During the ESO Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios unveiled what's coming this year to the popular MMORPG Elder Scrolls Online. You can read about all of it here, from the new subclassing feature to the Season of the Worm Cult (which continues the original game's storyline) and more. Wccftech was among select outlets that accessed the presentation beforehand. Afterward, key developers from ZeniMax Online Studios (Studio Head Matt Firor, Game Director Rich Lambert, and Executive Producer Susan Kath) answered several questions from the assembled press. You can find the full transcript below. 'I personally love the interesting mix of architecture that we have. It's Argonian and High Elf kind of put together. I love the wall that we've got in there; it's splitting the zone in two. And then, this isn't specific to Solstice, but I freaking love subclassing. It opens up so many opportunities for builds.' - Rich Lambert Why did you decide to change from an annual Chapter model to the content pass? Matt Firor: With the chapter mode, we did a lot of great content over the years, but most of it hit in June. It was a big moment and it didn't leave a lot of time for the team to make content over the rest of the year. What it really did is it locked us into this cadence that made it so we couldn't experiment as much as we wanted. This will free us up so that we can put time into doing things like the Cyrodiil Champions test, for example. Take some time out of the content pipeline and move it into how we can make the game better, how we can make systems that are already in the game better, and what we can do to shake things up.Will subclassing work with my current character build? Rich Lambert: Yes. That's the most important part of subclassing: you don't have to reroll a new character in order to do it. You can just take the class that you already have or a character that you've already spent all this time and effort with and roll out new abilities and new skill lines to it. How will this seasonal pass affect ESO Plus? Susan Kath: Not significantly, because you're still getting access to the things that traditionally you got access to as part of ESO Plus. It is just a way to group the content over the entire year kind of into one package that you can pre-purchase, so you have access to it all the moment that we release it. What is your favorite thing about the new Solstice zone? Rich Lambert: There's so much. I personally love the interesting mix of architecture that we have. It's Argonian and High Elf kind of put together. I love the wall that we've got in there; it's splitting the zone in two. And then, this isn't specific to Solstice, but I freaking love subclassing. It opens up so many opportunities for builds. Is subclassing a part of the base game update? Rich Lambert: It is, yes. Will subclass abilities be weaker versions of the original ones or the same? Rich Lambert: They are the same. The only penalty that you have is that those abilities cost twice as many skill points to use. That was the trade-off. In order to give you more flexibility, you have to be even more invested in the character. How will you balance the FOMO (flavor of the month) with these seasons? Rich Lambert: That's a really good question. I think what we have shown in the past is with new things that we do, there's always a little bit of that FOMO, but we will sometimes bring things back. We will also make sure that super exclusive things are generally easy to get so that you don't feel like you have to grind every single day of the season in order to get it. Those are the pillars that we're leaning on for the seasonal stuff.  Some of it is FOMO, though. It's a season, it's active; go and play and do the things and experience it while it's there. Will subscribers of ESO Plus have access to the content pass with their active subscription? Susan Kath: Well, there's the content pass, and then there's ESO Plus. No, it is not included in ESO Plus. Matt Firor: Just like the Chapters before weren't included in ESO Plus. There will be content throughout the year that is included in ESO Plus, but what is in the content pass for Seasons of the Worm Cult is not included in ESO Plus, just like last year's Chapter was not included in ESO Plus. How do you plan on balancing subclassing? For example, taking the Arcanist and using a Templar beam, will that be way overpowered? Rich Lambert: That was the biggest concern when we first started pitching this. In particular, the dungeon team were like, don't break our Trials. We've done a lot of testing on that and yes, power level will go up some, but we're fine with where it is. We haven't done anything to dramatically nerf things or reduce a lot of power from the abilities. We want this to be fun and we want players to experiment and make cool things. How are we going to access the subclassing feature? Rich Lambert: There's a little bit of friction in terms of how you unlock it. If you are someone like me or Matt who's played Elder Scrolls Online forever and have multiple level 50 characters, then all those skill lines are unlocked and the only thing you have to worry about is leveling the actual abilities on your character. If you are a player that only has one character, then you can go through a number of quests and train those skill lines in