Goodsmile has opened pre-orders for its adorable Bayonetta Nendoroid figure, set to release worldwide in July 2021.

The figure comes with three face plates – a standard expression, a combat expression, and a winking expression – and can be adjusted to bend into different positions. Plenty of optional parts are also included should you wish to spice things up every now and again.

Pre-orders can be found directly from Goodsmile’s store in Japan and the US; those of you from other locations will have to track down a store that stocks Goodsmile products.

Here’s everything you get:

Set Contents:
– Back and Front Hair Parts
– Face Plates x3
– Body x1
– Left Arm Parts x2
– Right Arm Parts x2
– Right Hand Parts x3
– Left Hand Parts x2
– Right Leg Parts x3
– Left Leg Parts x3
– Quad-Wielded Handguns
– Combat Effect Parts
– Bloody Rose Lollipop
– Butterfly Wings (Translucent Sheet)

The figure costs $69.99 and pre-orders will remain open until 9th December. You can expect it to arrive next July.

Do you collect Nendoroids? Will you be adding this one to your set? Tell us below.

Sony has finally shown off the PlayStation 5 user interface in a new State of Play video, detailing a range of functions that make use of the console’s new SSD.

At the beginning of the video we’re introduced to the PlayStation 5’s control center (pictured), which can be used to resume games instantly while granting immediate access to downloads, friends lists and more.

This area also contains ‘cards’ that can be used to interact with games and the system in a variety of useful ways. For instance, the news card highlights recent stories relating to chosen titles, while another displays recent media that’s been captured using the DualSense’s create button.

Other cards, however, are more dynamic. They’re called ‘activities,’ and they’re part of Sony’s plan to “remove barriers to gameplay” by granting quick access to specific levels or modes while displaying additional information like key objectives or the estimated time until a level is completed.

They can even be used to access official hints and tips that take the form of videos, screenshots, or text that can be displayed on-screen (in picture-in-picture mode or side-view) during gameplay. These ‘Game Help’ tips will only be available to PlayStation Plus subscribers, but should make supported titles more accessible.

New interactive notifications can also be used to join parties and access screen sharing in-game, giving players “persistent spaces to connect” all without ever having to minimize the game screen.

You’ll get a better sense of how these features come together by checking out the full 12 minute video (embedded above), but it’s clear Sony wants to deliver easy-to-access controls without kicking gameplay to the curb.

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For many new grads, we all want to get out and start our careers. However, 2020 wasn’t the most welcoming year. Everyone is working remotely and the job searching process became harsher on those who lack experience, especially in the games industry. I managed to have some success and wanted to share it with my fellow recent grads.

First Step: Finding the Right Network (and taking advantage of it!)

In July 2020, I signed up to be a mentee through the Games Research and User Experience (GRUX) Mentorship program. There are lots of great resources there to read through. They also have a Discord that is very welcoming to new grads.

I wanted to get a better understanding of UX Design in games and see if this was the field for me. I had questions like:

• What happens behind the scenes? 

• What part of my UX self-education will I use in games UX?

• What are some skills I should work on as I job search? 

• How do you work with clients? 

In about a week, I got an email from my mentor, Jason Schklar. He’s one of the founders at UX is Fine! and a Game & UX Consultant. We chatted a bit regarding what I want to learn more about and he suggested that I intern at his company. At the time, I wanted to keep my expectations low – it’s just an idea and there is no guarantee that I will be an intern. But, it made me happy that someone wanted to give me a chance in the game dev industry. This was my first lesson from Jason: 1) Find a network and don’t be afraid to use it!

Initial Internship Expectations

By August 2020, I not only gained a mentor but an opportunity to intern at my mentor’s company! I’ll be honest – I didn’t expect to get an internship of some kind this way. 

