The Drag[en]gine is a highly modular, open source (C++) game engine that has been under active development for several years. The Drag[en]gine’s modular approach is built around the GLEM concept breaking your game project into the Game Script, Launcher, Engine and Modules layers. The Game Script is implemented by default in Dragonscript, another open source project available here. Drag[en]gine is open source under the LGPL license on GitHub.
If you want to get started with Drag[en]gine you can download binaries for Linux and Windows available here, it’s most likely the IGDE file you want to start with. There are a number of samples to get you started available here. You can learn more about Drag[en]gine in the video below.
Apple TV Remote app influenced Steve Jobs into making Siri Remote
In a tweet thread following the discontinuation of the standalone “Remote” app for Apple TV, the former Apple engineer explains how his creation evolved and helped with the design and development of the current Siri Remote.
On October 21, Apple removed the App Store listing for its first-party “Remote” app, a tool that was first introduced as the iTunes Remote before being turned into a controller for the Apple TV. Apple’s removal of the app leaves users with the option of using the bundled Siri Remote for the Apple TV, or the software-based version for their iOS devices, integrated into Control Center.
A series of tweets posted following Apple’s delisting of the app by Alan Cannistraro, a former Apple engineer who originally worked on the app, explains the history of the tool within Apple from its first code written in 2016. According to Cannistraro, he started to write code before he was able to see the iPhone user interface, by using UI elements of his own creation.
Cannistraro was encouraged to go further with his initial efforts as Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs was “nervous the App Store wouldn’t be a hit, so he wanted Apple to have apps,” which Jobs explained to the developer on seeing his work. It was also the first production app to be used by the App Store team to trial the “upload flow” to the App Store, earning its place as the first app on it.
6) In 2010, I sat down with with Steve to show him how Remote controlled Apple TV with swipes, and he said, “our next Apple TV Remote should be this without a screen”. It took five years (lots of stuff paused when Steve died), but eventually Siri Remote came out and was just that
The shipped version was also a stripped-down variant of Cannistraro’s work, as the prototype also enabled the control to turn lights, televisions, and receivers on and off via an IR adaptor, as well as to save and resume a room’s state as a “Scene.” This may have been a precursor to HomeKit, Apple’s smarthome platform which also uses Scenes as a concept, but Cannistraro admits his pitch was a “larger idea around device communication that never got off the ground.”
A later prototype in 2009 was able to use the touchscreen of the iPhone to be a computer mouse, as well as a way to “interact with photos, applications (the original TouchBar) and screensavers” on a Mac, Cannistraro claims.
By 2010, Cannistraro once again sat with Jobs about a version of the Remote app, one that allowed for the control of the Apple TV using swipes. He claims Jobs said at the time “Our next Apple TV Remote should be this without a screen.”
Five years later, which Cannistraro attributed to Jobs’ death pausing “lots of stuff,” the Siri Remote was released, one that almost all Apple TV users are familiar with using, and employs the same control mechanic.
Despite the removal of the Remote for Apple TV from the App Store, Apple still maintains the iTunes Remote app, which is used to manage the playback of media in Apple Music, iTunes, and the Apple TV app on a Mac or a PC.
Nightdive Studios Delays Its Enhanced Edition Of Blade Runner
Nightdive Studios has confirmed Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition will no longer be released this year on the Nintendo Switch and other platforms. In an interview with our friends over at Eurogamer, Nightdive’s CEO Stephen Kick said the launch date was now “TBD”.
“There have been some obstacles we’ve had to overcome in terms of the old technology the game uses. And our hunt for the original source code and assets have come up empty.”
Long story short, the source code for Westwood’s classic was lost when the studio was purchased and relocated by Electronic Arts in 1998, and although a lot of its past work was uncovered by EA during the development of the Comand & Conquer remaster not so long ago, it’s not believed to contain any Blade Runner content.
Nightdive is also struggling to get a clear response from EA, and even if there is anything related to Blade Runner in there, it’s unlikely to be released due to “legal reasons”. The studio has been left with no option but to reverse engineer the code, and there’s been a number of other hiccups along the way as well, which have been described as a “real challenge”.
“It’s just taking a bit longer than we originally anticipated.”
Nightdive Studios is the same team that’s restored a number of classics such as System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Turok, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil and Forsaken Remastered with its proprietary game engine, KEX.
How do you feel about the delay of this game? Leave a comment down below.
PS5 Third-Party Face Plates Are Already Available To Preorder
The PlayStation 5 comes in a sleek duotone design with white fins jutting up from the black center. Sony hasn't officially announced any plans for other colors or faceplate designs, but a third party has already started selling preorders for a handful of other faceplate colors and patterns. If you were hoping to buy an all-black PS5 eventually, this could let you do so well before Sony releases an alternate color scheme--if it ever does.
