Yoko Shimomura to receive BAFTA FellowshipBAFTA to recognise composer's "groundbreaking work" that "paved the way for women in the industry at a time when it was overwhelmingly male-dominated"Image credit: Osamu Nakamura/BAFTA News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 31, 2025 Japanese composer and pianist Yoko Shimomura will be awarded a BAFTA Fellowship at the BAFTA Game Awards on April 8, 2025.Shimomura will receive the accolade in recognition for her work composing scores for franchises including Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy 15 and Xenoblade Chronicles.She is a graduate of the Osaka Junior College of Music, Department of Instrumental Music (piano), and is now a freelance composer after working for developers including Capcom and Square Enix."It is a real privilege to honour Yoko Shimomura with the BAFTA Fellowship this year," said BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip."A pioneer in video game music, pianist and composer, Yoko has created unforgettable soundtracks for so many beloved games and paved the way for women in the industry at a time when it was overwhelmingly male-dominated."Her groundbreaking work has already inspired countless artists and will continue to resonate for generations."Last year, PlayStation veteran Shuhei Yoshida received a BAFTA Fellowship. In 2021, Media Molecule's studio director Siobhan Reddy was the first woman to be given the award.The 21st BAFTA Game Awards will take place on April 8, 2025 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and will be streamed on Twitch. Ninja Theory's Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has been nominated for 11 awards.

The Z Flip 7 FEs cover screen looks identical to the Flip 5 and Flip 6s.The big difference between Samsungs Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the cheaper Z Flip 7 FE will be their cover screens, going by new renders released by the leaker OnLeaks. Earlier this month he produced designs that show a new, larger cover screen on the flagship Flip 7, but our first look at the more affordable Fan Edition instead includes Samsungs older display design.The Z Flip 7 FE seems to use the same cover screen design as the Z Flip 5 and 6, with a thick bezel and a stepped bottom edge that cuts around the camera lenses. By contrast, our latest look at the Z Flip 7 shows an edge-to-edge display that wraps around the cameras, similar to the screens on Motorolas Razr Plus models.According to OnLeaks who created the renders in conjunction with SammyGuru based on leaked details the display will be the same 3.4-inch size as on the Z Flip 6. At 165.1 x 71.7 x 7.4mm when unfolded, the phone as a whole will be about the same size as last years too, but slightly thicker.An FE version of Samsungs flip phone has been rumored for years, in part to compete with Motorolas more affordable regular Razr, but 2025 looks to be the year it will finally emerge. Samsung usually announces its new foldable phones at a Galaxy Unpacked event in July, so well likely learn more then.

