Kotaku Friday, November 22, 2024 1:30 PM  It's late in November, so its time for another big Black Friday sale. Sure, Black Friday used to be a day, but now it's spread out over two weeks. And PlayStation is the latest big company to offer a bunch of discounts as we get closer to Thanksgiving. |
Kotaku Friday, November 22, 2024 11:55 AM  Overwatch 2's newest tank hero, Hazard, is officially launching next month when the shooter's 14th season starts, but you can take him for a spin from now until November 25. Just before the test period began, Blizzard released the first footage of Hazard in action and a breakdown of the Scottish hero's kit. In some… |
Kotaku Friday, November 22, 2024 10:50 AM  The PlayStation 5 Pro has been out in the wild for over a week now, and while it offers impressive improvements on many existing games, there are also some for which it seems to introduce new issues that make things look worse. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and the Silent Hill 2 remake are just a couple of games that new… |
Kotaku Friday, November 22, 2024 10:40 AM  Black Myth: Wukong turned out to be one of the surprise hits of the year, and the action-adventure game is currently racking up awards. During an acceptance speech for one of those trophies, the cofounder of the studio behind the game said fans can expect a new surprise next month. |
Kotaku Friday, November 22, 2024 10:10 AM  Pokémon TCG Pocket has been quite the roller coaster ride. It's absolutely got its hooks in a lot of us at Kotaku, and we're playing it every day. But at the same time, it's unquestionably a predatory gacha game using a children's IP. What a muddle. But there's one thing that's unambiguous: there's a lot of room for… |
Kotaku Friday, November 22, 2024 10:00 AM  Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is overflowing with quality-of-life improvements around every corner, successfully bringing the best version of one of the world's most beloved role-playing adventures to an entirely new generation of players. However, that doesn't mean that every aspect of the game is drastically… |
Kotaku Friday, November 22, 2024 9:00 AM  Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a surprisingly faithful adaption of the original Dragon Quest III, opting to prioritize visuals and quality-of-life changes over many drastic overhauls. It's a remake done right, and its new features and mechanics only serve to enhance the fundamental experience. One of these very… |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 1:23 PM  November 22, 2024: We have checked and added a new Anime Reborn code to this list. What are the new Anime Reborn codes? Anime Reborn is a hit new Roblox game featuring some of your favorite anime characters. Your goal is to pack out your party with the best units, give them the top traits, and work to keep yourself and your friends alive against waves of increasingly challenging enemies. To get as many draws as possible for the latest Units, upgrade your current party, and even increase your chances of pulling shiny Units, you're going to need as many gems and keys as possible, and that's where Anime Reborn codes come in. We've got the latest codes below, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to redeem them in the anime game. If you're in the market for extra Roblox freebies, we also keep regularly updated lists of the latest Blox Fruits codes and King Legacy codes. Continue reading Anime Reborn codes November 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 12:56 PM  Throne and Liberty has continued to maintain its early momentum rather well, holding firm to its place among Steam's most-played games despite the launch of a new FF14 patch and the start of Ashes of Creation alpha two. With its first grand-scale Castle Siege event behind it, Throne and Liberty's globalization design manager Tico sits down in a new 'Tico talks' video to discuss community feedback and the team's plans for the remainder of 2024. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MMORPGs, Throne and Liberty codes, Throne and Liberty weapons |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 12:32 PM  What do you feed to Dreamlight Valley Baby Dragons? The roster of cute Dreamlight Valley companions is growing thanks to the addition of expansion packs. The first, A Rift in Time, gave us monkeys, cobras, and capybaras. The newest, meanwhile, adds Pegasus critters that look just like baby Hercules' iconic companion, and Baby Dragons. Until now, it's been somewhat easy to figure out what food the Dreamlight Valley critters like to eat with some trial and error in the life sim. It's not as simple with Baby Dragons, though, as they don't eat what you and I would consider food - they are magical creatures, after all. No, you'll have to part with something a little more valuable when it comes to feeding these adorable Dreamlight Valley animals, but it's worth it when you can make one your companion. Continue reading What to feed to a Dreamlight Valley Baby Dragon MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Disney games, What's the next Dreamlight Valley update?, Disney Dreamlight Valley guide |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 12:33 PM  What do you feed to the Dreamlight Valley Pegasus critter? Dreamlight Valley critters are adorable wild animals that roam the land around you, and the best part is that you feed these cuties. Doing so not only rewards you with gifts, but also keeps these Dreamlight Valley animals fed and happy - and eventually, they may even become your companion. With the release of the second Dreamlight Valley expansion pack, The Storybook Vale, additional Dreamlight Valley characters were welcomed in, including Merida and Hades, alongside a expanded area of the map. Naturally, with new biomes come new Dreamlight Valley critters, and - no offense to the other sweet animals - but the Pegasus and the Baby Dragon might just be the best critters yet. If you want to make a Dreamlight Valley Pegasus your companion as soon as possible, here's how to feed them, what they eat, and where you can find them. Continue reading What to feed to a Dreamlight Valley Pegasus MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Disney games, What's the next Dreamlight Valley update?, Disney Dreamlight Valley guide |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 12:09 PM  Nvidia is warning potential PC gaming upgraders to anticipate a potential slump in available graphics cards. Team Green's GPU offering is getting ready for its refresh to the RTX 50 series, and it is pulling the plug on making new RTX 40 cards as a result. The RTX 4070 Super is currently rated as our best graphics card of 2024, but the next generation of GPUs is just around the corner. It's expected that Nvidia will begin announcing them at CES 2025, this coming January. However, in the meantime, it's readying customers for a bit of a drought when it comes to the availability of its graphics cards. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GeForce RTX 4070 Super review, DLSS explained, Best graphics cards |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:58 AM  What is the best AS Val loadout in Black Ops 6 and Warzone? The assault rifles in Black Ops 6 fill a similar role, capable of dominating any kind of mid-range fight. The AS Val is slightly different in that it comes with an integrated suppressor, and is just as much use in close-quarters combat as it is in extended firefights. With our loadout, we think the AS Val takes a well-earned place in our best Black Ops 6 loadouts list. The recoil of the AS Val can be a little unruly, especially during sustained fire, so we've crafted a loadout and class setup that will see you dominate any fight in Black Ops 6 and Warzone with ease. Continue reading Best AS Val loadout for BO6 and Warzone MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Ops 6 guns, Black Ops 6 missions, Black Ops 6 loadouts |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:48 AM  Sins of a Solar Empire 2 brings back the legendary 2008 space strategy game in grand fashion. Blending small-scale RTS tactics with the ability to zoom all the way out and command your empire across the full spectrum of a 4X game, it's packed with both detail and spectacle. Now, in a free update, developer Ironclad Games has delivered on a heavy chunk of its remaining 2024 roadmap, making the impact of its battles felt in a much more dramatic and long-lasting fashion. |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:54 AM  When is the Civilization 7 release date? For over 30 years, the Civilization series has captivated PC gamers with its intricate strategy, forcing players to think about more than just conquering their neighbors. Sometimes, the best victory is by being diplomatically savvy while secretly building massive cultural wonders and hoping nobody notices - especially the nuke-hungry Gandhi. We had early confirmation from Firaxis that Civilization 7 was officially in development back in early 2023, but we didn't get word of an official Civilization 7 release date until Gamescom this year. It's been a long road of anticipation for Civ 7 fans, but there's no doubt the strategy game series is worth the wait, and we've got all the latest news and gameplay details following its announcement. Continue reading Civilization 7 release date, trailers, gameplay, and latest news MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Civilization 7 release date, Best strategy games, Best 4X games |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 12:26 PM  The exciting return of 90's first-person shooter Delta Force is nearing, with a new beta for the game arriving just around the corner. If you're unsure if your gaming PC can meet the Delta Force system requirements, though, you'll be happy to know they're quite low, if you can excuse oddly high RAM demands. You won't need the best graphics card to play Delta Force during its upcoming new Delta Force Steam beta window, but there is always a chance that the system requirements could change in the lead-up to the full release. Continue reading Delta Force system requirements MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best old games, Best war games |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:39 AM  November 22, 2024: We've added the latest new Monopoly Go dice links for free dice rolls. How can I get Monopoly Go free dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way. You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today. Continue reading Free Monopoly Go dice links November 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:24 AM  What are the best Slay the Spire mods? Whether you've exhausted the game and are looking for extra content, or just want to make some small changes to an otherwise perfect experience, the best Slay the Spire mods can fit the bill. The roguelike card game has official Steam Workshop mod support and a fantastic community, meaning there are tons of mods available to easily integrate into the indie game. These mods range from making the map easier to read to huge expansions featuring brand-new characters. There are hundreds to choose from on Steam, but we've picked out the very best mods in Slay the Spire just for you. Continue reading The best Slay the Spire mods MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Slay the Spire review, Best card games , Slay the Spire mods |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:16 AM  Want to know about new Genshin Impact characters? During each new update, there's usually at least one brand-new playable character introduced to the roster. They typically appear on event banners with increased drop rates, including one five-star character and three four-star characters. While we know which characters are likely to appear on the next Genshin Impact banners, some characters featured in this guide might not be playable right now, but they can still be found in Genshin Impact. We've also included some characters who are rumored to join the free PC game down the line, but may not have an in-game model just yet. While none of this information is official until Hoyoverse says otherwise, here's a round-up of all the current rumors and speculation. Continue reading Genshin Impact new characters in the 5.3 update and beyond MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Genshin Impact codes, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:10 AM  What is the best Tanto .22 loadout in Black Ops 6 and Warzone? When it comes to picking SMGs, the differentiating factors between weapons in this category are usually down to fire rate and mobility. The Tanto .22 is one of the slowest SMGs we've ever used, but when paired with the right attachments, this gun can shred through enemies like nothing else. While the C9 is the go-to SMG in Black Ops 6, the Tanto .22 is a low-investment alternative that can do plenty of damage. Our loadout makes an incredible case to include the Tanto .22 in our best Black Ops 6 loadouts list, this SMG rewards those with good aim and excellent decision-making. Continue reading Best Tanto .22 loadout for BO6 and Warzone MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Ops 6 guns, Black Ops 6 missions, Black Ops 6 loadouts |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:04 AM  Want to know about the Genshin Impact maintenance schedule? Before every major Genshin Impact update, Hoyoverse takes the popular anime game down for maintenance, which tends to last a few hours while the team applies all the new content. These major patches bring everything, from all-new Genshin Impact banners and Genshin Impact events to completely new regions, like Sumeru and Natlan. Just like some of the best new MMOs, the Genshin Impact maintenance period happens at the same time for everyone across the globe. We'll keep this guide updated with the latest information on any planned maintenance, as well as when we expect the game servers to come back online in one of the best PC games for lovers of evolving single-player experience. Continue reading Genshin Impact maintenance time and rewards MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Genshin Impact codes, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 10:56 AM  Gamers don't just need performance, they need comfort, and a gaming chair is part of the package. If you're in the market for a new chair, then this Secretlab gaming chair sale might just interest you. This early Black Friday deal means you can score a discount of up to $100 off on a number of Secretlab's most popular themed chairs. The Secretlab Titan Evo is the go-to choice on our best gaming chairs shortlist, thanks to great comfort and aesthetics, but thanks to this deal, you can score it for cheaper price than usual from the Secretlab website. There are discounts on a number of other Secretlab chairs too, including the Secretlab Omega, plus you can save on a range of different color variants across the various models. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 10:56 AM  These days, it's quite a challenge to find a decent budget gaming laptop. Almost all of them come with some severe caveat to the overall design, whether that's a mismatched screen and GPU, poor battery life, meager RAM capacity, or middling CPU performance. The Acer Nitro V 15 (ANV15-41) very much bucks that trend, though, by sidestepping almost every common gaming laptop hiccup, resulting in a surprisingly capable laptop for the price. And it's the price that's the real driver behind all the love up there in that paragraph, that's for sure. This edition of the Acer Nitro V 15 is listed at just under $900. For that, you get a radically well-balanced build, including an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor, along with 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a surprisingly potent Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, which performs admirably, despite being a 75W unit. That's all bundled together with a super smooth 1080p IPS screen with a 165Hz IPS refresh rate, baked into a lovely, simple chassis, giving it an air of balance. It's a treat to use. It's not perfect; there are a few flaws in the overall spec sheet that hold it back from perfection, but it's otherwise the best gaming laptop you can buy at this price. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best gaming monitor |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 10:53 AM  Black Friday PC shoppers beware, as a few fake listings are hitting Amazon. The mega online retailer has found itself with bad actors trying to take advantage of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D selling out by listing some fake chips well under the MSRP. The quick lesson here? If it's too good to be true, it most likely is. The 9800X3D has quickly become one of the best gaming CPU upgrades for your PC. It offers excellent performance for its price and has quickly been swept off the shelves by avid PC gaming enthusiasts. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 11:10 AM  What is the best AEK-973 loadout in Black Ops 6 and Warzone? There are few things more satisfying in Call of Duty than dispatching an enemy with a single burst, and the AEK-973 is the best in the game at doing so, at least, up to the 40-meter mark with this loadout. This powerful marksman rifle is also surprisingly stable out of the box, making it a dream to build in Black Ops 6. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the AEK-973 is stationed on our best BO6 loadouts list, and with our tried and tested build you'll be tearing up lobbies in the FPS game - be it in BO6 multiplayer or Warzone. Continue reading Best AEK-973 loadout for BO6 and Warzone MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Ops 6 guns, Black Ops 6 missions, Black Ops 6 loadouts |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 10:25 AM  How do you get Civilization 7 Twitch drops? Free stuff is always welcome, especially when it comes to exclusive in-game items. You can show off to other players with exclusive customization items like the one available with the new Civilization 7 Twitch drops. The latest in Sid Meier's long-running strategy game series isn't even here yet, so we won't be docking into new territories until the Civilization 7 release date arrives in 2025. That hasn't stopped Firaxis from giving away Civilization 7 in-game items, and all you need to do is watch the official streams and developer logs before the game launches in 2025. Not only will this keep you up-to-date on what's to come, but will also reward you with the following Civ 7 Twitch drops. Continue reading Civilization 7 Twitch drops and how to claim MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Civilization 7 release date, Best strategy games, Best 4X games |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 10:20 AM  What is the next Monopoly Go event? With so many limited-time events in Monopoly Go, it can be hard to keep track of the rewards you can get your hands on. Monopoly Go events can last anywhere from a few hours to a week, so bookmark this page as we'll keep it regularly updated with the next events and their start and end dates. Monopoly Go is the latest online board game sweeping the globe, but completing all of these events won't be easy without some free Monopoly Go dice links, so check out our daily updated guide for some freebies and rewards before you get started on the next Monopoly Go tournament. Continue reading All Monopoly Go events, tournaments, dates, and rewards MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 12:34 PM  What are the Dreamlight Valley critters' favorite food? To surround yourself with cute critters, you don't have to have a singing voice like Snow White. Instead, the way to their hearts - like with most people - is through their bellies. We've spent hours in the valley learning how to befriend these creatures and their favorite foods, and feeding critters enough times even encourages them to join you as your valley companion. Like pets in your favorite MMO games, companions are an avatar customization option that lets you can choose an adorable animal to follow you around Dreamlight Valley. There's lots you can do with these critters, so we'll tell you how to feed Dreamlight Valley critters their favorite food, unlock them as companions, craft them their own home, and even take selfies with them. So dive into one of the best PC games of the last year, and get acquainted with all those adorable Dreamlight Valley animals. Continue reading All Disney Dreamlight Valley critters and their favorite foods MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Disney games, What's the next Dreamlight Valley update?, Disney Dreamlight Valley guide |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 10:39 AM  November 22, 2024: We checked for new Reverse 1999 codes and removed one expired code. What are the new Reverse 1999 codes? If you're making a start in Bluepoch's strategic RPG, you're probably burning through essential resources at a worrying rate. It's tough going in the early game while you're still finding your feet, so we've compiled all the active Reverse 1999 codes you could need for free clear drops, dust, and much more. Reverse 1999 is another anime gacha game available on mobile and PC, joining the likes of Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail in the competitive genre. If you're torn between playing them all, we've got Genshin Impact codes and Zenless Zone Zero codes, too, but this guide has all the latest Reverse 1999 codes for your alt-history 20th-century Timekeeper needs. Codes aren't enough to get you through those tricky battles, so be sure to check out our Reverse 1999 tier list featuring the best characters. Continue reading Reverse 1999 codes November 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Reverse 1999 codes, Reverse 1999 tier list, Best anime games |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 10:00 AM  Oxygen Not Included stands tall alongside the best colony sims on Steam, taking the base building and people management aspects of games like Rimworld and transferring it into the vastness of space. Already a huge winner on the Valve store, boasting an 'overwhelmingly positive' 96% user score from more than 113,000 reviews, another update has just landed that introduces additional buildings. Even better, you can try it out completely free on Steam right now, as developer Klei Entertainment teases its next paid DLC. |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 10:00 AM  After Helldivers 2, Balatro, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Hades 2, and so many more, the announcement of an upcoming Black Myth Wukong DLC would just about put the cap on gaming's 2024. The fantasy RPG exploded on Steam back in August, attracting millions of players and rave reviews. Even now, some three months later, it's still going strong on Valve's platform - and there could be more on the way. Following previous reports that Black Myth Wukong may be getting an expansion, the game's director shares a short but possibly telling tease about something new in the coming months. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Myth Wukong bosses, Black Myth Wukong abilities, Black Myth Wukong weapons |
