Halo developers shelve own game development engine for Unreal

Screenshot from a Halo project rendered in the Unreal Engine 5 game development engine.

The developers behind the iconic Halo franchise have announced a shift in their approach to game development. 343 Industries, now rebranded as Halo Studios, will be abandoning their proprietary Slipspace Engine in favour of Unreal Engine 5 for all future Halo projects.

This revelation came during the 2024 Halo World Championship, where fans were treated to a surprise video showcasing new visuals created using Unreal Engine 5. The footage depicted familiar Halo landscapes with a...

7 October 2024 | Development Tools

PostgreSQL 17 delivers a leap forward for open-source databases

Person leaping illustrating the open-source database advancements in PostgreSQL 17 for developers.

The PostgreSQL Global Development Group has unveiled PostgreSQL 17, the latest iteration of what is widely-regarded as the world's most advanced open-source database. This release marks a significant milestone in the database's evolution, bringing substantial performance enhancements and new features that cater to both emerging and established data management needs.

PostgreSQL 17 builds upon its robust foundation, offering improved performance and scalability whilst adapting to...

27 September 2024 | Databases

Safe Coding: Google’s strategy reduces memory safety vulnerabilities

Google logo illustrating its Safe Coding strategy to reduce memory safety vulnerabilities to improve security.

Google has unveiled compelling data highlighting the efficacy of its "Safe Coding" approach in reducing memory safety vulnerabilities.

The tech giant's strategy, which prioritises the use of memory-safe programming languages for new code development, has yielded impressive results. Most notably, Android has seen a sharp decline in memory safety vulnerabilities, plummeting from 76% of all vulnerabilities in 2019 to just 24% in 2024.

This reduction is particularly...

26 September 2024 | Android

GitHub begins offering data residency to EU developers

GitHub Octocat reading a newspaper after news that the company will offer data residency, starting with EU developers.

GitHub has announced that it will introduce data residency capabilities, beginning with EU developers on 29 October 2024. The new data residency feature for Enterprise Cloud will allow organisations to store their GitHub code and repository data in their preferred geographical region.

"We've heard for years from enterprises that being able to control where their data resides is critical for them," explained Jim Wang, VP of Engineering at GitHub. “With data residency,...

25 September 2024 | Cloud

General app stability improves as crash-free sessions near 100%

Thumbs up on a smartphone illustrating mobile app stability on Android and iOS platforms reaching almost perfection.

Instabug has released its Mobile App Stability Outlook 2024 report, shedding light on the current state of app performance across various platforms and industries.

The report reveals that mobile apps have maintained the high stability rates observed in the previous year, with only minor fluctuations across all percentiles. The median crash-free session rate stands at an impressive 99.95%, confirming a high level of stability across the board.

Top-performing mobile teams...

19 September 2024 | Android

Snap OS debuts with developer-friendly Spectacles 5 AR glasses

Snap's Spectacles 5 AR glasses which were launched alongside Snap OS and Lens Studio for software developers.

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, has today announced the fifth generation of its ‘Spectacles’ AR glasses. These new see-through, standalone AR glasses are designed to enable users to interact with ‘Lenses’ and experience the world in novel ways alongside friends.

The latest iteration of Spectacles is powered by Snap OS, an operating system crafted to enhance natural interactions with the world. The glasses are now available through Snap's Spectacles Developer...

18 September 2024 | Developer

Unity scraps its ‘Runtime Fee’ following developer backlash

Scrap paper illustrating Unity's decision to ditch its Runtime Fee.

Unity has announced the cancellation of its contentious ‘Runtime Fee’ for game developers. The decision comes after months of intense criticism from the gaming community.

Matt Bromberg, President and CEO of Unity, stated: "After deep consultation with our community, customers, and partners, we've made the decision to cancel the Runtime Fee for our games customers, effective immediately."

The Runtime Fee, which would have charged developers based on game...

12 September 2024 | Development Tools

Platform engineering is falling short of expectations

Person standing on a downward arrow suggestive of platform engineering falling short of expectations in embedded software.

Platform engineering – lauded for its potential to revolutionise software development with automation, self-service, and streamlined workflows – appears to be falling short of expectations in the embedded software world.

A new study by Forrester Consulting, commissioned by Qt Group, reveals a stark disconnect between the perceived maturity of platform engineering strategies and their actual implementation.

The research – surveying 317 decision-makers and...

10 September 2024 | Approaches

Android 15: Developer productivity and UX take centre stage

Google has announced the release of Android 15, making the source code readily available through the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

Supported Pixel devices are set to receive the update in the coming weeks, with a wider rollout to devices from manufacturers like Samsung, Honor, and OnePlus planned for the coming months.

“Android 15 continues our mission of building a private and secure platform that helps improve your productivity while giving you new capabilities...

4 September 2024 | Android

Xbox backlash grows as developer claims ‘they don’t care’

Enotria: The Last Song, a Soulslike game inspired by Italian folklore, is set to release on 17th September for PS5 and PC. However, Xbox players will have to wait – perhaps indefinitely – due to platform submission issues and what the developer claims is a lack of support from Microsoft.

Jacky Greco, CEO of Jyamma Games, the studio behind Enotria, said: "We’ve Xbox Series X/S version ready, but we can’t proceed with submission and release. I spent a lot of money porting...

3 September 2024 | Gaming