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Updated: 3 days 21 hours ago

Astro Bot Director Advocates For Making Small Games, Arguing Quality Over Quantity

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 07:02

The developer behind Astro Bot has a handbook for all new employees that contains the following phrase: "We aim for quality, not quantity." Team Asobi studio director Nicolas Doucet showed off this slogan at a Game Developers Conference session last week, where he argued, "It's okay to make a small game."

GameDeveloper reports that Doucet shared how this approach helped Team Asobi thrive with Astro Bot, one of GameSpot's 10 best games of 2024. Additionally, the 3D platformer has racked up nominations and awards at GDC and the DICE Awards. "The prospect of a game you can actually complete is a really, really positive argument [for small games]," Doucet said. "That meant being okay with the game being 12 hours, but if it had been eight hours--and the eight hours were fantastic--we would have settled for that to reach consistent quality."

Following a "less is more" approach helped Team Asobi keep Astro Bot from ballooning in all sorts of ways. For instance, Doucet reportedly told audience members that the game's narrative has fewer than 5,000 words and cinematics top out at roughly 12-and-a-half minutes. This means players are in control over 98% of the time in Astro Bot.

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CoD: Warzone Devs Shows Off "Faithful" Recreation Of Verdansk

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 06:21

Verdansk returns to Call of Duty: Warzone next month. Ahead of the release, Activision has shared a new video to reveal that Infinity Ward's original Verdansk map has been completely rebuilt from the ground up with new technology, but it still aims to be faithful to the original design.

Warzone launched with Verdansk five years ago, and now players will get to experience the map with improved visuals and lighting, as shown in the video below.

Activision reveals that the remake of Verdansk is a collaboration between Beenox, High Noon Studios, and Raven Software developers, with the intention to capture the original map with the new technology that's now available.

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Forza Motorsport Brings Back Legendary Track For 20th Anniversary

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 06:19

Turn 10 has announced that the track Fujimi Kaido will be making a return in Forza Motorsport in May to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary.

The track is a fictional closed course circuit set in Japan, in the town of Fujimi, in the Nagano Prefecture. Fujimi Kaido debuted in the first Forza Motorsport in 2005, and appeared in Forza Motorsport 3 as well as 4. Turn 10 has been recreating the track in 2023's Forza Motorsport since the game's launch, and this updated version stretches 10.24 miles (16.5 km). It has 144 extreme turns and a 27,111 ft summit (826 meters).

Turn 10 also said that this it'll be adding more anniversary content in Forza Motorsport, including some highly requested and fan-favorite cars, as well as more unlockable driver suits and special events.

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Pick Up Mission: Impossible 4K Steelbook Blu-Rays For $15 At Amazon

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 06:11

A bunch of Paramount 4K Blu-rays were on sale earlier this month, including a handful of Mission: Impossible steelbooks. Unfortunately, these deals quickly sold out at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you missed the price cuts, Amazon is bringing back most of the Mission: Impossible offers with its new Big Spring Sale, giving you a chance to save on Mission: Impossible 4K Blu-ray steelbooks through March 31. Three of the four restocked Mission: Impossible 4K steelbook edition Blu-rays are available for $15: Mission: Impossible 1, Mission: Impossible 3, and Mission: Impossible 5 - Rogue Nation. These typically cost $26, and their new price of $15 is the lowest we've ever seen. The Mission: Impossible 6: Fallout 4K Steelbook Edition Blu-ray is also in stock and available for $17.49 (was $31).

Mission: Impossible 1 and Mission: Impossible 3 Steelbooks

Along with gorgeous steelbooks to store and protect your Blu-rays, they include heaps of bonus features like commentary from Tom Cruise, various documentaries, a look at how the stunts were performed for the films, and more.

It's worth noting that the 4K Steelbook Editions for Mission: Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One are all sold out at the time of writing, but it's still worth checking Amazon's listings in case they're also restocked.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows Dev Shares Heartfelt Message Following Game's Huge Launch

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 05:56

The Assassin's Creed Shadows development team at Ubisoft has released a heartfelt statement following the launch of the game. In a post on Reddit, the studio said many on the development team spent the launch weekend reading fan reactions, and the team is feeling the love.

