Thursday, August 17, 2023

Starfield: The Ultimate Space Adventure Awaits You

 

Are you ready to explore the final frontier? 

Starfield is the new sci-fi epic from Bethesda, the creators of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. It’s launching for Xbox and PC on the 6th September 2023, and it’s going to be a blast!

The recent updates on the game from Bethesda with a detailed backstory have got me curious and intrigued. I have not played Fallout or The Elder Scrolls games before and this would be my first attempt at playing a video game in this genre.

I have been hearing terms like 'Space Fallout', 'Space GTA' etc. and direct comparison with No Man's Sky; however, this doesn't take away the excitement to experience the vision of all the artists and developers who have have put their hard work and efforts into this potential 'Marquee' Bethesda Studio game title.

I hope it does not turn out to be a disappoint like Redfall. Since Starfield is an ambitious project, the depth of gameplay and some of the features announced get me tad worried. Fingers Crossed!

Introduction 

Starfield is a single-player role-playing game that lets you create your own character and embark on a thrilling journey across the galaxy. You can choose from different factions, races, and backgrounds, and customize your spaceship, weapons, and skills. You can also interact with various aliens, planets, and star systems and shape the fate of the cosmos with your actions.

Starfield is powered by a new engine that delivers stunning graphics, realistic physics, and immersive sound. It also features a dynamic weather system, a day-night cycle, and a seamless transition between space and planetary surfaces. Starfield offers endless possibilities and challenges, whether you want to fight, explore, trade, or craft. 
 

Why You Should Play Starfield 

Starfield is a must-play for you if you are a fan of sci-fi games. Here are some of the reasons why:

  • It’s an original IP from Bethesda, which means it has a rich lore, a deep story, and a unique style.
  • It’s a massive open-world game that lets you explore the galaxy at your own pace and in your own way.
  • It’s a highly customizable game that gives you freedom and flexibility to create your own character and play style.
  • It’s a diverse game that features a variety of environments, creatures, cultures, and quests.
  • It’s an immersive game that makes you feel like you are really in space, thanks to its stunning visuals, realistic physics, and atmospheric sound.  

How to Get Starfield

Starfield is launching for Xbox and PC on the 6th of September, 2023. You can pre-order it now from the official website or from your preferred retailer. If you pre-order it, you will get some exclusive bonuses, based on the game edition you choose to purchase.

The default Standard Version of the game gives you:

"Old Mars Skin Pack" in-game bonus skin:

Laser Cutter
Deep Mining Helmet
Deep Mining Pack

I am going to play Starfield Day One on Xbox Game Pass with my Game Pass Ultimate Subscription. Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service that gives you access to hundreds of games for a monthly fee. If you are not a member yet, you can sign up now and get your first 14 days for only $1. You will be able to play Starfield on launch day and enjoy all its updates and DLCs as a Game Pass subscriber.
 

Custom Wallpapers

I have made some custom Starfield wallpapers with Stable Diffusion XL 1.0 AI, these are 9:16 aspect, mobile wallpapers, you can download it here from my Flickr album link.
 
Are you looking forward to playing Starfield?, I surely am. 
 
The USP for me is going to be character creation, space ship customization, exploring multiple planets, hopefully the side-quests in the game are enjoyable enough to sink in that extra time. 

 

 

Thursday, June 01, 2023

AI-Generated Art: A Creative Revolution or a Copyright Conundrum?

 

Dive into the fascinating world of AI-generated art and explore the pros and cons it presents within the realm of copyright. Discover the potential of limitless creativity and the challenges of ownership, while exploring the democratization of artistic expression. Join the debate and share your thoughts!

As a governance and compliance professional, I find this topic intriguing and the way it is evolving. In a groundbreaking move, Japan is challenging the traditional boundaries of copyright by declaring that it does not apply to AI training. In a recent decision, the Japanese government has taken a bold step to embrace the potential of AI-generated art by shifting the focus from copyright ownership to the process of AI training. This decision has sparked a global debate, raising questions about the rights of AI-generated artworks and the implications for artists, programmers, and the future of artistic expression. 

INTRODUCTION

Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our lives, permeating various industries and revolutionizing the way we create and perceive art. The emergence of AI-generated art has sparked both excitement and concern, particularly in the context of copyright. This thought-provoking blog post will delve into the pros and cons of AI-generated art, shedding light on the challenges it poses to traditional copyright boundaries.

         🎨 The Pros of AI-Generated Art:

  1. Unleashing Limitless Creativity: AI algorithms possess the ability to unlock uncharted creative territories, offering fresh and awe-inspiring artworks that push the boundaries of human imagination. With AI as a creative collaborator, we witness the birth of innovative styles, unconventional combinations, and thought-provoking interpretations, expanding the artistic landscape in ways previously unimaginable.

