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RPG Cast – Episode 563: “Isn’t Compile Heart Jail Against the Geneva Convention?”

We can't believe we have to say this, but this week Chris tries to understand water vapor. Anna Marie takes a week off to go date some demons. Josh frequents a sex shop to pick up some weapons. Pascal starts vaping in his Xbox. And Robert and Kelley are testing the jiggle physics of sacks in World of Warcraft.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 563: “Isn’t Compile Heart Jail Against the Geneva Convention?” appeared first on RPGamer.



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RPG Cast – Episode 570: “Kmart Cowboy Bebop”

Chris does an Xbox 180 while Josh steals Anna Marie's needle. Robert gets the snotty kleenex award because he can't figure out how to stream Suikoden. And Kelley is too busy fawning over Revali to notice.

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RPG Cast – Episode 572: “Partly Cloudy Souls With a Chance of Roguelike”

Josh is having an Ys-y time. Anna Marie ranks all the slime families. Robert gets notified every time google kills a product. And Chris tells everyone to blink on cue.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 572: “Partly Cloudy Souls With a Chance of Roguelike” appeared first on RPGamer.



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RPG Cast – Episode 574: “We’re a Real Site in Our Hearts”

Kelley gets a sweet message from her husband, while Josh is not convinced he wants to play the Untitled Groose Game. Anna Marie is warned off of spitting in Chris's briefs and calling it rain, and somehow we manage to get through two weeks of news including two big presentations!

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RPG Cast – Episode 619: “That One Time I Got Reincarnated as a Canadian Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”

Kelley graduates from Canada. Josh discovers Tactics Advance is an isekai. Meanwhile Chris calculates the skill check for suplexing a train.

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RPG Cast – Episode 633: “Your Cat Sharts on the Rainbow Bridge”

Kelley is better at Elden Ring than Chris. Anna Marie shows off her deck. And Chris hates sand. Time to go play with the HD-2D you have at home.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 633: “Your Cat Sharts on the Rainbow Bridge” appeared first on RPGamer.




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RPG Cast – Episode 634: “That Bea Arthur Wig Gives Me a +5 to Int”

Anna gets her tentacle on, but doesn't notice any performance issues. Chris learns what a wheelbarrow is while putting his sink on the ceiling. And Kelley covers Vahn with cats and steals the unexpected Dragon Age: Inquisition!

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RPG Cast – Episode 731: “Dragon Quest: Start Your Own Taco Adventure”

Kelley uses familiars to click her buttons. Josh scribbles in comic sans over your collector's edition with a sharpie. Which is good because Chris can't handle yet another collector's edition. They're all doing better than Ryan, though, who is suffering from Wizardry PTSD.

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  • Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi
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Super Mario Party Jamboree Tops the Japanese Charts

Super Mario Party Jamboree (NS) has remained in first place on the retail charts in Japan with sales of 57,522 units, according to Famitsu for the week ending October 27, 2024. 

Farmagia (NS) debuted in eighth place with sales of 4,296 units.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (NS) remained in second place with sales of 14,646 units. The PS5 version fell from third to seventh place with sales of 5,097 units.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (PS5) is up one spot to third place with sales of 8,620 units and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS) re-entered the top 10 in fourth place with sales of 5,782 units.

Professional Baseball Spirits 2024-2025 (PS5) is up two spots to fifth with sales of 5,729, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (NS) is up two spots to sixth place with sales of 5,492 units.

The Nintendo Switch was the best-selling platform with 60,096 units sold. The PlayStation 5 sold 13,965 units, the Xbox Series X|S sold 2,610 units, and the PlayStation 4 sold 53 units.

Here are the best-selling games in Japan:

    1. [NSW] Super Mario Party Jamboree (Nintendo, 10/17/24) – 57,522 (364,484)
    2. [NSW] Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (Square Enix, 10/24/24) – 14,646 (85,013)
    3. [PS5] Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Activision, 10/25/24) – 8,620 (35,567)
    4. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo, 04/28/17) – 5,782 (6,044,039)
    5. [PS5] Professional Baseball Spirits 2024-2025 (Konami, 10/17/24) – 5,729 (84,989)
    6. [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo, 09/26/24) – 5,492 (294,371)
    7. [PS5] Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (Square Enix, 10/24/24) – 5,097 (37,254)
    8. [NSW] Farmagia (Marvelous, 11/01/24) – 4,296 (New)
    9. [NSW] Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo, 03/20/20) – 4,253 (7,943,533)
    10. [NSW] Minecraft (Microsoft, 06/21/18) – 4,242 (3,666,338)

    Here is the hardware breakdown (followed by lifetime sales):

    A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

    Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463007/super-mario-party-jamboree-tops-the-japanese-charts/




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    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Tops the PS5 PS Store Download Charts in October

    Sony has released the US and European PlayStation Store downloads charts for September 2024.

