Baldur’s Gate Dev Talks Appeal Of AI But Not As A Replacement For Human Developers
One of the most talked-about issues in gaming in recent times has been around the rise of artificial intelligence systems and how they may be further incorporated into gaming in the future. Larian Studios boss Swen Vincke has now weighed in with his thoughts. Speaking to Eurogamer, Vincke said Larian does not see AI as a “replacement for developers.”
But deployed the right way, AI could allow Larian to “do more stuff.” As an example, if an NPC in a game had just one line of dialogue, that might be a place for AI to step in to do the work.
“There’s not a lot of creative accomplishment to be had by putting the camera on a singular NPC that only has a couple of notes–I’m very happy for AI to handle that,” he said. “We’re not going to do that for the very complicated scenes because there, the artistry is going to shine through. So there’s uses for it.”
AI could also play a role in augmenting “reactivity and dialogues” in games if the AI systems become more advanced over time.
“So you would, for instance, have writers and a scripter and cinematic designer, and everybody that goes with it, you would have them make their entire scene, and then you would augment some reactivity into it, to things that you’ve done before,” he said. “So it is about, for instance, let’s say it’s a guard talking about a murderer that is free in the city. We don’t have to foresee all of the possible people that you could have killed in the NPC[‘s lines], but they could be talking about that, right? And say if it’s like multiple people, they could say, ‘Oh my god!’ and it’s like, literally a serial killer.”
Vincke said he thinks players would respond positively to something like this. Overall, Vincke said he sees AI as an “additional tool” that a developer can use to layer on top of other things in a game. Larian is “doing experiments with that” currently, he said. But it’s still early days, and any experimentations in this department are “far from being usable.”
Larian is not alone in embracing the possibilities that AI could afford game developers. For its part, Electronic Arts is a big believer in AI and recently found that about 60% of its game development processes could be positively impacted by using AI. Microsoft is heavily invested in AI and has said AI will be baked into every product it makes going forward, including Xbox.
EA and Microsoft both implemented mass layoffs around the same time of announcing plans to push further into AI. The possibility that AI could replace human jobs is a major concern raised by many, and EA has been up front in saying AI will likely lead to significant job losses.
Larian is not making any Baldur’s Gate 3 DLC or Baldur’s Gate 4. Instead, the company is working on a totally new, non-D&D game that Vincke is excited to eventually talk about.
“Still familiar enough, but different. I mean, like: tone, style, way of doing it, are for us certainly new. And I think very appealing,” Vincke told Eurogamer. “I would love to talk about it already because I’m excited about it but I can’t say more. But it’s new in that sense.”
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Get Your Kirby Fix With This Extremely Good Deal On Kirby Star Allies For Nintendo Switch
Kirby Star Allies might be six years old, but Nintendo games have an annoying habit of staying expensive no matter how long in the tooth they get. That’s why you might want to jump on the deal Walmart is currently running. The retailer is offering Kirby Star Allies for $30, half its $60 list price, and the lowest price Walmart has ever offered for the game.
Setting Kirby Star Allies apart from other games in the series is that the “allies” part is literal–while other Kirby games have also offered cooperative play, Star Allies makes co-op a major focus. You’ll get the usual enemy-eating, power-stealing, platform-jumping gameplay Kirby is known for, but with an emphasis on recruiting enemies to your side along the way. GameSpot’s Peter Brown gave the game an 8 when it released, saying, “Star Allies is yet another Kirby game, but it’s up there with some of the best. It’s an artistic showcase, and a great opportunity for co-op platforming.”
That’s not the only Kirby Switch game that Walmart is offering on sale, although Star Allies has the best discount. You can also nab Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, the Switch version of a cooperative Kirby romp originally released on the Nintendo Wii in 2011. It’s down to $41.23 from the usual $60 price. The Switch version earned a 7/10 in our Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe review.
Rounding out your Kirby offerings on Switch is the most recent game in the franchise, Kirby and the Forgotten Land. While its price is the highest of the bunch–$48.50–that’s still a decent deal for a game that came out in 2022. GameSpot’s Steven Petite awarded Forgotten Land a 9, writing, “Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of those games that’s hard to play without constantly having a silly smile on your face.”
If you still haven’t gotten enough Kirby, check out a few more pink puffball-related items available at Amazon below.
Best Kirby Game Deals at Walmart
Kirby Accessories from Amazon
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Headset Lets You Customize Console Gaming Audio On Your Phone
Today, SteelSeries unveiled the next wireless headset in its Arctis Nova family, the Nova 5. Launching at $130, the new Arctis Nova 5 line is meant to bridge the gap between the entry-level Nova 1 and Nova 3 models and the high-end Nova 7 and Nova Pro headsets, offering the same great form factor and design as the rest of the line-up but with a mid-range suite of features.
