Paradox published its year-end financial report for 2024, where CEO Fredrik Wester stressed there should be no particular focus "on any one period.""There is a lot of variation between quarters, depending on what and how much we have released," he added.The report shows Paradox revenue in decline: fourth quarter revenue amounted to 709.1 million SEK (or $64.8 million), down 29 percent year-over-year. For the entire January 1-December 31, 2024 period, revenue was 2.2 billion SEK ($201 million), down 17 percent compared to 2023 in the same period.However, the Swedish publisher fared better with its operating profit, which increased by 19 percent (to 395.3 million SEK) in the fourth quarter and 10 percent (721.4 million SEK) for the full year. Unlike the previous year, where it wrote down 178.5 million SEK in operating profit, Paradox had no such reductions this quarter.Paradox is still picking itself back upParadox's 2023 report was centered around its displeasure with some games, namely Cities: Skylines II and Star Trek: Infinite. At the time, the studio pledged to support the former with updates and new content, and later acknowledged it became "overconfident" and "undisciplined."To that end, Wester said there's been "a lot" of work on improving its publishing and third-party divisions and "better managing our risk-taking and creating the best conditions for our own development, and especially focusing on games we know well."Release-wise, Paradox touted DLC for Hearts of Iron IV, Crusader Kings III, and others during 2024's fourth quarter. It also highlighted gains from new releases such as Tlatoani in Early Access, Space Trash Scavenger's 1.0 launch, as well as the sale of Mellabellum back to Game River.For the whole year, it noted the previously reported acquisition of Haemimont Games, makers of Surviving Mars. However, it did not touch on canceling Life by You and closing its studio, which resulted in a near-$20 million writedown."We close the year with a period of high revenue and good margins, supported by strong releases, successful marketing activities and a currency tailwind," wrote Wester. "At the same time, we remain cautious and meticulous in our decisions. [...] We have a very exciting 2025 ahead of us and we are more motivated than ever to deliver fantastic gaming experiences."Paradox's full 2024 report can be read here.

Industry veterans from Mojang and Coffee Stain Studios have established a new indie publisher called Three Friends.The new label is focused on partnering with small Nordic teams (particularly those in Sweden) and has already signed a number of titles.Three Friends co-founders Albert Sfstrm, Daniel Kaplan, Sebastian Badylak, and Johan Hermeren said they want to help developers refine their vision and core mechanics by providing hands-on support, long-term investment, and strategic guidance."There's no secret trick to making a great gameit's not about one big idea, but about addressing thousands of small questions along the way," said Sfstrm."The right choices at the right time add up, shaping the final experience. We work closely with developers to create an environment where ideas can mature without drifting off course, helping teams focus their efforts and make the most of their time and resources."Three Friends publishing philosophy:The label will employ a publishing model built on three key principles: get in early, build it right; pick the right battles; and guidance, not control.Co-founder Daniel Kaplan said the label won't rush games to market or attempt to solve problems by simply throwing money at them. Instead, it wants to work hand-in-hand with indies from the outset to help turn strong ideas into standout games."Some of the best indie gameslike Valheim and Deep Rock Galactictook the time to refine their core gameplay before scaling up," he added. "That's why we partner with developers early, helping them figure out what makes their game special so they can double down on what works."Three Friends will start unveiling its publishing slate in spring 2025.

Roblox is a massive app as of September 2023, Roblox says it has more than 65 million daily active users and its becoming an increasingly interesting platform to watch amid growing competition from social and metaverse platforms like Epic Games Fortnite and Metas Horizon Worlds.While Roblox has traditionally been associated as a platform for kids, the company has done a lot of work as of late to make it more appealing to older audiences. The platform now allows developers to make experiences that are exclusively accessible to users that are 17 and over, for example, and is introducing its own spin on video chat. It even has ambitions to be a place where adults can meet and date.The company is also investing heavily into generative AI tools to help creators make experiences more easily, including a new Roblox Assistant AI chatbot.Heres all of our coverage of Roblox.HighlightsDec 19, 2024Jay PetersSome Robux casinos have shut down.The unlicensed casinos, which were investigated by Sky News, let people gamble Robux, Robloxs virtual currency, though they werent actually on Roblox.Following Sky News initial report, two of the casinos permanently ceased operations and a third said it would be shutting down, according to a followup report.Illegal casinos targeting children shut down 'permanently' following Sky News investigation[Sky]Dec 11, 2024Jay PetersFind your next favorite song... on Roblox?Roblox now has a Top 100 music chart that highlights this weeks most popular music on Roblox based on listens and experience adoptions.Dont sleep on Jazz Medieval (#54).Dec 2, 2024Jay PetersRoblox tries to skirt app store fees by making Robux worth more on other platformsIllustration: The VergeRoblox is now incentivizing users to buy its in-game currency, Robux, on platforms that wont take app store fees. You can now get up to 25 percent more Robux if you purchase the currency through gift cards, on your computer, or on the web, according to a developer forum post from last week.As for how that might look in practice, heres some examples from the post:Read Article >Nov 18, 2024Jay PetersRoblox will restrict kids under 13 from chatting outside of gamesIllustration: The VergeRoblox is starting to roll out some recently-announced child safety features, and the updates include some new limitations for how users under 13 can communicate on the platform. Beginning Monday, users younger than 13 wont be able to DM players outside of games or experiences on Roblox. And theyll need parental permission to be able to send in-game DMs though this change wont be fully implemented across the platform until the first quarter of 2025.The changes follow recent reports highlighting instances of Roblox failing to protect children. A big article from Bloomberg described how predators on the platform use chat to communicate with kids. And a report from Hindenburg Research described Roblox as an X-rated pedophile hellscape. These new restrictions on chat will build on Robloxs automatic chat filters intended to block