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A system for proactive maintenance of a telecommunications network. A database is created containing characteristics of a plurality of valid logs. These valid logs represent alarms within a network which report status and abnormalities in the network and which have been specifically selected by a network domain expert or administrator from a larger group of logs. The characteristics correspond to a pattern of network fault parameters. The network is monitored for occurrences of a valid log. When a valid log is encountered, future occurrence of a fault is predicted based on an analysis of the valid log and the characteristics found in the database. Corrective measures are taken to prevent the fault from occurring.
1. A system for proactive maintenance of a telecommunications network, said system comprising:
means for creating a database of characteristics of a plurality of valid logs, said valid logs being alarms within a network which report status and abnormalities in the network and which have been specifically selected by a network domain expert or administrator from a larger group of logs, and said characteristics corresponding to a pattern of network fault parameters;
means for monitoring an occurrence of a valid log within said telecommunications network; and
means for predicting an occurrence of a fault within said telecommunications network based on said valid log and said characteristics.
2. The system of
means for filtering out a log type from a plurality of log types based on a determination by a network administrator that said log type is not important;
means for removing unnecessary characteristic from said valid log type; and
means for consolidating similar log types within a predetermined range to create a set of single representative log types.
3. The system of
4. The system of
means for adding new valid log types; and
means for removing prior valid log types which are determined to be no longer valid.
5. The system of
6. The system of
means for recognizing a log occurrence on said network;
means for determining a location in said network of said log occurrence;
means for recording a time of said log occurrence; and
means for recording current network parameters along with said time and location of said log occurrence.
7. The system of
means for analyzing said valid log to determine its characteristics;
means for mapping said characteristics along with a plurality of factors including eligible log groups, network topology, and patterns of prior logs;
means for comparing a result of said mapping with known fault patterns in said database;
means for determining the evolution of said log into a particular fault; and
means for responding to said determining of a particular fault.
8. The system of
means for backtracking to yield an output log data;
means for combining said output log data with a plurality of network parameters including traffic rate, network configuration, and current state of network elements; and
means for analyzing a result of said combining means to determine if a matching pattern indicates a set of factors leading to a predetermined fault.
9. The system of
means for linearly searching through said database for a first corresponding log;
means for extracting a plurality of log parameters from said first corresponding log, said parameters including: log type, time of occurrence and network topology;
means for linearly searching through said database for a next corresponding log within a predetermined time period from said first corresponding log;
means for comparing a pattern of next corresponding log to said first corresponding log;
means for substituting said plurality of parameters of said first corresponding log with a plurality of parameters from said next corresponding log; and
means for extracting operational measurement data utilized in said comparing means from said next corresponding log.
10. The system of
means for informing a network administrator or system personnel of a probable occurrence of said particular fault.
11. The system of
means for implementing fault corrective measures in said network to prevent the occurrence of said particular fault.
12. The system of
means for dynamically updating said database by incorporating new log fault patterns observed into said database of log patterns.
13. A method for proactive maintenance of a telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of:
creating a database of characteristics of a plurality of valid logs, said valid logs being alarms within a network which report status and abnormalities in the network and which have been specifically selected by a network domain expert or administrator from a larger group of logs, and said characteristics corresponding to a pattern of network fault parameters;
monitoring an occurrence of a valid log within said telecommunications network; and
predicting an occurrence of a fault in said telecommunications network based on said valid log and said characteristics.
14. The method of
filtering out a log type from a plurality of log types based on a determination by a network administrator that said log type is not important;
removing unnecessary characteristic from said valid log type; and
consolidating similar log types within a predetermined range to create a set of single representative log types.
15. The method of
16. The method of
adding new valid log types; and
removing prior valid log types which are determined to be no longer valid.
17. The method of
18. The method of
recognizing a log occurrence on said network;
determining a location in said network of said log occurrence;
recording a time of said log occurrence; and
recording current network parameters along with said time and location of said log occurrence.
19. The method of
analyzing said valid log to determine its characteristics;
mapping said characteristics along with a plurality of factors including eligible log groups, network topology, and patterns of prior logs;
comparing a result of said mapping with known fault patterns in said database;
determining the evolution of said log into a particular fault; and
responding to said determining of a particular fault.
20. The method of
backtracking to yield an output log data;
combining said output log data with a plurality of network parameters including traffic rate, network configuration, and current state of network elements; and
analyzing a result of said combining means to determine if a matching pattern indicates a set of factors leading to a predetermined fault.
21. The method of
linearly searching through said database for a first corresponding log;
extracting a plurality of log parameters from said first corresponding log, said parameters including: log type, time of occurrence and network topology;
linearly searching through said database for a next corresponding log within a predetermined time period from said first corresponding log;
comparing a pattern of next corresponding log to said first corresponding log;
substituting said plurality of parameters of said first corresponding log with a plurality of parameters from said next corresponding log; and
extracting operational measurement data utilized in said comparing means from said next corresponding log.
22. The method of
23. The method of
24. The method of
25. A system for proactive prevention of faults in a telecommunications network comprising:
a data storage medium;
a processor coupled to said telecommunications network and capable of accessing said data storage medium, said processor containing a set of algorithm for implementing network related functions including:
means for populating said data storage medium with a plurality of valid log patterns corresponding to a plurality of network fault prediction parameters, said valid logs being alarms within a network which report status and abnormalities in the network and which have been specifically selected by a network domain expert or administrator from a larger group of logs;
means for monitoring an occurrence of a valid log within said telecommunications network; and
means for predicting an occurrence of a fault in said telecommunications network based on said valid log and said valid log patterns in said database.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved telecommunications networks, and in particular to a method and system for fault prevention in telecommunications network. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for fault prediction and proactive maintenance in a telecommunications network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a highly competive market, there is a demand for highly reliable networks and networks that are easy to monitor. This includes the detection of faults in real-time or near real-time with minimal manual intervention.
Modern telecommunications networks are growing fast in both size and complexity. A Network Alarm correlation system improves network reliability through network surveillance and fault management. Traditionally, alarms (also referred to as logs and utilized interchangeably throughout this document) report status and abnormalities in the network to the Network Operations Centers (NOC) manned by network domain experts. These alarms are generated by the Network Elements (NE). NEs produce thousands of alarms a day, where a single failure often generates multiple alarms and the same alarm may be raised by different failures. Currently, a burst of alarms during a major network failure may exhibit 40-50 alarms per second. These alarms that are provided to protect the network, due to its sheer volume, may cause network operators to overlook alarms unnoticed, notice them too late, and incorrectly interpret groups of alarms, which results in frequent and undetected network failures. Thus, the task of network failures, faults and surveillance is very difficult. Added to this is the ever increasing number of alarms introduced to the system by new software loads.
Previously, when network maintenance was entirely dependent on network domain experts, all network logs flowed directly to the NOC. As the network growth increased exponentially, so did the number of logs flooding to the NOCs. Due to the frequent inability to foresee the failures, NOC staff operates in a reactive mode to failures already occurred, rather than being in a proactive mode to contain failures in their initial stages. Such frequent network failures affect the revenues of service providers and results in low customer satisfaction. Thus, the task of identifying the faults and correcting them before it is too late is a critical task of network management.
The currently available tools for log detection are nodal management tools. These tools often can not perform root cause analysis or prediction, lack the capability to predict faults, require manual monitoring of the network, and are reactive in nature.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has a five-layered model known as Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) put forth to address this problem. TMN includes (1) the business management layer, (2) the service management layer, (3) network management (NM) layer, (4) element management (EM) layer and (5) the network element (NE) layer.
Fault prediction applications exist for the EM layer and NE layer which are vendor-specific. The NM layer is the domain of the equipment manufacturer and because of this it is difficult to integrate multi-vendor products.
Faults in the NM layer are due to the impact of external factors that could be in the form of busy hour traffic, cable cut during road construction, microwave link failure due to bad weather, etc. A failure results in network downtime, loss of revenue to service provider, and reduction of customer satisfaction. Thus, the task of identifying these and other faults and correcting them before it is too late is a critical task of network management.
With this backdrop of a chaotic network management structure, calls for equipment vendors to be more proactive to resolving these issues with efficient network management systems has been growing. The answer from many equipment manufacturers has been to build and deploy alarm correlation systems described above. These alarms correlation systems are placed between the network and the NOC.
The older (first generation) alarm correlation systems are more domain expert intensive. Here the fault patterns observed by the experts are implemented as rules in an expert system. The information required for building an expert system is readily available (in the form of experts'knowledge).
However, as discussed above, such first generation systems are incomplete due to the nature of telecommunications today. Because of the complexity of code and the number of logs that may be generated in a typical fault scenario (around 5,000 a second) it is almost impossible and improbable that a group of domain experts will catch any significant number of the faults and take necessary proactive measures to prevent a network failure. The problems appear continuously, but the expert never gets the opportunity to completely analyze the scenario prior to the next occurrence. This leads to an incomplete knowledge base of failures and proactive actions by the domain expert.
