11 years after launch, 49M people still use their PS4s, matching the PS5

Enlarge / After nearly four years of the PS5, a lot of people are still using their old PS4s. (credit: Sony)




If you're still getting use out of your aging PS4 after nearly four full years of PS5 availability, new data from Sony shows you are far from alone. The Japanese electronics giant says that both the PS4 and PS5 currently have about 49 million monthly active users, suggesting a significant number of PlayStation players have yet to spend $400 or more to upgrade to the newer console.


The new data comes from an extensive Game & Network Services report presented as part of Sony's most recent Business Segment Meeting. Those numbers suggest that about 42 percent of the 117 million PS4 units ever sold are still in active use, compared to 86 percent of the 56 million PS5 units sold thus far.


Despite the parity in active consoles, Sony also points out that the PS5 is responsible for significantly more gameplay hours than the PS4: 2.4 billion for the new system compared to 1.4 billion for its predecessor (it's unclear what time period this comparison covers). Sony's monthly user numbers also include any console "used to play games or [access] services on the PlayStation Network," so an old PS4 that serves as a convenient Netflix box in the spare bedroom would still inflate the older system's numbers here.

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Amazon Games Partners With Former Horizon Horizon Devs For Story-Focused Open-World Driving Game

Amazon Games has announced a publishing agreement with Maverick Games, a young studio formed in 2022 by former Forza Horizon developers. The developer’s first project will be a story-focused, open-world driving game.



Maverick Games is based in Warwick, UK, and was founded by six former leaders from Playground Games. Its roster includes studio head and creative director Mike Brown, former creative director of the Forza Horizon series, executive producer Tom Butcher, chief technical officer Matt Craven, and content director Gareth Harwood. It also includes former Playground audio director and art director Fraser Stachan and Ben Penrose, respectively.



Maverick Games staff



The studio announced in January 2023 that its first title would be a “premium open-world game for consoles and PC.” A press release includes an interview with Mike Brown, who provides hints of what Maverick’s game has in store, which appears to emphasize storytelling and character development more than you'd expect for a driving game. 



“Lots of great driving games have amazing gameplay, amazing content,” said Brown. “But to really cross that bridge, to become a game that people genuinely love, then there needs to be that human connection where you’re actually rooting for these characters, falling in love with these characters. That, I think, is a place where our game will be able to really differentiate itself from the other titles in the genre. There’s nothing about this genre that prevents it from having amazing characters and amazing stories – it’s just not really been explored yet.”



The press release also announces the hiring of Jamie Brittain, co-creator of the award-winning British TV drama Skins, as the game’s lead writer. Brown explains his belief in the power of good characters and cites Skins as an example of showcasing interesting, flawed characters to garner its cult-like following. 



Maverick Games’ project joins Amazon’s growing portfolio of games, which includes Crystal Dynamics’ upcoming Tomb Raider title, an MMO based on The Lord of the Rings by New World developer Amazon Games Orange County, along with its existing titles Lost Ark and New Word. 


https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/05/29/amazon-games-partners-with-former-horizon-horizon-devs-for-story-focused-open-world?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

12 years after its original announcement, Cyberpunk 2077 has no developers left working on it, but the RPG series is definitely "not dead"

Cyberpunk 2077 was first announced in 2012, meaning its road to release and redemption stretched over a decade, and now, for the first time in 12 years, no one is working on the RPG. 

CD Projekt Red developers worked on the game for years after release, pushing out patches to rectify 2077's buggy launch while also hammering away at the excellent Phantom Liberty expansion and 2.0 update. With Cyberpunk 2077 fully fixed and widely enjoyed, CD Projekt Red recently announced that 0 developers were on the project for the first time since its inception.


pic.twitter.com/YXZfbWZoIXMay 28, 2024See more


Alongside the company's latest financial results, CD Projekt Red detailed how its workforce was distributed with "over 400" developers working on The Witcher 4 (codenamed Polaris), 39 employees on Witcher spin-off Sirius, 20 on another standalone IP codenamed Hadar, and none on 2077 as of April 30, 2024.

Igor Sarzynski - 2077's narrative lead and the sequel's creative director - quickly took to social media to note that "Cyberpunk's not dead" even if the first game has now ended development. CDPR has big plans to continue the series with an upcoming Cyberpunk 2, only officially known by its codename Orion, which currently has 56 developers working on it.

With the majority of the studio molding another Witcher trilogy, details on the next romp through Night City are light, but fans can rest assured that Cyberpunk 2 is keeping most of the first game's senior developers to "preserve" the series' DNA while aiming to avoid the turbulent development that steered 2077's launch off-course. 

Be sure to check out our recommendations for the 10 best games like Cyberpunk 2077 for more neon-soaked vibes. 


https://www.gamesradar.com/games/cyberpunk/12-years-after-its-original-announcement-cyberpunk-2077-has-no-developers-left-working-on-it-but-the-rpg-series-is-definitely-not-dead/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Destiny 2: The Final Shape can't make guns too OP because Bungie's "got to keep the game going" for years: "We need to not consume all of the power space"

Destiny 2 might be reaching the end of a major narrative arc with the imminent release of the climactic The Final Shape expansion, but that doesn't mean that Bungie is done with the game yet. And that means that it has to be careful with what it does to your guns.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, weapons lead Chris Proctor said there's "a large amount riding on the weapons landing really strong in The Final Shape." As a result, he says there's a need for "a little bit more" power creep than usual - something that our Final Shape preview suggests is definitely the case. Proctor does, however, suggest that Bungie has had to pump the brakes at least a little bit, because Destiny 2's not ending with The Final shape.

"We've definitely got plans for the next few years after this," he says. For Proctor, that means that "we need to not consume all of the power space in Final Shape," because "we've got to keep the game going." For fans, however, that's confirmation that neither The Final Shape nor what's coming after are the end of the road for Destiny 2, at least right now.

The Final Shape is billed as the end of the Light and Darkness saga, Destiny's first major arc. We previously knew that three Episodes would release after new expansion, but with Bungie set to move onto Marathon and Destiny 2 laboring under its seven-year history, there was some expectation that the company might be looking to move on. Proctor seems to be suggesting, however, that there might be a little more gas left in the tank than first thought - which probably means Destiny 3 is further away than you might have expected. 

It finally happened: in The Final Shape, Destiny 2 is nerfing the crap out of Well of Radiance, the most overpowered Super in the MMO's history.


https://www.gamesradar.com/games/destiny/destiny-2-the-final-shape-cant-make-guns-too-op-because-bungies-got-to-keep-the-game-going-for-years-we-need-to-not-consume-all-of-the-power-space/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Baldur's Gate 3's lead writer worried he'd joined the dev "on the downward curve" as he "thought that Divinity: Original Sin 2 may be the best game Larian will ever make"

Baldur's Gate 3's writing director was worried he'd joined Larian on a "downward curve" after the heights of Divinity: Original Sin 2. 

