NASA’s Perseverance Rover Has Successfully Landed on Mars

NASA's Perseverance rover has successfully landed on Mars. After more than six months of speeding toward the Red Planet at 12,000 miles per hour, the rover has touched down safely on Mars. The rover landed at approximately 3:56 p.m. EST/12:56 p.m. PST today on Mars' Jezero Crater. Perseverance joins four other rovers on Mars: Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity. [caption id="attachment_2475406" align="alignnone" width="720"]Photo Credit: NASA Photo Credit: NASA[/caption] Curiosity landed on Mars on August 6, 2012, and for over a year — since the end of Spirit and Opportunity's mission in 2019 — it has been the only rover on the planet with an active mission. It will continue its mission of determining if Mars ever had the right environmental conditions to support small life forms known as microbes. It will now be joined by Perseverance whose mission is to "address high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions about the potential for life on Mars," according to NASA. Perseverance will not only seek signs of habitable conditions for life on Mars, but it will search for signs of "past microbial life" as well. It is equipped with a special drill that can collect core samples of "the most promising rocks and soils" and set them aside in a cache on Mars for a potential return to Earth in a future mission. The rover's mission also gives NASA scientists opportunities to gather information about future human expeditions to Mars. "These [opportunities] include testing a method for producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, identifying other resources such as subsurface water, improving landing techniques, and characterizing weather, dust, and other potential environmental conditions that could affect future astronauts living and working on Mars," NASA's Perseverance mission page reads. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cosmos-possible-worlds-gallery&captions=true"] Associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, Thomas Zurbuchen, said the Perseverance mission shared the scope of the Perseverance's mission on Mars. "Perseverance is NASA's most ambitious Mars rover mission yet, focused scientifically on finding out whether there was ever any life on Mars in the past," Zurbuchen said. "To answer this question, the landing team will have its hands full getting us to the Jezero Crater — the most challenging Martian terrain ever targeted for a landing." [caption id="attachment_2475428" align="alignnone" width="720"]Photo Credit: NASA Photo Credit: NASA[/caption] The landing team was fortunately successful and Perseverance is now live and getting to work on the Red Planet. Here's an approximate timeline of how Perseverance's landing went, according to NASA.  
  • Cruise Stage Separation: NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which was attached to Perseverance and responsible for flying the rover through space, detached itself at approximately 3:38 p.m. EST.
  • Atmospheric Entry: Perseverance hit the top of Mars' atmosphere at approximately 3:48 p.m. EST at 12,100 miles per hour/19,500 kilometers per hour.
  • Peak Heating: The bottom of Perseverance hit its peak temperature of 2,370 degrees Fahrenheit/1,300 degrees Celsius, at approximately 3:49 p.m. EST as a result of the friction it endured flying through the atmosphere.
  • Parachute Deployment: Perseverance deployed its parachute at 3:53 p.m. EST.
  • Heat. Shield SeparationThe protective heat shield on the bottom of Perseverance detached roughly 20 seconds after its parachute was deployed. This detachment was done to allow the rover to begin using its radar to determine how far away it is from the surface of Mars.
  • Back Shell Separation: The back shell of the entry capsule that is attached to Perseverance's parachute separated from the rover at approximately 3:54 p.m. EST. At this point, the rover began to use rockets to slow down its speed and fly to the landing site.
  • Touchdown: Perseverance successfully landed on Mars at approximately 3:56 p.m. at a speed of about 1.7 miles per hour/2.7 kilometers per hour.
  Perseverance was launched on July 30, 2020, and landed on Mars on February 18, 2021. It's expected to stay on the planet for at least one Mars Year, which is the equivalent of 687 Earth days. The first thing the rover did was send a picture back to NASA on Earth. Additional photos from a higher-quality camera will be sent at a later time. Here's the first picture it sent: [caption id="attachment_2475440" align="alignnone" width="720"]Photo Credit: NASA Photo Credit: NASA[/caption] If you were one of the 10.9 million people who submitted your name to Nasa back in March of last year, your name is aboard Perseverance and roving around Mars right now. For more Mars, read about how researchers are trying to turn the Red Planet green and then check out this story about new ideas researchers have about how Mars might have formed. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. His name is aboard Perseverance and he is so happy today because space is the best. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes

Nvidia Makes RTX 3060 GPUs Less Attractive for Cryptocurrency Miners

Ever since cryptocurrency mining became a hot business, miners have gobbled up the best GPUs in order to boost their output, making it more difficult to find and purchase said GPUs. Thankfully, Nvidia has announced its upcoming RTX 3060 GPU will feature new software drivers that makes it less desirable for cryptocurrency miners, while also launching a new GPU dedicated to mining.

