Since its release back in March, Assassins Creed Shadows has been praised for many things, from its stealth gameplay mechanics to its open world. One minor point of criticism for some has been how the open world title highlights ledges that can be used for parkour-based traversal through the use of yellow paint.Speaking to GamesRadar, creative director Jonathan Dumont spoke about how the game uses yellow paint to let players know at a quick glance what nearby ledges and platforms can be used for parkour. In the conversation, Dumont revealed that earlier builds of Assassins Creed Shadows didnt use the yellow paint at all. It was, in fact, added in later because of playtesters getting confused about what they could and couldnt parkour on.Well, we didnt have it until players were really struggling in playtests to find their path when engaging in hidden trails activity, said Dumont. The environment is lush and full, and giving a bit of guidance was needed.This should come as no surprise, since the use of markers like yellow paint for objects that can be interacted with or jumped on largely came about when visuals in video games started getting more and more photorealistic. This could even be seen in titles going all the way back to early PS4 releases. Even older Assassins Creed games were not immune from this; Assassins Creed 2, for example, used white cloth as an indicator of an object that could be used to start a parkour trail.Dumont also revealed last month that, while Assassins Creed Shadows got delayed quite a few times leading up to its release, the extra time wasnt used to make any sweeping changes to the game. Rather, the developers made use of the extra time they were afforded by polishing the game as much as they could.We were basically trying to make the most polished game that we [can], said Dumont, going on to say that the delays were because, our game was there, so just making sure that we dont have bugs and that the experience is clean for people.The few things that the studio did add to the game during the delays were scenes that would help in fleshing out the relationships between characters in better ways. We had a few already, and people love those things, he said. So alright, lets try to get a little bit more in there.Assassins Creed Shadows was released on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on March 20. Since then, the game has proven to be quite successful. A recent report revealed that Assassins Creed Shadows was the USs best-selling game of the week it came out in in terms of dollar sales. Overall, Assassins Creed Shadows has ended up becoming the second biggest game launch of the year, right behind Monster Hunter Wilds, which recently celebrated having sold 10 million copies.For more details about Assassins Creed Shadows, check out our review. Also check out 15 small details that stand out in the game thanks to its attention to detail.

Two Great Empires Traded for Financial Gain and Achieved a Brilliant Cultural Exchange as WellA new show illuminates the rich artistic wonders that arose out of the 400 years of commerce between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman EmpirePortrait of Doge Cristoforo Moro (ruler of Venice from 1462-1471), attributed to Lazzaro Bastiani; Ottoman-inspired fabric by 20th-century textile designer Mariano Fortuny. Civic Museums Foundation of Venice - Correr Museum (2)For 400 years, the Eastern Mediterranean was the domain of two great powers: the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire. As rivals, they fought seven different wars, but in peacetime they eagerly pursued mutual profit.The Venetians were very pragmatic, and they wanted to do trade, says Trinita Kennedy, co-curator of the traveling exhibition Venice and the Ottoman Empire, which makes its final stop at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville in late May. The Ottomans had all the spices and luxury goods.The show includes some 150 works of art from Venices civic museums, as well as from the recently salvaged wreck of the Venetian merchant ship Gagliana Grossa, which sank en route to Istanbul in 1583, bearing 5,000 panes of glass intended for the sultans palace. The objects tell the story of a richand enrichingrelationship, in which the Ottomans offered the maritime republic not only commercial opportunities but also a cultural exchange that fueled its creativity. As one Venetian ambassador put it, being merchants, we cannot live without them. Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan, Vittore Carpaccio, tempera and oil on panel, 1501-05 Civic Museums Foundation of Venice - Correr MuseumDoge Francesco Morosini Offers Venice the Reconquered Morea, Gregorio Lazzarini, Civic Museums Foundation of Venice - Correr MuseumSubscribe to Smithsonian magazine now for just $19.99This article is a selection from the April/May 2025 issue of Smithsonian magazineGet the latest Travel & Culture stories in your inbox.More about:ArtEuropean HistoryExhibitionsItalyMuseums