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 topped the PlayStation 5 charts in the US and Canada, as well as on the European charts. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero was number two in the US and Canada, as well as in Europe. Undisputed was number three in the US and Canada, while it was EA Sports FC 25 in Europe.

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the most downloaded game on the PlayStation 4 charts in the US and Canada, while it was EA Sports FC 25 on the European charts. Minecraft was number two in the US and Canada, while it was Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in Europe. Red Dead Redemption 2 was number three in the US and Canada, while it was The Forest in Europe.

    Arizona Sunshine Remake topped the PlayStation VR2 charts in the US and Canada, as well as in Europe. Beat Saber VR was number two in the US and Canada, while it was The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR in Europe. The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR was number three in the US and Canada, while it was Metro Awakening in Europe.

    ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission topped the PlayStation VR charts in the US and Canada, while it was Batman: Arkham VR in Europe. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR was number two in the US and Canada, while it was The Exorcist: Legion VR in Europe.

    Throne and Liberty topped the free-to-play US and Canada charts, and in Europe. Fortnite was number two in the US and Canada, and in Europe.

    Here is the complete list of charts:

    PS5 Games

    US/Canada EU
    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
    DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO
    Undisputed EA SPORTS FC 25
    SILENT HILL 2 SILENT HILL 2
    EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 Grand Theft Auto V
    NBA 2K25 Phasmophobia
    EA SPORTS FC 25 Undisputed
    Grand Theft Auto V Hogwarts Legacy
    Dragon Age: The Veilguard Palworld
    Palworld It Takes Two
    Metaphor: ReFantazio Dragon Age: The Veilguard
    Phasmophobia Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
    SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS Black Myth: Wukong
    EA SPORTS College Football 25 Metaphor: ReFantazio
    NHL 25 ASTRO BOT
    Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 NEW WORLD: AETERNUM
    Black Myth: Wukong Resident Evil 4
    ASTRO BOT NBA 2K25
    Hogwarts Legacy Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
    NEW WORLD: AETERNUM Cyberpunk 2077
    *Naming of products may differ between regions
    *Upgrades not included

    PS4 Games

    US/Canada EU
    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 EA SPORTS FC 25
    Minecraft Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
    Red Dead Redemption 2 The Forest
    Batman: Arkham Knight Minecraft
    The Forest Red Dead Redemption 2
    Grand Theft Auto V Grand Theft Auto V
    Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands A Way Out
    theHunter: Call of the Wild Batman: Arkham Knight
    EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 Hogwarts Legacy
    Call of Duty: Black Ops III Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
    Gang Beasts Kingdom Come: Deliverance
    Dying Light Need for Speed Payback
    Pacify Dying Light
    Mafia: Trilogy Mafia: Trilogy
    A Way Out Unravel Two
    EA SPORTS FC 25 Need for Speed Heat
    Alien: Isolation Gang Beasts
    Injustice 2 Middle-earth: Shadow of War
    Need for Speed Heat Pacify
    DayZ DayZ
       *Naming of products may differ between regions

    PS VR2 Games*

    US/Canada EU
    Arizona Sunshine Remake Arizona Sunshine Remake
    Beat Saber The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
    The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR Metro Awakening
    Among Us VR Beat Saber
    Grand Rush VR Highway Car Traffic Racing Simulator Grand Rush VR Highway Car Traffic Racing Simulator
    Metro Awakening Arizona Sunshine 2
    Into the Radius Among Us VR
    Arizona Sunshine 2 Pavlov
    Pavlov Into the Radius
    Legendary Tales Crossfire: Sierra Squad
     *PS Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included

    PS VR Games

    US/Canada EU
    ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission Batman: Arkham VR
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR The Exorcist: Legion VR
    The Walking Dead Onslaught Sniper Elite VR
    Batman: Arkham VR The Walking Dead Onslaught
    Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission
    The Exorcist: Legion VR Titanic VR
    Job Simulator Job Simulator
    Beat Saber Beat Saber
    SUPERHOT VR Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul
    Marvel’s Iron Man VR Ghost Giant

    Free to Play (PS5 + PS4)

    US/Canada EU
    THRONE AND LIBERTY THRONE AND LIBERTY
    Fortnite Fortnite
    Roblox Roblox
    Call of Duty: Warzone Call of Duty: Warzone
    Rocket League Rocket League
    Asphalt Legends Unite Asphalt Legends Unite
    VALORANT eFootball
    Apex Legends VALORANT
    Fall Guys Fall Guys
    eFootball Stumble Guys

    A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

    Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463025/call-of-duty-black-ops-6-tops-the-ps5-ps-store-download-charts-in-october/




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    EA Sports FC 25 Debuts in 1st on the Canadian Charts

    EA Sports FC 25 has debuted in first place on the Canadian charts for September 2024, according to data from Circana (formerly The NPD Group) reported by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESA).

    There were four other new releases in the top 10 with NHL 25 debuting in second place, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom in third place, Astro Bot in fourth place, and NBA 2K25 in 10th place.

    Star Wars: Outlaws is in fifth place, Hogwarts Legacy is in sixth place, and Madden NFL 25 is in seventh place. God of War: Ragnarök is in eighth place following the release of the PC version and Elden Ring is in ninth place.

    Top 10 best-selling games in Canada:

    1. EA Sports FC 25 - NEW
    2. NHL 25 - NEW
    3. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom* - NEW
    4. Astro Bot - NEW
    5. Star Wars: Outlaws
    6. Hogwarts Legacy
    7. Madden NFL 25
    8. God of War: Ragnarök
    9. Elden Ring
    10. NBA 2K25* - NEW

    *Digital sales not included

    A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

    Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463027/ea-sports-fc-25-debuts-in-1st-on-the-canadian-charts/




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    Dragon Age: The Veilguard Debuts in 2nd on the Australian Charts

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has remained in first place on the Australian charts, according to IGEA for the week ending November 3, 2024.

    There were three new releases in the top 10 this week with Dragon Age: The Veilguard debuting in second place, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered in fourth place, and Life Is Strange: Double Exposure in ninth place.

    Hogwarts Legacy is up one spot to third place, EA Sports FC 25 remained in fifth place, and Super Mario Party Jamboree dropped from second to sixth place.

    Red Dead Redemption is in seventh place, NBA 2K25 is in eight place, and Battlefield 2042 rounds out the top 10.

    Here are the top 10 best-selling titles in Australia for the week:

    1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
    2. Dragon Age: The Veilguard - NEW
    3. Hogwarts Legacy
    4. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - NEW
    5. EA Sports FC 25 
    6. Super Mario Party Jamboree
    7. Red Dead Redemption
    8. NBA 2K25
    9. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure - NEW
    10. Battlefield 2042

    A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

    Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463028/dragon-age-the-veilguard-debuts-in-2nd-on-the-australian-charts/




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    Dragon Age: The Veilguard Debuts in 2nd on the New Zealand Charts

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has remained in first place on the New Zealand charts, according to IGEA for the week ending November 3, 2024.

    There were two new releases in the top 10 this week with Dragon Age: The Veilguard debuting in second place and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered in fourth place.

    Hogwarts Legacy is down one spot to third place, Grand Theft Auto V is up three spots to fifth place, and NBA 2K25 climbed from ninth to sixth place.

    Red Dead Redemption is in seventh place, Borderlands 3 is in eight place, Battlefield 2042 is in ninth place, and EA Sports FC 25 rounds out the top 10.

    Here are the top 10 best-selling titles in New Zealand for the week:

    1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
    2. Dragon Age: The Veilguard - NEW
    3. Hogwarts Legacy
    4. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - NEW
    5. Grand Theft Auto V
    6. NBA 2K25
    7. Red Dead Redemption
    8. Borderlands 3
    9. Battlefield 2042
    10. EA Sports FC 25 

    A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

    Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463029/dragon-age-the-veilguard-debuts-in-2nd-on-the-new-zealand-charts/




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    PS5 vs Xbox Series X|S vs Switch 2024 Japan Sales Comparison Charts Through October

    Here we see data representing the sales through to consumers and change in sales performance of the three current platforms (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch) and two legacy platforms (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) over comparable periods for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Also shown is the market share for each of the consoles over the same periods.

    Year to Date Sales Comparison (Same Periods Covered)

    Market Share (Same Periods Covered)

    2021 – (January 2021 to October 2021)

    2022 – (January 2022 to October 2022)

    2023 – (January 2023 to October 2023)

    2024 – (January 2024 to October 2024)

    "Year to date" sales for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 sales are shown in series at the top of the table and then just below a comparison of 2024 versus 2023 and 2024 versus 2022 is displayed.  This provides an easy-to-view summary of all the data.

    Total Sales and Market Share for Each Year

    Microsoft

    • Xbox Series X|S
      • 0.09 million units sold year-to-date
      • Down year-on-year 0.03 million units (-23.2%)

    Nintendo

    • Nintendo Switch
      • 2.47 million units sold year-to-date
      • Down year-on-year 0.75 million units (-23.4%)

    Sony

    • PlayStation 5
      • 1.16 million units sold year-to-date
      • Down year-on-year 0.94 million units (-44.9%)
    • PlayStation 4
      • 0.01 million units sold year-to-date
      • Down year-on-year 0.05 million (-77.2%)

    Note: VGChartz 2024 estimates through October includes 44 weeks, while 2023, 2022, and 2021 estimates includes 43 weeks.

    A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

    Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463009/ps5-vs-xbox-series-xs-vs-switch-2024-japan-sales-comparison-charts-through-october/




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    Planet Coaster 2 and Farming Simulator 25 Debut on the Steam Charts

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in its third week remained in first place on the Steam Weekly Top Sellers chart (excluding revenue generated by free games) for Week 46, 2024, which ended November 12, 2024.

    There were two new releases in the top 10 this week. Planet Coaster 2 debuted in fourth place, while Farming Simulator 25 came in fifth place.

    Steam Deck is up two spots to second place, while Baldur's Gate 3 re-entered the top 10 in third place. EA Sports FC 25 is up two spots to sixth place, Cyberpunk 2077 re-entered the top 10 in seventh place, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell from second to eighth place.

    Ahead of its release next week pre-orders for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl came in ninth place.

    Here are the Steam Weekly Top Sellers by revenue for the week (excluding free games):

    1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
    2. Steam Deck
    3. Baldur's Gate 3
    4. Planet Coaster 2 - NEW
    5. Farming Simulator 25 - NEW
    6. EA Sports FC 25
    7. Cyberpunk 2077
    8. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
    9. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl - Pre-orders
    10. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

    Here are the Steam Weekly Top Sellers by revenue for the week (including free games):

    1. PUBG: Battlegrounds
    2. Counter-Strike 2
    3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
    4. Apex legends
    5. Throne and Liberty
    6. Steam Deck
    7. Baldur's Gate 3
    8. Dota 2
    9. Planet Coaster 2 - NEW
    10. Farming Simulator 25 - NEW

    The Steam charts are ordered by revenue, include pre-order numbers, and hardware. If a game appears multiple times it is because it has multiple editions.

    A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

    Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463048/planet-coaster-2-and-farming-simulator-25-debut-on-the-steam-charts/




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    Witnesses Say Would-Be Organ Donor Started ‘Thrashing’ on the Table

    BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty

    Disaster was averted at a Kentucky hospital when an ostensibly deceased organ donor began “thrashing” around in the operating theater, a preservationist tells NPR.

    “He was moving around,” Natasha Miller recalled of the patient, whom NPR identified as Anthony Thomas “TJ” Hoover II. “He was crying visibly.”

    The two surgeons assigned to the transplant naturally refused to go through with the procedure, which was reportedly scheduled to take place at Baptist Health Richmond Hospital in October 2021. But when her colleague called Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, which coordinated the harvest, Miller said the supervisor told them they “were going to do the case” and needed to “find another doctor.”

    Read more at The Daily Beast.




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    This bite-size free horror game has you study an ancient artefact that holds a dark secret

    I have zero archaeology experience or knowledge, but I bet archaeologists really love their jobs (for the most part). They get to analyse and discover cool artefacts and educate us on the histories of forgotten civilisations. That's dreamy stuff, that is. But I do wonder what it's like for archaeologists to discover and study something they shouldn't have; something with a disturbing secret - a curse, maybe. Bite-sized horror game The Children Of Clay explores this idea and I'd like more of it, please.

