Tag Archives: Developer

Ammobox : How Malaysia Can Take Game Dev Further!

Jeremy Choo, founder and CEO of Ammobox, shares how far Malaysia has progressed in game development, and how it can take the serious business of making great games to the next level!

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About Jeremy Choo From Ammobox Studios

Jeremy Choo is not only the founder and CEO of Ammobox, he is one of Malaysia’s top game developers and a former lecturer on game development.

Established in 2008, Ammobox Studios is an independent game development studio based in Malaysia. Ammobox is responsible for developing the genre-breaking FPS/RTS hybrid game called EXIMIUS: Seize the Frontline.

With years of experience both in developing games, and cultivating new game developers, Jeremy Choo certainly knows what it would take for Malaysia to become a world-class nexus for game development.

In the following article, Jeremy will tell us how Malaysia’s game development has levelled up, and how we can take it further!

Ammobox : How Malaysia Can Take Game Dev Further!

We’ve all been there — the game nights with friends where we gather around the TV, wrestle over a game, and inevitably choose the evergreen classics that everyone used to play. The starter Pokemon of our gaming experiences, you could say.

There is something inherently nostalgic about the early days of gaming, back when things were very much simpler. Graphics quality, gameplay experience, even options for customisation; very few of us could even imagine we would’ve made such leaps and bounds in the couple of decades since the founding days of pixelated console gaming.

In conversations about the growth of the gaming industry at large, it’s all too easy for us to slip into discussions about the software, the devices, the technology that makes it at all possible for people to now even carry immersive, imaginary worlds in their pockets. But I’ve always believed that while technology will always be the medium that brings games to the masses, tech doesn’t power itself.

The indispensable beating heart of the gaming industry is the right talent to understand, complement, and drive the rapidly advancing technology that exists.

This is arguably one of the main reasons why the Malaysian game development scene was slow to boot up — and not for any scarcity of talent, but rather a lack of general support and understanding for working in gaming as professionals.

When I first founded Ammobox, the core challenge I faced wasn’t navigating the tech requirements, but rather hiring the right artists, engineers, and programmers to make use of that very technology. The homegrown gaming scene at the time was largely comprised of outsourced stragglers and all-purpose studios that did not necessarily specialise in games. This made developing local IPs (shorthand for intellectual property, or the entire premise and ownership rights to a game’s content) especially challenging.

Funding was a whole other nemesis in itself. Most fledgling game developers wound up having to bootstrap their projects, which meant working on a project long-term with expected delays and keeping afloat on the bare minimum of time, resources, and abilities. It wasn’t uncommon for full working versions of games to be released an entire decade after its IP was developed!

Perception fed into this problem, and the difficulty in creating Malaysian IPs has led to a vicious cycle that dogs the industry to this day. By ‘perception’, I don’t necessarily mean the snide “so you play video games for work?” comments — it’s also the impression that because Malaysia didn’t have as many IPs to its name as some of our neighbouring countries, investors were hesitant to fund an industry that might not turn out to be lucrative.

Today, the gaming market is projected to reach US$200 billion in value by 2028, and Malaysia is in a great position to benefit from this rich landscape of possibilities if we can rise to the occasion.

Gaming studios and developers are now more commonplace here. Larger talent pools have also mushroomed across the country as more young Malaysians turn to making their hobby their professional craft, and especially as local universities have begun opening up game development courses.

Our current challenge has thus evolved: it has gone beyond identifying and developing that talent, to now ensuring that we keep that talent here at home.

To do that, stakeholders both from within the gaming industry and outside in its many interconnected fields need to join forces, to help Malaysia’s game development scene catch up to where it really should and can be. Digital infrastructure like Internet speeds and geographical connectivity need to reach the heights of our regional peers (making for lower ping in games and an overall smoother experience for consumers).

As for funding campaigns, which have been made easier due to the work of organisations like the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), investments are more likely to be made if the industry itself demonstrates that it is equipped for and capable of success. It is inherently a cycle: we have to first grow the industry and our IPs in order to grow our talents. We need to become those greener pastures that game development talents are seeking.

More employment opportunities, more participation in a globally competitive industry, more potential international investments and projects, more ways to showcase Malaysian talent to the world — the potential economic and cultural benefits that come from a thriving gaming industry are thrilling to imagine.