"We just want to say thank you. The sheer amount of love and positivity we've received has been incredibly heartwarming," Ubisoft said. "Seeing your excitement, your thoughtful reactions, and your joy has meant the world to us. After years of hard work, there's nothing more rewarding than watching the community connect with what we've created."

Also in the post, Ubisoft said its staffers won't be able to reply directly to every message, but assured fans that "we're listening."

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Dune: Awakening Isn't Early Access, But Will Let You Pay To Play Early

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 05:45

Dune: Awakening, Funcom's upcoming survival MMO set in an alternate version of author Frank Herbert's legendary sci-fi universe, will buck the trend of many survival games by not launching in an early-access state when it arrives for PC on May 20. Nor will it have any kind of subscription fee, as some MMOs do.

Creative director Joel Bylos delivered the news in a recent video, diving into Funcom's post-launch plans for the sci-fi survival game.

"The key things that you need to know about Dune: Awakening's launch are that it will not launch in early access and it will not have a monthly subscription," Bylos said. "It will receive regular free updates, including new content, new features, and quality-of-life improvements."

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Best 4K Blu-Rays & Box Sets In Amazon's B2G1 Free Big Spring Sale

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 04:29

Amazon's Big Spring Sale includes a massive Buy Two, Get One Free promotion on movies, books, toys, and more. Movies and TV show box sets tend to be among the most popular items during these sales, but it's not necessarily easy to sift through the chaos. To help you score some 4K Blu-rays and box sets for great prices, we've put together alphabetized lists with dozens of notable movies and TV shows eligible for B2G1 free. As always, you simply need to add three products that are tagged "Savings: Get 3 for the price of 2" to your cart. It's a mix-and-match sale, so you can pair two Blu-rays with a book, for example. At checkout, Amazon applies discounts to all of the items, and those discounts add up to the value of the cheapest eligible product.

See all B2G1 Free Blu-rays B2G1 Free Movies on 4K Blu-ray at AmazonAkira / Lord of the Rings Trilogy / Kill Bill Vol. 1

Amazon's Big Spring B2G1 Free Sale is its biggest of the year thus far, offering an eclectic mix of genres across film and television. The promotion even features some recently released 4K Blu-rays, including Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Jackie Brown as well as the horror hit Nosferatu. Anime fans, meanwhile, can get the new Akira Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray), Attack on Titan: Final Season - Part 3 (Blu-ray), and Steelbook Editions of Yu-Gi-Oh and One Piece movies.

Speaking of steelbooks, Amazon's sale includes a nice assortment of 4K Steelbook Editions of older classics and cult hits such as The Blob, Hackers, and Point Break. Recently released 4K Steelbook Editions of great films like Alien: Romulus, Tommy Boy, and more are eligible for the promotion, too.

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Grab Dozens Of 4K Blu-Rays For $13 Or Less During Amazon's Spring Sale

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 03:25

Amazon's Big Spring Sale has arrived, offering steep discounts on dozens of 4K Blu-ray movies. Frugal shoppers will find plenty of 4K Blu-rays on sale for $13 or less, so it's a great time to add a few more films to your collection. You'll have until March 31 to peruse the sale and see if anything catches your eye--but since everything from The Lion King to The Big Lebowski is included in the event, there's bound to be something of interest.

See More Blu-ray Deals at Amazon

A bunch of animated movies are part of the event, including the aforementioned The Lion King. Typically sold for $35, you can pick it up for just $13. You could also pick up Toy Story 4 for $8.55 (was $9.64) or Lightyear for $11.08 (was $35). Another Disney classic, The Little Mermaid, is discounted to the great price of $12 (was $39), and since it's packed with bonus features like a Sing-Along Mode, interviews with the cast and crew, and other behind-the-scenes footage, it's an excellent choice for longtime fans.

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The Art of Marvel Snap Is Discounted And Eligible For Amazon's B2G1 Free Sale

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 03:04

If you've ever wanted to see how Marvel Snap's stylish art direction was developed, you'll want to check out the new art book, The Art of Marvel Snap. The book is available now and discounted to $45 (was $50), and it's part of a B2G1 free sale at Amazon.

The Art of Marvel Snap $45 (was $50)

Marvel Snap is one of the best mobile free-to-play games of recent memory, thanks to its killer combo of easy-to-learn TCG gameplay and cool card designs. While many of Marvel Snap's cards use art directly from the comic book source material, there are also plenty featuring original art created specifically for the game. The Art of Marvel Snap is a full-color, detailed hardcover collection that recently launched on March 18. It showcases many of the original card illustrations along with commentary from developer Second Dinner on the development process.

See at Amazon

The Art of Marvel Snap looks to be a great choice for fans of the game or the Marvel Universe in general, especially while it's a few dollars off. However, if you're looking to maximize your deal, you can pick it up as part of Amazon's B2G1 free sale. Dozens of books are eligible for the sale, including a selection of other Marvel artbooks, encyclopedias, and graphic novels.

With Daredevil: Born Again currently airing on Disney Plus, you can pick up the graphic novel of the same name that inspired the show, as it has been reprinted for 2025. The comic series Daredevil: Mayor Fisk was also a major influence on the series, and you can pick up a trade paperback edition of the full run for $18 (was $20). Other highlights here include Wolverine facing down one of the deadliest interstellar warriors in Predator vs. Wolverine, the Doctor Doom: Books of Doom collection, and the Dark Avengers Modern Era Epic Collection omnibus.

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Target Circle Week - Save 30% On Lego Sets

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 02:49

Target is offering big discounts on dozens of Lego sets from now until March 29, including sets from Star Wars, Disney, Marvel, and other popular collections. Over 50 Lego kits are included in the sale, and since they range from children's playsets to premium collectibles, there's a little something for everyone. Amazon is matching many of these deals, so you have a second place to shop if one retailer sells out. And because many sets are down to their best prices we've seen in months, there's a good chance that'll happen.

Note that these deals are only available to Target Circle members, but you can join Target Cricle for free and get immediate access to all the Lego discounts and the rest of Target's big Spring Sale deals.

See all Lego deals at Target Target Lego DealsMarvel Lego DealsStar Wars Lego DealsSonic Lego DealsHarry Potter Lego DealsDisney Lego DealsAddams Family Lego DealsLego Travel, Ideas, and CityGallery

One of the coolest options for Disney fans is the Lego Ideas Magic of Disney Collectible. The 1,000-brick display piece features Mickey Mouse from The Sorcerer's Apprentice along with several smaller scenes from Disney classics like Simba on Pride Rock and Lilo surfing in Lilo & Stitch. Typically $100, it's currently just $70. Other options include the Up House for $30.09 (was $43) and Walt Disney Tribute Camera for $85 (was $100).

A few different Harry Potter sets are on sale,including the Hogwarts Express & Hogsmeade Station Train Set. The 1,074-piece set is now $86.79 (was $124), and it features 8 minifigures, a buildable Hogwarts Express and tracks, and an adorable train station.

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Next Minecraft Update 1.21.5 Release Date - When Does Spring To Life Come Out?

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 02:31

During the recent Minecraft Live, players were treated to news on when the next Minecraft update will be released. Mojang has already promised more frequent updates to the blocky sandbox game, and the first one of 2025 is the Spring To Life update.

Table of Contents [hide]Next Minecraft release date

The next Minecraft update will be released on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The 1.21.5 update sees new mob variants, new audio features, and interesting plant additions.

For players using the game's Snapshots feature, where you can try out new additions in beta form, you may already be familiar with the update's contents.

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How GameStop And Used Games Inspired Shadow Of Mordor's Nemesis System

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 01:46

Earlier this year, Warner Bros. closed down Monolith, the developer behind 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its 2017 sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Those LOTR games were beloved by fans in part because of Monolith's innovative Nemesis system, an AI procedural program that allowed NPCs to remember their previous encounters with the players' character and evolve accordingly. And according to former Warner Bros. Games vice president Laura Fryer, the development of the Nemesis system was inspired in part by falling sales for Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Fryer recently shared a video on her YouTube channel [via PC Gamer] where she went into detail about her relationship with Monolith while she was employed by Warner Bros. Games. As Fryer recalls, WB was alarmed by the way sales fell from Arkham Asylum's peak, and company executives believed that millions in sales were lost when used copies of the game were sold on the secondary market including stores like GameStop.

"It all started when Rocksteady shipped Arkham Asylum in 2009," said Fryer. "It was selling great. Then suddenly sales dropped off. They could see this because the data from their game analytics revealed that more people were playing than were paying. The theory was that people would play through the game and then return the game disc to a retailer and get paid, which was very common at the time. This was great for gamers because they could buy the game and then sell it back to a company like GameStop and buy something else. It was great for GameStop because then they sold that used game for a discount and they pocketed the money. For game developers though, it was a disaster because they weren't getting paid for every game--they were only getting paid for the first copy sold. They lost millions of dollars."

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Hollow Knight Silksong Steam Metadata Change Has Fans Ready To Get Hurt Again

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 01:31

Of all of the video games announced or released in the last decade, Hollow Knight Silksong ranks among the most torturous to follow. First announced in 2019 and last seen in 2022, Silksong fans are starved for more information--and a recent change to the game's SteamDB profile is providing a temporary snack.

The Silksong SteamDB page is now reflecting a change made to the game's Steam metadata made on March 24. Specifically, the game's bio now includes an opt-in option for the Nvidia GeForce Now service--and, more importantly, a change in the store page's fine print that changes the copyright date from 2019 to 2025.

Hornet from Hollow Knight Silksong

The change has resurrected hopes of a Silksong appearance at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct livestream scheduled for April 2, as rumors swirled of the game's involvement with the Switch 2 announcement back in January. One month later, fans were alerted when the game's eShop page mysteriously disappeared, only for it to reappear later.

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How Bloodborne's Unappreciated Chalice Dungeons Paved The Way For Elden Ring

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 01:30

Bloodborne is celebrating its 10-year anniversary today, March 24, 2025. Below, we reexamine the divisive Chalice Dungeons, which have aged more gracefully in light of Elden Ring.

Ten years after release, it's fair to say that Bloodborne is considered one of the greatest PlayStation games of all time. From its nightmarish late-gate dreamscapes to its haunting enemy design, every facet of its Lovecraftian world has been dissected and torn apart by thousands of fawning YouTube videos. Still, there's one aspect of Bloodborne that's considered underwhelming by almost everyone: its Chalice Dungeons, an entire ecosystem of optional procedurally generated content that some players don't even touch.

And while the Chalice Dungeons certainly do have their problems, on balance, they're an innovative addition to the Souls formula that prefigured the sprawling side catacombs and underground gaols of Elden Ring. Considering that all of us Yharnamites are still waiting for a hypothetical Bloodborne 2 with bated breath all these years later, perhaps it's time for us to revisit this underappreciated aspect of the game with fresh eyes. We can approach it not as merely something that's good or bad, but as a system that simply provides more Bloodborne to those of us who still haven't had our fill more than a decade later.

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GTA 6 Release Date Not Being Revealed Yet Could Be Disastrous For Some, Analyst Says

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 01:21

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to be 2025's biggest release, but the game still does not have a release date. The lack of a release date could make this a stressful time for some studios, according to Newzoo's Ben Porter.

He told PC Gamer that because GTA 6 looms so large, the fate of other games and studios may depend on its release timing.

"If you're a game company who's holding its breath waiting for GTA 6 to get out, and then it gets delayed by three, four, five, six months, what do you do?" Porter said. "You either have to be able to launch into that big black hole that's been left open now, or you have to extend your run rate by an additional six months--I'm certain some companies are going to tank as a result of that, right?"

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This Custom PlayStation Crab Console Looks Great And Is Painful To Play Games On

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 01:14

The PS One was Sony's first revised PlayStation console--a slimmer and rounder machine that was impressively smaller than the original model. What it didn't have was a crustacean influence, but at long last, an enterprising illustrator and modder have rectified that issue. Using video game concept artist Anh Dong's illustration of a "PlayStacean" as a base, modder GingerofOz detailed how he turned that drawing into a working crab-themed PS One console with incredibly uncomfortable controllers.