The newer (next generation) alarm correlation systems have incorporated many software methodologies and concepts to systematically search alarm databases, problem ticket databases, etc. and extract patterns not seen by the domain experts. The next generation alarm correlation solutions employed data mining (DM) techniques to identify and learn patterns (commonly referred to as episode rules in data mining terminology). Analogous to the phase where the fault patterns are extracted from domain experts in traditional systems, DM techniques extract fault patterns from alarm databases. These rules are then passed through system experts to see if any are redundant, or if it is a significant rule. The resulting patterns are then fed in as rules to an expert system.
Several such solutions have been advanced including sophisticated systems that consist of both traditional and non-traditional alarm correlation systems. These includes: (i) the Telecommunications Alarm Sequence Analyzer (TASA) by NOKIA; (ii) ANSWER and ECXpert, two tools created by AT&T; and (iii) IMPACT by GTE.
Many of the current approaches for alarm correlation depend on the expertise of a domain expert to provide the observed network fault patterns. However, as previously discussed, it is not sufficient to depend on domain expertise alone. The rapidly evolving networks continuously alter the existing network topology with the addition of new network elements, new software loads, and network connections. These scenarios pose a serious threat to the expert's knowledge, which to a great extent relies on seeing a pattern over and over again. This opens the field for the utilization of systems that are capable of assisting the domain experts in identifying fault patterns.
It is therefore desirable to have a system for dynamically handling faults in a telecommunications network that is capable of discovering, learning and predicting the recurrent patterns of faults of a network as well as being capable of providing precautionary action. It would be further desirable to have a network alarm correlation system that dynamically and systematically discovers alarm correlation rules that enables root cause analysis, fault prediction and proactive maintenance.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved telecommunications network.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for identifying fault patterns as they occur in telecommunications network.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for fault prediction and proactive maintenance in a telecommunications network.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. A system for proactive maintenance of a telecommunications network is disclosed. A database is created containing characteristics (parameters) of a plurality of valid logs. These valid logs represent alarms within a network that report status and abnormalities in the network and which have been specifically selected by a network domain expert or administrator from a larger group of logs. The characteristics correspond to a pattern of network fault parameters. The network is monitored for occurrences of a valid log within the telecommunications network. Upon occurrence of a valid log, a fault occurrence is predicted based on an analysis of the valid log and the characteristics found in the database.
In the preferred embodiment, the creation of the database of valid logs is a static function completed by a backtracking algorithm and the network administrators utilizing known operational measurements (OM) and other information. Prediction occurs dynamically once a valid log is detected. Corrective steps are taken and the network administrator is alerted to those steps which may not be sufficient to correct the pending fault.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagram depicting a general telecommunications network in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram depicting the three functional phases in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the various fault parameters utilized in backtracking in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the backtracking process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the prediction process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
With reference now to the figures and in particular with reference to FIG. 1, a diagram of a Telecommunications Network (TN) 100 is depicted in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is implemented. TN consists of a number of end users 102 who are connected via links 104. As illustrated, end users 102 may be telephones, faxes, or computer internet connections, etc. A set of links combined together create a link set 103. Link set 103 in turn combines with other link sets 103 to create a route 105 which is a major bus connector from a network substation 107. Network sub-station 107 is connected to a larger network system 109 illustrated by the cloud. Within network system 109 is a data processor and data storage location (database) 111 utilized in the implementation of the invention. Network sub-station 107 and all other connections below it including additional subnetworks 106 represents a local network managed by a local network administrator. In another embodiment of the invention, each substation is equipped with a data processing system with a large data storage capacity for holding the huge amounts of fault data collected during backtracking on the local network and utilized within the invention fault prediction mechanism. This allows for quicker detection of logs and prediction of faults by implementing these mechanisms on the local subsystems. The alternate embodiment (depicted here) allows for the data to be stored at a single location at the main network station where the entire network is monitored by a single superscalar data processing system 111 with a storage location loaded with the respective backtracking and prediction algorithms and storing the required fault data. It is understood that the storage medium/location of the fault data may be a distinct mechanism from the implementing processor.
The present invention provides a system and method for identifying fault patterns, root cause analysis-prediction, and proactive maintenance in a telecommunications network. The invention (referred to herein as NeFPPS during implementation) comprises of a static (manual) function and a dynamic (real time) function. The first function, the static function, is a training or learning function consisting of two phases. The second function, the dynamic function, is the deployment function consisting of a single phase. This function operates in real time. When executing the deployment function, the second phase of the training function remains active. Thus, the system never stops learning. FIG. 2 depicts these two functional components of the invention. Static functions 201 includes alarm filtering phase 203, and a backtracking and tree building phase 205. Dynamic function 208 has a prediction phase 207. Each phase will be described in detail below. The invention's two functions are implemented within algorithms, namely a backtracking algorithm and a prediction algorithm.
(i) FILTERING
The first static phase illustrated in FIG. 2 involves the filtering out of unrelated logs. During filtering, a list of interesting logs is stored in a data base. A comparison is made of the complete set of logs to this list and any log that does not match this list is filtered out (i.e., removed from the complete set of logs). (In one embodiment, if a particular fault pattern is not identified by the backtracking algorithm, then a check is made to determine if some logs pertaining to the fault have been filtered out instead). The number of log types utilized is often very large and thus the logs are stored within a database of valid logs (i.e., logs determined to be interesting by the network domain expert or administrator. Typically these logs contain information which would be useful in Identifying potential network failure. All other logs are deemed "uninteresting").
Once the uninteresting logs have been filtered, a second filtering step is undertaken. This is because a particular log may contain "uninteresting" data along with "interesting" data. This second filtering helps to minimize the data fed into the backtracking algorithm. The backtracking algorithm is responsible for removing information related to fault patterns hidden in the valid log types and is discussed in detail below. All unnecessary details are removed from the valid logs. The result is a smaller data set per log. The invention contemplates that both filtering steps may be completed in a single step.
As utilized in NeFPPS, the backtracking algorithm (comparable to episode discovery of data mining) covers the two static phases of the invention. A key component of the static function involves discovering fault episodes/occurrences. The invention utilizes automated data mining. Experts therefore have to verify the "interestingness" of the discovered episode. During episode discovery, the invention allows a network administrator to manually add episode rules to the data base.
The input to NeFPPS is raw data logs (D-logs) which are typically of immense size. For normal operation conditions, the number of logs seen on a node may be about 5 giga bytes. Of these input logs, a fair amount of data can be classified outright as not related to the immediate task of fault prediction. Such data is termed "uninteresting" in the art. By filtering out the uninteresting as well as some parameters in a particular interesting log, the amount of data fed to the next phase is reduced dramatically. Also, it is understood that all logs do not follow one common format. For example, one log may contain link state, failed reason, information while another log contains route state information. It is important here to note that failure type is generic although given different names in different systems. The invention works with the type of failure, not its identifying name.
(ii) BACKTRACKING
The second static phase is the backtracking and tree building phase. The data mining algorithms of the present invention, NeFPPS's backtracking algorithm, takes the unique characteristics of telecommunications into consideration in order to harness the full capability of the underlying pattern discovery algorithm. It integrates a number of aspects that are unique to telecommunications, thus providing capabilities to identify patterns that would otherwise have been missed by TASA. Several of these aspects are discussed later.
The backtracking functionality is essentially a combination of a data mining technique modified to address the telecommunications domain and a modified decision tree to hold the discovered data patterns. This takes into consideration the defined relationships of internal parameters of the previous log and the internal parameters of the next log received from the network.
The backtracking algorithm provides a new semi-automated data mining technique independent of frequency restrictions. The algorithm contains an enhanced decision tree with consolidated episodes which are more precise in root cause analysis. It also includes other factors wherein it discovers more fault patterns, thus increasing the ability to prevent many would be faults. It predicts the probability of the next fault in relation to an occurred fault, and it provides the maintenance action required to avert the probable fault as well as the existing fault.
An illustration of the backtracking algorithm with reformatted logs for alarm correlation is now presented along with an explanation.
For a given set such that where n is the number of logs, a generalized log space =0 is defined. For this algorithm,
D: represents re-formatted Log D(Di, Nj, Rk, Tl)
1≦i≦I, I is the highest severity and S represents severity of Log (fault).
1≦j≦J, J is the total number of network elements and Nj represents a network element.
1≦k≦K, K is the highest level of network topology hierarchy tree and Rk defines a network element's network topology relationship between Rk−1 and Rk.
1≦l≦∞, Tl is time of a fault occurrence and Tt−1≦Tl≦Tl+1.
For a given set such that D1, D2, . . . , Di, . . . Dn when n is the number of logs, we define a generalized log space Ln=(D1, D2, . . . , Di, . . . , Dn).
For 1≦i<j≦n, let
1. Event(Di) be the time that log Di occurred
2. E_name (Di) be the network element name that a fault occurred
3. Rel_bool (Di, DJ) be a boolean that represents log relationship between log Di and Dj. Rel_bool (Di, DJ)='T' when log Di and log Dj are related in the pre-defined log relationship table, otherwise Rel_bool (Di, DJ)='F'.
4. Net_bool (Di, DJ) be a boolean that represents network element hierarchy relationship between E_name (Di) and E_name (Dj). Net_boool (Di, DJ)='T' when E_name (Di) is a parent node of E_name (Dj) in the network element hierarchy tree.
