Degree sponsorship engineering

The R-Type series needs little introduction. From its stunning arcade debut in 1987, R-Type captured the hearts and minds of a generation by combining novel mechanics with a distinctive Giger-inspired biomechanical aesthetic. A grand sense of spectacle was matched by a challenge equally imposing, and although reliant on the learn-by-rote methodology that underpinned all shmups of the day, Irem's craftsmanship created a horizontal journey with a unique imagination. 26 years later, R-Type's Force and charge shot still feels like a genius twist on the genre's norms. Bolstered by its uniqueness and wild success, the R-Type concept blossomed into a fine run of sequels. With the 1998 release of R-Type Delta, the series marked its first decade with a bravura entry that demonstrated precisely why true icons are timeless, proving that its template could sing in polygons just as well as it could in bitmaps. However, all good things must come to an end. In a unique and emotionally affecting … [Read more...] about R-Type Final retrospective

The battle between Epic Games and Apple over in-game microtransactions is still rumbling on, and after months of arguing it seems a date has finally been set for an in-person trial. Yep, it seems this one is going all the way. Yesterday a management conference was held in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, in which judge Yvonne Gonzalez organised a bench trial between Epic Games and Apple (as reported by MacRumors ). A date has now been officially set for 3rd May, which will require witnesses to travel to Northern California to appear at court in person. The reason for the physical trial is that judge Gonzalez feels the case is serious enough that it should be heard in person, and believes witnesses are less likely to lie when being sworn in a courtroom. Those required to travel will apparently be given the resources to quarantine for two weeks after the trial, while other Covid safety measures will also be taken, such as limited numbers of people in … [Read more...] about Date set for Apple v Epic Games trial

Fall Guys developer Mediatonic has been scooped up Epic Games, as part of the Fortnite and Unreal Engine developer's acquisition of the Tonic Games Group . Announcing the deal on its website , Mediatonic called the move a "huge win for Fall Guys", claiming that joining Epic "will accelerate our plans to improve the game and bring Fall Guys to as many players as possible, while continuing to support the community." According to the developer, it'll be business as usual for Fall Guys following the acquisition - "each season, we'll continue to expand...with new content, features, rounds, and costumes", it writes - and the game will continue to be available via Steam and the PlayStation Store. Fall Guys' recently announced Switch and Xbox editions will also still go ahead this summer. Further down the line, Mediatonic says it hopes to bring some of features seen in Fortnite and Rocket League (which Epic acquired alongside developer Psyonix in 2018) over to Fall Guys, including … [Read more...] about Epic acquires Fall Guys developer Mediatonic

Roblox Corporation, the company behind the popular game Roblox , has announced plans to introduce a voice chat feature. But given the game's relatively young audience, the company also emphasized it will keep the feature "safe" for pre-teens, which make up more than half of the game's daily active userbase. PC Games N reports that the announcement came during its investor day presentation. The studio acknowledged that most communication in Roblox right now is text-based, but it will be implementing voice in a future update. "Text chat is the core of Roblox communication today," said VP of engineering Adam Miller. "In the future, we expect to open up communication through safe voice chat." Miller did not go into detail about specific safety features, but it's top-of-mind for parents. The studio gave player data indicating that more than half of the daily active users are under the age of 13, making the safety features critical for implementing such a change. The studio also … [Read more...] about Roblox: Is Safe Voice Chat Coming To The Game?

It was Agatha all along . Obviously. Or maybe not. For many, the true identity of Kathryn Hahn’s neighborly Agnes in WandaVision came out of left field. Yet, for a small minority – those who have been relentlessly searched for clues, gobbling up breadcrumbs scattered by Marvel, and devoured every fan theory – the Agatha Harkness bait-and-switch was a long time coming. Curiously, it has now raised a mirror up to how saturating yourself in speculation week after week can not only help your enjoyment of a TV show – but also hinder it. From the very first episode, those who are well-versed in Marvel spotted the obvious connection between Agnes and a sorceress from the comics named Agatha Harkness – one that has a storied history with Wanda. That didn’t lessen the shock value of the reveal, but telegraphing twists so far in advance risks making moments such as Wanda’s trip to the basement seem like hoop-jumping and box-checking from the comics rather than a well-constructed … [Read more...] about WandaVision’s villain reveal proves Marvel fan theories can be a double-edged sword