Overall wayfinding system for a new ice hockey arena in Szkesfehrvr.We were commissioned to design all wayfinding signs and their distribution as well as wallpaper patterns, pictograms, a display typeface and a wall.

Ten years ago, the idea of a movie based on Minecraft, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, would have sounded like a setup for a joke about the current state of video game films. In 2025, though, it's not only reality but the right choice for the franchise's expansion to the big screen.A Minecraft Movie is exactly what you think it is based on its trailers. It's a big, cartoony live-action movie, filled with silly jokes, Minecraft references, and an oddly surreal Minecraft world, complete with the game's various creatures and our human heroes. And while this might not be the film those who have grown up with Minecraft and are now adults would want, it's a great service to younger audiences who are closer to the beginning of their own Minecraft journeys.The Minecraft movie follows a pretty simple premise. Many years ago, a man named Steve (Black) somehow wound up in the Minecraft Overworld via a portal from Earth. It was his dream come true, as he loved to build, and he made it his new home. Some years later, he's become a prisoner of Malgosha (Rachel House), a piglin witch who commands the hordes of gold-hungry pig characters in an effort to take the Overworld as her own, gobbling up all of its gold. Fast-forward to modern day, when four other humans wind up in the Overworld, leading to an adventure to help an escaped Steve save the cubic paradise he loves.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Following a tantalizing teaser that provided a first look at the next Mario Kart game back in January, Nintendo has now fully unveiled Mario Kart 9 as Mario Kart World. Revealed during the April 2 Nintendo Direct broadcast, Mario Kart World is a successor to Mario Kart 8, and it's coming to the Switch 2 this June as a launch title. Players can also grab the game by way of a $500 Switch 2 bundle that includes the console and a digital copy of the racing game.Here's everything we know so far about Mario Kart World, including details about Nintendo opting to charge $80 for the game.Table of Contents [hide]When will Mario Kart 9 be released?When will Mario Kart 9 be released?As expected, Mario Kart World is going to be a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, which means it will arrive on June 5 alongside the console. It is exclusive to the Switch 2.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Batman: Arkham Shadow is an excellent examination of Bruce Waynes character regarding how Dr. Leslie Thompkins holds a mirror up to his many masks. Meanwhile, Batman: Arkham Shadow thankfully doesnt shy away from the Bat-family that Batman has established later on in the timeline as there are few gaps left in the series for its members origin stories to be told. As such, Shadow features an inspired and intrepid Barbara Gordon after she was last seen in Batman: Arkham Origins, and its in Camouflajs Meta Quest 3-exclusive Arkham entry that Barbara is knighted as Oracle.

In December 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home was a massive financial success and widely regarded as a blockbuster triumph. For many, the Marvel Cinematic Universe venture served as a beacon that it was time to return to theaters after several months of COVID-19 lockdowns, which resulted in the film becoming the highest-grossing Spider-Man movie to date. However, the success of the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day is anything but guaranteed.

A paper from the Offenburg University in Germany shows new statistics about sexual harassment in Valorant and Overwatch, two popular online multiplayer shooters from Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment. The results showed that sexual harassment and abusive comments are still an unfortunately common part of these games, with the authors suggesting a larger study should be carried out across a wider range of games. The paper, Sexual Harassment in Valorant and Overwatch Voice Chats, covers two studies. Polygon reviewed the study, which shows subjects encounter a regular stream of both toxic, profane insults and sexual harassment.Both games have professional esports scenes, and both encourage players to climb a competitive ladder, continually improving their own skills. The first study followed two female players, tracking their games played from home, and transcribing the voice chats throughout each match. The Overwatch player, known as Subject P1, played in the Platinum League, which puts her in approximately the top 37% of players skill-wise. Subject P2, who chose Valorant, was Silver 3, which places her in the top 33% of players. The second, longer-term study followed four subjects over the course of 30 matches each, for a total of 120.The study shows continual instances of sexual harassment encountered during online gaming. There were 82 cases of sexual harassment logged over 120 matches. Sexual comments and insults were found in 14.17% of matches. The subjects also encountered a regular stream of non-specific toxicity; 80.8% of 120 matches had profanity, and general verbal abuse occurred in 25.8% of matches. While sexual harassment is less common than general toxicity, it is consistent about one in every seven matches included a teammate sexually harassing a subject over voice chat.Valorant and Overwatch make for an interesting case study, as both developers have aimed to create broadly accessible FPS games, with a diverse cast of characters to choose from. The gameplay is accompanied by out-of-game cinematics and story material showing the lives of these characters, including a romantic relationship between queer characters Fuse and Killjoy. Overwatch is well known for cultivating a community interested in the lore side of the game, hosting a healthy fandom that creates cosplay, fanfiction, and fan art. However, Blizzard and Riot have yet to find a meaningful solution to this problem, and players are left to deal with the results.