Nvidia says that RTX 3060 GPUs, releasing February 25, will come with software drivers that detect when the GPU is using the Ethereum cryptocurrency mining algorithm. The GPU will limit the hash rate (the measuring unit for how fast a GPU is processing cryptocurrency), making the GPU about 50% less effective for miners.

Nvidia CMP is the company’s answer for miners, featuring various upgrades that make it more effective at specifically mining cryptocurrency. It’s essentially the computing strength of a GPU without the graphics.

cmp (1)

“CMP products — which don’t do graphics — are sold through authorized partners and optimized for the best mining performance and efficiency,” Nvidia said. “They don’t meet the specifications required of a GeForce GPU and, thus, don’t impact the availability of GeForce GPUs to gamers.”

CMP also lacks display outputs and has a lower peak voltage output, improving its mining efficiency.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nvidia-ces-2021-geforce-rtx-3060&captions=true"]

“With CMP, we can help miners build the most efficient data centers while preserving GeForce RTX GPUs for gamers,” Nvidia said.

Crypto miners, scalpers, and just generally strong demand have made it incredibly difficult to find 30-series GPUs, like the highly coveted RTX 3080, since September of last year. When Bitcoin and Etherium value skyrocketed last October, with Bitcoin reaching heights of $20,000 per Bitcoin, that GPU demand increased even further, according to Tom's Hardware. Nvidia has previously stated in January that availability for its 30-series GPUs will remain low for the coming months.

Demand for the RTX 3060, Nvidia’s most affordable 30-series card at $329, will likely continue the trend. Nvidia’s plans for mobile 30-series GPUs may assuage that issue, but it’ll come at the cost of purchasing an entire gaming laptop.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN. Mine his feelings on Twitter.

Nvidia Makes RTX 3060 GPUs Less Attractive for Cryptocurrency Miners

Ever since cryptocurrency mining became a hot business, miners have gobbled up the best GPUs in order to boost their output, making it more difficult to find and purchase said GPUs. Thankfully, Nvidia has announced its upcoming RTX 3060 GPU will feature new software drivers that makes it less desirable for cryptocurrency miners, while also launching a new GPU dedicated to mining.

Nvidia says that RTX 3060 GPUs, releasing February 25, will come with software drivers that detect when the GPU is using the Ethereum cryptocurrency mining algorithm. The GPU will limit the hash rate (the measuring unit for how fast a GPU is processing cryptocurrency), making the GPU about 50% less effective for miners.

Nvidia CMP is the company’s answer for miners, featuring various upgrades that make it more effective at specifically mining cryptocurrency. It’s essentially the computing strength of a GPU without the graphics.

cmp (1)

“CMP products — which don’t do graphics — are sold through authorized partners and optimized for the best mining performance and efficiency,” Nvidia said. “They don’t meet the specifications required of a GeForce GPU and, thus, don’t impact the availability of GeForce GPUs to gamers.”

CMP also lacks display outputs and has a lower peak voltage output, improving its mining efficiency.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nvidia-ces-2021-geforce-rtx-3060&captions=true"]

“With CMP, we can help miners build the most efficient data centers while preserving GeForce RTX GPUs for gamers,” Nvidia said.

Crypto miners, scalpers, and just generally strong demand have made it incredibly difficult to find 30-series GPUs, like the highly coveted RTX 3080, since September of last year. When Bitcoin and Etherium value skyrocketed last October, with Bitcoin reaching heights of $20,000 per Bitcoin, that GPU demand increased even further, according to Tom's Hardware. Nvidia has previously stated in January that availability for its 30-series GPUs will remain low for the coming months.

Demand for the RTX 3060, Nvidia’s most affordable 30-series card at $329, will likely continue the trend. Nvidia’s plans for mobile 30-series GPUs may assuage that issue, but it’ll come at the cost of purchasing an entire gaming laptop.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN. Mine his feelings on Twitter.