  2. Democratising Artistic Expression: AI-generated art holds the potential to democratize creativity, enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds to participate in the artistic process. Through accessible AI tools, anyone with a computer and a flicker of imagination can engage in creating art, transcending traditional barriers of skill and training. This inclusivity fosters a vibrant and diverse artistic community.

  3. Pushing Technological Frontiers: The development of AI-generated art pushes the boundaries of technology itself. Artists and programmers are constantly innovating, creating new algorithms and techniques to improve the output of AI-generated artworks. This technological advancement extends beyond the art world, driving progress in machine learning and inspiring new applications in various fields.

    🖼️ The Cons of AI-Generated Art:

  4. Ownership and Authorship Complexities: As AI takes a prominent role in the artistic process, the notion of ownership becomes blurred and convoluted. Who truly owns the rights to an AI-generated artwork? Is it the original programmer, the user who trained the AI, or the AI itself? Copyright laws, originally designed to protect human creators, struggle to keep up with the rapid pace of AI innovation, leaving gray areas and potential legal disputes.

  5. Loss of Human Touch and Authenticity: Traditional art has always held a unique charm, stemming from the personal touch and emotional depth conveyed by human creators. AI-generated art, while impressive and visually stunning, often lacks the lived experiences and nuanced emotions that only humans can infuse into their creations. This detachment can result in a loss of authenticity, reducing art to a mechanized process devoid of personal connections and narratives that resonate with audiences.

  6. Ethical Considerations: The rise of AI-generated art raises important ethical questions. Should AI-generated artworks be attributed to their creators or the AI algorithms themselves? How can we ensure fair compensation for human artists whose works are replicated or used as training data? The ethical implications surrounding AI-generated art necessitate careful consideration and proactive measures to protect the rights and livelihoods of artists.

    🔎 FAQs about AI-Generated Art and Copyright:

    Q: Can AI-generated art be protected by copyright? 

    A: Copyright protection for AI-generated art is a complex issue. As of now, copyright law mainly focuses on human creators, leaving a legal vacuum when it comes to AI-generated artworks. As AI art generating applications train custom models, fine-tune their algorithms and eventually the source of artistic creation will also come into consideration. Legal framework across the globe is yet to understand the moving parts and entities involved and affected by this disruption.

    Q: Who owns the rights to AI-generated art? 

    A: Determining ownership rights in AI-generated art is a challenge. It involves understanding the roles of the programmer, the user, and the AI system itself. Clear guidelines and legal frameworks are needed to address this issue.

    Q: How can copyright laws adapt to AI-generated art? 

    A: Copyright laws must evolve to encompass AI-generated art. This can include exploring new licensing frameworks, attribution mechanisms, and establishing guidelines for fair compensation to ensure a balance between innovation and artist protection.

    CONCLUSION

    AI-generated art represents both a creative revolution and a copyright conundrum. The boundless creativity and democratization it brings to the art world are undeniable, as AI algorithms push the boundaries of imagination and grant access to artistic expression for all. However, the complexities surrounding ownership, authenticity, and ethics demand careful consideration and proactive solutions.

    As we navigate this uncharted territory, it is crucial to engage in ongoing dialogues among artists, policymakers, and legal experts. By collaboratively redefining copyright frameworks, we can strike a balance that fosters innovation, protects artists' rights, and ensures the enduring value of human creativity.

Monday, May 01, 2023

LG Soundbars Now Optimized for Next-Gen Consoles: Game On with Xbox Series X and PS5

 

 
 

LG has announced a new update for its 2022 soundbars that makes them compatible with Xbox Series X and PS5 gaming consoles. 

This update is great news for gamers who want to elevate their gaming experience to the next level with high-quality sound. With this update, LG's soundbars now have the ability to support 4K pass-through, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X. 

This means that players can enjoy immersive audio that matches the stunning graphics of the next-gen consoles. The update is available now, so if you're a gamer who's been looking for an audio upgrade, this could be just what you need to take your gaming experience to the next level.

Read more about this here

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Is the DC Movies universe ready to be MCU'fied?

 


Ever since James Gunn came to the centerstage for DC movies, announcing the lineup of upcoming DC movies trying to revive the 'DCverse,' recent rumors have started surfacing on the internet that there is a possibility that the Russo Brothers might get a chance to direct the next Batman movie based on 'The Brave and The Bold' comic (not linked to the one that released last year)

If this happens for real, it would be interesting to see how the Russo brothers would set up the Batman and Robin storyline that could reshape the DCU.

Based on their previous work on Marvel movies such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame, we can expect a Batman movie directed by the Russo Brothers to be action-packed with a strong emphasis on character development and storytelling.

The Russo Brothers are known for their ability to balance action with character development and storytelling. They have a talent for creating complex characters with depth and nuance while delivering thrilling action sequences. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, they explored themes of loyalty and betrayal while also providing some of the most exciting action scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Avengers: Endgame, they brought together dozens of characters from across the MCU for an epic conclusion that was both emotionally satisfying and action-packed.

If they were to direct a Batman movie, we could expect them to bring that same skill and expertise to the project. They would likely focus on exploring the character of Batman in greater depth, delving into his motivations and backstory while delivering plenty of thrilling action sequences. They would also probably bring their signature storytelling style to the project, weaving together multiple plot threads and character arcs into a cohesive whole.

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Atomic Heart - Let’s call this one a Platonic

 

 

 This review is based on early impressions from six hours of game play on Xbox Series X
 
Introduction

The grandeur of Atomic Heart is showcased rightly at the beginning mission, which takes the game protagonist Agent P-3 to the Chelomey city of Science, and you cannot stop admiring the retro-futuristic dystopian world around you with the scale and quality of art and design that packs a lot of promise for the game.

When the machines go rogue, you are thrown into the action, which takes place at facility 3826, a playground for killer robots and other horrors you will encounter. You realize that you are not just fighting the robots but also other things created by lab experiments gone wrong, and your task is to contain this breakout and find out who is behind the massacre that has played out.


Gameplay: 
 
Combat is fluid. I'm playing on normal difficulty. You have to swap between Guns and Melee weapons constantly as the creepy droids and other robots are fast to attack; you will face plant-faced zombies, too, so you cannot spray bullets at all times as ammo is limited, and you will have to upgrade your arsenal and character abilities constantly. Remember to keep around five to six small healing packs in your load out to prevent an easy death in tight situations.

High on Life started with talking guns as sidekicks, Forespoken protagonist had a ‘Cuff,’ HiFi Rush had 808 as a floating cat robot, and Atomic Heart has an AI glove Char-Les. 

Utility-wise, the glove serves its function with abilities like shocking and freezing your enemies, pulling a polymer shield around you, and helping you with x-ray vision. The banter between agent P-3 and the AI Glove feels forced or lackluster, don't get me started on the horny robot Nora; she makes me want ‘to pull out’ of the game! 😅

Agent P3 is also set up to progress through the game behaving like a man on a mission or, let's get this over with kind of character which leaves you questioning your very purpose of preventing a Robo-apocalypse.


Graphics and Sound

What blew me right away was the atmospheric brilliance needed for an FPS survival horror game which is done right and sets the tone for the game play to provide an immersive experience. What disappoints me is the sound design while playing on an LG C2 TV; I tried shuffling sound mode from Game Optimizer to AI PRO mode; the dialogues and environmental sound effects feel suppressed, but with headphones on, it's balanced as it should be.

Developers at Mundfish have released two patches post-release, and I can still spot evident frame rate drops while playing on Xbox Series X, especially in areas where the scenes involve fast-moving robots. In certain areas at the Pavlov complex, I felt the game would crash because of the heavy on-screen stutter. Quantum break played much smoother at 30 FPS on Xbox one with time-stopping and slow-mo graphics.

I have a problem with the in-game brightness, too; the game randomly turns too dark even in decently-lit scenes, and it takes some time to readjust the brightness levels. Specific background music loops don't sync well with ongoing action on the screen or when transitioning from a fight to exploring mode.

This game deserves a photo mode, but the overall game needs to be polished further to iron out the above issues first.


Controls:
Atomic Heart draws inspiration from popular science fiction shooters, which is fine, but it also does not bring anything new to the table. 

I have not encountered any major game-breaking bugs until now; There is no option in the game menu to turn off the HUD. It's semi-transparent and spaced out well on screen, so it doesn't distract much during the game play.

Game save rooms are well placed, and the game also triggers auto-save at specific points during the game play

Conclusion: 
Atomic Heart is a sincere attempt at creating a AAA IP for Mundfish Studio as their first game. I hope the developers work on the optimization issues for Xbox and other quality-of-life improvements in the long run.

Story execution seems slightly off from the levels I have played until now. The feeling of the slowly building dread and impending doom is broken by not-so-witty and, at times, unwanted corny dialogues.

The game also claims to have an RPG element, which remains to be confirmed at my level because I haven't come across any decision-making points that have impacted the story line yet.

If you can ignore the weak game story plot and tacky dialogues, you should be able to play this game like a FPS Sci-Fi shooter it is and doesn't exactly qualify for the horror survival genre, despite a fitting setting and ambience. It would be hard to recommend this game to buy on full price to play on Xbox, I found that this game plays well on PS5 without any performance issues so kind of a mixed bag release at this stage.

Final Score - 6.5/10