Google Deepmind Unveils New Video Model

Google DeepMind, Google's flagship AI research lab, has developed a new video model called Veo 2, a next-generation video-generating AI. Veo 2 can create two-minute-plus clips in resolutions up to 4k, which is 4x the resolution and over 6x the duration of OpenAI's Sora. The model is currently available exclusively in Google's experimental video creation tool, VideoFX, where videos are capped at 720p and eight seconds in length.

Veo 2 has several improvements over its predecessor, including an improved understanding of physics and camera controls, producing "clearer" footage with sharper textures and images. The model can also more realistically model motion, fluid dynamics, and properties of light, including different lenses and cinematic effects. Additionally, Veo 2 can generate videos in a range of styles and has an improved ability to position the virtual "camera" in the videos it generates.

Despite its advancements, Veo 2 still has some limitations, including the ability to hallucinate elements and struggling with coherence and consistency. The model also has issues with generating intricate details, fast and complex motions, and continuing to push the boundaries of realism. DeepMind is continuing to work with artists and producers to refine its video-generation models and tooling.

OpenAI Teases New Reasoning Model

OpenAI has previewed its new frontier "reasoning" models, o3 and o3-mini, which are designed to break down instructions into smaller tasks to produce stronger outcomes. The company is not releasing the models yet but is accepting applications from the research community to test them ahead of public release.

The o3 model has shown impressive performance records, surpassing its predecessor in coding tests by 22.8 percent, and outscores OpenAI's Chief Scientist in competitive programming. It has also achieved high scores in math and science benchmarks, including nearly acing a difficult math competition and achieving 87.7 percent on a benchmark for expert-level science problems.

OpenAI claims that o3 performs better than its other reasoning models in coding benchmarks, and has also announced new research on deliberative alignment, which requires the AI model to process safety decisions step-by-step. This approach has shown promising results, with o1 performing better at following safety guidelines than previous models, including GPT-4.

GitHub Launches Free Version of Copilot

GitHub has announced a free version of its Copilot code completion/AI pair programming tool, which will now ship by default with Microsoft's popular VS Code editor. This move marks a significant shift towards a freemium model, making Copilot more accessible to a wider range of developers.

The free version of Copilot has some limitations, including a cap of 2,000 code completions per month, and users are limited to two foundation models: Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI's GPT-4o. Additionally, the number of chat messages for Copilot Chat is limited to 50. However, developers still get access to all Copilot Extensions and skills.

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke explained that the team analyzed Copilot usage data to determine the threshold between occasional users and professional developers. The goal is to enable more people to become developers, especially in countries where the cost of the tool is a barrier. Dohmke hopes that the free version will attract more students and developers from around the world, aligning with GitHub's mission to enable a billion users to become developers worldwide.

The move to a freemium model is likely a response to increasing competition in the AI coding tool market, where startups like Tabnine and Qodo, as well as companies like AWS, offer competing services with free plans. By making Copilot more widely available, GitHub aims to expand its reach and stay ahead in the market.

2025 Upcoming Games Release Schedule

The upcoming year of 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting one for gamers, with a wide range of titles scheduled for release across various platforms. The year will kick off with the release of Sea Fantasy on January 7, followed by other notable titles such as Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles.

February will see the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Sid Meier's Civilization VII, and Assassin's Creed Shadows, among others. March will bring the release of Two Point Museum, Fragpunk, Suikoden 1&II HD Remaster Gate Rune, and Dunan Unification Wars.

Many more titles will be released throughout the year, including Grand Theft Auto VI, GreedFall 2: The Dying World, and Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines 2.

In addition to these specific titles, 2025 will also see the release of several games that have been given a 2025 release window but do not yet have a specific release date. These titles include games such as Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian, Borderlands 4, and Elden Ring: NightReign.

‘Sonic 3’ Deemed Series’ Best with $6.5M in Previews

Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has gotten off to a strong start, earning a franchise-best $6.5 million in Thursday previews. The film is expected to top the weekend box office with a three-day launch of $60 million to $70 million. The movie has been well-received by critics, with a franchise-best critics' score of 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sonic 3 sees the return of director Jeff Fowler and cast members Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, and James Marsden, among others. The film also introduces new characters, including Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog. The story follows Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails as they team up to face their most powerful adversary yet.

The film's strong preview numbers and positive reviews have set it up for a successful opening weekend. With its PG rating, Sonic 3 is expected to appeal to a wide range of audiences, including families and fans of the popular video game franchise.

