This Jurassic Park Toy Has Already Won Comic-Con At Home
Every year at San Diego Comic-Con, toy companies put out exclusive figures you can get at the convention, and if there are leftovers, you can pick them up for yourself after the show. Comic-Con 2020 is going to be very different, as it's a virtual event. However, that's not stopping companies from releasing top-of-the-line hilarity this year, including a Mr. T WWE toy and a Jurassic Park character in a shaving cream can.
In 1993's Jurassic Park, Wayne Knight played the villainous Dennis Nedry, a computer programmer who hacked into the park's security system in order to cause chaos in order to steal dinosaur embryos. He hid these embryos in a Barbasol shaving cream can, and to pay homage to that character, Mattel is producing a Nedry action figure that is hidden in a Barbasol can. Check it out below.
Dennis Nedry in a Barbasol can with a tiny Barbasol can
Game Freak’s Little Town Hero Big Idea Edition Launches Today
Following its initial delay, the Little Town Hero Big Idea Edition has today launched for Nintendo Switch in North America. Those in Europe will have to wait just a little longer until 26th June.
The Big Idea Edition is a physical version of Pokémon developer Game Freak’s small-scale RPG, coming with an artbook, poster, soundtrack and more that looks perfect for collectors. You can check it out in the image below, and it’s also been featured in a new trailer released today (see above).
If you’re wanting to learn more about the game, make sure to check out our full review. We wouldn’t call it a must-play experience, but it certainly does away with some of the RPG genre’s more frustrating elements and would be ideal for anyone looking for something a little more bite-sized. Here’s a snippet of what we had to say:
“…With a battle system that trades XP levelling for a purer sense of tactical planning and experimentation (albeit with an unpredictable spike difficulty), Game Freak proves that a ‘casual’ game can still have plenty of imagination, even on a smaller scale. It’s far from essential, but if you love CCG-style combat and can’t stomach another 100-hour RPG, there’s much to like in Little Town Hero.”
Think you might pick this one up? Have you already played the game on Switch? Let us know with a comment.
Aksys Games Shows Off Five Titles Coming To Switch In 2020
Today, during NGPX, publisher Aksys presented no less than five games that are all in the works for Nintendo Switch. We’ve rounded up each game for you below, with official descriptions to boot.
The danger has only begun! Return to the thrilling, deadly world of Collar X Malice with exclusive Interlude, After Story, and Adonis play modes. Revisit the characters and events of the original game, as you build new relationships while picking up the pieces in the aftermath of the first X-Day Incident. Then buckle up for an entirely new investigatory experience as you search for traitors hidden deep within the shadowy Adonis organization. Embark on a desperate race against time before the next cataclysmic X-Day arrives! Available for the first time outside of Japan, Collar X Malice -Unlimited- has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB.
When Tin & Kuna accidentally break the Prime Orb of their home world and unleash the darkness locked inside, Tin is transformed, forcing Kuna to embark on a journey to save his friend. Explore colorful, chaotic levels filled with puzzles and peril by rolling and bouncing through the environments and dashing and bashing through blocks. As Kuna overcomes various foes and hazards, he steadily restores balance to the world. But when he reaches the Prime Orb, a new adventure begins! Tin is unlocked as a powerful new playable character, bringing the challenges to a whole new level of difficulty. Players will have to use all their skills and every ability in their arsenal to balance the world. Tin & Kuna has been rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.
Liliana Adoronato was born and raised in the church in the center of the Italian city of Burlone. Three criminal organizations control parts of the city, and Lili discovers that she is literally in the center of their turf wars. Her encounters with the leaders of the Falzone, Visconti, and Lao-Shu Families lead to danger and distraction. Once Lili is drawn into the shadowy world of the mafia, she realizes there is no going back. Piofiore has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB.
When Kotone inherits her grandfather’s Tokyo café, she discovers the shop holds more secrets than anyone could imagine. The café is a meeting spot for beings from multiple, mystical worlds. You’ll meet the king of demons, a humanoid beast, a fallen angel, and more. And when government agents monitoring non-human activities show up at your door, your new café is about to become a lot more colorful. Café Enchanté has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
Become a princess and restore your castle to its former glory! Pretty Princess Party allows you to explore a long-abandoned castle, decorating, training, and unlocking hundreds of items. Begin by creating a princess character with endless choices of dresses, shoes, accessories, and hairstyles. Then learn how to be a princess by playing six different fun mini-games, including cake decorating, horse racing, and dancing. Successfully completing the games will open up new outfit choices and allow you to unlock hundreds of unique items to decorate your castle’s 20 rooms – over 1,300 items total! Once the rooms are decorated, you can take commemorative photos to show off your royal style! Even after completing the entire magical story, you can take on new challenge objectives to update rooms and photographs. Pretty Princess Party has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
Do any of these upcoming games take your fancy? Anything else from the show catch your eye? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 06-24-2020, 11:41 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Big Hades Update Out Now--The Final One Before The Game's 1.0 Launch
Supergiant Games has released a new update for Hades and it's one of the game's largest to date. In both the full patch notes and trailer for the update, Supergiant reveals that this will be Hades' final update in early access--there will be one more follow-up patch "to address any lingering issues" but the next full update will be the official launch of the game.
This latest update adds a boss fight, hidden forms for certain weapons, enemies, mini-bosses, boons, and new types of upgrades to Hades. It also implements new art and visual effects, such as updated character models and animations, as well as more story events to play through. You can see a lot of these additions in the update's new trailer, which is embedded below.
The BLOOD PRICE UPDATE for #HADES is HERE!! ??? It's our biggest Major Update yet. See for yourself!
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 06-24-2020, 06:39 AM - Forum: Python
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Convert Tuple to List | The Most Pythonic Way
Answer: The simplest, most straightforward, and most readable way to convert a tuple to a list is Python’s built-in list(tuple) function. You can pass any iterable (such as a tuple, another list, or a set) as an argument into this so-called constructor function and it returns a new list data structure that contains all elements of the iterable.
Converting a tuple to a list seems trivial, I know. But keep reading and I’ll show you surprising ways of handling this problem. I guarantee that you’ll learn a lot of valuable things from the 3-5 minutes you’ll spend reading this tutorial!
Problem: Given a tuple of elements. Create a new list with the same elements—thereby converting the tuple to a list.
Example: You have the following tuple.
t = (1, 2, 3)
You want to create a new list data structure that contains the same integer elements:
[1, 2, 3]
Let’s have a look at the different ways to convert a tuple to a list—and discuss which is the most Pythonic way in which circumstance.
You can get a quick overview in the following interactive code shell. Explanations for each method follow after that:
Exercise: Run the code. Skim over each method—which one do you like most? Do you understand each of them?
Let’s dive into the six methods.
Method 1: List Constructor
The simplest, most straightforward, and most readable way to convert a tuple to a list is Python’s built-in list(iterable) function. You can pass any iterable (such as a list, a tuple, or a set) as an argument into this so-called constructor function and it returns a new tuple data structure that contains all elements of the iterable.
This is the most Pythonic way if a flat conversion of a single tuple to a list is all you need. But what if you want to convert multiple tuples to a single list?
Method 2: Unpacking
There’s an alternative that works for one or more tuples to convert one or more tuples into a list. This method is equally efficient and it takes less characters than Method 1 (at the costs of readability for beginner coders). Sounds interesting? Let’s dive into unpacking and the asterisk operator!
The asterisk operator * is also called “star operator” and you can use it as a prefix on any tuple (or list). The operator will “unpack” all elements into an outer structure—for example, into an argument lists or into an enclosing container type such as a list or a tuple.
Here’s how it works to unpack all elements of a tuple into an enclosing list—thereby converting the original tuple to a new list.
You unpack all elements in the tuple t into the outer structure [*t]. The strength of this approach is—despite being even conciser than the standard list(...) function—that you can unpack multiple values into it!
Method 3: Unpacking to Convert Multiple Tuples to a Single List
Let’s have a look at how you’d create a list from multiple tuples:
The expression [*t1, *t2] unpacks all elements in tuples t1 and t2 into the outer list. This allows you to convert multiple tuples to a single list.
Method 4: Generator Expression to Convert Multiple Tuples to List
If you have multiple tuples stored in a list of lists (or list of tuples) and you want to convert them to a single list, you can use a short generator expression statement to go over all inner tuples and over all elements of each inner tuple. Then, you place each of those elements into the list structure:
# Method 4: Generator Expression
ts = ((1, 2), (3, 4), (5, 6, 7))
lst = [x for t in ts for x in t]
print(lst)
# [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
This is the most Pythonic way to convert a list of tuples (or tuple of tuples) to a tuple. It’s short and efficient and readable. You don’t create any helper data structure that takes space in memory.
But what if you want to save a few more characters?
Method 5: Generator Expression + Unpacking
Okay, you shouldn’t do this last method using the asterisk operator—it’s unreadable—but I couldn’t help including it here:
# Method 5: Generator Expression + Unpacking
t = ((1, 2), (3, 4), (5, 6, 7))
lst = [*(x for t in ts for x in t)]
print(lst)
# [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Rather than using the list(...) function to convert the generator expression to a list, you use the [...] helper structure to indicate that it’s a list you want—and unpack all elements from the generator expression into the list. Sure, it’s not very readable—but you could see such a thing in practice (if pro coders want to show off their skills ;)).
Method 6: Simple For Loop
Let’s end this article by showing the simple thing—using a for loop. Doing simple things is an excellent idea in coding. And, while the problem is more elegantly solved in Method 1 (using the list() constructor), using a simple loop to fill an initially empty list is the default strategy.
# Method 6: Simple For Loop
t = (1, 2, 3, 4)
lst = []
for x in t: lst.append(x)
print(lst)
# [1, 2, 3, 4]
To understand how the code works, you can visualize its execution in the interactive memory visualizer:
Exercise: How often is the loop condition checked?
You will see such a simple conversion method in code bases of Python beginners and programmers who switch to Python coming from other programming languages such as Java or C++. It’s readable but it lacks conciseness.
I hope you liked the article! Please find related articles here:
To become successful in coding, you need to get out there and solve real problems for real people. That’s how you can become a six-figure earner easily. And that’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?
Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!
Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?
Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.
Unity have just sent an email out to *some* Unity Learn Premium subscribers announcing that the online learning platform is now free in perpetuity. A developer on the GFS discord server sent me the following screen capture:
Heading on over to the Unity Learn premium site, you will see the title bar:
Although interestingly enough, there are no other announcements available yet about this change. You can learn more in the video below.
New Rules of Survival update will introduce trains and drones
Rules of Survival turns two-and-a-half years old this week, so developer NetEase is launching a new update to celebrate. The event is called 624 Rush Hour and introduces new vehicles and weapons alongside login rewards. You won’t have to wait long, either, as the Rules of Survival update goes live June 24, 2020.
The first significant change is trains, which you can board for combat as they dot along their specific routes. If you win out, you can take advantage of the mounted heavy machine gun to batter your foes. There’s also a respawn mod on the train so you can revive downed teammates, too. The drone is a sneakier alternative that you can pilot from afar. It has a machine mounted for damage and detonates on-demand to damage groups of people.
There’s also another piece of equipment called ‘The Scroll’, which is somewhat mysterious. It’s described as a magical parchment that gives its holder a gift every time they find one. We’re not sure what those gifts are, but apparently, the scrolls belonged to ninjas so that might be a hint.
Finally, there are login rewards, too. Boot up the game from tomorrow onwards to snag loot such as a Supply Coupon and an Avatar Frame. There are more goodies if you convince others to jump in, too.
[embedded content]
If you want more games to play with friends, then we got a best mobile multiplayer games list just for that. If you’re curious about other games on the horizon, then we have an upcoming mobile games list for that as well.
If you haven’t already, you can download Rules of Survival on iOS and Android.
Republican bill seeks end to ‘warrant-proof’ encryption
U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday introduced the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act, a bill that seeks to weaken encryption technologies that have in the past put a damper on law enforcement operations.
The proposed bill is heralded by sponsors as a means to strengthen national security interests and “better protect communities across the country” by ending “warrant-proof” encrypted technology used by terrorists and bad actors.
