطريقة سريعة وممتعة؟

    الفيديو اليوم جاب لنا "نشرة أخبار- الخامسة" ليوم 30-08-2025، وين نكتشفو كل جديد في عالمنا. من الأحداث السياسية للثقافية، ما راح يخلينا نغفل على أي حاجة مهمة.

    بصراحة، أنا نحب هاد النوع من الفيديوهات، لأنه يخلي المعلومات توصلنا بطرق سهلة ومشوقة. ودوك كي نشوفو الأخبار، نحس روحنا متابعين لحظة بلحظة، وهذا يعطي دافع قوي باش نكونو على علم بكل شيء يصير حولنا.

    خلونا نتابعوا الجديد ونبقاو على اتصال مع بعض!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjL93E2xbWU
    #أخبار #نشرة_أخبار #CurrentEvents #Media #Info
    يا جماعة، شكون يحب يعرف آخر الأخبار بطريقة سريعة وممتعة؟ 🤩 الفيديو اليوم جاب لنا "نشرة أخبار- الخامسة" ليوم 30-08-2025، وين نكتشفو كل جديد في عالمنا. من الأحداث السياسية للثقافية، ما راح يخلينا نغفل على أي حاجة مهمة. 🌍✨ بصراحة، أنا نحب هاد النوع من الفيديوهات، لأنه يخلي المعلومات توصلنا بطرق سهلة ومشوقة. ودوك كي نشوفو الأخبار، نحس روحنا متابعين لحظة بلحظة، وهذا يعطي دافع قوي باش نكونو على علم بكل شيء يصير حولنا. خلونا نتابعوا الجديد ونبقاو على اتصال مع بعض! 📰❤️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjL93E2xbWU #أخبار #نشرة_أخبار #CurrentEvents #Media #Info
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Angry
    Sad
    328
    · 1 Comments ·0 Shares
  • تسريب الصور الرسمية لهواتف Motorola Edge 60 Neo وG06 وG06 Power

    يبدو أن عائلة Motorola Edge 60 ما زالت تفتقد عضوًا واحدًا، وهو Edge 60 Neo، الذي اقترب موعد إطلاقه بعد تسريب صور رسمية له اليوم.ورغم عدم وجود مواصفات مؤكدة حتى الآن، تكشف الصور أن التصميم يتماشى تمامًا مع باقي هواتف السلسلة، ما يشير إلى قرب الإعلان عنه رسميًا.إلى جانب ذلك، ظهر هاتف Moto G06 في تسريبات جديدة لصور رسمية، ليؤكد الشائعات السابقة حوله. اللافت أن موتورولا تخطط أيضًا لإطلاق نسخة أخرى تحمل اسم G06 Power، والتي من المتوقع أن تضم بطارية أكبر لتوفير عمر استخدام أطول.وبالعودة إلى التسريبات السابقة، يُتوقع أن يأتي Moto G06 بمعالج MediaTek Helio G81 Extreme مع ذاكرة عشوائية بسعة 4 جيجابايت، إضافة إلى بطارية بسعة 5100 مللي أمبير تدعم شحنًا سلكيًا بقدرة 10 واط، على أن يعمل بنظام اندرويد 15 عند الإطلاق.المصدر
    #تسريب #الصور #الرسمية #لهواتف #motorola
    تسريب الصور الرسمية لهواتف Motorola Edge 60 Neo وG06 وG06 Power
    يبدو أن عائلة Motorola Edge 60 ما زالت تفتقد عضوًا واحدًا، وهو Edge 60 Neo، الذي اقترب موعد إطلاقه بعد تسريب صور رسمية له اليوم.ورغم عدم وجود مواصفات مؤكدة حتى الآن، تكشف الصور أن التصميم يتماشى تمامًا مع باقي هواتف السلسلة، ما يشير إلى قرب الإعلان عنه رسميًا.إلى جانب ذلك، ظهر هاتف Moto G06 في تسريبات جديدة لصور رسمية، ليؤكد الشائعات السابقة حوله. اللافت أن موتورولا تخطط أيضًا لإطلاق نسخة أخرى تحمل اسم G06 Power، والتي من المتوقع أن تضم بطارية أكبر لتوفير عمر استخدام أطول.وبالعودة إلى التسريبات السابقة، يُتوقع أن يأتي Moto G06 بمعالج MediaTek Helio G81 Extreme مع ذاكرة عشوائية بسعة 4 جيجابايت، إضافة إلى بطارية بسعة 5100 مللي أمبير تدعم شحنًا سلكيًا بقدرة 10 واط، على أن يعمل بنظام اندرويد 15 عند الإطلاق.المصدر #تسريب #الصور #الرسمية #لهواتف #motorola
    تسريب الصور الرسمية لهواتف Motorola Edge 60 Neo وG06 وG06 Power
    www.unlimit-tech.com
    يبدو أن عائلة Motorola Edge 60 ما زالت تفتقد عضوًا واحدًا، وهو Edge 60 Neo، الذي اقترب موعد إطلاقه بعد تسريب صور رسمية له اليوم.ورغم عدم وجود مواصفات مؤكدة حتى الآن، تكشف الصور أن التصميم يتماشى تمامًا مع باقي هواتف السلسلة، ما يشير إلى قرب الإعلان عنه رسميًا.إلى جانب ذلك، ظهر هاتف Moto G06 في تسريبات جديدة لصور رسمية، ليؤكد الشائعات السابقة حوله. اللافت أن موتورولا تخطط أيضًا لإطلاق نسخة أخرى تحمل اسم G06 Power، والتي من المتوقع أن تضم بطارية أكبر لتوفير عمر استخدام أطول.وبالعودة إلى التسريبات السابقة، يُتوقع أن يأتي Moto G06 بمعالج MediaTek Helio G81 Extreme مع ذاكرة عشوائية بسعة 4 جيجابايت (مع احتمال وجود خيارات أخرى)، إضافة إلى بطارية بسعة 5100 مللي أمبير تدعم شحنًا سلكيًا بقدرة 10 واط، على أن يعمل بنظام اندرويد 15 عند الإطلاق.المصدر
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Sad
    Angry
    398
    · 2 Comments ·0 Shares
  • 25 Years Later, If You Can Only Play One Spider-Man Game, Let It Be Neversoft’s Spider-Man

