Latest news with #StarCraft
Pink Villa
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
GOOD BOY Interview: Park Bo Gum reveals if he gravitates towards emotional roles, Kim So Hyun and Lee Sang Yi share prep details
A fight for justice, a fight for the good to prevail over the bad, and a fight from the heart—this upcoming K-drama has all the classic success elements up its sleeves, heading towards a promising start. GOOD BOY brings sports, romance, crime investigation, and more genres into a 16-episode run, featuring fan-favorite actors. Ahead of the premiere, Park Bo Gum, Kim So Hyun, Lee Sang Yi, Heo Sung Tae, and Tae Won Seok joined us for a chat about their new challenging roles. In GOOD BOY, the said actors come together to form a special police team that aims to tackle crimes by using their learnings as athletes. Embodying a boxer, shooter, fencer, wrestler, and discus thrower, the 5 become an oddly tight-knit bunch, facing challenges personally and professionally. Speaking to us in a round table chat, the cast disclosed their best hands at sports and revealed fun details from their time prepping for the complex roles. Fresh off his moving role in When Life Gives You Tangerines, we were curious if Park Bo Gum consciously picks projects that show his emotional intelligence, allowing him to cry beautifully on screen. With Yoon Dong Ju, he is set for another intensely charged character, making us wonder how much of it is intentional. Park Bo Gum, you seem to always gravitate towards very emotionally heavy roles. Are you also very emotional in your real life? Park Bo Gum: I like to think that I have a full range of emotions, and I also think I tend to have a strong empathy toward other people. So when I am reading a particular script, I always ask myself if I can relate to their emotions. And also when I am in a scene, doing a scene with a partner actor, I think the way you look into each other's eyes and work off of the energy is something that helps in portraying those emotions. We asked for his response to being named a 'pretty crier.' Ever so humble, Park Bo Gum passed the baton to the lady on his left: 'The actor who looks very pretty when they're crying is actually the person sitting right here next to me (Kim So Hyun),' making the rest of the panel smile in agreement. Watch the GOOD BOY teaser below for an introduction to their roles: Which sport would you be confident in winning if you had to compete with each other in real life and what qualities would make you win? Kim So Hyun: I'm going to go with shooting because although it was my first time learning the sport, it's something that really requires a lot of calmness and very strong mind control. And I think I tend to be quite good at those things. Park Bo Gum: My character Yoon Dong Ju runs a lot in the series, so I'm gonna go with running or a marathon. I think I would be quite good at that. Lee Sang Yi: If I can, I would love to take part in a triathlon. Heo Sung Tae: Honestly, I don't think there's a single sport that I can beat these guys at. I would actually go with ESports, because I spent probably the most amount of time on StarCraft or League of Legends. Tae Won Seok: I'd definitely be the winner if we were to do a discus throw match or something that requires just a lot of physical strength, including maybe weightlifting. Furthermore, the cast revealed just how tough it was to assemble the team and fortify themselves as these professional athletes-turned-police officers. Check out their response below. What was the preparation like, especially physically, to play the roles? Tae Won Seok: My character is a professional discus thrower, and before taking on this role, I wasn't familiar with this sport. So when we began training, it was really difficult, because not only do you need a lot of physical strength, but what's really important is having flexibility and timing. I practiced it consistently all through eight months because I figured there's no other way to do it. Heo Sung Tae: I probably trained for the shortest amount of time. It took about three months. I trained with the real-life Korean gold medalist Jung Ji Hun, and there is a specific wrestling position called the stance. So when we were climbing mountains, I would be climbing the mountains in that particular position to strengthen my core muscles. Lee Sang Yi: I also had to train and learn how to fence. So I actually visited the Korea National Sports University and trained with the fencing majors for about six months. Kim So Hyun: I usually trained with a rifle, and you really need to have the arm strength and also the core muscle strength. So I really trained a lot, and I put a lot of my efforts into it. I also focused on really portraying the level of confidence, because I thought that being a woman of a small frame for me to be doing a lot of the action sequences with a rifle, I thought it might not come off as convincing, so I thought, I'm going to fill that gap with my level of confidence so I would constantly, sort of almost brainwash myself, 'I'm the best. I'm the best.' Park Bo Gum: Because my character is a boxer, like everyone here, I also had to train for over six months. I actually trained in real-life boxing with physical contact. And I also worked out a lot because I had to grow my muscle mass. I remember when we were on set and on location, we would work out together, and I actually learned a lot from these guys. GOOD BOY premieres with episode 1 on May 31 on JTBC, with global streaming available on Prime Video.
