The company, which helps match experts with contract jobs at AI companies, was valued at $250 million a few months ago.

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.How Must Staffing Change in Relation to AI?How Must Staffing Change in Relation to AI?From the C-suite to new hires, the impact of AI on relevant job skills and career longevity may deliver aftershocks for years to come.Joao-Pierre S. Ruth, Senior EditorJanuary 27, 2025Debate continues over how artificial intelligence might upend current jobs and future careers, as nuances emerge in such discussions.The assumption that AI equals immediate job cuts to deliver efficiency might not be that simple, especially as more divisions within organizations and their leadership start to understand how they can leverage this technology. Certain jobs might be eliminated, yet other jobs could evolve with AI.This episode of DOS Wont Hunt features Luke Behnke, vice president of product for Grammarly; Cliff Jurkiewicz, vice president of global Strategy for Phenom; Ryan Bergstrom, chief product and technology officer for Paycor; Daniel Avancini, co-founder and chief data officer for Indicium; and Arun Varadarajan, co-founder and chief commercial officer for Ascendion.They discussed how AI already changes staffing, what skillsets organizations want in an AI-powered world, fears about job loss, what this may mean for executives in the C-suite who need to get up to speed on AI, and when organizations can comfortably rely on AI to enhance their workforce.Listen to the full podcast here.About the AuthorJoao-Pierre S. RuthSenior EditorJoao-Pierre S. Ruth covers tech policy, including ethics, privacy, legislation, and risk; fintech; code strategy; and cloud & edge computing for InformationWeek. He has been a journalist for more than 25 years, reporting on business and technology first in New Jersey, then covering the New York tech startup community, and later as a freelancer for such outlets as TheStreet, Investopedia, and Street Fight.See more from Joao-Pierre S. RuthNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Theres network as a service (NaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS),platform as a service (PaaS) and software as a service (SaaS). All offer opportunities to outsource major areas of IT operations to third-party vendors in turnkey fashion if desired. In other words, all you need to do is to call the vendor, much as an end user will call IT if a service goes down, gets slow or develops a bug.The oft-cited value point of these outsourcing approaches is that IT will have more time to focus on strategy, and not so much on the mundane tasks of daily operations. However, consider whether cloud management and operations should be a totally hands off practice or are there levels of management and control that IT should keep?Whether building or buying technology, its critical for companies to consider how they choose their systems, devices and applications, said PWC in a recent paper on technology and ethics. However, even if you exclude ethics and are just talking about day-to-day IT, there is a responsibility to oversee technology for the company and its stakeholders, even if the technology is tucked away in a cloud.IT in the CloudThe initial role that IT plays with the cloud is determined when the company decides to move to the cloud and then meets with vendors to determine which cloud provider to sign with. In many cases, getting contracts signed and services started is all IT does in the process, unless there is a cloud service interruption or its contract renewal time.Related:Very small companies of 20 or fewer employees live in this world. The cloud benefits them greatly because theyre able to subscribe to IT services and support they otherwise could not afford, and then they simply dont think much about it anymore.However, for mid-sized and large companies with large IT portfolios and in-house IT staff, a totally hands off role with the cloud that fails to address questions of cloud risk or management control is less than optimal. IT departments in these organizations recognize this, so they ask staff members to manage the cloud as needed. The problem with that approach is this: More IT is shifting to the cloud, making the cloud a more dominant IT hosting platform, and it becomes less viable to handle day-to-day cloud issues on an informal, as needed basis. That is why more mid-sized and large companies are codifying IT responsibilities for the cloud by writing them into staff job descriptions.Cloud Roles That IT Staff Members PlayHere are some IT cloud responsibilities that need to be more formally addressed.Related:Contracts and SLAs. A contract for a mission-critical system like cloud-based ERP involves more than just signing up for a service. Companies with large ERP systems depend on ERP applications as the operational driveline of the entire business. An ERP vendor should take the criticality of this system as