The site Platestation 5 is offering five faceplate designs: cherry red, indigo blue, chromatic, jungle camo, and a limited-edition matte black. Each is priced at $40, including the limited-edition version, and the site says it's aiming to ship within two weeks of the PS5 launch to assure they arrive close to your new console. You can also select a Digital Edition faceplace. On one side, it should be virtually identical to the standard version. The other lacks the disc drive bump, however, and is more symmetrical.
Be advised, we haven't sampled these faceplates ourselves, so we can't vouch for their quality or fit. If you want to take a gamble, though, read up on the store refund policy just in case.
Xbox Insider Release Notes – Delta (2010.201013-0000)
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox One update preview coming to the Delta ring. It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox One.
We continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device. Details can be found below!
System Update Details:
OS version released: RS_XBOX_RELEASE_2010\19041.4994.201013-0000
Available: 2 p.m. PT – October 15, 2020
Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – October 16, 2020
Fixes Implemented
Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:
System
Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console
Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console, for more information go here.
Known Issues
We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These items aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution.
We’re still tracking these known issues:
Audio
Some users have reported that Dolby Atmos for Headphones audio setting changes when the console is rebooted/updated.
Note: If you attempt to set the audio to Dolby Atmos for Headphones and see a message advising you to launch the Dolby Access App, please file feedback before launching the app.
We are receiving reports of users stating the console has no audio or low audio levels with recent updates.
Note: If you are seeing this behavior, please submit feedback immediately when you notice the behavior. Also, please ensure you don’t have any audio settings that could be affecting your volume like the chat mixer.
Guide
We are investigating reports of the audio mixer being unable to adjust chat/game audio levels.
There are reports from users that the Guide not launching or loading.
My Games & Apps
Users have reported seeing black tiles instead of game artwork when browsing their collection.
Note: We are still investigating the issue, please report the issue again from the console if you have done so with a prior update and are still seeing this behavior.
Some users are reporting seeing the Mixer app in their collection and being unable to remove/uninstall it. The issue is being investigated.
Some titles in collection may appear with a “trial” tag incorrectly in collection.
Parties
Some users have reported being unable to create or join parties.
Profile Color
Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
How to Get Xbox Insider Support
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please reach out to the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to threads with the same issue before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Don’t forget to use “Report a problem” before posting—the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today. We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-25-2020, 11:30 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Video: The lighting technology of Detroit: Become Human
The branching story of Detroit: Become Human lives and dies on the robot-filled dystopian future that defines its setting. That future is told through a number of visual indicators, one of them being the game’s lighting technology. How was that technology implemented?
At GDC 2018, Quantic Dream’s Guillaume Caurant shows how the Quantic Dream team transitioned their lighting system to only use photometric units based on real life measurements for Detroit: Become Human.
It’s a helpful talk for programmers working on lighting systems everywhere, one you can watch up above or for free on the GDC YouTube channel.
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
Of Course Scalpers Are Already Listing Fire Emblem’s 30th Anniversary Edition
This week, Nintendo announced it would be bringing Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light to the west for the first time ever. The catch – because there’s always one – is that it’ll be another “limited-time” release and will only be available on the Switch eShop until 31st March 2021.
Alongside this, Nintendo is offering a Fire Emblem 30th Anniversary Edition. Like the digital release, this will only be available for a “limited time”. Despite the fact it doesn’t include a physical copy of the game, it’s still in high demand and as a result, scalpers are already taking advantage of its limited availability. Here are some examples from Twitter user grayson_james23:
“I don’t post on Twitter much but come on @NintendoAmerica these sold out in two minutes… for the sake of everyone please produce a lot so that you can drown out these scum bags. As an FE collector and mega fan.. I’m really upset..”
If you do a quick search of Fire Emblem 30th Anniversary on eBay or similar websites, you’ll likely come across a number of these listings. The good majority aren’t really making an effort to hide the fact they’re reselling their own orders, and as usual, the prices have been significantly bumped up from the suggested price of $49.99. Some listings even have bids on them…
This follows on from last month when scalpers were caught out reselling another “limited-time” release, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, ahead of its launch date. Have you had any issues securing Fire Emblem’s 30th Anniversary Edition? Tell us down below.
With the weekend now upon us, though, it’s time to discuss our weekend gaming plans. Members of Nintendo Life have done just that below, and we’d love for you to join in via our poll and comment sections. Enjoy!
Jon Cartwright, video producer
I wish I got a little more invested in Pokémon Sword and Shield. I finished the main game, levelled up my party a little and just kinda moved on. Isle of Armor squeezed a few more hours out of me but this weekend I’ll be returning to Galar once more and maybe this time the “post-game” will hook me.
