En début d’année, les studios Trimaran et Pôle Nord Studio ont présenté au PIDS Enghien un aperçu de leur travail pour le docu-fiction. Les deux entreprises travaillent en effet sur des projets impliquant la reconstitution d’époques passé

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. The Trump administration has shut down more than 100 climate studies The Trump administration has terminated National Science Foundation grants for more than 100 research projects related to climate change, according to an MIT Technology Review analysis of a database that tracks such cuts. The move will cut off what’s likely to amount to tens of millions of dollars for studies that were previously approved and, in most cases, already in the works. Many believe the administration’s broader motivation is to undermine the power of the university system and prevent research findings that cut against its politics. Read the full story. —James Temple This architect wants to build cities out of lava Arnhildur Pálmadóttir is an architect with an extraordinary mission: to harness molten lava and build cities out of it.Pálmadóttir believes the lava that flows from a single eruption could yield enough building material to lay the foundations of an entire city. She has been researching this possibility for more than five years as part of a project she calls Lavaforming. Together with her son and colleague Arnar Skarphéðinsson, she has identified three potential techniques that could change how future homes are designed and built from repurposed lava. Read the full story.—Elissaveta M. Brandon This story is from the most recent edition of our print magazine, which is all about how technology is changing creativity. Subscribe now to read it and to receive future print copies once they land. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 America is failing to win the tech race against ChinaIn fields as diverse as drones and energy. (WSJ $)+ Humanoid robots is an area of particular interest. (Bloomberg $)+ China has accused the US of violating the pair’s trade truce. (FT $) 2 Who is really in charge of DOGE?According to a fired staffer, it wasn’t Elon Musk. (Wired $)+ DOGE’s tech takeover threatens the safety and stability of our critical data. (MIT Technology Review) 3 Brazilians will soon be able to sell their digital dataIt’s the first time citizens will be able to monetize their digital footprint. (Rest of World) 4 The Trump administration’s anti-vaccine stance is stoking fear among scientistsIt’s slashing funding for mRNA trials, and experts are afraid to speak out. (The Atlantic $)+ This annual shot might protect against HIV infections. (MIT Technology Review) 5 Tech companies want us to spend longer talking to chatbotsThose conversations can easily veer into dangerous territory. (WP $)+ How we use AI in the future is up to us. (New Yorker $)+ This benchmark used Reddit’s AITA to test how much AI models suck up to us. (MIT Technology Review) 6 Tiktok’s mental health videos are rife with misinformationA lot of the advice is useless at best, and harmful at worst. (The Guardian) 7 Lawyers are hooked on ChatGPTEven though it’s inherently unreliable. (The Verge)+ Yet another lawyer has been found referencing nonexistent citations. (The Guardian)+ How AI is introducing errors into courtrooms. (MIT Technology Review) 8 How chefs are using generative AI They’re starting to experiment with using it to create innovative new dishes. (NYT $)+ Watch this robot cook shrimp and clean autonomously. (MIT Technology Review) 9 The influencer suing her rival has dropped her lawsuitThe legal fight over ownership of a basic aesthetic has come to an end. (NBC News) 10 Roblox’s new game has sparked a digital fruit underground marketAnd players are already spending millions of dollars every week. (Bloomberg $) Quote of the day “We can’t substitute complex thinking with machines. AI can’t replace our curiosity, creativity or emotional intelligence.” —Mateusz Demski, a journalist in Poland, tells the Guardian about how his radio station employer laid him off, only to later launch shows fronted by AI-generated presenters. One more thing ​​Adventures in the genetic time machineAn ancient-DNA revolution is turning the high-speed equipment used to study the DNA of living things on to specimens from the past.The technology is being used to create genetic maps of saber-toothed cats, cave bears, and thousands of ancient humans, including Vikings, Polynesian navigators, and numerous Neanderthals. The total number of ancient humans studied is more than 10,000 and rising fast.The old genes have already revealed remarkable stories of human migrations around the globe.But researchers are hoping ancient DNA will be more than a telescope on the past—they hope it will have concrete practical use in the present. Read the full story.  —Antonio Regalado We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.) + The ancient Persians managed to keep cool using an innovative breeze-catching technique that could still be useful today.+ Knowledge is power—here’s a helpful list of hoaxes to be aware of.+ How said it: Homer Simpson or Pete Hegseth?+ I had no idea London has so many cat statues.