Before the internship began, I sent over my initial goals:

“As an intern at UX is Fine, these are my goals:

1. Understand the UX workflow at a games UX studio.

2. Build up my skills by assisting with client projects.

3. Network and learn more about how the field came to be.”

I shared my goals with them and, in turn, they gave me their goals:

“For UX is Fine, they want an internship for the following reasons:

1. Identify new talent

   1. The current team is mostly top-heavy with senior designers, researchers, and more.

2. Want to teach others about the field

   1. Art

   2. Traditional UX

   3. Game Design

3. Share what we do.”

By outlining our goals, it helped us organize what we want to get out of this partnership. I personally believe that interns can provide a lot of perspective into how an organization is run. Afterall, interns see the company environment in a fresh light. So for those interns out there, be confident in yourselves – you’re providing more to the company than you anticipate!

Onboarding

Before I logged into their Slack, I had to fill out some paperwork since this was a paid internship. This is routine for those who get jobs, but this took me by some surprise – it’s common for businesses to take in unpaid interns. Jason explained to me that UX is Fine! believes in paying for all work created. To be honest, this made me feel more inspired and motivated to help as much as I can. It also helped me set good standards for myself: 2) I deserve to be respected and well-compensated even as a junior. It’s important for seniors to help juniors set this standard for themselves so that junior game developers know what is good and bad for them. In the long run, this gives the next generation of game developers better preparation and will help them focus on how to improve the game industry.

There was also an additional piece of paperwork that I was unfamiliar with: nondisclosure agreements. I often saw memes discussing NDAs and saw that it didn’t give game developers credit – it’s frustrating when many jobs want to see a shipped title. Nonetheless,these agreements are set in place to protect both the client and the contractor involved. For one, investors on the client-side do not like to see work being contracted out. If you’re blamed for potential theft of intellectual property, it’s a big deal. Overall, 3NDAs don’t just protect the clients – they protect you too.

Here’s an article that details non-disclosure agreements more: How NDAs Work and Why They’re Important.

The First Week

For the first week, I was a bit unsure on what to do – for one, after syncing the calendar, there was a specific meeting called a “Stand-Up Meeting”.This was actually the first time I heard of Stand-Up Meetings; the staff shares their progress with each other and reconvene regarding meetings with clients. They are typically quick 30 minute meetings. Apparently, this concept is a part of Agile Project Development and allows team members to sync up on what everyone is doing. I like this activity since it made everything transparent between team members. This definitely gave me insight on how game dev teams actually work together.

If you’re more curious about Stand-Up Meetings, feel free to read this: Atlassian Team Playbook. It also gives many tidbits of Agile Project Development, so I recommend using this as a resource!

In the meantime, I did playthroughs of “the project” (I can’t talk about it yet, see the NDA point above) and wrote my observations. At first, I didn’t really understand the intention of this – I wanted to analyze the game right away. Nonetheless, the UX Director I shadowed, Neil Edwards, informed me that it’s important to 4) play the game as a player first and as a UX Designer second. He wanted me to develop my senses as a player first so that I can better investigate issues with a game. It seemed basic, but the basics served as the foundations. There’s no point in being a UX Designer if I can’t identify the right problems to solve.

Nonetheless, identifying issues that I caught helped the UX Designer I shadowed, Frank Lepkowski, since I provided a perspective that he and others may not have observed. It also gave me practice and reassurance that my observations are helpful – as a junior, I can lack confidence in my observations. I can have thoughts like “are they actually valid observations to take into consideration”? By getting feedback at appropriate times, they showed me that I’m on the right track and to believe in myself as a UX Designer.

The Next Two Weeks: My Main Project

For the next two weeks, I was trusted to outline and provide feedback on the overall User Journey. I focused on a specific section of the NDA project by recording gameplay, outlining the screens, and having three stages of commentary. The first stage of commentary are my initial reactions – what happened here? What was my reaction? My second stage was to rewrite these initial reactions into more objective statements from a UX Design perspective – why did I react this way? Why is this a problem? The third stage was to summarize the main issues based on the specific objective statements I made. These main issues are what needs to be addressed in the UX Design.

This exercise is really important for me to go over since I mostly taught myself UX Design through online courses – I needed feedback from someone more senior than me. Through this exercise, I learned that I still struggle to make objective feedback from the user’s perspective. I need to practice making them more.  It’s important since these types of statements hold UX Designers accountable to provide actionable feedback to clients. 5) Without objective feedback, the feedback can easily turn into an opinionated debate; it’s more productive to focus on the user.

The Last Week

In the last week, I was able to see how UX is Fine! Interacts with their clients. These meetings were shockingly fast-paced. It showed me that you really needed to be attentive and respectful. It was completely different compared to talking to coworkers. I reflected on this with the UX Designer I shadowed and he also shared similar feelings when he was first onboarded. For each person involved, they have their own kind of lingo for the same concept – it took awhile for everyone to understand when they first started their careers. I also saw disagreements between the parties involved. By observing my seniors, I learned that the best way to tackle these is to 6) aim for the long-term when it comes to business relationships.

Nonetheless, based on what I observed in the stakeholder meeting, 7) most game development teams are interdependently collaborative. It’s difficult to work on a project alone especially when you wish to monetize the game, so you need to rely on individuals who are able to talk through their process and work on their own section without being micromanaged.

Post-Mortem

On my last day, we reviewed the overall internship experience. I felt like I did as best as I could, but both sides agreed on one thing: the internship should be longer. It taught us the importance of internships in the long-run. It also really helped to 8) be transparent about your goals early on. It’s easier to measure whether or not a work experience was successful for both parties involved.

For me, I felt like I needed to learn more – if anything, it taught me that I should take up a UX Designer job in any industry, improve my craft, and try next time. For many of the people at UX is Fine!, they transitioned from other industries into game development; it’s ok to not be in game development right away. If anything, I can be a hobbyist game developer. Nonetheless, the next step for me is to find a job where I can continue to grow and contribute to a company.

Overall Lessons

1. Find a network and don’t be afraid to use it!

2. I deserve to be respected and well-compensated even as a junior.

3. NDAs not just protect the clients – it protects you too.

4. Be a player first then a UX Designer.

5. Without objective feedback, the feedback can easily turn into an opinionated debate.

6. Aim for the Long-Term when it comes to Business Relationships.

7. Most Game Development Teams are Interdependently Collaborative.

8. Be transparent about your goals.

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The Python interpreter throws the NameError exception if it encounters an undefined variable or function name. To fix it, you must figure out why the variable is not defined—the most frequent bugs are (1) to use the variable of function name in the code before it was defined, or (2) to misspell the name in either the definition or the usage.

Have a look at the minimal example in our interactive code shell:

Exercise: Define variable some_variable before you use it and fix the bug!

Note: All the explanations and solutions provided below have been verified using Python 3.8.5.

Problem

When one is beginning to write Python code, they will come across the NameError exception. The Python Interpreter throws this exception to state an error.  Experienced Python coders, even Python legends like Guido (I suppose), run into these errors, every now and then. In its simplest form, the error looks like something similar to the following:

>>> print(some_variable)

Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>

NameError: name 'some_variable' is not defined

>>>

Desired Output

This article aims to help the reader understand some of the most common reasons for this error.

>>> print(some_variable)

hello world

>>> 

The desired output, assumes the variable some_variable, points to the string "hello world".  In other words, the desired output would be an error free run of the reader’s Python code.

Background

Python is an interpreted language. This means, it interprets any Python code, line by line, from the beginning of the code to the end. The execution usually stops at the first error which the Python Interpreter encounters.  The error message usually prints out helpful information about the problem.  In most cases, the reader can debug, deduce and locate the erroneous syntax and fix it.  This blog will attempt to describe one such common problem called the NameError.

Missing Variable Definition

One common cause of the NameError exception is a missing variable definition. As mentioned before, Python is an interpreted language. This means that the reader should define the variables before using them. Consider the following code. The reader is eager to try out some basic Python code real quick.  So they fire up the Python interpreter to try out their fresh Python skills.

