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Unveiling the PTZOptics Hive Studio: Revolutionize Your Live Productio – Videoguys
On this Videoguys Live, Gary is joined by Paul from PTZOptics to discover the future of live broadcasting with the all new PTZOptics Hive Studio. Dive into the world of seamless production as we introduce the innovative features and capabilities of the Hive Studio. Perfect for broadcasters, streamers, and AV enthusiasts!
Watch the full video below:
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Professional Control for Everyone – Access your cameras from anywhere, anytime.
Introducing the simplest way to control all of your cameras from anywhere in the world. Experience our innovative studio interface that grants control across your entire camera lineup, all for an affordable price.
Effortless Setup & Fluid Integration – Sharing Made Simple
Instantly add your cameras with Auto-Discovery, universal software compatibility, personalized controls, and broad compatibility for a transformative camera control experience. Record any input and even export recordings to your favorite editing software.
Instant Collaboration:
Share A Link –Share a link and allow users to collaborate with in real-time. Or just invite a viewer to follow the action. Set expiring Studio access.
Assign Permissions & Cameras –Enable access for your entire production team with specific team roles, and assign cameras to separate operators.
Real-Time Synchronization –All sessions are synchronized in real-time so you all see the same action across all active sessions.
Intuitive controls for any experience level:
Easier & More Enjoyable –PTZOptics Hive Studio makes cinematic movements faster and more intuitive. Users can control more cameras at once with less training or experience.
All your cameras in one interface –No more juggling screens. Get a unified view of all your cameras and easily adjust camera settings on the fly.
Multiview –Create a control room that works with you. Choose between multi-view, or focus mode that perfect shot.
Advanced Auto-Tracking Features:
PTZOptics Hive Studio is our next generation of subject-tracking technology, enabling cameras to follow movement with an unprecedented level of accuracy and reliability.
Click to Track enables immediate selection of your tracking target, and the Hive technology seamlessly handles the tracking process!
Color Correction Tools with Color Matching:
Our platform’s color tools are designed to provide standard color control that works seamlessly across camera makes and models, ensuring a cohesive look. Employ sophisticated color matching to synchronize multiple cameras, delivering a uniform color palette across your production.
Instant Image Adjustments –Access all of your camera’s settings instantly. Create image presets to quickly adapt your shot to any environment.
Adjustments –Access all image settings from your camera and adjustment them in in real-time.
Image Presets –Instantly save and recall all your favorite image settings. Adjust for the environment in seconds.
Camera Sync –Sync settings across multiple cameras, and color balance easier than ever before.
Next Level Studio Management:
Multi-Studio Management –Oversee multiple studios or locations remotely through PTZOptics Hive Studio, a unified platform enhancing coordination and oversight.
Assign Team Roles –Grant your team instant access to camera settings, ensuring smooth collaboration, regardless of distance.
Manage Audio –Easily add and manage all audio devices in your workflow.
Set for Growth:
Organizations –Your Organization admin can create new users and manage their permissions.
Studios –Your team can access individual studios from any computer with internet access.
Users –All sessions are synchronized in real-time so you all see the same action across all active sessions.
Stop Issues Before They Happen:
Consolidate Monitoring –The Hive Studio provides a centralized view of real-time data on cameras, recordings, and output. A singular view of camera health makes monitoring easier and more convenient.
Simplify Troubleshooting –Whether there’s a new firmware available, or if a source went offline, Iris proactively alerts customers with the status on all their cameras. No more guess and check – tell users what’s wrong, and alerts the relevant users before they need to go live.
Support for Your PTZ Cameras
AIDA, Aver, Bird-Dog, Bolin, Datavideo, JVC, Lumens, Marshall, NewTek, PTZOptics, SONY, Winsafe
Hive-Linked
PTZOptics cameras come linked to the Hive so they can instantly connect out of the box.
Free Software
Other PTZ cameras can be easily connected with our free control software.
What is Hive-Linked?
Link PTZOptics Camera Once. Connected Forever.
Hive-Linked
Hive-Linked cameras can be connected anytime its plugged in to a network (no computer or hardware required). After a one time link to an account, user’s can control their cameras anytime, anywhere.
A true “Plug & Play” experience.
Hive Studio is the keystone of the PTZOptics ecosystem, offering a centralized platform that enhances the functionality of PTZOptics cameras.
Cinematic Movements
Automate complex movements with a click. Hive makes cinematic movements faster and more intuitive.
Hotkeys:
Customize your Keyboard –Configure any feature in Hive Studio and assign them to your keyboard and mouse. All your settings are saved to your user profile.
Connect Your Controller –Coming soon, you can plug in a USB Gamepad or PTZ controller and they work as a hardware companion.
Centralized Monitoring:
Real-time data, diagnostics, and alerts.
Receive real-time data on all your connected cameras, audio, recording, and output.
Get notified in real-time and eliminate the guesswork. Fix the problem before you go live.
Source status alerts and actionable prompts synthesize your more important priorities into a heads-up display.
Key strategies for building cyber resilience in 2024 – CyberTalk
By Deryck Mitchelson, EMEA Field Chief Information Security Officer, Check Point Software Technologies.
Cyber resilience is more than just a buzzword in the security industry; it is an essential approach to safeguarding digital assets in an era where cyber threats are not a matter of “if” but “when”.
According to Check Point’s 2024 Cyber Security Report, in 2023 we witnessed a 90% increase in victims of ransomware attacks who were publicly extorted for compensation. While cyber security is a critical pathway through which to bypass ransomware, another dimension of the story that merits discussion is the resilience component.
Resilience encompasses the ability of an organization to maintain its core functions – not just in the immediate aftermath of attacks, but also during recovery from them. It is about being prepared for the inevitable breach, and recognizing that every system, no matter how robust, has potential vulnerabilities.
Roughly 4 in 10 (39%) of global businesses say they aren’t resilient enough to handle a sophisticated cyber attack. As attack methods evolve and increasingly utilize artificial intelligence, the actual figure indicating lack of preparedness may prove much higher.
Some businesses may think they are well prepared if they have a secure perimeter, but resilience is less about the first line of defence, and more about how well businesses can absorb risk and cope with mounting threats. Fending off one attack does not equal resilience.
The essence of cyber resilience lies in its dual focus. On one hand, it involves fortifying operations against constant attacks, ensuring business continuity under what can be considered “normal” cyber warfare conditions.
On the other, it demands a robust strategy for post-breach scenarios. This means having a plan that goes beyond mere recovery, one that adapts and evolves in response to the incident. Such a strategy acknowledges that the digital landscape is a dynamic battlefield, where threats evolve and so must defences.
The role of leadership in cyber resilience
Leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping an organization’s approach to cyber resilience. It’s not just about having a technically sound cyber security team; it’s about fostering a culture where cyber resilience is ingrained in every decision and action. This starts at the top, with board members and executives who don’t just passively endorse cybersecurity strategies but actively engage with them.
Effective leaders understand that cybersecurity is not a siloed IT issue but a critical business function that impacts every aspect of the organization. They ensure that cyber security discussions are not relegated to the IT department alone but are a regular feature of boardroom conversations.
Moreover, leaders in this field recognize the importance of being proactive rather than reactive. They don’t wait for an incident to occur to appreciate the value of a resilient cybersecurity posture. Instead, they invest in continuous education, staying abreast of emerging threats and adapting their strategies accordingly.
This proactive stance involves not only understanding the technicalities of cyber threats but also appreciating their potential business impact. By doing so, they can make informed decisions about where to allocate resources, how to develop their teams and when to implement new technologies or strategies, ensuring that the organization’s cyber resilience is always a step ahead of potential threats.
Technological and human elements of cyber resilience
When it comes to resilience, technology and human expertise must work in tandem. While advanced technological solutions like AI and machine learning are indispensable in identifying and responding to threats swiftly, the human element remains irreplaceable.
