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Technology

Street Fighter developer breaks sales milestones with multiple titles

Street Fighter developer breaks sales milestones with multiple titles

Capcom, the developer and publisher of several popular titles like Street Fighter, Monster Hunter, and Resident Evil, recently updated its list of “Platinum Titles” — titles that have sold over one million copies. These numbers are recent as of June 30, 2022.

While Capcom publishes regular updates to its Platinum Titles, several of the updates included in the recent filing include huge milestones for popular titles, such as Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village.

Here is a list of the biggest updates:

• Monster Hunter Rise (Switch/PC) sold 10.3 million units, with an additional 1.3 million units since March 31.

• Devil May Cry 5 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) sold 5.7 million units, with an additional 700,000 since March 31.

• Resident Evil Village (PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, PC) sold over 6.4 million units, with an additional 300,000 since March 31.

• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (PS4, Xbox One, PC) has sold over 9.5 million units, adding 300,000 since March 31.

• Resident Evil 3 (Remake) (PS4, Xbox One, PC) sold over 5.4 million units, adding only 200,000 since March 31.

• Resident Evil 2 (Remake) (PS4, Xbox One, PC) sold over 9.8 million units, adding only 200,000 since March 31.

• Resident Evil 7 biohazard (PS4, Xbox One, PC) broke the 11 million unit threshold, adding 200,000 sales since March 31.

• Devil May Cry HD Collection (PS4, Xbox One, PC) finally entered the Platinum Title list, selling over 1.1 million copies.

While it shows that Resident Evil 2 (Remake) reached 9.8 million units, in the month since June 30, it was confirmed that the title pushed over the 10 million copies sold hurdle.

While these numbers are fantastic for Capcom’s game division, not everything is sunshine and roses. Resident Evil fans are not happy about the recent Netflix series that launched a few weeks ago, as it only tangentially relates to the existing franchise. Capcom is also set to reveal new information about its upcoming fighter, Street Fighter 6, at this weekend’s fighting game world championship Evo.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.

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Categories
Sports

Kyle Chalmers wins ‘bittersweet’ 100 meters freestyle gold at the Commonwealth Games, father Brett calls out media ‘bullying’

Kyle Chalmers wins 'bittersweet' 100 meters freestyle gold at the Commonwealth Games, father Brett calls out media 'bullying'

Kyle Chalmers said it took all his strength and courage to win his third gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the men’s 100m freestyle.

It wasn’t his fastest swim, but he said it was “bigger than just me racing”.

“It’s very, very bittersweet. It’s been the most-challenging, probably 48 hours of my swimming career,” Chalmers said.

“And, as much as it’s nice to win, it’s probably just a big sense of relief, rather than the satisfaction that I thought I’d feel and want to feel after a performance like that.”

Chalmers has been the center of intense scrutiny over his personal life, and it came to a head at the Sandwell Aquatics Center a couple of nights ago, where he faced more questioning over unsourced rumors about rifts in the team after winning the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay .

The 24-year-old considered walking away, and admitted he barely slept ahead of the 100m freestyle heats.

But I have pushed on to send a message.

Kyle Chalmers holds a finger to his lips in the Commonwealth Games pool.
Gold medalist Kyle Chalmers sent a message to the media after weeks of intense scrutiny.(AP: Kirsty Wigglesworth)

“I’ve definitely had big battles with mental health over a long time, and it’s one of the most-challenging things that I’ve had to face and see my teammates face and family face,” he said.

“I think it’s important that people have the courage to stand up and speak about it.

“I’ve been around for a while and I need to create the conversation and try to help people going through similar things and just make it more normal.

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Australia

Prominent business figure resigns after racially insensitive comments

Prominent business figure resigns after racially insensitive comments

The Property Council of Australia is one of Australia’s pre-eminent bodies representing property developers and builders.

The Victorian division has been destabilized by the controversy, which was first reported in The Age last week. Senior managers from the national office in Sydney flew to Melbourne two weeks ago to speak to staff about the matter.

