Gaming  

Game development is a wonderful way to create something and share it with the world. From roleplaying games to city simulations, any project you dream up is possible. With all the games in the world, you may wonder just what goes into the game development process.

From working with other talented individuals on creating a cohesive game to spending a ton of hours coding and debugging the game, there's a lot your average user doesn't know about. Take a look at this quick list of the top three things that go into developing a game.

Related articles

• The strangest-looking video game in years just got a new trailer — starring two Hollywood heavyweights 
• VR Will Transform Entertainment (Beyond Gaming) 
• Leap Motion Straps Their Sensor To A VR Headset and the Implications Will Blow Your Mind 

Teamwork

One of the biggest challenges when developing a game on a team is keeping a cohesive look. Kazuya Niinou, the director of a game known as Dragon Quest Builders, describes how he helped manage the large team creating Dragon Quest Builders. Niinou talks about how, they had to really think about what sort of content would be marketable and interesting to gamers. Collaboration is a great way to make the most of talent, no matter the size of the team.

Testing for Bugs

Whether you have a computer science online masters or have been self-taught, the technical aspects of creating and debugging a game can be one of the most time-consuming aspects of game development, no matter how smart you are. It's not easy to create a perfect game for publishing, but players deserve the best. In fact, it can take a whole set of procedures and technical knowledge to make a well-functioning game. Everyone on the development team clearly works together to create the best game possible.

Countless Hours of Work

It's not surprising, considering the sheer amount of work it takes to create something of value, that game development is a long process. Even with a huge team, it's easy to get lost in the hours spent making something perfect. With looming deadlines and pressure to create something awesome, developers are completely dedicated to the game development process. Beginners in game development often bite off more than they can chew through big projects and high expectations. With starry eyes and dreams of creating the next big multiplayer RPG, it's easy to forget that game development and going over the different languages of computer science require countless hours of work.

Game development may not be easy, but it sure is rewarding. Experts in the field show exactly what it takes to create a fun and polished game. From hours of work to creative collaboration, the entire process is certainly worthwhile and interesting.

By  Kara Masterson

Embed

Gaming  

It seems like no matter how old someone gets, the world of gaming has a particular game they can enjoy playing. Gaming has seen significant growth over the past thirty years with some important milestones happening along the way.

Video game development for the past thirty years has been constantly pushing the boundaries of technology to create more graphically spectacular and immersive experiences. The evolution of the industry from arcade, to the home, to mobile gaming is explored here.

Related articles

• VR Will Transform Entertainment (Beyond Gaming) 
• The Limitations of Artificial Intelligence in Gaming 
• Pokémon Go: A Good Walk Digitized 

The Early Days

In the beginning, gaming occurred only outside of the home at dedicated video arcades. Players simply inserted coins or tokens in the machines and the game began. The first one of these games to rise in popularity was Pong. The game was special because despite its simplicity is was incredibly addictive. The premise of the game was for players to operate paddles to hit a ball across a net. The game is also significant because it created demand for videos to be played at home which heralded in a new chapter of gaming history.

Soon afterwards, classic game titles like Pac Man, Defender, Centipede, Space Invaders and more were gobbling up quarters in arcades, sending the pinball machines to the back of the room.

Gaming at Home

With the development of gaming consoles, players could enjoy their games at home. The first console to be developed was the Atari. Of course, other models soon came onto the scene leading to some intense marketing battle such as the one that occurred between the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. In the end, Nintendo was the victor with sales tripling that of Sony.

 

Gaming on the Go

Gaming on a mobile device continues to push video game development. Pokémon Go has been widely successful, now merging the physical world with gameplay. With the release of the iPhone 7, gaming was featured in terms of the new console-level graphics and gameplay available, with Oz Broken Kingdom, along with the inclusion of long-time game leader Nintendo as a late entry into the app game market with Super Mario Run. The move has already been very profitable for Nintendo.

The internet led to the creation of online casinos. As phones began to have internet access, mobile casino games were the next logical development. People could now enjoy their favourite casino games anywhere on the go. Mobile phones improved in their development which further made them conducive for casino gaming. Faster processors, improved batteries and other features have made mobile gaming a popular trend today.

Without a doubt, the past three decades have seen some significant changes in the industry; it leads many to imagine what the future could hold. With virtual reality gaming on the horizon, gaming will have a bright future.

By  33rd Square

Embed

Gaming  

Jerry Mooney reflects on the game that is sweeping the world—Pokemon Go. To Jerry, Nintendo's latest creation is like a modern game of golf.

The game of golf is often referred to as a good walk spoiled. I know many people who are orthodox about their golf games, even though they’re not good, and consider modern derivatives like frisbee golf to be abominations. But the truth is, their ultimate functions are the same: take a walk outside and entertain yourself while you go, maybe converse with some friends. Afterwards share your adventure over drinks.

"This game allows the childhood imagination to re-experience itself in the grownup world."

Because of this I find the backlash to Pokémon Go to be curmudgeonly. I’m not saying that Pokémon Go is the next step in the evolution of the modern professional athlete. I am saying that suddenly millions of people, potentially couch potatoes, are going outside and walking around instead of sitting in front of monitors playing video games. They may even talk to each other. Not text. Not message. Talk. This is good.

The Pokémon Go game is just over a week old and it has surpassed Twitter and Facebook for interaction and has increased Nintendo’s value by more than $7.5 billion. Advertisers are already lining up to get Pokemon to be found in their establishments because it is driving insane amounts of foot traffic. And businesses know that it takes a lot of resources to get people in the doors of their business. Once inside people tend to become consumers. Now a game is greasing the wheels for this traffic.

Rarely does anything have the kind of power we are seeing with Pokemon Go to get people to want to go to specific places. Even the National Park Service is enthused about the game, because it gets people in the national parks even if the original goal is to find digital monsters. Once they’re there, they can soak in the majesty and cultivate an appreciation.

Related articles

• VR Is More Than Merely Improved Gaming 
• Artificial Intelligence Used to Predict Player Goals In Video Game 
• VR Will Transform Entertainment (Beyond Gaming) 

Now there are some less cynical and more valid concerns about Pokemon Go. With the rise of the cybercriminal, having this much data about people’s activities can be a concern. Some clever thieves have already used the game to lure victims of theft. And every single person who crashes their car, bike or causes a fight due to inattentive walking will be broadcast vociferously on the news. But hopefully there will also be reports about how the game has already shown to have positive effects on depression, and how sedentary people are now inspired to move.

So be cynical and post on Facebook about how you don’t have time for Pokémon Go because you’re a busy adult (irony?), but know you’re just being a curmudgeon. This is simply a modern game of golf. A game where the visions and fantasies of game playing children have come to life in an animated form of a good walk. Instead of hitting a ball with a stick you flick a digital ball with your finger and mobile device. But you walk the course to your targets, then use your device to finish.

Because kids grew up playing this game instead of stick and ball games like older generations, they are emotionally invested. And this game allows the childhood imagination to re-experience itself in the grownup world. When children were playing Pokemon with cards they imagined being real warriors, battling monsters and becoming powerful heros. Now their imaginations gain the dimension of the search. And because these kids might be better at Pokemon than the older generation is at golf, perhaps their good walk isn’t spoiled, and perhaps that’s the critic’s real issue.

By Jerry Mooney

Embed

Virtual Reality  

Aside from the more obvious effect on gaming, virtual reality is set to impact many aspects of work, leisure and the way we interact with each other. So far we have only just begun to get a glimpse of the potential of the technology, but that is about to change in a big way.

As we've mentioned before, the current wave of virtual reality (VR) technology is about more than merely improved gaming. VR headsets will impact marketing, health, education, and numerous other industries and aspects of society, and in all likelihood we've only just scratched the surface of the technology. But even where entertainment is concerned, "gaming" is too narrow a focus to adequately characterize the potential impact of VR.

Staying beneath the gaming umbrella, consider for a moment that there might be entire genres and markets that have barely been mentioned in all the excitement about shooters and racing games on VR. Specifically, you might imagine the casino industry, which may not have a massive impact on U.S. gamers but is among the most popular forms of gaming in the world. There have already been demonstrations of a VR poker game of late, but the truth is that VR has the potential to radically transform casino culture and deliver an experience that would allow gamers to feel as if they're actually seated in casinos.

To some extent, a VR poker game accomplishes this feat relatively simply. To understand the scope of this genre's potential on the new format, though, requires an examination of how far casino entertainment has come online. Gala's platform mirrors the VR experience in its own way by offering live dealer experiences and interactive gameplay for games like baccarat, going well beyond the standards of poker and slots. These live table games help to build a full-on casino experience that can (and likely will) be translated to VR in due time. In other words, the real casino experience may soon be replicated in full through VR.

