The maker of ChatGPT hopes to spur investment from the Middle East and avoid strict regulations on the development of new technologies.

MacworldApple is no stranger to unsolicited shots across the bow. The latest comes from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who used his time on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast to take a few shots at the iPhone maker.I feel like they havent really invented anything great in a while. Its like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone and now theyre just kind of sitting on it 20 years later, he said. Mind you, this comes after Apple launched several new products in 2024, including:Apple Vision Pro: A brand new category with several innovative features that propelled Meta to announce the Meta Quest 3 early and tease a pair of AR glasses that cost $10,000 to make.AirPods 4 with ANC: A new pair of mid-range open-ear earbuds with active noise cancellation for under $200.M4 Mac mini: A completely redesigned desktop computer thats smaller than an Apple TV.Thats in addition to the 5.3mm iPad Pro, 13-inch iPad Air, Apple Intelligence, Apple Pencil Pro, and four new models of the aforementioned iPhone. Now you could argue about whether a thinner iPad Pro or a smaller Mac mini is innovative, but to say Apple hasnt invented anything great in a while is a bit of a stretch.Its so bad, Zuckerberg continues, that Apple is due to get knocked off its perch any day now: Im pretty optimistic that just because theyve been so off their game in terms of not really releasing many innovative things that eventuallyI meanthe good news about the tech industry is its like,its just super dynamic and things are constantly getting invented.And I think companies, if you just dont do a good job for like 10 years,eventually youre just going to get beat by someone.Meta Quest 3 is just like Vision Pro if you ignore all the things Vision Pro does better.Jim Martin / FoundryThat someone, I presume, would be Meta. After all, back when Vision Pro arrived last February, Zuckerberg mused that Apples headset was basically a heavier, overpriced, inferior version of the Meta Quest 3 despite the latter having inferior passthrough and eye tracking. And lets not forget that the first-gen Oculus Go had its own growing pains. And its better we dont speak of the early days of Meta Horizons at all.But the real reason for Zuckerbergs Apple ire isnt invention at all. Its money. Zuckerberg wanted to tap into Apples quick-pairing AirPods system for the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, but Apple wasnt having it: We basically asked them Can we basically use the protocol that you use for AirPods and some of these other things to just make it so we can as easily connect? So its not like a pain in the ass for people who wanna use this?And I think one of the protocols theyve used that they built, they basically didnt encrypt it. So its like plain text. And theyre like, well, we cant have you plug into it because it would be insecure.Obviously, it would be a huge boon for the Meta Glasses if they just worked with the iPhone without needing to dig into Bluetooth settings. But if Zuckerberg really thought Apple was just going to open a proprietary connection method for Meta, hes more delusional than I thought.And not for nothing, Zuckerbergs claim that the protocol isnt encrypted is unfounded, as is his earlier claim that iPhone sales might actually be declining. You know what actually is declining? Facebook.There are plenty of things to criticize Apple about, but a lack of invention isnt one of them, especially coming from someone whose two biggest products were bought rather than developed. In fact, the only new product Meta has released recently is basically a Twitter clone.But hey, I guess Id be upset too if I was responsible for one of the biggest smartphone flops in history.

MacworldWhen you charge as much for a smartphone as Apple does, you need to have a seriously good marketing department. And even then, it helps if you give them something unique to work with.Some years ago, Apple settled on privacy as its unique selling point. This made a lot of sense, strategically: the public at the time were growing increasingly aware of (and in many cases irritated by) tech companies enthusiastic use of their data, and Apple really does have cleaner hands in this respect than most of its rivals. Virtually all non-Apple smartphones of note run an operating system made by the biggest data collector on the planet, whereas Apple just likes to sell expensive hardware.(Obviously it isnt, and indeed never has been, quite that simple. But as my colleague Glenn Fleischmann discovered when he addressed the matter back in 2021, Apples data-collection and -sharing policies have historically been far more hands-off than Googles. Not necessarily for any ethical reasons, but more because Google is in the advertising business and Apple isnt.)Since then, however, Apple has bumped up against two problems. The first is that, as soon as you start telling everyone youre a pro-privacy company, people start to look into your privacy policies to see if thats true, and they will rightly hold you to a higher standard than your rivals. Caesars wife must be above suspicion. And it doesnt look good when Caesars wife is forced to pay out $95m over non-consensual eavesdropping.In response to that settlement, Apple has publicly reaffirmed its commitment to privacy. Privacy is a foundational part of [our] design process, Apple said in a statement, driven by principles that include data minimization, on-device intelligence, transparency and control, and strong security protections that work together to provide users with incredible experiences and peace of mind. This applies to all of our products and services, including Siri, which has been engineered to protect user privacy and is the most private digital assistant.A noble sentiment, well expressed. (Well, all except the sly dig at the end. If you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar I dont want to hear you whinging about other peoples cookie consumption.) But its not enough to talk about privacy; Apple needs to demonstrate its commitment through action.Last year I expressed concerns about the privacy implications of working with ChatGPTbut the company was desperate to get a foothold in the AI market and evidently decided to hold its nose and do what needed to be done. Fine. But before that, there were concerns about tracking on the App Store. And before that there were privacy issues in Mail. Theres only so many times this stuff can surface and be plausibly explained away in yet another eloquent Newsroom article.Now, Apple does have a point: regardless of these gaffes, it remains the undisputed privacy leader. Other companies are worse. But those companies havent built their public relations strategy around safeguarding user privacy. Their customers have probably made their peace with data being collected and sold; Apples havent, and their confidence will be shaken each time its reputation takes a knock. Either make sure your privacy policies are above reproach or stop talking about it.The latter option might not, in fact, be a bad idea. Because the second problem is this: do people actually care about privacy? My suspicion is that, in a general