Download the February 2025 issue of the Enterprise Spotlight from the editors of CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World.

On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, your host covers the latest news for the week including the release of iOS 18.3, AirTag 2 rumors, and a Matter update for the Govee ice maker.HomeKit Insider PodcastLast week, Apple released iOS 18.3 to the masses. While this was expected to include support for robots vacuum cleaners, it ultimately did not.Perhaps it will arrive in the upcoming iOS 18.4 beta. That's likely to have its first beta released this week. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show for Apple Music, so Apple has packed its services with special features related to Kendrick and the Super Bowl.Image Credit: AppleLast September, Apple announced that Kendrick Lamar would be heading up the 2025 Super Bowl Half-Time show. In preparation, Apple Music has a week's worth of exclusive interviews, new playlists, and even a new Apple Music offer for new subscribers ahead of the February 9 event."Throughout his career, Kendrick Lamar hasn't met the cultural moment so much as he's defined it," Rachel Newman, Apple Music's global head of content and editorial, said in the press release. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Sony has had a pretty good track record in bringing over its PlayStation exclusives to PC, ranging from highly demanding yet excellent titles like Returnal, to the wonderfully optimised God of War games. There have, however, been missteps along the way, notably with The Last of Us Part 1. Unfortunately for Sony, it looks like Marvels Spider-Man 2 has more in common with the missteps than it does with the homeruns. Despite the several complaints of lack of optimisation and other issues, however, Marvels Spider-Man 2 still is a fundamentally excellent game. Not only does it meet the expectations that were set by its two predecessors, but it also downright surpasses them.The first thing I should note is that I had little in the way of performance issues from the game. I was able to largely max its settings out, minus ray tracing, while playing it on an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32 GB of DDR5 6000 MHz RAM, and an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU. The frame rates werent quite able to make full use of my 144 Hz display at a resolution of 1440p, I was still getting well over 60 FPS, with the general open-world gameplay stabilising at around 70-80 frames per second. While performance wasnt an issue, I did face a few crashes, at the time of writing this review. While Im unsure of what caused these crashes I wasnt able to replicate them on purpose, and even play time seemingly wasnt an issue it does indicate that there are some technical issues with the PC port."The first thing I should note is that I had little in the way of performance issues from the game. I was able to largely max its settings out, minus ray tracing, while playing it on an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32 GB of DDR5 6000 MHz RAM, and an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU."At the time of writing this review, many others still have reported quite a few technical issues with Spider-Man 2, including crashes, video artefacts, visual glitches, and even poor performance. Unfortunately, there doesnt yet seem to be a hardware-related throughline discovered as of yet, with both AMD and Nvidia GPU users facing these problems. There also seem to be software-related issues, with both DLSS and FSR users pointing out visual jittering, especially with the hair on characters.The keyboard and mouse controls are also surprisingly well thought out. I wouldnt, however, recommend it over a controller. In fact, the title has downright fantastic integration with the DualSense, bringing over essentially all of its key features. My personal favourite has been the games use of the adaptive triggers on the DualSense, letting you feel just the right amount of pressure for some of its quick-time events and prompts.With all the PC-related things out of the way, now is a good time to look at Marvels Spider-Man 2 as a whole a little over a year after its release. As was the case with the last two titles, Spider-Man 2 also features a completely original story, this time around involving Kraven the Hunter. The game focuses on spending its first couple of hours by letting you get reacquainted with its open world, however, introducing a host of side-activities and collectibles you can start going for right off the bat. Once youve had some time to settle in, the game throws its second major set piece at you, introducing Kraven to both Peter Parker and Miles Morales in the process.Throughout the games thrilling story, there are a couple of understated B-plots happening; Parker is still figuring out how to manage his life and balance things like having a job while also occasionally trying to save the city from supervillains, while Morales on the other hand is dealing with a bevy of personal issues, from mundane things like figuring out his college applications to more complex emotions, like testing his limits for forgiveness when he comes face-to-face with the man responsible for his fathers death. Both of these side-stories tend to not get too much of a focus while still giving us some fun, complex character arcs to follow throughout the more bombastic main storyline."Gameplay is where Marvels Spider-Man 2 truly comes alive, with just about every aspect of the original two titles being improved in one way or