Today I will discover the hidden world ... inside my large intestines.That’s because I’m about to venture forth on an epic culinary quest. It will take me all the way to a mystic land populated by Vikings and ruled by a just and righteous king who has prepared a succulent feast of victuals roasted by the infernal breath of dragons.Translation: I’m eating everything on the new How to Train Your Dragon menu at Burger King.I might have fudged the mystic land part a little. Technically, this Burger King is located in Windsor Terrace across the street from Green-Wood Cemetery. I like this particular BK because it’s clean and quiet, even around lunchtime. Also, the scenic views of the graveyard really help put one’s life choices into perspective.Mine increasingly revolve around the consumption of movie-inspired foods. Somehow that’s become a central part of my remit here at ScreenCrush. When a major Hollywood blockbuster teams with a fast food restaurant I must eat all of it, document the experience, and then schedule a checkup with my gastroenterologist at my earliest convenience.Mother's Day - HTTYD IMAGEBurger Kingloading...This is not my first experience with How to Train Your Dragon food. Just last week I visited Universal’s Epic Universe theme park, where there’s an entire land inspired by the franchise. Its themed restaurants sell mead, assorted meats that might appear in a Viking’s diet, plus a few that might not — like a bread cone filled with macaroni and cheese and several different proteins. (I don’t recall Gerard Butler chowing down on a mac and cheese bread cone while scolding his dragon-loving son, but those things were surprisingly tasty anyway, so I’ll allow it.)As for Burger King’s Dragon menu, they’ve got a “dragon flame-grilled” Whopper with a special bun, spicy mozzarella fries, plus a new drink and a sundae. (The horned Dragon Burger King crowns are also a nice touch.) Eating all that food and then taking a ride on old Toothless sounds like a great way to learn how to puke on your dragon. But let’s do it anyway and see what happens.I Ate Everything on Burger King’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ MenuIn honor of the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie, Burger King now has an entire menu of “fiery” items. I ate all of them.READ MORE: A Brief History of Movie Tie-In FoodI Ate Everything on Burger King’s ‘Addams Family’ MenuIn honor of the five year old Addams Family animated movie, Burger King now has an entire menu of creepy, kooky items. Here’s what they are, and how they taste.Categories: Longform, Movie News

Category: GamesMay 30, 2025 Atomfall Story Expansion Arrives Next Week – Dare You Visit Wicked Isle? Ben Fisher, Head of Design, Rebellion For those of you who are new to the game, Atomfall is an action-survival mystery set in the UK. The story takes place five years after the real-life events of the 1957 Windscale Disaster in the North of England. In the world of Atomfall, a quarantine zone has been established around the Atom Plant and no one has been allowed in or out for five years. Life and society have changed and adapted under these trying circumstances and gangs of strange folk now wander the countryside. You wake up in a bunker with no idea who you are or how you got there. Given the circumstances you have little choice but to set out on a journey to discover what really happened at Windscale and maybe try to find out who you are in the process. The Wicked Isle expansion adds a whole new location, with its own set of characters and enemies as well as additional leads, weapons, skills, items and multiple new endings for the main game. What is the Wicked Isle? Surrounded by murky and perilous waters lies a wicked isle… a mysterious new region to explore, nestled off the Cumberland coast. They say there was a creepy old fishing village out there, but the locals haven’t seen anyone from there for years. The Wicked Isle is an entirely new area for players to explore in Atomfall, accessible by boat from the village of Wyndham. It’s a region that gave us an opportunity to really double down on the Folk Horror influences that you find throughout the game, as well as hints of sci-fi and cold war paranoia for good measure. When developing the Wicked Isle, there were two real-world locations that acted as key inspirations. The first was Lindisfarne – the “Holy Island” – which is a monastery on an island off the coast of Britain and was famously raided by Vikings in the 9th century. On the wicked isle, an Abbey towers over everything and constantly entices you to explore what secrets it holds within. The other major inspiration was Anthrax Island, a real-world island off the coast of Scotland that was used for military experiments during the Second World War. The entire island was quarantined until the 1990s as a result of the tests, and you might find evidence of similar experiments as you explore Wicked Isle. Explore the Isle’s Mysteries Shrouded by dense fog, this strange isle holds secrets that lead to the heart of the mystery of what really happened at the Windscale Plant. The Wicked Isle is located close to the Atom Plant and as a result, infection had spread rapidly and had a significant effect on the environment and the people that live there. You will have to tread carefully! As you investigate the island you will uncover new leads and story threads. While some of these are standalone stories, some leads link back to the overarching narrative of Atomfall as you seek to uncover what really happened. You will have to travel back to the mainland in search of clues and items which will in turn unlock multiple new potential endings for the main game. Uncover New Treasures While exploring you will find new items, weapons, and skills to help you as you survive in the Quarantine Zone. Deadly blunderbusses, upgraded metal detectors, and otherworldly abilities are just some of the things you’ll find on the isle. In creating these new weapons, we had an immediate and impactful opportunity to link to the key themes we were exploring in this story expansion – whether it be the Blunderbuss and Cutlass tying to the nautical history of the isle itself or some of the stranger ritualistic weapons used by the pagan druids who have made this their home. However, I’m most excited to see how people interact with the new abilities that the Wicked Isle brings. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but you’re going to find some pretty weird stuff going on out there. Face Fearsome Foes The inhabitants of the isle have not escaped the impact of the disaster. A deranged druid cult has become even more powerful through their pagan rituals; roaming bandits have embraced the island’s nautical past and strange creatures lurk in the watery depths. If you want to survive, you’ll need to be prepared to fight back. The response from the community to Atomfall has been incredible and we cannot wait for players to experience Wicked Isle. The stories and leads you uncover there and the people you will meet along the way add even greater depth to the mystery of Atomfall. Available from June 3, the Wicked Isle Story Expansion Pack can be bought separately and is also included in the Atomfall Deluxe Edition and Atomfall Deluxe Upgrade. Game Pass subscribers will also receive a 10% discount. We hope you enjoy visiting the dark and lonely waters. Atomfall: Story Expansion Pack Wicked Isle Rebellion ☆☆☆☆☆ ★★★★★ Get it now Surrounded by murky and perilous waters lies a wicked isle… a mysterious new region to explore, nestled off the Cumberland coast. They say there was a creepy old fishing village out there, but the locals haven’t seen anyone from there for years. There is a boat from the Wyndham Village shore for anyone brave enough to go and look for themselves. New mysteries, new supplies and new possibilities of escape could lie ahead for anyone who dares. The Atomfall story continues with the “Wicked Isle” Story Expansion Pack, introducing a new location, enemies, quests, characters, items, weapons, and more. Explore the isle’s mysteries Shrouded by dense fog, this strange isle holds secrets that lead to the heart of the mystery. Uncover leads that intertwine with the Atomfall narrative, expanding the story and unlocking new routes out of the Quarantine Zone. Uncover new treasures While exploring you will find new items, weapons, and skills to help you as you survive in the Quarantine Zone. Deadly blunderbusses, upgraded metal detectors, and otherworldly abilities are just some of the things you’ll find on the isle. Face fearsome foes The inhabitants of the isle have not escaped the impact of the disaster. A deranged druid cult has become even more powerful through their pagan rituals; roaming bandits have embraced the island’s nautical past and strange creatures lurk in the watery depths. If you want to survive, you’ll need to be prepared to fight back. Related Stories for “Atomfall Story Expansion Arrives Next Week – Dare You Visit Wicked Isle?” Category: ID@XboxA Little Roguelike Fun: Cryptmaster’s Deckbuilder in the Anniversary Update Category: ID@XboxGet Connected: Indie Selects for May 2025 Category: GamesFree Play Days – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (MP & Zombies Only), The Division 2, ARK: Survival Ascended, and More The post Atomfall Story Expansion Arrives Next Week – Dare You Visit Wicked Isle? appeared first on Xbox Wire.

