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Interactive cinema game Nazar debuts highlighting Turkish history

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Interactive cinema game Nazar debuts highlighting Turkish history

Interactive cinema game Nazar has debuted as a 2D platformer on Steam with a blend of ancient Turkish history and science fiction.

Set in a magical and fairy-like landscape of Cappadocia, the sci-fi game combines full-motion video and and platforming gameplay, said Eray Dinç and Simay Dinç, a brother-and-sister team, in an interview with GamesBeat.

“This is a global game, primarily in English but also localized for 10 languages,” Eray Dinç said. “We transform the ancient rituals and blend it with science fiction. It is rooted in Middle East/North Africa (MENA) culture, but it’s super global.”

The Dinç siblings have a lot of experience in global mobile game development, as they were the creators of the Recontact full-motion video trilogy of mobile games. Now, joined by musician Inon Zur and a small team, they worked for about 2.5 years years on their new science fiction game. The game is an action-adventure 2D platformer with story-driven full-motion video. It’s targeted at Steam on the PC today and in a few months it is expected to debut on the consoles.

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In the title, the players has to use their parapsychological abilities and foresight skills to navigate the game mechanics. A film made entirely of videos provides players with a real 2D platform game experience. You can navigate to your destination with xenon navigation while seeing the future through astral travel in Nazar’s dreams. You have to find the right path and reach the future before your foresight time runs out.

Seeing the future

Nazar uses full-motion video in an interactive way.

Astrology, fortune telling, dreams, amulets — these are part of ancient rituals to prevent future evil outcomes, blending ancient culture and science fiction.

The Zener cards, created by Carl Zener in the 1930s to scientifically measure parapsychological
abilities, will also measure gamers’ parapsychological abilities. The more skilled they are at
seeing the future, the more advantages the players will have in the game. In the game, extrasensory
perception is part of the scorecard.

Stopping a devilish cult

Nazar must use his powers against evil clairvoyants in the game Nazar.

The character Nazar used his ability to see the future as a fortune teller in his youth. He later joins the Misal Initiation, an ancient organization in Anatolia. His mentor, Mergen, trains him and makes him an
initiator. However, he forms a new team using quantum technologies to counter the Fatum cult,
which uses future-seeing abilities for evil purposes worldwide.

Nazar ties the fates of those who should not see the future with his abilities and special technologies. When Master Mergen receives news that the leaders of the Fatum cult are gathering in Cappadocia, he has no choice but to call upon his former student, Nazar, to stop this devilish organization. When Nazar arrives in Cappadocia, the Misal initiation assigns him an assistant named Tela. But to stop the Fatum cult’s plans, he must see even deeper into the future.

Origins

Eray Dinç provided the creative vision for Nazar.

The creative vision for the game came from Turkish film director, game designer and academic Eray Dinç. He has won more than 10 international awards for his films and video artworks.

Shot in 2D with the aesthetics of Turkish shadow plays, this production creatively combines cinema and platform game genres.

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“In Turkish culture, there is a tradition called the shadow play. I use this technique in the platform game, where we blend the 2D platformer genre with FMV interactive cinema,” Eray Dinç said. “We use the Turkish shadow for movement, based on cinematography. We hope to inspire other game developers too.”

He was also inspired by the cinematic style of movies by Andrei Tarkofsky, like Sacrifice. On top of that, he wanted to use the Anatolian lore in the Turkish region.

“The culture provided my motivation and inspiration,” he said.

Eray Dinç served as the head of the cinema department for four years at the Sadri Alışık Cultural Center. In 2014, Eray Dinç wrote the interactive filmmaking book titled Making Movies Without Money. He and his sister Simay Dinç are the cofounders of Recontact Games, which combines cinema and video games into a new art form through pioneering technologies.

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Their first game, Recontact Istanbul, won “The Best Game Award by App Store.” The game was also exhibited in art galleries such as the Pera Museum as an extension of video art and received the Best App award at the Los Angeles New Media Film Festival.

Eray Dinç’s second video game, Eyes of Sky, debuted on platforms as the world’s first cinematographic game and won international awards such as IMGA San Francisco. Dinç is also the co-founder of Kıraarthane, a social impact project providing free new media art design education to village children. He is also an assistant professor at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and Beykent University.