    Read more




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    Alan Wake 2’s The Lake House is a dark, brilliant parable on the devaluation of art and artists

    There must be hundreds of typewriters in the hall, their collective clacks a tidal wave of soulless automation, rising up to greet agent Kiran Estevez as she enters, pistol and flashlight in hands. Exploring rooms to the side, Alan Wake 2: The Lake House’s star finds whiteboards and documents revealing the typewriter’s purpose: to mimic Wake’s writing. Pages are graded along criteria such as ‘style’, ‘tone’, and ‘content’, then “fed into the algorithm” as references until “near-identical stories” to Wake’s can be produced.

    “If Jules could simply cut the painter open and pull the painting out of him, he would,” reads one of the real Alan’s typewritten pages. That’s Jules Marmont, the obsessive head of the titular FBC centre. The Marmonts - Jules and his wife Diana - are running experiments to forcibly and synthetically create works of art, aiming to mimic creative passion convincingly enough for the paranatural entity inside Cauldron Lake to respond, as it has in the past.

    Read more




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    Sega sell off studio behind Endless Legend and Humankind as part of "restructuring" - but it goes to the original owners

    Amplitude Studios, developers of many a game with "Endless" in the name, have split with publisher Sega to become independent again, with ownership of the studio reverting to its original founders and "other members of the team". The developers say everyone is parting "on good terms" and that the last eight years of getting published under Sega has been "amazing". But there are other businessy reasons, of course. Namely, Sega have been trying to trim down their European studios for the past year, and Amplitude is just the latest bunch of devs affected by that.

    Read more




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    Halo's most disgusting enemy was partly inspired by a children's book

    It was the 20-year anniversary of Halo 2 at the weekend, which saw the shooter's modern counterparts celebrating with classic multiplayer maps and long-lost levels. But also emerging from the dust of time are insights to the sequel's development back in 2004. Rolling Stone interviewed two key designers of the game and made a fun discovery. The Flood (the sickly pale alien infestation that briefly turns Halo into sci-fi horror) was partly inspired by a colourful and innocent children's book about a nice elephant.

    Read more




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    Karen Pence to outline goals for art therapy initiative

    File photo of Karen Pence (right) by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

    WASHINGTON — When Karen Pence found out that an art therapist in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico couldn’t afford the clay her clients needed, she sprang into action.

    A trained watercolor artist and advocate of the little-known mental health profession, Vice President Mike Pence’s wife went to the Virginia art supply store she frequented when they lived in the state during his tenure in Congress, bought 120 pounds of self-drying clay and packed it aboard Air Force Two for their flight down to survey the damage.

    “She cleaned him out,” the vice president said of the store’s owner.

    Mrs. Pence made art therapy her cause ever since she first learned about it more than a decade ago. She has visited numerous art therapy programs, both in the U.S. and abroad, and on Wednesday in Florida, nine months into the administration, she planned to formally announce the goals for her art therapy initiative.

    She wants to help people understand the difference between art therapy and arts and crafts, and to grasp that art therapy is a viable option for treating trauma, injury and other life experiences. She also wants to encourage young people to choose art therapy as a career.

    “I don’t think that a lot of people understand the difference between therapeutic art and art therapy,” Mrs. Pence, a trained watercolor artist, told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview before the announcement at Florida State University in Tallahassee. The school has an art therapy program she described as “tremendous.”

    Blabbing to a girlfriend can be therapeutic, she explained, but it is not the same as art therapy, which has three elements: a client, a trained therapist and art.

    READ MORE: VP Pence’s wife aims to raise awareness about art therapy

    As passionate as she is about raising art therapy’s profile, other issues help make Karen Pence tick, too.

    One of them is helping military families, especially spouses. Her only son, Michael, is in the Marines.

    There’s also her interest in honeybees. Mrs. Pence installed a beehive on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory, where the vice president’s official residence is located, to help call attention to a decline in managed bee colonies that officials say could negatively affect U.S. agricultural production. She had a beehive at the Indiana governor’s residence for the same reason.

    Now 60 and married to the vice president since 1985, Mrs. Pence has long been viewed as one of her husband’s most trusted political advisers. They are often together on trips, at the White House, or at the observatory, almost always holding hands.

    Since returning to Washington in January (the family lived in the area when her husband served in Congress), she has accompanied the vice president on goodwill tours of Europe, Asia and Latin America, as well as trips to survey recent hurricane damage in Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She tries to visit art therapy programs wherever she goes. Journalists who travel with Pence often keep an eye out for his wife; she often brings them cookies when he ventures back to the press cabin for small talk.