I genuinely believe that Malaysia, the diverse underdogs that we are, has a unique opportunity to take the global gaming industry by surprise with the local twist in our game titles and IPs. We already have the talent and the know-how! All we need is that little buff — so that we can graduate from mid-game to play in the big leagues.

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Kalypso Media Owner Simon Hellwig Dies At 46… :(

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The owner of Kalypso Media – Simon Hellwig – has suddenly died at 46, leaving the company in hands of co-managing director Dr. Anika Thun.

Kalypso Media Owner Simon Hellwig Dies At 46… 🙁

On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, Kalypso Media announced that its owner and joint Managing Director, Simon Hellwig, has suddenly passed away. In his place, co-managing director Dr. Anika Thun will continue to run Kalypso Media.

Simon Hellwig and Stefan Marcinek founded Kalypso Media in 2006, and the company is best known for its strategy game titles, including the Tropico and Railway Empire series.

From its humble beginnings in Worms, Germany, Kalypso Media has since expanded into England, France and North America. It also owns five development studios including Realmforge Studios, Gaming Minds Studios, Bulwark Studios, Claymore Game Studios and Nine World Studios.

Before the antivax ghouls come out to blame his sudden death on the COVID-19 vaccines, let me just say it right now – there is NO EVIDENCE that Simon Hellwig died from vaccine-induced sudden death – SADS / VDS / VIDS or whatever you want to call it.

While Kalypso Media did not state Simon Hellwig’s cause of death, its official statement is framed by black ribbons, which are often used as a symbol of skin cancer / melanoma awareness. So it seems quite likely that Simon Hellwig died from melanoma or skin cancer.

Official Statement By Kalypso Media On Death Of Simon Hellwig

Here is the official statement by Kalypso Media on the death of its co-founder and owner, Simon Hellwig.

Bracknell, UK – (18th October 2022) – Kalypso Media Group are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Simon Hellwig, company owner and joint Managing Director.

As was always planned for Simon’s succession and the future of the business, Dr. Anika Thun will continue to lead as Managing Director with the support of senior management and the entire company group. Simon leaves behind a hugely successful business and legacy that we, as a group, endeavour to maintain. Simon’s vision was clear and we are committed to fulfilling it and continuing the growth of the company in honour of his legacy.

Simon co-founded Kalypso Media in 2006 and oversaw its notable growth. Now proudly standing at over 200 global employees at offices across Germany, England, France, Japan and North America, the group currently includes the digital label Kasedo Games and five development studios: Realmforge Studios, Gaming Minds Studios, Claymore Game Studios, Nine Worlds Studios and Bulwark Studios.

Simon’s business acumen and affection for the video games industry began from an early age. Whilst others were developing homemade games in their bedrooms, Simon instead would buy and sell them to magazines. His love of one of the earliest play-by-mail strategy games, Gladius et Pilum, not only combined his interests in gaming and history but also established a lifelong passion for historical strategy games.

This enthusiasm for the industry culminated in his diploma thesis ‘Development of a Business Plan for the Foundation of a Company in the Entertainment Software Industry’ which would go on to define the expectations and aims of the Kalypso Media Group. These goals were met and exceeded over the last sixteen years, in which Simon and his team grew Kalypso to become a name in the industry that continues to stand for quality strategy and simulation games.

Kalypso Media has lost an enormously well-respected leader and friend. Throughout his sixteen years at the helm, Simon consistently inspired those around him through his dedication to his team, the business and the wider industry. His brilliant vision and his endless enthusiasm knew no bounds and he will be immensely missed by his Kalypso Media family and friends within the industry. As a family business, Anika and Simon were united as partners in every way and this loss is immeasurable. Our thoughts are with all those who were dear to him.

Our deepest condolences to Simon Hellwig’s family, and the Kalypso Media team.

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Ferret Baudoin : Cause of Sudden Death NOT Vaccine!

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When news broke that Ferret Baudoin suddenly died, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that he was a victim of vaccine sudden death (SADS / VIDS)!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Ferret Baudoin Died From Vaccine Sudden Death!

Right after news broke that Ferret Baudoin suddenly died, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the lead designer for Fallout 76 and the Dragon Age series died from vaccine-induced sudden death (SADS / VIDS)!

