In one of the biggest acquisitions in the video game industry, Microsoft announced its plans to acquire ZeniMax Media back in September 2020. For those not in the know, Zenimax Media is the parent company of id Software, Bethesda, and Arkane Studios that hold rights to legendary titles including Doom, Dishonored, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Prey. Now that the whopping $7.5 billion deal is through, ZeniMax has dissolved its Board of Directors....
What Does Viewport Mean? A viewport is a term for the visible area of a webpage on a display device. It is used in both code and analog design as a way to refer to the display screen and how layout fits into that screen. Techopedia Explains Viewport Since new devices have radically different screen sizes, the viewport has become a major consideration in responsive design. Engineers have to figure out how to fit webpages into a small viewport for a traditional smartphone or mobile device....
What Does Function Approximation Mean? Function approximation is the study of selecting functions in a class that match target functions. It’s a process that is useful in applied mathematics and computer science. Function approximation is often related to a Markov decision process (MDP) which consists of an agent and various states. Techopedia Explains Function Approximation To understand function approximation well, it’s important to know that in this term the word “function” doesn’t refer to an object oriented programming function that takes a variable and provides a result....
Borderlands 3 is over one-year old and going strong, with Gearbox shocking fans of the franchise when it announced that it would be getting a second season pass. Of course, it’s not a total surprise given that Borderlands 2 only had 1 season pass but that was years ago, but it’s still more pleasant content for Borderlands 3 fans. Season Pass 2, however, is an entirely different beast from the first....
It’s been a staying-in kind of year. That New Year’s Resolution you made to travel more? It’s gained 20 pounds, started cutting its own hair and is now in a jigsaw club with your neighbour Ken. The only marathon you’ve completed in 2020 is a Battlestar Galactica rewatch. The only mountain you’ve climbed is the metaphorical one it takes to shower daily. That beach trip you’d planned? It went okay actually....
In 1982, a noir-esque thriller called Blade Runner quietly changed science fiction cinema forever. The reasons for this are numerous, and those explanations could (and have) filled several books. In the film, we’re not told exactly how “advanced robot evolution” intermingled with “genetic engineers” to create the Nexus 6 Replicants, but the film works anyway because we’re only interested in what the Replicants are doing right now. Wondering why exactly science fiction film aficionados are so obsessed with Blade Runner is a similar paradox: It may not matter if we can explain the cult obsession and it’s probably just healthier if we accept it....
It’s hard to overstate just how popular Austin Powers was 20 years ago. But back in the summer of 2002, when Mike Myers starred in his third and (as of press time) final appearance as the character via Austin Powers in Goldmember, the James Bond and 1960s spoof was more than just a comedy hit in its moment; it was the moment. Released in late July, Austin Powers 3 opened to $73 million in its first domestic weekend....
Before its original launch back in 2010, BioWare described Mass Effect 2 as its Empire Strikes Back. In the years since the film’s release, it has become shorthand for a dark, foreboding middle chapter that aims to subvert everything that came before it. A New Hope was a whimsical journey into a new world filled with lovable new characters, and there was seldom any doubt that the heroes wouldn’t emerge victorious....
I enjoy Soulslikes. That’s why I’ve played an alarming number of them. I enjoy the frantic combat, the risk and reward of going into a fight with a pocket full of souls, the process of finding loot that can give me +1 to some obscure trait that I haven’t figured out the purpose of — all of it. But for as innovative and original as some of these Soulslikes can be, they all seem to share one thing in common: a depressing, grim-dark setting....
While the Nintendo Game Boy is one of the most influential and successful pieces of video game hardware ever, it’s hard to look at the device these days and not wonder why its graphics were so green. It’s funny, but I’ve found that even some of those who grew up with the Game Boy can still be thrown off by the impact of its display. You probably remember that the original Game Boy’s screen was green, but you may have forgotten just how overwhelmingly green the handheld’s screen truly was....
