After its announcement at the latest State of Play, a free demo for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC (sorry, last-gen players). Its not too long but offers a taste of combat, naval battles and some karaoke.The first portion of the demo sees Majima Goro venturing through Honolulu, taking out trash mobs with the Mad Dog and Sea Dog styles. You can also try the first Dark Instrument a violin that summons the Dark God of Waves, Curse of the Man-Eating Shark. Karaoke features some old and new tracks (no spoilers), but you can also try dressing up Majima in different clothes.Eventually, youll head to Madlantis and partake in the Pirates Coliseum for some naval combat with the crew, which includes boarding the opposition. The location is also available to roam through with random battles galore.Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches on February 21st for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC. Check out our feature for everything you should know. You can also watch the story trailer, highlighting Samoa Joe as Raymond Law, the King of Madlantis.

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn MoreThanks to Her and numerous other works of science fiction, its pretty easy to imagine a world in which everyone has their own personalized AI assistant a helper who knows who we are, our occupations, our hobbies, our goals and passions, our likes and dislikeswhat makes us tick, essentially.Some AI tools today offer a fairly bare bones, limited version of this functionality, such as ChatGPTs memory feature and CharacterAI. But these still rely on your information flowing up to corporate servers outside of your control for analysis and processing. They also dont allow for many third-party transactions, having your AI assistant make purchases on your behalf.For those especially concerned about privacy, or who want an AI model that actually retrains itself to adapt to the users individual preferences making a unique AI assistant unlike any in the entire world youre kind of on your own.Until now: a new startup called PIN AI (not to be confused with the poorly reviewed hardware device the Ai Pin by Humane) today emerged from stealth to launch its first mobile app, which lets a user select an underlying open source AI model that runs directly, largely on their smartphone and remains private and totally customized to their preferences. Built with a decentralized infrastructure that prioritizes privacy, PIN AI aims to challenge Big Techs dominance over user data by ensuring that Personal AI serves individualsnot corporate interests.Founded by AI and blockchain experts from Columbia, MIT, and Stanford, PIN AI is led by Davide Crapis, Ben Wu, and Bill Sun, who bring deep experience in AI research, large-scale data infrastructure, and blockchain security. The company is backed by major investors, including a16z Crypto (CSX), Hack VC, Sequoia Capital U.S. Scout, and prominent blockchain pioneers like Near founder Illia Polosukhin, SOL Foundation president Lily Liu, SUI founder Evan Cheng, and Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal.Personal AI realizedPIN AI introduces an alternative to centralized AI models that collect and monetize user data. Unlike cloud-based AI controlled by large tech firms, PIN AIs Personal AI runs locally on user devices, allowing for secure, customized AI experiences without third-party surveillance.At the heart of PIN AI is a user-controlled data bank, which enables individuals to store and manage their own personal information while allowing developers access to anonymized, multi-category insightsranging from shopping habits to investment strategies. This approach ensures that AI-powered services can benefit from high-quality contextual data without compromising user privacy.The problem today is that all the big players claim they do personal AIApple, Google, Metabut what are they really doing? said Davide Crapis, Co-Founder of PIN AI, in an in-person interview with VentureBeat conducted earlier this month. Theyre taking the gold mine in your phone and exploiting all that information to figure out what to push to you.PIN AI launched a web-only version late last year that has already gained tremendous traction, with over 2 million alpha users via Telegram and a Discord community of 220,000 members.The new mobile app launching today in the U.S. and multiple regions also includes key features such as: The God Model (Guardian of Data) A tool that helps users track how well their AI understands them, ensuring it aligns with their preferences. Ask PIN AI A personalized AI assistant capable of handling tasks like financial planning, travel coordination, and product recommendations. Open-source integrations Users can connect apps like Gmail, social media platforms, and financial services to their Personal AI, training it to better serve them without exposing data to third parties.With our app, you have a personal AI that is your model. You own the weights, and its completely private, with privacy-preserving fine-tuning, Crapis added.He told VentureBeat that the app currently supports several open source AI models as the base model from which the user can begin personalizing their assistant, including small versions of DeepSeek and Metas Llama.Blockchain-based ledger for credentials and data accessPIN AIs infrastructure is built on blockchain protocols, ensuring security, transparency, and user control. Data is stored locally Unlike cloud-based AI systems, PIN AI keeps all user data on personal devices rather than centralized servers. Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) for authentication Credentials and sensitive computations occur within a secure enclave, preventing external accesseven from PIN AI itself. Blockchain registry for financial transparency Key actions are authenticated on-chain while user data remains private and locally stored. Interoperability with emerging AI protocols PIN AI is designed to integrate with future decentralized AI and blockchain projects, ensuring long-term adaptability.By decentralizing AI infrastructure, PIN AI aims to balance privacy, security, and efficiency, allowing users to retain ownership of their digital footprint while still benefiting from AI-driven insights and automation.We designed our protocol around privacy using modern cryptographic methods like Trusted Execution Environments. No onenot even uscan see your authentication keys, Crapis said.User-based AI focusThe launch of PIN AI comes at a time when concerns over data privacy and AI monopolization are at an all-time high.Ben Wu, Co-Founder of PIN AI, emphasized the importance of data sovereignty, stating, Were uniting open-source AI builders and developers to build a foundation for open personal AI, where the user owns the AI 100%.Bill Sun, Co-Founder, explained the broader vision: Think of it like J.A.R.V.I.S. from Iron Manthe most loyal executive system that evolves into your personal AI assistant.Crapis further elaborated on PIN AIs approach, stating, Were creating a data bank that lets you reclaim your personal data from big techyour Google data, Facebook data, even Robinhood and financial dataso your personal AI can run on it.Beyond personal use, PIN AI envisions a network of personal AI agents that can interact with external services on the users behalf.Your personal AI can coordinate with other personal AIs, interact with business AIs, and even autonomously execute tasks like buying a gift for a friend based on past conversations, Sun explained.PIN AIs co-founders told VentureBeat that they will make money by charging transaction fees for other AI agents to access users information with their permission. Whats next for PIN AI?With AI technology rapidly evolving, PIN AI aims to define the future of personalized, decentralized AI. By combining on-device intelligence, blockchain security, and open-source integrations, the company provides an alternative to Big Tech-controlled AI models, ensuring that individualsnot corporationsown and control their data.Our business model is simple: instead of a centralized company like Apple or Google taking a huge cut, we take a small commission on agent interactionsmore like a gas fee on Ethereum, Wu explained.This is just the beginning, Sun added. In the future, your AI will connect with everythingyour desktop, your smart devices, even your humanoid robotswhile keeping your privacy intact.The PIN AI app is available now, offering a new level of privacy, security, and personalization in AI-driven experiences.For more information, visit PIN AIs website or download the app to start building your Personal AI.Daily insights on business use cases with VB DailyIf you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.Read our Privacy PolicyThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.An error occured.

Josef Fares has had a foot in both the worlds of film and video games, but he's not split when it comes to his game strategy.Read More

Hisashi Koinuma appointed Koei Tecmo's new CEOCo-founder and current CEO, Yoichi Erikawa, will become chairperson and representative directorImage credit: Koei Tecmo News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Feb. 13, 2025 Hisashi Koinuma is Koei Tecmo's new CEO.Koinuma will assume the role of CEO, director, and president from April 1, 2025, moving up from his current position as COO.Co-founder and current CEO, Yoichi Erikawa, will shift to assume the roles of chairperson of Koei Tecmo Holdings and representative director, whilst existing chairperson and representative director, Keiko Erikawa, will become director and chairman emeritus.The company also revealed it would spin off new subsidiary Koei Tecmo Corporate Finance to focus on its investment functions."Our group aims to become the worlds number one digital entertainment company under the spirit of creativity and contribution," the company said. "We have been gradually preparing for the transition to the next generation of management through discussions in the Nomination and Compensation Committee."To achieve further growth and profitability for our group, we have decided to implement a new management structure starting from the fiscal year 2025."Koei Tecmo recently settled its intellectual property infringement case against Youzu, with the latter "admitting and apologising for [its] infringement" of Koei Tecmo's games, Nobunaga's Ambition and Taiko Risshiden.

