Day: September 28, 2024

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Saturday the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, following Israel’s airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Six people were killed and one person injured during a gas leakage incident in Golmud City in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, according to the municipal government on Saturday.

The incident occurred in Yanqiao Village on Tuesday and was caused by toxic and harmful gases that leaked through the households’ sewer pipes.

The injured person has recovered after receiving treatment in hospital and those affected by the incident have been relocated. The cause of the incident is still under investigation while the environment near the incident spot has been deemed safe.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid go head-to-head in the first Madrid derby of the season, which could go a long way to showing both sides’ title credentials.

Real Madrid is second in La Liga with Atletico third, although neither side has been totally convincing in their displays in the opening month and a half of the campaign, with Real Madrid criticized for a lack of control in defense and midfield, while Atletico has ridden their luck against rivals such as Athletic Bilbao and Celta.

Last season Real Madrid’s only league defeat came in Atletico’s Metropolitano Stadium and Carlo Ancelotti’s side has not lost in the domestic competition since then, although they face some injury problems.

Kylian Mbappe misses the game with a thigh injury, while Brahim Diaz and Dani Ceballos are also out, with the game coming just too soon for Eduardo Camavinga as he recovers from an ankle problem. Right back Dani Carvajal is also a doubt after missing Tuesday’s win at home to Alaves.

Atletico Madrid is unhappy about the ti
ming of the match, with Real Madrid playing at home on Tuesday, while their game in Vigo was on Thursday night, meaning their rivals have over 48 hours more to recover from their midweek efforts and to prepare for Sunday. With La Liga cramming eight matches into the first six weeks of the campaign, that is a clear advantage for Ancelotti’s men.

Vinicius Jr is likely to be the center of attention in Sunday’s match, with the Brazilian in the spotlight due to his continued complaints to officials, which has so far gone unpunished. The winger has also been the victim of racist abuse by a sector of Atletico’s ‘ultra’ fans both in and around the Metropolitano Stadium, and that is likely to be a further point of tension in the game.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is another player who will have to steel himself for a hostile reception after his spell at Atletico, but the Belgian has been Real’s savior so many times.

With Barcelona playing on Saturday, both sides will know what they need to do to keep pac
e, and this game will show if the two teams have what it takes to challenge for the title.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

China’s blockbuster game “Black Myth: Wukong,” acclaimed by game enthusiasts as “game of the year,” has triggered a Chinese game craze across the world.

Yet, the proof of the Chinese gaming industry going gangbusters is far beyond that. At the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2024 kicked off Thursday, Chinese exhibitors are under the spotlight with record numbers and quality products, wooed by game professionals and lovers from across the world.

WINNING GLOBAL RECOGNITION

A record 985 companies and organizations from 44 countries and regions are showcasing their products and services at this year’s show held at the convention center of Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo.

The TGS, one of the top three game shows in the world, attracted 535 exhibitors from overseas, including more than 70 Chinese companies. Particularly, China’s mobile gaming drew special attention. “Around 10 percent of Chinese exhibitors are mobile game companies, which represents some 80 percent of the mobile game sector at the TGS,”
said Xue Hui, general manager of Shanghai Lizhi Business Information Consulting Service Center, who was in charge of coordinating with Chinese exhibitors for the show.

Game enthusiasts from Japan and other nations were queuing up Thursday to experience Chinese mobile games featuring Nijigen (two-dimensional space) characters or Chinese historical stories.

“Chinese mobile game companies have an edge over their Japanese rivals. In recent years, an increasing number of Japanese game developers are handing over game IPs to Chinese partners for co-development,” said Xue.

Other types of Chinese games, such as single-player and console, also won popularity at the show. S-GAME showcased Phantom Blade Zero, an action role-playing game with hack-and-slash elements, which attracted more than 500 people to try out this single-player game on Thursday.

“Traditional Chinese culture has provided background content and spiritual inspirations for the game,” said Anni Pan, director of marketing and IP operations of the Beij
ing-based game maker. “For example, the creation of one boss was inspired by lion dance from China’s Guangzhou, and the mountain path scenes in the game are based on real landscapes of Yandang Mountain, one of the top 10 famous mountains in China.”