another."It is worth noting that a lot of the more interesting and nuanced parts of the story come from the B-plots that run throughout the games side content. There are even hints of a larger story happening in the background, with things like random criminal activities involving cultists trying to brand people or committing random acts of arson.Gameplay is where Marvels Spider-Man 2 truly comes alive, with just about every aspect of the original two titles being improved in one way or another. Web-swinging is more fun than ever thanks to a bevy of new unlockable moves, and even combat gets an uplift with the addition of new powers for Peter Parker. The best new feature in purely gameplay terms, however, is the ability to glide through the city thanks to the new web wings that both Parker and Morales are equipped with. Interestingly enough, while the ability to glide through the skyline of New York is both fun and intuitive, the wings never feel like they make plain old web swinging obsolete. Rather, the wings feel like they were designed to work in tandem with swinging, since you can only really attain the heights and speeds that youd need to make the wings work by building up momentum through swinging.The combat side of things has also been given a major facelift from previous titles. Taking a page out of Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Peter Parker now gets in on the action of having special on-cooldown powers in Spider-Man 2 as well. This new system allows for a wide range of powers, ranging from sprouting mechanical spider-legs to aid in combat, to more situational ones like being able to throw all enemies into the air for longer combos. Interestingly, these new abilities do make the classic gadgets that Parker had from the first title feel less useful; not only are most of these gadgets much more situational than the new powers, but they can also be easy to forget about in the heat of battle."The only downside here comes for PC players: you might want to wait for a patch or two to iron out the technical problems."When you get down to it, Marvels Spider-Man 2 ticks just about every box a sequel should; its bigger and better in just about every way you can imagine. Even its main story manages to be more impressive, since its able to hit some great emotional and bombastic beats for two protagonists simultaneously. Both Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales were tough acts to follow, but Marvels Spider-Man 2 managed this almost effortlessly. Even the new rogues gallery you take on during Spider-Man 2s story and side-missions are more interesting, from both the gameplay and story standpoints.The only downside here comes for PC players: you might want to wait for a patch or two to iron out the technical problems. While not all PC hardware is created equal, and you might have an experience like mine where just a couple of crashes throughout my time with the game were the only problems I had to deal with, it is worth noting that many more have reported quite a few severe issues. Even if youre one of the lucky ones with few technical issues, you might also want to make sure that you have a decent controller lying around; a fast-paced third-person action game like Marvels Spider-Man 2 just doesnt feel particularly good with a keyboard and mouse despite the studios best efforts at making a sensible control scheme.This game was reviewed on PC.

Ubisoft has confirmed Far Cry New Dawn, its post-apocalyptic spin-off, will receive a 60 FPS update on Xbox Series X/S and PS5. However, deploying it means the formers FPS Boost feature will be disabled.The update should go live with the shooters addition to Game Pass on February 4th for cloud, PC, and Xbox consoles. Released in 2019 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, Far Cry New Dawn occurs in Hope County, Montana, which deals with the fallout from Far Cry 5.Though much of the gameplay is similar to its predecessor, players can embark on Expeditions to other locations for resources. There are also new weapons, crafting, and mutated enemies. For more details, check out our review, where we gave it an eight out of ten.Ubisoft hasnt said much about the franchises future, but Far Cry 7 and extraction shooter spin-off Maverick have reportedly been in the works. Theyre allegedly launching next year and moving away from the series traditional formula.Well this wasnt how we planned to announce this. A 60 FPS update is coming to Far Cry New Dawn on Xbox Series X|S! BUT to ensure a smooth roll out, we need to temporarily disable FPS Boost today at 4 PM PST (Feb 1, 0000 UTC). Thank you for your patience! Ubisoft Support (@UbisoftSupport) January 31, 2025Oh, and PS5 players, youre getting the 60 FPS update too! The FPS Boost change only applies to Xbox. Ubisoft Support (@UbisoftSupport) January 31, 2025

