Tag:

latest

Chun-Li, on the cover of the Street Fighter Legends comic

Udon, publisher of Street Fighter, Mega Man, Elden Ring, and other videogame comics and art books, is the latest to cut ties with bankrupt distributor Diamond Comics

by admin June 5, 2025

Until 2020, Diamond Comic Distributors held a near-monopoly on getting comic books to retailers in the US. Publishers like Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, Viz, Boom, and Udon all sold their comics exclusively through Diamond, though hearing retailers grumble about them—often claiming books arrived damaged, late, or not at all, especially in small-town shops—was common.

When Diamond announced it would cease shipments during the Covid-19 pandemic in March of 2020, DC took it as an opportunity to jump ship, switching to Lunar Distribution and UCS Comic Distributors for its monthly releases and Penguin Random House for book-sized releases. One by one other publishers followed, including Marvel, until Diamond declared bankruptcy in January of 2025.

Udon was one of the last publishers to remain with Diamond (alongside Dynamite, which would rather like to retrieve half a million dollars it claims Diamond owes), but now Udon has declared it’s found an alternative as well. Udon has halted all shipments to Diamond in favor of Lunar Distribution, with its Manga Classics imprint now being distributed by Simon & Schuster.

“With the current state of uncertainty and lack of communication from the new owners to both retailers as well as many publishers, we have to do what is best to serve our customers,” Udon chief of operations Erik Ko said. “We realize this is a deep inconvenience for many retailers, but we’re trying to do our best to serve our partners and fans, while minimizing risk and moving forward in an uncertain time.”

This has affected the first issue of Udon’s new series Mega Man Timelines, which has been pushed back a month to a June 25 release. Udon’s future comics, manga, and art books will be distributed though Lunar, which presumably includes any more of the Capcom-licensed books it’s famous for—like Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, and Final Fight—as well as its books based on games like Elden Ring and Persona.

Source link

June 5, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Wyze Says ‘Screw It’ and Shoves a Camera Into Its Latest Smart Bulb

by admin June 4, 2025

We can’t decide if this is a great or terrible idea for your smart home.

A famous meme once asked, “Why don’t we have both?” Clearly Wyze agrees. Its latest smart home gadget is the Wyze Bulb Cam, which is exactly what the name implies—a smart bulb that’s also a camera or a camera that’s also a smart bulb, whichever makes your brain happier. The first thing I noticed is that the price on this bad boy is right—it’s just $50, which is a pretty decent deal if you compare the cost of buying a smart camera and a smart bulb separately.

On the camera front, the Wyze Bulb Cam records 2K video with a 160-degree field of view and can also record in both regular color in the daylight and night vision when nightfall hits. As a nice bonus, it also records in color night vision, which is great if you’re trying to identify what kind of cat got into your garbage last night. (My bet is an orange boy; sorry, not sorry.) If you want to, everything can be recorded locally in this cam, which can be equipped with up to a 256GB microSD card. Alternatively, you can pay $3 per month for recording via the cloud, which also grants you some object recognition.

As a light bulb, the Wyze Bulb Cam puts out 800 lumens and can be adjusted via the Wyze app if you need it brighter or dimmer. I, for the record, own a few Wyze bulbs myself, which I have installed in various lamps inside my apartment. I bought them because the price was right, and while I don’t love Wyze’s app, which can sometimes be glitchy, they’ve worked mostly fine over the past few years. If you’re wondering, will this thing fit my light fixture? You’ll be happy to know that the Wyze Bulb Cam is adjustable, which increases the likelihood it’ll mesh. It will also ensure that you have a good angle for the camera element so you can get a perfect look at that porch pirate who stole your last Amazon package.

You can also purchase an Accessory Bulb for $17 if you want to expand your Wyze light/camera system. Together, the two can make a motion-activated lighting system that couples well with the two-way audio feature that allows you to speak and also listen through the bulb’s microphone. (Sorry, orange cat, you’re cooked—prepare to be remotely scolded for tearing up the brand-new flower box!) Both products are available via Wyze’s site right now, so if a camera/bulb is high on your list of priorities, go ahead and pull the trigger.

Source link

June 4, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Subnautica 2 studio talks silent protagonist, a big ol’ ocean map, and more in latest Q&A

by admin June 4, 2025

Subnautica 2 might still be lacking an early access release date beyond a vague “2025” window, but that hasn’t stopped Unknown Worlds from cranking the hype handling a little harder, with the studio having now shared a few additional details as part of a new video Q&A.