Eray nurtured his students from the university to develop the game, Nazar. The Unity development of Nazar was carried out by Eray Dinç’s students from the Digital Game Design Department of Istanbul Beykent University, where he is the founder and head of game design department. He served as producer, game designer, director, script writer, director of photography, and post production and sound.

Game development challenges

Action in the 2D platformer Nazar.

Eray Dinç said that blending interactive cinema with a 2D platform game was one of the biggest challenges, as the team had to manage three distinct production aspects: filmmaking, game development, and the complex phase of combining the two.

Additionally, the actor portraying Nazar ran over 50 kilometers on Cappadocia’s rugged slopes, which the team used as the game’s platform, overcoming many obstacles and even risking injury.

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Integrating FMV beyond traditional multiple-choice mechanics and directly into game dynamics posed unique technological hurdles, as game engines often fall short in video processing capabilities. To address this, the team undertook a dedicated R&D project, which became the most demanding process for our software team, Eray Dinç said.

Working with a game composer like Inon Zur was also personally challenging. Eray Dinç had to communicate his vision precisely, and while it was difficult to request revisions, Zur worked back and forth to with Eray Dinç to bring the vision to life. Eray Dinç believes the result is an industry first in terms of combining cinema with 2D platforming elements like puzzles, boss fights, resource management and a rogue-like structure. Simay Dinç served as head of international partnerships.

Turkish mythology

Mythology and sci-fi in Cappadocia in Turkey.
Mythology and sci-fi in the scenic Cappadocia region of Turkey.

There are many elements from Turkish mythology in the game. But most importantly, it is based on the rituals of preventing the bad future in the region’s geography and the differences between the eastern and western perspectives on these issues, Eray Dinç said.

The name of the main character is Nazar. In Turkish, it means the “evil eye that brings accidents and trouble.” His mission is to eliminate the extra sensory perception (ESP) of those who use their clairvoyant abilities for evil purposes around the world.

Cappadocia is an ancient city in Türkiye famous for its tourism around hot-air balloons. The team filmed the video there and also made an original soundtrack.

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The team had Unity developers. But adding the quality assurance team and other artists, a total of 60 people worked on the project.

While Nazar is a part of Recontact Games, it will be released under the roof of the personal studio Eray Dinç Studio.

Eray Dinç is a photography and film aficionado.

“The most important reason for this is that we carried out this process with my specially trained students in digital game design at Istanbul Beykent University, where I am the founding head of the department as a faculty member,” Eray Dinç said. “Unity development and QA team completely belongs to my students. In the education system, if a student is not working on a real game project, it means that they are not ready for the industry. That’s why I gathered these students under a single roof in my studio and Nazar was the first project I made with the students I trained with academic support for four years.”

Recontact Games’ trilogy of Recontact Istanbul, Eyes of Sky and Recontact: London reach more than a million gamers in 153 countries.


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Another annoying bug is spoiling the fun in Windows 11 24H2

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Another annoying bug is spoiling the fun in Windows 11 24H2
Windows 11 24H2 File Explorer glitch.
Windows Latest

The latest big update to Windows 11 has already caused its fair share of headaches. This time the trouble is with File Explorer. A new bug makes it difficult to open the File Explorer app as it makes the menu appear outside the screen, Windows Latest reports.

The latest bug impacts the “See more” menu, making it practically impossible to access when you select the ellipses. Instead, it only shows you a few of the available options. This error usually appears when you use File Explorer in full screen. When you’re able to see all the options in the “See more” menu, you’ll see options such as:

  • Connect to a media server
  • Add a network location
  • Map network drive
  • Select all
  • Select none
  • Invert selection
  • Properties
  • Options

Some users have reported this incomplete view regardless of the viewing mode. In theory, the menu is supposed to appear below the button for easy access to the options. But this bug is making various options inaccessible. To view all the options, ensure that the window is small enough, leaving space for the menu options.

The good news is that Microsoft is aware of the bug and will release a fix in a future cumulative update. There is no official confirmation as to when we might see this update, but it’s nice to know that it’s on its way.

This is far from the first problem Windows 11 24H2 users have faced. One of the most common problems is the update crashing PCs, causing slowdowns and blue screens of death (BSOD).

Windows 11 24H2 is off to a bumpy start, so much so that it forced Microsoft to stop the update on PCs such as Asus and configurations for software like Safe Exam Browser, Voicemeter, and older versions of Easy Anti-Cheat that are used mainly by PC gamers.

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Samsung Galaxy Buds FE drop to $50, an all-time low

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Samsung Galaxy Buds FE drop to $50, an all-time low

Right now you can pick up Samsung’s stellar Galaxy Buds FE true wireless earbuds for $59.99, and that’s a very good price for a pair of true wireless earbuds that are as good as these ones are. Even at their full retail price of $99.99, the Galaxy Buds FE are a pretty good value. So it’s always going to be an incredible value when they’re priced this low.

This is the lowest we’ve ever seen the Galaxy Buds FE cost and it’s also an all-time low price based on price tracking data from Camel Camel Camel.

Galaxy Buds FE Price History

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE are Samsung’s budget option of the Galaxy Buds and yet, they come with a lot of the same quality features. During our testing time we found that the earbuds had great battery life and a range of decent EQ options. They also come with balanced sound for an enjoyable, well-rounded listening experience no matter what type of music it is.

These also come with Active Noise Cancellation and that’s probably our favorite feature. Have you ever been on public transit, or on an airplane and you’re surrounded by noisy people? If you had these earbuds with ANC that wouldn’t be an issue. You could just pop them in, turn the ANC on, and block everyone else out. It’s excellent. And it makes a big difference in travel. I personally like to use it while I’m out shopping at the grocery store or other stores and block out the ambient noise of the store and other shoppers.

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These come in two colors, Graphite and White, and both colors are on sale for the $59.99 price point.

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Hori’s officially licensed Steam controller comes to the US on December 16

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Lawrence Bonk

Hori is bringing its to the good ole US of A. The company , with an availability date of December 16. Preorders are open right now and the controller costs $60.

This Steam-focused gamepad was originally released back in October, but only in Japan. It boasts a big button to pull up the Steam menu and touch sensors on the joysticks for motion controls. It also ships with mappable back buttons. The gamepad connects to a computer, or a Steam Deck, via Bluetooth. To that end, it ships with a USB-A Bluetooth receiver.

Hori says the Steam controller will work for around 12 hours on a full charge, though it can operate while charging via USB cable. The controller menu in Steam also allows for making adjustments, like changing stick sensitivity and gyro controls.

There are a couple of slight omissions. The controller has no rumble functionality, nor does it boast a trackpad or a headphone jack. If you can get over those issues, this looks like a mighty fine way to work through that ever-growing Steam collection. Hori .

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As for Valve, it discontinued . That gamepad was notable because it could be configured in a myriad of different ways .

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Meet the startup that just won the Pentagon’s first AI defense contract

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Meet the startup that just won the Pentagon's first AI defense contract

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The Department of Defense has awarded its first generative AI defense contract to Jericho Security, marking a strategic shift in military cybersecurity. The $1.8 million Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II contract, announced through AFWERX, tasks the New York-based startup with developing advanced cybersecurity solutions for the Department of the Air Force.

“This is one of the first generative AI contracts awarded in defense, marking a major milestone in how seriously our military is addressing AI-based threats,” Sage Wohns, CEO of Jericho Security, told VentureBeat in an exclusive interview

How AI-powered phishing attacks target military personnel

The company’s approach centers on simulating complex, multi-channel phishing attacks that mirror real-world scenarios. “In today’s landscape, phishing campaigns aren’t limited to just emails—they involve coordinated attempts across multiple platforms like text messages, phone calls, and even video calls,” Wohns explained, describing attacks that chain together multiple forms of communication to deceive targets.

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What sets Jericho’s technology apart is its focus on human vulnerability — widely considered the weakest link in cybersecurity. The company claims that up to 95% of data breaches stem from human error. Their platform creates personalized security training programs based on individual risk profiles, using generative AI to simulate sophisticated attacks including deepfake impersonations and AI-generated malware.

Deepfake attacks and drone pilot targeting: The new frontier of military cybersecurity

The contract comes at a critical time, as military personnel face increasingly targeted attacks. “There was a highly publicized spear-phishing attack targeting Air Force drone pilots using fake user manuals,” Wohns revealed, highlighting how the company helped evaluate vulnerabilities through attack simulation and specialized training.