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, PlayStation CEO reiterated his belief that the PS5 can potentially break the PS4’s sales records but surprised many by noting that he doesn’t believe victory in the upcoming Xbox Series X vs. PS5 war will be measured solely by console sales. “It’s become a lot more nuanced,” Ryan says of console sales figures. “For example, one reference point, we sold a lot of PS2s, but many of them were at $99, on a format that was very, very heavily pirated....
For years, fans of the Resident Evil franchise have been asking Capcom to remake Resident Evil 2, and the company is finally fulfilling that wish early next year, delivering a game that seems to be very faithful to its source material. However, like most remakes, Resident Evil 2 will be making some changes, and while some of these changes are obvious, other possibilities haven’t been touched on by Capcom, like whether or not it will add any new enemies to the mix....
Diablo’s 20th anniversary celebrations arrive and bring a secret cow level to World of Warcraft where players can earn a limited time achievement and some sweet loot. The 20th anniversary of Diablo has arrived and that means that it’s time for Blizzard fans to start celebrating. Although things have been quite on the Diablo front since the Necromancer DLC was announced, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate the classic PC game’s creation....
The Arena World Championship (AWC) is set to return for its 13th year as the best World of Warcraft PvP players look to dominate the competition starting this August 22. As always, eight teams will face off from the Americas, Europe, and Asian regions, all hoping to take home their share of a $500,000 prize pool. Currently, Cloud9 is the highest ranked team with 480 points acquired in the Americas region, which places them far ahead of the next closest teams....
Street Fighter V’s early showing and subsequent official announcement came as a surprise to many last week, if only for the fact that the game will only release on the PS4 and PC. There was some doubt about the game’s console exclusivity after a trailer leaked online, but both Capcom and Sony made sure to confirm at the PlayStation Experience that, yes, SFV’s only console home will be the PS4....
Xbox Game Pass has largely been praised by users as it supplies players with a large selection of games for a relatively low price. Alongside a tier system, Xbox Game Pass has given players a selection of AAA games while continuing to expand on its library. The latest games coming to the subscription service this month have now been announced and it has split the fan base. Some players are excited to play more independent games and others feel bigger titles should be coming to the service....
Though the Xbox Live Dashboard update has finally been made available to the public after a slight delay, there are still some who are reporting problems logging back onto the service after completing the download. While we’re sure that Microsoft is addressing the problem, a new issue has come up that should concern any Xbox Live user living in the United States. See, as part of the Terms of Use for Xbox Live, Microsoft has created a few new clauses that, in essence, say users cannot sue or join in a class action suit against Microsoft....
Halloween isn’t for another six months or so, but that isn’t stopping Microsoft from hosting a horror game sale on Xbox One. In recognition of Friday the 13th and the halfway point to Halloween, Microsoft is deeply discounting five Xbox One horror games from April 17 to April 23. Headlining the sale is Friday the 13th: The Game, the asymmetric multiplayer horror game based on the hit slasher movie franchise. Friday the 13th: The Game earned a somewhat mixed reception when it launched, but it developed a following of dedicated fans nevertheless and continues to receive significant content updates....
Xbox One owners can finally get in on the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Open Beta. At least that was the plan, but several users have reported problems staring or even finding the application. An article from GameRant collects Twitter chatter that reveals different types of problems with the Xbox version of the Black Ops Cold War beta. First up is even finding it in the first place, as several have scoured the Xbox Store only to find nothing....
It’s no secret that Anthem’s loot system has been a point of contention. While plenty of players feel that it is right where it should be, others would like to see developer BioWare make the game more generous. Apparently, one of those fans that hopes to see a boost to the loot system is Xbox Corporate Vice President Mike Ybarra. Following a session in Anthem, Ybarra shared an image of some loot with the caption, “Only took 10 hours to get one yellow today…” It’s the ellipsis that add an undertone to the message, suggesting that 10 hours is a bit too long before getting a legendary drop....