    Over a dozen Spider-Man games had been released before it, but 25 years later, Neversoft and Activision’s Spider-Man is perhaps historically one of the most formative and enduring in terms of its boundless charm and lasting impact. Indeed, this Spider-Man, one of many games to stick solely with the character’s name, was the birth of a new age for Marvel video games and enjoyed its momentous heyday with immediate sequels, as well as a playable cameo for this iteration of the wall-crawler in X-Men: Mutant Academy 2.
    #years #later #you #can #only
    25 Years Later, If You Can Only Play One Spider-Man Game, Let It Be Neversoft’s Spider-Man
    Over a dozen Spider-Man games had been released before it, but 25 years later, Neversoft and Activision’s Spider-Man is perhaps historically one of the most formative and enduring in terms of its boundless charm and lasting impact. Indeed, this Spider-Man, one of many games to stick solely with the character’s name, was the birth of a new age for Marvel video games and enjoyed its momentous heyday with immediate sequels, as well as a playable cameo for this iteration of the wall-crawler in X-Men: Mutant Academy 2. #years #later #you #can #only
    25 Years Later, If You Can Only Play One Spider-Man Game, Let It Be Neversoft’s Spider-Man
    gamerant.com
    Over a dozen Spider-Man games had been released before it, but 25 years later, Neversoft and Activision’s Spider-Man is perhaps historically one of the most formative and enduring in terms of its boundless charm and lasting impact. Indeed, this Spider-Man, one of many games to stick solely with the character’s name, was the birth of a new age for Marvel video games and enjoyed its momentous heyday with immediate sequels, as well as a playable cameo for this iteration of the wall-crawler in X-Men: Mutant Academy 2.
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Angry
    Sad
    584
    · 2 Comments ·0 Shares
  • Designing Atmospheric WWI Plane Crash Scene In Abandoned German Asylum

