Blue Origin is targeting New Glenns inaugural mission (NG-1) for no earlier than Friday, January 10, from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, the company announced on Monday.The three-hour launch window opens at 1 a.m. ET on Friday (10 p.m. PT on Thursday night).Recommended Videos Launch Alert | Were targeting New Glenns first launch no earlier than January 10 from LC-36. Read more: https://t.co/sqiw0t6qhp pic.twitter.com/B9ex8heWSc Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 7, 2025Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe NG-1 mission will carry the Blue Ring Pathfinder payload, which will test Blue Rings core flight, ground systems, and operational capabilities as part of the Defense Innovation Units (DIU) Orbital Logistics prototype effort. The payload includes a communications array, power system, and flight computer, which will be evaluated during the six-hour mission while attached to the New Glenn rockets second stage.RelatedBlue Origin said that its key objective for the upcoming mission is to reach orbit safely.Similar to how SpaceX brings home the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket, Blue Origin will also attempt to land New Glenns first stage on a platform floating off the coast of Florida, an effort it described as ambitious.Jarrett Jones, SVP of New Glenn, said: This is our first flight and weve prepared rigorously for it. But no amount of ground testing or mission simulations are a replacement for flying this rocket. Its time to fly. No matter what happens, well learn, refine, and apply that knowledge to our next launch.Editors Recommendations

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" PlayStation Productions showed up big at CES 2025. We not only got new looks at the second season of The Last of Us and the Until Dawn film, both releasing this April, but got confirmation of some other new video game adaptations during a Sony press conference.The first adaptation to be shown off was Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a new anime series by Crunchyroll and Aniplex. Its based on the multiplayer mode of Ghost of Tsushima, which is getting a sequel later this year in Ghost of Yotei. A press release from Crunchyroll also confirms that the series will premiere on Crunchyroll in 2027, is directed by Takanobu Mizumo, is written by Gen Urobuchi, and will feature a soundtrack curated by Sony Music.Recommended VideosHead of PlayStation Productions Asad Qizilbash and President of Screen Gems Ashley Brucks then came on stage to reveal more. While speaking on stage, Qizilbash confirmed that PlayStation Productions is working on film adaptations of both Helldivers 2and Horizon Zero Dawn.SonySony Pictures will produce the Helldivers 2 film, while Columbia Pictures will produce the Horizon Zero Dawn one. Not much else about these projects was confirmed at this time, as they all seem to be fairly early in production. We also now have more details on the PlayStation Productions adaptations coming out very soon. First, Qizilbash and Brucks teased the film adaptation of Until Dawn before playing a video message recorded by Peter Stromare to hype up the film ahead of its theatrical release in April. A Lego Horizon Adventuresmusic video was also showcased.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThen, Neil Druckmann came out on stage to close out the press conference. He gave a shoutout to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which was revealed at The Game Awards 2024. Then, a new trailer for the second season of The Last of Us was aired, giving us our first look at Kaitlyn Devers Abby and Isabela Merceds Dina. It also confirmed that the second season will start releasing episodes via HBO and Max this April.The Last of Us Season 2 Teaser Trailer #2 (HD) HBO seriesThose at CES 2025 will also be able to partake in an immersive The Last of Us themed experience. Its clear that PlayStation wants to build on the momentum it gained with the success of adaptations like The Last of Us, Gran Turismo, and Twisted Metal as it is now working to adapt even more of its biggest franchises into mediums other than video games.Editors Recommendations

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Table of ContentsTable of ContentsA sleek design and quality displayMuch improved health/fitness featuresAmazfit Active 2 price and availabilityAmazfit is quickly becoming one of the more intriguing players in the smartwatch game. After impressing us in September with its Apple Watch Ultra competitor, the Amazfit T-Rex 3, the company has now announced the Amazfit Active 2 at CES 2025.The Active 2 is one of the more affordable options in Amazfits lineup, but it sure doesnt give off that impression. Ive had a chance to use the Active 2 ahead of its release, and so far, Im impressed with what Im seeing.Recommended VideosJoe Maring / Digital TrendsUnlike the T-Rex 3, which is a big and bulky watch designed for outdoor enthusiasts, the Active 2 is marketed as a lifestyle smartwatch with a much smaller and more approachable design. Compared to the first Amazfit Active, which had a square Apple Watch-like display, the Active 2 has a round design that looks more like a wristwatch than a fitness wearable. The matte aluminum frame looks good, as do the notches and numbers on the bezel around the screen. Theres no rotating crown like you get on the Apple Watch, but you do get two physical buttons, both of which can be mapped to custom shortcuts/apps of your choosing.