By: Mike Orndorff, Founder and Managing Partner, Foundry 45
We’ve heard from various developers in our latest Q&A series offering their best advice in securing funding for new VR projects, a common challenge facing the developer community. Today, Mike Orndorff, Founder and Managing Partner at Foundry 45, a developer company that specializes in creating enterprise-level VR training experiences for Fortune 500 companies, shares insights and best practices to help developers more effectively communicate the ROI of their solutions and create buy-in for their projects.
A common setback that VR developers continue to face is convincing others of the ROI potential of their solutions. You believe your application is the way to go, but trying to win over others with your project and generate new business is no easy feat and can quickly ruin your enthusiasm.
How do developers increase their powers of persuasion to earn more enterprise clients? Here are five steps to gaining buy-in for your solution – and the sale you’re seeking.
Start small and grow fast. VR solutions typically cut across many departments and can garner a lot of excitement in different directions. If you suggest an initial foray that’s too broad in scope, it greatly increases the chance that multiple internal client groups, in their excitement, will try to steer things in opposing directions before a project is even started. This can result in a project that is unfocused, late, over budget, and with deliverables that don’t meet anyone’s needs.
By identifying the smallest use case that can deliver value and building consensus around it, you can leverage the results from that initial project to build wider consensus and branch out into larger endeavors. This approach not only reduces risk, speeds up development, and requires a smaller initial budget, but also allows you to build support and demonstrate ROI for future projects.
Create a Proof of Concept (PoC). When it comes to VR, there is no substitute for putting on a headset and experiencing it first-hand. To educate potential stakeholders, it’s important to develop a PoC to help demonstrate the impact of a proposed VR solution. In addition to increasing buy-in, a PoC can also limit expectation gaps throughout a project and ensure stakeholders understand exactly what they’re buying at scale. A good PoC can make the difference between a successful project and one that runs into roadblocks or, worse, fails because the stakeholders didn’t understand what they were getting.
Identify key stakeholders. In working with a potential client, you may already be talking with one, or several, stakeholders. Though you may have a primary contact, it’s important to identify and involve other key stakeholders that can approve, or obstruct, your project. This includes subject matter experts, the group(s) using and benefiting from the solution, IT, or an executive champion.
More importantly, you need to understand that these stakeholders may have independent motivations, needs, and requirements. Ask yourself, “how does the proposed VR application benefit their interests?” The higher up the food chain, the more likely their interest will be financial and broad, such as cost-savings and ROI across the organization, whereas direct stakeholders may have more personal and immediate needs that can be addressed by your solution.
Paint a clear picture of the solution. Once you understand why stakeholders would be interested in your solution, describe in concrete terms its value to them and to the organization. What is VR going to make easier/faster/better? How will projects go more smoothly with VR collaboration?
Define success through metrics. Discuss your client’s goals ahead of time to align on their definition of success. Knowing how your client is going to evaluate the results of your solution is critical to ensuring that you’re headed in the right direction and focused on the right things. It also allows you to interweave those goals into your proposal and promote agreement across involved stakeholders. Potential measurements to show the value of your solution include:
Engagement: do employees use and enjoy the solution?
Comprehension: how well do new employees understand new concepts presented in a training module?
Speed to competency: how quickly can new employees put concepts into use?
These goals can vary, particularly with the C-suite, who may focus on outcome metrics that can be more readily translated into ROI and look at factors such as productivity, savings, efficiency, and retention.
As is true with many new concepts, introducing VR into an enterprise can be daunting. Whether concerns are centered on the feasibility, efficacy, rollout, or budget for the solution, one thing is certain: the organization’s stakeholders and executives will have questions. Thorough consideration of your approach to them can help smooth the road to acceptance and, ultimately, implementation of your solution.
If you’ve ever wanted to wind balls of yarn, then look no further than this automated machine from Mr Innovative. The YouTuber’s DIY device is powered by an Arduino Nano and an A4988 stepper driver, spinning up a round conglomeration of yarn via a NEMA17 motor and a timing belt.
The ball is wound on an offset spindle, which is mechanically controlled to pitch back and forth and spin itself as the overall assembly rotates, producing an interesting geometric pattern.
User interface consists of a potentiometer and 16×2 I2C LCD display, allowing Mr Innovative to set the winding speed as a percentage. As seen in the video below, it’s able to “spool up” at an impressive rate, potentially creating lots and lots of balls o’ yarn as needed!
‘Raspberry and chips,’ not something you’d like to eat but in the world of silicon it’s actually a great combination. Eben Upton recently shared with us Raspberry Pi’s exciting vision for a revolutionary product that they were working on: a microcontroller, the RP2040, based on Raspberry Pi silicon.
The news was both disruptive and exciting at the same time. At Arduino, we love to put our hands on innovative technologies, micros, sensors and all the building blocks that allow us to fulfill our mission of making technology simple to use for everyone. The curiosity was growing and a few weeks later we were already tinkering with the initial development tools. The processor is a very intriguing beast — it’s a dual-core Cortex-M0+ microcontroller with fairly sophisticated architecture.
Since we have been experimenting quite a bit with multi-core processors with our Pro product, the “Portenta,” we decided to build an Arduino board based on this new silicon.
We started from the Nano format with its own tiny footprint, leveraging on some of the existing key features of other Nanos like the versatile u-blox NINA WiFi and Bluetooth module. The goal being to enable people to develop connected products leveraging our hardware powered by Raspberry silicon, a solid radio module with exceptional performance, and the Arduino Create IoT Cloud.
The new board will come packed with some high-quality MEMS sensors from STM (namely a 9-axis IMU and a microphone), a very efficient power section, and a bunch of other innovations that you can already spot from the design.
Whereas the majority of microcontrollers use embedded flash, the new RP2040 chip uses external flash. To provide plenty of space for all your code and storage we’ve included 16MB flash memory — this is also particularly useful to allow OTA (over-the-air) updates.
But there’s more! We are going to port the Arduino core to this new architecture in order to enable everyone to use the RP2040 chip with the Arduino ecosystem (IDE, command line tool, and thousands of libraries). Although the RP2040 chip is fresh from the plant, our team is already working on the porting effort… stay tuned.
While we consider what other products to develop to leverage the RP2040 architecture, we’d love to hear what you’d like us to build with this exciting new processor.
Join us in welcoming the new Raspberry Pi RP2040 and the newborn Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, which will be available for pre-order in the next few weeks!
– Massimo Banzi (co-founder & chairman) and Fabio Violante (CEO)
James Bruton demonstrates the Coanda effect with an Arduino-controlled rig
Arduino Team — January 20th, 2021
The Coanda effect, as you may or may not know, is what causes flowing air to follow a convex surface. In his latest video, James Bruton shows how the concept can used as a sort of inverted ping pong ball waterfall or staircase.
His 3D-printed rig pushes balls up from one fan stage to another, employing curved ducts to guide the lightweight orbs on their journey.
The fan speeds are regulated with an Arduino Uno and motor driver, and the Arduino also dictates how fast a feeder mechanism inputs balls via a second driver module. While the setup doesn’t work every time, it’s still an interesting demonstration of this natural phenomenon, and could likely be perfected with a bit more tinkering.
In this blog post, I’ll discuss the first research seminar in our six-part series about diversity and inclusion. Let’s start by defining our terms. Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. This might be, for example, age, gender, socio-economic status, disability, ethnicity, religion, nationality, or sexuality. The aim of inclusion is to embrace all people irrespective of difference.
It’s vital that we are inclusive in computing education, because we need to ensure that everyone can access and learn the empowering and enabling technical skills they need to support all aspects of their lives.
We kicked off the series with a seminar from Dr Peter Kemp and Dr Billy Wong focused on computing education in England’s schools post-14. Peter is a Lecturer in Computing Education at King’s College London, where he leads on initial teacher education in computing. His research areas are digital creativity and digital equity. Billy is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Education, University of Reading. His areas of research are educational identities and inequalities, especially in the context of higher education and STEM education.
Dr Peter Kemp
Dr Billy Wong
Computing in England’s schools
Peter began the seminar with a comprehensive look at the history of curriculum change in Computing in England. This was very useful given our very international audience for these seminars, and I will summarise it below. (If you’d like more detail, you can look over the slides from the seminar. Note that these changes refer to England only, as education in the UK is devolved, and England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales each has a different education system.)
In 2014, England switched from mandatory ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to mandatory Computing (encompassing information technology, computer science, and digital literacy). This shift was complemented by a change in the qualifications for students aged 14–16 and 16–18, where the primary qualifications are GCSEs and A levels respectively:
At GCSE, there has been a transition from GCSE ICT to GCSE Computer Science over the last five years, with GCSE ICT being discontinued in 2017
At A level before 2014, ICT and Computing were on offer as two separate A levels; now there is only one, A level Computer Science
One of the issues is that in the English education system, there is a narrowing of the curriculum at age 14: students have to choose between Computer Science and other subjects such as Geography, History, Religious Studies, Drama, Music, etc. This means that those students that choose not to take a GCSE Computer Science (CS) may find that their digital education is thereby curtailed from then onwards. Peter’s and Billy’s view is that having a more specialist subject offer for age 14+ (Computer Science as opposed to ICT) means that fewer students take it, and they showed evidence of this from qualifications data. The number of students taking CS at GCSE has risen considerably since its introduction, but it’s not yet at the level of GCSE ICT uptake.
