$112m of Hasbro's $472m 2024 digital gaming revenue came from Monopoly Go aloneDigital and licensed gaming revenue up 22% YoY News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Feb. 24, 2025 Hasbro's gaming business saw its digital and licensed gaming revenue increase by 22% year-over-year to $471.7 million.$112 million alone of that came from Scopely's Monopoly Go.The firm's Magic: The Gathering franchise saw a modest bump of 4% in regard to its Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment, although Magic: The Gathering revenues fell by 1% "due to the lap of the Lord of the Rings set."Overall, however, Hasbro's full-year revenues fell by 17% YoY to $4.1 billion, which Hasbro attributes to the eOne divestiture."Im proud of our team for delivering what we promised in 2024: we grew in games and licensing, stepped up our operational efficiency, and vastly improved the performance of our toy business," said Chris Cocks, Hasbros CEO."In 2025, were excited to bring a stellar lineup of toys and games to fans, expanding the reach of our IP through outstanding partnerships while we continue to focus on operational rigor and anticipating the future of play."

Gamescom Asia and Thailand Game Show merge to form Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show"This partnership is a game-changer for the regions games industry"Image credit: The Gamescom Asia 2024 booth of GCL's publishing branch, 4Divinity | Marie Dealessandri News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Feb. 24, 2025 Gamescom Asia and Thailand Game Show have merged to form Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show.Set to debut in October, the organizations stated the merger "unites the best of both worlds: a powerful global business and consumer platform and an electrifying fan-focused gaming experience."Previously, and individually, Gamescom Asia attracted over 40,000 attendees from 78 countries and 177 exhibitors in 2024, whilst the Thailand Game Show recorded over 185,000 visitors and 50 exhibitors."This partnership is a game-changer for the regions games industry. Gamescom Asias success has been built on a solid foundation in Singapore, where it has flourished since its inception in 2021, positioning Southeast Asia as a hub for gaming innovation," said Mathias Kuepper, MD and VP of Asia Pacific at Koelnmesse."By joining forces with Thailand Game Show, we are unlocking unprecedented opportunities to connect global video game players with one of the worlds most vibrant and passionate gaming communities. With its rich culture and expanding gaming ecosystem, Bangkok is the ideal stage for this exciting next chapter.""This historic collaboration presents tremendous opportunities for gamers and developers in Thailand, marking a significant leap forward for our gaming industry," added Pongsuk Hiranprueck, founder of Thailand Game Show."With strong governmental support and cooperation, we are solidifying Thailand's position as a premier gaming hub in the Asian region. We are grateful for Gamescom Asia recognising Thailand's potential, and together, we will write a new chapter in Thailand's gaming history that will elevate our industry to unprecedented heights. This partnership will build on what we have been doing for the past 18 years."Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show will take place at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand, from 16 to 19 October 2025. Attendees can expect a "multifaceted event" featuring a dedicated business area, expert-led industry gaming conference sessions, and an entertainment area showcasing the "latest AAA titles, indie games, esports tournaments, cosplay, exclusive showcases, and live experiences."Gamescom Asia broke its attendance record last October, with 41,013 people going to the Singapore-based show last week. This represented a 20% increase in attendance, organiser Koelnmesse said, with 177 exhibitors joining the event this year, versus 136 in 2023.