Last time around, Unknown Worlds offered a first, fleeting look at Subnautica 2 gameplay, but for its latest video update, creative producer Scott MacDonald and community manager Donya Abramo tackled a couple of burning fan questions. Admittedly, most of them ended with ‘not yet’, ‘maybe at some point’, and ‘no’, but there were still a couple of facts to glean.

Perhaps the most notable tidbit came in form of confirmation that Subnautica 2 will ditch the controversially chatty protagonist of 2021’s standalone expansion Below Zero and return to the silent protagonist approach of the first game, although that doesn’t mean other characters won’t be voiced. The decision accompanies the introduction of customisable characters, with players able to select from a handful of pre-designed protagonists before diving in. Unknown Worlds notes there’ll potentially be some further “freedom to express yourself as your character”, but whatever that means, it won’t be util after early access launch.

Subnautica 2 teaser trailer.Watch on YouTube

As for the world of Subnautica 2, it’s set on a brand-new ocean planet promising “all-new mysteries, creatures, and experiences”, and Unknown Worlds says it’s aiming for the game to be the “biggest and most exciting” series entry “ever” when it hits 1.0 in a few years time. It isn’t, however, exactly sure “how big and how deep [players will] be able to go over the course of early access”, but says the initial early access launch map will be more sizeable than those of the original Subnautica and Below Zero at a comparative time.

And a vast new underwater world to explore means vehicles. Unfortunately for fans of the Cyclops, Seamoth, and even the Sea Truck seen in earlier games, none of those are returning for the sequel. However, Unknown Worlds says new vehicles are coming – including a big sub scheduled to arrive later in early access – that’ll be “designed in the same spirit [as their predecessors], just more suited to the brand-new environment they need to navigate”. Additionally, “some of your favourite tools [will return], but improved”, and base building is set to offer “more customisation than ever before”.

What else? The studio stresses that, despite supporting co-op for up to four players, Subnautica 2 is being designed as a solo experience first. That means it should retain the sense of “isolation and terror” that made the original such a winner, although the studio readily admits it “won’t really be able to protect” that atmosphere if players opt to bring friends along for the ride. Sadly, there’s no local split-screen option for those wanting to cuddlefish up on the couch, but cross-play is supported between Xbox and PC platforms, and as for proximity chat, that’s currently being ‘investigated’. VR support isn’t on the cards at present, however.

And all of that brings us back to the big question of a release date, but Unknown Words says it’s “not quite ready to share one just yet”. Nor is it talking platforms beyond PC and Xbox, only teasing Subnautica 2 will hit other machines “when the time is right”. It is, though, still scheduled for a 2025 release, and will be available as part of Game Pass on day one.

Source link

June 4, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

The latest Xbox kitchen kitsch is a Series X milk jug for Canadians

by admin June 2, 2025

We’ve seen a few Xbox-styled kitchen items over the last few years, from the Series X fridge to the Series S toaster. The latest one is probably not one for those of you in the US. Over the weekend, Xbox Canada revealed a Xbox Series X bagged milk pitcher styled after the Xbox Series X.

Milk in a bag is a long-standing tradition in Canada, India, South America and several other parts of the world. The idea is that you plop a bag into a pitcher, cut off the corner and pour away, all the while taking great care not to spill any.

There are practical benefits, such as bags taking up less space in garbage or recycling. But containers for bagged milk are typically boring white jugs. At least until now.

The Xbox Series X Milk Pitcher comes in white or black and it can hold up to 1.3 liters (fine, if you insist, 2.75 pints) of bagged milk. That should give you enough fuel for your next Halo Infinite deathmatch battle or adventure in the Oblivion remaster. Sadly, there’s no word as yet if Xbox Canada is going to sell this thing or if it’s just a fun marketing gimmick.

I get it, bagged milk confused me too before my first visit to Canada as a teen. But milk in a bag is as Canadian as poutine, Letterkenny, hockey games on frozen ponds and The Beaches. As one of Engadget’s Canadian contingent, it’s my civic duty to test this out. My email’s in my bio, Xbox.

Source link

June 2, 2025 0 comments

A security guard stops a troublesome park guest in Planet Coaster 2

Product Reviews

Planet Coaster 2’s latest update introduces crime and punishment to your theme park, adding pickpockets, vandals, and security guards to stop them

by admin May 31, 2025

I’ve always believed Planet Coaster 2 to be a better game than it’s typically given credit for. But one issue I have with the sequel, and indeed, the series in general is that your park visitors are a bit dull.