Gamescom, the worlds largest and leading event for computer and video games, will remain in Cologne, Germany and be further expanded. In 2024, Gamescom counted 1,462 exhibiting companies from 64 countries a new record. The event attracted a total of 335,000 people from 120 countries. This years event will take place from AugusRead More

Gladia, an AI transcription and audio intelligence provider, launched Solaria, a next-gen automatic speech recognition (ASR) model designed to redefine real-time communications for call centers and other voice-first platforms. Solaria now empowers businesses to enhance and expand their customer service operations with AI-powered voice technology thRead More

Hundreds of unionized workers at The Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer ZeniMax Media have voted to authorise a strike.The bargaining unitrepresented by Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 2100, 2108, and 6215 (ZeniMax Workers United-CWA)is priming for strike action following two years of contract negations with ZeniMax parent company Microsoft.Should those negotiations fall through, ZeniMax Workers United-CWA leaders will now have the power to call for a strike.Members of the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA bargaining committee are attempting to secure better wages, workplace improvements, and robust remote work options.They also want Microsoft to address key concerns, such as its decision to replace in-house quality assurance staffers with outsourced labor without notifying the union. The latter incident resulted in the CWA filing an unfair labor practice against Microsoft and strike action from ZeniMax Workers United-CWA.One union member suggested Microsoft and ZeniMax remain "unwilling" to meet their demands."Underpayment and costly RTO initiatives have caused many of us to put our lives on pause because our income does not match even the rising cost of living in the cities where ZeniMax insists we live and work to maintain employment," said ZeniMax Workers United-CWA Local 6215 Member and senior QA tester Zachary Armstrong.Related:"None of us wishes it had come to this, but if Microsoft and ZeniMax continue to demonstrate at the bargaining table that theyre unwilling to pay us fair wages for the value our labor provides to our games, well be showing them just how valuable our labor is."Fellow union member and associate QA tester Aubrey Litchfield said workers at Microsoft and ZeniMax have been continuously fighting for the "bare minimum.""Paying your employees a livable wage as a multi-trillion dollar company is the least they could be doing; however when addressed at the bargaining table, Microsoft acts as though were asking for too much," they continued.Litchfield added that in-house ZeniMax contractors have been plying their trade on "minimal wages with no benefits, including no paid sick time," leaving them unable to plan for the future due to a lack of financial security.ZeniMax Workers United-CWA was formed in 2023 after a supermajority of over 300 quality assurance workers voted to unionize. Later that year, Microsoft agreed to incorporate some contract workers into the union.Other unions have assembled at Microsoft following its merger with Activision Blizzard, including a wall-to-wall union comprising over 500 employees at Blizzard Entertainment and another within ZeniMax Online Studios called ZOS United-CWA.Related:

My first formative memory of Valve was in 2009, when Left 4 Dead 2 was released on consoles and PC. At just barely sixteen years old, I didnt think about the developer who made the game, or how long Valve had been shaping the lives of players. I just knew I really enjoyed hunting zombies, and that the game itself was amazing to play.In 2025, Valve carries a completely different weight, as the maker of the Steam Deck, and some of the most iconic online games of our time. From Portal to Half-Life, Valve has challenged and shaped the game industry, but its success was hard-earned, as Monica Harrington explained at GDC 2025.Harrington, the retired CMO of Valve, explained how the company got its start in the late 1990s. While some of this story has been given via Mike Harrington and the