The Forge is live!

Recipes 📜

Recipes are an important aspect to forging and directly determine your crafting knowledge. Simply put, if you have the recipe, you know how to craft the item.

Keys 🗝️

This Copper Key is a fine example of practical craftsmanship.

Brokkr, known for his proficiency in metalworking, has shaped this key using copper collected by Vörðr, ensuring its sturdiness and functionality.

The key's design is straightforward yet effective, featuring unique branched designs, suitable for keys made from materials imbued by the world tree, Yggdrasil.

While it showcases Brokkr's reliable workmanship, it remains a humble, utilitarian piece, reflecting the no-nonsense approach of its maker. It's a durable, well-made key, typical of Brokkr's dependable and straightforward style.

Sony Faces $7.9 Billion Lawsuit Over PlayStation Store Pricing

Sony is set to confront a massive lawsuit of up to $7.9 billion over allegations of abusing its dominant position, resulting in unfair prices for customers, as ruled by a London tribunal. The lawsuit, representing nearly 9 million UK individuals who purchased digital games or add-ons through the PlayStation Store, claims Sony forced these transactions solely through its platform, imposing a 30% commission. Consumer advocate Alex Neill, leading the case, asserts that this practice led to inflated prices for games and add-ons. The tribunal allows the case to proceed, marking a significant legal challenge for Sony.

Starfield's Steam Rating Drops to "Mixed" as Players Voice Disappointment

Bethesda's highly anticipated space-based RPG, Starfield, is facing mixed reviews on Steam, marking a notable departure from the success of titles like Skyrim and Fallout 4. While Starfield initially attracted over 6 million players, making it Bethesda's biggest launch title, the Steam rating has slipped to "mixed," with only 48% positive reviews in the last 30 days. Users express disappointment, citing a lack of compelling elements compared to Bethesda's previous hits. Some label it "Bethesda's most mediocre game to date," emphasizing its perceived blandness compared to Fallout and Skyrim. Concerns include a monotonous gameplay loop and limited character-building options, with players noting a decline in excitement after extended playtime. Despite the mixed reception, there's hope that future updates and mod support could enhance the overall experience and potentially sway player sentiment.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Reportedly Still in Development Amid Contradictory Rumors

Despite recent rumors suggesting the demise of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) Remake, new reports indicate that development is still ongoing. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier claims to have spoken to two individuals at Saber Interactive, the studio working on the remake, who affirm that the project is still active. This contradicts previous statements by Jeff Grubb, who asserted that the KOTOR Remake was "dead" at Saber Interactive with no ongoing work. The conflicting reports have left fans uncertain about the fate of the highly anticipated remake, which has faced various challenges, including a change in studios. The lack of official statements from parent company Embracer further adds to the mystery surrounding the project.

OpenAI's Turmoil: Sam Altman's Return and the Future of ChatGPT Creators

The recent upheaval at OpenAI has taken unexpected turns, leaving the creators of ChatGPT in uncertainty. On November 17th, co-founder and CEO Sam Altman was abruptly removed, leading to a chaotic series of events. Attempts to reinstate Altman failed, and former Twitch boss Emmett Shear became the interim CEO. However, the situation escalated as hundreds of OpenAI employees, including former interim CEO Mira Murati and board member Ilya Sutskever, threatened to leave for Microsoft unless Altman returned.

After negotiations, an agreement in principle has been reached for Altman's return alongside president Greg Brockman. The deal also includes a new board with Microsoft representation. This upheaval comes nearly a year after the launch of ChatGPT, which quickly gained immense popularity and triggered a surge in the development of generative AI tools. Altman had reported over 100 million weekly users and significant developer engagement.

Despite these developments, challenges persist, with the unusual involvement of Emmett Shear in mediating negotiations and Microsoft's offer to hire departing employees. The situation remains fluid, and the future configuration of OpenAI and its leadership is still uncertain. Updates will continue as the complex situation evolves.

Anthropic Enhances Claude Chatbot with Industry-Leading Features

Amidst the turbulence at OpenAI, rival Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI engineers, has announced significant updates to its chatbot, Claude 2.1. Pro tier users can now process up to 200,000 tokens at once, an "industry first" and a substantial leap beyond GPT-4's 32,000-token limit. Anthropic highlights the ability of Claude to lie half as often and perform actions like web searches or calculations through customizable tools. The chatbot now supports custom, persistent instructions and introduces a test window for prompt experimentation.

Anthropic emphasizes the new 200,000-token capability's exclusivity to its Pro plan, enabling deep analysis of extensive content, including entire codebases or lengthy literary works like the "Iliad." Additionally, Anthropic introduces a beta tool use feature, allowing users to connect API tools, letting Claude dynamically choose the best tool based on context, similar to ChatGPT. The updates showcase Anthropic's commitment to advancing conversational AI capabilities.

Chinese AR Startup Rokid Secures $112M Funding, Hits $1B Valuation

In a significant financial move, Rokid Inc., a Chinese augmented reality (AR) startup, has successfully raised $112 million, achieving a valuation of $1 billion. This funding is part of a 5-year strategic agreement with NetDragon, supported by Temasek Holdings Pte, focusing on advancing AR technology, creating immersive metaverse experiences, and enhancing web3 initiatives, particularly in gaming and education. Rokid plans to use the funds to accelerate its AR technology development globally. The collaboration with NetDragon aims to redefine user experiences, contributing to the evolution of web3 and gaming. The strategic partnership positions Rokid as a major player in the expanding AR industry.

Animoca Brands and Ubisoft Collaborate on Web3 Initiatives for Mocaverse

Animoca Brands, a leader in digital property rights, has partnered with Ubisoft's Strategic Innovation Lab to advance web3 initiatives within Mocaverse, Animoca Brands' flagship membership project. The collaboration includes integrating the experimental PvP Tactical RPG, Champions Tactics™ Grimoria Chronicles, into Mocaverse. This partnership comes on the heels of Animoca Brands' collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Polygon Labs for the MoonRealm Express Accelerator, focusing on enhancing web3 development in areas like decentralized identity and GameFi. Mocaverse aims to be an interoperable meta-experience layer across Animoca Brands' network, emphasizing web3 identity and social dynamics. The collaboration reflects a significant move in evolving web3 gaming experiences.

Avalon Unveils Exclusive Trailer for Innovative UGC MMORPG

US-based game studio Avalon, led by Jeffrey Butler (key figure in EverQuest), revealed details about its upcoming User-Generated Content (UGC) MMORPG. The game, developed with Unreal Engine, Didimo’s Popul8, and Inworld’s AI-powered character engine, offers a unique experience where players actively shape, share, and own their digital adventures. The 90-second teaser showcases seamless transitions between high fantasy and cyberpunk settings. With a $13 million investment, Avalon aims to redefine MMORPGs by giving players control over their experiences, emphasizing creativity. Anticipation grows for more details on the web3 gaming aspects, potentially involving blockchain technology.

Thank you for choosing Rune. Your enthusiasm fuels our passion. Stay tuned for more exciting content next week. Have a fantastic week ahead!