Over the past year, weve seen organizations differ in their approaches to AI. Some have taken every opportunity to embed AI in their workflows; others have been more cautious, experimenting with limited proof-of-concept projects before committing to larger investments.But unlike past technology breakthroughs that were only relevant for specific employees, AI is a horizontal skill. Business leaders need to embrace this fact: Every single employee needs to become an AI employee.In 2025 and beyond, we will start to see the difference between companies that treat AI as a feature and those that view it as a transformation. Here's how business and learning leaders should think about AI adoption throughout their organization.Establishing an AI-Ready Skills VisionFor businesses to develop an AI-ready workforce, they need to establish a skills vision that sets out which employees require which level of competency. This vision shouldn't be permanent; instead, it should evolve in response to technological advances and the needs of the business.There are two ways of structuring an AI skills vision. The first is simple: builders and users. A small portion -- roughly 5% -- of an organizations workforce will require the expertise to build AI systems, products, evaluation tools and language models. The remaining 95% simply need to know how to use AI to augment and accelerate their existing workflows.Related:For a more detailed framework, leaders can break down their workforce into four levels:Center of excellence: Synonymous with AI builders. Think about data scientists, machine learning engineers, and software engineers. Their entire role is to design, build, and refine AI tools for internal or external clients.AI + X: These are the subject matter experts whose roles can be reimagined with the addition of AI. Employees at this level could come from a wide range of backgrounds, from mechanical engineers to finance leaders. AI can help these employees build something truly meaningful in their specific area of expertise.Fluency: At the fluency level, you dont need to know how to use AI tools or apply them to your workflows. Instead, fluency is the required level for employees who are interacting with a technical counterpart. For example, a marketer selling a highly technical AI product needs a certain level of understanding to be able to accurately and effectively market that product.Literacy: This is the basic level of AI skills needed for front-line workers and individual contributors. AI literacy could help these employees boost productivity depending on their role and responsibilities. But its equally important for these employees to be part of the broader cultural change. A company is in a better position to innovate when every employee has achieved a standard level of AI literacy.Related:Avoiding Dangerous AmateursFor an organization to make the most out of AI, it needs to know the precise skill levels of its employees and where they need to grow in the future.For example, a companys solutions will only ever be as good as their best contributors. Organizations must do everything they can to maximize the abilities of their Center of Excellence employees, because they set the bar for the rest of the organization. At one software company, I saw leaders transfer an expert in clean coding to a team struggling with code quality; improvements were evident across the organization within weeks, demonstrating the contagious nature of expertise.But, while experts should be placed at the forefront and driven to achieve more, organizations must be careful not to give the same opportunities to those who overstate their abilities. My friend and collaborator Fernando Lucini refers to these employees as dangerous amateurs, and they can slow down an organizations progress with AI. As companies transition from prototyping to productizing an AI solution, they may realize that the experts they were counting on dont have the skills needed to bring the product to market. Meanwhile, competitors with an accurate measure of employee skill levels will race ahead.Related:Create the Foundation for InnovationFor companies to innovate, they need to be able to adapt quickly to changing technologies and skills demands. In 2016, one of my most important tools was TensorFlow, a commonly used programming language. Less than a decade later, TensorFlow has evolved so much that I can no longer use it effectively without retraining and updating my skills. Highly technical skills perish quickly.Employees must establish a strong foundation in durable skills in order to master the perishable, cutting-edge technical skills. OpenAI built ChatGPT using innovative, breakthrough technologies. However, they could only create ChatGPT by drawing on their foundations in durable skills like mathematics, statistics, coding and English. AI-ready companies will need to embrace a T-shaped approach to skills development, combining a broad base of horizontal skills with a narrow set of deep, vertical skills. Innovation breaks through as a result of perishable skills but sustains as a result of durable skills.Every company is becoming an AI company. Every employee will need to use AI. Those who dont embrace the change will inevitably fall behind.

The City of Westminsters planning committee voted to refuse the 20-storey canalside scheme Make's third iteration for the plot on Tuesday evening (21 January), going against the advice of its own planning officers to approve.The 605-bedroom proposal for Unite Students and building merchant Travis Perkins features two linked towers on a plot which sits between the Grand Union Canal and the Westway flyover. It had been set to replace an existing Travis Perkins yard on the site, while providing new facilities for the company at ground floor and mezzanine levels.Make had adapted the design following Westminster City Councils refusal of its previous design, on the advice of planning offices, in early 2022 splitting the mass into two towers and cutting 163 of the proposed bedrooms.AdvertisementBut Westminster councillors insisted the new scheme was still not sufficiently different to warrant their approval and created, they said, more harm than benefit to the borough. They upheld two out of three of the same reasons for refusal namely, the visual impact and residential mass of the development.Several councillors argued that the scheme would have a major negative impact on local residents and amenities, in particular on the residents of two neighbouring apartment blocks, Sheldon house and Dudley House.Speaking at the planning committee, one councillor said the proposal had a lot to be admired in terms of things [the design team] has sought to include and sought to address ... however, the underlying point here is the huge impact [] on surrounding residents.Another councillor said the benefits would not outweigh the acknowledged harm to surrounding heritage assets and amenities, insisting: I just don't think its sufficiently different from the previous scheme, which actually came forward with a recommendation for refusal.And a third councillor agreed: Given that our own housing needs allowances say we dont have a need for student accommodation in Westminster, I dont think we can justify the impact on residents in that area.Advertisement Source:Make Architects/design and access statementMake Architects all-new Baltic Wharf designs, featuring 605 student bedrooms, which was submitted to Westminster City Council in May 2024More than 100 objections had been lodged against the Make proposal, mainly over scale, arguing that it was overbearing and showed little change, height-wise. from the previous design (at a maximum height of 90.2m the latest proposal is just 0.5m lower in height than the previously refused scheme).Objectors also strongly opposed the use of land for student accommodation instead of housing, along with associated concerns over noise and anti-social behaviour.However, Westminster planning officers had argued that, while the latest redesign was still a substantial building, the re-arranged massing with two distinct towers instead of one block had created a more interesting architectural composition, improving the overall visual impact and making it more sympathetic to the views and sunlight benefit to local residents.Regarding objections to the building use for student housing, officers concluded that a desire for an alternative use is not a valid reason for refusal. They insisted that the public benefits of the proposed scheme, including major financial contributions, outweighed any harm caused.As well as 30 per cent affordable bedrooms on site and a 3.1 million payment towards Westminster councils affordable housing fund, public benefits were set to include a 683,000 payment towards employment programmes and 200,000 for cycle hire facilities, secured via a Section 106 agreement.The refused design, submitted for planning in May 2024, was Makes third design proposal for the Baltic Wharf site.The practices initial submission, in 2021, featured a stepped 22-storey block providing 843 beds. Make later amended the scheme to reduce its height, producing a 20-storey design with 768 beds but Westminster Council refused the amended 26,000m2 proposal in early 2022 on the advice of its planning officers, insisting that it would have a significant negative impact on neighbouring buildings.The latest design featured two carefully designed, distinct and separate buildings, connected by a podium level, which would have housed accommodation for students at Westminster-based Kings College London.According to the design and access statement, a brick-built gable end the last remaining original element of canalside architecture at this location was to be retained and celebrated.The scheme included a new canalside path, creating for the first time a continuous link along the canals north bank between Maida Vale and Paddington.A Unite Students spokesperson said the company is 'disappointed' that the application was refused despite the officers recommendation of approval, and will now be 'considering next steps with all parties'.Make Architects has been contacted for comment.

Clockwise from top left: Palais de Danse plans by Adam Khan Architects; Royal High School plans by Richard Murphy Architects; photo of Jumbo Water Tower in Colchester (credit: Shutterstock); Sketch of Evans Vettoris Harmony Works plans; Hall Black Douglas' plans for the Strand Arts Centre in Belfast; Kingsley Hall in Bristol (Credit: Historic England). The National Lottery has named seven heritage projects which it will support with more than 27 million of cash The schemes, which span the UK, include projects by Adam Khan Architects, Purcell, Evans Vettori, Richards Murphy Architects, Childs Sulzmann Architects, Hall Black Douglas and Temple Ford Design.The largest grant, worth 8 million, has been awarded to North Essex Heritage for the Purcell-designed restoration of a Grade II*-listed water tower in Colchester.The Jumbo Water Tower was completed in 1883 and provided water for drinking and firefighting until 1984 but will now now be converted to a visitor, educational and events space.AdvertisementPurcells proposal won a competition for the project in 2022, selected ahead of plans by Nissen Richards and Burrell Foley Fischer. At that time the project was expected to cost just 4 million, with completion in 2025.Elsewhere, Richard Murphy Architects plans to transform the Old Royal High Street on Carlton Hill in Edinburgh have been given 437,000 in initial development funding but could yet be awarded a further 4.56 million once detailed proposals have been drawn up.The Category A-listed Neoclassical landmark has been empty for over 50 years but is set to be fitted with three performance spaces, rehearsal rooms and a recording studio, as well as a caf, bar and conference facilities, under approved plans by the Royal High School Preservation Trust.A project to conserve and repair the Grade II*-listed Kingsley Hall in Bristol has been awarded 4.76 million. The 319-year-old building was a Conservative club in the late 1800s but later became the headquarters of the Independent Labour Party, opened by party founder Keir Hardie in 1911.The scheme by Childs Sulzmann Architects and conservation architect Ashley Davies will see the 319-year-old building turned into a community space for local homelessness charity 1625 Independent People.AdvertisementThe National Lottery has pledged 4.68 million for Evans Vettoris plans to turn the Grade II*-listed Canada House in Sheffield into a new home for the Sheffield Music Academy and Sheffield Music Hub.The 1875 building was originally offices for the Sheffield United Gas Light Company but will now support young musicians and hold public programmes and performances under a new name:Harmony Works.The Tate Gallery has been given 2.85 million to restore the Palais de Danse in St Ives. The Grade II*-listed building was a cinema and dance hall in the early 1900s before becoming Barbara Hepworths second studio between 1961 and 1975.The building was gifted by Hepworths family to the Tate in 2015 and, once refurbished under plans drawn up by Adam Khan Architects, will provide studio and performance spaces, as well as recreation of Hepworths studio and a shop.Chichester Community Development Trust has been given 1.28 million to transform Grade II-listed former stables, known as the Marchwell Studios, into a makers space with affordable commercial floorspace.The derelict stables on the Graylingwell Hospital Estate in Chichester will provide training facilities and community activities aimed at supporting local residents into work, as well as space for creatives such as artists and architects. The scheme is being drawn up by Temple Ford Design.Finally, the National Lottery has given 768,000 towards Belfast City Councils 6.5 million redevelopment of Strand Arts Centre, which will see an Art Deco picture house dating to 1935 restored into a cinema with a caf, learning studios and performance space under plans by Hall Black Douglas.Royal High School Preservation Trust scheme by Richard Murphy Architects (approved 2024)Heritage projects awarded funding by National LotteryRoyal High SchoolLocationEdinburghGrantee Royal High School Preservation TrustAward: Initial development round grant award ofArchitect Richard Murphy ArchitectsCanada House, a home for Harmony WorksLocation SheffieldGrantee Award Architect Jumbo Water TowerLocation ColchesterGrantee Award Architect Reactivating the Palais de DanseLocation St IvesGrantee Award Architect Kingsley HallLocation BristolGrantee Award Architect The Marchwell Studios ProjectLocation Graylingwell, ChichesterGrantee Award Architect Strand Arts CentreLocation BelfastGrantee Award Architect 2025-01-22Will Ingcomment and share

Our Experts Written by Caroline Roberts, Caroline Igo Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement Why You Can Trust CNET 16171819202122232425+ Years of Experience 14151617181920212223 Hands-on Product Reviewers 6,0007,0008,0009,00010,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,000 Sq. Feet of Lab Space How we test CNETs expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What to consider Your reasons for wanting a shower filter The best shower filter for you will depend on your needs and what's coming out of your shower. Some filters may be better at removing chlorine, for example, while others add vitamins to water. Installation Your existing shower setup matters when choosing a shower filter. Make sure you buy a filter that looks both easy to install and works with your particular shower. Price The best shower filter in the world won't help you if it's too pricey to buy. There is a wide price range for shower filters. When comparing models, make sure you don't sacrifice quality for a better deal. Table of Contents Our Picks Best overall shower filter Sonaki Inline Shower Filter View details $75 at Amazon View details Best showerhead filter for removing heavy metals QwenchPure KDF-55 Shower Filter View details $39 at Amazon View details Best showerhead filter for removing chlorine Aqua Earth Vitamin C Shower Filter View details $32 at Amazon View details Best luxury showerhead filter Jolie Filtered Shower Head View details $165 at Amazon View details Best showerhead filter for hard water AquaHomeGroup Luxury Filtered Shower Head View details $42 at Amazon View details Best budget showerhead filter GE Universal Shower Filtration System (Update: Currently Unavailable) View details See at Amazon View details Table of Contents The tap water in your home isnt always the best quality. While most of us already filter our drinking water, many don't realize that our shower water might need filtering, too. If youve been dealing with an itchy scalp, excessive hair fall or dry skin, it might be time to upgrade your showerhead.Showerhead filters are specifically designed to eliminate impurities like chlorine, fluoride and heavy metals, resulting in cleaner, healthier water. The benefits? Smoother skin and shinier, healthier hair. Installation is easy, whether youre swapping out the entire showerhead or just adding a filter to your existing one.When choosing a showerhead filter, keep in mind the frequency and cost of replacement filters. But dont worry -- weve done the research for you. From Jolie to Sonaki, here are CNET's choices for the top showerhead filters to fit every budget.What is the best showerhead filter overall?The Sonaki Inline Shower Filter is the best overall filter because our research found it can filter out bacteria, chlorine, heavy metals, rust and other byproducts from regular showerhead water. The internal filter system is an activated carbon filter, which is one of the most effective. It also doesn't require purchasing an extra showerhead. You can just screw it on your old one.Best showerhead filters of 2025 Photo Gallery 1/1 $75 at Amazon Pros Removes contaminants, chlorine, heavy metals and rust Contains an activated carbon filter Product is made of heavy brass Cons Filter replacements are expensive Might look bulky in your shower $75 at Amazon When it comes to filters, an activated carbon filter is the most effective choice for your showerhead. That's what you get with the Sonaki Inline Shower Filter. The granular activated carbon filter removes bacteria, chlorine, chloramine (another disinfectant that's sometimes used), heavy metals, rust and any other byproducts, so you can shower knowing that you're safe. Plus, it'll soften the filtered shower water so you can get softer hair than ever.The Sonaki Shower Filter is an inline model, which means you won't need to buy a separate showerhead. You simply screw the filter into the wall and the showerhead on the other side.