Monster Hunter Wilds phenomenal success shows no sign of slowing down. Its just breezed past the 10 million sold mark, setting a new record for developer and publisher Capcom.Thats a first month sales record for Capcom no game in the companys history has sold more after a month on sale. Wilds was already the fastest-selling game in Capcom history after selling 8 million copies in just three days.In a note to press, Capcom explained why it believes Monster Hunter Wilds has proven so successful, even blowing Monster Hunter World out the water. It pointed to the introduction of crossplay and the day-one launch across console and PC (World launched on PC half a year after console) as key factors in Wilds' appeal.Play"The title provides an environment where a wider range of players can enjoy the game together with the introduction of crossplay, a first for the series, and a simultaneous release on Playstation 5 system, Xbox Series X|S, and PC," Capcom explained."Additionally, the introduction of the new Focus Mode mechanic and the implementation of seamless movement between settlements and ecosystems have provided an even more immersive gaming experience, while the fusion of numerous new elements with Monster Hunters appeal has generated significant excitement, all of which led to the company first-month sales record of over 10 million units sold."As detailed last week, Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1 launches April 4. It adds a fan-favorite monster as well as the Grand Hub, a new in-game settlement where players can gather and communicate with each other. Title Update 2, which Capcom teased adds Lagiacrus, is set for the summer. Check out IGN's roundup of everything announced during the Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1 showcase for even more detail and information.The Monster Hunter series had already broken the west with the 2018 launch of World, which remains Capcom best-selling game ever with 21.3 million sold. But it seems likely that, over time, Wilds will surpass even that figure.To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesnt tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. Weve also got a detailed MH Wilds walkthrough in progress, a MH Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if youve played one of the open betas, heres how to transfer your MH Wilds Beta character over.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Source: Smallwood ArchitectsThe proposed new houseBasingstoke and Deanes planning committee has approved a proposal by Smallwood Architects for the demolition and replacement of Ashe Park House, a country house set within a 232-acre estate near Overton with historical links to novelist Jane Austen.Smallwood Architects approved scheme involves the construction of a new Queen Anne-style country house on the footprint of the existing building.The site lies in open countryside outside any designated conservation area and contains no listed structures.Austen is known to have visited Ashe Park in the 1790s and referred to it in her letters, though the current house dates largely from major rebuilding carried out in the 1860s. Although unlisted, SAVE Britains Heritage argued in its formal objection that Ashe Park House should be treated as a non-designated heritage asset and retained.SAVE drew attention to evidence from Historic England suggesting the possibility of an older core within the structure. The group noted that the house had been Georgianised during the 1960s but retained its 19th-century form and much of its historic character. It argued that total demolition would result in the irreversible loss of a site of local significance.The campaign also criticised the environmental implications of the proposal, stating that it would release embodied carbon and undermine Basingstoke and Deanes commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2030. The demolition of buildings like Ashe Park House, which are perfectly capable of being refurbished, SAVE wrote, cannot be seen as meeting the objectives set out in either national or local commitments.The proposed new houseSource: Smallwood ArchitectsThe existing house is currently vacantSource: Smallwood ArchitectsProposed north and south elevations of new houseSource: Smallwood Architects1/3show captionHowever, planning officers recommended approval, concluding that the existing house had been so extensively altered during the 20th century that it lacked sufficient architectural or historic merit to justify retention. The proposal would not result in the loss of any building which is of historical or architectural interest, the officers report stated. The councils conservation officer described the house as a confused blend of styles and materials and supported its demolition, noting that little significant historic fabric remained.The architect claims that the new design references the architectural language of late 17th- and early 18th-century houses typical of the region, with Flemish-bond red brickwork, stone dressings, tall sash windows, a central pediment and a hipped slate roof with dormers.The proposals also include the conversion of outbuildings to form a swimming pool wing and changes to the surrounding landscape across the estate, including orchard planting, wildflower meadows and new woodland areas. Existing Arts and Crafts cottages on the site will be retained.While objections focused on both heritage and environmental grounds, the planning committee found the application to be in line with local and national planning policy.

Source: Richard ChiversSatish Jassal Architects has completed a new-build net zero council housing scheme of eight homes on a previously disused site in Bounds Green, north London.Commissioned by Haringey Council, the project is intended to demonstrate how high-quality, low-carbon housing can be delivered on small urban infill plots.The scheme comprises five single-storey flats (including a wheelchair-accessible unit), one duplex and two townhouses. Six of the homes are family-sized with three or more bedrooms. All homes are dual or triple aspect and look onto the park or a shared landscaped courtyard, which includes a vegetable patch that is intended to support social interaction and passive surveillance.The site, located at the corner of Edith Road and Park Road, had been vacant for more than a decade and formerly functioned as a garage and car park.Positioned opposite Springfield Community Park and adjacent to existing council housing blocks on Tredegar Road, the development seeks to re-establish a street frontage, with Satish Jassal describing the approach as an attempt to repair the urban fabric by stitching in a new built form that reconnects the site with the wider neighbourhood.Jassal said: The eight new homes at Edith Road show what can be achieved when Haringey Council, the architect, sustainability experts, and the local community come together to build the much-needed homes with solutions that help to improve the environment for all surrounding residents.The design, which the practice describes as responding to its surrounding context, features red brick faades with stepped piers, stone detailing and metal railings referencing nearby Victorian terraces.The faades feature deep window reveals and brick lintels, with detailing that draws on the influence of Louis Kahn.Source: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard ChiversSource: Richard Chivers1/11show captionA three-storey block fronts Park Road, with two-storey townhouses along Edith Road and a taller corner volume that marks the junction.Public realm improvements were also delivered as part of the project, including a widened pedestrian route and new landscaping, lighting, and cycle and refuse storage along the boundary with the existing estate.The homes have been designed to be zero carbon and fossil fuel-free in operation. The scheme includes on-site renewable energy, including air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels, and has achieved a 104% reduction in carbon emissions against Greater London Authority benchmarks.>> Also read:Satish Jassal Architects unveils super-small house on challenging backland site>> Also read:Rowan Court: a blueprint for council housing that repairs the urban fabric and elevates its contextLocation PlanSource: Satish Jassal ArchitectsGround Floor PlanSource: Satish Jassal ArchitectsFirst Floor PlanSource: Satish Jassal ArchitectsSecond Floor PlanSource: Satish Jassal ArchitectsThird Floor PlanSource: Satish Jassal ArchitectsNorth West ElevationSource: Satish Jassal ArchitectsDesign principlesSource: Satish Jassal Architects1/7show captionProject DetailsLocation: Edith Road, Haringey, London, N11Project cost: 3,000,000Completion date: March 2025Client:Haringey CouncilArchitect: Satish Jassal ArchitectsClient and project managers: Haringey CouncilPlanning consultant: MC PlanningDesign and Build Contractor: Alexander James ContractsEmployers agent: Charles RamsdenSustainability: IceniDaylight and sunlight: Rights of Light ConsultingArboricultural and biodiversity: Arboricultural SolutionsHighways: Alpha Parking

