Destiny 2 fans have reason to be excited again as Bungie revealed more information about Episode Heresy, including a fresh Star Wars collaboration coming on Tuesday

The PlayStation Plus games for February 2025 have been revealed, with players able to download and play

The consoles might not be selling but the games are (Microsoft)The success of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 made Microsoft the biggest game publisher in the world last month, according to the latest data.Microsofts acquisition of Activision Blizzard has given a major boost to Xboxs financials over the past year, but at that point its multiformat ambitious were less clear than they are now.According to data firm Ampere, $465 million (374.1m) was spent on Microsoft games in December 2024, making the company the worlds biggest publisher across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.This was largely driven by sales of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6, which attracted 38 million monthly users worldwide in November 2024. According to Circana data, Black Ops 6 was the best-selling game in the US in December based on dollar sales, as it became one of the best-selling entries ever in the franchise.Microsoft also launched Indiana Jones And The Great Circle last month, which made it to number 14 on the best-selling games list of December 2024 in the US, which isnt bad for an Xbox console exclusive.As reported by VGC, 64% of consumer spending on Microsoft titles in December was on PlayStation formats, primarily driven by Call Of Duty.Its important to note Call Of Duty has always been multiformat, and Black Ops 6s success wouldve happened without Microsoft buying Activision, as traditionally the biggest publisher in the US is either them or EA although it does vary depending on the amount of first party releases from Sony and Nintendo.Nevertheless, a successful multiformat policy is what Microsoft has been working towards for at least the last year, when at one point Microsoft had more games in the PlayStation Store top 20 than Sony. Black Ops 6 is a big comeback for Call Of Duty (Picture: Activision)This multiformat push looks set to continue in 2025, with Indiana Jones And The Great Circle coming to PlayStation 5 and Microsofts confirmed support for the Nintendo Switch 2. A bunch of other ports, including Halo: The Master Chief Collection, are also rumoured for various platforms.According to analyst group Ampere, Microsofts earnings last month put the company ahead of Electronic Arts as the biggest publisher in the world, generating $366 million in December. This was mostly driven by EA Sports FC 25, whose sales were notably lower than the previous years entry.Microsofts biggest rival for the top spot though is not an American company but Chinese conglomerate Tencent, who own the likes of Riot Games and Sumo Group. Its influence, and that of other Chinese companies such as NetEase, are only set to grow in the future, with the company currently in negotiations over a potential buyout of Ubisoft.The big question for Microsoft is whether its claim on the top spot will hold in the months ahead, before the next Call Of Duty inevitably spikes its financials again. The company has a solid slate of games on the horizon, between Avowed, South Of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages, with the latter also set to launch on PlayStation 5.More TrendingWhile none of these are in any way comparable to Call Of Duty, from a sales perspective, the franchises consistent success should, in theory, give Microsoft the capacity to continue to invest in more experimental titles, like South Of Midnight, without impacting the companys bottom line. South Of Midnight is a niche title for Xbox (Picture: Microsoft)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Eternal Strands it certainly does go on a bit (Yellow Brick Games)The director of the first three Dragon Age games presents the first title from his new studio and its not what youd expect from a BioWare veteran.There has been a lot of, very understandable, concern about the future of BioWare recently. Dragon Age: The Veilguard was not nearly as big a hit as it needed to be and the new Mass Effect is taking a worryingly long time to develop. Theres also the fact that so many key staff have left over the last several years, from the founders themselves to Mass Effect director Casey Hudson and his equivalent on Dragon Age, Mike Laidlaw.Some have left the games industry entirely, while Hudsons attempt to found a new studio was met with disaster, when it and its first game were shut down due to a lack of investment. After leaving BioWare, Laidlaw initially joined Ubisoft, but his game was cancelled as well, and so he then formed his own indie studio, with this being its first release.When leaving a big name studio, many developers end up making basically the same thing but under a different name, but Eternal Strands has far less in common with Dragon Age than you might imagine. Its primarily an action game, with some unexpected influences, and surprisingly the storytelling is one of the worst things about it.Eternal Strands is an action adventure game, with only light role-playing elements, that is very obviously influenced by Shadow Of The Colossus. Not in that its trying to copy any specific part of it but just the general idea of fighting enemies so big you have to climb up them to get to their weak spots.In Shadow Of The Colossus, the protagonist was able to do nothing but wield a sword, but in Eternal Strands your list of abilities is longer. Thanks to your magical affinity you can manipulate both ice and fire, enabling you to freeze minor enemies (or specific parts of larger ones) in place and create ice walls and bridges.You can summon an explosive fire spirit or make use of a separate strand of telekinetic powers, that allow you to grab and throw objects like a Tolkien-esque Darth Vader. Your repertoire is a bit front-loaded, in that many of the later abilities arent quite so interesting, but theres lots of clever ideas, like burning the fur off enemies or making metal armour so