Council chief executive Ken Morrison wrote to property companies affiliated to the peak body arguing it was “completely inaccurate” to suggest that the complaint was handled slowly or inappropriately. However, he admitted it would have been optimal to communicate with member organizations before media outlets reported the incident.

“I want to make clear from the very outset that we have taken this matter very seriously,” Morrison said in an email obtained by The Age. “Danni has taken responsibility for the impact of her conduct on her and has provided a full apology, and I have also applied a number of other strong and appropriate consequences.

“The person who raised the matter was at all times treated with respect… We are also supporting Danni, who is currently on leave.”

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Council sources said some staff in the Victorian branch felt the organization lacked cultural sensitivity and accepted casual racism in everyday conversation.

There has been a considerable staff turnover at the Victorian branch recently, including the departure of two of Hunter’s deputy executive directors to rival organisations. The turnover is unrelated to Hunter’s comments on him.

Hunter, who worked for Opposition Leader Matthew Guy when he was planning minister in the Baillieu-Napthine government, has been touted as a future Liberal Party MP.

The corporate figure rose to one of the most high-profile peak body leadership positions at a relatively young age.

Her relationship with the Andrews government deteriorated during the pandemic when she was a forceful critic of some government lockdown policies that contributed to financial losses for the council’s member companies deprived of rental income as people worked from home.

The relationship reached its nadir during a debate over a Victorian government proposal to tax developers to pay for public housing in exchange for speedier planning approvals.

Premier Daniel Andrews punished Hunter and accused her of reneging on an agreement to publicly support the tax. Hunter denies any such agreement existed.

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US

Liz Cheney touts Kevin Costner’s endorsment in a tweet

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., vice chair of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 US Capitol insurrection, delivers her "Time for Choosing" speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum Wednesday, June 29, 2022, in Simi Valley, Calif. The speech is part of a series focusing on the conservative movement to address critical questions facing the future of the Republican Party.

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Business

City chief: Market Square ‘a feasting sore’

City chief: Market Square 'a feasting sore'

Market Square UK 2022Geelong’s Market Square shopping center and Busport transport interchange have been described as “festering sores” in an extraordinary speech by the City of Greater Geelong’s highest ranking officer.

The outburst took many city councillors by surprise, with a source telling Geelong Broadcasters the CEO’s frank comments were certain to be discussed at tonight’s scheduled meeting.

Martin Cutter’s address to a business luncheon last week included criticisms of what he views as the city’s dependence on cars at the expense of “active transport” options such as bicycles.

According to the Geelong Advertiser Mr Cutter, who will finish up next month after cutting his contract short, laid bare his intense dislike for the bus exchange.

“I hate it. I think we all hate it,” he reportedly said.

“It needs to go, it needs to be shifted – it needs to be improved.”

Martin Cutter credit CoGGCouncilor Eddy Kontelj told Geelong Broadcasters he agreed that the bus terminal was problematic.

“We should be doing something about it and the state government should be doing something about it,” Cr Kontelj said.

“I just wish that Martin had used his voice earlier on to express the concerns that we have around that issue.”

Cr Kontelj was more guarded about his thoughts on the privately-owned Market Square, saying the city needed to be “in the tent” with the facility’s owners and trying to forge a way forward.

“What we can’t do is be just throwing blows through the media. What we need to be doing is working with the owners of the property to try and find a solution.”

Mr Cutter pointed to Melbourne’s Emporium as an example of what shopping center improvements can achieve.

“It’s easy for me to say, I don’t have the investment funds, council doesn’t have the investment funds, but it’s not working, something needs to be done in the area to lift that,” he told the event, which was hosted by the Urban Development Institute of Australia.

He also took aim at overwhelming criticism of the city’s controversial bike lanes.

“We all have an opinion about bike lanes. We can all be critical about the way they look and what they do, but if we’re going to make Geelong different we need to invest in active transport.

“We can’t keep making more roads, it will not fix what our problems are – it’s about being visionary, about looking to the future and deciding what we want Geelong to look like and not just asking for more cars to come into the center of the city.”

