Congress member-elect Sarah McBride became the first openly trans person ever elected to the House this November, marking a historic milestone for the body. Her arrival, however, is being met with a targeted and anti-trans attack by Republicans in Congress that rejects the existence of trans people. On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that he is barring trans women from womens bathrooms in the Capitol, following a proposal from South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace (R) to do just that. I want to make sure that no men are in womens private spaces, and its not going to end here, Mace told reporters on Tuesday. This kind of thing should be banned.Related:When asked if the action was in response to McBride coming to Congress, Mace was clear, noting, Yes and absolutely and then some. Maces office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Johnsons office pointed to statements hes made about his belief in treating everyone with dignity. The new rule is the latest extension of ugly attacks Republicans have levied on trans people during the recent campaign cycle and in the past few years. Dozens of states have introduced anti-trans bills that restrict childrens access to gender-affirming care, that limit athletes to playing on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, and that prevent trans women from using womens bathrooms. All of these policies are based on and advance a rejection of the idea that trans women are women.As Voxs Aja Romano has explained, Republicans have used their focus on this subject to rally their base against a common enemy, framing trans people as threats, including to other womens safety in bathrooms. A 2018 UCLA study on the issue found no evidence that trans people using bathrooms that match their gender identity has increased safety risks, but that data has not changed GOP rhetoric. Instead, the GOP has kept investing in anti-trans attacks and channeling more harm toward trans individuals, who are already the disproportionate subjects of violence and who already experience high rates of self-harm. Now, House Republicans push highlights how central such ideas have become to the GOP agenda and how open they are to singling out a colleague to prove a point. Capitol Hills new, anti-trans bathroom policy, briefly explainedBecause the speaker of the House has wide-ranging jurisdiction over facilities in the House, Johnson has significant say in imposing rules like the new bathroom regulation. In a press release he issued on Wednesday, Johnson said, All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms are reserved for individuals of that biological sex. In practice, this means that trans women are not able to use womens bathrooms. Johnson noted that each Congress member has a bathroom in their office, and there are also unisex bathrooms available in the Capitol that could theoretically serve as an alternative. Women deserve womens only spaces, he said in a statement. In addition to discriminating against McBride, the rule poses serious practical obstacles: The Capitol complex is a massive set of buildings, and lawmakers are often dashing from the main chamber to committee meetings to other events. By depriving McBride of access to the womens room, the policy is effectively asking her to run back to her office, which is located in a separate building, use the mens restroom, or find a unisex bathroom.Limiting a members access to bathrooms simply makes their job much harder and more inconvenient. The Hills new bathroom rules are part of broader Republican anti-trans attacksMcBride responded to Maces initial proposal in a post on X on Tuesday, calling it a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars, she added. In a post on Wednesday, McBride reiterated this message and said that while shell abide by Johnsons rule, she found this whole fight to be a diversion from other policy concerns.Republicans have made anti-trans policy a focus on par with the sorts of economic concerns McBride highlighted. During the 2024 campaign, President-elect Donald Trump invested millions in ads criticizing Vice President Kamala Harriss past support for funding gender-affirming care for incarcerated people. And it wasnt just Trump: Republicans and their allies spent at least $215 million on anti-trans ads last cycle. Those ads appear to have resonated with some swing voters, and the GOP now seems further emboldened when it comes to going after trans people. Ahead of the election, as Voxs Nicole Narea and Fabiola Cineas wrote, there was an explosion of anti-trans bills in state legislatures in 2023, with at least 19 states approving such laws. As Narea and Cineas explained, those bills were fueled in part by right-wing evangelical members of the Republican base (and by lawmaker attempts to pander to that faction). But more recent actions from the election ads to Johnsons new rule show an attempt to take anti-trans policy into the mainstream. Overall, Republicans actions signal that they plan to double down on the anti-trans culture war in the years to come. Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Much like Christmas is a lot less enjoyable for the person who has to organise all the presents and cook the dinner, game-of-the-year season is rather intimidating for the people who have to put together the shortlists. Every November, I tot up all of the years acclaimed games Ive yet to play, the underground recommendations Ive yet to follow up on and the games I loved back in February but forgot about. I feel a mounting panic. And when all of the year-end lists come out, I inevitably find Ive missed something anyway.The Game Awards have just announced the nominations for this years ceremony, taking place on 12 December in Los Angeles. (Disclosure: the Guardian is one of 130 voting outlets for the awards, but my knowledge and involvement with them is limited to sending Geoff Keighley our ballots every year, usually a day or two late. Sorry, Geoff.) There are few surprises in the nominations, but I am pleased that one of the top two most nominated games is Astro Bot, with seven nominations, a game that cannot get enough praise as far as Im concerned. (The other is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, up for six awards, which our critic dubbed a miracle of fan service; alas, I remain immune to the charms of Final Fantasy despite many attempts over the years to get into it).The other nominees for game of the year are Balatro, the ludicrously compulsive card game that took over my life in January; Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the expansion to the 2022 action role-playing masterpiece; Metaphor: ReFantazio, the wildly stylish Atlus RPG that I wrote about a few weeks back; and Black Myth: Wukong, an enormous hit this summer, despite significant controversy around its development and release.This is a close competition, but my money is on Shadow of the Erdtree for the grand prize, because that game is especially beloved by game critics although Id be delighted if Astro Bot wins. The dark horse is Balatro. Everyone I know has lost a week or two to that game, but its charm wore off the second Id won at it. There is a public vote worth 10% of the weighting, though, which will significantly boost Black Myth: Wukong, given its enormous fanbase in China.Neva, rightly nominated for best art direction. Photograph: Nomada StudioElsewhere, I was happy to see Neva, the game about a warrior and her wolf that made me full-on sob, nominated for best art direction, best independent game and the confusing games for impact category. The latter list is supposed to be for a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message, but it seems to have become a catch-all category for games involving emotions. Ive played most of the games nominated in that category and a) I dont know what unites them and b) I couldnt tell you what pro-social means in this context.Indika is a bleakly fascinating horror-ish game about a 19th-century nun that takes a swipe at the Russian Orthodox church; Hellblade II, like its predecessor, portrays its lead characters struggles with psychosis; Tales of Kenzera: Zau is about grief and draws from its creators African heritage; Closer the Distance is also about grief; Neva could, I suppose, be interpreted as environmentalist, and also has a smattering of loss in there. I cant determine what message Life Is Strange: Double Exposure has along these lines, though.Otherwise, welcome surprises are thin on the ground. Eerie explorative puzzle game Animal Well shows up in best independent game, as does Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, an unpredictable mystery set in an abandoned hotel, and UFO 50, the absurdly generous compilation of 1980s-style games from Mossmouth. Pacific Drive, the spooky weird-fiction road trip that has you constantly repairing and reinforcing a falling-apart old car, also made it on to the best debut game list. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown deserves its shout in best action game, though I was truly disappointed that Dragons Dogma II only made it on to best RPG.And, of course, Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket is up for a best mobile game award. Ive been playing that for a couple of hours every day since it came out (and I still dont have a shiny Articuno).Video Games Chronicle have compiled an easy-to-parse list of all the categories and nominations. But if you find the Game Awards far too commercial, a new awards show is debuting this year. The Indie Game Awards will celebrate the creativity, innovation and passion of gamings smaller-scale developers, and the nominees have just been announced. Choice cuts from the best game category: Mouthwashing, a horror game that follows the doomed crew of a space freighter in their last days together; Arranger, an innovative RPG puzzler; and action game Nine Sols, a sort of cross between Hollow Knight and Sekiro, which Ive been meaning to try out all year.Tell us your favourites Before I get back to my own intimidating lists, I will, as ever, be shouting out Pushing Buttons readers favourite games of 2024 in the newsletter towards the end of December. Please do start sending them in, with a few sentences about what they meant to you, and look for the results in a few weeks.What to playGruesome and bizarre The Rise of the Golden Idol. Photograph: Color Gray GamesI remain fascinated by The Rise of the Golden Idol, a gruesome and bizarre detective story thats kind of a mix of logic puzzles, fill-in-the-blank clues and a hidden object game. Each case comes in the form of a tableau, an animated painting in a style I cant quite pin down but reminds me of a sort of twisted version of Grant Woods painting American Gothic.Characters are frozen in a few-seconds loop right at the moment of a crime, or in the immediate aftermath, and you must figure out who everyone is, why they are there and what the heck happened. All of it feeds into a bigger narrative about corruption, deception and a cursed object. This game often makes me feel very stupid (I dont have a great brain for names and details) but I have stuck with it regardless, because its so unusual and it challenges me in ways few other games have.Available on: Smartphones (with Netflix subscription), PC, consoles Estimated playtime: skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionWhat to readNever better than the real thing a remastered version of World of Warcraft II. Photograph: YouTubeTo celebrate World of Warcrafts anniversary, Blizzard rereleased Warcraft and Warcraft II with updated graphics. Unfortunately, everybody hates them. Valves Half-Life 2 anniversary update went down much better; the venerable game just broke its years-old concurrent players record on Steam.A Minecraft theme park is set to open in the UK in 2026 or 2027. Im already coming out in a cold sweat imagining the crowds at half-term.Another gaming event bites the dust: WASD, a much-loved indie-focused showcase for PC games, is no more.A useful explainer of Robloxs forthcoming improved parental controls.What to clickQuestion BlockChild friendly Terra Nil. Photograph: Free LivesIll answer a new question next week, but for now, I have some reader recommendations in response to the last few Question Blocks. First, some further suggestions for Jonnys wife, whos looking for a game like Civilization VI but not so lacking in chill:I have youngish children, and Terra Nil really scratches my massively reduced god game requirements. Also, its completely child friendly, down to any age, really. Its not an exact Civ replacement, but has sort of the same vibe. CharlieId recommend Polytopia. It can be played as a speed run Civ but is otherwise basically like classic Civ. However, knock down the difficulty and its pretty chill. Other pluses: tech stops before guns, and various Civs have their own tech trees. One lot end up with dragons. Another are an insectoid alien lot that Ive yet to properly master. Most importantly, its a quite immediate game. I loved it as a big fan of Civ II who wants to love Civ VI but hasnt got the time for it. But I can always spend a few minutes on a Polytopia battle. CraigAnd a couple for reader Lewis, who was looking for good puzzle games to play on his phone without being battered by horrible ads:Solomons Boneyard andSolomons Keep are brilliant! Favourites of mine and my friends. The former is the better of the two, but if you are not a fan of endless modes, the latter might suit you more. TimothyIf youve got a question for Question Block or anything else to say about the newsletter hit reply or email us on pushingbuttons@theguardian.com.

A new face is entering Hunt Showdown 1896 as music megastar Post Malone makes his debut in the creepy multiplayer shooter with his own in-game lore and much more.

