“As previously stated, Adobe will stop distributing and updating Flash Player for all web browsers, and Facebook will stop supporting Flash games on the platform completely after December 31st, 2020. FarmVille will therefore be directly affected as a result of this,” wrote the company.
“We’re aware that many of you have been with us since the very beginning, helping to build an incredible global community of players over the years who’ve enjoyed this game just as much as we have. For that we say thank you.”
FarmVille players will still be able to make in-app purchases until November 17, at which point the payment system will be shut down. The game itself will remain playable until December 31, 2020.
With that in mind, Zynga is encouraging users to spend any remaining credits before December, and has planned a number of in-game activities to let fans enjoy one last hurrah before FarmVille is laid to rest.
Hands On: Blue Fire’s Platforming And Zelda-Style Dungeon Combat Shows Promise
Over the past few months we’ve seen an influx of incredible games from smaller studios on Switch and Nintendo’s platform feels like a perfect fit for them. We here at Nintendo Life highlighted a bunch of titles in our recent Nintendo Life Indie Spotlight, and the platform holder’s Indie World Showcase broadcasts regularly highlight the wealth of indie games in the works.
One in particular that we’ve had our beady eye on is Blue Fire from Robi Studios. You play as Umbra, a diminutive warrior fighting to banish the Black Shadow from the land of Penumbra in a 3D combat-focused platformer, with a Zelda-like base and lashings of Dark Souls added for good measure. We spoke to Santiago Rosa, co-lead at Robi, back in May to find out a little about the game, and we recently spent some time with a PC demo build.
First impressions are rather good. The build we played consisted of two areas: Fire Keep, an opening castle-style level with corridors, locked doors and grand halls; and Uthas Temple, a darker dungeon which introduced wall running, more advanced combat, and some Zelda-style environmental puzzles. Nothing too taxing — think treasure chests with keys to locked doors, lever-activated timed gates, statues to possess and move to touch plates, that sort of thing.
While that all sounds very familiar, the focus on acrobatic platforming gives this a more complex flavour than a darker-toned indie Wind Waker. Those levers, treasure chests and environmental elements are less prominently signposted than Zelda veterans might expect, too; several times in the Uthas Temple we were left scratching our heads having explored everywhere and seemingly hit a dead end.
Once you realise that this game isn’t going to lay out the standard glowing breadcrumb trail or highlight unusual-looking environmental features via a Navi-style guide, it’s easier to enjoy the search — you actually have you use your eyes and the camera to scan your surroundings. Abilities like wall jumps, double jumps and a dash move unlock and enable you to traverse large gaps and avoid spikes, crumbling platforms, and other hazards. In Fire Keep we entered another realm on a Quest which involved negotiating a platforming gauntlet to earn a Void Soul, a doohickey which will presumably become important later in the game proper.
leaping around the environments feels all-at-once balletic and dangerous
Umbra’s abilities combine with sword strikes and a classic ‘Z-targeting’ system and form the basis of a versatile combat system. It’s easy to pick up the basics; on our trusty Switch Pro Controller, jump was on ‘B’ with ‘Y’ dealing horizontal sword strikes and vertical strikes on ‘X’. ‘ZL’ toggles on targeting and the opposite trigger activates the dash. You can replenish your health by hitting ‘Up’ on the D-pad.
It’s a standard interface, then, and one which works perfectly well. The dash can be activated multiple times on the ground but only once in mid-air, so zipping across chasms feels all-at-once balletic and dangerous. It’s satisfying to suss out the environment and nail a manoeuvre to a hard-to-reach platform. In some ways it feels like the zippy movement of Hollow Knight or another 2D action platformer has been transplanted into a 3D Zelda-like framework.
The basics work well although strikes lacked weight compared to some other 3D action games we’ve played, especially against the smaller slug enemies. We’ll be interested to see if the Switch version uses rumble to give fights a little more oomph, or if feedback is different against larger enemies. The dash move homes in on mid-air foes and you can maintain altitude by using vertical strikes against them. The timing is tricky, but there’s potential in the system if later enemies force you to get strategic.