    IntroductionHi everyone, I'm Leandro Grasso, a 3D Environment Artist from Sicily. My journey into 3D art began after the COVID period, sparked by my passion for landscape photography. Recently, I completed a mentorship with Jeremy Cerisy, during which I significantly improved my environment creation skills. I learned a lot and was able to apply that knowledge to my most recent project. As a freelance artist, I've contributed to a couple of NDA projects, and I'm currently working on an environment for an indie video game scheduled for release later this year. PlanningUnder the direction of my mentor, I scouted for real-life locations and imagined how they could be interpreted for a video game environment, rather than starting from a concept. My main goal was to improve my skills in creating destroyed environments, learning how to handle damaged walls, cracked pavements, and abandoned objects.So, I decided to create an old abandoned asylum in Germany and added a crashed World War I aircraft to introduce new challenges and storytelling opportunities. Through this combination, I aimed to study destruction while also suggesting a narrative about what might have happened at the site after the crash. Below, you can see some of the references I used for the asylum and how I planned it. Blockout & CompositionI started with a simple blockout in Unreal Engine 5. While building the blockout, I frequently used the mannequin to ensure proper proportions. Once the basic layout was in place, I placed several cameras to find the best compositions and give the environment the right sense of depth, especially considering the limited space available for movement.After that, I exported the entire blockout to Blender and began dividing it into different pieces to plan out the modules and props. I was able to properly plan these elements after creating an advanced blockout, where I also applied some basic textures to see how the environment reacted to different colors and materials.Asset Production WorkflowOnce the blockout was complete, I started modeling the modular pieces based on the needs of the environment. I created modules of various sizes, ranging from 1 to 4 meters, for the main elements like simple walls. For more complex parts, such as the stair walls, I took a different approach and created larger, non-repeating modules.Speaking of modules, I want to highlight the destroyed wall caused by the aircraft crash. I used a Boolean operation to cut out the damaged section of the wall and the wood. After that, I created individual bricks and placed them along the broken edges to add more realism and detail. Connected to that wall, the modular stairs I created were designed to fit the ideal layout of a game level. To maintain the correct proportions, I used the default stairs in Unreal as a reference and then modeled them in Blender.As for the railing, to save time, I first broke it down into main components and created instances of those pieces. Once the entire railing was modeled and the UVs were ready, I made the instances real so I could unwrap all the pieces in one go. After unwrapping, I moved the UV islands randomly to introduce variation during the texturing phase.For the vegetation, I used assets from Quixel Megascans. Since the pack didn’t include vertical vegetation, I sourced a different ivy asset that contained vertical elements. I removed the leaves and kept only the branches.Then, using a particle system, I added the correct leaves onto the vertical branches, scattering them only at the tips by using a vertex group. Here are the vertical assets I created, with a small detail asset shown in the top left.Regarding the assets, I didn't use high-to-low poly baking in this project. Instead, I modeled everything in mid-poly to save time while still maintaining good visual quality.One of the biggest challenges was modeling the destroyed World War I aircraft. As a junior artist, it was my first time working on a damaged vehicle. I began by modeling the aircraft fully intact and then manually destroyed it piece by piece to achieve a more realistic and intentional look. To guide me through the process, I looked to industry professionals for inspiration. I found some amazing vehicle models by Pavlo Panchenko for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on ArtStation. Being able to study his work helped me a lot, not just technically, but also in defining the artistic direction for my own piece.Last but not least, I wanted to talk about the broken glass pieces I created. I made them in ZBrush, starting with a random image of broken glass I found on Google. I brought the image into Photoshop, converted it to black and white, and increased the contrast to make the cracks more visible.Then, I imported the image into ZBrush, subdivided a plane several times, and used the image as a mask. I hid the unnecessary parts and deleted them, keeping only the masked glass shapes. After that, I decimated the mesh to reach an acceptable polycount, imported it into Blender, and created the UVs. All UVs were unwrapped in Blender. I used Texel Density Checker to set a texel density of 512 px/m with a texture size of 2048. For this project, I used three UV channels: the first for the RGB mask, the second for tileable textures, to maintain high quality during the texturing phase, and the third for additional normal maps where needed. This setup allowed me to reuse the same textures, such as metal, rust, and wood, across both modules and assets. I also used RGB masks for the assets, so the UV islands were specifically packed into that channel.TexturingFor the texturing, I wanted to experiment with a workflow I hadn't tried before. The entire project was textured using Vertex Painting, RGB Masks, and tileable textures. I didn't use any unique baked textures.Tilable textures allowed me to maintain high quality even on large modules and props. Vertex Painting was used to add variation across surfaces, while RGB Masks provided additional layers of variation, especially on props. I also used decals and normal edge decals to add extra detail and break up the surfaces further.Below, you can see my master material setup, which includes Parallax, Vertex Color blending with a HeightLerp node, and RGB Mask blending using a simple Lerp node. All the textures used in my environment were sourced from Quixel Megascans, except for two tileable textures that I created specifically for this project. I made these two textures from scratch in Substance 3D Designer.I'd like to talk about my stained glass and explain how I achieved the final result. First, I took a photo of a real stained glass window from the actual location. Using the Warp tool in Photoshop, I straightened the image and then exported it.Next, I imported it into Blender and began modeling the metal framework that separates the glass pieces. Once that was complete, I rendered the shape in orthographic view with a black background and a white emissive material applied to the metal. I then cleaned up the render in Photoshop and brought it into Substance 3D Designer, where I used it as a mask to create the final stained glass texture. Once my textures were ready, I used a pre-made master material from the Advanced Glass Material Pack, free on FAB, and customized it to suit the needs of my stained glass.For the normal edge decals, I improved my workflow compared to my previous project by sculpting four different corner variations. Once the sculpts were complete, I imported them separately and baked them in Substance 3D Painter to avoid halos on the edges of the bakes. This approach allowed me to skip any cleanup in Photoshop. I only used Photoshop to combine all the baked corners into a single normal texture, as shown below. Last but not least, I'm really happy with how this decal turned out in the project. When I saw it in the main reference, I immediately knew I wanted to include it in my environment.I imported the reference image into Photoshop, straightened it using the Warp tool, and used the Clone  Stamp and Content-Aware Fill to fix some damaged areas. Then, I took a screenshot of the wall in Unreal Engine with only the albedo visualization enabled, and used it in Photoshop as the base layer for the mural. I tweaked the blending modes to extract imperfections from the albedo texture and created a custom mask with brush strokes to blend the mural naturally into the wall. This is the result. CompositionWhen it comes to composition, my background in photography helped me a lot with setting up cameras. I defined a few key shots early on and added more as the environment progressed and came together. Since I was working on an indoor scene, I chose to use a wide-angle lens to capture more of the space, and also included a zoomed-in shot, like the one of the wheelchair, to create a stronger sense of depth.To support the composition, I scattered various details throughout the environment, such as debris, papers,  small pieces of glass, and other elements to enhance storytelling and realism.LightingFor the lighting, I used an add-on for Unreal Engine called Ultra Dynamic Sky to give the scene a natural base lighting pass. After that, I added Rectlights to emphasize certain areas of the environment, slightly tweaking their indirect lighting bounces.I also placed some ivy in front of the spotlights to fake subtle shadow patterns and add more visual interest. For color grading, I used a LUT. I first rendered a single frame and imported it into DaVinci Resolve, where I applied a LUT I liked. Once I was happy with the result, I copied the settings to the RGBTable16x1 texture, which starts with a neutral look by default. For the final render, I exported the project in EXR format using PIZ Multilayer compression, with Spatial Sample Count set to 1 and Temporal Sample Count set to 64. I also used a Warm Up Count of 120 for both the Render and Engine to ensure the exposure was correctly stabilized from the beginning of the render. Additionally, I applied several console variables to improve the final image quality. ConclusionAnd here we are at the end. This project was one of my portfolio pieces developed under the mentorship of Jeremy Cerisy, who helped me a lot with his feedback and really opened my mind to how to approach level and environment creation. It took me about three and a half months to complete.Even though I aimed to work more efficiently on this environment, I still lost a lot of time at the beginning, mainly because I wasn’t sure which workflow to use for texturing, what I needed to create from scratch, and what I could reuse across the scene. In the end, it became a learning-by-doing process, constantly planning and adapting as I added new techniques I was picking up along the way. One thing I really enjoyed was understanding the connection between level design and environment art, it's fascinating to create a space that not only looks good but also serves gameplay. I learned a lot from this project, but one of the most valuable lessons was this: don't waste too much time on tiny details players will never notice, instead, focus on the overall composition and visual impact, especially from the player's point of view.My advice to anyone starting out in environment art is to stay organized in every phase, especially when it comes to setting personal deadlines. Otherwise, there’s a real risk of dragging the project out much longer than necessary. As a junior artist, I know how tough the industry can feel, especially with all the layoffs in recent months, but don't lose faith. That moment when you get hired will come, as long as you keep putting in the effort and continue creating.Lastly, I want to thank my mentor, Jeremy Cerisy, for guiding me through this project with his invaluable feedback. A special thanks also goes to Alberto Casu, Alex Gallucci, and Andrea Siviero for their extra feedback during my spare time. And finally, thank you to everyone who made it this far and showed interest in my project!Leandro Grasso, 3D Environment ArtistInterview conducted by Emma Collins
    #designing #atmospheric #wwi #plane #crash
    Designing Atmospheric WWI Plane Crash Scene In Abandoned German Asylum
