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Spider-Man developer won't say if Wolverine launches in 2025, but acknowledges "pent up excitement" for release dateMurphey's claw.Image credit: Insomniac News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Jan. 23, 2025 Wolverine is going to be Insomniac's next big game, but despite the project being announced several years ago, the studio is still keeping a release date under wraps.Wolverine was first teased back in 2021, during a PlayStation Showcase. At this time, the studio stated the game was still "very early in development". It also still had its Marvel's Spider-Man sequel in the works at this point, with that project ultimately releasing in 2023.But, with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 now out in the wild, and Insomniac previously stating it had "no additional story content planned" for its web-slinging sequel, many had hoped to hear more about Wolverine. However, the studio isn't quite ready to share too much about its upcoming project just yet, although it appreciates there is plenty of "pent up excitement" around it.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The Death of Console Exclusives Is Inevitable and I Don't Know How I Feel About It. Watch on YouTubeOur latest morsel on the game comes gollowing Insomniac co-founder Ted Price's retirement announcement yesterday. The Wolverine studio now has three new co-heads - Chad Dezern, Ryan Schneider, and Jen Huang - and the trio sat down to chat with Variety about what this means for Insomniac, and naturally the topic of Wolverine came up.The studio execs would not confirm or deny a 2025 release window when questioned, but did Dezern did say this:"We've announced Wolverine, and we'd love to talk more about Wolverine, but we have to be like Logan today, and remain very stoic until it's time to pop the claws down the road. As much as we're as much as we have pent up excitement, we got to hold on to it. So that's, that's about as much as we could say about our upcoming projects today." Insomniac is playing its claws close to its chest. Other than that brief teaser from 2021, any official word on Wolverine has been slimmer than slim.In 2023, files were stolen from Insomniac Games by ransomware hackers. Following this attack, people began playing - and uploading footage - of an incomplete early development build of Wolverine, which was found within the stolen files.Then, in October of last year, it was revealed the game's creative director had moved across to Xbox, and joined the team working on the Perfect Dark reboot, meaning Wolverine would now be led by Marcus Smith. Meanwhile, Mike Daly became Wolverine's game director, while the game's previously announced game director Camerson Christain would remain with Insomniac, but in a different role.At one point, there were rumours Wolverine could release in 2024, which clearly did not happen. More recently, there was word of a 2025 release, which of course could still happen, so stay tuned.

Banjo-Kazooie composer has "zero hope" for new game, says fans would "slag it off no matter how good it was""All you diehard fans would instantly hate it."Image credit: Rare / Nintendo News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 23, 2025 Legendary video game composer Grant Kirkhope has said he has "zero hope" of seeing a new Banjo-Kazooie game.Writing on social media last night, Kirkhope went on to suggest that any new attempt at reviving the dormant platforming franchise was doomed to failure, as "diehard fans would instantly hate it" regardless of "how good it was".Kirkhope is famous for having scored a swathe of classic titles from the heyday of British development powerhouse Rare. He penned the scores of GoldenEye 007, Donkey Kong 64 and Perfect Dark, as well as Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart 9 have been revealed - but questions remain.Watch on YouTubeMore recently, Kirkhope's fame has been revived with work on more modern platformers, including the distinctly Banjo-esque Yooka-Laylee, as well as Ubisoft's Mario + Rabbids games."I hope that last tweet didn't come across as mean," Kirkhope added, several hours later. "The Banjo fanverse is a wonderful thing, the reaction when Banjo got into Smash Bros. is something I'll remember for the rest of my life "Fans of the classic Banjo-Kazooie games have long called for a new installment from developer Rare, but to date there's been no suggestion that one is in the works. Rare itself is busy maintaining hit pirate live-service Sea of Thieves, and has the long-in-development fantasy game Everwild next on its docket.Still, Banjo-Kazooie's popularity endures. Classic games in the franchise have been re-released over the years, including via Xbox's Rare game compilation Rare Replay, as well as on Nintendo Switch Online. And, as Kirkhope mentioned, Microsoft gave the nod for the characters to turn up in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Could there still be hope for Banjo and Kazooie yet?

