Latest news with #futuristic
Fast Company
2 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
From flop to franchise: Cyberpunk 2077 is getting a sequel
A video game once synonymous with one of the most disastrous launches in history has not only redeemed itself, but will be getting a proper second act. Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red announced in an earnings call Wednesday that the company is at work on a follow-up to the futuristic role-playing title, which was released in late 2020 and universally criticized for being unfinished, glitchy and at times unplayable. CD Projekt Red said that the conceptual phase is complete and pre-production has begun on the 'next big game set in the Cyberpunk universe,' which it is calling Cyberpunk 2 for now. The company expects the game's development to take four to five years, but that number could shift as the project gets underway. The redemption story is a striking change of fate for Cyberpunk 2077, which not longer ago was doomed to languish in video game lore as one of the greatest failures of all-time. Cyberpunk's skyscraper-high launch expectations For a time, Cyberpunk 2077 appeared destined to become gamer shorthand for a much-hyped game that over-promises and under-delivers to the extreme. The backlash over Cyberpunk 2077' s likely premature launch was so severe that many platforms hosting the game's download began issuing refunds to appease unhappy players, with Sony even going as far as taking the game out of the PlayStation store. At the time of its initial release, hype for Cyberpunk 2077 was sky high. Developer CD Projekt Red was widely lauded for its hit The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a sprawling open world RPG famous for rich narrative storytelling. It didn't help that Cyberpunk 2077's development budget topped $300 million, making it one of the most expensive games ever made. A very expensive makeover Instead of calling Cyberpunk 2077 a flop and moving on, CD Projekt Red kept chipping away at the game, issuing improvements to stabilize its performance, deepen combat and paint richer stories in its glowing Tokyo-esque fictional metropolis, Night City. Cyberpunk 2077 joins only a handful of games including Final Fantasy XIV and No Man's Sky that have completely re-written their own histories after failing spectacularly. For Cyberpunk 2077 and those games alike, the modern model of live-service games – games that evolve and get updates over time, sometimes through paid content – made the comeback stories possible. After their initial missteps, the teams behind all of these games spent years winning back players and rebuilding their communities, earning a lot of respect in the process. Cyberpunk 2077's turnaround wasn't cheap. The company poured north of $100 million in additional resources into the game after its launch, putting out a major 'large-scale' expansion called Phantom Liberty, starring actor Idris Elba, who joined Keanu Reeves on the game's A-list voice acting cast. In its earnings call, CD Projekt Red announced that the expansion has now sold more than 10 million copies. Fast forward four years and the team behind the former failure clawed their reputation back so successfully that Steam's user reviews now rate Cyberpunk 2077 as ' overwhelmingly positive ' – an outcome that would have been impossible to imagine back in the game's dark days.
Geek Culture
3 days ago
- Business
- Geek Culture
‘MindsEye' From Rockstar Veteran Lands June Release With Extensive Level Creation Tool
Build a Rocket Boy, an independent game development company founded by Rockstar North and Grand Theft Auto veteran Leslie Benzies, has released a new trailer for its debut game, MindsEye , offering a detailed look at its futuristic shooter action, post-launch content and a unique in-depth level creation tool. The gameplay overview trailer showcases more of the third-person cover-shooting action players can expect from the title, set in the backdrop of a near-futuristic city called Redrock. Players will take on the role of Jacob Diaz, played by Alex Hernandez, who some might recognise as Lincoln Clay from 2016's Mafia III , a former soldier with a mysterious neural implant that enables him to control a companion drone to enhance his combat abilities. According to the game's official description, MindsEye will feature a 'tightly crafted linear story campaign' revolving around a 'conspiracy involving rogue AI, corporate greed, an unchecked military, and a threat so sinister that it endangers the very survival of humanity'. Despite its apparent open-world nature, it's worth noting that the game will not be a GTA clone, instead being more in line with the earlier Mafia games, meaning players shouldn't expect a cluttered world filled with side activities, but a focused, narrative experience complemented by a city to explore. While the game might seem like a standard shooter affair, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, considering today's age of open-world bloat and games chasing trends, MindsEye does offer something wholly unique in its PC-only game creation system, , an in-game platform that allows players to make use of an extensive developer creation tool to build fully fleshed-out levels using game assets, potentially boosting the longevity of the game with a stream of user-created content. The trailer also showcased the game's content roadmap, detailing what players can expect at launch and in the future. MindsEye will launch with its story campaign and something described as 'single-player free roam', alongside a few additional missions, such as a horde mode called 'Destruction Site Shootout', two combat missions titled 'Honor Amongst Thieves' and 'Friendly Fire', 12 races and three drone races. Users who pre-order the game also get access to its Premium Pass, which provides an extra horde mode mission and some cosmetics. Moving forward, MindsEye is set to receive a 'constant stream' of content monthly, with its roadmap detailing 'special collaborations', new missions and single-player modes, multiplayer and free roam updates throughout the rest of the year, with owners of the Premium Pass gaining access to extra missions and cosmetics. MindsEye will launch on 10 June 2025 on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Build a Rocket Boy Leslie Benzies MindsEye