Mr Cutter announced his resignation in early July, saying he wanted to focus on ‘personal pursuits’ and spend time with his family.

Image: (top) Market Square [Geelong Broadcasters]; (middle) outgoing CoGG CEO Martin Cutter (City of Greater Geelong)

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Categories
Technology

Bacteria powering truly green revolution in personal electronics

Bacteria powering truly green revolution in personal electronics

AMHERST, Mass. – Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced that they have figured out how to engineer a biofilm that harvests the energy in evaporation and converts it to electricity. This biofilm, which was announced in Nature Communications, has the potential to revolutionize the world of wearable electronics, powering everything from personal medical sensors to personal electronics.

“This is a very exciting technology,” says Xiaomeng Liu, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering at UMass Amherst’s College of Engineering and the paper’s lead author. “It is real green energy, and unlike other so-called ‘green-energy’ sources, its production is totally green.”

That’s because this biofilm—a thin sheet of bacterial cells about the thickness of a sheet of paper—is produced naturally by an engineered version of the bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens. G. sulfurreducens is known to produce electricity and has been used previously in “microbial batteries” to power electrical devices. But such batteries require that G. sulfurreducens is properly cared for and fed a constant diet. By contrast, this new biofilm, which can supply as much, if not more, energy than a comparably sized battery, works, and works continuously, because it is dead. And because it’s dead, it doesn’t need to be fed.

“It’s much more efficient,” says Derek Lovley, Distinguished Professor of Microbiology at UMass Amherst and one of the paper’s senior authors. “We’ve simplified the process of generating electricity by radically cutting back on the amount of processing needed. We sustainably grow the cells in a biofilm, and then use that agglomeration of cells. This cuts the energy inputs, makes everything simpler and widens the potential applications.”

The secret behind this new biofilm is that it makes energy from the moisture on your skin. Though we daily read stories about solar power, at least 50% of the solar energy reaching the earth goes toward evaporating water. “This is a huge, untapped source of energy,” says Jun Yao, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMass, and the paper’s other senior author. Since the surface of our skin is constantly moist with sweat, the biofilm can “plug-in” and convert the energy locked in evaporation into enough energy to power small devices.

“The limiting factor of wearable electronics,” says Yao, “has always been the power supply. Batteries run down and have to be changed or charged. They are also bulky, heavy, and uncomfortable.” But a clear, small, thin flexible biofilm that produces a continuous and steady supply of electricity and which can be worn, like a Band-Aid, as a patch applied directly to the skin, solves all these problems.

What makes this all work is that G. sulfurreducens grows in colonies that look like thin mats, and each of the individual microbes connects to its neighbors through a series of natural nanowires. The team then harvests these mats and uses a laser to etch small circuits into the films. Once the films are etched, they’re sandwiched between electrodes and finally sealed in a soft, sticky, breathable polymer that you can apply directly to your skin. Once this tiny battery is “plugged in” by applying it to your body, it can power small devices.

“Our next step is to increase the size of our films to power more sophisticated skin-wearable electronics,” says Yao, and Liu points out that one of the goals is to power entire electronic systems, rather than single devices.

This research was nurtured by the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at UMass Amherst, which combines deep and interdisciplinary expertise from 29 departments to translate fundamental research into innovations that benefit human health and well-being.

/PublicRelease. This material from the originating organization/author(s) may be of a point-in-time nature, edited for clarity, style and length. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s).

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Australia

Indonesia’s nuclear subs protest shows Australian relations will be no easy ride

Indonesia's nuclear subs protest shows Australian relations will be no easy ride

By definition, they are unlikely to all fall in together behind Indonesia and two of the largest members, India and Pakistan, are nuclear powers but non-signatories to the NPT.

Sugiono argues Indonesia could have made a stronger case to convince other countries to join its cause if it had directly referenced Australia and AUKUS.

A US Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine.

A US Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine. Credit:AP

The submission was one of three on nuclear-fueled submarines made to the conference. The others were a joint submission from the AUKUS countries Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, and by China, a fervent opponent of the deal.