This synergy is crucial; technology can provide the tools and automation necessary for efficient threat detection and response, but it is the human insight that contextualizes and interprets these threats within the unique framework of each organization. Staff training, capacity management and a keen understanding of the organization’s specific risk landscape are as vital as the technology deployed to protect it.
The human aspect also extends to fostering a security-aware culture within the organization. This involves regular training and awareness programmes to ensure that all employees, not just the IT staff, understand the role they play in maintaining cybersecurity.
Overall, it’s about creating an environment where cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility, and where employees are equipped to recognize and report potential threats. Such an approach not only strengthens the organization’s defence against external threats but also helps in mitigating risks posed by insider threats, whether intentional or accidental.
Frameworks and strategies for enhanced resilience
Adopting comprehensive frameworks and strategies is also essential for building a robust cyber resilience infrastructure. Frameworks like NIST2 and MITRE offer structured approaches, guiding organizations through the complexities of cybersecurity and resilience.
In the US, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides comprehensive guidelines and frameworks for cybersecurity, including the widely recognized NIST Cybersecurity Framework. This framework offers a flexible approach to managing cybersecurity risks, emphasizing the importance of identifying, protecting, detecting, responding, and recovering from cyber incidents.
MITRE, on the other hand, is known for its MITRE ATT&CK framework, a globally accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations. This framework is used as a foundation for the development of specific threat models and methodologies in the cybersecurity community, helping organizations to understand and prepare for potential attack scenarios.
Both frameworks help in identifying vulnerabilities, setting priorities and implementing measures that go beyond conventional defence mechanisms. They encourage a holistic view of cybersecurity, encompassing not just technical defences but also aspects like risk management, incident response and recovery strategies.
By aligning with such frameworks, organizations can develop a more nuanced understanding of their cybersecurity position, enabling them to anticipate, withstand, and recover from adverse cyber events more effectively. This strategic alignment ensures that cybersecurity efforts are not just about meeting compliance standards but are tailored to the specific needs and challenges of the organization, thereby enhancing overall resilience.
Future-proofing against emerging cyber threats
Safegaurding against emerging threats is a critical component of cyber resilience. This requires organizations to stay vigilant and adaptive, anticipating not just current threats but also preparing for future challenges.
The rise of sophisticated AI-driven attacks, for instance, necessitates a forward-thinking approach where defence mechanisms are continuously updated and refined. Organizations must also consider the broader geopolitical landscape, which can influence the nature and frequency of cyber threats.
By integrating advanced technologies, continuous learning and strategic planning, organizations can develop a resilience posture that not only addresses today’s threats but is also agile enough to adapt to the unknown challenges of tomorrow.
This proactive approach to cyber security ensures that organizations are not just responding to threats, but are always a step ahead, ready to counteract and mitigate the risks in this dynamic digital era.
This article was originally published by the World Economic Forum and has been reprinted with permission.
The Rogue: Prince of Persia Preview – We Played The Rogue-lite Prince Of Persia From The Co-Developer Of Dead Cells – Game Informer
When I had the chance to go hands-on with The Rogue: Prince of Persia, I had only watched the credits roll on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown a few nights ago. Before that, the last time I watched credits roll on a new Prince of Persia game was in 2010 with The Forgotten Sands. I was surprised and happy to play a new excellent Prince of Persia game this year, but considering how long I had to wait for that one, I was not holding my breath for another – not even the Sands of Time remake I have been patiently waiting for.
Which is to say it was incredibly surprising when Ubisoft reached out about its new Prince of Persia rogue-lite. It’s not a mode in Lost Crown or a spinoff, as I initially assumed, but rather a whole new game from Evil Empire, the co-developer of Dead Cells. “It’s actually a totally new story and new universe, so it’s not connected to the previous games,” Evil Empire art director Dylan Eurlings tells me when I ask about the game’s canon and relationship to the Princes that came before it.
