It’s the first Tuesday of the month, meaning its time for the monthly Unreal Engine Marketplace giveaway! Every month Epic Games gives away several assets from the Unreal Engine marketplace, so long as the assets are “purchased” before the start of next month’s giveaway.

The February 2020 giveaway includes:

· Amplify LUT Pack

· Auto Settings

· Combat Systems – Constructor

· First Person Puzzle Template

· Open World AI Spawn System

Additionally, the following asset has been made available as part of the permanently free collection:

· Advanced Locomotion System V4

You can learn more about the monthly giveaway on the Unreal Engine blog and by watching the video available below.

GameDev News Unreal

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Traffic congestion is a problem in cities all over the world. The U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs states that 68 percent of the world’s population will live in cities over the coming decades up from 55 percent today.¹ As cities grow, congestion will get worse.

In Moscow, Russia, the average driver spends 210 hours a year waiting in traffic, while in Mexico City, Mexico, the average driver spends 218 a year in traffic. In Chicago, Illinois, the average driver is relatively lucky as they only spend 138 hours a year in traffic.²

One solution to traffic congestion is smart mobility. Smart mobility is the concept of connecting the elements of a city’s transportation system to the cloud. Data from each element—vehicles, traffic signals, people, roads, and maps—is collected, combined, and analyzed to optimize the flow of vehicles in the city.

If we drill down on how cities are using smart mobility to reduce traffic congestion today, we see best practices emerge. Let’s look at six key items that cities should embrace to enable smart mobility solutions.

To learn how Microsoft can help you get started with smart mobility, explore these resources.

Connected infrastructure

One criterion required to enable smart mobility to reduce traffic congestion is connected infrastructure. The different parts of a city’s transportation system need to be connected to the cloud: traffic lights, cars, buses, trains, bikes, people, maps, and even roads. This Internet of Things (IoT) approach allows location, speed, capacity, and other data to be collected, stored, and analyzed. Wilson Parking recently invested in connected infrastructure to decrease congestion for drivers using the new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. The city of Taipai has launched an initiative to connect 150,000 streetlights.

Access to data

Another criterion is access to data. Cities continuously collect and produce large quantities of data for planning, production, and decision-making. Sharing this data with the private sector can help accelerate smart mobility solutions. The City of Denver creates a holistic data environment that brings together data from multiple siloed sources to meet its smart mobility goals. Helsinki, Finland, opened access to city GIS transportation data.

Alternative transportation

A third criterion is offering compelling options to the “one car, one driver” model. For smart mobility, alternative options would need to be connected to the cloud:

• Bicycle commuting: ideal for commutes of a few miles
• Carsharing: rent cars by the minute or by the hour
• Ridesharing (carpooling): make use of the empty seats already in the system
• On-demand ride services: use personal vehicles to offer transportation services
• Buses and trains: reimagining existing transportation by integrating them into end-to-end trip plans, including how to travel the last mile home

Autonomous vehicles

A fourth criterion required to enable smart mobility to reduce traffic congestion is the evolution of autonomous vehicles. While still in development, autonomous vehicles are cars or trucks in which human drivers are not required. These vehicles use sensors and software to control, navigate, and drive the vehicle. The use of autonomous vehicles to reduce traffic congestion depends on public policy. For example, self-driving cars could connect transit hubs, provide public transit services to communities not currently served, and be used to improve public transportation.³

Traffic management

Traffic management is ultimately at the heart of reducing congestion.  The new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge is a modern-day marvel that has forever changed traffic patterns across one of Asia’s fast-growing areas. Recent estimates say daily volume on the world’s longest sea bridge will reach 29,100 vehicles by 2030 and 42,000 vehicles by 2037. Wilson Parking enables drivers to pre-book spaces on the bridge, resulting in smoother traffic flows. The City of Denver uses its capabilities to take a proactive approach to transportation optimizations, for example, by enabling real-time adjustments to traffic flows in the case of accidents or other disruptions.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Applications

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) applications complete the smart mobility picture. The vision of MaaS is to make it easier and less expensive for car drivers and passengers to travel via alternative forms of transportation. MaaS applications enable travelers to plan trips based on their priorities and preferences. Microsoft is working with companies like Moovit and TomTom to offer critical real-time data to MaaS application providers, enabling them to deliver compelling applications.