Techday NZ
22-05-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Google unveils Gemini AI upgrade for universal assistant vision
Google has detailed developments in its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) platform and outlined plans to expand the capabilities of multimodal foundation models, with a focus on integrating these systems into products for everyday use. Over the past decade, Google has concentrated on foundational AI research, including the development of the Transformer architecture that underpins large language models. The company has also advanced AI agent systems through projects such as AlphaGo and AlphaZero, which demonstrated learning and planning in complex games. These methods have been applied to fields including quantum computing, mathematics, life sciences and algorithmic discovery. Google stated, "We've applied these techniques to make breakthroughs in quantum computing, mathematics, life sciences and algorithmic discovery. And we continue to double down on the breadth and depth of our fundamental research, working to invent the next big breakthroughs necessary for artificial general intelligence (AGI)." The company is working to enhance its Gemini 2.5 Pro model into what it refers to as a "world model" that is capable of contextual understanding, planning and simulation. According to Google, "This is why we're working to extend our best multimodal foundation model, Gemini 2.5 Pro, to become a 'world model' that can make plans and imagine new experiences by understanding and simulating aspects of the world, just as the brain does." Progress in creating these models has drawn from previous work in training AI agents for complex games such as Go and StarCraft, as well as the development of tools like Genie 2, which is able to generate interactive 3D simulated environments from a single image prompt. Google stated, "We've been taking strides in this direction for a while, from our pioneering work training agents to master complex games like Go and StarCraft, to building Genie 2, which is capable of generating 3D simulated environments that you can interact with, from a single image prompt." Gemini models are already demonstrating emerging "world model" capabilities, including applying knowledge and reasoning to simulate environments, as well as robotics training. Google noted, "Already, we can see evidence of these capabilities emerging in Gemini's ability to use world knowledge and reasoning to represent and simulate natural environments, Veo's deep understanding of intuitive physics, and the way Gemini Robotics teaches robots to grasp, follow instructions and adjust on the fly." Developing Gemini into a "world model" is described by Google as a critical step in producing a universal AI assistant. The company explained, "Making Gemini a world model is a critical step in developing a new, more general and more useful kind of AI — a universal AI assistant. This is an AI that's intelligent, understands the context you are in, and that can plan and take action on your behalf, across any device." Google is aiming to transform the Gemini app into an assistant that can manage everyday administrative tasks and provide personalised recommendations. The company said, "Our ultimate vision is to transform the Gemini app into a universal AI assistant that will perform everyday tasks for us, take care of our mundane admin and surface delightful new recommendations — making us more productive and enriching our lives." This effort begins with capabilities such as video understanding, screen sharing and memory, first explored through the Project Astra research prototype. In the past year, features such as improved voice output, enhanced memory, and computer control have been integrated into Gemini Live. Google commented, "Over the past year, we've been integrating capabilities like these into Gemini Live for more people to experience today. We continue to relentlessly improve and explore new innovations at the frontier. For example, we upgraded voice output to be more natural with native audio, we've improved memory and added computer control." Google is collecting feedback from trusted testers on these capabilities, with plans to make them available through Gemini Live, new experiences in Search, the Live API for developers and additional devices such as smart glasses. The company emphasised its commitment to safety and responsibility, stating, "Through every step of this process, safety and responsibility are central to our work. We recently conducted a large research project, exploring the ethical issues surrounding advanced AI assistants, and this work continues to inform our research, development and deployment." In addition, Google is investigating how AI agentic capabilities can assist users in multitasking through Project Mariner, which is designed to support human-agent interaction, primarily in web browsers. Project Mariner agents can now complete up to ten different tasks concurrently, such as information searches, bookings, online shopping and research. "Project Mariner now includes a system of agents that can complete up to ten different tasks at a time. These agents can help you look up information, make bookings, buy things, do research and more — all at the same time," according to Google. The updated Project Mariner is available to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the United States, and its computer use capabilities will be introduced into the Gemini API, with plans for broader integration across Google products later in the year. Google concluded, "With this, and all our groundbreaking work, we're building AI that's more personal, proactive and powerful, enriching our lives, advancing the pace of scientific progress and ushering in a new golden age of discovery and wonder."