David Brickley is something of a social marketing pioneer. In 2011, he founded STN Digital, a leading social-first digital marketing company in sports and entertainment. STN now has more than 50 employees and creates hundreds of pieces of content daily for partners like ESPN, Warner Bros., NBC Sports, Under Armour, the Philadelphia Phillies, and NBA star Jayson Tatum, among dozens of others. The company helped Elton John launch his TikTok. In 2023, digital sports viewership surpassed traditional television viewers for the first time. Forty-three percent of young adult sports fans follow their favorite league on social media, 54% follow their favorite athlete, and 32% of all sports fans use social media while watching games. Brickley and STN have been at the forefront of this social-first revolution. Brickley never wanted to start a social marketing agency. But when Kobe Bryant opens a door—even by accident—you walk through. Building a business A lifelong Lakers fan who grew up east of Los Angeles, Brickley took a job in 2011 as a producer at Fox Sports Radio with the dream of hosting his own sports talk radio show. “I thought I should have my own afternoon show,” he said. “My program director thought differently.” Shut down by the higher-ups, Brickey became an entrepreneur by necessity. He used Fox Sports AV equipment and studio space after hours to launch his own YouTube channel. At the time, original sports content on the platform was scarce. His content regularly made it on YouTube’s front page, which grew his profile enough for him to start working directly with professional athletes, eventually landing Bryant as a client in 2013. In an exclusive interview, Brickley spoke with Fast Company about his evolution into a digital maven, sharing his insights on how social audience habits have changed, how he sees them evolving in the future, and how any company can build a social content strategy that works. The interview has been edited and condensed. How did you land Kobe Bryant as a client when you were just getting started as a small shop? It started with good karma. I did a ton of favors for the publicist of Matt Barnes, who was a Lakers player at the time, and as a favor, I interviewed his twins after they got on the honor roll at their elementary school. In exchange, I got a 10-minute one-on-one with Matt. Then one day I was at a boxing class and I ran into his publicist. She mentioned she was working with Kobe, so I asked if I could send over some ideas. Because of all those favors I’d done, she let me pitch Kobe the concept of the “Kobe Minute”—a 60-second weekly video about his on-court and off-court successes. They loved it because we could highlight his charitable work without it feeling self-promotional. How did creating content for Kobe and his team open your eyes to the idea of creating a social marketing agency? The Kobe opportunity was the epiphany moment. I had just reached out to my childhood hero about working together, and he said yes. So I realized if I could land Kobe, I could reach other athletes and teams too. We built an Excel sheet with all 32 NFL teams, found every email, and reached out. Seven hopped on calls, three wanted proposals, and the Minnesota Vikings were willing to try us out as a partner. It was pure bootstrapped cold outreach. Being able to create your own destiny without relying on someone else for opportunity was intoxicating. You started STN Digital basically from scratch. What struggles were your clients having when creating original content—specifically for social—and how did you position yourself as the solution? Back in 2013, every sports entity had social channels—the Facebooks and Twitters. But they weren’t posting original content. They had these audiences but didn’t know how to engage them. Social was just a PR dump of press releases and super boring, non-fan-centric content. So my message was, “We understand fans, we understand what the sports fan wants, and we can curate content specifically on social that speaks to them.” You gotta understand that at that time, a fan-first approach of speaking authentically about topics fans cared about didn’t exist. Now, as we transition to 2025, every CEO, president, CMO in the world is starting to think about a social-first approach, which is awesome to see. How does the agency work? In what ways do partners deploy your services and expertise on a given social marketing campaign or initiative? Our clients use us in one of two ways. Usually, they’ll either hire us as a world-class social media department and we run everything A to Z—copywriting, content, analytics, everything—or they’ll bolt us on as a world-class content house. In that case, they have an incredible team already, but they add us on top because their team doesn’t have three and a half hours to dream up a bunch of dope ideas in a whiteboard session or simply need more engaging content for all their initiatives. ESPN has a 75-person social team with incredible engines internally, but we’re able to be that supercharger to take them from 99% potential to hopefully 125% potential. What’s an example of a creative campaign you’ve executed that you’re really proud of? Our work with the Indiana Fever during the Caitlin Clark draft just won a Webby. My team spent 70 to 80 hours creating this video of a Toy Story-esque action figure of Caitlin Clark dribbling around her bedroom, shooting hoops. It got around 10 million views on TikTok alone and 500,000 engagements. What’s interesting is we’re seeing lo-fi content outperform hi-fi content by 40% more views and 30% more engagements on average. But this high-production piece was thumb-stopping creative that nobody else was posting—something that made people think, I gotta watch the rest of this. It’s something the Fever and we are super proud to have collaborated on. What are some of the biggest misconceptions you see about social marketing content, and what strategies that may seem counterintuitive actually work? I look at social media as upper-funnel fan engagement—building community, credibility, and trust. But a lot of the time, brands see it as a lower-funnel platform where they’re trying to talk about brand, logo, messaging, and calls to action. You have to be social on social. You have to provide value—whether it’s education, laughter, or elicit some type of emotion. People aren’t required to follow you, so why do they? You have to build that relationship. Brands that do social wrong are mostly just, “Look at me, look at me!” and constantly making calls to action. That’s not how you build true community, no different than a friendship or relationship. For every eight things you give your community, you have then earned the right to ask for two things in return. And the value you give in that 80% needs to be memorable. What are some of the other lessons you’ve learned about social engagement or audience behavior over the years? The power of real-time social, especially in sports, continues to be undervalued. During the Olympics with NBC Sports, we worked back-to-back 12-hour shifts daily and helped them get 6.5 billion impressions in 17 days. Those impressions would cost $50 million if you bought them on the open market. The key is being ready for every moment. If Simone Biles won bronze, silver, or gold, we had content ready for all scenarios with different angles and storylines. Same with Caitlin Clark’s draft. We spent 30 days planning content for before, during, and after she was picked to capitalize on arguably the biggest moment in the Fever’s franchise history. How do you approach data and measurement when creating content strategies and campaigns? We follow the data of what works, but we also pay attention to how different platforms’ algorithms behave. Instagram will serve you something in your feed that happened five days ago, so there are considerations about what goes on Stories versus in-feed. We’re constantly obsessed with data—not just what’s working or not working, but what different post types perform best, whether it’s a reel, carousel, or single post. We’re analyzing timing, post type, static versus video versus carousel, and noticing how algorithms are being optimized differently across Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. We use platforms like Sprout Social and Rival IQ to get super deep with third-party and first-party data. We analyze our top 10 and bottom 10 posts constantly—weekly or monthly—to understand why certain posts underperformed. We look at who was featured, what time it was posted, whether it was a carousel versus a reel. We might notice reels are taking a dive and wonder if the algorithm has changed. Not all engagement metrics are equal, either. Watching something for 3 seconds and scrolling past is much different than watching it for the full 60 seconds. And I believe that one of the most undervalued engagement metrics is shares. If you take time to DM content to a friend saying, “This is so us,” that’s 10 times more important engagement than just a “like” because you’re actually taking time to send it to someone you love. We look seriously at shareability and ask, “Is this something you want to DM your family or best friend?” What about platforms? Which are the most important, and where do you see the most success and engagement? We still see Instagram and TikTok at the top in terms of engagement and virality. From a sports perspective, Twitter is still that real-time water cooler—nobody else holds a candle to it. There have been attempts with platforms like Bluesky, but we saw with the Luka Dončić trade how NBA Twitter just exploded in ways other platforms can’t replicate. Social behavior continues to swing back and forth. Once something becomes too saturated, there’s an opportunity for new platforms or content types to emerge as fresh ways to connect with audiences. The key is being adaptable and understanding where your specific audience lives and engages most authentically. Marketing efforts can often become fragmented across different departments. How should companies think about aligning their social strategy with broader marketing goals? Social and sales teams—even CMOs and marketing teams—often operate separately from social, which is a problem. CMOs should always oversee the social department because it has to ladder up to a greater vision of value prop and audience understanding. Social and community building and fan engagement at the top of the funnel is all to eventually work people down the funnel to become customers and drive revenue generation. If I were a prospective client who came to you and said, “My social strategy sucks. What can I do?” what’s the first piece of advice you would give me? Where would you start? I would ask, “What audience specifically are you trying to grow?” Then we can reverse-engineer a strategy based on what that audience finds valuable, entertaining, and engaging. Are you trying to grow mass audience because you’re a large brand, or are you saturated in one demo but want to diversify? Then, once we identify the target avatar, we can develop a strategy based on what we know works with other brands talking to that same audience. Without figuring out who your customer is at the very top of the conversation, you’re just posting content and hoping it works with no real endgame. So let’s figure out who you’re talking to, what they want most, and how we can meet them where they are and deliver it to them.

The island of Bolga, just visible off the starboard bow during the trial voyage onboard ‘Skårungen’ in May 2022, is an important traditional landmark that may have featured in Viking Age seafaring itineraries from the Arctic towards southern Scandinavia and mainland Europe. Credit: Journal of Archeological Method and Theory / Jarrett Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Greer Jarrett has spent the past three years sailing Scandinavia’s waterways in historically accurate Viking ships. The voyages aren’t part of some reenactment fantasy or preparation for an upcoming film role. Instead, the archeologist wants to show that exploration based on historical knowledge can help us better understand how an ancient culture lived, explored, and interacted with the world around them. Last year, Jarrett contributed to research suggesting the Vikings participated in more complex trading routes with Indigenous Arctic tribes than previously believed. After his latest excursions along the eastern coasts of Norway, Jarrett now says his team believes that rather than solely relying on concentrated trading outposts, Norse sailors frequently utilized a decentralized network of ports on the region’s numerous islands and peninsulas. Their argument is detailed in a study published earlier this month in the Journal of Archeological Method and Theory. Over 3,100 miles at sea Since 2022, Jarrett and his intrepid crews have navigated multiple voyages aboard an open, square-rigged clinker boat built in the style of those used during the Viking Age (roughly 800–1050 CE). Their first trip traveled to and from the Arctic Circle from Trondheim, a common route for sailors after the Norwegian city’s founding in 997 CE. The researchers have since sailed more than 3,100 miles along historic Viking trade routes, as well as into the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat waterway separating Sweden from Denmark. These expeditions, coupled with interdisciplinary analysis and evidence, has provided substantial evidence that the original Viking travelers journeyed further from land than historians long theorized. However, these trips weren’t undertaken with the aid of a compass, sextant, or even a map. Instead, the Norse relied on mental maps informed by cultural myths tied to coastal landmarks. “Examples include Viking stories about the islands Torghatten, Hestmona and Skrova off the Norwegian coast,” Jarrett explained in a Lund University profile. “The stories serve to remind sailors of the dangers surrounding these places, or of their importance as navigation marks.”  These tales were passed down through generations to help seafarers, or what Jarrett refers to as a “Maritime Cultural Mindscape.” He also conducted interviews with present-day fishermen and sailors about various routes known to have been utilized in the 19th and early 20th century, before motorized boats were common. The Norðvegr, with the coastal regions mentioned in the text, the tracks of the project’s two trial voyages (black and white dashed lines), and the traditional sailing corridor along the west coast of Norway (blue shaded zone), known in Old Norse as leið. Credit: Journal of Archeological Method and Theory Coastal trips After previously demonstrating that Viking vessels can handle open oceanic waters even in tough conditions, Jarrett was determined to explore their capabilities close to land and among the fjords. He and his team sailed two trips along Norway’s western coast towards the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago in the Arctic Circle. While their rigging and ship were modeled after ancient technology, researchers also utilized digital geospatial reconstructions of the region to envision the surrounding landscapes as they would have existed at the time of the Vikings. According to Jarrett, the daily challenges are “just as great, but not as obvious” as ocean sailing. These included underwater currents and katabatic winds—the wind generated as a mountain’s dense, cool, high-altitude air flows into a lower elevation. Weather proved an additional challenge, particularly the cold temperatures in the Lofoten Islands. “Our hands really suffered. At that point I realized just how crucial it is to have a good crew,” Jarrett said. Extensive socio-cultural knowledge also didn’t keep the voyages free from danger, either. At one point, the boat’s mainsail yard snapped, forcing Jarrett and his crew to improvise a solution using only Viking-era materials. “We had to lash two oars together to hold the sail, and hope that it would hold,” he said. After returning home, Jarrett and colleagues combined their data with historical documentation and cultural knowledge. It was clear to them that the numerous environmental and oceanographic variables made coastal journeys difficult in their own special set of ways. “With this type of boat, it has to be easy to get in and out of the harbor in all possible wind conditions. There must be several routes in and out,” he said. “Shallow bays are not an issue because of the shallow draft of the boats. Getting far up the narrow fjords, however, is tricky. They are difficult to sail upwind with a square rig, and the boats are sensitive to katabatic winds.” Continuities in boatbuilding traditions from the Viking Age are evident in the shape and rig of this fyring, a smaller type of Åfjord boat similar to the vessels associated with non-elite Viking Age farmsteads. Credit: Tora Heide Viking havens His resulting study argues it is highly unlikely that Vikings only docked at well-established, populated towns and harbors. Instead, sailors probably relied on a decentralized network of smaller port hubs located farther out to sea that Jarrett refers to as “havens.” “A lot of the time, we only know about the starting and ending points of the trade that took place during the Viking Age. Major ports, such as Bergen and Trondheim in Norway, Ribe in Denmark, and Dublin in Ireland,” said Jarrett. “The thing I am interested in is what happened on the journeys between these major trading centers.” Jarrett has now identified four potential sites along the Norwegian coast that could have served as Viking havens. He hopes that archeological teams may soon investigate these areas to see what they might unearth. Evidence could include jetty and mooring post remnants, ballast stones, boatbuilding pits, temporary shelters, and artifacts indicating local commerce. At the same time, he acknowledges that these suggestions are starting points, not necessarily final destinations. “Due to the nature of the evidence, the methodology presented here can uncover potentials, but not realities,” Jarrett and the study’s co-authors write. “The list of possible Viking Age havens… is intended as a working document, which can shape and be shaped by future archaeological surveys and excavations.”

You can now visit the Viking world of How to Train Your Dragon and walk among the dragon trainers from the hit DreamWorks Animation franchise. io9 was on hand for opening week’s media preview in advance of this Friday’s first day for the newest theme park to join Universal Orlando’s offerings: Epic Universe. Of the portal realms we have visited so far, the Isle of Berk has probably the most impressive tech when it comes to bringing the fantasy franchise’s main component to life. As Hiccup says, they have dragons, and boy, will they blow you away. The first encounter we had when arriving was meeting one of the NightLights, the offspring of the franchise’s hero dragon Toothless and the Lightfury, Pouncer. Gizmodo has written about those scary-looking robot dogs in the past—and what struck me when the baby dragon walked out on its own (without a person, on all fours, in the scorching humid heat) is that its legs looked to move very similarly to the Boston Dynamics models. The flame-throwing version of the robot style makes a whole lot of sense now—kidding, these don’t breathe fire, but they could, though theme parks don’t have a good track record with fire breathing dragons, just ask the other guys. But isn’t it so darn cute? We got to see it do a little wiggle and strut with the face of a precious pure little guy who totally wouldn’t hurt us, unlike its military cousins. There’s more dragons throughout the land, which highlight various areas. Near the outdoor dining stations serving Viking fare like grilled meats, veggies, and mac and cheese in bread horns, you get to witness the snow wraith emit its icy blast at unsuspecting passers-by. It’s delightful when it catches people off guard. Then of course dragons are placed in various areas that correspond with their abilities, so you really get a sense of the co-op way they live with the Vikings of Berk. Character meet and greets with the dragon riders from the films such as Hiccup and Astrid also include their winged friends. Meeting Toothless is totally magical because of the seamless tech; various functions of articulation really work within the role they play. When you have your one-on-one moment with a dragon, they react and respond in such a life-like manner, it’s kind of alarming how quickly you let your guard down with the blink of those two big adorable eyes. They make the noises that give you the same cuteness aggression you’d get from a dog or cat. I really thought I needed a dragon’s nod of approval when Toothless sent me off on a high-flying ride on what’s probably my favorite family-friendly thrill coaster, Hiccup’s Winged Gliders. And it being set to John Powell’s movie score, is chef’s kiss. I really felt like I was soaring. So far on this visit, we haven’t gotten a chance to watch The Untrainable Dragon, the land’s stage show, which is set to feature a flying dragon as part of the production. But if all the other dragons make you feel like you’re right at home in Berk, we’ve got a good feeling about it. I don’t think any other land has gone to the lengths Berk does to incorporate the film’s fantasy creatures in this way. Sure, at lands such as Jurassic World-themed ones, there are some creatures beyond the boat raft, and it’s crazy cool to witness their simulated escape or get to meet in scheduled moments with the gentler giants. Berk just takes it to a new level. The dragons don’t just come out like your average characters at any park, they feel like an active part of the land that you can encounter within the story-play of Berk’s immersion. And that’s a high-flying feat. Epic Universe opens this Friday at Universal Studios Orlando. Travel and accommodations were provided for the purposes of this review. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Dan Trachtenberg proved the fun of sending a predator back in time by setting 2022’s Prey in 1719. Now he’s sending the alien hunter on a history tour in Predator: Killer of Killers, which has a fresh trailer out today. Co-directed by Trachtenberg and Josh Wassung, the animated anthology film features three storylines showcasing the best fighters humanity has to offer. There’s a Viking warrior and her young son on a quest to “kill the monster” and an American fighter pilot in World War II trying to convince his superiors that something inhuman is hunting the skies. Apparently Predators are as good at dogfights as they are at hand-to-hand combat. The movie also visits feudal Japan, where the alien gets into the middle of a battle for succession between a ninja and his samurai brother. The trailer shows off The Third Floor’s beautiful and bloody animation, which is reminiscent of Blue Eye Samurai, as the predator decapitates a samurai with a sword chain, grapples a Viking underwater, and gets into a rooftop chase with a ninja. Humans throughout the timelines learn to fight the alien together, but most ominously the trailer ends by showing that the stakes aren’t just a clean death as a fighter pilot wearing a high-tech collar is dragged into an alien landscape.Predator: Killer of Killers premieres on Hulu on June 6. Fans of the franchise will get a second helping of Trachtenberg’s work on Nov. 7 with the theatrical release of Predator: Badlands. That film will have a more traditional science-fiction setting with the twist of having the predator be the hero instead of the villain.

Laps Games, a Turkey-based independent game studio with three developers, has announced its new medieval fantasy sandbox RPG, Valorborn. It is set in a vast, open world that will offer you both endless adventures and hidden dangers. The game allows you to create a personalized appearance with its customization system, setting hairstyle, physique, and background story for the character. You can create your own hero or assemble a complete group and play with multiple characters at the same time. If you choose the latter approach, you can let each character create their own story at the same time, exploring different places and shaping unique destinies at once. There are various roles to take, like hunter, warrior, noble, rogue, assassin. Every building and cave you see in this dynamic world is functional rather than decorative. You can enter them and explore every interior part for some hidden lore or loot. Laps GamesBuilding and crafting are major parts of the gameplay. You can roam freely to gather the materials needed for crafting. "Rent houses in bustling towns and transform them into cozy homes, or set up temporary camps in the wilderness to rest during your adventures," reads the game description. Every action in the game will count for experience, which will lead to more skills.  Valorborn is scheduled to be released in early Access next month, with the release date to be revealed later. If you're looking for a survival RPG, don't hesitate to wishlist the game on Steam and follow the developers on X/Twitter. Laps GamesLaps GamesLaps GamesThis is the second game from Laps Games, whose debut title, Land of the Vikings, was released in October 2023 and received positive reviews on Steam. Don't forget to 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.

Nintendo closes out the end of an era in 2025 with the introduction of the Nintendo Switch 2 and gradual sunsetting of the original Nintendo Switch. This shift in focus to the new console won’t be overnight, of course, and rarely is whenever console publishers transition to a fresh generation. The first Switch generation was an especially prosperous one for Nintendo, with over 150 million units shipped worldwide and counting, making it Nintendo’s best-selling home console of all-time and second only to the PlayStation 2 as the best-selling home console overall. With a player base that large, Nintendo has to be tactful how it eventually phases out its support for the Switch and maintains continued interest in its overarching brand. That makes us nostalgic too for how previous major home consoles eventually made their respective final bows, wrapping up fondly remembered eras. Here’s a look back on how each major console from the past several decades ended their fan-favorite runs. Nintendo Entertainment System The NES not only revived the video game industry in North America after its cataclysmic crash in 1983, but completely dominated it into the early ‘90s. By 1990 the NES—along with its Japanese counterpart, the Famicom—was the best-selling console ever at that time with more American households having the console than PCs. As such, Nintendo’s support for the NES continued long after the launch of the Super Nintendo, with Japan going as far as to continue manufacturing Famicoms for its domestic market until September 2003. Many of the last games released in the twilight years for the NES were ports of Super Nintendo titles with a significantly less intensive technical presentation. These include NES ports of Mario’s Time Machine, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, and Wario’s Woods, all released in 1994 and the last of which being the final game released for the console in North America. Over 30 years later, the NES’ tenure remains one of the longest-running and most triumphant generations for any console. Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Also known as the Mega Drive outside of the U.S., the Sega Genesis was the console that gave Sega a prominent foothold in the North American market. In trying to gain a technical edge against its competitors, Sega began producing console peripherals for the Genesis, most notably the Sega CD in 1991 and Sega 32X in 1994, each with their own game libraries. Though Sega continued to produce games for the base Genesis, it saw the 32X as a stopgap effort until the Sega Saturn could be launched in 1994 in Japan and ‘95 in the U.S. Unfortunately for Sega, savvy gamers already knew that the Saturn was coming. So when combined with the high price point for the 32X peripheral, they discreetly avoided it. This meant the library of 32X games released in the Genesis’ final months, which included early 3D Sega games like Virtua Fighter and Star Wars Trilogy Arcade, went largely ignored. The final 32X game was 1996’s The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire while 1997’s NHL 98 closed out the Genesis on a whimper. Super Nintendo The Super Nintendo Entertainment System reaffirmed Nintendo’s place atop the worldwide video game industry, even as it faced stiff competition from Sega and Sony. Even as the Nintendo 64’s 1996 launch loomed, Nintendo continued to support the SNES in its final years. Indeed, some of the most beloved SNES games were originally released in 1996 and 1997, giving the console the fond farewell that cemented its vaunted place in gaming history. Among the memorable games released in the final stretch for the SNES were Super Mario RPG, Donkey Country 3, Harvest Moon, and The Lost Vikings 2. The last licensed game ever released for the SNES was a 1998 port of Frogger, almost as an afterthought for the console. As far as endings go, the Super Nintendo, like the SNES before it, had a great conclusion to its best-selling run. Sega Saturn Between the original success of the Genesis and loving reappraisal of the Dreamcast, the Sega Saturn remains something of the overlooked middle child. This is in no small part because of how badly Sega handled the console’s rollout for the North American market, from a surprise announcement that caught developers outside of Japan off-guard, an uncompetitive price point in comparison to the original PlayStation, and Sega of America deciding not to localize hundreds of games created by Japanese developers. With that in mind, the Saturn generation lasted four years, as Sega rushed to replace it with its successor, the Dreamcast. This fast-tracked decision effectively hobbled the Saturn in its final year when news about the Dreamcast’s development leaked while Sega was still nominally supporting the Saturn in public. Console and game sales in North America cratered with only seven Saturn games released in the territory for the entirety of 1998, the last being a localization of Magic Knight Rayearth. Given the Saturn’s greater success in Japan than overseas markets, Sega continued to support the Saturn after the Dreamcast’s November 1998 launch, primarily through third-party titles and boxed sets, with the last game released for the console in Japan being 2000’s Final Fight Revenge by Capcom. PlayStation The PlayStation, later rebranded as the PSX and then PS1, marked Sony’s triumphant entry into the home console industry in 1994. Buoyed by its games published on compact discs, as opposed to expensive cartridges, and strong third-party developer support, PS1 became the bestselling console of its generation and the bestselling overall for its time. The PS1 continued to sell well into the subsequent generation, even well into the lifespan of its 2001 successor, the PlayStation 2. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Given the sheer number of its player base and continued flourishing third-party support, the PS1 saw multiplatform sports and licensed titles published for it through 2006, though the last North American title was published for it in 2004. The last major title for the console was arguably 2002’s Final Fantasy Origins, which was just a compiled remaster of the first two mainline games in the series. Sony officially ended support for the PS1 in 2006, the same year it launched the PlayStation 3. Nintendo 64 Though the Nintendo 64 launched strongly and revolutionized the gaming industry in shifting to 3D games, it also saw Nintendo lose its global top spot in the console wars. Surpassed commercially by PlayStation, Nintendo spent the final years of the N64 focusing on development of the GameCube while extending the life and power of the N64 through its crimson Expansion Pak peripheral. This upgrade in technical performance led to some of the most impressive N64 or console games in its final years on the market. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Perfect Dark, and Banjo-Tooie were all released in 2000, each taking advantage of the Expansion Pak boost in their own way. By 2001 Nintendo completely reprioritized its strategy to support the launch of the Game Boy Advance and GameCube, but still put out bonafide bangers like Mario Party 3 and Conker’s Bad Fur Day. By 2002 Nintendo officially pulled the plug on the N64, releasing a handful of sports titles to close out the generation. Dreamcast Sega’s final home console came out the gate swinging with a launch window that included Power Stone, Sonic Adventure, Soulcalibur, The House of the Dead 2, and NFL Blitz 2000. However, the Dreamcast faced continued stiff competition from the original PlayStation along with news about development on the upcoming PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and something Microsoft was calling Xbox. With the incoming generation of home consoles reputedly more powerful than the Dreamcast, support for Sega continued to waver, with a remodeled, cheaper PS1 outselling the Dreamcast during the 2000 holiday season as a final nail in Sega’s console coffin. Sega ceased releasing new Dreamcast games in North America by February 2002, closing out its support for the market with NHL 2K2 almost as an afterthought. Like the Saturn, the Dreamcast saw longer support in its native Japan, with March 2004’s puzzle party game Puyo Puyo Fever closing out the generation for good. By December 2001, Sega began developing games for its former competitors, signaling a significant shift to focus on software development rather than hardware, releasing both Sonic Advance for the Game Boy Advance and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle for the GameCube that month. Xbox Though Microsoft’s first foray into the home console industry was off to a shaky start with a hilariously oversized controller and weak launch library, it eventually outsold the GameCube. That said, the console also stands as the shortest generation to date from Microsoft, with the company rushing out its successor, the Xbox 360, almost exactly four years after the original Xbox’s November 2001 launch. That means games initially intended for the Xbox were reconfigured as 360 titles, sometimes late in development, to bolster the next console’s launch library. 2004 saw the strongest first-party games released for the original Xbox, including Halo 2, Fable, and Ninja Gaiden Black before Microsoft shifted its priorities. The majority of games released for the original Xbox after 2005 were multiplatform sports titles, with only three games released for the console in the entirety of 2007 and only Madden NFL 09 released for it in 2008. The original Xbox was, comparatively, a flash in the pan, with Microsoft quickly looking ahead to the future. GameCube The GameCube era was a dark one for Nintendo as the company slid behind Sony and Microsoft in the home console industry in terms of units shipped. This decline, coupled with difficulties in developing games for hardware, meant the console saw dwindling third-party support. As Nintendo readied to launch the motion sensor-oriented Wii in the 2006 holiday season, it repurposed games originally planned for the GameCube for its successor instead. One highlight in the GameCube’s closing window was Resident Evil 4, released at the beginning of 2005 as a GameCube-exclusive before Capcom decided to port it to the PlayStation 2 by the year’s end. A handful of movie tie-in games, like Ratatouille and TMNT, along with the usual multiplatform sports games, filled the gap. As the Wii quickly gained momentum following its breathtakingly successful launch, Nintendo quietly pulled the plug on the GameCube by 2007. However, one major highlight was The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a fan favorite developed as GameCube’s swan song in 2006… before being delayed so it could simultaneously release as a launch title on the Wii. PlayStation 2 Still the best-selling home console of all time, the PlayStation 2 significantly outsold its immediate competition and helped push Sega out of the hardware console industry for good. This success was also in small part due to the console featuring a built-in DVD drive and being priced competitively compared to other DVD players on the market at the time. Like its predecessor, the PS2 had an especially long lifespan, one that endured through the eventual launch of the PlayStation 4. Leading up to the PS3 launch in late 2006, the PS2 saw the release of some of its most acclaimed games, including its port of Resident Evil 4, Shadow of the Colossus, Gran Turismo 4, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Guitar Hero, Ōkami, Devil May Cry 3, and Final Fantasy XII. The last game ever released for the PS2 was Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, released in 2013. Sony ended post-release support for the PS2 in Japan in 2018, closing out its most successful era to date. Wii After losing industry dominance in its previous two generations, Nintendo catapulted itself back on top with the Wii, which replaced the GameCube as its main home console in late 2006. With its intuitive motion controls and a robust library of games, many of the most acclaimed being console exclusives, the Wii became Nintendo’s bestselling console