If enacted, the law would force tech companies to help agencies access encrypted data in service of a warrant.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) proposed the act.
“Tech companies’ increasing reliance on encryption has turned their platforms into a new, lawless playground of criminal activity. Criminals from child predators to terrorists are taking full advantage,” said Cotton. “This bill will ensure law enforcement can access encrypted material with a warrant based on probable cause and help put an end to the Wild West of crime on the Internet,”
Government entities, namely law enforcement agencies, have long sought to dismantle strong encryption methods, including end-to-end messaging encryption, on-device encryption and other forms of personal data security, in a bid to streamline investigations. Critics and tech companies that market encrypted products, like Apple, argue strong encryption is a vital cog in the data privacy machine that, if weakened, leaves users vulnerable to attack.
“Terrorists and criminals routinely use technology, whether smartphones, apps, or other means, to coordinate and communicate their daily activities. In recent history, we have experienced numerous terrorism cases and serious criminal activity where vital information could not be accessed, even after a court order was issued. Unfortunately, tech companies have refused to honor these court orders and assist law enforcement in their investigations,” Graham said in a statement.
While not mentioned by name, Apple in 2016 refused to comply with FBI requests to create a “backdoor” into an iPhone associated with a terror suspect. CEO Tim Cook at the time called the demand “dangerous,” noting a backdoor into one device would put the security of millions of others in jeopardy.
“My position is clear: After law enforcement obtains the necessary court authorizations, they should be able to retrieve information to assist in their investigations,” Graham said. “Our legislation respects and protects the privacy rights of law-abiding Americans. It also puts the terrorists and criminals on notice that they will no longer be able to hide behind technology to cover their tracks.”
While Apple has vehemently argued against the creation of backdoors, it continues to comply with court orders and valid warrants for data as dictated by existing law.
The proposal includes a provision that would allow the attorney general to hold a competition that gives a prize for discovering methods of accessing encrypted data while “maximizing privacy and security.” protecting privacy and security. As noted by CNET, security experts have long regarded such concepts as impossible.
“The bill announced today balances the privacy interests of consumers with the public safety interests of the community by requiring the makers of consumer devices to provide law enforcement with access to encrypted data when authorized by a judge,” Attorney General Bill Barr said in a statement, CNET reports. “I am confident that our world-class technology companies can engineer secure products that protect user information and allow for lawful access.”
Today’s proposed bill is the latest attempt to dilute strong encryption technologies developed by big tech companies.
EA’s on-off relationship with Nintendo over the past decade has been so eventual it’s a wonder it hasn’t been turned into a 10-part docuseries on Netflix by now. Back in the Wii era, EA was happy to throw resources at Nintendo’s system thanks to its impressive install base, and we were gifted with no less than 78 different titles from the publisher, including the likes of Boom Blox, MySims, EA Playground and Dead Space: Extraction – all bespoke games created to properly leverage the unique functions of the best-selling motion-controlled home console.
The Wii U was a commercial disaster for Nintendo and it’s unlikely that any amount of third-party software support was going to change that
Like any good relationship, it benefitted both parties – so much so that EA announced the infamous ‘unprecedented partnership’ with Nintendo prior to the release of the Wii U. EA’s then-CEO John Riccitiello even joined Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aime on stage for his first-ever appearance at a Nintendo conference, all but confirming that two of the biggest names in video games were about to get even closer with the Wii U.
In the cold light of day, who could blame EA for this outcome? The Wii U was a commercial disaster for Nintendo and it’s unlikely that any amount of third-party software support was going to change that; the marketing for the machine was clumsy and the hook of having a second screen was underused, even by Nintendo. As EA’s CFO Blake Jorgensen bluntly said in 2015, “We don’t make games anymore for the Wii or the Wii U because the market is not big enough… it’s all about the size of the market.”
However, the concept of the Wii U arguably led to the development of the Switch, and prior to Nintendo officially unveiling its new console in 2016, there were rumblings that EA was ready to rekindle the flame. Indeed, early in 2017, EA’s executive vice president Patrick Söderlund took to the stage during the Nintendo Switch Presentation in Tokyo to confirm that a custom-made FIFA would be coming to the new system, later adding: “We’ve been with Nintendo for a very long time. I’m a Nintendo fanboy since I grew up. Nintendo is the reason I got into gaming.” So, game on again, right?
Before we appear to be ungrateful, getting to play titles like Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit on the go is great, and the fact that Apex Legends is Switch-bound is cause for celebration
Not quite. While EA has certainly been active on the Switch, it appears to have fallen into its old ways again. FIFA has now lapsed into ‘Legacy’ territory, with EA basically updating the kits and stats but keeping the game engine in stasis – a practice which it formerly reserved for last-gen systems. Elsewhere, the company has decided against creating unique experiences solely for Switch, and instead chooses to port-over older titles – presumably because it continues to believe that Switch owners only buy Nintendo games. Just yesterday, it was reported that many of the “multiple titles” EA plans to bring to Switch this year are ports.
Now, before we appear to be ungrateful, getting to play titles like Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit on the go is great, and the fact that Apex Legends is Switch-bound is cause for celebration – it’s one of EA’s most recent hits, after all. And it’s worth noting that the process of bringing these games to Nintendo’s console isn’t akin to simply flicking a switch (pardon the pun); they will need optimising for the platform, and that costs money.
However, there’s no escaping the fact that some of these big-name releases are games which have already been developed and will have presumably recouped their initial production cost many times over on older systems (Hot Pursuit, lest we forget, was a PS4/Xbox One launch title). Releasing them on Switch might not be ‘money for old rope’, but it’s pretty darn close. Surely there is room for EA to create unique content solely for Nintendo’s console?
While not everyone would welcome a return to the days of ‘MySims’ titles on Wii, surely there’s scope for EA to create something unique for Switch?
EA isn’t alone in this approach, of course. 2K has recently released a slew of ports to the console, and not a month seems to pass without another PS3 or Xbox 360 titles getting a new lease of life on Switch. It’s also worth noting that EA isn’t really creating ‘bespoke’ games for other consoles, either; its titles are primarily cross-platform, so they launch on both PS4 and Xbox One at the same time. While it would be nice to expect that the likes of Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order and Battlefield V on Switch, it’s clear that not every game can be successfully scaled down to the hybrid system successfully. Should EA be creating unique games exclusively for the Switch, then? That’s a risky business, as you don’t have the safety net of multi-platform sales to cover the development costs, so it’s unlikely that the company would return to the days of the Wii, when it was pumping out platform exclusives designed to take advantage of the console’s unique interface (and audience).
You could argue that the company is doing the best it can, given the power deficit between Nintendo’s system and the PS4 and Xbox One
So where does that leave EA and Switch? You could argue that the company is doing the best it can, given the power deficit between Nintendo’s system and the PS4 and Xbox One. Sure, titles like DOOM and The Witcher 3 prove that Switch is capable of hosting current-gen experiences when the development talent is there, but the console is clearly weaker than Sony and Microsoft’s platforms, which is why it makes more sense – purely from a business perspective – to leverage that massive audience with titles from the previous generation. Titles which, it should be remembered, are making their Nintendo debuts on Switch. This is an untapped selection of players that EA is unlocking with these ports. If the sales are there, maybe the company will be even keener to support the platform?
There are still elements of this approach that rankle, of course. Asking full price for Burnout Paradise on Switch was pretty cheeky, given that it was cheaper at launch on other systems back in 2018 and is often on sale elsewhere (the Switch Tax is alive and well, it seems). And why hasn’t The Sims 4 been confirmed? Surely that most casual of all EA licences would be absolutely perfect for Switch – a console which already has a world-beating life sim in the form of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Sims on Switch sounds like a no-brainer to us, given the audience, so why is EA sleeping on it?
Still, EA isn’t the only third-party publisher to be caught napping by Switch’s incredible success, nor is it the only one which uses Sony and Microsoft’s formats as its main source of income. However, it could well be the case that by ignoring Nintendo’s growing audience for so long, the company will have a hard time convincing them its efforts are heartfelt and sincere; ports are a good start, but the company needs to put in some real effort if it seeks to completely rekindle that oft-derided partnership.