By connecting traffic lights, vehicles, people, and roads to the cloud, sharing data, embracing alternative modes of transportation, and building traffic management systems, cities like Hong Kong, Taipei, and Denver are experiencing success and leading the way for other cities. As travelers adopt MaaS applications, they will increasingly choose mass transit options over driving on their own. The advent of autonomous vehicles will eventually help reduce traffic congestion even further.

Learn how Microsoft can help you get started with smart mobility.

References:

¹United Nations Dept. of Economics and Social Population Dynamics

²INRIX 2018 Global Scorecard

³Union of Concerned Scientists, Maximizing the Benefits of Self-Driving Vehicles

The three oldest sisters—Ozletc, Tazaroc, and Niruul—gathered around Amtec, the youngest. They spoke in harmonizing tones, each voice the pluck of a different string on the same instrument.

“You know our purpose,” said Ozletc. “This crumbled timeline…”

“Will let us right the wrongs of Ghaul the Abdicated,” said Tazaroc. “And thus see our people…”

“Reborn,” said Niruul. “Loosed from our fetters.”

“I know your purpose,” said Amtec, who was the most beloved. She trembled in their massive presence. The three oldest sisters had begun the process of joining, known only to them through ancient texts of the mind, never accomplished in recent memory. It was a permanent metaconcert; an unbreakable bond of self-dissolution. Already their minds had begun to merge, and Amtec could see them being drawn closer, as if by some magnetic force in their bones.

“Then you know,” said Ozletc.

“The consequences of our failure,” said Niruul.

Amtec nodded. Her eye darted from sister to sister, now both more foreign and more familiar, as each sister was each other sister, somehow, combined.

“Together, we are stronger,” said Tazaroc.

“Than any threat that may challenge us,” said Ozletc. “But should we fail…”

“Unlikely though it is,” said Tazaroc.

“You must succeed where we could not,” said Ozletc. “And so, you will join with us…”

“In mind,” said Niruul.

“But not in body,” said Tazaroc.

Already, Amtec could feel the power of their minds—their mind—settle against the edges of her own like a heavy, flat stone.

“And so our failure,” said Niruul.

“Will be your failure,” said Ozletc.

“And our revenge,” said Tazaroc.

“Will be your revenge,” said Ozletc.

Amtec had hoped since the beginning to join her sister in mind and body on the battlefield of time. She had thought, today, they would ask. But she knew that if she felt it too keenly, they would taste her disappointment, and she craved their love.

“I understand,” she said, and she vowed to see that any threat that would harm her sisters would be annihilated so thoroughly that it would be wiped from living memory.

Save 70% on Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 during this week’s Midweek Madness*!

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is the new real-time strategy game adapted from Games Workshop’s famous tabletop game that portrays the epic space battles of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

*Offer ends Friday at 10AM Pacific Time

With its build-it-yourself cardboard packs and quirky gameplay, Nintendo Labo is one cool piece of kit. There’s one way to make it even cooler, though, and that’s by turning it into a Pikachu. Obviously.

In the March 2020 issue of Japanese kindergarten magazine Yochien, which hit the market just days ago, readers found themselves getting their hands on these adorable Nintendo Labo × Pokémon Quest sets. Players can build Pikachu, Eevee, and Bulbasaur, and while they can be enjoyed as toys on their own, they naturally shine brightest when played in conjunction with the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit.

You see, these blocky, cardboard critters actually double up as funky designs for that kit’s RC Car, meaning you can transform Pikachu and co. into little vehicles and enjoy a new type of battling. It’s like that Pokémon x Beyblade crossover we always wanted.

Thinking about it, we’re surprised that Nintendo Labo hasn’t branched out to include crossovers with other franchises. Can you imagine how cool a cardboard Legend of Zelda set would be? Or a Paper Mario set? Now we’re talking.

Annapurna Interactive has revealed that Florence, described as an “interactive storybook”, is launching on Nintendo Switch next week.

The game has players experiencing every moment of Florence and Krish’s relationship through a series of gameplay vignettes, following the couple as they grow together, drift apart, and everything in between. It originally launched on iOS and Android devices, snapping up an Apple Design Award and a BAFTA for Best Mobile Game in the process.