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsThe display is a 1.32-inch AMOLED panel that can reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits the same brightness level as the Apple Watch Series 10. Theres also an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustments, something that wasnt available on the Active 1.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe standard version of the Active 2 uses regular glass, though opting for the premium version of the watch upgrades it to sapphire glass. Ive been using the premium model for a couple of days, and while I dont have the standard version to compare it to, the sapphire glass feels fantastic. Its slightly domed in the middle and feels really nice to move your finger across. The screen quality is excellent, too displaying easy-to-read text, vibrant colors, and an always-on display mode.RelatedJoe Maring / Digital TrendsOn the health and fitness front, the Active 2 has a really robust offering. It can track 160+ different workout modes and auto-detect 25 workout types. Theres a new HYROX Race Mode plus a smart Strength Training mode that can automatically track sets, reps, and rest time perfect for doing strength workouts at the gym. The runner in me is particularly interested in offline map support, allowing you to download maps with route files for turn-by-turn navigation when youre out running and without your phone.Amazfit says the heart rate sensor in the Active 2 is much improved compared to the Active 1. The Active 2 has upgraded heart rate and sleep algorithms, matching the accuracy of the more expensive T-Rex 3. Also new is a barometer, enabling you to track sports like skiing.What else do you get? Amazfits Zepp Coach feature is present for personalized training and running plans, as is a daily Readiness score. Theres also sleep tracking, blood-oxygen tracking, cycle tracking, and a skin-temperature sensor.Making all of this better is the battery life. Amazfit promises up to 10 days of battery life with typical use. Whether it delivers on that 10-day promise remains to be seen, but even if it only gets halfway there, itll still be better than any modern Apple Watch and Wear OS smartwatch.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsThe Amazfit Active 2 is available for preorder now and will be widely available in February. The standard version costs $100 and, in addition to the regular glass over the display, comes with one silicone band in the box. Opt for the premium version, and youll get a vegan leather band anda silicone band in the box, plus the sapphire glass display all for just $130.The Amazfit Active 2 syncs with the Zepp companion app, which is available for both iOS and Android. In other words, whether you have an iPhone 16 or Google Pixel 9, you can use the Active 2 just fine.Ive not had enough time to fully review the Amazfit Active 2, but my first impressions of the watch are positive. The hardware is very nice, and the watch is incredibly comfortable. The display looks great, the interface is responsive, and the amount of on-board health features is legitimately impressive. How the watch fares throughout daily use still needs to be tested, but if Amazfit can deliver on what the Active 2 promises on paper, we could be in for something special.Editors Recommendations

Apple Intelligence Apple will update iOS notification summaries after BBC headline mistake It's unfortunately not possible for Apple Intelligence to make zero errors. Samuel Axon Jan 6, 2025 7:28 pm | 35 Apple Intelligence was unveiled at WWDC 2024. Credit: Apple Apple Intelligence was unveiled at WWDC 2024. Credit: Apple Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreApple plans to release a software update that is meant to help users understand better that its notification summaries are AI-generated and may contain errors, according to a recent BBC news story. The update is a response to reports that the summaries gave users misleading information about world events.For example, one false summary suggested to at least one user that Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had committed suicide. The notification in question was meant to summarize the most important tidbits from 22 BBC news app notifications, according to a widely circulated screenshot.Apple hasn't publicly specified exactly what will be changed to better inform usersonly that it will be a software change that will "further clarify" when the notifications have been generated via the feature that resides under Apple Intelligence umbrella.The notification summaries, which are generated for individual users and devices via a custom large language model (LLM) Apple has trained, already had a small icon on them to indicate that they were not normal, unaltered notifications