    IntroductionHi everyone, I'm Leandro Grasso, a 3D Environment Artist from Sicily. My journey into 3D art began after the COVID period, sparked by my passion for landscape photography. Recently, I completed a mentorship with Jeremy Cerisy, during which I significantly improved my environment creation skills. I learned a lot and was able to apply that knowledge to my most recent project. As a freelance artist, I've contributed to a couple of NDA projects, and I'm currently working on an environment for an indie video game scheduled for release later this year. PlanningUnder the direction of my mentor, I scouted for real-life locations and imagined how they could be interpreted for a video game environment, rather than starting from a concept. My main goal was to improve my skills in creating destroyed environments, learning how to handle damaged walls, cracked pavements, and abandoned objects.So, I decided to create an old abandoned asylum in Germany and added a crashed World War I aircraft to introduce new challenges and storytelling opportunities. Through this combination, I aimed to study destruction while also suggesting a narrative about what might have happened at the site after the crash. Below, you can see some of the references I used for the asylum and how I planned it. Blockout & CompositionI started with a simple blockout in Unreal Engine 5. While building the blockout, I frequently used the mannequin to ensure proper proportions. Once the basic layout was in place, I placed several cameras to find the best compositions and give the environment the right sense of depth, especially considering the limited space available for movement.After that, I exported the entire blockout to Blender and began dividing it into different pieces to plan out the modules and props. I was able to properly plan these elements after creating an advanced blockout, where I also applied some basic textures to see how the environment reacted to different colors and materials.Asset Production WorkflowOnce the blockout was complete, I started modeling the modular pieces based on the needs of the environment. I created modules of various sizes, ranging from 1 to 4 meters, for the main elements like simple walls. For more complex parts, such as the stair walls, I took a different approach and created larger, non-repeating modules.Speaking of modules, I want to highlight the destroyed wall caused by the aircraft crash. I used a Boolean operation to cut out the damaged section of the wall and the wood. After that, I created individual bricks and placed them along the broken edges to add more realism and detail. Connected to that wall, the modular stairs I created were designed to fit the ideal layout of a game level. To maintain the correct proportions, I used the default stairs in Unreal as a reference and then modeled them in Blender.As for the railing, to save time, I first broke it down into main components and created instances of those pieces. Once the entire railing was modeled and the UVs were ready, I made the instances real so I could unwrap all the pieces in one go. After unwrapping, I moved the UV islands randomly to introduce variation during the texturing phase.For the vegetation, I used assets from Quixel Megascans. Since the pack didn’t include vertical vegetation, I sourced a different ivy asset that contained vertical elements. I removed the leaves and kept only the branches.Then, using a particle system, I added the correct leaves onto the vertical branches, scattering them only at the tips by using a vertex group. Here are the vertical assets I created, with a small detail asset shown in the top left.Regarding the assets, I didn't use high-to-low poly baking in this project. Instead, I modeled everything in mid-poly to save time while still maintaining good visual quality.One of the biggest challenges was modeling the destroyed World War I aircraft. As a junior artist, it was my first time working on a damaged vehicle. I began by modeling the aircraft fully intact and then manually destroyed it piece by piece to achieve a more realistic and intentional look. To guide me through the process, I looked to industry professionals for inspiration. I found some amazing vehicle models by Pavlo Panchenko for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on ArtStation. Being able to study his work helped me a lot, not just technically, but also in defining the artistic direction for my own piece.Last but not least, I wanted to talk about the broken glass pieces I created. I made them in ZBrush, starting with a random image of broken glass I found on Google. I brought the image into Photoshop, converted it to black and white, and increased the contrast to make the cracks more visible.Then, I imported the image into ZBrush, subdivided a plane several times, and used the image as a mask. I hid the unnecessary parts and deleted them, keeping only the masked glass shapes. After that, I decimated the mesh to reach an acceptable polycount, imported it into Blender, and created the UVs. All UVs were unwrapped in Blender. I used Texel Density Checker to set a texel density of 512 px/m with a texture size of 2048. For this project, I used three UV channels: the first for the RGB mask, the second for tileable textures, to maintain high quality during the texturing phase, and the third for additional normal maps where needed. This setup allowed me to reuse the same textures, such as metal, rust, and wood, across both modules and assets. I also used RGB masks for the assets, so the UV islands were specifically packed into that channel.TexturingFor the texturing, I wanted to experiment with a workflow I hadn't tried before. The entire project was textured using Vertex Painting, RGB Masks, and tileable textures. I didn't use any unique baked textures.Tilable textures allowed me to maintain high quality even on large modules and props. Vertex Painting was used to add variation across surfaces, while RGB Masks provided additional layers of variation, especially on props. I also used decals and normal edge decals to add extra detail and break up the surfaces further.Below, you can see my master material setup, which includes Parallax, Vertex Color blending with a HeightLerp node, and RGB Mask blending using a simple Lerp node. All the textures used in my environment were sourced from Quixel Megascans, except for two tileable textures that I created specifically for this project. I made these two textures from scratch in Substance 3D Designer.I'd like to talk about my stained glass and explain how I achieved the final result. First, I took a photo of a real stained glass window from the actual location. Using the Warp tool in Photoshop, I straightened the image and then exported it.Next, I imported it into Blender and began modeling the metal framework that separates the glass pieces. Once that was complete, I rendered the shape in orthographic view with a black background and a white emissive material applied to the metal. I then cleaned up the render in Photoshop and brought it into Substance 3D Designer, where I used it as a mask to create the final stained glass texture. Once my textures were ready, I used a pre-made master material from the Advanced Glass Material Pack, free on FAB, and customized it to suit the needs of my stained glass.For the normal edge decals, I improved my workflow compared to my previous project by sculpting four different corner variations. Once the sculpts were complete, I imported them separately and baked them in Substance 3D Painter to avoid halos on the edges of the bakes. This approach allowed me to skip any cleanup in Photoshop. I only used Photoshop to combine all the baked corners into a single normal texture, as shown below. Last but not least, I'm really happy with how this decal turned out in the project. When I saw it in the main reference, I immediately knew I wanted to include it in my environment.I imported the reference image into Photoshop, straightened it using the Warp tool, and used the Clone  Stamp and Content-Aware Fill to fix some damaged areas. Then, I took a screenshot of the wall in Unreal Engine with only the albedo visualization enabled, and used it in Photoshop as the base layer for the mural. I tweaked the blending modes to extract imperfections from the albedo texture and created a custom mask with brush strokes to blend the mural naturally into the wall. This is the result. CompositionWhen it comes to composition, my background in photography helped me a lot with setting up cameras. I defined a few key shots early on and added more as the environment progressed and came together. Since I was working on an indoor scene, I chose to use a wide-angle lens to capture more of the space, and also included a zoomed-in shot, like the one of the wheelchair, to create a stronger sense of depth.To support the composition, I scattered various details throughout the environment, such as debris, papers,  small pieces of glass, and other elements to enhance storytelling and realism.LightingFor the lighting, I used an add-on for Unreal Engine called Ultra Dynamic Sky to give the scene a natural base lighting pass. After that, I added Rectlights to emphasize certain areas of the environment, slightly tweaking their indirect lighting bounces.I also placed some ivy in front of the spotlights to fake subtle shadow patterns and add more visual interest. For color grading, I used a LUT. I first rendered a single frame and imported it into DaVinci Resolve, where I applied a LUT I liked. Once I was happy with the result, I copied the settings to the RGBTable16x1 texture, which starts with a neutral look by default. For the final render, I exported the project in EXR format using PIZ Multilayer compression, with Spatial Sample Count set to 1 and Temporal Sample Count set to 64. I also used a Warm Up Count of 120 for both the Render and Engine to ensure the exposure was correctly stabilized from the beginning of the render. Additionally, I applied several console variables to improve the final image quality. ConclusionAnd here we are at the end. This project was one of my portfolio pieces developed under the mentorship of Jeremy Cerisy, who helped me a lot with his feedback and really opened my mind to how to approach level and environment creation. It took me about three and a half months to complete.Even though I aimed to work more efficiently on this environment, I still lost a lot of time at the beginning, mainly because I wasn’t sure which workflow to use for texturing, what I needed to create from scratch, and what I could reuse across the scene. In the end, it became a learning-by-doing process, constantly planning and adapting as I added new techniques I was picking up along the way. One thing I really enjoyed was understanding the connection between level design and environment art, it's fascinating to create a space that not only looks good but also serves gameplay. I learned a lot from this project, but one of the most valuable lessons was this: don't waste too much time on tiny details players will never notice, instead, focus on the overall composition and visual impact, especially from the player's point of view.My advice to anyone starting out in environment art is to stay organized in every phase, especially when it comes to setting personal deadlines. Otherwise, there’s a real risk of dragging the project out much longer than necessary. As a junior artist, I know how tough the industry can feel, especially with all the layoffs in recent months, but don't lose faith. That moment when you get hired will come, as long as you keep putting in the effort and continue creating.Lastly, I want to thank my mentor, Jeremy Cerisy, for guiding me through this project with his invaluable feedback. A special thanks also goes to Alberto Casu, Alex Gallucci, and Andrea Siviero for their extra feedback during my spare time. And finally, thank you to everyone who made it this far and showed interest in my project!Leandro Grasso, 3D Environment ArtistInterview conducted by Emma Collins #designing #atmospheric #wwi #plane #crash
    Designing Atmospheric WWI Plane Crash Scene In Abandoned German Asylum
    80.lv