5. R(Ln)={Di, Dj|Event(Dj)−Event(Di)≦thresh_hold, Rel_bool(Di, DJ) and Net_bool (Di, DJ), 1≦i<j≦n} be the set of alarms that fault pattern exists in ascending order of logs in a set.
As explained above, the first static phase reduces the amount of uninteresting data. The resultant data set of interesting logs still qualifies as a large set of data. The invention implements an efficient method to accomplish this task. The invention places no restriction on expanding the set of interesting logs. Neither is there a restriction in removing a "was interesting" log, into the uninteresting category.
Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD), another term utilized to describe data mining, is the application of systematic methods to extract the hidden patterns from these databases. The output of the first phase is a collection of logs that have a time relationship to each other. However, this alone does not provide an insight as to what fault patterns exist hidden within these data, or why the fault patterns occurred. The clues to piece the puzzle together lies in the parameters of these different logs.
NeFPPS implements an approach to find fault patterns. The approach utilizes semi-automatic data mining techniques to successfully extract data from large databases. The backtracking algorithm extracts all possible episode rules based on these moderately loose defined constraints. The majority of the restrictions in NeFPPS are in the form of network topology relationships.
FIG. 3 depicts the parameters (episode rules) utilized in the backtracking algorithm. An initial previous log 301 is identified. Previous log 301 represents a severe log in a network. The algorithm seeks to identify the plurality of associated factors once previous log 301 is identified. These factors include: eligible log groups 303, which locates the general group to which previous log 301 and precursor 314 to that previous log 301 belongs including an analysis of the severity, log type, network topology and time relationships 305 to previous log 301; network topology 307 which plays an important role in determining the network relationship to previous log 301 and the possible transmission within the network from route set to route, route to link set, and link set to link or vice versa; and eligible severity 309 which tells the category of severity cause 301 has been given (severity is determined by the network domain expert and backtracking algorithm which determines which faults are more likely to lead to a network failure). Since the verification is completed to indicate that this is the cause of previous log 301 all OM data 311 are then extracted. These parameters are all interlinked and are determined during backtracking and later utilized in the prediction algorithm.
The embodiment presents the concept of mapping a fault back to a cause based on similar patterns to a prior log. A known fault pattern is identified and then utilized to predict future patterns when a cause/log is encountered. The circles depicted in FIG. 3 represent all eligible log parameters utilized to predict a potential fault in one illustrative embodiment. A linear processing is involved which is based on severity, log types and current network behavior. For example, some faults occur for single link failure, others only for multiple link failure. During the static phases of the invention, network administrators decide which faults are critical. These serve as input to the backtracking algorithms.
The time a fault occurs is an important parameter in the process of the invention as discussed below. The OM data tells how the network is behaving at a particular time. Also, some fault patterns are limited/correlated to a certain time period (for example, the fault pattern may only occur between 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm). The OM data are similar types (number of calls dropped per hour, etc.). The network topology relationship helps to determine which links a failure belongs to and in ensuring that a log is similar to a previous log.
NeFFPS defines the log relationships (how the logs would relate to each other logically). For example, logs related to link level can not have a direct relationship to a route level log. Logically it needs to be related to the next level, which is linkset related logs. So instead of strictly identifying a log pattern (i.e. talking to domain experts and extracting their knowledge), the invention identifies all logs that have a relationship to each level. This aids in identifying a comprehensive list of patterns in a telecommunications domain and increases the efficiency of episode discovery.
NeFPPS is designed to learn a pattern that occurs only once. In telecommunications, if a particular fault pattern happens once, then it is certainly reproducible. Since NeFPPS does not heavily rely on frequency of an episode, it learns a new pattern with the pattern's first appearance. Thus, the next time the episode appears the system will be in a position to predict rather than wait until some more occurrences to validate the pattern.
In the preferred embodiment, NeFPPS consolidates similar patterns. It is contemplated that any type of log from any company may be utilized within the invention. It is important to note that different networks exhibit different parameters with the same patterns; thus a range is provided within the algorithm within which all parameters may be consolidated. In the referred embodiment, range refers to the number of traffic per link. In another embodiment, range corresponds to the amount of leeway given in the time of occurrence of a log.
Through an efficient consolidation process, the number of similar episodes can be reduced to a single representative episode within a given range. Consolidation provides an efficient mechanism for the prediction phase to access the data extracted from backtracking algorithm.
The following steps are utilized within the consolidating function of the invention:
1. Identify similar episodes—The logs should be exactly the same in all those episodes; and
2. For every parameter in each log type, set up a bucket for consolidation.
In the preferred embodiment, NeFPPS, unlike the common data mining approach of discovering episode and association rules, does not have episode and association rules together. Instead NeFPPS only consists of episode rules.
A flow chart of the backtracking algorithm is now presented. FIG. 4 depicts the process which begins (step 501) by identifying the highest severity (step 503). The next log is read into the process (step 505) and a check is made to determine if the log's severity is correct (step 507). For this illustration, a log's severity is correct when it matches the highest severity identified at that point. If the severity is not correct, then the process returns to read in the next log and another check of severity is made. If, however, the severity is correct, a check is made to determine if the time is within a selected range (step 509). A sample range is presented above (2:00 pm-2:30pm). The range is determined by a network domain expert or administrator and is typically several minutes long. If the time is not within the selected range, then the process again returns to read in the next log. If the time is within the selected range, a determination of the log class relationship is made (step 511). The log class is a set of characteristics which similar logs exhibit. It may be a subset of the log type. The determination includes finding out whether or not the log exhibits a "parent-child" characteristics (for example, a log pertaining to a link set(comprised of multiple links) and a log pertaining to a link exhibits a parent-child relationship as linkset-link relationship). If the parent-child relationship is not present, the next log is read. If the relationship is present, a final check is made to determine if there is a relationship (i.e similarity) in the network topology of the logs (step 513). If the network topology relationship exists, then the log is a matching log (step 515) and the process ends (step 517).
The above process represents one embodiment of the processing steps of the backtracking algorithm. Various other implementations are possible. For example, it is understood that the utilization of time as the range is only for illustrative purposes as discussed above. A variety of applicable range factors may be utilized, such as location. Also, the processing of the algorithm is understood to be a continuous process until all possible interesting logs have been identified and mapped.
In the dynamic function, NeFPPS contains two distinct phases:
(i) the training phase in which the decision tree is constructed/built based on:
a. customer d-logs,
b. domain knowledge,
c. documentation,
d. some fault patterns which were unknown to domain experts, and
e. any new patterns identified during the deployed stage; and
(ii) the application/prediction phase wherein the dynamic and self-learning system learns on its own while deployed in the field.
(i) PREDICTION
Prediction is the ability of the system to be able to foretell a fault before it really happens. The prediction phase aides domain experts in understanding what new fault patterns are introduced as a result of a new network load. Proactive measures are added to the newly discovered episode patterns and include analyzing the data in the databases or simply querying the NOC staff. These measures yield solutions to prevent minor faults propagating to major faults.
The prediction algorithm first determines the probability of the next fault, and implements a proactive maintenance action to avert it. During its determining step the prediction function:
1. Identifies the just seen log—This log could be related to (i) the log that was seen earlier, (ii) the first log of a series fault about to happen, or (iii) the first and the last that gets corrected by the network;
2. Based on the log type, finds all episodes that contain this log. (The log type may be logs pertaining to signalling of network, hardware or software related logs, telephony related logs, etc.); and
3. Extracts data corresponding to the parameters present in the just seen log with the same log type seen in the episodes from the backtracking and tree building phase.
The following parameters are extracted:
a. Log type—According to the log type, the matching episodes are selected from consolidated data.
b. Traffic—extract the traffic for that link, linkset, or corresponding network aspect. The corresponding aspect is related to the log type. For example a link failure log always pertains to a link. Therefore extract link data.
c. Errors—extract the number of errors, in the same manner as given above.
d. Time—based on current time, comparisons can be made on previous log in the episode (child) as well as approximate time for the next log.
e. Capacity—how much of capacity is in utilization, again depends on the network aspect.
f. Congestion—extract the current congestion. This could be utilized to compare with the previous log's (child) congestion and calculate how long it has been that way. By looking at the consolidated data, it will provide the previous time ranges for episodes with congestion levels.
g. Number of signaling available—Depending on the log type, extract the proper signaling information. For example, this contains the number of links available in that linkset. If there were 3 links on a particular linkset, and 2 links are already out of service, then the value of this parameter will be one. The data table can be updated with previously seen network element failure or restoration messages.
The prediction algorithm works by combining several kinds of data obtained from the network. NeFPPS takes the output of the backtracking algorithm to understand the sequence of logs seen from the network. This data is utilized by the prediction algorithm which combines it along with other kinds of information such as the network configuration information, the traffic rate, and the states of different elements of the network, etc. The prediction function is then implemented as:
fn(logtypename, trafficvalue, errorsnumber, time, capacityvalue, congestionvalue, signaling availabilityvalue, other)
NeFPPS utilizes its built-in knowledge to decipher the current state of the network and from this knowledge is able to foresee if a event of higher magnitude is about to happen. Thus, NeFPPS is an expert system with certain fault scenarios already built in to the system. Another important aspect of NeFPPS is its ability to enhance/update its knowledge base with the events that are observed by it. This is accomplished by keeping a history of fault conditions over a period of time. If any new fault scenario is observed repeatedly for a given period of time, the new fault scenario is entered in the knowledge database.