The Crown Tundra just came out and this seems to be the real meat of the Expansion Pass. Not only is there an entirely new Wild Area to explore but Dynamax Adventures, which offers up legendary Pokémon from prior games, sounds like the time sink I’ve been waiting for.
I’ve also returned to my Persona 5 save which I for some reason abandoned around the 70-hour mark (we can pretend that’s on Switch, right?) It probably is in an alternate universe.
PJ O’Reilly, reviewer
Hello. This weekend I’m going to be jumping into Green Hell, Creepy Jar’s brutal survival effort that so far has been absolutely hammering me with snake bites, parasites and all-manner of nasty, nasty ways to die so look out for that review shortly if I manage to make it out the other end of it all. Elsewhere I’ve finally reinstalled Valkyria Chronicles 4 and am adamant that I’m gonna get right the way through it this time without having my attention diverted by some other shiny new game…although I do quite fancy that Horace and Mario Tennis Aces is on sale right now…oh god, make it stop! Have a good weekend whatever you’re playing and stay safe out there.
Stuart Gipp, reviewer
Other than blitzing through Oddworld: New N’ Tasty for review (keep an eye out for that one!), and some cheeky seshes on Shadow of Mordor (not Nintendo, shh, don’t tell the lads!), I’ve been putting time into both G.I. Joe Operation Blackout and Transformers Battlegrounds, both for reviewing on here in the near future. Just call me “Mr Hasbro”. Actually, please don’t, that would be wretched.
As for my usual retro malarkey, I’ve been eyeing up Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, which remains conspicuously uncompleted by me. I’m just not sure if I can muster another playthrough of Mega Man 8. Jump, jump. Slide, slide…
Gavin Lane, features editor
I finally put Rogue Legacy to bed last week. Yes, I cheesed the final boss across the room with a constant barrage of throwing daggers from my Archmage – a totally legit strat! – and there’s now nothing standing between me and Hades. There was nothing standing between us before, apart from a mental barrier that didn’t want to have two rogue-likes on the go, but I’m sure you understand.
There’s tons of other stuff I might dip into. I went and bought Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (or Luigi Kart Live, as my variant should be called), and I’d like to unlock the fastest 200cc mode and see how the cats cope with it. I’m also only a handful of hours into the excellent Horace, and I picked up Killer Queen Black for mere pennies on sale. And all that’s just the mere tip of the whopping-great iceberg which is my backlog. Whatever you do, don’t mention Game of the Year yet…
Ryan Craddock, news editor
Having wrapped up the first game in LEGO Harry Potter Collection this week, I’ve found myself diving right into the second, exploring the final few years of this bricky Hogwarts journey. It already feels like this game might be significantly bigger than the first, so it looks like I could be here for some time.
I’ve also picked up the physical version of Cadence of Hyrule this week – as I never played it the first time around – and also have Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s The Crown Tundra DLC to play. It’s also my birthday today, so this is going to be a very busy weekend! Have a good one folks.
Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer
I do believe this is some sort of record week for physical arrivals. My collection has increased by no less than eleven tiles, including game number #400(!)… and its not a “proper” Nintendo Switch game… or a game from 2020 even! At long last I have in my hands the physical Switch edition of Xeno Crisis! I can’t believe I still haven’t been able to complete this game in single player.
At the moment, my slate is pretty clean! I do have a few games sitting on the sideline: The campaign of Pokémon Sword & Shield is staring at me as I write and I haven’t watered my Animal Crossing island in weeks…but I also don’t really feel any urgency to get back to them. I have a big stack of games in my room that I consider “my backlog” and I’m in debates about pulling something short and sweet out of it for the weekend!
Metroid Prime, the original Pikmin or even Super Metroid are all prime contenders, but I’m also picking up my physical copy of Cadence of Hyrule today! Why can’t I just be limited to what I have, like when I was a kid? Someone please, just pick for me!
As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a vote in the poll above and a comment below with your gaming choices over the next few days…
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-25-2020, 11:21 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Xbox Could Offer Streaming Stick For Game Pass Subscribers
In addition to streaming for your phones, tablets, and (eventually) your PC and Xbox consoles, Microsoft could be offering a dedicated streaming stick that comes free with a Game Pass subscription. All you would need is a TV and a controller to start playing your favorite Xbox games.
Speaking to Stratechery (via The Verge), head of Xbox Phil Spencer didn't outright confirm such a device is coming, but he very heavily hinted at it.
"You could imagine us even having something that we just included in the Game Pass subscription that gives you an ability to stream xCloud games to your television and buying a controller," Spencer said.
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