seriously as the company does. During contract negotiation, this means hammering out service level agreements (SLAs) that are more robust in their performance and uptime requirements than what a vendor would typically offer in a boilerplate contract. There is also room to negotiate on pricing and support.Who does this? Enterprise IT departments hire contract administrators to do this work.Medium-sized companies that cant afford a dedicated contract administrator should consult with attorneys.Cloud contract negotiation and administrative responsibilities should be written into contract administrator job descriptions. For companies employing outside legal counsel, the CIO or an upper-level IT manager should be tasked with the responsibility of cloud contract negotiation and coordination with the legal team.Compliance. In large enterprises, there are dedicated internal regulatory groups that monitor and ensure compliance, whether the company standards are HIPAA (healthcare), PCI, Sarbanes Oxley (finance) or something else. SMBs without dedicated regulatory staff turn to attorneys. The goal is to ensure that prospective and existing cloud vendors are compliant with various regulations.Related:Who does this? IT gets involved because almost always,IT owns the cloud vendor relationship.Typically, a senior business analyst in IT coordinates and verifies cloud vendor compliance, working with the regulatory group and attorneys. In the past, this responsibility often was performed informally. It should be formalized as part of the business analysts job responsibilities.Security. Cloud vendor security audits and methods must be reviewed annually to assure that vendors continue to adhere to company security requirements. At the same time, IT is responsible for configuring the security levels for its own assets in the cloud.Who does this? The IT security staff should have written accountabilities for configuring and monitoring security in the cloud. This includes setting up of security for cloud-based IT assets and annual reviews of cloud vendor security audits.Asset deployment, management, and performance optimization. Applications and IT infrastructure components that support the production environment should be deployed, monitored, and optimized for performance in the cloud as part of ITs daily work. In some cases, there will be joint responsibility for sharing these tasks between IT and cloud vendors, but ultimately it is IT that is responsible for ensuring that applications and the supporting infrastructure are running in the cloud as they should be.Who does this? In PaaS and IaaS cloud environments, it will be the systems group that should have an individual assigned to maintaining performance levels in the cloud and in working with cloud vendors as needed. On the applications side, it will be a senior applications group staff member or manager who would carry out this responsibility for applications.Data stewardship and testing. Cloud services sell data, and other cloud services are in charge of maintaining data in a safe and secure environment. In still other cases, cloud services are being used to provision and de-provision test databases and infrastructure for IT unit application testing. Someone in IT should be formally assigned the responsibility of assuring that cloud data is safe, and that IT test environments are correctly configured.Who does this? The database group should be tasked with data management and stewardship of cloud data.The DBA or a data analyst should also be assigned the responsibility of setting up or taking down testing facilities, or in many cases, supervising the application programmers themselves to ensure they are doing this correctly.Final ThoughtsCloud-based data, applications and infrastructure are a major part of IT portfolios, so IT cant afford to consign these responsibilities to third parties, especially if these IT departments are in very large enterprises.Its time to formalize cloud responsibilities throughout the IT organization, and to provide the time for IT staff members to get up to speed with cloud-based tools that they will need in performing their cloud-based responsibilities.The task now for CIOs and senior IT leaders is to map these cloud responsibilities across the IT organization, because different individuals in diverse areas of IT will be needed to do them.

Illustration of an exoplanet in the early universeDarryl Fonseka/AlamyConditions in the early universe might have enabled rocky planets with water to form much earlier than anticipated, potentially allowing life to begin sooner too.Astrophysicists studying the early universe think planet formation didnt begin in earnest until supernovae had released enough heavy elements to form planetesimals, the building blocks of rocky planets, around stars. Our sun and its planets arose when the universe was about 9 billion years old, and the oldest known planet developed 1 billion years into the life of the universe.

