Personal use of this material is permitted. Abstract--This paper introduces a novel application of Supervised Contrastive Learning (SupCon) to Imitation Learning (IL), with a focus on learning more effective state representations for agents in video game environments. The goal is to obtain latent representations of the observations that capture better the action-relevant factors, thereby modeling better the cause-effect relationship from the observations that are mapped to the actions performed by the demonstrator, for example, "the player jumps whenever an obstacle appears ahead." We propose an approach to integrate the SupCon loss with continuous output spaces, enabling SupCon to operate without constraints regarding the type of actions of the environment. Experiments on the 3D games Astro Bot and Returnal, and multiple 2D Atari games show improved representation quality, faster learning convergence, and better generalization compared to baseline models trained only with supervised action prediction loss functions.

The first time you make anything, it probably won't come out perfect, so it wasn't a huge surprise when MSI's debut gaming handheld struggled out of the gate. And that's before you consider the unorthodox choice to go with an Intel chip instead of one from AMD like practically all of its rivals. However, MSI didn't give up, and now it's back with not one but two versions of its second-gen handheld, headlined by the Claw 8 AI . Not only is it bigger than before, it has twice as many Thunderbolt 4 ports, a way bigger battery and some of the best performance we've seen from any device in this category. But more importantly, as the follow-up to a device plagued by lackluster software and unfinished drivers, it feels like the Claw got its bite back. With its 8-inch screen, the Claw 8 AI is bigger than its predecessor and a number of its rivals like the ROG Ally X, though it's still smaller than Lenovo's chunky 8.8-inch Legion Go.

Video games make for great stocking stuffers for kids and kids at heart. But with so many console and computer titles to choose from, shopping for a gamer can be an overwhelming endeavor. After all, no one wants to gift a dud that will quickly become a drink coaster or shiny Christmas ornament. If you're looking for some suggestions, the following are a handful of recommended gaming picks – a very subjective look at some of 2021's best – divided into various age groups. Prices are $60 unless otherwise specified.

"Which is more important: the patty or the buns?" The age-old causality dilemma has taken different forms for centuries--from the chicken-or-egg paradox to online debates weighing anime versus manga. It's also one that he uses to show that betraying fans' expectations and convincing players to engage with narratives are two different story elements that can coexist. "The patty is more important, huh? I see," remarks Taro in a recent interview with WIRED.

It's pretty hard to imagine a launch of a PlayStation platform without there being something from Housemarque,

It's been six months since the PlayStation 5 launched, and they still fly out of stock minutes after appearing in stores. But anyone still waiting to pick one up can be comforted by the knowledge that as yet, there haven't been many games to show off what it can do. The only one that has felt strikingly next-generation is the superb horror-sci-fi-shooter Returnal, which is like Groundhog Day on an alien planet where everything is trying to kill you. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, out 11 June, is also science-fiction, but unlike Returnal, it is more cuddly and approachable. Part of a long-running series about a furry big-eared alien and his unflappable robot companion having adventures in space with a wacky arsenal of weapons, it's made by Insomniac Games in California, the developer behind PS5 launch game Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

It's wonderful to see Selene, a female protagonist who isn't fresh out of college, take center stage in a game. It's important that her face and voice are prominent throughout, in the repeated introduction sequences after every failure, and through the audio logs left by different versions of her. But my first impressions of her didn't inspire a desire to get to know her better. Early in the journey, Selene stumbles upon a "20th century house" on the planet, and she walks in to revisit old memories. It's meant to be a moment of introspection, but I couldn't help but think, "Oh great, here we go again," as another survival horror protagonist longs for their farmhouse suburban dream.