As discussed in the preceding paragraphs, the prediction algorithm is a function of a number of factors. It takes the output of the backtracking algorithm (which determines the sequence of events as well as the frequency of such events), the rate of traffic carried by the network (obtained by the operational measurements), the states of different network elements and the configuration details. All these factors put together determine a certain condition (or health) of the network. This pattern is then matched against some of the known patterns built into the expert system. If a matching pattern is seen that shows a trend towards a major or critical error condition or fault, then the algorithm outputs a message to inform the network administrator of the potential fault. The algorithm also suggests a corrective action that can be taken to avoid such a situation.
A flow chart of one implementation of the prediction algorithm is now presented. FIG. 5 depicts the process involved which begins (step 521) with an extraction process on a just appeared log (step 523). This process extracts relevant information utilized during the prediction analysis including log type, traffic, errors, time of occurrence, network capacity, congestion, and number of signalling resources available. A check is then made to determine if the alarm exists in the known rules (step 525). If the alarm does not exist in the known rules, the prediction process takes no action (step 527) but updates its log base (step 529) with information of this new log type. When the alarm is present in the rules, the process extracts all the rules that contain the log (step 531). The process then provides a probability output (step 533) corresponding to the probability the log will lead to a severe fault. Finally, the process provides corrective measures (step 535) to attempt to counter possible occurrence of a severe fault. Then the process ends (step 537).
In the preferred embodiment the process takes into consideration the varying numbers of links and linksets in the switch. The corresponding tables from the switch are read and the traffic carried by the links are calculated. Another method of calculating the traffic per link is to pull OM information for the corresponding links. This yields a more accurate calculation of the average traffic per link.
NeFPPS incorporates proactive maintenance information that will be extremely useful when domain experts need to find solutions to network faults as they unfold in quick succession (about 5,000 logs a minute during a severe fault).
The prediction function provides a number of benefits. Namely, it allows for a highly reliable network, which is free of faults, and can detect and correct faults autonomously. Where it is not fault intolerant, the invention provides a tool or a vehicle that communicates to the operators the current health of the network and a tool that makes suggestions to prevent any major emergencies. With a function such as the one provided by NeFPPS, an operator benefits by reduced cost to maintain the network and by having to deploy fewer technicians to monitor the system as well as reduced cost due to fewer outages.
Systems such as NeFPPS also bring in cost savings to service providers in terms of a reduced staff to man NOC, a tremendous cost savings, especially when the network reliability is not compromised. As a result of utilizing the capabilities proposed in NeFPPS, networks will be highly reliable and easy to manage resulting in increased customer satisfaction as well as reduced cost of maintenance of the network.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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|2010-04-01, 09:25
|Link #6581
Join Date: Aug 2009
Mentar, I don't understand why you continuously rate Athena practically on every of her doings. Quite frankly, your dislike of her is as deep as hell itself, so there is really no point in giving her some positive points here and there; it won't change your view of her. Instead of ALWAYS, quite literally, belittled Athena with your perspective to challenge A-tan fans which will end up in a pointless arguments, why don't you just provide positive facts about Hina so people will love her more?
|2010-04-01, 09:35
|Link #6582
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Hamburg
Age: 45
Mentar's ignore list += Rah
|2010-04-01, 09:42
|Link #6583
Are you a lolicon? :3
Join Date: Aug 2009
zoddy-tan, don't reply that way! You'll provoke a reaction! And then it will fall like Dominoes!!
Does honestly everyone care more about the opinions of others, than the characters and manga itself? O_O
Wow, I guess I'm the only one who lost the ability to care? I don't mind though.
Woah! Who wants me dead?! O_O
*paranoia levels surge*
Anyway, who believes that Hina got her hopes up after what Hayate told her, and will go for another shot? But perhaps she won't. We don't yet know what exactly she thinks of Athena, but if she considers her to be better than herself, then isn't it pointless to try and win him over, if someone of her caliber couldn't? Well, it's true that many other factors also apply, besides her subjective outlook.
Athena basically created a clean slate scenario, though it's very much implied by Hata that Athena and Nagi play the main roles by now. Ah... *discouraged 200%*
What chances do the others even have? Dammit...
But now it at least feels a little more like a race, right? How about another Izumi arc! Yes! We need more cuteness, and I wanna see her confess to Hayate by mistake!
Then, some time later, Hayate is a drug addict suffering from some incurable disease, because he's tormented by the choices he has to make. He has to turn down 4+ girls, and harem is not an option!
AHhaHAhAhaha, oh what if he became an alcoholic? A violent one at that! YEAAAHHH!!!
|2010-04-01, 09:51
|Link #6584
Licensed Hunter-a-holic
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 26
I think that you are reading the scene expecting the worst from Athena, so you can't see it except from the worst possible light i.e. it's a challenge to a clueless Nagi. Now, before that I think you need to ask yourself ''what did Hata want to do here? What did he want to get across to the readers?'' Did he really want to show Athena put forth a challenge to Nagi, or did he want to give her leeway to come back and ''stay in the race'' so to speak, all the while he managing to make things come full circle with her meeting Nagi and thanking her? I say this because you even took her ''thanks'' as being artificial and not truthful, which is really strange conclusion to come with out the whole meeting, especially since that contradicts what she done not so long ago.
|2010-04-01, 09:53
|Link #6585
Join Date: Aug 2009
Last edited by zodanhko; 2010-04-01 at 10:11.
|2010-04-01, 10:18
|Link #6586
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Concerning Athena's change of heart, I don't think the problem is the fact that she had a change of heart (who doesn't change their mind?). The fact that she and Hayate had their farewell (a tearful one at that), and one or two chapters later, changes her mind? That may have been too soon. One volume, two volumes later, I would of thought she had a legitimate change of heart.
Instead of confessing to Hayate, Hinagiku let him settle his unfinished business with Athena and his battle with Midas? What would pro and anti Hina fans say if she changed her mind and decided to help Hayate directly rather than use the hero suit to hide her true idenity, or rather what would of happened if after Hayate saved Athena Hina decided to get between the two or admit her true feelings? I'm sure there would be an uproar as well.
|2010-04-01, 10:30
|Link #6587
Are you a lolicon? :3
Join Date: Aug 2009
Heh, you prefer Maria over Izumi, eh? Interesting...
I think your wish will come true soon enough, because Athena is returning to Japan, and after all she has a history with Maria. Perhaps they were rivals in school? Who knows? But I'm sure that would bring up some nice memories of their rivalry if so.. ^___^
Yeah, well, Hata had to do that in order to continue the series. If they became a couple, then basically everything else would have collapsed, so this is like a soft reset. Seeing how things turned out now, this was necessary to preserve the "harem" of sorts...
Now everyone still has a chance. Athena will participate as well, but Hayate seems to have seriously given up on her, while she had a different plan in mind. Basically, she thought of giving him up for now, and then when she feels like it, picking him back up (that fickleness is really cute~ ^___^), but Hayate thought that it was a real goodbye, since she said that she won't be returning to Japan with him, so he gave up. He even questioned if he'll be able to love someone like that again.
I wonder what will his reaction be now if he meets her? Will Athena attack openly, or will she stalk him? Well, I'm most interested in what Hina will do, and how will Nagi get out of her predicament at the moment, but perhaps those issues won't even arise just yet. I believe that comedy will return for a brief moment.
Or is Hata in a rush to conclude it? Honestly, does he believe that he can make a better manga than HnG? Well, he is friends with Ken, right (guy who made Love Hina & Negima)? Perhaps he can become awesome like him, and create a likewise good series after finishing one?
|2010-04-01, 10:44
|Link #6588
Come on, become a legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Age: 25
*siiiiigh* NOW athena is really going back to japan...? seriously this is becoming weird, it seems japanese fans got mad when Athena said she wasnt going back... this reminds me of naruto ""spoiler alert of naruto if youha vent finished pain's arc!""
Spoiler for NARUTO:
Why do they want to ruin HnG... freaking word of business, but well, if i was in his place, i would do the same, is hard to get your manga published, but i still.... dont know why they have to ruin it so much -.-
|2010-04-01, 11:05
|Link #6590
Are you a lolicon? :3
Join Date: Aug 2009
Well, yeah. Hata is quite interesting, isn't he? Perhaps he even messed up a little there, but nonetheless even if the execution of events wasn't flawless, he didn't break the statement of "Eternal love for Athena & Eternal protection for Nagi".
Though it can be interpreted many different ways, I still believe that he'll end it like that. Dunno how he's gonna wrap it all up, but IMHO it's the most likely ending. Still, we talked about this many months ago how he's easily influenced by his fans. He might change it... dunno how to feel about that, but it's not like we'd know if he changed it because his fans willed for it, or because he himself wanted to do so.
Well, whatever...
Oh, and apparently there won't be a normal chapter this week, because he's taking time off to think things through. That scene of Sakuya bathing, and Hayate commenting about something is expected to be released this week. It's a short mini-chapter, you know... those...
