You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereFortnite has established itself as a hub for incredible collaborations, transforming the battle royale experience into a vibrant fusion of pop culture elements. With a lineup that spans Marvel superheroes, Star Wars legends, anime icons, and global music superstars, Fortnites skin roster truly embodies the ultimate dream team.In 2023, Fortnite expanded its impressive roster of crossovers by teaming up with Invincible. Fans of the beloved comic series and popular animated show were ecstatic to witness Mark Grayson, known as Invincible, and Omni-Man take flight in the game.However, now it seems like Epic has no plans of slowing down as swirling rumors indicate that 2025 is set to deliver a fresh wave of Invincible-themed skins for Fortnite players.Fortnite x Invincible Wave 2 skins leaked to arrive in 2025Fortnites ongoing collaborations showcase the expansive nature of its island, and in 2025, the Invincible universe is set to leave an even more significant mark. According to leakers like Loolo, one of the Invincible creators, Ryan Ottley has commented the following when asked about Wave 2 of Invincible skins in Fortnite: Now that would be cool. But I cant spoil anything if it even was true. I have taken a vow of silence, an unbreakable blood oath!There are three Invincible collab skins currently in the game. Image by Epic Games.Currently, three skins in the Invincible x Fortnite collab were last available in the Item Shop on September 4, 2024. They are Invincible, Omni Man, and Atom Eve. The bundle tied to the collab is called the Guardians of the Globe bundle that costs 2,800 V-Bucks and players can get all three skins from it.Ever since the leak fans of the animated series and Fortnite players have been showing excitement in the comments, wondering about the characters that will appear. One such user wrote, Allen, Rex, robot, black and blue suit mark. Another chimed in, I mean these sold well, makes sense. Would be cool if the existing outfits got edit styles but its been over a year since theyve done that for a collab. Really hope collabs getting new edit styles isnt gone for good.While you wait for Invincible to arrive in Fortnite, players already have a game-changing suggestion for one aspect of the game that gives them access to more skins than they already have. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Previous experiments with lava stone inspired her firepits organic form. The intricate stoneware creation also features a gradient that augments light from the flames. We did this hot-cool effect where the glaze crackles and you put some black stain into it, so that makes it a bit more volcanic, Cognet says.Indeed, the melting effect the ceramic expresses empowers Lava Flow to speak for itself as a sculpture when unlit. I thought it was super interesting to mimic something like melting, Cognet adds. Its like a mini volcano in your garden.A sculptural firepit designed by OrcaBack across the Atlantic, in San Francisco, AD PRO Directorylisted studio Orca is creating firepits in the forms of concentric circles, or stitched-together sculptures. Founder Molly Sedlacek sources her metals from within the Bay Areaand at the moment, she says, demand is high. Almost 80% of our projects want a firepit, she notes. Humans want fire.Orcas vessels share a rustic color story but vary in composition, featuring stainless steel or brass. They were an obvious choice, Sedlacek says, either for their reflectivity or the oxidation they earn with age. Theyre black and silver and then, after the first rain, they become rust in this wonderful matte silver tone, she says. Its truly the natural elements that patina. The actual fire itself doesnt have an impact on it.Join NowNew Year's Sale: Become an AD PRO member for only $20 $12 per monthArrowA handful of evergreen principles still inform the typology, but an intimate knowledge of materiality and ventilation is principal for newer designers. Theres a whole science to airflow and also choosing materials that are correct, Sedlacek says. Its understanding the heat rate and combustion of materials, and also knowing the size of the burner.Considering the airflow is critical, Wiseman adds. Thinking of it in terms of a collaboration with the firehow does it activate it when the fire is [burning]?I think is a really exciting way to design.Smokes impact on both comfort and the environment remains perhaps the largest factor of all. Sedlacek is already seeing an uptick in more alternative models. I could see a world where we go to more electric starters, she says. When we first started, we were just doing wood-burning and now weve switched to gas and we also have an electric starter that you can modify.For Wiseman, however, the primeval poetry of building a fire remains his muse. Theres something about the ritual of creating the fire, of putting the logs on, and creating the kindling, and then the natural process of it burning through as opposed to just pressing a button, Wiseman says. It takes away the magic.The Best Fire Pits to Cozy Up to This WinterEnjoying your backyard should be a year-round thing, after all

