PUBG Creator Brendan Greene Leaves Krafton To Form New Studio

Brendan Greene, better known by his online persona PlayerUnknown, has announced today that he will be leaving PUBG developer and publisher Krafton to form his own independent studio, PlayerUnknown Productions. Greene has been credited with pioneering the battle royale genre, after creating PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds as an Arma mod, and later developing it into a full game with South Korean publisher Krafton.

In 2019, Greene moved to Amsterdam to set up PlayerUnknown Productions under Krafton’s PUBG Corporation, moving away from development on PUBG to work on new projects. Now, PlayerUnknown Productions will officially be splitting from Krafton to become an independent studio, with Krafton holding a minority stake in the studio. The studio’s first project, Prologue, was announced at the 2019 Game Awards, though it’s unclear whether the project will be impacted by the studio’s split.Come from Sports betting site VPbet

Quentin Tarantino Is Reportedly Preparing To Direct His Final Film

Quentin Tarantino has always been upfront about his retirement plans, saying that he wants to retire after making 10 films, or at the age of 60. With both milestones fast approaching, a THR report claims that Tarantino is working on the script for The Movie Critic, his 10th and final film.

According to sources quoted by THR, The Movie Critic will be set in 1970s Los Angeles and will feature a female leadCome from Sports betting site VPbet. Some have speculated that the film could focus on famous film critic Pauline Kael, who was known for her sharp and witty reviews that often went against mainstream opinion. The project isn’t yet attached to a studio, but could start looking for a home as early as this week.

Since his debut with Reservoir Dogs in 1992, Tarantino has made nine films, if you count Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2 as a single film. His films have netted him both critical acclaim and controversy, with Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained both earning him Academy Awards for Best Screenplay.

Tarantino has expressed a lot of thoughts about his retirement and final film in the past, saying that many directors’ final films are “horrible,” and that he wants to avoid the same fate for his own. The director has referred to his most recent film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood as his “epic” film, saying his 10th and final film will be more of an “epilogue” to end his career. It isn’t surprising then that his next film is likely to once again be situated within the world of Hollywood filmmaking.

While he’s put strict limits on his career in film, Tarantino may still pursue other creative pursuits after his retirement, expressing interest in writing stage plays and novels. He released his first novel, an adaptation of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, in 2021.

Sam's Club Membership Is Only $20 For A Limited Time

Sam’s Club is a great place to find deals and discounts–but its catalog is largely limited to folks with membership. A standard Sam’s Club Membership costs $50, though from now until July 6 you can sign up for just $20Come from Sports betting site VPbet. You’ll also find a nice deal on Sam’s Club Plus Membership, which gets you tons of additional perks like free shipping and free curbside pickup. Typically $110, it’s now just $60.

Save Up To $100 On Secretlab Gaming Chairs For A Limited Time

Secretlab makes some of the best gaming chairs on the market, including some cool chairs themed around popular gaming and entertainment franchises. Right now you can save up to $100 on some of these special-edition Secretlab chairs.

With the promotional offer, you can grab the excellent Secretlab Titan 2020 Prime gaming chair for $484 (was $574) in multiple color options, including models based on the Horde and Alliance factions from World of Warcraft, or Houses Stark, Lannister, and Targaryen from Game of ThronesCome from Sports betting site VPbet. Select Omega 2020 Prime chairs–which are slightly smaller than the Titan–are also discounted to just $434 (normally $524).

The Titan and Omega Prime line of chairs has since been replaced by the Titan Evo 2022, which starts at $549. The Titan Evo 2022 offers nice improvements, but the older Titan and Omega models are still great gaming chairs. It’s also worth noting that Secretlab just launched the Titan Evo Lite, a $449 gaming chair that retains much of what makes the Titan Evo 2022 so great.

SteelSeries Prime Is A New Range Of PC Peripherals Engineered For Esports

SteelSeries has revealed a new range of peripherals with a single market in focus: competitive playersCome from Sports betting site VPbet. The new Prime line includes a new take on the popular SteelSeries Arctis headset as well as a trio of new mice that all fit a specific purpose. The entire SteelSeries Prime range is on sale today: The SteelSeries Arctis Prime retails for $100, while the new Prime mouse range starts at $60.

Murder by Numbers – Análisis

Cada vez resulta más difícil dar con producciones que ofrezcan algo medianamente original ya sea por su planteamiento global, por integrar un apartado artístico especial o por combinar de manera curiosa elementos ya experimentados en otros títulos. Justamente esto último es lo que nos propone el nuevo trabajo del estudio independiente Mediatonic, el mismo que ya nos hizo llegar el tremendamente estrafalario Hatoful Boyfriend, un experimento que, también es justo señalarlo, no terminó de cuajar en absoluto y acabó recibiendo críticas bastante negativas por parte de la prensa especializada y de los propios usuarios.