order to be able to use them. We thought about a bunch of different ways to make this as widely available as possible. Can you further explain the new content pass? Susan Kath: By purchasing the content pass this year, you will have access to the Fallen Banners dungeons. You have Seasons of the Worm Cult part one and part two and you have the Soul Wall event. The Soul Wall event, however, is unique in that everyone will be able to participate, but the experience if you have purchased the content pass is going to be different. Rich Lambert: Yeah, there's more stuff. I think the best way to explain it is with the Chapter model. The content pass encapsulates everything for the entire year. If you have ESO Plus, you still get the dungeons, the way it's always been. Matt Firor: If people are a little confused about it, this year is a transition between last year's Chapter model and next year. This year, we already had content in the pipeline, and so we're doing this bridge year where we have some items that feel a little bit like the Chapter did, but we're calling it a content pass just so we can put some extra things in it and get people ready for what's coming next. How much will the content pass cost and what will it include? Susan Kath: I cannot tell you that right now as I don't remember it. Matt Firor: The basic idea is that if you want to go to the zone of Solstice, you have to buy the content pass. Then there are some things around the edges, but that's the big thing. Rich Lambert: You get to participate in the Soul Wall event even if you don't have Solstice. There's some things you can't do in there, but you can help the server work towards unlocking things. Susan Kath: Matt spoke to it very succinctly. It is a transition year for us. It is spreading things out a bit. You could think of it very much akin to what you have seen in the past, but it's spread out, it's changed up a little bit and it'll change more as we go into the next year. But the base game of Elder Scrolls Online is still getting updates throughout the year. That doesn't change. 'The entire server is working towards the goals of the event, and there's a number of stages. I'm not going to go too deep into things, but there's a number of stages that you work towards. You help set the camps, you help fend off attacks on those camps, and then the last stage is actually going into the wall area and bringing it down for the entire city. This is something we've never done before and I'm super excited for this.' - Rich Lambert Will the Writhing Wall event be a real-time experience shared among all players, similar to how Fortnite events are usually conducted? Rich Lambert: Sort of. The entire server is working towards the goals of the event, and there's a number of stages. I'm not going to go too deep into things, but there's a number of stages that you work towards. You help set the camps, you help fend off attacks on those camps, and then the last stage is actually going into the wall area and bringing it down for the entire city. This is something we've never done before and I'm super excited for this. How does subclassing maintain class exclusivity? Rich Lambert: I knew that question was going to come up. One of the core tenets of subclassing is that you can't change your original Elder Scrolls Online class. You have to have at least one skill line from your original class in there. If I'm a Templar, I can drop two of the skill lines, but I have to keep one of them. That allows us to retain some of that class identity. It still makes your class choice important, but you have this flexibility to really turn it into a hybrid of whatever you want. How will you reintroduce the existing systems for Elder Scrolls Online players who come back after a while? Susan Kath: The returning player stuff, the welcome-back stuff, is very near and dear to my heart because when joining the team here at ZOS, that is exactly what I was. I have played the game numerous times since launch. Coming in as a returning player, these two got earfuls from me in my first few months back where I was pinging them and going "Oh my God, I don't know how to do this and this is really frustrating to me." I'm really excited about this system. As a longtime MMO player, not just of Elder Scrolls Online, I've fallen in love with the games that I've played over the years and they all feel like home to me in some way or another. Coming back to a game, it's like slipping into a book that I'm familiar with. It is comforting and I would like to make it as easy as possible for people to come in. The answer to the actual question is that is part of what the whole welcome back experience is all about. We've found numerous things, like Golden Pursuits, that have been a great way to bring people to content that they may not have experienced before that's happened since they've left and returned. That is just one of the ways that plays into that system. I think it's going to be really cool, and it's all based on the player as well. Matt Firor: That's actually a good point. All you have just seen was about all the new content that's coming up and some new systems, but we're still doing all the other stuff that we talked about over the course of the last 6 months, which is making the new user experience better, making the returning user experience