Over the years, interior designer Annalise Taft-Gersten and her husband James Gersten, principal at Silver Street Hospitality, have weathered their share of renovationsa 1900s Connecticut farmhouse where they channeled London charm, a midcentury gem designed for entertaining, and two New York City apartments in historic buildings. This past year the couple decided to pivot and simplify. They sold off their real estate and transformed a Hamptons investment property in Sag Harbor into a forever home.We didnt want all the responsibilities, says Taft-Gersten. Add to that an empty nesta daughter in college and a son at boarding schoolwhich made the timing ideal.The summer cottage in the Hamptons is clad in wood shingles and was gut renovated to make it ready for year-round residency. Outdoor dining and sitting areas, like the firepit surrounded by Loll Adirondack lounge chairs from Design Within Reach, stretch the square footage with indoor outdoor living.Built in the 1950s, the wood shingled house was more of a summer cottage than a year-round residence. Taft-Gersten leaned into the cottage aesthetic but elevated it into her own Scandinavian interpretation, driven by Long Islands magical light, which has inspired artists like Leslie Sokolow, David Salle, Jackson Pollock, and Lee Krasner. In his 1972 poem called In the Hamptons, John N Morris aptly described it as clear as gin.The light and the privacy of the property captivated us, she explains. As Taft-Gersten began to chase the sun, she ended up doing a total gut renovation for a downsize that strategically used every inch of the 2,200-square-foot-home. It feels lighter, and less wasteful, says the designer, who also runs the ALT for Living showrooms. Youre not filling up rooms because they need to be filled; you end up living only with the things you love. The permanent move to the Hamptons also allowed Taft-Gersten proximity to her Sag Harbor interior design business and AD PRO Directory firm the 1818 Collective, which she cofounded with Kristin Fine.Shop out the look of the house hereA vintage Castiglioni light fixture and two vintage Pascal Boyer Pin Stools welcome guests in the entry. In the adjacent living room, two graphic pieces burnished black ink by Sam Still pop off the wall painted in Benjamin Moore Silver Satin.The interior designer worked with Rimland Construction to add windows, enlarge the ones that already existed, open the floor plan, and create a palette different from the more traditional Sag Harbor style. I wanted it to feel a little dreamy and capture the colors of the sun rays as they change throughout the day in shades of gold and cream. At the same time, I layered it all with different textures and fabrics, in soft flesh tones and grays.ALT for Living Veil cashmere drapery in the living room gently illuminates the texture of an oak Charlotte Perriand coffee table, and a pop of cognac ALT for Living performance mohair on the vintage Fritz Hansen armchairs gives the creamy room some grounding. Taft-Gersten installed wood paneling throughout the house and painted it while maintaining the warmth of the grain. The original ceiling beams, bolted with steel support cladding, highlight the architecture and add a punch of grit.A vintage Camaleonda sofa in Liege Pumice fabric from ALT for Living, sits atop a custom Dhurrie rug. An ivory and clay mural by Olivia Cognet hangs above an Egg Collective Landry bookcase.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignAD100 2025: See the Full List of HonoreesBy The Editors of ADArchitecture + DesignBrandin Cooks: Inside the NFL Players Modern Pacific Northwest HomeBy Juliet IzonCulture + LifestyleThe 47 Most Beautiful Beaches in the WorldBy Katherine McLaughlinTo make room for a primary suite that occupies the second level, Taft-Gersten added a dormer at the back of the house to accommodate ample closets, a sitting area, and a deluxe bathroom. The latter, with a cascading marble tub, casement brass detailing on the shower and lots of natural light, is a nod to her husbands experience working with luxury hotel brands like the Six Senses and Auberge Resorts.The couples bedroomawash in ivory tones and soft texturesis an oasis, though not devoid of function. Taft-Gersten can conduct Zoom meetings with privacy while sitting by a window in a favorite Marco Zanuso vintage armchair. Beside her a pair of ceramic side tables by designer Olivia Cognet are lively companions.Gray streaked marble from Bas Stone adds warmth and a bit of drama to the kitchen, outfitted with a Blue Star Range. Custom cabinets by Coastal Cabinet Works feature brass finger pulls by Studio Henry Wilson.But like with most homes, the heart is in the kitchen. And for a couple who entertains almost every weekend, a lot of care went into designing the public spaces. We found wed always be sitting around the table most convenient to the kitchen, Taft-Gersten says. So instead of carving out space for a formal room, they created a dining area with a Guillerme et Chambron table and Charlotte Perriand chairs that can seat an intimate party and also comfortably accommodate 12 people.