Visitor enjoys works by Emily Carr from the Gallerys collection, Photo: Pardeep Singh via the Vancouver Art Gallerys websiteOver the last few months, the Vancouver Art Gallerys (VAG) Board and staff have been carefully considering the path forward for realizing a future home for the Gallery.On January 22, 2025, the Vancouver Art Gallery Associations Board of Trustees passed a motion to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to invite a select group of Canadian-based architecture firms to submit proposals to design a new building.Back in December 2024, the VAG announced that it would not be going forward with the design of its proposed new building and would, instead, be bringing in a new architecture partner.Anthony Kiendl, VAGs CEO and executive director announced on December 3, 2024, that Herzog & Meuron had been removed from the project, which would be taking a new direction.Following the temporary pause of on-site construction activity announced at the end of the summer, we have been reassessing the projects direction. Throughout this process, we have been listening to feedback from our supporters,artists, Members and stakeholders, who are helping to shape the next phase of this transformative project, said Kiendl in a statement.The decision to accept proposals marks a significant milestone in the journey with the gallerys goal to create a new building that celebrates art while prioritizing achievability, practicality and fiscal responsibility.More information is expected to come as the project progresses.The post Vancouver Art Gallery issues invitation-based RFP to Canadian firms for new building design appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Global games investment rose 38% from $3.1 billion to $4.3 billion in 2024, according to a report by game venture capital firm Hiro Capital.Read More

Thomson Reuters integrates Anthropic's Claude AI into its legal and tax platforms, enhancing CoCounsel with AI-powered tools that process professional content through secure Amazon cloud infrastructure.Read More

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.Acclaimed Roll7 titles Rollerdrome and OlliOlli World delisted on SteamAcclaimed Roll7 titles Rollerdrome and OlliOlli World delisted on SteamIt's currently impossible to purchase either game on the popular PC storefront.Chris Kerr, News EditorFebruary 3, 20251 Min ReadImage via Roll7Rollerdrome and OlliOlli World have been delisted from Steam following the apparent closure of developer Roll7 and sale of publisher Private Division.Last year, Bloomberg reported that Take-Two intended to shutter award-winning UK studio Roll7 around three years after acquiring the company. That story was corroborated by IGN a month later.Shortly after, Take-Two confirmed it has sold its Private Division label to an undisclosed buyerlater reported to be Texas-based VC firm Haveli Investments.It remains unclear what that means for the Private Division portfolio in the long-term, but as of right now (as spotted by PC Gamer) both Rollerdrome and OlliOlli World have been removed from sale on Steam.Both titles remain available on other platforms such as PlayStation and Nintendo Switch at the time of writing.The accurate preservation of digital products remains a struggle due to issues surrounding distribution, ownership, and hardware requirements.The sudden delisting of two critically acclaimed titles in the wake of an abrupt studio closure and portfolio sale underlines the scale of the challenge facing preservationists.Game Developer has reached out to Haveli investments and Take-Two for more information.About the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Every week since mid-2023, the game industry has been given brutal reminder after brutal reminder that the video game marketplace is very tough right now for developers of all shapes and sizes. Even as games like Fortnite dominate the market, Epic Games still laid off workers. And teams like Surgent Studios have learned the hard way that you can release a game like Tales of Kenzara to positive reviews, and still not earn enough money to keep your team employed.These and other challenges have sent many publishers scrambling for new audiences in the world of UGC games like Roblox, ripening field of browser-based games built on WebGPU, or the growing PC market emerging in China. "Why," they might ask "should we take big bets on the saturated PC and console markets?"Well some still arelike Kepler Interactive, the British publisher whose portfolio ranges from driving survival game Pacific Drive, to soccer sim Rematch, to the colorful Metroid-inspired Ultros to the upcoming French-inspired fantasy game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It's an eccentric portfolio for the publisher that started out with the martial arts action title Sifu, one only united by the idea that somewhere out there, there is an audience of interested players out there in the deeply-stuffed marketplace.Related:Kepler Interactive senior portfolio manager Matthew Handrahan (a former comrade in the world of B2B games journalism) has looked at the market numbers, and admits they paint a "pretty frightening picture." But he argues the focus on high interest in older games obscures a key fact driving his work: "The relatively small percentage of people that buy new games, I do think actually buy quite a lot of new games each year," he said in a recent chat with Game Developer.That audience might not be purchasing all of Kepler's games. But the publisher's bet, he said, is that there are different pockets of players with different interests who make those purchasing decisions. He thinks developers should know that even in hard times, those audiences are worth chasing, especially if you have a unique game worth making.In search of "real specificity"According to Handrahan, Kepler Interactive's overall publishing strategy runs on something of a "gut feeling" approach. The strategy, he said, is to look for games that folks inside the publisher are excited about and will advocate for. While the team still considers traditional publisher needs like budgets and production viability, there's a sense that if someone at Kepler is really passionate about the game, there will be an audience out there who will feel as equally excited and will want to play it. Having staffers with