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How a top Chinese AI model overcame US sanctions The AI community is abuzz over DeepSeek R1, a new open-source reasoning model. The model was developed by the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which claims that R1 matches or even surpasses OpenAIs ChatGPT o1 on multiple key benchmarks but operates at a fraction of the cost. DeepSeeks success is even more remarkable given the constraints facing Chinese AI companies in the form of increasing US export controls on cutting-edge chips. But early evidence shows that these measures are not working as intended. Rather than weakening Chinas AI capabilities, the sanctions appear to be driving startups like DeepSeek to innovate in ways that prioritize efficiency, resource-pooling, and collaboration.Read the full story. Caiwei Chen Useful quantum computing is inevitableand increasingly imminent Peter Barrett is a general partner at Playground Global, which invests in early-stage deep-tech companies On January 8, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang jolted the stock market by saying that practical quantum computing is still 15 to 30 years away, at the same time suggesting those computers will need Nvidia GPUs in order to implement the necessary error correction. However, history shows that brilliant people are not immune to making mistakes. Huangs predictions miss the mark, both on the timeline for useful quantum computing and on the role his companys technology will play in that future. Ive been closely following developments in quantum computing as an investor, and its clear to me that useful quantum computing is inevitable and increasingly imminent. And thats good news, because the hope is that they will be able to perform calculations that no amount of AI or classical computation could ever achieve. Read the full story.The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 AI pioneers are clashing over its potential dangers Yann LeCun, Metas AI chief scientist, has branded experts grave warnings hypocritical. (FT $)+ AIs biggest cheerleaders tend to know the least about it. (Wired $)+ How existential risk became the biggest meme in AI. (MIT Technology Review)2 This surveillance tech could enable Donald Trumps deportation plans From mass biometric databases to phone jailbreaking tools. (NYT $)+ It really doesnt have to be like this. (The Atlantic $)+ Trump has declared policing the US-Mexican border his number one issue. (FT $)+ Hes ordered the end of the CBP One border migration app. (MIT Technology Review)3 The European Union is watching Big Tech like a hawk Its concerned about disinformation spreading ahead of next months German election. (Bloomberg $)4 Trumps meme coins are bad news for the crypto industry The community was hoping the President would legitimize cryptocurrency, rather than leaning into its scammier side. (WP $)+ Its a blow to the fans hoping hell make Bitcoin great again. (The Guardian)+ Trumps biggest supporters stand to lose the most from his crypto grift. (Vox) 5 AI is helping to pin down what caused the Los Angeles wildfires Determining the truth could take months. AI is speeding that process up. (Wired $)6 Elon Musks gaming skills are under fireHardcore gamers are questioning how he was seemingly playing during Trumps inauguration. (NYT $) 7 The European Medicines Agency has had enough of XAnd has moved to Bluesky instead. (Reuters) 8 Vietnam is deploying robots to help run its postal serviceIncluding delivering parcels and sorting packages in warehouses. (Rest of World) 9 Startups are in for a rough year Thousands of companies were funded between 2020 and 2021. Now, plenty are shutting down. (TechCrunch)+ Gaming startups in the UK are struggling for cash. (BBC)10 A newly-discovered asteroid turned out to be Musks Tesla RoadsterThe car and its mannequin driver have been floating in space since 2018. (USA Today) + The worlds next big environmental problem could come from space. (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the day I think within five years, nobody in their right mind would use them anymore. Yann LeCun, Metas chief AI scientist, says he believes that the technologies powering the current wave of large language models will soon become obsolete, TechCrunch reports. The big story How culture drives foul play on the internet, and how new upcode can protect us August 2023 From Bored Apes and Fancy Bears, to Shiba Inu coins, self-replicating viruses, and whales, the internet is crawling with fraud, hacks, and scams.And while new technologies come and go, they change little about the fact that online illegal operations exist because some people are willing to act illegally, and others fall for the stories they tell.Ultimately, online crime is a human story. But why does it work, and how can we protect ourselves from falling for such schemes? Read the full story.Rebecca Ackermann We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + I cant believe these albums were released 50 years ago: featuring Bob Dylan, Donna Summer, and The Boss.+ What one mans search for happiness taught him about himself.+ More twins are being born than ever beforebut why? + Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on this day in 1756. Enjoy this stunning piano concerto in his honor!

Michael B. Jordan plays twins in a mysterious new horror movie, "Sinners," set in the 20th century.The actor has reunited with "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler for the film.The spooky first trailer shows Jordan's characters preparing to fight a unknown threat.Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler have reunited for "Sinners," after working together on blockbuster projects like "Creed" and "Black Panther."Jordan plays a pair of twins in the early-20th-century historical horror set to be released in 2025. However, further details about the movie's plot have been kept intentionally murky.Jordan's characters, Elijah and Elisa, return to their hometown in the southern United States and face a mysterious threat.In April 2024, there were rumors the film was about vampires. This was noted by The Hollywood Reporter when it broke the news that Wunmi Mosaku had joined the cast. However, the film's trailer dropped online in September 2024 and there was no explicit vampiric imagery.Coogler could be keeping the film's antagonist unclear as to not spoil any twists for future audiences. With that in mind, here's everything we know about "Sinners" so far.'Sinners' trailer shows Michael B. Jordan defending a bar from a mysterious groupThe initial trailer keeps things very close to the chest opening with Jordan, playing one of the twins, defending an old bar, followed by a shot of the twins embracing having returned to their hometown.The bar, which we find out in a preview for the second trailer is owned by the twins, is approached by a strange group of people who want to get in, but it's not clear why. In one shot, a boy appears in a church, with claw marks across his face.The trailer's voiceover does suggests the plot could involve supernatural elements. Jordan says "I've been all over this world. I've seen men die in ways I ain't even know was possible. Of all the things that I've seen, I ain't ever seen no demons, no ghosts, no magic til' now."From there, the footage claims that "Sinners" is a "new vision of fear" from Coogler. There are snippets of people in bloodied clothes, and Jordan preparing for a fight inside the bar, and Jordan firing an old machine gun at something off-camera.Coogler included an easter egg for a potential plot twist the trailer's final shot. We see a crowd dancing to a DJ and boom-box items that don't match the film's early 20th-century setting.On Sunday, Warner Bros. released a new clip from the film showing three people trying to persuade Elijah and Elias to let them into a bar. This scene does fit the vampire trope of having to ask permission before entering a building.Michael B. Jordan leads the "Sinners" cast alongside Hailee Steinfeld Wunmi Mosaku and Hailee Steinfeld in "Sinners." Warner Bros Pictures Coogler recruited an impressive cast for "Sinners" in addition to Jordan. "True Grit" and "Hawkeye" star Hailee Steinfeld plays Mary, who is seen in the trailer dancing in a yellow dress, while "Lovecraft Country" and "Loki" actor Wunmi Mosaku plays Annie.British audiences will recognize Jack O'Connell, who played Cook in the UK TV show "Skins," as Remmick.They're joined by Jayme Lawson as Pearl, Delroy Lindo as Slim, Li Jun Li as Grace, and Omar Benson Miller as Cornbread."Sinners" will be released on April 18 Michael B. Jordan in "Sinners." Warner Bros. Warner Bros. pushed the film's cinema debut back from March 7 to April 18.In December 2024, Deadline reported that the reshuffle was down to the "scarcity" of labs that could work on "Sinners" because it was shot on film.

Jeff Baena, 47Jeff Baena. Rich Polk/Getty Baena was known for writing and directing comedic independent movies like "Life After Beth," "The Little Hours," and "Horse Girl."Many of them starred his wife Aubrey Plaza.He also wrote the 2004 movie "I Heart Huckabees" with director David O. Russell.Baena died by suicide on January 3.If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or has had thoughts of harming themself or taking their own life, get help. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is also available through the Crisis Text Line just text "HOME" to 741741. The International Association for Suicide Prevention offers resources for those outside the US.Leslie Charleson, 79Leslie Charleson. ABC Photo Archives/Getty For 50 years, fans of "General Hospital" knew Charleson as Dr. Monica Quartermaine, a role she played since 1977.Charleson was beloved by fans and used her celebrity to support charities for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS awareness.Charleson's other credits include "Adam 12," "Barnaby Jones," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Ironside," "Kung Fu," and "The Rockford Files."She also starred in "Happy Days" and gave Ron Howard his first on-screen kiss.Charleson died on January 12 following a long illness.David Lynch, 78David Lynch. Guy Kinziger/WireImage/Getty Lynch was the visionary director of surrealist films like "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive," and the hit TV series "Twin Peaks."His groundbreaking works blended elements of everything from horror to film noir to surrealism, creating a uniquely skewed vision of America.After adapting Frank Herbert's "Dune" in 1984, resulting in a box office flop, Lynch produced a string of surrealist works that would define his career: 1986's "Blue Velvet," 1990's "Wild at Heart," 1992's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (the prequel to his hit TV show "Twin Peaks," which ran from 1990 to 1991), and 1997's "Lost Highway."Each title showcased Lynch's seemingly limitless creativity as he pushed the boundaries of narrative structure while dazzling the viewer with exquisite