The contest organised by Newcastles Farrell Centre with support from the Northern Architectural Association seeks concepts to transform the A167 Gateshead flyover which closed amid safety concerns at the end of last year and is now expected to be demolished.The competition invites participants to put forward bold, original and compelling solutions to transform the raised road running between St Edmunds Road and Gateshead Foodbank into a new accessible destination which serves as a connector for the local area.According to the brief: This ideas competition looks beyond demolition to explore the possibilities for re-using, re-imagining and re-constituting the Gateshead flyover and what that could offer the city and the region: from the environmental and economic upsides, to the opportunities for supporting health, wellbeing and civic pride by creating a new green space in the heart of Gateshead.AdvertisementEntries will be reviewed by a panel of experts who will select four winning projects, which will be displayed in a small exhibition at the Farrell Centre in May 2025.Gateshead is large town of around 200,000 inhabitants located on the south banks of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle. Local landmarks include the Anthony Gormley-designed Angel of the North sculpture on the town's fringes.The Flyover Futures contest focusses on transforming the elevated Gateshead flyover which closed to traffic in December 2024 following the discovery of structural defects that could have led to its collapse.The structure is expected to be demolished and replaced with a new surface-level boulevard however the contest organisers are seeking surprising and transformative ideas to reuse the structure as an ecologically vibrant destination for pedestrians and active travel.Participants are encouraged to consider new ways of accessing the structure and also the inclusive re-development of the immediate environment. The competition is open to everyone with multidisciplinary teams encouraged.AdvertisementApplications should include a maximum of three images and a short 300-text of description. The four winning teams due to be announced on 21 May will each receive a 250 honorarium.Competition detailsProject title Flyover FuturesClientContract value TbcFirst round deadline 28 April 2025Restrictions TbcMore information https://www.farrellcentre.org.uk/explore/flyover-futures-ideas-competition/

The permitted development plans will see 166 flats put into 22-storey Apollo House and 419 flats into 20-storey Lunar House. The 1970 office blocks stand next to each other on Wellesley Road, straddling Sydenham Road.As far as it is aware, the practice believes the project will be the countrys largest office-to-resi permitted development scheme to date, exceeding Formation Architects 404-home Delta Point build-to-rent scheme, also in Croydon.Lunar House and Apollo House were commissioned by Harry Hyams, best known as the developer of Centre Point, their names reflecting his fascination with space travel in the wake of the 1969 moon landing.AdvertisementThe tower had been used as the headquarters for UK Visas and Immigration. However, the Home Office division has now relocated and Singaporean developer Ho Bee Land is bringing forward the housing plans.Croydon Council has approved two prior notifications for the scheme, meaning it does not oppose the permitted development based on the limited criteria it is allowed to assess, such as fire safety, contamination and transport impacts. Source:Studio Egret WestAxonometric view of permitted development plansStudio Egret West said its scheme re-imagines the future of these iconic, space-age-inspired structures [], ensuring their sensitive reuse while laying the foundation for an innovative and holistic regeneration of the site.The practice said it would preserve the architectural character of the buildings through carefully aligned partitions and window mullions, while gallery access spaces will enjoy natural daylight and panoramic views.The flats will be of various sizes, including family homes, with 75 per cent exceeding national minimum space standards. The flats will also have adaptable layouts, with sliding partitions.AdvertisementThe towers lend themselves to retrofit, according to the architect, as they were originally built as speculative offices with highly adaptable floor plates, featuring a structural grid free of loadbearing walls, continuous ribbon windows and a freestanding lift core.Studio Egret West said the permitted development plans marked the first milestone in a broader vision, with possible later phases including a lunar-inspired landscape, extensions to the existing buildings and a 40-storey lunar rocket tower.View of Lunar House (left) and Apollo House (right)

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Over the weekend, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 team announced the second wave of music set for the upcoming remakes, but some noticed a few omissions from the original games. However, there is a good reason for this, with none other than Tony Hawk himself taking responsibility. Read more