better, etc. We redid the graphical look and feel of the starting islands in the last update, and we're continuing to do main game tutorial work. Are there any planned social features or improvements for guilds, such as exclusive cooperative content, internal events, or more robust management tools? Rich Lambert: How about I just say we have some things planned for guilds that we're not quite ready to talk about yet? But we understand this is a big thing for players. What was the primary objective of the UI rework? Matt Firor: To make the game feel more modern. In 2014, on PC, it was a different world than it is now. We made our console UI in 2015 to be a little more forward-looking and less old-school MMO, so the work we're doing now is making the PC version and bringing that up to the same level. It's about making it cleaner, more intuitive, and just making it look and feel better. Rich Lambert: And also make it easier to maintain. It's a combination of things. The starter zones just got a facelift, like you mentioned. Are there any plans to enhance other visual aspects of Elder Scrolls Online, such as character hair? Matt Firor: We have a list of things that we're enhancing. Everything that you're thinking about is on a list somewhere, but obviously, we can't do everything all at once. We have a cadence that we're trying to hit to make other zones in the game look better. We've already talked publicly about making combat look and feel more modern and better, which includes everything you're just talking about, except for possibly hair. Rich Lambert: We actually just introduced hair, too! Matt Firor: All of these things are on a list, and by going to a cadence that isn't locked into the calendar year, we get to do these things. That's the big message from us. 'We have a list of things that we're enhancing. Everything that you're thinking about is on a list somewhere, but obviously, we can't do everything all at once. We have a cadence that we're trying to hit to make other zones in the game look better. We've already talked publicly about making combat look and feel more modern and better, which includes everything you're just talking about.' - Matt Firor What more can you tell us about the recent Cyrodiil Champions experiment and possible new PVP content? Rich Lambert: It was a phenomenal test for us, orders of magnitude better than I think a lot of us thought was going to happen. It really showed that that original vision that we wanted for this massive scale PVP, we can do it. Now, what we are doing is digging through the mountains of data, because there were some spikes, it wasn't all perfect. We are digging through the mountains of data and seeing where those problems were and what we can do to solve them, and then we're going to continue to roll out more tests. The next one is probably going to happen sometime after Update 46. But the goal is to make incremental progress on this and continue to reintroduce more things, because what we did in the Cyrodiil Champions test was as bare bones as we could make it so we could really prove whether it was the ability system. Going to the Solstice zone, how does the size of Solstice compare to regions added in previous Chapters? Does the change in cadence mean there may be years with no region added at all? Rich Lambert: Maybe. It's comparable in size to your previous chapters; it's just split in half. What do you think really sets this season's new environments apart from what we've already seen? Rich Lambert: It's partly the mix. It's Argonian and High Elf, which just sounds weird but makes sense. It's also this tropical feel. Solstice is a tropical island mixed with some Cold Harbour and other fun stuff. It's just a different vibe and feel. Any further details about the new Trial? Rich Lambert: I always say this and people think I'm full of it, but the team always finds new ways to impress and push the boundaries of our technology. They've done some things. In particular, there is a fight where you have multiple bosses and you're moving around between platforms and just doing crazy cool things. Again, they one-upped themselves with this Trial, and I can't wait for people to jump in there and start playing with it. 'I always say this and people think I'm full of it, but the team always finds new ways to impress and push the boundaries of our technology. They've done some things. In particular, there is a fight where you have multiple bosses and you're moving around between platforms and just doing crazy cool things. Again, they one-upped themselves with this Trial, and I can't wait for people to jump in there and start playing with it.' - Rich Lambert Are there plans to introduce new dungeons for four players? Rich Lambert: Quarter one and quarter three are the dungeon updates. It's four dungeons in total. We've already launched two this year with Fallen Banners, and the other pack is in the third quarter. I can't remember the name of what we called it, but there's two more dungeons on the way. Will subclassing be usable everywhere, such as Trials? How do you expect it to impact the build diversity? Rich Lambert: Yes, it's everywhere. It's part of the base Elder Scrolls Online game. The hope is that this opens the door for even more cool builds and definitely spreads out some of the current meta. I mean, it's going to break the current meta. It'll be really interesting to see what players come up with. The meta is something that we talk about a lot. It's really pushed by a certain number of players that this is the only way to do a thing, and that's not entirely true, but I think this is going to open up a lot more flexibility. Will subclassing allow you to select skill lines or pick skill by skill? Rich Lambert: It is skill line wise, and then you can pick the skills within that skill line. You can't cherry-pick the best skills from each line. Will subclassing worsen the issue of hybrid changes and Scribing, undermining the distinct identities of the classes? Rich Lambert: There's going to be some of that naturally, just because you're going to be able to have multiple skill lines that aren't from your class. But that also very much fits the mold of what our game is, which is play whatever you want. Matt Firor: It is what Elder Scrolls is all about: player freedom. We have to put some box around it; we're just making the box a little bigger with this. How will subclassing avoid the problem where everyone equips certain powerful abilities, such as Radiant Oppression? Players will be concerned about this. Rich Lambert: We're concerned about it as well. That goes back to the meta and shaping up the meta. In our internal and external tests, we have found that there's a huge amount of diversity in terms of builds and skills and whatnot. What some players think works and is the only way to do it isn't necessarily the right way. You mentioned plans for new Elder Scrolls Online players who want to start their journey in a game that has been there for more than 10 years. Can you please explain this a bit more? Susan Kath: We've already begun rolling out the first of the new player improvements since November. We did some more in this most recent update, refreshing the new player zones and really looking closely at the new player experience. We've put a lot of research into that, seeing where people were struggling to get into the game. Our plan is to continue to support that. Again, as Matt said, this decision to move away from the Chapter model is so that we can return to things like this. We can make some changes and see if this makes the new player experience even better. We'll watch it for a while, come back, and make some more changes. That's not something that we've had the luxury of being able to do for a while. Matt Firor: It's a ten-year-old game but still, millions of people play Elder Scrolls Online for the first time every year. We have so many new players that come in all the time. During the pandemic, we had so many people playing the game that we had to focus on server stability and making sure that the game was going to hold together. Now that we're getting into the back end of the swing of things, it's 'let's make this game as good as possible for new players and returning players.' Rich Lambert: The ultimate goal with the new player stuff is to make sure that players understand all the things that are in the game because there's a ton of stuff, and we don't do a particularly good job of surfacing all of those things. What's the future for companions and crafting? Will we see new recipes and companions each season or similar? Rich Lambert: I don't know about each season, but companions are pretty popular with our player base and so we will find ways to continue to build on that system. Matt Firor: If you think about companions, we've added new systems to the game since launch, at least one a year. Companions, the card game, the housing. These are all things that we can pull from when we're putting a new season together to make a really compelling season. That gives us a lot of flexibility. Why is now the right time to continue the base game story? Matt Firor: I was waiting for that question. Most of the questions here so far have been about systems, which is great because a lot of people play these games for character development, but Elder Scrolls Online is centered around storytelling and our storytelling is probably the best in the industry. We love what we do here and the main story of the game when it launched had unbelievable voice talent and really cool characters. We brought many of these characters back in different Chapters and in different situations, but we haven't actually told the next version of the story of what happened after the Planemeld didn't happen. This is cool for us because we get to bring these characters back in the same way that they were in 2014 when the game launched. You're going to see a lot of familiar names and voice talent. It's just super fun and nostalgic for us to be able to go back and extend the story going forward. Just seeing Raz and Gabrielle, these people were part of our lives early on, because we tested this game internally for many, many years and we know these characters very well. Could you provide more information about the returning characters, especially about a specific necromancer? Rich Lambert: No, that's a story spoiler! But hey, the Worm Cult's coming back. That should be a big enough thing. Will we have the opportunity to test everything that was mentioned on the Elder Scrolls Online PTS server? If so, is there any information on when that might be? Rich Lambert: Next Monday. Thank you for your time.