production design and cinematography.The Lynch family announced his passing on January 16. In August 2024, the filmmaker announced that he had emphysema following decades of smoking, but said he hadn't smoked in over two years.Sam Moore, 89Sam Moore. Gie Knaeps/Getty Moore's R&B sound influenced everyone from Michael Jackson to Bruce Springsteen.Alongside Dave Prater, Moore found fame in the 1960s with Sam & Dave, a duo who had hits like "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and "Soul Man.""Soul Man" would gain renewed popularity in the late 1970s when Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi began performing the song as their alter egos, R&B singers The Blues Brothers, on "Saturday Night Live." The song would continue to find new fans in 1980 when "The Blues Brothers" movie was released.Moore went solo in 1970 and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.Moore died on January 10 from complications while recovering from surgery.DJ Unk (Anthony Platt), 42DJ Unk. Ben Rose/WireImage/Getty This Atlanta rapper brought snap music to the masses thanks to his hit 2006 songs "Walk it Out" and "2 Step."Anthony Platt, better known by his stage name DJ Unk, was a fixture in the Atlanta rap scene in the late 1990s. He DJed at everything from pep rallies to proms.He released his first album, "Beat'n Down Yo Block!" in 2006 and found huge acclaim due to his two big hit songs, "Walk it Out" and "2 Step.""Walk it Out" got as high as No. 10 on the Billboard charts and went platinum.His second album, "2econd Season," was released in 2008 but didn't find the same acclaim as his debut.In 2009, due to non-stop touring and hard partying, DJ Unk suffered a heart attack.DJ Unk died on January 24. His wife, Sherkita Long-Platt, said in a Facebook post that he died in his sleep after suffering a cardiac arrest.Bob Uecker, 90Bob Uecker. ABC Photo Archives/Getty Uecker had a respectable career as a Major League Baseball backup catcher on four clubs through the 1960s, playing with his hometown Milwaukee Brewers and winning a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. But it was his work off the field that made him one of the most memorable figures in MLB history.After retiring in 1967, Uecker started his second career as a broadcaster, calling games for the Brewers (which he did until his death) and being the color man for network games.His self-deprecating style made him a likable figure, leading to him becoming a fixture on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, where he earned the nickname "Mr. Baseball." Suddenly Uecker landed everything from beer commercials to a hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live."But his most memorable gigs outside of baseball were playing sportswriter George Owens on the hit TV show "Mr. Belvedere" from 1985 to 1990 and starring as sarcastic broadcaster Harry Doyle in the beloved 1989 movie "Major League" and its sequels.Uecker was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.He died on January 16 after battling small-cell lung cancer since 2023.Peter Yarrow, 86Peter Yarrow. Chelsea Lauren/WireImage/Getty Yarrow was a singer-songwriter who was a member of the iconic folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary.Along with Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, the trio had six Billboard Top 10 singles, two No. 1 albums, and won five Grammys. Their major hit was "Puff the Magic Dragon," which Yarrow cowrote.Yarrow died on January 7 after a battle with bladder cancer.

It was November 2020 when Microsoft launched its latest console duo into the rapidly evolving gaming marketplace. Over four years later, the Xbox Series X together with its more budget-friendly counterpart, the Series S has amassed an impressive and varied library of games, ranging from sprawling open-world blockbusters to intimate indie puzzlers. If youre just getting started with the console, here are 15 games that represent the variety on offer, each one interesting, enjoyable and rewarding in its own right.Alan Wake 2Alternate dimension Alan Wake 2. Photograph: Remedy EntertainmentThirteen years after the original game, cursed horror author Alan Wake returns, now trapped in an alternate dimension and determined to write his way out, while FBI agents close in on the mysterious town of Bright Falls.Why we love it: a thoroughly entertaining blend of detective procedural and surrealist survival horror. Read the full review.Baldurs Gate 3Bursting with imagination Baldurs Gate 3. Photograph: LarianOne of the greatest role-playing fantasy games of the modern era, providing players with almost as much narrative and imaginative freedom as a table-top D&D adventure as they face off against the mighty mind-flayers.Why we love it: Its a towering landmark of an RPG. Bustling with life, brimming with scope, and bursting with imagination. Read the full review.Psychonauts 2Psychic playground Psychonauts 2. Photograph: Double FineThe long-awaited sequel to Double Fines cult 3D platformer sees the return of psychic acrobat secret agent Raz embarking on a mission to root out a dangerous new adversary.Why we love it: Ive rarely played anything that is so unashamedly itself. Each hour is different, each character distinct and memorable, each new psychic playground full of surprises. Read the full review.Death StrandingA quest to save humanity Death Stranding. Photograph: Kojima ProductionsHideo Kojimas elegiac science-fiction adventure is like nothing else youll ever play, a post-apocalyptic quest to save humanity, following a parcel courier with an extremely valuable and unlikely parcel.Why we love it: This uncompromising, unashamedly political work of artistic intent is 2019s most