PCGamesN Friday, November 22, 2024 9:23 AM  Razer has added a pair of new Steam Deck skins to its growing roster of custom coverings. While they don't have the most appetizing names, the new Sludge and Acid Sludge styles look pretty fetching in the images Razer has released. The Steam Deck already has a massive range of accessories, of course, with the best gaming handheld getting plenty of love thanks to its popularity. Razer's skins were originally launched in 2023, with the ones for the Steam Deck now totaling nine different ones. However, you'll need to make sure you have an LCD model, as the Razer skins only support that version right now (model 1010). MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Razer Viper V2 Pro review, Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) review, Best gaming mouse |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, November 22, 2024 12:27 PM |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, November 22, 2024 12:08 PM _HX6uSi5.jpg?width=1920&height=1920&fit=bounds&quality=80&format=jpg&auto=webp) That there are more than 100 entire PC games is a revelation as shocking as it is disturbing, but despite recently spending days translating Horace's sonorous yawps into the list that eventually became our RPS 100, a chill silence recently befell the treehouse when we realised that some of our personal favourites had somehow been excluded. Determined to right this most heinous of wrongs, and armed with the conviction that no subjectivity be allowed to exist on the internet without at least one supplementary article of caveats, we've all put forth a single game that absolutely should have made the list. Consider the matter closed, then, at least until we all realise we'd actually like to do a 102nd pick each. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, November 22, 2024 11:55 AM  Helldivers 2 developers Arrowhead have been voluble lately about potentially adding elements from other sci-fi worlds to the shooter, with chief creative officer Johan Pilestedt rubbing his hands gleefully at the prospect of partnerships with Warhammer, Alien, the Fifth Element, and more besides. Speaking at the G-STAR Conference in Busan earlier this month, recently appointed chief executive officer Shams Jorjani confirmed that Arrowhead are looking into such collaborations, giving the example of refitting your dropship to look like one of Halo's Pelicans, or introducing the Zerg from Blizzard's Starcraft as an enemy faction. Jorjani cautioned listeners, however, that these injections of third-party DNA need to look and feel appropriate to the setting. After all, if you start fecklessly chucking the Zerg, Chaos Space Marines or Fifth Element's, er, flying taxis into Helldivers 2, it might spoil the meticulous coherency of a game in which saluting protects you against lethal falls and some guy called Joel is running the universe. The funny part is that according to Jorjani, Arrowhead once envisaged a system that would get round the problem of inconsistency by essentially making third-party cosmetics, including whole map skins, visible only to players who have them enabled. To put that another way, Arrowhead once envisaged a system in which individual Helldivers would hallucinate other licenses. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, November 22, 2024 8:55 AM  The mutant enemies in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl are very hungry. Hungry not only for your flesh, but also all the bullets in your AK-47. It can take entire clips of ammo to take down some of these tough beasts, and you get nothing back for killing this wildlife except the hollow satisfaction of pest control. Alongside the bugs and performance issues, it's a common enough complaint to players of the first-person survival shooter that it's already been addressed by a modder, who has created a tweak to lower the health of various dogs, boars, and bloodsuckers. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, November 22, 2024 7:25 AM  Long before Hideo Kojima made the first triple-A walking simulator, he was trying to spin sunlight into bullets. The game in question, Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand, is a Game Boy Advance title from 2003, in which you play a vampire-slaying gunslinger. The gun you're slinging is a "solar-powered" pistol, which you could charge up using a cartridge-mounted photometric sensor by physically standing in sunshine. This was 13 years before the launch of Pokemon Go. Sadly, Boktai's debut didn't result in city parks or rooftops being flooded by crowds of GBA-wielding undead killers. But it was a fun gimmick and the game itself is good enough to carry it - an isometric dungeon-crawler in which you have to find a vamp's coffin and drag it to the surface for purgation. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, November 22, 2024 7:12 AM  Upon some serious soul searching following a little time with the early access build of open world game Vivat Slovakia, I have unfortunately had to admit to myself that it is probably not the GTA 6 killer I was hoping for. This upsets me slightly, because I find Rockstar's constant self-assured bloviating to be quite irritating, even though I'm sure I'll play their game for a billion hours. What Vivat Slovakia is, then, is a very ambitious homage to the Grand Theft Auto series that isn't shy about it, right down to the font choices. I'm not sure if you should play it, but I do feel enriched for learning of its existence. Here's a trailer. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, November 22, 2024 7:11 AM  Kill The Man In The House is a video game title I can get behind. It tells me exactly what I need to do before I even boot up the game, which is otherwise powerfully weird-looking. The cover art is reminiscent of a children's book, if it were for adults. Or a lost episode of Ed Edd and Eddy, where a fourth older sibling (Eddie) acts on his murderous intent and engages in some slick FPSing. Either way, there's a demo out on Steam and despite being very short and limited, I am excited for its future. |
Siliconera Friday, November 22, 2024 12:00 PM
The official Genshin Impact Amazon store has recently restocked with some new merchandise, including the Klee Impression Apparel Series. There is also a promotion until December 2, 2024 in which you can buy items with special discounts.