For a young company competing in the crowded cybersecurity market, landing a Defense Department contract represents a major validation. The deal positions Jericho Security to expand beyond its commercial roots into the lucrative government sector, where cybersecurity spending continues to grow amid escalating threats.

Military contracts often require stringent security measures. Wohns emphasized that Jericho maintains “military-grade cybersecurity standards” including end-to-end encryption and isolated secure environments for handling sensitive military data.

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The next generation of AI defense: Predator and prey model

Unlike traditional cybersecurity approaches that react to known threats, Jericho Security employs what Wohns calls a “predator and prey” model. “We started with attack simulation, giving us a continuous stream of real-time data to enhance both offensive and defensive capabilities,” he said. This dual approach allows their AI systems to evolve alongside emerging threats rather than merely responding to them.

The Air Force contract, executed through AFWERX—the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force—is part of a broader initiative to accelerate military adoption of private sector technology. AFWERX has awarded over 6,200 contracts worth more than $4.7 billion since 2019, working to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and speed up technology deployment.


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Symbiotic Security helps developers find bugs as they code

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Symbiotic Security helps developers find bugs as they code

Symbiotic Security, which is announcing a $3 million seed round today, watches over developers as they code and points out potential security issues in real time. Other companies do this, but Symbiotic also emphasizes the next step: teaching developers to avoid these bugs in the first place.

Ideally, this means developers will fix security bugs before they ever get into a code repository, which in turn should also speed up the overall development process. And since the developers get to learn on the job and in the environment they are already working in, they are far more likely to correctly implement the required changes. That’s more effective than making them sit through an annual security training in SuccessFactors.

The company, which launched earlier this year, released its MVP about a month ago, with a focus on infrastructure-as-code languages like Terraform. As Symbiotic co-founder and CEO Jerome Robert told me, the company did this to get an MVP out of the door and prove out its vision. Over time, the team plans to expand to the rest of the application stack and support languages like Python and JavaScript.

Image Credits:Symbiotic Security

Robert noted that even the most developer-friendly security tools are still, at their core, tools for the security teams. “They are enabling the security teams to be better cops. They’re not tools that make the developers the good guys,” he said. “They are tools that allow security teams to send hundreds of messages all week long, saying, ‘You’ve made a mistake. You need to fix it.’”

Meanwhile, the developer constantly has to choose between fixing security issues and developing new features.

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The idea behind Symbiotic Security is to nudge developers in the right direction, similar to the code completion tools they are already familiar with. Symbiotic, ideally, can help developers fix bugs in the inner loop, while they are still coding, and long before the continuous integration and delivery platforms start scanning the code for issues. Once that happens, the process slows down immediately, with Jira tickets and additional code review processes taking over.

Image Credits:Symbiotic Security

This is also where Symbiotic goes a step further. “It would not be sufficient to just allow them to fix [the issues] and to detect it,” Robert explained. “We also need to train them on security — and developers love to train; it’s an absolute, 100% certain thing. However, security trainings are painful.”

For the developers, Robert argues that doing the training on the spot is something they can relate to. It’s focused on their immediate needs and not something that is abstract — and at just a few minutes, it’s short.

Right now, those training lessons and videos are pre-recorded, but over time, they could become more AI-driven, which would allow Symbiotic to make them even more relevant to the specific issues the developer is working on.

There’s also another interesting twist here. To best train a model to automatically fix security issues, you need a corpus of code with security bugs and the fixed versions of those code snippets. Since Symbiotic is seeing the issue and then telling the developer how to fix it, it could ideally create a high-quality dataset for building a remediation model. For now, that’s a long-term project, though.

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Symbiotic is backed by the likes of  Lerer HippeauAxeleo Capital, and Factorial Capital. “Jerome and co-founder Edouard Viot have a deep understanding of the problems underlying traditional code security and demonstrated remarkable foresight with their approach to addressing the growing demand for shift-left security solutions,” said Graham Brown, managing partner, Lerer Hippeau. “Symbiotic has the potential to transform the industry, empowering developers and security teams alike.”

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Jim Cramer is encouraged by updates on 3 stocks that indicate further upside ahead

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Jim Cramer is encouraged by updates on 3 stocks that indicate further upside ahead




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