GCSE computer science and equity
Only 64% of schools in England offer GCSE Computer Science, meaning that just 81% of students have the opportunity to take the subject (some schools also add selection criteria). A higher percentage (90%) of selective grammar schools offer GCSE CS than do comprehensive schools (80%) or independent schools (39%). Peter suggested that this was making Computer Science a “little more elitist” as a subject.
Peter analysed data from England’s National Pupil Database (NPD) to thoroughly investigate the uptake of Computer Science post-14 with respect to the diversity of entrants.
He found that the gender gap for GCSE CS uptake is greater than it was for GCSE ICT. Now girls make up 22% of the cohort for GCSE CS (2020 data), whereas for the ICT qualification (2017 data), 43% of students were female.
Peter’s analysis showed that there is also a lower representation of black students and of students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds in the cohort for GCSE CS. In contrast, students with Chinese ancestry are proportionally more highly represented in the cohort.
Another part of Peter’s analysis related gender data to the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI), which is used as an indicator of the level of poverty in England’s local authority districts. In the graphs below, a higher IDACI decile means more deprivation in an area. Relating gender data of GCSE CS uptake against the IDACI shows that:
Girls from more deprived areas are more likely to take up GCSE CS than girls from less deprived areas are
The opposite is true for boys
Peter covered much more data in the seminar, so do watch the video recording (below) if you want to learn more.
Peter’s analysis shows a lack of equity (i.e. equality of outcome in the form of proportional representation) in uptake of GCSE CS after age 14. It is also important to recognise, however, that England does mandate — not simply provide or offer — Computing for all pupils at both primary and secondary levels; making a subject mandatory is the only way to ensure that we do give access to all pupils.
What can we do about the lack of equity?
Billy presented some of the potential reasons for why some groups of young people are not fully represented in GCSE Computer Science:
There are many stereotypes surrounding the image of ‘the computer scientist’, and young people may not be able to identify with the perception they hold of ‘the computer scientist’
There is inequality in access to resources, as indicated by the research on science and STEM capital being carried out within the ASPIRES project
More research is needed to understand the subject choices young people make and their reasons for choosing as they do.
We also need to look at how the way we teach Computing to students aged 11 to 14 (and younger) affects whether they choose CS as a post-14 subject. Our next seminar revolves around equity-focused teaching practices, such as culturally relevant pedagogy or culturally responsive teaching, and how educators can use them in their CS learning environments.
Meanwhile, our own research project at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Gender Balance in Computing, investigates particular approaches in school and non-formal learning and how they can impact on gender balance in Computer Science. For an overview of recent research around barriers to gender balance in school computing, look back on the research seminar by Katharine Childs from our team.
Peter and Billy themselves have recently been successful in obtaining funding for a research project to explore female computing performance and subject choice in English schools, a project they will be starting soon!
If you missed the seminar, watch recording here. You can also find Peter and Billy’s presentation slides on our seminars page.
In our next research seminar on Tuesday 2 February at 17:00–18:30 BST / 12:00–13:30 EDT / 9:00–10:30 PDT / 18:00–19:30 CEST, we’ll welcome Prof Tia Madkins (University of Texas at Austin), Dr Nicol R. Howard (University of Redlands), and Shomari Jones (Bellevue School District), who are going to talk to us about culturally responsive pedagogy and equity-focused teaching in K-12 Computer Science. To join this free online seminar, simply sign up with your name and email address.
Once you’ve signed up, we’ll email you the seminar meeting link and instructions for joining. If you attended Peter’s and Billy’s seminar, the link remains the same.
PlayStation Store’s new Games Under promotion begins Tuesday, January 19 and brings with it a selection of amazing experiences available at a reduced price for a limited time.
Running until Wednesday February 3 at 11.59pm local time, the Games Under sale includes the likes of multiplayer horror Dead by Daylight: Special Edition PS4 & PS5, open world epic Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and survival horror Resident Evil 2 – Deluxe Edition.
There are plenty of other titles included in the sale – a selection of which you can see below – so check out the full list for European players here and North American players here.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Dead By Daylight: Special Edition
Death Stranding
DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ
GRID Ultimate Edition
House Flipper
Injustice 2 – Legendary Edition
JUMP FORCE – Deluxe Edition
Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker
Need for Speed Payback
Overcooked: Gourmet Edition
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition
RESIDENT EVIL 2 Deluxe
Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Edition
As shown in the video below, the first step was to get it physically set up, modding an old metal bed frame into a support structure. He also added a recessed NPN capacitive sensor to pick up when the bag hits the back of the platform.
The sensor sends “hit” signals to an Arduino Uno via a PC817 optocoupler. The board then counts punches and displays the number of hits on an LCD screen mounted just above eye level.
Whether it’s competing with friends or simply improving your boxing skills, DuctTapeMechanic’s system looks like a fun one to build yourself!
3D-printed mobile robot platform based on the Arduino Due
Arduino Team — January 19th, 2021
Although an Arduino can be a great way to provide computing power for a mobile robot platform, you’ll need a variety of other electronics and mechanical components to get it going. In his write-up, computer science student Niels Post outlines how he constructed a robot that travels via two stepper motors, along with casters to keep it upright. The round chassis is 3D-printed and runs on three rechargeable 18650 batteries.
The platform is based on an Arduino Due, with stepper drivers and a custom PCB to take care of the wiring. The robot has no sensors or navigation aids onboard, but instead relies on an nRF24L01+ module to communicate with a Raspberry Pi that hosts the web interface for control and livestream viewing. This setup employs a webcam to sense and direct the robot through its environment using printed markers.
Hey there PlayStation Nation! Hope you’re all doing well and staying safe during these winter months. We know you’ve all been patiently waiting for more news on Resident Evil Village, and that chill going down your back isn’t from the cold outside – rather, it’s from the spine-tingling terrors that await you in the Resident Evil Showcase making its debut on Thursday, January 21 at 2pm PT / 10pm GMT / 11pm CET.
We won’t spoil all the fun announcements that await, but you’ll definitely want to be there live as it happens. Join our host Brittney Brombacher as we showcase new information on Resident Evil Village, including an extended trailer that unveils a bit more of the world and mysterious new characters, as well as a first look at gameplay! We’ll also have Producer Peter Fabiano there to help guide you through the world of Resident Evil Village and the horrors that await you. If you need to leave the lights on and hide under a blanket, we won’t judge you.
We’ve got a few more surprises in store, but you’ll simply have to wait and see what those are. Be sure to make yourself a hot drink, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket, and tune in on Thursday, January 21 at 2pm PT / 10pm GMT / 11pm CET to catch all the latest live on the PlayStation Twitch and YouTube channels!
Im Rahmen der Game Awards im Dezember wurden jede Menge neuer Spiele angekündigt, deren Erscheinungsdatum täglich näher rückt – es kommen auch immer mehr Titel dazu. Wenn das mal kein Grund zur Freude ist! Finde in diesem Artikel heraus, was Dich schon bald erwartet.
Demnächst im Xbox Game Pass
Control (PC) – 21. Januar Eine geheime Bundesbehörde in New York wurde von einer paranormalen Macht überfallen. Als neu ernannter Direktor ist es Deine Aufgabe, die Behörde aus den Fesseln der mysteriösen Kraft zu befreien. Dieses Third-Person-Adventure verlangt Dir alles ab und ist nur dann zu meistern, wenn Du das Zusammenspiel mehrerer übernatürlicher Fähigkeiten perfekt beherrschst.
Desperados III (Android, Konsole und PC) – 21. Januar Mit Desperados III erscheint die lang erwartete Fortsetzung von Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive. In dem von Taktik geprägten Stealth-Game triffst Du auf spannende Charaktere, die sinnbildlich für den Wilden Westen stehen. Dein persönliches Abenteuer führt Dich von authentischen Kleinstädten über gefährliche Sumpf- und Flussufer bis hin zum ultimativen Showdown – mit der Waffe im Anschlag.
Donut County (Android, Konsole und PC) ID@Xbox – 21. Januar Donut County ist ein Story-basiertes Puzzle-Spiel, in dem Du die Rolle eines immer größer werdenden Lochs einnimmst. Nimm den niedlichen Charakteren, die Du auf Deiner Reise triffst, ihren Müll ab und entsorge ihn im großen Loch.
Outer Wilds (Android) ID@Xbox – 21. Januar Das Sonnensystem ist so mystisch wie gefährlich und es liegt in Deiner Hand, die schier endlosen Weiten des Alls zu erforschen. Nutze Dein eigenes Raumschiff, Dein Jetpack und Deine Vermessungssonde, um Geheimnisse zu entschlüsseln und womöglich sogar Audiosignale aus weiter Ferne zu empfangen.
Cyber Shadow(Android, Konsole und PC) ID@Xbox – 26. Januar Die Syntheten haben die Welt erobert. Shadow, der einzige Überlebende seines Clans, macht sich nach einem verzweifelten Hilferuf auf, den Grund des Niedergangs zu finden. Bahne Dir Deinen Weg durch die Ruinen von Mekacity, um die uralten Kräfte des Clans zu entschlüsseln und die Welt von ihrem Leiden zu erlösen.