users from sharing personal information.Read Article >Nov 6, 2024Jay PetersRoblox is banning kids from social hangout spacesIllustration: The VergeRoblox is going to block kids from accessing certain types of experiences following reports alleging that the platform has enabled child abuse.One new measure will stop kids under 13 from accessing experiences with certain types of interactive features, Roblox says in a post on its developer forum. Those include social hangouts, where the primary purpose is to communicate with others over text or voice chat, and free-form 2D user creation experiences, where players can do things like draw on a chalkboard or whiteboard. This change goes into effect beginning November 18th.Read Article >Oct 23, 2024Jay PetersRoblox is making changes for pre-teen users after reports that it failed to protect childrenIllustration: The VergeRoblox is making some potentially major changes that will limit what pre-teens can access and give parents more control over what their kids do on the platform, according to an email sent by the company and shared with The Verge. The changes follow recent reports highlighting how Roblox has failed to protect children.In July, for example, Bloomberg published a big report about predators on the platform. Turkey blocked access to Roblox in August, saying it was a necessary measure to protect its children. (Roblox said this week that it would open an office in the country if access was restored.) Earlier this month, a popular financial newsletter accused Roblox of enabling child abuse and the investment firm Hindenburg Research alleged that its in-game research revealed an X-rated pedophile hellscape.Read Article >Oct 8, 2024Emma RothRoblox accused of lying to investors about user numbers by Hindenburg ResearchImage: RobloxRoblox is facing accusations that it lied to investors about the number of people who use the platform. In a report published on Tuesday, the investment firm Hindenburg Research claims Roblox is consistently overstating the amount of people on its platform by 25 percent to 42 percent or more.Roblox, which went public in 2021, reported having 79.5 million daily active users in its most recent earnings report. However, Hindenburg claims Roblox intentionally conflates actual people with daily users, as that number could also include alt accounts and bots. The research alleges that Roblox can separate alt accounts from single users, even though the companys disclosure says daily active users are not a measure of unique individuals accessing Roblox.Read Article >Sep 6, 2024Alex HeathRobloxs CEO on getting to 1 billion usersDavid Baszucki. Getty Images / The VergeRoblox CEO David Baszucki has a goal that even he admits is a little audacious: to grow the companys share of the global gaming markets revenue to 10 percent in the coming few years. For comparison, the companys investor guidance of $4.2 billion in bookings this year is about 2 percent of the global gaming market, which Roblox estimates to currently be between $160 billion and $180 billion. Baszucki shared this goal, which ladders up to his ultimate mission of reaching 1 billion users, during the companys annual developer conference on Friday.Read Article >Sep 6, 2024Alex HeathRoblox will start sharing more revenue with creatorsIllustration: The VergeAs Roblox marches toward its ultimate goal of 1 billion users, the company is finding new ways to share revenue with the developers who have made millions of games on the platform.During the companys annual developers conference in San Francisco on Friday, CEO David Baszucki announced that creators of these games, which Roblox calls experiences, will be able to keep between 50 and 70 percent of revenue from their paid titles when theyre purchased in real currency on desktop computers. Thats significantly more than the roughly 30 percent revenue split Roblox gives developers for purchases made with its native Robux currency inside freemium experiences.Read Article >Jun 9, 2024Wes DavisIkea will pay 10 Roblox players to roleplay as employees in its virtual storeThis could be you. Image: IkeaCorporate publicity stunts involving virtual reality are almost always bad, but Ikeas new Roblox store feels especially silly. The company announced last week that it plans to pay 10 people 13.15 or 14.80 per hour to work in The Co-Worker Game, a virtual Ikea store in Roblox. The company is taking applications until June 16th, only from candidates in the UK or Ireland who are 18 or older.Being paid to be an NPC. What a world. The virtual employees will carry out tasks like serving meatballs or helping people find fake furniture or other Ikea items. They can also get promoted to move departments, just like in the real world.Read Article >Apr 4, 2024Gaby Del ValleRoblox executive says children making money on the platform is a giftImage: RobloxRoblox, one of the most popular gaming platforms in the world, has taken a lot of heat from critics who accuse it of exploiting its users, the vast majority of whom are children and teenagers. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, however, Robloxs studio head, Stefano Corazza, said the platform has actually been a gift to the young developers who make money by creating games on the platform.You can say, Okay, we are exploiting, you know, child labor, right? Or you can say: we are offering people anywhere in the world the capability to get a job, and even like an income, Corazza said. So I can be like, 15 years old, in Indonesia, living in a slum, and then now with just a laptop, I can create something, make money, and then sustain my life. (An unidentified Roblox PR person present during the interview told Eurogamer that most of the developers earning money on Roblox are 18 or older.)Read Article >Apr 4, 2024Alex HeathRoblox heads to WashingtonRoblox CEO David Baszucki. Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge, Photo by Jerod Harris / Getty ImagesIn late January, a handful of social media CEOs were hauled before Congress to testify about what they were and werent doing to project kids on their services. Noticeably absent from the group was Roblox, the gaming-meets-hangout platform that is, to put it mildly, quite popular among young people. I watched that, and I had so many thoughts and so many feelings because weve been building safety for going on 20 years, Roblox CEO and co-founder David Baszucki tells me. And so after I saw that, independent of the Senate hearing, I thought, I have to get out there and start talking to these people.Read Article >Feb 5, 2024Emilia DavidRoblox releases real-time AI chat translatorIllustration: The VergeRoblox built an AI model that it says translates text chats so quickly users may not even notice its translating the messages of other players at first. It works with 16 languages, including English, French, Japanese, Thai, Polish, and Vietnamese. Dan Sturman, Roblox CTO, said in an interview with The Verge that the goal is to make Roblox users feel more comfortable engaging with each other by letting them understand