from the apps in question.However, that icon's meaning may not be immediately apparent to most users.Users can disable the Apple Intelligence notification summaries by accessing the Settings app on their mobile devices.When contacted for a statement, an Apple spokesperson told Ars:Apple Intelligence is designed to help users get everyday tasks done faster and more easily. This includes optional notification summaries, which provide users who choose to opt in a way to briefly view information from apps and tap into the full details whenever they choose. These are identified by a summarization icon, and the original content is a quick tap away. Apple Intelligence features are in beta and we are continuously making improvements with the help of user feedback. A software update in the coming weeks will further clarify when the text being displayed is summarization provided by Apple Intelligence. We encourage users to report a concern if they view an unexpected notification summary.This issue cant just be fixed entirelyThe BBC stories about the error-prone AI have often seemed to lack understanding of how the Apple Intelligence notification summaries work, saying that they came "from within Apple's app" (the summaries are a system-wide feature) and suggesting that all users received the offending notification about Mangione (the wording of the summaries varies on individual devices depending on what other notifications were received around the same time).Nevertheless, it's a serious problem when the summaries misrepresent news headlines, and edge cases where this occurs are unfortunately inevitable. Apple cannot simply fix these summaries with a software update. The only answers are either to help users understand the drawbacks of the technology so they can make better-informed judgments or to remove or disable the feature completely. Apple is apparently going for the former.We're oversimplifying a bit here, but generally, LLMs like those used for Apple's notification summaries work by predicting portions of words based on what came before and are not capable of truly understanding the content they're summarizing.Further, these predictions are known to not be accurate all the time, with incorrect results occurring a few times per 100 or 1,000 outputs. As the models are trained and improvements are made, the error percentage may be reduced, but it never reaches zero when countless summaries are being produced every day.Deploying this technology at scale without users (or even the BBC, it seems) really understanding how it works is risky at best, whether it's with the iPhone's summaries of news headlines in notifications or Google's AI summaries at the top of search engine results pages. Even if the vast majority of summaries are perfectly accurate, there will always be some users who see inaccurate information.These summaries are read by so many millions of people that the scale of errors will always be a problem, almost no matter how comparatively accurate the models get.We wrote at length a few weeks ago about how the Apple Intelligence rollout seemed rushed, counter to Apple's usual focus on quality and user experience. However, with current technology, there is no amount of refinement to this feature that Apple could have done to reach a zero percent error rate with these notification summaries.We'll see how well Apple does making its users understand that the summaries may be wrong, but making all iPhone users truly grok how and why the feature works this way would be a tall order.Samuel AxonSenior EditorSamuel AxonSenior Editor Samuel Axon is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He covers Apple, software development, gaming, AI, entertainment, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for nearly two decades at Engadget, PC World, Mashable, Vice, Polygon, Wired, and others. He previously ran a marketing and PR agency in the gaming industry, led editorial for the TV network CBS, and worked on social media marketing strategy for Samsung Mobile at the creative agency SPCSHP. He also is an independent software and game developer for iOS, Windows, and other platforms, and heis a graduate of DePaul University, where he studied interactive media and software development. 35 Comments

Coloured transmission electron micrograph of H5N1 virus particlesScience Photo LibraryA person in Louisiana has died from a bird flu virus known as H5N1. This is the first known death related to the virus in the US. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has not identified additional H5N1 cases in the state nor found evidence of person-to-person transmission, indicating that the risk to the general public remains low.The person was hospitalised for the virus in December, after contracting it from infected or dead birds in their backyard. They experienced severe respiratory symptoms. It was the first serious case of H5N1 in the US. The LDH announced their death on 6 January and said that they were older than 65 and had underlying health conditions. AdvertisementIn total, 66 people in the US have tested positive for H5N1, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of them developed mild symptoms, such as eye redness, and worked with infected cows or chickens.H5N1, which has killed tens of millions of wild and domestic birds worldwide, has been circulating in dairy cows across the US for almost a year now. Genetic analysis of samples collected from the person in Louisiana indicate that the person was infected with the D1.1 genotype of the virus, which is similar to the viruses recently detected in wild birds, but distinct from the version spreading in cattle. There is no evidence that the virus can transmit between people.The analysis also identified several changes that may improve the virus ability to bind to cells in the upper airways of humans, which largely lack receptors for most bird flu viruses. According to the CDC, it is likely these changes happened after the person was infected any time someone contracts a bird flu virus, it gives it a chance to evolve and become better at spreading between us. One of the changes was also seen in a person who fell severely ill with H5N1 in Canada in November. Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday.Sign up to newsletterTopics:

Consumer tech spending could hit $537 billion in 2025, the Consumer Technology Association said.However proposed tariffs by President-elect Donald Trump could cut into that projected revenue.The CTA said tariffs could increase tech prices and lower consumer purchasing power by billions.Consumer spending on tech could hit a record high of $537 billion this year, according to a new report from the Consumer Technology Association.But those projected retail revenues might not be met if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on promises of sweeping tariffs.The CTA's report found the proposed tariffs could lead to tens of billions of losses in revenue, if not more. Trump has said he would institute a blanket tariff of 10 to 20% on all imports and an additional 60% or more tariff on goods from China."Such sweeping tariffs could have serious consequences on the market for consumer technology, greatly reducing demand for devices that are heavily reliant on Chinese manufacturing," the report said. "Additional tariff costs on tech products could also reduce consumer purchasing power by $90 billion, to $143 billion."The CTA's current consumer tech spending projection would amount to an increase of 3.2% compared to 2024.The CTA has previously found that under Trump's tariffs the average price of laptops and tablets could increase by 45% and of smartphones by 25%. Televisions could see a 9% price increase while video games and consoles could cost almost $250 more than their current sale price.Brian Comiskey, a futurist at the CTA, said at CES 2025 in Las Vegas this week that without the tariffs the industry was headed for a "super cycle" as consumers seek to upgrade their tech hardware to access the latest AI offerings, TechCrunch reported.Many economists have previously said that Trump's proposed tariffs would raise prices for Americans, and at a time when many are still feeling the impacts of inflation.It's still unclear how the incoming administration plans to implement tariffs. After a report from The Washington Post said Trump aides were discussing ways to roll out less wide-ranging tariffs, the president-elect denied it.Trump wrote on Truth Social that the story "incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be pared back. That is wrong."

I chose to be a teacher to connect with and help children the job wasn't what I expected.As a teacher I valued student relationships, but job evaluations focused on other metrics.After six years, I quit. Here's what I wish I had known before I chose this career.I had a lot of good reasons behind deciding to become a teacher, which included job security and setting a good example for my son. But after six years of teaching junior high and high school English, I'm leaving the profession for good. It's not because I think I'm a bad teacher, but because it has taken me some time to accept that teaching just isn't right for me.Here's what I wish I had known before choosing this career.The part of teaching that mattered most to me was not valuedWhat I found most rewarding about teaching was building relationships with students, particularly the difficult ones that other people had given up on. I became a teacher to connect with those kids, because I had been one of them.My personal barometer for success was when I realized that those difficult students were suddenly giving me a hug or coming by between classes just to see me. I knew I had gotten through to them and could help them build their confidence and see their own value in the world.The problem with me viewing that as success was that it was not what mattered most to my supervisors. As a teacher, I was evaluated on skills like classroom management, curriculum pacing, and testing scores. While I always put the impact I knew I was making with my students' self-worth first, that was not what my job performance was evaluated on.Teaching proved to have a poor return on investmentA few years in, I began to realize that a large part of what kept me hanging