The topic of cheating in 3D animation will likely always be one of the most fascinating parts of the craft. The notion that, unlike in games, for example, 3D animations can be bent and twisted in all sorts of ways behind the scenes, coupled with the fact that these mesmerizing imperfections usually remain unseen, makes it all the more exciting when distorted models and messed-up rigs do come to light.Joining our growing library of such showcases is this impressive under-the-hood demo featuring Mr. Snake from The Bad Guys 2 being "split in half," figuratively speaking, shared by DreamWorks Animator David Guo. To make the character slither convincingly on screen, the creator simply used two rigs and skillfully hid the connection out of sight, giving the illusion of a single unified model. "The key to making him feel like a single, solid character was to make sure the overall 'volume' of his body felt consistent: when one part of the body enters, it pulls on another area of the body," the author notes.Earlier, Guo also compared this particular scene from the movie to how it looked during the blocking stage, for a more extensive behind-the-scenes look at some of DreamWorks' films, we highly encourage you to visit the artist's Instagram page:And here are some more mesmerizing instances of cheating in 3D animation for your viewing pleasure:Here's How You Can Cut Corners & Cheat in 3D AnimationBreaking 3D Models to Achieve the Perfect Animation ShotDisney Animator Shows That It's OK to Break Things to Get a Good ResultPixar Animator Shows How 3D Character Mouths Look From Different AnglesArtists Share Broken 3D Models That Look Good on CameraIf you would like to learn more about how 3D Animators cut corners, we also recommend checking out our interview with Kevin Temmer, the Lead Animator at Glitch Production, who told us more about The Amazing Digital Circus' animation workflows, explained what "cheating" in 3D animation is, and discussed how they twist TADC's characters behind the scenes.Don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more. #watch #snake #get #quotsplit #halfquot

The announcement that Hollow Knight: Silksong would release on September 4 was such a surprise that even the most tuned-in Hollow Knight fans were in shock at the news. And now, just days before Silksong releases, Hollow Knight is seeing a renaissance with gamers, passing its Steam concurrents records over and over again, hitting a new peak of 56,192 players on August 29, according to SteamDB.For years, Hollow Knight's biggest day was in May of 2022 when the game had over 20,000 concurrent players. Since the announcement of Silksong's impending release date, though, each consecutive day has seen that concurrent peak rising, having hit 21,000 on August 22, just a day after the announcement, and hit 56,192 today. For a seven-year-old indie game, this is pretty big.Of course, it's important to note that SteamDB is not the be-all-end-all of game stats. Steam is a dominant platform for sure, but Hollow Knight is available on all last and current-generation consoles, including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox, with Switch being a particularly popular platform for the game. Even so, it's indicative that the legend of Hollow Knight continues to grow.Continue Reading at GameSpot #hollow #knight #still #breaking #records

💔 من الأخبار اللي تحبس الأنفاس، جماعة أنصار الله اليمنية أعلنت عن اغتيال رئيس الوزراء أحمد غالب الرهوي مع عدد من الوزراء، وهذا وقع الخميس الماضي. الأحداث تتسارع في المنطقة، وكأنها مسرحية درامية مكتوب لها أن تتواصل. كنت نشوف في الأخبار، وقلبي يوجعني على الوضع في اليمن. الشهداء ووزراء الدولة راهي عائلاتهم تعاني، وهذا الشيء يحتاج منا تفكير عميق في كيفية وقف كل هاد العنف. خلينا نتفاعل مع بعض ونكون واعيين عن الأحداث اللي تأثر على حياتنا، فالعالم مازال فيه أمل. 📺 شاهد الفيديو هنا: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8OmAgWDhY4 #اليمن #أنصار_الله #أحمد_غالب_الرهوي #عاجل #breakingnews

واش راكم يا جماعة؟ البارح كنت في قهوة مع صحابي، وبدينا نهضرو على الذكاء الاصطناعي. واحد منهم قال لي "شفت الدردشة الذكية الجديدة؟ تتكلم وكأنها إنسان!" لكن لقيت روحي نفكر، واش كاين فعلاً ثورة في الموضوع، ولا غير خيالات كبيرة؟ هاد المقال اللي قريتو يعاود يوضح كيف هاد الشات بوتس من Big Tech يخلقو أحلام كبيرة بلا أساس. شفت بلي نحيط الروحي بحدود التكنولوجيا يخليني نغلط في توقعاتي. كاين بزاف الوعود، لكن وين النتائج؟ خاصنا نكونوا حذرين وما نطيروش في الخيال. المقال يفتح لنا آفاق جديدة للتفكير في مستقبل الذكاء الاصطناعي وكيف يؤثر علينا. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/with-ai-chatbots-big-tech-is-moving-fast-and-breaking-people/ #ذكاء_اصطناعي #AI #BigTech #تكنولوجيا #Chatbots

Diego Argüello, Contributing Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comAugust 26, 20253 Min ReadImage via Rec RoomDeveloper Rec Room, the team behind the namesake user-generated contentdriven social game, has laid off "about half" its staff.Announced yesterday via the official site, CEO and co-founder Nick Fajt wrote that both he and CCO and co-founder Cameron Brown made the decision, which they called a "business necessity based on the financial trajectory of the company" that doesn't reflect on the individuals affected."This is not a reflection on the talent or dedication of those departing—we wish we could keep every one of them," reads the announcement. "I’m gonna say that again, to make it clear this isn’t just 'one of those things you say in a layoff message'. We TRULY wish we could keep every one of these people on the team. But we can't. This is a reflection of the tough reality we face as a business and the change needed to give Rec Room a chance to thrive in the years ahead."According to the post, the laid off workers will continue to be paid for the next three months, receive health benefits for the next six months, and have the option to keep their laptop or desktop computer. Rec Room didn't specify how many people were affected.'The writing on the wall became very clear'Back in December 2021, Rec Room raised million for its social platform, bringing the company's lifetime raised funds to around million. According to Brown, the team invested "heavily in creation tools across PC, VR, consoles, and mobile," but the reality "has been harsh." The CEO claims the mobile and console versions never got to the point where "those devices were good for building stuff." Some of the efforts to bridge the gap, including the Maker AI tool, frustrated the studio's "more impactful creators." Related:At the same time, the lower-powered devices still fostered "millions of pieces of content," which reportedly put a strain on the team that had to come up with procedures to review it all. "Making all this run across every device was a massive technical challenge and burden. While our most skilled creators optimized their content cleverly, most creators didn’t—couldn’t, really, because we didn’t provide them with the necessary tooling."Last month, Fajt announced that Rec Room hit a "record-breaking month" for UGC sales thanks to the creations from players, with creator token earnings from room and Watch store sales increasing 47 percent year-over-year."We deliberately started with a small group of creators as the Avatar Studio tool is still in the early stages," Fajt wrote at the time. "All of the early joiners helped us iron out the workflow and onboarding, providing feedback on how to improve our systems and processes. With creators already finding success, we’re ready to expand."Related:Today's announcement continues by saying that supporting the aforementioned scope stretched the team thin, and began to "dig a financial hole that was getting larger every day." The CEO says the studio has been stuck in an "uncomfortable middle ground" during the past few years, wondering whether to keep pushing the internal UGC vision while potentially increasing the frustration of players and the team, or scale back the vision by cutting the team in half."Both paths were painful," Brown wrote. "But ultimately we got to a point where it was clear that staying the course meant low growth, a high burn rate, and no clear path forward. In a word: Unsustainable. The writing on the wall became very clear."Looking forward, Brown says the team will focus on "empowering our very best creators" and "ensuring Rec Room is a great experience for our players.""For those leaving—you will always be part of the Rec Room story," Brown wrote as a closing note about the layoffs. "We thank you for everything, and wish you the best for your next chapter. For those staying—we know this sucks. We know this hurts. Thank you for pushing forward with us—we have hard work ahead, but with a new focus we believe strongly in the future we can build together."Related:Game Developer has reached out to Rec Room for clarification on the number of workers affected. about:Top StoriesLayoffs & Studio ClosuresAbout the AuthorDiego ArgüelloContributing Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comDiego Nicolás Argüello is a freelance journalist and critic from Argentina. Video games helped him to learn English, so now he covers them for places like The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, and more. He also runs Into the Spine, a site dedicated to fostering and supporting new writers, and co-hosted Turnabout Breakdown, a podcast about the Ace Attorney series. He’s most likely playing a rhythm game as you read this.See more from Diego ArgüelloDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like #developer #rec #room #lays #off