“By pointing at the actual case [Australia and AUKUS] we could build a strong argument to convince other countries that we must do something,” Sugiono said.

“The reason for not mentioning it since the beginning is perhaps that Indonesia does not want to disturb its relations with Australia.”

“I am not so optimistic because our working paper was not firm enough to express what we wanted.”

Even if Indonesia’s case for re-working the NPT fails its uneasiness is not going to go away.

A recent poll by Australia’s Lowy Institute indicated there was low public awareness of Australia’s submarine project in Indonesia – only 11 per cent of Indonesians had heard of AUKUS, with 28 per cent believing it would make their country less safe.

Indonesia’s anxiety has not morphed into a diplomatic flashpoint – and Australia has avoided another potential one by refusing calls to shut the border over a foot and mouth disease outbreak.

But Susannah Patton, the South-East Asia program director at the Lowy Institute, believes that while differences over AUKUS can be managed in the short term, Australia’s submarine ambitions stand to have lasting implications on its relationships with Indonesia and with others in the region.

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“Those concerns [of Indonesia] are things that Australia should be worried about because it points to the fact that Australia and Indonesia have very different world views and that will have an impact on our long-term relationship,” she said.

“It will have an impact on the kind of things Indonesia is willing to support us on and on the kind of activities that Indonesia would be willing to join, in terms of regional minilateral groups or other diplomatic issues.”

Patton said Indonesia’s apprehension underscored the need for Australia to make a much greater effort in providing strategic reassurance to Indonesia as well as messages of deterrence to China. Australia needs to also do a better job of having meaningful consultation with Indonesia “not just on AUKUS, but on a whole range of deterrent capabilities that the ADF [Australian Defence Force] is going to be investing in,” she said.

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US

Dentist Found Guilty of Murdering His Wife on a Hunting Trip

Dentist Found Guilty of Murdering His Wife on a Hunting Trip

A dentist was found guilty by a federal jury on Monday of fatally shooting his wife in the heart on a big game hunting trip to Zambia in 2016 and then collecting nearly $4.9 million in insurance benefits.

The jury found the dentist, Lawrence Rudolph, guilty on one count of murder of a US national in a foreign country and one count of mail fraud after deliberating for a day and a half at the conclusion of a three-week trial in a federal courtroom in Denver.

Bianca Rudolph, Dr. Rudolph’s wife of 34 years, died at the end of a hunting trip. Dr. Rudolph, 67, who goes by Larry, pleaded not guilty to her death in January.

“We are thankful for the jury’s diligence looking at all the evidence in this case,” Cole Finegan, the US attorney for the district of Colorado, said in a statement. “Bianca Rudolph served justice.”

Dr. Rudolph’s lawyers will appeal the decision, David Oscar Markus, a criminal trial lawyer based in Miami, said. Two of Dr. Rudolph’s adult children signed affidavits saying they believed in his innocence of him.

“We are extremely disappointed,” his lawyers said in a statement. “We believe in Larry and his children by him.”

Dr. Rudolph, who is set to be sentenced on Feb. 1, 2023, could face a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty for the murder charge. The mail fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

In 2016, the couple went to Zambia, traveling to the Kafue National Park, an area roughly the size of New Jersey that is popular with safari operators. It is home to cheetahs, hippos, lions, rare antelopes and leopards, the last of which Ms. Rudolph hoped to hunt on the trip.

A hunting guide and game scout said they rushed to the cabin on the morning of Oct. 11, 2016, after they heard a gunshot, according to federal court documents. They saw Ms. Rudolph bleeding from her left side of her chest. Dr. Rudolph said his wife had accidentally discharged the shotgun as she was putting it away, while he was in the bathroom.

Local Zambian law enforcement determined that Ms. Rudolph’s death was an accident.

Investigators later said that Dr. Rudolph had been involved in a relationship with Lori Milliron during the marriage and at the time of his wife’s death, and that he had made adjustments to the life insurance policies for her that same year. Prosecutors argued during the trial that Dr. Rudolph killed his wife for financial reasons and to be with Ms. Milliron.

“I absolutely did not shoot my wife,” Dr. Rudolph said at the trial on Wednesday, according to The Colorado Springs Gazette. “I did not murder my wife for insurance. I did not murder my wife to be with Lori Milliron or anyone else.”

Ms. Milliron was found guilty of being an accessory to murder, obstruction of justice and two counts of perjury before the grand jury. She is the manager of his dentistry practice in Greensburg, Pa., according to court documents.

She will remain free with an ankle monitor until sentencing, according to The Associated Press. Ms. Milliron was found not guilty on three other counts of perjury. Her lawyer de ella did not respond to requests for comment.

“We can only hope this verdict brings Bianca’s family some amount of peace,” Mr. Finegan, the US attorney, said.

Dr. Rudolph told investigators that a Browning 12-gauge shotgun went off by accident as Ms. Rudolph was packing it. He sought to have her body cremated not long after her death, which made US consular officials suspicious. At the time, he cited the inconvenience of moving the body internationally, but investigators noted that Dr. Rudolph had arranged for several large animals he hunted to be transported internationally in the past.

A friend of Ms. Rudolph also told FBI officials that it was unlikely she would have wanted to be cremated because of her religious views.

The Zambia Police Service determined the “firearm was loaded from the previous hunting activities, and the normal safety precautions at the time of packing the firearm were not taken into consideration, causing the firearm to accidentally fire,” according to a summary cited in federal court documents.

But when the FBI and US consular officials tried to reconstruct the shooting, they determined it was unlikely she had accidentally pulled the trigger. They said that she had been shot from six and a half to eight feet away.

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Business

Australian traffic controller makes $3,000 a week on the roads

Australian traffic controller makes $3,000 a week on the roads

A young Aussie traffic controller has hit back at trolls who made fun of her job by revealing she can make up to $750 a day working on the roads.

Road worker Chloe Brianna took to TikTok to clap back at trolls who said she was “standing around doing nothing” and told her to “get a real job”.

The young woman responded to the cruel comments by revealing just how much she makes each week as a road worker.

In a now-viral video, Chloe, who works in Victoria, claims she earned an eye-watering $3073.75 in a week as a FIFO worker – which totaled $2280.75 after tax.

“What I make in a wheel, nightshift and living away as a traffic controller” she wrote.

“Monday 13 hours – $672.44 + $76.88 living away allowance. Tuesday 12 hours – $606.22 + $76.88 living away allowance.

“Wednesday 12 hours – $606.22 + $76.88 living away allowance. Thursday 12 hours – $606.22 + $76.88 living away allowance.

“Friday 5.25 hours – $275.16. Total (before tax) $3073.75, (after tax) $2280.75.”

Chloe’s video rapidly went viral and now sits at over 1 million views.

In a few other follow up videos, she showed that her weekly rate can differ depending on where she works and her hours.

While she might make over $3,000 one week, another week she took home $2,379.

If Chloe makes an average of $2,500 a week, this would still see her bring in $130,000 a year.

She also cleared up that when working away from home, her accommodation if paid for – but she still needs to buy her own groceries, like she would at home.

“Honestly this is one of the best jobs in the world” she wrote on her TikTok page.

“It can be mentally challenging sometimes but tt’s so worth it.

“So much traveling and meeting new people every day. Wouldn’t change it for the world.”

While many applauded her success and inquired as to how they could get into the industry, others attacked Chloe’s career choice.

“Ridiculous how much they get paid to stand with a stop sign, listening to music and scrolling on your phone” one person said.

“Paid for just standing there, what a world.”

“Half a brain, twice the $$$, any mentally challenged person could do this” one troll taunted.

“Way to choose an easy and unskilled job.”

Many in the industry jumped to Chloe’s defense and to test that the job is not as “easy” as some perceive.

“People need to understand it’s not just standing around” one person said.

“We need to be always on our game for anything.”

