vicegold Member Oct 27, 2017 464 PlayStation Executive Jade Raymond Leaves Studio She Founded on Bloomberg.com PlayStation leadership didn't give Haven staff a reason for her departure, but it came several weeks after an external test of Haven's first game, the online shooter Fairgames, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Some developers at Haven were concerned about how the game was received and its progress, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they aren't authorized to speak publicly. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski are now co-heading the studio  Last edited: Yesterday at 5:27 PM Max|Payne Member Oct 27, 2017 9,836 Portugal Oh christ, I almost read something else. My heart jumped a bit. Edit: OP changed the title. The original could almost be misread for something far more tragic.  CloseTalker Sister in the Craft Member Oct 25, 2017 38,101 Does not inspire confidence in the one game they have announced   NinjaScooter Member Oct 25, 2017 60,644 article is paywalled.   Mesoian ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 28, 2017 31,672 OH FUCK, I didn't realize she was doing FairGame$. Welp...  SirKai Member Dec 28, 2017 10,146 Washington Now, will Fair Game Dollar Sign actually release?   Yeeboh Member Jul 3, 2024 1,756 Not again   Ant_17 Member Oct 28, 2017 2,903 Greece Fair games, unfair jobs   Uncle at Nintendo 2nd Generation Uncle at Nintendo Member Jan 3, 2018 9,819 Her company, Haven Studios, is developing an online shooter title called Fairgames Click to expand... Click to shrink... Ruh ruh Raggy  Zaheer Member Oct 27, 2017 2,392 raspberrymousse Member Mar 19, 2021 5,299 Sony really miscalculated hard with its live-service push   wagon Member Jan 6, 2025 413 Now I'm extra curious what the game is gonna look like lol   Mocha Joe Member Jun 2, 2021 13,385 Holy fuck   Shard Shinjuku Member Oct 25, 2017 31,560 Tampa Jade just can not catch a break.   PlanetSmasher The Abominable Showman Member Oct 25, 2017 132,614 Considering we've seen literally nothing of the game since it was originally revealed, I can't really bring myself to have much of a reaction to this. Gotta wonder if Jade's just gonna pop up with another new startup studio, join an existing studio or just peace out of the industry entirely at this rate. The chances seem roughly equal for all three options.  Pai Pai Master Member Oct 25, 2017 37,139 Atlanta GA Well then.   GDGF Member Oct 26, 2017 9,130 It's happening again.   krazen Member Oct 27, 2017 15,550 Gentrified Brooklyn The GaaS goldrush is feeling more like a mudslide.   Strike Member Oct 25, 2017 30,510 Uh-oh.   Genesius Member Nov 2, 2018 20,500 They're about to announce it's canned and she's getting out now.   th1nk Member Nov 6, 2017 9,445 I am shocked… well not that shocked   Dust C H A O S Member Oct 25, 2017 40,938 FairGame$ is gonna get shitcanned, I can feel it.   OhhEldenRing Member Aug 14, 2024 2,774 Suspect there's something wrong with the direction of Fairgame$ and although I have nothing to base this on why else would she leave   Nameless Hero Member Oct 25, 2017 23,332 Jason, you keep misspelling Fairgame$ as Fairgames for some reason   CupOfDoom Member Dec 17, 2017 5,150 it came several weeks after an external test of Haven's first game Click to expand... Click to shrink... that seems auspicious.   Wallace Member Oct 25, 2017 27,949 Midwest Concord V3   Lashley <<Tag Here>> Member Oct 25, 2017 65,317 Jesus wept   poklane Member Oct 25, 2017 32,002 the Netherlands Yeah, nobody should be surprised if Fairgames gets canceled and Haven gets shut down. Reveal trailer was only good for putting people to sleep, and the 2 years of silence since then is telling.   DrScruffleton Member Oct 26, 2017 14,833 I'll be shocked if fairgame comes out some day   Lukar Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth Member Oct 27, 2017 28,123 The year is 2014. Jade Raymond has left her studio. The year is 2018. Jade Raymond has left her studio. The year is 2021. Jade Raymond has left her studio. The year is 2025. Jade Raymond has left her studio. (yes I know these circumstances were all different, no I am not trying to suggest anything with this post)  dex3108 Member Oct 26, 2017 24,707 She really can't release game anymore. She didn't released game basically since she left Ubisoft.   Mivey Member Oct 25, 2017 20,602 Someone clearly put a gaming vodoo curse on that poor woman. Any project she touches just withers and dies.   SirKai Member Dec 28, 2017 10,146 Washington Isn't this the like, third or so new studio / project she was involved with in the past decade that didn't launch? Though this might still end up releasing I guess.   maze001 Member Sep 18, 2024 596 Oh man It's been like a slow motion car crash ever since Concord  Fisty Member Oct 25, 2017 22,537 Well there goes any hope i had for Fair Game$   Lepi Member Mar 24, 2020 886 Another disastrously managed project from the looks of it.   Xando Member Oct 28, 2017 37,394 but it came several weeks after an external test of Haven's first game, the online shooter Fairgames, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Some developers at Haven were concerned about how the game was received and its progress Click to expand... Click to shrink... Uh oh   dom ▲ Legend ▲ Avenger Oct 25, 2017 12,366 The falloff of Jade Raymond is crazy   egg The Fallen Oct 26, 2017 7,642 maze001 said: Oh man It's been like a slow motion car crash ever since Concord Click to expand... Click to shrink... How so? Lol.  Threadmarks No more $ for Fairgames New Index jschreier Press Sneak Fuck Verified Oct 25, 2017 1,272 Nameless Hero said: Jason, you keep misspelling Fairgame$ as Fairgames for some reason Click to expand... Click to shrink... I guess I buried the real scoop here, but they dropped the $. Also, here is a gift link so people can actually read this: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...9.qOIF32mVNJUCz17mJYYZM-YWpEEYhCcjFt6lm8BeeFo  New Index GTAce Member Oct 27, 2017 4,579 Bonn, Germany Fairgame$ and Marathon will complete the Concord trilogy.   Tsunami561 Member Mar 7, 2023 5,327 Okay who's next in line to give her 300m dollars   Stibbs Member Feb 8, 2023 4,229 The 518 holy shit the L's for Sony's GAAS games keep coming, I genuinely think Fairgames might get Hyenas'd   pswii60 Member Oct 27, 2017 28,776 The Milky Way I hope the rest of the team can survive this. They already had to go through the Google Stadia shit. Lukar said: The year is 2014. Jade Raymond has left her studio. The year is 2018. Jade Raymond has left her studio. The year is 2021. Jade Raymond has left her studio. The year is 2025. Jade Raymond has left her studio. (yes I know these circumstances were all different, no I am not trying to suggest anything with this post) Click to expand... Click to shrink... You are though aren't you   EVA UNIT 01 Member Oct 27, 2017 7,198 CA Its not releasing   wagon Member Jan 6, 2025 413 jschreier said: I guess I buried the real scoop here, but they dropped the $. Also, here is a gift link so people can actually read this: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...9.qOIF32mVNJUCz17mJYYZM-YWpEEYhCcjFt6lm8BeeFo Click to expand... Click to shrink... NOOOOOOOOO THE ONLY THING ABOUT THE GAME THAT ACTUALLY STOOD OUT TO ME ON FIRST IMPRESSIONS   DrScruffleton Member Oct 26, 2017 14,833 jschreier said: I guess I buried the real scoop here, but they dropped the $. Also, here is a gift link so people can actually read this: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...9.qOIF32mVNJUCz17mJYYZM-YWpEEYhCcjFt6lm8BeeFo Click to expand... Click to shrink... Not playing it without the dollar sign   Jawmuncher Crisis Dino Moderator Oct 25, 2017 44,760 Ibis Island Jade showing up and leaving is just too iconic at this point.   Lukar Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth Member Oct 27, 2017 28,123 pswii60 said: I hope the rest of the team can survive this. They already had to go through the Google shit. You are though aren't you Click to expand... Click to shrink... No, not really. I love the games she's been involved with in the past and wish she could catch a break.   KZXcellent One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 4,172 The game already wasn't inspiring confidence between it being a Sony Service Game and also being the GenAI game.  

News Stellar Blade PC Requirements Include 75 GB Installation Space Shift Up reveals some surprisingly forgiving system requirements for its action-adventure title's upcoming PC release on June 11th. Posted By Ravi Sinha | On 16th, May. 2025 Stellar Blade, Shift Up’s debut console title, is finally coming to PC, with the official trailer now available. The PlayStation Blog has revealed various other details on the hack-and-slash title, including the requirements. Lo and behold, they’re actually somewhat forgiving. The minimum requirements include an Intel Core i5-7600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8 GB), and 16 GB RAM at the Low preset for 1080p/60 FPS gameplay. Playing on High preset at 1440p/60 FPS requires a Core i5-8400 or Ryzen 5 3600X, an RTX 2070 SUPER or Radeon RX 6700 XT, and 16 GB RAM. For 4K/60 FPS at Very High settings, you’ll need a Core i5-8400 or Ryzen 5 3600X, an RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 7900 XT, and 16 GB RAM. It requires 75 GB of installation space, and while an SSD isn’t necessary on the minimum end, it’s mandatory everywhere else. Stellar Blade launches on June 11th for PC. Check out our review of the PS5 version here. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More DOOM: The Dark Ages Publisher:Bethesda Softworks Developer:id Software Platforms:Xbox Series X, PS5, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom Will Add HDR Support on Switch 2 Optimized visuals and improved picture quality are also confirmed for both action-adventure titles on the Nint... Super Mario Odyssey, 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, and More to Receive Free Switch 2 Enhancements Free Switch 2 upgrades have also been confirmed for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, New Super Mario Bros. U De... Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Will Have Improved Frame Rate on Switch 2 Both games will also featured improved picture quality with a free Nintendo Switch 2 update, it has been offic... Stellar Blade PC Requirements Include 75 GB Installation Space Shift Up reveals some surprisingly forgiving system requirements for its action-adventure title's upcoming PC ... Grand Theft Auto 5 Sells Over 215 Million Units, Red Dead Redemption 2 Crosses 74 Million The Grand Theft Auto series nears 450 million units sold while the Red Dead Redemption franchise finally cross... Jade Raymond Departs From Fairgame$ Developer Haven Studios The live-service shooter was also allegedly meant to launch this Fall for PS5 and PC but has since been delaye... View More

OpinionMay 14, 20255 min readFederal Budget Cuts Would Sabotage NASA’s Plans to Find Alien LifeNASA’s astrobiology ambitions are at risk of collapsing under the White House’s proposed budget. But your voice can make a differenceBy Michael L. Wong An artist’s illustration of a potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star. NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterWe’ve never been so close to discovering life beyond Earth. Our generation could be the one that finds it—provided two essential ingredients exist. First, that there’s life out there. Second, that we’re willing to look.Alien life’s existence is outside our control, but the universe seems to encourage our attention. Many people rest their optimism about alien life on the remarkable fact that our cosmos is brimming with planetary possibilities. To date, we’ve discovered nearly 6,000 exoplanets, most of them around only the nearest of the Milky Way’s hundreds of billions of stars. That means all our astonishingly successful planet-hunting surveys have studied just a mere teardrop of a vast cosmic sea—and implies there are at least as many planets as stars in our galaxy alone, plus some 1025 worlds in the rest of the observable universe. Chances are we’re not alone—so long as the probability that planets spring forth life is not astronomically miniscule.Discovering alien life, on the other hand, rests squarely on us. For the first time in human history, we can meaningfully answer once-timeless questions. Countless generations before us could only ask “Are we alone?” as passive stargazers. Today our rockets reliably reach otherworldly destinations, our robotic emissaries yield transformative knowledge about our planetary neighbors, and our telescopes gaze ever farther into the heavens, revealing the subtle beauty of the cosmos.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.NASA has led the way on this work, but it now faces an existential threat in the form of short-sighted budget cuts proposed by the White House. If passed into law by Congress, these cuts would axe critical space missions, gut NASA’s workforce, and abandon one of the most captivating quests in all of science. Additional sweeping cuts planned for the National Science Foundation would be similarly ruinous for ground-based astronomy and a host of other endeavors that support NASA’s work at the high frontier.Led by NASA, for more than a half-century the U.S. has been building toward a golden age of astrobiology, a field of research the space agency helped invent. The groundwork was laid on Mars, beginning with the Viking missions of the 1970s and continuing into today, where the agency has “followed the water” to dried-up lakebeds. In 2014 NASA’s Curiosity rover uncovered clues pointing to an ancient, life-friendly Mars, and more recently NASA’s Perseverance rover has been caching promising rock samples for return to Earth. Researchers eagerly await their arrival, because if Mars ever did harbor life, then some of Perseverance’s specimens may well contain some sort of Martian fossils.Besides our own familiar Earth, Mars isn’t the only promising incubator of life around the sun. In the outer solar system, NASA’s Galileo probe and Cassini orbiter lifted the icy veils of Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, respectively. Beneath thick shells of ice, both moons harbor global subsurface oceans, which could be teeming with bacterial or even macroscopic denizens. NASA’s Clipper spacecraft launched in 2024 and is hurtling toward Europa, where it will make close flybys of the moon to assess its habitability. The agency has developed concepts for follow-on missions to land on both worlds and taste the chilly chemistry there for the telltale signs of life.Every organism on Earth requires liquid water, but perhaps that’s not a strict requirement elsewhere. Astrobiologists speculate about “weird life” in Venus’s sulfuric acid clouds and in the liquid hydrocarbon seas of Saturn’s frigid moon Titan. NASA plans to visit each of these worlds with state-of-the-art spacecraft—two to Venus and one to Titan—in the 2030s.And then there’s the great expanse of exoplanets. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has furnished unprecedented data about exoplanet atmospheres, most of them hot and puffy—the easiest to observe. But the most alluring exoplanets for astrobiologists—those the size and temperature of Earth—are just beyond our sight. Currently, teams of scientists are conceptualizing NASA’s next great eye in space, the Habitable Worlds Observatory, whose mission is as its name suggests: to image and examine dozens of notionally Earth-like planets for the global exhalations of alien biospheres.Taken together, these recent developments mean we could be at the doorstep of the next Copernican revolution, the next paradigm shift, the next epoch of human discovery.But the president’s recently proposed budget for the 2026 federal fiscal year strikes NASA’s Science Mission Directorate with a devastating 47 percent cut. Many of the boldest, most transformative space missions will be on the chopping block if the proposal passes. It specifically defunds the Mars Sample Return project, a cancellation that would squander billions of dollars and decades of investment. It also cancels the upcoming missions to Venus, which would investigate how the only other Earth-sized planet in our solar system turned out so drastically different from our own. And it scraps the launch of the already-built Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a project which among other things is a proving ground for imaging technologies essential to future exoplanet investigations; the loss of Roman would render prospects for the Habitable Worlds Observatory perilously dim. Also at grave risk are funding sources for brilliant early-career scientists working to make astrobiology’s future as bright as can be.NASA simply cannot continue its trend of breakthrough discoveries on only half its present budget. As talent departs the U.S. and organizational memory fades, brain drain will doom its global leadership in space science in what experts have called an “extinction-level event.”And because there is no profit-driven incentive for discovering life on a distant world, corporate entities cannot and will not fill NASA’s void. SpaceX is great at building rockets, not robotic geologists on wheels. Commercial rocket companies hone their success by reliably building the same product over and over again, but most every NASA exploration mission must do something new.A mentor of mine once described astrobiology as “a gateway drug to science.” Astrobiology invites anyone—regardless of age or background—to cultivate curiosity, creativity, humility and patience. It motivates collaboration across fields and across borders. Even if we never discover life beyond Earth, astrobiology would still offer humanity a profound gift, allowing us to marvel as never before at our existence on this lonely and precious blue-green dot.So, we must choose to do astrobiology. That means you, dear reader, have the power to influence this field’s fate. Whether through contacting elected officials, informing your friends and family about NASA’s precarious position, or simply sharing your love for space exploration, your actions can make a difference in humanity’s search for life in the universe.In the best of times, we have only a few opportunities per generation to launch revolutionary space missions, let alone ones that could forever change our sense of place in the cosmos—and perhaps even our destiny. Now we have just a fleeting moment to prevent a multigenerational disaster. If we fail, we’ll lose the future of astrobiology and all the insight it could bring.Worst of all, we wouldn’t even know what we’d be missing.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are solely their own and not those of any organization they are affiliated with or necessarily those of Scientific American.

Nintendo Switch 2 Might Not Have Reviews on Launch Day – Rumour Publications have gotten word from Nintendo that they will not be sent Switch 2 review units until close to launch due to a day-one update. Posted By Joelle Daniels | On 15th, May. 2025 The Nintendo Switch 2, slated for launch on June 5, might not have hardware reviews on launch day. According to The Game Business, editors for several publications were told by Nintendo that, because of a big day-one firmware update for the console, the company will not be sending out review units of the Switch 2 until just a little bit before launch day. This has prompted quite a few editors to talk about their frustrations about the situation, with one pointing out that getting a Switch 2 so close to launch will also cause extra pressure on the publication because it will also be covering Summer Game Fest. “It’s really frustrating,” said the editor. “We will need to cover Switch 2 while also working across Summer Game Fest. How are we supposed to do that?” Another editor brought up the fact that the few lucky people out there who can get their hands on a Switch 2 early thanks to some retailers breaking street dates will end up with an advantage in this regard. This problem will also be further amplified by the fact that there will likely be stock shortages for the Switch 2 on launch, preventing many from legitimately getting their hands on the console. “Anyone who can get hold of a console early from a dodgy retailer will have a head start in terms of coverage,” they said. “I know the console will be sold out at launch, but what about all the other games?” Gaming development and publishing companies are also not happy about industry critics not getting the console early, since it will prevent them from benefiting from releasing “something special” in time for the console’s launch. Described as being something for Switch 2 players that might “want something else in addition to Mario Kart [World]”, the head of a PR department mentioned that “the lack of a independent critical validation is going to make it very hard for us. Maybe we would have been better off waiting a few weeks.” During Nintendo’s earnings report earlier this month, president Shuntaro Furukawa revealed that the company is predicting that it will sell 15 million Switch 2s over the year. Along with this, Furukawa also said that the company forecasts 45 million sales of software units. He also spoke about the relatively modest sales forecasts for the console, saying that the company’s focus is to “quickly popularise” the Switch 2 first. At this time, the top priority is to quickly popularize the Switch 2 hardware,” said Furukawa. “If the assumptions regarding tariffs change significantly, we would like to consider what price adjustments we should make and implement them after considering various factors.” In a Q&A part of the earnings report, Furukawa also revealed that the modest sales forecasts come down to the fact that the Switch 2 and its games will be more expensive when compared to the console’s predecessor. “Since the Switch 2 is priced higher than the original Switch, we recognize that there will be considerable hurdles in achieving the console’s widespread adoption in the early stages,” he said. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More DOOM: The Dark Ages Publisher:Bethesda Softworks Developer:id Software Platforms:Xbox Series X, PS5, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Ghost of Yōtei’s Setting is “The Perfect Place to Tell Atsu’s Tale,” Says Game Director "If you’re going to tell a ghost story, do it in a dramatic location," says Sucker Punch's Nate Fox, who pra... Nintendo Switch 2 Might Not Have Reviews on Launch Day – Rumour Publications have gotten word from Nintendo that they will not be sent Switch 2 review units until close to la... Persona 5: The Phantom X Launches June 26th for PC and Mobiles Worldwide The free-to-play RPG features the same setting and combat system as Persona 5 but tells a new story with new a... DOOM: The Dark Ages Accolades Trailer Highlights Critical Acclaim Set before the events of DOOM (2016) and featuring id's largest campaign yet, the shooter is available on Xbox... Ubisoft’s New Subsidiary Will Build Story-Based Single-Player, Live-Service Multiplayer, and Mobile Games The subsidiary was founded as part of a €1.16 billion deal between Ubisoft and Tencent, and was officially a... Elden Ring Nightreign Trailer Showcases the Guardian Tank damage with its heavy shield, counter-attack, sweep away foes with a whirlwind or deliver death from abov... View More

Who do you think is the best publisher? (Capcom) The Friday letters page tries to work out what’s been going on with Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders this week, as one reader gives up on the Xbox format. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk East vs. West I agree with the reader yesterday, who said that Capcom, and other similar companies, improve their reputation simply by putting out good games and not being anti-consumer, whether you’re interested in a particular title or not. I also agree that failure of Western publishers to earn that sort of popularity is why no one is loyal to them.So that got me thinking: who is the best third party publisher at the moment, i.e. not Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft? I’d say it probably is Capcom, but there’s a lot of Japanese publishers that are doing good work at the moment, where I’m automatically interested in almost anything they do. But what about Western companies? It’s not EA or Activision or Ubisoft, I’m sure most people would agree. Or Warner Bros. or Take-Two, who have barely released anything in years. Bethesda’s track record is very bumpy and the who else even is there anymore? No wonder people think first party games are so important.Dempsy Astronomically big It’s crazy to think that GTA 6 is big enough that even releasing a game next autumn is a risk. It’s like a black hole, creating a gravity well so deep that nothing can escape. I’d like to see Resident Evil 9 next year, but I understand Capcom not wanting to risk that. I think instead we’ll get a minor release, like the Resident Evil Zero remake, to keep things ticking along and that’s it.I think the situation is going to be mirrored to a degree by the Switch 2, which is going to have a big launch this summer but then still be the hottest thing this Christmas. Nintendo must be over the moon about the GTA 6 delay, but I have to agree with recent letters that their post-launch line-up is not very exciting, and I’m surprised at that, given how long they’ve had to get ready.Danson Final Edition Is there a chance in the future, providing the manufacturers don’t stop adding discs, the companies will sell game of the year editions on disc? By this I mean a fully patched and finalised game can be bought from Xbox or PlayStation stores and sent to your house for you to keep and display. Companies like Limited Run and PlayAsia do something like this and it seems popular.It would be a middle ground of giving more options and providing sales maybe a year after release. Every time I look at Limited Run they’ve sold out.Bobwallett GC: It sort of happens sometimes, with things like The Last Of Us compilation, but you’re right in suggesting that places like Limited Run are the only ones likely to do it on a regular basis. But even then we don’t think they guarantee that downloads are not necessary. Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk Bad timing I downloaded Nine Sols on Game Pass, as I like the games it was said to be a mix of: Hollow Knight and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The combat is centred around parrying.It’s been rough though. I’m just not that great at parrying in games and that’s why l found Sekiro the most difficult FromSoftware game to get to grips with. The Soulsborne games difficulty are less about reaction skills and about harsh punishment on death and a lack of handholding. Although I’m rubbish, I think I’ll persist. Everything about the game is very intriguing and high quality so far, I’m surprised it seems to have been largely overlooked. Also, like any parry-based combat, when you nail it it’s very satisfying.Simundo GC: It’s probably the game we most regret not reviewing in the last few years, as we’re big fans of Red Candle Games. We still haven’t played it, as both its release dates were at very inconvenient times. Correct opinion I’ve been going through the Mass Effect trilogy and have just finished 2. That last mission is one of the best last levels in any game, in my opinion. Pure action and I just didn’t know who was going to die and thankfully the teammates I wasn’t fond off all got killed and I kept the ones I like alive (Garrus, Miranda, and Mordin). Great end to a great game.I know it was a disappointment at the time, but I’m looking forward to going through 3 again and giving it another go. I remember at the time the ending didn’t bother me too much, but I’ll see how I feel about it this time!Simon PS: I managed to get the entire regular crew of the Normandy killed, so that wasn’t quite so good! A new crew awaits in 3…Calling it a day I have been meaning to write with a list of things that annoyed me with Xbox over the years, none of them were deal breakers until the Xbox One.The massive original controller for the original Xbox. Why? The enormous external power supply things. Something else to gather dust. The introduction of avatars during the Xbox 360 era. We know why, but why? My Xbox One turning itself on and staying on. This was the nail in the coffin for Xbox and me. Forza Motorsport (not Horizon), when racing in first person view, especially when racing against American cars, the car in front used to take up too much of the screen. It was like racing in the slipstream of a garage door, not a racing car. It lacked graphical and physical finesse. This last one was when I gave up on Forza Horizon 4. I used to drive to and from work every day, some of the journeys were quite arduous and stressful. Later in the evening when I got a chance to play Forza Horizon 4 I was forced to drive greater distances between races or to another garage find. I thought to myself, ‘Hang on, this isn’t fun. This is just adding to my daily commute.’ I think this was another case of games becoming larger than necessary. So that was that, I gave up on Forza Horizon and I gave up on Xbox. The fact is, I enjoyed the original Xbox, Project Gotham Racing, Jet Set Radio, and Splinter Cell. I used the Xbox 360 mostly for racing games, including Ridge Racer and Burnout, which I loved. But by the Xbox One the choice had worsened. I have bought and kept all the mainstream consoles and handhelds (and some of the less mainstream) since the SNES era and I still love gaming. But Xbox will probably fail to get my attention again. I have an extensive games backlog and Nintendo and PlayStation will probably continue to provide me with enough enjoyment for the rest of my days.Ed PS: it’s taken me a very long time to mention this, but the Xbox 360 controller got a lot of praise when it first came out, which was deserved, but did anyone else think that ergonomically it was very similar to the GameCube Wavebird? Button configuration very different obviously.Try it yourself Just thought I’d mention there is a good free demo on Xbox (maybe PlayStation 5 too?) for Star Wars Outlaws. I was very impressed.I will be getting the full game at some point.Johnny Alpha SD Currently playing: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Halo infinite, and Doom EternalGC: As we’ve said before, it’s really not a bad game. It’s not a great game either, certainly not compared to something like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but we do feel its reputation is unfairly earned. Rolling the dice I’ve been watching the pre-orders of the Switch 2 with interest. I ordered mine when they opened last month, however having bought every Nintendo console on day one since the N64 I have been burnt a few times with a lack of software support, early price cuts, and a shortened lifespan (Wii U and 3DS, I’m looking at you… although the 3DS turned out fine in the end).With these previous experiences I always find it a nervy time when Nintendo launch their latest; have I invested in a dud (Wii U) or will it be a resounding success and a great purchase (Switch 1 and Wii)? Only time will tell, however to me the Switch was the perfect console, and the Switch 2 seems to have refined this further. How can it be anything other than a colossal hit? Of course, in my eyes, all Nintendo consoles have been brilliant in their own right, with excellent first party games on each. Perhaps the spike in availability in the past few days has been to do with Nintendo redistributing North American stock following Trump’s tariffs, maybe it’s a lack of interest or it has plateaued, perhaps it’s too expensive for most families in these hard times or perhaps Nintendo have simply made more to meet demand. It has certainly been more readily available and easier to pre-order than I anticipated, a good thing as far as battling scalpers is concerned. But a part of me looks at the preorders every time a new Nintendo console is released and wonders…will this one get the support a Nintendo console deserves? I should really wait it out and see what happens, but I just cant resist a shiny new Nintendo console.Elliott GC: The stock issue has been puzzling the last few days, but originally the plan was that there would be enough to go around and there wouldn’t be any shortages. It may be that initially everything was diverted to the US, to get in before the tariffs, and now things are beginning to even out. Inbox also-rans Very are selling two Nintendo Switch 2 bundles as I’m writing this.DavidGC: Thank you. Very has had bundles available for the last two days. Which ones they are varies a lot, but they’ve never entirely run out of stock. Wow… just finished Act 1 in Clair Obscur: 33 Expedition… I’m not crying. A fly flew into my eye. What a game! Enjoying every moment, highly recommend if you haven’t picked it up just yet.Adam_Lion_23 (gamertag/PSN ID) More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. 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News Ghost of Yōtei’s Setting is “The Perfect Place to Tell Atsu’s Tale,” Says Game Director "If you’re going to tell a ghost story, do it in a dramatic location," says Sucker Punch's Nate Fox, who praised Hokkaido's beauty. Posted By Ravi Sinha | On 15th, May. 2025 It’s been a long wait for Ghost of Yōtei, the sequel to Sucker Punch’s critically acclaimed and commercially successful Ghost of Tsushima. Set over 300 years later, this time in Ezo (later known as Hokkaido), the narrative is about Atsu, who seeks revenge after the Yōtei Six slaughter her family. As with Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch is aiming to “deliver a feeling of authenticity and believability to our fictional story.” On the PlayStation Blog, game director Nate Fox reveals that the team settled on Hokkaido because it’s “unbelievably beautiful.” “In 1603, it was the edge of the Japanese empire. Back then, it was called Ezo, a mysterious island to the north, sparsely populated by Wajin (Japanese) people bold enough to build a life for themselves in the cold wilderness. This combination of beauty and danger spoke to us.” Fox believes it’s the “perfect place to tell Atsu’s tale; a warrior so driven by revenge that locals start to believe she’s an onryō walking the land. If you’re going to tell a ghost story, do it in a dramatic location.” The development team undertook two trips to gather references, one to Shiretoko National Park, where the “natural beauty” of the ocean and cliffs coexist with predators like bears. “Suddenly we had to split our attention between gazing up at the beautiful snowcapped mountains and looking down at the nearby bushes in case there was a predator nearby. “That experience was magic! A perfect marriage of beauty and danger, that was the exact feeling we wanted for our game.” It’s ultimately what made Fox believe that the location was “the right choice” for the game. The second trip saw the team encounter the titular Mt. Yōtei or the “Female Mountain” as the Ainu called it. Fox felt that it was a “symbol of Hokkaido” and for Atsu, “It’s a symbol of home and of the family she lost. This process of being there, talking about the game with locales and then synthesizing new ideas is what made the trip so fulfilling.” Fox teased that the developer spoke to a “wealth of knowledgeable individuals and visited important cultural sites” to learn more about Japanese culture but that more will be revealed later. Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks. Ghost of Yōtei launches on October 2nd for PS5, with pre-orders now available. Check out the latest trailer or learn more about how it’s Sucker Punch’s biggest map yet. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More DOOM: The Dark Ages Publisher:Bethesda Softworks Developer:id Software Platforms:Xbox Series X, PS5, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Might be the Most Important Console Ever – DFC Intelligence The fact that Grand Theft Auto 6 got pushed back to 2026 might result with hardware sales for PS5 and Xbox Ser... Ghost of Yōtei’s Setting is “The Perfect Place to Tell Atsu’s Tale,” Says Game Director "If you’re going to tell a ghost story, do it in a dramatic location," says Sucker Punch's Nate Fox, who pra... Nintendo Switch 2 Might Not Have Reviews on Launch Day – Rumour Publications have gotten word from Nintendo that they will not be sent Switch 2 review units until close to la... Persona 5: The Phantom X Launches June 26th for PC and Mobiles Worldwide The free-to-play RPG features the same setting and combat system as Persona 5 but tells a new story with new a... DOOM: The Dark Ages Accolades Trailer Highlights Critical Acclaim Set before the events of DOOM (2016) and featuring id's largest campaign yet, the shooter is available on Xbox... Ubisoft’s New Subsidiary Will Build Story-Based Single-Player, Live-Service Multiplayer, and Mobile Games The subsidiary was founded as part of a €1.16 billion deal between Ubisoft and Tencent, and was officially a... View More

RT Shotou 天 DREAMHACK‘25The @DOOM x @CORSAIR Collab is so SICK 🔥⌨️ Claim your Arsenal! @drop @elgatoThank yall so much for the Battlestation upgrades! I’m ready to check out the game 😭#DOOMTheDarkAges #gifted

How every designer’s favorite app is turning design dreams into code nightmares.Image by authorIf you’re a Figma fanatic, you’ve probably heard about the launch of Figma Sites — a new tool that promises to let designers create and publish fully interactive websites directly from the platform.At first glance, it sounds revolutionary. No need to hand off Figma files to a developer or convert them into Framer or Webflow layouts. Just click a few buttons and — boom — instant websites. But if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.Being the skeptic that I am, I decided to dig into the code it produces. And, not surprisingly, it’s a mess — a sea of <div> and <span> tags and random classes with zero regard for semantic structure.Screenshot of code generated by Figma Sites.For those who don’t know, semantics in code means using HTML elements that clearly describe their purpose — like <header> for page headers, <section> for content sections, and <article> for standalone content.Proper class structures are just as crucial — they should be meaningful, consistent, and follow naming conventions that make the code readable and maintainable.For example, instead of using class="css-z91rnx" which is the kind of autogenerated gibberish Figma Sites spits out, it should be something like class="header-main" or class="btn-primary" to clearly convey the element’s purpose and maintain consistency across the project.And good code isn’t just about neatness. It’s essential for accessibility. Semantic elements like <nav> and <button> aren’t just for show — they help screen readers and assistive technology navigate the page, making it usable for everyone.Then there’s SEO. Search engines rely on semantic structure to properly index content. If your site is a sea of <div> tags with meaningless classes, search engines struggle to understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content. That means your Figma site might look good but rank like garbage.But let’s be real — the biggest red flag here is how Figma Sites feels like another rushed-to-market product. It’s yet another low-code, no-code tool jumping on the “vibe coding” bandwagon — prioritizing drag-and-drop ease over actual code quality. It’s like they’re cashing in on the trend without caring about what’s under the hood.And that’s a problem. I get that a lot of new designers don’t know how to assess front-end code, but Figma should know better.This points to one of two things — either Figma is incompetent, or they’re deliberately misleading designers into thinking this is publishable code. And I’d like to believe a company like Figma isn’t incompetent, which leaves us with the second option — they’re selling a promise that doesn’t deliver.Don’t get me wrong — it does produce code, just in the most rudimentary way possible. By “deliver,” I mean quality code that actually aligns with the standards they claim to uphold.I’m willing to give Figma the benefit of the doubt and assume they have internal developers working on this tool who know what bad code looks like. So maybe Sites was rushed out the door to meet a deadline (cough, Config 2025), even though it wasn’t ready.To be fair, Figma does say Sites is in open beta, but there’s a big difference between a beta release and convincing people it’s nearly production-ready — and Sites is nowhere close to delivering quality websites.But if that’s the case, why not just admit it’s more of a work in progress than something shippable? Oh right, because that would hurt the bottom line. And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s always about.Figma Config 2025Figma Sites, as it stands, is nothing more than a glorified prototyping tool — because no one with an ounce of dignity would launch a site, even a basic landing page, using such atrocious code.But prototyping is what Figma already does best — it’s the platform’s core function. So unless they plan to overhaul Sites, it’s just another excuse to squeeze more money out thier users. Classic corporate move.But it’s not all doom and gloom— Figma just gave us a masterclass in what not to do. If they’re serious about empowering designers to create real websites, there’s a right way to do it.And here’s the kicker — we, as designers, have the power to push them to deliver a tool that actually lives up to the hype. But that means dropping the fanboy mentality and critiquing these features with the same scrutiny we’d apply to our own work.Instead of selling a half-baked solution, Figma could invest in making Sites a real, production-ready tool that generates semantic, accessible, and SEO-friendly code. That would be a game changer — a tool that not only simplifies the design-to-code workflow but actually upholds the standards that matter.Until then, if you care about how your work performs beyond the Figma canvas, it might be time to keep a developer on speed dial. Or better yet, learn some basic front-end code yourself. Because knowing how to spot bad code is the first step in demanding better from companies like Figma.Don’t miss out! Join my email list and receive the latest content.Figma Sites: innovation or exploitation? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Doom: The Dark Ages players took to social media to express how much they miss using the Meat Hook from Doom Eternal, which is a weapon enhancement for the latter game's Super Shotgun. Although the Shield Saw Charge serves a similar purpose in Doom: The Dark Ages as a gap closer, it can't be used to swing around enemies like the Meat Hook could.

I don’t know how things are for you, but in my house, I have little gremlins that pop in when I’m not looking to steal my charging cables. There’s no other way to explain how they keep disappearing! So, if gremlins visit your house too, or if you just need some high-speed charging cables to take advantage of your high-speed charging plugs, then you might want to grab this two-pack of Anker USB-C cables for just $10 on Amazon. This flirts with the lowest price they’ve ever been, more than a year ago. The best part about these USB-C cables is that they deliver charging speeds of up to 100 watts. That’s more than most power blocks can even output, so you’re good to go for several years at least. You can use these to charge your phone, laptop, or anything else that connects via USB-C. And these are excellent for use with fast-charging power banks, too. These are 6-foot cables, the perfect length for plugging your phone into its charger at night while still being able to doomscroll comfortably in bed instead of hanging off the edge. And with this being a 2-pack, you no longer have to fight with your spouse over who gets the “long cord.” You can each have one for your own sides. These cables are protected with braided nylon, which feels premium and makes them more resistant to bends and other potential causes of damage. This deal on this two-pack of Anker USB-C cables won’t last forever at Amazon, so hurry up and snag it for just $1 while you can. It’s a brilliant price for long, fast-charging USB-C cables. Buy now at Amazon