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignAD100 2025: See the Full List of HonoreesBy The Editors of ADArchitecture + DesignBrandin Cooks: Inside the NFL Players Modern Pacific Northwest HomeBy Juliet IzonCulture + LifestyleThe 47 Most Beautiful Beaches in the WorldBy Katherine McLaughlinThe couple, who entertains often, eschewed a formal dining room for an inviting banquette. I love a banquette, says James Gersten. Im from the restaurant world, and every VIP wants a banquette.A custom banquette covered in cork, a natural performance upholstery option that can be cleaned with a damp sponge, has the feel and look of leather without the concern for precious care. Cocktails are served using the crystal, and the fine China can be accessed easily in the storage space under the banquette.Living with less has been liberating. We painstakingly restored the house and designed it with a lot of intentionality, says James Gersten. And the house has all our touch points: a fireplace, a firepit, a pool, a sitting room outside, a beautiful primary suite, and a place we can both work. It has everything we need.James Gersten (left) and Annalise Taft-Gersten sit outside with their two dogs.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignAD100 2025: See the Full List of HonoreesBy The Editors of ADArchitecture + DesignBrandin Cooks: Inside the NFL Players Modern Pacific Northwest HomeBy Juliet IzonCulture + LifestyleThe 47 Most Beautiful Beaches in the WorldBy Katherine McLaughlinThe warm greens and creams of the office create a productive retreat. A Restoration Hardware Belgian Classic Slope Arm Premium Sleeper Sofa covered in ALT for Living mohair and an Egg Collective Martie Desk anchor the room so flourishes like the Charlotte Perriand 528 Indochine Swivel Chair, and a vintage table lamp and stool from the Paris Flea Market can shine.A pair of Dumais Eyvind stoneware lamps handcrafted with slab construction sit atop Ritter nightstands from Egg Collective. An ALT for Living custom alpaca boucle rug covers the oak plank floors for a soft look and feel.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignAD100 2025: See the Full List of HonoreesBy The Editors of ADArchitecture + DesignBrandin Cooks: Inside the NFL Players Modern Pacific Northwest HomeBy Juliet IzonCulture + LifestyleThe 47 Most Beautiful Beaches in the WorldBy Katherine McLaughlinTo accommodate the primary bath and its luxurious tub, Taft-Gersten added a dormer to the back of the house that allowed her to create a primary suite on the second floor with a sitting area and ample closets.The primary bath features Waterworks Ludlow brass fixtures, a custom white oak vanity, Robern medicine cabinets, and a Glass Up Down sconce from the 1818 Collective.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignAD100 2025: See the Full List of HonoreesBy The Editors of ADArchitecture + DesignBrandin Cooks: Inside the NFL Players Modern Pacific Northwest HomeBy Juliet IzonCulture + LifestyleThe 47 Most Beautiful Beaches in the WorldBy Katherine McLaughlinThe walls throughout the house are painted in Taft-Gerstens favorite white Benjamin Moore Silver Satin and the ceilings in another preferred shade, Decorators White. The Bubble Mirrors in this guest bedroom are from the 1818 Collection and add some whimsy and spark to the muted palette.A casual outdoor dining area continues the outdoor entertaining flow especially in the evenings lit with Rejuvenation Carson Gooseneck Outdoor Lights and Dumais Large Signature Hurricane lamps from the 1818 Collective atop the table.Shop it out:Custom Made 1940's Style Shearling Lounge Chair"Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine" by Ren RedzepiLes Arcs Chair by Dal VeraThe 1818 Collective Le Voyage VaseALT for Living Cobble PillowDumais Made Eyvind LampBernhardt Ritter NightstandDumais Made Monaco Wall MirrorOlivia Cognet Apartamento Side TableFrette Classic Sheet Set