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But that isn’t to say The Rogue does not have at least some kind of relationship with Lost Crown. “We sold [The Rogue] during [Lost Crown’s] alpha stage,” Evil Empire game director Lucie Dewagnier says. “Since the beginning, we were in communication. They played our game, we played theirs.” Dewagnier follows up with compliments about Lost Crown. “Since we were working on the same franchise, we sometimes had the same ideas, and the same solutions to issues,” Dewagnier says. “We needed to communicate to avoid making the same decision and making the same game.”
When asked if we are getting too much Prince of Persia, Dewagnier laughs and says, “No, I think there is no such thing as too much Prince of Persia.”
While it may not be canonically connected to past Prince of Persias, I asked if we can expect unlockable costumes and comparable items referencing previous games. “It’s not in the game right now. I cannot say we won’t do it, but I cannot say we will,” Dewagnier says with a chuckle. At this point, the team seems focused on just getting the early access version into the hands of players on May 15.
Playing The Rogue
The Rogue: Prince of Persia follows a Prince who has had time travel powers his whole life. He has always had a special item that returns him to the last place he was truly safe before he died, and it has filled him with hubris and a complete disregard for personal safety. Turns out when you can leap from any height and fight anyone without worrying about your mortality, it makes you a pretty formidable acrobat and combatant. Unfortunately, his rash personality with little skill for strategic foresight has attracted an invading Hun army and its magic-wielding king Nogai, which is where this Prince (simply called The Prince once again) begins the game.
I grasped The Rogue’s basic controls quickly, thanks to my history with Dead Cells. In a complementary way, the games feel similar. Pouncing on enemies from above and swinging swords all feel familiar, but The Prince is more acrobatic than The Prisoner (a similarly unnamed protagonist that shares the first three letters of their name). Swinging on bars and clambering up platforms feels like Dead Cells, but it’s running along the walls that feel new for the genre.
The Prince has been running along walls since 2003, but it feels different here. If there is a wall in the background, you can run up and across it to avoid obstacles and get to out-of-reach platforms. Functionally, it feels like a stand-in for a double jump, but it gives the Prince’s movement an individual identity. It’s the kind of mechanic I fear I will miss when playing follow-up 2D platformers in the future.
Evil Empire did experiment with another mechanical staple of Sands of Time – rewinding time to undo short-term mistakes – but made the difficult choice to cut it. “It broke everything – the rhythm, the combat – so we decided to get rid of it,” Dewagnier says. “And I was very sad because it was, for me, the most complex thing I did technically, as a programmer.” It didn’t serve the game, so it had to go. “Sometimes something works. Sometimes something doesn’t work. And you don’t want to land in the sunk cost fallacy and keep something just because.”
Combat overall is manageable. On an Xbox controller, I used the B button to dodge enemies, the Y button to kick them away, and the X button for a familiar standard attack. The Prince also has a ranged weapon with limited use. I didn’t lean on that mechanic too much, but I did find a boomerang-like item that was more satisfying to use than the starter bow and arrow.
Alongside enemy combat, I also found a few rooms that were purely platforming challenges, and those are highlights. Narrowly dodging spinning blades and spiked pits using the Prince’s wall-running ability felt great, and I am certain I will eagerly pursue these challenge rooms whenever they appear.
Perhaps expectedly, the final boss destroyed me. I only got a few hits in before it killed me and sent me back to what appeared to be the night before, where I was hanging out near a campfire with one of the villagers. I had been having a smooth time up until that point, but the boss was a stark reminder of the challenge I was familiar with from Dead Cells. Prince of Persia may be known and potentially appeal to a larger audience than Dead Cells, but Evil Empire is not pulling back on difficulty. “We don’t try to make the game easier. We try to make it accessible,” Dewagnier says. Challenge is necessary to encourage that feeling of consistent growth. When asked if permanent upgrades will be available, Dewagnier says, “It’s something we are still working on. Something we want to work on with the community.”
On a subsequent run, I ran into another friendly townsperson who shared information with the Prince about a new location where the Huns were gathering. I was not able to dive too deeply into it, but finding people out in the world like this rewards new path options to attempt on follow-up runs.