Dost Kayaoglu, a Turkish YouTuber, regarded Phantom Blade Zero as an important reason to visit the show. “The animations are fluent. Game plays are tight. The period timing is great. I really like it,” he said, adding that he really wants to visit China after playing the game.

FOUR WHEELS DRIVING DEVELOPMENT

Advantages in talent, technology, funds, and the strategy of developing overseas markets have powered up the momentous growth of China’s gaming industry, according to game observers.

Adequate talents have laid the foundation for the boom of China’s gaming industry. The development teams of large Chinese game makers such as NetEase and Tencent are generally at the level of 30,000 to 50,000 people, said Xue. According to data by Liepin’s Big Data Research Ins
titute, nearly 70 percent of the talents are under the age of 30, providing sufficient vitality and impetus for the industry.

“Chinese game makers are investing heavily to develop various types of products, which gives them a good chance to gain a foothold in the global market,” said Liang Yi, publishing director of GRYPH FRONTIER, which showcased Arknights: Endfield, a real-time 3D RPG with strategic elements at the TGS.

According to data by CNG, an organization publishing the China Game Industry Report, Chinese game companies have increased their development investment for five consecutive years since 2019, and in 2023, the top 50 Chinese listed game companies invested a total of 47.91 billion yuan (6.83 billion U.S. dollars) in product development, marking a 3 percent year-on-year increase.

Technology-wise, “China’s mobile gaming industry has found its edge in game development, distribution, publicity and flow buying,” said Xue.

In addition, Chinese gaming companies are expanding their overseas markets
to generate higher revenue.

An increasing number of Chinese game companies are issuing products at domestic and foreign markets simultaneously, and some even give priority to overseas releases, said Xue, adding that games with low domestic sales could achieve sustainable development by relying on overseas revenue.

He Wei, professor of the School of Arts and Communication at Beijing Normal University, said China’s self-developed shooting, strategy, and role-playing games started to test overseas markets in the first decade of the 21st century, and over time have gained a firm foothold in foreign markets.

Since 2020, self-developed Chinese games have recorded an overseas market revenue of over 100 billion yuan (14.26 billion dollars) for four consecutive years, and a great number of mobile games have been ranked at the top of various charts in the world’s mainstream markets, and have started to win important international awards.

MORE POTENTIAL TO BE TAPPED

Chinese game makers could release more hidden ene
rgy by going overseas, observers said.

Developed game markets like Japan have nurtured mature user habits, such as game players feeling more willing to pay. While mobile games account for around 80 percent of the Chinese market, they merely represent less than 10 percent in Japan, leaving big opportunities for Chinese game developers to tap into, observers said.

They also noted that Japan is the birthplace of Nijigen, a key focus of Chinese exhibitors at the TGS, and is severely experienced in game IP development.

“Chinese game makers would benefit substantially if they work with Japanese partners on story scripting and character design. With its cutting-edge technological strength, Chinese game makers can create more globally influential IPs like the ‘Black Myth: Wukong’,” said Xue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Six people were killed and eight others injured in a helicopter crash in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police sources said.

The chartered helicopter carrying staff of Mari Petroleum Company Limited was on its way to Shewa camp when it met a technical fault and crashed in North Waziristan district of the province, police sources in North Waziristan told Xinhua.

Police said that six of the passengers died on the spot, while eight others sustained critical injuries in the crash.

An investigation has been launched into the incident. Following the incident, rescuers and security personnel reached the area and cordoned it off.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Kenya’s Ministry of Health on Friday evening confirmed another mpox case, bringing the total number of infections to eight as the government stepped up community awareness to curb stigma.

Mary Muthoni, the principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the case had been confirmed in Bungoma, western Kenya.

“Sixty-one contacts have been followed up and released. Only one tested positive for mpox,” she said.

Muthoni added Kenya had cumulatively screened 1.05 million travelers at 26 points of entry and no deaths have been reported so far.

She said the ministry has intensified surveillance, risk communication and community engagement to combat stigma and promote infection prevention.

According to her, protocols and guidelines are in place for case management, treatment and infection prevention and control while psychosocial support is available to the affected.

Kenya is among the African countries that have reported mpox cases. The others are
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Cameroon, Liberia, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, South Africa, Guinea, Gabon and Rwanda.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern on Aug. 14 and called for a coordinated global response.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency