Game Xbox Wire

Creating the Atmospheric In Rays of the Light

Posted: 10 May 2021 01:00 PM PDT

In Rays of the Light is a remake and reimagining of the original 2012 indie game The Light. The initial project was a "test of the pen," which marked the beginning of my journey in the world of game development. The game contained a general moral concept associated with the danger and harmful consequences of human activity: with endless wars and political struggle, the desire for enrichment, with technical progress, which has a strong effect on our lives, both in a positive and in a negative way. The final message of the story was that Mother Nature will breathe a sigh of relief when humanity as a species disappears from the face of the Earth.

The original game was a small sketch with 15-20 minutes of gameplay. The reference for the location was the real-life territory of the Moscow Humanitarian University, in particular, one of its educational buildings. During my student years, I spent a lot of time in this building, which has always impressed me with its seemingly simple but strict monumental design. It was the majestic image of this building that originally inspired the creation of the project.

In 2019, it was decided to re-release the project with a complete revision of the visual and gameplay parts. The game was practically recreated from scratch. A lot of interactive objects, kerosene lamps, a game machine, a puzzle with an electrical panel, plot text notes were added. Some variability was also introduced – now, depending on the style of passage, you can get one of two different endings. In this case, the very concept of “light” has a great sacred meaning.

The main film shown to the player in the lecture hall has been completely redesigned. For the video, many fragments from military chronicles, filming of disasters and emergencies were used. We also used our own materials filmed in abandoned territories, as well as images of fairly well-known objects in Russia. For example, in one of the scenes there are shots of the ancient Dormition Church in the city of Kondopoga, Republic of Karelia. Unfortunately, in 2018 the church was set on fire and completely burned down.

The remake of the game also got a more formalized storyline, which, with the help of notes and details of the environment, tells us about the latest events that took place in this God-forsaken place. Unlike the original version of The Light, the player becomes more clear about what happened many years ago and who the main character is.

This project has become for me something more than just a game. This is a statement that once again calls for thinking about what is important and what should not be forgotten.

In rays of the Light

Sometimes You

☆☆☆☆☆ 31

★★★★★

$7.99

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New game from the developer of "7th Sector" Sergey Noskov. There is only you, the abandoned remains of a former life and the flourishing nature that feels great in the absence of man. This world is both gloomy and empty, but so incredibly beautiful. "In rays of the Light" is an atmospheric author's parable about our place in this world, life and death. Explore a mysterious territory filled with a variety of details that reveal the story. Solve logic puzzles and study text messages along the way. Features: – First-person meditative quest – A metaphorical philosophical story revealed in the study of details and surroundings – Beautiful visuals and melodic soundtrack (composed by Dmitry Nikolaev) – Two endings – Remake of "The Light" (2012) game

Xbox Game Pass Helps European Gamers Stay Connected

Posted: 10 May 2021 06:00 AM PDT

At Xbox, we've conducted some new research with a third party which highlights the valuable role that Xbox Game Pass plays in helping players in Europe stay connected. The study itself is based on a sample of 14,000 gamers across Europe and provides a deeper look at how gamers view and use subscription services and in particular Xbox Game Pass, for their entertainment. More specifically, it highlights that Xbox Game Pass members are more likely to connect with friends and family through gaming on a regular basis compared to non-members.

Based on the responses in the survey around half (53%) of gamers in Europe play multiplayer games online at least once a week. Meanwhile, we've seen from our own data that having a shared library of games across devices is particularly special for our members and when we look at this in the context of the research, this figure increases for Xbox Game Pass members. Xbox Game Pass members according to this research are more social and engaged with different types of gaming overall and are significantly more likely to play multiplayer games online (17% more likely) as well as playing games online with both family (19% more likely) and friends (18% more likely).

We believe that gaming has a unique power to bring people together, and it's incredible to see how Xbox Game Pass plays a valuable role for so many people across Europe who use gaming as a way to connect with friends and family on a regular basis.

We've built Xbox Game Pass from the ground up based on feedback from members and the community and the research builds on what we’re hearing directly. They've told us they want a curated collection of great games, more options for how they play, and value is huge. Based on the recent research, we saw that some of the main reasons European gamers sign up to a new service like Xbox Game Pass is: access to lots of different content (59%), ease of set up (55%) and immediate access to new content as it releases (55%).

With Xbox Game Pass, members can access over 100 games, so you can download and get playing straight away. Ease of access is something we're hearing a lot about and that's why we've focused on offering Xbox Game Pass on the devices you want to play on, whether it's console, PC or Android mobile devices via cloud gaming (Beta). Lastly, there's always something new to play as we premiere Xbox Game Studios titles with Xbox Game Pass on day one of their release. What's more, the library is constantly being updated with new games added all the time including AAA games, additions of Bethesda Softworks games (new to the Xbox family) and incredible ID@Xbox games.

This research has been fascinating for me to see how gamers in Europe use and view subscription services. And personally, it inspires me to see how Xbox Game Pass plays a valuable role for so many people across Europe who use gaming to connect with family and friends. I can't wait for more people to experience Xbox Game Pass for themselves and to see how gamers continue to use this service in the future to connect.

Game Xbox Wire

Game Xbox Wire

In rays of the Light

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