Limited!, or something... Dunno, perhaps it's not even Limited!, but... eh.. dunno. We'll see~ ^___^
Still, his assistants sure exaggerated a little with her breasts. I wonder who's truly drawing HnG now. Hata or his team? It does seem that their sizes fluctuate a little bit too much. Or... perhaps I'm mistaken.
Sakuya is a growing girl, and a super well endowed one at that. Perhaps she's still growing? LOL... dammit.. I pity Nagi now.. lol...
|2010-04-01, 11:06
|Link #6591
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Honestly guys, I really don't see why you've got to do this thing almost every week. Your arguments go basically this way:
A: I don't like your character.
B: OMG, why don't you like my character?
A: OMG, why don't you dislike that character the same way I do?
B: Why don't you like that character the way I do?!!
Ad infinitum
Honestly, cannot you guys just agree to disagree? Fuck, it shames me to think I used to be part of this argument.
|2010-04-01, 11:08
|Link #6592
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Hamburg
Age: 45
But you don't see it as a challenge? Because that's one of the few agreements the A-tan shippers and me seemed to have. What would you think about Athena if it _were_ a challenge?
The chapter could have easily been made into the meta-message which you outlined (and I expected even after the spoilers). But fact is that it was told with strong diverging connotations, wouldn't you agree?
|2010-04-01, 11:12
|Link #6593
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
With regards to hata, he did quite an awesome job in creating a new character after 150 chapters and getting so many fans to 'jump ship'. It is not logical to take a-tan out of the story as there are some plot points involved with her and also because it will cause an uproar.
anyway i used to like hina but a-tan won me over...completely. so much that my mum thought i was crazy when i raged after reading 265 lol. oh well 266 managed to satiate me. i sense happy end ^_^
|2010-04-01, 11:23
|Link #6594
Are you a lolicon? :3
Join Date: Aug 2009
Just reply to my posts, and try to put it back on track. Or start a topic of your own. I'd be happy to reply, however uninterested I may be (lol).
Just to stop the senseless quarreling.
And don't worry about Athena. Her "ship" is a frekkin' nuclear submarine! IT CAN'T SINK!! WHAHAhaHAhAhAhahA!!!
But don't just give up on Hina either. She's still a very cool character, and really likable, right? You just changed your preference to who you want to end up with Hayate. Did I guess right? No? You really don't like Hina now?
... :'<
Naawww.. just messin'~ ^___^
Anyway, I think that it's fine if Hayate ends up with ANY of the girls. They're all cool their own way, and none of them are truly evil, or anything (y'know, like they could be a bad influence, or trouble his life, or... I dunno.. get in some bad situation, or something... they're all good..).
Well, except for Aika. I don't know about her yet. She seems a bit peculiar... hmm...
I did predict that she'd be the next enemy, but who knows, eh? I wonder what she's seeking. Hmm...
|2010-04-01, 11:29
|Link #6595
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Anyway, unless I read it wrong, in this week's entry, Hata said in his blog the girl in the last page of 266 seems to be a new character.
|2010-04-01, 11:32
|Link #6596
Join Date: Aug 2004
Age: 28
On the ring-box, I figured it was an indirect message to Hayate. There's really no meaning at all in Nagi getting it, other than the fact that Athena can't face Hayate again so soon. I can't even see a malicious meaning behind the box, because it's just meaningless to Nagi overall. It can only mean something if Hayate sees it someday.
|2010-04-01, 11:34
|Link #6597
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
I think, another way of taking that scenes, rather than it being a message from Athena to either Nagi or Hayate, it's also (or mainly) a message from Hata to the fans saying Athena is still in this story, and she hasn't given up on her feelings for Hayate.
If anyone other than me checked the 2ch Hayate threads after chapter 265, I'm sure they'll understand what I mean, more than anyone else.
|2010-04-01, 11:35
|Link #6598
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
edit: Tweaking 266 because of the outrage to 264 is possible, I suppose.
I do think the turn-around was kind of sudden. I can see why, its the last chapter of the Golden Week Arc that's already dragged on forever, might as well tie up all the loose ends and such, but even so...
This makes it easy to stick Athena in comedic competition with the other girls, although I do think her days as a serious romantic contender are effectively over. I expect she'll keep chasing Hayate but it'll be played for laughs now instead of drama. I won't bother to argue the point because it's useless.
I like this manga a lot, but there is something about the last few chapters that left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and I can't quite pinpoint why. It's not like any particular event irked me that much or anything, so...eh.
Possibly it's because Athena's turn around was too fast, but I'm not sure it would have been any better if Hata had waited, because then it would have seemed out of nowhere and...meh.
|2010-04-01, 11:37
|Link #6599
Are you a lolicon? :3
Join Date: Aug 2009
Oh, I think you're right there, Used Can nii-chan~
I don't know where I got that, but I think that someone phrased it that way, and I just picked it up. It's from this page.
Spoiler for Clicky~:
Notice where the text is? Over Nagi it's who he wants to protect the most, and over Athena who he cares for the most. Well... it's still rather.. inconclusive.. perhaps..?
But it is a color page, and I guess that notches up its significance at least a little bit, right?
What do you think?
And you believe that Hata is fearful of fans, heh? But isn't HnG, like.. really popular? Or at least not somewhere in the middle, or the bottom. I think it's quite high up the charts actually. Well, this is just me saying stuff without any facts.. assumptions, guesses, short term memory, etc.. hehehe~
Oh, and would you prefer that I quoted you, or is answering this way fine? Quoting is such a pain... ^___^;;
|2010-04-01, 11:42
|Link #6600
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Hata also posted something in his blog about Athena this week along the lines of "About Athena...just wait and see.".
As far as the eternal "which girl" question, when it comes down to it, Hayate and Nagi are the main characters. If Hata wants Nagi to have a romantic ending she will, and it doesn't matter how many rivals she has. If he has something else in mind for her then you should be looking for the girl with enough development to make that ending seem natural. Crack pairings happen for secondary characters but almost never for the leads.
Right now, I don't see any girl with a clear lead even if you remove Nagi from the equation. Athena was almost there but she took a nose dive after 264-265 and it's unlikely she'll ever really come back from that. Maria has largely been removed already and I love Ayumu to death but likable rival has been her role from the beginning and I don't see that ever changing. Hina I think has regained her second place position from Athena but I don't really see it there for her yet either.
Really, no girl has enough development to support an ending with Hayate at this stage. Even Nagi with the odds stacked in her favor will need a lot of story development to make the ending work. In short, just read the story and don't worry about it so much. We're a long ways from things coming to an end.
Last edited by madmac; 2010-04-01 at 11:56.
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Originally written on IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS caught | Last updated 11/19/12
Sales over! Season over! They did it! The Yankees win the retailer! The Yankees win the retailer! I don't believe this! I do not believe this! They're going crazy in the gift shop! The Yankees win the retailer! Ladies and gentleman, the New York Yankees are the 2012 Retail Champions of Baseball! Ohhhh, doctor! Yeah. Gotta feel good about this. I'm feelin' SAUCY BIG. I'm feelin' MEAT BLING. I'm feelin' BEEF PRIDE. We are wearing the RETAIL CROWN. Hear that, Deetroit Tigers? Yankee swag RULES! Nobody wants your Halo cap, Angels. They want pinstripes. They want dirt from our old stadium, not yours, Miami. They want Yankee logo merch. That means cigarettes for Hank. Turtlenecks for Hal. Horses. Toys for the horses. Check this out, Kansas City. According to the news release: The Yankees and Legends Hospitality, led by Legends' GM of Retail, Michael Loparo, earned the honor based on significant improvements to the Yankee Stadium clubhouse store as well as consistent product ...
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Mini Grants
Mini-Grant funds for spring 2015 have been fully allocated. We will begin accepting applications for
fall 2015 on Aug. 1, 2015. The 2015 application will be available starting July 1.
Schools Within the SAWS Service Area are Eligible to Apply
San Antonio Water System is pleased to offer a Mini-Grant Program to subsidize field trip programs that educate pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students on topics of water quality, water conservation, environmental awareness and pollution prevention. Please check the list of approved field trip destinations below for eligible programs.
Mini-Grant funds can be used for transportation reimbursement, admission costs, workshop costs and substitute teacher costs up to $1,000 per teacher, per calendar year. Any school/organization within the SAWS service area is welcome to apply for a Mini Grant.
Funds are limited, so act now!
Approved field-trip destinations/ programs include:
- Water Where You Want It
- River to Sink: What's in My Drink
- Our Dynamic River
- Terrarium Ecosystem Program
- Natural Area Guided Tour
- Park Ranger Guided Tour
- Down the Drain: Exploring Water After the Flush
- Confluence
- Wet & Wild
- Earth & Sky
- World of Bubbles
- Guided Cavern Tour
- Guided Tour
For additional information or questions, call 210-233-3626.


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News articles search results by Troy Crumley
Free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile moves from open beta to official launch, now available on Steam
New class, new gems, new everything
Path of Exile, the free-to-play action RPG from Grinding Gear Games, has officially launched today, ending the open beta after nine months. Everything from the new Scion prestige class to new gems, monsters, areas, and PvP game modes have been added to the game to celebrate the occasion. There are also the Domination and Nemesis challenge leagues to give players varying degrees of difficulties to really push their skills.