sense and provided the data is anonymized, most tech users in 2025 have accepted that they are being tracked most of the time. (The prospect of something intimate and personally identifiable being leaked remains a frightening one. But until youre part of an iCloud leakwhoops, another embarrassing moment for the pro-privacy companythen it feels like something that will never happen to you.) Ask the average smartphone buyer if they like being tracked online, and they will say no; but offer to protect them from tracking for a price, and I dont reckon youd get many takers.Ultimately this is the quandary Apple finds itself in. When it gets privacy wrong, its front-page news; when it gets privacy right, hardly anyone cares. You can see why other companies leave the subject well alone.FoundryWelcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.Trending: Top storiesLooking back 25 years later, even Steve was wrong about Mac OS X.Thiago Trevisan explains why the Mac Pro is still the king of computers.At CES 2025, everyone wants to be just like Apple.Weve found 8 cool CES announcements every Apple fan will want to buy.If you used Siri in the past decade, Apple owes you some money.Apple Intelligence can still save AIby solving the smallest problems.The Mac can finally begin again in 2025.Apple Intelligence didnt write this headline. Which means you can trust it!Dude, youre getting an iPhone um MacBook er Dell Pro Max! Dells new laptop names sound awfully familiar.Podcast of the weekWhen Apple officially announced Mac OS X, it changed the course of history for the company. On the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast, we look at the history of Mac OS X, the effect it has had on the company, and what we expect in the future.You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast onSpotify,Soundcloud, thePodcasts app, orour own site.Reviews cornerBest antivirus for Mac 2025: Top security software compared.Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor review: Decent for specific use cases.Acronis True Image for Mac review: Admirable antivirus protection.Ugreen NASync DXP480T Plus review: A network-attached storage device capable of supporting your home.Dockcase Smart MagSafe M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure review: Storage puck for the iPhone.The rumor millThe iPad 11 and iPhone SE 4 are on the iOS 18.3 train but wont arrive till April.Apples next iPhone app could be an easy way to manage event invitations.Software updates, bugs, and problemsApple vows to clarify AI summaries after spate of fake news alerts.iOS 18.2.1 has emergency bug fixes for unknown iPhone issues.And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up forour newsletters. You can also follow uson Facebook, Threads, or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

The next wave of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is already under way, as AI agents AI applications that can function independently and execute complex workflows with minimal or limited direct human oversight are being rolled out across the tech industry.Unlike a large language model (LLM) or generative AI (genAI) tools, which usually focus on creating content such as text, images, and music,agentic AIis designed to emphasize proactive problem-solving and complex task execution, much as a human would. The key word is agency, or software that can act on its own.AI agents can combine multiple capabilities (such as language understanding, reasoning, decision-making, and planning), and execute actions in a broader context, such as controlling robots, managing workflows, or interacting with APIs. They can even be grouped together, allowing a multi-AI agent system working together to solve tasks in a distributed and collaborative way. (OpenAI unveiled Swarm, an experimental multi-agentic framework last fall.)Agents can also use LLMs as part of its decision-making or interaction strategy. For example, while the OpenAIs LLM-based ChatGPT can generate a poem, or Googles BERT can classify sentiment in a sentence, an AI agent such as Siri or Alexa can be used to control smart devices and set reminders.Benjamin Lee, a professor of engineering and computer science at the University of Pennsylvania, said agentic AI is poised to represent a paradigm shift. Thats because the agents could boost productivity by enabling humans to delegate large jobs to an agent instead of individual tasks.Specialized models could compute answers with fewer calculations and less energy, with agents efficiently choosing the right model for each task a challenge for humans today, according to Lee.Research in artificial intelligence has, until recently, focused on training models that perform well on a single task, Lee said, but a job is often comprised of many interdependent tasks. With agentic AI, humans no longer provide the AI an individual task but rather provide the AI a job. An intelligent AI will then strategize and determine the set of tasks needed to complete that job.According to Capgemini, 82% of organizations plan to adopt AI agents over the next three years, primarily for tasks such as email generation, coding, and data analysis. Similarly, Deloitte predicts that enterprises using AI agents this year will grow their use of the technology by 50% over the next two years.Such systems exhibit characteristics traditionally found exclusively in human operators, including decision-making, planning, collaboration, and adapting execution techniques based on inputs, predefined goals, and environmental considerations, Capgemini explained.A warning against unsupervised AICapgemini also warned that organizations planning to implement AI agents should establish safeguards to ensure transparency and accountability for any AI-driven decisions. Thats because AI agents that use unclean data can introduce errors, inconsistencies, or missing values that make it difficult for the model to make accurate predictions or decisions. If the dataset has missing values for certain features, for instance, the model might incorrectly assume relationships or fail to generalize well to new data.An agent could also draw data from individuals without consent or use data thats not anonymized properly, potentially exposing personally identifiable information. Large datasets with missing or poorly formatted data can also slow model training and cause it to consume more resources, making it difficult to scale the system.In addition, while AI agents must also comply with the European Unions AI Act and similar regulations, innovation will quickly outpace those rules. Businesses must not only ensure compliance but also manage various risks, such as misrepresentation, policy overrides, misinterpretation, and unexpected behavior.These risks will influence AI adoption, as companies must assess their risk tolerance and invest in proper monitoring and oversight, according to a Forrester Research report The State Of AI Agents published in October.Matt Coatney, CIO of business law firm Thompson Hine, said his organization is already actively experimenting with agents and agentic systems for both legal and administrative tasks. However, we are not yet satisfied with their performance and accuracy to consider for real-world workflows quite yet, he said, adding that the firm is focused on agent use