cold and brittle that its easier to break.The games best moments are when fighting the larger enemies, all of which have multiple ways for you to defeat them. Although, unlike Shadow Of The Colossus, you can take them on more than once, with extra awards available if you manage to figure out how to reveal their core and attack that instead of just wailing away at them randomly.As fun as that seems in theory the problem is that theres only nine of these giant enemies and fighting the smaller ones is considerably less entertaining, with much less interesting designs and very limited melee combat options. There is a crafting element, which is one reason to go back to the big bosses, but its fiddly and doesnt make much difference.Unfortunately, the plot underpinning the game only makes things worse. Its such a formulaic collection of cliches and needlessly confusing background lore its almost bordering on parody. For the record though you play as a type of magic user known as a Weaver, who together with a group of allies sets off to discover what caused the Surge a magical disaster that has everyone else hating on anyone using magic.Your quest involves breaching The Veil (not to be confused with The Veil from Dragon Age: The Veilguard) in order to get to The Enclave. Thats only the tip of the proper noun iceberg and, frankly, its all deeply uninteresting and horribly unimaginative. It reminded us of Immortals Of Aveum, not in terms of any of the details but the fact that the developer couldve made up any fantasy world they wanted and yet settled for the most generic concepts possible. The bigger they are the harder they fall (Yellow Brick Games)In terms of moment-to-moment storytelling the game also struggles, with bland party interactions and very slow pacing. Given how much dead time there is between major plot points this really should have been a significantly shorter game than it is, especially given how much backtracking and mindless fetch quests there are.The open world exploration, where you can climb almost any surface, is clearly inspired by Zelda: Breath Of The Wild but theres very little in the way of secrets to find, so the size of the map just ends up becoming an irritation.Theres also a strange weather system that seems to have been specifically designed to make your life a misery. Areas can suddenly freeze up or become burning hot, which interferes with your magic abilities and forces you to change clothing and take drafts, again just like Breath Of The Wild. Unlike Nintendos games though its never entirely clear how hot or cold you are and whether you need to do more to protect yourself.The miasma events are even worse as they block off certain routes, forcing you to find another way round, which just drags things out even further and ruins boss fights if one happens to be going on at the same time.More TrendingIn terms of visuals the game is okay, in a low rent Fortnite kind of a way, but like the plot it lacks a distinctive personality of its own. Its also trying to do far too much on an obviously low budget, with the physics engine proving glitchy and inconsistent. Breath Of The Wild took one of the most talented developers in the world years to create, so it was madness to think that a debutant indie studio could emulate it on a AA budget.Despite some clever ideas and mechanics we particularly like the ice powers Eternal Strands is a slog to get through. The first dozen or so hours are enjoyable enough, but wed be surprised if many made it beyond that. In that sense its an ideal Game Pass game but given the high asking price its not something that can be otherwise recommended, in what is yet more bad news for BioWare fans.Eternal Strands summaryIn Short: You cant fault its ambition, but this is too little game stretched across too much open world map, with repetitive enemy encounters and tedious storytelling.Pros: The giant enemies are fun to battle and the magic abilities are often quite inspired and versatile, especially the ice powers.Cons: Everything outside of the core action is a slog, with boring minor enemies, uninteresting crafting, and too many fetch quests. Dull storytelling, in terms of plot, characters, and pacing.Score: 5/10Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: 32.99*Publisher: Yellow Brick GamesDeveloper: Yellow Brick GamesRelease Date: 28th January 2025Age Rating: 12*available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one Trying to copy Breath Of The Wild is certainly a bold move (Yellow Brick Games)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Theres never been a more fraught time to be a celebrity promoting a new projectnot only does every little thing you say get picked up and blasted around the internet, but now more than ever theres a fear of saying the wrong thing (even if its not wrong, actually). The latest star in the crosshairs is Anthony Mackie, who has now backtracked on comments he made recently ahead of his headlining turn in next months Captain America: Brave New World. The kerfluffle began when Mackie, promoting Brave New World in Rome, said in an on-stage interview that Captain America represents a lot of different things and I dont think the term, you know, America should be one of those representations. Its about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity, and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable. He then shifted into saying making Brave New World was a dream come true and that the movie helped invigorate his excitement for acting. After a video of Mackies remarks hit social media (you can watch it here), people immediately zeroed in on his America statement, becausewell, these are some politically interesting times we live in, and it can be interesting to try and talk about whats happening in the United States, particularly at an event being held in a different country. As Variety, Forbes, and other sources noted, after his on-stage answer went viral, Mackie took to his own social media to clarify his meaning. Heres a screenshot of his Instagram stories post, which reads: Let me be clear about this, Im