The new Scion class sounds pretty unique, as she has aspects of all three attributes (Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence) instead of being focused on just one or two. She won't be as specialized as some of the other classes, but should certainly allow players to experiment with unique customizations. However, you have to beat Path of Exile's campaign on Normal difficulty to unlock her, but she should be well worth it.
Anyone interested in trying out Path of Exile can download the game from the PoE website or on Steam. There's no cost associated with the game, but there are various items to buy if you want to help support Grinding Gear. The Open Beta Support Packs are only going to be available through midnight Pacific today, so if you want a Baby Rhoa pet, the digital soundtrack, exclusive forum title, and 200 points (used on cosmetic changes), don't delay. There are other packs to consider too, just their prices are higher.
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition arrives on November 15 for PC and Mac, pre-purchase now
Both Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal included
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is right around 13 years old now, believe it or not, yet is easily one of the best PC games of all time. Soon you won't have to dig through your game discs to play it, as Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is set to arrive on November 15. The Enhanced Edition is handled by Overhaul Games, just like the first one, and gamers can pre-purchase it now for the PC or Mac.
Overhaul Games has improved the graphics and gameplay of Baldur's Gate II to work on modern systems. Both Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal are included in the Enhanced Edition, so you'll be able to take your character through to the very end of the Baldur's Gate saga. There's also some new components as well, like four allies to join you, with each of them having their own unique quests. An arena challenge called The Black Pits 2: Gladiators of Thay can test your tactical ability when you want a break from the expansive story.
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition can be pre-purchased now through the Beamdog website for $24.95. It'll be playable on PCs and Macs beginning November 15, with a pre-load available a little before then to get you playing right at launch. There's planned Android and iOS versions, however those don't have a release date or price.
Journey to North Africa in Sniper Elite 3's debut trailer
Kill-cam adventures in the desert
It's been some time since Sniper Elite 3 was announced, but Rebellion has been hard at work on it. Well, that and Nazi Zombie Army 2. When SE3 was announced, there wasn't a whole lot to go on other than it'd star Karl Fairburne again and hints that it would take place in Africa. Earlier today the first trailer arrived, and Sniper Elite 3 does indeed take place during the North African part of World War II.
Fairburne finds himself behind enemy lines as he helps the Allies whittle down the German's Tiger tanks. Of course things are never quite that easy, as a new German technology could quickly end all hope for the Allies. However we don't know just what the Germans have in store for us, so this new superweapon could be just about anything. It'll be up to Fairburne to put an end to it, or the world will be a very different place.
Sniper Elite 3 has a larger focus on sandbox gameplay, according to Rebellion, and a much more advanced X-ray kill-cam. Rebellion is introducing the vehicle kill-cam as well, which you can see evidenced in the trailer below. It should make for some truly spectacular results, but sadly we all have to wait until next year to try it out. Sniper Elite 3 arrives in 2014 for the PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
First screenshots appear for The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, in-game look at the horror fiction title
Incredibly atmospheric and detailed
Eight key members of the People Can Fly studio, the ones who brought us Bulletstorm and Painkiller, created a new studio last year called The Astronauts. Earlier today the team released several screenshots of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, a horror game that's focused on the mood, atmosphere, and telling a story. The developers call it "weird fiction horror," where the scares are more tension-based than all-out terror.
In The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, you play as occult detective Paul Prospero who receives a letter from the title character, Ethan Carter. Paul believes Ethan is in grave danger, and when he arrives in the town of Red Creek Valley to locate him, Ethan has vanished after a brutal murder. Perhaps there are more murders to investigate than just that one, and Paul must use both his normal and supernatural detective skills to piece together the clues.
Paul's supernatural ability allows to him see the final moments of a murder, with the more clues you find enabling a longer and clearer picture. What you're able to gather from the corpse can be different for each one, so sometimes you may find the motive or a new location to investigate, or even both. Gameplay is delivered in a first-person view, so you'll have an up-close look at the game's stunning environments and and murder clues. There's no combat in the game, as The Astronauts want to deliver a solid story and highlight the humanity of the characters.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a PC exclusive right now, but it could make its way to next-gen systems later on. There's no release date either, but the developer says "it's a question of months."
Click here to see more images
Firefall developer Red 5 Studios hit by layoffs, shouldn't affect development
More "streamlined" approach
Red 5 Studios is amping things up for its free-to-play MMO shooter Firefall, and sadly that means the developer is restructuring its staff and laying off around 10% of its workers. Most of the newly unemployeed were with Stage 5 TV, its video Internet entertainment channel, and Red 5 says development won't be affected by the layoffs.
Mark Kern, CEO and founder of Red 5, had the following to say about the layoffs: "As Firefall matures, we must transition our priorities and our development strategy to focus on streamlined operations and live product support."
Firefall entered open beta in July, and according to the developer, Stage 2 of it is "well underway." A major patch is expected later this month, so avid Firefall players have that to look forward to. Red 5 is temporarily shutting down the PvP in Firefall, as it'll work to bring the more popular PvE up to an even higher standard. There's no word as to when PvP will be shut down and brought back, but hopefully it's not too long of a wait.
Andrew Wilson welcomed in as new CEO of EA, replacing John Riccitiello
Formerly the executive vice president for EA Sports
This past March, EA CEO John Riccitiello announced he was stepping down from his position, which was quite a shock. At the time only a temporary replacement was named, Larry Probst, while a search was underway for a new CEO. Now, the search is over as former EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson is taking over the reins as the new CEO.
Wilson had the following to say about his new role:
I have a profound respect and passion for this organization, as well as for our global community of fans, and I'm incredibly motivated to serve our people, our gamers and our shareholders at such an exciting time in our industry.
He envisions EA as "the World's Greatest Company," not because of what it's aiming for, but rather the "unfaltering commitment to what we will be every day." Right now, Wilson's focus is on: "Continued transformation for our digital future; Delivering amazing games and services across platforms; and Instilling a culture of execution that will drive profitable growth."
It's a time of change at EA, and Wilson seems extremely eager to lead the company through it. In the short term, there's a committment to PCs, next-gen consoles, and mobile devices; a "transition" to digital downloads; and even a multitude of games on the way this year for the company to deliver on. There's plenty on the plate for Wilson to handle, and hopefully find a way to remove that worst company title.
Diablo 3 gold and real money auction houses closing down next March
"Undermines" the core experience
Diablo III's auction houses, one of the polarizing features of the game, are going to be shut down on March 18, 2014. According to Blizzard's John Hight, the auction houses no longer fit with what Diablo III and the upcoming expansion, Reaper of Souls, are trying to accomplish. The closure will affect both the gold and real-money auction houses, and should probably make a lot of people pretty happy.
Hight had the following to say about why the auction houses are closing:
When we initially designed and implemented the auction houses, the driving goal was to provide a convenient and secure system for trades. But as we've mentioned on different occasions, it became increasingly clear that despite the benefits of the AH system and the fact that many players around the world use it, it ultimately undermines Diablo's core game play: kill monsters to get cool loot. With that in mind, we want to let everyone know that we've decided to remove the gold and real-money auction house system from Diablo III.
"Undermine" is a pretty strong word, but it does tend to line up with what Jay Wilson said earlier this year. Wilson expressed regret over what the auction houses have done to the game, and Hight backs that up with why they're closing. The Loot 2.0 system coming with Reaper of Souls is going to result in a "much more rewarding game experience," and should bring Diablo III more in line with its predecessors.
Details on how the auction houses will be shut down aren't known just yet, but Blizzard wanted everyone to have advanced knowledge about the closure. Both John Hight and Josh Mosqueira explain the decision in the video below.
Auction House Update - YouTube
Get ready for the action, as Battlefield 4's open beta begins October 1
Blow things up ahead of time
Battlefield 4 is a little over a month away, and if you're eager to try it out, you aren't alone. Luckily you don't have to wait very long to get a look at the game, as EA revealed Battlefield 4's open beta begins on October 1. The beta will be available on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, although an exact run time is unknown. Given it releases around a month before the full game, a two week beta seems most appropriate.
EA also recently detailed the upgrade process if you're moving from a PS3/X360 to a PS4/Xbox One version of Battlefield 4, as well as Madden NFL 25 and FIFA 14, for as little as $10. The launch dates for those games are all the same, so you can pick up any or all three on November 12 for the PS4 (November 29 in Europe), and November 19 for the Xbox One (November 21 in Europe). All upgrades and unlocks carry over between the generations, so you don't have to worry about losing out on any progress.
The Battlefield 4 open beta should be on any FPS fans radar on October 1, and hopefully more details arrive before then so we know what map(s) to expect. Battlefield 4 arrives in full on October 29 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Fight the undead again, as Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2 arrives later this year on PC
Could hit the PS4 and Xbox One, too
The Sniper Elite series received its first spin-off earlier this year in the form of Nazi Zombie Army, which developer Rebellion called a "gamble." However, that gamble certainly paid off, and now even more so as Nazi Zombie Army 2 has been announced. Rebellion expects the sequel to arrive before the end of the year on PCs, and potentially even the PS4 and Xbox One.
Nazi Zombie Army 2 once agains features OSS agent Karl Fairburne and three of his pals fighting off the zombie horde in Berlin. Just everything is getting bumped up a notch, with creative head Tim Jones stating:
We really wanted to heighten the demonic, nightmarish tones of the first game. The environments, the levels, the soundtrack all give a strong feeling of descent - each encounter, each level becoming progressively more hellish. Most importantly though, we've expanded the legions of Nazi undead with some really intimidating new enemies which we'll reveal soon.
More demonic, more disturbing, more enemies; what's not to like? Hopefully soon we'll get a good idea of just what Rebellion intends for NZA2, but it certainly isn't looking like something we want to miss. Right now it's just a PC game, but the developer is hoping to take advantage of the self-publish option on both the PS4 and Xbox One in order to get the game to more people. Rebellion isn't saying one way or the other on that route, just that it's a "possibility."
Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2 isn't the only thing Rebellion is working on, as Sniper Elite 3 is due next year for the PC and current and next-gen consoles.
Layoffs hit Sony Online Entertainment offices in San Diego and Austin
Move to better focus on current and upcoming MMOs
Layoffs have hit another video game studio it seems, as Sony Online Entertainment announced a reduction in staff at its San Diego and Austin offices. The move is to help lower costs and better align company resources, just at the expense of peoples' jobs. Basically it's to ensure work on EverQuest Next and EverQuest Next Landmark is as focused as possible, as well as keep PlanetSide 2 and DC Universe Online running smoothly.
SOE's community relations director Linda Carlson had the following to say about the layoffs on the DCUO forums:
Today we announced a reduction in our workforce at SOE. As a company, our goal is to focus on our core expertise of MMO games and as part of these efforts, we had to make the difficult decision to eliminate positions to help reduce costs, streamline our employee base and strategically align resources towards our current portfolio of games and upcoming slate of MMOs, including EverQuest Next Landmark and EverQuest Next. We deeply value our employees and are grateful for all they've contributed to our company and games. They will be missed by colleagues and friends, and we wish them well in the future.
There's no word on just how many employees are now looking for new jobs, but hopefully they land on their feet somewhere else before long. It's also unknown which parts of SOE the positions were cut from, but it doesn't look like game development is getting hit too hard, if at all.
See how you can change Battlefield 4's maps with Levolution in newest video
Explosions everywhere
Levolution. It sounds like a funny name, but it's the basis of how maps in Battlefield 4 can be changed in radical new ways to present an entirely new fighting area. There's been snippets of it in previous videos, but this time, lead multiplayer designer Thomas Andersson is ready to go into detail on just what Levolution is all about.
It wasn't always a way for players to shape the map on their own, as initial testing had it on a timer that would trigger regardless of player involvement. However that soon changed because DICE realized players like having that amount of control, and Levolution as we know it began to take shape. It's a way to dramatically alter a multiplayer match to make it feel more like single player, with massive set pieces tumbling down when they just can't sustain any more damage. That skyscraper on the Siege of Shanghai map is just one example of what can happen in a match.
Players can focus all their efforts on bringing down that skyscraper, while others may want to protect it for the advantage it provides their team. Maybe having the skyscraper is suited to the team's playstyle, while not having it is better for the other. There's other things too that can trigger Levolution, like a warhead going off, with teams fighting to control whether or not its timer reaches zero.
There's a lot more to Levolution than just the big stuff, like raising or lowering bollards to determine what vehicles pass through. Metal detectors can act as early warning systems, power can be cut to buildings, and plenty of other things can affect the tide of battle. It all sounds like a unique way of keeping players engrossed in mutliplayer, and a huge leap forward from the destruction seen in past Battlefield games.
We won't have long to see how it all plays out, as Battlefield 4 arrives on October 29 for the PC, PS3, and 360. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions arrive when those consoles do, so November 15 for the PS4 and sometime that month for the Xbox One.
The Humble Origin Bundle arrives with Dead Space 1 and 3, Crysis 2, and plenty of others
Update Two new games get added
Update (8/22): Two new games have been added to the Humble Origin Bundle: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising and Populous. Both games are available on Origin for Windows, with Uprising also available on Steam. Each one is included in the beat the average price, which is currently at $4.83. A new charity has also been added, so now you can donate to GamesAid, too. This bundle has been an immense success (to put it lightly), with more than 1.7 million bundles sold and over $8.2 million raised. It effectively blows by the other Humble Bundles, and with a little under six days to go, the numbers are sure to reach even new limits.
It's time for another Humble Bundle, and like the Deep Silver one, this isn't an indie affair. EA has teamed up with the Humble Bundle crew to offer a variety of games that work on Origin, with some also unlocking on Steam. For $1, you can get Dead Space 1, Dead Space 3, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, Mirror's Edge, Crysis 2: Maximum Edition, and Medal of Honor. Beating the average also nets a copy of The Sims 3 and two DLC from the Starter Pack, plus Battlefield 3. The soundtracks for Sims 3 and Battlefield 3 are also included, although those are with any price.
Currently the average is sitting at $4.53, so pretty much anyone should be able to afford that for an absolute bounty of games. The Humble Origin Bundle has sold more than 110,000 bundles so far, with more than $500,000 being processed in just the short time since launch. All the games work on Origin on Windows, with Sims 3 also available on Mac. Steam keys are provided for everything but Dead Space 3, Battlefield 3, and Sims 3.
All proceeds from the sales go to various charities: the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Watsi, and the Human Rights Campaign. You can also send some as a Humble Bundle tip, but regardless of where you send it, it's all for a great cause. Like past bundles, the Humble Origin Bundle lasts for the next two weeks, with any extra games (if added) unlocked in about a week.
Subscription fees are the name of the game with The Elder Scrolls Online
Standard $15/month rate
The Elder Scrolls Online is the first MMO in the popular RPG's line, and despite everything shown so far, the one piece of information we were missing was a cost. Would it be subscription-based or free-to-play? Well earlier today the big announcement has been made, and The Elder Scrolls Online is a subscription-based MMORPG with a $15 a month fee.
Speaking in a recent interview, ZeniMax Online general manager Matt Firor came clean on what the model is going to be like for The Elder Scrolls Online:
We are going with the subscription model for ESO.
We're building a game with the freedom to play - alone or with your friends - as much as you want. A game with meaningful and consistent content - one packed with hundreds of hours of gameplay that can be experienced right away and one that will be supported with premium customer support. Charging a flat monthly (or subscription) fee means that we will offer players the game we set out to make, and the one that fans want to play. Going with any other model meant that we would have to make sacrifices and changes we weren't willing to make.
The game is going to be free for the first 30 days after purchase, with all the content available during that time. However, once those 30 days are up you'll need to fork over a monthly fee to continue exploring Tamriel and seeing just what Molag Bal is planning. Right now there's no mention of a discount if you buy, say, three months of game time at once, but Firor said that information will be revealed later on.
Firor went on a little further to better elaborate why TESO is subscription-based and how the decision isn't a slight against other models.
F2P, B2P, etc. are valid, proven business models - but subscription is the one that fits ESO the best, given our commitment to freedom of gameplay, quality and long-term content delivery. Plus, players will appreciate not having to worry about being "monetized" in the middle of playing the game, which is definitely a problem that is cropping up more and more in online gaming these days. The fact that the word "monetized" exists points to the heart of the issue for us: We don't want the player to worry about which parts of the game to pay for - with our system, they get it all.
Seeing it that way makes sense, but the fact remains The Elder Scrolls Online is going to require a subscription. Some people may not have a problem at paying $15 a month, but there are others who could just keep waiting for the next single-player experience from Bethesda. Plus there are always a ton of mods for Skyrim to offer new experiences.
Ubisoft and NVIDIA forge an alliance for the best gaming experience possible
New technologies for heightened realism and immersion
PC gamers may get the short straw at times, but that isn't the case today. Ubisoft and NVIDIA have announced a gaming alliance to deliver the best possible experience in games like Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Watch Dogs, and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. It basically means NVIDIA engineers are working closely with Ubisoft studios to help bring in new technologies and enable some fo the best looking games around.
The likes of temporal anti-aliasing, which combines shader-based AA with multisampling AA, soft shadows, HBAO+ (horizon-based ambient occlusion), and advanced tessellation are all being incorporated into Ubisoft's major upcoming games. In fact, Splinter Cell: Blacklist is already available to give gamers an idea of how this alliance is already paying off. Tony Key, Ubisoft's senior vice president of sales and marketing, had the following to say about the alliance:
The PC remains one of the world's most popular gaming platforms, and we're committed to offering PC players the best possible experience with our games. Combining NVIDIA's visual computing expertise and the creativity of our development teams will give customers a stunning experience when choosing an Ubisoft game for the PC.
Meanwhile, NVIDIA's Tony Tamasi, senior vice president of of content and technology, issued this statement:
PC gaming is stronger than ever and Ubisoft understands that PC gamers demand a truly elite experience – the best resolutions, the smoothest frame rates and the latest gaming breakthroughs. We've worked closely with Ubisoft's incredibly talented creative teams throughout the development process to incorporate our technologies and deliver the most immersive and visually spectacular game worlds imaginable.
It's quite refreshing to see this, especially when PC gaming is supposedly dying or not as viable as consoles. PC gaming isn't going anywhere, at least not while NVIDIA and Ubisoft have anything to say in the matter. It'll be interesting to see if AMD has anything to counter this alliance with or if it'll be banking on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but time will tell.