Justin Carter, Contributing EditorFebruary 24, 20251 Min ReadImage via Phoenix Labs.At a GlancePhoenix Labs is shutting down its monster-hunting online game Dauntless on May 29.The studio, purchased by blockchain firm Forte Labs in 2023, laid off most employees earlier this year.On May 29, Phoenix Labs is permanently taking down its flagship game, Dauntless. The developer revealed its monster hunting title will receive "no additional content or updates," or even be playable, after that date.In recent years, Phoenix Labs conducted several waves of layoffs, including over 100 employees in May 2024. Weeks ago, the developer announced it'd laid off "a majority" of its remaining staff.Dauntless first released in 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The free-to-play game tasked players with working together or alone to take down monsters (dubbed "Behemoths"), craft and upgrade gear, and do it again with bigger beasts. Days after its official launch, it had amassed over 6 million players, and holds the distinction of being the first game to launch with crossplay between PC, Xbox One, and PS4.In late 2024, Game Developer reported the company's alleged struggles after it'd been quietly acquired by Forte Labs. The blockchain firm purchased it in 2023, seemingly with the intent of integrating its technology in the studio's games to financialize in-game assets. New management reportedly demanded that employees not reveal news of the purchase.Former staff later revealed their work on 'Project Dragon,' one of the canceled titles described as a mix between Minecraft and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.At time of writing, Phoenix Labs' other game, Fae Farm, does not appear to be on the verge of shutting down.In its brief declaration of the game's demise, the studio thanked all players "for being a part of the Dauntless journey."About the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Annapurna Interactive is hosting its first showcase of the year, and its an important one. Last year, Annapurna Interactives entire staff resigned en masse after negotiations to spin off the respected indie game publisher into its own independent entity broke down. Since then, those employees have formed their own company and even have a new crop of games to manage since it took over publishing duties for Take-Twos former indie label Private Division. But where does that leave Annapurna?After the resignations, the company issued a statement assuring players that its games would still be published as normal. With this showcase (which you can watch in full here), we will get more details on what to expect from Annapurna in the first half of 2025. To a TTo a T is the latest release from Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi, and damn, if it aint adorable like most of his games. The game tells the story of Teen, a young person with a well say unique posture, and its up to you to help them navigate the challenges that come with being born stuck in a permanent T pose. For the showcase, To a T got a special music video a la Its Bugsnax! featuring the vocal stylings of Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar. To a T launches on May 28th on Xbox, PS5, and PC, and a demo is available now on Steam.MorselsMorsels is a creature collector roguelite with a creepy / cute grossout vibe. Use your powers of transformation to turn into the right monster for the job and battle against evil cat creatures. (Finally, some cozy cat game counterprogramming!) No release date on Morsels yet, but expect it to launch sometime in 2025 on PC and Nintendo Switch.Wheel WorldTheres something about the kinds of presentations that give a glimpse into the people and lives that make these games that really endears me to both the studio and the game. Im not a bike person, but after seeing the behind-the-scenes presentation for Wheel World, I want to be. Wheel World is an open-world magical cycling adventure where you can ride, race, customize your bike, and ultimately save the world. It launches summer 2025, but you can check out the demo now during Steams Next Fest.FarawayAccording to its one-man development team, Faraway can be played with just one hand. In it, you play as a shooting star destined to flicker out but that keeps itself shining brightly by traveling the stars and making constellations. The game consists of a story mode that procedurally generates in response to players actions and skill levels. Theres also a puzzle mode designed to challenge players in their journey across the stars. Try out Faraway during Steams Next Fest or wait for the games release on PC later this year.Geometric InteractiveGeometric, developer of the phenomenal puzzle platformer Cocoon, is back with some lo-fi vibes to carry orbs to. The studio is working with iam8bit to release a collectors edition of the game as well as Cocoons soundtrack on vinyl. The studio also teased that its working on a completely new game but, of course, didnt share any details yet. Lushfoil Photography SimAs the name suggests, Lushfoil is all about taking pictures using true-to-life photography techniques. Explore different locations around the world, including the torii gates of Kyoto, Japan, the lush forests of Italy, and even the mountainous Annapurna region in Nepal. Each location is rendered in stunning detail and features photography objectives and collectible cameras thatll encourage players to strive for the perfect shot. Lushfoil has a demo available on Steam and is slated to launch on April 15th, 2025, on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.WanderstopWanderstop is a cozy adventure sim all about tea and navigating difficult life changes, but mostly about tea. Collect ingredients for tea, brew it in an elaborate contraption that looks more like a mad scientist chemistry kit, and thwart the designs of an apparently nefarious bird. Wanderstop is the first game from Ivy Road and is set to launch on Steam and PS5 on March 11th.Skin DeepSkin Deep has one hell of a pitch. According to the developers at Blendo Games, the game is essentially Die Hard with more comedy. You play as Nina Pasadena, a legendary assassin turned insurance commando tasked with saving a starship from a space pirate invasion using whatever tools and weapons she can scrounge along the way. Based on the trailer, Skin Deep feels like a cross between Hitman and Skibidi Toilet, which, honestly, sounds like a neat vibe. You can test that vibe for yourself in the demo or wait for the games launch on April 30th.Sayonara Wild HeartsSayonara Wild Hearts was one of the breakout hits of 2019, and its back with next-gen updates and a brand-new game mode exclusively for PS5. Remix Arcade allows players to chase high scores in infinitely replayable, progressively faster, and more difficult sound bites with no loading. Sayonara Wild Hearts on PS5 is out now and available as a free upgrade if you have the PS4 version.See More:

Google has announced new searchable transcripts for videos you store in Google Drive. The feature is rolling out to all Google Workspace users, starting today and finishing by March 26th.The transcripts look a lot like those youd see on YouTube. If one is available, itll appear in a sidebar next to the video as blocks of timestamped text, with each block highlighted as its spoken in the video youre watching. The search bar for the transcript sits at the top of this sidebar, and clicking on specific text blocks will take you to that moment in the video. You can see the transcripts by clicking the settings icon at the bottom of the video and then choosing Transcript. The transcript option is only available if the video already has captions, as indicated by the CC button that shows up in the controls along the bottom of the Google Drive video player. If a video doesnt have captions, you can create them by right-clicking a video file in Drive, choosing Manage caption tracks, and then generate automatic captions.

Important LLMs Papers for the Week from 10/02 to 16/02 0 like February 24, 2025Share this postAuthor(s): Youssef Hosni Originally published on Towards AI. Stay Updated with Recent Large Language Models ResearchThis member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.Large language models (LLMs) have advanced rapidly in recent years. As new generations of models are developed, researchers and engineers need to stay informed on the latest progress.This article summarizes some of the most important LLM papers published during the Second Week of February 2025. The papers cover various topics shaping the next generation of language models, from model optimization and scaling to reasoning, benchmarking, and enhancing performance.Keeping up with novel LLM research across these domains will help guide continued progress toward models that are more capable, robust, and aligned with human values.LLM ProgressLLM ReasoningLLM Preference Optimization & AlignmentLLM Scaling & OptimizationRetrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)Attention ModelsLLM Evaluation & BenchmarkingMost insights I share in Medium have previously been shared in my weekly newsletter, To Data & Beyond.If you want to be up-to-date with the frenetic world of AI while also feeling inspired to take action or, at the very least, to be well-prepared for the future ahead of us, this is for you.Subscribe below to become an AI leader among your peers and receive content not present in any other platform, including Medium:Data Science, Machine Learning, AI, and what is Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

Starting today, Amazon has dropped the price on the officially licensed WD Black C50 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series consoles to $109.99 shipped. That's a 30% price drop from its original $158 list price and the best price we've seen for an officially licensed 1TB Xbox expansion card since Black Friday. The C50 is one of the best SSDs for the Xbox, which isn't surprising since your options are pretty limited.WD Black C50 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox for $109.99WD C50 1TB Expansion Card For Xbox Series XSThe WD Black C50 expansion card is essentially a 1TB NVME SSD encased in a specialized Xbox-compatible shell. Unlike the more complex PS5 SSD installation process, which involves opening up the PS5 to access the SSD slot, the WD expansion card simply plugs into its dedicated port on the back of the Xbox. This expansion card offers the same speed as the internal SSD, ensuring that you won't sacrifice performance or encounter extended load times as you might with a regular USB drive. With a 1TB expansion card, you can double the storage on your Xbox Series X console and triple the storage on your (white) Xbox Series S console.If you're looking for an officially licensed storage solution (which we strongly recommend), your options are limited to either the WD or Seagate expansion cards, underscoring the importance of seizing a good deal when you find one.See more storage options we've recommended:Our Top PickSeagate Storage 1TB Expansion CardSee it at AmazonMost VersatileSAMSUNG T7 Portable 2TB SSDSee it at AmazonBest ValueCrucial X8 1TB Portable SSDSee itBest External DriveWestern Digital 2TB P40 SSDSee it at AmazonLooking for more Xbox accessories? Check out the best Xbox deals today.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

1964 was a busy year. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, The Beatles made their way to New York City, and the Olympics were held in Tokyo. But for our purposes, it also marked the wide release of the board game Acquire. Now, more than 60 years and multiple editions later, Renegade Games has the reins on this historic hotel-building powerhouse, releasing both a premium 60th Anniversary Edition in 2024 and its retail counterpart in 2023. While these new versions may have a fresh coat of paint, they still maintain the same wonderful gameplay that has kept it around for six decades and landed it on our list of the best classic board games.Acquire 60th Anniversary EditionSee it at AmazonAcquireSee it at AmazonAcquire plays with two to six players, where everyone lays tiles, establishes hotel chains, and purchases shares of stock all with the hopes of getting big returns on their investments. While the theme may not sound the most enthralling compared to other games on your local game stores shelves, theres a reason Acquire has been around for more than 60 years. Its easy to teach and has a deceptive amount of strategy involved so much so that it was even featured at the World Series of Board Gaming tournament last year.On your turn, players will pull a tile each with a grid coordinate printed on it and place it on the board in its corresponding spot. When a tile is placed and creates a minimum of two adjacently connected ones, a hotel is formed, and its founder gets a share of its stock. The larger a hotel chain grows, the more expensive each share of stock becomes, but also, the greater the payout when that hotel gets acquired and absorbed into a bigger hotel. So, buying low and selling high is the name of the game.These latest versions from Renegade Games offer a new variant rule known as Tycoon Mode, which makes it easier for players who arent in the lead to stage a comeback. In the traditional Classic Mode, only the first- and second-place owners of a hotel chain the two who own the most stock get the payout when its acquired. Tycoon Mode expands this benefit to the third player as well. While I prefer the classic option, I appreciate this variants inclusion to help ease new players into the game.Unique to the 60th Anniversary Edition are a set of special power cards that tweak the gameplay further. These cards provide powerful bonuses, such as playing four tiles at once or buying three stocks for free. While these cards dramatically change the game, I found them to be too powerful and game-altering for my tastes. After a single playthrough with them, I havent gone back and have no real desire to. However, like Tycoon Mode, they are optional, so they're worth trying out to see if they suit your style.Regarding the differences between the main retail release and the 60th Anniversary Edition, the $50 price difference comes with enough tweaks and adjustments to make the premium edition worth considering. Gameplay and core components (tiles, board, and cards) remain the same with the exception of the power cards so the main differences lie in the components.There are three main upgrades in the premium version that make the investment worthwhile: a drawstring bag for tile selection, a removable insert for organizing share cards and hotel miniatures, and replacing paper money with sturdy poker chips.On the surface, these may not seem like major upgrades or worth the additional cost but the improved organizer and drawstring bag significantly enhance the experience. Storing and blindly grabbing tiles from a bag eliminates the need to manually flip over tiles during setup, making the game flow much smoother. If you opt for the base edition, I highly recommend finding a bag to use.Another helpful addition exclusive to the Anniversary Edition is the redesigned plastic organizer, which stores share cards in their own separate container with a plastic lid. This allows the cards, which are held upright in grooves alongside their corresponding hotel miniatures, to be placed more conveniently. In contrast, the base editions organizer is the size of the entire game box, which, while functional, takes up more table space. Most players would likely prefer having the cards placed separately on the table.The last exclusive upgrade is purely cosmetic: replacing paper money with poker chips. Personally, I detest paper money in board games and believe it should have stayed in the 1960s. A significant portion of the Anniversary Editions increased price comes from this component upgrade, but what an upgrade it is. The chips have a nice weight to them, are neatly stored in their own container, and help keep the game organized. Plus, theyre simply more satisfying to handle than flimsy paper bills theres just something about that clinky sound.Where to BuyAcquire: 60th Anniversary Edition (MSRP $99.99)Standard Edition (MSRP $49.99)See More Strategy Board Games:Wingspan See it at AmazonCascadiaSee it at AmazonTicket to RideSee it at AmazonAzulSee it at AmazonCarcassonneSee it at AmazonRiskSee it at Amazon

Up until now, weve been thoroughly teased by sneak peeks of the upcoming second season of Andor. From interviews with the cast to small glimpses in Disneys 2025 preview, there have been a decent amount of crumbs to keep us excited for the story to come. Today, however, weve finally been served a full trailer outside of D23, and theres a lot here that leaves us hungry for more.While theres not a lot of new information shown, we do get to see a lot of familiar faces and a closer look at what their stories might entail this season. From the return of Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) and Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) to a potential Chandrilan celebration, theres plenty to unpack. If you havent already, give the trailer below a watch, and then read on to check out our breakdown of the most intriguing bits.Yavin 4For the first time since Rogue One, we get to see Cassian (Diego Luna) on Yavin 4 as the hustle and bustle of the rebel base moves all around him. Series creator Tony Gilroy previously revealed that the show would be making the journey to this familiar planet this season, but that doesnt mean we arent still excited to see a glimpse of it here. Yavin 4 becomes the home of the Rebel Alliance and is a crucial backdrop in the fight to come, though weve yet to really see the base in its early days, as we might this season.Cassian Steals a TIE AvengerPrevious teasers showed us a glimpse of this updated version of the TIE fighter and of Cassian in the cockpit, but now we get to see more of it in action. Why Cassian appears to be stealing this ship has yet to be revealed, but this trailer shows him flying it over a field to take out what is likely some kind of Imperial envoy. Theres also a scene further into the trailer that seems to show him struggling to escape with the ship as it bumps up against the ceiling of an Imperial hangar amidst a barrage of Stormtrooper blaster fire. This is already looks like one of many exciting action sequences this season, as the fight between the Empire and its resistance escalates.Saw GerreraSpeaking of escalating resistance, Saw Gerrera is set to return this season. He had a tenuous relationship with Luthen (Stellan Skarsgrd) last season, so whos to say where these two might lie when season 2 picks up five years later. Saw Gerrera has always been an outlier as far as rebel cells go, often opting for a more violent form of resistance than some rebels are comfortable with. But as Cassian says at the beginning of the trailer, were in a war, and war makes it a lot easier to cross lines in the name of freedom. Saw is an important part of Rogue One, and itll be interesting to see what his role is in the rebellion this season.Orson Krennic and the Death StarThe post-credits scene of season 1 revealed that the machine parts that Cassian and the other prisoners of Narkina 5 were for the production of the Death Star. And in this trailer we not only see a glimpse of this massive weapon under construction, we also see the return of the mastermind behind the project, Orson Krennic. In Rogue One, Krennic is willing to do whatever it takes to move ahead in the Empire, and its doubtful that his stance is much different in the years leading up to those events. If Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Krennic dont end up at odds, each fighting to get rid of the rebels themselves, then they just might make a formidable team.K-2SOThis trailer gives us yet another look at K-2SO, our favorite sassy robot (dont tell B2EMO). While we still dont know exactly how he and Cassian meet, this season is likely to give us insight into how this partnership and eventual friendship came to be.Mon Mothma Dancing?While a lot of the sneak peeks mentioned previously are new looks at things we already knew were coming, there is one new and intriguing part of this trailer that has us really excited. Mon Mothma (Genevieve OReilly) appears to be at a party of some sort, full of dancing and merriment. We even get to see her dance along at one point. It looks like this is some kind of Chandrilan celebration, potentially a pre or post wedding event for her daughter, who she began to arrange a marriage for last season. This was necessary for Mon Mothma to gain the trust of a banking official who could help her keep her finances (especially those secretly funding the rebellion) clean in the eyes of the Empire. It was clear that this was a hard choice for her, given how unhappy she is in her own arranged marriage, but nevertheless it seems like she had to go through with it, and may still be regretting it.

Get ready to add Rockbeasts, the narrative band-management RPG, to your most anticipated albums of 2025. Welcome to a world that puts you in the shoes of a manager in the age of MTV, rock anthems, and bad haircuts.Featuring the iconic Iggy Pop and with a story written by Jakub Szamaek (Senior writer of The Witcher 3, Principal Writer of Cyberpunk 2077 and the upcoming The Blood of Dawnwalker), prepare for a tragicomic tale of the highs and lows of an up-and-coming band in the 90s.As the manager of one of the most controversial bands of the era, youll help a group of rising stars as they navigate the highs and lows of the music industry in pursuit of fame and fortune. Along the way, youll meet a colorful cast of anthropomorphic animals, some inspired by real world rock legends.Pick the venue, prep the set and make sure it all goes according to plan. Pull it off and the band might just finally take those first steps to fame and glory. Sure, this one was in a grimy basement, but even the rock legends had to start somewhere, right?The characters that bring this world to life all come with their own motivations, and personal demons. You have a choice will you be the manager who helps those around you, or uses others as the stepping stone to success?Bringing the Godfather of Punk himself, Iggy Pop, to your television screens once again, has drawn on decades of musical insider knowledge for his performance to give you an authentic window into the world of early 90s rock mayhem.His musical performances live in the annals of rock music history and now hes jumping over to your Xbox. Iggy Pop plays a fictionalised version of himself, the aptly named Iggy Pup and lends his vocal talents to bringing the storys narrator to life, as a radio host charting the rise of the band to fame. Relive the story first-hand as the notorious manager that leads the band to fame and fortune.The branching narratives, twists and tales of the story will lead you down a path for you and your band to either rock, or ruin, and only by making the hardest choices can you help this band reach their true potential. Manage their practice sessions, sculpt their image, and do everything a good manager will do and maybe youll find a diamond in the rough with this misfit bunch of anthropomorphic animals. Or, simply use their hopes and dreams to line your own pockets, at the end of the day the choices really are yours.Ladies and Gentlemen: Rock & Roll. Wishlist Rockbeasts now on the Xbox Store today.