The project kicked off with a PS One purchased through eBay, a whole lot of 3D modeling work, and 3D-printing a shell that matched Dong's art. From that starting point, GingerOfOz got to work on cleaning the original PS One's internal hardware while dealing with several design challenges to match the artwork as closely as possible. That included figuring out the claw-troller, which does work, is locked to the PlayStacean, and isn't what you'd call ergonomic.

"I've got mixed feelings about this guy. He's just so big and clunky compared to a normal PS One. Some of the little mechanisms don't work very smoothly and this crab controller feels so bad to use," GingerOfOz explained once he'd finished building the PlayStacean.

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Minecraft 2? Dev Has A Fantastic Response When Asked About It

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 00:40

Minecraft is one of the most successful video games ever, but no one should expect Mojang to release a "Minecraft 2" anytime soon, or ever. Ingela Garneij, executive producer on Minecraft Vanilla, was asked recently if the company could ever come out with a straight-up sequel.

Garneij responded to IGN: "Do you think we're going to have an Earth 2? No, no, there's no Minecraft 2."

This response is no surprise at all, as Mojang and Microsoft have said for years that there will not be a Minecraft 2, at least not soon. Mojang CEO Jonas Martensson previously said, "I can't promise forever there'll never be a Minecraft 2, but for the foreseeable future there won't be."

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Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Launches In April On PS5

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 00:28

Bethesda and MachineGames have announced that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will launch for PS5 on April 17. They also released a new trailer featuring voice actors Troy Baker and Nolan North opening up a box containing a glowing blue hue, referring to PlayStation's primary color.

Those who preorder the game will receive the Last Crusade pack, which includes a Traveling Suit outfit for Indy as well as a Lion Tamer whip. The Premium Edition comes with a digital artbook and a Temple of Doom outfit, as well as a copy of the game in either digital or physical formats. It also includes up to two days of early access and the upcoming The Order of the Giants story DLC.

The Collector's Bundle is available too. It contains the Premium Edition, a steelbook case, an adventure journal, an Allmaker replica, and a globe with hidden storage.

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This Dude Made A Dope DIY Mario Kart Track With New Lego Kits

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 00:27

Most people probably just build their Mario Kart Lego kits and then make vroom noises while moving them around a table. But not Joseph Herscher. He conjured up an impressive Rube Goldberg track that sees the mustached plumber winning a race full of pencils, strings, an ironing board, and even a moving green shell.

On YouTube, Herscher shared his impressive Mario Kart creation on his Joseph's Machines channel. The race is viewed twice in the video--seen below--from different camera perspectives. Donkey Kong faces a pretty terrible fate in the race, and how Mario overtakes Baby Luigi at the end is so cool.

The Mario Kart Lego kits came out a couple of months ago, with six different options available. Additionally, there's a 1,972-piece Mario Kart display model set to release in May for $150. It's not meant for racing but instead meant for looking awesome on your desk or shelf.

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Minecraft Going Free-to-Play "Doesn't Really Work," Mojang Says

Tue, 03/25/2025 - 00:16

Mojang has reaffirmed that it does not plan to make Minecraft a free-to-play game, because that change would not mesh well with the rest of the game.

Most games as popular as Minecraft, like Roblox and Fortnite, are available to players for free. Minecraft predates that free-to-play boom, though, and if you want to pick it up on consoles it costs $20. Speaking to IGN, Minecraft Vanilla executive producer Ingela Garneij and Game Director Agnes Larsson made it clear that there are currently no plans to make Minecraft free-to-play.

"Yeah, it doesn't really work with the way we built it," Garneij explained. "I mean we built the game for a different purpose. So monetization doesn't work in that way for us. It's a purchase of the game and then that's it. For us it's important that our game is available for as many people as possible. And so I think that's a very core value that it should be accessible for everyone. It's the best deal in the world."

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