Game Pressure spoke to Baldur's Gate 3 game director Swen Vincke and writing director Adam Smith at the Digital Dragons conference in Poland last week, and asked the leads if they ever expected to make one of the best RPGs in years. Vincke said he didn't, and pointed to his recent comment where he confessed he regretted saying Baldur's Gate 3 could be the "RPG of the decade" while it was in development.

Smith, though, was particularly mindful of Larian's history going into Baldur's Gate 3. "I had the double thing. There was that, what Swen said. And then I was a Larian fan before I worked for them. I thought that Divinity: Original Sin 2 may be the best game Larian will ever make. I may be the one who comes in on the downward curve. We could screw this up as well," the writing director said. 

"It was the legacy of Baldur's Gate, the legacy of Bioware. And it was a legacy of Larian that was being created. Going into that was intimidating at times. The scariest times for me were the closer we got to launch. You could see this is so close to being brilliant and it's not yet. I mean, there were times when we looked at it and we thought: It's terrible," Smith added with a laugh.

Elsewhere at Digital Dragons, Smith told GamesRadar+ that Larian "did start pushing around ideas for Baldur's Gate 4," but they didn't excite anyone at the studio. This, combined with Larian abandoning ideas it had for Baldur's Gate 3 DLC when no one was similarly enthused, is what lead to the studio announcing it wouldn't be making Baldur's Gate 4 earlier this year, and would instead be making something entirely new instead.

Baldur's Gate 3 had less crunch than Larian's previous RPGs, but its director says "you will always have a little bit" of overtime."


https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/baldurs-gate-3s-lead-writer-worried-hed-joined-the-dev-on-the-downward-curve-as-he-thought-that-divinity-original-sin-2-may-be-the-best-game-larian-will-ever-make/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Bungie wins landmark suit against Destiny 2 cheat-maker AimJunkies

Enlarge (credit: Bungie)




They wanted to make money by selling cheating tools to Destiny 2 players. They may have ended up setting US legal precedent.


After a trial in federal court in Seattle last week, a jury found cheat-seller AimJunkies, along with its parent company Phoenix Digital and four of its employees and contractors, liable for copyright infringement and assigned damages to each of them. The jury split $63,210 in damages, with $20,000 to Phoenix Digital itself and just under $11,000 each to the four individuals. That's just under the $65,000 revenue the defendants claimed to have generated from 1,400 copies of its Destiny 2 cheats.


Bungie's case appears to have gone further than any other game-cheating suit has made it in the US court system. Because cheating at an online game is not, in itself, illegal, game firms typically lean on the anti-circumvention aspects of the 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). That's how the makers of Grand Theft Auto V, Overwatch, Rainbow Six, and Fortnite have pursued their cheat-making antagonists. Bungie, in taking their claim past settlement and then winning a copyright claim from a jury, has perhaps provided game makers a case to point to in future proceedings, and perhaps more incentive.

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‘Contexto’ 617 Answer Today May 27th 2024 – Hints and Solution (5/27/24)

Here is the Contexto answer today for the 617 puzzle, released on May 27th, 2024 and some hints to help you solve it.


There are many games that have been inspired by the viral word game Wordle with some of the more well-known games being Quordle, Globle, Heardle and Nerdle.


All of these games have their own unique twists to the original, where players will need to guess four words at a time, guess the country, guess the song or guess the mathematical equation of the day.


Another game that has caught our eye is Contexto. The aim of the game is to find the secret word of the day an artificial intelligence algorithm will tell you how close or similar the word you guessed is to the answer to help you solve it.


The secret number is number 1 and the words that are determined to be similar to the secret word will have a lower number. There are unlimited words you can guess, so you could be at it for a long time!


There is a new secret word every day and we will be here to give you hints and the answer to help you keep your winning streak!
Contexto – How To Play


Hints for the Contexto 617 Hints Today – May 27th, 2024




As the word can be quite difficult to solve, we have some hints for Contexto 617 to help you to solve it, which are the following:


Hint 1: Here are some of the words that are similar to the secret word, according to Contexto:



* The twentieth word in the list today is ‘CAKE‘.




Contexto 617 Closest Word 20 – 27th May 2024



* The fifteenth word in the list today is ‘SLIME‘.




Contexto 617 Closest Word 15 – 27th May 2024



* The tenth word in the list today is ‘SLIPPERY‘.




Contexto 617 Closest Word 10 – 27th May 2024



* The seventh word in the list today is ‘WET‘.




Contexto 617 Closest Word 7 – 27th May 2024



* The fourth word in the list today is ‘MUDDY’.




Contexto 617 Closest Word 4 – 27th May 2024



* The second word in the list today (the closest word to the answer) is ‘SAND‘.




Contexto 617 Closest Word 2 – 27th May 2024


Hint 2: It starts with the letter M.

Hint 3: There are three letters in the word today.

Hint 4: It is a noun.

Hint 5: Earth that has been mixed with water.


QUIZ: How many questions can you solve from the quiz below?
.wq-quiz-wrapper[data-id="88049"] {
--wq-question-width: 100%;
--wq-question-color: #009cff;
--wq-question-height: auto;
--wq-bar-color: #00c479;
--wq-font-color: #444;
--wq-background-color: #ecf0f1;
}





0%











If a doctor gives you three pills and tells you to take one every half hour, how long will it take to finish all the pills?












60 minutes


30 minutes


90 minutes


120 minutes






Correct!
Wrong!















There are two ducks in front of a duck, two ducks behind a duck and a duck in the middle. How many ducks are there?












5


3


4


6






Correct!
Wrong!















What common English verb becomes its own past tense by rearranging its letters?












Eat


Sleep


Sit


Cry






Correct!
Wrong!















I am related to the water, but I am not wet. I am related to a shadow, but I am multicoloured. I create an illusion, but show what is real. What am I?












Diamond


Gold


Mirror


Clock






Correct!
Wrong!















I am an odd number. Take away one letter from me and I become even. What number am I?












eleven


seven


nine


five






Correct!
Wrong!















What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?












Success


The letter 'M'


Having a baby


Fame






Correct!
Wrong!















What goes up and down, but never moves?












Gas


Road


Air


Water






Correct!
Wrong!















If you divide 30 by a half and add 10, what's the answer?












15


25


70


60






Correct!
Wrong!















When you dig a hole 4 feet deep, 5 feet wide and 6 feet long, how much dirt is in it?












None


300 pounds


100 pounds


200 pounds






Correct!
Wrong!















What on earth could dance, and live and die, without legs, or lungs, or being alive?












Wind


Sand


Water


Fire






Correct!
Wrong!















What 10 letter word starts with gas?












Retirement


Aberration


Television


Automobile






Correct!
Wrong!















What letter comes next in this sequence? O, T, T, F, F, S, S, ?












E


S


O


F






Correct!
Wrong!















How many animals of each species did Moses take with him into the Ark?












2


1


3


None






Correct!
Wrong!















A farmer had ten sheep. All but seven of them died, so how many sheep were left?












7


None


3


10






Correct!
Wrong!















In the kitchen cupboard, there are three jars containing different items. Sugar is to the right of rice and the flour is to the right of the sugar. Which one is in the middle?












Flour


Rice


Sugar






Correct!
Wrong!















What disappears as soon as you say its name?












Echo


Silence


Distraction


Frustration






Correct!
Wrong!















You're sitting in a cabin in the dark and cold and you are hungry. You have only one match. What do you light first?












A fire


Match


None


A stove






Correct!
Wrong!















If you pass the 2nd person in a race, what position are you in?












1st


2nd


3rd






Correct!
Wrong!















What is half of 2 + 2?












3


4


2


1






Correct!
Wrong!















Jill and Mary enjoy playing hockey, Kim and Jill enjoy playing football, Kim and Mary enjoy swimming. Who enjoys both swimming and hockey?












Mary


Jill


No One


Kim






Correct!
Wrong!










Riddles & Logic Quiz





Less Than Average

Better luck next time!








Average

Not bad!








Above Average

You know your riddles!








Genius!

Wow! Impressive!









What is the Contexto 617 Word Today? (Answer For May 27th, 2024)




If you want to know the answer to Contexto 617, it is…


MUD!
Contexto Answer 617 – 27th May 2024


Let us know in the comments section below how many guesses it took for you to solve the Contexto word today and if there are any other games you want us to start covering!


The post ‘Contexto’ 617 Answer Today May 27th 2024 – Hints and Solution (5/27/24) appeared first on Fortnite Insider.


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Today’s NYT ‘Strands’ #85 Hints, Spangram Answers May 27th, 2024 – Word Solutions (5/27/24)

Here are the answers for the NYT Strands puzzle #85 today, released on May 27th, 2024, and some hints to help you solve them.


The New York Times are known for the wide range of games they publish for readers to complete on the daily. They had also published the viral word game, Wordle, in 2022, to add to their collection.


A new game has been released by the paper, called Strands, which is currently in beta. In this game, there is a theme of words on a board and you need to find the theme related words.


Once you have found a theme related word, it will stay filled in blue and to create these words, you will need to drag or type the letters. All of the letters on the board are used to make up words for the theme and the letters do not overlap into other words.
NYT Strands – How to Play


There is also a “spangram” which is a word on the board that describes the theme of the puzzle for the day. It will touch two opposite sides of the board and may be two words.


Once you have found the spangram word, it will stay highlighted in yellow.


An example of a spangram is FRUIT, and the other themed words would be PEAR, BANANA and APPLE.
NYT Strands – How to Play


If you are struggling to find any words relating to the theme, you can try and find other words on the board, which will not stay highlighted, but will help you to get hints. You will need to find three non-theme words to get a hint.


Strands 85 Hints Today (May 27th, 2024)




Today’s theme or hint for the puzzle is, “NOODLE ON THIS ONE” and there are eight theme words to be found.
NYT Strands 85 Theme – 27th May 2024


More hints to help you solve the Strands puzzle released today is:



* Two words for the Spangram today

* Italian cuisine






Strands 85 Spangram Answer Today (May 27th, 2024)




With every puzzle, there is a spangram, which helps describe the theme. The spangram for the puzzle released on May 27th is:


PASTA SHAPES


The word starts on the right and on the left. The Spangram starts exact location of the word on the grid can be seen below:
NYT Spangram 85 – 27th May 2024


Strands 85 Solution Today (May 27th, 2024)




Here are all of the other themed words for the Stands 85 puzzle:



* ELBOW

* SHELL

* SPIRAL

* TUBE

* RIBBON

* BOWTIE

* WHEEL




NYT Strands 85 Completed Puzzle – 27th May 2024


Let us know in the comments below which words you got stuck on.


The post Today’s NYT ‘Strands’ #85 Hints, Spangram Answers May 27th, 2024 – Word Solutions (5/27/24) appeared first on Fortnite Insider.


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‘NYT Connections’ Answers Today 351 May 27th, 2024 – Hints and Solutions (5/27/24)

Here are the answers for the New York Times (NYT) Connections puzzle #351 today, released on May 27th, 2024, and some hints to help you solve them.


New York Times have a variety of puzzle games available for their readers and there are new puzzles to play on a daily basis. One of these games is called Connections.


The rules of the game are simple for Connections. There are sixteen words for players to sort into four groups of four words that share something in common.


Once you think you have figured out a group, simply click on the four words and click on submit to see if you got it right. You are allowed to get 4 mistakes to solve the puzzle.


Each group is assigned a colour, which shows how easy it should be to group it from yellow, being straightforward, to purple, tricky.
Daily NYT Connections Difficulty


If you’re struggling with today’s NYT Connections answers, we’ve included some hints to help you out. If that’s not enough, we have the answers too.


There are sixteen words for the Connection puzzles, which are:



* FLAT

* TIRE

* DOWN

* VOTE

* PUMP

* SHAKE

* QUARTER

* HEEL

* NATURAL

* CHOICE

* SAY

* SPEAK

* WAFFLE

* STEAM

* WHOLE

* VOICE




Daily NYT Connections 351 Puzzle – 27th May 2024


Connections 351 Group Hints Today (May 27th, 2024)




We know some of you would prefer to have hints for the solution today instead of seeing the answer, so we’ve provided some below to help you out.



* Hint 1: One group of words is “AGENCY IN DECISIONMAKING”.

* Hint 2: QUARTER and FLAT are in the same group.

* Hint 3: Here is an image that will help you solve one of the groups:




Daily NYT Connections 351 Hint – 27th May 2024



* Hint 4: One group of words comes before the word “IRON“.






What are the Connections 351 Answers Today? (5/27/24)




Here are the answers to NYT Connections puzzle 351 released on 27th May 2024:



* AGENCY IN DECISIONMAKING – CHOICE, SAY, VOICE, VOTE




Daily NYT Connections 351 Solution – 27th May 2024



* DOG COMMANDS – DOWN, HEEL, SHAKE, SPEAK




Daily NYT Connections 351 Solution – 27th May 2024



* KINDS OF NOTES – FLAT, NATURAL, QUARTER, WHOLE




Daily NYT Connections 351 Solution – 27th May 2024



* ___ IRON – PUMP, STEAM, TIRE, WAFFLE




Daily NYT Connections 351 Solution – 27th May 2024


If you would like us to cover any other puzzles, let us know in the comments section below.


The post ‘NYT Connections’ Answers Today 351 May 27th, 2024 – Hints and Solutions (5/27/24) appeared first on Fortnite Insider.


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‘Wordle’ Answer Today 1073 May 27th 2024 – Hints and Solution (5/27/24)

Here is the Wordle answer today for the 1073 word, released on May 27th, 2024 and some hints to help you solve it.


Wordle is a very popular word game that has gone viral due to the results being posted all over social media by players and the simplicity of the game. The aim is to guess the five-letter American English word in six guesses or less.


There are no initial clues given as to what the word could be, but once you have made a guess, the tiles will change colour letting you know more about the letters in the word. The three different colours the tiles could change to are grey, yellow, or green.


Grey indicates that the letter you guessed is not in the word at all, so you should avoid using it in future guesses.