what they are saying. The translator automatically translates chats, but users can click an icon to see the original message.Read Article >Dec 14, 2023Jay PetersRoblox has a new music-themed metaverse experience, too.The experience, called Beat Galaxy, was made in part by Universal Music Group (UMG), and features a runner / music game you can play with music from UMG artists. Its not nearly as polished as Epics newly-launched Fortnite Festival, but if youve been looking for something like that in Roblox, Beat Galaxy is in the ballpark.Dont judge me, it was hard to play this game and capture screenshots. Screenshot by Jay Peters / The VergeDec 1, 2023Jay PetersRobloxs chatbot assistant for developers is available now in beta.The Assistant, which Roblox recently showed off at its 2023 Roblox Developers Conference, can answer questions, insert scripts, explain code, and generate materials for in-game assets, according to a post on Robloxs developer forums.Many game studios are experimenting with AI tools for making games, but some developers worry about how the tools could affect their jobs. Roblox seems very invested in AI; CEO David Baszucki has said the company is aiming for Westworld-like ease of design with its generative AI tools.The Roblox Assistants material generation feature. Image: RobloxNov 15, 2023Jay PetersYou can now buy subscriptions in Roblox experiences that offer them.The company rolled out the ability for developers to make them in September, and now, if you want, users can actually start paying for them. Im curious to see if or how this might change the way Roblox developers build businesses around their experiences subscriptions in the App Store ended up being a huge deal, after all.Subscriptions within experiences: Now available for users to purchase[https://devforum.roblox.com/]Nov 14, 2023Jay PetersRoblox is launching its take on video calls.You can read more about the launch of Roblox Connect on the companys developer forum. Roblox is also introducing APIs so that developers can build Roblox Connect into their experiences.Roblox is putting its own spin on video chatJay PetersSep 8Nov 8, 2023Jay PetersRoblox is still popular and still growing.Heres just a few stats from its Q3 2023 earnings: Average daily active users hit a new milestone of 70.2 million, up 20 percent from the same quarter last year Daily active users grew across all age groups Average monthly unique players (MUP) hit 14.7 million, while the average bookings per MUP was $19.02Basically, more and more people are playing Roblox, and many of them are spending money, too. I have to imagine the expansions to PlayStation and Meta Quest have helped.Roblox Q3 2023 Shareholder Letter[Roblox]Oct 20, 2023Jay PetersRoblox is taking less money from subscriptions, but for a limited time.If a developer introduces subscriptions before December 15th, Roblox says it will only take a 15 percent cut of those subscriptions instead of 30 percent, according to a post on its developer forum. However, that reduced rate will only be in place through March 15th, 2024. And, importantly, the fee savings from the reduced rate will be paid in a lump sum in April, Roblox says.You can read more about Robloxs subscription plans in my post from September.Oct 19, 2023Jay PetersHeres your TL;DR on some Roblox news tidbits.In this blog post about how the platform connects people, Roblox said that: Youll be able to customize the names you see for your Roblox friends in the next month.The company will make it easier to share in-Roblox captures, using a GIF to show what that might look like. Eventually, youll be able to use Robloxs new Roblox Connect video call feature to call people from within a Roblox experience.Reimagining Bringing People Together through Communication, Connection, and Expression - Roblox Blog[Roblox Blog]Oct 17, 2023Jay PetersHeres a few more things I wanted to share about Roblox.In addition to Tuesdays news that Roblox is asking employees to return to its offices, I have a few other Roblox tidbits you might be interested in. Roblox launched on PlayStation last week, and it already has more than 10 million downloads, spokesperson Samantha Spielman tells The Verge. The company published a long blog post on Tuesday about how its evolving its avatar technology to make it more modern. Its an interesting read, though theres no news. Earlier this month, the company added the ability for developers to include short videos into their experiences. I worry this feature could be used for bad, but the company says videos must adhere to its community standards.Oct 17, 2023Jay PetersRoblox says employees must return to office because the metaverse still isnt good enoughIllustration: The VergeRoblox a company that builds a hugely popular virtual experiences platform, recently introduced its own spin on video chat, and even created an in-Roblox career center is transitioning away from remote work and will be asking a number of our remote employees to begin working from our headquarters in San Mateo by next summer, CEO David Baszucki wrote in an email to staff shared publicly on Tuesday.Like many other companies, Roblox will be shifting to a model where employees are expected to work three days in the office (Tuesday through Thursday). Staffers will have until January 16th, 2024, to decide if they want to stay on at the company under the new rules. If an employee chooses to stay at Roblox and relocate, the company will help with relocation costs and expects them to report into the companys San Mateo, California, offices by July 15th, 2024.Read Article >Oct 10, 2023Jay PetersRoblox is now available on PlayStation.After an announcement last month, Roblox has officially been released for PS4 and PS5. Roblox is already available on a bunch of other platforms, including PC, iOS, Android, Xbox, and even Metas Quest VR headsets.Sep 27, 2023Jay PetersThe CEO of Bumble says that the metaverse is kind of contrary to everything I believe in in terms of getting humans to look each other in the eye.Roblox CEO David Baszucki thinks people will be dating in Roblox, but at Code 2023, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd doesnt sound like a fan of that idea. Maybe that is how people will originally connect, she said, but noted that I will be much more sad for humanity than myself if people just stop really meeting in real life.Sep 27, 2023Jay PetersI asked David Baszucki about the potential of interoperability between different virtual worlds platforms.The short answer seems to be no. But in his response, he talked a lot about file formats and how they might differ for things like a pair of virtual shoes and wheels that fall off a virtual car. That might make any interchangeability would be a tricky problem to solve; companies like Roblox, Meta, and Epic Games would have to agree on file formats that could sync across systems. My sense is they might be reticent to do that right now.More Stories

