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'Fortnite' will add ray tracing and DLSS on September 17th
'Fortnite' will get NVIDIA's ray tracing and DLSS tech on September 17th.
NVIDIA shows how much ray-tracing sucks on older GPUs
NVIDIA recently announced that ray-tracing is coming to older Pascal GPUs, and now it has detailed how well -- or not well, rather -- it will actually work. If you're happy with basic effects, the news isn't too bad. The RTX 2080 Ti will outperform its 1080 Ti counterpart by just over double for reflections, in line with what you'd expect for a next-gen card. However, for stuff that really adds realism, like advanced shadows, global illumination and ambient occlusion, the RTX 2080 Ti outperforms the 1080 Ti by up to a factor of six.
The Big Picture: Saturn illuminates the surface of its icy moon
Saturn's moon Enceladus is covered in ice. We already knew that. But what you see above is evidence of just how icy it actually is. The right side of the celestial body isn't illuminated by the sun. Nope, that's actually brightened by the light reflecting off of the adjacent ringed planet according to NASA. If you're looking for something a bit more solar in nature, take a peek at the bright wedge on the moon's left side. The aerospace outfit says that these types of pictures from Cassini are "designed to capture the extended plume of icy material" coming off the moon's south pole.
Google and MIT can take reflection-free photos through windows
Who knew that reflection-free window photos were suddenly in vogue? Google and MIT do, apparently. Some of their researchers have developed an algorithm that eliminates unwanted visuals by using frames from a short video to separate the foreground from the background. Unlike an earlier MIT-only technique, this works with nearly any kind of obstruction. It'll remove rain drops and chain link fences, for instance. And in an odd twist, it can also capture an uncannily clear image of any reflections -- you know, in case you want to remember what shirt you were wearing when you took that shot.
MIT can fix pictures taken through your window... kinda
Take a picture through a window and you'll often find you've captured more of your own reflection than the scene outside. You can solve the problem with a black cloth and a polarizing filter, but that's not ideal for the majority of smartphone snappers out there. That's why researchers at MIT are about to present a new software-based solution that, they believe, can "fix" the problem, but only if the window that you're shooting through is double-glazed.
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Ubisoft Reflections involved with The Division development
The Division, the third-person, open-world shooter set in a Tom Clancy universe, is in co-development by Massive Entertainment and Driver: San Francisco developer Ubisoft Reflections. Develop reported the partnership from an interview with Reflections' Managing Director, Pauline Jacquey. Jacquey estimated that "about 40 percent" of Reflections is currently working on The Division, adding that the team is involved with "all of the game's systems: main characters, enemies, RPG pillars, building Manhattan, online components and so on." Jacquey added that Reflections started working on The Division a few months ago. The partnership reveal follows last month's rumor that development "has barely started" on The Division, with the same source describing a 2014 release date as "laughable." [Image: Ubisoft]
Rumor: Ubisoft Reflections working on racer 'The Crew'
Driver series developer Ubisoft Reflections is working on a new racing game called The Crew, The Examiner reports. Citing an unnamed source, Examiner says the game is an all new racing franchise that is intended to be a "realistic title, possibly being positioned against Forza and Gran Turismo." Reflections has been out of the racing game circuit for the past couple years after the release of Driver: San Francisco. The studio has spent its time since playing second fiddle on Just Dance, Far Cry and Watch Dogs for Ubisoft's Montreal and Paris studios. Ubisoft Reflections is expected to announce its new game at E3.
Ubisoft Reflections hiring for Watch Dogs [update]
Are you a hacker, able to remotely ID people you see and change traffic lights at will? Then you're ... in Ubisoft's Watch Dogs. However, if you're not quite that adept, but still quite good with a computer, and you're in the UK, there's room for you on the team making Watch Dogs.Ubisoft Reflections general manager Giselle Stewart told Develop that the team is adding "over 40 permanent roles at our Newcastle office." Reflections is collaborating with Ubisoft Montreal to create the open world hacking/shooting game. "Our goal is to attract senior and experienced programmers, game designers and artists to work at Reflections, bringing our team to around 200 developers," Stewart said. Just one warning: you might end up working on Just Dance as well.Update: We've been informed the job openings for Watch Dogs are "worldwide."
PWI: Reflections update coming August 8
Perfect World International players will have a whole new zone and oodles of features to explore when the Reflections update launches tomorrow. In addition to the new Realm of Reflections zone and new seasonal quests, new rewards have been added for the Nine Trials, and a weekly PvP event is now featured in the high-level Morai zone. But the new content update isn't just giving new toys to the big kids. Changes are also being made to mid-level quests, the newbie-level experience is being streamlined, and a new way to gain XP is getting tossed into the mix. Check out the gallery below for some previews of what awaits you in Reflections. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release] %Gallery-161924%
Ubisoft's Reflections studio nominated for Innovation Award, now hiring
Ubisoft's Reflections studio, the developers of Driver: San Francisco, Just Dance 3, and currently working on Far Cry 3, has been nominated for an Innovation Award by the UK's Royal Television Society of the North East, spotlighting "exceptional contributions to technological and production innovations." In other words, they produce games real good, ya hear?The awards will be handed out on Saturday in a ceremony at Newcastle upon Tyne in Northeast England. Reflections also tells Joystiq that the company is growing and hiring at the moment, so if you want to make games and live in the UK (or are willing to move there), there might be an opening for you.
GC 2008: Buzz!, Destruction Derby going mobile in Europe
Hands on your buzzers. What two companies partnered during this year's Leipzig Games Convention to bring "key" PlayStation franchises to mobile carriers in the European market? Quickly now. 3 ... 2 ...1... buzzcrak! The correct answer, had you answered on time, would have been Sony and UK mobile games publisher Player X, though we can forgive your tardiness given that the duo's idea of a pivotal franchise is likely to differ from what you have in mind. No, rather than whipping Kratos' Blades of Chaos with the number 4 key on your handset, or tapping a put into the cup with the 9 in a miniaturized version of Hot Shots Golf, the companies have announced plans to bring virtual quiz show Buzz! and Reflection's original PlayStation racer Destruction Derby to mobile phones this fall and in early 2009, respectively. True, neither of these inspire us to reach for our phones just yet. However, Sony adds that the deal, a first for Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios with an outsider, will continue to bring PlayStation luminaries to mobile phones in Europe for the next three years. Thanks for playing.
Ubisoft Reflections creating new Driver game
Obvious automobile news now, with the shocking revelation that the people inside Ubisoft's Reflections studio, nabbed by the French publisher in 2006, are hard at work clicking buttons, typing code and making "VROOM!" sound effects in order to service a new Driver game. You may remember it as the getaway car sim that you liked before Thelma and Louise took the wheel for most of the sequels.Aside from its in-development status, not much is revealed about the new Driver in a BBC News clip, though it does show a man modeling a red (then blue, no, yeeeelllloooow!) sports car. That's a good start, we suppose.
Emergency Heroes to put out fires on Wii this May
Ubisoft has announced plans to race to the Wii scene this May with "an open world rescue driving game" called Emergency Heroes. While details remain sketchy, Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will feature two-player co-op and 16 different police, fire, and EMT vehicles to drive about while protecting the city of San Alto.Strapped into the driver's seat on this Wii-exclusive project are both Ubisoft Barcelona and Ubisoft Reflections, the latter of which has more than a few racing games to its credit. Even so, we remain unsure of how to feel about Emergency Heroes, as while Reflections struck gold in 1999 with Driver, since then the company has become better known for having driven the franchise off a cliff with all of the gusto of a man with a death wish. Gallery: Emergency Heroes
Leopard's Dock doesn't work on the side
Rogue Ameoba's got a legit complaint with the Dock in Leopard: it looks horrible sitting on the side. Personally, it's not really a concern for me, because I've never moved my Dock from the bottom of the screen (seems weird to have it on the side, like the workspace is off balance). But they're exactly right-- Leopard's "perspective Dock" just looks strange in the vertical. The icons seem to float in space, and the whole perspective looks weird.Of course, they have other problems with the Dock as well-- the reflections of the Desktop and the Windows happen in Leopard no matter where the Dock is, right? But yeah the angles that normally look like a shelf for the icons to sit on when the Dock is on the bottom of the screen look literally "off the wall" when the Dock is on the side.With something like Cleardock, this is easily fixed. And we're still looking at a dev build of Leopard, so maybe Apple has a trick up its sleeve to fix it before release. But would you put the Dock on the side of your screen if it looked like this?
Ubisoft acquires the Driver franchise
Ubisoft announced yesterday that it will acquire the Driver franchise from Atari. The deal includes rights to the Driver franchise as well as most of the assets and all personnel from Reflections Interactive Limited, developer of the series. The acquisition will cost Ubisoft 19 million Euro ($24 million) and is expected to close in Ubisoft's second quarter this year. Yves Guillemot, Ceo of Ubisoft, said of the deal:"We are thrilled with this acquisition which will allow us to add a prestigious title to our catalog and to enter into the driving games segment, one of the most important segments in the gaming industry. With more than 14 million units sold throughout the world, Driver is one of the most successful brands in the history of video games. We look forward to leveraging the unique knowledge of the Ubisoft studios to ensure that Driver will be one of the leading brands of the next generation of consoles."Ubisoft getting their hands on Driver is big news. Hopefully the house of great titles like Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and the upcoming Assassin's Creed can breathe some new life into the ailing franchise. Exciting, non?
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children reports from Hollywood
For the Final Fantasy fans lucky enough to be near Hollywood yesterday night -- and in line for free tickets during the middle of a regular workday -- there was much rejoicing to be had as Advent Children celebrated its U.S. theatrical premiere in style.Siliconera has a write-up on the event with quotes from most of the American voice actors in attendance, who, along with the audience at hand, watched the film in English for the very first time. Lip synching may have been off due to the low-resolution print the actors had to work with, but even Rachel Leigh Cook -- pictured here with her character Tifa Lockheart -- declared herself a new fan of Final Fantasy after the show.Helpful Joystiq Contributor epobirs also had something to report from the screening yesterday, where he gives us an Ain't-It-Cool style rundown of the event. If you want the rest of his reflections on the requirements of the Academy in Oscar nominations, as well as what it takes to "assert your hetero nature ... after watching a movie packed with metrosexual men," simply continue reading below for more. Siliconera's report can be found by clicking on the image of Ms. Cook above or the Read link below. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be out on DVD/UMD April 25th.[Thanks, epobirs; image of Tifa courtesy of Eyes on Final Fantasy]
