Crowdfunding a game you like is a common practice, but be careful with where you send your money. Zarya is an upcoming cozy narrative simulator telling the story of a rural driver in a post-Soviet setting, clearly inspired by Disco Elysium. Developed by SBSR, it needs support like any other game, but the creators don't ask for money online, so if you've seen their game on Indiegogo, be aware that this is a scam.One of the game's developers, Anton Surkov, went to Reddit to warn potential players about this fake page, saying that SBSR didn't create it and never planned to run a crowdfunding campaign. "Someone just stole our game name, visuals, and text, and started collecting money under our name. It’s not just upsetting – it’s terrifying."The worst part is that they might have never learned about it if not for emails offering “advice” and “coaching” to improve crowdfunding results that they started receiving after the page's launch.SBSR has already contacted Indiegogo but hasn't received a reply yet. "We’re just three people working late nights on something we care about. Watching someone try to exploit that… it sucks. But we’re not giving up."If you're interested in Zarya, wishlist it on Steam and find all the relevant information there, not on some crowdfunding site. Here is some information about the game so you can decide if this is something you'd like to play when it gets released.SBSR"Immerse yourself in the life of Vasily, a local driver striving to breathe new life into his village. Assist the villagers, transport packages, tow cars. Do everything within your power! Deliver cargo across endless fields, country roads, and overgrown paths. Upgrade your vehicle, turning it into an indefatigable iron steed."SBSRYou'll get to talk to people living far from civilization and see their views on the world. "Grill kebabs with the guys in the garages, go fishing with Petrovich, take the harvest to the market, tow cars, and try not to end up in a pit, as the last time a tractor was seen in the village was 30 years ago."There are plenty of "authentic post-Soviet clichés" and the warm atmosphere of the good old days.SBSRSign in for a playtest and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.

Smitch The Unshakable Resolve of "this guy are sick" Member Apr 21, 2022 4,758 Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) April 2025 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights from Circana - April 2025 total market projected U.S. consumer spending across video game hardware, content and accessories fell 3% when compared to a year ago, to $4.1B. 2025 year-to-date spending was 8% behind 2024’s pace, at $17.8B. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) U.S. Video Game Market April Spending Trend - April video game content spending declined by 2% compared to a year ago, to $3.7B. 18% YoY growth in non-mobile subscription spend and a 16% gain in Console digital premium downloads were offset by declines in other content segments. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) U.S. Video Game Market 13-Month Spending Trend bsky.app View: https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social/post/3lpoo44vmwk2e View: https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social/post/3lpoo47q3hk2e Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered was the best-selling game of the month, instantly becoming the 3rd best-selling game of 2025 year-to-date. It was the best-selling title across each of the PlayStation, Xbox and PC platforms. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered sold more units in Apr 2025 than The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion achieved across its first 15 months in market combined following its March 2006 debut and generated more full game dollar sales than the original’s first 14 months combined. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) Forza Horizon 5 was the 2nd best-selling game of April 2025 following its debut on PlayStation 5. It ranked as the 42nd best-selling title of March. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) Indiana Jones and the Great Circle also launched on PlayStation 5 during April 2025. The game jumped from 118th on the monthly best-selling titles chart a month ago to 6th. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) Four of the top five - and five of the top seven - best-selling games of the month on PlayStation platforms were published by Microsoft. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) Call of Duty HQ led all titles in total US monthly active users across both PlayStation and Xbox platforms during April, according to Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker. Schedule 1 ranked 1st in US total month active users on Steam. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) Two titles saw strong engagement gains on PlayStation following their addition to PS+. RoboCop: Rogue City jumped from 111th in PlayStation total monthly active users in March to 8th, while The Texas Chain Saw Massacre jumped to #10 in April from 375th a month ago. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) April hardware spending fell by 8% when compared to a year ago, to $186M. It was the lowest monthly hardware dollar sales total reached in the US market since July 2020 ($163M). bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) PlayStation 5 dollar sales declined 5% in April compared to a year ago, but the platform once again led the hardware market in both dollar and unit sales. Switch hardware spending fell 37% in April vs YA, while Xbox Series grew 8%. bsky.app Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) April spending on accessories fell by 2% when compared to a year ago, to $166 million. The PS5 Dual Sense Wireless Controller Midnight Black was April’s best-selling accessory in both unit and dollar sales. bsky.app   OP OP Smitch The Unshakable Resolve of "this guy are sick" Member Apr 21, 2022 4,758 Maelstrom Member Apr 22, 2025 151 Okay, seems like the same thing as last week. And the week before. And the week before..   Bigkrev Member Oct 25, 2017 13,000 Does Kepler not report information? This should have captured the first ~10 days of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, but it doesn't show up anywhere on these lists, including engagement, which theoretically would have covered if people just gamepass'd the game...   Derbel McDillet ▲ Legend ▲ Member Nov 23, 2022 24,351 Good for Hello Kitty Island Adventure.   jroc74 Member Oct 27, 2017 34,053 Hell of a jump for both Forza and Indians Jones. MLB The Show doing MLB The Show things.  Granjinhaa Member Dec 28, 2023 9,627 Bigkrev said: Does Kepler not report information? This should have captured the first ~10 days of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, but it doesn't show up anywhere on these lists, including engagement, which theoretically would have covered if people just gamepass'd the game... Click to expand... Click to shrink... don't think they do   cw_sasuke Member Oct 27, 2017 29,988 Glad to see The Hundred Lines in the Switch charts at least. Switch outsold Xbox ? Seems kinda wild with Switch 2 releasing soon and a kinda stacked release schedule for Xbox and GP. Edit. Clarified a couple posts below. Xbox is 2nd and Switch 3rd for this month.  Last edited: Yesterday at 9:31 AM Gavalanche Prophet of Regret Member Oct 21, 2021 25,917 Bigkrev said: Does Kepler not report information? This should have captured the first ~10 days of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, but it doesn't show up anywhere on these lists, including engagement, which theoretically would have covered if people just gamepass'd the game... Click to expand... Click to shrink... No they do not. They are an indie publisher, most of them don't.  turkoman_ Member Apr 29, 2023 520 I can understand Call of Duty, GTA or Minecraft but Spiderman always there is pretty impressive imo.   Splinky Member Jul 12, 2023 146 Bigkrev said: Does Kepler not report information? This should have captured the first ~10 days of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, but it doesn't show up anywhere on these lists, including engagement, which theoretically would have covered if people just gamepass'd the game... Click to expand... Click to shrink... Pretty sure they don't. Kind of a BG3 situation where an obvious major player is completely missing from Circana's data   Mr Swine The Fallen Oct 26, 2017 6,931 Sweden cw_sasuke said: Glad to see The Hundred Lines in the Switch charts at least. Switch outsold Xbox ? Seems kinda wild with Switch 2 releasing soon and a kinda stacked release schedule for Xbox and GP. Click to expand... Click to shrink... One would think that Xbox would start outselling Switch before Switch 2 hits the market  jroc74 Member Oct 27, 2017 34,053 cw_sasuke said: Glad to see The Hundred Lines in the Switch charts at least. Switch outsold Xbox ? Seems kinda wild with Switch 2 releasing soon and a kinda stacked release schedule for Xbox and GP. Click to expand... Click to shrink... What remains shocking to me is Xbox can sell better, and still come in 3rd.   Granjinhaa Member Dec 28, 2023 9,627 cw_sasuke said: Switch outsold Xbox ? Seems kinda wild with Switch 2 releasing soon and a kinda stacked release schedule for Xbox and GP. Click to expand... Click to shrink... it did? i don't see in the bluesky thread   Threadmarks Xbox #2, Switch#3 New Index Tsunami561 Member Mar 7, 2023 5,359 cw_sasuke said: Switch outsold Xbox ? Seems kinda wild with Switch 2 releasing soon and a kinda stacked release schedule for Xbox and GP. Click to expand... Click to shrink... No View: https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social/post/3lpootbqmxh2e  New Index MarcosBrXD Member Aug 28, 2024 1,703 [CITAÇÃO="Sr. Swine, postagem: 140267553, membro: 8340"] Alguém poderia pensar que o Xbox começaria a vender mais que o Switch antes do Switch 2 chegar ao mercado [/CITAR] Principalmente nos EUA  Lant_War Classic Anus Game The Fallen Jul 14, 2018 25,286 Half the top 10 of PS is Microsoft Corp. Crazy   YozoraXV Member Oct 30, 2017 3,799 Real MS domination, interesting how ESO also got a boost from Oblivion.   Fabs Member Aug 22, 2019 2,753 Project Latitude in full effect. Xbox killing it right now. Bad Hardware year for everyone continues. Switch 2 can't come soon enough.  Mr Swine The Fallen Oct 26, 2017 6,931 Sweden Ah I see that it did outsell Switch, well good for Microsoft   FarSight XR-20 Member Jan 4, 2018 9,493 Oblivion Remastered sold more in 8 days than original game in first 15 months. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered sold more units in Apr 2025 than The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion achieved across its first 15 months in market combined following its March 2006 debut and generated more full game dollar sales than the original's first 14 months combined. Click to expand... Click to shrink...   