Little Nightmares 2 Review

About an hour into Little Nightmares II, I found a toy duck resting on a hardwood floor. It was the kind of carved, wooden plaything that kids drag around on a piece of twine, with wheels where the real waterfowl's webbed feet would be. A dim spotlight from somewhere above shone on its reflective wings. Behind it, there was an oaky barrier, formed from leaning one table against another--too tall for my character, a tiny child named Mono, to climb. When I approached, the floorboard the duck was sitting on sunk into the floor. I turned to run just as a metal light fixture swung down from the ceiling, smashing me into the barrier and killing me.

Once the checkpoint reset, I tried again, attempting to quickly run away from the floorboard before the pendulum fell. No dice. Again, it smashed me against the wall.

"I wonder if I can..." I thought, eyeing the nearby toy, "...duck."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Little Nightmares 2 Review

About an hour into Little Nightmares II, I found a toy duck resting on a hardwood floor. It was the kind of carved, wooden plaything that kids drag around on a piece of twine, with wheels where the real waterfowl's webbed feet would be. A dim spotlight from somewhere above shone on its reflective wings. Behind it, there was an oaky barrier, formed from leaning one table against another--too tall for my character, a tiny child named Mono, to climb. When I approached, the floorboard the duck was sitting on sunk into the floor. I turned to run just as a metal light fixture swung down from the ceiling, smashing me into the barrier and killing me.

Once the checkpoint reset, I tried again, attempting to quickly run away from the floorboard before the pendulum fell. No dice. Again, it smashed me against the wall.

"I wonder if I can..." I thought, eyeing the nearby toy, "...duck."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Outriders: Full Details of February 25’s Demo Revealed

Outriders is getting a free demo on February 25, and it will include all four classes, six character slots, crossplay, and so much more. Furthermore, all of your progress can transfer over to the full game. Square Enix and People Can Fly revealed the details of the upcoming demo in a thread on Twitter, confirming that all players on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam & streaming with NVIDIA GeForce NOW) will be able to try Outriders for free, even without purchasing or pre-ordering the game. While Outriders will be releasing on Google Stadia on the same day as the other platforms, no demo will be made available on the streaming service. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/06/outriders-video-preview"] Additionally, this demo has no time limit, either for playing or for accessing it, and it is planned to remain live even past Outriders' release date of April 1, 2021. The demo will go live on February 25, 2021, at 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm GMT. You can find an expanded list of demo release times here. Pre-loading is not currently planned for the demo, but it was revealed that it will be a minimum of 22 GB on consoles and 24 GB on PC. Crossplay will be available, but it will be in beta form and will need to be manually enabled via the settings menu. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-game-delay-announced-in-2021&captions=true"] Players will be able to experience Outriders' prologue and opening chapter, meaning that gear and enemies will be the early game variants. As you progress further in the story, both gear and the enemies will become "more twisted, exotic, and powerful." The demo will end at the showdown with Gauss, the "first rival Altered who may be even more dangerous than you." After you defeat Gauss, you will unlock more side missions that allow you to continue to explore the world. As previously mentioned, the demo will include all four classes and six character slots, which will allow for players to test out each different type of class without having to delete a previous one. Character levels are capped to level seven. Once the max level is reached, players will earn the fourth ability for their class and will unlock two skill points that can be used in the game's skill tree. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/outriders-the-game-awards-trailer"] World Tiers are Outriders' dynamic difficulty system and the demo will let players progress up to World Tier 5. At Level 5, the "chance for higher rarity gear is increased, but the drop chance for Legendary Gear is still extremely low." Resources will be capped at a "(generous) amount in order to safegaurd balancing for when you go into the main game." Resources are used in Outriders' crafting system, but can also be traded to earn better gear from the game armorers. The crafting system unlocks past where the demo ends, but players will be able to save their resources for when/if they buy the full game. Those who do wish to purchase the game will be able to transfer their progress "if you play the main game on the same platform account (Platforms are PlayStation/Xbox/Steam)." Unfortunately, progress will not transfer between the demo on Steam and the full game on the Epic Games Store. While the demo will not have any achievements or trophies, "your in-game accolades will transfer along with your regular progress." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/12/outriders-7-things-we-know-so-far"] For those looking to stream the Outriders demo, there will be no restrictions. However, a trailer plays at the end of the demo that does contain licensed music, which could cause issues if not muted or otherwise. For more on Outriders, which we said feels like what happens when Mass Effect meets Diablo, check out how this game was four years in the making for People Can Fly, how mods change the gameplay, and seven things we know so far about Outriders. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Outriders: Full Details of February 25’s Demo Revealed