Google, OpenAI, Roblox, and Discord have formed a new non-profit organization to help improve child safety online. The Robust Open Online Safety Tools (ROOST) initiative aims to make core safety technologies more accessible for companies and provide free, open-source AI tools for identifying, reviewing, and reporting child sexual abuse material.The initiative was partially motivated by changes that generative AI advancements have made to online environments and aims to address a critical need to accelerate innovation in online child safety, according to founding ROOST partner and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Details about the CSAM detection tools are slim beyond that they will utilize large language AI models and unify existing options for dealing with the content.Starting with a platform focused on child protection, ROOSTs collaborative, open-source approach will foster innovation and make essential infrastructure more transparent, accessible, and inclusive, with the goal of creating a safer internet for everyone, said Schmidt.The ROOST announcement comes amid a huge regulatory battle regarding child safety on social media and online platforms, with companies seeking to appease lawmakers with self-regulation methods.The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reports that suspected child exploitation increased by 12 percent between 2022 and 2023. As of 2020, over half of US children were on Roblox, and the company has been repeatedly criticized for failing to tackle child sexual exploitation and exposure to inappropriate content on its platform. Roblox and Discord were also singled out in a social media lawsuit filed in 2022 that alleged the platforms failed to stop adults from messaging children without supervision.Some founding members of ROOST like Discord are providing funding, while others are opening their tools or expertise to the project. ROOST says its partnering with leading AI foundation model developers to build a community of practice for content safeguards, which will include providing vetted AI training datasets and identifying gaps in safety.The initiative says it will be making tools that already exist more accessible, effectively combining various detection and reporting tech from its member organizations into a unified solution thats easier for other companies to implement. Naren Koneru, Robloxs vice president of engineering, trust, and safety, told Fast Company that ROOST may host AI moderation systems that companies can integrate through API calls. Theres some ambiguity about what ROOSTs AI moderation tools will include, however.For example, Discord says its contributions will build on the Lantern cross-platform information-sharing project it joined in 2023 alongside Meta and Google. It could also include an updated version of Robloxs AI model for detecting profanity, racism, bullying, sexting, and other inappropriate content in audio clips, which the company is planning to open-source this year. Its unclear precisely how the tools will intersect with existing first-line CSAM detection systems like Microsofts PhotoDNA image analysis tool.Alongside its participation in ROOST, Discord has released a new Ignore feature that allows users to hide messages and notifications they receive without notifying the people they have muted. At Discord, we believe that safety is a common good, Discords Chief Legal Officer Clint Smith said in the ROOST announcement. Were committed to making the entire internet - not just Discord - a better and safer place, especially for young people. ROOST has raised more than $27 million to support its first four years of operations, backed by philanthropic organizations including the McGovern Foundation, Future of Online Trust and Safety Fund, Knight Foundation, and the AI Collaborative. The ROOST organization will also be supported by experts in child safety, artificial intelligence, open-source technology, and countering violent extremism according to the press release.See More:

LatestMachine LearningDeepSeeks Breakthrough: The Political, Economic, and Technical Earthquake in AI 0 like February 10, 2025Share this postLast Updated on February 10, 2025 by Editorial TeamAuthor(s): Maxime Jabarian Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.SourceAI is no longer just about technology, its about power, politics, and who gets to shape the future. DeepSeeks breakthrough last week isnt just a technical achievement, its a geopolitical and economic earthquake. With a fraction of the cost and compute used by industry giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, DeepSeek has proven that bigger isnt always better and that Open-Source AI can compete at the highest level. But the impact doesnt stop there. DeepSeeks rise has sparked heated debates on AI sustainability, intellectual property, and the future of Open-Source research. Its also challenging everything we thought we knew about reinforcement learning and AI reasoning.If youre not a member you can read it here. How RL is revolutionizing AI reasoning why models like DeepSeek-R1-Zero and Kimi k1.5 outperform traditional LLMs. The mechanics behind RL-driven AI training how it produces self-correcting, emergent behaviors. Prompting insights from DeepSeek showing why weve been using the wrong strategies when working with RL-based models. The role of Open-Source AI in driving innovation why industry leaders are divided on its future. AI sustainability how DeepSeek proved that cutting-edge AI doesnt have Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

Last year IGN broke the news that actor Thomas Jane is making the jump to comics with the horror series The Lycan. With that series about to debut on the Comixology Originals platform, we can now debut an exclusive preview of the first chapter.Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at The Lycan #1:The Lycan #1: Exclusive Comic Book Preview GalleryThe Lycan is based on a story by Jane and screenwriter David James Kelly (Logan), with a script by Mike Carey (Lucifer, The Unwritten), art by artist Diego Yapur, coloring by D.C. Alonso, and lettering by AndWorld Design. Tim Bradstreet (Punisher MAX, Hellblazer) will provide covers for the series.Here's Comixology's official description for The Lycan #1:Year of Our Lord 1777: A hardened band of international big game hunters returning from Africa are shipwrecked off a small British island. In exchange for new supplies and the repairing of their good ship The Calydonian, Lord Ludgate engages the men for a task they are particularly well suited for: find the Berserking Beasts that have been eating his subjects, including a group of young Benedictine Nuns, and destroy them.PlayThe Lycan #1 will be released digitally on Tuesday, February 18 and is exclusive to the Comixology Originals platform. Once the series is complete, Ablaze Comics will release a print collection.For more on what's coming from Comixology this year, check out the five new series revealed at NYCC 2024. And be sure to check out what to expect from Marvel in 2025 and what to expect from DC in 2025.Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket byfollowing @jschedeen on BlueSky.