Performance-wise, it’s an Unreal Engine 4 game and we were running it on our overworked and massively underpowered Dell laptop. Beyond a hard crash near the end of the demo, it acquitted itself admirably on our very modest hardware. Knocking the resolution down to 720p resulted in a fairly solid 30 fps in the sections we played, so the Switch experience should be smooth. The game has been rescheduled from its original Summer 2020 release date to Spring 2021, so we’d hope everything will be nicely optimised. Visually, Blue Fire is pleasant enough and Umbra is a cute character (you can switch out his costume and weapons via an inventory menu to add some personal flair), but Blue Fire certainly isn’t pushing graphical boundaries — we’ve got our fingers crossed for solid Switch performance.
Blue Fire certainly isn’t pushing graphical boundaries — we’ve got our fingers crossed for solid Switch performance
The camera is the only thing which felt a tad cumbersome in this demo. We headed into the Settings menu and upped Auto Adjust from default ‘Slow’ to ‘Fast’, which helped considerably, but rare was the time when we weren’t nudging the right stick. The targeting takes care of the camera in combat, but the constant adjustment while you’re knee-deep in precision platforming may get tiresome. Given the acrobatics and attacks you’ll need to chain together, adding camera tweaks into the mix is an extra layer challenge that might be too much for some, and we can only imagine that level design will get more complex later on.
The demo felt challenging but fair. We’re not sure how the final game will deal with death — you’re deposited back on a nearby platform minus a bunch of hearts if you fall into water, and this build plonked you back at the start of the area once all your health was depleted with all enemies respawned (although treasure chests we’d opened remained plundered). The fonts and atmosphere may play on the Dark Souls theme, but difficulty-wise, this occupies a middle ground between Nintendo’s forgiving approach and From Software’s series. It doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but it’ll tolerate them for a spill or two.
Overall, we were left intrigued to see what other tricks Blue Fire has up its sleeve. Those Zelda/Souls genre touchstones set some mighty high expectations but, on current evidence, Robi Studios have put down a very solid base and hopefully the developer can build on those fundamentals with flourishes to give little Umbra and the game at large its own identity. The combination of sharp combat encounters with added platforming challenges all wrapped in a cutesy fantasy package has potential, and if later game areas can up the ante in interesting ways, Blue Fire will certainly be one to keep an eye on.
Blue Fire is currently scheduled for launch in ‘Spring 2021’.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-29-2020, 10:38 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Scarlet Nexus Gets Even More Anime With New Story Trailer
During this weekend's Tokyo Game Show event, publisher Bandai Namco showed off a new trailer for its action-RPG Scarlet Nexus. On top of providing a glimpse at the characters Yuito Sumeragi will encounter during his journey, the trailer also revealed a new playable character.
In fact, Yuito isn't the only Scarlet Nexus protagonist. Kasane Randall, an orphan brought in by the Randall family after her parents were killed by the monstrous beings known as The Others, will also be playable from the very start of the game. Players can choose between Kasane and Yuito to get two different perspectives of Scarlet Nexus' story. Finishing both storylines provides the full narrative.
Kasane, an elite supersoldier who imbues her projectile weapons with psychic powers to devastating effect, fights alongside Yuito to quell the threat posed by The Others. The two are supported by a colorful cast of characters, including Gemma Garrison, Luka Travers, and Tsugumi Nazar. Check out the TGS story trailer and some new screenshots below.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-29-2020, 04:14 AM - Forum: Windows
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Microsoft and United Nations: What to watch
This week, the United Nations celebrated its 75th anniversary, and Microsoft announced the launch of its UN Affairs team, led by John Frank. In addition to being the 75th anniversary, this year saw the first all-virtual UN week.
Lively conversations took place around the UN General Assembly, addressing topics that impact people across the globe, and included leaders such as Microsoft President Brad Smith.
Here’s a look at recent events from the week:
In Conversation: Trevor Noah | September 23, 2020
How does having “the mind of a pessimist and the soul of an optimist” affect Trevor Noah’s view of the world? Microsoft President Brad Smith had the chance to interview him for this first edition of In Conversation, a discussion series launched from the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in celebration of the UN’s 75th anniversary.