a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honor of a lifetime. I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to. Screenshot: Instagram Whether there was behind-the-scenes pressure for Mackie to massage his message, or the actor simply felt he was being misinterpreted by online reactions to it, we dont know. And his Instagram post, which is not styled as an apology, conveys that he respects the American military as well as the legacy being upheld by his character, Sam Wilson, who hes bringing to the big screen for the first time as Captain America, after playing the early days of Sam taking on the mantle in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.But his original statement wasnt wrong, eitherafter all, you can still be a proud American and realize that America isnt always synonymous with honor, dignity, and integrity. As Forbes pointed out, the previous Captain America, Chris Evans, as well as the Captain America comics themselves, have made not-dissimilar observations in the past. The Captain America comics have long had a history of having the character wrestle with their symbolism, and the inherent belief in Americas ideals even as they rankle at the state itself. After all, Steve Rogers famously quit being Captain America under a thinly veiled allusion to the Nixon administration! Its an uncomfortable feeling, but its a legitimate one, especially in 2025and even if the person feeling that way happens to be the star of a big-budget blockbuster centered around a patriotic superhero. Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters February 14. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grists weekly newsletter here. Earths oceans caught a fever in March 2023 that has yet to break. Since then, the bathwater-like conditions have killed corals in a record-breaking mass bleaching event, fueled hurricanes, and collapsed entire fisheries. The two years of heat have created a scientific mystery, with 450 straight days of record high global sea surface temperatures from April 2023 to July 2024 a streak that exceeded climate scientists predictions even when accounting for climate change and the natural climate pattern known as El Nio. A study published on Tuesday by researchers at the University of Reading helps solve the puzzle and points to one prominent culprit: the sun. The study in Environmental Research Letters found that the rate of ocean warming has more than quadrupled over the past 40 years, driven by Earths growing energy imbalance accounting for roughly 44 percent of the extra heat in recent El Nio years. Thanks to heat-trapping Theres been an uptick in that imbalance and that has led to an uptick in the rate of ocean warming, said Christopher Merchant, a professor of ocean and earth observation at the University of Reading in the U.K. and the studys lead author. By looking back through satellite observations since 1985 and developing a statistical model that isolated the trends in both ocean warming and Earths energy imbalance, the researchers found they were escalating in lockstep. According to Merchant, the study is possibly the first to connect the two phenomena over recent decades. Its a very tight correlation, he said. This relationship is bad news for the oceans, which have absorbed some 90 percent of the excess warming from human activity. Some of that heat will continue to seep down into the planets depths, while some will cycle back up toward the surface and escape into the atmosphere. According to the study, the next 20 years could warm up the oceans more than the last 40. If you think of the oceans as a bath, Merchant says, its like the hot tap was only a trickle in the 1980s but now, its been cranked up. And whats turning the tap more open, making the warming pick up speed, is an increase in greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and There are other factors turning up the heat. The El Nio pattern that began in 2023 added around 0.1 or 0.2 degrees Celsius, before the inverse La Nia pattern took over in December 2024. Another piece of the puzzle is the planets diminishing reflectivity, according to Brian McNoldy, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Miamis Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. The oceans dark surface helps it absorb heat, whereas white clouds and aerosol particles in the atmosphere help bounce the suns radiation back into space. In 2020, the International Maritime Organization adopted a new rule to cut back on sulfur pollution from shipping fuel, but because the aerosol particles in emissions acted as a seed for clouds, the regulation had the unintended effect of dimming the marine layer of clouds that blanket the ocean. So you get rid of a lot of those, and now more of the suns energy can be absorbed in the ocean instead of reflecting off clouds, McNoldy said. According to Merchant, efforts to curb air pollution from factories in countries like China also had the side effect of cutting back reflective aerosols.The excess ocean warmth has had wide-ranging consequences. In April 2024, as the oceans started simmering, 77 percent of the worlds coral reefs became imperiled in the most extensive bleaching event on record, threatening the livelihoods of a billion people and a quarter of marine life. Changing ocean temperatures also shift weather patterns, potentially intensifying droughts, downpours, and storms alike. Hurricanes love warmer water. So all other things be equal, a warmer ocean can produce stronger hurricanes with maybe more frequent instances of rapid intensification, McNoldy said. Last September, Hurricane Helene slammed into Floridas Gulf Coast after surging from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm in a single day. The oceans really set the pace for global warming for the Earth as a whole, Merchant said. The knock-on effects like wildfires, drought, and floods will continue to escalate, too. That really needs to be understood, but it also needs to filter through to governments that changes might be coming down the line faster than theyre currently assuming. This article originally appeared in Grist at https://grist.org/oceans/why-earth-oceans-record-hot-streak/. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org