>>> print(some_variable)

Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>

NameError: name 'some_variable' is not defined

>>>

Oops!!! The reader finds out they have not defined some_variable, before they used it! Fix this problem as shown below. Define some_variable before using it!

>>> some_variable = ‘Hello World’

>>> print(some_variable)

Hello World

>>> 

Misspelled Variable Name

Misspelled variable names can be erroneous in a similar way. Consider the following example code.

>>> som_variable = ‘Hello World’

>>> print(some_variable)

Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>

NameError: name 'some_variable' is not defined

>>> 

Note: som_variable is not the same as some_variable (i.e. missing 'e')

Missing Function Definitions

Another common cause of the NameError exception is a missing function definition. Like variable definitions, the reader should define any function, before using it. Consider the following code.

>>> some_other_string = ‘Hello World’

>>> some_function(some_other_string)

Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>

NameError: name 'some_function' is not defined

>>> 

Again, the function 'some_function' is not defined before its use.
Fix this problem as shown below. Define 'some_function' before using it.

>>> def some_function(some_string):

... print(some_string)

... >>> some_other_string = ‘Hello World’

>>> some_function(some_other_string)

Hello World

>>>

Misspelled Function Name

Misspelled function names can be erroneous in a similar way. Consider the following example code.

>>> def som_function(some_string):

... print(some_string)

... >>> some_other_string = ‘Hello World’

>>> some_function(some_other_string)

Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>

NameError: name 'some_function' is not defined

>>> 

Note: 'som_function' is not the same as 'some_function' (i.e. missing 'e')

Wrong Scope

Yet another common cause of the NameError exception is the use of the variable in the wrong scope. Consider the following example.

>>> ## Define the function some_function()

>>> def some_function():

... a_local_variable = ‘I am Local…’

... print("Printing a Local variable from within a function definition: " + a_local_variable)

... >>> ## Call some_function()

>>> some_function()

Printing a Local variable from within a function definition: I am Local...

>>> >>> ## Try to print "a_local_variable" from outside the function definition

>>> print("Attempting to print the variable from outside some_function(): " + a_local_variable)

Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>

NameError: name 'a_local_variable' is not defined

>>> 

The NameError exception occurred because a_local_variable got called from outside its function scope. 
One way to fix this is by defining a_local_variable as a global variable instead. Consider the following example.

>>> ## Define a Global Variable

>>> a_global_variable = ‘I am global…’

>>> >>> ## Define the function some_function()

>>> def some_function():

... print("Printing the Global variable from within a function definition: " + a_global_variable)

... >>> ## Call some_function()

>>> some_function()

Printing the Global variable from within a function definition: I am global...

>>> >>> ## Try to print "a_global_variable" from outside the function definition

>>> print("Attempting to print the Global variable from outside some_function(): " + a_global_variable)

Attempting to print the Global variable from outside some_function(): I am global…

>>> 

Unquoted String In print() Statement

Forgetting to quote strings in the print() statement can cause the NameError exception. This does not happen often, but it is good to know that it can happen. The reader is more likely to see a SyntaxError rather than a NameError. Consider the following examples…

>>> print(Hello)

Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>

NameError: name 'Hello' is not defined >>> print(Hello World) File "<stdin>", line 1 print(Hello World) ^

SyntaxError: invalid syntax

>>> 

In both the examples above, unquoted strings cause errors. NameError in one case and SyntaxError in another.

In this case, the fix is simple. Enclose the strings in quotes.

>>> print(‘Hello’)

Hello >>> print(‘Hello World’)

Hello World

Conclusion

Such errors will happen in the reader’s coding life. The important thing is to learn from it and move on.  Over time the reader will get better at coding, as they incorporate good coding habits. Such errors happen lesser and lesser as the reader gets more experienced.

Finxter Academy

This blog was brought to you by Girish, a student of Finxter Academy. You can find his Upwork profile here.