Yellow indicates that the letter does appear in the word, but not in the position you have it in now.


Green indicates that you have guessed the correct letter and placed it in the correct location, which is the colour you want to see!
Wordle Game – How to Play


There is also a hard mode for the game in which you are forced to use any correctly guessed letters from the previous row in every guess you make.


You may already do this, but there are times when there are multiple answers for the Wordle and you need to guess a word that contains the potential letters to help you solve the Wordle, which you will not be able to do with this mode.


You can always turn it back off during the game as well if you find it too difficult.


Hints for the Wordle 1073 Hints Today – 27th May, 2024




As the word can be quite difficult, we have some hints for Wordle 1073 to help you to solve it, which are:


Hint 1: Contains the letter K.

Hint 2: It starts with the letter S.

Hint 3: There are two vowels in the answer today.

Hint 4: It is a noun.

Hint 5: A person who skis.


QUIZ: How many questions can you solve from the quiz below?
.wq-quiz-wrapper[data-id="88049"] {
--wq-question-width: 100%;
--wq-question-color: #009cff;
--wq-question-height: auto;
--wq-bar-color: #00c479;
--wq-font-color: #444;
--wq-background-color: #ecf0f1;
}





0%











If a doctor gives you three pills and tells you to take one every half hour, how long will it take to finish all the pills?












30 minutes


60 minutes


90 minutes


120 minutes






Correct!
Wrong!















There are two ducks in front of a duck, two ducks behind a duck and a duck in the middle. How many ducks are there?












3


5


6


4






Correct!
Wrong!















What common English verb becomes its own past tense by rearranging its letters?












Sit


Eat


Sleep


Cry






Correct!
Wrong!















I am related to the water, but I am not wet. I am related to a shadow, but I am multicoloured. I create an illusion, but show what is real. What am I?












Clock


Diamond


Mirror


Gold






Correct!
Wrong!















I am an odd number. Take away one letter from me and I become even. What number am I?












nine


seven


eleven


five






Correct!
Wrong!















What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?












Success


Having a baby


Fame


The letter 'M'






Correct!
Wrong!















What goes up and down, but never moves?












Gas


Air


Road


Water






Correct!
Wrong!















If you divide 30 by a half and add 10, what's the answer?












25


15


60


70






Correct!
Wrong!















When you dig a hole 4 feet deep, 5 feet wide and 6 feet long, how much dirt is in it?












None


300 pounds


200 pounds


100 pounds






Correct!
Wrong!















What on earth could dance, and live and die, without legs, or lungs, or being alive?












Sand


Water


Fire


Wind






Correct!
Wrong!















What 10 letter word starts with gas?












Automobile


Aberration


Retirement


Television






Correct!
Wrong!















What letter comes next in this sequence? O, T, T, F, F, S, S, ?












F


O


S


E






Correct!
Wrong!















How many animals of each species did Moses take with him into the Ark?












1


None


2


3






Correct!
Wrong!















A farmer had ten sheep. All but seven of them died, so how many sheep were left?












10


7


3


None






Correct!
Wrong!















In the kitchen cupboard, there are three jars containing different items. Sugar is to the right of rice and the flour is to the right of the sugar. Which one is in the middle?












Rice


Sugar


Flour






Correct!
Wrong!















What disappears as soon as you say its name?












Echo


Distraction


Frustration


Silence






Correct!
Wrong!















You're sitting in a cabin in the dark and cold and you are hungry. You have only one match. What do you light first?












A stove


A fire


Match


None






Correct!
Wrong!















If you pass the 2nd person in a race, what position are you in?












3rd


2nd


1st






Correct!
Wrong!















What is half of 2 + 2?












3


4


1


2






Correct!
Wrong!















Jill and Mary enjoy playing hockey, Kim and Jill enjoy playing football, Kim and Mary enjoy swimming. Who enjoys both swimming and hockey?












Kim


Mary


Jill


No One






Correct!
Wrong!










Riddles & Logic Quiz





Less Than Average

Better luck next time!








Average

Not bad!








Above Average

You know your riddles!








Genius!

Wow! Impressive!









What is the Wordle 1073 Answer Today? (May 27th, 2024)




Here is how I managed to solve Wordle 1073 in six guesses today. I guessed the word ‘AUDIO’ first, which is my usual starter word.


This word showed me that there is an I in the answer, but it is not the fourth letter.
Daily Wordle 1073 Word 1 – May 27th 2024


I then wanted to guess a word that puts the I in a different position and has an E in it, so I guessed the word ‘SLICE’ next.


This was a great word to guess as it placed the S and I correctly and showed me that there is an E in the Wordle answer today.
Daily Wordle 1073 Word 2 – May 27th 2024


The next word I guessed was ‘SEISM’ as I thought the E would be the second letter.


Unfortunately, no new letters were revealed to be in the answer and the E was not correctly placed.
Daily Wordle 1073 Word 3 – May 27th 2024


This means that the E has to be the fourth letter, so I guessed the word ‘SHIER’ next.


The E and R were placed correctly in the Wordle answer today.
Daily Wordle 1073 Word 4 – May 27th 2024


This leaves only the second letter to be guessed, so I went with ‘SPIER’ next, which is not the answer today.
Daily Wordle 1073 Word 5 – May 27th 2024


Luckily, I was able to solve the answer to Wordle 1073 in the last guess, which is…


SKIER!
Daily Wordle Answer 1073 – 27th May 2024


Let us know in the comments section below how many guesses it took for you to solve the Wordle answer today and if there are any other games you want us to start covering!


The post ‘Wordle’ Answer Today 1073 May 27th 2024 – Hints and Solution (5/27/24) appeared first on Fortnite Insider.


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Fantastic Movement In Superhero Games Came Long Before Spider-Man

Infamous is celebrating its 15-year anniversary today, May 26, 2024. Below, we look back at how its focus on traversal paved the way for modern AAA superhero games.

Soaring over a canyon in an Iron Man-like suit of metal armor in Anthem. Swinging through the financial district as a giant Sandman crushes cars below him in Spider-Man 2. Few mechanics in gaming feel as good as superhuman traversal. One of the most electrifying examples of superhero movement came 15 years ago when Sucker Punch launched Infamous.

Infamous--which was inspired by Batman Begins, Channel Zero, Shooting Wars, and other comic and comic adaptations--put you in control of the electrically powered superhuman Cole MacGrath. The city he fought to protect--or sometimes abuse if you chose that moral path--was also his source of power.Continue Reading at GameSpot


https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fantastic-movement-in-superhero-games-came-long-before-spider-man/1100-6523711/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

2024’s best Metroidvania Animal Well might not get a sequel, but its creator wants to make another game in the same 8-bit universe

In a year already bursting with killer Metroidvanias to sink into, Animal Well managed to tower over its competition and became the year’s second-best-reviewed game when it came out earlier this month. Now, as players are mopping up the minimalist world's last remaining secrets, the game's creator is turning his gaze toward an Animal Well follow-up, which may or may not be a proper sequel.

Animal Well takes players across a sparse, knotted world full of wildlife to unravel both one-and-done puzzles and mysteries that linger throughout the entire game. One of the game's most elaborate mysteries, the time capsule, was solved by dedicated players without datamining, a feat that creator Billy Basso found "extremely impressive" in his AMA on the Nintendo Switch subreddit. "They solved it legitimately way faster than I ever could have imagined."

With the game's biggest headscratchers out of the way, all eyes are on whatever Billy Basso does next, and thankfully for fans of the 8-bit labyrinth, that might be another game set in the zootopian world. While the game might receive some "minor bug fixes" via updates, "there will never be any DLC for Animal Well," according to Billy Basso, "If I do work on something else related to it, it will be a new game."

The solo developer then revealed he's "currently planning to make a game that will be in the same universe but may not be a direct sequel." What that means is anyone’s guess - Another genre? A new perspective? A different playable critter? - though Billy Basso said he "cannot say" anything more. 

"There is lore that I had in mind while making the game, including some very specific details that the community hasn’t pieced together yet," Billy Basso added, so players better grab their toys and descend into the well once more - there are still Easter Eggs to hunt down there, and they might even clue us into whatever's happening next in the Animal Well kingdom. 

After making a game with a file size so tiny it was dwarfed by its own PS5 background, Animal Well's developer says "I didn't do anything clever."


https://www.gamesradar.com/games/platformer/2024s-best-metroidvania-animal-well-might-not-get-a-sequel-but-its-creator-wants-to-make-another-game-in-the-same-8-bit-universe/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Helldivers 2’s next update will begin to reverse some controversial weapons nerfs, but won’t be “the patch to rule all other patches”

Fan favorite Helldivers 2 weapons have been contending with some brutal nerfs lately, making the bug-squashing, bot-destroying, democracy-spreading shooter slightly duller for some players. Developer Arrowhead Studios admitted things went a little too far in its quest for balance, and it now sounds like some changes are getting reversed in the next patch.

Community manager Twinbeard jumped into the game's Discord channel to give a brief (and still vague) overview of what’s incoming in the next patch: "There'll be some balancing, some new stuff, some improved stuff." Arrowhead recently made divisive changes to how often enemy patrols would spawn too, which is also receiving a "reversion in the next patch."

"More details than that and someone would have my head. Or beard," Twinbeard said since anything more teaser-y could "so easily lead to wild speculation," and there's enough of that going around already thanks to conspiracies about The Illuminate's return.

On the team's decision to take more time in between patches, the community manager explained that "it's mostly us wanting to cool things down a bit and take our time with things since they were moving too quickly, which had an effect on quality." Taking more time between the latest and upcoming patches will "likely remain the case going forward" so the team can work on balance patches for longer and avoid accidentally breaking fun bug-squishing tools. "This does not mean this will be the patch to rule all other patches," he added, though it does sound like the next patch will start to roll the nerfing carpet back quite soon. 

Helldivers 2 players have been begging for an in-game PSA after learning online that certain planets grant liberation boosts after a defeat.


https://www.gamesradar.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2s-next-update-will-begin-to-reverse-some-controversial-weapons-nerfs-but-wont-be-the-patch-to-rule-all-other-patches/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Jason Voorhees Gets A Dedicated MultiVersus Trailer

Jason, alongside Agent Smith from The Matrix, had a cameo in the last MultiVersus trailer, but now he is the star. The footage shows off his moveset, like hitting opponents with a machete, collapsing them in a camp bunk bed, and hitting them with a sleeping bag stuffed with the body of another player. You also get a look at at least one of his alternate costumes.





MultiVersus is a free-to-play game and will launch on May 28 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 



For more, read Game Informer's MultiVersus review after its first launch back in 2022, and then check out Joker's MultiVersus gameplay and his Batman Who Laughs alternate costume. 



Are you jumping back into MultiVersus next week when it launches? Let us know in the comments below!


https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/05/23/jason-voorhees-gets-a-dedicated-multiversus-trailer?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

First Sonic 3 poster features Keanu Reeves’ Shadow looming large

We’ve been waiting patiently for the first morsel of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 marketing and, finally, here it is.

A month after the Knuckles series premiered on Paramount Plus, one attendee at the License Expo in Las Vegas spotted a poster for Sonic 3 – with Keanu Reeves’ Shadow taking pride of place.


Here you go! pic.twitter.com/NR7byH0qhaMay 22, 2024See more


Unfortunately for those excited about this ‘new’ look at Sonic 3, it appears to be anything but. The renders of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all seem to be models used from the second movie, while the giant shot of Shadow looks to be ripped directly from the moment the character made his film debut during the Sonic 2 post-credits scene.

Still, it’s a sign that things are slowly but surely ramping up for Sonic 3. Set to speed into cinemas on December 20, 2024, the threequel features the return of Ben Schwartz’ Sonic alongside Colleen O'Shaughnessey’s Tails and Idris Elba’s Knuckles. Keanu Reeves will reportedly join the cast as Shadow, but Idris Elba is keeping schtum about the new addition.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Sonic 3 producer Toby Ascher confirmed that the movie "takes a lot" from Sonic Adventure 2, the 2001 title that featured the first appearance of Shadow the Hedgehog.

"It’s going to be this giant, fun, incredible movie that obviously takes a lot from Sonic Adventure 2 and some of the games that I know the core Sonic Team grew up loving," Ascher said. He added that Sonic 3 is "probably the most exciting thing that we’ve done in the franchise." Big talk coming from someone who just put together a Knuckles rock opera.

Need more? Then you’ve gotta go fast to our ranking of best Sonic games. Then, take a look ahead to this year’s biggest releases with this guide to upcoming movies.


https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/comedy-movies/sonic-3-poster-shadow-first-look/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Sony CEO says although AI "has been used for creation," it's "not a substitute for human creativity"

Sony's chairman and president has said AI is "not a substitute for human creativity."

May 23 saw Sony's corporate strategy meeting presentation, which you can see in full just below. At around the 43 minute mark, Sony chairman and president Kenichiro Yoshida spoke briefly about game creation, including game engines, and implementing AI, but decried AI being used to entirely replace creativity, artists, and people.

"AI, which has recently evolved significantly, has been used for creation," Yoshida said. "AI can also be considered for computing technology. AI is not a substitute for human creativity. We position it as a technology that supports creativity. Creativity resides in people. We will continue to contribute to people's creativity through technology," the CEO added.



Yoshida also said that Sony wants to "nurture the next generation of creators" by setting up communities in which creatives can gather. The CEO added that Sony has been working for the past six years to "strengthen creative efforts," and the screen behind Yoshida used releases such as Helldivers 2, The Boys spin-off Gen V, and the Gran Turismo movie as examples.

Plenty of corporate bosses in the gaming industry have been speaking on AI of late. Earlier this month for example, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says he expected a lot from generative AI in the company's games, believing they would make them feel "more alive and richer." EA boss Andrew Wilson doubled down on the company's commitment to AI, believing more than 50% of EA's development process would be impacted by AI.

All this doesn't mean that Sony is steering clear of AI entirely. Just earlier this month, a Sony corporate strategy write-up said that the company would be "extending the creativity of creators with AI represented by 'Gran Turismo Sophy,' a racing AI agent that enhances the value of the experience within the game space." Sony also said that it "intends to continue to promote research and development in this area, alongside social implementation."

Take a look over our upcoming PS5 games guide for an overview of all the exclusives Sony has on the horizon.


https://www.gamesradar.com/games/sony-ceo-says-although-ai-has-been-used-for-creation-its-not-a-substitute-for-human-creativity/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Netflix releases first look at new Witcher after Henry Cavill left for Warhammer 40K

The Witcher season four teaser.


It has been a tumultuous run for Netflix's popular adaptation of The Witcher novels and games. A series of setbacks and controversies led to a long delay after the show lost its star, Henry Cavill. Now a brief season four teaser gives us our first look at Cavill's replacement in the role of Geralt of Rivia, Liam Hemsworth.


The video above reveals little about the direction for the season beyond establishing that, yes, Hemsworth is now Geralt, and here's what it looks like. He looks the part, though it's hard for some fans to imagine him matching Cavill's pitch-perfect presence and delivery for the character.


See, Cavill is famously a passionate gamer. He's talked at length about his deep fandom of Warhammer 40K, his experiences playing World of Warcraft, and yes, his experiences with 2015's immensely popular open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. He even has appeared in a video building a gaming PC.

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https://arstechnica.com/?p=2026264&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The Witcher Season 4 Teaser Provides First Look At Liam Hemsworth As Geralt

We’ve known since October 2022 that Season 3 of Netflix’s The Witcher would be actor Henry Cavill’s last as Geralt of Rivia and that Liam Hemsworth would don the silvery mane going forward. Today, Netflix released the first teaser trailer for Season 4 giving fans their first look at Hemsworth in the role.





Unfortunately, Hemsworth doesn’t speak in the brief clip, so we still don’t know how his Geralt voice compares to Cavill’s (or the games, for that matter). But he definitely doesn’t look out of place as the White Wolf and, hopefully, won’t be too much of a distraction in this new season.



Season 4 is currently in production in the UK and will be filmed back-to-back with Season 5, which will also be the show's finale. It has no release date but is speculated to premiere in 2025. These last two seasons will cover the three remaining Witcher books: Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake. The returning cast includes Anya Chalotra (Yennifer) and Freya Allan (Ciri). 



For more on The Witcher games, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt got its official PC mod tools this week. Read all about it here. 


https://www.gameinformer.com/gamer-culture/2024/05/22/the-witcher-season-4-teaser-provides-first-look-at-liam-hemsworth-as?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Hunt: Showdown's New-Gen Console Update Arrives In August, Rendering Last-Gen Versions Unplayable

Crytek has announced the release date for Hunt: Showdown’s new-gen update, which will also conclude support for the current console versions. This update was first announced last September and will essentially force last-gen players to migrate to current consoles to continue playing the popular shooter. 



In a developer update, general manager David Fifield announced that the CryEngine 5.11 Update will go live on August 15. This update is treated as a “significant relaunch” that brings native PS5/Xbox Series X/S support along with a host of technical improvements. However, it also means the PS4 and Xbox One versions will become unplayable.



That means these players must upgrade to current hardware to continue playing their copies of the game. Crytek assures these players that if they decide to upgrade, player accounts, entitlements, and all owned DLC will transfer to the new-gen version for no extra cost. 





In addition to technical improvements, the 5.11 Update also introduces a new map and biome. In the months leading to 5.11’s launch, Crytek plans to address community and survey feedback. That includes improved reporting systems to address cheating and toxic player behavior, design reworks tackling hunter revival, health chunks, restorations, burning down hunters, and reducing stalemates. The game is also getting a new user interface, and Crytek will continue evolving the game's recruitment and prestige progression requirements. 



Hunt: Showdown first launched for Xbox and PC in 2019, with the PS4 version arriving in 2020. The PvPvE first-person shooter is set in 1865 Louisiana as players, either alone or with two or three friends, hunt supernatural bounties in the bayou while fending off other player-controlled bounty hunters. 



For more on Crytek, you can read about the studio's next big project, Crysis 4. 


https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/05/22/hunt-showdowns-new-gen-console-update-arrives-in-august-rendering-last-gen-versions?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Destiny 2 patch notes for The Final Shape's abilities and armor changes are so big they would have been one of the biggest posts in Bungie's 33-year history

Destiny 2's patch notes for The Final Shape's abilities and armor tuning would have been so huge that, at over 9,000 words, it would have been one of the biggest articles Bungie's ever published. Thankfully, that means it's being split up.

Bungie announces in the short tweet thread below that it was preparing an article covering all the ability and armor tuning changes coming up in The Final Shape expansion, which launches next month on June 4. The article would have been so big, at over 9,000 words, that it would have been one of the largest ever published by Bungie, so the developer has split it up.


We've been preparing a preview article for the abilities and armor tuning coming in The Final Shape. With so many changes to cover, this was one of the largest articles we've ever written at around 9k words. So, we've decided to split it up. Here is what to expect this week. 1/3May 21, 2024See more


As a result, the 'Abilities Tuning Preview' article will go live later today on Wednesday, May 22, at 10 am PT/1 pm ET/6 pm BST, while the 'Exotic Armor Tuning Preview' will go live tomorrow on Thursday, May 23, at the same time. 'This Week in Destiny,' the standard Bungie-published article looking at the state of the shooter every week, will go live one hour after the latter article hits the developer's website.

So, what can you expect from both the articles? The abilities-focused article will cover all changes coming to Dark and Light subclasses in The Final Shape, whereas it sounds like the armor-focused article will be focusing on the Exotic brand of gear in Destiny 2 only. Don't expect the latter article to branch out with a full armor overview for The Final Shape, in other words.

"It's going to be a fun week," Bungie adds in the final tweet. A lot of the Twitter responses are really jazzed about the 9,000-word count, but it is worth remembering that the article Bungie is referring to with that word count no longer exists - it's been split up into the two articles we'll be reading both today and tomorrow. Still, those should be two hefty articles by anyone's count.

Check out our Destiny 2 Exotic Class Item for Prismatic builds guide in The Final Shape when it launches next month. 


https://www.gamesradar.com/games/fps/destiny-2-patch-notes-for-the-final-shapes-abilities-and-armor-changes-are-so-big-they-would-have-been-one-of-the-biggest-posts-in-bungies-33-year-history/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Dark Matter showrunner says star Joel Edgerton came up with *that* big change from the book

Warning: Dark Matter episode 4 spoilers below!

Dark Matter creator and showrunner Blake Crouch says it was Joel Edgerton who came up with the show's biggest change from the book.

"About two years ago, shortly after we had cast Joel Edgerton, we met in LA for a Dark Matter 'summit' for four days to go over the first four scripts and to talk about the rest of it. It was an idea that Joel had – it really changed, in a lot of ways, the depth of the show," Crouch tells GamesRadar+.