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Wuuf WuufRobert Eggers is going from Nosferatu to werewolf thriller Werwulf and maybe this is the Dark Universe we deservedOne step closer to making a straight-up Bloodborne adaptation.Image credit: Universal Pictures News by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on Jan. 23, 2025 Nosferatu resonated with critics and audiences alike last Christmas and has gone on to earn over $150 million worldwide in theaters, a career-high for writer-director Robert Eggers. That may not sound like a lot, but when the production budget sits around $50 million, it's a win. Now, it seems that he's getting a shot at doing another crowd-pleasing horror feature and has set Werwulf as his next project.Of course, this is a werewolf thriller, and Universal's Focus Features division is backing it. The timing is funny, since Universal and Blumhouse have just released another 'werewolf thriller' in Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man, which unfortunately received a tepid response so far. While Eggers is surely doing his own thing again with this pitch, the upcoming movie marks yet another push from the production and distribution company into the realm of classical monsters after the MCU-like Dark Universe crashed and burned before it even took off.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, instantly shooting down unconfirmed rumors that the filmmaker was circling a Labyrinth remake (at least for now). The project is being fast-tracked according to THR's sources, with Christmas 2026 currently set as the release target. This suggests that Eggers had a script locked and ready to go following Nosferatu's release; he'd teased in the past he had firm plans in place for at least a couple of movies after his latest.Werwulf will also mark a reunion with Icelandic poet, novelist, lyricist, and screenwriter Sjn, who co-wrote The Northman with the filmmaker. The story is seemingly set in 13th-century England and will (of course) feature "dialogue that was true to the time period and has translations and annotations for those uninitiated in Old English." Eggers is going sicko mode again, hell yeah. His original plans to shoot it start-to-finish in black and white have been binned though.With a late 2026 release window tentatively set, production should kick off this year, probably in the second half, so expect casting news in the coming months. For now, we know that he's eager to work again with Willem Dafoe again after the veteran actor delivered three standout performances in The Lighthouse, The Northman, and Nosferatu. Will another Skarsgrd show up for this one?

Doomed To More GamesWatch the Xbox Developer Direct showcase for January 2025 hereMore of the video games, this time from Phil Spencer and co.Image credit: Xbox News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Jan. 23, 2025 Do you like video games that have something to do with Xbox? Well, if so, you'll probably want to tune into the Xbox Developer Direct show that's taking place later today, January 23. The good news is that you can watch it right here.Yep, it's 2025 now, and you've almost certainly recovered from the concentrated dose of games you got at The Game Awards to close out 2024, so now it's time for more. More video games. They'll never stop coming. Endless videoi games forever.Watch on YouTubeAnyway, sorry about that. Today's Xbox Developer Direct is set to kick off at 6PM BST, which is 7PM CET, 10AM PT, and 1PM ET on October 23. All you'll have to do once the time rolls around is click play on the video above, and voil, the Xbox video games that might also hit other platforms given that's a thing that happens now.What exactly will you be in for? Well, in its blog post announcing the show, Xbox said there'll be "an inside look at a selection of highly anticipated games coming to Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Game Pass players this year".As part of that, the publisher's promised that mysterious American Deep South action adventure game South of Midnight, French Final Fantasy-ish RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and demon shooting, punchy, and slicy thing (come one, you know what Doom is) Doom: The Dark Ages will all be showing up.There's also a mystery fourth game that's been teased, as we "visit a surprise location to see another studios brand new game". What'll it be? Well, you'll just have to tune in to find out. There've been rumours floating round about the likes of an Elder Scrolls: Oblivion remake, but as you know, rumours don't tend to mean much unless they're actually followed by official confirmation at some point.So, tune in, right here. Go on, I dare you. I know 6PM BST might be past your bedtime, but you've got our permission to stay up, just this once. Don't tell your parents.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. What do you want to see at this Xbox Developer Direct, and which of the three pre-announced inclusions are you most interested in? Let us know below!

Image: NintendoNintendo has received a nomination for the upcoming 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards for its trans representation in 2024's Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Switch remake (thanks, Eurogamer).The game, launched on 23rd May 2024, featured the inclusion of dialogue from the 2004 GameCube version that had originally been altered for its release in the West. Focused on Mario's ghost companion Vivian, the change effectively restored the character's trans identity.The Thousand-Year Door joins nine other nominees in the 'Outstanding Video Game' catagory, alongside Blumhouse Games' wonderful horror title Fear the Spotlight, which explored the relationship between the title's two protagonists, Amy and Vivian.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube794kWatch on YouTube Here's the full list of nominees:- Caravan SandWitch (Studio Plane Toast / Dear Villagers)- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts)- Dread Delusion (Lovely Hellplace / DreadXP)- Dustborn (Red Thread Games / Spotlight by Quantic Dream)- Fear the Spotlight (Cozy Game Pals / Blumhouse Games)- Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine / Square Enix)- Minds Beneath Us (BearBone Studio)- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Intelligent Systems / Nintendo)- Sorry Were Closed ( la mode games / Akupara Games)- Until Then (Polychroma Games / Maximum Entertainment)The winner of last year's GLAAD award for 'Outstanding Video Game' was Larian Studios' Baldurs' Gate III. Viva la Vivian!Not folding yetWhich game would you like to see win this year's award from the list of nominees? Let us know with a comment in the usual spot.[source glaad.org, via eurogamer.net]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:03 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Asks Wii U Owners To Refrain From Using "Unauthorised" Online ServicesUpdate: Pretendo respondsThe Switch eShop Is A Nightmare, So We've Made Our Own "Better eShop"Fixing what Nintendon'tRandom: Donkey Kong Country's Artist Reacts To Nintendo's Redesign"Everything changes!"