Nintendo took an unusual approach to the past two decades of video game console wars. It stayed out of them. But with todays Nintendo Switch 2 info dump packed with big-name third-party games rarely seen on Nintendo hardware the House that Mario Built appears ready to rejoin the fray. Why now? Credit a collision of confidence, opportunity, and necessity.Sony and Microsoft have spent generations bloodying each other in a battle for the most extravagant visuals, courting favor with major publishers like Activision and Electronic Arts. Meanwhile, Nintendo swam in the opposite direction, favoring cheaper, less powerful machines that prioritized toy-like novelty over raw specs.The historic successes of both the Wii and the Switch obscure how risky this gamble has been. The slower hardware with a few, better-forgotten exceptions couldnt run the latest entries in gamings most popular franchises, including Madden, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto. Survival hinged on Nintendos ability to produce multiple exclusive hits each year, with smaller indie titles filling the gaps.With the Switch, everything went Nintendos way by both design and good fortune. The publisher assembled arguably the greatest first-party lineup in history. Indie development exploded. And a new wave of beloved IP Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox designed for smartphone-level specs meant that Nintendos hardware, unintentionally, could play some of the biggest games on the planet.And yet, today, Nintendos hourlong Switch 2 reveal stream featured an abundance of titles once rare on its systems. 2K Games showed off new entries in the WWE, Civilization, and Borderlands franchises. Other developers, like IO Interactive, pledged to bring hits once best experienced on Xbox or PlayStation, like Hitman and the upcoming Project 007. Square Enix showed the remakes of Final Fantasy 7, and EA appeared, committing EA Sports FC and Madden to the platform.Its possible that coming off the success of the Switch a far cry from Nintendos grim posture after the Wii U the gamemaker feels positioned to push into the third-party territory ceded to Sony and Microsoft, the latter of which seems to be clinging to its hardware business by its fingertips. After all, Nintendo has sold over 150 million Switch consoles more than the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S combined.Its also possible a mix of luck and industry trends will once again favor Nintendo. Sony and Microsofts reluctance to fully leave the PS4 and Xbox One era behind coupled with a generation raised on mobile gaming has trained AAA developers to build for underpowered hardware. The Switch 2 will still trail behind top-tier machines in horsepower, but that may no longer matter. Most major franchises simply dont demand cutting-edge specs.Both of those are likely a piece of the puzzle. But I believe Nintendos decision to release a more expensive and slightly more powerful device may have less to do with past console wars and more to do with its biggest threat in the present. In 2025, Valves Steam Deck does what the Switch doesnt: It lets players enjoy most AAA games any time, anywhere and offers many of the same indie titles at steep discounts. (That it also runs emulated games from every Nintendo console ever released surely isnt lost on the company either, as it continues its crackdown on third-party emulation.)If Nintendo once again ignores third parties and their graphical needs, it would find itself competing against a growing number of handhelds that offer more power and more games, often with better specs albeit higher prices.Inexplicably, Microsoft and Sony burned an entire hardware cycle without answering the Switchs key selling point: portability. It took a PC gaming marketplace with almost no hardware pedigree to offer legitimate competition. And Nintendo, with the Switch 2s higher price, greater power, and suite of PC-like social features, seems to be taking the threat seriously.Yes, Nintendo has reentered the modern console wars. Maybe, one day, Sony and Microsoft will too.