mrmickfran The Fallen Oct 27, 2017 33,202 Gongaga Holy fuck @ Forza Hundred Line Defense in top 5 Switch titles is something? I guess  Terbinator Member Oct 29, 2017 13,373 XBS(+8%) Click to expand... Click to shrink... All according to keikaku?   UraMallas Member Nov 1, 2017 24,464 United States Xbox HARDWARE up? Well, you love to see that.  Maelstrom Member Apr 22, 2025 151 Lant_War said: Half the top 10 of PS is Microsoft Corp. Crazy Click to expand... Click to shrink... It won't be soon.   Tasman1991 Member Oct 22, 2024 446 Fabs said: Project Latitude in full effect. Xbox killing it right now. Bad Hardware year for everyone continues. Switch 2 can't come soon enough. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Bro PlayStation is down 5% and Microsoft's up 8% how is this bad   Mr Evil 37 Member Mar 7, 2022 27,772 YozoraXV said: interesting how ESO also got a boost from Oblivion. Click to expand... Click to shrink... It also had a showcase and updates and stuff. Don't think it was just Oblivion.   JAY_HORROR Member Sep 27, 2021 15,687 jroc74 Member Oct 27, 2017 34,053 Ok, this is better. Yeah....that price increase is gonna be rough.  Fabs Member Aug 22, 2019 2,753 Tasman1991 said: Bro PlayStation is down 5% and Microsoft's up 8% how is this bad Click to expand... Click to shrink... YOY and last April was bad. Lowest hardware spending since the covid shortages when everything is in stock and expensive.  GalvoAg Member Oct 30, 2017 2,608 Dallas Tasman1991 said: Bro PlayStation is down 5% and Microsoft's up 8% how is this bad Click to expand... Click to shrink... For real seems pretty healthy if anything considering Switch 2 around the corner.   Tasman1991 Member Oct 22, 2024 446 jroc74 said: Ok, this is better. Yeah....that price increase is gonna be rough. Click to expand... Click to shrink... So you're thinking everyone's getting their Xbox before are the price increase hits honestly I'm shocked that PlayStation 5 it's only - 5% down from last year that is insane   Gavalanche Prophet of Regret Member Oct 21, 2021 25,917 It makes sense there would be an increase on xbox consoles, everyone getting in before they increase the price. Maybe it explains why ps5 only dropped 5% as well, as the expectation is that they will also have a price increase.   Killer Member Oct 27, 2017 2,976 Microsoft PlayStation   g-m1n1 Member Oct 27, 2017 2,870 Luxembourg PS5 is Xbox Game Studios main platform. What a twist!  Gavalanche Prophet of Regret Member Oct 21, 2021 25,917 g-m1n1 said: PS5 is Xbox Game Studios main platform. What a twist! Click to expand... Click to shrink... They did release like six games this April, it is pretty expected :P  Tasman1991 Member Oct 22, 2024 446 Fabs said: YOY and last April was bad. Lowest hardware spending since the covid shortages when everything is in stock and expensive. Click to expand... Click to shrink... You do realise April's a quiet month right like you're not going to have constant high sales after it's peak right like you do realize this it will come down I don't want to be mean but it seems as you just go into these form posts and go this is bad and then just leave yet very 5% down from last year is actually very good for PlayStation considering they'd at at 2023 also at least Xbox is up in the Home Country through that could also be because people are getting Xbox is before the price increase   YupiScroopy Member Jun 28, 2023 149 LETS GO HUNDRED LINE!!  Mr Evil 37 Member Mar 7, 2022 27,772 g-m1n1 said: PS5 is Xbox Game Studios main platform. What a twist! Click to expand... Click to shrink... Not really if you look at the Doom numbers lol (or the Forza numbers). Sales might be high on PS but overall playerbase is still higher on Xbox.   mietek Member May 9, 2025 37 Gavalanche said: It makes sense there would be an increase on xbox consoles, everyone getting in before they increase the price. Click to expand... Click to shrink... The price hike was announced effective immediately, let's not revise history.   DamageEX2 Member May 20, 2024 1,247 No Expedition 33?   mietek Member May 9, 2025 37 Killer said: Microsoft PlayStation Click to expand... Click to shrink... Xbox Series P   cw_sasuke Member Oct 27, 2017 29,988 Thanks, this makes much more sense. The title made it seems like Switch was #2.  Miyoshi Member May 4, 2025 32 Lant_War said: Half the top 10 of PS is Microsoft Corp. Crazy Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yes, that's precisely the result of acquiring two major publishers and branding them under your name.   Mr Evil 37 Member Mar 7, 2022 27,772 RPGamer92 Member Oct 25, 2017 5,147 That's very good for FH5 especially as it came out at the end of the month.   g-m1n1 Member Oct 27, 2017 2,870 Luxembourg Mr Evil 37 said: Not really if you look at the Doom numbers lol (or the Forza numbers). Sales might be high on PS but overall playerbase is still higher on Xbox. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Of course talking about direct sales only (XGP don't show up on Circana numbers, except "player engagement"). If someone said this 3 years ago, he would be mocked by the whole forum.  