The eminently popular live service game Roblox is involved in an active investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) according to a new report, though the extent is unclear.As reported by Bloomberg, a Freedom of Information Act request elicited a statement from the commission, confirming Roblox had been referenced in an "active and ongoing investigation.""We have confirmed with Division of Enforcement staff that there are responsive emails between Enforcement staff referencing Roblox and that these emails are a part of an active and ongoing investigation," the SEC told Bloomberg.The extent to which Roblox is involved, or even the subject of the investigation, is unclear right now. The commission told Bloomberg it couldn't share staff correspondence referencing Roblox, as it would cause "harm to the ongoing enforcement proceedings." Bloomberg could not confirm the subject of the investigation, nor did Roblox respond to the outlet's requests for comment. The SEC declined to comment further.Roblox has been under some scrutiny from various sources, however. Last October, a report accused Roblox Corporation of deliberately inflating its daily active user (DAU) statistics and fostering a "hellscape" for children. Roblox responded at length on its own site to strongly deny the accusations, asserting "safety and civility" are foundational to its live service platform. It's also acknowledged that undetected fraud and unauthorised access to Roblox may contribute to an overstatement of DAUs. In 2024, Roblox announced major updates to its safety systems and parental controls.Further back, families sued Roblox in 2023, accusing the corporation of being misleading about its "ability to make the site safe and appropriate for children." A 2021 report from People Makes Games looked into the user-generated content of Roblox, and whether it was exploiting creators.Last week Roblox shares fell 11%, as the Roblox Corporation reported 85.3 million daily active users, short of a StreetAccount estimated 88.2 million. Roblox CEO David Baszucki said the company would continue to invest in its virtual economy, app performance, and "AI-powered discovery and safety, empowering creators and enhancing the user experience."Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Everything you were, everything youve done, comes down to this, intones the mysterious voiceover in the latest Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning trailer. To underscore the finality of this eighth and last entry of the franchise, the promo features shots from previous films, namely Tom Cruises Ethan Hunt plummeting to the floor during the break-in of the CIA computer room.That callback makes sense, given how much the break-in sequence permeated popular culture. However, more curious is a shot in the present of Ethan staring intently at a knife in his hands.That knife is in the style of the weapons used by Franz Krieger (Jean Reno), the pilot who joined Ethans ad hoc team in the first Mission: Impossible. Like the reliable Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), Krieger had a checkered past that made Ethan and the audience mistrust him. While Luther proved to be perhaps the most reliable man in the entire world, Krieger turned on Ethan and joined Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) to kill off the hero. Krieger drove a chopper through the Chunnel, where he and Phelps tried to finish off Ethan during the climactic scene of the first Mission: Impossible. Pulling the explosive gum he previously used to escape IMF director Kittridge (Henry Czerny), Cruise blows up the chopper, apparently killing Krieger and Phelps.So if Kriegers long gone, then why is Ethan staring at his knife? The simple answer ties into a casting announcement from 2023, when director Christopher McQuarrie revealed that Rolf Saxon would return as William Donloe, the beleaguered CIA analyst present during the first movies heist. In fact, McQuarrie revealed that Donloe, a computer expert, was transferred to Alaska after the IMF team broke into the computer room under his watch.The original break-in sequence ends with Krieger dropping a knife, which lands on Donloes table, where the analyst finds it. Given that Donloe is something of a computer expert and that Dead Reckoning Part One and The Final Reckoning pit Hunt and co. against a rogue AI called the Entity, the knife sure feels like a warning for the IMF. Donloe may be telling Ethan that he created the Entity as revenge for them making him throw up a bunch way back in the first film.Neat callback, yes, but that feels pretty anticlimactic for the true villain behind the last two Mission: Impossible movies. After all, Donloe was mostly a comedic character, a guy who kept puking when he tried to return to his office. He doesnt scream author of all your pain.Could the knife actually point to its original owner, Krieger? Yes, it sure looked like Krieger blew up in the first movie, but we didnt actually see a body. And with the exception of Jim Phelps, Krieger would be a great way to tie up the series by going back to the beginning. Its also worth mentioning that this is the same style knife used to kill members of Ethans original IMF team in the first film, which makes its return in the new sequel all the more ominous. Is Krieger back to finish the job?Well find out whats what when Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning hits theaters on May 23.

Four full minutes. Thats how much time Star Trek: The Motion Picture devotes to a sequence in which Scotty and Kirk take a shuttle to the new USS Enterprise. The Motion Picture gets a lot of guff for its slow pace and its indulgences, and rightfully so. But we forgive the flyby sequence because its not just our two Starfleet members admiring their ship. We get to admire it too, lavishing in every line and curve.The Motion Picture wouldnt have even attempted the sequence were they working with anything other than the Enterprise. More than just the Starfleet flagship or the hero ship of the mainline franchise entries, the Enterprise is one of the most beloved space ships of all time. It has lived in the public consciousness for decades, spawning endless parodies, imitators, and homages.Yet, everyone knows that the Enterprise isnt the only Enterprise. Various legacy ships and alternate versions have appeared in the franchise. Of course, the name Enterprise does not a great starship make, and these Enterprises are not equal, which means we get to rank them.Quick point of order: for this list, were really only focusing on ships that received a great deal of attention or played an important role in their stories. So while the ISS Enterprise served as the setting of Mirror, Mirror, the ship itself wasnt terribly important and did not appear again in canon outside of an episode of Discovery. And no, were absolutely not going to include the 285,000 Enterprises that hailed each other in The Next Generation episode Parallels.Also worth noting: were only going with on-screen and canonical details here. For example, the Enterprise refit and Enterprise-A from The Original Series movies are basically identical on screen, and thus get lumped together here. Yet, plenty of non-canonical sources lay out the many differences between the two vessels.Those restrictions out of the way, weve still got 11 great ships