They’re gloriously animated, I should stress, with tons of fun incidental detail in how they move and interact with the world. But behaviourally they’re all tediously genial, consumerist chuds who wander blithely around your park, going ‘whee’ on the rides and gleefully lapping up all your overpriced food and souvenir tat. The worst thing that ever happens is they occasionally throw up or get sunburned.

Perhaps this is just what Disney adults are like, but either way, it doesn’t make for a particularly engaging group of people to manage. Where’s the friction? The complaints? The drama?

Rematch: Key details and latest news, summarized by humans

by admin May 30, 2025

Sloclap is known for creating the Kung-Fu brawler Absolver, which was then followed up by a partnership with Kelper Interactive for another Kung-Fu brawler, Sifu. So, as you would expect, the next game from the studio is an online multiplayer five-a-side football showdown (that being real football, not whatever the Yanks play), called Rematch—Fifu was right there.

Now, being the kid who was bad at sports (and thus always put in goals) but loved watching wrestling and kung fu movies, this felt like a bit of a betrayal. But Sloclap’s signature style and heaping helping of arcadey gameplay have me following a footy game with an interest I haven’t had since Mario Strikers Charged launched for the Wii back in 2007. Not the Switch sequel, though; the less said about that one, the better.

What is Rematch’s release date?

Rematch is making its way onto the pitch on June 19, 2025. However, the game also offers the dreaded “pay for a more expensive version to play early” option, so if you have some extra coffers to hand over, you can play it on June 16, 2025. The game will release on Steam and the Xbox Store, while Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play day one.

When is the next Rematch Beta?

Rematch’s next and final beta test begins May 28, 2025, and runs through May 31, 2025 (5 am PT / 8 am ET / 12 pm GMT on both days). The beta’s first day was closed to players accepted into previous tests, but starting on May 29, everyone who requests access through the Rematch Steam page will be let in.

Rematch trailers and gameplay footage

The latest Rematch trailer debuted during the Future Games Show at Gamescom Latam. It’s a lesson on the “golden rules” of arcade football that also shows off a bunch of sick tekkers and other football terms I totally understand.

Rematch gameplay and features

(Image credit: Sloclap)

How does Rematch play?

Rematch is a five vs five online multiplayer football game, though instead of playing as a whole team, you’ll control one player on the pitch. There are no set positions; the goalie is whoever happens to be in the box at a given time. Plus, unlike FIFA, whatever Pro Evolution Soccer is called now, and EA FC, there are no stats to worry about; if you want to win, you’ll have to do so through sheer skill.

While not as ridiculous as the likes of Rocket League or Mario Strikers, Rematch takes a more arcadey approach to football, with “no fouls, no offsides, no pauses… no time to rest.”

And since you’re in an enclosed arena, you’ll be able to use the walls to your advantage, too. Maneuver around opponents by launching the ball at the barrier, then catch it on the rebound. It’s rather effecient for being that asshole who doesn’t play as a team in team-based games—a win-win for everyone!

How much does Rematch cost?

Rematch will cost you $30 / £21 for the base game, with the ‘Pro Edition’ and ‘Elite Edition’ bumping that price up to $40 / £30 and $50 / £39, respectively.

Both editions come with the 72-hour early access window, a number of cosmetics, and a “Captain’s Pass Upgrade Ticket” for the in-game battlepass (with the Elite version adding extra cosmetic items and a second upgrade ticket).

What is the Rematch Captain Pass?

Rematch’s Captain Pass is just a battlepass, with the developers promising “Seasonal Content” on the game’s Steam page. So far, there’s not much out there about what those passes entail, we don’t know how much they’ll cost or what’s included.

From beta footage, we can see it’s mostly cosmetic items and the Blocks in-game currency, but it feels unlikely this is indicative of the real game since a majority of the rewards were currency.

Can you fight in Rematch?

Despite the developer’s pedigree in top-tier scrapping games, Rematch does not appear to have any brawling. This is a football simulator, not an “average football fan” simulator.

Rematch recommended specs

(Image credit: Sloclap)

At a minimum, you can play Rematch with an RTX 1060 and i5-9400. The recommended setup calls for an Nvidia RTX 3050 and an Intel Core 11600k, so it’s not the most demanding game in the world. Couple that with an SSD and DirectX 12 Shader Model 5 support, and you’re good to go.

Rematch minimum specs

OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G / Intel Core i5-9400, or better
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5500 (4GB) / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 1060 (4GB), or better
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 20 GB available space

Rematch recommended specs

OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11
Processor: AMD Ryzen 3700x / Intel Core 11600k or better
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (6GB) / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (6GB), or better
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 20 GB available space

Source link

May 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Elden Ring Nightreign’s latest trailer uses Bring Me To Life by Evanescence to supercharge its early 2000s AMV energy

by admin May 30, 2025

A new trailer for Elden Ring Nightreign has been released and it’s, uh, an interesting one. Titled the “Bring Me To Life” trailer, it’s packed full of gameplay that’s cut to go alongside Evanescence’s legendary song of the same name, very much like an AMV.

You can watch the trailer yourself below, but it’s worth noting the video description, which reads, “When your allies have fallen and all seems lost, dig deep down inside and summon the strength of early 2000’s alternative metal. WAKE ME UP.” At least one person with real power inside Bandai Namco’s marketing is responsible for either coming up with this or letting it happen, and we tip our hat to them.

You’ve really got to see it.Watch on YouTube

It’s the sort of trailer that Devolver would make as a joke, but done 100% earnestly. This somehow warps it into something I should find cringey into a trailer I can’t help but laugh at. It’s also well made! It’s hard to explain, but early 2000s AMV editing is quite particular, with its use of slow motion and fades to black. The only mark against its authenticity is that you can watch it at 1080p, when it really should have been capped at 240p.

Manage cookie settings

If you do find it cringey, I offer you a challenge. Watch this trailer, soak in all those feelings, then watch the Dark Souls 3 True Colours trailer and let me know which hurts you more. I’ll take an unironic use of Evanescence over a slowed down sadboy rendition of a classic any day.

Are you going to play Nightreign when it comes out later this week? Let us know below, and why not check out our review too!

Source link

May 30, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Ethereum Games ‘Realms of Alurya’ and ‘Wonder Wars’ Latest to Go Offline

by admin May 30, 2025

In brief

Realms of Alurya and Wonder Wars are going offline due to lack of development funding.
The pair were both built on Ethereum’s gaming-centric sidechain, Ronin.
The discontinuations add to a growing trend of halted crypto games so far this year.

The developers of two games on the Ethereum gaming-centric Ronin network have announced they will no longer be operating due to difficulties in securing continued development funding.

The teams behind Realms of Alurya and Wonder Wars both shared this week that they were unable to come up with the necessary funding to continue operating their respective Ethereum-powered games.

“Unfortunately, despite all the passion and effort, we weren’t able to secure the necessary funding to develop a live service game for the coming years, and we also didn’t reach the key metrics needed to make Wonder Wars a sustainable or profitable game in the long run,” posted developer Hello Monster on X (formerly Twitter).

It’s been some time since the Play to Airdrop event ended. We want to start by saying thank you to every single player, holder, community, partner, and supporter who joined us in the Hello Monster and Wonder Wars adventure.

Your energy, your feedback, and your belief in what we…

— Hello Monster (@HelloMonsterGG) May 29, 2025

“For this reason, we’ve made the difficult decision to shut down Hello Monster, and as a result, Wonder Wars as well, since the project is no longer financially viable,” the team added.

The project will forgo launching its utility token as a result of the shutdown, adding that it “wouldn’t be honest” to launch a token without purpose, relying on pure speculation.

Realms of Alurya will also be offline in the near future, though its long-term plans are not as clear as Hello Monster’s shutdown.

The game recently migrated to Ronin after the developers said an exclusivity contract with Treasure’s blockchain—which made Treasure the publisher of its game and provided development funding grants—was abruptly ended.

Treasure recently announced that it would cease publishing games and wind down its chain amid a pivot to AI, also fueled by funding issues.

“Without any prior notice, Treasure informed us that all agreements were being terminated immediately, and with that, their support for games on their chain would end,” reads a Discord message from Realms of Alurya’s creative director and co-founder, Oscar Soler.

According to the message, the team hoped its recent Hunt & Mint event would provide it enough time to seek additional funding—but it was unsuccessful.

“We were shocked, to say the least. Our entire yearly roadmap was built around the assumption that this funding would come through,” the message said of Treasure’s alleged funding pull.

“We now find ourselves in uncharted waters,” it continues. “We screwed up relying so much on our publisher. We’ve never thought that a reputable business like Treasure could do this; that’s on us. We know now that we should have had a secondary source of funding, we’ve learned our lesson the hard way.”