Nintendo has added a new batch of classic games for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. Three more Sega Genesis titles are now available to play through the service: Streets of Rage, Super Thunder Blade, and ESWAT: City Under Siege.The Sega Genesis classics library is available exclusively as part of Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack plan. This premium tier includes all of the benefits of the base Switch Online service, as well as access to classic Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Advance games, plus select DLC such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass and Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Happy Home Paradise expansion.Three classic #SEGAGenesis games have just been made available for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members!☑️ Streets of Rage ☑️ Super Thunder Blade ☑️ ESWAT: City Under Siege pic.twitter.com/6vfct3UHQl — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 11, 2025 The base Nintendo Switch Online plan costs $20 per year, while the Expansion Pack plan costs $50 per year. Nintendo also offers an annual family plan for $80 that covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts across multiple systems.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Resident Evil has given rise to countless amazing characters, from their epic legacy heroes that are always saving the day to their supporting casts that help make every game so great. There are countless debates about the best characters across the Resident Evil games — everyone will have different favorites, ranging from villains like Wesker to heroes like Chris Redfield.

Two well-known creators in the miniatures gaming space are suddenly getting way into nail art — you know, the other painting hobby enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Brent Amberger of Goobertown Hobbies fame and Casey, the creator of eBay Miniatures Rescue, showed up at this year’s AdeptiCon convention with a clever new way to paint your miniatures — and it could make one of the hobby’s most hated features a thing of the past. The hated feature in question is the humble waterslide decal, which hobbyists across dozens of different franchises have come to loathe over the years. Done well, using something like Microscale Industries’ Micro Sol and Micro Set, decals can look great. But it can be incredibly challenging to get a decal to lay flat on a curved surface — you know, stuff like shields and the shoulder pauldrons on Space Marines. Even if you’ve mastered the process, which is ably described in the Winterdyne Commission Modeling Blog guide to Waterslide Decals (included as part of our larger miniatures painting guide), it can still go pear-shaped on you if your surface isn’t properly prepared. The result? A ghostly white outline surrounding the art on the decal itself. Brent and Casey, partners in the newly formed Goblin Hobbies, recently discovered nail art stamping plates. These chemically etched metal plates can be made to feature any kind of two-dimensional art that you like. Drop a little paint on the plate, wipe it smooth, and you can pick the image up off the plate with a silicone pad. Just gently press the pad onto your miniature, and Bob’s your uncle. Their silicone pads are even transparent, so you can see your model through the handle to line things up perfectly. The technology to do this kind of thing with ink and paint has been around for centuries. I’m sure my grandfather had something similar for his basement printing business in the 1940s. But its application to nail art is relatively new. Goblin Hobbies hopes to bring it even further, into the mainstream of hobby miniatures gaming. They even have dreams of licensed kits for your favorite factions from universes like BattleTech and Warhammer 40,000. The first batch of starter kits recently showed up at their distribution hub. They include compatible paint and two plates filled with useful designs — including that notoriously challenging checkerboard pattern common on many miniatures. Sets start at $50.