Valve documentary Half-Life, Harrington dived into elements of the companys inception with more detail, including the steep costs that can come with throwing everything into a startup company.Success Can Mean Starting OverWhen Harrington became involved with Valve, she was actively working in the marketing department of Microsofts software and growing games department. She had a vision of what the future could hold, and how the consumer games market would grow. She was a driving force behind iconic Microsoft products, including Microsoft Office and the original Flight Simulator.Related:However, when Mike Harrington became involved with and helped found Valve, Monica Harrington found herself pulled into the fray by her then-husbands venture. Valve was picked up by Sierra Entertainment, and production began on the original Half-Life.Harrington explained that the path was grueling. They quickly tapped the bottom of their resources, and she found herself struggling to balance her work at Microsoft while keeping up with Valve.The team was stretched thin, with every member making sacrifices to see Valve succeed. That might be tough to believe given the publisher (and storefront)'s status in 2025, but the beginning was indeed humble.Harrington explained that, as she got to know her team, she became painfully aware of what was riding on the success of Half-Life. It wasnt just about shipping a good game, it was about honoring the team that had built it, and respecting the families and livelihoods at stake if they didnt manage to recoup costs.Because of this, Harrington and the Valve team decided to scrap their first attempt at Half-Life, starting from scratch after being unhappy with where the game was headed. This added extra pressure and anxiety around deadlines, but the choice likely secured the success Half-Life enjoyed when the reimagined version was launched in 1998.Related:Fighting For Success In a Flawed SystemHarrington didnt just face troubles with development and deadlines, however. She quickly realized that Valve had bigger problems when dealing with Sierra Entertainment.Half-Life was a resounding success, with fans and reviewers celebrating its groundbreaking gameplay. Harrington was prepared to tackle a game of the year edition for Half-Life following awards and accolades when Sierra announced it was pulling all marketing for the game.We hadnt come close to making back our money, and with that move, we never would, Harrington explained. She marched back to Sierra and demanded they continue to push the marketing. At this point, Harrington had walked away from her job at Microsoft, and she and her whole team were completely dependent on the success of Half-Lifes sales.I left the office that day not knowing what Sierra would do, She said. Despite her fears, Sierra agreed to do the game of the year marketing push. Doing so turned it into a marketing juggernaut, with sales skyrocketing as the new edition hit the shelves.Related:The Madness Behind The MethodWhile Valves story sounds romantic and empowering, several elements struck a chord with me and left me wondering if the mentality behind the mega-companys inception was actually inspiring.At one point, Harrington recalled when a member of the Valve team needed to step away for a wedding. It wasnt something luxurious or planned, but an emergency to keep the persons partner from being deported.She explained that the team was so desperate they couldnt spare the person. Instead of granting the leave and working around the situation for the mental health and safety of the team member, Harrington recalled that they instead threw a wedding ceremony in the office.To some, this might sound cute, but to me, this illustrates a deeply unhealthy mentality that has been built into the foundation of the industry. Developers of all disciplines have been caught by messages (implied and otherwise) that sacrifice is the key to success. Weve all put in long nights, skipped vacations, gone in sick, or pushed ourselves to burnout to meet the demands of an industry moving at warp speed.When Harrington told this story, and continuously mentioned the demands she had for her team, I couldnt help but wonder, "Was it worth it?" Valves success today has brought so many players memorable titles, but do we remember or talk about the devs and programmers who gave up chunks of their lives so those games could exist?One thing is clear, after listening to Harrington: the sacrifices she and her team made were the key to Valves success.However, Id be curious to know if she and all those original team members truly felt it was worth it.