The Jeff Bezos-owned space company Blue Origin has announced plans to lay off around 10 percent of its workforce. The company currently has more than 10,000 workers, according to Bloomberg, meaning the layoffs could affect around 1,000 employees. In an email obtained by The Verge, Blue Origin CEO David Limp told employees that fast growth led to more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed. As a result, Limp said the company is thinning out our layers of management and cutting employees across engineering, project management, as well as research and development. The makeup of our organization must change to ensure our roles are best aligned with executing these priorities, Limp wrote.Last month, Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket, its SpaceX competitor that will transport satellites and other cargo to space. In his memo, Limp also highlighted plans to land on the Moon in 2025, as well as increase the frequency of New Glenn and New Shepard flights.Let me add that I am extremely confident in the enormous opportunities in front of us and have never been more optimistic about our mission, Limp wrote. We will continue to invest, invent, and hire hundreds of positions in areas that will help us achieve our goals and best serve our customers. We will be a stronger, faster, and more customer-focused company that consistently meets and exceeds our commitments.You can read Limps full memo below.

OnePlus says it wont launch a new foldable phone this year, axing expectations that the company was prepping a proper sequel to its Open foldable from 2023, 9to5Google reports. A new OnePlus Open 2 could have followed the blueprint of its subsidiary company Oppos new ultra-thin Find N5 thats launching in China and internationally next week, but it (like many Oppo devices) wont make it to the US. OnePlus last foldable device, the limited edition Apex Edition launched last year, but it really only brought a new crimson look with maxed out specs.In a OnePlus Community post, the companys product manager Vale Gu writes that Oppo will be taking the lead in the foldable segment and OnePlus will pause on foldable for this generation. However, Gu clarifies this doesnt mean OnePlus is departing from the category, rather a recalibration.OnePlus Open introduced an alternative form factor in the US compared to competitor foldable devices from Google and Samsung at the time: an outer screen with a 20:9 aspect ratio that made the device feel like a normal phone when closed. OnePlus said the Open broke the companys one-day sales record in North America. Google then followed in OnePlus design footsteps the following year by giving 2024s Pixel 9 Pro Fold a similar shape.

Today we are checking out s&dBox, a new game engine and spiritual successor to Garys Mod by Facepunch (who also created the hit game Rust). While Garys Mod enabled gamers to create cool experiences to share and interact with, s&dbox takes it a step further, by not only having the interactive physics sandbox of Garys Mod, but also adding a full-blown game engine built on top of Valves source engine (and user the Hammer game editor). This will enable creators to actually publish their creations as full blown games and Facepunch intend to build their future projects on s&dboxs foundations.s&dbox is described as:S&box is not going to be Garrys Mod 2. It will eclipse what is possible in Garrys Mod rather than simply be a modern version of it.We are taking Source 2 and using our knowledge of Source 1, Garrys Mod, Unity and Unreal Engine were trying to create an intuitive, modern feeling game development environment where everything is moddable.Like Rust and Garrys Mod we see this as a long term thing. We intend to eventually make our own games using it. It is something for us to work on and improve every day for the next couple of decades.Right now you can sign up for s&dbox completely free, you simply need to log in using your Steam account on this page.S&dbox is a full-blown game engine with world editing tools (Hammer), animation tools, terrain tools, as well as a C# scripting support in addition to ActionGraph, their visual scripting solution. When you launch s&dbox you also have the option to simply launch into sandbox mode and play the creations of other users. One important question for developers of course is can we make money?Will creators be able to monetize?Yes. But we want to be careful about what that means. We dont want everything becoming pay to win like on other platforms.Key Linkss&dbox Homepages&dbox DocumentationYou can learn more about s&dbox and see it sorta in action (its a bit buggy for me it is still very much under development at this point) in the video below.

Somewhere remote and undisclosed, cloaked by fog, foliage, and stealth technology, a mysterious chasm gapes vastly. This is the title anomaly of The Gorge, a big-canvas creature feature available this week (some would say stranded) on the small canvas of Apple TV+. What comes out of the Gorge, scaling the sides of the walls built around its edges, is the stuff of nightmares; Hollow Men, they call the shrieking and crawling escapees. What goes in the Gorge is never seen again, just like movies that premiere on Apple TV+. The mysteries of that yawning pit are no more vexing than the matter of what comes to theaters and what doesnt these days. While a glorified TV movie from Marvel Studios takes over the multiplex, a much more striking sci-fi action flick about radioactive monsters disappears into the streaming abyss.Directed by Scott Derrickson, whose Doctor Strange remains one of the more visually appealing Marvel movies, The Gorge fleetly sets up its Twilight Zone premise. We learn about the Gorge with Levi (Miles Teller), the decorated marine sniper headhunted by an intelligence bigwig so steely and confident, she could only be played by Sigourney Weaver. (As always, the automatic Alien associations are a bonus, an implicit endorsement for a story about spindly beasts emerging from the darkness.) As a world-ranked marksman, Levi is uniquely qualified to oversee a hellmouth. Before he knows it, hes relieving his predecessor from yearlong guard duty and assuming his place within one of the two watchtowers positioned on each side of zombie valley. Its a bit like the Berlin Wall, in that the East and the West each have eyes up high.So what is the Gorge? One could be forgiven for wondering if its a Cloverfield nest, given the mist of J.J. Abrams-style intrigue. Not that the film is all puzzles and castle sieges. Quite to the contrary, The Gorge is almost equally invested in the romance that develops between Levi and his tower counterpart, sharp-shooting KGB scion Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), whos introduced firing a kill shot from a crows nest in the opening scene. Their meet-cute is through binoculars. Hes a little bit country, shes a little bit rock n roll. They trade written messages, and flirt with bullets like the star-crossed rivals of a Franz Ferdinand anthem. One montage even lines up dueling inside jokes for the stars, cutting from a game of chess to consecutive bucket-drum solos.The screenwriter, Zach Dean, has a weakness for unblemished military heroes; see also his script for The Tomorrow War, which pitted an almost messianically flawless Chris Pratt against similar waves of toothy menace. Tellers Levi could use a few more kinks in his armor, maybe a little of the prickliness the actor brought to Whiplash. Hes not just the best shot in the world, but also a deceptively smooth dancer and a humble poet (though not humble enough, judging from the quick glimpse we catch of his verse). All he really seems to lack is common sense the kind that might compel someone to ask who theyre actually working for and what happens to the pointedly unattached contract killers like himself after their classified year at the Gorge is up.The Gorge GalleryThe first hour is charming and inventive. With scant dialogue, Derrickson plays out whats essentially a COVID courtship a long-distance romance where the distance is a grand canyon of doom. Teller is more convincing as a quiet loner slowly letting his guard down than as the smitten guy he becomes once that wall falls. But hes lifted up by Taylor-Joy, playfully relishing a Baltic accent, enormous eyes sparkling with the joy she dimmed to play Furiosa. When the two dance to a twinkling Yeah Yeah Yeahs ballad in the moonlight, you almost forget that youre watching a romance between ruthless mercs. Is it weird that the apparent assassination of the cold open is never brought up? As surely as Derrickson must eventually close the gap between his deadly lovebirds, so must he plunge us into that ominous ravine. Whats going on down there wont blow too many minds, but it might get some pulses racing. The Gorge borrows freely from the creepier and crawlier portions of King Kong, and from the shimmering unease of Annihilation. You might be reminded, too, of itchy-tasty survival horror when Levi and Drasa take a break from fleeing and shooting to spool up a reel of convenient laboratory exposition. Its all a tad conventional after the more novel genre play of the first hour, but Derrickson handles the mayhem with the steady hand youd expect from a filmmaker with both superhero spectacles and supernatural thrillers on his resume. The poisoned air supply, shifting the color tint every few minutes, is a nifty touch. So, naturally, is the latest score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, slumming it in style with rock chords and eerie sirens the right soundtrack for this war of the worlds.It should be possible to experience The Gorge's pleasures and missteps on a screen that cant fit in your living room.The Gorge isnt some sumptuous new classic of the genre. Whats clever about the movie is mostly in the limitations of speech and contact and visibility of threat it eventually abandons. But the gnashing thrills are handsomely, coherently delivered, with the kind of elaborate effects Hollywood once reserved for attractions coming first to a theater near you. It should be possible to experience its pleasures and missteps, both modest, on a screen that cant fit in your living room. As it stands, The Gorges best shot at an audience is autoplay; its sure to pull in people who forget to turn their TV off after Severance.

In an era of live services, MMOs, and generally disconnected online experiences, the idea of local multiplayer is quickly becoming a rarity. And while we have seen a handful of great couch co-op experiences pop up here and there, such as TMNT Shredders Revenge, Overcooked, and Hazelight Studios very own It Takes Two, I cant think of anything Ive played recently that resonated with me quite like Split Fiction. From its plethora of varying gameplay types, such as a twin-stick shooter, a pinball inspired puzzle platformer, and in one instance, a hot dog simulator, to its dazzling graphics and believable character dialogue, Split Fiction is looking to not only be another standout title in a year full of promising releases, but something that anyone whos looking for a fun and unique local multiplayer game should pencil in on their gaming calendar. In Split Fiction you play as either Mio or Zoe, two aspiring writers who are chosen to take part in an early test of a machine that will bring their stories to life. From what I saw, this plot device not only helps build the world of Split Fiction, but also provides a perfect excuse to seamlessly transition between its sci-fi and fantasy settings. During the few hours I got to play, jumping back and forth never felt forced or tedious, and while Im admittedly not the biggest fan of fantasy unless the word Final is attached in some way, I never found myself getting bored of Zoes fantasy worlds. This was supported by Split Fictions well-written and believable dialogue between characters, which helped convince me that I was watching two real people who are polar opposites interact with each other in their own make-believe worlds.Split Fiction - First ScreenshotsIf you played Hazelights previous games (It Takes Two and A Way Out), you probably have a pretty good idea of whats in store for you with Split Fiction. A shared multiplayer experience on either the same or a split screen thats full of cleverly designed puzzles that require teamwork and communication, all wrapped up in a nice-looking and well-written package. What sets Split Fiction apart from other couch co-op games is its clever integration of numerous gameplay styles, keeping the experience fresh and engaging. What sets Split Fiction apart from other couch co-op games is its clever integration of numerous gameplay styles.In fact, the variety of gameplay styles in Split Fiction is easily its most standout feature. And during my brief time with it, it was clear that this isnt another standard two-player puzzler or beat-em-up experience. Hazelight obviously took its time to refine the variety of gameplay types in here, because nothing felt like it was rushed or created in order to add variety for the sake of variety. One standout moment for me was a section where Zoe and Mio have to snowboard their way out of an active warzone, which felt more like a blend of Sonic Adventure Battle and SSX than your typical on-rails downhill spectacle. In this moment, Split Fiction introduced a points mechanic where I had to compete against my partner, performing as many grinds, grabs, and flip tricks as possible while trying to avoid death. While this mechanic has been done before in more games than I can count, the fact that this instance is just one of dozens really shows the potential of fun things to do in Split Fiction. PlayThats not to say they were all hits, though. One section had us playing a hybrid of a platformer and pinball where I was controlling the ball and my partner was controlling the pinball paddles. This required some precise timing on both of our ends, and it was a creative way to introduce a slower puzzle mechanic to a game that has a surprising amount of action in it. While I found myself getting a bit frustrated whenever I messed up a badly timed jump, the satisfaction I felt once my partner and I finished any of the campaigns collaborative tasks really elevated the experience.And just to be clear: Split Fiction is 100% a collaborative experience that keeps you on your toes throughout; single-player is not an option. But unlike most co-op games where both players need to fight a screen full of enemies or break a bunch of blocks in order to progress to the next level, Split Fiction requires a heavy amount of teamwork and critical thinking from both players in its heavy action as well as its mellower puzzle sections. Throughout my demo time, I found myself communicating more with my partner and working together to try to figure out the puzzles and bosses because, refreshingly, Split Fiction does not hold your hand whatsoever. Thats not to say this is suddenly a soulslike in terms of difficulty, but there wasnt a moment where the UI pointed us in the right direction or gave us a hint on what to do. Which is kind of the point of Split Fiction and co-op games as a whole, and definitely made my demo a really fun and rewarding experience. PlayIn a time where every game can either be played solo or is completely full of NPCs or people online who dont really want to interact outside of a few words here and there, Split Fiction really looks to raise the bar in what a co-op experience can be. I appreciated everything from its interesting use of multiple gameplay styles spanning across many genres, to its cleverly written dialogue and beautiful-looking worlds, plus the fact that it requires you to actively play with someone else and think outside of the box to solve its puzzles. And in a year packed with dozens of promising releases, Split Fiction is definitely looking to set itself apart from the pack in a way that few games can.

Perhaps lost in the shuffle ofall theeverythinggoing on in the world in the past few weeksis the potential end of an era for comics. For 20 years, the only way for comic shops to get their comics was through Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., the Baltimore-based company that once served as the sole warehouse and supplier of printed comics in the United States. Founded in 1982, Diamond owner Steve Geppi slowly built up the distribution business. When Marvel tried to operate their own in-house distributor in the mid 90s, Diamond went big, picking up distribution rights for the other major publishers, leaving them mostly in the drivers seat after Marvels distribution collapsed with their bankruptcy. Diamond became a functional, if not technical monopoly soon thereafter, and served as the only way to get books from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, IDW and other publishers. Until, at the beginning of this year, Diamond declared bankruptcy.The comics business is, to put it gently, a very stupid way of doing business. A comic book company starts advertising a book months in advance. A shop guesses how many copies theyll be able to sell, takes preorders from regular customers, and orders enough copies to throw a couple on shelves and cover their subscriptions. The distributor gathers up orders from multiple shops, and tells the publisher how many they need printed. The publisher prints those copies, sends them to the distributor, and the distributor gets the books to comic shops. Any books that dont sell go in the dollar bins, and shop owners get a little bit more gun shy about new issues of those books for the next order cycle. The shop pays the distributor who pays the publisher, and the transaction is complete.Diamonds issue is that the buck apparently largely stopped there.Flash back a few years: Diamond shut down deliveries almost immediately at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving shops with no new books on shelves for weeks. This spurred publishers to find alternate distributors, like Lunar and Penguin Random House, which Marvel and DC either co-sponsored or helped stand up, and other publishers like Image and BOOM! have been jumping ship ever since. Meanwhile, Diamond was left with a toy and game distribution business, a number of small press publishers, and as a secondary distributor for major comics publishers, but the damage was done. Diamond, bleeding customers, also started bleeding moneyas the exclusive home of fewer and smaller comic publishers and niche collectibles, their business shrank and their revenue followed.So, according to the bankruptcy filings, Diamond got paid, but they had trouble passing it along to the publishers. And for smaller publishers like TwoMorrows or Antarctic Press, thats really bad. Court filings at the beginning of the month revealed that Diamond owed millions of dollars to a few big publishersmost of whom could afford the hit, like Bandai or Disneyand hundreds of thousands of dollars to a bunch of smaller publishers like Antarctic, who are in real trouble. They dont have the kind of catalog or consistent revenue to allow them to eat a six-figure gap in payments.It was bad when Diamond was alone in the marketplace. Diamond was notorious for late deliveries, missing product, and damaged goods. But its bad that Diamond is leaving it, too. If youre a comic shop looking for a copy of a new Flash series that is an unexpected, buzzy hit, when Diamond was the only game in town, you used to have to hope Diamond had it or wait for a second printing. Then, for a very little while, you could poke around and see if Lunar or PRH had a copy. Now, youre back to hoping for second printings. This isnt good for the business, its not good for the shops, and its not good for us as readers. Diamond may have been a pain, but its also staffed by people who love comics and its heartbreaking to know that theyre in a precarious position. The industry is locked into pretty significant change now. Heres hoping it comes out the other side stronger.