on to teaching was the sunk-cost fallacy. I had spent so much time becoming a teacher and learning how to be a good one, and I didn't want that effort to have been for nothing. Even though teaching was taking from me more than what it was giving back, I didn't want to give up on it because of how much I had spent becoming one.You shouldn't plan your life around your jobNot only had I spent so much of my past on teaching, but many of my future plans depended on being a teacher, too. When my son finally makes it to middle school, I wanted to have the privilege of teaching at his school so that I could keep a watchful eye on him. Middle school is a pivotal time for a young person, and I wanted to be able to steer him in the right direction if I saw him veering down the wrong path. When I left the profession, I was only one school year away from getting to teach at the same school that my son.The breaks were nice on paper, but I was too burnt out to enjoy themA major part of why I became a teacher was because I wanted to have the same schedule as my son. I also didn't want to have the added expense and stress of having to find childcare during school breaks. I liked the idea of having secured time off throughout the year that I wouldn't even have to ask for. The problem became that I was so burnt out from a day of teaching, I felt like I could barely show up for my family at home most days. And when those breaks finally did arrive, all I wanted to do was rest, not travel.The job made me sick literallyEver since my first day of teaching six years ago, I've dealt with health issues that I believe were caused by the stress that comes with teaching middle school. The healthiest I've felt during the last six years was when we had to shut down for six months due to the pandemic. Initially, I thought I would adjust to teaching, thinking that the job would become easier in time and that I would find ways to better manage the stress. But after throwing out my back one too many times, I came to accept that the job was literally breaking my back. I felt that my body was begging me to take care of myself and make some changes.I'm excited for my futureWhile my next career move is uncertain, my health is already improving.I had always wanted a job where I could help others, and I knew I was doing that with my students. But the worse I felt teaching, the more I realized that I couldn't even help myself anymore. Someone asked me what I would tell my son if he were in my situation, and the answer was obvious. I would have told him to quit. While it was extremely rewarding to help my students, I finally saw that I wasn't showing up for my family in the way I wanted to because the job was taking everything I had to give, including my own well-being. It wasn't easy walking away from what I thought was going to be my life's career, but my body is already thanking me for it. No matter how scary it is that I have to start over again career-wise, I know I've made the right decision.

What would you call the next console? (Microsoft)The Tuesday letters page thinks the Nintendo Switch 2 mouse theory is probably true, as a reader looks forward to Resident Evil 9.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukToo good to be trueTheres no way that rumour about the Xbox Prime is true, thats far too good a name for Microsoft to come up with. Itll be Xbox Two or Xbox 720 or Xbox Series Z.2 DX or some other nonsense that no normal person will ever remember properly. Although I dont know why they never went with Xbox Infinite, to tie-in with the Halo game. That would even set up the one after to be Xbox Beyond.See how much better I am than you at this, Microsoft? And Im not a pretentious marketing drone being paid millions for suggesting the name Xbox One.But seriously, I have no trouble believing that Microsoft is aiming for a next gen launch in 2026. People doubting it seem to forget that theyve already announced theyre working on a new format. You dont do that if youre three years out.I wouldnt be surprised if they started hinting more about it with their first Xbox Direct of the year, with a reveal in summer or autumn. Theyll want to get a look at what the Switch 2 is first but other than that there is absolutely no reason not to try and sweep the Xbox Series X/S under the carpet and move on.GracklePredictably unexpectedThose Switch 2 mouse rumours seem pretty convincing, but the big question is what does Nintendo want it for? Better controls for shooters hardly seems like it would be a priority for them, although I guess there is Splatoon 4 to consider.You could also imagine it being used for Pikmin 5, to make it more like a PC style real-time strategy game. Or maybe they just want to port a bunch of PC games in general? Nintendo games are never going to appear on PC but maybe Nintendo thinks they can have things the other way round. Like a previous reader said, theyd probably like to put a lid on Steam Deck before it becomes too big.Whatever they use it for, it seems weird and unexpected, which is exactly what Id want and expect from Nintendo.BogeyDeserved successVery glad to know that Resident Evil 4 remake