Net Zero Carbon Panel: Climate Action and Ambition | September 16, 2020
Microsoft kicked off a series of livestreams in partnership with the Eurasia Group’s GZero Media. The first, Net Zero: Climate Ambition and Action, was moderated by Julia Pyper, host and producer of the Political Climate podcast. It also included Gerald Butts, vice chairman and senior advisor, Eurasia Group; Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer, Microsoft; Rachel Kyte, Dean of Tufts University’s Fletcher School; and Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance.
Peace One Day: Q&A with Microsoft President Brad Smith | September 21, 2020
Brad Smith participated in a live Q&A for Peace One Day, to mark the UN’s International Day of Peace. Kate O’Sullivan, General Manager, Digital Diplomacy at Microsoft, was part of the event along with Fabrizio Hochschild, Under-Secretary-General, UN; Robert Redfield, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization; and performers Annie Lennox and Jude Law, among other guests.
Reimagining While Rebuilding: Panel with Brad Smith | September 23, 2020
Brad Smith and Ian Bremmer discussed the concept of multilateralism – where civil and public organizations band together to solve complex societal problems – and whether the global challenges of 2020 will lead to more inclusive multilateralism in the future. They were joined by guests including former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Microsoft’s Director of UN Affairs John Frank, and the New Yorker’s Susan Glasser, with special appearances by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah.
High-Level Climate Change Roundtable | September 24, 2020
Brad Smith participated in the live High-Level Climate Change Roundtable convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The session brought together a select group of global climate leaders who are taking bold action as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-29-2020, 04:14 AM - Forum: Windows
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Microsoft demonstrates how to increase green energy one rooftop at a time
Solar panels being installed on the roofs of dozens of schools throughout Dublin, Ireland, reflect a novel front in the fight against global climate change, according to a senior software engineer and a sustainability lead at Microsoft.
The technology company partnered with SSE Airtricity, Ireland’s largest provider of 100% green energy and a part of FTSE listed SSE Group, to install and manage the internet-connected solar panels, which are connected via Azure IoT to Microsoft Azure, a cloud computing platform.
The software tools aggregate and analyze real-time data on energy generated by the solar panels, demonstrating a mechanism for Microsoft and other corporations to achieve sustainability goals and reduce the carbon footprint of the electric power grid.
“We need to decarbonize the global economy to avoid catastrophic climate change,” said Conor Kelly, the software engineer who is leading the distributed solar energy project for Microsoft Azure IoT. “The first thing we can do, and the easiest thing we can do, is focus on electricity.”
A typical approach to power datacenters with renewable energy is for companies such as Microsoft to sign so-called power purchase agreements with energy companies. The agreements provide financial guarantees needed to build industrial-scale wind and solar farms and connections to the power grid.
The new project demonstrates the feasibility of agreements to install solar panels on rooftops distributed across towns with existing grid connections and use internet of things, or IoT, technologies to aggregate the accumulated energy production for carbon offset accounting.
“It utilizes existing assets that are sitting there unmonetized, which are roofs of buildings that absorb sunlight all day,” Kelly said.
Conor Kelly, left, a senior software engineer and sustainability lead at Microsoft, and Fergal Ahern, right, a business energy solutions manager and renewable energy expert with SSE Airtricity, stand outside a Microsoft office in Dublin, Ireland. The two companies partnered on a project to demonstrate the feasibility of distributed power purchase agreements. Photo by Naoise Culhane.
New business model
The project is also a proof-of-concept, or blueprint, for how energy providers can adapt as the falling price of solar panels enables distributed electric power generation throughout the existing electric power grid.
Traditionally, suppliers purchase power from central power plants and industrial-scale wind and solar farms and sell it to consumers on the distribution grid. Now, energy providers like SSE Airtricity provide renewable energy solutions that allow end consumers to generate power, from sustainable sources, using the existing grid connection on their premises.
“The more forward-thinking energy providers that we are working with, like SSE Airtricity, identify this as an opportunity and industry changing shift in how energy will be generated and consumed,” Kelly noted.
The opportunity comes in the ability to finance the installation of solar panels and batteries at homes, schools, businesses and other buildings throughout a community and leverage IoT technology to efficiently perform a range of services from energy trading to carbon offset accounting.