That covers what some may consider to be a niche gaming concept. However, looking aside from gaming completely (yet remaining in entertainment), we can also see other industries and forms of amusement that have the potential to be drastically transformed through virtual reality. Consider, for instance, how we consume sporting events. There's been a great deal of talk about even the most avid sports fans preferring to stay home when going to the game is an option. This is because home entertainment systems have become so advanced that many would rather watch games at home than attend them live. At home, they can track multiple games at once, pause and rewind, and maintain control over what they're viewing, all from the comfort of a couch and with no stadium expenses.

Related articles

• Developer Adds Arm Control To Oculus Rift Virtual Reality System 
• Virtual Reality Continues To Develop 
• VR Is More Than Merely Improved Gaming 

But what if VR headsets start streaming sporting events in a way that makes it seem as if you're actually sitting in the crowd? And then what if they start streaming in a way that makes it seem as if you're actually part of the game? The latter is probably a long way off (but could conceivably be accomplished if players wore devices or miniature body cameras to broadcast to VR users), but the former is already in the works. It's not refined just yet, but watching sports in VR is something that's being explored. If it ever comes along in a meaningful way, it could have a serious impact on how we watch athletic events (or, for that matter, concerts and other live performances).

But not all VR changes will necessarily occur in homes, even if that's where much of the excitement is happening. Think for a second about the idea of VR gaining a place in amusement parks. Samsung has partnered with Six Flags in order to create VR experiences on roller coasters that effectively take the existing thrill of riding a roller coaster and add an environmental element. A normal roller coaster is largely about how you feel, but with a VR accompaniment it can become about what you see and do. For instance, Samsung's VR headsets might be able to show passengers a futuristic setting in which they're ducking, dodging, and fending off futuristic robots all while actually riding roller coasters.

There's also the idea that VR could lead to its own amusement parks, or at least its own entertainment facilities—perhaps akin to arcades or laser tag centers. One company has done this, having created "hyper reality" experiences that utilize VR technology to provide incredible action simulations. "The Void," as it's called, will be getting more publicity this summer when it opens its first satellite location in New York City to provide a Ghostbusters-based experience to accompany the upcoming film reboot.

Looking through these examples, you can begin to get an idea of the kind of entertainment revolution we may be on the cusp of. VR gets a lot of attention with regard to both gaming and other applications in society. But when you expand gaming to include so many other ways we entertain ourselves (and this post only touched on a few of them), you start to see the big picture.

By 33rd Square

Embed

 Artificial Intelligence  

Ahead of the publication in Nature of Google DeepMind's new research on advanced neural networks, the journal has released a video featuring interviews with company founder Demis Hassabis, and some of the developers behind the breakthrough.

F or those of use who are old enough, Space Invaders was once a great early video game.  Now, Google's Deep Mind is using the classic video game to train a neural network-based artificial intelligence.

In an upcoming paper titled, "Human-level control through deep reinforcement learning," the software engineers and computational neuroscientists at DeepMind explain how their systems are extending beyond Siri and image recognition.

Related articles What Does Watson Tell Us About the Philosophy of AI?  The Rise of Artificial Intelligence  Ben Goertzel On Aspects of Artificial General Intelligence

The limited domains of what AI can do now is a challenge being taken head-on by company founder Demis Hassabis and his team. The work expands on the Neural Turing Machine and is, "the work on the paper is the first example of a full system that can actually learn to master a wide range of diverse tasks," says Hassabis in the Nature video above.

"The work on the paper is the first example of a full system that can actually learn to master a wide range of diverse tasks."

Along with Space Invaders, the DeepMind system has mastered a number of video games, using only the visual information of the games as a person would. "The only way to do this is have the machines and the algorithms do it themselves, directly from the data," says Hassabis.

The video also introduces two of the key developers behind the DeepMind system, Volodymyr Mnih and Koray Kavukcuoglu.  Mnih was a student of deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton (now also with Google) at the University of Toronto. Kavukcouglu was a student of Yann LeCun, working unsupervised learning of feature extractors and multi-stage architectures for object recognition. The pair explain how the DeepMind system works.

"What the system produces as an output is a prediction for how much reward it expects to get if it presses this key right now, and continues playing," explains Mnih. Mnih also explains why this makes the system better at games like Space Invaders, but less adept at maze oriented games like Pac Man.

Kavukcuoglu also explains that the present system has a limited memory function, so that it cannot remember what it has done far into the past.  This limits the planning function of the system. Deciding what to put into memory and how to use it is one aspect the DeepMind team is working on.

Is DeepMind on the path to artificial general intelligence (AGI)? 