I was eager to attempt another run at the end of my demo session before my online access to the build was callously revoked by the people in charge. I agreed to the timing of my access, but I was still sad to see it go, which bodes well for its upcoming initial release. I want to play more, which I was a little surprised by considering how recently I finished Lost Crown. I wasn’t sure I would be ready to jump into another 2D Prince of Persia game, but The Rogue has its own identity, genre, and style. We can all start attempting our own runs when the game enters Steam Early Access on May 15, which understandably (but somewhat disappointingly) will not represent the game’s full narrative. “You will see the first act of the story. We have planned for three acts,” Dewagnier says.
Star Wars Outlaws Preview – Exclusive Hands-On Impressions – Game Informer
As one of the main components of our trip out to Malmö, Sweden, for this issue’s cover story, we were the first to get our hands on Star Wars Outlaws, the highly anticipated open-world action game from Massive Entertainment, the studio behind The Division and last year’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Taking place between Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Outlaws puts you in the shoes of Kay Vess, a common pickpocket-turned-thief who gets in over her head and becomes a player in the thriving underworld during this dark period in the Star Wars timeline.
Mirogana
Star Wars Outlaws features several planets and moons for players to explore, including iconic and well-known locales like Tatooine, Kijimi, and Akiva, but my hands-on demo takes place entirely on Toshara, a new moon created by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Given the timeline placement of Star Wars Outlaws, the Empire’s presence is immediately felt and consistently present. After landing on Toshara following an unfortunate turn of events, Kay heads to the moon’s capital city, Mirogana.
Mirogana is dense and multi-leveled, but it was intentionally designed to not be a sprawling city like in other open-world games. “If you open up the map, the location that we’ve built for Mirogana is quite compact,” creative director Julian Gerighty says. “What we wanted to do is to have something that is very dense in activities rather than super expansive where you get lost, and there’s not much to do. It’s very, very focused on providing a dense, busy city experience.”
Following an encounter with a Stormtrooper at the entrance to the city, Kay flashes a fake identification and is allowed through. This exchange is a reminder of the state of the galaxy in this space between the two classic films. Making her way through Mirogana, Kay ignores the beckoning shopkeeps, arcade games, betting areas, and a table hosting the in-universe card game Sabacc to find her way to the cantina. In each city you visit, the cantina is always a central location for getting the lay of the land, gathering intel, and finding work. Toshara – and Mirogana in particular – is primarily a Pyke enclave despite being home to other syndicates as well.
To gain some ground with the Pyke Syndicate, Kay wants to speak with their leader, Gorak. Sadly, he’s in a private VIP section of the cantina, so Kay needs to find a backdoor. Luckily, Kay’s hairpin is a dataspike, so I can lockpick a side door using a rhythm-based minigame. After entering the backroom of the cantina, I see a blue icon in the distance. These icons demonstrate that Kay can send her companion, Nix, to interact with it. In this case, he fetches the item and brings it back. Nix is a merqaal, a new species created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Gerighty describes him as having two sides: Nix is very cute and friendly but also extremely protective of Kay, even to the point of aggression.
Kay reaches Gorak’s suite and is immediately picked out by the Pyke Syndicate leader as an intruder. Kay gets a chance at face time, but after making a joke that lands with a thud and name-dropping the wrong person, Gorak has his guards toss her out. So much for making headway with the Pyke Syndicate. As Kay dusts herself off, Nix reveals he stole Gorak’s ring during the scuffle. A voice tells her that might be an unwise move given the Pyke’s power.
Pyke Infiltration
The voice comes from Danka, a Mirogana broker. She gives Kay a rundown of the syndicates operating on Toshara, then offers her a job from an unknown client. The job? Steal a file from a heavily guarded Pyke stronghold.