in contract review, billing, budgeting, and business development.Thompson Hine employs more than 400 attorneys, operates in nine US states and promotes its use of advanced technologies, including AI, in providing legal services.Coatney stressed that research and development around AI agents is still evolving. Most commercially available tools are either fledgling startups or open-source projects like Autogen (Microsoft). Established players such as Salesforce and ServiceNow highlight AI agents as key features, but the term agent remains loosely defined and is often overused in marketing, he said.For example, Salesforce Einstein is designed to enhance customer relationship management using predictive analytics and automation. And Auto-GPT enables users to create an autonomous assistant to complete complex tasks by analyzing a text prompt with GPT-4 and GPT-4o then breaking the goal into manageable subtasks.Forrester ResearchAI agents are still largely experimental, but looking at where enterprises have historically invested in automation is instructive, Coatney said. Time-consuming, frequent tasks are ripe for this type of solution: finance, operations, administrative processes, etc. Additionally, AI agents are being explored for tasks where genAI)is specifically strong, such as writing.For instance, one could imagine a multi-agent system involving an AI project manager, blog writer, brand manager, editor, and SEO specialist working in concert to automatically create on-brand marketing material, he said.These agents leverage the strengths of multiple paradigms while mitigating risk by using more deterministic techniques when appropriate, Coatney said. I am particularly excited about the potential of integrating systems and data both within and beyond the enterprise. I see great potential in unlocking value still largely isolated in departmental and vendor silos.Forrester ResearchLimited capabilities todayTom Coshow, a senior director analyst at Gartner, said many agents today have limited independence, making few decisions and often requiring human review of their actions. Additionally, one of the bigger challenges with deploying agents is ensuring theyre grounded with quality data that produce consistent results, he said.AI agents are tricky to deploy and require extensive testing and monitoring, Coshow said. The AI agent market is bubbling with startups, the hyper scalers,former RPA [Robotic Process Automation] companies, former conversational AI companies and data and analytics firms.Yet, businesses are optimistic about AI broadly, hoping automation will drive efficiency and better business outcomes. Among tech decision-makers who work in services, according to Forrester Research, 70% of businesses expect their organization will increase spending on third-party RPA and automation services in the next 12 months.Among digital business strategy decision-makers, 92% say that their firm is investing in chatbots or plans to do so in the next two years; 89% said the same about Autonomy, Will, and Agency technology the three main facets that allow AI agents to act with varying levels of independence and intentionality.Businesses must navigate a convoluted landscape of standalone solutions with piecemeal applications lacking an overarching framework for effective coordination or orchestration, Forrester explained in a September report, AI Agents: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.The challenge is that AI agents must both make decisions and execute processes, which requires integrating automation tools like iPaaS and RPA with AIs flexible decision-making, Forrester said.Last year, companies such as Salesforce, ServiceNow, Microsoft, and Workday introduced AI agents to streamline tasks such as recruiting, contacting sales leads, creating marketing content, and managing IT.At Johnson & Johnson, AI agents now assist in drug discovery by optimizing chemical synthesis, including determining the best timing for solvent switches to crystallize molecules into drugs. While effective, the company remains cautious about potential risks, like biased outputs or errors, according to CIO Jim Swanson.Like other cutting-edge AI solutions, agents require significant technical and process expertise to effectively deploy, Thompson Hines Coatney said. Since they are so new and experimental, the jury is still out as to whether the increased value is worth the complexity of setting them up and thoroughly testing them. ROI, as it always has been, is highly project dependent.

If you were ever on the fence about Dynasty Warriors, Origins leaves little room for excuses to jump into the iconic musou series. As the name suggests, Origins is something of a reboot for the series. This game essentially distills the Dynasty Warriors experience into an intimate origin story of the eponymous three kingdoms era through the eyes of a nameless hero. Its the perfect place to jump in, and not just because the main character has amnesia and acts as the trope-filled springboard for new players.Dynasty Warriors: Origins begins at the very beginning of Three Kingdoms lore. The Yellow Turban Uprising is blossoming and the fall of the Han dynasty is at hand. What we have here is something vastly more story-driven and personal than other games in the series. This almost feels like a JRPG at times, what with the amnesiac protagonist, bond events, and branching narrative covering the games latter half. Though this fresh new direction still feels rather limited and in its infancy, it is welcome considering the quantity over quality bloat weve been getting with recent titles like Dynasty Warriors 9. This is a much more dialed-in experience, something that leaves breathing room and doesnt shy away from intimate character moments. And not to worry, musou vets, the difficulty isnt sacrificed for the sake of new players here. This game offers plenty of depth and challenge for longstanding players, though some of veers in the irritating direction.Unfortunately for vets and cadets alike, the gameplay can only be experienced from the perspective of the nameless protagonist. A protagonist who players cannot create themselves or customize with regard to cosmetics. Yes, despite the perfect opportunity with such a blank slate, Origins has no character creation whatsoever. At least the unnamed amnesiac can wield up to nine different weapon types with unique arts and combos. Theres plenty of variety in that sense at least."You can wield up to nine different weapon types; each handle differently and feature individual arts and combos, providing plenty of variety"Likewise, the skill tree gives the player some choice in what combat style to prioritize. Want to play as a heavy defensive tank DPS build? The Podaos massive impact along with defensive-oriented accessories and skills allow you to be an impenetrable stone wall if you so wish. And really, I do appreciate just how different each weapon type feels. The aforementioned Podao is a slow but deadly thing that feels every bit as heavy as it is. And the unique arts that go with the spear make you feel like a high-flying dragoon with its aerial javelin antics, for example. Another plus is you can switch up weapons mid-battle, just in case a particular build strategy isnt working well against an army.But even with adequate build options, its still a bit of a bummer that we cant control a bevy of heroes like you could in past entries. Origins does hand you the reigns of nine historical officers if you choose to partner with them during specific battles, but your control over them is very brief. Guan Hu or Zhang Fei, for example, can accompany you throughout Liu Bei-specific battles, backing you up every step of the way with some light attacks. When the officer swap gauge fills up enough, you can briefly control them, using unique arts and an ultimate musou attack at the end of your two-minute glory rampage. And a rampage it is, since these nine companion heroes can alter the tide of battle when its your time to control them. They hit twice as hard as the protagonist, and their ultimate attack will decimate waves of troops and bosses in a single blow."When the companion meter fills up enough, you can briefly control them, using unique arts and an ultimate musou attack at the end of your two-minute glory rampage."So short-lived these hero moments are that it leaves one wanting a bit more. Oh well; our nameless protagonist is still fun to control, even if we cant customize him or switch characters very often. And at least theres some good variety in his playstyle, something later recent Dynasty Warriors titles have lacked despite their 90-plus officer rosters.Origins may not have a breathtaking officer roster, but what it does have is depth and characterization with its cast. The historical figures of Three Kingdoms lore are characterized really well here. Theres a conscientious attention to detail regarding every characters personality and story that just cant be compared to other games in the series. This is easily the most intimate and in-depth we get to these beloved characters in the gaming landscape."This is easily the most intimate and in-depth we get to these beloved characters in the gaming landscape."As a lone officer, you build relationships with a bevy of these characters and get to see different sides of their personality. Characters are voice acted in English and Japanese, with occasional incidental dialogue getting the text only treatment. Zhang Fei is especially well-portrayed and likable with his rugged personality, ever hesitant to admit how much he appreciates his sworn brothers. Theres a lot of wholesome moments that got me to crack a smile or laugh; most of these were through the games bond events.The bond system, while having some really nice character moments, doesnt quite give the player substantive choices or any kind of friendship path. Its simply a series of short hang-out cutscenes that add motive, story, and characterization to these popular characters. Bonds tie into gameplay with the various challenges characters give the player. Rank your bond enough with others and youll receive new challenges and rewards. Challenges are basically just checklists or small battles, so dont expect too much from them either.The branching paths presented in chapter 3 fulfil that decision-based gameplay that bonds dont. The three paths in question are in fact the three fledgling kingdoms ruled by Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and the ever radiant Sun Jian."The branching paths presented in chapter 3 fulfil that decision-based gameplay that bonds dont."Choosing which fledgling kingdom to support brings you down a unique story route and gameplay experience (and a secret true ending). My persistent bonding with Diaochan may not have lead anywhere different from any other playthrough but the choice to back one of three kingdoms certainly did. I assume most will side with the friendly entourage of Liu Bei over Cao Cao and Sun Jians uprisings, but bonds with all three of these leaders and their portrayal here is so well done that I was torn on who to ultimately side with. At the end of the day, Im just impressed the game made me care enough about Cao Cao and Sun Jians forces to have me consider siding against Liu Bei and his sworn brothers. Its a testament to the quality the characterization has during the first half of the game.Origins provides some solid replayability in this sense. While route may take 20 hours to complete, the other two routes easily crank that playtime up to double that. Part of what makes Dynasty Warriors: Origins a 20 hour game is its (mostly) lean game flow. Unlike Dynasty Warriors 9, Origins isnt set in a bloated open-world. No, it doesnt even try to attempt such an endeavor, and Im thankful it doesnt. Instead, battles and events are navigated through a compact overworld. You can walk or gallop to main story battles, skirmishes, challenges, bond events, and towns (where you buy, sell, and rest). The games difficulty curve necessitates grind in some spots, but it doesnt feel too arduous despite the combats repetitiveness at times."battles and events are navigated through a compact overworld."Dont expect much in the way of exploration. Yeah, theres pyroxene and old coins to collect materials which level up accessories and provide bond boosts but theres little else to do than go to your objectives within the overworld. I do wish there was an easier way to navigate between provinces on the map menu screen since scrolling with the cursor to find where a character or event is can be clunky. Battle and character tabs are helpful, and the instant fast-travel is indeed appreciated, but the omission of a province tab feels like a small undersight worth mentioning.When youre not grinding out skirmish battles or bonding with characters, youre probably engaging in huge story battles. These are the meat and potatoes of Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and theres a lot here to love and gripe about for the veteran and newcomer alike. This is a tried and true 1-v-1000 musou game like the others in the series, with some slight additions that refine things a bit. Although its unlocked pretty late into the game, having a small squad of troops to command during battles provides a nice strategic layer to the hack-n-slash core. I only wish more was done with squads. The small repertoire of commands that can be given from arrow volleys to charges are fun and useful, but dont remedy one of my biggest gripes with this game: responding to desperate fights.A desperate fight is when a fellow officer faces a near-death situation with an opponent, and let me tell you, if you dont respond immediately, it usually spells defeat. Youll often find yourself running from one end of the battlefield to the other saving multiple officers from defeat. Careful strategic planning and movement can prevent fellow officers from needing constant aid, but it often requires prior experience with the particular battle to know which positions to defend when."A desperate fight is when a fellow officer faces a near-death situation with an opponent, and let me tell you, if you dont respond immediately, it usually spells defeat."I love the idea of battlefield positioning and management of troop morale, and its generally done well in this game, but running around responding to desperate fights feels like needless and unfun busywork rather than smart battlefield tactics. Your small squad of troops couldve alleviated this with a remote aid reinforcement command to assist struggling officers in different areas of the map, but nope. Youre relegated to local commands of your squad, at least for 90% of a playthrough. But hey, at least you have a trusty horse to take you across the battlefield, right? That too isnt unlocked until a a little ways into the game, though I do like the mobility and upgrades that you get for the horse later.Running around the map like a headless chicken isnt just an isolated low-point with this game, though. It also leads to another flaw: inconsistent checkpointing. Origins allows players to recreate the battlefield upon a loss. Recreating the battlefield essentially gives you a lay of the land with unit positions and a timeline of the action. Most importantly, it lets you choose the specific checkpoint to restart from. This sounds great on paper, but the checkpoints often overwrite each other indiscriminately."Recreating the battlefield essentially gives you a lay of the land with unit positions and a timeline of the action. Most importantly, it lets you choose the specific checkpoint to restart from."This can cause headaches because if you make a mistake or just experiment a bit on the battlefield, you may have to checkpoint from that moment, leaving you with a losing hand, so to speak. Even when a checkpoint is clearly positioned at a defining moment of the battle, like a trap being sprung or a sudden surprise charge up a flank, defeating a commander or moving between bases can reset the checkpoint to mark your new position. While I appreciate checkpoints mid-battle, the overwriting checkpointing and inability to activate without a game-over often made restarting from scratch the more desirable option. After-all, the only option you have during combat is to withdraw entirely. The checkpoint system wouldnt be that problematic if it wasnt hindered by the desperate fight annoyances.One of the reasons why officers face desperate fights so often is troop mobs actually form a threat, unlike past games. You cant just blow huge crowds away like theyre ants all the time. Sometimes a couple well-timed parries will take out a large mob, but your squad can also assist with this through volleys and charges, which are always fun to use. The mobs are balanced to be threatening, yet manageable thanks to their inability to interrupt you during combos. Battles will still feel repetitive at times thanks to some grind and the irritating morale monitoring, but its not quite as monotonous as past entries."One of the reasons why officers face desperate fights so often is troop mobs actually form a threat"I do enjoy the emphasis on teamwork in this game despite some irritants here and there. The large-scale charges are especially invigorating. Galloping alongside Sun Jian and 100s of his troops against an ocean of troops with shields held high feels like my Lord of the Rings Helms Deep fantasies come to life. The Hu Lao gate charge is one such example of what Id consider peak Dynasty Warriors. With more troops on-screen than ever before, and all without dips in framerate, Dynasty Warriors: Origins provides some of the best musou action in the series to date. And with such well-portrayed characters, this is the perfect jumping-on point for those seeking some personality behind all the spectacle.This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Awesome Games Done Quick 2025 raises $2.5m | News-in-briefProceeds from week-long speedrunning charity event will go towards the Prevent Cancer FoundationImage credit: Awesome Games Done Quick News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 13, 2025 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Awesome Games Done Quick 2025 raises $2.5m

Chris Kerr, News EditorJanuary 13, 20251 Min ReadImage via California Fire FoundationNecrosoft Games is organizing an itch.io charity bundle to help victims of the California wildfires and wants developers to submit their games for inclusion.Submissions are currently open but will close on January 19, 2025. Necrosoft Games founder Brandon Sheffield explained that all cash raised will be donated to the California Fire Foundation."They support victims of fire with financial assistance, including funds to help rebuild homes, secure temporary housing, et cetera," Sheffield explained, speaking about the charity. "They also support families of fire fighters that have died on the job, and grants for community organizations that rebuild affected areas over the long term."Sheffield said the California Fire Relief Bundle will help those affected by the fires by providing direct financial assistance and grands to rebuild communities. He plans to launch the bundle on January 20 and reiterated the call is for paid products only."We are asking game developers, tabletop creators, anyone who makes paid products on itch to submit their work to this bundle," Sheffield added. "We are making this bundle to do good, but some folks will be buying it because of the 'value' for better or for worse. More free games also increases the vetting process on our end dramatically. This means all free games will be rejected."Sheffield has previously organized or participated in charity bundles in aid of Ukraine and Palestine.You can find out more about the bundle, including details on how to submit your title and an extensive FAQ, on the Itch.io website.About the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Marvel Rivals players are risking having their accounts banned by continuing to use mods even after a clampdown with the release of Season 1.Ever since Marvel Rivals hugely successful December launch players have used mods to create custom skins despite concern over account bans. Popular mods include turning Iron Man into Vegeta from Dragon Ball and Mantis into a goth. Theres even a mod that turns Jeff the Land Shark into Pochita from Chainsaw Man.Last week, alongside the launch of the Fantastic Four and Season 1, Marvel Rivals added a secret mod restriction in the form of asset hash checking. At the time, developer NetEase told IGN that the games terms and conditions prohibit mods as well as cheats, bots, hacks, or any other unauthorized third-party software. NetEase had already warned Marvel Rivals players that using mods might cause problems, and reinforced that message in a statement to IGN: "It is not recommended to modify any game files, as doing so carries the risk of getting banned."However, it seems some are undeterred. A workaround was discovered and is now widely circulating online and, while it involves more steps than previously, is manageable for most PC players.Modder Prafit, who uploaded their workaround to Nexus Mods, issued a warning to players: Use at your own risk, Prafit said in the description of the mod.By using this you are actually circumventing a system that was created to stop us from modding on the Season 1 patch start. No-one knows if NetEase will ban you, but they have never issued permabans as far as we know.Now, new mods have sprung up that take advantage of the addition of Fantastic Four characters. For example, Ercuallo's mod turns Mister Fantastic into Luffy from the manga One Piece. According to stats from Nexus Mods, this Luffy mod has already been downloaded over 5,000 times in the two days since launch.The question Marvel Rivals modders and those who continue to use them is whether NetEase will actually ban players, as its threatened to. The community has yet to unearth an example of a player who has been banned for using mods, but workarounds may spark further action.Why would NetEase want to ban mods? Apart from the potential lost revenue associated with the sale of skins and potential intellectual property concern, mods may affect the balance of gameplay or even the performance of the game itself. Indeed, modder Prafit said that their temporary workaround should only be used by those with a beefy PC.In the meantime, check out the Marvel Rivals Season 1 patch notes, and official stats that reveal Marvel Rivals' pick and win rates in Quickplay and Competitive modes for Season 0. And keep an eye on the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and vote on the strongest Marvel Rivals characters in our community tier list.Image credit: @Ercuallo.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Any good werewolf yarn, and plenty of bad ones, will tell you the line between man and beast is thinner than we care to admit. The same holds true for greatness and greatly missed opportunities. So much of film history is littered with stories of happy accidents and serendipitous choices that proved the difference between obscurity and an eternity of critical adulation.Unfortunately, there are far more examples of movies where those fortuitous twists of fate didnt occur, or they perhaps went the other way. Worse still is when the press gets wind of gusts blowing in the wrong direction. Such was the fate of 2010s now all but forgotten The Wolfman remake starring Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. Before the film was releasedand before it was even shotword on the street was that a disaster was imminent. After all, director Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer, Jumanji) agreed to step in at the 11th hour of preproduction after the more prestigious One Hour Photo helmer, Mark Romanek, left the project under a cloud of acrimony.We will not speculate as to what Romaneks version of The Wolfman might have looked like, but it is clear the one we got in 2010 after a hefty delay was compromised by studio second-guessing and with the scent of blood in the water. Even if the production had gone swimmingly, and the reviews were good, a Gothic period film budgeted at $100 million would be a tough sell. With reshoots it had ballooned to $150 million, and the critical knives were out.To be clear, The Wolfman is not a misunderstood classic of its genre. There are significant issues with its pacing, heavy emphasis on tacky jump scares, and even casting choices that hold it back And yet, if you actually revisit it 15 years later, or just squint, plenty of it still works, especially whenever del Toro is under the influence of legendary makeup artist Rick Bakers furry handiwork. At times, this movie rips, complete with nearly all the sumptuous and dazzling craftsmanship of some of the greatest Gothic hits of the then-recent 1990s.If a few key choices had just guided The Wolfman slightly to the left, or just a little to the right, it very well might have stood side by side with some of its biggest influences, chiefly Francis Ford Coppolas DraculaSleepy Hollow (1999). As it stands, the film still has enough bite to be worthy of a rewatch for a certain breed of horror aficionado who likes their red meat served with exquisite presentationand a side of ham.A Visual FeastRick Baker was the first makeup artist to win an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Beforehand it had simply been a special award handed out to a few undeniable achievements in the craft (1964s 7 Faces of Dr. Lao and 1968s The Planet of the Apes). The Academy picked a good year to start letting artists compete annually for the prize since Baker won for the greatest werewolf transformation of all time in An American Werewolf in London (1981).All bestial features and quadrupedal shapes, Bakers first werewolf was intentionally as far removed as possible from the iconic Wolf Man design in the original 1941 movie. It was a conscious choice to escape The Wolf Mans shadow, but it didnt mean Baker or American Werewolfs director, John Landis, lacked affection for the Lon Chaney Jr. classic. In fact, they were huge fans. And the O.G. Wolf Man makeup artist, Jack Pierce, also masterminded the appearance of Boris Karloffs Frankenstein Monster, Mummy, and a myriad other iconic Universal Monsters. He was an idol to Baker.So it was again fitting that Baker won his seventh and final Oscar for The Wolfman (2010), a film that acted as Bakers homage and salute to those boyhood days of watching Jack Pierces work on a 1950s television set. Bakers Wolfman design on Benicio del Toros face remains a stunning tour de force. Mimicking Pierces now bemusing yak fur and fuzzy beard, Baker created a mask around del Toros countenance that was both old school and a departure from everywhere cinema has been headed since the 1990s. The Wolfman, indeed, opened two months after Avatars virtual wall-to-wall sea of CGI.The deliberately retro throwback nature of Bakers work was dinged in some reviews in 2010, but its aged like a cozy fur blanket. And not only because of the Oscar it won. Bakers Wolfman may very well go down as the most sophisticated and ferocious rendering of the werewolf ideal which defined nearly half a century of horror movies between The Wolf Man 41 and An American Werewolf in London.Whether it was Oliver Reed or Michael Landon, all the great werewolves of cinema yore were emulating what Pierce and Chaney achieved. But arguably Baker is the first to improve on it by rekindling the iconic Universal Monsters look while also heightening its Gothic menace. The claws are longer, the teeth sharper, the clothes tattered, but the eyes stay expressively, and painfully, human. That is courtesy of del Toros greatest asset as an actor being left unaltered by Baker.Its a triumph in horror design and one of the many impressive technical choices made on this picture, for The Wolfman 2010 remains a visual feast of viscera and craft. When you go below the line, its clear the filmmakers and artisans on the project sought to honor the past, and not just of Universal Pictures. Theres also a Hammer Studios-inspired level of fiendishness about the gore in the movie, albeit without fear of 1960s British censorship.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The worldbuilding, meanwhile, seems to intentionally invite placement in the same Gothic setting conjured in Coppolas Dracula. The cinematography by Shelly Johnson bathes almost all of the night scenes in an impossibly bright moonlight. Eschewing the naturalism sought by most modern period piece films, The Wolfman exists in a horror Neverland where everything is cast in a pale light that at times almost renders its characters of marble and ivory that is before theyre drenching in red.Priscilla Johns costumes are similarly impressive, offering a little more historical influence to seep into Universal Monsters typical iconography, such as emphasizing the furs and pelts adorned by Anthony Hopkins big Sir John Talbot, who in this film is a former Victorian great white hunter gone to seed. Emily Blunt and del Toros mournfully British overcoats and hats are similarly exquisite. They all give the films production a stately grandeur that echoes old school monster movies, even as it replicates them with a style and budget far exceeding what were World War II cheapies by the time Chaneys original Wolf Man came along.The movie is simply fun to look at. Its also easy on the ears thanks to Danny Elfmans lushly romantic score.An (Almost) Oedipal TragedyThe technical merits of The Wolfman are undeniable, but they need to be in service to a story that grabs the viewer. This is where the 2010 movieThe Wolfman attempts to add psychological complexity to the 1941 classic while also mimicking Walkers success of turning Washington Irvings early American fairy tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, into a murder mystery whodunit.Hence The Wolfman 2010 opening with the hunting accident only alluded to in the 41 film which caused an estranged and highly Americanized son named Lawrence Talbot to return home to a cold house on the moors. In the new movie, Lawrences older brother is clearly slaughtered by a werewolf in an opening prologue. And the beasts arrival on his fathers lands draws Lawrence back for a funeral and a hope to find the murderer. Of course one look at Anthony Hopkins sinister and delicious interpretation of Sir John robs the movie of any mystery about who the werewolf in town is (at least until the enigmatic beast bites and curses poor Larry too).At its heart, The Wolfman (2010) wishes to be an Oedipal tragedy as defined by Freud. Sir John and Lawrence are not only estranged from their years apart but also by a sense of primal rivalry. Hinted in the script to have been a strict disciplinarian (or toxically masculine in the modern parlance), Sir John is suggested to have verbally and perhaps physically abused Lawrence, the fragile one. We also later learn he sent Lawrence away to a mental institution as a child after the boy saw his father as a werewolf.Indeed, Sir John is revealed to have spent the last 30 years or so as a lupine who would lock himself away in the crypt of his wife, and Lawrences mother, during each full moon. But after his eldest son, who we never really meet, becomes engaged with Gwenlyth Conliffe (Blunt), a woman who looks exactly like the raven-haired Romani whom Sir John married, and whose portrait hangs over his fireplace, the id inside of Sir Johns subconscious gained the upper-hand. He let the beast run free one full moon and it killed his eldest son. The next full moon, we get a front row seat to it damning the boy to a life of werewolfery.The film culminates in Freudian nightmare after Lawrence, who has taken up a romantic connection with Gwen over the several months the movie is set, is forced to indulge his own id. The climax of the film isnt whether the Wolfman will kill the girl, though that sequence from the 41 flick is repeated with loving affection; its father and son letting their freak flags fly and demons out. When Lawrences werewolf finally slaughters his fathers lupine alter-ego, it is in the burning ruins of the family home and beneath a portrait of the dead mother/wife. Gwen is a surrogate for the woman they both jealously commit murder over.It is a thematically rich conceit, but one which in execution is muddled. Some of that is perhaps because Johnston lacked a firm hand on Hopkins, who eagerly chews the scenery of every talky scene (of which there are many). Hopkins indeed snarls, chuckles, and literally winks at the camera in one bit after he tells his actor-son that it is up to him to decide if he wants to be or not to be.Yet in something as naturally melodramatic and heightened as The Wolfman story, Hopkins hamminess is not unwelcome. It might even have fit well on a Victorian stage where Freudian interpretations of the id and super-ego really were getting the center spotlight via adaptations of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. It also fills a void left by del Toro.It hurts to come down too harshly on Benicio del Toro, who is one of the best actors of his generation and also such an admirer of the original Lon Chaney Jr. movie that he became the one to convince Universal to remake Wolf Man as a lavish, R-rated horror movie. However, his naturalistic instincts and tendency to dramatically underplay every line is anathema to a story as melodramatic and florid as Wolfman.Whereas every scene del Toros Lawrence has with Blunt or even Hugo Weaving as a Scotland Yard detective shows his co-stars finding the right keys for such earnestly overwrought material, del Toros introverted tendencies cause Lawrence to fade into the production design instead of anchoring it with tragedy. And opposite Hopkins twinkling malevolence, he all but disappears.The lack of a compelling tragic hero also makes the films other flaws more glaring, including that despite Johnston enjoying classical Hollywood instincts, as demonstrated in the wonderful The Rocketeer and the similarly nostalgic Captain America: The First Avenger, his understanding of horror-building is off. The film is far too reliant on jump scares saying boo in absence of establishing genuine dread. And when the directors cut runs at over two hours, this becomes a substantial problem.Read more But When It Rips, It RoarsThe Wolfman of 2010 is a flawed movie that never quite stands at the heights it comes so close to conquering. Nonetheless, there is still a highly entertaining spectacle for audience members of a specific disposition.Once again, the film is gorgeous to look at in nearly every moment. The drawing room scenes may not emotionally ensnare you, but the werewolf attacks are a different animal entirely. What the film lacks in terror it makes up for with pure schlocky adrenaline and spectacle in its best set pieces.Pretty much every post-transformation scene where del Toro is in the full makeup is powered by a giddy gruesomeness. Its playing to everyone who watched the old Universal and Hammer movies and cheered when the monster made its kills. Johnston shoots the first sequence where Baker and del Toros werewolf literally disembowels and eviscerates the local superstitious townsfolk with the glee of Superman taking flight.And the centerpiece of the moviewhere poor Lawrence is tied up in a straight jacket and taunted by men of science in a London asylum on the night of a full moonis a classic setup of anticipation followed by swift dopamine delivery. For about 10 minutes these psychologists and white coats have tortured and condescended to our protagonist, and they literally laugh in his face when he begs them to kill him before he transforms. Its as unsubtle as an old Vincent Price movie, but unlike those, we arent expected to shudder at the ensuing horror. Instead we revel in it as the werewolf literally eats his tormentors alive and then is unleashed on London in a cyclical homage to American Werewolfs own tribute to the first Wolf Man.Its a pure play to the most base, lurid appeal of so many horror stories. Rather than hoping to scare you, it courts the lizard (or wolf) brain within, admitting so many of these monster movies are at their most entertaining when the monster is unchained.It is not the stuff of classic cinema, and certainly not elevated horror. But in fleeting moments, it is wildly entertaining for the type of genre connoisseur who can appreciate old Johnny Talbots best bit of advice to his son: The beast will have its day. The beast will out.