Fabs Member Aug 22, 2019 2,753 Tasman1991 said: You do realise April's a quiet month right like you're not going to have constant high sales after it's peak right like you do realize this it will come down I don't want to be mean but it seems as you just go into these form posts and go this is bad and then just leave yet very 5% down from last year is actually very good for PlayStation considering they'd at at 2023 also at least Xbox is up in the Home Country through that could also be because people are getting Xbox is before the price increase Click to expand... Click to shrink... Both things can be true, and you would assume people would try to be purchasing hardware before Tariffs. April is historically bad, but dollars sales is alarming because a 700$ Pro exists. April 2023 was bad and this is worse. The whole year is down and likely to go down further on the big boy consoles with price increases. Switch 2 is needed just to stabilize the market and GTA being a year away is going to be a long wait.  Shopolic Avenger Oct 27, 2017 8,093 Forza Horizon 5! :O Imagine FH6 sales number when it'll be available day one on PS5!  ProdigyZA Member Jun 9, 2024 1,510 g-m1n1 said: PS5 is Xbox Game Studios main platform. What a twist! Click to expand... Click to shrink... This is not true.  

Recycled and reused construction materials turn Urko Sánchez Architects’ Waldorf campus in Nairobi into a teaching aid When designers at Urko Sánchez Architects received a commission to design a campus in Nairobi’s leafy Karen neighbourhood, the brief from the client, the Nairobi Waldorf School Trust, was direct and concise: design a school deep in the woods without harming the trees, while preserving the old, British colonial‑style structures that would house some classes and other amenities. The school’s lease on Miotoni Road, also in Karen, had run out and it had acquired a new 10‑year lease from a local landowner to gently develop a woodland site just south of its old premises. The old school buildings were to be demolished. The brief also stipulated that the architects use little to no concrete, avoid steel and masonry, and utilise other reversible building techniques that would allow the landowner to return the plot to its natural state once the school’s temporary lease elapsed. The budget was modest, at around US$250/m². Karen, a low‑density Nairobi suburb and once part of the coffee estate run by Danish author Karen Blixen in the 1910s and ’20s, is among the few areas in the city that have withstood the pressures of modern development. Here, buildings still mingle with indigenous trees. ‘The founders of Waldorf School were inclined towards a piece of property that brought nature to the students,’ says James Kioko, the school’s director. ‘We made it clear to the architects that we did not intend to interfere with the natural vegetation. We asked them, “what if you looked for a design that went around the trees?” They did.’ The result is a campus – one of two run by the Nairobi Waldorf School Trust in the city – spread across 20 rondavel‑style classrooms dotted around the lush groves. Patterned after local Maasai homesteads, they blend seamlessly into the forest, each a tranquil haven for young minds to grow within. As the 380 students – from kindergarten to Year 12 – sit down to learn, birdsong fills the air, and an occasional rustling of leaves and the rhythmic sound of raindrops tapping on the translucent rooftops add to the soothing white noise. Winding pathways lined with flowers connect the learning spaces, with every step being an adventure in nature. The site is a celebration of sustainable coexistence with nature. ‘Some saw a challenge but we saw an opportunity,’ says Jaime Velasco, Urko Sánchez’s country director for Kenya and lead architect on the Waldorf school project.  ‘In order to embed the classrooms in the forest, we needed to know what kind of trees grew where. What was the root system like? How much empty space was available for the desired building footprint?’ Numerous concepts were presented to the primary stakeholders, including the school board, management and parents. The administration also carried out a survey among the pupils as to the kind of school environment they would look forward to attending every day. ‘We engaged the older pupils logically while younger ones were given papers to sketch the look and feel of their new school,’ says Patrick Karanja, the pedagogical team chair in charge of academics and students’ welfare. And draw they did – from elaborate football pitches to swimming pools. The main takeaway, however, was that the pupils did not want traditional box classrooms, but more playful structures made from natural materials. ‘Visitors usually confuse the design of the classrooms for a luxury tourist campsite and ask, “where’s the school?”’ ‘We sketched on forest clearings then did a prototype, a mock‑up classroom which we brought to the planning meetings,’ says Velasco. ‘One area had a sizeable clearing and we knew right away that this was going to be the kindergarten, where small children could play with proper supervision.’  