Baldur

Many of us grew up in the age when playing PC games at their highest settings required a hefty rig. For laptop users who weren’t willing to shell out thousands of dollars for a gaming-capable portable device, it always felt like you were being lapped by those with the space and deep pockets to afford the latest CPU and GPU. However, nowadays, even modest gaming PCs and laptops can play a fair number of recent titles. AI upscaling tech from AMD, Nvidia, and Intel is a big reason for this.An AI That Helps You Get a Job? |…

If you are battling a video game goblin who speaks with a Cockney accent, or asking a gruff Scottish blacksmith to forge a virtual sword, you might be hearing the voice of actor Andy Magee. Except it's not quite Magee's voice. It's a synthetic voice clone generated by artificial intelligence. As video game worlds get more expansive, some game studios are experimenting with AI tools to give voice to a potentially unlimited number of characters and conversations. It also saves time and money on the “vocal scratch”…

Illustration: Vicky LetaHappy Valentines Day, you lovely nerds! io9's favorite tradition on this most romantic day is back, with another round of pop culture gag cards to send to your sweetie from some of the last year’s highlights in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and more. As always, our thanks to G/O Media art director Vicky Leta for bringing our punny missives to life.Illustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: …

Image: LegoVampires are so hot right now. With Interview With the Vampire and Baldur’s Gate 3's Astarion being anywhere and everywhere online, we’re in a toothsome renaissance not seen since the days of... well, Twilight’s cultural dominance. So it’s perhaps fitting that it itself returns for the occasion, although in a much blockier medium.Because, yes, Twilight is back: in Lego form! The toymaker has confirmed that the Cullen House, designed by Lego fan Nick Micheels, aka LobsterThermidor (incredible thing to get to…

When Baldur’s Gate 3 released this summer, its ending was one of the rare moments where praise for Larian’s take on the world of Dungeons & Dragons wasn’t united in effusive lauding. Abrupt, a little messy, and lacking in closure to characters players had just spent hundreds of hours with, it was both interesting and full of friction in equal measure. Should we ever know everything about a story’s end? What should be left to imagination?“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedWhile fans have spent three…

Recently Larian Studios—the developers behind the beloved Divinity: Original Sin games tasked with the daunting prospect of continuing the legacy of the Baldur’s Gate series, some of the most iconic Dungeons & Dragons games ever made—made a big fuss about the scope of its game. More dialogue than Lord of the Rings! Cutscenes longer than Game of Thrones! I care not for these things. I care for literally wild sex with handsome druids.Star Wars Brotherhood Excerpt: Dexter Jettster ReturnsThankfully, today’s “Panel From…

Star Trek: Infinite - Teaser TrailerHow has it taken us this long to get a Star Trek 4X game? Sure, Stellaris mods have existed for ages, but now Paradox is making it official with Star Trek: Infinite, a game that will ask you to explore the galaxy as the Federation, the Romulans, the Cardassians, or the Klingons. We’ll find out more next week on Captain Picard Day, June 16—the second holiest day on the Star Trek calendar. Star Trek: Infinite - Teaser TrailerHow has it taken us this long to get a Star Trek 4X game?…