Monster Hunter Wilds Console Specs and Details Revealed

Capcom has revealed the performance details for Monster Hunter Wilds on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game will have two modes on PS5 and Xbox Series X: a graphics mode that targets 30fps and a frame rate mode that targets 60fps. The output resolution for both modes is 3840x2160, but the rendering resolution differs, with graphics mode using 3072x1728 and frame rate mode using 1920x1080.

On the Xbox Series S, there is only one mode, which targets a 1920x1080 resolution at 30fps. Additionally, Capcom has confirmed that there will be a day-one patch to implement PS5 Pro support, although no further details have been provided.

The development team is also working on reworking the PC specs, which were initially similar to those of Dragon's Dogma 2, a game that had performance issues at launch. However, there is no indication that Monster Hunter Wilds will suffer similar problems. The game is set to launch on February 28, 2025, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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Illuvium Announces Upcoming Changes to Overworld Following Previous Backlash

Illuvium's Co-Founder and CEO Kieran Warwick has announced a significant overhaul of the company's game development strategy. The move aims to address past challenges and refine the ecosystem to provide a more enjoyable experience for players. Warwick acknowledged that the company's previous approach to game development, which involved juggling multiple titles simultaneously, had led to difficulties in maintaining quality and efficiency.

To address this, Illuvium is reorganizing its internal teams to focus on one core game at a time, starting with its flagship title, Overworld. Overworld is set to undergo a major transformation, evolving into an MMO Lite experience that builds on the game's existing foundations. The new direction aims to deliver a streamlined, more accessible version of a traditional MMO, with a focus on core gameplay mechanics, social features, and community engagement.

In addition to the changes to Overworld, Illuvium is also revamping its monetization approach. The company is shifting away from microtransactions and towards a more player-friendly model, committed to making more content-free, bundling payments into more seamless transactions, and ensuring the entire system feels fair and rewarding. This new approach is designed to improve the overall player experience and increase engagement.

Warwick expressed confidence in the new direction, stating that the company is committed to working with the community to refine the game's economy, gameplay, and social features. Illuvium is planning to seek funding around March next year to support the development of the MMO Lite experience and is confident in securing the support needed to fully realize the vision.

OpenSea Hints at OCEAN Token

In a recent development, the official OpenSea account on X has sparked intense speculation about a potential token airdrop by quoting a post from the seemingly official OpenSea Foundation account. The post in question, which was made on December 20, simply stated "ocean enters the chat," hinting at the possibility of an OCEAN token.

This move has sent shockwaves through the crypto community, with many interpreting it as a strong indication that OpenSea is indeed planning to launch a token. The fact that the official OpenSea account interacted with the post, quoting it and thereby lending it credibility, has only added fuel to the fire.

The OpenSea Foundation account, which was registered in the Cayman Islands, has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks. Many believe that the foundation could be used to facilitate a token airdrop, similar to what other organizations have done in the past.

The latest development has seen the odds of an OpenSea token airdrop increase significantly, with prediction markets on Polymarket showing a 60% chance of an announcement before 2024. The news has also sparked a flurry of activity on social media, with many in the crypto community eagerly awaiting further developments.

While OpenSea has yet to make an official announcement about a token airdrop, the latest move has certainly raised expectations. With the company's new marketplace, OpenSea 2.0, expected to launch soon, many are speculating that a token airdrop could be part of the launch plans.

Nifty Island Launches ISLAND Token and Airdrop

Nifty Island has launched its ISLAND token, a utility token that serves as the ecosystem token for its in-game economy. The token has a total supply of one billion and was launched on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC-20 token. ISLAND will make use of LayerZero's omnichain technology, enabling it to be utilized on the Ethereum layer-2 network Base, as well as Solana in the future.

The token was distributed to five separate groups of ecosystem participants, including the community, play-to-airdrop campaign participants, rewards pool, ecosystem incentives, and investors and advisors. The community received the largest supply of ISLAND tokens, with 38.6% of the total supply. Those who participated in the play-to-airdrop campaign will split 12.6% of the ISLAND supply, while the rewards pool and ecosystem incentives will receive 17.5% and 8.5% respectively.

ISLAND holders can stake their tokens on Ethereum or Base to receive various benefits, including enhanced rewards rates, access to exclusive resources, consumables, exclusive prizes, and governance voting power. The token can be claimed directly from the Nifty Island website, and more benefits will be extended to ISLAND holders as the platform expands.

The Nifty Island team and investors have been allocated a significant portion of the ISLAND supply, with 19.5% and 30.5% respectively. However, these tokens will be locked for a certain period, with 66% of team member tokens locked for two years and 34% locked for one year. The project treasury will house 9.2% of the supply, while 2.5% will be set aside for centralized exchange liquidity.

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