Taking the theme of the traditional courtyard, or boma, the classes began to ‘grow’ among the trees. Treated timber offcuts, salvaged from local suppliers as well as the old Miotoni Road school buildings, line the bottom quarter of each classroom’s facade, giving the impression of a structure fully grounded in the soil. The space between the double polycarbonate walls is filled with leftover soil excavated from the site and compost to create a ‘living wall’ where bugs and worms can find a home. Polycarbonate roofing invites the daylight in, and reduces the need for artificial lighting. In addition, several materials from dismantled classrooms from the previous school grounds were recycled to reduce waste, save on funds and add to the school’s sustainability lessons. For example, wooden floors and walls were repurposed as parapets, and old roofing tiles converted to path boundaries. To reduce congestion in the toilets, oil drums purchased at a local second‑hand market were strategically placed on the compound to serve as washing sinks while a shipping container from the old school currently serves as the library. Although a few trees had to give way for the playground, the logs were used to create the ‘forest’ screen of the multipurpose hall.  The school is representative of the broader work of Urko Sánchez, the Spanish founder of the eponymous architectural firm. Over the past decades, Sánchez has undertaken several projects on the African continent. Upon graduating in 1998, he volunteered on the first of these along the volatile Kenya‑Somalia border, before falling in love with Lamu Island on Kenya’s north‑eastern coast, one of the oldest civilisations in East Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sánchez’s first major project in Kenya was Lamu House, a boutique hotel in Lamu’s Old Town that encapsulates the peaceful and friendly nature of the Swahili coastline. Through his Mombasa office, Sánchez worked on other projects along the coast whose development is deeply rooted in local history and culture. His techniques tell the stories of Africa’s diverse communities, each structure a narrative of identity and resilience. He found joy in the intricate thatched roofs visible in almost every village on the continent, the vibrancy of whitewashed earthen walls, and the seamless integration of buildings into their natural surroundings. At the award‑winning Red Pepper House, another small private house in Lamu with a thatched roof, Sánchez had to balance local tradition with modern conveniences while taking care not to destroy the surrounding mangrove forest. Some of these techniques would go on to be replicated in the Nairobi school project. ‘Every project is unique,’ says Velasco, his rubber boots sloshing over wet leaves outside the kindergarten. ‘We are famous for Swahili architecture because our founder started the work in Lamu and the local context drew us to do that. In Nairobi, we were also faced with environmental issues and that is why the school came out like this.’ ‘The school has triggered serious conversations among the students on the need to protect Kenya’s environment’ The very design of the school is a source of pride not only to the learners but the local community too. Karanja tells the story of a child who brought his friends to the kindergarten classroom ‘just to see the tree popping out of the roof’ – an example of the very interaction with nature that the school was hoping for. ‘Visitors usually confuse the design of the classrooms for a luxury tourist campsite and ask, “where’s the school?”’ It has also triggered serious conversations among the students on the need to protect Kenya’s environment. While hiking local nature trails, they have seen firsthand the country’s dwindling forest cover. ‘They see the diminishing snow on Mount Kenya, the country’s highest peak, as a result of climate change,’ says Karanja. ‘Then they look at their school and understand why we need the trees. More trees mean more rain; more rain results in more snow cover.’ Kioko, the school director, reckons the school’s design does much more than just create a conducive learning environment – it lays the groundwork for nurturing thoughtful, adaptable and globally conscious students that are in tune with the Waldorf style of education. According to the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, education ‘should address the whole child – their physical wellbeing, their social and emotional wellbeing, and their intellectual, cognitive and spiritual development’, with children being ‘encouraged to engage in imaginative play, hands‑on work, and outdoor and artistic activities’. Since the founding of the first Waldorf school in 1919, this pedagogical philosophy has taken original and often pioneering architectural forms around the world, with natural materials – especially wood – being preferred for early childhood settings. The school’s eco‑friendly elements, Kioko says, serve as live learning tools that encourage students to explore real‑world applications of science and technology. ‘If you look at the national goals of education in Kenya, we are not looking for academics,’ he says. ‘The country aims to bring out a child who will fit in the society. We need thinkers outside the box. We need collaborators. We need people who can critique things, not people who just recall what they were taught in class but who interact with the ecosystem and try to solve the challenges of the real world. That is our goal.’ For Urko Sánchez Architects and the Nairobi Waldorf School Trust community, architecture goes beyond creating structures, becoming a tool to foster connection between people, their culture and their land. At the Karen campus, this was a labour of love for nurturing the future generation and a tribute to the rich architectural heritage of the African continent.