References

All research for this blog article was done using Python Documents, the Google Search Engine and the shared knowledge-base of the Finxter Academy and the Stack Overflow Communities. Concepts and ideas were also researched from the Boston University and Career Karma communities.

The post Python’s NameError: name ‘xxx’ is not defined — How to Fix This Stupid Bug? first appeared on Finxter.

Previously expected in Unreal Engine 4.26 Preview 1, the new experimental water simulation system from Fortnite has finally shipped in Unreal Engine 4.26 preview 3. The new water simulation system enables you to quick create realistic and highly configurable water simulations, including oceans, lakes and rivers. Of course the key word is experimental, this is a feature that is nowhere near ready for prime time.

You can see a quick preview of the water system in action in the video below. Given the fact that there currently exists no documentation and it seems several of the features are currently broken, the video by no means showcases all of the new fluid simulation systems capabilities. Currently the only information available on how to use the new system come in the 2 1/2 Epic Games livestream available here. While early on, the new system does seem incredibly promising. For now however, the UIWS, or Unified Interactive Water System from the September monthly UE4 giveaway is most likely a better choice.

A seemingly very busy pre-order period for Apple is being reflected in how the iPhone 12 Pro, in particular, is already seeing its estimated delivery dates moving back across the world.

iPhone 12

Stores in France are still showing October 23 availability. Delivery has slipped back, however.

iPhone 12 Pro

What a difficult year this has been. During the past nine months, COVID-19 has disrupted almost every aspect of our lives, our work and our social interactions to a degree most of us never imagined possible. The economic damage may take years to repair.

Here in the United States, the shocking deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor call us to acknowledge and address the systemic racial inequalities that have shaped our nation for too long.

It is a lot to deal with.

But amid all this disruption, we have also experienced an incredible digital transformation. In just a few months, we have jumped forward years in our use of advanced digital tools for interacting with one another, running our businesses, sending our kids to school and understanding what is going on in the world.

Now, as we begin to move from responding to the coronavirus crisis toward recovery, data will play an important role. Data is critical not just in rebuilding our economy but in helping us understand societal inequalities that have contributed to dramatically higher rates of sickness and death among Black communities and other communities of color due to COVID-19. Data can also help us focus resources on rebuilding a more just, fair and equitable economy that benefits all.

Let’s not waste this opportunity. Much of the data needed to make positive progress is personal information – data about our location, our health and our work. To achieve the full benefits that the digital transformation promises, people must trust their information is used responsibly and respectfully.

Trust is fragile, and consumers have plenty of reasons to be wary of how their data is used. This is particularly true in the United States where companies and government are not doing enough to protect the privacy of personal information. Today, it is simply too difficult for people to find out what personal data is collected about them or how it will be used. And there have been more than enough high-profile data breaches and stories about the misuse of personal data in recent years to give people pause about whether companies and government are good stewards of their personal data.

A new study conducted by the international research firm YouGov on behalf of Microsoft makes clear just how tenuous trust is in the United States. In that study, 90% of the people surveyed said they are concerned about sharing their information.¹

The United States has fallen far behind the rest of the world in privacy protection

One reason trust is so tenuous in the United States is the lack of a strong national privacy law. Since the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was adopted just two years ago, many countries, including Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, South Korea and Thailand, have adopted, revised or proposed new frameworks for privacy protection that recognize people own their personal data and have a right to view, correct and delete it. In total, over 130 countries and jurisdictions have enacted privacy laws.

Yet, one country has not done so yet: the United States. Current laws in the United States govern only limited types of information, and all of them are more than two decades old.

The YouGov survey also found that the American public is overwhelmingly in favor of stronger privacy protection law. Seven out of 10 people surveyed said they don’t think government does enough to keep their personal data private, and the same large majority would like to see privacy regulation addressed during the next administration.