This mission surfaces one of the defining elements of Star Wars Outlaws: the Reputation System. Kay must navigate the criminal underworld through four syndicates, each with its own leader. Jabba the Hutt, leader of the Hutt Cartel, stands out as the most recognizable underworld boss Kay crosses paths with, but she’ll also deal with Lady Qi’ra (who many know from Emilia Clarke’s portrayal in Solo: A Star Wars Story) of Crimson Dawn, Queen Ashiga of the Ashiga Clan (a new syndicate created for Outlaws), and Gorak of the Pyke Syndicate.
The Reputation System represents your standing with these four syndicates, ranging from Terrible to Excellent for each individual group. Your reputation with each syndicate determines how that criminal organization treats you. Having a good reputation may mean they let you walk freely in their hideouts, offer you special stock or discounts at shops in their territories, and even help you out if you get into a hairy situation with another syndicate or even the Empire.
In my case, my introduction to the system starts with the mission of stealing from the Pyke Syndicate. I take Kay to the front entrance of Pyke territory, but the organization isn’t exactly eager to roll out the red carpet, even though I just met with their boss. Since my standing with them is firmly in the “Poor” section of the meter, I’ll need to sneak in. I loop down a back alley, climb a ledge, and emerge in a restricted Pyke area.
Star Wars Outlaws strives to provide player agency, but in early portions of a hideout infiltration, you need to be stealthy. As such, Kay’s blaster is off-limits until she can get deeper into the territory. However, you can perform stealthy takedowns to clear the path to her destination. This is where Nix really comes in handy, as you can guide him from the shadows to either distract or attack guards. In this instance, I go the slightly louder route of having Nix run up the guard’s leg and latch onto his head. This way may be a bit louder, but it also means I can have Kay sprint up and take the guard out without being detected.
After taking out and sneaking past a few guards, I find a door that Kay can lockpick. After completing the rhythm minigame, Kay finds herself in what appears to be a maintenance room. Using Nix’s senses, Kay can spot the electrical circuits in the walls, which tell you which buttons to press to call the elevator needed to reach the next area. Sadly, the first elevator doesn’t raise high enough, and the second elevator’s button is out of reach for Kay – but not for Nix. By directing Nix to press the button, Kay lowers the second elevator, creating a makeshift staircase to climb onto a grated wall to reach a ledge. Continuing into the ventilation shafts, a whirling fan impedes Kay’s path, but by telling Nix to pull down the shutter, Kay can blast the power supply and get past the fan.
I use Kay’s grapple hook to swing across a gap, and she reaches the area with the file. Unfortunately, it’s protected by an energy shield with two generators. Even worse, the area is heavily guarded. Since I’ve entered fully hostile territory, I’m able to choose my approach to the generators: Do I continue my stealthy approach, or do I pull Kay’s blaster out of her holster and go in guns blazing? I decide to try the path of least resistance and continue operating in the shadows. Using Kay’s binoculars, I mark enemies to keep track of them once I descend to ground level.
I take out a few enemies using a combination of Nix’s distractions and the “stun” setting on Kay’s blaster, but it doesn’t take long for a guard to spot me, and a shootout begins. Unfortunately, I did not think to disable the alarm system, so it’s triggered. Even if I had taken down the alarm system, it wouldn’t have made a difference, as I accidentally walk past the sightline of a security camera.
I dig in and try my best to keep the Pykes at bay. As I take out more and more Pykes, stronger enemy types emerge with shields and more advanced weaponry. Thankfully, I have healing items, and the fallen enemies drop better weapons than Kay’s blaster that she can use until they run out of ammo. Since I triggered an alarm, my reputation with the Pykes drops; had I made it through without being spotted, my reputation with them would not have taken a hit.
Sadly, that’s not how this played out, as the bodies are piling up, and the enemies are closing in on my location with an increased intensity. At the risk of exposing myself and doing something rash, I make a break for it. In breaking the line of sight with the guards, a blue silhouette shows my last-known location; that’s the first place they’ll look before fanning out to try and find me. I use this temporary de-escalation to make a break for the generators. After quietly taking down the guards stationed by them, I deactivate both generators and go to retrieve what I came for.