The Medium(Xbox Series X|S und PC) ID@Xbox – 28. Januar Im Xbox Game Pass ab dem ersten Tag verfügbar! In The Medium löst Du ein dunkles Geheimnis, das sich nur durch ein Medium entschlüsseln lässt. Du findest Dich in einem verlassenen Hotel-Ressort wieder, wo Du mithilfe Deiner übernatürlichen Fähigkeiten zutiefst beunruhigende Geheimnisse aufdeckst. Dabei tauchst Du in zwei unterschiedliche Welten ein, in denen ungelöste Rätsel und unheimliche Gespenster auf Dich warten.
Yakuza Remastered Collection:
Yakuza 3 Remastered (Android, Konsole und PC) – 28. Januar Mit dem Ziel, ihre blutige Vergangenheit hinter sich zu lassen, verlassen Kazuma Kiryu und seine Adoptivtochter Haruka Sawamura die unbarmherzigen Straßen von Kamurocho, um auf der Insel Okinawa das Morning Glory Waisenhaus zu leiten. Trotz seiner friedlichen Absichten werden Kiryu und das Waisenhaus bald in einen tödlichen Machtkampf verwickelt. Gelingt es Kiryu, das Kinderheim zu retten und seiner Vergangenheit ein für alle Mal zu entkommen?
Yakuza 4 Remastered (Android, Konsole und PC) – 28. Januar Nach einem Mord auf dem Territorium des Tojo-Clans nimmt eine kleine Untergruppierung des Clans die Ermittlungen auf. Entscheide Dich für einen der vier Protagonisten Kazuma Kiryu, Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama und Taiga Saejima und tauche in eine verborgene Welt aus Geld, Macht, Status und Ehre ein, um die mysteriöse Strippenzieherin hinter den Taten dingfest zu machen. Mit gefährlichen Gegnern, die zum Schutz ihrer Geheimnisse töten würden, wirft die Suche jedoch mehr Fragen als Antworten auf.
Yakuza 5 Remastered (Android, Konsole und PC) – 28. Januar Kazuma Kiryus neues Leben als unscheinbarer Taxifahrer findet ein jähes Ende, als der Friedensschluss zwischen dem Tojo-Clan und der Omi-Allianz urplötzlich zerbricht. Der Drache von Dojima muss sich erneut mit seiner Vergangenheit auseinandersetzen. Um diejenigen zu schützen, die ihm wichtig sind, kehrt er in die kriminelle Unterwelt zurück. Mit fünf spielbaren Protagonisten in fünf Großstädten hilfst Du Kiryu und seinen Verbündeten bei ihrem Vorhaben, sich in der korrupten Unterwelt zurechtzufinden und eine verheerende Eskalation zu verhindern.
Falls Du es verpasst hast:
What Remains of Edith Finch (Android) ID@Xbox – Ab sofort verfügbar What What Remains of Edith Finch erzählt mehrere Kurzgeschichten über eine Familie aus dem Bundesstaat Washington. Du schlüpfst in die Rolle von Edith, die ihrer Familiengeschichte auf den Grund geht und dabei herausfindet, warum sie die letzte Überlebende ihrer Familie ist.
Ab dem 21. Januar beweist Du Dich mit deinem Team im neuen Rainbow Six Siege Invitational 2020 Event, Road to S.I., und kämpfst um den Meistertitel. Game Pass Mitglieder und alle anderen Spieler können von zu Hause aus am Standard Track teilnehmen und jeden Operator spielen – auch die, die man nicht im Stadion besitzt. Weitere Details dazu findest Du hier.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Hol Dir Deine Perks in der Perks-Galerie auf Deiner Xbox Series X|S oder Xbox One, über die Xbox App auf Windows 10 PC oder die Xbox Game Pass Mobile App auf iOS und Android!
Smite – 26. Januar
Smite Season 8 beginnt am 26. Januar. Ab mit Dir aufs Schlachtfeld mit dem Season 8 Starter Pass, der neue Götter, Skins und mehr enthält.
Xbox Game Pass Quests
Den ganzen Januar über verdoppelt Team Xbox die Punkte, die Du Dir mit Ultimate Quests für EA Play und Xbox Series X|S optimierte Titel verdienst. Diese Happy Hour gilt natürlich auch für Xbox One! Wie wäre es denn zum Beispiel mit dieser Ultimate Quest für doppelte Punkte?
Mass Effect: Andromeda– 100 Punkte: Töte 15 Feinde
Diese Games sagen Tschüss
Auch wenn sich die unten aufgeführten Spiele bald aus dem Xbox Game Pass verabschieden, hast Du noch etwas Zeit, letzte Aufgaben zu erledigen oder Dich nochmal an dem einen oder anderen Speed-Run zu versuchen! Denk daran, dass Du diese Spiele auch kaufen kannst und mit dem Xbox Game Pass dabei bis zu 20 Prozent sparst.
Ab 29. Januar gehen:
Neue Spiele, Spiele, die Du bisher verpasst hast, mehr Vergünstigungen und mehr Quests – das alles sicherst Du Dir mit dem Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Sei schnell und upgrade Deine Mitgliedschaft bis zum 25. Januar, um in den ersten 3 Monaten jeweils nur einen Euro zu bezahlen. Folge unserem Twitter- und Instagram Account für mehr News über Neuerscheinungen im Xbox Game Pass – den deutschen Xbox Game Pass für PC Kanal auf Twitter findest Du hier.
Remember so long ago, way back in December during The Game Awards when we gave you a preview of what games were coming soon? That soon is sooner now than it was then, and we have more games now than we had then, which means we have even more games coming soon now… make sense? Great! Let’s see what’s coming soon(er).
Coming Soon
Control (PC) – January 21 After a secretive agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the Director struggling to regain control. This third-person, action-adventure game will challenge you to master a combination of supernatural abilities that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Desperados III (Android, Console, and PC) – January 21 Desperados III is the long-awaited prequel to Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive. A story-driven, tactical stealth game featuring a colorful cast of characters that epitomize the Wild West, Desperados III takes players on an adventure through rural towns, swamps, and riverbanks, to their ultimate, gun-slinging showdown!
Donut County (Android, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – January 21 Donut County is a story-based, physics puzzle game where you play as an ever-growing hole in the ground. Meet cute characters, steal their trash, and throw them in a hole.
Outer Wilds (Android) ID@Xbox – January 21 Explore for the sake of your curiosity with a hand-crafted solar system filled with secrets to discover and perils to avoid while exploring space. Players are given a variety of tools to aid in their space-backpacking adventure: their very own spaceship and jetpack, a surveyor probe for scouting and taking pictures, and a signal scope to track down audio signals as well as view landmarks from afar.
Cyber Shadow (Android, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – January 26 The world has been taken over by synthetic lifeforms. A desperate plea for help sets Shadow on a journey to uncover what started the path to perpetual ruin. Slash through the techno hordes, leap past traps, and nimbly navigate the ruins of Mekacity. Only you can unlock the secrets to your clan’s ancient powers in Cyber Shadow, the quintessential Ninja Action game.
The Medium (Xbox Series X|S and PC) ID@Xbox – January 28 Available with Xbox Game Pass on day one! Discover a dark mystery only a medium can solve. Travel to an abandoned hotel resort and use your unique psychic abilities to uncover its deeply disturbing secrets, solve dual-reality puzzles, survive encounters with sinister spirits, and explore two realities at the same time.
Yakuza Remastered Collection
Yakuza 3 Remastered (Android, Console, and PC) – January 28 In a quest to abandon their bloody past, Kazuma Kiryu and adoptive daughter Haruka Sawamura leave the unforgiving streets of Kamurocho for the island of Okinawa to run the Morning Glory Orphanage. Despite his efforts, trouble shadows Kiryu and the oorphanage is soon entangled in a deadly power struggle. Can Kiryu rescue the children’s home and escape his past for good?
Yakuza 4 Remastered (Android, Console, and PC) – January 28 A murder in Tojo Clan territory soon sets off an investigation by a small Tojo branch consisting of Kazuma Kiryu, Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima. Follow the four playable protagonists as they unravel a hidden battle over money, power, status, and honor and a mysterious woman at the center of it all. With underground forces readily willing to kill to protect their secrets, the search seems to lead to more questions than answers.
Yakuza 5 Remastered (Android, Console, and PC) – January 28 Kazuma Kiryu’s newfound calm as an unassuming cab driver comes to a sudden end as the standing peace between the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance disintegrates. Forced to reckon with his past once more, the Dragon of Dojima returns to the criminal underworld to protect those he holds dear. With five playable protagonists across five major cities, follow Kiryu and his allies in their quest to navigate the corrupt underbelly and prevent an all-out turf war..
In Case You Missed It
What Remains of Edith Finch (Android) ID@Xbox – Available now What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of short stories about a family in Washington state. Follow Edith as she explores her family history through these stories and tries to figure out why she’s the last one in her family left alive.
DLC / Game Updates
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Lords of the West DLC – January 26 You can use your member discount to save 10% on the upcoming Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition DLC Lords of the West, coming January 26.
Rainbow Six Siege Road to S.I. – January 21 The new Rainbow Six Siege Invitational 2020 event, Road to S.I., starts January 21 and features competitive play for teams fighting for the championship title. Game Pass members and all players can join the program’s standard track at home and play any operator, even those you don’t own in the stadium. Find more details here.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Claim your Perks by going to the Perks gallery on your Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One consoles, Xbox App on Windows 10 PC, or the Xbox Game Pass mobile app on iOS and Android!
Smite – January 26 (Not available in Japan) Smite Season 8 starts January 26! Get started on the Battleground with the Season 8 Starter Pass which includes Gods, skins, and more.
Xbox Game Pass Quests
All through January, we’re doubling the points you can earn from Ultimate Quests for EA Play and Xbox Series X|S Optimized titles. You can still earn the double points playing on an Xbox One console too!
Try this weekly Ultimate Quest now for double points:
Mass Effect: Andromeda – 100 points: Kill 15 Enemies
Leaving Soon
While the games below are leaving soon, there is still some time left to wrap up any loose ends or even attempt a speed run or two! Remember you can buy these games and use your Xbox Game Pass membership discount to save up to 20% before they go!
Leaving January 29
Death Squared (Console)
Death’s Gambit (PC)
Final Fantasy XV (Console and PC)
Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour (Console and PC)
Gris (PC)
Indivisible (Console and PC)
Reigns: Game of Thrones (PC)
Sea Salt (Console and PC)
Lots of games coming soon, some games you might have missed, more perks, more quests… and a reminder that you have until January 25 to pick up your first 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $1! Otherwise that’s a wrap for January. Follow our Twitter and Instagram for a heads up when games are available in the library, or if you just want to read some deep shower thoughts about your keyboard (Sorry friends, your list of Yakuza games to ask for on Twitter is getting shorter!).
Für alle Xbox-Fans wird 2021 ein fantastisches Jahr, denn mit Xbox Series X und Xbox Series S starten wir in die nächste Generation des Gaming!
Natürlich dreht sich auch in diesem, wie in jedem Jahr, alles um die neuesten Spiele. 2021 nutzen Spieleentwickler auf der ganzen Welt die Leistung von Xbox Series X|S noch effektiver nutzen und bieten Dir eine riesige Vielfalt an Inhalten – für jede Art von Gamer. Welche brandneuen Titel von unseren talentierten Partnern und kreativen Teams bei Microsoft auf Dich warten, erfährst Du in diesem Artikel.
Adios – 2021
Adios ist ein filmisch aufgebautes First-Person-Game, in dessen Fokus eine komplizierte Entscheidung des Hauptcharakters steht: Du bist nicht mehr länger damit einverstanden, dass die Mafia ihre Opfer an Deine Schweine verfüttert. Als Dein alter Freund – ein Auftragskiller – mit seinem Handlanger ankommt, um eine weitere Leiche abzuliefern, stellst Du klar, dass ihr miteinander fertig seid. Dein Freund akzeptiert Deinen Ausstieg allerdings nicht, denn für ihn existiert so etwas wie Aufhören nicht. Deshalb versucht er Dich davon zu überzeugen, dass Du damit einen fatalen Fehler begehst. Ganz egal, wie Du Dich auch entscheidest: Deine Reaktion wird den Rest Deines Lebens bestimmen.
The Artful Escape – 2021
Beethoven & Dinosaur sind die Entwickler des neuen Action-Adventures, das Annapurna Interactive auf dem Markt gebracht hat. The Artful Escape erzählt die Geschichte von Francis Vendetti, der sich auf eine multidimensionale Reise begibt, um seine eigene Bühnenpersönlichkeit zu erschaffen. Am Vorabend seines ersten Auftritts kämpft Francis mit dem Vermächtnis einer toten Volkslegende und den kosmischen Irrwegen seiner eigenen Vorstellungskraft. The Artful Escape ist ein abenteuerliches und musikalisches Spiel in der Art eines Laser-Licht-Battles mit atemberaubender Grafik und fantastischer Musik.
The Ascent – 2021
Der Megakonzern The Ascent Group, dem Du und Deine Mitspieler angehören, kollabiert. Verwirrung und Chaos brechen aus, Sicherheit und Ordnung geraten durcheinander und ohne jeglichen Schutz ist jeder auf sich allein gestellt. Nimm das Schicksal der Heimat in die Hand, indem Du Gangs und feindliche Konzerne davon abhältst, die Macht zu übernehmen und herausfindest, was wirklich passiert ist. Das Solo- und Koop-Action-Rollenspiel, das in einer Cyberpunk-Welt spielt, wurde von Neon Giant entwickelt und von Curve Digital veröffentlicht. The Ascent läuft mit 60 Frames per Second (FPS) sowie 4K auf Xbox Series X und liefert ein atemberaubendes Gameplay-Erlebnis.
The Big Con – 2021
In The Big Con lässt Du Deine Jugend aufleben. In dem neuen Abenteuerspiel ziehst Du als Teenager quer durchs Land, um die Videothek Deiner Familie zu retten. In klassischen Stil der 90er redest und stiehlst Du Dich mit einer ganzen Reihe unterschiedlicher Gaunereien bis an Dein Ziel. Du schlüpfst dabei in die Rolle von Ali, einer Schülerin der High-School, die aus dem Band-Camp abgehauen ist, um sich an den Kredithaien zu rächen, die die Videothek ihrer Mutter bedrohen. Vielleicht profitierst Du auf Deinem Weg vom aktuellen Plüschtier-Sammelwahn und lernst den ein oder anderen interessanten neuen Freund kennen.
CrossfireX – 2021
Mit 650 Millionen registrierten Spielern in seiner 10-jährigen Geschichte ist Crossfire eines der meistgespielten PC-Spiele der Welt. Jetzt erscheint die legendäre Franchise als rasanter First-Person-Shooter mit einer Vielzahl an aufregenden Mehrspielermodi und einer spannend inszenierten Kampagne auf Xbox. Du gehst dem globalen Konflikt zwischen den beiden furchteinflößendsten privaten Militärfraktionen der Welt, Black List und Global Risk, auf den Grund. Dabei entscheidest Du Dich für eine Seite und kämpfst in dem epischen Konflikt gegen andere Spieler. Dank der verschiedenen Mehrspielermodi, die Bekanntes und Neues vereinen, ist für jeden Spieler etwas dabei.
Dead Static Drive – 2021
Du schnappst Dir Deinen Schläger, klaust ein Auto und nimmst es mit den Schrecken der Route 666 auf. Top-Down-Fahrt und Survival-Horror treffen in dem innovativen neuen Spiel von Team Fanclub aufeinander. Dead Static Drive handelt von einem aufreibenden Roadtrip, der extreme Umstände und emotionale Reaktionen der Charaktere für Dich bereithält. Du wählst selbst, wem Du vertraust, während Du gegen grauenhafte Ereignisse ankämpfen musst, die sich hinter alltäglichen Situationen verbergen.
Echo Generation – 2021
In Echo Generation geht es um eine Bande von Kindern, die übernatürliche Abenteuer erlebt, während sie in ihrer Heimatstadt mysteriöse und übernatürliche Ereignisse untersucht. Dass diese ihr Leben für immer verändern werden, wissen Sie zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch nicht. Die Story spielt im Sommer 1993, in dem es so scheint, als ob die Welt Dir gehört und alles möglich ist. Du lässt die Schule hinter Dir und machst Dich auf den Weg, Deine Heimatstadt zu erkunden. Das Ziel: ein mysteriöses Objekt, das im nahegelegenen Maisfeld abgestürzt ist. Wirst Du dem Übernatürlichen trotzen und Wahrheit aufdecken?
ExoMecha – 2021
ExoMecha ist ein kostenloser, kompetitiver Online-First-Person-Shooter, der auf dem kürzlich entdeckten Planeten Omecha spielt. Dort kämpfen mehrere Spezies aus der ganzen Galaxie in der Hoffnung gegeneinander, die Kontrolle über die reichlich vorhandenen Ressourcen des Planeten zu erlangen. ExoMecha bietet ein fesselndes Erlebnis, das dank der hochwertigen Grafik, spezieller Gadgets und Fähigkeiten sowie einem flexiblen Gameplay, inklusive riesiger Mechs und extremer Bosskämpfe in Erinnerung bleibt.
Exo One – 2021
Alles beginnt mit einem seltsamen Signal und einem außerirdischen Raumschiff. Exo One nimmt Dich mit auf eine schwerelose, interplanetarische Reise durch Raum und Zeit, die Teil einer mysteriösen Geschichte ist. Du machst Dir ein einzigartiges System aus Traversen zunutze und bewegst Dich durch rätselhafte, trostlose Landschaften, wie Du es noch nie zuvor getan hast. Du nutzt die Schwerkraft und jede Menge Schwung, um gewaltige Geschwindigkeiten und atemberaubende Höhen zu erreichen. Exo One verfügt über atmosphärische Grafiken, die mit Soundeffekten aus einer anderen Welt und einem hypnotischen E-Gitarren-Soundtrack verschmelzen – ein wirklich außerirdisches Erlebnis.
The Gunk – 2021
Ein ganz neues Abenteuer von den Schöpfern der SteamWorld-Franchise: Zwei Freunde reisen mit ihrer kleinen Truppe Plünderer auf der Suche nach Ressourcen von einem Weltraumfelsen zum nächsten um Ressourcen zu ernten und anschließend zu verkaufen. Eines Tages landen sie auf einem Planeten, der aus der Ferne tot aussieht, aber in Wahrheit von einem schleimigen Parasiten bedeckt ist, der nach und nach die Natur zerstört. Du triffst auf furchterregende Feinde und herausfordernde Rätsel auf der Suche nach dem Geheimnis dieses riesigen, vergessenen Planeten.
Halo Infinite – 2021
Die legendäre Halo-Serie kehrt zurück, mit ihrer bisher umfangreichsten Master Chief-Kampagne. Als alle Hoffnung verloren ist und das Schicksal der Menschheit auf dem Spiel steht, ist der Master Chief bereit, sich dem skrupellosesten Feind zu stellen, dem er je gegenüberstand. In der Rüstung des größten Helden der Menschheit erlebst Du ein episches Abenteuer und erkundest endlich das wahre Ausmaß des Halo-Rings. Halo Infinite ist das wohl ambitionierteste Halo-Spiel aller Zeiten, mit einer Welt, die um ein Vielfaches größer ist als die letzten beiden Halo-Spiele zusammen. Du erforschst ein weites Land voll unermesslicher Naturwunder und Mysterien. Die Fortsetzung der Master Chief-Saga heißt sowohl treue Fans willkommen als auch Spieler, die das Franchise bisher noch nicht kannten.
The Last Stop – 2021
The Last Stop ist ein neues Spiel von Variable State, den Machern des preisgekrönten Virginia. Das Single-Player- und Third-Person-Abenteuer spielt im heutigen London, wo Du drei verschiedene Charaktere übernimmst, deren Welten während eines übernatürlichen Ereignisses aufeinanderprallen. In den drei verschiedenen Geschichten lernst Du Donna kennen, eine verrückte High-School-Schülerin, die sich in ihrem Leben zu Hause gefangen fühlt; John, einen überarbeiteten alleinerziehenden Vater; und Meena, eine ehrgeizige Karrieristin, die darum ringt, in ihrer Familie die gleiche Zufriedenheit zu finden wie im Nervenkitzel ihrer Arbeit.
Lake – 2021
Es ist der 1. September 1986. Du schlüpfst in die Rolle der Mittvierzigerin Meredith Weiss, die aus der Großstadt in ihren ruhigen Heimatort zurückkehrt. Sie macht eine Pause von ihrer stressigen Karriere in einer Softwarefirma, um für ihren Vater – den örtlichen Postboten – einzuspringen. Während ihres zweiwöchigen Aufenthalts im schönen Providence Oaks, Oregon, trifft sie auf ein paar bekannte Gesichter, aber auch auf viele neue Leute. Du entscheidest, mit wem sie spricht und mit wem sie sich anfreundet (oder sogar eine romantische Beziehung beginnt). Was auch immer passiert, am Ende ihres Aufenthalts musst Du entscheiden: Zurück zu ihrem anspruchsvollen Job in der Großstadt oder in dem Ort bleiben, in dem sie aufgewachsen ist?
Little Witch in the Woods – 2021
Little Witch in the Woodsist ein Fantasy-Rollenspiel über das Leben einer jungen Hexe. Du übernimmst die Rolle von Ellie, einer kleinen Hexe, die gerade in einer neuen Stadt angekommen ist und Teil eines Hexenhauses werden soll. Als Du ankommst, scheint die Stadt aber fast unbewohnt zu sein und das Hexenhaus ist baufällig. Dein Ziel ist es, die Hexerei zu erlernen, indem Du als Lehrling im Hexenhaus Zaubertränke studierst und Materialien aus dem ganzen Land sammelst. Verwandle die baufällige Hütte in einen magischen Ort voller einzigartiger Erlebnisse.
The Medium– 28. Januar
In diesem psychologischen Horror-Spiel entdeckst Du aus der Third Person-Perspektive heraus ein dunkles Geheimnis, das nur ein Medium enträtseln kann. Du reist in ein verlassenes kommunistisches Resort und nutzt Deine übersinnlichen Fähigkeiten, um dort zwei Realitäten gleichzeitig zu erkunden. Decke verstörende Geheimnisse auf, löse knifflige Rätsel und überstehe Begegnungen mit unheimlichen Geistern. Du tauchst in eine zweideutige Geschichte ein, in der nichts so ist, wie es scheint. Als Medium kannst Du mehr sehen, hören und erleben als andere – und mit jeder neuen Perspektive verändert sich Deine Wahrnehmung davon, was im Niwa-Resort wirklich passiert ist.
Microsoft Flight Simulator – Sommer 2021
Der Microsoft Flight Simulator, eine der beliebtesten Simulationsreihen auf Windows 10 PC, landet diesen Sommer auch auf Xbox Series X|S. In einer unglaublich realistisch simulierten Welt fliegst Du hochdetaillierte Flugzeuge vom Leichtflugzeug bis zum Großraumjet. Du erstellst Deinen eigenen Flugplan und erkundest den gesamten Planteten – bei Tag und bei Nacht, bei realistischen und herausfordernden Wetterbedingungen. Nach der PC-Version bekommen jetzt auch Xbox Series X|S User alle Welt-Updates und DLC-Bundles für den authentischsten und realistischsten Flugsimulator, den Microsoft je geschaffen hat.
Psychonauts 2 – 2021
Das ist zwar kein Spiel exklusiv für die Konsole, aber es erscheint im Xbox Game Pass, weshalb es in dieser Liste nicht fehlen darf. Razputin Aquato, der Held des beliebten DoubleFine Productions-Platformers Psychonauts, feiert in dieser action- und humorgeladenen Fortsetzung seine Rückkehr. Als ausgebildeter Akrobat und mächtiger junger Hellseher hat Raz endlich seinen Lebenstraum verwirklicht, der internationalen Hellseher-Spionage-Organisation Psychonauts beizutreten. Aber diese übersinnlichen Superspione sind in Schwierigkeiten. Seit ihr Anführer entführt wurde, ist er nicht mehr derselbe – und was noch schlimmer ist: Im Hauptquartier gibt es einen Maulwurf. Raz muss seine Kräfte einsetzen, um den Verräter zu stoppen, bevor es ihm gelingt, den mörderischen Bösewicht Maligula von den Toten auferstehen zu lassen.
RPG Time – 2021
Die Schule ist aus! Wir treffen uns in einem leeren Klassenzimmer für ein großes Abenteuer mit einem aufstrebenden jungen Spieleentwickler und seinem ganz eigenen Rollenspiel (RPG). Du wirst von seinen handgezeichneten Kreationen begeistert sein, die Dich in eine magische Welt der Fantasie mitnehmen – auf Xbox Series X und Xbox Series S exklusiv mit Smart Delivery!
Sable – 2021
Sable ist eine atmosphärische Entdeckungsreise rund um das Erwachsenwerden in einer eindrucksvoll gerenderten Open World-Wüste. In der Rolle der jungen Sable begibst Du Dich auf einen ganz persönlichen Trip über einen fremden Planeten und erkundest uralte Monumente, verfallene Architektur und aus dem Kosmos gefallene Schiffe. Du lernst die Geschichte seiner Bewohner und ihren Platz in der Welt kennen. Nur ein wissbegieriger Geist wird die Lektionen verstehen, die an den sandigen Rändern des geheimnisvollen Planeten zu finden sind: Lektionen über das Leben, die Familie und darüber, Teil von etwas noch Größerem zu sein.
Scorn – 2021
Scorn ist ein atmosphärisches Horror-Abenteuer aus der Ego-Perspektive, das in einem albtraumhaften Universum spielt. Das Game basiert auf der Idee, völlig unvorbereitet in eine Welt geworfen zu werden. Isoliert und verloren befindest Du Dich in einer traumähnlichen Umgebung, deren verschiedene Regionen Du auf non-lineare Weise erkundest. Jeder Ort hat sein eigenes Thema, seine eigenen Rätsel und Charaktere, die gemeinsam eine zusammenhängende Welt schaffen. Du wirst schnell lernen, dass sogar die unheimliche Umgebung selbst ein Charakter ist.
She Dreams Elsewhere – 2021
Ein surreales Abenteuer-RPG über Träume und wie sie die Realität widerspiegeln: Du schlüpfst in die Rolle von Thalia, einer traumatisierten Frau, die im Koma liegt. Deine Reise führt Dich zu den Albträumen, die Dich am Erwachen hindern, und Du musst herausfinden, wie Du in diese Situation geraten bist. She Dreams Elsewhere erzählt eine tiefgreifende Geschichte von Emotionen, psychischer Gesundheit und Identität. Eine surreale, visuell beeindruckende Welt voller Geheimnisse fordert die Spieler heraus, jedes einzelne Detail zu erforschen.
Shredders – 2021
Inspiriert vom Snowboard-Klassiker Amped, reist Du in Shredders zu den coolsten Pisten, Freeride-Spots und Snowparks, um den Rausch der Freestyle-Abfahrt zu erleben. Shredders bietet eine perfekte Mischung aus Spaß und Realismus verknüpft mit einer sozialen Komponente. Auch wenn die Entwickler sagen, Shredders habe ein Multiplayer-Herz, kannst Du auch alleine den Berg bezwingen, wenn Du es bevorzugst. Wir sehen uns auf der Piste!
Song of Iron – 2021
Song of Iron ist ein stimmungsvolles, herausforderndes Action-Adventure. Eine Reise in eine dunkle nordische Welt voller Geheimnisse und Gefahren, die Dich weit über das Land der Mythen zur Heimat der Götter führt. Du kämpfst mit Menschen, Monstern und der Natur selbst in einem düsteren Abenteuer voll intensiver und gefährlicher Konfrontationen. Du hast Bogen, Axt und Schild, um Dich zu verteidigen, aber sei vorsichtig: Waffen können verloren gehen, Pfeile gehen zur Neige und Schilde gehen zu Bruch.