Outriders is getting a free demo on February 25, and it will include all four classes, six character slots, crossplay, and so much more. Furthermore, all of your progress can transfer over to the full game. Square Enix and People Can Fly revealed the details of the upcoming demo in a thread on Twitter, confirming that all players on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam & streaming with NVIDIA GeForce NOW) will be able to try Outriders for free, even without purchasing or pre-ordering the game. While Outriders will be releasing on Google Stadia on the same day as the other platforms, no demo will be made available on the streaming service. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/06/outriders-video-preview"] Additionally, this demo has no time limit, either for playing or for accessing it, and it is planned to remain live even past Outriders' release date of April 1, 2021. The demo will go live on February 25, 2021, at 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm GMT. You can find an expanded list of demo release times here. Pre-loading is not currently planned for the demo, but it was revealed that it will be a minimum of 22 GB on consoles and 24 GB on PC. Crossplay will be available, but it will be in beta form and will need to be manually enabled via the settings menu. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-game-delay-announced-in-2021&captions=true"] Players will be able to experience Outriders' prologue and opening chapter, meaning that gear and enemies will be the early game variants. As you progress further in the story, both gear and the enemies will become "more twisted, exotic, and powerful." The demo will end at the showdown with Gauss, the "first rival Altered who may be even more dangerous than you." After you defeat Gauss, you will unlock more side missions that allow you to continue to explore the world. As previously mentioned, the demo will include all four classes and six character slots, which will allow for players to test out each different type of class without having to delete a previous one. Character levels are capped to level seven. Once the max level is reached, players will earn the fourth ability for their class and will unlock two skill points that can be used in the game's skill tree. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/outriders-the-game-awards-trailer"] World Tiers are Outriders' dynamic difficulty system and the demo will let players progress up to World Tier 5. At Level 5, the "chance for higher rarity gear is increased, but the drop chance for Legendary Gear is still extremely low." Resources will be capped at a "(generous) amount in order to safegaurd balancing for when you go into the main game." Resources are used in Outriders' crafting system, but can also be traded to earn better gear from the game armorers. The crafting system unlocks past where the demo ends, but players will be able to save their resources for when/if they buy the full game. Those who do wish to purchase the game will be able to transfer their progress "if you play the main game on the same platform account (Platforms are PlayStation/Xbox/Steam)." Unfortunately, progress will not transfer between the demo on Steam and the full game on the Epic Games Store. While the demo will not have any achievements or trophies, "your in-game accolades will transfer along with your regular progress." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/12/outriders-7-things-we-know-so-far"] For those looking to stream the Outriders demo, there will be no restrictions. However, a trailer plays at the end of the demo that does contain licensed music, which could cause issues if not muted or otherwise. For more on Outriders, which we said feels like what happens when Mass Effect meets Diablo, check out how this game was four years in the making for People Can Fly, how mods change the gameplay, and seven things we know so far about Outriders. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Controversial Saudi Crown Prince Invests Billions in Three More Games Companies

The controversial Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, has once again invested a significant amount of money into international games companies: this time, Take-Two, EA, and Activision-Blizzard. An SEC filing from a few days ago gives a rundown of a number of new investments undertaken by the Public Investment Fund, or PIF, a fund chaired by the Crown Prince with the goal of diversifying the country from its dependence on oil. These investments include 14.9 million shares in Activision, 7.4 million shares of EA, and 3.9 million shares of Take-Two acquired during the fourth quarter of last year. The total value of the shares between the three companies is over $3 billion. This isn't the first time Prince Salman has invested in video game companies, either. Last year he also purchased a third of Japanese fighting game maker SNK through a charity organization he heads up called MiSK, at the time announcing his intention to eventually take majority ownership of the company. He has previously told Bloomberg that his interest in gaming stems from being a part of the first generation in Saudi Arabia to grow up playing video games. Prince Salman has previously been implicated by the CIA in the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, though Saudi Arabia has denied the claims. He has also been accused of sending a hit squad to Canada to kill a former Saudi intelligence official, as well as criticized for his involvement in the alleged jailing and torturing of political activists in the country and specifically urged by the UN to free jailed women's rights defenders — all of which Saudi Arabia denies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