Nintendo has never been known for high-performance hardware, but that certainly hasn't hurt its bottom lineespecially in the Switch age. The company's decision to use more basic components for the Switch back in 2017 helped keep the console cheaper than any of its competitors. It's tough to get too hung up on the lack of 4K 60fps support when you can play the latest Zelda on a handheld that can cost less than $200.But lo, a new Switch is here, and with it, a new price. The Switch 2 is, indeed, a more powerful version of the Switch, and comes with a number of advantages: a larger 1080p HDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a dock equipped with a fan to support 4K 60fps gameplay, magnetic Joy-Cons with a "mouse mode" for tabletop controls, among other neat perks. Of course, Nintendo isn't giving those perks away for free, nor is it offering the Switch 2 at the same price as the Switch 1. If you want to order Nintendo's latest console, you're going to have to pay morefor everything.How much does the Switch 2 cost? The Switch 2 retails for $449.99. If you want the bundle that comes with a digital copy of Mario Kart World, that costs $499.99. That isn't cheap, especially when you can pick up a Switch OLED right now for $250. The original Switch retailed for $299.99 too, though that's roughly equal to $390 when adjusting for inflation, so the difference isn't quite so dramatic. We'll likely never know exactly what went into the pricing decision for the new Switch, but it's certainly possible tariffs played a big role. The Switch 2 sold in Japan, for example, costs 49,980 yen, which is just over $333 today. The Mario Kart bundle is 53,980 yen, or roughly $360still cheaper than the original Switch's MSRP in today's money. Ouch. How much are Switch 2 games?There's a $50 difference between the standalone Switch 2 and the Mario Kart World bundle, so you might imagine that's what the game costs. Unfortunately, no: Mario Kart World is actually $80. Not all games may cost this much, however. According to Geoff Keighley, Donkey Kong Bananza retails for $70. These are the only two games with retail prices, so we'll have to see how Nintendo handles MSRPs with future games. (While we don't know the exact prices, we do know a lot of the games launching for Switch 2.)However, physical games might actually cost more. Reports show that Nintendo's European versions of Mario Kart World cost 79.99 for a digital copy, but 89.99 for the physical cart. $90 for a physical game card seems astronomical. We'll need to wait and see if Nintendo rolls out any other pricing information. Switch 2 accessoriesNintendo's official Switch 2 accessories page is live, which means we can see all the MSRPs for the console's newly-announced add-ons. Here's what you can expect to pay for each:Switch 2 Pro Controller: $79.99Left and Right Joy-Con 2 controllers: $89.99Joy-Con 2 charging grip: $34.99Joy-Con 2 strap: $12.99Joy-Con 2 wheel (two-pack): $19.99Switch 2 camera: $49.99Switch 2 dock: $109.99 Switch 2 carrying case (with screen protector): $34.99Switch 2 all-in-one case: $79.99Switch 2 AC adapter: $29.99

On Monday, Apple released iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 for compatible devices. But Apple Watch owners might have noticed watchOS 11.4 curiously missing from the list. Apple pulled the update at the last minute, something of a rarity from the company that likes to release all software updates together.But now, the new watchOS update is finally available to everyone, and the slight delay was worth it. This update enables a feature that many Apple Watch users have wanted for a long time: the ability to break through Silent mode when an alarm goes off. The iPhone already does this really well. You're in Silent mode, or you have Do Not Disturb enabled, but your morning alarm still sounds. Apple Watch, on the other hand, had no such option. So if you like using a Silent mode to protect yourself from notifications and other dings, you had to make do with the vibration alarm. Starting with watchOS 11.4, you can keep your notifications at bay, while relying on an audio alarm to sound alongside the gentle vibrations. Which Apple Watches are supported?The feature is available only for users who have watchOS 11.4 or newer. That means it's only available for Apple Watch Series 6 and above, Apple Watch Ultra and above, and the Apple Watch SE 2. If you're rocking the original Apple Watch SE, or the older Series 5 Apple Watch, you're left out in the cold here. Credit: Khamosh Pathak If you have one of the supported Apple Watches, first update your iPhone to iOS 18.4, and then head over to the Watch app. In the My Watch tab, go to General > Software Update. Here, download and install the latest watchOS 11.4 update.How to enable Break Through Silent Mode for any alarm Credit: Khamosh Pathak The feature isn't necessarily ideal, since you need to enable it for every alarm that you set. The news is good if you rely on the same repeating alarm each day, since those settings are preserved, but if you frequently set new alarms, make sure this setting is enabled each time. Hopefully, Apple will create a system-wide toggle for this, or even make this a default option down the line.Go to the Alarms app on your Apple Watch, and choose the alarm that you want to customize. Here, in the Edit Alarm menu, scroll down and enable Break Through Silent Mode.How to enable Break Through Silent Mode for Sleep Mode Credit: Khamosh Pathak If you wear your Apple Watch in bed, chances are you use Sleep mode, and the alarm associated with your sleep schedule. If you want to break through Silent mode here, you'll need to enable the feature separately.On your watch, open the Sleep app and scroll all the way down to your alarm schedule. You'll see two alarms hereone for setting your Bedtime, and one for Wake Up. Choose one of the alarms, and in the Edit Schedule view, scroll down and choose Sound & Haptics. Here, enable Break Through Silent Mode.