"If we look ten years plus out, the kind of technology that we've published now and a lot further, and building up those capabilities so eventually we can have scientific advances being assisted by AI, either AI scientists or AI-assisted scientists and actually making new breakthroughs with the helo of machine learning," says Hassabis.


SOURCE  Nature Video

By 33rd Square

Embed

 Gaming  

For gamers, the Xbox One is one of the best choices for game quality and selection.  Here are a few of the best titles available.

Xbox One, Microsoft’s latest game console, is arguably the best console available, although the PS4 may give it a run for its money. The gaming device has a host of new features to enhance the game playing experience, but which games currently on the market are the best? Below are just a few of the most recommended:

Watch Dogs

Watch Dogs is a recently released action/adventure game. The player takes on the role of Aiden Pearce, a highly skilled hacker who is out for revenge after his niece was accidentally killed. The game is set in Chicago, and thanks to the open world design, you are able to freely roam the city – by foot or in a vehicle. There are a multitude of different missions to accomplish and the online mode allows competitive or cooperative play for up to eight players.

Need For Speed: Rivals

Unlimited street racing, cops and racers are against each other, racing at a huge variety of venues in Need For Speed: Rivals. Every race gains you speed points, but get caught by the cops and you lose them all. Alternatively drive the police car and try to catch the racers – either side is fraught with danger and a myriad of obstacles. The speed points enable you to follow a career progression and increases the challenges when racing. Open world play and online multi player options allow additional competitions or even cooperative play.

Plant vs. Zombie: Garden Warfare

Unlike most first person shooters, this game has a humorous approach. It may be full of bright colors and cartoon graphics but it is just as good as any shooting game available. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is full of challenges players must struggle to complete; successful completion of these allows you to move up the levels, gain clothing, weapons and new characters. 

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Related articles Dennis Hong On Robot Evolution and The DARPA Robotics Challenge  Boston Dynamic's Big Dog Gets An Arm For A Head  The What, Why, How, Who and When of the DARPA Robotics Challenge

Inquisition is an action, role-playing game set in the fantasy world of Thedas. In this latest Dragon Age sequel, there’s much more geographical territory than in the previous versions, which means the gameplay is a lot more interactive, and fun for avid Xbox One fans. The story line leads the player through many battles, the ultimate aim being to destroy Corypheus and seal the breach to save the planet.

Alien: Isolation

Based on the very successful films, in Alien Isolation players play the part of Amanda Ripley, and you must investigate the disappearance of your mother. On your journey, you discover an alien has killed most of the crew, and that you’re on your own in this fight. With complex programming the developers have made the alien appear to learn from each of your encounters, getting stronger and more intelligent as the game progresses. Normal weapons cannot be used against the alien and creative ways must be discovered to rid the space station of it. Isolation continues with an android problem and a secondary alien – excellent graphics add to the experience.

Lego Marvel Super Hero’s

If you haven’t yet experienced the Marvel uUniverse, this could be an excellent way to meet the main characters. In Lego Marvel Super Hero’s you can control 150 characters, each with their own special abilities. The agents of shield need to retrieve cosmic blocks, which have fallen to Earth, before the team of villains gets their hands on them. If the villains get the bricks they will be able to control Earth! 

As for Xbox One games you should avoid, on first place we have Lococycle, a disappointing racer with terrible characters, scenes that were cut, and a compromised gameplay that only looks futuristic. In reality, it’s just a bad arcade racer that you should steer clear of. Another sub-standard game that didn’t live up to our expectations was Fighter Within, which seemed to rigid and unpolished.

SOURCE  Parking Games 365

By Fredrick Cameron

Embed

 Artificial Intelligence  

Researchers are developing an artificial intelligence system using a popular Nintendo hero.  The system uses adaptive learning artificial intelligence to become a ‘living and conversing agent.’

Have you ever wondered what the character you are playing in a video game is feeling?  A group of AI researchers in the Cognitive Modeling Group at Germany’s University of Tübingen did, and they built a system based on the popular video game, Super Mario Bros to test their ideas.

The Mario AI Project features an artificially intelligent Mario agent that becomes aware of himself and his environment, making decisions about what to do based on verbal instructions.

In a video, shown above, the Mario AI Project is demonstrated and explained.

Related articles Computer Program Learns To Play Classic Nintendo Games  How AI is Changing the Way We View Intelligence, the World, and Ourselves  What Does Watson Tell Us About the Philosophy of AI?

Using Carnegie-Mellon’s Sphinx speech-recognition toolkit, the video’s narrator explains, Mario can understand a large number of English sentences and commands. Based on a logic and grammar tree the team built, he can answer things about what he knows based on what he’s been told and can take actions based on what he’s learned.