You probably know zero exercise is not enough and that going for a walk every day is generally a good thing. And if you’re training for a marathon, you’ll be on your feet for a couple hours of hard workouts every week. But what is the benchmark for a human being just trying to squeeze enough healthy exercise into their life? Any amount of exercise is better than none, but 30 minutes of exercise (like brisk walking) five days a week will meet the guidelines. The official guidelines, though, are given in weekly minutes, and you get extra credit for vigorous exercise like running. Some watches and apps will track this for you, as in Fitbit's "active zone minutes" or Garmin's "intensity minutes." Below, I'll break down the different levels of guidelines, starting with 150 weekly minutes, and then we'll get into what counts as exercise.The basics: 150 minutes of cardio and two days of strength training every weekFortunately, all the major public health organizations are in agreement. The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Heart Association are all on board with the following guidelines for aerobic exercise: At least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity (cardio) exercise like walking or easy jogging, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise like running, or a combination. (If you can easily meet that, more is better.) At least two days per week of muscle strengthening activity, like lifting weights or doing other strength training like pushups, resistance band exercises, or even heavy manual labor like shoveling.A previous edition of the guidelines said that you need to do your cardio for a minimum of 10 minutes at a time for it to count, but the current recommendation is to get it in however you can, even if that includes some shorter bursts here and there.If that's too easy, level up to 300 minutesIf you’re pretty athletic, the above won’t sound like much. Good news! The WHO has set a secondary goal for folks like you. It’s simple: just do double the above. So you can aim for 300 minutes of moderate cardio, or 150 minutes per week of vigorous activity. Here's what that might look like:An intense, hour-long martial arts class three times a week (60 x 3 = 180, but this is vigorous cardio, so the minutes count double)Go on a 45-minute after-dinner walk every day (45 x 7 = 315 minutes of moderate cardio)Commute by bike to work, 20 minutes each way (40 minutes per day x 5 days per week = 200 minutes moderate cardio) and play recreational league soccer for two matches per week (50 minutes each game, for some combination of moderate and vigorous cardio, definitely puts us over 300).What do "moderate" and "vigorous" exercise mean?Walking at a purposeful pace counts as "moderate" cardio, and jogging counts as "vigorous." I have a detailed breakdown here of what exercises count as moderate versus vigorous. The distinction is not based on heart rate or effort level, but rather on a scientific metric called METs that relates to how much energy and oxygen the exercise takes. Moderate exercise is anything that scores between 3 and 6 METs, and vigorous exercise is 6+ METs.That said, you can estimate by effort level. When you're doing moderate exercise, you'll be a little bit sweatier or breathing a little harder than when you're at rest, but you can do it continuously without feeling tired. It may not even feel like a workout. Here are some examples of moderate cardio: A brisk walk Commuting or doing errands by bike, on relatively flat groundUsing a spin bike or other cardio machines like the elliptical, at a low intensity, steady paceHousework and light yard work, like washing windows or mowing the lawn with a power mowerBy contrast, vigorous exercise includes activities where you're working hard and breathing hard. You might still be able to keep up a conversation, but it's not likely to feel easy. Vigorous exercise also includes the really hard stuff where you might not be able to keep it up very long. This could include: Running fastBicycling uphillPushing yourself to finish a Crossfit WOD with a good timeSwimming lapsPlaying a game of soccer or basketballTougher housework and yard work, like chopping wood or using a push mowerCan I combine moderate and vigorous cardio? You can mix and match these two intensities. The math is simple if you think about 150 minutes as your target and consider every minute of vigorous cardio counting double. Here are some examples:A 20 minute brisk walk every weekday morning (20 minutes x 5 days = 100 minutes moderate cardio) plus a 30-minute spin class that has you working pretty hard (30 minutes counted double is 60; add that to the 100 and you're at 160 minutes). An hour of hiking, three days a week (60 minutes x 3 sessions = 180 minutes moderate cardio)Three 30-minute jogs (30 minutes x 3 = 90 minutes moderate cardio) plus a workout with 10 minutes easy jogging for a warmup and then 20 minutes of hard running, followed by a cooldown of another 10 minutes easy. (20 minutes vigorous x 2 is equivalent to 40 minutes moderate cardio, plus we can add the warmup and cooldown for another 20 moderate minutes). That gives you 150 total.Go for a 30-minute easy bike ride on Monday. Try a 45-minute water aerobics class on Wednesday. Take a short hike on Saturday. Mow the lawn for an hour on Saturday. (30 + 45 + 30 + 60 = 165 moderate cardio)How much strength training do you need?So far we’ve been talking about aerobic exercise, which is the kind where you’re continuously moving (or, perhaps, doing quick work/rest intervals) and your heart rate is up. But there are other important forms of exercise, too. The WHO and other organizations recommend two days per week of “high intensity muscle strengthening activity,” which includes anything where you’re thinking in terms of sets and reps. (Three sets of eight to 10 reps is a good structure to start.) That activity can be anything that challenges your muscles, and where the last rep is a lot harder than the first. This could include lifting weights, or resistance band exercises, or bodyweight exercises like push-ups. So if you run three days per week and have time for more exercise, don’t just fit in extra runs; try adding two days in the weight room.The strength training recommendations are for two days per week, per muscle group. If you like to work your upper body and lower body separately, that would mean two upper body days and two lower body days. If you prefer workouts that work all your muscles on the same day, you only need to do two of those full-body workouts per week (at minimum).Can you get too much exercise?What about an upper limit on how much exercise you get? There isn’t one, from a public health point of view. More is better. (And even if you are doing less than the recommendations, anything is better than nothing.) That said, it is always possible for you, as an individual, to do more exercise than your body is ready for. Don’t jump from a life of occasional strolling to a marathon training plan. (And if you are on that marathon training plan and you’re feeling worn down, take a break already.)

