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Is Gen Z Going To Get Screwed, Too?
The economic pain of the COVID-19 crisis could scar another generation financially, on top of all of its other woes.
Jeff Bridges Reveals He’s Been Diagnosed With Lymphoma
“The Big Lebowski” actor slipped back into his most memorable role to reveal the heartbreaking news on Twitter.
Grief Leadership Is Exactly What Americans Are Missing Right Now
COVID-19 has been a constant. What’s been less constant is a national leader who recognizes our collective suffering.
The Batman Is Borrowing Virtual Filmmaking Techniques From The Mandalorian
While the Star Wars films are known for flying into remote and beautiful locations to get the perfect shot, TV show The Mandalorian pioneered a brand-new type of filmmaking by shooting mostly in a studio against LED screens. Now, according to ILM’s chief creative officer Rob Bredow, The Batman will be using some of the same techniques for key scenes, THR reports.
As you may know if you’ve watched Disney’s behind-the-scenes series about the making of the Mandalorian, the show was mostly shot against a giant screen called “The Volume,” which runs on Epic’s Unreal Engine. The technique has been called virtual production, and the success of The Mandalorian has led to ILM creating a new production unit called StageCraft dedicated to virtual production.
Speaking at the VIEW visual effects and animation conference, ILM’s Rob Bredow revealed that The Batman has used these techniques for some scenes. The upcoming DC film, which is being filmed in London, won’t be using the Manhattan Beach Studios where The Mandalorian was filmed. Instead, Bredow explained, the team built an LED wall around a physical set that had already been constructed in the UK.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Has Lost Its Senior Narrative Designer
Cara Ellison, the senior narrative designer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, has moved on from the project. In a statement given to PC Gamer, publisher Paradox Interactive has confirmed that Ellison is no longer involved with the game.
“We can confirm that Cara Ellison has decided to leave Hardsuit Labs and is no longer working on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2,” the statement reads. “Cara brought fresh ideas to the project and many of her contributions will be present in the game launching next year.”
Ellison has secured a new position–she’s now a Senior Narrative Designer at League of Geeks, the Australian developer of Armello. The studio’s next game remains a secret, but it will be published by Private Division.
Phasmophobia Hackers Are Terrorizing Streamers With Jump Scares
Ghost-hunting game Phasmophobia has become a surprise hit since it launched in early access, especially among Twitch streamers who are getting into the spirit of Halloween. Unfortunately, the game appears to be plagued by hackers, with some now appearing to target the lobbies of players who are live on stream.
As a PVE game, Phasmophobia hasn’t implemented anti-cheat, but some players are calling for it to be added to cut down on hackers who are making the game unenjoyable for others. At its most innocent, hacks can be used to increase the number of players allowed to join a lobby for those who want to play with more than three other people, but the hacking tools are also being used for harassment. A Google search currently turns up numerous YouTube videos and forums providing guides on how to hack the game.
Multiple Twitch streamers have had their private lobbies raided by hackers, who then spawn ghosts into the lobby screen to inflict jump scares on streamers enjoying a moment of rest. While the game is a horror game designed to cause a scare or two, these kinds of unexpected scares are more confronting, and can cause genuine distress for the players experiencing them.
Jeff Bridges Announces He Has Lymphoma, Says The Prognosis Is Good
Veteran and esteemed actor Jeff Bridges has announced he has Lymphoma, which is a type of cancer.
He made the announcement on Twitter, referencing his character from The Big Lebowski, The Dude. “As The Dude would say.. New s**t has come to light. I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma,” he said. “Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.”
As the Dude would say.. New S**T has come to light.
I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good.
I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.— Jeff Bridges (@TheJeffBridges) October 20, 2020
There was an immediate outpouring of support for Bridges, and he followed up with a second tweet where he said he is “profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends.”
Genshin Impact’s Newest Playable Character Is Explosives Expert Klee
Although Genshin Impact borrows a lot from Nintendo’s Breath Of The Wild for its open world, it’s also a gacha game–which means new characters will be inbound fairly regularly. The next event banner character Klee may not be new to the game, but she’s about to be summonable for the first time.
Now that Venti’s banner event has ended, pyro expert Klee will be the next character you’ll have an increased chance of pulling from event wishes. You’d have to spend some serious money to guarantee a Klee pull, but free-to-play players will also have a higher chance of snagging her during the event.
Klee, of course, isn’t new to the game in general. She resides in “solitary confinement” in the Knights of Favonius headquarters, where a knight named Wood stands guard in front of a locked door. Klee also has a story quest available from Adventure Rank 32 where players can learn a little more about the pint-sized explosives expert.