interesting blockbuster game by a distance. Read the full review.Elden RingSpectacular landscapes Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Photograph: FromSoftwareA grandiose fantasy opera from the makers of Dark Souls, filled with spectacular landscapes, bizarre characters and seemingly insurmountable bosses. Complete with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC its a challenging and engrossing open world like no other.Why we love it: This is a massive world, astonishingly rendered (the sun and moon wheel in the sky, casting each scene anew) and seemingly limitless in its creative diversity. It is an unrivalled feat of design and inventiveness. Read the full review.Forza Horizon 4Perfectly recreated cars Forza Horizon 4. Photograph: MicrosoftA beautiful open-world driving game providing hundreds of square miles of the British countryside to explore while racing other drivers, completing challenges and collecting stunningly modelled supercars.Why we love it: As driving games go, its the best Ive ever played, not only because of its irresistible scenery, exhilarating driving and perfectly recreated cars, but because spending time with it puts me in a lasting good mood. Read the full review.HadesHell of a fight Hades. Photograph: Supergiant gamesFight your way out of hell while enjoying the horny shenanigans of ancient Greek gods. Has there ever been a more attractive premise for a Rogue-like action role-playing romp?Why we love it: Interesting things happen all the time, and no matter how long I spend with Hades I feel like I am only just getting acquainted with it. Read the full review.Hi-Fi RushUnashamedly music-centred Hi-Fi RushBetter known for its horror adventure series The Evil Within, Tokyo studio Tango Gameworks surprised us all with this stomping rhythm action brawler where enemies, action and hallucinogenic environments are all in sync with the infectious beat.Why we love it: As brazenly colourful as a Jet Set Radio fever dream, its refreshing to play a game that is so unashamedly music-centred. Read the full review.MinecraftUltimate crafting adventure Day Gliding in Minecraft: Console Editions Holiday Update Minecraft (2016). Photograph: MojangThe ultimate crafting adventure, providing a vast procedurally generated world to explore and an almost limitless range of activities from building castles, to fighting zombies, to competing in mini games. Fifteen years old and showing no sign of running out of ideas.Why we love it: By constructing the world from 1x1 blocks that can be arranged in every imaginable combination, Minecraft is perhaps the closest we have to a true god game. Read the full review.PentimentInspired by illuminated manuscripts Pentiment. Photograph: Xbox Game StudiosIn an Alpine Bavarian village during the 16th century a young artist sets out to solve a series of gruesome murders. With luscious visuals inspired by illuminated manuscripts of the era, this is an extraordinary detective adventure.Why we love it: It provides a wonderfully evocative window into the past [] a gift to any player who longs for a historical setting thats more than a surface texture. Read the full review.Persona 5 RoyalMessy adolescent love Persona 5 Royal. Photograph: Atlus/ SegaA group of Tokyo high-school students develop incredible powers and set out to battle evil and corruption while also falling in and out of messy adolescent love. Part sprawling metaphysical role-playing game, part super cute dating sim.Why we love it: With its stylish cuts and transitions, loose and unorthodox structure and real-world setting Persona 5 is unlike any other video game. Its depth and texture far outstrips even earlier games in the series. Read the full review.Resident Evil 4 RemakeBloody thrills Resident Evil 4 Remake. Photograph: CapcomArguably the greatest ever survival horror game, brought bang up to date while retaining its mix of bloody thrills, cunning puzzles and truly horrible monsters.Why we love it: It is resplendent, delicious and decadent, like an incredibly rich banquet served amid the detritus of some horrible battle. Read the full review.Sea of ThievesA rollicking adventure Sea of Thieves. Photograph: RareEffectively a pirate fantasy simulator, player crews take to the high seas together, discovering buried treasure and battling with other buccaneers. A rollicking co-op adventure filled with memorable moments of shared excitement and hilarity.Why we love it: Youll laugh, youll sail, youll drink grog until youre sick. What a luscious, singular sandbox experience. Read the full updated review.The Witcher 3: Wild HuntChaotic world The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Photograph: CD Projekt REDGruff monster hunter Geralt takes on his defining quest as he searches for his adopted daughter Ciri through a chaotic world of giant beasts and warring factions. Memorable characters and a rich seam of romantic tension bring depth to the destruction.Why we love it: Geralt has a Swiss army knife of interactive tools, and his set of abilities offer a uniquely varied and diverse journey. Read the full review.Yakuza: Like a DragonInteractive comedy soap opera Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Photograph: SegaThis hilarious, shambolic and gripping refresh for the Yakuza series features low-level gangster Ichiban Kasuga attempting to get his life back in order on the mean streets of Yokohama. Come for the fights, stay for the karaoke.Why we love it: Like a Dragon preserves the old-fashioned, somewhat unreconstructed vibe of the previous Yakuza games, while adding a new twist that diverts it into a different genre [] a very Japanese, gangster-themed, interactive comedy soap opera. Read the full review.