Further Discord messages indicate that the game will be offline until further notice as the team investigates potential solutions going forward.

Representatives for Realms of Alurya and Treasure did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s requests for comment.

The discontinuations continue a growing trend in crypto gaming in which publishers and games are ceasing operations, some due to financial constraints and others due to a lack of players—or some combination of the two.

Solana cat-shooter game Nyan Heroes shut down earlier this month due to the developer’s inability to secure funding, with Ethereum game Ember Sword following suit last week. Months earlier, Ethereum’s The Mystery Society closed its doors for the same reason.

Later, Gala Games announced the impending shutdown of its zombie-themed game, The Walking Dead: Empires, as well. And there have been other, smaller shutdown announcements in recent months, as well.

Alongside gaming shutdowns, gaming-centric tokens have been hard hit as well. Only IMX, the token for Ethereum-based gaming platform Immutable, represents the crypto gaming industry inside the top 100 tokens by market cap according to CoinGecko.

Edited by Andrew Hayward

GG Newsletter

Get the latest web3 gaming news, hear directly from gaming studios and influencers covering the space, and receive power-ups from our partners.

Source link

May 30, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

CEO Ryan Cohen Speaks on GameStop’s Latest Bitcoin Purchase

by admin May 29, 2025

At the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas, GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen revealed reasons behind the company’s recent purchase of 4,710 Bitcoin. The surprising announcement from GameStop shook the industry on May 28, with the purchase nearly costing 513 million to the firm.

In the recent interview, Cohen stated that Bitcoin can protect investors from the risks of global currency devaluation and serious problems in the financial system. He also pointed out that BTC has similarities to gold and other such benefits make GameStop take the decision.

“If the thesis is correct, then Bitcoin and gold as well can be a hedge against global currency devaluation and systemic risk,” Cogen said. “Bitcoin has certain unique advantages compared to gold.”

He pointed out that Bitcoin’s limited supply is more reliable than gold. While gold has a mature market capitalization of $20 trillion, Bitcoin is only at $2 trillion currently, so there is a huge room for Bitcoin to gain in future, he said.

According to him, the company has gone through various changes after he took charge as CEO, pointing toward reduced costs, efficient finance management, as well as introducing new sources of revenue by selling collectables and trading cards along with video games. Moreover, Cohen also mentioned that the company has become profitable in the United States now.

However, Cohen was not specific about future Bitcoin purchases, saying GameStop makes its own decisions and does not copy what other companies do. He ended by telling investors not to get caught up in the GameStop craze and “Decide what to do on your own.”

Also read: GameStop Stock Price Eyes $45 on the Heels of Bitcoin Strategy

Source link

May 29, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

The latest tease about gaming’s latest worst kept secret, Persona 4 Remake, comes from – you guessed it – a pissed-off voice actor

by admin May 28, 2025

Voice actor Yuri Lowenthal has offered a tease – well, perhaps more of a vicious peeling back of the curtain – about the Persona 4 Remake on BlueSky. Persona 4 Remake, a game that has not been officially announced yet, will not be having him back as the voice of Yosuke, the actor claims. Bummer!

The post, which still remains up on Yuri’s social media as of writing, alleges the following, “And for those who keep asking, no, I will not be returning as Yosuke for the Persona 4 remake. I asked. Maybe I even begged, but they don’t want me to come back.”

Manage cookie settings

This is not the first time Yuri has tipped his hat and talked about things a little earlier than he maybe should. It was only a few months ago when he talked candidly about Peter Parker’s role in Spider Man 3. That game, again not revealed yet, was something we assumed was coming but had yet to get any official tease from the developer or publisher. Yet Yuri, channeling his IDGAF attitude, was willing to speak about work on it ahead of time.

Whether or not Yuri will get in trouble for this is anyone’s guess. He’s Yuri Lowenthal, one of the big names in voice acting. People love his work and his work, and him getting torn away from a role due to his outspoken nature would probably lead to some backlash from his fans, especially if that role was a sequel or remake.

And for those who keep asking, no, I will not be returning as Yosuke for the Persona 4 remake. I asked. Maybe I even begged, but they don’t want me to come back.

— Yuri Lowenthal (@yurilowenthal.bsky.social) 28 May 2025 at 14:37

Manage cookie settings

It’s a weird way to hear about a Persona 4 Remake for the first time, but hey, better to know than to not know I guess! Are you excited to hear more about the Persona 4 Remake from lips other than Yuri’s? Let us know below!

Source link

May 28, 2025 0 comments