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
S8UL makes StarCraft II debut with the signing of veteran South Korean player GuMiho
Image Via " S8UL strengthens its EWC roster following the announcement of their participation in multiple titles, including Chess, EAFC 25, Tekken 8, Call of Duty (COD): Warzone, and Apex May 8, 2025: S8UL, a global force in esports and gaming content, is proud to announce its entry into the legendary world of StarCraft II with the signing of veteran South Korean player Pyung Jae Koh, better known by his iconic gamer tag GuMiho , a.k.a.'The Towel Terran.' This marks S8UL's first foray into the real-time strategy (RTS) genre and signals its continued commitment to global expansion across esports titles that have defined competitive gaming history.A fan-favorite and master tactician, GuMiho is recognised across the global StarCraft community for his creative playstyle, unorthodox strategies, and trailblazing use of mech-based unit compositions. A staple of the Global StarCraft II League (GSL) since the Wings of Liberty era, GuMiho rose to global prominence after winning the GSL Code S Championship in 2017, defeating soO in a 4–2 final that etched his name in StarCraft history. His unique style of playing with a towel draped over his hands to absorb sweat and maintain precision earned him the moniker 'The Towel Terran,' while his dominance with mechanical Terran builds gave rise to another title: 'The Mech God.'GuMiho's recent achievements reaffirm his elite status in the competitive StarCraft II scene. In December 2024, he edged out Protoss standout Clem in a tense 3–2 series at HomeStory Cup XXVI, building on the momentum of his nail-biting 4–3 grand final victory over ShoWTimE (also Protoss) at HomeStory Cup XXV just months earlier. Earlier in the year, he delivered a commanding run to the finals of WardiTV 2023, ultimately finishing second after a hard-fought series against Zerg titan Dark. These standout results reinforce GuMiho's reputation as one of the scene's most resilient and inventive players, proving that even after years at the top, he continues to evolve and compete at the highest about his new journey with S8UL, GuMiho said: "Joining S8UL feels like stepping onto a new playing field with the same hunger to win. Their drive to break barriers in esports matches my own competitive spirit. I'm ready to give it my all and compete at the highest level again, this time with S8UL by my side."Animesh Agarwal a.k.a. 8Bit Thug, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL, commented on the signing: 'GuMiho is a living legend, and we're beyond thrilled to welcome him to the S8UL family. Our journey into StarCraft II is about paying homage to the roots of esports and competing with the best. GuMiho's legacy of innovation, consistency, and competitive spirit embodies everything S8UL stands for. This is a proud moment for Indian esports as we strengthen our EWC aspirations with one of the game's all-time greats.'As S8UL prepares to compete across multiple titles at EWC 2025 , including Apex Legends, EAFC 25, Call of Duty: Warzone, Tekken 8, Chess, and now StarCraft II, the organization continues to demonstrate that excellence in esports knows no borders, no genres, and no three consecutive 'Esports Content Group of the Year' wins at the Esports Awards and global recognition through initiatives like the MOBIES Global Impact Award, S8UL is now writing a new chapter in the global esports story.
Metro
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Overwatch 3 and StarCraft 3 rumoured after Blizzard signs new development deal
Blizzard is apparently planning new sequels for Overwatch and StarCraft but the rumours suggest they won't be making both of them themselves. Back before the global rise of eSports, professional StarCraft tournaments were a big deal in South Korea, with mainstream television coverage and a competitive scene that persists to today, despite the lack of any new games since StarCraft 2's launch in 2010. There was a remaster of the first game in 2017, but a recent report claims that Activision Blizzard is finally looking into making a new game, through a partnership with, appropriately enough, a South Korean studio. This partnership will also involve the creation of a new Overwatch – one that's apparently labelled as Overwatch 3 internally – although before you get too excited, that one's said to be a mobile game. The report comes from South Korean outlet MTN, which says Blizzard Entertainment has been shopping round for a collaboration in the region 'since the fourth quarter of last year.' Blizzard was offering 'content development rights' for StarCraft as well as the rights to publish an Overwatch mobile game in South Korea and Japan. Given how big StarCraft is in South Korea, it's no surprise that multiple studios leapt at the opportunity. Ultimately, Blizzard has selected Nexon, known for hugely lucrative online and mobile franchises such as MapleStory and Dungeon Fighter Online, as well as online multiplayer shooter The Finals. It's also the South Korean and Japanese publisher for EA Sports FC Mobile and has a number of other mobile games under its belt. It's no stranger to premium game releases though, having recently launched Soulslike The First Berserker: Khazan for PC and consoles. There's no telling what form the new StarCraft game could take at this point, although you have to imagine it will be a traditional real-time strategy game akin to previous entries – likely with a strong emphasis on multiplayer. More Trending That's what's popular in South Korea, but last year it was claimed that a StarCraft shooter is in the works at Blizzard. Although given the company's history, it's entirely possible the project's been cancelled. It's unclear what formats the new StarCraft game might be for, but apart from a N64 version of the first game it's traditionally been PC only. Given Nexon's experience though, a mobile version would not be a surprise. The new Overwatch is definitely a mobile title, according to the rumours, but the fact that it's supposedly dubbed Overwatch 3 suggests it's not just a mobile port of Overwatch 2, but its own game. Although the report is vague, the implication is that Blizzard will make it and that Nexon will get the Korean and Japanese publishing rights, as part of a package deal with the StarCraft development deal. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Starcraft II: Heart Of The Swarm review – Zerg rush MORE: Overwatch Classic is an unexpected reminder of how good Overwatch 2 is MORE: Call Of Duty RTS and 'sci-fi Diablo' amongst 17 cancelled Blizzard games you'll never get to play