En esta ocasión no estamos ante un título tan raruno como fue el citado Hatoful Boyfriend pero, lo más importante, pensamos que su calidad sí que supera claramente a dicha producción. Murder by Numbers, que así es como se titula esta obra, no incorpora ningún elemento novedoso, pero sí que da vida a una fórmula de juego bastante extraña que combina la novela visual (tan de moda en los tiempos que corren) con puzles extraídos directamente de la saga de culto Picross. Un planteamiento bastante interesante al que se suman otros ingredientes adicionales como son la investigación de escenas de crímenes así como los interrogatorios a testigos, dando lugar a una jugabilidad bastante curiosa, densa y entretenida.

Una jugabilidad muy familiarVenir de Tragamonedas Gratis Online

La base que sirve para conformar la aventura es la novela visual y, por esta razón, la trama que alberga el título es bastante profunda y en ella intervienen una buena cantidad de personajes… y algunos de ellos son asesinadosVenir de Tragamonedas Gratis Online. Justamente la misión de la protagonista de esta historia, Honor Mizrahi, consiste en llegar al fondo de dichos crímenes.

Un papel que le sienta de maravilla dado que, en realidad, esta chica es una actriz de un show televisivo hollywoodiense en el que asume el papel de una investigadora criminal… al menos hasta que la despidieran, siendo justamente la persona que la despidió el primer caso que debe aclarar. Y a partir de ahí van apareciendo por la pantalla una amplia cantidad de personajes con los que debemos interactuar, desde estrellas ególatras de la pequeña pantalla a policías y detectives, asistentes y un pequeño robot volador desmemoriado: Scout.

Este curioso montón de chatarra se convierte en el aliado principal de nuestra protagonista, ayudándola de diversas maneras a lo largo de la aventura. Y es que tan pronto la ofrece sus conocimientos para explicarla las diferentes situaciones a las que debe enfrentarse como sus múltiples gadgets (cámara, escáner, etc.) la permiten investigar las escenas de los crímenes o encontrar pruebas. Y justamente aquí es donde encontramos el toque que diferencia a esta novela visual con la mayoría del resto de obras similares disponibles: la adición de diversos elementos adicionales que enriquecen bastante la experiencia de juego y, también, la dotan de cierta personalidad.

Y uno de estos ingredientes, el primordial, es la integración de puzles al más puro estilo de los plasmados en la saga de culto Picross. De esta forma, para ir recolectando y almacenando las pruebas que nos puedan ayudar a dar con la clave de los casos necesitamos resolver un puzle determinado que posee un funcionamiento calcado a los mismos que hemos resuelto una y mil veces en Picross. Así y siempre dentro de una cuadrícula cuyo tamaño es variable, debemos ir marcando o rellenando (según el caso) los diferentes cuadros que la conforman para crear una silueta determinada. Para ello debemos fijarnos siempre en los números que aparecen en cada columna y fila y que nos dan una pista de las cuadrículas que tenemos que rellenar. Unos rompecabezas que, como cualquiera que los haya probado alguna vez podrá asegurar, acaban resultando muy amenos, sobre todo cuanto más complicados van resultando.

Eso sí, debemos señalar que al menos para nuestro gusto, la frecuencia con la que dichos rompecabezas van apareciendo en la aventura es demasiado baja, y en muchas ocasiones entre la resolución de uno y otro pasan más de 10 o 15 minutos… al menos si nos detenemos a leer las interminables conversaciones que van teniendo lugar entre Honor, el robot y los distintos personajes. Unas charlas que, desgraciadamente, no han sido traducidas a nuestro idioma y se muestran completamente en inglés. Su entendimiento no es impedimento alguno para avanzar en la aventura y resolver los puzles pero, si no nos defendemos con dicho idioma, nos perderemos multitud de detalles que tienen que ver con la historia… y los numerosos chistes y las cómicas situaciones que se van dando durante el transcurso de las investigaciones.