Samsung has launched the Tab S10 FE and Tab S10 FE Plus, the latest in its midrange Android tablet line, but they cost $50 more than their predecessors. For the first time neither tablet has a direct equivalent in the standard Tab S10 series. The FE is the smallest of the companys current tablet offerings, while the FE Plus comes in a new screen size that sits in-between the S10 Plus and the S10 Ultra, meaning all four of Samsungs Tab S10 tablets now come in different sizes. The S10 FE packs a 10.9-inch display, which has been Samsungs standard tablet screen size for some time but since the company never released a regular Tab S10, only Plus and Ultra models, its the first in that size for this series. The FE Plus offers a new 13.1-inch screen, larger than the 12.4-inch S10 Plus but smaller than the 14.6-inch Ultra.Both tablets still use LCD panels, rather than OLED, and are limited to 90Hz refresh rates. Despite the larger size the Plus model doesnt feature a bigger battery than its predecessor, though both are slightly slimmer than before instead. Theyre also both limited to a single rear camera the Plus losing its ultrawide but this has been upgraded to a new 13-megapixel sensor. Theyll ship running Android 15, along with Samsungs usual suite of AI features.Both tablets are powered by the same Samsung Exynos 1580 chipset, an upgrade to the 1380 found in the Tab S9 FE models, and are offered with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. IP68 dust and water-resistance returns, as does support for the S Pen stylus which is included in the box, but is a simplified version without support for Bluetooth features. That was true of last years FE tablets too, so likely would have happened regardless of the controversial decision to strip Bluetooth from the Galaxy S25 Ultras S Pen earlier this year.The Tab S10 FE and S10 FE Plus will both be available in the US from April 10th in gray, silver, or blue, though reservations are open now. The regular model starts at $499.99, with the Plus at $649.99 both $50 increases on the previous generation. Theres also a 5G version of the smaller Tab S10 FE for $100 extra, though this only comes in gray.See More:

Apr 1Ash ParrishHow to watch the Switch 2 DirectIts finally time for the biggest video game event of the last few years. In January, Nintendo officially unveiled the successor to the Switch, helpfully called the Switch 2. The short video showed off some of the consoles features, like magnetized Joy-Cons, and provided a brief glimpse at a new Mario Kart game. But it didnt give us any specifics.From earlier press releases, we know that the Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with the Switch 1 cartridges and that you can easily transfer digital games between your Switch 1 and Switch 2 systems. We know it will be larger, feature redesigned Joy-Con controllers, and have some kind of new Mario Kart. At the Switch 2 Direct, well hopefully get answers to all our burning questions.Read Article >Feb 5Ash ParrishNintendo shares more info on its Switch 2 directImage: The Verge, NintendoAs we settle in for the long, excruciating wait for more tangible news on the Switch 2, Nintendo has thrown us a little extra nugget of information. While we knew the company was planning to share more about the Switch 2 on April 2nd, now we have a time: 9 AM ET / 6 AM PT / 10 PM JST. If you were taking bets on this time, you would have won handily as this is generally the usual time Nintendo holds its big events. The announcement on Nintendos website didnt contain any extra detail about the duration of the event or the exact breakdown of topics thatll be covered, other than to say it will share a closer look at the new device.Last month, the company finally confirmed the existence of its new console dubbed, helpfully, the Switch 2. The reveal itself was sparse on detail, only confirming that the console would be larger than its predecessor and that its Joy-Con controllers appear to attach via some kind of magnetic action. Because of the reveals relative lack of concrete information, were left with so many questions about the new console. Nevertheless, there was still lots of speculation about what the Switch 2 could possibly do. Theories were put forth that the new Joy-Cons contained some kind of mouse functionality and that the extra button on the right Joy-Con was related to some kind of party chat feature. Hopefully, Nintendo will let us know those if theories were correct during the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct on Wednesday, April 2nd bright and early at 9 AM.Read Article >Jan 16Ash ParrishNintendo announces Switch 2 Direct for AprilImage: The VergeNow that Nintendos reveal of the Switch 2 has put to rest years of anticipation and rumormongering, its time to hear more information about the console and, importantly, all the games. The company has announced it will hold a Switch 2 Direct scheduled for April 2nd.The Switch 2 reveal trailer showed footage that looks to be a new Mario Kart game, which is a good indication itll be a launch title. Theres speculation that the forthcoming Metroid Prime 4 might straddle both consoles the way Breath of the Wild launched on both the Wii U and the Switch back in 2017. The Switch 2 Direct might also reveal the follow-up to Super Mario Odyssey. Who knows?Read Article >