to choose from. And while were sure some are better than others, theyre all so great that history will never forget the name Enterprise.In theory, we understand what producers wanted to accomplish with the Enterprise-E, giving Picard and his crew a cinematic upgrade to launch their own voyages on the big screen. However, the Enterprise-D was designed for television first and foremost, so putting a new slick coat of gloss on those qualities for the -E only made them stand out, eliminating the charm of the beige interior and horseshoe bridge and making it feel like a corporate boardroom.Worse yet is the sheer scale of the -E. As a Galaxy-class ship, the -E outmatches its predecessor in size and in firepower. Its 16 phaser arrays and 10 torpedo launchers, compared to the 12 arrays and three launchers on the -D, mark it as a ship ready for war. Thats the biggest problem with the -E. The ship perfectly encapsulated the Next Generation movies shift from character-driven stories to action-driven stories, a serious downgrade.In short, we dont need to know what Worf did to destroy the -E between Nemesis and Picard. Were just glad he did.9. Enterprise-F (Star Trek: Picard)Yes, the Rock did fight Seven of Nine in an episode of Voyager. Otherwise, Star Trek doesnt have much in common with wrestling. The other exception might be the treatment of the Enterprise-F in the third season of Star Trek: Picard. The first episodes do a lot of talking up the -F as a noble, powerful ship that has earned its early decommission. And when Ro Laren reveals to Picard the conspiracy with the Changelings, the threat feels all the worse because the -F is involved. And yes, when the -F does finally take to the skies under the command of Captain Shelby, it promptly gets destroyed, showing the depth of the Borg threat.Looking at the few shots we have of the -F, its clear the ship deserved a better fate than Borg Jobber. The sleek design marries the dynamics of the Voyager with the traditional Enterprise aesthetic, giving it a coiled look while still keeping the traditional saucer and hull separation. The nacelles in particular, protruding atop the saucer instead of below, make the -F seem ready for battle. Apparently, that was all for show, as the -F gets killed off pretty quickly, revealing the ship to be little more than a paper tiger.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!8. Enterprise-B (Star Trek: Generations)Theres nothing we could say about the Enterprise-B thats more cruel than the way director David Carson treated the ship in its one and only outing. Star Trek: Generations devotes more screen time to a bottle of champagne floating through space than it does to showing off the -B during its maiden voyage. Were clearly a long way from The Motion Picture.Which is too bad, because what we see of the Enterprise-B looks pretty great. The blue and green lighting scheme of the bridge contrasts well with the darker shadows needed for a film set, and the circular layout, while perhaps a bit cramped, feels more functional than most takes on the starship. On the outside, the hull flaring and more compressed look makes the ship feel propulsive, even in dry dock.All of these qualities help the Enterprise-B stand out from its predecessor and successors, but not from the USS Excelsior, on which it is based. Given that the -B gets a giant hole blown in it pretty quickly, and never gets a captain telling it to fly it apart, its a pretty sad Excelsior and, thus, a lackluster Enterprise.7. Enterprise-G (Star Trek: Picard)Like the -B, the Enterprise-G ranks lower for two reasons: 1) we didnt see enough of it (as the Enterprise) to give it a full evaluation, and 2) it used to be another ship. More specifically, it used to be the USS Titan, the ship most often associated with Rikers command. So while it might be a nice moment when Picard ended by revealing that Seven of Nine would take command of the Enterprise-G, we cant help but mourn the loss of the Titan, at least a little.Still, if we pay attention to what the Enterprise-G was as the Titan-A, then we have to admit its a pretty great ship. Where the original Titan, a Lunar-class ship, had a bit more of a squat and sturdy design, the Constitution III-class Enterprise-G is a bit more narrow, which better resembles other ships with that name. Yet, the nacelles wrapping above the saucer instead of below give it a unique look we hope to see again in the future.So unique, in fact, that it kinda feels like the -G shouldnt be an Enterprise at all and should be a Titan instead.6. Enterprise-C (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Yesterdays Enterprise)As far as the canon goes, the Enterprise-C is a one hit wonder, only showing up in a single episode. But what an episode it is. Yesterdays Enterprise, from TNGs third season, is a story of heroism and sacrifice for the greater good, one of the best entries in the entire franchise.The ship is pretty great, too. When designing the Enterprise-D for TNG, artist Andrew Probert imagined the -C as a perfect fulcrum point between Kirks Starfleet and that of Picard. He created a mock-up by combining the Excelsior with a Galaxy-class ship, which was then created for the show by Rick Sternbach and others.In the eyes of its creators, the finished -C isnt quite as elegant as they hoped. Its saucer section lacks the pop of the original Enterprise or the grace of the -D. Its lighting scheme, while flashy, looks a bit out of step with the rest of the TNG universe, which serves a story in which the -Cs sacrifice prevents a dark future, but doesnt serve the ship as much as one would hope.5. Kelvin Enterprise (Star Trek-Star Trek Beyond)At this point, people might get upset that the Enterprise from 2009s Star Trek ranks so high while the Enterprise-E ranks so low. The two do have much in common, including a sleek approach to televisual qualities and an emphasis on action.Heres the thing, though. The battleship take on the Enterprise fits within the Kelvin Universe, which, as J.J. Abrams presents it, is all about action. The Kelvin Enterprise has huge, winding corridors, perfect for Kirk and Spock to run through in one direction, shout a bunch of stuff, and run in the other.All snark aside, the Kelvin Enterprise looks amazing. It is recognizably the Enterprise that Kirk captained on TOS, just through an Apple Store lens. Every surface shiny, every curve elegant. Yet, it still found a way to make engineering look like a brewery (which it was), keeping with the incongruities of the first ship.4. NX-01For better or worse, Star Trek: Enterprise depicted humanity taking baby steps into space. That made for some awkward moments as Jonathan Archer and his crew fumbled alien encounters that Kirk and Picard would handle with grace. Those moments may have mixed results, but Enterprise nailed its proto-Starfleet approach with its titular ship, the Enterprise NX-01.With its prominent saucer and warp nacelles, the NX-01 is unquestionably a forerunner to the Enterprise. The NX-01 lacks the secondary hull found in every other Enterprise, which speaks to its smaller crew and more focused mission. There arent any families aboard the NX-01 like there are on the Enterprise-D. That stripped down aesthetic continues with the bridge. The circular layout with a command chair in center anticipates the haunts of Kirk and Picard, but its tighter and cramped. Apropos of Enterprises opening montage of previous ships by the same name, its easy to see the naval forerunners within the NX-01s futuristic design.Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the NX-01 is the Swiss army knife quality that designer Douglas Drexler gave the ship. Knowing that various storytellers would need the ship to do different things, Drexler gave the NX-01 ports and sections with no clear purpose, indicating promise that the show never got the chance to realize.3. Enterprise Refit/-A (Star Trek: The Motion Picture-Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)How good is the Enterprise of the TOS films? Its a ship so good that God tried to steal it.The refit Enterprise might be the ship that got the most attention behind the scenes, as creator Gene Roddenberrys people had been working on it as part of the production for the abandoned sequel series Star Trek: Phase II. Even though Paramount commissioned a new model when Phase II changed to The Motion Picture, they had already spent plenty of time thinking about what they could do with a bigger budget.That attention and support paid off in spades with the new model. The refit and the -A retain the sleek, angular look of the original and even heighten the effect with sharp nacelles and a hull sitting back further under the saucer. Internally, the Refit and -A feel bigger, befitting a movie set, with more room for the crew to spread out and do their jobs.The biggest knock against the Refit is that its essentially just the Enterprise redux. But when youre mostly repeating a perfect ship, its hard to go wrong. 2. Enterprise-D (Star Trek: The Next Generation)Say what you want about the bald, dignified Patrick Stewart stepping in for virile William Shatner. TNGs real test involved its hero ship. How could designer Andrew Probert make an Enterprise that both felt like the NCC-1701 of TOS but also stood as the believable Starfleet flagship a century after Kirk left the bridge?All questions ceased the very second that the camera panned over the Enterprise-D in the opening credits. Even without Stewarts majestic voiceover, the -D looks amazing. The subtle curves leading to the warp nacelles. The pleasing glow of the core. Even the specks of lights emanating from windows along the sides, hinting at the thousands of people aboard. All of these elements make the Enterprise-D feel like the ideal vessel for an ongoing mission, voyages that continue far past five years.And yet its just so beige. The one thing that keeps the otherwise glorious -D in second place is its color scheme, a real downgrade from the vibrancy of its most notable predecessor. The softness of the color scheme does reflect the more intellectual stylings of its captain, as does its bridge, with a horse-shoe design that creates a communal feel and two chairs alongside the captains. The Enterprise-D feels not just like a ship that people take on adventures. It feels like a ship on which people live.1. Enterprise (The Original Series)Despite the common misconception that he was a womanizer with a girl in every port, Kirk really only had one true love: his ship. And its easy to see why.Roddenberry and designer Matt Jefferies set out to create something truly unique in the world of science fiction, combining the rocket aesthetics of the Kennedy era with the flying saucers of the 1950s, with elements grounded in real-world aviation. Drawing from his own knowledge of aircraft innovations, Jeffries created something that felt like a natural evolution of the vehicles humans were already sending into space.Such an approach could have resulted in something functional but ugly. Yet, the Enterprise is gorgeous, its unusual look denoting speed and adventure instead of practical stodginess. The grey, blue, and red color scheme feels timeless even today, as does its interior. Its original rounded bridge never feels like a television set, and always seems like the place where explorers of the future do their work, even when eye lighting and technicolor hues appear on the crew.The Enterprise may have been made for a five-year mission that lasted three seasons, but its timeless appeal is one of the main reasons we continue to love Star Trek today.

Emilie Munroes clients werent immediately sold on the idea of painting the ceiling in their piano room and dining room greenemerald and sage, respectively. I was a huge advocate and think it makes the room, she says of the emerald. Ultimately, it came down to [saying], Its just paint. We can always paint over it. And they absolutely loved it once it was installed, Munroe adds. From there, greens became a through line in the design, from the front door to the living room lamps. Together with the family of fives modern art, its unexpected and fun in a grand 1905 Edwardian row house given new life by Munroe, Armour Architecture, and Peter Downey Construction. Asked what inspired the color palette, Munroe credits her design process: We dont present [the client] a board with a layout. We source furnishings and lay out fabrics, wallpapers, finishes, wood samples, and metal [finishes], and together we kind of create piles of our favorites. Its a very primal response that people have to color and pattern, so I just let them be driven to certain elements. Then we just take those and build the house. It gives it a very nimble feeling, and its a truly collaborative experience.FAST FACTSDESIGNER: Studio MunroeLOCATION: San Francisco, CaliforniaTHE SPACE: We do so much color. What I try to focus on is utilizing color in a way thats joyful but not chaotic and is so sophisticated. DINING ROOMA colorful palette refreshed the historical details. Thomas KuohPaint: Kennebunkport Green (ceiling) and Winter Solstice (wainscoting and casework), Benjamin Moore. Wallpaper: Holland & Sherry. Chandelier: Visual Comfort & Co. Dining table: RH. Dining chairs: Norden Living. Area rug: antique, Surya. Bench and floor lamp: Anthropologie.The big question in here was whether or not to paint the natural wood wainscoting and built-in cabinet. Ultimately I think its just a breath of fresh air, Munroe says. Painting the wood really opened up the room. It brought a fresh, more contemporary, energized feeling to a room that was a little bit more dark and serious before. The upper third of the walls is covered in a salmon-toned Holland & Sherry wallpaper. KITCHENA cork board wall and mega island are the stars. Thomas KuohFixtures: Ferguson. Counter stools: Williams-Sonoma. Pendants: RH. Hardware: Rejuvenation.The open floor plan kitchen slash breakfast nook slash family room centers around a gigantic island. At almost six feet wide, it has plenty of work space (lit by nice big lights to ensure its functional, Munroe adds) and room to sit down and eat together. The beverage fridge built into the side facing the breakfast nook and backyard is key for a smart flow. Its completely opposite the main fridge, so youre not crossing paths and bumping each other, she says. The kids can grab something on their way out the door.Thomas KuohCork wallpaper: Widgetco. Banquette, custom by JF Fitzgerald in Maharam fabric. Pendant: Lightology.The cork wall serves as an imperfect, ongoing art gallery for the family that adds color and a natural texture. I had a vision for this breakfast nook with the cork wall, Munroe says. I absolutely love a cork wall. Like wood, it brings a natural element into the vertical space. It grows with age. Teenagers love themthey can drape twinkly lights from it. Its just a genuine, joyful, uber-functional moment.Thomas KuohSofa: A. Rudin, in Romo fabric from De Sousa Hughes. Sconces: Visual Comfort & Co. Drapery: custom, in Hartmann & Forbes fabric. Coffee table: Jayson Home. Drinks table: Design Within Reach. Lounge chair: Arhaus. Area rug: FloorDesign Inc. Task chair: Anthropologie. Armour had the backyard excavated to create a patio, then replaced the back wall of the family room with NanaWall accordion-style glass doors that open up to the outdoors. PRIMARY BEDROOMSubtle paint shifts add to the elegance.Thomas KuohPaint: Palladian Blue (walls and ceiling) and Wedgewood Gray (trim and doors), Benjamin Moore. Drapery: custom, in Clarence House fabric from Kneedler Fauchere. Shades: Hartmann & Forbes. Pendants: Schoolhouse. Nightstands: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Rug: Lulu and Georgia. Round rug: FloorDesigns Inc. Fireplace: Cambria. Dresser: Bungalow 5.Another one of Munroes favorite paint tricks is painting the window sashes charcoal. People think, Oh, will it be severe? Will it make the room look small? I always say it makes your window into a picture frame. It draws eyes to them and makes them very intentional. The dark color matches that of the mantle, which got new details and a marble slab. The ceiling is painted a slightly darker hue than the walls, which gives the curved areas added depth. The nook in the turret gives the parents a private relaxation spot.PRIMARY BATHROOMThe colors make this retreat feel even larger.Thomas KuohFixtures: Waterworks. Sconces:Visual Comfort & Co.Medicine cabinets: LP Decorative Plumbing.Counter:Cambria.Thomas KuohPendant: The Future Perfect. Tub:LP Decorative Plumbing. Tile wainscoting references the detail in the rest of the house. Laid vertically, the tiles help elongate the space. Upper walls painted in crisp Benjamin Moore Decorators White create a sense of airiness too.GIRLS ROOMIt needed to be feminine but not too girlish.Thomas KuohWallpaper:Rebecca Atwood. Bed and lamps:Pottery Barn.Thomas KuohDesk:West Elm.The desk nook in this daughters room overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge.BOYS ROOMIt doubles as a play room.Thomas KuohCeiling paint: Bedford Blue, Benjamin Moore. Rug: West Elm. Pendant and flush mount: RH. Hamper: Pottery Barn Kids.With the sofa, twin bunk, and big rug, theres plenty of room for play dates and hangouts. Munroe replaced the knobs on the clients dresser with whimsical ones of a million little creatures. Look closely and youll see turtles and owls and porcupines and badgers.GIRLS ROOMBright green adds grown-up contrast.Thomas KuohPaint: Pink Harmony (ceiling) and Decorators White (walls), Benjamin Moore. Bed: Pottery Barn Teen. Bedding: Urban Outfitters.Pops of chartreuse wake up the pastel color scheme, with orange-pink ceilings that feel tall and ethereal. The green matches the papier-mch chandelier the clients brought with them from a prior home.POWDER ROOMIt features one of Munroes favorite wallpapers.Thomas KuohVanity: Pottery Barn. Wall light: Lightology. Pendant light and hardware: Rejuvenation. Floor tile: Ann Sacks. Mirror: custom, Paige Glass.Munroe had been waiting for a client to say yes to this bold Voutsa wallpaper, which she loves for its playful octopus motif (and cheeky name). It was an instant yes, she says. We are known for being so bold and eclectic and unique. People are either in or out!LIVING ROOMThis light, bright space is filled with connecting colors. Thomas KuohSofa: Lawson-Fenning in Rebecca Atwood fabric and Kerry Joyce trim from Kneedler Fauchere. Lounge chairs, chandelier, and table lamps: Anthropologie. Sofa back table and mirror: RH. Nesting tables: Made Goods. Coffee table and area rug: Lulu and Georgia. Chandelier: Arteriors. Fireplace tile: Heath Ceramics. Fireplace slab: Cambria. Blinds: Graber.Greens and blues from the adjacent dining room and music room appear in details here. One of our tricks when utilizing a lot of different shades of color to make it grounded is looking from one room to the next and considering how they connect to each otherthose connecting colors, Munroe explains. The lamps on the back of the sofa relate to the chairs that are in the adjacent room on the dining table, just like the two tables have similar wood. Keeping the beautiful architecture but adding contemporary elements was another goal. A towering wood mantle was replaced by a sleek new one that plays well with the familys photography. The sofa has traditional lines but crisp, modern upholstery. PIANO ROOMMunroe wanted it to have a throwback lounge feel.Thomas KuohFloor lamp:CB2. Rug:Lulu and Georgia.Thomas KuohCoffee table and lounge chairs:Croft House. Lounge chair fabric:Clarence House from Kneedler Fauchere. Sofa:CB2 . Chandelier:Ravenhill Studio. Drapery: custom, inPollack fabric from Natalie Mize Collective.This oval-shaped jewel box off the living room overlooks San Francisco Bay. Its a traditional space that feels intimate and set apart, the opposite of what you get in an open floor plan. I liked a little bit of traditional sitting room energy next to the bustling living room, Munroe says. Its elegant but totally livable. The chairs are a go-to for her because the frame is so simple; they completely transform when you reupholster them. They can just live a thousand livesand theyre comfortable.ENTRYWAYAn organic gallery wall can grow with the family.Thomas KuohFront door: Tarrytown Green, Benjamin Moore. Storage cabinet: Lulu and Georgia. Bench and chandelier: CB2. Rug: vintage, Arhaus.The family wanted their existing art to be the focus when you come inside. To create an arrangement they can add to over time, Munroe kept the spacing between items equal but placed them in an asymmetrical cluster. It should be alive, it should be nimblethats the energy you want to get from the the layout style, she says. Generally, the center line should be 60 inches off the floor (most people hang art too high, she says), and the pieces should be between 3.5 and 4.5 inches apart, depending on the frame depth, the mats, and other factors. I like to make sure theyre cozy, she adds. I dont like when they feel like theyre strangers at a party.EXTERIORDark colors sharpen the architecture.Thomas KuohPendant and sconces: Visual Comfort & Co. Planters: West Elm. House numbers: CB2. To lightly refresh the 1905 home, Munroe had the garage door painted in an off-black and the front door painted in a very dark green. Styled by Rachel Forslund.About the DesignerSan Franciscobased designer Emilie Munroe, founder of Studio Munroe, is a member of the House Beautiful Next Wave Class of 2016. With more than 20 years of industry experience, she started her career with Jay Jeffers and has since worked on luxury interior design projects ranging from urban high-rise apartments to suburban homes to rural estates. Emilie is known for her colorful and sophisticated aesthetic. SHOP THE STORYAnthropologie Rattan Table LampShop at AnthropologieRebecca Atwood Lattice FabricShop at Rebecca AtwoodBruck Renata Medium PendantShop at LightologyVoutsa Octopussi WallpaperShop at VotusaVilla & House Bardot DresserShop at VandhFollow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.