News Release 16-Dec-2024 Human civilization at a critical junction between authoritarian collapse and superabundance Systems theorist who foresaw 2008 financial crash, clean energy growth, and Brexit says human species is on brink of next giant leap in evolution to networked superabundance. But nationalist populism could stop this Peer-Reviewed PublicationSystem Shift LabA new scientific study published in the journal Foresight concludes that human civilisation is on the brink of the next giant leap in evolution. However, progress could be thwarted by centralised far-right political projects such as the incoming Donald Trump administration."Industrial civilisation is facing 'inevitable'decline as it is replaced by what could turn out to be a far more advanced postmaterialist civilisation based on distributed superabundant clean energy. The main challenge is that industrial civilisation is facing such rapid decline that this could derail the emergence of a new and superior 'life-cycle'for the human species", commented Dr Nafeez Ahmed, author of the paper, member of The Club of Rome, member of the Earth4All Transformational Economics Commission and Distinguished Fellow at the Schumacher Institute for Sustainable Systems.The new paper synthesizes a vast body of scientific literature across the natural and social sciences to offer a new theory of the rise and fall of civilizations in history. It finds that civilizations evolve through a four-stage life-cycle of growth, stability, decline and transformation, encompassing both material-technological as well as cultural-organisational change. Industrial civilisation today, the paper concludes, is moving through the final stages of its life-cycle - decline - which also means it is on the cusp of transformation. The paper examines a wide range of empirical data showing that a whole new material-technological system is emerging on a planetary scale as the old industrial order declines.The paper demonstrates that the increase in authoritarian politics, including reactionary efforts to protect fossil fuels, is among the factors that could jeopardize civilisation. Central to this decline is the global decrease in Energy Return On Investment (EROI) for oil, gas, and coal a challenge that can be mitigated by transitioning to clean energy sources, where EROI is exponentially improving.Major technological innovations such as clean energy, cellular agriculture, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and 3D printing are set to massively upgrade the material capabilities of human civilisation between the2030s through to 2060. Combined, and if carefully designed, these new material capabilities could create new forms of 'networked superabundance' that protect earth systems. While they could create unparalleled prosperity, these technologies are inherently distributed and decentralised, and cannot be governed by old centralised industrial hierarchies. This is creating a widening gulf between what the paper calls the industrial operating system and the emerging new system which is leading to major political and cultural disruptions in world affairs. Rising authoritarianism, the paper warns, could fatally disrupt the emergence of a new life-cycle for civilization.Ahmed concludes: An amazing new possibilityspace is emerging, where humanity could provide itself superabundant energy, transport, food and knowledge without hurting the earth. This could be the next giant leap in human evolution. But if we fail to genuinely evolve as humans by rewiring how we govern these emerging capabilities responsibly and for the benefit of all, they could be our undoing. Instead of evolving, we would regress if not collapse. The rise in authoritarian and far-right governments around the world, increases this grave risk of collapse. The incoming Donald Trump administration, with its commitment to elevating fossil fuels while gutting clean energy as well as its focus on centralising power along ethnonationalist lines could prevent us successfully moving through the planetary phase shift to the next stage of human evolution.Nafeez Ahmed is a renowned systems theorist and forecaster who has predicted some of the most significant events of the last 20 years. Ahmed originally launched his research at the UN Summit of the Future in August, where he spoke at the UN Headquarters about his findings at an event sponsored by the Governments of Panama and Antigua & Barbuda.NOTES FOR EDITORSPublication The new paper, Planetary phase shift as a new systems framework to navigate the evolutionary transformation of human civilisation has just been released in November in the double-blind peer-reviewed journal Foresight: The Journal of Futures Studies, published by the global science publisher Emerald. Foresight is one of the most respected journals in the field of futures studies.Synthesising a vast body of data from across the natural and social sciences including physics, climate, energy, food, transport, materials, information, geopolitics, history and beyond the new paper by Dr Nafeez Ahmed creates a breakthrough multidisciplinary systems framework called Planetary Phase Shift theory.CitationAhmed, N.(2024), "Planetary phase shift as a new systems framework to navigate the evolutionary transformation of human civilisation",Foresight, Vol. ahead-of-print https://doi.org/10.1108/FS-02-2024-0025Core findingThe theory is the first time that earth system crises, societal change and technology disruptions have been examined together in a single systems framework to understand how they are driving large-scale civilisational transformation.The paper concludes that: multiple global crises across both earth and human systems are symptoms of the last stages of the life-cycle of global industrialisation civilisation, which is the potential precursor either for collapse, or for a new civilisational life-cycle that may represent a new stage in the biological and cultural evolution of the human species.About the authorDr Nafeez Ahmed is an award-winning systems theorist and bestselling author of eight books. He is Director of the Futures Lab at Unitas Global Advisory, Executive Director of the System Shift Lab and creator of the AgeofTransformation.org newsletter on systems thinking.He was previously Director of Global Research Communications at technology forecasting think-tank RethinkX which has accurately predicted the rise of solar, wind and batteries, electric vehicles, and precision fermentation. Ahmed also accurately predicted some of the most significant events of the last two decades including the war in Afghanistan, the 2008 financial crisis, the exponential growth of clean energy, the break-up of Europe and the mainstreaming of the far-right among many other trends. Nafeez has twice been featured in the Evening Standards list of the top 1,000 most influential Londoners.Ahmed is a Full Member of the Club of Rome, Commissioner on the Earth4All Transformational Economics Commission, Distinguished Fellow at the Schumacher Institute for Sustainable Systems, and Advisory Board member of the Biophysical Economics Institute. He was Systems Change Advisor to the United Nations COP26 Global Assembly representing the global population. He was also a contributor to the Club of Rome report, Earth4All: A Survival Guide for Humanity, launched at the UN General Assembly in 2022.Ahmed launched the Planetary Phase Shift framework in the UN Headquarters in New York at the UN Summit of the Future in August 2024. The previous year he delivered a keynote address on sustainable innovation at a Heads of State plenary at the UN COP28 summit in 2023.JournalforesightDOI10.1108/FS-02-2024-0025 Method of ResearchSystematic reviewSubject of ResearchNot applicableArticle TitlePlanetary phase shift as a new systems framework to navigate the evolutionary transformation of human civilisationArticle Publication Date26-Nov-2024Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Only OneWho will win February 2025's RPG Royal Rumble? Kingdom Come, Assassin's Creed, Avowed or Monster Hunter?With 4 huge RPGs launching back-to-back in February 2025, can any of them stand out from the crowd?Image credit: VG247 Article by James Billcliffe Guides Editor Published on Dec. 30, 2024 In recent years, some of gamings biggest breakout successes have been released during the post-Christmas lull between New Year and Spring. Traditionally, its supposed to be a quieter time on the calendar - where were all too full of turkey and trimmings and sated by games gifted over the holidays to have an appetite for anything new.But for the last ten years or so, its been publishers secret weapon to cut through the noise and score a solid hit with an underappreciated gem that would otherwise get beaten out by bigger-name competition.One of the first I can remember was Dying Light, a bone-creaking 10 years ago already, which broke records on release in 2015 as a new IP, perfectly pitched at the peak of both zombie and PS4-era open-world hype.After that, it felt like almost every year a well-funded indie or under-rated series would sneak into success by ditching the Christmas crush in Fall and landing on a clear runway when players were supposedly spent up.But the trend was further solidified year after year, like when Resident Evil reannounced itself as one of the dominant franchises in gaming with the imperious Resident Evil 2 Remake, an incredible game that grabbed the zeitgeist and popularised a trend were still seeing today.In 2025 though, the cat is most definitely out of the bag. In February alone, were now looking at 4 would-be huge releases from some of the worlds biggest publishers and plushest independent studios.Some stumbled into the slot through delays and development mishaps (like Assassins Creed and Avowed), while two games on this list (Monster Hunter and Kingdom Come) have benefitted from the magical launch spot before, and are surely looking to repeat the trick.However they got there, February 2025 is shaping up to be an RPG royal rumble of epic proportions. Many 100-hour RPGs can make a claim for your limited free time, but only one can reign supreme - lets meet the contenders.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - February 4, 2025First up, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is stepping up to take the crown, literally. In some ways the most grounded of the 4 games, but the most ambitious in others, Kingdom Come: Deliverance works on the dungeons not dragons mantra to deliver authentic medieval role-playing thats one part ren-faire, one part sandbox adventure, and another part chaotic jank-fest.This is because Kingdom Come is developed in CryEngine, an FPS-focused engine designed to have a dozen characters on-screen at any given time, but stretched to accommodate the bustling towns and permanent world state demanded by an open-world RPG. The result, in the first game, was an incredible and beautifully realised world that was constantly teetering on the precipice.I played a huge amount of the first Kingdom Come and the series is full of novel role-play ideas that sound incredible in principle, but have mixed results in practice. For instance, rather than the traditional difficulty curve with skills getting more complex as you level them up, Kingdom Come tries to simulate your advancing knowledge by making things easier the more you do them. Image credit: Warhorse StudiosAn interesting thought, right? But it made things like lockpicking hilariously impossible at launch, and turned required story fights into a death loop if you prioritized stealth or speech. However, it also did really interesting things like scramble every book, recipe and roadsign until you found a monk and learnt how to read.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a direct sequel to the original, again starring Henry of Skalitz as a supposedly low-born blacksmith elevated by happenstance and ingenuity to become a key player in the fight for the Holy Roman Empire. Im really interested to see how the new game handles this realistic progression with an existing character (who cant just be zapped by a Forget All Your Powers From The Last Game Beam like Ratchet or Kratos or somebody).Reportedly twice as big as the already sprawling and incredibly deep base game, with much better performance and some of the major pain-points sanded off, how Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 adapts to this increased scope will be key to its success, which could easily see it surprise some people in a month of heavy hitters.Assassins Creed Shadows - February 14, 2025Despite its setbacks, I have faith in the studio that came out with my personal favourite Assassins Creed game - 2018s galloping Grecian caper Assassins Creed Odyssey. But as one of gamings best-known franchises, Assassins Creed Shadows has the most to prove out of any game releasing in February, particularly in light of Ubisofts recent, expensive, missteps in Skull and Bones and Star Wars: Outlaws. Image credit: UbisoftJapan has been a dream location for the series since Assassins Creed started, but with Ghost of Tsushima and Rise of the Ronin beating Ubisoft to the punch on what an open-world feudal Japan can look like, its easy to wonder how fresh and engaging Ubisoft can make the landscape - especially without the familiar, but otherworldly touchstones of Ancient Greek and Norse mythology.However, mechanically at least, Assassins Creed Shadows looks to address some of the key issues that the series has been crying out for. First, the dual-protagonists, the shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke, seem to have a much more involved, diverse and interactive range of combat styles, making use of katana, tanto short swords, kanabo clubs and naginata bladed spears and many more.Next, something I truly cannot fathom why its taken so long, is a reworked stealth system. Will this finally be the Assassins Creed where the stealth game actually has stealth mechanics - huge, if true.But on that front, there also looks to be an interesting dynamic between the two main characters. Yasuke, tall and imposing, is not stealthy in the slightest - in gameplay videos people literally stop what theyre doing, turn and look at him wherever he goes. Naoe, conversely, embodies the stoic, scarfed stereotype of the silent assassin.Watch on YouTubeI felt that Assassins Creed Valhallas runtime was incredibly padded, not just in the side-activities, but the main story as well, where you did not much but spam combat abilities and press triangle to interact. From what weve seen, at least some of Shadows missions expand on the less guided approach weve seen in the last couple of Assassins Creed games, so, with a greater variety of more engaging and meaningful play mechanics across two characters thrown in, maybe this can be the Assassins Creed that turns the series around yet again?Avowed - February 18, 2025The cruel irony of a delay in a fluid and competitive release calendar means that even if you run away from other games, theres no guarantee they wont chase you. So after slipping into 2025 to avoid internal Game Pass competition from the likes of Stalker 2 and Indiana Jones, Obsidian Entertainments Avowed now finds itself slap-bang between two of the biggest releases of the year - but is the low barrier of entry just what it needs to succeed?If The Outer Worlds was Obsidians slimmed-down and sci-fi Fallout, then Avowed is Skyrim by way of Dragon Age, as you explore smaller, self-contained maps filled with loot, baddies and the twisty quests full of surprise, tough decisions and intrigue that the studio is known for.Watch on YouTubeAs a massive fan of pretty much every game Obsidian has ever released - obviously Fallout: New Vegas, but Alpha Protocol, Grounded and even South Park: The Stick of Truth as well - Avowed is the game Im personally most excited about in February, but also the one I think might get glossed over.Set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, with a dreamy, sparkling and swashbuckling fantasy art-style, Avoweds strengths will lie in the quality of its storytelling and good old-fashioned questing; but if it can provide the gameplay hooks to go with that narrative complexity, then it can definitely punch above its weight as likely the lowest budget game here by far.Monster Hunter Wilds - February 28, 2025The Monster Hunter franchise is in such a different place to when Monster Hunter World made full use of a free week back in February 2018. After threatening to break out in the West for a decade, with a clear schedule and the worlds attention, this revamped and expanded Monster Hunter finally clicked in a huge way.With numerous imitators now also looking for a slice of the monster hunting genre, from the free-to-play Dauntless (a recent major update to which went extremely badly), to the indie Fera: The Sundered Tribes and bigger budget EA Original Wild Hearts, Monster Hunter Wilds has returned to mark its territory as the best in the business. Image credit: CapcomWhile the Switch-first - and brilliant - Monster Hunter Rise was a big success, it was still a smaller scale game built for a smaller scale console. Wilds on the other hand, looks truly massive, with more interactive environments, difficult to traverse terrain, and greater variety and verticality across the different biomes.Monsters burst in-and-out of sand, slither along branches to reach high places in battle, and travel in packs to overwhelm impudent hunters, adding yet more personality to the dangerous and expressive roster of beasts thatre the true stars of every Monster Hunter game.Make no mistake, Monster Hunter is no longer niche and this is sure to be a big hit - well just have to see how many explorers hold back their supplies in preparation before the expedition kicks off at the end of the month.So, which are you going to pick up? Which are you going to play in four years when you finally get around to it? The choices are seemingly endless this month alone, and thats before you even get to new releases like Elden Ring: Nightreign, Borderlands 4, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, Pokemon Legends Z-A, and, of course, the almighty GTA 6

I was there 30 years ago.Over the holiday season, we're republishing some of the best articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors as part of our Best of 2024 series. This article was originally published in October. Enjoy!If youre reading this on October 11th 2024, then 30 years ago today Final Fantasy 3 (aka VI) was released in North America. A lot of memorable games (Super Metroid, DKC, Earthworm Jim, Ridge Racer, and Doom II, to name a few) turn 30 this year, but Final Fantasy VI stands out to me because I was privileged to play and beat it a couple of months before its official release.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

In BriefPosted:7:58 AM PST December 30, 2024Image Credits:Akio Kon/Bloomberg / Getty ImagesNvidia completes acquisition of AI infrastructure startup Run:aiNvidia has completed its acquisition of Run:ai, an Israeli startup that helps manage and optimize AI hardware infrastructure.As part of the merger, Run:ai said its software, which currently only works with Nvidia products, will be open sourced, meaning Nvidia rivals like AMD and Intel will be able to adapt it for their hardware. We are eager to build on the achievements weve obtained until now, expand our talented team, and grow our product and market reach, Run:ai told Bloomberg in a statement. Open sourcing the software will enable it to extend its availability to the entire AI ecosystem.Nvidia announced its intent to acquire Run:ai in April. At the time, sources told TechCrunch that the price tag was $700 million. But the deal ran into regulatory hurdles. The European Commission and U.S. Department of Justice launched separate investigations into whether Nvidias purchase would harm competition.The European Commission approved the deal in December.Topics

In BriefPosted:7:44 AM PST December 30, 2024Image Credits:Justin Sullivan / Getty ImagesUK antitrust watchdog launches review of IBMs HashiCorp takeoverThe Competition and Markets Authority, the U.K.s antitrust watchdog, has opened an investigation into whether IBMs planned acquisition of cloud software vendor HashiCorp would affect competition.The CMA said Monday it was inviting comment on the merger from interested parties by January 16. The regulator set a provisional February 25 deadline to decide whether to clear the deal or refer it for further review.As The Wall Street Journal reports, IBM announced it agreed to buy HashiCorp in April for around $6.4 billion. The takeover, should it proceed, would extend IBMs push into cloud and AI, and give the company access to HashiCorps roster of about 4,400 customers.San Francisco-based HashiCorp, founded in 2012 by Mitchell Hashimoto and Armon Dadgar, provides tools to help manage cloud infrastructure and security.The CMA notified Hashicorp in August it would begin would be reviewing the merger. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also investigating the deal.Topics

AI holds huge promise for healthcare, but not just on the medical side; many startups are convinced machine learning-based systems can do a lot of good on adjacent tasks such as appointment scheduling and confirmations.Brazilian startup Carecode is among these AI believers. Its coming out of stealth with an ambition to reduce healthcare costs and improve medical outcomes by developing AI agents that focus on tasks that happen before and after a medical appointment and would typically be run by a call center.We tend to think that only the moment with the doctor is what matters, but after having spent 10 years in healthcare I realized that those moments [around the appointment] are as important as the medical encounter, CEO Thomaz Srougi (pictured right in the above image) told TechCrunch.Srougi comes from a family of doctors, but hes not one himself; his first-hand knowledge of healthcare comes from founding Dr. Consulta, a private medical service provider scaleup thats raised some $168 million in funding, and where he remains chairman.Carecode is still early in its fundraising journey, but already has an impressive cap table: Its $4.3 million pre-seed round was mostly funded by a16z and QED, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst, K50 Ventures, and Latitud Ventures, as well as high-profile figures from Brazils tech scene, including Nubank founder David Vlez.Venture capital in Latin America is still going through a startup winter but as this pre-seed raise underscores there is still funding for entrepreneurs with track records like Srougi and his co-founder, Pedro Magalhes, a former CTO at several other startups including BEES Bank Brasil and Z Delivery.I think that counts a lot for major VCs, especially when the world is upside down, Srougi suggested, also noting that a16z partner Gabriel Vasquez helped mature the idea for Carecode and move the startup from planning to the execution phase.Srougi is also drawing on relationships hes built during his career to find partners that can test Carecode. Early results with one partner it cant name look promising, per the startup, which said the results suggest its AI agents can do most of the work of a typical healthcare call center for a fraction of the cost, and even go one step beyond by proactively filling cancelled slots while leaving employees to take care of the most complex cases.Importantly for Brazil, Carecode meets users where they are, which is usually on WhatsApp where it supports both text and audio messages. Thats really important, because older individuals and the majority of low income individuals prefer to send WhatsApp audio instead of typing, Srougi said, adding that voice calls are also on the roadmap.These localization tweaks are one aspect that makes Carecode different from U.S. benchmarks such as Sierra, the AI startup co-founded by Bret Taylor. Another difference is Carecodes vertical focus. According to QED partner and head of Brazil, Camila Vieira Fernandes, this gives the startup an edge over horizontal approaches which often necessitate multiple solutions to achieve subpar results, negatively impacting customer experience and leaving significant value untapped.Market size can be a limitation to a vertical model, but healthcare in Brazil isnt exactly a small niche, and neither is the problem Carecode is going after. According to Srougi, healthcare companies in Brazil spend 50% of their revenue on contact centers and administrative payroll some $100 billion annually.Srougi and his team believe that going vertical in a market with specific requirements like healthcare will help Carecode build a moat compared to more generalist competitors, but the startup could also diversify later on. We may be able to go in the future to insurance, for instance life insurance and other sectors related to healthcare. We want to tap into payments. We may tap into financing. So all of that derives from healthcare, he added.