“It’s actually harder than people think” another said.

“I’m a traffic controller and some of the abuse we get is brutal.”

Read related topics:TikTok

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Categories
Technology

Symphony Of War Is A Steam Hit Perfect For Fire Emblem Fans

Symphony Of War Is A Steam Hit Perfect For Fire Emblem Fans

Warriors prepare to fight in one of Symphony of War's tactical battles.

screenshot: Dancing Dragon Games

There’s been a raft of intriguing strategy RPGs this yearbut one of my favorites so far is Symphony of War. It’s been climbing the charts on Steam in recent months, and for good reason. From a distance it looks like another Fire Emblem knockoff. Up close it’s doing enough interesting things to stand on its own, and I really recommend you give it a shot.

Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga quietly came out on Steam in June and has been rack up positive reviews ever since. Developed by an indie team called Dancing Dragon Games with a history of RPG Maker projects, it’s a trope-filled military drama about civil war and demonic threats. But you can pretty much ignore all that. Beneath the predictable plot and airbrushed character portraits is a deep strategy game that’s hard to put down. Personally, I think it’s even better in the strategy department than Triangle Strategy.

Make no mistake: Symphony of War is old-school. While newer entries in the Fire Emblem series have delved deeper into visual novel elements and relationship mechanics, it’s focused almost exclusively on renewing the nuts and bolts of classic grid-based battles. What works so well is that Symphony of War nails the basics and also adds plenty of new wrinkles for fans to dig into (especially those who also dug last year’s Dark Deity).

gif: Dancing Dragon Games / Kotaku

The biggest one is that each individual unit represents an entire squad made up multiple types of fighters. Maybe there are some knights in front flanked by pikemen while wizards and archers rain down death from the back. When two units move next to each other and throw down, a mini-turn-based skirmish ensues. Mages in the back cast fireballs and healing spells while knights in the front dish out melee damage. Combat unfolds across two rounds, with attackers getting the first turn and the defending side going second. Some fighters can only attack on the first or second turn, while others will occasionally luck into a bonus turn. The action is easy to follow and yet also opens up plenty of room for customization.

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Vertagear Summer Sales 2022

Up to $200 off

Vertagear Summer Sales 2022

Ergonomic premium quality
Vertagear has a number of gaming chairs on sale right now. One in particular that caught our eye is the PL4500 which is embroidered with Swarovski crystals down to $500. You can also get one of their RGB kits to add a set of lights to either the top cutout sections around the headrest or a bottom LED kit for $200 to light up underneath like your chair is in Need for Speed: Underground 2.

Adding more subtle layers of complexity are unique fighter bonuses and an extensive research tree. Horseback fighters get to attack first without retribution. Infantry provide defensive bonuses to nearby units. And archers can naturally attack from a distance without facing counter-attacks. These and other stats can then be augmented and magnified by researching new tech. Rather than leveling up specific units, you’re growing the overall capabilities of your army.

A map shows where grid-based combat takes place in Symphony of War.

screenshot: Dancing Dragon Games

in this way Symphony of War forces you to sometimes think like a 4X strategist while playing like a traditional JRPG enthusiast. Instead of customizing one single party and fighting through a dungeon, you’re building up a small army of them and taking on a whole battlefield. Completing missions faster and capturing enemy units and buildings along the way nets you extra money and points that can then be poured back into outfitting your various crews. Just a few novel tweaks and the decades-old tactical JRPG formula feels fresh and modern again in 2022.

A few other games have also taken hybrid approaches to tactical RPGs recently. The Iron Oath and Songs of Conquest both come to mind. The former is a roguelike with battles that take place on a hexagonal grid. The latter also sports a hexagonal battlefield in service of map exploration and city-building closer to a 4X game. They’re really promising games in their own right (and still in Early Access), yet neither is as focused on plumbing the depths of leveraging small advantages so one group of animated sprites can wipe the floor with another.

Symphony of War is far from a perfect package, but it offers one of the more meaty and innovative takes on the tactics RPG formula I’ve come across in years.

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