It took 20 years for Children of the Sun to become an overnight success

Children of the Sun burst onto the indie scene like a muzzle flash on a dark night. Publisher Devolver Digital dropped the game’s first trailer on February 1, showcasing frenzied sniper shots and a radioactive art style. A Steam demo highlighting its initial seven stages went live that same day and became a breakout hit during February’s Steam Next Fest. Two months later it landed in full and to broad acclaim. This explosive reveal and rapid release timeline mirrors the game itself — chaotic but contained, swift and direct, sharp and bright. Though it feels like Children of the Sun popped into existence over the span of two months, it took solo developer René Rother more than 20 years to get here. René Rother As a kid in Berlin in the early 2000s, Rother was fascinated by the booming mod community. He spent his time messing around with free Counter-Strike mapping tools and Quake III mods from the demo discs tucked into his PC magazines. Rother daydreamed about having a job in game development, but it never felt like an attainable goal. “It just didn't seem possible to make games,” he told Engadget. “It's like it was this huge black box.” Rother couldn’t see an easy entry point until the 2010s, when mesh libraries and tools like GameMaker and Unity became more accessible. He discovered a fondness for creating 3D interactive art. But aside from some free online Javascript courses, he didn’t know how to program anything, so his output was limited. “I dabbled into it a little... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2024-04-18 19:45:11 UTC ]

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A New York Library Bans Pride Displays and LGBTQ Kids’ Books, And Other Library Censorship Stories from Pride Month

Libraries from California to North Carolina to Utah to New York have seen their Pride displays challenged or removed this month. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-06-30 10:41:00 UTC ]
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Alternatives to the Dewey Decimal System

Many libraries are looking for cataloguing techniques as an alternative to the Dewey Decimal system. Here are a few options. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-06-22 10:35:00 UTC ]
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Summer Game Fest: Where did all the AAA games go?

It’s a weird year for video games. We’re 19 months into a fresh console cycle and support for the PS4 and Xbox One is finally tapering off as developers shift focus to the PS5, Xbox Series X and PC cloud gaming platforms. The pandemic slowed or paused development on a generation of games, and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-06-20 14:00:16 UTC ]
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Once More for Those in the Back: Libraries Are Not Neutral

Five prominent library educators defend the profession’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Xbox Game Pass will soon let you stream games you’ve already bought

Microsoft has a lot of news for Xbox owners and Game Pass fans this morning. In an announcement post, the company shared its plans to expand the Xbox app directly to Samsung smart TVs, opening up the streaming platform to players in Argentina and New Zealand. There are also some new... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2022-06-09 14:47:28 UTC ]
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The New York Public Library is giving 500,000 free books (for keeps!) to kids and families.

We’ve said it many, many times before and we’ll say it many, many times again: libraries represent the best of America. Today’s entry: the New York Public Library will give away 500,000 books this summer to help kids, teens, and families build their at-home libraries. In addition to English,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-09 14:17:10 UTC ]
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Murdering the competition: Richard Osman thriller tops UK library loans

Stats from 2020-21 reveal that the Pointless presenter’s The Thursday Murder Club is the biggest hit in UK librariesRichard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club was the most borrowed book from UK libraries in the year 2020-21, while the prolific bestseller James Patterson was the most borrowed... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-06-09 13:22:35 UTC ]
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Conservative Group Launches “Hide the Pride” to Remove Books From Library Pride Displays

The movement intends to "empty libraries of LGBTQ content aimed at kids" by checking out and hiding all LGBTQ books on library displays. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-06-06 13:35:02 UTC ]
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A Group of Louisiana Libraries Block Cultural Displays

A group of Louisiana libraries block cultural displays, including Pride, Black and Woman's History Month, and others. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-06-02 22:08:33 UTC ]
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The Morning After: Dyson’s secret robot projects

The NFL's rumored streaming service could debut in JulyDyson, the company that’s recently branched out into hair curlers, air-purifying headphones and not cars, has revealed it has an entire division secretly developing robot prototypes for household chores.The company didn't detail any of the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-05-26 11:15:21 UTC ]
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Tested: Multi-gig fiber internet is too fast for your PC

If you’re about to bite the bullet on a blazing-fast multi-gig internet deal, you might just have to upgrade your PC’s storage drive and CPU too. I know this because besides having to upgrade my networking hardware, which was too slow for my new Sonic 10Gb internet, I discovered that parts... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2022-05-18 10:45:00 UTC ]
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19 new books to savor this week.

Available at indies bookstores and local libraries everywhere! * Phil Klay, Uncertain Ground (Penguin Press) “An introspective collection of essays … Klay’s reassuring voice offers truth, hope, and ways forward during a challenging, polarized period in America.” –Booklist Maggie Shipstead, You... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-05-17 13:43:51 UTC ]
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Read Harder: Library Edition

The Read Harder challenge, library style! These books will help you not just Read Harder, but discover more about libraries and librarians. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-05-16 10:30:00 UTC ]
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The Morning After: The Odin is a capable, portable retro console

When it comes to retro portable gaming, even the better handhelds usually only emulate the original PlayStation and N64 era. But if you’re a fan of the GameCube or PS2 libraries (and you should be), the number of handhelds capable enough, well-made enough and reasonably priced enough is... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-05-13 11:15:33 UTC ]
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The Most Popular In-Demand Books in US Libraries: January-March 2022

These were the most popular, in-demand books in US libraries from January to March 2022. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-05-10 14:19:48 UTC ]
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Librarians Gather in Texas as Book Bans Mount

In Texas, where libraries are a political battleground, the Texas Library Association recently convened its annual convention in person for the first time since 2019—in the district of a state representative Matt Kraus eager to ban books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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IBPA Tackles Book Bans

Last Thursday's Independent Book Publishers Association's “The Battle for Free Expression: Indie Publishers and Libraries in the Fight Against Censorship.” panel offered insights from digital media, public libraries, academic research, and online education on the rise in book banning. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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New Kentucky Law Hands Control of Libraries to Local Politicians

In a move that has alarmed library leaders, Kentucky bill SB 167—which came back from the dead last week with a veto override—will empower local politicians to “appoint whomever they want to library boards and block major library spending.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The pandemic showed us that we still need libraries, even with Google

A pandemic might close a library, but it can’t stop librarians. They were still finding new ways to remind us that libraries are about connections and experiences, writes Heidi LM Jacobs. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2022-04-17 08:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York Public Library makes four banned books free nationwide on its e-reader app

The New York Public Library made four banned books available nationwide on SimplyE, its free-reader app. The titles include Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi and Catcher in the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-04-13 23:48:05 UTC ]
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