The Reputation Game
Kay accesses the terminal and easily finds the file the mysterious client wanted, but she finds something even juicier: video footage of one of Gorak’s underlings plotting against him. Ever the opportunist, Kay knows that someone would pay a pretty penny for this information – maybe even Gorak. That’s right; even after the violence I just took part in with the Pykes – my face on camera and everything – Kay still considered going to their leader. That’s because there’s somewhat of an understanding in the criminal underworld that these relationships aren’t about making friends. They’re about mutual benefit.
It seems like Kay is set on giving it to Gorak to curry favor, but after returning to the Mirogana cantina with the file for the client, she spots another opportunity. It turns out the anonymous client was a member of Crimson Dawn, and this file retrieval was a test to see if the syndicate could rely on Kay for more important jobs. With a foot now in the door, Kay thinks fast, wondering if she should give the extra file regarding the Pyke Syndicate coup to Crimson Dawn instead. At this moment, the player has a choice: Do you provide it to the Pyke Syndicate as initially planned or your new associates in Crimson Dawn? I opt to give it to Crimson Dawn, causing my reputation with them to increase.
After Stealth Mission
After taking an optional job with another quest giver in the cantina, I return to Danka for more work. She tells me to go to a particular merchant to retrieve a part for Kay’s blaster. Sadly, when I arrive, I learn he doesn’t have it, but I can probably steal the part from a nearby syndicate. Player agency and the Reputation System again pop up in my playthrough, as I can choose if I want to steal it from the Pyke Syndicate or Crimson Dawn. Both of them have a presence in Mirogana, but since I have a better reputation with Crimson Dawn, they let me walk right in without resistance.
However, even with my decent reputation with them, they’ll only let me get so close. My reputation isn’t good enough to get into the guarded heart of Crimson Dawn territory, so it’s back to the stealth mechanics. Like the earlier Pyke encounter, if I can get in and get out without raising the alarm, Kay’s reputation with Crimson Dawn won’t take a hit, so I make that my goal. After some close calls and last-second takedowns, I reach the part without making Crimson Dawn skittish about trusting me.
Outside the City Walls
Before wrapping up my demo, I get a brief chance to explore the open world of Toshara outside of Mirogana. With a press of a button, I summon a speeder, which Massive designed with inspiration from a Swedish motorbike manufacturer. The vehicle feels excellent in action – smooth, quick, and agile like a speeder should. After some brief navigation that includes hearing radio chatter for some activities I could pursue, I arrive at a small town called Jaunta’s Hope, which is the current location of Kay’s ship, the Trailblazer.
I need to go to a nearby building and grab an item from it, but the door is locked. After a quick modification to Kay’s blaster, her weapon gains the Ion Blast ability, which gives her an advantage over droid enemies and allows her to solve environmental puzzles like this one. Kay can access the building and loot all the goodies by shooting the two transformers for the lock with the Ion Blast.
Unfortunately, just as I was starting to get a true feel for the gameplay loop of Star Wars Outlaws, my session ended. I didn’t have an opportunity to explore the Reputation System truly, but I love the notion of keeping up appearances with the various syndicates, not to mention making sure not to annoy the Empire too much.
After spending my afternoon taking in the sights and sounds of Toshara, I came away excited about how far you can manipulate the various systems at play in Star Wars Outlaws. Massive Entertainment came into the project wanting to create the ultimate scoundrel experience set in the Star Wars galaxy, and from what I’ve seen and played, it has a lot of important elements in place to accomplish that goal. I’m more excited than ever to get my hands on the final product when it arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30.
EA Shuts Down Dead Space 2 Remake Rumors After Reports Indicate It Was Shelved
Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grub reported earlier today that EA’s Motive Studio was working on a Dead Space 2 remake before it was shelved following lackluster sales of the team’s Dead Space remake last year. However, EA has denied Grubb’s reporting, telling IGN, “We don’t normally comment on rumors but there is no validity to this story.”
On Giant Bomb’s Game Mess Mornings show, Grubb said, “They were working on it, they were working on Dead Space 2 and they are no longer working on it. It is on the shelf because the first game had lackluster sales, is how it was phrased to me.”
He continues, adding, “As it stands right now, they were working on it; it was in the concepting phase…pre-production, and now that work has been put on the shelf.”
Grubb revealed this today following yesterday’s news from Motive itself, where general manager Patrick Klaus announced the studio was creating a new team to support EA’s Battlefield franchise while development on its Iron Man game with Marvel continues. Hours later, EA denied Grubb’s claim in a statement to IGN.
Following up on IGN‘s report, Grubb said on X (formerly Twitter), “I give you my permission to believe EA if you want, but whenever a company says ‘that isn’t true’ but they don’t specify which part of the story they are talking about, well…yeah. Dead Space 2 was definitely being planned. It had a code name. And they aren’t making it now.”
IGN news director Kat Bailey, who wrote IGN‘s story about all this today, responded to Grubb, saying, “My understanding based on my own sources is that the Dead Space 2 Remake was never considered. Also, EA’s statement was pretty definitive.”
My understanding based on my own sources is that the Dead Space 2 Remake was never considered. Also, EA’s statement was pretty definitive.
— Kat Bailey🏳️🌈 (@The_Katbot) April 10, 2024
And that’s where it stands today. Grubb said Motive was working on a remake of Dead Space 2 before it was shelved following lackluster sales of last year’s Dead Space remake, and EA says that’s not true. Unfortunately, we’ll likely never know the true story here, but if you were holding out hope for a remake of Dead Space 2, it’s not happening for now it seems.
For what’s it’s worth, we asked Dead Space remake creative director Roman Campos-Oriola about the possibility of a Dead Space 2 remake in an interview conducted a few weeks after the game’s launch. His response: “…we’ll see how the game performs, what the company wants, what the studio wants, what we as a team we want to do, and we’ll figure it out from there. But for the moment, there’s no specific plan defined.”
For more, read Game Informer’s review of Dead Space remake, and then read about Motive’s in-development Iron Man game.
Were you hoping for a remake of Dead Space 2 or are you glad Motive is working on Battlefield and Iron Man instead? Let us know in the comments below!
Darkest Dungeon II: Race Against The Clock In Free New ‘Kingdoms’ Game Mode Later This Year
Developer Red Hook Studios has revealed Kingdoms, a new free game mode coming to Darkest Dungeon II later this year. In a race against the clock, Kingdoms challenges players with finding and defeating monstrous threats before they overwhelm the kingdom, which is spread across towns, safe haven inns, and more.
Kingdoms will be free for all Darkest Dungeon II players on PC (the game is not available on consoles) and alongside new gameplay mechanics, it brings with it three new monster factions: The Coven, Beastmen, and Crimson Courtiers. Plus, Kingdoms can be played independently of the base “Confessions” campaign mode.
Check out the new Darkest Dungeon II: Kingdoms update trailer for yourself below:
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“Kingdoms is an exciting project for us,” Red Hook Studios co-founder and Darkest Dungeon II creative director Chris Bourassa writes in a press release. “If you look at our release history, no game or DLC has ever retread ground, and we’re proud to continue that tradition here. This new mode will blend some of the permanence and roster management of the original Darkest Dungeon with the traversal and combat of Darkest Dungeon II. Best of all, this is a massive, free update to Darkest Dungeon II, packing our flagship title with even more content and value for our players.
“At Red Hook, we evaluate projects based on their potential to elicit surprise, delight, and despair. Kingdoms hits all three. We can’t wait to share more with the community.”
While defending the kingdom, players will journey across vast lands to gather resources and battle evil incursions in Kingdoms. Acquired resources can be used to upgrade your heroes and the inns as well, which can be improved via separate upgrade trees. Like the base “Confessions” game mode, Kingdoms will feature unique questlines for players to complete.
The Kingdoms update is expected to hit Darkest Dungeon II on PC in late 2024.
For more, read Game Informer’s Darkest Dungeon II review.
Are you going to check out Kingdoms in Darkest Dungeon II later this year? Let us know in the comments below!