"He said, 'I think that Jason shouldn't just be trying to get back to this perfect world. It would be so much more powerful for me playing this character if he wants to get back to his family, even in spite of like, some pretty intense trauma that happened in that family's history.' And it was such a brilliant note. It was one of those light bulb moments and it didn't just affect one thing. It affects the whole middle part and end of the show and gave it a depth it wouldn't have had otherwise."

The series is an adaptation of Crouch's novel of the same name, which stars Edgerton as Jason Desson, a scientist and family man who gets kidnapped by an alternate-universe version of himself. In the novel, Jason's family consists of his wife Daniela and his son Charlie – and he spends the duration of the book trying to find a way home to them. In the series, we learn that Jason had two children: Max and Charlie. 

After Daniela gave birth to the twins, Max suffered complications and passed away during surgery. The heartbreaking addition to the story does exactly what Edgerton said it would do: it makes Jason's journey that much more meaningful. It drives home the point that Jason's idea of utopia is anywhere his family is, and it contrasts with Jason 2's more sinister, selfish nature.

Dark Matter episode 4 is streaming on Apple TV Plus. For more, check out our chat with Blake Crouch about helming his own novel adaptation.


https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-shows/dark-matter-showrunner-says-star-joel-edgerton-came-up-with-that-big-change-from-the-book/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Microsoft Copilot will watch you play Minecraft, tell you what you’re doing wrong

Enlarge / In the recent past, you'd have to rely on your kid sibling to deliver Minecraft commentary like "Oh no, it's a zombie. Run!" (credit: Microsoft)




Longtime gamers (and/or Game Grumps fans) likely know that even single-player games can be a lot more fun with a friend hanging out nearby to offer advice, shoot the breeze, or just offer earnest reactions to whatever's happening on screen. Now, Microsoft is promising that its GhatGPT-4o-powered Copilot system will soon offer an imitation of that pro-social experience even for Minecraft players who don't have any human friends available to watch them play.


In a pair of social media posts Monday, Microsoft highlighted how "real-time conversations with your AI companion copilot" can enhance an otherwise solitary Minecraft experience. In the first demo, the disembodied copilot voice tells the player how to craft a sword, walking him through the process of gathering some wood or stone to go with the sticks sitting in his inventory. In another, the AI identifies a zombie in front of the player and gives the (seemingly obvious) advice to run away from the threat and "make sure it can't reach you" by digging underground or building a tower of blocks.



Real time conversations with your AI companion Copilot, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o. pic.twitter.com/Ug7EWv2sah


— Microsoft Copilot (@MSFTCopilot) May 20, 2024


These kinds of in-game pointers aren't the most revolutionary use of conversational AI—even a basic in-game tutorial/reference system or online walkthrough could deliver the same basic information, after all. Still, the demonstration stands out for just how that information is delivered to the player through a natural language conversation that doesn't require pausing the gameplay even briefly.

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https://arstechnica.com/?p=2025917&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Jason Voorhees And Agent Smith Join MultiVersus In Villain-Themed Season 1

Earlier this month, Warner Bros. and Player First Games announced they would be adding iconic Batman villain The Joker to the MultiVersus roster when it relaunches on May 28. Today, two more villainous additions--Friday The 13th's Jason Voorhees and The Matrix's Agent Smith--were revealed via a new launch trailer.

The trailer highlights matchups between previously featured members of the roster, like Finn from Adventure Time teaming with Velma from Scooby Doo and Wonder Woman doing battle with alternate versions of herself. The scene then shifts to the throne room from Game of Thrones, where The Joker taunts the heroes flanked by Jason and Agent Smith.

Jason Voorhees is making his second-ever guest appearance in a fighting game, after he featured as a downloadable character in 2015's Mortal Kombat X. Agent Smith, meanwhile, has only featured in four video games total since the debut of The Matrix, with the most recent being a cameo appearance in Lego Dimensions as part of the Lego Batman Movie pack.Continue Reading at GameSpot


https://www.gamespot.com/articles/jason-voorhees-and-agent-smith-join-multiversus-in-villain-themed-season-1/1100-6523560/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Baldur's Gate 3 Dev Larian Opens New Studio As Development On Two 'Very Ambitious' RPGs Continues

Larian Studios, the team behind last year's Baldur's Gate 3, has opened a new studio in Warsaw, Poland. Larian Studios Warsaw is the developer-publisher's seventh studio worldwide, and joins others in Barcelona, Dublin, Gent, Guildford, Kuala Lumpur, and Quebec. 



"With two very ambitious RPGs now starting development, what better way to see our visions realized than by growing our team and opening a 7th studio in the heart of Poland's lively gaming scene," the company's announcement post on X (formerly) Twitter reads. 





As for what those two RPGs are, don't expect a sequel to Baldur's Gate 3. Despite winning countless awards last year, including Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023, Larian's CEO revealed back in March that the studio is done with both Baldur's Gate 3 – so no expansions – and the Baldur's Gate series in general. 



Over on a separate blog post about Larian Studios Warsaw, the company talks about its plans with seven worldwide studios open now. 



"Larian Studios set up base in one of the greatest RPG development hubs in the world – Poland, where we opened our doors in the historic city of Warsaw," the blog post reads. "Like its sister studios across the globe, Larian Studios Warsaw is dedicated to fostering an environment where developers can thrive creatively and reclaim their agency. Systems-heavy RPGs need best-in-class developers; that's why we've put the people who build those systems at the center of our culture." 



For more, read Game Informer's Baldur's Gate 3 review, and then find out why it's on Game Informer's list of the top 10 RPGs to play right now. 



What kind of RPG do you hope Larian Studios makes next? Let us know in the comments below!


https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/05/20/baldurs-gate-3-dev-larian-opens-new-studio-as-development-on-two-very-ambitious?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

After 35 years, the silliest debate about one of the most beloved NES games has finally been settled by the original director

For 35 years, English-speaking NES gamers have been debating one important topic: how do you pronounce the name of the Bubble Lead weapon from Mega Man 2? Now, all these years later, the game's original director has put the issue to rest.

The second word of Bubble Lead, of course, could be pronounced either 'led,' as in the metal, or 'leed,' as in guiding someone forward. The correct pronunciation here was the subject of no end of schoolyard debates, but now, finally, long-retired director Akira Kitamura has weighed in.

"'Lead' means to guide," Kitamura says in a Twitter response (Google translated) to a fan asking about the pronunciation. "It is a weapon that crawls along the ground and senses danger ahead. It is not made of lead." You can now feel free to call up your old childhood friends and settle the old fights once and for all. (Or keep silent and never speak of it again, if you were a 'lead as in metal' person.)

Technically, this debate was solved before it even actually began, since in the game's original Japanese version, the transcription of the English word left no doubt that it was 'lead' as in 'guide.' But, as Protodude of Mega Man fansite Rockman Corner notes, "access to the JPN game+manual, which prevented fans from confirming the usage of 'リ－ド' and 'Lead', was severely limited from 1989~the 90s. Even then, English-speaking had sparse access to that info online. Thus the 'Lead' versus 'Led' debate continued."