Kelly and his team with Azure IoT are working with SSE Airtricity to develop the tools and machine learning models necessary to unlock this opportunity.
“Instead of having utility scale solar farms located outside of cities, you could have a solar farm at the distribution level, spread across a number of locations,” said Fergal Ahern, a business energy solutions manager and renewable energy expert with SSE Airtricity.
For the distributed power purchase agreement, SSE Airtricity uses Azure IoT to aggregate the generation of all the solar panels installed across 27 schools around the provinces of Leinster, Munster and Connacht and run it through a machine learning model to determine the carbon emissions that the solar panels avoid.
The schools use the electricity generated by the solar panels, which reduces their utility bills; Microsoft receives the renewable energy credits for the generated electricity, which the company applies to its carbon neutrality commitments.
The panels are expected to produce enough energy annually to power the equivalent of 68 Irish homes for a year and abate more than 2.1 million kilograms, which is equivalent to 4.6 million pounds, of carbon dioxide emissions over the 15 years of the agreement, according to Kelly.
“This is additional renewable energy that wouldn’t have otherwise happened,” he said. “Every little bit counts when it comes to meeting our sustainability targets and combatting climate change.”
Victory Luke, a student at Collinstown Park Community College in Dublin, Ireland, gave a speech about combatting climate change at the 2019 Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, which was organized by the International Energy Agency. Photo by Fennell Photography.
Every little bit counts
Victory Luke, a 16 year old student at Collinstown Park Community College in Dublin, has lived by the “every little bit counts” mantra since she participated in a “Generation Green” sustainability workshop in 2019 organized by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SSE Airtricity and Microsoft.
The workshop was part of an education program surrounding the installation of solar panels and batteries at her school along with a retrofit of the lighting system with LEDs. Digital screens show the school’s energy use in real time, allowing students to see the impact of the energy efficiency upgrades.
Luke said the workshop captured her interest on climate change issues. She started reading more about sustainability and environmental conservation and agreed to share her newfound knowledge with the younger students at her school.
“I was going around and talking to them about energy efficiency, sharing tips and tricks like if you are going to boil a kettle, only boil as much water as you need, not too much,” she explained.
That June, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland invited her to give a speech at the Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Dublin, which was organized by the International Energy Agency, an organization that works with governments and industry to shape sustainable energy policy.
“It kind of felt surreal because I honestly felt like I wasn’t adequate enough to be speaking about these things,” she said, noting that the conference attendees included government ministers, CEOs and energy experts from around the world.
At the time, she added, the global climate strike movement and its youth leaders were making international headlines, which made her advocacy at school feel even smaller. “Then I kind of realized that it is those smaller things that make the big difference,” she said.
SSE Airtricity and Microsoft plan to replicate the educational program that inspired Luke and her classmates at dozens of the schools around Ireland that are participating in the project.
“When you’ve got solar at a school and you can physically point at the installation and a screen that monitors the power being generated, it brings sustainability into daily school life,” Ahern said.
Brian McCloskey with green energy provider SSE Airtricity checks out a dashboard inside Kinsale Community School in Kinsale, Ireland. The dashboard monitors energy generated by solar panels installed on the school’s roof as part of a project with Microsoft to demonstrate the feasibility of distributed power purchase agreements. Photo by Naoise Culhane.
Proof of concept for policymakers
The project’s education campaign extends to renewable energy policymakers, Kelly noted. He explained that renewable energy credits – a market incentive for corporations to support renewable energy projects – are currently unavailable for distributed power purchase agreements.
For this project, Microsoft will receive genuine renewable energy credits from a wind farm that SSE Airtricity also operates, he added.
“And,” he said, “we are hoping to use this project as an example of what regulation should look like, to say, ‘You need to award renewable energy credits to distributed generation because they would allow corporates to scale-up this type of project.’”
For her part, Luke supports steps by multinational corporations such as Microsoft to invest in renewable energy projects that address global climate change.
“It is a good thing to see,” she said. “Once one person does something, other people are going to follow.”