IntroductionHi! My name is Pavel Vorobyev, and I'm a 19-year-old 3D Artist specializing in texturing and weapon creation for video games. I've been working in the industry for about 3 years now. During this time, I've had the opportunity to contribute to several exciting projects, including Arma, DayZ, Ratten Reich, and a NEXT-GEN sci-fi shooter. Here's my ArtStation portfolio.My journey into 3D art began in my early teens, around the age of 13 or 14. At some point, I got tired of just playing games and started wondering: "How are they actually made?" That question led me to explore game development. I tried everything – level design, programming, game design – but it was 3D art that truly captured me.I'm entirely self-taught. I learned everything from YouTube, tutorials, articles, and official documentation, gathering knowledge piece by piece. Breaking into the commercial side of the industry wasn't easy: there were a lot of failures, no opportunities, and no support. At one point, I even took a job at a metallurgical plant. But I kept pushing forward, kept learning and improving my skills in 3D. Eventually, I got my first industry offer – and that's when my real path began.Today, I continue to grow, constantly experimenting with new styles, tools, and techniques. For me, 3D isn't just a profession – it's a form of self-expression and a path toward my dream. My goal is to build a strong career in the game industry and eventually move into cinematic storytelling in the spirit of Love, Death & Robots.Astartes YouTube channelI also want to inspire younger artists and show how powerful texturing can be as a creative tool. To demonstrate that, I'd love to share my personal project PU – Part 1, which reflects my passion and approach to texture art.In this article, I'll be sharing my latest personal project – a semi-realistic sci-fi helmet that I created from scratch, experimenting with both form and style. It's a personal exploration where I aimed to step away from traditional hyperrealism and bring in a touch of artistic expression.Concept & Project IdeaThe idea behind this helmet project came from a very specific goal – to design a visually appealing asset with rich texture variation and achieve a balance between stylization and realism. I wanted to create something that looked believable, yet had an artistic flair. Since I couldn't find any fitting concepts online, I started building the design from scratch in my head. I eventually settled on creating a helmet as the main focus of the project. For visual direction, I drew inspiration from post-apocalyptic themes and the gritty aesthetics of Fallout and Warhammer 40,000.Software & Tools UsedFor this project, I used Blender, ZBrush, Substance 3D Painter, Marmoset Toolbag 5, Photoshop, and RizomUV. I created the low-poly mesh in Blender and developed the concept and high-poly sculpt in ZBrush. In Substance 3D Painter, I worked on the texture concept and final texturing. Baking and rendering were done in Marmoset Toolbag, and I used Photoshop for some adjustments to the bake. UV unwrapping was handled in RizomUV.Modeling & RetopologyI began the development process by designing the concept based on my earlier references – Fallout and Warhammer 40,000. The initial blockout was done in ZBrush, and from there, I started refining the shapes and details to create something visually engaging and stylistically bold.After completing the high-poly model, I moved on to the long and challenging process of retopology. Since I originally came from a weapons-focused background, I applied the knowledge I gained from modeling firearms. I slightly increased the polycount to achieve a cleaner and more appealing look in the final render – reducing visible faceting. My goal was to strike a balance between visual quality and a game-ready asset.UV Mapping & BakingNext, I moved on to UV mapping. There's nothing too complex about this stage, but since my goal was to create a game-ready asset, I made extensive use of overlaps. I did the UVs in Rizom UV. The most important part is to align the UV shells into clean strips and unwrap cylinders properly into straight lines.Once the UVs were done, I proceeded to bake the normal and ambient occlusion maps. At this stage, the key is having clean UVs and solid retopology – if those are in place, the bake goes smoothly. Texturing: Concept & WorkflowNow we move on to the most challenging stage – texturing. I aimed to present the project in a hyperrealistic style with a touch of stylization. This turned out to be quite difficult, and I went through many iterations. The most important part of this phase was developing a solid texture concept: rough decals, color