New Zombies Outbreak Experience Coming in COD: Black Ops Cold War Season 2

After a series of leaks teasing the new Outbreak Zombies experience, Activision has officially confirmed Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone's Season Two is on the way on Feb. 25, and Activision has outlined the major additions coming players' ways, including a brand new Zombies experience. Season Two will include:
  • The new Zombies: Outbreak experience
  • Four new Operators
  • Six new weapons
  • New multiplayer maps
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/18/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-warzone-season-two-gameplay-trailer"] The Zombies experience is "the next chapter of the Dark Aether story," which will see players travel deep into Russia in the new Outbreak adventure. The description reads: "As Requiem continues to fall behind in the arms race against Omega Group, various regions in the Ural Mountains have recently become Dark Aether outbreak sites. With new opportunities to research the Dark Aether and advance Requiem’s agenda, it’s up to you and three fellow agents to complete the deadly experiments that few have survived." Treyarch's new "large-scale" zombie experience promises new enemies, objectives, rewards, and intel, with missions including tracking down enemies via a satellite tracker, escorting a Rover to find dimensional portals, and more, all of which will need to be completed before Exfil, or players can "risk entering a Dark Aether portal to a new region for even more rewards." Activision promises more details on Outbreak in the coming days. Season Two will also bring with it new multiplayer maps, including the 6v6 Apocalypse map, the multi-team Golova, the 2v2 and 3v3 Mansion, and the 6v6 Miami Strike. Additionally, new multiplayer modes include Gun Game, a returning free-for-all mode, as well as the 6v6 Stockpile, which mixes Kill Confirmed and Hardpoint, and Hardpoint, a multi-team returning mode that Activision promises is the biggest version of Hardpoint yet. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-and-warzone-season-two-screenshots&captions=true"] On the Warzone side of things, in addition to new points of interest, new game modes called Exfiltration and Rebirth Island Resurgence Extreme are on the way. You can check out the full list of announced Season Two updates from Activision. Black Ops COld War will start to receive a rolling update on Feb. 23, while Warzone will see the same on Feb. 24, both happening between 9 and 11 pm PT on their respective days. Content is expected to be available starting Feb. 24. Recently, we learned Black Ops Cold War is one of the best-selling games in U.S. history after its debut late last year, but Activision also recently confirmed that a new Call of Duty is on the way this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

New Silent Hill Game Reportedly In the Works at Japanese Developer

Multiple Silent Hill projects could be in the works at third-party developers, according to speculation stirred by comments from The Medium developer, Bloober Team, as well as a report from VideoGamesChronicle. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz Bloober Team said it's working on "another horror IP" with a "very famous publisher." Fans have started to speculate by putting the two bits of news together that Bloober Team might be working on a Silent Hill project. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/11/first-person-silent-hill-fan-remake-gameplay"] "(We've) been working for more than a year on another gaming project, another horror IP, and we're doing this with a very famous gaming publisher," Bloober Team CEO, Piotr Babieno, told GamesIndustry.biz. "I can't tell you who. I can't tell you what the project is, but I'm pretty sure when people realize we're working on it, they will be very excited." VGC sources told the publication that Konami, the publisher with the rights to the Silent Hill franchise, has already outsourced a Silent Hill project to a prominent Japanese developer and that it will be revealed this Summer. If accurate, along with the speculation surrounding Bloober Team, then multiple Silent Hill projects could seemingly be in the works. It's important to note that the idea of Bloober Team working on a Silent Hill game isn't confirmed and is more speculative in that fans are putting Babieno's comments and VCG's report of multiple Silent Hill projects together to create this theory. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps1-games-ever&captions=true"] Elsewhere in the Silent Hill rumorverse, Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka recently hinted at what many took to be a hint at a new game in the franchise. Yamaoka said, via translation, "you'll probably hear something this Summer to be announced" and that "(he thinks) it’s the one you’re kinda hoping to hear about.” Although the interview has been taken down from YouTube, Yamaoka's comment on a summer announcement coincidentally lines up with the rumors of a third-party led Silent Hill game from Japan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes