Computer Games

Two years ago a novelist and as-yet-unproduced screenwriter named Nic Kelman went to work for Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes the popular collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Kelman's job, though he might not put it this way, was to write a grimoire--a kabbalistic story bible. "Rules for magic out of the rules for Magic," as Kelman says. The company needed that grimoire because it was going to try to cast a spell in the real world--to transform a popular albeit niche game, complicated and nerdy, into a cross-media franchise. That has happened for comic books, for literature, even for toys, heaven help us.

Fox News Flash top headlines for July 21 are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com A well-known Hong Kong actor suffered a deep gash to his abdomen and a hand injury Saturday when a knife-wielding suspect attacked him onstage at a promotional event in China, according to a report. Simon Yam Tat-wah, 64, who appeared in the 2003 Hollywood film, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life," starring Angelina Jolie, was recovering after medical treatment and returning to Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post reported. ANGELINA JOLIE WAS A'HORRIBLE B---H' DURING NIGHTMARE DINNER, MODEL CLAIMS Simon Yam poses on the red carpet of the Hong Kong Film Awards in Hong Kong, April 3, 2016.

On 20 July 1969, before an estimated television audience of 650 million, a lunar module named Eagle touched down on the moon's Sea of Tranquility. The tension of the landing and the images of astronauts in futuristic spacesuits striding over the moon's barren surface, Earth reflected in their oversized visors, would prove wildly influential to artists, writers and film-makers. Also watching were the soon-to-be proponents of another technological field populated by brilliant young geeks: computer games. It is perhaps no coincidence that during the early 1960s, when Nasa was working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Instrumentation Lab to develop the guidance and control systems for Apollo spacecraft, elsewhere on campus a programmer named Steve Russell was working with a small team to create one of the first true video game experiences. Inspired by the space race, and using the same DEC PDP-1 model of mainframe computer that generated spacecraft telemetry data for Nasa's Mariner programme, Russell wrote Spacewar!, a simple combat game in which two players controlled starships with limited fuel, duelling around the gravitational well of a nearby star.

Playing video games like Minecraft may help to get your child's creative juices flowing, new research suggests. Video games that foster creative freedom can increase creativity under certain conditions, according to a study from Iowa State University (ISU). Their experiment compared the effect of playing Minecraft, with or without instruction, to watching a TV show or playing a race car video game. Those given the freedom to play Minecraft without instruction were most creative, experts found. Playing video games like Minecraft may help to get the creative juices flowing, new research suggests.

You're part of an underground network of feminists in Chicago that provide illegal (at the time) abortion services to vulnerable, pregnant people with few options. Despite the risk of imprisonment, and the ways that your personal experiences may not always perfectly align with your activism, you persist. It's a live-action roleplaying game by Jon Cole and Kelley Vanda called The Abortionists, which requires three players, one facilitator, six hours and a willingness to dig deep into the painful history of reproductive rights in the United States. That history has terrifying relevance in 2019, as numerous states pass laws that put their residents in a reality where abortion is functionally illegal. Based on the real-life work of a 1970s activist group called Jane, it challenges its participants to think about the "internal landscapes" of its players, and how they deal with the larger political and personal landscape of their world.

Interested in the future and want to experience even more?! eXplore More. Recently Nvidia showed off an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm that could build realistic Virtual Reality worlds in real time, and now Promethean AI have shown off their own AI that helps human game designers automatically create art for video games, such as bedrooms, after they say nothing more than, "Make a bedroom." The artist can take that scene and customise it any way they want, and the tech, as you can see from the videos is impressive. The tech was shown off by Andrew Maximov, founder of Promethean AI and former technical art director at Naughty Dog, who showed it off to the audience at the recent Game Developers Conference. "We're an AI company that helps people build virtual worlds for video games or movies," Maximov said in an interview with GamesBeat.

E3's wide variety of games in development includes creations that offer players an alternative from the typical action-adventures and online battles. LOS ANGELES -- Hundreds of video games are headed toward TVs, console systems, computer displays and mobile devices in the coming months. Of course, that means impending releases from longtime favorite franchises such as "The Legend of Zelda,""Star Wars" and "Call of Duty" and new takes on beloved characters including "Marvel's Avengers." But the breadth of games in development includes many creations that will offer players an alternative from the typical wave of action-adventures and online battles. Here's a quartet of quirky, offbeat treats uncovered from the array on display at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, which wrapped up here earlier this week.

If you're going to try to keep up with the best video gaming has to offer, you'll want to start thinking about getting these titles when they launch. Gamers, get your thumbs ready. If 2019's E3 is any indication, you need to rest them up for the onslaught of upcoming titles, for all gaming platforms. Attracting roughly 60,000 attendees – all of whom play a role in the multibillion-dollar interactive entertainment industry – the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles once again shone a light on the near future of video games, hardware and services. Especially if you're into action-heavy games, the following are eight highlights from this year's E3 that will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC and upcoming streaming platform Google Stadia.

Amid the news-packed chaos that is the Electronic Entertainment Expo -- or E3 for short -- TIME caught up with Doug Bowser, the president of Nintendo of America. Our conversation followed a busy day for Nintendo, which on Tuesday announced a sequel to the much-loved The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and revealed more details about Luigi's Mansion 3, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and more. Unlike some of its competitors, however, Nintendo was tight-lipped when it came to hardware, using this year's E3 to instead focus on new games for its console/mobile hybrid Switch platform. Speaking via phone from the E3 floor, Bowser discussed Nintendo's latest news, the company's efforts to appeal to a wide range of gamers, and how it can help address crunch and burnout among video game developers. The following conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

One of Nintendo's signature franchises also supplied the video game publisher with its biggest surprise during E3. Nintendo confirmed Tuesday that it is working on a sequel to "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," a launch title for its Nintendo Switch console and one of the franchise's best entries. Near the conclusion of its Nintendo Direct video stream ahead of the official opening of E3, the company shared a trailer featuring the game's hero Link and Princess Zelda appearing to explore a dungeon. The duo encounters what looks like a dead body coming back to life. Some fans on social media speculate the character is Ganondorf, a key villain in Zelda lore.