Several items that are on promotion right now include plushie keychains and blind boxes of characters based on their region. There are also items for the Blaze to Natlan promotion, featuring characters like Mualani and Kinich. However, the main draw of the sale are the Klee Impression Apparel Series items, which also have a discount on them.
The merchandise in the Genshin Impact Klee Impression Apparel Series are:
All of these items are very similar to motifs and items that Klee wears in the game. However, they're cute enough that you can wear them for everyday fashion if you so wish. This is similar to many other Impression Apparel Series lines from HoYoVerse, such as the Zhongli and Acheron collections.
As a note, this sale and these products are not available in every region. For example, while they're available on the United States' version of Amazon, the Canadian store doesn't offer them. Since these items are official merchandise though, there are other stores that carry them and can ship them to regions outside of the States.
Genshin Impact is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X, and mobile devices.
The post New Genshin Impact Merchandise Includes Klee Slippers appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, November 22, 2024 9:00 AM
Whether we like it or not, more and more companies are considering experimenting with MTL (machine translation) and AI translations. Reasons they give usually focus on how quickly they can deliver new chapters or episodes to fans, but the real motive behind shifting this creative work to machines is money. It costs far less for a company to run text through an AI translator, after all. But a move to fully AI-translated works only benefits the companies. Such a decision would only damage creators, artists, writers, readers, and fans in the long run.
Machine translations have been a pretty hot button issue the past few years as AI technology becomes more advanced. For the longest time, it was common sense that machines aren't the most reliable translators. Who hasn't chuckled at a profanity-laden Chinese menu or a funnily-worded sign when travelling abroad? Heck, even today, you really shouldn't trust everything Google Translate or similar programs gives you for a variety of reasons. Innocuous words might have wild slang meanings, Internet lingo doesn't translate well, connotations of certain words may not be conveyed, et cetera. So it's quite strange that a tool you can't trust to fully translate a website or a business document is something people want to see in creative works that may contain hundreds upon thousands of pages.
On one hand, I kind of get it. One of the most common arguments for machine translation that I see from fans is a distrust of localization. This is rather gauche to admit, but when I was younger (before I decided to become a translator), I used to take notice when official localizations didn't fully match up to the original Japanese. Heck, part of why I even learned Japanese was so that I could play Japanese games directly without needing to read or wait for translations. Even today, there are some works with translations that I don't agree with (and I'm sure there are translators and fans who dislike my work as well). However, I don't get the blatant hostility and toxicity that some fans direct at translators. The vitriol I've seen targeted at certain localizers is a sentiment I never want to understand.
Now I know that some changes are necessary for reasons like character count. Other changes are a little less understandable, such as replacing entire lines of rather harmless dialogue. But a machine is not going to do better. You can even see it for yourself! (Heck, machine translators being free and easy to use are selling points. Anyone can use them; why does a company think people would pay for something they can do in two seconds for free?). If you were to copy and paste an entire game or manga's text into something like DeepL, you'll probably be able to see the limitations of the program yourself. These programs are fine for easy tasks like checking product description. But in stories—especially ones that rely on text for story or explanations—it's pretty clear that AI is not the solution that people seem to think it is.
Let's look at an actual example though. I'm going to show you a brief excerpt from Mary's letter in Silent Hill 2:
Okay, so now this is where my little experiment or test might get controversial. I'm going to take the Japanese text of the game, punch in that same part of the letter into DeepL, and then give you what the machine translated for me. This is so that you can see the difference between the languages:
Now, this test might not be the most accurate; I'm sure that if a company plans on charging for machine-translated products, it would use more sophisticated programs than DeepL and ChatGPT, which gave me the same translation as DeepL. Nonetheless, the translation is serviceable. But more than that, it gives us a good look at both the limitations of the tool and how English differs from Japanese.
Let's look at the second part of the letter: "You promised me you'd take me there again some day" in English and "Someday we'll go there together again." The first is more direct and active, and implies that this is a conversation James and Mary had before. Meanwhile, the second one is vague and doesn't sound definite. It sounds like something you and your friend might say to each other, and then you both never make concrete plans to do something. Basic writing tips would inform us that the first translation is stronger. The second translation likely stems from how Japanese lets you get away with avoiding pronouns. Indeed, in the Japanese version of the line, the first pronoun that shows up in the letter is when Mary writes "But because of me, it didn't happen." That lent to the more passive translation, which is something a human can avoid.
Another thing to note when comparing the two is the lack of character in the writing. Without taking into consideration the voice actress's delivery, let's just look at the text on its own. The inclusion of "Well" before "I'm alone there now" feels closer to natural speech. It's a linking word that someone might actually include in real life in this particular context. The choice of translating "place of memories" as "special place" also makes more sense. James and Mary have a lot of fond memories from their trip to Silent Hill, therefore it's special to them. It's more natural to call such a place your "special place" but since the original Japanese text didn't use that particular phrasing, the machine didn't—couldn't—think to make that choice.
Again, the DeepL translation is perfectly understandable. You can get the gist of the letter. But when playing a story-heavy game, simply "getting the gist" isn't enough. Silent Hill 2 is the cult classic that it is today precisely because of its story, and I highly doubt that if Konami had used machine translation back then (barring the fact that technology in the late 90s and early 2000s wasn't advanced enough for this kind of work), the game would've gotten the recognition or popularity it enjoys today.
It's not just in long forms of text too. The same goes for very specific tasks such as coming up with names for things in a story. For example, Leonardo in Kekkai Sensen possesses the "All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods," which sounds very cool. It doesn't retain the original Japanese's usage of the term "prosthetic eye" but in this particular case, the English name works really well. It's snappy and it would lose a bit of its punch if you tried to fit in "prosthetic" or "artificial" before "eyes." When I input the original Japanese name, DeepL gave me "The Righteous Eye of the Gods," which is pretty neat, I admit.
However, this is less because DeepL is good at coming up with cool names and more because it's getting tripped up by the kanji for "artificial eye." 義眼 is the term for "artificial eye" and both kanji form the phrase together. However, if you simply input 義 on its own into DeepL, it gives "righteousness." This tells me that it's not actually recognizing "artificial eye." Instead, it split up the term when you're not supposed to. It can recognize "prosthetic eye" though, so I believe the "Gods'" part is confusing the machine. This is a problem that a human won't make and while it's true that you can train a machine to recognize these original terms, it's hard to say if the machine is capable of inferring when a character is referring to an actual prosthetic and when they're using a shorthand name for the All-Seeing Eyes.
Stories don't even need fancy terminology to trip up AI. Idioms, metaphors, and colloquialisms don't always translate well. Authors and editors aren't infallible either. In my time translating and reading Japanese, I've seen all sorts of minor errors, like a discrepancy in numbers or a typo. As a human myself, I can make the distinction between what's a mistake and what isn't, and choose to either gently correct it in the translation or gloss over it. A machine can't. Writing quirks exist too. A light novel I translate had two instances of a character waving to another, but the description used the same kanji for "sex appeal." Judging by the context, I can tell that the character is not going "Yoohoo ♪" like she's picking up boys outside the club. I made the judgment call to interpret it as a passionate wave instead. Can a machine do that? No.
There's one more thing about Japanese and English in particular that a machine cannot figure out and it's unique cultural values that come out in language. To fully understand a language, you need to understand the culture as well. A common sentiment I see is that English doesn't have an equivalent to Japanese's keigo—the polite register. That's not true, exactly. It may not be a one-to-one equivalent, but you can translate a keigo-speaking character as someone who uses sophisticated vocabulary and proper grammar, or business English.
Rudeness can also look and sound different. In English, the easiest method to display rudeness is through words. Think Jesse from Breaking Bad. While swears and naughty words certainly exist in Japanese, English still trumps it when it comes to sheer variety and quantity. But the easiest way to tell that someone is rude in Japanese is to look at their register. How are they ending their sentences or shortening certain verbs? Things like that. I remember a stink on Twitter over Gallica's localization in the demo of Metaphor: ReFantazio because the Japanese register was on the more casual side and the English went the snarky route. Why was there a stink? Because of these sorts of unspoken cultural expectations in the language. It really was not that big of a change and I'm saying this as someone who didn't even like Metaphor.
Now, I'll give DeepL credit. It can certainly tell the difference between various ways to say the same thing. I inputted "Don't mess with me" in three different registers and got "Don't be silly" (for the keigo), "Screw you" (for the more neutral register), and "Don't [explicit] with me!" (for the rudest option). But what about characters like Suiseiseki from Rozen Maiden or when professionals are mad in humorous scenes in Gintama? In these two examples, characters mix keigo with a much ruder register as a joke. This is possible thanks to the unique structure of Japanese, but that doesn't mean you can't convey it in another tongue.
For this test, I put in a fake line written in the same manner as Suiseiseki's speech patterns. DeepL only gave me a rude translation. That's fair. I wouldn't be mad if a translator decided to just keep it rude or polite. They could also decide to translate it as something like, "What, pray tell, do you think you're doing, you numbskull?" to combine the two. Who knows. But at least you put in the time and effort to consider this dilemma. This isn't even getting into characters who have Homestuck-like speaking quirks, like the characters in the Toaru series. Honestly, if we get into all of the "what ifs" we can be here all day. I haven't even mentioned how machines could bungle up references to pop culture.
AI infiltrating the localization space isn't a bogeyman for translators. Certain anime, manga, and games have come out recently that have pretty blatant machine translation, and yet it's interesting to me that I don't really see anyone cheer for these changes. No one praised Northern War, for example. Same thing happened when Crunchyroll seemed to push out machine-translated subtitles for The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons back in 2023. I mean, I get it. We see the results and they're not good. I doubt even the most thick-skinned person could point at these examples and say that this is exactly what they wanted.
A common defense of the shoddy job AI does is that the engine is still learning or the technology is still developing. The thing with AI, though, is that it's a program. It can only really learn from what you feed it, in contrast to how a human is able to create organically. For works with a lot of set and original terms, such as Nasuverse, you might need to train the machine on the entire franchise for consistency. But what if Nasu or someone else decides to add in a new concept or term that the AI can't break down or understand? A human might need to go in and make corrections. At that point, though, just hire the human.
It's a lot more work to fix AI than to simply translate it by yourself and guess what? Companies can pay less for more work with the excuse that the translations are already done. When it comes to longer stories, AI really jumbles things up to the point that it can take far more time for a translator fix it than to simply translate it themself. That's not even getting into the environmental impact and ethics of programs like ChatGPT. It takes a person's hard work, chops it up, and then spits it out. Where's the guarantee that the person whose work the program was trained on even gave permission? The fruits of my labor as writer and translator are not so that a company can put them into machines, churn out garbage, and then edge me out.
Humans have been telling each other stories for centuries now through mediums like songs, poems, novels, and more. Art is something that comes from the mind and soul; it's not something that a machine can replicate, no matter how many things you train it on. A mindset that a non-creative might fall into is that they don't know how to make things good. Perhaps this is a side effect of this horrible social media-obsessed, clout-chasing era we live in, that things need to be of good quality in order to be valid. But that's not true.
Look at ONE. His writing is phenomenal, of course. His art was kind of infamous though. While he understands basics like anatomy and such, he has a rather quirky style that's not conventionally pretty. However, you can still feel the passion and emotion and whatnot in the characters' expressions and such, despite the simplicity of the art. Art doesn't need to be good to make you feel something. Someone's ridiculous doodle of their co-worker's expression in response to a 9-11 joke invoked more emotions than me than any polished AI "art" that appeared on my TL.
Translation is an art in and of itself, in my opinion. Yes, we have to remain faithful to the original text, but our interpretation of scenes and understanding of the characters or what the author is going for help us to decide things like word choice or sentence structure. But even if you don't subscribe to this way of thinking, I feel like trying to say AI can completely overhaul this creative process is disrespectful on so many levels.
It disrespects the creator, no matter how much effort went into the original work. Imagine you put your blood, tears, and sweat—your whole soul—into something that you want to share with the world, and companies and readers believe that a heartless machine is capable of translating your message. Not only that, but it steals it and mixes it with other people's to churn out later, without your permission or input. AI disrespects the fans as well, especially when companies are trying to gouge you of your hard-earned money with lazily translated content.
If a company won't bother to put in the time and money to get a work a proper translation, then why should you bother wasting your time and money on it? That's the impression I tend to get when I see companies prioritize profit and fall back on MTL. Now more than ever is when we should be uplifting human creativity, and there is simply no room for AI in this space if doing so threatens integrity and livelihood.
The post AI Translations Cannot and Should Never Replace Human Creativity appeared first on Siliconera. |
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