Here is a selection of social media posts accompanying links or articles on his death:

Dr. James E. Olsson : So why did this game developer just die. He does not look very old. No cause of death anymore, just “passed away”. Suddenly. And nobody can say why.

no need to say why we know why he was injected with a bio weapon thats being pushed as a vaccine

“Pandemic of Sudden Death in Healthy Young People.” One would think that in the 21st century that someone in the medical field would become very concerned about such a silent killer. Or are they silenced by big tech, Pharma and their governments? 🫢

Truth : Ferret Baudoin Did NOT Die From Vaccine Sudden Death!

It’s now a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why, and what we know so far…

Fact #1 : Ferret Baudoin Died From Complications Of Cancer Surgery

Veteran game developer, Ferret Baudoin (born Eric Baudoin) did NOT die from COVID-19 vaccines. He died from complications of cancer surgery.

Ferret Baudoin’s cause of death was NOT the COVID-19 vaccine, but complications encountered during a surgery he underwent for his cancer.

Baudoin’s sister revealed that it was “painless for him”, and Ferret was “in very good spirits” before the surgery, and that he was “surrounded by family and friends”.

Credit goes to Redditor ken4656 who spoke directly to Baudoin’s family, and found out more about his untimely passing:

His passing was sudden and stemmed from complications from cancer surgery. Many of us have had cancer visit close to home and can empathize how hard this fight is. In the words of his sister, “fortunately it was painless, and he was in very good spirits. Surrounded by family and friends.”

His family only now through the outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike in gaming how impactful his work was. His children are still young, and he only had 11 years with them. At the very least we wanted them to know what their Dad did, today and years from now when they look back on his legacy in gaming.

The family is asking that donations be to his children’s college fund, or the American Cancer Society.

Fact #2 : Unknown If Ferret Baudoin Was Vaccinated

It is currently unknown if Ferret Baudoin was vaccinated against COVID-19, so it would be wrong for anyone to claim that he died from COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

For all we know – he may not even be vaccinated! The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in the United States, despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim.

For example, anti-vaccination activists claimed that Kaden Clymer was almost crippled by a 6-foot long vaccine-induced blood clot, but the high school athlete was never vaccinated against COVID-19!

Fact #3 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days

Even if Ferret Baudoin was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, he definitely received his vaccine doses many months ago.

He cannot possibly have died from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not many months later.

Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.

Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days.

The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.

Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.

Fact #4 : Claims Of Celebrities Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing celebrity deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

So far, claims of celebrity deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance.

Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Fallout 76 Lead Designer Ferret Baudoin Has Died… :(

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The lead designer for Fallout 76 and the Dragon Age series – Ferret Baudoin – died suddenly on October 15, 2022…

Fallout 76 Lead Designer, Ferret Baudoin, Has Died… 🙁

Bethesda Softworks senior designer Eric “Ferret” Baudoin, who was the lead designer on Fallout 76 and the Dragon Age series, has died.

According to a Facebook tribute page, he “passed suddenly”, “surrounded by his family” on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

Help keep the Lore Keeper’s lore alive. On October 15, 2022, legendary game designer Ferret Baudoin passed suddenly. He is surrounded by his family. He loved real life as much as games. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and son.

It also asked that Baudoin’s fans help his children go to college by donating to “buy Ferret Baudoin a coffee“.

In Ferret Baudoin’s long career, he has touched the lives of many gamers through the games he worked on:

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (designer)
Dragon Age: Origins (Leader Designer/Writer)
Dragon Age II (Lead Designer/Writer)
Dragon Age: Inquisition (Designer).
He also worked for Black Isle and Obsidian and had been designer on the cancelled Fallout Van Buren title.
After joining Bethesda he served as Quest Designer & Writer on Fallout 4 and was also a Senior Designer on the yet to be released Starfield.

Eric chose to be credited as Ferret Baudoin as his preferred name. One Redditor claimed that Baudoin was already using that nickname in 1989 when he was a college freshman, but was very secretive about its meaning or origins.

I lived in the dorm room next to him for three years and he was best man at my wedding, and I don’t know where it came from,” they wrote. “I do know he had fun with it when he visited Ireland. At the time there was a fad in the country that involved shoving a ferret down your trousers, and he used it as a pick-up line!

Ferret Baudoin was with Bethesda Softworks for 10 years, before his untimely demise.