    IntroductionHi everyone, I'm Leandro Grasso, a 3D Environment Artist from Sicily. My journey into 3D art began after the COVID period, sparked by my passion for landscape photography. Recently, I completed a mentorship with Jeremy Cerisy, during which I significantly improved my environment creation skills. I learned a lot and was able to apply that knowledge to my most recent project. As a freelance artist, I've contributed to a couple of NDA projects, and I'm currently working on an environment for an indie video game scheduled for release later this year. PlanningUnder the direction of my mentor, I scouted for real-life locations and imagined how they could be interpreted for a video game environment, rather than starting from a concept. My main goal was to improve my skills in creating destroyed environments, learning how to handle damaged walls, cracked pavements, and abandoned objects.So, I decided to create an old abandoned asylum in Germany and added a crashed World War I aircraft to introduce new challenges and storytelling opportunities. Through this combination, I aimed to study destruction while also suggesting a narrative about what might have happened at the site after the crash. Below, you can see some of the references I used for the asylum and how I planned it. Blockout & CompositionI started with a simple blockout in Unreal Engine 5. While building the blockout, I frequently used the mannequin to ensure proper proportions. Once the basic layout was in place, I placed several cameras to find the best compositions and give the environment the right sense of depth, especially considering the limited space available for movement.After that, I exported the entire blockout to Blender and began dividing it into different pieces to plan out the modules and props. I was able to properly plan these elements after creating an advanced blockout, where I also applied some basic textures to see how the environment reacted to different colors and materials.Asset Production WorkflowOnce the blockout was complete, I started modeling the modular pieces based on the needs of the environment. I created modules of various sizes, ranging from 1 to 4 meters, for the main elements like simple walls. For more complex parts, such as the stair walls, I took a different approach and created larger, non-repeating modules.Speaking of modules, I want to highlight the destroyed wall caused by the aircraft crash. I used a Boolean operation to cut out the damaged section of the wall and the wood. After that, I created individual bricks and placed them along the broken edges to add more realism and detail. Connected to that wall, the modular stairs I created were designed to fit the ideal layout of a game level. To maintain the correct proportions, I used the default stairs in Unreal as a reference and then modeled them in Blender.As for the railing, to save time, I first broke it down into main components and created instances of those pieces. Once the entire railing was modeled and the UVs were ready, I made the instances real so I could unwrap all the pieces in one go. After unwrapping, I moved the UV islands randomly to introduce variation during the texturing phase.For the vegetation, I used assets from Quixel Megascans. Since the pack didn’t include vertical vegetation, I sourced a different ivy asset that contained vertical elements. I removed the leaves and kept only the branches.Then, using a particle system, I added the correct leaves onto the vertical branches, scattering them only at the tips by using a vertex group. Here are the vertical assets I created, with a small detail asset shown in the top left.Regarding the assets, I didn't use high-to-low poly baking in this project. Instead, I modeled everything in mid-poly to save time while still maintaining good visual quality.One of the biggest challenges was modeling the destroyed World War I aircraft. As a junior artist, it was my first time working on a damaged vehicle. I began by modeling the aircraft fully intact and then manually destroyed it piece by piece to achieve a more realistic and intentional look. To guide me through the process, I looked to industry professionals for inspiration. I found some amazing vehicle models by Pavlo Panchenko for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on ArtStation. Being able to study his work helped me a lot, not just technically, but also in defining the artistic direction for my own piece.Last but not least, I wanted to talk about the broken glass pieces I created. I made them in ZBrush, starting with a random image of broken glass I found on Google. I brought the image into Photoshop, converted it to black and white, and increased the contrast to make the cracks more visible.Then, I imported the image into ZBrush, subdivided a plane several times, and used the image as a mask. I hid the unnecessary parts and deleted them, keeping only the masked glass shapes. After that, I decimated the mesh to reach an acceptable polycount, imported it into Blender, and created the UVs. All UVs were unwrapped in Blender. I used Texel Density Checker to set a texel density of 512 px/m with a texture size of 2048. For this project, I used three UV channels: the first for the RGB mask, the second for tileable textures, to maintain high quality during the texturing phase, and the third for additional normal maps where needed. This setup allowed me to reuse the same textures, such as metal, rust, and wood, across both modules and assets. I also used RGB masks for the assets, so the UV islands were specifically packed into that channel.TexturingFor the texturing, I wanted to experiment with a workflow I hadn't tried before. The entire project was textured using Vertex Painting, RGB Masks, and tileable textures. I didn't use any unique baked textures.Tilable textures allowed me to maintain high quality even on large modules and props. Vertex Painting was used to add variation across surfaces, while RGB Masks provided additional layers of variation, especially on props. I also used decals and normal edge decals to add extra detail and break up the surfaces further.Below, you can see my master material setup, which includes Parallax, Vertex Color blending with a HeightLerp node, and RGB Mask blending using a simple Lerp node. All the textures used in my environment were sourced from Quixel Megascans, except for two tileable textures that I created specifically for this project. I made these two textures from scratch in Substance 3D Designer.I'd like to talk about my stained glass and explain how I achieved the final result. First, I took a photo of a real stained glass window from the actual location. Using the Warp tool in Photoshop, I straightened the image and then exported it.Next, I imported it into Blender and began modeling the metal framework that separates the glass pieces. Once that was complete, I rendered the shape in orthographic view with a black background and a white emissive material applied to the metal. I then cleaned up the render in Photoshop and brought it into Substance 3D Designer, where I used it as a mask to create the final stained glass texture. Once my textures were ready, I used a pre-made master material from the Advanced Glass Material Pack, free on FAB, and customized it to suit the needs of my stained glass.For the normal edge decals, I improved my workflow compared to my previous project by sculpting four different corner variations. Once the sculpts were complete, I imported them separately and baked them in Substance 3D Painter to avoid halos on the edges of the bakes. This approach allowed me to skip any cleanup in Photoshop. I only used Photoshop to combine all the baked corners into a single normal texture, as shown below. Last but not least, I'm really happy with how this decal turned out in the project. When I saw it in the main reference, I immediately knew I wanted to include it in my environment.I imported the reference image into Photoshop, straightened it using the Warp tool, and used the Clone  Stamp and Content-Aware Fill to fix some damaged areas. Then, I took a screenshot of the wall in Unreal Engine with only the albedo visualization enabled, and used it in Photoshop as the base layer for the mural. I tweaked the blending modes to extract imperfections from the albedo texture and created a custom mask with brush strokes to blend the mural naturally into the wall. This is the result. CompositionWhen it comes to composition, my background in photography helped me a lot with setting up cameras. I defined a few key shots early on and added more as the environment progressed and came together. Since I was working on an indoor scene, I chose to use a wide-angle lens to capture more of the space, and also included a zoomed-in shot, like the one of the wheelchair, to create a stronger sense of depth.To support the composition, I scattered various details throughout the environment, such as debris, papers,  small pieces of glass, and other elements to enhance storytelling and realism.LightingFor the lighting, I used an add-on for Unreal Engine called Ultra Dynamic Sky to give the scene a natural base lighting pass. After that, I added Rectlights to emphasize certain areas of the environment, slightly tweaking their indirect lighting bounces.I also placed some ivy in front of the spotlights to fake subtle shadow patterns and add more visual interest. For color grading, I used a LUT. I first rendered a single frame and imported it into DaVinci Resolve, where I applied a LUT I liked. Once I was happy with the result, I copied the settings to the RGBTable16x1 texture, which starts with a neutral look by default. For the final render, I exported the project in EXR format using PIZ Multilayer compression, with Spatial Sample Count set to 1 and Temporal Sample Count set to 64. I also used a Warm Up Count of 120 for both the Render and Engine to ensure the exposure was correctly stabilized from the beginning of the render. Additionally, I applied several console variables to improve the final image quality. ConclusionAnd here we are at the end. This project was one of my portfolio pieces developed under the mentorship of Jeremy Cerisy, who helped me a lot with his feedback and really opened my mind to how to approach level and environment creation. It took me about three and a half months to complete.Even though I aimed to work more efficiently on this environment, I still lost a lot of time at the beginning, mainly because I wasn’t sure which workflow to use for texturing, what I needed to create from scratch, and what I could reuse across the scene. In the end, it became a learning-by-doing process, constantly planning and adapting as I added new techniques I was picking up along the way. One thing I really enjoyed was understanding the connection between level design and environment art, it's fascinating to create a space that not only looks good but also serves gameplay. I learned a lot from this project, but one of the most valuable lessons was this: don't waste too much time on tiny details players will never notice, instead, focus on the overall composition and visual impact, especially from the player's point of view.My advice to anyone starting out in environment art is to stay organized in every phase, especially when it comes to setting personal deadlines. Otherwise, there’s a real risk of dragging the project out much longer than necessary. As a junior artist, I know how tough the industry can feel, especially with all the layoffs in recent months, but don't lose faith. That moment when you get hired will come, as long as you keep putting in the effort and continue creating.Lastly, I want to thank my mentor, Jeremy Cerisy, for guiding me through this project with his invaluable feedback. A special thanks also goes to Alberto Casu, Alex Gallucci, and Andrea Siviero for their extra feedback during my spare time. And finally, thank you to everyone who made it this far and showed interest in my project!Leandro Grasso, 3D Environment ArtistInterview conducted by Emma Collins
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Sad
    Angry
    469
    · 2 Comments ·0 Shares
  • EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Expands Global Footprint With New Partners, Leagues, and Stadiums In-Game