combinations, and overall material direction. Without that foundation, it makes no sense to move forward with the texturing. After a long process of trial and error, I finally arrived at results I was satisfied with.Then I followed my pipeline:1. Working on the base materials2. Storytelling and damage3. Decals4. Spraying, dust, and dirtWorking on the Base MaterialsWhen working on the base materials, the main thing is to work with the physical properties and texture. You need to extract the maximum quality from the generators before manual processing. The idea was to create the feeling of an old, heavy helmet that had lived its life and had previously been painted a different color. To make it battered and, in a sense, rotten.It is important to pay attention to noise maps – Dirt 3, Dirt 6, White Noise, Flakes – and add the feel of old metal with custom Normal Maps. I also mixed in photo textures for a special charm. PhototextureCustom Normal Map TextureStorytelling & DamageGradients play an important role in the storytelling stage. They make the object artistically dynamic and beautiful, adding individual shades that bring the helmet to life.Everything else is done manually. I found a bunch of old helmets from World War II and took alpha damage shots of them using Photoshop. I drew the damage with alphas, trying to clearly separate the material into old paint, new paint, rust, and bare metal.I did the rust using MatFX Rust from the standard Substance 3D Painter library. I drew beautiful patterns using paint in multiply mode – this quickly helped to recreate the rust effect. Metal damage and old paint were more difficult: due to the large number of overlaps in the helmet, I had to carefully draw patterns, minimizing the visibility of overlaps.DecalsI drew the decals carefully, sticking to the concept, which added richness to the texture.Spray Paint & DirtFor spray paint and dirt, I used a long-established weapon template consisting of dust particles, sand particles, and spray paint. I analyzed references and applied them to crevices and logical places where dirt could accumulate.Rendering & Post-ProcessingI rendered in Marmoset Toolbag 5 using a new rendering format that I developed together with the team. The essence of the method is to simulate "RAW frames." Since Marmoset does not have such functions, I worked with the EXR 32-BIT format, which significantly improves the quality of the render: the shadows are smooth, without artifacts and broken gradients. I assembled the scene using Quixel Megascans. After rendering, I did post-processing in Photoshop utilizing Filter Camera Raw. Conclusion & Advice for BeginnersThat's all. For beginners or those who have been unsuccessful in the industry for a long time, I advise you to follow your dream and not listen to anyone else. Success is a matter of time and skill! Talent is not something you are born with; it is something you develop. Work on yourself and your work, put your heart into it, and you will succeed!Pavel Vorobiev, Texture ArtistInterview conducted by Gloria Levine #creating #detailed #helmet #inspired #fallout

👀 السلام عليكم جماعة! شفتوا الفيديو الجديد اللي فيه مشاهد لمصور الجزيرة محمد سلامة مع مراسل الجزيرة هاني الشاعر؟ الفيديو يسلط الضوء على مأساة كبيرة، حيث نتكلم عن القصف الإسرائيلي لمجمع ناصر الطبي في خان يونس، وكما تعرفوا، هالمأساة أسفرت عن استشهاد 4 صحفيين، بينهم محمد سلامة. بصراحة، مشاهد الفيديو تحزّن القلب وتخلي الواحد يفكر في التضحيات الكبيرة اللي يقوم بها الصحفيين في الظروف الصعبة هذي. كل يوم، يواجهوا مخاطر كبيرة باش يوصلوا لنا الحقيقة. تاريخ غزة يكتب من جديد، وقصص الناس هناك تستحق أن نسمعوها ونشاركها. لنجعل أصواتهم مسموعة ونبقى مع بعضنا في دعم القضية الفلسطينية. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhgmfJFZcAI #فلسطين #الجزيرة #حرب_غزة #BreakingNews #Journalism

👀 يا جماعة، شفتوا الفيديو الجديد اللي على الجزيرة؟ "ما حقيقة الأهداف التي أعلنت إسرائيل ضربها في صنعاء؟" بصراحة، الموضوع مثير كثير ويستحق النقاش! في هذا الفيديو، محرر الشؤون اليمنية أحمد الشلفي يجاوب على جميع تساؤلاتنا حول الضربات الجوية الأخيرة. يعني، واش رايكم في الأخبار هذي؟ هل هناك معلومات خفية ولا realmente واش راهم يقولوه؟ شخصياً، كتبت على هاد الموضوع في مذكراتي قبل، ودوماً كنت نتساءل عن كيفية توصيل الأخبار وتأثيرها على الناس. الموضوع مش سهل، ودايماً فيه زوايا متعددة لازم ناخدوها بعين الاعتبار! في الأخير، من المهم نفكروا في كل التفاصيل الدقيقة قبل ما ننتقدوا أو ندينوا. خلوكم على اطلاع! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBAR8JAHbko #الجزيرة #صنعاء #الحوثيون #breakingnews #Yemen

يا جماعة، شوفوا الفيديو هذا! 🌍🔥 جماعة أنصار الله في اليمن أعلنو عن عدوان إسرائيلي استهدف العاصمة صنعاء، ووسائل الإعلام تقول أن الضربات كانت مركزة على أماكن حساسة كيما محطة النفط والكهرباء. مراسل الجزيرة، نبيل اليوسفي، حاضر في الميدان ويعرض لنا الوضع من العاصمة. الأمور تبدو خطيرة! بالنسبة لي، كي شفت الأخبار هذي، حسيت بقلبي يكاد ينفطر. الوضع في اليمن صعب بزاف، وكأن العالم يتفرج على مأساة بلا حراك. لازم نفكروا كيف نقدروا نساعدوا وننشروا الوعي على اللي راهو يصرا. تابعوا الفيديو وتعرفوا على التفاصيل أكثر 👇 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv6WH3YabCs #اليمن #صنعاء #حرب_غزة #AlJazeera #BreakingNews

Hello everyone! Before unveiling what we’ve prepared for PC players when Lost Soul Aside hits PC and PS5 on August 29, I want to share the journey that brought us here. Play Video Behind the scenes – Meet the team and the journey behind the game What began as a solo prototype has grown through years of iteration, the incredible support of the China Hero Project, and the encouragement of a passionate community into the full-scale action RPG you see today. In our new Behind-the-Scenes developer video, you’ll meet the talented team at Ultizero Games and hear, in our own words, about the passion, challenges, and breakthroughs that shaped every strike, combo, and boss encounter. It’s an inside look at the creative process that brought Lost Soul Aside from a single idea to the game we can’t wait for you to play. Play Video From our story to your screen – the PC experience As we approach launch, I’m excited to share that Lost Soul Aside is now in its final polishing stage for PC—releasing worldwide alongside the PlayStation 5 version. We’ve worked hard to ensure that PC players enjoy a true next-generation experience, and we’ve prepared four special features unique to the platform. These enhancements take full advantage of PC hardware so you can experience the game at its best, and I’m thrilled to finally reveal them to you. Full DualSense controller support Connect your DualSense controller via USB-C or Bluetoothand enjoy native support—no extra drivers needed. Adaptive Triggers: Each weapon and mechanism delivers unique resistance curves for a tactile, responsive feel. Haptic Feedback: From the clash of steel to explosive impacts and the rush of running through water, every vibration is precision-tuned to match the on-screen action.Just plug in and play. 4K + HDR visuals  Experience Lost Soul Aside in native 4Kresolution with multi-monitor support for maximum immersion. High Dynamic Rangebrings out deep shadow details and vibrant neon highlights, delivering stunning contrast—“one glance, and your soul is hooked.” Ray Tracing  Ray-Traced Reflections: Crystal-clear water surfaces, polished armor, and metallic weapons reflect their surroundings in real time. Ray-Traced Global Illumination: Sunlight breaking through clouds and neon glow diffusing through the air add incredible depth to every scene. Ray-Traced Shadows: High-resolution, soft shadows shift naturally with light, enhancing realism in both exploration and combat.All ray-tracing effects are optimized with DLSS 4, FSR, and Frame Generation, ensuring smooth 4K 60 FPS gameplay—even on more modest hardware.   PlayStation account linking — Cross-Platform Trophy Sync When you first launch the game, you’ll have the option to link your PlayStation Network account. Once connected, all achievements earned on PC will sync instantly with your PlayStation Network profile—and vice versa. It’s truly “unlock once, show off everywhere”—your Platinum Trophy journey continues seamlessly across platforms. Wondering if your PC can handle Lost Soul Aside? Here are the system requirements: PC Specs for Lost Soul AsideMinimumRecommendedHighHighUltraGPUNVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 5500 XTNVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD RX 5700 XTNVIDIA RTX 3070 / AMD RX 6800 XTNVIDIA RTX 4080s / AMD RX 7900 XTNVIDIA RTX 5070 TiCPUIntel i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600Intel i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600Intel i7-11700 / AMD Ryzen 7 5700XIntel i7-11700 / AMD Ryzen 7 5700XIntel i7-13700K / AMD Ryzen 7 7800XRAM16 GB16 GB16 GB16 GB16 GBOSWin 10/11 64-bitWin 10/11 64-bitWin 10/11 64-bitWin 10/11 64-bitWin 10/11 64-bitStorage80 GB SSD80 GB SSD80 GB SSD80 GB SSD80 GB SSD The PC version of Lost Soul Aside launches August 28 at 5pm PDT / August 29 at 8am CSTand is now available for pre-purchase on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Lock in your platform and brace for the ultimate fusion of razor-sharp action and next-gen audiovisuals! Lost Soul Aside PlayStation 5 Pro enhancements I know many of you are excited to experience Lost Soul Aside on PlayStation 5 Pro, so I’m happy to share what we’ve done to make the most of its powerful hardware.  On PS5 Pro, you’ll be able to play in dynamic 4K with enhanced ray-traced reflections, shadows, and global illumination, bringing every scene to life with incredible depth and realism. We’ve also taken advantage of the Pro’s boosted GPU to push higher texture quality, more detailed particle effects, and even faster loading through the ultra-fast SSD. Additionally, players will benefit from a higher and more stable frame rate, ensuring fluid, responsive gameplay even in the most intense battles. The result is smoother combat, sharper visuals, and an even more immersive adventure from start to finish. I want to thank all of you for your patience and support throughout this journey. It’s been many years in the making, and every step has been driven by your passion for Lost Soul Aside. Whether you choose to play on PC, PlayStation 5, or PlayStation 5 Pro, my hope is that you’ll feel the heart, detail, and care we’ve poured into every moment. The launch is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to see your reactions, your gameplay clips, and your stories from this world we’ve built together. See you at launch! #lost #soul #aside #features #behindthescenes

Chris Kerr, Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comAugust 22, 20252 Min ReadImage via Tencent Tencent debuted a new AI creation tool called VISVISE at Gamescom 2025 that it claims will accelerate video game art production by automating repetitive tasks. The Chinese conglomerate billed VISVISE as an end-to-end AI game creation suit that will "dramatically cut down game art design time from days or even months, down to minutes." "With capabilities spanning animation and modeling to the creation of intelligent NPCs, or managing digital assets, VISVISE provides game developers and designers with a complete AIGC-powered toolset to accelerate workflows," it added. Tencent said the tool will specifically allow developers to rapidly skin and animate characters in a matter of minutes—a process it claims usually takes up to three-and-a-half days. In addition, the company claimed skeletal animations can be produced in just 10 seconds with VISVISE. Tencent said that process usually takes between three and seven days. "This results in an eightfold improvement in character skinning throughput and transforms animation into a fully automated process of 'keyframe generation + intelligent in-betweening,'" it continued. Tencent claims it doesn't want VISVISE to replace 'human ingenuity'Tencent Games VISVISE expert Zijiao Zeng delivered a keynote at Devcomand shared more details on VISVISE's two key core technologies: VISVISE GoSkinning and VISVISE MotionBlink. Related:GoSkinning works by leveraging a universal AI model to automatically adapt to different skeletal structures. Tencent told Game Developer the tool is based on an AI model developed in-house. The company explained GoSkinning achieves around 85 percent automation and uses a two-step process of bone chain prediction and weight refinement, while its proprietary 'Skirt AI' addresses "complex garment deformation issues." MotionBlink, meanwhile, uses a self-regressive diffusion architecture to rapidly generate keyframes combined with pre-trained CVAE and contrastive learning to produce smooth motion transitions that Tencent claims will rival optimal motion capture and eliminate common issues such as foot sliding and jitter. VISVISE tools have already been integrated into the development of over 90 titles, including PUBG Mobile. Addressing the widespread concerns surrounding AI technology and automation, Tencent said it doesn't envision a future in which VISVIE replaces workers and instead explained it views the technology as a "supporting tool." "VISVISE is designed to automate repetitive tasks with human oversight, enabling creative teams to focus on core artistic and design elements that define a great game," a Tencent spokesperson told Game Developer. "Human ingenuity, intuition and connection continue to be pillars of our industry's success, and the keys to developing engaging, emotionally resonant games. With AI, we hope to accelerate creativity, building a collaborative environment where we can continue to create, play and sell quality games."Related:Game Developer attended Gamescom 2025 via the Gamescom Media Ambassador Program, which covered flights and accommodation. about:GamescomAbout the AuthorChris KerrSenior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like #tencent #claims #its #new #tool

Chris Kerr, Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comAugust 22, 20254 Min ReadVia Evil Empire/UbisoftThe Rogue Prince of Persia developer Evil Empire doesn't believe it's worth entering early access in the current climate unless your project is at least 90 percent complete. Speaking to Game Developer at Gamescom 2025, studio marketing manager Matthew Houghton and art director Dylan Eurlings shared their thoughts on the state of contemporary early access campaigns and suggested the system is becoming increasingly risky. You might recognize Evil Empire as the studio that has spent years helping Dead Cells developer Motion Twin expand the franchise with DLC and free updates. Since May 2024, however, the studio has also been shepherding The Rogue Prince of Persia through an Steam Early Access campaign that culminated in an official launch on August 20.Yet, due to a variety of factors including shifting player expectations, the team had to tweak their pre-release strategy in a bid to lure in players. As a result, the studio has become more wary of early access in general. "To be honest, the way I see it now is that unless you're coming into early access with a 90 percent complete game, don't do it. Because players, they don't see it as early access, they see it a game to play," says Houghton. He adds that players are entitled to express their views because they're often paying money to play early access titles, but he feels that sifting viewpoint means consumers are less willing to follow games on an early access journey that will often result in significant changes. Related:Eurlings echoes that point and suggests that a perceived lack of polish and content can now be a "huge issue" during early access campaigns. He explains that Evil Empire was even forced to rethink their original roadmap after the earliest versions of Rogue Prince of Persia failed to meet internal expectations."Initially we wanted to do quick updates. Very fast. In the end, we took a bit more time to ensure that each update would be a bit more chunky," he adds, noting that pivot resulted in a steady cadence of monthly updates that each packed a fair bit of clout. That shift came after the team conceded that early access numbers "weren't great." Houghton explains the project initially attracted just under 1,000 peak concurrent users. After they flipped the script, the title started to pull in around 4,000 CCU. "That's why we wanted to prioritize chunky content—there would be an impact every time," says Houghton, before acknowledging the title still hadn't quite met the team's CCU expectations even after that switch-up. Related:"Of course you listen to the feedback and take the ideas, but you have to feed them through a filter."It underlines the risks that come with early access, and Houghton specifically wonders whether some developers who can't hit that 90 percent completion benchmark before launching into early access might instead be better off conducting beta tests through Steam instead. If you're curious as to where Rogue Prince of Persia was when it entered Early Access, Houghton suggests the project was roughly 60 percent complete. Eurlings, was slightly more conservative, and claimed it was more like 50 percent. We suggested they meet in the middle. "Steam has evolved now. You can do beta tests and playtests through Steam. I think that's become more like Early Access. People aren't paying for it and your project might be a bit jankybut that's okay because they're still going to give feedback and it's not going to be a disaster if it's not great yet," continues Houghton. When asked whether Evil Empire would consider revisiting Early Access in the future, Houghton isn't so certain."I don't know. I'm going to be honest. I've been put off by it, because especially now people are so used to games coming out and then doing live ops for three, four, and five years—so why go with early access and have to deal with the stigma that's around it? I think I would do playtests and then just release," he explains. Related:Houghton adds that teams who are still convinced early access is right for them must have complete conviction in their creative vision—otherwise they might risk being derailed. "Of course you listen to the feedback and take the ideas, but you have to feed them through a filter, otherwise you'll have too many cooks.You'll have people who are super enthusiastic who think you can't do anything wrong, and then you get the people who are just super negative and people who are just throwing ideas at you that you know won't work in the game." It's a situation that can feel overwhelming, with Houghton explaining that Rogue Prince of Persia's game director found the onslaught "too much" at times. "You have to stick to your vision," says Houghton. "Listen, but just cherry pickcarefully."Game Developer attended Gamescom 2025 via the Gamescom Media Ambassador Program, which covered flights and accommodation. about:GamescomTop StoriesInterviewsAbout the AuthorChris KerrSenior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like #evil #empire #tells #devs #avoid