The Verge
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Apple's Murderbot series is goofy sci-fi with a side of existential crisis
I did not expect a TV show called Murderbot to be quite so relatable. On the surface, the Apple TV Plus sci-fi comedy is a somewhat generic futuristic story about a group of humans exploring a dangerous planet with the help of a security bot that's designed to protect them. The key is the perspective: the story is told from the bot's point of view, and that bot is really going through it. It's experiencing free will for the first time and struggling with the ramifications of that, making it anxious, awkward, anf addicted to streaming television. It may be built to kill — but it's just like me. The show opens on Muderbot's (Alexander Skarsgård) awakening. While seemingly idle and working security at a mining facility, internally it's actually hacking away at the chip that governs its free will. These bots, called sec units (which is short for security unit) are hybrids, powered by AI and with bodies that are a mix of machine and organic material. But they also have to do whatever they're told thanks to something called the governor module. Somehow Murderbot manages to disable this and then — well, he's free, but only kind of. It's illegal to have a sec unit without a working module, punishable by an acid bath, and so Murderbot is forced to pretend it's still intact so as to not die and lose its newfound freedom. Eventually, the bot is picked up by a group surveying an alien planet who need a sec unit for insurance purposes. They pick the cheapest model (at this point, Murderbot is a refurbished unit, far from top of the line). However, they also come from a part of the galaxy that is morally against the idea of sec units, viewing these machines as a form of slave labor, which creates an interesting dynamic. While Murderbot is trying to hide all of the elements that show it's a sentient being with thoughts and feelings and interests, the crew around him slowly start treating it more like an actual human being. While all of this plays out, Murderbot serves as a narrator, which is important; since it's trying to keep its true self hidden, the only way to really know what's really going on is to hear it from the bot itself. Skarsgård's somewhat stilted delivery fits the bot perfectly. It sounds like someone who is trying to sound human. It's a little awkward and clunky, which is what makes it so fitting. What really makes it work, though, is just how funny and relatable Murderbot is. It hates humans — one of the first things it says is that people are 'assholes' — and is terrified of basically every social interaction. At one point, Murderbot weighs the pros and cons of getting an acid bath versus making a speech in front of the rest of the crew, and later it's forced into the most devastating of all situations: prolonged eye contact. It's also constantly trying to avoid its responsibilities so that it can watch all of the streaming shows it's downloaded, and uses its surveillance powers to follow of the various romantic entanglements happening at the camp. In fact, much of its behavior is derived from soap operas, where it quotes lines in moments of drama because it's not sure what else to say. Skarsgård's dry delivery of these quips is the highlight of the show. As you'd expect, the charade doesn't last forever, and eventually the two sides grow into each other. Murderbot becomes more and more comfortable being an autonomous, thinking being, while the research crew slowly starts to understand what Murderbot actually is, and begin treating it like, well, another member of the group (even if some of them remain suspicious). It's not an especially deep exploration of the concept of free will, but rather a sort of strange and awkward coming-of-age story. Murderbot may be a hulking killing machine, but its arc towards becoming an actual person is both hilarious and relatable, filled with awkward social interactions and important self revelations that feel more high school drama than space opera. It's heartwarming watching it not only grow into itself, but find the right people to allow for that growth. And it does it all while doing a decent job at being a security unit, fighting off Dune -style sandworms and other malfunctioning bots. These sci-fi elements would be drab and forgettable on their own, but they become hilarious when viewed from Murderbot's perspective. Murderbot also fills in a hole in Apple's growing library of science fiction. While it has century-spanning epics and near-future nightmares and grim dystopias, it's all pretty serious stuff. There aren't a lot of laughs. And while Murderbot explores some important issues surrounding artificial intelligence and free will, it does so with a sense of playfulness and charm, and just the right amount of awkwardness.