at the time. By 2013, one year after the launch of the Wii U, Nintendo began ceasing production on new Wii consoles and cutting back online services, with the last major services discontinued in 2019. The Wii’s last real banner year was 2011, which saw the release of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the latter of which being the last major console exclusive. That said, Nintendo was really focused on launching its last handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS, that year and preparing for the Wii U. Amusingly, the Wii kept receiving third-party support and new installments of Just Dance from Ubisoft until 2019. Xbox 360 The most successful Xbox console to date is Microsoft’s sophomore effort, the Xbox 360, which launched a full year ahead of its generational counterparts in 2005. Though outsold by the Wii, the 360 closed the gap between Microsoft and Sony—even as it was also ultimately outsold by the PS3. What the 360 revolutionized was a digital marketplace for games, allowing players to purchase and download titles straight to their consoles, a feature that became an industry standard. In the years and months leading up to the launch of the Xbox One, the 360 saw its firmware updated to match Microsoft’s other user interfaces while the console began incorporating its own motion sensor gameplay. Branded the Kinect, the peripheral was launched in 2010 to lukewarm response for many of its titles. Though Microsoft continued to support the 360’s online capabilities until 2024, the last two major games for the console were 2012’s Halo 4 and 2013’s Gears of War: Judgment. PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 stumbled at its 2006 launch with its significantly higher price point than the competition and complex hardware architecture, making development for the console particularly difficult. Though price cuts and cheaper models of the PS3 improved its standing, it never got close to catching up with Nintendo’s highly successful Wii. As a result, Sony ended its support for the PS3 faster than it had the PS2 or PS1, shifting its focus to the PlayStation 4. Despite Sony quickly reprioritizing itself for the PS4’s 2013 launch, the PS3 saw some of its most iconic titles released in its final years. The Last of Us, Journey, and multiplatform titles like Mass Effect 3 and Grand Theft Auto V closed out the PS3 era. By 2017 Sony ceased hardware production on the PS3 and, while planning to close the PlayStation Store for the platform in 2021, fan outcry led Sony to reverse this decision, leaving online support running. Wii U After completely revitalizing itself and reclaiming its spot at the top of the console industry, Nintendo endured a follow-up slump with the Wii U. From its confusing launch, insistence on gameplay using the console’s GamePad controller, and limited third-party support, the Wii U squandered the lead Nintendo built during the Wii era. With its muted commercial performance, Nintendo quickly got to work with the console’s successor, the Nintendo Switch, which was released in 2017, five years after the Wii U’s ignominious debut. By 2015 just three years after its launch, Nintendo quietly began to reduce production of Wii U hardware, to cut costs and better prepare for the eventual Switch launch. An HD remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which was originally released to jointly close the GameCube era and launch the Wii, was the last major Wii U-exclusive release. Mirroring its initial Twilight Princess strategy, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released concurrently for the Wii U and Switch, with Nintendo ending production on Wii U consoles in early 2017 and terminating online support for it in 2023. Xbox One As alluded to in its name, the Xbox One was intended to be an all-in-one entertainment center for owners, through its broadcast television and streaming-friendly interface. It also marked the point where Microsoft lost the console market gains it enjoyed during the Xbox 360 era, outsold by both the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. In its final years, Microsoft offered alternate models of the Xbox One, culminating in the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition in 2019, at a significantly reduced price point to entice one last wave of hardware purchases. There wasn’t a lot by way of console exclusives for the Xbox One in its sunset stages prior to the launch of the Xbox Series X|S at the end of 2020. The console saw a number of multiplatform titles, including games developed by Microsoft’s subsidiaries, with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 being a major exception. Instead Microsoft was already focused on developing titles for PC and the Series X|S while further bolstering the library of its premium subscription service Game Pass. PlayStation 4 Sony reclaimed its market dominance beginning in 2013 with the PlayStation 4, outperforming both the Wii U and the Xbox One by significant margins as the PS4 became Sony’s second best-selling home console of all time. To put things into perspective, the PS4 sold more units than the Wii U and Xbox One combined and was second only to the Nintendo Switch in its generation. And with Sony still manufacturing PS4 hardware while major developers continue to publish games for it, one could argue the PS4 era is still thriving. In terms of the last console exclusives released for the PS4 before the launch of the PlayStation 5 at the end of 2020, the PS4 had a particularly stacked final year. The Last of Us Part II, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Ghost of Tsushima all came out in 2020, following Death Stranding the previous year. The PS4’s online support services are still very much active and the console continues to receive new games regularly, five years into the PS5 era. Nintendo Switch That just leaves the Nintendo Switch, which launched in 2017 before growing to become the second best-selling console of all time, second only to the PS2. With the Nintendo Switch 2 coming out in June 2025, that will make the original Switch Nintendo’s dominant console for over eight years, its longest console generation to date. And Nintendo has already phased out significant first-party development for Switch titles, with much of the 2020s Switch games being remasters of previous titles, like Donkey Country Returns and Xenoblade Chronicles X, or compilations like Harvest Moon. It was 2024 that saw the last major push of console exclusives for the original Switch, predominantly from its marquee franchises. Super Mario Party Jamboree and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom were the last first-party titles of note for the Switch era, both released in the back half of the year. Nintendo has been building to the Switch 2’s launch for some time, and it’s looking to hit the ground running with one of its strongest launch libraries yet. The Nintendo Switch 2 will be released on June 5.