Panic has set a date for when it will share more about the second season of Playdate games. The company is hosting a Playdate Update event on April 17, at 1PM ET / 10AM PT where it plans to cover the developers participating in the season, how you can pre-order it and how much it'll cost. The Playdate's season structure was one of the main things that made the tiny handheld unique when it was first released. Every week for 12 weeks you receive two new games automatically downloaded to your Playdate, free of charge. The list was curated, featuring games from prominent developers like Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi, but also varied, with adventure games, platformers and more. Given the difficulties Panic faced making and shipping the Playdate to customers, there was initially some uncertainty whether the company could afford to commission another season. Before season two became official, Panic introduce an on-device store, called Catalog, as a way to purchase games from a curated library of titles. Then in October 2024, Panic confirmed that season two was happening in 2025. In a statement to press, Panic shared that through the Playdate and Catalog, they've been able to raise $1,043,186.85 for developers. The company has also sold over 70,000 Playdate handhelds since the device launched in 2022. The price of the Playdate was recently raised from $179 to $229. You'll be able to watch the Season Two Playdate Update on April 17 at 1PM ET / 10AM ET on Panic's website and the company's YouTube channel.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/panic-will-showcase-the-second-season-of-playdate-games-on-april-17-181556782.html?src=rss

Immutable backup storage is key to protect against ransomware attacks, but many businesses don't use it.

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are sometimes described as market distortion, inefficiency, or antithetical to meritocracy. Yet, we can see that equity-related initiatives have actually served our notions of meritocracy. Removing artificial barriers to hiring or investing in exceptional individuals is simply smart business. Cutting all things DEI from government may prove less smart, efficient, or efficacious. Barriers remain high for women, despite their advances. Women are outperforming men in so many areas. Since 2014, we’ve had a higher percentage of women who are college graduates compared to men. Increasingly, women earn the same or more than their husbands. And of course, on top of all of this, women continue to do the majority of household work within our homes. Equity means opportunity For some, this is a dire concern requiring new solutions for men to maintain ground. The emergence of the bro-verse is just one cultural manifestation of such fear. We also know that the U.S. president and conservative groups understand that gender roles are shifting because a large part of the president’s campaign was staked around this trend. Candidate Trump tapped into a fear and offered a shortcut, a leg up to individuals who aren’t receiving the same opportunities they once did (men), rather than relying on meritocracy to lift up those who deserve it. Others, recognizing the cost of lost potential, champion solutions that do not come at the expense of women. Whatever the motivation, we cannot claim that men are being left behind—and something must be done—while also dismantling diversity and equity programs across the federal government. We cannot recognize the value in helping certain groups and then say that targeted interventions designed for other groups are not necessary or might be harmful. Our very intention underscores what we know to be true. We are better when we remove barriers to full participation and remedy the effects of intentional and unintentional exclusions. Clearly, we understand that neither meritocracy nor efficiency can be achieved without our best contributors sidelined. Government investment needs dedicated public servants Consider Gladys West, PhD, a mathematician whose precise calculations of the Earth’s surface helped develop the technology we now know as the Global Positioning System (GPS). Her groundbreaking work was made possible through government investment and public service, as she played a critical role in the Navy developing technologies that benefit us all today. Many other technological advances that we cannot live without came from government investment. The obvious example is the internet, which was the result of a massive level of investment from the federal government. Elon Musk would likely have a different career without those federal dollars and West’s genius. Now I worry about who is being cut out of our federal agencies, all in service of efficiency and meritocracy. Who are today’s innovators like West, who may not get a chance to invent the next revolutionary technology like GPS? If we truly care about meritocracy, we will stop this senseless disregard for talented, skilled, and knowledgeable federal public servants. We should ensure that those dedicated public servants—     especially women and people of color—can continue their work building a better country for us all. Joe Scantlebury, JD, is CEO of Living Cities.

The universe is an endless source of inspiration, filled with wonders that ignite our imaginations. Among these celestial dreams is the idea of floating effortlessly on a cloud. Miniforms captures this whimsical vision with its Nebula collection, crafting furniture that embodies the softness and serenity of the skies. With the introduction of the Nebulona Armchair and the Nebulone Sofa, the collection expands its cosmic-inspired aesthetic, offering pieces that invite you to experience a sense of weightlessness and supreme comfort right in your own space. At the heart of the Nebula collection lies a defining feature: the distinctive teardrop-shaped armrests. This signature design element, present in every piece, creates a cohesive language that runs through the entire collection. Even the Pouf mirrors this curvaceous form, ensuring that each element resonates with the same soft, sculptural identity. Designer: Miniforms The Nebulona Armchair exemplifies this aesthetic with its rounded, organic shape. The gracefully curved seat and backrest provide an inviting, cocoon-like embrace, making it an ideal statement piece for both intimate nooks and expansive, open-plan settings. Its sleek yet plush form effortlessly blends modern sophistication with a timeless appeal, ensuring that it remains a standout in any environment. The armchair’s enveloping structure offers a unique visual presence and also provides exceptional ergonomic support, making it a delightful addition to any home or commercial space. The latest addition to the Nebula collection, the Nebulone Sofa, takes the concept of cosmic relaxation even further. Measuring an expansive 240cm in length, this piece extends the collection’s signature design language while prioritizing supreme comfort. Its elongated seat and oversized teardrop-shaped armrests create a luxurious lounging experience, whether you’re stretching out solo or sharing the space with company. Crafted entirely from high-density polyurethane foam, the Nebulone Sofa offers an unparalleled balance of softness and support. Its structural integrity ensures lasting comfort, making it an inviting retreat for everyday relaxation. Furthermore, with over 30 fabric options, including outdoor-friendly materials, the Nebulone adapts effortlessly to diverse settings, from poolside havens to cozy indoor retreats. The wide range of upholstery choices allows users to customize their sofa to fit seamlessly within their existing décor, reinforcing its versatility across various interior styles. Though sitting on an actual cloud may remain an impossible dream, the Nebulona Armchair and Nebulone Sofa offer the next best thing. With their voluminous forms, plush textures, and dreamy silhouettes, they transform any space into a sanctuary of comfort and elegance. Miniforms’ Nebula collection is an invitation to pause, unwind, and embrace the beauty of stillness. As if weary from its cosmic travels, the Nebulona Armchair has decided to linger on Earth, its drop-shaped armrests cradling a plush seat that beckons you to take a well-earned siesta. Whether you choose to daydream or simply sink into its embrace, one thing is certain: the Nebula collection redefines relaxation, merging artful design with celestial comfort. With nearly 30 finishes available, each piece can be customized to suit individual tastes, ensuring that this cosmic comfort finds its perfect place in your world. Designed for those who appreciate both aesthetics and functionality, the Nebula collection brings a touch of the cosmos into everyday life, offering a soothing escape from the ordinary.The post Miniforms’ Nebula Collection Brings Cloud-Like Aesthetics and Comfort to Your Home first appeared on Yanko Design.

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