'Baldur's Gate 3' Crowned Game of the Year

Actors involved in a 'Fallout' television show being created for Amazon take part in the 2023 Game Awards where a 'Last of Us' series based on the eponymous video game won for best adaptation. Anna Webber / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Actors involved in a 'Fallout' television show being created for Amazon take part in the 2023 Game Awards where a 'Last of Us' series based on the eponymous video game won for best adaptation. Anna Webber / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
TT

'Baldur's Gate 3' Crowned Game of the Year

Actors involved in a 'Fallout' television show being created for Amazon take part in the 2023 Game Awards where a 'Last of Us' series based on the eponymous video game won for best adaptation. Anna Webber / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Actors involved in a 'Fallout' television show being created for Amazon take part in the 2023 Game Awards where a 'Last of Us' series based on the eponymous video game won for best adaptation. Anna Webber / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Role-playing hit "Baldur's Gate 3", based in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, was named video game of the year at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles late Thursday.
Set in a fantasy realm of wizards, elves, barbarians and other characters, it is the latest installment in the titular franchise, created by Larian Studios.
"The team at Larian spent their hearts and souls for six years on this game, sometimes under very difficult circumstances," studio founder and chief Swen Vincke said while accepting the award.
"This was our Covid game; along the way we lost quite a few people."
Vincke was dressed in armor, in keeping with a character from the game which has won millions of fans since its release in early August.
Other contenders for the title at the 2023 Game Awards included survival horror game "Alan Wake 2," which took top prizes for direction and narrative.
The game, developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Epic Games, centers on a best-selling author trying to escape an alternate dimension.
"When more than 100 people believe in the same vision and build something out of it we can make miracles, we can make art, and we can be more than the sum of our parts," game director Sam Lake said while accepting an award.
"Our world today could use a bit more of that."
The ceremony featured appearances from celebrities including Matthew McConaughey and Timothee Chalamet, as well as an array of trailers for new titles in the works.
Japanese video game icon Hideo Kojima provided a glimpse at an "OD" game he is making in collaboration with actor and filmmaker Jordan Peele.
Kojima said on stage that he is working with Microsoft's Xbox game studios and its cloud computing team to make "OD" something uniquely immersive.
"It is a game, don't get me wrong, but at the same time a movie; a new form of media," Kojima said through an interpreter.
OD explores the concept of testing one's fear threshold while blurring the boundaries of gaming and film, according to Kojima Productions.
Peele, who directed the movies "Nope", "Us" and "Get Out", described what Kojima was creating as completely immersive and utterly terrifying.
"I grew up watching movies and I'm a game creator, and Jordan grew up playing games and he is a movie director now," Kojima said.
"This collaboration will be really awesome."



Saudi Tuwaiq Academy Launches First AI Diploma in Partnership with Meta

Saudi Tuwaiq Academy Launches First AI Diploma in Partnership with Meta
TT

Saudi Tuwaiq Academy Launches First AI Diploma in Partnership with Meta

Saudi Tuwaiq Academy Launches First AI Diploma in Partnership with Meta

Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq Academy launched its first diploma in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in partnership with Meta at its headquarters in Riyadh.

The nine-month program, which begins in December 2024, aims to develop exceptional national talent and address the need for advanced positions across various sectors, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

Accredited by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the diploma focuses on developing trainees' practical and applied skills in a competitive learning environment tailored to market needs.

Key areas include machine learning, data analysis using Python and Tableau, AI-based system development, and big data management to create innovative technological solutions for various segments of society.

The academy has opened registration for the diploma on its website.

Tuwaiq Academy is the first of its kind to offer professional boot camps and programs, benefiting over 1,000 in-person trainees daily.

The academy partners with major global organizations, including Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alibaba, and other leading entities to bridge the gap between advancements in modern technology and the needs of the labor market.