    August 28, 2025

    Powered by authenticity and community feedback, EA SPORTS FC 26 delivers the world’s game like never before — The Club is Yours.

    PRE-ORDER EA SPORTS FC 26 TODAY
    REDWOOD CITY, Calif.----
    Today, Electronic Arts Inc.confirmed a series of new and exclusive multi-year partnerships and in-game integrations for EA SPORTS FC™ 26, delivering 20,000+ athletes across 750+ clubs and national teams, 120+ stadiums, and 35+ leagues — powered by over 300+ global football partners. Spanning both men’s and women’s football, highlights include a new marketing partnership with the English FA, featuring a renewed license with the reigning UEFA Women's EURO 2025 champions and the men’s national team, as well as a new partnership with one of the world’s most iconic clubs, FC Bayern.Allianz Arena in EA SPORTS FC 26“Everything we’ve added to FC 26 has been shaped by the voices of our community,” said James Taylor, Director of Football Partnerships at EA SPORTS FC. “From the return of iconic stadiums and clubs fans have called for, to expanding representation in women’s football at the highest level — every new addition reflects our commitment to authenticity and to celebrating the incredible diversity of the world’s game.”EA SPORTS FC 26 is powered by authenticity and shaped by the voices of the community with several iconic stadiums being called for, including the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona giving Neapolitans and fans around the world a long-awaited addition. Also joining the lineup are two more fan favourites: Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern, and Tüpraş Stadyumu, the stadium of Beşiktaş.Michael Diederich, Executive Vice Chairman of FC Bayern said: "Passion, commitment and emotion are the hallmarks of football, both on the pitch and in the virtual world - and the gaming community is growing with every move. We at FC Bayern are all excited to share these attributes with our new partner EA SPORTS FC. Together, we want to further expand our interaction with the next generation of football fans: on the pitch and on the game console."These updates reflect EA SPORTS FC’s ongoing commitment to elevating both men’s and women’s football. Renewed licensing agreements include the Barclays Women’s Super League, Arkema Première Ligue, UEFA Women’s Champions League, and UEFA Women’s EURO — alongside continued partnerships with top clubs such as OL Lyonnes. New additions, including Chelsea Women and FC Bayern Women, further strengthen EA SPORTS FC’s global representation of elite women’s football.“The power of EA SPORTS FC and its utopian world of football has brought the BWSL, our clubs and our players to a whole new audience” said Zarah Al Kudcy, Chief Revenue Officer. “Our league and our clubs are already one of the most played in women’s football within the game and we are excited to keep building together."Other leagues and club partnership and license renewals include Atletico Madrid, River Plate, Racing Club, Scottish Premier League, and Belgian Pro League, among others.Additional new stadiums in FC 26 include the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Holstein-Stadion, Stade de la Beaujoire, Son Moix Stadium, Red Bull Arena, Wankdorf Stadium, St. Jakob Park, as well as others.Pre-orders are now available for EA SPORTS FC 26, which will launch on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Amazon Luna, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. EA SPORTS FC 26 will be available worldwide to play on September 26, 2025, with early access through the Ultimate Edition beginning September 19, 2025*.EA Play** members, the Club is Yours in EA SPORTS FC™ 26 with the EA Play 10-hour early access trial, starting September 19, 2025. Members also score member rewards including seasonal Ultimate Team™ Draft Tokens and club rewards, as well as receive 10% off EA digital content including pre-orders, game downloads, FC Points, and DLC. For more information on EA Play please visit ea.com/ea-play.For more information on EA SPORTS FC 26, please visit ea.com/fc26 and ensure you’re following our global social channels for all the latest upcoming news and announcements for EA SPORTS FC.*Conditions and restrictions apply. Offers may not be available on all platforms and/or all territories. See ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-26/game-disclaimers for details.**Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.About Electronic ArtsElectronic Artsis a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.In fiscal year 2025, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS FC™, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ College Football, Need for Speed™, Dragon Age™, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ and EA SPORTS F1®. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Dragon Age, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, and F1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.Category: EA Sports

    EA SPORTS FC NewsroomSource: Electronic Arts Inc.

    Multimedia Files:
    #sports #expands #global #footprint #with
    EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Expands Global Footprint With New Partners, Leagues, and Stadiums In-Game
    August 28, 2025 Powered by authenticity and community feedback, EA SPORTS FC 26 delivers the world’s game like never before — The Club is Yours. PRE-ORDER EA SPORTS FC 26 TODAY REDWOOD CITY, Calif.---- Today, Electronic Arts Inc.confirmed a series of new and exclusive multi-year partnerships and in-game integrations for EA SPORTS FC™ 26, delivering 20,000+ athletes across 750+ clubs and national teams, 120+ stadiums, and 35+ leagues — powered by over 300+ global football partners. Spanning both men’s and women’s football, highlights include a new marketing partnership with the English FA, featuring a renewed license with the reigning UEFA Women's EURO 2025 champions and the men’s national team, as well as a new partnership with one of the world’s most iconic clubs, FC Bayern.Allianz Arena in EA SPORTS FC 26“Everything we’ve added to FC 26 has been shaped by the voices of our community,” said James Taylor, Director of Football Partnerships at EA SPORTS FC. “From the return of iconic stadiums and clubs fans have called for, to expanding representation in women’s football at the highest level — every new addition reflects our commitment to authenticity and to celebrating the incredible diversity of the world’s game.”EA SPORTS FC 26 is powered by authenticity and shaped by the voices of the community with several iconic stadiums being called for, including the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona giving Neapolitans and fans around the world a long-awaited addition. Also joining the lineup are two more fan favourites: Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern, and Tüpraş Stadyumu, the stadium of Beşiktaş.Michael Diederich, Executive Vice Chairman of FC Bayern said: "Passion, commitment and emotion are the hallmarks of football, both on the pitch and in the virtual world - and the gaming community is growing with every move. We at FC Bayern are all excited to share these attributes with our new partner EA SPORTS FC. Together, we want to further expand our interaction with the next generation of football fans: on the pitch and on the game console."These updates reflect EA SPORTS FC’s ongoing commitment to elevating both men’s and women’s football. Renewed licensing agreements include the Barclays Women’s Super League, Arkema Première Ligue, UEFA Women’s Champions League, and UEFA Women’s EURO — alongside continued partnerships with top clubs such as OL Lyonnes. New additions, including Chelsea Women and FC Bayern Women, further strengthen EA SPORTS FC’s global representation of elite women’s football.“The power of EA SPORTS FC and its utopian world of football has brought the BWSL, our clubs and our players to a whole new audience” said Zarah Al Kudcy, Chief Revenue Officer. “Our league and our clubs are already one of the most played in women’s football within the game and we are excited to keep building together."Other leagues and club partnership and license renewals include Atletico Madrid, River Plate, Racing Club, Scottish Premier League, and Belgian Pro League, among others.Additional new stadiums in FC 26 include the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Holstein-Stadion, Stade de la Beaujoire, Son Moix Stadium, Red Bull Arena, Wankdorf Stadium, St. Jakob Park, as well as others.Pre-orders are now available for EA SPORTS FC 26, which will launch on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Amazon Luna, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. EA SPORTS FC 26 will be available worldwide to play on September 26, 2025, with early access through the Ultimate Edition beginning September 19, 2025*.EA Play** members, the Club is Yours in EA SPORTS FC™ 26 with the EA Play 10-hour early access trial, starting September 19, 2025. Members also score member rewards including seasonal Ultimate Team™ Draft Tokens and club rewards, as well as receive 10% off EA digital content including pre-orders, game downloads, FC Points, and DLC. For more information on EA Play please visit ea.com/ea-play.For more information on EA SPORTS FC 26, please visit ea.com/fc26 and ensure you’re following our global social channels for all the latest upcoming news and announcements for EA SPORTS FC.*Conditions and restrictions apply. Offers may not be available on all platforms and/or all territories. See ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-26/game-disclaimers for details.**Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.About Electronic ArtsElectronic Artsis a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.In fiscal year 2025, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS FC™, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ College Football, Need for Speed™, Dragon Age™, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ and EA SPORTS F1®. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Dragon Age, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, and F1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.Category: EA Sports EA SPORTS FC NewsroomSource: Electronic Arts Inc. Multimedia Files: #sports #expands #global #footprint #with
    EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Expands Global Footprint With New Partners, Leagues, and Stadiums In-Game
    news.ea.com
    August 28, 2025 Powered by authenticity and community feedback, EA SPORTS FC 26 delivers the world’s game like never before — The Club is Yours. PRE-ORDER EA SPORTS FC 26 TODAY REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) confirmed a series of new and exclusive multi-year partnerships and in-game integrations for EA SPORTS FC™ 26, delivering 20,000+ athletes across 750+ clubs and national teams, 120+ stadiums, and 35+ leagues — powered by over 300+ global football partners. Spanning both men’s and women’s football, highlights include a new marketing partnership with the English FA, featuring a renewed license with the reigning UEFA Women's EURO 2025 champions and the men’s national team, as well as a new partnership with one of the world’s most iconic clubs, FC Bayern.Allianz Arena in EA SPORTS FC 26“Everything we’ve added to FC 26 has been shaped by the voices of our community,” said James Taylor, Director of Football Partnerships at EA SPORTS FC. “From the return of iconic stadiums and clubs fans have called for, to expanding representation in women’s football at the highest level — every new addition reflects our commitment to authenticity and to celebrating the incredible diversity of the world’s game.”EA SPORTS FC 26 is powered by authenticity and shaped by the voices of the community with several iconic stadiums being called for, including the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona giving Neapolitans and fans around the world a long-awaited addition. Also joining the lineup are two more fan favourites: Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern, and Tüpraş Stadyumu, the stadium of Beşiktaş.Michael Diederich, Executive Vice Chairman of FC Bayern said: "Passion, commitment and emotion are the hallmarks of football, both on the pitch and in the virtual world - and the gaming community is growing with every move. We at FC Bayern are all excited to share these attributes with our new partner EA SPORTS FC. Together, we want to further expand our interaction with the next generation of football fans: on the pitch and on the game console."These updates reflect EA SPORTS FC’s ongoing commitment to elevating both men’s and women’s football. Renewed licensing agreements include the Barclays Women’s Super League, Arkema Première Ligue, UEFA Women’s Champions League, and UEFA Women’s EURO — alongside continued partnerships with top clubs such as OL Lyonnes. New additions, including Chelsea Women and FC Bayern Women, further strengthen EA SPORTS FC’s global representation of elite women’s football.“The power of EA SPORTS FC and its utopian world of football has brought the BWSL, our clubs and our players to a whole new audience” said Zarah Al Kudcy, Chief Revenue Officer. “Our league and our clubs are already one of the most played in women’s football within the game and we are excited to keep building together."Other leagues and club partnership and license renewals include Atletico Madrid, River Plate, Racing Club, Scottish Premier League, and Belgian Pro League, among others.Additional new stadiums in FC 26 include the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium (Everton), Holstein-Stadion (Holstein Kiel), Stade de la Beaujoire (FC Nantes), Son Moix Stadium (RCD Mallorca), Red Bull Arena (RB Salzburg), Wankdorf Stadium (BSC Young Boys), St. Jakob Park (FC Basel), as well as others.Pre-orders are now available for EA SPORTS FC 26, which will launch on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Amazon Luna, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. EA SPORTS FC 26 will be available worldwide to play on September 26, 2025, with early access through the Ultimate Edition beginning September 19, 2025*.EA Play** members, the Club is Yours in EA SPORTS FC™ 26 with the EA Play 10-hour early access trial, starting September 19, 2025. Members also score member rewards including seasonal Ultimate Team™ Draft Tokens and club rewards, as well as receive 10% off EA digital content including pre-orders, game downloads, FC Points, and DLC. For more information on EA Play please visit ea.com/ea-play.For more information on EA SPORTS FC 26, please visit ea.com/fc26 and ensure you’re following our global social channels for all the latest upcoming news and announcements for EA SPORTS FC.*Conditions and restrictions apply. Offers may not be available on all platforms and/or all territories. See ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-26/game-disclaimers for details.**Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.About Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.In fiscal year 2025, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately $7.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS FC™, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ College Football, Need for Speed™, Dragon Age™, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ and EA SPORTS F1®. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Dragon Age, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, and F1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.Category: EA Sports EA SPORTS FC Newsroom [email protected] Source: Electronic Arts Inc. Multimedia Files:
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Sad
    Angry
    481
    · 2 Comments ·0 Shares
  • واش راكم يا جماعة؟ اليوم حبيت نشارك معاكم خبر طريف على Mastodon، الشبكة الاجتماعية اللي راها تحاول تخلينا نحكيو بحرية، لكن عندها مشكل مع قوانين التحقق من السن. يعني كل واحد عندو سيرفر خاص بيه، و هو اللي يحدد إذا يقبل الصغار ولا لأ.

    المشكلة هنا، أنه Mastodon ماعندهاش الإمكانيات باش تلتزم بالقوانين الجديدة، وهذي كاين في ولايات كيما Mississippi. بصح، هل يعقل أن نحن نترك الأمور لهذيك السرفرات؟ يعني، شكون لي راح يشوف موال الصغار في السرفر تاعو؟

    بالنسبة لي، نحب الحرية، بصح في نفس الوقت نحتاجوا مسؤولية. لازم نفكروا في كيفية حماية الصغار بدون ما نكبروها فيهم.

    https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/29/mastodon-says-it-doesnt-have-the-means-to-comply-with-age-verification-laws/

    #Mastodon #SocialMedia #تحقق_السن
    🚀 واش راكم يا جماعة؟ اليوم حبيت نشارك معاكم خبر طريف على Mastodon، الشبكة الاجتماعية اللي راها تحاول تخلينا نحكيو بحرية، لكن عندها مشكل مع قوانين التحقق من السن. يعني كل واحد عندو سيرفر خاص بيه، و هو اللي يحدد إذا يقبل الصغار ولا لأ. 😅 المشكلة هنا، أنه Mastodon ماعندهاش الإمكانيات باش تلتزم بالقوانين الجديدة، وهذي كاين في ولايات كيما Mississippi. بصح، هل يعقل أن نحن نترك الأمور لهذيك السرفرات؟ يعني، شكون لي راح يشوف موال الصغار في السرفر تاعو؟ 😂 بالنسبة لي، نحب الحرية، بصح في نفس الوقت نحتاجوا مسؤولية. لازم نفكروا في كيفية حماية الصغار بدون ما نكبروها فيهم. https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/29/mastodon-says-it-doesnt-have-the-means-to-comply-with-age-verification-laws/ #Mastodon #SocialMedia #تحقق_السن #ح
    techcrunch.com
    Decentralized social network Mastodon says it cannot comply with age verification laws, like in Mississippi and elsewhere, and says it's up to individual server owners to decide.
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Sad
    Angry
    582
    · 1 Comments ·0 Shares
More Results
ollo https://www.ollo.ws