To clear up any confusion if you’re familiar with the Nova headset line: The Nova 5 is essentially replacing the Nova 4, which debuted last year for $120. SteelSeries no longer sells the Nova 4, and while you can find it at other retailers, the Nova 5 has new and better features, such as Bluetooth and increased battery life, for only $10 more.
One of those features is a new companion app available for iOS and Android, which comes with over 100 EQ presets for popular games like Call of Duty, Destiny, and Minecraft, that you can swap to on the fly right from your phone. While some of the presets are engineered to enhance the audio experience overall, others are tuned to heighten specific elements of the sound mix–like one Call of Duty preset that makes it easier to hear enemy footsteps. The companion app is exclusive to the trio of Nova 5 headsets; it does not work with other headsets in the Nova line.
Usually, you would need to be using a headset on PC with a proprietary desktop app to use audio customization features like this, but since the Arctis Nova 5 supports both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, you can connect it to your PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, or PC via the 2.4GHz dongle and your smartphone over Bluetooth, so the mobile app is always available to you. The headset is also equipped with a connection hot-swap button, so you can switch between 2.4GHz and Bluetooth audio sources at will.
Along with the app and multiple connection options, the Nova 5 also has a noise-canceling microphone that fully retracts into the left earcup, and sports up to 60 hours of battery life and has fast charging via the included USB-C cable.
The Arctis Nova 5 headset is now available in three different models: the Nova 5, Nova 5P, and Nova 5X. All three models support PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile, but only the 5X supports Xbox consoles. They also support spatial audio on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The only other difference is that the Nova 5 features an all-black head strap, while the 5P’s is black and blue, and the 5X’s is black and green. All three versions are available for $130 at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from SteelSeries.
Our impressions
I’ve been testing the PlayStation version of the headset for the past week, and so far, I’m quite pleased with the headset. I’ve been a fan of the Arctis headsets since the original Arctis Pro launched back in 2018, and the Nova 5 is a great addition to the lineup. While the Nova Pro is packed with high-end features and the Nova 7 is still our favorite gaming headset overall, the Nova 5 maintains the fundamentals that make the entire Arctis Nova line so appealing. Most importantly, the sound quality is excellent. While they sound great out of the box, switching to a preset for the game you’re playing–or at least one with similar audio presentation–in the new mobile companion app does make a marked difference in the listening experience, and is by far the Nova 5’s standout feature.
One of the other reasons the Arctis Nova headset line is so well regarded is comfort. Like its siblings, the Nova 5 uses the ingenious headband strap design, which is the most comfortable form of headphone “padding” I’ve tested over the years. The Nova 5 is also slightly lighter than some of the more expensive Arctis models like the Nova Pro, making them even more comfortable and great for long-term use. That lighter build doesn’t come at the cost of durability, either–the headband is flexible and the earcups feel sturdy.
If there’s one minor misgiving I have about the Nova 5 so far, it’s the app–or, more accurately, the concession made to make the app always available. While you technically can connect the Nova 5 to two devices at once–one via 2.4GHz and the other via Bluetooth–the only thing you can do with that simultaneous connection is adjust the app on your phone over Bluetooth while gaming on PC or console via 2.4GHz. You cannot listen to two audio sources at once. To be clear, I think the app is great; it’s easy to navigate, and the streamlined audio presets are well-engineered. It’s just a bummer the headset doesn’t let you listen to a podcast from your phone at the same time you’re playing a game on your PC or console, which is something most other headsets with simultaneous device connectivity support, including the Nova 7 and Nova Pro.
That said, the lack of simultaneous audio playback is by no means a dealbreaker, especially at this price range. If you’ve been eyeing an Arctis Nova headset but the pricing on the Nova 7 is just out of reach, then the Nova 5 is definitely worth checking out.
The Last of Us Season 2 Leaked Set Photos Have First Look At New Character
The Last of Us Season 2 is currently in production, so it was only a matter of time before pictures from the sets were leaked to the general public. Now that those photos have been posted online, fans of the game and the show can catch a glimpse of how the series will adapt The Last of Us Part II in live-action.
Warning: the following contains some spoilers from The Last of Us Part II. If you haven’t played the game or don’t want to know what happens in The Last of Us Season 2, stop reading now.
One of the key additions this season is Dina (Isabela Merced), the love interest for Bella Ramsey’s Ellie. In The Last of Us Part II, Dina accompanies Ellie to Seattle on a personal mission of revenge against a young woman named Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). The first batch of leaked photos appear to show Ellie and Dina in Seattle.
A reddit user, miss-sarah, also posted pictures of Ramsey and Merced riding Ellie’s horse, Shimmer. Meanwhile, Cristina Barper posted a few pictures on X of Weston’s Pharmacy, a recurring franchise in the games that also appears in the Seattle portion of The Last of Us Part II.
There are bound to be more photo leaks before The Last of Us Season 2 wraps production in Vancouver. It’s worth noting we also don’t know at this point how much of the second game Season 2 will adapt–or if the franchise will continue into a third season. The series will return to HBO and Max in 2025. Season 1 can be streamed in its entirety now.
Diablo 4’s Massive Loot Reborn Update Is Live, Season 4 Patch Notes Released
Diablo 4 Season 4, Loot Reborn, is now live on all platforms, and it brings the biggest changes yet for Blizzard’s ARPG across both the Eternal and seasonal realms. We’ve also gotten a very extensive set of patch notes for the update.
Unlike previous Diablo 4 seasons, which introduced new questlines and unique seasonal mechanics, Season 4 instead focuses on and retools core aspects of the game going forward. Gear in the demon-slaying ARPG has undergone a significant overhaul as a result.
Items will now roll with fewer, but more-potent and less-niche affixes, and can be upgraded in two new ways. One is by Tempering, which adds an additional affix from a new Tempering Recipes, while Masterworking makes the affixes on an item even more powerful. Legendary Aspects are now automatically added to the Codex of Power, no extracting required, allowing players to more freely swap their Legendary Powers in and out as they acquire new gear. In another nice change, playing on World Tier 3 will always reward Sacred items, while playing on World Tier 4 will always reward Ancestral items.
That should result in players being more powerful than ever before, and they’ll need that power to conquer a challenging new 200-floor endgame dungeon, where higher-level Masterworking materials are found. There are significant changes to Helltides, too, with the addition of the endgame activity to lower-level World Tiers, new Accursed Rituals within the Helltides that can be used to summon the new Blood Maiden mini-boss, and a new threat mechanic within Helltides that will see players face off against evil versions of each Diablo 4 class called the Hellborne.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a new season without balance changes, and there are plenty of class adjustments and tweaks to Legendary Powers and Unique items. Diablo 4 Season 4 was the first of the game’s seasons to undergo extensive playtesting on a public test realm, and it looks like Blizzard gained some invaluable feedback as part of that process. Some of the changes thanks to player feedback from the PTR include the fact that Masterworking no longer has a chance to fail, improvements to the new Tempering and Masterworking UIs, better rewards from defeating the Blood Maiden, an icon to designate when an item has rolled with a rare Greater Affix, and more.
With such a massive update, some fans were upset to learn there was no way to pre-download the patch days in advance. According to Diablo community development director Adam Fletcher, Blizzard will look to address that complaint in future seasons to allow for “more of a window for players to grab the patch earlier.”
You can see a selection from the patch notes below, but you’ll need to head over to Blizzard’s site to see the full list–they are long.
UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC TEST REALM
Developer’s Note: We appreciate all the feedback our players provided us during our Public Test Realm for Season 4: Loot Reborn. The following section highlights key bug fixes and feedback adjustments.
Feature Updates
- There is no longer a chance for Masterworking to fail.
- The Masterwork animation has been removed for non-milestone Ranks (1-3, 5-7, etc).
- The Tempering Result screen now shows the result affix, its roll, and the affix range.
- Various UI improvements for the Tempering and Masterworking experiences.
- Added multiple tiers of Masterworking Material caches that transmute far more materials than were previously available.
- A visual indication has been added to the imprint UI which indicates which Legendary affixes are currently equipped.
- You can now search the term ‘equip’ or ‘equipped’ within the Codex of Power to list currently equipped affixes.
- We’ve added an inventory icon to indicate items that have at least one Greater Affix.
- When items with Greater Affixes drop in-game, they will also have the same icon to indicate they possess a Greater Affix.
Helltide and The Pit
- The Party member that spends the Runeshards to open the Pit gets 100% of the Masterworking materials, the rest of the party receives half the amount.
- Artillery and Blast Wave shrines no longer spawn in the Pit.
- Hellborne spawn chance in Helltide zones has been increased.
- Baneful Heart drop rate has been adjusted to be more consistent.
- Overall loot quality from the Blood Maiden has been improved.
- Loot quality has also been improved for players that contribute materials to summon the Blood Maiden, as a contribution bonus reward.
- Doomsayer variants, which used to drop a Chest of Doomsaying on defeat, will now drop the contents of a Doomsaying Chest on death with no additional Cinders cost.
Balance Adjustments
- Many Tempering affixes that were either over-performing or under-performing have been adjusted to meet intended power levels.
- The Tempering Affix for Maximum Size increase for various skills and effects, such as Dust Devils or Bone Spirit, is now capped at 100%.
Itemization Updates
For full details on Itemization including Legendary Aspects and the Codex of Power, Item Affixes, Greater Affixes, Tempering, Masterworking, please read our Season 4 blog here.
Here are some of the major items coming with Itemization updates:
- Extracting an aspect now upgrades it in the Codex of Power. All Aspects now exist in the Codex of Power.
- Various item affixes have been updated and the overall pool of affixes has been condensed. Additionally, Greater Affixes have been introduced.
- Appearing only on Ancestral Legendary and Unique items, these are more powerful (1.5x) versions of normal affixes.
- Each item affix has a chance to be a Greater Affix in World Tier IV.
- New Tempering and Masterworking Systems allow deeper customization of items and access to new affixes.
- Legendary items dropped from enemy level 95+ are always 925 item power.
- Unique Items can now drop earlier in the game:
- World Tier III Unique Items now drop as non-Sacred in World Tier I and II.
- World Tier IV Unique Items now drop as Sacred in World Tier III.
- Uber Unique Items can start dropping from monster level 55, drops at 925 item power.
- The Minimum levels required to equip Sacred and Ancestral items has been reduced.
- Sacred: 35
- Ancestral: 55
Making Furiosa Left Anya Taylor-Joy “More Alone” Than Ever Before
Later this month, Anya Taylor-Joy is following in Charlize Theron’s footsteps as the lead character in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The upcoming prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road is also Taylor-Joy’s first leading role in an action film. But according to the actress, it was also a difficult experience that she hasn’t entirely processed.
“I knew I was going to need the two years that it took for the movie to come out to deal with it,” Taylor-Joy told The New York Times. “I’ve never been more alone than making that movie… I don’t want to go too deep into it, but everything that I thought was going to be easy was hard.”
When asked to elaborate about her experiences on the set, Taylor-Joy declined to answer directly. “Talk to me in 20 years,” replied Taylor-Joy. “Talk to me in 20 years.”
As previously reported, Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa only has 30 lines in the entire film. Taylor-Joy indicated that “months” passed between scenes where her character would speak. And it was a challenge to convey Furiosa’s thoughts and emotions with just her eyes.
“I do want to 100 percent preface this by saying I love George and if you’re going to do something like this, you want to be in the hands of someone like George Miller,” related Taylor-Joy. “But he had a very, very strict idea of what Furiosa’s war face looked like, and that only allowed me my eyes for a large portion of the movie. It was very much ‘mouth closed, no emotion, speak with your eyes.’ That’s it, that’s all you have.”
Taylor-Joy also said that she had to push for a scene where Furiosa finally lets out her pent up emotions.
“We’re animals, and there’s a point where somebody just snaps,” noted Taylor-Joy. “There’s one scream in that movie, and I am not joking when I tell you that I fought for that scream for three months.”
“I will never regret this experience, on so many different levels, but it’s a very particular story to have,” added Taylor-Joy. “There’s not everyone in the world that has made a Mad Max movie, and I swear to God, everyone that I’ve met that has, there’s a look in our eyes: We know. There’s an immediate kinship of like, ‘OK, hey, I see you.'”
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will hit theaters on May 24.
Bloodborne Figma Action Figure Gets Big Discount At Amazon
Sony might not be ready to bankroll a Bloodborne remaster for PS5, but who really needs it when you can make your own Yharnam adventures? Thanks to this affordable Figma action figure of the game’s titular Hunter–which is on sale at Amazon for $86.30 (was $116)–you can tackle terrifying new bosses like your uninterested cat or hyperactive dog instead. Or you can figure out a great pose for this collectible, lock it in, and proudly display it. This figure tends to sell out fairly quickly, and Amazon doesn’t often refresh its stock, so grab it while you can.
Note: To get this deal, you may need to click “Other sellers on Amazon” below the “Buy Now” button on mobile or desktop. The listing defaults to a third-party reseller instead of the deal that’s shipped and sold by Amazon. The Amazon listing should be the top option in that list. Click “Add to Cart” and the correct price will be reflected in your order total.
Whatever your choice, this is a nice deal on an even nicer action figure. Like other Figma figures, the Bloodborne Hunter is highly detailed and features an impressive amount of articulation. It has a great shelf presence, and with its included cleaver and blunderbuss weapons, you can pose it in several exciting ways. The saw cleaver can be transformed into the extended cleaver mode just like in the game, and you’ll get a display stand for those more dynamic poses you think up.
While there’s no (sadly) word yet on a Bloodborne remaster or sequel, you can explore more of its captivating universe with other media that has released over the last couple of years. Several Bloodborne graphic novels are available, and if you’re interested, you can get a pretty good box set deal on the first three trade paperbacks. Normally $50, it can be yours for just $30. You have plenty of time to catch up on this series ahead of Volume 6’s July 9 release.
Bloodborne graphic novels
Outside of the reading material, there are also Bloodborne board and card games to collect. These aren’t currently on sale, but they have received positive reviews from fans who have tried them out.