    READ MORE: Devastated Puerto Rico needs unprecedented aid, says governor

    She’s even done a little campaigning, urging Virginians to vote next month for Ed Gillespie in what’s viewed as a tight gubernatorial race.

    “It really makes a difference, I can tell you. Nobody thought that we were going to win,” she said, an apparent reference to the Trump-Pence ticket.

    The vice president often refers to his wife as the family’s “prayer captain.” She has led congregations in prayer during their hurricane-damage trips.

    “We’re people of faith so we just try and approach everything with prayer,” Mrs. Pence said from her sunny, second-floor office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex, where she and her staff enjoy coveted views of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. Art therapy drawings given as gifts adorn the outer office.

    She proudly displayed several of her paintings, including of the Capitol dome, the vice president’s residence, a Ball canning jar-turned-flower vase, a cardinal bird and a pink peony. She turns many of her watercolors into prints and boxed notecards that she gifts to art therapists she meets.

    Except for myriad pets, including two cats, a dog and a rabbit named Marlon Bundo, the Pences are empty nesters. Their son and two adult daughters are off on their own.

    “I think for us this is a good time in our life for this role because our kids are out of college. They’re living their own lives,” Mrs. Pence said.

    She’s also launching a blog in conjunction with Wednesday’s announcement to chronicle her visits to art therapy programs.

    The post Karen Pence to outline goals for art therapy initiative appeared first on PBS NewsHour.




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    Twitter chat: How the gun control debate mirrors larger issues of partisanship in America

    Participants with One Million Moms for Gun Control, a gun control group formed in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut, school mass shooting, march across the Brooklyn Bridge on Jan. 21, 2013, in New York City. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    What would it take to turn Texas, a Republican stronghold, into a blue state? According to data from SurveyMonkey, just remove all the gun owners from the Lone Star State and it would have gone to Hillary Clinton in 2016. You can do the same thing in liberal California. Remove all the non-gun owners and the state would have voted for Donald Trump.

    That’s how divisive the issue of gun control is in American politics.

    SurveyMonkey found that no other demographic — not race, religion or gender — so perfectly divided voters. In the 2016 election, 47 percent of Trump supporters said gun control was an issue important enough to influence their vote. That’s compared to just 27 percent of voters who supported Hillary Clinton.

    But what does this divide mean? How is it impacting gun control policy, and how might this issue change in light of recent mass shootings like Las Vegas, Orlando and Newtown? To discuss the data, join a PBS NewsHour-hosted Twitter chat at 1 p.m. EDT Thursday with data journalist Dante Chinni (@Dchinni), professor and chairman of political science at the University of Kansas Don Haider-Markel (@dhmarkel), and Washington Post correspondent Philip Bump (@pbump).

    Have questions? Tweet them using #NewsHourChats.

    The post Twitter chat: How the gun control debate mirrors larger issues of partisanship in America appeared first on PBS NewsHour.




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    Martin Lewis issues warning to anyone with a Tesco Clubcard as £18m savings at risk



    Martin Lewis has warned Tesco customers of a piece of small print that could see £18m worth of Clubcard points wasted.




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    Inside NASA’s ambitious plan to bring the ISS crashing back to Earth

    The International Space Station will burn up and splash down into the Pacific sometime around 2030. What could possibly go wrong? And will we ever see anything like the ISS again?




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    The JUICE spacecraft may be visible on a near-Earth flyby next week

    On 19 and 20 August, the JUICE mission will make the first ever attempt to get a gravitational boost from both Earth and the moon on its way to Jupiter




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    Hellish conditions have warped an Earth-like planet into an egg

    Planets that orbit close to their parent stars are blasted with radiation and contorted by gravity – and the exoplanet TOI-6255b might be the most extreme example yet




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    A small asteroid hit Earth and burned up over the Philippines

    A newly spotted asteroid named 2024 RW1 burned up in the atmosphere over the South Pacific, creating a spectacular bright flash in the sky over the Philippines just hours after first being detected




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    Can we spot every incoming asteroid before they hit Earth?