News.com.au
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Volonaut Airbike: Bizarre flying Star Wars bike becomes reality
It looks like something straight out of a scene from Star Wars — but it's real, it flies, and it could change how we travel. Volonaut's flying motorbike, a futuristic single-occupant vehicle, has given us a glimpse into what the future could look like when people start effortlessly gliding the streets. The project has been in 'stealth mode,' and it's only now that we've been able to see its full potential. The Volonaut Airbike has already captured global attention for its futuristic design and spectacular flying abilities. Footage shared by the company on YouTube shows the hoverbike handling forest ridge lines and dry lakebeds with little difficulty while lifting and landing without assistance. According to Volonaut, the 'superbike for the skies' is powered by a jet propulsion system that can carry one person and reach speeds up to 200km/h. That's seriously impressive if true. The bike features a unique riding position with an unobstructed 360-degree view, designed to help the rider quickly feel at one with the flying machine. The contraption has no enclosure caging the rider and no seatback, which means whoever flies this thing will have to lean to the front MotoGP style. The Airbike's extremely compact design and absence of spinning propellers allow it to travel through most confined areas with ease. Specifics about the jet propulsion technology have not been disclosed. The company also claims its proprietary stabilisation system — powered by an on-board flight computer — enables automatic hovering and smooth, intuitive control. The Airbike is seven times lighter than a typical motorcycle thanks to the use of advanced carbon fibre materials, 3d printing, and a minimalistic approach. We've seen multiple attempts at flying cars from companies like XPeng and AMSL Aero, but this takes it to the next level, pushing the boundaries of what we thought was only possible in fiction movies. The start-up company's hoverbike quickly garnered enthusiasm from many individuals online. On the company's YouTube channel, one user expressed their excitement by commenting, 'I am so ready for this. Already bought the full body cast.' Another user exclaimed, 'Oh my God, we got the oppressor mark 2 in real life before GTA 6!' While the overall response was positive, some individuals raised concerns about safety and noise . One user remarked, 'This thing has to be LOUD!!!!' Another explained, 'I'm a tow truck driver; people can barely drive cars. This thing is gonna be so dangerous.' A different user noted, 'You don't have to hide the fact that this thing is extremely loud when flying,' and continued, 'It's obviously using a powerful jet engine and would be fantastic to hear it roaring through a scenic landscape.' The creator behind the Volonaut Airbike is Tomasz Patan, a man with a vision for creating futuristic electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) concepts. Tomasz has been described as an 'engineering genius' and was founder and technical engineer at left-field flying machine company Jetson. In March, the Jetson ONE's first production model successfully completed its maiden flight, demonstrating impressive stability and a smooth landing — traits shared by the new Airbike. While the Airbike's design and capabilities have generated excitement, Volonaut has yet to announce pricing or a release date. However, the fact that the Airbike has already been tested in flight shows the momentum building behind personal air mobility.