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January 21, 2025What Happens to the Open Internet without Net Neutrality?A U.S. federal court struck down the FCCs enforcement of net neutrality. What does that mean for Internet users? Anaissa Ruiz Tejada/Scientific AmericanSUBSCRIBE TO Science QuicklyApple | Spotify | RSSRachel Feltman: For Scientific Americans Science Quickly, Im Rachel Feltman. Earlier this month net neutrality was back in the news, thanks to a U.S. appeals court ruling. The decision stated that the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, didnt have the power to reinstate net neutrality ruleswhich the agency voted to do in April, with the encouragement of then-president Joe Biden.Net neutrality is one of those issues that Ive never quite fully wrapped my head around. So what is it, and what will happen now that the FCC cant enforce it? Here to explain everything for us is Ben Guarino, an associate technology editor at Scientific American.Ben, thanks for coming on to chat.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Ben Guarino: Thanks for having me.Feltman: This is a question I feel like I should be able to answer by now, but I cant: What is net neutrality?Guarino: So in the simplest terms, net neutrality is this idea that all Internet traffic should be treated equally. So if I am trying to access YouTube or Netflix or Hulu or really anything, my Internet service provider, my ISP, is going to treat all of those data packets coming from those websites like theyd be coming from any other websiteFeltman: So why are we hearing about net neutrality in the news? Whats been going on with it?Guarino: There has been a huge debate over whether net neutrality should exist in the United States. The Internet service providers, Well, if you put these regulations on us, its going to stifle competition. It is against the American ideals of capitalism.And then you have consumers and Internet advocates and people who cherish the idea of the open Internet that really gets to the founding ideals of what the Internet should beit should be free; it should be for the flow of informationthat say, We should, we should hold ourselves to net neutrality.And so it boils down to who should be regulating it. And the courts recently decided that the Federal Communications Commission cannot treat the Internet with net neutrality principles.Feltman: Interesting. Whats next? What does that mean for people who are pushing for a free and open Internet?Guarino: So if the FCC does not have the ability to regulate ISPs like a telecommunication servicethat means that these services have to act in the public interest, which has higher standards that they have to be held toif the FCC isnt the one that can enforce these net neutrality principles, then its in Congresss hands or its in the states hands.Feltman: Okay, is this good news or bad news for the open Internet?Guarino: Its bad news for the people who advocate for the open Internet. So if theres no federal oversight of net neutrality, what we have now are the state laws that support net neutrality. And these are on the books in lots of placesin Washington state, in Oregon, in Californiaand it had kinda looked like maybe they werent really being enforced because the thinking was, Well, if theres federal oversight of net neutrality, maybe we dont have to worry about our own states. Now that equation changes a little bit.And the thing with the Internet is [laughs] its all connected, right? So you cantthe, the borders of the Internet dont stop in California, so if California has net neutrality laws on the books, there is some thinking there that, Well, if ISPs in California are beholden to these laws, theyll just follow them everywhere. So that could be a silver lining for folks who want to see the principles of the open Internet upheld.Feltman: And from the perspective of the ISPs, whats limiting about net neutrality? What are they trying to do, hoping to do that this sort of free and open Internet wont allow them to do?Guarino: So the theory goes that if I can treat one data packet differently from another data packet, I could slow your traffic to Netflix. Maybe I have a competitor streaming serviceand I should back up a second: we talk about net neutrality a lot in terms of video streaming because its data intensive and, like, something like two thirds of Internet traffic is video streaming, so thats why, thats why net neutrality and video services tend to go hand in hand. But if I am an Internet service provider and maybe I have a competitor website to Netflix or Hulu ...Feltman: Mm-hmm.Guarino: And I want to have more people use my service, then I can slow their connection to Netflix and maybe shunt them towards my competitor. Or I can say, Hey, Netflix, you guys have to pay me a little bit more if you wanna keep this fast connection. And, you know, the concern there is: that bump in price that, that Netflix has to pay, that gets passed on to the consumer.Feltman: Yeah, and whats the, like, worst-case scenario there? I think in a lot of conversations about net neutrality, the implication is that its this, like, slippery slope thats gonna fundamentally change the Internet. Whats the, the radically different Internet that people are worried were gonna find our way into?Guarino: Thats a really good question. What I can say is, having talked to researchers like David Choffnes at Northeastern University, who studies what we would consider net neutrality violationsso hes looked at how traffic that appears to go from my computer, lets say, or my phone to Netflix and how ISPs in the United States treat that, and it turns out that whether or not the FCC had net neutrality policies on the books, whether states had their own net neutrality laws didnt really matter in the United States. This study has been going on when we had FCC oversight, we havent had FCC oversight, we had FCC oversight again, and now we, we dont, soDavid told me hes seen it all, and basically it [laughs], it doesnt really matter.David and his colleagues have seen, studying this since 2017, that your fixed cable Internet, theres no net neutrality violations there in the United Statesthat, that they, they arent blocking or throttling traffic. But what they have found is, for certain users on certain data plans, that wireless providers have throttled some connections. And the thinking there is, historically, the spectrum was limited, connecting to cell towers and things like that, so maybe when everybodys commuting home at 5 oclock that theyre all requesting to watch Netflix on the subway or something, and it made sense to throttle that.Now, if you go into a cell phone store, folks will tout their super-fast ...Feltman: Sure.Guarino: 5G network things, so maybe that spectrum argument no longer holds water. But if theyve done it historically, maybe theyd do it again. So all of that is to say, in the short term I dont know that American consumers will really notice a difference. In the long term maybe the price of your Hulu or Netflix subscription jacks up a little.Feltman: Sure, and with so many giant conglomerates owning so many different types of media and telecommunications companies, its not outside the realm of possibility that an ISP could also own some of the content youre watching versus [laughs] other content, so, yeah, for sure.Guarino: Maybe the only thing to note is: this has been going on for a really long time [laughs] ...Feltman: Yeah.Guarino: The phrase net neutrality was coined by a Columbia legal scholar in 2003. So people have been thinking about this for a really long time, and it justthis debate has gone onyou know, even, even before it was coined, even before we had the term net neutrality, people have been thinking about the principles of the open Internet. So this certainly isnt the end of net neutrality; even though its out of the FCCs hands for the foreseeable future, this doesnt mean that net neutrality is lost.Feltman: Ben, thanks so much for explaining net neutrality to me. I finally understand it, and hopefully the Internet stays relatively free and open for the foreseeable future.Guarino: Sounds great. Thanks for having me.Feltman: [Laughs]Thats all for todays episode. While youre here, do us a favor and leave us a quick rating, review or comment wherever youre listening. We really appreciate it!Science Quickly is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, along with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was reported and co-hosted by Ben Guarino. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for more up-to-date and in-depth science news.For Scientific American, this is Rachel Feltman. See you next time!

The Witcher concert set for UK to celebrate Wild Hunt's 10th anniversarySax and violins.Image credit: CDPR News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Jan. 22, 2025 If you want to toss a coin to your orchestra, you will soon be able to do just that, as CD Projekt Red has announced ticket sales for The Witcher in Concert will go on sale imminently.The Witcher in Concert is a celebration of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's 10th anniversary, because it really has been that long (and yet, I haven't aged a day). It will "bring to life the open-world RPG's timeless score with a live orchestra performance". As with other video game-based concerts, gameplay will accompany the music as it swells from the orchestra.The concert tour itself will kick off during this year's Gamescom event in Cologne, before traveling across Europe. That includes here in the UK, with the concert coming to London on 5th November, before it heads to Manchester on 7th November.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The Witcher 4 Ciri Explained: Lore Nerd Breaks Down the White Frost, Story, and More. Watch on YouTubeAs well as the UK, the tour has stops in Austria, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Sweden all scheduled. Further tour locations will be announced at a later date, including ones across the pond in North America."I can't believe it's been 10 years since we first introduced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to the world! Music is such an important part of our games, and to see the community respond with such enthusiasm for what we created has been truly incredible," said soundtrack co-composer Marcin Przybyłowicz."From everyone's favorite 'le le les' to the tracks we used to underscore the most heartfelt moments, every single composition was a joy to create, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with people around the world."Those interested are able browse the current list of venues and purchase tickets through The Witcher in Concert official website. Ticket sales go live on 24th January, so this Friday, however a pre-sale will begin 48 hours prior to this date for those who sign up to the concert's newsletter. So, I guess that means now. Get tossing those coins! (only if you want to, of course). Image credit: CDPRAs for what's still to come for the Witcher series, CD Projekt lifted the lid on its next video game entry at The Game Awards in December.Known as The Witcher 4, the upcoming game stars Ciri as the main protagonist, and will be another third-person action-RPG just like The Witcher 3. Oh, and Doug Cockle is returning to voice Geralt of Rivia, who will indeed be present in the game in some form.

Sega announces new Sega Account, sparking speculation over Super GameWith Pirate Yakuza costume bonus.Image credit: Sega News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Jan. 22, 2025 Sega has launched a new Sega Account, linking together its games and services.The online profile "gives you access to a host of benefits when playing Sega and Atlus titles and using their online services", said Sega. Account holders will receive news about games, events and promotions, as well as bonus content.The first bonus will be a Kazuma Kiryu special outfit in the forthcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, due for release on 20th February 2025."New Virtua Fighter Project" pre-development concept videoWatch on YouTubeAnother feature, coming soon, will be the ability to look at records for the games played (presumably a bit like the end of year data reports from PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox).There are also bonus items for Phantom Star Online New Genesis once the account is linked.So why has Sega chosen to launch this now?Fans are speculating this Sega Account could be linked to its forthcoming Super Game, first revealed in a financial report in October 2022.In that report, Sega noted its plans to lean on existing and past IPs in the future. "One strategy for generating such hit titles is the creation of a 'Super Game' - a large-scale global title. We're currently developing such a game, targeting release by the fiscal year ending March 2026," said Sega CEO Haruki Satomi.Could this Super Game use the Sega Account as an all-encompassing entry point to its games? One user on X has speculated the Super Game will be more of a platform containing multiple Sega games.Indeed, the company announced five game projects at The Game Awards in 2023 based on classic franchises: Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, and Streets of Rage. Could these eventually be linked into a Super Game using the Sega Account?In an interview with Eurogamer, Sega president and COO Shuji Utsumi described a return to Sega's "rock & roll" past by reinvesting in classic franchises."Sega had that kind of style [back then]," said Utsumi. "Sega's position was like, 'If you have attitude, Sega's the company for you, rather than Nintendo', because of the games, because of the style, because of coolness or the kind of attitude. We have such beautiful content value in Sega, and some other IPs, so we're trying to revive it with a little bit of the flavour of hip-hop now."Sega is also working on a new Virtua Fighter game, the first for 18 years.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was one of the best games to come out in 2024. Although it didnt quite win game-of-the-year, it was nominated, and it wouldve been a worthy winner. It looks absolutely gorgeous, the story is phenomenal, all of the voice actors are superb, and the gameplay is a lot of fun. Now FF7 Rebirth is coming to PC, and the release date and time countdown for when Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will come out on PC for Steam and the Epic Games store is nearly over.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PC release date for SteamThe release date for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on PC for Steam is January 23rd. It will also be available on PC via the Epic Games store.Square Enixs sequel came out early 2024, but it was a timed PS5 exclusive only. For PlayStation 5, reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and it earned a massive 92 on Metacritic with outlets unanimously agreeing that FF7 Rebirth is a wonderful and unforgettable spectacle.It is part two of the trilogy planned by Square Enix. Theres more of Aerith, Tifa, and Barrett accompanying Cloud, but this time there is also the addition of Yuffie, and this time Clouds journey is a globetrotting adventure rather than an epic stuck inside the dystopian Midgar.When does Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth come out on PC for Steam?The release time for when Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will come out on PC for Steam is 6AM PT/9AM ET/2PM GMT on January 23rd. This is also when it will release on the Epic Games store.FF7 Rebirth has a really long story to beat. Even if you dont complete everything the game has to offer, it can take up to 60-hours to complete the campaign. Then, if you complete all of the side activities and quests part of every region, youre looking at much closer to 100-hours. Then theres new game plus for if you wish to combat Sephiroth once more.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PC Steam release time US6AM PT on Thursday, January 23rd9AM ET on Thursday, January 23rdFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth PC Steam release time UK2PM GMT on Thursday, January 23rdCountdownBelow is a visual countdown for when the game will come out:FF7 30% discountIf you pre-order FF7 Rebirth before its release time, you can get it at a 30% discount on Steam and the Epic Games store.Per Steam, the 30% discount takes its Standard price from 64.99 to 45.49. The discount also applies to the Deluxe edition with its price notched down from 79.99 to 55.99.In addition to the above, you can also get the Remake and Rebirth Twin Pack for 62.99 instead of 89.99. This Twin Pack gifts you both the FF7 Remake and Rebirth in one bundle, so its definitely worth buying if you do not own part 1 of Square Enixs trilogy in the making.Remember that this 30% discount is only available until the game releases, so you must pre-order to take advantage.Pre-order bonusesBelow are the pre-order bonuses:Standard edition:Pre-order bonuses:Summon materia: Moogle TrioArmor: Shinra bangle Mk. IIArmor: Midgar bangle Mk. IIDeluxe edition:Pre-order bonuses:Summon materia: Moogle TrioArmor: Shinra bangle Mk. IIArmor: Midgar bangle Mk. IIDigital Art BookDigital Mini SoundtrackSummon Materia: Magic PotAccessory: Reclaimant ChokerArmor: Orchid BraceletSummon Materia: Posh ChocoboPC system requirementsBelow are the minimum and recommended PC system requirements as listed on Steam:Minimum:Requires a 64-bit processor and operating systemOS:Windows 10 64-bitProcessor:AMD Ryzen 5 1400 / Intel Core i3-8100Memory:16 GB RAMGraphics:AMD Radeon RX 6600 (RX 6600 or above required) / Intel Arc A580 / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (RTX series required)DirectX:Version 12Storage:155 GB available spaceAdditional Notes:1080P / 30FPS (Graphics Quality Preset Low), SSD Required. Graphics Cards with Shader Model 6.6 support and OS with DirectX 12 Ultimate support required. 12GB VRAM or above recommended to play on 4k resolution.Recommended:Requires a 64-bit processor and operating systemOS:Windows 11 64-bitProcessor:AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Ryzen 7 3700X / Intel Core i7-8700 or Core i5-10400Memory:16 GB RAMGraphics:AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070DirectX:Version 12Storage:155 GB available spaceAdditional Notes:1080p / 60FPS (Graphics Quality Preset Medium), SSD Required. 12GB VRAM or above recommended to play on 4k resolution.For more Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, check out our guides for how synergy works, the best weapons for each character, and the best materia.Final Fantasy VII RebirthPlatform(s):PlayStation 5Genre(s):RPGSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Nostalgia plays a heavy role in the post-launch plans of a Call of Duty cycle. Ranging from remastering popular multiplayer maps to re-introducing iconic weaponry into the ever-expanding arsenal, taking a trip down memory lane guarantees to attract attention on the latest annual release and Warzone.Ahead of the Season 2 update for Black Ops 6 and the battle royale, Activision has showcased the artwork to mark the occasion. Eagle-eyed fans have managed to spot two iconic weapons as Activision doubles down on steadying the ship after a turbulent few months.Call of Duty Season 2 is heavy with nostalgiaOn January 21, 2025, the Call of Duty X account uploaded images of the new playable Operators while they hold a wealth of new weaponry.Alongside the Katana melee weapon, another soldier is holding the iconic PPSh submachine gun which was uncovered from the in-game files. Next to them is an Operator holding the FAL assault rifle, one of the strongest weapons from Black Ops 2.Armed with a semi-automatic firing mechanism, the FAL dominated the casual and competitive meta in the early stages of the Black Ops 2 cycle before Treyarch dished out a hefty nerf to level the playing field.Its not just multiplayer where the PPSh and the FAL thrived. Their incredible firepower made them popular options in Zombies matches. With Season 2 including the launch of The Tomb map, theres every chance players slay thousands of undead enemies as they attempt to uncover the latest Easter egg quests.Will nostalgia save Call of Duty again?So far, only four new weapons have been spotted in the Season 2 artwork as Call of Dutys developers look to fix various aspects of the game. Raven Software has announced plans to delay Warzone content to prioritise quality-of-life updates and bug fixes and ensure they have the desired impact on the battle royale.In addition to slightly less content than usual, Season 2 includes the first batch of updates to Ricochet anti-cheat as Activision finally takes a stand against hackers ruining the action for everyone. A hit of nostalgia combined with several improvements has the potential to make Call of Duty great once again.For more CoD, check out all of the active promos along with the best AMES 85 loadout thats dominating the action.Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share