Dynasty Warriors is comfort food for me Omega Forces long-running series tells the same kingdom-spanning tale in with each instalment, always aiming to deliver on its 1v1000 combat conceit with each new game. Discovering the series with Dynasty Warriors 2, Ive returned again and again over the last 25 years to see this huge cast of characters play their part in the same epic tale developing favorites (hello, Guan Yu) along the way by sheer weight of time spent with them.So it was with some curiosity that I started playing the 10th mainline instalment. The title tells you what you need to know Dynasty Warriors: Origins is going back to basics, a reinvention that goes beyond the incremental changes fans have been used to from most new versions of this series.For a start, Origins tells a deeper, more focused story in fact only telling the first half of the tale were used to, but with far more detail added along the way. Dynasty Warriors games series typically begin with players crushing the Yellow Turban Rebellion, a battle that sets the Romance of the Three Kingdoms the semi-fictionalized historical tale of ancient China the games are based on in motion. But Origins first chapter shows us the Yellow Turbans faction forming, becoming corrupted, and then being taken down. Its an origin story for, well, the series traditional origin story.As part of that, were also introduced to a brand new protagonist (who you can name); an amnesiac travelling warrior with a past thats slowly revealed as you play. Youll spend the majority of Dynasty Warriors: Origins playing as this character perhaps the biggest marker that this game is making a major change. Where Dynasty Warriors games have previously had players pick from dozens of officers from across the many factions in this tale, youre now leading this single character through a story that puts you on path to meet those familiar faces (some of whom will be playable along the way).Its a bold choice, worthy of a game looking to shake things up, and it certainly lends a different feeling to proceedings. While Origins drops the open world format of 2018s Dynasty Warriors 9, having a single main character allows the developers to craft a more mutable Story Mode. Rather than moving from battle to battle with cutscenes in between, youre now placed in an overworld between main levels, able to explore, find secrets, tinker with your loadout, meet and befriend officers, and take part in skirmishes to level up.All of this speaks to a renewed focus on how combat works in Dynasty Warriors. While fans will be pleased to know that the bones of its classic hack n slash action remain in place, theres far more nuance on show here. Blocks, parries, and evades are far more necessary when taking on enemy bosses, miniature puzzle elements have been introduced to certain battles, and customizable Battle Art special abilities let you tinker with your playstyle for every weapon type. This feels less like an experiment for an experiments sake, and more like a confident step forward Im still getting the familiar feeling of being, effectively, a 2nd-Century superhero, but the added level of thought required for each one-on-one fight along the way is meaningfully different.And its that balance between old and new that defines Origins approach this is recognizably Dynasty Warriors, but with new ideas slotted in place among that familiar framework. To put it another way its still my comfort food, but with new ingredients.DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINSKOEI TECMO AMERICA$69.99Pre-orderPre-order bonus: Protagonist's costume "Nameless Warrior Garb"A "Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty" collaboration costume that can be worn in the game.Note: Please be aware that this bonus may become available for purchase or for free at a later date.Early purchase bonus: Early Works Soundtrack Collection (Digital Edition)A soundtrack featuring a total of 191 original music tracks from the series, including background music from titles spanning from "DYNASTY WARRIORS 2" to "DYNASTY WARRIORS 5 Empires," as well Omega Force's first title, "DYNASTY WARRIORS." The soundtrack can be played by accessing the main menu, Special Content, and then Music, and selecting "Early Works Soundtrack Collection."Note: The early purchase bonus will be available for those who pre-order or who purchase the game by January 30, 2025. The soundtrack includes content that is also available for purchase on music streaming sites. Please be aware that the bonus may become available for purchase or for free as add-on content for this title at a later date.Become immersed in exhilarating battles as a nameless hero in the Three Kingdoms. The most exhilarating action in the series' historyTension-filled battlefields where you clash against massive armies stretching as far as the eye can see. How will you handle the onslaught of enemies? Your military prowess will serve you well as you fight in tandem with your allies in tactical battles unique to the "DYNASTY WARRIORS" franchise and experience the most exhilarating action in the series' history. A new version of the Three Kingdoms from the perspective of an original protagonistThe story of the Three Kingdoms is set in the vast mainland of China where the convictions of different heroes intersect. Experience this magnificent and alluring world through the eyes of the original protagonist, a "nameless hero."Note: The product "DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Digital Deluxe Edition" is also being sold. Please confirm that you have selected the correct product before making your purchase.Note: Images are taken from an in-development build. The final product may differ from the footage shown.Note: If an add-on finishes installing while the game is running, it will become available after you return to the title screen.