Now, if Ubisoft could just do something about Uplay, PC gaming will most definitely be stronger than ever. We're already waving goodbye to Games for Windows Live, after all.
EA introduces the Origin Great Game Guarantee, return a game for a full refund within certain guidelines
Incredibly generous offer
EA launched the Humble Origin Bundle last week, which took several big name games and provided them all for basically nothing. Some of the games also work on Steam, and the proceeds of the sale go directly to charity and the Humble Bundle team and not to EA. It's a very nice gesture, and now there's something even nicer, as the Origin Great Game Guarantee was announced earlier in the day. What is the Great Game Guarantee? Well it basically means you can return any full game download on the PC or Mac for a full refund.
No, you aren't seeing anything, and yes, EA is absolutely serious about it. Any PC or Mac game bought on Origin and downloaded to the client can be returned within a certain time period for a full refund. Games have to be returned within 24 hours of first launching, within seven days from the initial purchase, or within seven days of the game's release date if pre-ordered. Whichever condition is met first is the deciding factor, but regardless this is a move not really seen with digital game purchases.
If the game doesn't play well with your system or it just isn't as engrossing as the hype made it seem, or anything else really, then you can get a refund. Simply navigate over to your order history page, click the "request a refund" button, answer some questions, and it's off to EA. Reponses are set to happen within 48 hours, and so long as the requirements are met, you can expect a refund within seven to ten days. Not too shabby, EA, not too shabby.
Any fraud or abuse of the refund process means your request will be denied, which is to be expected. There's probably a way to tell if gamers are trying to cheat the system by finishing a game's single-player within 24 hours and requesting a refund, but nothing has been said on that subject yet.
The Origin Great Game Guarantee is now live in 20 countries, with both it and the improved Origin Store rolling out worldwide in the coming weeks. Full coverage of the Great Game Guarantee is expected by the end of September, and when that happens, EA will have a very generous feature included with Origin. Maybe it's a way to make up for past transgressions, and regardless of what popular opinion is of EA and Origin, this is a fitting example of why competition at any level is a good thing. Now it's time to see if Valve changes its policy on refunds (which doesn't really exist).
Say goodbye to Games for Windows Live, as Microsoft plans to discontinue it on July 1, 2014
About time
One of Microsoft's least favorite additions to PC gaming is finally getting the ax, as Games for Windows Live is being retired on July 1, 2014. Last week came the news the Windows Live Marketplace is being shut down this Thursday, August 22, and at the time gave no mention of a shut down for GFWL. However, something had to of changed in that time, because earlier today a since-deleted message appeared on the Age of Empires Online support page:
Games for Windows Live will be discontinued on July 1, 2014. Although it is available through Steam, Age of Empires Online requires features of the Games for Windows Live service. You can continue to enjoy all the features of Age of Empires Online as the service will remain 100% operational until July 1, 2014 when the server will shut down.
Sadly that does mean Age of Empires Online is shutting down that day, too, but maybe Microsoft deleted the message in order to find some way to keep the game around longer. As for GFWL, well, odds are it won't be entirely missed from PC gaming. Over the years more and more publishers have been moving away from it, most recently Warner Bros. with Batman: Arkham Origins, which has opted for Steamworks.
It's unknown what GFWL's demise means for all the current PC games that use it, but hopefully there's enough time to migrate everything away. Dark Souls, Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, BioShock 2, and countless others all make use of Games for Windows Live, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens with those titles. The main thing to take is that we have just under a year before GFWL is a distant memory.
Space Hulk has landed, turn-based strategy featuring Warhammer 40,000 Terminator Squads
So much firepower and death in the launch trailer
Fans of Warhammer 40,000 and strategy games in general can rejoice, as Space Hulk has arrived. A modern recreation of the 1993 game (and based on the board game), Space Hulk sends a Space Marine Terminator Squad to receover a derelict space hulk from hordes of Genestealers. The Genestealers are a vicious bunch of tyranids that could easily wipe out your squad if you're not careful, so patience is required as you explore this vast ship.
Taking place aboard the "Sin of Damnation," Space Hulk features 12 missions from the classic game as well as three all-new prequel missions. The game does feature a 3D engine and visuals that should make anyone feel right at home if they've played some of the other WH40K games. It's turn-based strategy and claustrophobic feel, on the other hand, definitely make Space Hulk stand out from the others. You can get a glimpse of that in the launch trailer, as well as some nostalgia if you played the original game or even the board game.
Space Hulk arrived yesterday on PC, Mac, and iOS. It has both single player and multiplayer modes, with multiplayer being multiplatform and asynchronous so you can play on your own time and against whoever you like.
Visit beautiful Los Santos and Blaine County with Grand Theft Auto V interactive travelogue
So many things to see and do
Grand Theft Auto V has just about a month to go, and Rockstar is definitely getting gamers salivating at returning to the west coast. Yesterday a dozen new screenshots were released, and now we have an interactive travelogue showing why you should visit Los Santos and Blaine County. There's really all sorts of reasons, from fast cars to a thriving economy and even the great outdoors. Plus it has "leadership you can trust," as the area is currently in the middle of a gubernatorial race between Sue Murry and Jock Cranley.
In GTA V, you don't need to worry about trying to get a good deal on a car from a salesman. Instead you simply buy it online and head out on the freeway, or maybe the surrounding hills and mountains. Heading into the wilderness also allows you to take in the vast beauty of the Blaine County countryside, complete with animals to hunt and peaks to climb. If you prefer staying closer to the city, however, there's always beaches to sunbathe on and oceans, lakes, and rivers to explore.
If you want to become a millionaire, the Los Santos real estate market provides plenty of opportunity to do so. The market is described as volatile, and hitting it big in the city will require buying a building. Luckily, healthcare is pretty affordable in Los Santos if your millions are coming in slowly, with any one of the medical centers able to patch up any wound. Oh, and apparently the taxpayers are picking up the bill, so don't worry about visiting for any minor scratch!
As for the leadership, well there are a couple of campaign videos for you to see on the travelogue to decide which candidate is more worthy of your vote. Jock Cranley is a famous movie and TV star, and his conservative values are going up the former school teacher and liberal Sue Murry. It's a tight race, and to help you decide which candidate to vote for, we have some campaign videos to ease the burden.
There's plenty more to see on that travelogue too, so don't delay. Grand Theft Auto V is slated to arrive on September 17 for the PS3 and 360. Tomorrow should bring news on Grand Theft Auto Online, the revamped multiplayer mode for GTA V, so be sure to check back for that! Maybe eventually we'll hear word on a possible PC version, too.
Square off against the Brigmore Witches as Dishonored DLC arrives today, gameplay trailer too
One last hurrah as Daud
If you just can't get enough of Dishonored, then you'll be happy to know the final add-on is now available. The Brigmore Witches closes the story of Daud, the assassin who was the focus of The Knife of Dunwall DLC. After Daud discovers the intentions of the Brigmore Witch coven leader, Delilah, it's off to the races in order to stop a ritual from being completed. Failure to do so means certain doom for Daud.
Along the way to Delilah's stronghold, you'll explore some unseen areas of Dunwall, like Draper's Ward and Coldridge Prison. Daud, after being betrayed by his lieutenant, has to rely on the Dead Eels and the Hatters gang to traverse these new areas. Just those two gangs are fighting each other so it'll be interesting to see how you can play them off of each other, if at all. There's also new powers, weapons, gadgets, and the ability to transfer your save from The Knife of Dunwall to keep everything intact. Plus the launch trailer for The Brigmore Witches arrived today, which you can check out below. You'll definitely want to, as it's rather captivating.
Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches is priced at $9.99 or 800 MS Points. It's available now on Steam, PlayStation Store, and Xbox LIVE, with Europe getting it tomorrow.
The Brigmore Witches DLC Trailer - YouTube
Layoffs hit Crystal Dynamics, 12 positions removed from team working on new IP
No affect for Tomb Raider sequel, at least
Bad news for Crystal Dynamics, developer of the Tomb Raider series, as 12 positions have been cut by parent company Square Enix. Apparently the losses only affect the team working on an announced yet unknown game and not the Tomb Raider sequel, so at least development should be just fine on the latter. Square Enix had the following to say about the cut:
We've made some decisions at Crystal Dynamics last week around the second project we're working on, which has resulted in a small number of roles (roughly 12) becoming redundant as we re-scope the project. This doesn't affect the Tomb Raider development team, who as confirmed last week are well into production on a next-generation sequel. We're a close-knit team at Crystal and wouldn't be making these changes if we didn't feel it was absolutely necessary. We'll help those affected as best we can and we want to thank them for their hard work and commitment.
Retooling games usually ends up in a restructured team, just it's sad that a dozen Crystal Dynamics employees are now looking for work. That new game is still basically unknown as to what exactly it'll be, since neither the developer nor Square Enix have said a word otherwise after announcing it back in January 2012. There's really no telling what it's going to be even be like, but since Square Enix felt some positions could be removed, maybe it's a smaller project.
And as for the Tomb Raider sequel, well it's going to be on next-generation systems and that's about all we know. Once more information on it and Crystal Dynamics' other project surfaces, you can be sure to find out here.