It seems fitting that Nintendo didnt reveal the Switch 2s $450 price during its Direct stream this morning it would have just bummed everyone out. After spending an hour hearing about how the Switch 2 practically fixes almost every problem we had with the original console, and seeing teasers for exciting games like Mario Kart World, why spoil the good vibes with the harsh reality of market economics? Instead, Nintendo revealed the consoles price in the lowliest of media communications: A simple press release.My first reaction was shock. $450 for a mostly portable console? Thats the same retail price as the PlayStation 5, a system thats also currently on sale for $400 together with Astro-Bot. Sure, the Switch 2 is vastly superior to the original Switch, but it likely doesnt have PS5-level hardware. The price jump is also surprising since the original Switch launched at $300 in 2017. Can you imagine we thought the $350 Switch OLED was too high-priced?Unfortunately, its not 2017. NVIDIA now has mid-range GPUs selling for upwards of $600, the cost of almost every product has gone up, and massive companies like Nintendo are bracing for the potential impact of the Trump administrations long-threatened tariffs.A $450 Switch 2 is expensive, Im not denying that. But in the current economic landscape, I would hesitate to call it too expensive.NintendoConsider this: The Switch 2 is just $50 more than the cheapest Steam Deck, a portable PC gaming handheld with significantly slower hardware, a smaller and lower quality (7-inch, 1280 by 800, 60Hz) screen, and a much bulkier frame. The Switch 2, meanwhile, is just as thin as the original model, it has a 7.9-inch 1080p screen that can run up to 120fps with HDR, and its powerful enough to play games at up to 4K/60fps while docked. Based on the games weve seen so far, the Switch 2 seems surprisingly powerful for its size.The Switch 2 also improves on its controls with the Joy-Con 2, which now magnetically attach to the consoles, feature larger analog sticks and can also work as mice across a variety of services. You wont be removing the Steam Decks controls without the use of a small saw. And Ive yet to see a handheld PC maker deliver removable controls that are as comfortable and easy to use as the original Switch (that means you, Lenovo). Nintendos original Joy-Con were far from perfect, but they did the job, and Id wager the company has learned enough to make the Joy-Con 2f even better.NintendoAnd while you can technically dock other PC gaming handhelds, they wont see the performance upgrade Nintendo is claiming with the Switch 2. The company says its new console can reach up to 4K/60fps for some titles, thanks to an additional fan in the dock. We dont know exactly whats powering the Switch 2 yet, so Nintendo could be drastically overselling its capabilities. But given how seamless docking worked on the first Switch (where it also delivered a bit of a performance upgrade, sans an additional fan), its also something I think Nintendo has optimized more than PC companies, who are only just now dipping their toes into portable gaming.Maybe Im just trying to justify my own purchases (I just realized Ill probably need a second Switch 2 for my kid), but I just cant get too angry about a $450 Switch 2. If we see many more $80 games like Mario Kart World, though, we should absolutely riot in the streets.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/is-the-450-nintendo-switch-2-too-expensive-195750206.html?src=rss