Tunic – 2021
Tunic ist ein actionreiches Abenteuer über einen kleinen Fuchs in einer großen Welt, der die Landschaft erkundet, Monster bekämpft und Geheimnisse entdeckt. Tunic erweckt dabei das Gefühl klassischer Action-Adventures. Auf dem Weg durch diese faszinierende neue Welt untersuchst Du einzigartige Funde, erlernst raffinierte Kampftechniken und lüftest obskure Geheimnisse.
Twelve Minutes – 2021
Twelve Minutes ist ein interaktiver Thriller, in dem Film und Game miteinander verschmelzen. Ein Ensemble außergewöhnlicher Schauspieler (u.a. James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley und Willem Dafoe) erwecken die komplexen Charaktere dieser spannungsgeladenen Geschichte zum Leben. Ein romantischer Abend mit Deiner Frau verwandelt sich in eine gewalttätige Invasion, als ein Mann in Dein Haus einbricht, Deine Frau des Mordes beschuldigt und Dich ermordet… Doch dann wachst Du auf und stellst fest, dass Du in einer zwölfminütigen Zeitschleife feststeckst und dazu verdammt bist, den Horror dieses Abends immer und immer wieder durchzumachen.
Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy – 2021
Unexplored 2 ist ein Action-RPG, das das Spielgefühl eines analogen Tabletop-RPGs auf Deine Konsole bringt. Du erforschst wunderschöne Landschaften und entdeckest verborgene Wunderwerke. Begegne magischen Kreaturen und gefährlichen Gegnern, treffe mutige Entscheidungen und vertraue auf Dein Glück. Dank des einzigartigen Legacy-Systems, prozedural generierten Welten und einem reichhaltigen Storytelling ist Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’sLegacy ein unvergessliches Abenteuer.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide – 2021
Die Entwickler der preisgekrönten Franchise Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide und Warhammer: Vermintide 2 bieten mit Warhammer 40.000: Darktide ein actionreiches Koop-Spiel für bis zu vier Spieler, das in der Hive-Stadt Tertium spielt. Zusammen mit Deinen Freunden kämpfst Du in diesem neuen Spiel gegen Horden von Feinden. Darktide baut auf dem hochgelobten Nahkampf von Vermintide2 auf und führt dazu ausgewogenes Gunplay ein. Meistere die Balance zwischen Fern- und Nahkampf, um Dich durch eine Vielzahl von Gegnern zu kämpfen und die Wirkung deines Schwertschwungs und des lodernden Feuers Deiner Lasgun zu spüren.
Way to the Woods – 2021
Ein Hirsch und sein Rehkitz begeben sich auf eine Reise durch eine verlassene, unbekannte Welt, um nach Hause zu finden. Das Third Person-Abenteuer wird von Anthony Tan entwickelt und mit Musik von Aivi & Surasshu untermalt, den Komponisten der Serie Steven Universe. Löse das Geheimnis von Cat Town, entkomme einem Wolfsrudel und entfache Dein Licht, um eine Welt zu erkunden, voll mit Relikten der alten Götter: den Menschen.
The Wild at Heart – 2021
In diesem actionreichen Abenteuer rund um Kindheitsfantasien übernimmst Du das Kommando über einen magischen Schwarm kurioser Kreaturen. Du kämpfst gegen gefährliche Wildtiere und übernatürliche Feinde, erschaffst neue Wege und entdeckst die Geheimnisse einer einzigartigen, abgeschiedenen Welt, die voller alter Überlieferungen ist. Wälder, Höhlen, Küsten, alte Schreine – der tiefe Wald ist voller Rätsel, die gelöst werden wollen, und voller Geheimnisse, die darauf warten, aufgedeckt zu werden.
The Yakuza Remastered Collection – 28. Januar / Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – 25. März
Die Spiele sind zwar technisch gesehen nicht exklusiv, aber sie sind zum ersten Mal für Xbox und Xbox Game Pass verfügbar, weshalb sie in dieser Liste nicht fehlen dürfen. Die Yakuza-Spiele sorgen in jüngster Zeit für jede Menge Aufsehen bei Xbox – vor allem nachdem die jüngsten Titel im letzten Jahr im Xbox Game Pass erschienen sind und das von Kritikern gelobte Yakuza Like a Dragon zusammen mit Xbox Series X|S auf den Markt kam. In diesem Monat erscheint The Yakuza Remastered Collection im box Game Pass und vereint Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4 und Yakuza 5. Im März hält auch Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Einzug in den Service und schließt die Kazuma Kiryu-Storyline der Yakuza-Saga ab. Schon bald bist Du in der Lage, die gesamte Saga des Drachen von Dojima – von Yakuza 0 bis Yakuza 6 – mit nur einem einzigen Xbox Game Pass-Abonnement zu spielen!
This mega-machine was two years in the making and is a LEGO creation itself, built from over 10,000 LEGO bricks.
A beast of 10,000 bricks
It can sort any LEGO brick you place in its input bucket into one of 18 output buckets, at the rate of one brick every two seconds.
While Daniel was inspired by previous LEGO sorters, his creation is a huge step up from them: it can recognise absolutely every LEGO brick ever created, even bricks it has never seen before. Hence the ‘universal’ in the name ‘universal LEGO sorting machine’.
Hardware
There we are, tucked away, just doing our job
Software
The artificial intelligence algorithm behind the LEGO sorting is a convolutional neural network, the go-to for image classification.
What makes Daniel’s project a ‘world first’ is that he trained his classifier using 3D model images of LEGO bricks, which is how the machine can classify absolutely any LEGO brick it’s faced with, even if it has never seen it in real life before.
We LOVE a thorough project video, and we love TWO of them even more
Daniel has made a whole extra video (above) explaining how the AI in this project works. He shouts out all the open source software he used to run the Raspberry Pi Camera Module and access 3D training images etc. at this point in the video.
LEGO brick separation
The vibration plate in action, feeding single parts into the scanner
Daniel needed the input bucket to carefully pick out a single LEGO brick from the mass he chucks in at once.
This is achieved with a primary and secondary belt slowly pushing parts onto a vibration plate. The vibration plate uses a super fast LEGO motor to shake the bricks around so they aren’t sitting on top of each other when they reach the scanner.
Scanning and sorting
The underside of the beast
A Raspberry Pi Camera Module captures video of each brick, which Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ then processes and wirelessly sends to a more powerful computer able to run the neural network that classifies the parts.
The classification decision is then sent back to the sorting machine so it can spit the brick, using a series of servo-controlled gates, into the right output bucket.
Extra-credit homework
In all its bricky beauty, with the 18 output buckets visible at the bottom
Daniel is such a boss maker that he wrote not one, but two further reading articles for those of you who want to deep-dive into this mega LEGO creation:
The DIY transporter is controlled by an Arduino Uno, along with a pair of motor drivers that handle the device’s high current needs. An MPU-6050 allows it to react as the rider leans forward and backwards, moving with the help of a PID loop. Steering is accomplished via a potentiometer, linked to a bent-pipe control stick using a bottle cap and glue.
Impressively, the only things purchased for the build were the motor controllers, as the rest of it was hacked together with available parts. As seen in the video below, it looks like a fun conveyance, though they were certainly wise to wear helmets while testing!
Old keyboard turned into a new children’s learning toy
Arduino Team — January 18th, 2021
Peter Turczak’s toddler son loves “technical stuff,” especially things like keyboards and computers that adults use. After discussing this with other likeminded technical parents, the idea of giving new life to an old (PS/2 or AT) keyboard as a teaching tool was hatched.
The hacker thus added an Arduino Nano, a speaker, and an SD card reader for WAV files, allowing the device to say letters in various voices based on the keys pressed. It is also capable of playing tunes, and presumably other sounds, that one could imagine to facilitate retro learning and fun.
All the electronics fit within the keyboard’s shell, which has ample space inside, and even features a built-in speaker grill for audio output. More details on the project can be found in Turczak’s blog post.
One of the most-discussed titles we revealed in 2020 was The Medium, a psychological horror game developed by Polish developer Bloober Team, coming exclusively to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass. Bloober Team has made its name with well-received and envelope-pushing horror games, including Observer, Layers of Fear, and Blair Witch. Each of these games has a central theme that drives its creative and technological design and The Medium continues that tradition with a mechanic the team is calling “dual reality gameplay.” I recently had the chance to play the first few hours of The Medium and found it to be a wholly unique experience that I can’t wait to explore more.
“It all starts with a dead girl…” was the first spoken line of the game, accompanied by a scene of a girl running through the woods while being chased by an unseen pursuer. The line was delivered by Marianne, the titular medium who has returned to her home in Krakow to bury her foster father Jack, who conveniently owns a funeral home. I was tasked with finding Jack’s favorite tip clip in order to prep him for his funeral, with a brief side-trip to feed the meowing cat strolling around the apartment (achievement unlocked!).
As I explored the apartment that Jack and Marianne shared, it became clear that The Medium is the type of game that greatly rewards the curious, as the news clippings and letters I found throughout the apartment immediately helped to build the game’s world and expand its deepening lore. The game’s fixed camera and adventure game trappings felt like a throwback to old school psychological horror games like Alone in the Dark, in which one’s attention to detail and puzzle-solving skills are more important than quick reflexes. While The Medium does an excellent job of creating a foreboding atmosphere and grounding the player in its supernatural world, exploring and finding collectibles like letters, postcards, and children’s drawings make it feel that much more resonant.
After a bit more exploration, I was prompted to use Marianne’s Insight to find Jack’s tie clip in his room. Mapped to the left bumper, Insight comes in handy when you’ve explored and area and feel like there’s a bit more or when you’re required to follow the path of a spirit (more on that later). After finding Jack’s tie clip and spending a few moments developing an old photograph, I headed downstairs to the funeral home, where I had to track down a key to open the cellar where the bodies were prepped.
Upon putting Jack’s tie clip on his lifeless body, the lights began to flicker in the cellar and Marianne not-so-subtly instructed me to head upstairs. Once I made it back up to the funeral home’s office, I got the first taste of The Medium’s dual reality gameplay. While the top half of the screen showed Marianne in the empty funeral home office, the bottom half presented a whole new world, where wind blew across a brown, desiccated landscape and a lone figure rummaged through a version of the office’s desk.
In the lexicon of The Medium, this is the Spirit World (the “normal” one is called the Material World) and it’s where Marianne can communicate with the dead to help them pass into the afterlife. It only took a moment to realize that this sad-looking figure was Jack, who was frantically looking for his notebook while worrying about an upcoming surgery (early hinted at as the reason he died). Once the now white-haired Marianne calmed him down, he was able to cross over to the afterlife and dissipated into ashes before my eyes. As Marianne says after this scene ends, she’s always felt divided, torn between these two realities.
Once our work was done, the phone on the desk rang. The caller identified himself as Thomas, and he said that he knows what Marianne is. He needs her help and promised that he could give her the answers she’s been looking for all these years. Marianne balked at first, but Thomas echoed her earlier line that “It all begins with a dead girl…” and she immediately agreed to come meet him at the Niwa Workers Resort, which is in the Niwa forest that the girl ran through in the game’s opening scene. And that’s where The Medium truly kicks off: pulling up to the gate of the abandoned Niwa Worker’s Resort.
Making my way through the guard post and over the wall, I found some collectables that alluded to the Niwa Massacre, which Marianne thought was just an urban legend involving crazed workers and an ancient curse (I’m gonna hazard a guess and say that there might be some truth there). Once I made my way into the beautifully rendered Niwa Forest, I ran into an old, yet still very effective, horror trope: a ball rolling from out of nowhere, accompanied by the ethereal laughter of child. Seriously, that will never not be creepy.
Using my Insight, I was able to see a child’s footprints on the ground and follow them through the woods. I made my way to an abandoned fort, where the Material and Spirit Worlds split once again. It was here that I encountered another one of The Medium’s many mechanics. Marianne came to a gate that could not be opened in either world, so I couldn’t progress. However, a bit of exploration revealed an altar glowing with white light in the Spirit World, which I could absorb and release (with the right trigger) to charge the gate connection. Charging it in the Spirit World did the same thing in the Material World, so Marianne was able to open it and progress to the Niwa Hotel, which she said has a powerful aura that was “like a landfill of memories and emotions, none of them good.”
As I walked up to the front door, a nearby payphone started to ring. Although there was no one there when I answered, I was prompted to use my Insight to find an Echo. While holding down the left bumper, I rotated the object until I spotted a glowing crack in it. Staying on the crack revealed a previous conversation, showing that even objects have auras that can be revealed to flesh out more of the game’s deep backstory. I discovered this truth again when I found a bloody shoe just inside the door. Finding the Echo revealed the screams running away from something awful. As it turns out, the Niwa Massacre was a real event.
After a bit of exploration filled in more and more of the narrative cracks with postcards, letters, and magazines, I made my way into the lobby of the hotel, where I found the front desk bell ringing on its own. Totally not ominous at all! As I was about to try hitting the bell’s button on my own, that ball came bouncing down the stairs again. Upon picking it up, the world split again. This time, I was greeted by the ball I saw earlier bouncing down a nearby staircase.
When I picked it up, I heard a child’s voice behind me. “Will you play with me? It’s been so long since I played with anyone.” I turned to see a one-armed little girl with a gaping hole in the side of her chest and what appeared to be leaves or overgrowth on part of her back. It was pretty clear that she had been dead for a long time. She introduced herself as Sadness (because she can’t remember her real name) and it seemed like she might have some information on where Marianne could find Thomas. So I made a deal with her: help me find Thomas and I’d play with her.
She agreed and bounded up the nearby flight of stairs, but I was blocked from following her because they were broken. Thankfully, the elevator nearby still worked, so I hopped in and headed up to the second floor. Unfortunately, the elevator stalled on the first floor and I was not able to progress in the Material World. However, I was able to try out another one of Marianne’s powers: an Out of Body Experience.
By holding down the B button, I was able to take control of just the Marianne in the Spirit World while Material World Marianne stayed put. This allowed me to explore the first floor, where I eventually found another one of those white altars. Staying out of body for too long will make Spirit World Marianne disappear, so I had to hightail it over to the altar and return to charge up the elevator. Once I did, Marianne was able to head up to the second floor.
As I walked down a long hallway, I heard an odd buzzing coming from ahead. Suddenly, a swarm of moths came buzzing down the hallway in the Spirit World. In order to protect the Marianne in the Spirit World, I needed to hold down the right bumper to bring up a shield of light that allowed me to pass through them. This came in handy several times throughout the level, including when I had to sprint (by holding down the left trigger) through another hallway full of them.
After making my way through the moths, I found a room that contained what appeared to be white ashes floating in the air. As Marianne picked up an item in the Material World, I was able to rotate the left stick to bring the ashes together into human forms. These are called Memory Shards, and they provide a closer look at an interaction between two characters. As with everything else in The Medium, these serve to provide context and exposition, allowing you to gradually piece together multiple threads of the backstory in an effort to solve the mystery of the Niwa Massacre.
It was here that I also found a razor, which is used throughout the game to let Marianne cut through Spirit World barricades (which look a lot like stretched-out dried flesh) to progress through levels. After making my way through more moth swarms and obstacles (as well as a legit jump scare that made me yell), I came to what seemed to be the office of the manager of the Niwa Worker’s Resort. Sadness met me there, but ominously refused to come through the door, choosing to disappear instead.
After tracking down some keys and using a neat time-rewind mechanic to open a hidden door, I found myself in a hidden back room that featured books on the supernatural and more photos to develop. Upon developing them, Marianne was shocked to find that the photos were of her, as were the slides that rapidly began flicking through a nearby projector. Suddenly, a bizarre humanoid creature appeared, grabbing Marianne with long, clawed fingers. Using the light blast to get away, I was suddenly thrust into the Spirit World, being chased through corridors by the shrieking creature before finally getting to a light altar.
As I headed into the next room, I saw the creature off in the distance. This allowed me the chance to check out the game’s stealth mechanic. Clicking the left stick made Marianne crouch, and she slowly moved from cover to cover as the monster moved around the room. Since the creature could not see in the Material World, silence was key, so I could click the right stick to cover Marianne’s mouth when it got near. It was a truly intense experience and one that was repeated several times over my time with the game (in later areas in the Material World, the creature was just a shadow, ratcheting up the intensity).
I finally got away from the creature and reconnected with Sadness, who told me that I needed to find my way into the hotel’s day room to find out more. Of course, that was easier said than done, so I explored another wing of the hotel to gain entry. In this area, I was introduced to a new mechanic, in which Marianne used mirrors to hop back and forth between the Spirit World and the Material World as she figured out the identities of some of the deceased hotel residents. This area brought together some memorable environmental puzzles, which ultimately led me to obtain the bolt cutters I needed to enter the day room.
I’d tell you what happened in the day room and the twist that the story took, but I think it’s ultimately something that you’re better off experiencing for yourself. During my time with The Medium, it became clear that the game is Bloober Team’s largest and most ambitious project to date. The game’s dual reality mechanic is really interesting (and part of why they created the game specifically to take advantage of the power of Xbox Series X) and it looks really good, with 4K resolution, ray-tracing technology, and a seamless, loading screen-free cinematic experience. I honestly can’t wait to play more of it.
Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long. The Medium is now available for pre-order and will launch January 28 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Best of all, it will also be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass.
How to improve upon the standard burglar deterring method of leaving lights switched on? Dennis Mellican turned to Raspberry Pi for a much more effective solution. It actually proved too effective when a neighbour stopped by, but more on that in a bit.
Here you can see Dennis’s system in action scaring off a trespasser:
The burglar deterrent started out as Dennis’s regular home automation system. Not content with the current software offerings, and having worked in DevOps, Dennis decided to create his own solution. Enter Raspberry Pi (well, several of them).
Chatterboxes
Dennis has multiple Raspberry Pi–powered devices dotted around his home, doing things such as turning on lights, powering up a garden sprinkler, and playing fake dog barks on wireless speakers. All these burglar deterrents work together and are run by a chat bot.
A simulation of the chatbots responding to Dennis’ commands
Each Raspberry Pi controls a single automated item in Dennis’s home. All the Raspberry Pis communicate with each other via Slack. Dennis issues commands if he, for example, wants lights to turn on while he is away, but the Raspberry Pis can also talk to each other when a trigger event occurs, such as when a motion sensor is tripped.
Smart sound
Speaker, Google Chromecast, CCTV camera and Raspberry Pi
Google Chromecast enables ‘dumb’ speakers to be smart. Dennis has such speakers set up inside, close to windows at the front and back of the house, and they play an .mp3 file of a fake dog bark when commanded.
The security cameras Dennis uses in his home setup are a wireless CCTV variety, and the lights are a mix of TP-Link and Lifx smart bulbs.
Here’s all the Python code running Dennis’ entire security system.
Too effective?
Dennis’s smart system has backfired on him a few times. Once a neighbour visited while he was out and thought Dennis was rudely not answering the door, because she saw the lights go on inside, making it appear like he was home. Awkward.
The fake dog barking has also startled the postman and a few joggers — Dennis says it adds to the realism.
The troupe of Raspberry Pis has also scared away an Australian possum (video above). These critters are notorious for making nests in roof cavities, so Dennis dodged another problematic home invasion there.
Future upgrades
Dennis is a maker after our own hearts when explaining where he’d like to go next with his anti-burglary build:
“I feel like Kevin McCallister from Home Alone, with these home security ‘traps’. I’m still waiting to catch the Wet Bandits for the sequel to this story. So far only stray cats have been caught by the sprinkler. Perhaps the next adventure of the chat bot is to order pizza and have Gangster ‘Johnny’ complete the transaction when the pizza delivery triggers the sensors.”
This mini HAT looks very similar to other Pirate Audio products, with an integrated 1.3-inch colour LCD screen surrounded by four push-buttons. Located on either side of the board are two tiny digital microphones. These feature a SiSonic acoustic sensor, a serial ADC (analogue to digital converter), and an interface to convert the signal into the industry-standard 24-bit I2S format. In our tests, we found that they recorded sound with crystal-clear quality, although the mics aren’t that far apart so the stereo effect is limited.
Portable clip recorder
To make use of the Pirate Audio: Dual Mic, you’ll need to download the software; this involves entering three commands in a Terminal window to make all the necessary configuration changes behind the scenes.
One of two Python code examples is an FFT (Fast Fourier transform) program that shows the levels of various sound frequencies on a graph. The other is a simple audio clip recorder which uses the tactile buttons to record, play, skip, and delete clips. Playback (using PulseAudio’s ‘upmix’ feature to avoid resampling) is via HDMI by default and we couldn’t get it to output through Raspberry Pi’s AV jack unless we played the clips separately with OMXPlayer. Portable playback is problematic on a Raspberry Pi Zero (which lacks AV output), too, so you’ll need to use Bluetooth or also attach an audio board using something like the HAT Hacker HAT.
Verdict
8/10
High-quality audio capture in a small package that might be useful for a portable recorder or voice assistant project. It lacks its own audio output, though.
Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist
Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox!
Here are the Games Coming Exclusively to Xbox in 2021 2021 will be a fantastic year to be an Xbox fan. The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have launched, so we’re officially going full steam ahead into the next generation of gaming. Catch ya later, 2020! Of course, no matter the year, it’s always about the games. In 2021… Read more
Ring in 2021 with Rock Band 4 Rivals Rock Band is celebrating the start of 2021 with its 20th season of Rock Band Rivals! We’re turning the clock back and revisiting 8 of our most popular previous challenges from the last 20 seasons, as voted on by the Rock Band community. If you still haven’t checked… Read more
Bloober Team Debuts Live Action Trailer for The Medium For the upcoming launch of its psychological horror title, The Medium, Bloober Team released a live-action trailer to give a glimpse of the mystery only a medium can solve. Produced in cooperation with award-winning VFX and animation studio Platige Image… Read more
Announcing Path of Exile: Echoes of the Atlas for Xbox One The Echoes of the Atlas expansion brings a lot to the table in terms of new brutal challenges to overcome alongside items that herald fresh ways to play. Whether you’re a new player who washed up on the shores of Wraeclast this morning, or a titan of the… Read more
Free Play Days – Star Wars: Squadrons, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Yooka-Laylee Jump in your starfighter battle players among the stars, go Super Saiyan and relive epic battles, and explore an imaginative open world all in this weekend’s Free Play Days. Star Wars: Squadrons, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Yooka-Laylee are all available for Xbox Live Gold… Read more
Down in Bermuda Crash-Lands Today on Xbox One Puzzle adventure Down in Bermuda is available today on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. After an unnatural storm brings his plane down, adventurous aviator Milton is left stranded for decades within the infamous Bermuda. It’s your job to help the cute little… Read more
Happy 10th Anniversary DC Universe Online Cheers to DC Universe Online and the incredible community that has made this remarkable journey possible as we celebrate 10 years this January! Even though DCUO released on Xbox One in 2016, we celebrate 10 years of world-spanning storylines… Read more
Next Week on Xbox: January 19 to 22 Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! Here we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10 PC as well as upcoming Xbox Game Pass and soon-to-be released ID@ben-smith-group-program-manager-tv-xboxox titles! Get more details on the games below and click… Read more
Last week, we asked you to sail across Norway and England as a viking in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. From epic armor portraits to brutal action shots, you shared you best moments aviking using #PSshare and #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
Eivor bears down with his axe in this daring share by Anthonyisback33.
Havi rides down the Bifrost of Asgard in this share by RinchannowRin.
AreeLyBadPun shared Eivor commanding their ship across Norway.
JustN2bad shares a detailed portrait of Eivor’s braid and armor.
The iconic Assassin’s symbol lights up this hideout, shared by Nakko_blue
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Eivor
SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on January 20
Next week, we’re staying in the realm of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and focusing our Odin’s sight on Eivor. Share portraits or detailed shots of your viking hero using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
One of humanity’s greatest driving forces is… curiosity. And that’s exactly what leads our prehistoric protagonist to finding a jetpack left behind by an alien invader.
In Jet Kave Adventure, the Stone Age meets Science-Fiction. We tell the story of Kave, a chief banished by his own tribe. When you meet him, Kave wanders aimlessly through a canyon until he stumbles upon a wrecked spaceship. Instead of running away, his curiosity compels him to spy on the alien trying to fix the ship, for which he almost pays the ultimate price.
When Kave comes around, he browses through the wreckage and finds a working jetpack. He also learns about the alien’s plans of destroying the island. Between that knowledge and the newfound extraterrestrial piece of tech, he quickly turns from an exile into the only caveman who stands a chance against the alien threat…
With Jet Kave Adventure, we wanted to create a game that combines everything fans love about 2.5D platformers. So we put in a lot of skill-based action with jetpack platforming at its core. We designed challenging boss fights, clever secrets and thrilling set-pieces on top of collectibles carefully placed in a way that will test your keen eye and quick reflexes. What was the most important, though, we made sure that the gameplay has a flow – if you’re good enough, you can find a rhythm to each level and finish it practically without stopping.
While our game was inspired by prehistoric-themed platformers that we enjoyed in our younger years, it also features quite a few modern solutions. The two examples I’d like to highlight are achievements and online rankings.
They might not sound like much at first, but we put a lot of thought into making them a worthwhile addition to the game. Some of the achievements are challenging, some are secret, some are unconventional, but they are all designed to help you squeeze everything out of the gameplay mechanics. The rankings, on the other hand, let you compare your and your friends’ skill in three categories: Time, Collectible, and No Damage Challenges, thus adding a competitive layer to the platforming.
And if you’re looking for a more old-school level of difficulty, we’ve got you covered with the Arcade Mode. This classic experience introduces a number of changes to the life system and checkpoints, raising the chances of you seeing the good ol’ Game Over screen. It’s tough but fair!
Jet Kave Adventureis available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S (through backward compatibility), so without further ado, I sincerely invite you to join Kave in his quest to save his island and prove his worth to the tribe!
Jet Kave Adventure is a completely historically inaccurate yet highly entertaining 2.5D adventure platformer. Thaw out your inner caveman and join the skill-based action! Your name is Kave, and you’re the chief of your tribe – or rather you were until now. Banished by your own people you stumble upon… a jetpack! The device turns you into the only caveman who stands a chance against “the alien invader” – a rather unlikable guy from the sky who’ll readily kick off a disastrous volcanic eruption just so he can repair his spaceship. Begin your quest to save the whole island and prove your worth to the tribe! FEATURES: • Master the jet-fueled platforming It won’t be easy with your clumsy caveman’s movements but try and do your best! • Jetpack through 36 colorful levels Roam the amazing side-scrolling landscapes riddled with hazards and rich with secrets. • Smack and whack 30 types of enemies Fight a variety of prehistoric beasts and bosses using your trusty bone club. • Experience breakneck flight sequences and boss fights Soar across pitfalls, smash through rocky walls, and defeat the most terrific enemies using your continuously improving skills. • Challenge yourself in ARCADE MODE Try the exciting arcade-like experience, where you have a limited number of lives, and getting to the checkpoint no longer replenishes your health. Plus, extra lives can be bought only between levels so if you lose them all, it means a good ol’ Game Over. It’s tough but fair. • Reach the top of the leaderboard Take part in Time, Collectible, and No Damage Challenges, and compete against other players to get the best possible high score in online rankings. • Find collectibles and upgrade your gear Return to the time when seashells were the only currency and collect as many of them to enhance your strength. • Enjoy the unusual Stone-Fiction setting Whether you're ready for it or not, the fate of your island now depends on you. So put on your jet-fueled device and start your adventure in a world where the Stone Age and science fiction collide. • Collect various achievements Some of them may seem odd, but they are all fun!
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