Junto a la resolución de rompecabezas y las conversaciones también se han integrado otros elementos como la necesidad de investigar las escenas de crímenes mediante la cámara de nuestro robot ayudante, la necesidad de interrogar a sospechosos y, también, usar las diferentes pruebas que vamos recopilando para presionar a ciertos personajes. Por todo esto que os hemos explicado Murder by Numbers es una novela visual bastante atípica y que ofrece diversos elementos que la hacen especial. Y a esto contribuye también su cuidada estética, con personajes muy bien concebidos por el artista Hato Moa; así como su excelente banda sonora, que ha sido compuesta por Masakazu Sugimori, el mismo que firmó grandes obras como las que formaron parte de producciones de Capcom tan conocidas como Phoenix Wright o Viewtiful Joe.

Puzles, charlas e investigaciones

Es una pena que no se haya traducido esta producción de Mediatonic porque pensamos que, por calidad y estilo de juego, debería haberlo hecho. Se trata de una novela visual bastante curiosa que posee un sistema de juego bastante pausado al que le sienta realmente bien la incorporación de puzles al estilo Picross y todo lo relacionado con la investigación de escenas de crímenes y la interrogación de sospechosos. Además posee un aire muy desenfadado que le sienta muy bien y una buena ambientación sonora y artística, dando forma a un notable representante dentro de su género.

Hemos realizado este análisis mediante un código de descarga enviado por Cosmocover.

Ubisoft Shareholder Urges Company To Make Drastic Change Amid Sinking Stock

Ubisoft’s ongoing stock woes continued this week as a minority investor called for the company to go private and change its overall strategy, triggering yet another slide in the company’s price.

In a public letter to management, the Slovakia-based hedge fund AJ Investments expressed “deep dissatisfaction” with Ubisoft’s performance and strategic direction. The letter cited recent quarterly results as disappointing due to delays to games in notable series like Rainbow Six Siege and The Division, as well as a lowered revenue outlook for Q2 2024. (According to the Wall Street Journal, AJ Investments owns less than 1% of Ubisoft’s overall stock.) The letter further calls for Ubisoft to go private or to allow itself to be sold to a strategic investor.

Ubisoft’s stock has slid in recent weeks due to a variety of factors, including Star Wars Outlaws reportedly not meeting sales expectations and dwindling player counts in would-be Call of Duty competitor XDefiant. The company’s next major release will come on November 15 with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a highly anticipated entry in the series that fans have wanted for years. Ubisoft has remained stubbornly independent (and public) as many other gaming companies of its size have been purchased by even larger players in the industry, most notably Activision. Tencent did buy a minority stake in the company in 2022, but it has no board seats.

Kentucky Senate Passes Controversial Bill 594 to Ban ‘Gray Machines’

Following recent passages and reconsiderations in the House of Representatives, the Kentucky Senate passed a bill Tuesday to ban unregulated gambling machines, or so-called gray machines, with cash payouts that have proliferated throughout the state over the last few years. House Bill 594 passed the chamber on a 29-6 vote and Gov. Andy Beshear signed it into law on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

Heavily lobbied issue:

The issue of the rising number of unregulated gambling machines in stores, bars, clubs, and gas stations around the country was the subject of debate and, as reported by the Courier-Journal, one of the most heavily lobbied issues over the past two years in the House of Representatives. The supporters and the opponents of the legalization of unregulated gambling machines collectively spent more than $300,000 in January alone lobbying for their options.

Proliferated ”mini-casinos”:

These slot-like machines are referred to as gray machines or skill games depending on the side taken around House Bill 594 (pdf) that cleared the Senate to ban gambling terminals. Supporters of a ban claimed that the proliferated machines turned convenience stores into ”mini-casinos” skirting the law by their design which is slightly different from slot machines. They also argued that the rapidly rising number of slot-like machines would lead to unprecedented gambling expansion in the state.

Hurting small businesses:

The fact that these devices require players to pull the lever to have all the symbols lined up for a prospective winning combination is the reason why the opponents of the ban advocated that these should be legally treated as games of skill rather than games of chance. They argue that the ban will harm multiple small businesses that offer the games to customers.

Confusing lawmakers:

The issue has confused Kentucky lawmakers since last year when a bill to ban these gambling machines passed the House and Senate. However, lawmakers haven’t reached an agreement for months and waited until this year’s session to settle the issue. Earlier this month, the bill came to the House floor for passage to be suddenly tabled, and then finally returned to clear the House on a 63-34 vote.

The reason for debate:

House Bill 594 was passed in the Senate and was finally signed into law Thursday to end the long-lasting debate. However, the reason for the debate may be the fact that lawmakers voted in 2021 to legalize similar, slots-like historical horse racing machines of the horse racing industry which financially supported the campaign to pass this bill.