As countries around the world pursue new legal frameworks, global standards are being developed without U.S. involvement. In contrast to the role our country has traditionally played on global issues, the U.S. is not leading, or even participating in, the discussion over common privacy norms.

If the U.S. wants to join the global conversation about how to develop robust privacy and data protection laws that will enable innovation through responsible data use, it will need to act fast. If Congress does not act soon, we will see the balance of power on these critical issues shift away from Washington, D.C., and move to Brussels, Berlin, New Delhi and Tokyo.

The good news is that states are stepping in through legislation such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which includes provisions that reflect some of the individual rights granted by GDPR. Other states are considering their own proposals. There are also signs of real interest among some members of Congress, who have proposed new privacy legislation that would reestablish American leadership in privacy protection and provide the legal framework essential for consumers’ trust that their data will be handled safely.

Placing the responsibility for privacy where it belongs – on companies

Strong privacy legislation is important. But the simple truth is that the onus to create and maintain trust must fall on the companies that collect, process and store personal data. No matter what the law says, if companies aren’t responsible, transparent and accountable when using personal information, their customers will not trust them and they will fail.

Our recent research bears this out. The YouGov study found that significantly more people believe companies bear the primary responsibility for protecting data privacy – not government.

And yet prevailing practices in this country place the vast bulk of responsibility for privacy protection on individuals. Although this approach complies with current U.S. law, it seems almost perfectly designed to undermine trust. The large number of websites, devices and apps that people rely on to remain connected and engaged – a number that has grown even larger during this health crisis – makes it nearly impossible for individuals to navigate the privacy information overload and make informed decisions about how their data is used. Too often, we deliver that information in notices difficult for lawyers and engineers to understand – much less consumers.

Instead of lobbying Congress or state legislatures to water down or block privacy legislation, it is time for businesses to advocate for stronger privacy laws in this country. In addition to engendering greater trust with their customers, a strong privacy law will provide companies with clear guardrails about how they can use data for responsible innovation with greater assurance.

And whether new laws are passed or not, it is essential that companies develop their own strong privacy standards and assume accountability for how they use customers’ data.

Creating a framework of trust – both for congressional action and corporate accountability – should begin with these four principles:

• Transparency about how companies collect, use and share personal information. Consumers are clamoring to understand what data companies have and how they will interact with it
• Consumer empowerment that guarantees the right of individuals to access, correct, delete and move personal information
• Corporate responsibility that requires companies to be good stewards of consumer information
• Strong enforcement through a strong central regulator and vigilant state’s attorneys general offices that have the authority and funding to enforce the laws and take action to hold violators accountable

I’m confident all this is achievable. The imperative to do so has never been more urgent, and the momentum toward progress has never been stronger.

As difficult as the past nine months have been, they have also been filled with signs of great human resilience and ingenuity. You can see it in the heroic work of frontline health-care workers, the rapid progress made toward creating a vaccine, and the commitment of a new generation of young activists to work toward ending systemic racism. Health-care providers are now using telemedicine to treat patients in ways that protect them from exposure to coronavirus and are finding new ways to deliver care to people who would otherwise have difficulty accessing a doctor. Businesses are using powerful new digital capabilities to foster collaboration, engage with customers and reinvent business models in a world facing unprecedented constraints.

This must be just the start. Now is the time to build on these promising steps forward. But to do so, trust is essential. It is time for government and business to work together to pass laws and reinvent practices to recognize the individual right to own and control personal data and to place the responsibility for protecting privacy where it belongs – on companies.

This is the best and only way to create the conditions that will make trust possible. It is also an essential foundation for building a recovery that is robust and sustainable and serves everyone equally.

¹ YouGov Study (2020, October 5). Commissioned study conducted on behalf of Microsoft Corp. by YouGov, an international survey research firm. The poll was conducted between September 28 and October 5, 2020, with a representative sample of 5,000 registered voters nationwide. The margin of error for the poll was +/- 1.5 points.

Tags: COVID-19, data privacy, economy, Open Data, privacy laws, shared data, social justice