different tastes helps the team cast a wide net and diversify its portfolio.Devs wanting to catch the attention of Handrahan and his peers should know that they're looking for what he calls "a real specificity." "Take Sifu for example," he said. "Sifu could very easily be a 2D side-scrolling pixel art game, right? It has a similar structure to many of those games...but what Sloclap really [wanted] to do there was to emulate a certain style of Hong Kong action cinema. Not just the martial arts moves, but also the way the camera moves and the editing."Calling that vision "specific," he said it's the main reason the game stood out from similar titles on the market.He nodded to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Pacific Drive as two other games with "specific" visions. "It's a case of starting with an experience they wanted to create and then working [their] way to the gameplay that's going to deliver that. I see a lot of pitches each year, and I get the impression that a lot of pitches go the other way around. They start in a genre and work towards the theme and you just end up in a place that that's quite simple.""We want our games to genuinely situate themselves more broadly in culture, not just video games."Image via Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive.If you're the data-driven type who bristles at the gut-feeling approach Handrahand decidesthat's fair. "It does sound simplistic," he admitted. "But actually I feel like any other approach is just as easy to pick apart." He nodded to market-driven publishing strategies that encourage developers to iterate on popular genres. "What is the market going to be in two years time or three years time? I think there is a danger in looking at what's there today and then signing a game on the basis of that because you 20 other companies might have done exactly the same thing, and by the time you come to market, everything's saturated."Devs do still need a sense of realismHandrahand still hedged some bets about Kepler's "gut feel" strategy, seeming to acknowledge that the realities of the market still can trump an incredible vision. He namechecked three genresMetroidvanias, first-person narrative games, and 2.5 sidescrollersas spaces so saturated that developers could only bet on success with low budgets and small teams.It's a message he sometimes has to deliver to developers with great pitches he runs into when out at events. He seemed a bit sheepishsaying he's not a "blunt" person and that it can be hard to give that kind of feedback.But he's trying to be more comfortable communicating that difficulty, and encouraging developers to explore if their vision can be adjusted to match the market. He said it's worth doing because "if it's something you can see they're really passionate about, then try to steer them towards something you legitimately feel could [be] more interesting to publishers at large."Image via Ironwood Studios/Kepler Interactive.And if you're pitching Kepler right now, you'd do well to come with one hell of a pitch deck and first playable. The team still believes in visions, but with the "buyer's market" for publishers at the moment, the bar for what developers are bringing to the table is higher than ever. Kepler's advice differed from the likes we've heard from Finji CEO Bekah Saltsman, so be sure to practice due diligence on what the folks you're talking to are looking for in a pitch deck.Handrahand said he looks for dense pitch decks alongside a first playable that lays out high level game ideas, and works through core aspects of a game like progression, systems, and narrative (if those are key pillars in your game). Calling himself a "freak," he said he doesn't like the idea that developers aren't supposed to overwhelm publishers with long slide decks. "That might just be because I'm a [former] journalist, and I'm used to reading lots of things, but I think...you don't want to leave too many question marks, because you shouldn't assume you'll get the opportunity for those questions to be answered at any point."That said, you don't need to open your pitch with the 20 page long lore document explaining the unique game world you're in. He suggested developers producing lean decks produce appendices and supplemental documents they can hand over to interested parties.Those documents should have some kind of sense of the game's budget, partly because Handrahand and his colleagues need to know if it's the kind of budget Kepler can even support. It's unfortunately a bit of a goldilocks situationyour budget can't be too big or too small, but somehow just right.Searching for video game starsThe fact Kepler still sees fertile ground in the traditional PC an console markets isn't a panacea for all of the game industry's woes. The company can only publish so many games, and while similar outfits like Raw Fury, Fellow Traveler, and Hooded Horse are equally focused on the market, there just isn't enough cash to go aroundand not every game these groups publish will find its audience.But Kepler's business bet (that's already paid dividends) is that those audiences are, in one way or another, out there. That attitude is a quiet pushback against some of the emerging wisdom around the video game industry contraction of the last few years. It's getting tiring going on LinkedIn and reading a random executive slagging the conventional games market and insisting developers start crunching on games for Roblox.There is wisdom in looking for fresh playersbut with the right strategy, publishers and developers alike can find those players where they already are.