A video purportedly taken from the next iteration of The Sims has popped up online, and fans have expressed their concern about what it may mean for the much-loved series.Project Rene - the codename sometimes used interchangeably with The Sims 5, although EA maintains Project Rene is, in fact, a spin-off project - has been bubbling around for a few years now, but early access footage from a game entitled "City Life Game With Friends" has many players thinking that this could well be the next Sims game.The video itself is a full 20 minutes long and shows the player clicking through text prompts to select their outfit, hair, watch, activities, and so on. He then spawns into a sunlit Plaza de Poupon where he buys some food and mingles with the locals. He later goes to work in the outdoor caf.Characters are clearly called Sims throughout the playtest, talk in Simlish, and are adorned with The Sims' tell-tale Plumbob.Play"I am terribly disappointed with Project Rene. Yes, I know, according to EA, 'this is not the final game.' Is this a joke or what?" said one unhappy player on The Sims' subreddit on a post entitled "I think Project Rene is a redflag (I hope not)" that has been upvoted hundreds of times. "EA clearly wants to kill off normal Sims games and push people toward the mobile-style experience. So in their mind, a reboot literally means this at least thats what I THINK.""This is not going to be for me, I can tell already," said another. "It just seems so basic and I don't want to play The Sims on my phone.""The funny thing is, making a PC/mobile cross-compatible Sims game isn't a bad idea," posited a fan. "EA just believes that mobile games HAVE to be ugly for some reason. They're chasing all of the design trends of the past decade, but it means that this thing already looks dated and it's not even out yet.""The way The Sims was a literally [sic] satire about capitalist suburban consumption-as-happiness.... And this is where the Sims ended up. Endless consumption-as-happiness," suggested another. Project Rene the codenamed game initially thought to be The Sims 5 until EA distanced itself from those rumors was first teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit. It's a free-to-play Sims game that features multiplayer inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. It hasn't yet been formally revealed or received a release date, but EA has been holding small, invite-only playtests for the game since its announcement, with the game's latest playtest presumably spawning these recent leaks.The name Rene was chosen because it references words like "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth" that "represent the developer's renewed commitment for the Sims' bright future."Last October, however, images of Project Rene leaked from a closed online test, prompting complaints about the art style, limited features, and the use of microtransactions. It was the addition of a caf that drew the most skepticism, primarily due to the smiliaries to 2018's The Sims Mobile. It was then that EA said Project Rene was not The Sims 5 but would, in fact, be a different "cosy, social game" released under The Sims franchise.Don't forget that The Burglar, a familiar sight for those of us who've spent time with any of the older Sims games snuck back into our lives as part of the latest update for The Sims 4.Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Lowest Price Ever1TB Seagate Storage SSD Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S This is a solid 15-20 less than the next best deal we saw last year, so you've got the perfect chance to max out your storage with tons of games, either on Game Pass or titles you've bought outright. There's also a shocking 71 off the 2TB model, now only 199.00 compared to its original 270. However, if you're either shopping on a budget or have smaller storage needs by comparison, the 1TB internal SSD for 99.99 is still an immense deal and well worth picking up. This is better than we've seen during Prime Day, Black Friday, and any other shopping event you can think of.PlayThere are other brands of external SSDs you can choose from, but Seagate's have that extra mark of quality as it they were designed in partnership with Xbox itself. With a simple yet effective plug-and-play design, these Seagate SSDs will function like a true part of the console itself, allowing you to play games stored directly with no sacrifice to loading times, graphics, or frame rates.That means if you've enjoyed the Xbox Series X|S's technical features like Quick Resume, this additional SSD will let you store and play as many extra games as allowed, without needing to shift between the expansion card and the console's internal SSD storage.So if you want to keep playing a variety of different games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or Assassin's Creed: Shadows within the same session, you won't have to restart the other and enjoy both without added load times.1TB Seagate FireCuda External Gaming Hard Drive HDD2TB Seagate FireCuda External Gaming Hard Drive HDD5TB Seagate FireCuda External Gaming Hard Drive HDD8TB Seagate FireCuda External Gaming Hard Drive HDD16TB Seagate FireCuda External Gaming Hard Drive HDDHowever, if you prioritise more storage for your money and aren't too bothered about loading times, Seagate's external FireCuda hard drive for PC is on offer as wellslashing up to up to 67.23 off its 1TB, 2TB, 5TB, 8TB, and 16TB options. The biggest model at 16TB of storage at 325.97 is the highlight, letting casual players add tons of extra games without having to delete any for years.While they won't be as fast as SSDs, the FireCuda hard drives are still an excellent go-to depending on what you're looking for. Plus, the customisable LED lighting strip adds a fun bit of additional RGB atmosphere to your gaming set-up on the side.Ben Williams IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.