The Switch 2 is coming, and while Nintendo hasn't formally revealed its software lineup yet, one rumour suggests we'll be slaying demons in no time.Tech13:48, 27 Jan 2025Updated 13:48, 27 Jan 2025DOOM The Dark Ages is the first since 2020's Eternal(Image: Sony)It's probably fair to say that Nintendo is the most family-friendly of the three console manufacturers. Mario and Zelda are a far cry from The Last of Us and Gears of War, and while the company does have its creepier titles (Emio: The Smiling Man, we're looking at you), the Switch remains pretty kid-friendly.That's not to say it's not added some great 'mature' third-party titles over the years, with Diablo 3, Red Dead Redemption and Citizen Sleeper, but it appears Switch 2 may be offering something a little darker right off the bat.We've already heard that one AAA third-party game could be making the jump, and now, we're ready to strap on our shield and grab our shotgun after rumours have suggested DOOM: The Dark Ages, one of our most anticipated games of 2025, could be coming to the Switch 2.Joy-Con will be magnetic nowSpeaking over on YouTube (Spanish), longtime Xbox leaker eXtas1s has been told something that will make many DOOM and Nintendo fans gasp, while also noting Nintendo doesnt want us to see it yet.Explosions and gore aside, there is precedent for DOOM on Switch. The 2016 reboot of the series eventually made itself to the first Switch, while Eternal also made the jump. Neither ran quite as well as the version you could get on PC, PS4, or Xbox, but The Dark Ages is a prequel that could be a really fun early title for Switch 2.The game was shown off at a Microsoft Developer_Direct event last week, and it certainly got tongues wagging with the incredible Saw Shield weapon and the fact players can pilot a mech the size of a building.Article continues belowHere's hoping we get confirmation either way on April 2. That's when Nintendo is planning to reveal the next load of information about the Switch although there's every chance we already know what it'll cost.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

Football Manager 2025 is getting closer after multiple delays, but the team has unveiled a new signing with Steve Sidwell undertaking a surprise Twitch challengeTech12:32, 27 Jan 2025Updated 12:32, 27 Jan 2025Sidwell and Jameson are looking to take Newport County to the 'Promised Land'Football Manager fans need some good news right now. In any other year, we'd be waiting for developer Sports Interactive to drop the January transfer update once the window is shut, but after the game was delayed out of 2024 entirely, we've not even started our saves yet.The game is now expected in March of this year, but Jameson Irish Whiskey has revealed a fun marketing partnership with the game, Newport County, and former Chelsea and Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell.The "Must Be A Manager" campaign kicks off this week and will see fans given the chance to lead Newport County from League Two to League One.Can Sidwell and Tony Jameson reach League One?Starting on January 29, Jameson Irish Whiskey is looking for Football Manager fans to join them on Twitch. While former Chelsea star Sidwell will be making his 'managerial debut', he's going to be led by comedian and Football Manager fan Tony Jameson."Combining Steves on-pitch expertise with Tonys Football Manager gaming savvy does sound like a cocktail for success," the company said."But there is one playful twist this isnt just about Steve and Tony, the Football Manager fans are the real gaffers, helping make all the critical decisions, from squad selections to in-game tactics, steering the teams fate in real-time, through the Twitch live chat."Think of it a little like the record-breaking 'Twitch plays Pokemon', except focused on The Port rather than Pikachu.Im really excited to work with Jameson, an iconic brand doing some brilliant work as a proud partner of the EFL," Sidwell said."Whilst it wont be easy to get Newport into the promised land, I can assure you that Tony and I will leave no stone unturned as we look to make the local South Wales community proud."For more on Football Manager, be sure to check out the community-made mod that converts Football Manager 2024 to Football Manager 2025, or our chat with Sensible Soccer legend Jon Hare.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED