Today, 21 minutes agoWes DavisThe Vision Pro NBA app turns some games into a miniature 3D dioramaIt really makes you want to reach out and pick up one of the players. Screenshot: NBA Tabletop featureThe NBA has introduced a new AR feature for its Vision Pro app this week called Tabletop, which places a floating render of a basketball court in your space during select live games, according to an NBA help page describing the feature. On the court, digital avatars mirror the games actual players as they move, pass, and shoot but only for live games that you can watch or listen to with NBA League Pass.The feature even works for local market games that are otherwise unavailable to stream video of in the app. It was about 45 seconds behind the announcer audio during a local game I tested it with, but Vision Pro owner Justin Ryan reported about a half-second delay after using a toolbar option to sync with the live feed. The feature wasnt available for any out-of-market games when I tested, so I only had an audio feed to compare with.Read Article >Dec 11, 2024Wes DavisThe Vision Pros ultrawide Mac display is very close to being a killer appMy favorite dynamic wallpaper floating in the desert. Screenshot: Mac Virtual DisplaySince its release, Ive mostly used Apples Vision Pro like a movie theater. The VR headset is an amazing way to watch Dune but beyond that, it hasnt really lived up to its potential as a general-purpose computing device.Today, thats finally starting to change. With the update to visionOS 2.2, Apple is seriously upgrading the headsets ability to work with a Mac. Its probably the closest thing the Vision Pro has to a killer app.Read Article >Nov 20, 2024Emma RothVision Pros viral Lapz app put on hold after F1 complaintImage: LapzLapz, the Apple Vision Pro app that puts Formula One races in mixed reality, is on hold after F1 asked it to stop using its content, as reported by UploadVR. In a message posted to its Discord channel, Lapz says it halted distribution through TestFlight while it explores licensing opportunities with various racing leagues and tech partners.F1 have respectfully asked us to discontinue the use of their F1TV broadcast rights in our platform for the time being while we continue to advance our roadmap and enhance the beta experience, the message says.Read Article >Oct 7, 2024Wes DavisWatch this one-minute preview of Apples first scripted Vision Pro shortApple just released the trailer for Submerged, the first scripted immersive video for the Vision Pro. The short, written and directed by Edward Berger, is set inside a WWII submarine as its crew deals with a harrowing torpedo attack.The trailer for Submerged consists of behind-the-scenes shots and fisheye-looking clips from the short, along with a voiceover from Berger, who claims that the immersive format will change the future of filmmaking.Read Article >Oct 1, 2024Emma RothChristian Seligs unofficial YouTube app for the Vision Pro just got taken downImage: Christian SeligJuno, the third-party YouTube app created for the Apple Vision Pro, has been removed from the App Store. In a post on Tuesday, developer Christian Selig said the app was taken down months after Google warned that it violates YouTubes guidelines.Like Netflix, Google doesnt make a YouTube app for the Vision Pro. That means you can only watch YouTube in Safari, which breaks out videos into Apples native video player. Google said a YouTube app for the Vision Pro is on the roadmap in February, but we havent heard any updates since.Read Article >Aug 5, 2024Wes DavisDisney Plus now takes you to Iceland.In the Apple Vision Pro, that is. Disney Plus has rolled out a National Geographic edition virtual environment for its visionOS app that lets you watch movies in a snowy corridor in Icelands Thingvellir National Park.The environment uses 3D models captured on-site using photogrammetry, according to Disneys announcement. When you watch a movie, it turns dark and shows you the Northern Lights!Sadly, it only works in the Disney Plus app. GIF: Disney PlusJul 24, 2024Wes DavisFoggy.Apple has released Lake Vrangla, one of two Vision Pro Environments that have spent months marked coming soon, and boy is it moody.So what is Lake Vrangla? Well, its a small lake roughly 25 miles west (as the crow flies) of Oslo, Norway. You can see it fog-free on YouTube. Seems pretty!Lake Vrangla in VR. Screenshot: Lake Vrangla EnvironmentJul 18, 2024Emma RothLadies and gentlemen, The Weeknd (on Apple Vision Pro)Image: AppleApple is launching new immersive video content for the Vision Pro over the next few months, including one from The Weeknd, a close-up view of the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, and the first scripted short film captured in Apple Immersive Video. The new series and film will come exclusively to the Vision Pro, allowing wearers to watch 3D video with a 180-degree field of view.The immersive performance from The Weeknd will arrive on the Vision Pro later this year, while you can expect a short film featuring events from the NBA All-Star Game this fall, such as the Rising Stars Challenge, the slam dunk contest, and the All-Star Game.Read Article >Jul 9, 2024Wes DavisThe Vision Pro needs a macOS-style dock.Im now convinced of that after adding one using the free Dock Pro app. Now, some of the Vision Pro apps I use most (along with time and battery percentage) are just right there, waiting. Adding third-party apps is tricky and involves finding app URL schemes, though.Dont get me wrong; I like the hand flourish to open apps in the visionOS 2 beta. But sometimes, a dock is just better.Who knew I could be so excited about a dock? GIF: Wes Davis / The VergeJun 16, 2024Wes DavisThe visionOS 2 beta enables web-based VR.Previously an experimental feature, WebXR support is on by default for Vision Pro beta testers, RoadtoVR wrote last week. The open standard allows for VR and AR experiences on the web, such as those listed on this GitHub page.However, the outlet writes that AR experiences do not seem to work quite yet, limiting it to fully-VR ones for now.With visionOS 2, Apple Vision Pro Supports WebXR By Default[UploadVR]May 29, 2024Wes DavisMarvels What If? Vision Pro app is an awkward mix of video game and movieThe Watcher is quite large. Image: DisneyBesides watching movies, theres not all that much to do with Apples Vision Pro once you get over the novelty. Thats why I was eager to try Disney and Marvels new What If? An Immersive Story experience / TV show / video game thing thats available on May 30th. The companies promised a mixed reality show that would push the boundaries of technology. But what I experienced, while very pretty to look at, ended up feeling like an overlong, no-stakes video game tutorial with no game to follow it.Youll go through the Vision Pro-exclusive app either by standing in one spot in a virtual environment, watching things play out and participating when prompted to, or in passthrough, where you can move around while cell-shaded 3D AR characters talk to you. You play the Hero of the Multiverse, a nameless character who is recruited by The Watcher, narrator on the Disney Plus series, to save the multiverse by acquiring the Infinity Stones. Read Article >May 22, 2024Wes DavisMarvels What If...? Vision Pro mixed reality story will debut on May 30th.Marvel says What If...? An Immersive Story will have viewers (players?) casting spells, fighting battles with Marvel characters, and using the infinity stones. Judging from the trailer, that means making Doctor Stranges magic sparks with your hands.This edition of What If...? will be free for a limited time when the app is available on May 30th.May 8, 2024Wes DavisMarvel is bringing a mixed reality edition of What If? to the Vision ProWho watches the watcher watching The Watcher watching them? Image: Marvel / DisneyThe Vision Pro is about to get what sounds like an honest-to-goodness mixed reality video experience from Marvel Studios and ILM Immersive, something the platform sorely needs. The companies announced What If...? An Immersive Story, which they say is Disney Plus first-ever interactive original content. Itll come exclusively to Apples VR headset and use a mixture of augmented and virtual reality.The hour-long What If...? episode is based on Marvels Disney Plus show of the same name. Its a promising development for starved Vision Pro owners, and not just because its far longer than the small library of immersive films Apple has offered to date.Read Article >Apr 28, 2024Wes DavisThe best worst way to play Metroid Prime.I have finally justified my Vision Pro purchase with the iOS version of the Delta emulator.Apr 24, 2024Wes DavisWhat to do when Metroid Prime 4 still isnt out.Whats it like to play Metroid Prime Hunters in an Apple-approved emulator for iOS Delta, in this case on a Vision Pro?Well, since nobody asked, Ill tell you: its unexpectedly playable. Emulated Nintendo DS touchscreen aiming works well if you pinch and hold while looking at the upper screen. Sure, you could use buttons to aim in Hunters, but why would you?Apr 18, 2024Richard LawlerBest Buy launches an augmented reality shopping app for the Vision Pro.Apples headset doesnt have an official Netflix app, but MacRumors mentions Best Buys app has arrived.Just put on your Vision Pro, open the Best Buy Envision app and scroll through hundreds of options to see them appear digitally, right in front your eyes, in your physical space.Now, all we need is a Netflix app for those virtual TVs.Augmented Best Buy Reality Image: Best BuyApr 9, 2024Wes DavisThe Supercut app brings good Netflix to the Vision ProThe service selector in Supercut. Screenshot: Wes Davis / The VergeNetflix said last year that it had no plans for a native app for the Apple Vision Pro a disappointment for owners given how well-suited it is for the task. Now, a new app called Supercut brings Netflix streaming to Apples headset without letterboxing bars on the top and bottom of the video; it also supports 4K streaming with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.Made by developer Christian Privitelli, Supercut offers playback controls including subtitles, audio output, playback speed, and the ability to skip ahead or back a few seconds plus the ability to switch between profiles on the fly. It even gives you a visual indicator telling you whether your video is outputting in one or both of the Dolby formats and what resolution youre streaming at.Read Article >Apr 5, 2024Victoria SongDo I feel less lonely in the Vision Pro?Thats what I kept asking myself when testing out spatial Personas with Wes. The short of it is your ghostly Personas are now free to interact in any SharePlay enabled app, so you can watch movies, play games, and collaborate on projects. Its neat and you can interact more with other people. But seeing Wes head just float in my office also reminded me he really wasnt there.Apr 2, 2024Wes DavisRobots, virtually in disguise.Transformers: Dark of the Moon is now available in 3D on the Vision Pro Apple TV Plus app, joining free-for-subscribers films that Apple added to its streaming service in March.New, but not in 3D, are several other movies that probably should be including the first three John Wick films, Armageddon, Taken, and Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. The new crop of movies is available for between four and eight weeks, reports MacRumors.Scrolling the new movies. Screen recording: Wes Davis / The VergeApr 2, 2024Victoria SongNow AppleVision ProPersonas can float freely across different appsYoure not limited to hovering in FaceTime. Video: AppleStarting today, Vision Pro personas will be able to do more than hover like a ghost in FaceTime calls. Now, you can use them in SharePlay-enabled apps to collaborate, play games, or watch media with other people.Apple is calling this a Spatial Persona. The idea is to make it feel like youre in the same physical space as another user. It was part of what Apple showed in developer previews last year but hasnt been available in the actual Persona beta until now. Its a bit hard to imagine, but you can see what it looks like in the video below.Read Article >Mar 30, 2024Wes DavisIs the MLBs Vision Pro app ready for the big leagues?Jason Snell of Six Colors details his experience with the MLBs visionOS app now that the season is underway. Of the Gameday feature that puts a 3D-animated baseball field in your space during a game, he writes:I couldnt find support for Gameday when I first used the app, though later when playing back an archived stream, I did find Gameday availablefrom within the video playback, so you cant use it for a game youre not watching on the app. And its immersive, so you cant put it up and then do something else, which is also probably a mistake.Ah, the early days of the Vision Pros app ecosystem.MLB for visionOS strikes out on Opening Day[Six Colors]Mar 27, 2024Wes DavisThe Vision Pro is getting some new Apple Arcade games.Altos Odyssey: The Lost City, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, and Spire Blast will each get Vision Pro spatial apps tomorrow, Apple shared in a release emailed to The Verge.Also, rhythm game Synth Riders aka the only game Ive been coming back to besides bullet hell shooter Void-X has been updated with Game Center leaderboards and a pass-the-headset Party Mode.Altos Odyssey running on the Vision Pro. Image: AppleMar 18, 2024Wes DavisYou can watch March Madness games for free in the Vision Pro.The NCAAs March Madness Live app is also getting a new, swipeable vertical video highlights feed.The Vision Pro compatibility means the iPad app, so you wont get any spatial features, but at least its there (unlike, say, YouTube). What, did the Samsung Gear VR app not do well or something?The NCAA also says its offering expanded live game radio for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.NCAA March Madness Live[NCAA.com]Mar 16, 2024Wes DavisYou can now browse Vision Pro apps on the web.Its essentially the same thing youd see if you were browsing the store in the Vision Pro itself a few curated lists of native apps here, some recommended iPad apps there.But at least theres a way to casually cruise those sweet spatial apps without popping the headset on now.Vision Pro Apps and Games - App Store[AppStore]Mar 2, 2024Amrita KhalidYou can watch these new IMAX documentaries on your Vision Pro headset.Its getting four: A Beautiful Planet 3D, Pandas 3D, Super Power Dogs 3D, and Deep Sky. Youll also see trailers for new releases.These are part of a wave of new spatial films on the Vision Pro. Apple debuted 150 3D movies at launch through Apple TV Plus and other streamers, including recent releases like Avatar: The Way of Water and Dune.

It really is amazing how much the superhero genre has exploded over the last quarter of a century. Before 2000, the only cinematic releases under the Marvel banner were for C-list characters. Meanwhile, the more well-known names at most had direct-to-video or TV movies. Now, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to return from a year of (mostly) rest, we live in a world where there have been over 70 Marvel box office releases when you include all the other studio efforts. Its a lot.The House of Ideas has so many comics, with so many heroes and villains, but Marvel Studios is starting to reach the point where theyre running out of A-listers to pick out of a hat. We just had a movie with Knull in it, people. Knull! Were really scraping the bottom of the barrel, when there are still a few bigger characters yet to appear in the MCU.So, who hasnt shown up yet? Who are the bigger guns that Marvel and previous studios have been sitting on? Were counting the Marvel characters who havent appeared in either a theatrical release based on a Marvel comic or a TV show that is directly connected to the MCU. Just because Miles Morales has not appeared in live-action does not mean hell be included in the list.There will be a handful of choices that are borderline due to cut content, blink-and-youll-miss-it background appearances, and easter eggs. Those will be called out when we get to them.15. MorphWith over a dozen X-Men movies to their credit, 20th Century Fox was able to represent all the mutants who appeared in the 90s animated series but one. Granted, Morph was not on the show that much. Morph messed us up with their early death for shock value, came back as a brainwashed pawn, went through a lot of therapy, and only returned for good in the finale. In fact, Morph just recently got their full due thanks to a bigger role in X-Men 97 and a staple role in the Exiles comic series.Why Morph was absent from the movies is obvious. Those flicks went all-in on another shapeshifter: Mystique. But when its time for the MCU to do their own X-Men stuff, maybe they could differentiate their take by putting the spotlight on a different shapeshifting mutant.14. AresThe teaser for Hercules at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder is one of those cliffhangers that may never really get followed up on. But if we do get to see Brett Goldsteins portrayal as the Greek demigod again, theres a strong chance that well get to see his infinitely cooler brother, Ares. While not for a long stretch, there were a few years in the 2000s when Ares was a prominent antihero in Marvel, both as a member of Iron Mans Mighty Avengers and Norman Osborns Dark Avengers.Marvels Ares is a lot more in-your-face than what David Thewlis did with the God of War in DCs Wonder Woman. This Ares, described as a Thor and a Wolverine in one by Carol Danvers, is not only powerful and a genius tactician, but he also likes to get his hands dirty in the most extreme, metal ways. Like how he led a training exercise by firing a gatling gun with one hand and using the other to chug down a beer. The MCU could do worse than giving us a scene of Ares pouring blazing oil onto himself and then being catapulted into the center of the enemy army so he can go ham.13. Beta Ray BillIf Taika Waititi and James Gunn were less annoyed about Thor joining the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Avengers: Endgame, we might have actually seen good old Bill pop up. On one hand, that might have stepped on the toes of Thor: Love and Thunder being based around somebody else wielding Mjolnir, but Janes gone now, so theres always the chance the Korbinite warrior might one day pick up the enchanted hammer, not realizing what a big deal that truly is to pull off.Thors horse-faced alien counterpart at least exists in the MCU in some form, as his image appeared in Thor: Ragnarok as part of a Mount Rushmore of former champions in the Grandmasters colosseum. Its a fitting easter egg, as Beta Ray Bill had a supporting role in the Planet Hulk animated movie where he was also forced to face Hulk in a gladiator fight. Bills role in the MCU multiverse recently got a nod in What If? season 3, where he appears as a figure in the Exiles superhero-themed foosball table.12. TigraThere are basically two kinds of Avengers: popular solo superheroes with their own comics who got roped into this supergroup; and B-listers who are mainly remembered for crashing at Avengers Mansion for 10 years at a time. Its what separates Captain America from Vision. There are a handful of these latter types who still havent shown up in the MCU like Jocasta, Dr. Druid, Stingray, and so on. Wonder Man was the most prominent of this crew, but he has a Disney+ show coming up, so Tigra it is.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The heroic werecat is a hard one to place as she wouldnt be high enough on the ladder to be on an Avengers team, and she would be a little too outlandish for Daredevils street-level buddies. Its probably why Hulu almost made a Tigra and Dazzler animated series. At least Tigra did get to have her slight moment in the sun when the animated incarnation from Avengers: United They Stand showed up as a comic convention regular in the Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers Disney+ movie. She got to hang out with Ugly Sonic and his disturbing human teeth!11. DakenIt makes sense. When you do a movie that revolves around Logans secret daughter, its hard to find time and space for Logans secret son. Akihiro is a great character, both as a hero and a villain, but putting him in the MCU runs the risk of having too many Wolverine-type characters at once. Its a shame, as Daken has an interesting dynamic as the defiant son of the most defiant superhero. Hes the Marvel version of that Doug sketch from MTVs The State where a cool teenager is desperately trying to uphold a rebel image against his cigarette-smoking Hells Angel dad who produces albums for Bob Dylan.If Dafne Keen does ever end up being in another Marvel movie and takes up her fathers mantle, thats probably the best chance Daken has of showing up. Daken is a perfect foil as the tortured son of Wolverine who hates what he represents due to Logan never being there for him. Otherwise, turn him good and give us Hellverine, the Wolverine/Ghost Rider hybrid. A Hellverine movie would make a billion dollars on opening night.10. Omega RedOmega Red is one of those comic characters like Spawn whos like a 90s elemental. Once the decade ended, so did their power and presence. It wasnt until the nostalgia kicked in that Arkady Rossovich made a return to X-Men comics, and by that time, the Fox movies had long run their course. Thats not to say he was completely absent, as Omega Red was intended to have a cameo in Deadpool 2, but the only footage that didnt end up on the cutting room floor was him being blurry in the background. Were not counting that.But this other, other anti-Wolverine is ready for primetime. On the one hand, once the MCU has its own Wolverine, hes an easy, fresh villain to throw at him. On the other, they can also use him as a continuation of the Red Room and all that shady Russian government stuff. Maybe hes been on ice as a failsafe. Whatever the reason for his inclusion, the world needs to hear someone discuss his Mutant Death Factor powers while keeping a straight face.9. Squirrel GirlSquirrel Girls star has risen thanks to Marvel Rivals, and its really only a matter of time before we see Marvels greatest overachiever show up and give pet names to each of Thors abs. Maybe theyre saving her for the post-credits scene in Avengers: Doomsday where Nick Fury calls for help with a pager with a pixelated squirrel on it. Steve Ditkos greatest creation could pop up nearly anywhere and feel natural, so the question is not if but when.Having her on this list comes with a big asterisk. We came very close to an MCU Squirrel Girl played by Milana Vayntrub in New Warriors, a streaming show that unfortunately never made it past the pilot. Vayntrub still went on to voice the character in both Marvel Rising and Marvel Rivals. Then theres the not-quite-canon Disneyland ride Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, which deals with a group of smart youngsters called the Worldwide Engineering Brigade. This group not only includes Taylor Nicolette as a live-action Doreen Green (sans tail), but also Moon Girl of Devil Dinosaur fame!8. MojoGuys, when Channing Tatum gets that Gambit spinoff movie greenlit, were going to need to find a spot for Mojo. After all these years of outlandish superhero stuff in movies, the public is ready for a coked-up Jabba the Hutt TV producer with robot spider legs, but does that mean Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige should really do it? Would this just end up being MODOK 2.0? Mojo is for sure a major player in the X-Men mythos, but hes not somebody who gets that big of a spotlight. Hes a one-off bad guy for throwaway storylines and not somebody you base a huge arc around. Hes only good in small doses.Still, hes such a larger-than-life character who could be really fun in the right hands and would be a more entertaining choice than Arcade, who ultimately fulfills the same function as a villain mastermind. Besides we already know that he exists in the X-Mens movie universe, considering Shatterstar comes from Mojoworld, according to Deadpool 2. Make it trippy, throw in Longshot and Spiral, and you have a stew going.7. Rick JonesThis entry isnt a plea to incorporate Rick Jones into the MCU. If there was ever a time to include some version of Rick, that time had long passed. Its just kind of crazy to see him so absent considering what an important part of Marvel he used to be. In a time when Marvel writers felt that the Robin-type teen sidekick didnt fit the vibe, Rick was the outlier. The Hulks best friend and crux for his origin, an honorary member of the original Avengers, a protg to Captain America, and the Billy Batson to Mar-Vells Captain MarvI mean, Shazam. He was the Forrest Gump of 60s and 70s Marvel Comics!Weve had two Hulk movies but neither included Rick (though the nothing character Harper from Hulk does fulfill the role of getting shoved out of the way so Banner can get blasted with radiation). The closest was the video game adaptation of Incredible Hulk, which expanded on the movies story. Maybe if that World War Hulk movie ever happens, they could find a spot for him. His gamma alter-ego of A-Bomb could work, but then again, A-Bomb was a good guy version of Abomination. And these days, MCU Abomination is a pretty chill dude.6. FirestarIn the late 70s and early 80s, the rights to Human Torch were complicated by the desire to give him his own solo movie that never materialized. That meant the Fantastic Four cartoon had to use HERBIE, and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends had to introduce new character Angelica Jones, otherwise known as Firestar, to team up with Iceman and the titular wallcrawler. This put her in the pantheon of comic book superheroes who first appeared in cartoon shows, alongside Harley Quinn, X-23, Reptil, Renee Montoya, and sure, HERBIE. He makes good sauce.While not the most standout character in Marvels repertoire, Firestars memorable time as an animated teammate to Spider-Man has led to her joining plenty of superhero teams over the years, being a founding member of the New Warriors, becoming an Avenger, being part of the X-Men, and so on. Just an easy character to throw wherever. Funny enough, a version of Firestar has already been part of the MCU, as Liz Allan (of Spider-Man: Homecoming fame) was Firestar in the Ultimate Marvel continuity instead of Angelica.5. MoonstoneThe Thunderbolts have taken many forms in the comics. Unfortunately, the iconic original version cant be used for the MCU due to Mysterio already playing the same card with his wolf in sheeps clothing scheme in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Even though most of the characters from the Thunderbolts movie have been part of various comic incarnations of the team, theres a shocking lack of the original crew. In fact, other than Baron Zemo and the rumors that Geraldine Viswanathan will be playing Songbird, none of the original Thunderbolts have yet to appear in any MCU project.The one who hovers above them all is Karla Sofen, otherwise known as Moonstone. This powerhouse is what Loki was before he became too likable: a conniving, manipulative, selfish backstabber. Shes motivated by survival, luxury, and getting the most with the least amount of work. Its this ambition that got her a spot as the governments official Ms. Marvel when Norman Osborn ran the Avengers. Ever since that run, people have been speculating that she could one day be a prime antagonist for Captain Marvel in the movies.4. HulklingSince the beginning of Phase 4, the movies and shows have been very adamant about building up this worlds version of the Young Avengers, including a scene of Ms. Marvel attempting to assemble the team. Were reaching the point where all of these youngsters are going to be in their 40s by the time we get to the big team-up, but theres still a little time. The Young Avengers comic only had two major runs, and nearly all the main members of the team have been represented in some way with a few exceptions.The biggest exception is Hulkling, a Kree/Skrull hybrid who used his shapeshifting to make himself look like a young Hulk. The thing is Skrulls arent exactly in-season with the MCU. The two-hit combo of Secret Invasion and The Marvels have killed interest in our green alien friends. Even if were getting more focus on Hulk-related stuff in the near future, we already have a young Hulk character in Skaar, introduced at the end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Despite Hulklings boyfriend Wiccan getting the spotlight in Agatha All Along, this guy might be too complicated and ill-timed to fit into the bigger picture.3. Black CatOkay, okay, yes. This one is the most debatable. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had Felicity Jones show up as a woman named Felicia for a few seconds of screentime as Harry Osborns assistant. Its a role nobody would remember if not for the fact that it was supposed to be Felicia Hardy, and her actress was way too famous for such a minor part. As Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out when Sony still saw dollar signs in the concept of a Spider-Man Cinematic Universe, the initial idea was to use this cameo as a first step toward a Black Cat/Silver Sable team-up film.Its just one of several close calls we had with live-action Black Cat. She was also in earlier scripts for Spider-Man 2 and was apparently planned for Spider-Man 4. Considering we have 10 Spider-Man movies and six quasi-Spider-Man movies on top of that at this point, seemingly every major part of the Spider-Man corner of Marvel has shown up onscreen except Black Cat (and the Jackal, who is at least an unseen plot point in Kraven the Hunter). Now that the Sonyverse is completely kaput, we might finally get to see her make a real appearance in the MCU proper.2. Mr. SinisterWe wereSo close. Mr. Sinister was what Foxs X-Men Cinematic Universe was building toward right before everything collapsed. The post-credits scene for X-Men: Apocalypse featured Wolverines DNA being taken away by Essex Corp. Deadpool 2 featured the Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation, and New Mutants was intended to be one big backdoor to Sinister, rumored to be played by Jon Hamm. Then Disney bought everything and that died on the vine.There are a million X-Men characters out there, and half a million of those have not shown up in a movie. But Sinister is easily the biggest one among them. Hes the perfect threat for when the MCU starts messing with mutants, and considering his status as an obsessed geneticist, he could easily become the reason behind mutants popping up in an established universe that hasnt brought it up in all these years. Just make him the flamboyant bitch that he is in the comics and were good. The Marvel movies need a Dr. Frank-N-Furter to liven things up!1. AnnihilusThe big three final boss characters in Marvel are Thanos, Galactus, and Dr. Doom. Thanks to Fox having Fantastic Four movie rights, the MCU could only rely on Thanos for a long while and are only now able to play around with the other two. But then what? Try Apocalypse in this timeline? Turn Hulk into the Maestro? Give the Juggernaut scissors and see what happens when he runs around? Kang the Conqueror was a good idea at the time, but real life cut that off at the knees. No, the best play would be to bring Annihilus into the mix.The Living Death Who Walks is another Fantastic Four villain, but considering the Fox Fantastic Four movies could never get past adapting Doom and Galactus, those movies never got to Annihilus. The nice thing is that even with Annihilus being wrapped up in the Fantastic Four film rights for so many years, he isnt beholden to that specific property in the MCU. The Annihilation comic event showed what a universe-ending threat this cosmic locust really is with an entire Negative Zone full of monster bugs at his disposal. The guy had Thanos on the payroll and weaponized Galactus against his will. What more could you ask for in a new big bad?

Yesterday morning, Hector Martin resigned from his position as project lead of Asahi Linux. This was a community effort that kicked off shortly after the Mac transition to Apple Silicon begun, in early 2021. After a ton of effort, the team finally released an alpha build of Asahi Linux for M1 and M2 Macs in early 2022. The project was going well.However, because of burnout and an uphill battle with the Linux community, including Linux Torvalds himself, Hector Martin decided to resign. The project should ideally continue on without him.BackgroundPorting Linux to Apple Silicon was no easy feat, for many reasons. However, thanks to tons of support pouring in from the community, Martin made it possible. The project was thriving, for quite some time:The first couple of years were amazing, as we brought the platform from nothing to one of the smoothest Linux experiences you can get on a laptop. Sure, there were/are still some bits and pieces of hardware support missing, but the overall experience rivaled or exceeded what you could get on most x86 laptops. And we built it all from scratch, with zero vendor support or documentation. It was an impossible feat, something that had never been done before, and we pulled it off.Unfortunately, the fun didnt last for long. There were many entitled users in the community who wouldnt stop complaining, despite the incredible feats. Asahi Linux was never perfect, but it was pretty remarkable.On top of users complaints, this project was also an uphill battle. Many key developers in the Linux community have attempted to hurt the project, according to Martin:Suffice it to say, I consider Linus handling of the integration of Rust into Linux a major failure of leadership. Such a large project needs significant support from major stakeholders to survive, while his approach seems to have been to just wait and see. Meanwhile, multiple subsystem maintainers downstream of him have done their best to stonewall or hinder the project, issue unacceptable verbal abuse, and generally hurt morale, with no consequence.Despite the fact that Linus Torvalds, creator and lead of the Linux kernel, was initially supportive of the project (he even wrote the Linux 5.19 release notes on an M2 MacBook Air running Asahi Linux), he didnt provide the hands-on involvement that Marin believed was necessary for such a feat to move forward, especially given the context of other Linux maintainers not being so nice.As unfortunate as it is, Martin decided to call it quits following all of these hurdles. Id highly recommend reading his blog post for a more in-depth and technical breakdown.Whats next?According to Hector Martin, the effort will be moving forward, and hell be passing on the torch to the rest of the Asahi Linux team. In 2025, the team aims to achieve kernel upstreaming, meaning that all of the drivers necessary for M1 and M2 Macs would be part of the Linux kernel. As of now, Asahi Linux is a downstream effort, which means the patches are separate from general Linux development. Upstreaming is a huge feat, but would have massive implications.On top of that, the team would like to improve their testing efforts, as well as develop some new features for M1 and M2 devices, such as DisplayPort alt mode, DirectX 12 support, and internal microphones. Internal mic support should ship as soon as a few days from now.Unfortunately, new hardware wont be a priority, so M3 and M4 Mac users will have to wait quite some time. Efforts are being made in that regard, but all of the changes mentioned prior are a far higher priority. The project needs a strong foundation to survive in the long term.Theres always going to be questions when a project lead leaves, but it seems like things will hopefully continue to live on, albeit not on the latest hardware. I wish the Asahi Linux team all the best, and hope to be able to report on some exciting developments in the future.My favorite Apple accessories on Amazon:Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Researchers have discovered an "unexpected" accumulation of the radioactive isotope beryllium-10, deep underneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean.As detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the international team of scientists believes that the "anomaly" dates back to shifts in ocean currents or cosmic rays interacting with the Earth's atmosphere approximately ten million years ago. Beryllium-10 is known to be continuously produced by oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the Earth's upper atmosphere interacting with high-energy protons, which race through the universe at nearly the speed of light.The team hopes their discovery could serve as an "independent time marker for marine archives," allowing scientists to get a better sense of how the planet's crust has evolved over millions of years, and better calibrate geological data sets.Radioactive isotopes are typically used by researchers to date archaeological and geological samples. Radiocarbon dating is one such application, but it comes with some notable limitations.While samples of things like wood or bones can be accurately dated, the "radiocarbon method is limited to dating samples no more than 50,000 years old," explained coauthor and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf physicist Dominik Koll in a statement. "To date older samples, we need to use other isotopes, such as cosmogenic beryllium-10."The isotope's half-life is a whopping 1.4 million years, and breaks down into boron, allowing scientists to look much further back in time, over ten million years.As detailed in their paper, Koll and his colleagues examined geological samples taken from the Pacific Ocean's bed miles below the surface. They examined the proportion of boron isotopes using accelerator mass spectrometry.The results surprised them."At around 10 million years, we found almost twice as much [boron-10 isotope] as we had anticipated," Koll recalled. "We had stumbled upon a previously undiscovered anomaly."The team can only offer informed guesses as to what caused the anomaly around the time gibbons and orangutans genetically split, leading to the earliest humans.The researchers suggest there could've been a "grand reorganization" of ocean currents, depositing more than expected amounts of beryllium-10 in the Pacific.Perhaps most intriguingly, the anomaly may have been the result of a powerful celestial event, like a "near-Earth supernova" that could have temporarily intensified cosmic radiation ten million years ago, according to the scientists. A collision with an interstellar could've also made the Earth's atmosphere more vulnerable to a bombardment of cosmic rays."Only new measurements can indicate whether the beryllium anomaly was caused by changes in ocean currents or has astrophysical reasons," Koll explained in the statement. "That is why we plan to analyze more samples in the future and hope that other research groups will do the same."For instance, if similar discoveries were to be made in other oceans, it would suggest that the anomaly was a global phenomenon supporting the latter astrophysical hypothesis.More on cosmic rays: Scientist Warns That NASAs Voyager Probes Are Dodging Bullets Out ThereShare This Article

It's standard practice in the veterinary field to microchip pets. So standard, in fact, that some 3.5 million household animals in the US have little rice-sized chips in them, helping rescue groups reunite owners with their furry friends in the event that a pet gets loose.It's also standard that microchipping is run as a for-profit business and as one microchip company in Texas is showing, businesses don't always pan out.This week, the Washington Post reported that Save This Life a chipping and records company responsible for safeguarding pets throughout theUS had been listed as inactive on Texas' comptroller tax records. Though the company's website remains online, no one is answering emails, phone calls, or inquiries into pets' chips.That's leaving pet owners, shelters, and veterinarians concerned, as the company likely holds records related to "tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands" of microchips, president of non-profit chipping service AKC Reunite Tom Sharp told WaPo.The pet microchipping process is a little convoluted. In most cases, the microchips themselves don't have any of the pet owner's data, as is sometimes assumed.Instead, a veterinarian scanning a chip will find an 8-12 digit string of numbers that can be used to find which microchip company's database the pet is registered to. Once a kennel or vet has the database, they can get ahold of that company which will then relay the pet's exact details.It's an interesting case of digital property rights a pet owner paying for their critter to be microchipped and registered expects that chip to stay relevant for life. In fact, that's exactly what Save This Life currently promises on its site.But what happens to all that data when a company goes kaput?That's an important question for activists and researchers working with digital property rights, which has been a contentious issue of debate for as long as digital data has been around. The argument usually revolves around personal information or non-physical media and its stewards, which are more often than not for-profit corporations. But corporations are bought, sold, and dissolved all the time; such is the nature of business.In other words, as digital rights advocates have argued: "if you don't own your digital property, you rent it."For example, what happens if a development company shuts down the serversrunning a video game that was online-only? Anyone who paid money for that game will no longer be able to access it, and the experience will be lost to time, while the company that sold the copy is under no obligation to return its revenue.That's a relatively harmless case unless you work in media preservation but as more and more of our data finds its way out of our hands and into the hands of big companies, it's raising questions about what obligationsthey have to ensure transparency and access.And in the case of microchips for our furry friends, it seems that profit, not love of pets, may be the deciding factor.More on pets: AI CEO Proud of Chatbot for Convincing Woman to Euthanize Her DogShare This Article

You live, work and play at home, so why not add working out to the list? Home gyms can be a great way to take wellness onsite and avoid costly membership fees. But those looking to make space for wellness will need the right equipment, and strength training might be a good place to start.Squat racks are ideal for those who prioritize building strength, providing many exercise opportunities for building muscle and stamina. They can be used for squats, as well as bench and overhead presses and other compound movements. This list includes top picks in every style and budget based on brand reputation and customer satisfaction to help you choose the best option. Our Picks Best overall squat rack SML-2 Rogue 90-inch Monster Lite Squat Stand View details $500 at Rogue View details Best squat rack for the garage PRX Performance Profile Pro Folding Squat Rack View details $749 at PRX Performance View details Best squat rack for home gym Titan Fitness T-3 Series Short Squat Stand View details $314 at Amazon View details Best squat rack on Amazon Sunny Health & Fitness Power Zone Squat Stand View details $298 at Amazon View details Best multifunctional squat rack HulkFit 1,000-pound Capacity Multifunction Adjustable Power Cage View details $272 at Amazon View details Best squat rack for outdoors Get RX'd Galvanized Backyard Builder RMU Rig View details $1,690 at Get RX'd View details Table of Contents Best Presidents Day Sales Don't miss our coverage of the Best Presidents Day deals, curated by CNET Deals experts. See now What is the best squat rack overall?Based on top customer reviews and features, the SML-2 Rogue 90-inch Monster Lite Squat Stand is the best overall squat rack. If you're familiar with Rogue then you know it's one of the top fitness equipment manufacturers that is appropriate for both home and commercial gym use. This squat rack design is simple and ideal for those who just want a straightforward rack to support their training. It's ideal if you're setting up your home gym in a garage. This power rack allows you to do strength training exercises like squats, bench presses, pull-ups, clean pulls and more. If you prefer a squat rack with more features or a different style, our best list has various ones to pick from.Read more: Best Gifts Under $300 for 2025Best squat racks of 2025 Photo Gallery 1/1 $500 at Rogue Height 92.25"Dimensions 49" x 48"Weight capacity 1,000 lbsAdd ons for additional cost Barbells, weight bench, weight plates $500 at Rogue Rogue is well-known for its weight-training equipment and is the go-to for CrossFit and big-box gyms. The SML-2 Rogue 90-inch Monster Lite Squat Stand is a hybrid between a squat rack and a power rack, which allows you to perform other exercises, such as bench presses or deadlifts. It also includes the choice of two pull-up bars: a thicker and thinner bar. This squat rack will fit in a garage gym as long as the ceiling clears over 7.5 feet. Customers who purchased this squat rack say it was easy to put together and that it's heavy-duty and high quality. Many reviewers say they can do various lifts with this rack, and the pull-up bars are height-friendly for even the tallest people. Buyers agree it's worth buying the spotter arms for extra safety when lifting. $749 at PRX Performance If you're limited on space but still want squat rack, the PRX Performance Profile Pro Folding Squat Rack is a solid choice. This squat rack first gained attention when the creators appeared on the TV show Shark Tank to promote the space-saving device.It's perfect for a garage because it doesn't take up a lot of room (it just needs 4 inches of wall space) and can be folded post workout. The only thing you need to be mindful of is that your garage ceiling is tall enough. You will need a ceiling that's at least 7.5 feet high.Customers love this space-saving squat rack. One reviewer is a musician who uses the garage as a studio space and a gym and says the squat rack is easy to store when not in use. Other buyers say it's sturdy, worth the investment and has changed their workout routine for the better.

Season 8 of Love Is Blind launched on Valentine's Day, tempting Netflix subscribers to cancel plans, get into sweats and fill up on drinks, snacks and drama.If you reported for binge-watching duty, you know that the latest edition of the reality show spotlights singles based in Minneapolis. Season 8 started with a record 32 participants and follows the familiar format of literal blind dates and engagements followed by face-to-face encounters, real-world tests and walks down the aisle.There are six episodes left in Love Is Blind's new season, and they will premiere over the next few weeks. If you see that as six good reasons to stick close to the TV, here's exactly when you can watch more of season 8.Read more:What the New Netflix Price Hike Means for Your SubscriptionWhen to watch Love Is Blind season 8 on NetflixYour love affair with Netflix's reality series can continue onFeb. 21. The next three episodes ofLove Is Blindseason 8 will premiere that Friday, followed by three more episodes over two weekly drops. Episodes should become available to stream at midnight PT (3 a.m. ET). Here are all the dates.Episodes 7-9: Feb. 21Episodes 10-11: Feb. 28Episode 12: March 7After Netflix increased prices last month, the Standard With Ads plan sits at $8 per month, up from $7. If you want to avoid commercials and unlock every show and movie on Netflix (some titles are unavailable on the ad-based plan due to licensing restrictions), you'll need the streamer's Standard or Premium plan. Standard costs $18 per month after the hike -- it used to be $15.50 -- and Premium costs $25 instead of $23. James Martin/CNET Netflix has renewed Love Is Blind through season 10, so it's in this relationship for the long haul. A subscription grants you access to past seasons and otheroriginal reality series like The Circle, Selling Sunset and Too Hot to Handle. Netflix's 2025 slate includes new installments of Squid Game, Wednesday and Stranger Things. Read our Netflix review. See at Netflix

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide The Fortnite x Mortal Kombat collaboration was officially confirmed by Epic Games! The game developer revealed that the long-awaited partnership would take place in Chapter 6 Season 2. Sub-Zero, one of the most popular MK characters, will be added to Fortnite. However, according to leaks, Epic has prepared even more content for this collab.Aside from Sub-Zero, the Fortnite creator is expected to release at least one more skin. Additionally, the collaboration will introduce new gameplay features, including Mythic items and possibly map changes.Several Mortal Kombat characters will come to Fortnite soonMortal Kombat has been a beloved video game franchise for over three decades, introducing numerous unique characters and even inspiring a few movies. Given its lasting popularity, incorporating it into Fortnite is a great choice. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. On Friday, Epic revealed that Sub-Zero will come with the Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 Battle Pass on February 21. To obtain this character, you will first have to purchase the new seasonal pass for 1,000 V-Bucks. Additionally, he will also be obtainable if you have an active Fortnite Crew subscription. Since Sub-Zero will be a Battle Pass skin, Fortnite may also release him in the future, but not before the summer of 2026.Sub-Zero will be released with the Fortnite x Mortal Kombat collab. Image by VideoGamerAccording to leakers, Scorpion will also come with the Mortal Kombat collaboration. The release date and price of this skin are currently unknown, but we expect it to come out by May 2025. Since its a collaboration skin, it will cost at least 1,500 V-Bucks. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Finally, the collaboration will feature several gameplay items. Hypex, the most popular Fortnite leaker, claims that Fortnite will have two Mortal Kombat Mythic items. This could also mean that Epic Games will release a Mortal Kombat-themed POI, although this hasnt been leaked yet. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has frozen all of its election security work and is reviewing everything it has done to help state and local officials secure their elections for the past eight years, WIRED has learned. The move represents the first major example of the countrys cyber defense agency accommodating President Donald Trumps false claims of election fraud and online censorship.In a memo sent Friday to all CISA employees and obtained by WIRED, CISAs acting director, Bridget Bean, said she was ordering a review and assessment of every position at the agency related to election security and countering mis- and disinformation, as well as every election security and [mis-, dis-, and malinformation] product, activity, service, and program that has been carried out since the federal government designated election systems as critical infrastructure in 2017.Got a Tip?Are you a current or former government employee that wants to talk about what's happening? We'd like to hear from you. Using a nonwork phone or computer, contact the reporter securely on Signal at ericgeller.01.CISA will pause all elections security activities until the completion of this review, Bean added. The agency is also cutting off funding for these activities at the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing & Analysis Center, a group funded by the Department of Homeland Security that has served as a coordinating body for the elections community.In her memo, Bean confirmed that CISA had, as first reported by Politico, placed employees initially identified to be associated with the elections security activities and the MDM program on administrative leave on February 7.It is necessary to rescope the agency's election security activities to ensure CISA is focused exclusively on executing its cyber and physical security mission, she told employees in the memo.While Bean is temporarily leading CISA, she is officially the agencys executive director, its top career position. CISAs first director created the executive-director role to provide continuity during political transitions. Previously, Bean was a Trump appointee at the Federal Emergency Management Agency during his first term.In justifying CISAs internal review, which will conclude on March 6, Bean pointed to Trumps January 20 executive order on ending federal censorship. Conservatives have argued that CISA censored their speech by coordinating with tech companies to identify online misinformation in 2020, during the final year of Trumps first term. CISA has denied conducting any censorship, and the US Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit over the governments work. But in the wake of the backlash, CISA halted most conversations with tech platforms about online mis- and disinformation.CISA and DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Since 2017, state and local election officials have relied on CISAs expertise and resourcesas well as its partnerships with other agenciesto improve their physical and digital security. Through on-site consultations and online guidance, CISA has helped election administrators secure voting infrastructure against hackers, harden polling places against active shooters, and create polling-place backup plans to deal with ballot shortages or power outages.Election supervisors have always struggled to overcome serious funding challenges, but in recent years, their jobs have become even more stressful as intense voter scrutiny has given way to harassment and even death threats. Election officials of both parties have repeatedly praised CISA for its apolitical support of their work, saying the agencys recommendations and free security services have been critical in boosting their own efforts.

Promises KeptAs Promise Mascot Agency nears the end of its costumed run through the explosions of development, its devs are feeling good about handing their "band of freaks" over to youWe've made the game we want to make.Image credit: Kaizen Game Works Article by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Feb. 15, 2025 I think its difficult to convey what the game is, Oli Clarke Smith, director of Promise Mascot Agency, tells me.That's the thing that we've noticed and struggled with. We initially talked about the game - well, we still do - as an open-world mascot management crime drama, and to us that made perfect sense, but I don't think that has conveyed quite what the game is.Its a full open-world RPG with management aspects and creature collector aspects - and when people have got it, they've really clicked with it and understood it. The good thing that the team at Paradise Killer studio Kaizen Game Works have found as theyve grappled with gradually unveiling more and more about their 2025 release is this - early audience reviews of their band of freaks have been universally good.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. This gang of weirdos is the games mascots - the sentient burial mounds, cats whore really against adult video pixelation, and little guys like Mottsun, who just looks like the greatest thing of all-time - that youll be managing the mascotting of when you play Promise Mascot Agency. Most of them were designed in collaboration between Kaizens small British team - Clarke Smith, technical director Phil Crabtree, and art director Rachel Noy - and the Japanese duo of famed former Tango Gameworks artist Ikumi Nakamura and Mai Mattori.We went to her with absolutely nothing, Clarke Smith explains, "because wed just finished our previous game. Wed got the rough concept [for Promise Mascot Agency], and it was important for us to work with someone in Japan, being a Western team and setting a game in Japan. The mascots we got back were things that we would never have made ourselves and cultural references that we wouldn't have got to ourselves.While Kaizens devs are keen for their games to feel uniquely Kaizen, their approach to working with Nakamura and other collaborators has always been here's a rough idea of what we want, please put your own spin on it. It means that we get all of these lived experiences from other people coming into the game, the director says, citing the example of Nakamura telling them about visiting a bar on the real-life coast of Kyushu in southwestern Japan, where PMAs setting is based on.No one in said establishment wanted to speak to Nakamura due to her being an outsider to the area, and in telling stories like this, the artist gave Kaizen things they could draw on for the look and atmosphere of their town, Kaso-Machi. Naturally, there were also bits of their own lives in the UK that the team could bring to the story, with Noy relating that you can get at least a little bit of a similar feeling of being an outsider in a far-flung town if, for example, you walk into a pub in Cornwall while on holiday. Also, we watched a lot of Twin Peaks, she adds, that was a big, big reference and another reason we wanted to get Swery involved. It's not a bar, but you'll still probably get strange looks... | Image credit: Kaizen Game WorksThere were some tweaks made along the way and not everything translated - for example, Nakamura and Mattoris mascot designs had to be made to fit a relatively similar size and shape so that animations would work across mascots. But, Clarke Smith says, it was often a case of that doesnt quite fit the structure of the game, but 90% of it does, so we can put it in.In putting together the game thatd feature all of those designs and themes, Kaizen faced a different task than it had when making its first game. With Paradise Killer, Phil and I were the only employees at the time, so it was kind of us two just working out how to make a video game together, the director explains, It was a big conceptual change, going from mystery game to a management game, but in terms of our process and how we made the game, it felt much easier [this time]. He adds that its still been the hardest game hes ever worked on to make, but things like the way the team communicates have naturally evolved to become something that just clicks without as much conscious effort.It helps that some of the systems we've got are carried over from Paradise Killer, Crabtree adds, So, in terms of Okay, we need this sort of system, a lot of the coding's already done. Itll obviously need a bit of twisting and pulling, but it meant there was a bit more time for the design. He goes on to reveal that early on, the team went a lot more in-depth in terms of the management aspect of Promise Mascot Agency, creating a full calendar-style system in which youd be juggling assignments across days and weeks.This big, overly complex management stuff didnt really sit well with the chill world, bringing life back to the world and interacting with the characters, the technical director says, So, weve had to push and pull a little bit, but Im really happy with where weve got to on it, because the management sits there in the background and in some ways it's quite simple, but what's lying underneath is quite complex. You have to keep an eye on it, but it's not overwhelming. Just a little fire here, nothing too overwhelming. | Image credit: Kaizen Game WorksAs you manage your mascots by sending them on jobs, theyll run into issues that put them in danger of not being able to do the thing youve sent them off to do. These hazards, ranging from doors, to playful dogs, and normally-sized doors, came from what Crabtree wonderfully describes as a big old list of stupid things that could happen, which the team came up with after doing some YouTube research on mascot fails. Clarke Smith cites the iconic viral Japanese TV clip that is mascot Funassyi running away from a series of explosions as one, however, the team needed to make sure what they went with wouldnt be too tough to script and put together, as well as having an obvious bail resolution - the bit where you step in and try to help.All of this, and the rest of the game around it, evolved from art director Noys original idea of a mascot management sim in the style of games like Kairosofts Game Dev Story. We wanted to do something bigger and we were concerned from a business point of view about making a small-scale 2D simulation management game, Clarke Smith explains, Like, would that keep the company going?Along the way to what PMA is now, other features ended up being rejigged or ditched due to not meshing with what the vision evolved into. There were once loans you could take out and checkpoint races youd be able to do with Michi and Pinky in their cool little kei-truck. We never brought it up to a full feature, Clarke Smith says of the latter, because when you think about an open world, thats what every open world game does. We felt at a certain point we should put this in because we might need more gameplay, and then we realized that we didn't.Theyre still sitting there in the background, also existing because in Noys words, the team liked the idea of cool drift cars going down a mountain in Japan, likely to only be dusted off if Kaizen ends up being offered the chance to do something like an Initial D tie-in DLC. 'What would you know?' Shiori asked, calmly. | Image credit: Kaizen Game WorksBefore Kaizen can think about anything like that, though, theyll need to see how Promise Mascot Agencys release later this year goes, but theyre feeling pretty good about it. I think for a small team especially, what we've achieved is massive, Crabtree tells me, I don't know how many times Ive played the first two hours of the game now, having to go over, over, and over and over it again, either just to record footage or to fix bugs or whatever. I still find little things in there that I forgot about that make me smile, and I had that with Paradise Killer towards the end. I think for Paradise Killer, I didn't feel it until right before launch, whereas [this time] Ive felt it for a little bit longer.Ive fallen in love with our characters, I think, Noy adds, Im going to be so sad [when] were not working on it soon, but I think because I love them so much, I know that theres going to be other people like me out there who are going to love them too. Theres some nervousness, as the team knows its relying on people getting what its gone for with Promise Mascot Agency, but having already seen its style go down well once helps.We've made the game we want to make, Clarke Smith says, We know now that people like the writing of Paradise Killer. We know people like the characters of Paradise Killer, and we've taken those same qualities and put them into this. So, I feel more confident that if you're going to like the game, you're probably really going to like it.