Here’s an official description taken from the game’s Google Play page:

At 25, Florence Yeoh feels a little stuck. Her life is an endless routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media. Then one day, she meets a cello player named Krish who changes everything about how she sees the world.

Experience every beat of Florence and Krish’s relationship through a series of bespoke gameplay vignettes – from flirting to fighting, from helping each other grow… to growing apart.

Drawing inspiration from ‘slice of life’ graphic novels and webcomics, Florence is intimate, raw and personal.

The game’s set to launch on 13th February for $5.99. You’ll be able to download it directly from the Nintendo Switch eShop.

Do you like the look of this one? Think you might give it a go? Let us know in the comments below.

The Nintendo Switch has offered a number of previous Wii U exclusives an opportunity to rise beyond the less-than-stellar last generation platform, and PlatinumGames is looking to give The Wonderful 101 its own second chance through a (rapidly funded) Kickstarter campaign.

PlatinumGames has already landed some former Wii U games on the Switch, namely the former-Wii U exclusive Bayonetta 2 and its multiplatform predecessor, though Nintendo was brought on to publish those titles. This time around, PlatinumGames is soliciting funds to bring The Wonderful 101 to Switch with Nintendo’s blessing as a self-published game, and potentially other platforms as well if certain stretch goals are met.

Platinum itself recently grabbed an investment from Tencent to further its self-publishing goals, though the studio notes its plans for The Wonderful 101 ”precede that agreement, and capital received from the investment will not be used to fund the development costs associated with the project.”

The campaign has already exceeded its initial ask of $50,000 for development of a Switch version of the game and surpassed the $250,000 stretch goal for a Steam release as well. If the Kickstarter manages to surpass $500,000 at some point in the next 31 days, a PlayStation 4 version will also be in the cards, with more stretch goals to be announced as the campaign goes on.

“Although PlatinumGames has been able to grow over the years thanks to the players and our fans, we still haven’t been able to fully realize our long-time dream of self-publishing our own IPs,” explains the campaign’s FAQ. “With your support, we hope not only to bring The Wonderful 101 to a wider audience on a variety of platforms, but also to add some content that will enhance the experience even more! This campaign is your chance to empower us to pursue self-publishing and take our destinies into our own hands.”

Atsushi Inaba is a co-founder of Platinum Games (The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta, Transformers: Devastation.) His job is to oversee all of the company’s games “from the moment a project is kicked off until completion,” he said, by way of introducing himself in his GDC session.

He started with a surprising definition of what an “action game” is.

When it comes to the game design, they’re passive, he says. “It’s a set of actions responding to output. You might be wondering what ‘output’ means,” said Inaba. “Output refers to situation such as the enemy appearing right in front of you, or you being attacked.”

“For example, attacking an enemy because it appeared in front of me, or dodging a bullet because the enemy attacking you, these actions are reactive moves taken against the output. Something happened, and you reacted to it.”

“And although the impression one gets from the term ‘action games’ sounds like a genre where you are proactively doing something at will, it actually is not — there’s something that happens first and you must react to it in a certain window of time.”

They’re inherently reactive; horror and adventure games, where the player explores the world, put the player in the active role, conversely: “They are fundamentally the opposite,” he said.

There’s a challenge for the developer, though: “If these actions go on for a long time or the window is so short, the game becomes more difficult.” Inaba said that Platinum is very careful about this sort of thing — and also about game pacing, a topic he discussed at length.

You need “unique selling points” — as in Bayonetta, it’s Witch Time, the game’s slowed-down time mode. A pro designer should be able to come up with three good ideas, Inaba said.

Then there are features which expand the game, such as character unlocks. “It opens things up in a very lateral way.”

Then there’s depth: “It’s not easy to give an example. A combo system is one,” Inaba said. These are gameplay systems that require mastery to engage with fully.

“Core gamers aren’t the only ones who play action games so it’s necessary to make sure players of different levels can enjoy your game,” Inaba cautioned. “It’s important to widen the entry point of your game, but you also have to make sure that those who play straight through the path enjoy the experience.” Depth, he said, is equally important.

Designers tend to want to create skills and abilities for characters and build a game around those, but this “does not come first,” Inaba said.

As action games are passive, the most important question for a designer is: “What kinds of situations do I want the player to face, and what are they going to do?”

“You need the ability to imagine them in your head,” said Inaba. “First come up with that unexpected situation, then an unexpected or surprise ability or power to get through the situation. … You need to be able to imagine that flow from the beginning to end.”

To that end, Platinum Games does not use much in the way of design documents: “It’s fundamentally impossible to write a concept or design document on the unique selling points for action games,” he said.

He also recommends roping in team members off the design team, like programmers or artists, to come up with game ideas: “We just tell them, ‘To make it fun and interesting, surprise us. Tell us your ideas. Show us what you got.’ … To enjoy and appreciate one’s individuality and these ideas that come from different sections is part of the fun of making a game on a team.”

Functional design becomes a real danger when working on sequels: “The majority of people will unconsciously use this as a basis. Taking an element that was well received in a previous game and upgrading it, or giving it a boost, is a no-brainer.”

“However that’s not how it works. As I said earlier, the priority should be on designing the situations first. If a functionality is designed to capitalize on that situation, then that’s great. It’s really easy to fall into a trap on a series.”

And if you rely too much on players knowing the mechanics of the first game, “you run a risk of becoming niche.”

“Games are supposed to be fun. That is the basis of the game,” said Inaba. But many games force replay value (with padding, or grinding, or unlocking.)

“What is the replay value in action games? It’s really about improving the player’s skills. I’m not talking about unlocking skills in game, but actually improving his or her skills,” he said.

But even with that in mind, always remember the players who will only play the game one time on the basic difficulty level: “it’s important for those players to have the best experience,” too, he said.

“We create situations where we take those players to levels beyond their own expectations,” Inaba said. “Therefore we need stages or gimmicks, or combat situations made just for those opportunities. It’s really a luxury for action games, they need to be fun and enjoyable even if you play it only once.”

Platinum’s games have distinct and memorable main characters — none so much as Bayonetta. “The purer the action game, the higher the need for a really original and unique main character,” said Inaba.

“This is the correct order” to design a character in, said Inaba, referring to the above slide. “In other words, the core of what you want the players to experience and the character art design are in a very long, linear relationship.”

When it comes to story, meanwhile, all you need is a basic motivation. Inaba said that a premise as simple as that of Super Mario Bros. — “Peach is kidnapped, go rescue her” — is ideal.

Of course, Platinum’s Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101, in particular, are very story-heavy games. When creating an action game’s story, then, “The approach becomes how to connect the previous situation to the next situation. Which means you aren’t able to create an action game by writing the whole story first,” Inaba said.

He gave the example of Mad World, one of the company’s earlier games (for the Wii.) It’s an incredibly violent game, and engaging in violence is the motivation for the player; but “it would make the player disgusted toward themselves and toward the game” if it stopped there, Inaba said. The story of the game — as a justification for its setting, “this crazy world where the only choice is to be violent” — was developed in parallel with the game design itself.

Since Inaba oversees all of Platinum’s games, he emphasized something he calls “high-level design” — a zoomed-out view of the games: “it’s really about the overall flow and progression on a larger scale. What we want the players to experience as a whole.”

Here’s the crucial takeaway: Constant excitement becomes numbing. Players will get tired if games continually ramp up. “Let’s think about what to do to avoid that situation,” he said. The good news is that if you carefully tune the intensity of the game at a high level, you will get a much more favortable result.

In the slide above, Stage 1 is tuned to a “6” for intensity, but because the game has just begun, the player perceives it as a “7.” But Stage 2 ratchets down the intensity to a 4 — and it feels that way to the player. For Stage 3, it’s just as intense as Stage 1, but the player is used to the game now, so it doesn’t feel quite as intense. But ramping up again for Stage 4, you get an interesting effect: The player finds it more intense.

This is an “oversimplification” for the purposes of a GDC talk, Inaba admitted, but it gets the point across.

Here’s the thing: If you just do a linear ramp, you’ll end up with this:

A stage flow that’s less than the sum of its total, and which feels stagnant to the player. “It can easily turn out to be a disaster” if you try to continuously ramp up a game’s intensity without knowing what you’re doing, he said.

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