Kaijonharju Daycare Center / MUUANSave this picture! Marc Goodwin | ArchmospheresArchitects: MUUANAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:1150 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Marc Goodwin | ArchmospheresManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Crosslam / CLT, Massiwe Lead Architects: Tiina Antinoja, Olli Metso, Aleksi Rastas, Tuulikki Tanska, Xiaoyu Chen, Anna Wawrzyniak, Tytti Kaattari, Alice Mattila, Venla Tiainen More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The new daycare center in Kaijonharju in Oulu, Finland, is a wooden, low-carbon, and chemically low-impact facility designed for the future. MUUAN was responsible for the project's principal design, architectural design, and interior design. The structural design was done in collaboration with Laukka, and the landscape design was done by HELMA. Oulun Tilapalvelut oversaw the design process and set the goals for low carbon emissions and the absence of harmful substances.Save this picture!Save this picture!During the conceptual phase, the building's environment, routes, and views were analyzed. The building was intended to take a visible role within its surroundings. Space solutions were explored through multiple options, aiming to find a design where the children's spaces are placed prominently and the internal circulation is smooth. The goal of the project was to create a high-quality, stimulating, and small-scale environment for children. A key feature was the extensive use of wood in both interior and exterior spaces, as well as consideration of the northern climate and light conditions.Save this picture!The building mass consists of four single-story, similarly oriented gabled roof sections, which create a small-scale environment around them. At the center of the building is a bright dining area with large glass surfaces opening to the south. There is also a view of the northern Kaijonraitti. Adjacent to the dining area is a sheltered courtyard, where children can play even in bad weather under a large canopy. The children's group rooms are placed in the best location, opening to sunny directions on the courtyard side. Service and auxiliary spaces are located on the northern side.Save this picture!Save this picture!CLT (cross-laminated timber) was selected as the framing material based on a carbon footprint comparison. The massive wooden load-bearing frame stores a lot of carbon, and the external insulation makes the solution energy-efficient. According to studies, the carbon footprint of wooden construction can be up to six times lower compared to concrete construction. In the selection of materials for the interiors, special attention was paid to avoiding harmful substances. All materials in the interior spaces meet the requirements of the Swan Label (Nordic Ecolabel). The CLT frame was supplied by Crosslam.Save this picture!The color scheme for the spaces includes not only wood finishes but also natural colors inspired by the environment, such as ochre, red clay, lichen, and calming gray. The nature theme and the focus on avoiding harmful substances are also reflected in the loose furniture and playground equipment.Save this picture!Save this picture!The Kaijonharju daycare center project began in 2022 and was completed by the end of 2023. The daycare center provides facilities for five groups, ranging from toddlers to preschoolers. Solutions piloted in terms of low carbon emissions and the absence of harmful substances will be applied in other projects by Oulun Tilapalvelut.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Oulu, FinlandLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeMUUANOfficeMaterialWoodMaterials and TagsPublished on January 29, 2025Cite: "Kaijonharju Daycare Center / MUUAN" 29 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026209/kaijonharju-daycare-center-muuan&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

We have been nerding out about audio gear around here lately, and this is one of the best audio deals I have seen in months. Right now, Bose has its refurbished Solo Soundbar 2 for just $99half its retail price and at least $50 cheaper than the lowest price I can find on other sites. Bose has one of the best certified refurbished programs in the space, thanks to its rigorous attention to detail and robust support offering. Products dont always stay in stock, however (especially at these prices), so dont hesitate.Bose Solo Soundbar 2 Refurbished $99 (was $199)BoseSee ItThis compact soundbar works in just about any space with any TV. It stands just three inches tall but puts out a surprisingly powerful sound and can greatly improve dialogue/soundtrack clarity. It connects to a TV with just one cable, and theres a wall mount in the box, so its easy to install in any spot. Built-in Bluetooth makes it a great standalone speaker, too. This is a great budget soundbar that doesnt sacrifice quality for distorted power.More Bose flash dealsBose Smart Ultra Soundbar Refurbished $599 (was $899)Bose Smart Soundbar 900 Refurbished $549 (was $899)Bose QuietComfort Headphones Refurbished $299 (was $349)Bose S1 Pro+ portable Bluetooth speaker system Refurbished $579 (was $699)Bose Portable Smart Speaker Refurbished $289 (was $399)The post Go grab a Bose soundbar for just $99 before they sell out appeared first on Popular Science.

Nature, Published online: 29 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00193-1Sustainable engraftment of heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) can be achieved by implanting patches of engineered heart muscle onto the surface of the heart under immune suppression. Evidence from rhesus macaques and an individual with advanced heart failure suggests that structural and functional augmentation of the failing heart is possible.

Nature, Published online: 29 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00275-0Researchers are testing how well the open model can perform scientific tasks in topics from mathematics to cognitive neuroscience.