is doing so well. As a fan of the original, I loved what they did with it and basically find it to be the perfect update. Hopefully itll also ensure that Resident Evil 9 is third person, as while it was an interesting experiment I really dont feel the first person games added anything.The only real reason for them would be to make them scarier but they werent particularly. At the same time they had the disadvantage of removing the character from the game. I know and love all the Resi regulars, but I still forget what whatshisface was called in the last two games.Open world could go either way, but Im more interested in learning what the setting is for Resident Evil 9. Did I hear someone mentioning vampires to follow the werewolves of Village?OpieGC: We think that was just a reader guessing. Technically, Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters were already implied to be a kind of vampire.Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukPartially portableTalking about the Xbox handheld, Im not sure if some of these companies really understand the concept of portables. Acer just announced the Nitro Blaze 11, which has a 11 inch screen. Its massive, like a small laptop.Ive no idea how much its going to cost but its clearly going to be hugely expensive, but I dont see the point? Its a portable thats not really portable and bound to be expensive enough that you could buy a great PC or console set-up instead.Or am I underestimating the number of people that want to wander around with a giant tablet in their rucksack, just in case they want to play Fortnite on the train? Whatever Xbox is cooking up, I hope its something more practical.TacleThe tripleI really hope that Platinum do manage to survive their staff problems as Id hate to see them disappear. I guess you could say they already have but, as you point out, none of the Bayonetta games have had the same director so I do think there is a chance they could do a new game and it be just as good as before.Im not sure why Nintendo keep funding them, giving they never seem to sell, but as long as they do Im happy to keep buying them. Id love for an Astral Chain 2 too as well. The first was held back a little by the Switchs hardware, so a Switch 2 sequel would be a great. Then why not go whole hog and commission Vanquish 2?LimptonThird bestHaving seen that Fumito Ueda is working on a new game, I got excited as I loved both Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus. I remembered that I hadnt finished The Last Guardian. I did start the game back in 2016, but found it frustrating, but enough time had passed so I got the game out started up my PlayStation 4 and restarted the game.I believe I was right back in 2016. Frustrating is an understatement. My swear box recently got very full. I was determined to get to the end this time, but it was a real test of my patience. Fiddly controls of the character (and why does he run on the spot like that?) and frustrating instruction to Trico, the bird/cat/dog companion. Why does Trico just walk off in the opposite direction to my command? Why has Trico just kicked me off the ledge/bridge? Continual repetition of the same gameplay? Repetition of Trico just clinging on with two feet after a longer jump time and time again. It needs greater variety.Although The Last Guardian didnt have much story, I believe it had too much. The beauty of both Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus was that the story was mostly left to the players imagination. Something that was also done beautifully in Journey, another of my favourites.After my initial excitement at the announcement of a new Fumito Ueda game, I am now not too bothered. But I hope its a return to greatness.EdPS: I do remember that Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus didnt have perfect controls, its not a case of rose-tinted glasses.GC: They also had very little variety in gameplay, but we agree that The Last Guardian is definitely the weakest of the three.One in a millionIf Notch is hoping to catch lightning in the bottle twice, with a new Minecraft style game, I really cant see it working out. Hes just going to learn what every other live service wannabee already has: nobodys got time for anything else, especially if its nothing new and just an existing game but slightly better.I dont think Microsoft/Mojang has done a particularly good job of shepherding Minecraft since they bought it but you cant argue with the numbers, so I dont see anything changing anytime soon.If Id made the worlds most popular video game, and made $2.5 billion from it, I think Id want to do something more than the same thing again. Either that or just practice swimming in my money pit.KoreyOld-fashioned ChristmasHappy new year to you GameCentral!For the first time in over a decade I didnt get a new game for Christmas. Usually, its a Pokmon or Dragon Quest title, but there just wasnt anything this year. Left me sad, so I decided to try a few games from the past Ive overlooked (note I now only have a Switch since I got rid of my PlayStation 4 due to never using it):Dicey Dungeons: I really enjoyed it, but it was bloody difficult! Even the thiefs first level took me three goes until I accidentally turned my thief into a bear and then I ripped through it (I thought turning into a bear was a joke, it wasnt, and lasted the entire run). Would recommend for those who like dice luck. Also, I saw it being called a roguelike, but as far as I can tell your character doesnt improve between runs, so surely its just a rogue?kami: I just couldnt do it. the talking goes on so long and so slowly and I cant see a way of speeding it up. The combat is bland, the painting is inaccurate, I dont see how this game is so highly rated (maybe you needed to play when it was released to appreciate it?) I got through the forest, but Ive put it down and probably wont go back.Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 (well, only 1 so far): Its pretty difficult to get to grips with but Im getting there, I think? Didnt start well, with the game telling me to move my character, but then not explaining I needed the D-pad instead of the analogue stick. I spent a good few minutes in the various menus trying to find the movement command before I realised! My bad. Afterwards I got on reasonably well, but Im still on the fence about it. Is it compatible with Baldurs Gate 3?Tropico 6: I replayed it, gotta say this and Civilization 6 are my go-to games for downtime, I got the Llama Of Wall Street DLC and its changed the game massively!Heres hoping for a good year ahead!SolaboundGC: You didnt fancy Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake? A roguelike is a game where you lose everything and have to start from scratch when you die. Although more modern examples often unlock some permanent elements, making them roguelites. Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 are a quarter of a century older than 3, so theres no compatibility on a technical level.Inbox also-ransIm still shocked that NieR:Automata has been so successful and weve still heard nothing about a sequel. I know the creator is a bit eccentric but surely he likes money as much as anyone else?BrutusGC: Its never been officially announced, no. Its debatable whether its been hinted at or not.If we get a Nintendo Direct in January, right around the time people are hoping, and its still not about the Switch 2 I will literally be ROFL.FocusMore 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: Could Sony quit the games industry?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

Why Ring Fit Adventure is the must-have video game of January 2025GameCentralPublished January 7, 2025 1:00am Ring Fit Adventure virtual jogging is so much more convenient (Nintendo)GameCentral recommends Ring Fit Adventure as the best ever fitness video game and wonders how a Nintendo Switch 2 sequel might work.The new year is rarely a busy time for new video games, even with the prospect of the Nintendo Switch 2 being unveiled at any moment. Therere a few minor releases planned for January, including Donkey Kong Country Returns HD and Dynasty Warriors: Origins, leading up to Sniper Elite: Resistance on January 30, but its not until February that the industry really gets into gear, in terms of new releases.In many ways it seems a missed opportunity, given that long, dark nights are prime video game-playing opportunities, but as far as publishers are concerned everyone should still be busy with the big pre-Christmas releases except there were unusually few of those last year.But thats okay, because theres really only one game that you need in January: Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch. First released in 2019, it is the spiritual successor to Wii Fit, only designed as an actual video game, with turn-based combat and the semblance of a story. We liked it when it originally came out, but five years later we appreciate it even more.Now that Christmas is over the only adverts youre going to see are for holidays and gym membership, with research suggesting that up to two-thirds of the latter are bought but never used. Most people would prefer to exercise in the privacy of their own home but, of course, keep fit equipment is expensive and takes up a lot of space.2007s Wii Fit was hugely successful but while no stats exist for how many people gave up using it within just a few weeks, its easy to imagine it might be a similar percentage to the gym no-shows. Wii Fit wasnt a video game in any real sense, with sterile presentation, a lack of structure to your workouts, and zero sense of fun.Ring Fit Adventure is completely different. Its structured like a regular video game, with a series of linear areas to run through, which are interrupted three or four times by turn-based battles. You select attacks according to the colour-coded monsters youre fighting, and then in order to do damage you perform workout routines in four broadly defined areas: arms, legs, core muscles, and yoga.To do this you use a Pilates ring with a Joy-Con plugged into it, with the second Joy-Con strapped to your leg. The Ring-Con is just a stretchy piece of plastic but its used for most exercises, as something to pull or squeeze or simply to move about when stretching your arms.The difficultly level is highly customisable, so its suitable for a very wide range of people. Although youll probably find yourself turning the dial up every few days, as exercises that seemed all but impossible at first gradually become more routine.This is the games great achievement, as since its structured and presented like a video game its far more engaging than Wii Fit ever was. Even though the storytelling is awful (the Ring-Con talks to you in-game and its horribly obnoxious) the sense that you are continually making progress, towards a number of short and long-term goals, makes all the difference. Ring Fit Adventure getting good at the tree pose is braggable (Nintendo)Although you can obvious track yourself losing weight (there were lots of stories, at launch, of people losing significant amounts within just weeks) the sense that youre becoming generally more limber is arguably more satisfying, as the number of moves you have to perform to complete an exercise slowly increase.When reviewing the game, we only got a couple of weeks with it, but multiple members of the team have kept playing through the months and years. Over that period of time, you begin to appreciate it even more, in terms of how well it gamifies the otherwise tedious process of exercise and how beneficial it becomes on a daily, practical level.More TrendingThis wont be the first January where, after overindulgence over Christmas and the New Year, a return to a regular schedule of Ring Fit Adventure exercise has seemed both necessary and welcome. Theres no need to go jogging out in the freezing January cold as long as you can spare half an hour or so each day with your Switch and Ring-Con.The game has been a massive success for most of the Switchs life (in Japan it surpassed sales of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild) and even now is often sold out. That level of popularity will not have escaped Nintendos notice and, even though it initially benefited from people being trapped in lockdown, it seems very likely that some sort of keep fit game will be released early on in the lifetime of the Switch 2.It may not be a direct sequel (were certainly not interested in seeing the same characters again) but were genuinely excited to see what Nintendo can do with the concept in the new generation. Video games can make almost any topic interesting, but they often struggle when it comes to fitness providing function but not form. Presumably this is an attempt not to scare away fitness fans but at the same time it does nothing to attract those that dont already do some sort of formal exercise.With Ring Fit Adventure, you get the best of both worlds and while its not perfect that only makes us more curious to see what comes next. But until there is a Switch 2 successor, well keep our Ring-Con handy and try to work off some of that excess Christmas cake by fighting monsters in turn-based yoga combat. Surely the spirit of Ring Fit Adventure will return on Switch 2 (Nintendo)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.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

During CES, Sony and Naughty Dog revealed a new trailer for the second season of HBOs Emmy-winning series The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. And now we know when its coming out. Its our first glimpse at the shows future since a teaser trailer released at the very end of September. The two-minute teaser, which drew many referential parallels to its 2020 Game of the Year-winning progenitor, picks up five years after the first seasons climactic events. In it, we see Joel (Miller) and Ellie (Ramsey)s found-family relationship unravel as the pair grow apart from that monumental moment in the first seasons finale. Unfortunately, the age-old adage of no rest for the wicked extends to the undead and the living as the duo fights to survive. As with its first season, time will tell whether the upcoming season of The Last of Us will dogmatically follow the story beats of its source material or play around with them in inventive and expansive ways. Were hoping for the latter.Joining Pascal and Ramsey to complete the shows cast are Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina (Ellies new love interest), and Young Mazino as Jesse. Similar to the previous season featuring video game Joel and Ellie actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson in cameos, the second season of The Last of Us will see Jeffrey Wright reprising his role as Isaac from the game. Additional cast members for the season include Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and fellow returning actors Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley as Tommy and Maria, respectively. In io9s review of The Last of Us, we lauded the show as the best video game adaption ever, writing, The season has a few peaks and valleys, but the valleys are never that low, and the peaks get incredibly high, resulting in a phenomenal season of television, destined to be one of the years best. The Last of Us season two is slated to premiere on HBO and Max some time in April. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.