"Mario will collect coins when he's hungry, whearas when he is curious, he will explore his environment and autonomously gather knowledge about items he doesn't know much about."

"For example, Mario will collect coins when he's hungry, whearas when he is curious, he will explore his environment and autonomously gather knowledge about items he doesn't know much about," claims the video narrator.

The video shows Mario being taught that if he jumps on a Goomba then it “certainly dies”, with his knowledge converted into tags, and then natural speech. It also shows how his inner emotional state can be used to control his actions.

The team have entered the annual video competition run by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), and are aiming to win the People’s Choice award through public votes.

Voting is simple, just give your favourite videos a “thumbs up” on YouTube. The video with the most thumbs up will be awarded the People’s Choice Award. And make sure to spread the word, voting closes on January 27th.


SOURCE  The Guardian

By 33rd Square

Embed

 Gaming  

With the year drawing to a close, let's look back at some of best video games that were released this year.

2

014 has been an excellent year for the gaming niche. Developers have rediscovered the great value of taking chances and creating original concepts. They want to stand out from the competition, take chances and come up with games that are truly groundbreaking. Now that the era of PS3 and Xbox 360 is closing, it’s time to welcome the next-gen consoles to take the lead. Here are 12 of the most searched video games of 2014.

1. Tropical Freeze – Donkey Kong Country

Put your reflexes to the ultimate test and let Tropical Freeze exceed your expectations. Featuring colorful, lush graphics and a beautifully arranged soundtrack, this side-scrolling platformer welcomes players to join Donkey Kong and his friends in a journey to conquer 6 different islands.

2. Bravery Default

Sleek and simple, yet incredibly addictive, Bravery Default is a role-playing video game that makes players mix and match abilities taken from various magical and martial classes. The hybridized team of fierce warriors is customized after your own preferences. Would you like to be a ninja or a samurai?

3. Titanfall

Featuring wall-running commandos, giant robots and cool weapons, Titanfall is the kind of multiplayer you just can’t let go. The uniquely balanced gameplay mix and enticing shooting modes bring competitive, ingenious experiences avid gamers will adore.

4. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Featuring a gameplay like no other, Call of Duty:Advanced Warfare was a success at launch. The first-person shooter, action movie style video-game has the coolest explosion effects and most competitive multiplayer in-game add-ons. It’s certainly worth a trty!

5. The Evil Within

The Evil Within is a horror video game where players have one job to do – survive. Featuring an unforgiving, cerebral combat and delectably nasty vibes, avid gamers will never want this game to end.

6. Child of Light

Child of Light was one of the most enchanting video games of 2014. The magical RPG had the most unusual, dark theme; it immediately grabbed attention because it also featured interesting, mature topics of love, betrayal, and loss.

7. South Park: The Stick of Truth

If you’re a fan of the TV show and have not yet tried “The Stick of Truth”, you should hurry up. The fantasy RPG looks more like an episode from the South Park show; packed with side-splitting moments and an excellent gameplay, the RPG is fun, hilarious and beautifully-crafted to exceed your expectations.

8. Far Cry 4

Developed by Ubisoft, Far Cry 4 is an open-world video game with an action-adventure kick. Hilariously anarchic and spellbindingly beautiful, and packed with a majestic wildlife and picturesque vistas, Far Cry 4 is a sandbox with giddy, pure exhilaration.

9. Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation is a first-person stealth video game set in the year 2137. Main character and player, Amanda Ripley, starts investigating her mother’s disappearance. Can she survive the alien attack? Unpredictable yet truly terrifying, Alien: Isolation is a revelation.
Do you have what it takes to survive?

10. Dragon Age: Inquisition

Developed by BioWare, Inquisition is a role-playing video game with fusions from previous Dragon Age sequels. Featuring larger environments, engaging combat and killer graphics, the level of action players will deal with is insane.

11. Destiny

This massive-multiplayer was proclaimed 2014’s video game of the year on various platforms. The first-person shooter, Destiny incorporates role-playing elements, competitive experiences and the chance to select your own character. Would you like to be a Guardian, Titan or Warlock?

12. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Developed by Blizzard Entertainment, Hearthstone is a collectible card game in a digitized version. If you’re fond of the acclaimed World of Warcraft computer game, then you’ll adore playing Hearthstone. In 2014, it had 20 million registrants, which basically means we’re talking about one of the most insane video games of 2014.

By Fredrick Cameron and Airplane Games 365!

Embed