Top image: SSE Airtricity employees Derek Conty, left, Francie Byrne, middle, and Ryan Doran, right, install solar panels on the roof of Kinsale Community School in Kinsale, Ireland. The installation is part of a project with Microsoft to demonstrate the feasibility of distributed power purchase agreements. Photo by Naoise Culhane.
Related
John Roach writes about Microsoft research and innovation. Follow him on Twitter.
Here’s our fancy Japanese version, because we’re show-offs…
Believe it or not, today marks the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Land‘s launch on the trusty Game Boy in Europe.
Developed as a Game Boy launch title, Super Mario Land offered Mario his very first outing in a portable platformer. It was a truly impressive transition from the big screen at the time, benefitting from the wonderful platforming you’d expect from any Mario game and an equally brilliant soundtrack to boot.
It’s a short but sweet title, and while its sequel is usually considered a more enjoyable experience these days, we’d argue it’s worth revisiting just to see how far the series has come. If you were lucky enough to have played this one at the time, we’re sure that booting it up now will reward you with a wonderful wave of nostalgia.
You can actually download a copy of the game on the 3DS eShop if you’re itching to give it a go; it’s available for £3.59, and we shared a review of its release when it first appeared almost a decade ago.
Let us know if you’re a fan of Super Mario Land in the comments below. And if you’re wanting even more Mario, why not see where the game landed in our list of the Best Super Mario Games Of All Time.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-29-2020, 04:14 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Fortnite Fishing Guide: How To Consume A Legendary Fish (Week 6)
Fortnite's Week 6 challenges include a special fishing task. Players will have to consume a Legendary Fish in one of the game's many modes. This guide will help you find the best way to get the right fishing gear and find the right fishing spot so you can catch a Legendary fish quickly.
This challenge leaked early, so check back later this week to see if it's live in Fortnite.
Where To Catch A Legendary Fish
There's no shortcut to catching a Legendary fish. All you need to do is fish, though. You should land at a named location close to a large body of water, like Sweaty Sands, and grab one of the fishing poles located on the pier before heading for the water. Remember: you can fish with explosives, harpoon guns, and fishing poles. You can even fish with the rockets in the speed boats; all you need to do is shoot the fishing spots with them.
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Wins Big At The Japan Game Awards 2020
The results of this year’s Japan Game Awards have now been revealed, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons standing out as the star of the show.
The ceremony – which celebrates Japan’s biggest and best games as well as a few international hits, too – saw Nintendo’s life sim take home a total of three awards, including the prestigious Grand Award. It was a very decent outing for Nintendo all around, with a number of its titles receiving the Award for Excellence.
Pokémon Sword and Shield also received three awards, as you can see in the full list of winners below.
Grand Award – Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Award for Excellence – 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim – Animal Crossing: New Horizons – DEATH STRANDING – Fire Emblem: Three Houses – Monster Hunter World: Iceborne – Nioh 2 – PERSONA5 THE ROYAL – Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield – Ring Fit Adventure – Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Special Award – DRAGON QUEST WALK
Best Sales Award – Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield
Global Award Japanese Product – Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield
Global Award Foreign Product – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award – Animal Crossing: New Horizons Development Team
In last year’s event, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate walked home with no less than five awards in total, also including the Grand Award.
A worthy line-up of winners? Have you played many of the titles listed above? Let us know in the comments below.
Fortnite Wolverine Guide: How To Defeat Wolverine At Weeping Woods (Week 6)
Fortnite's Week 6 challenges are coming later this week. They include one of the most valuable and difficult Wolverine challenges to date: Eliminate Wolverine. This is a tough challenge that, once completed, will earn you the Wolverine skin, so it's well worth it. This guide will show you the best way to eliminate the Hugh Jackman Fortnite cosplayer with ease.
This challenge leaked early; check back on Thursday to try it yourself when it's live in Fortnite.
How Do I Eliminate Wolverine?
Wolverine spawns somewhere in Weeping Woods every match--he doesn't have a single location. Some players have found him in the southern half of the area more often, though. It's best to land near one of the main buildings in the area and loot up before going to find him. Grab a truck from one of the nearby parking lots and then drive around the woods until you locate the yellow-clad NPC.