The new Galaxy S25 Ultra may be the best Google Pixel alternative in 2025, especially if Samsung's software improvements are as promised.

The upgrade from Home to Pro is quick and easy. Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNETIf you purchase a new PC with Windows 11 Home preinstalled, you might be able to get right to work. But for demanding PC owners, this entry-level edition doesn't have some essential features, like the ability to connect to a Windows domain-based network, manage disk encryption, fine-tune update schedules, or create virtual machines. (For a detailed list of Pro-only features, see"7 reasons Windows 11 Pro is worth the upgrade - and the best way to do it.")To get those features, you need to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. That's a pretty straightforward process, but if you're not careful, you can end up spending much more than you need to on the upgrade. And you can also find yourself having to do it all over again if you need to reinstall Windows.Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 in 2025In this article, I cover three common scenarios for upgrading from Windows 11 Home edition to Pro:You're setting up a new PC that came with Windows 11 Home edition preinstalled.You're doing a clean install of Windows 11 Pro on a PC that you previously upgraded.After resetting your PC, you need to restore your Home-to-Pro upgrade.If you're upgrading a PC for the first time, you need one essential ingredient to get started: a product key.First things first: You need a product keyThe simplest way to upgrade a PC from Windows 11 Home to Pro is to use a product key.If you've been building, buying, and upgrading PCs for a while, it might be worth rummaging through your desk drawers, storeroom, or email archives to see if you can locate an old product key for Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro, even if it's already been used. (Yes, a product key for Windows 10 can be used to activate Windows 11, and vice-versa.)One option that used to work is, alas, no longer available. Previously, you could reuse an old product key from Windows 7 Pro, Windows 7 Ultimate, or Windows 8/8.1 Pro to enable an upgrade from Windows 10/11 Home to Windows 10/11 Pro, potentially saving you the upgrade fee. Microsoft closed that loophole in September 2023 when itfinally ended its free Windows 10 upgrade program. If you purchased a retail copy of Windows 10 Pro and used it on an old PC that's since been retired, you can freely reuse the key that came with it. (OEM copies that were preinstalled on the PC when you bought it aren't transferable.) As an alternative, you can look for a discounted copy online. Microsoft's retail price for Windows 11 Pro is $199, but you can find much bigger discounts without having to look far. I've seen discounted copies of Windows 11 Pro for sale right here on ZDNET for $20 or less. Just be aware of the risk associated with "gray market" software.Also:Can you still get a Windows 10 upgrade for free in 2025? Short answer: MaybeIf you want to skip the product key completely, you can pay Microsoft $99 for an upgrade directly from the Microsoft Store. A word of caution, though: that license is tied to the computer on which you upgrade and can't be transferred to a different device.You only need to use that product key one time. After you complete the upgrade to Windows 11 Pro, a digital license is attached to the specific hardware you just upgraded. That digital license allows you to reinstall and automatically activate the Pro edition on that hardware anytime, without the need to find that product key and re-enter it.I've been testing upgrade/activation scenarios on a wide variety of hardware over the years to see how things work. Here's the scoop.Scenario 1: How to upgrade a new PCLet's say you buy a new PC with Windows 11 Home installed by the OEM. Some vendors offer an upgrade option as part of the purchase, but many PCs sold in the retail channel (Best Buy, Costco, and the like) are preloaded with Home edition, for the simple reason that it costs less.Also: What is a TPM, and why does Windows 11 require one?In this case, the upgrade takes just a few minutes. 1. Go to the Activation page in Settings In Windows 11, start by going to Settings > System > Activation. That step opens the page shown here. Confirm that your system is properly activated. If it's not, you'll want to stop and deal with that issue before you proceed. Show more The Pro upgrade no longer accepts product keys from older versions, but a Windows 10 Pro key can be used with Windows 11 and vice-versa. Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET 2. Enter the Pro product key Click the arrow to the right of the "Upgrade your edition of Windows" heading to expand that section. Locate your product key for Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro, click the "Change product key" button and enter that 25-character key here.If you don't have a Pro product key and want to upgrade immediately, click "Open store"; there, you'll have the option to purchase an upgrade for $99. Just be aware, as mentioned earlier, that the upgrade will be locked to the machine on which you make the purchase and cannot be transferred. Show more Enter a product key here and then follow the prompts. Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET 3. Perform the upgrade After entering the product key, follow the prompts to perform the upgrade.You'll see a succession of progress screens and your system will restart. After the upgrade completes, you should see a Success notification. Go to Settings > System > Activation again to confirm that you're now running Windows 11 Pro and that activation was successful. Show more Scenario 2: How to reinstall a clean copy of Windows 11 ProAfter successfully performing a Home-to-Pro upgrade, you can file that product key away. Your upgrade is now a digital license, attached to your unique hardware.If you perform a reinstallation of Windows, Microsoft's activation servers will recognize and activate Windows automatically -- I've tested the process personally on hundreds of physical and virtual systems of systems over the years and can confirm it works.1. Start up from a bootable USB flash driveTo install a clean copy of Windows on a PC that already has a digital license for Windows 10/11 Pro, you need to boot from a USB flash drive that contains the Windows setup files. When you see the option to enter a product key, choose "I don't have a product key". (The screen shown here is from the Setup program included with Windows 11 version 24H2; this screen looks slightly different if you're using version 23H2.) If your PC already has a Pro license, don't enter a product key when reinstalling. 2. Choose to install the Pro editionAs part of the installation process, Windows Setup will display a list of available editions. Be sure to choose Windows 11 Pro as the edition to install. Don't choose any of the options whose names end with the letter N, and don't choose Windows Pro for Workstations.Also:The best laptops: Expert tested and reviewedFollow all the prompts to complete the installation and go through the Out of Box Experience to sign in for the first time on the newly installed operating system.3. Check the activation statusAfter setup is complete, sign in and check the activation status (Settings > System > Activation). Assuming you didn't make major hardware changes, Microsoft's servers will recognize the hardware and you should see a notice that the system is activated with a digital license. If the system isn't properly activated, click Troubleshoot to see if you can resolve the issue.Scenario 3: How to restore the Pro edition upgrade after a reinstallThe one gotcha in this series of scenarios comes when you have a system that includes digital licenses for both Home and Pro editions. This will be the case if you purchased a PC with Windows Home edition preinstalled and then upgraded with a Pro product key.In that scenario, you might inadvertently restore the original Home edition. That has happened to me multiple times during the course of testing Windows installations and upgrades. Recently, for example, Iused a recovery image to reinstall Windows 11on a Microsoft Surface Pro that had originally shipped with Windows 11 Home and had been upgraded to Windows 11 Pro.Also:How to screen record in Windows 10 or 11If that happens to you, don't bother searching for the product key you used to upgrade.Instead, use Microsoft's generic Windows Pro product key to force the upgrade. Follow the steps below.1. Go to the Activation page in SettingsGo to Settings > System > Activation and check the currently installed edition and activation status. If you see a properly activated copy of Windows 11 Home, expand the "Upgrade your edition of Windows" section and click "Change product key".2. Enter the generic Windows Pro product keyEnter the following product key:VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66TThis generic product key is intended specifically to change editions on PCs that have a properly activated copy of Windows 11 Pro. There's nothing magical about it, and you can't use it to get an upgrade that you're not entitled to. If your hardware doesn't already have a Pro license, you'll get an activation error and need to supply a proper product key or pay for an upgrade.3. Follow the prompts to complete the upgradeFollow the prompts and restart to complete the upgrade.Because you previously upgraded to Pro on this hardware, Microsoft's activation servers will recognize the digital license and activate your newly installed copy.FAQs Show more What is the difference between Windows Home and Pro?The biggest difference between Windows Home and Pro editions is support for advanced business features. For day-to-day work, there's little difference between the two editions, which have the same user interface and manage files and apps identically.Windows Pro edition adds the following features that are not available with Home edition: Domain Join, Hyper-V, BitLocker, Microsoft Update for Business, Remote Desktop Server, and Assigned Access. You can find a detailed comparison in this article:"7 reasons Windows 11 Pro is worth the upgrade - and the best way to do it."Do I need Windows 11 Pro?That depends. If you want the option to connect to business networks, or to encrypt all files on all drives using BitLocker Drive Encryption, then consider going Pro. Likewise, the Pro edition offers the ability to defer monthly updates using Group Policy and includes access to Hyper-V virtualization and the incredibly useful Windows Sandbox feature.However, if you're just using your PC for routine tasks at home or in a small office and you don't need those advanced features, the Home edition should work for you just fine. Be sure to sign in with a Microsoft account to ensure the system drive is encrypted and the BitLocker Recovery key is properly backed up to the cloud.What is a clean install?A clean install removes a previous software installation and installs a new copy with default settings. This article was originally published on December 23, 2015, and has been updated many times since. It was last updated January 22, 2025.Windows