There's a reason why Mega Man 2 is still regarded as one of the best NES games of all time. 


https://www.gamesradar.com/games/platformer/after-35-years-the-silliest-debate-about-one-of-the-most-beloved-nes-games-has-finally-been-settled-by-the-original-director/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Jodie Comer teases "emotional" 28 Years Later script, and says it's "so exciting" to work with Danny Boyle on the horror movie sequel

Jodie Comer is "so incredibly excited" to start working with director Danny Boyle on his new 28 Days Later movie 28 Years Later – but she's "terrified" of saying anything more about the project than that...

In the new issue of Total Film, which is out on Thursday May 23, and features Twisters on the cover, the Killing Eve star took some time out of promoting Jeff Nichols' period-set drama The Bikeriders to tease her involvement in the zombie horror. 

"Having met Danny, he's incredibly sure and confident and innovative. As an actor to be on a set with someone like that who's leading the charge is so exciting," Comer says. "I remember seeing 28 Days Later and I was so struck with how it was so rooted in reality, and it was more about the exploration of us as a species and our behavior and how we react. 

"It felt like there was a lot of emotional truth within the film that really anchored it. That's also what I felt when I read this script."


(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)


* Pre-order the Twisters issue of Total Film





A follow-up to post-apocalyptic outing 28 Weeks Later, which took place almost six months after the events of franchise opener 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later will be released globally by Sony, and follow a new group of survivors as they try to navigate the fallout from an aggression-inducing virus almost three decades on from its initial outbreak. Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will join Comer, who's no stranger to apocalypse stories having recently appeared in The End We Start From, onscreen. 

Boyle will direct, working from a script from Civil War's Alex Garland, while The Marvels' Nia DaCosta is geared up to helm the second installment in the new trilogy. Who'll oversee the third flick has yet to be confirmed.

Elsewhere, The Bikeriders, which was inspired by a photo-book of the same name, tracks the rise of a Midwestern motorcycle club in the 1960s. Elvis standout Austin Butler stars as charismatic member Benny, who sets out to impress leader Johnny (Tom Hardy). Elsewhere, Comer plays Benny's love interest Kathy. Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, and The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus round out the cast.

28 Years Later has yet to start filming, let alone pin down a release date, but we'll be sure to keep you posted. The Bikeriders, however, is out on June 21, and you can read more about it (and a whole lot else besides) in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, May 23.

Check out the covers below:


(Image credit: Future)


Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it's in stores, and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers. 


(Image credit: Future)


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Peter Jackson messaged Richard Armitage to ask if he needed money when he saw his stolen The Hobbit sword for sale online

The Hobbit star Richard Armitage has revealed that his character's sword from the movies was stolen – and he didn't realize until Peter Jackson saw it listed for sale online and messaged him to ask if he needed money. 

When asked what his most memorable end-of-shoot gift is, Armitage tells Total Film, "Orcrist, the sword from The Hobbit. I just did not expect to be gifted the original sword from the shoot." The actor played Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Company of Dwarves, in The Lord of the Rings prequel trilogy. 

"Actually, I had it in a lock-up and it got stolen, and someone was trying to sell it," he continues in our new issue out on Thursday, May 23, which features Twisters on the cover. "Peter [Jackson, the director] pulled me aside and said, 'Are you hard up for money?' I was like, 'What are you talking about?' He said, 'Your sword’s for sale online.' So I had to go through this whole thing of getting the police involved, but we got the sword back. Now it’s on a shelf in a very prominent place."

Armitage's next project is The Boy in the Woods, a historical drama about a boy having to fend for himself in the forests of Poland during the Second World War. 


* Pre-order the Twisters issue of Total Film





The Boy in the Woods is released on digital on May 27. And you can read more about it and a whole lot else besides in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, May 23.

Check out the covers below:


(Image credit: Future)


Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it's in stores, and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers. 


(Image credit: Future)


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Undertale mastermind Toby Fox says Deltarune is still far away, but "We haven't burned out making it yet! Actually, the opposite!! We're on fire!! A lot!! Ouch!!"

Undertale's solo developer Toby Fox has given an update on the next few Deltarune chapters, clarifying that development is going well but the "release date is still quite far."

Deltarune has had quite an unconventional release for an RPG. You might remember that the first chapter was released for free back in 2018 with the second following in 2021. There are currently three more chapters in development at the same time, though chapters 3 and 4 are launching together, with the former "pretty much content complete."

That means we're just waiting for chapter 4 to be done before we return to the retro world. "Chapter 4 development is going better than ever," Fox wrote in a recent newsletter. "We are on track to meet our internal deadline… I feel really good about this, champ." Chapter 4 is also almost content complete, but Fox says the real time-sink comes from the polishing stages. "(This takes an unknown amount of time.)"

"Despite the game making great progress, we can't discuss the release date yet," Fox continues. "Even if Chapter 4 is completed smoothly, there may be surprise factors, so we're not at the point where we can make a solid promise… I can't wait for you guys to see more of the moments and characters I’ve had in my head for the past 8 years."

"I don't want anyone to burn out waiting for this… But… we haven't burned out making it yet! Actually, the opposite!! We’re on fire!! A lot!! Ouch!!"

While we wait, check out the upcoming indie games of 2024 and beyond.


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Free Stars, sequel to the 1992 open-world game that inspired Mass Effect, smashes its Kickstarter campaign over 600% funded

The founders of Toys For Bob are making a sequel to their 1992 open world space game and it's just ended its crowdfunding campaign over 600% past its funding goal. 

Free Stars: Children of Infinity is a sequel to Star Control 2, the classic game in which you captain a ship across the galaxy, shoot at enemies from a top-down perspective, and talk to funky aliens with a branching dialog tree allowing you to change your relationships with them. You might mistake that description for Mass Effect at a squint, and you'd be forgiven, because Star Control actually inspired a lot of what that classic trilogy went on to do.

Former BioWare veteran Mike Laidlaw previously talked about how Star Control 2’s "inspiration is all over the Mass Effect series," in an interview with Hardcore Gaming 101. "Rich stories, featuring a human who finds themselves thrust into a galactic conflict against dire, overwhelming foes bent on universal extinction is a great common theme. And of course we can't forget the Mako, which was a direct nod to the lander gameplay of Star Control II." 

Seeing a series with that kind of impact return with its original creator in tow was enough to draw around 6,785 backers to the upcoming game's Kickstarter campaign, which smashed past its initial $100,000 funding goal in just three hours and has since raised over $680,000. 

Backers also unlocked several stretch goals that promise to add interior gameplay, more ships, melee, and additional languages to the game, as well as console ports in the future. The only stretch goal left unmet was a $4.4 million target to make the game completely open source, which is actually what happened to Star Control 2 back in the day, and as our Dustin Bailey explained, that's also what led to a legal dispute between trademark owner Accolade and developers Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford - hence, why this crowdfunded sequel isn't called Star Control: [insert space-themedsubtitle].

Here’s everything we know about Mass Effect 5. 


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