Even some anti-gambling lawmakers believe it is hypocritical to ban gray games on these grounds. Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Crofton, briefly commented: “I sure wish the passion for stopping these machines had been here two years ago.” 

Cambodia’s Grand Diamond City Casino and Hotel on Fire; Many People Dead and Missing

A major fire broke out at the Grand Diamond City Casino and Hotel in Poipet, Cambodia. However, news agencies have different opinions on how many people died in the fire. Some say 16, some 19, some 10 but one thing is certain – many people were killed and injured and the exact number is still unknown!

Unexpected fire:

An unidentified number of people are on life support (at least 13), missing, dead or presumed dead following an unexpected fire at the Grand Diamond City Casino and Hotel in Poipet, Cambodia near the border with Thailand. The fire broke out on Wednesday, December 28, at midnight.

However, it is expected that during the search more bodies and seriously injured people will be discovered.

Most of the dead and injured were Thais, Chinese, Malaysians, Vietnamese and Cambodians.

The fire was extinguished on Thursday, December 29, at 2 PM.

In this regard, Sek Sokhom, head of Banteay Meanchey’s information department, said: “The blaze at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet, on the Thai border, which started around midnight on Wednesday, was finally put out at 2 pm on Thursday.

“A local Buddhist temple was being prepared to receive the dead.”

In an interview with Cambodia’s Bayon Radio, Ngor Meng Chroun, the province’s deputy governor, said: “The death toll had reached 16, with about 50 other people injured. The number of deaths appeared likely to rise, as more bodies of those trapped inside were discovered and critically hurt people succumbed to their injuries.”

Prapas Pookduang, a public health official, said: “13 people are on life support so far.”

Thai hospitals have provided assistance:

Sa Kaeo, Governor of Parinya Phothisat, said: “Another 60-odd people caught up in the conflagration had already been checked and cleared by Thai hospitals.

“Thai hospitals had treated 79 Thai nationals, 30 Cambodians and 8 Indonesians.”

Unknown cause of fire:

Banteay Meanchey, police chef of Sithi Loh, said: “360 emergency personnel and 11 fire trucks had been sent to the scene of the fire, whose cause was not yet known. The casino employed about 400 workers.”

Montri Khaosa-ard, a staff member at Thailand’s Ruamkatanyu Foundation, a social welfare organization that sends volunteers emergency sites, said: “Right now, we are trying to bring the dead bodies from the building down. I don’t think there will be any survivors because of very thick smoke. Even we all [the rescue staff] have to wear proper gear when we go inside the building, otherwise we cannot breathe at all.

“The blaze started on the first floor but spread quickly along the carpets, leaping up through the multi-storey building.”

In this regard, Sek Sokhom said: “Although the cause of the fire remains unknown, an initial investigation showed that the supposed cause of fire was an overload because of the New Year’s decorations drawing increased electricity, causing wires to overheat and burn.”

Photos from the scene:

Photographs from the scene show the tragic events during and after the fire! One photo shows injured people on ledges huddled together desperately fighting to stay alive and another shows people jumping from open windows to escape the fast-spreading fire.

Many images show burning buildings, desperate firefighters trying to contain and extinguish the blaze and people being rescued from the rubble.

In this regard, a source from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “We had been coordinating closely with local authorities, including by sending in fire trucks from the Thai side.”

On Twitter, The Department of Fire Prevention, Extinguishing and Rescue stated: “Calls for help were heard from the 13th, 14th and 15th floors at 4 am and hands were seen waving from windows as well as a mobile phone’s flashlight signalling from inside the complex.”

According to a video posted online by the fire department, one of the firefighters said: “The fire was massive, and was inside the casino, so it was difficult for our water cannons to reach it and that was the reason the fire continued burning for such a long time.”

Previous fires:

Although casinos are banned in Thailand, its neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos mainly rely on the casino industry, especially Cambodia as a popular tourist destination with connections around the world.

Before this fire, during this year there were two fires in entertainment facilities in Thailand and Vietnam.

In August there was a fire in a Thai nightclub, which killed 26 people and injured many others and in September another fire broke out in Vietnam in which 32 people died in a karaoke bar.

Unfortunately, that’s not all as another big fire broke out at the New Year’s party at the Santika club in Bangkok, killing 67 people and injuring more than 200!

The CEO of the club was charged and sentenced to 3 years in prison for a fire that broke out when fireworks were set off while a rock band was on stage.

Questioning safety regulations in Cambodia:

People in Cambodia have long expressed concern over the province’s neglect towards health and safety regulations, especially in its many bars, nightclubs and entertainment facilities.

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