Call of Duty Warzone'season one is off to a solid start, but one thing is missing - Rebirth Island, as the fan-favourite map was pulled just a few days into the season

Is the PlayStation 6 really only two years away? (Credits: Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/Shu)The Thursday letters page pits Steam Deck vs. Asus ROG Ally vs. Lenevo Legion Go, as a reader loses faith in the developers of Battlefield 6.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukSkipping aheadWell, I guess we know what 2025 is going to be all about now; not just Switch 2 and GTA 6 but PlayStation 6 and probably next gen Xbox too. I dont know anyone that wants the last two but already weve got leaked specs for Sonys new machine and even if theyre not real it wont be long before we know for sure.The question after that is when will Sony announce it officially? The PS5 Pro was leaked years before it was announced, so I dont think Sony like to be rushed. But if specs are being leaked now, I dont see it coming out any later than 2027.Looking back Sony started talking about the PlayStation 5 in spring 2019 and then released the specs in October just over a year before it was released. If they follow that same pattern for a 2026 launch then theyd start talking about it early next year, but that really seems too early to me. So, Im going to bet on a 2027 release.If we do start getting announcements early next year though, perhaps in an attempt to counter the Switch 2, I dont think theyre going to go down as well as Sony thinks. If PS5 Pro got a backlash just imagine how its going to be when people who havent even upgraded from a PlayStation 4 yet realise theres yet another console coming out. Theyll end up skipping a whole generation.BarnsleyReading the signsSounds like Nintendo is not messing about with the Switch 2, if the story about how much stock theyre getting ready is true. Theres not much you can draw from that except that theyre confident and its probably not that expensive as a console. You dont start stockpiling something thats going to be super expensive.Nintendo are many things, but they know when theyve got a hit on their hands and they know when theyve got a flop. They dropped the Wii U like a rock when they realised it wasnt working out (which Im sure they knew from the start really) and didnt waste any extra resources on it, as they immediately focused on something else.If Nintendo wasnt sure about the Switch 2 wed be able to tell, not just in terms of the stock but the advertising and the launch games. If all that is looking good when it is finally announced then theyre probably right to be confident about it.GoldacheFootery ExtremeRegarding Chris portable PC pickle, there are a few things to bear in mind. Firstly, Id say to pay attention to the processors in the ROG Ally and Legion Go. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the current top of the line and offers real performance boosts compared to the Steam Deck, but the non-extreme versions dont seem to be well reviewed compared to Steam Deck.Some earlier ROG Ally devices also had issues with the micro SD cards being damaged (melted in the slot I believe) so look out for that. The safest option is probably the newer ROG Ally X but that comes at a premium.I can say that the Steam Deck has been great for me and given I mostly use it to play PlayStation 3/4 era games Ive never been disappointed with it. If your son is looking to play more modern games at anything other than low quality settings/~30fps the more powerful Ally or Legion Go is the way to go (but also dont expect high-end gaming PC equivalent performance).One area of consensus is that Steam Deck benefits from better support from Valve and a nice console lite interface, whereas the Windows-based devices can be more footery. Let us know what you decide!MagnumstacheEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThird optionIn regards to the Steam Deck vs. ROG Ally debate, I have a fair bit of first hand knowledge in regards to this, as I was fortunate enough to own a Steam Deck, which I have since traded in for a Lenevo Legion Go.Firstly, theres a number of options in regards to the Steam Deck. Firstly, the OLED vs LCD. The OLED is the better option, as it comes with a better battery and more storage and the screen is said to be considerably more vibrant. In this respect the OLED Steam Deck also beats the Rog Ally, which has a shorter battery life and an LCD screen, which is much less bright.The Steam Deck has an interface that is easier to use than most other handheld devices and a little more in keeping with a console experience. The ROG Ally, on the other hand, is said to be a little less so. However, do be aware that even on the Steam Deck you will need to alter the graphical settings for certain games to run well.The advantages of the Rog Ally are that it is more powerful and therefore theoretically more demanding AAA games will run better. It may also have a longer shelf life for this reason. The ROG Ally will also play games from storefronts other than Steam, such as Epic Games, as well as Games Pass and Windows games. This is technically possible on Steam Deck but requires some slightly advanced tinkering.If you are considering the ROG Ally may I slightly complicate matters and suggest the Legion Go; it has the same processor as the Rog Ally, so performance is similar and can also play Windows games, etc. However, it has a bigger 8.8 inch screen capable of higher resolutions, so games look great. Also, you can detach the controllers like a switch and also it has a controller than can function as a mouse.The RRP was more at launch but these days it seems to be around the same price as the Rog Ally.Worth keeping in mind with both the Rog Ally and the Legion Go, is that the battery will only last around two hours when playing very demanding games, whereas the Steam Deck OLED version is said to be much improved over the Rog Ally and even the LCD Steam Deck. This doesnt matter too much if, like me, you intend to play in bed where you have easy access to a plug but will be a factor if you will play for more extended sessions on the move.In summary, the Steam Deck is slightly more user friendly, a better screen and battery (In the OLED version). The ROG Ally and Legion Go have better performance and can play Game Pass games, etc. and the Legion Go also has a bigger, higher resolution screen, detachable controllers, and one that will work as a mouse.matc7884 Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree game of the year material, again (Bandai Namco)Out of contentionI dont think Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree deserves a Game of the Year nomination, never mind win.I love Elden Ring as much as anyone. And Bloodborne is easily my greatest of all time. So Im not a FromSoftware hater.I actually think Hidetaka Miyazaki Is the heir apparent to Shigeru Miyamoto.Obviously, the games they directed/lead the design on are very different, except for in one very important way. They both have made a name for putting out games of exceptional quality.With that said, I dont think Shadow Of The Erdtree is all that great. I think it was released before it was ready.Thats a very different thing to saying a Ubisoft or EA game released too early, but no cut scene when you enter the Lands of Shadow or for Renalla support this. As does the base game talismans not working on incants, spells, and wot not from the DLC.The map verticality is just plain confusing. Im on my third playthrough and I still have to google how to get to the Hinterlands and deal with Shadow Keep, just from a Where the eff am I? kind of deal.The map also has a lot of absolutely nothing. No items or enemies. Areas that only exist for the purpose of making the map larger.Comparing Shadow Of The Erdtree to The Old Hunters puts it into an interesting perspective. FromSoftware are a safe pair of hands for expansions but their DLC is not all created equally.The Old Hunters isnt just a really tight gameplay experience, which adds some of gamings most iconic bosses and weapons pizza cutter go brr it also expands on the lore built in the base game.You cant say any of that about Shadow of The Erdtree. Im not saying the expansion is bad. I am saying it isnt worthy of Game of the Year. Not by a long way.P.EllaProblems with PortalsSince getting a PlayStation 5 with a PlayStation Portal, Ive used the Portal a lot. I have to say its streaming quality is really, really good. Its also got a really nice screen that is a decent size.However, everything else about the thing aint that great! Nothing to the extent that you wouldnt use the thing, its just possibly the worst designed device out there.I know some people didnt like what it looks like, but I actually did. That was until I realised its the most impractical thing to keep anywhere. Its not going to fit in cases of any description and the shape seems designed to get caught on stuff.Next is the controls. Theres a reason no other handheld device has the thumbsticks there and while you get used to it, its just not as nice to hold as the others. It is essentially just a regular PlayStation 5 controller, but the extra length and weight make a big difference when youre trying to hold the thing in one hand and keep your thumb on the thumbstick.Lastly, and this is trivial but annoying. It feels like they purposefully tried to hide the power and volume buttons along the top. Unlike the Switch or Logitech GCloud, which have them on the top edge, theyre recessed behind the screen. The white back panel is also slightly higher than them so when you press over the screen it blocks your finger from actually pressing the buttons.Id still recommend the device, but only really because its got a decent screen and is cheaper than all the others. If PlayStation 6 really is a handheld (which I would welcome) I hope they up their game with hardware design, because this really does feel like just accepting a lot of negatives just for a good screen.TimSecond opinionsPlaytesting Battlefield 6 for a year, or whatever theyre doing, is all well and good, but is no one else worried that the developers themselves dont know whether the game is good or not without asking fans? Why couldnt they work out that Battlefield 2045 was a dud themselves? And why do they need a year of asking everyone they can think of to know if the new one is good or not?I dont know whos left that used to work on the original games but Im going to guess its very few if anyone. In my opinion, the new game should have either been farmed out to a completely different developer or the franchise just laid to rest for a while. If Battlefield 6 doesnt work out, are they going to do two years of testing for Battlefield 7?GoremanEnd of the lineWith just over a month to go before 2024 comes to end, weve had the release of two games that, in some gamers eyes, have ruined the two series going forward forever.Those games are Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown and Life Is Strange: Double Exposure. Games that had been years in the making, after fans had wished to see a new entry in each series.In fact, I was one of those who was about to buy an Xbox Series X just so I could play one of those games but after an extremely poor launch with connection issues and content that made Test Drive Unlimited a Test Drive Unlimited game left out, I decided to put my saved pounds towards the Swiitch TwU.Then a month later, a new Life Is Strange game is released.Fans of that series had been wanting a new game set in that universe for sometime, including me, with some of them wanting two characters bought back.Not me though!Bringing back a character already beloved by many is always a risk due to ruining what made people like them in the first place.And now, here we are post-launch of both games, with fans unhappy with either game. I know its hard to please everyone, especially gamers, but their grievances are genuine.Why do so many developers/publishers run this risk?The obvious answer is to make money off of nostalgia.But is the negativity worth it?As regards Solar Crown, gamers have said that this release has killed the Test Drive Unlimited franchise off forever.In fact, the only benefit from Solar Crowns bad start is that all the Test Drive fans have started talking about and sharing the love they had/have about its predecessor, Test Drive Unlimited 2, which is not what you want when you have a brand spanking new product just released.LeighDappaInbox also-ransRE: DS games. You forgot Bangai-O Spirits. Amazing game.RaveGC: It was on our short list, but we still think of it as a Dreamcast franchise especially as Spirits doesnt make any particular use of the DSs unusual set-up.RE: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Was really looking forward to playing it, but once again Microsoft fluffed it with the release. Such a shame that it mostly runs off the cloud, with wait times of up to two hours just to access the servers. Dont think Ill be playing it unless they let me download the entire of the game.SeismicbowMore TrendingEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.ArrowMORE: Games Inbox: Is Half-Life 2 a bad game nowadays?GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

The best cosy video games to play and relax with this winterMichael BeckwithPublished November 21, 2024 1:00am No prizes for guessing if a certain popular farming sim is on the list (Picture: Steam)If youre looking for something more relaxing than the usual action games this winter, theres a whole cosy world of video games waiting for you.As much as we love the action thrills of games like Elden Ring and Call Of Duty, sometimes you just want a relaxing time where you can lose yourself in a stress-free game and not have to worry about dying or making the wrong decision.The term cosy game is rather nebulous, and to a degree depends on your point of view, but usually it refers to something simple and safe that typically doesnt involve a lot of action or require fast reflexes.With the winter season upon us and the colder weather forcing everyone under several layers of blankets to stay warm, its the perfect time to indulge in cosier fare. So, weve put together a short list of some of the best cosy games available, for when you need a break from more demanding titles.Animal Crossing: New Horizons(Nintendo Switch)The quintessential cosy game has been around since the early 2000s but it really came into its own with the release of Switch entry Animal Crossing: New Horizons, just at the start of the pandemic. That may go down as the most fortuitous release date ever as its gentle, stress-free gameplay, about exploring and customising your cute little village involved all the sort of everyday, outdoor tasks that were suddenly denied to people.New Horizons has no goal. You can do as little or as much as you like, whether its catching fish and insects, a spot of DIY and landscaping, or simply chatting to your neighbours and making friends with the animal inhabitants or online human visitors. Nintendo stopped supporting the game some time ago but it quickly became one of their most successful games ever and thats certain to mean a new entry very early on in the Switch 2s lifespan. Still waiting on that sequel, Nintendo (Nintendo)A Short Hike(PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC)Just like the name implies, A Short Hike isnt the lengthiest of games. You could very easily beat it in a single evening, but thats not to its detriment. If anything, its impressive how, in such little time, A Short Hike features a wonderfully open-ended island thats more fun to explore than some triple-A titles.Its also dripping with charm from start to finish, with a delightful script, cast of characters, and soundtrack. As an anthropomorphic bird named Claire, your goal is to simply reach a mountain summit to get some mobile phone reception. While the conclusion to this simple tale is a tad underplayed, the journey is one worth taking, especially with how cheap it is.Coffee Talk(PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC)Visual novels are well suited to late night play sessions, while lying in bed, since they act more like interactive books where the most input required is proceeding to the next bit of dialogue. If something like Ace Attorney, with its high-stake courtroom dramas, is too exciting for you, though, you may prefer the vibes of Coffee Talk.In this game, you are a humble barista who runs a coffee shop in an urban fantasy take on Seattle. Your only goal is to serve the customers that frequent your shop and listen to their problems. Between its 90s inspired art style and lo-fi soundtrack, its perfect for quick play sessions before bedtime.Spiritfarer(PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android)Now for something more involved. In Spiritfarer, you are in charge of ferrying spirits of the dead over to the afterlife. That may sound like a grim premise, but Spiritfarer is anything but. One look at its visuals and that becomes readily apparent, with most of the game spent on befriending your passengers, learning their backstories, and ensuring their last voyage is a happy one.Its like a more sombre Animal Crossing since, by the end, you need to say goodbye to your newfound friends forever as they move on. And Spiritfarer isnt afraid to get into the nitty-gritty of the effects death can have on those left behind. Still, its a moving, comforting kind of adventure, and not all the tears you shed by the end will be sad ones.Disney Dreamlight Valley(PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and iOS)Calling Disney Dreamlight Valley a Disney take on Animal Crossing feels a bit reductive, but its apt. Instead of an island home, you build and manage the titular valley to meet the needs of a wide range of Disney icons. Much like the classic animated movies kids of the 90s know Disney for, its all very whimsical and full of heart.And, unlike Animal Crossing, its planning to pump out expansions and updates all the way throughout 2025, bringing even more characters, biomes, and customisation options to the games. Were sure once a new Animal Crossing drops, everyone will flock to that, but Disney Dreamlight Valley is still a perfectly valid alternative.Stardew Valley(PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC)More TrendingOf course we included Stardew Valley. Out of all the farming sims on the market, it is by far the most famous example, even though its technically a clone of the much older Harvest Moon/Story Of Seasons franchise. The sole work of one Eric ConcernedApe Barone, Stardew Valleys compelling gameplay loop, diverse cast of characters, and mountains of content have kept it popular for over eight years and made it even more famous than its inspiration.Beyond the base game, there are also plenty of fan-made mods to download that risk making Stardew Valley the only game youll ever play again, if it gets its hooks in you. Barone keeps adding new content, with the latest update arriving in March 2024, despite plans to release a new sim title, Haunted Chocolatier.While other farming sims have come and gone since 2016, Stardew Valley has remained. No matter the time of year, the best time to start playing Stardew Valley was eight years ago. The next best time is right now. If youre not playing Stardew Valley, why not? (Steam)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.ArrowMORE: Bloomtown: A Different Story review a cosy RPG GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Concerns about some of their business models are building

One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else

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For a while now, researchers have been trying to prove that X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) has an algorithmic bias for conservative content. Indeed, ever since Elon Musk bought the platform in 2022, right-wing accounts have run rampant on the siteso much so that onlookers suspect those accounts are being actively promoted. A pair of researchers now claim to have collected evidence that the site is putting its thumb on the scale. They also say that promotion likely began on a very specific date: the day a would-be assassin took a shot at Donald Trump during a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In a working paper entitled A computational analysis of potential algorithmic bias on platform X during the 2024 US election, researchers with the Queensland University of Technology in Australia argue that there is evidence that the microblogging site began promoting conservative content to users in the months before Americans cast their ballots. Researchers used statistical models to rigorously compare engagement patterns before and after a key change point. The research was designed to determine whether prominent conservative accountsincluding Muskswere being algorithmically favored by the platform. According to researchers, there is evidence thats the case, and they also claim to have pinpointed the exact date that X began to see a surge in engagement with right-wing content. The analysis reveals a structural engagement shift around mid-July 2024, suggesting platform-level changes that influenced engagement metrics for all accounts under examination, the report says. The date at which the structural break (spike) in engagement occurs coincides with Elon Musks formal endorsement of Donald Trump on 13th July 2024.Musks endorsement of Trump came on the same day that Trump was shot at by a gunman. In a post on X, shared in the aftermath of the assassination attempt, Musk said: I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery. To investigate potential algorithmic bias, researchers looked at engagement metrics related to various prominent Republican-leaning accounts (including those belonging to rightwing influencers like Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson, and Libs of TikTok) and compared them to various prominent Democrat-leaning accounts (including those belonging to AOC and Bernie Sanders). Researchers say that, after Musks endorsement, they found evidence of a group-specific boost, in which the Republican-leaning accounts saw a huge surge in page views relative to Democrat-leaning accounts. Researchers write that such findings could be indicative of a possible recommendation bias that favored Republican content in terms of visibility, potentially via recommendation mechanisms such as the For You feed.However, the account with the most evidence of promotion seems to have been the one belonging to Musk himself, researchers write. The report states that there was a significant boost that Elon Musk received to his engagement metrics following the structural break. It goes on: These findings underscore a distinct pattern that may indicate an algorithmic shift that disproportionately favored Musks account, contributing to a considerable engagement advantage, the researchers write. This visibility bias, if linked to platform algorithm adjustments, highlights the impact of such structural changes on engagement dynamics and the potential for differential treatment among users. The study isnt the first one to claim that Musks platform is algorithmically weighted towards conservatives. A recent investigation by the Wall Street Journal similarly alleged that X seemed to reflexively feed right-wing content to new accounts on the platform.It should also be noted that right-wing content began to surge on X far before Trump was shot at. As early as late 2022, Musk himself began promoting increasingly unhinged right-wing conspiracy theories. In April, it was reported that Nazi-affiliated accounts had begun to crop up on the site and become verified. A research study from Pew Research found that, under Musks stewardship, the site has been shifting rightward for quite some time. The increasingly unhinged content on X seems to be driving users awayand many are flocking to the alternative microblogging site Bluesky. In the weeks since the election, Blueskywhich was set up by Twitter founder Jack Dorseyhas gained as many as a million users a day, with traffic shooting up by 500 percent. The site, which has seen modest growth since it was spun off from Twitter in 2022, now has approximately 20 million users and continues to grow rapidly. (Someone even set up a real-time counter that tracks the sites growth). On X, meanwhile, around 100,000 accounts were closed in the days following the election, including some belonging to prominent users, like Don Lemon, The Guardian, Mark Hamill, and Ben Stiller for some reason. The outflow of users has been dubbed the X-odus.Bluesky is a weird, fun site, that is, in many ways, indistinguishable from X (except for all the rightwing content). That said, it seems hard to imagine that X will simply collapse. The site currently has hundreds of millions of daily active users and, while it isnt at all profitable (indeed, it continues to hemorrhage money at a stunning pace), it is simply too valuable politically for Muskwho is now a formal part of the incoming Trump administrationto give it up. As Musk moves into the White House to head his DOGE task force dedicated to government efficiency, X will continue to prove a useful medium by which to spread the new governments messaging. There are also signs that, with Trumps victory, revenue flows that had previously abandoned X are starting to return. A number of prominent advertisers that had ditched the platform (this, after Musk very publicly told them to fuck off) have returned since Trump was re-elected, including Disney, Comcast, IBM, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Lionsgate Entertainment, according to an unverified report from Adweek. In short: I highly doubt that Xs increasingly right-wing tenor is going to turn off enough users to tank the platform.