Eric Ferret Baudoin Died From Complications Of Cancer Surgery

Before the antivax ghouls come out to blame his sudden death on the COVID-19 vaccines, let me just say it right now – Ferret Baudoin died from complications of cancer surgery.

His cause of death was NOT the COVID-19 vaccine, but complications encountered during a surgery he underwent for his cancer.

Baudoin’s sister revealed that it was “painless for him”, and Ferret was “in very good spirits” before the surgery, and that he was “surrounded by family and friends”.

Credit goes to Redditor ken4656 who spoke directly to Baudoin’s family, and found out more about his untimely passing:

The family is asking that donations be to his children’s college fund, or the American Cancer Society.

Fans Leaving Memorial Messages In Fallout 76 For Ferret Baudoin

Some of Ferret Baudoin’s fans have started to leave memorial messages in Fallout 76 for him.

They are being asked to share those tributes on social media with the hashtag #ThanksFerret, so his sister can collect them to share with his family.

Here is a selection of his fans’ messages in Fallout 76:

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows 10 : First Look!

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Qualcomm just announced the Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows 10, build in collaboration with… of course, Microsoft!

Here is what you need to know about the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows 10!

Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows 10 : First Look!

The path to the Qualcomm Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows 10 started in September 2020 when Microsoft announced the expansion of their App Assure Program to Windows 10 PCs powered by Snapdragon compute platforms.

Microsoft also optimised Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Teams and Visual Studio Code for the Snapdragon compute platforms.

Then December 2020 saw the introduction of x64 emulation preview for Windows 10 PCs, to the Windows Insider Program.

Qualcomm and Microsoft will share more about this new Snapdragon dev kit at the Build 2021 session. But here is a first look at the developer kit!

Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows 10 : Availability

The Qualcomm Snapdragon developer kit for Windows 10 will be available for sale at The Microsoft Store in Summer 2021!

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CD PROJEKT RED Hack : Source Codes + Docs Stolen!

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CD PROJEKT RED just had their source codes and internal documents stolen in a MAJOR HACK, and they may all end up being leaked!

CD PROJEKT RED Hack : Source Codes Stolen, Servers Encrypted!

On 9 February 2021, CD PROJEKT RED announced that their data – including source codes and internal documents – were stolen in a hack, and could possibly be leaked.

Their servers were also encrypted in a secondary ransomware attack by the same hackers, but they had backups of the encrypted data.

CD PROJEKT RED publicly ruled out negotiating with the hackers, or giving in to their demands.

This would likely mean that their source codes and internal documents will eventually be released publicly by the hackers.

The only silver lining – CD PROJEKT RED noted that they do not have any evidence that the personal data of their employees were accessed or stolen.

CD PROJEKT RED Hack : The Hackers’ Threats

According to the ransom note left on their servers, the hackers stole :

FULL source codes for Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, GWENT and the unreleased version of Witcher 3.
ALL of their internal documents on accounting, administration, legal, HR, investor relations and more

They also encrypted all of their CD PROJEKT RED’s servers, but acknowledged that they would most likely recover the data from their backups.

The hackers are giving the CD PROJEKT RED team 48 hours to contact them to negotiate.

If there is no agreement, they threaten to sell or leak the source codes, and release their internal documents to the media.

They claim that the internal documents will make CD PROJEKT RED look bad, causing their stock prices to fall and their investors will lose trust in them.

CD PROJEKT RED : Official Statement On Hack

This is the official statement by CD PROJEKT RED on the hack :

Yesterday we discovered that we have become a victim of a targeted cyber attack, due to which some of our internal systems have been compromised.

An unidentified actor gained unauthorized access to our internal network, collected certain data belonging to CD PROJEKT capital group, and left a ransom note the content of which we release to the public. Although some devices in our network have been encrypted, our backups remain intact. We have already secured our IT infrastructure and begun restoring the data.

We will not give in to the demands nor negotiate with the factor, being aware that this may eventually lead to the release of the compromised data. We are taking necessary steps to mitigate the consequences of such a release, in particular by approaching any parties that may be affected due to the breach.

We are still investigating the incident, however at this t time we can confirm that – to the best of our knowledge – the compromised systems did not contain any personal data of our players or users of our services.

We have already approached the relevant authorities, including law enforcement and the President of the Personal Data Protection Office, as well as IT forensic specialists, and we will closely cooperate with them in order to fully investigate the incident.

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