Activision Blizzard is making Call of Duty open-source with a free data set of its original Warzone map, Caldera.Released in OpenUSD for non-commercial use, aspiring developers and educators have access to a near-complete version of the map's geometry. The data set also features random time samples that show how players moved around the map.The Caldera map was retired last year so developers could focus on Warzone 2.0. Making it open-source "broadens access to production data," said chief tech officer Natalya Tatarchuk, and "gives back" to the game industry's research community.As for why it was chosen, software engineer Michael Vance explained they wanted a map that showcased "the scale and complexity of our current design philosophy.""One of our goals is to…let researchers test their approaches in real-world scenarios, which will help accelerate the development of new solutions," Tatarchuk continued. "We believe Caldera’s release will be an impactful and material benefit to that effort."
Author: James Anderson
Last week, mobile developer Rumble Games (or R Studios) closed its doors, laying off 36 people. According to senior web architect David Bethune, the hammer came down from parent company Forte."This is [Forte's] second recent studio axing after Phoenix Labs got this treatment a few weeks ago," wrote Bethune. He added that the now ex-staff will only receive a single month of severance.Founded in 2011, Rumble was known for a number of free-to-play mobile games like Towers & Titans. At this moment, it's unclear if the title will be kept operational, and what studio will continue development if that's the case.Bethune also shared some thoughts on his former employer, and Rumble's previous owner Aristocrat. To him, both studios were "ruthless about pursuing mythical future profits while they can the teams that actually make things."His words echo previous statements made amidst the industry's layoff spree in recent years. Back in March, Dwarf Fortress designer Tarn Adams said layoffs were conducted by "greedy, greedy" executives driven by incentives to cut staff when possible."I'm tired of it!" Bethune continued. …