    News of the asteroid 2024 RW1 impacting near the Philippines may have come as a shock this week, but space agencies and astronomers around the world are keeping an eye out to protect us




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    Strange binary star system has three Earth-sized exoplanets

    Exoplanets in binary star systems usually orbit both stars, but astronomers have now spotted three planets orbiting one or the other star in a pair




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    Planet in the 'forbidden zone' of dead star could reveal Earth's fate

    A distant planet should have been consumed when its star expanded to become a red giant, perhaps offering insights into planetary migration




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    ESA prepares Hera mission to investigate aftermath of NASA DART impact

    The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft must be thoroughly tested before being sent to investigate the aftermath of the collision of NASA's DART probe with Dimorphos




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    Earth may be about to pass through the ion tail of a comet

    The ion tail of C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) could appear as a blue streak across the northern hemisphere sky during October, in a rare event thought to happen only every few decades




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    Meet NEO Surveyor, NASA’s near-Earth asteroid detector

    Meet NASA’s NEO Surveyor, the space telescope identifying hazardous asteroids and comets within 48 million kilometres of Earth’s orbit




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    If an asteroid were heading towards Earth, could you avert disaster?

    From nuclear strikes to giant spikes, discover the systems in place to prevent a collision and test your decision-making to see if you could avoid a catastrophic impact




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    Period atmosphere is best part of game set on turbulent oil rig

    In Still Wakes the Deep, you play as a Glaswegian electrician on a 1970s oil rig. The well-crafted setting gives way to horror, but I wish I could linger in mundanity for longer, says Jacob Aron




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    Smartphone flaw allows hackers and governments to map your home

    A newly identified smartphone vulnerability can reveal the floor plans of where you are and what you are doing - and it is possible that companies or intelligence agencies are already making use of it




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    Smart speakers at crime scenes could provide valuable clues to police

    Information on faces recognised, voice commands and internet searches can be extracted from an Amazon Echo smart assistant without help from the user or manufacturer




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    The AI expert who says artificial general intelligence is nonsense

    Artificial intelligence has more in common with ants than humans, says Neil Lawrence. Only by taking a more nuanced view of intelligence can we see how machines will truly transform society




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    Smart TVs take snapshots of what you watch multiple times per second

    Smart TVs from Samsung and LG monitor what you are watching even when you are using the screens to display a feed from a connected laptop or video game console




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    It's parents who are anxious about smartphones, not their children

    Smartphones have indeed created an "anxious generation", but it isn't young people, it is their parents, argues neuroscientist Dean Burnett




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    Hackers can turn your smartphone into an eavesdropping device

    Motion sensors in smartphones can be turned into makeshift microphones to eavesdrop on conversations, outsmarting security features designed to stop such attacks




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    Fast forward to the fluffy revolution, when robot pets win our hearts

    Our Future Chronicles column explores an imagined history of inventions and developments yet to come. We visit 2032 and meet artificial animals that love their owners, without the carbon footprint of biological pets. Rowan Hooper explains how it happened




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    Alba Rohrwacher Unearths the Mystery of My Brilliant Friend

    After seven years of voicing Elena Ferrante’s ambitious heroine, the Italian actress brings Lenù Greco home.




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    Michael van Gerwen weakness called out by rival as Dutchman exits Grand Slam of Darts



    There has been another shock at the Grand Slam of Darts.




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    Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Season 1: Start date & time, new maps and everything you need to know



    Black Ops 6 is here, and fans have been itching to know what's included in Season 1 - and now we have an answer. Here's what's included, and when you can play




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    New comet makes historically close approach to Earth today, but spotting it will take some luck

    Comet Nishimura (C/2023 P1) was discovered in August and is now whizzing by Earth, but finding it in the sky will be a challenge.




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    How E. coli infections wreak havoc on the body, causing dangerous disease — particularly in kids

    Certain strains of E. coli are capable of causing severe disease, by rapidly spreading through the human digestive system, wreaking havoc throughout the bloodstream, and eventually damaging the delicate kidneys. That's the situation right now during a large outbreak in Alberta, with hundreds of children now affected.




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    Artificial intelligence is being used in university classes. How it's being used matters, say profs

    As artificial intelligence becomes more common in university classrooms, some professors are weighing the benefits — and downsides — of students using it for research projects.



    • News/Canada/Nova Scotia

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    Can the free market ensure artificial intelligence won't wipe out human workers?

    People keep predicting that each wave of new technology will mean humans can put their feet up. It hasn't happened yet. Some economists and anthropologists who study the subject say even with the arrival of artificial intelligence, humans will remain integral to making the world go round.