Kingdom Hearts is such a significant part of many people's lives, but for former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, greenlighting the iconic Square Enix franchise was just another Tuesday. Eisner must have taken a trip through Castle Oblivion, because he seems to have forgotten why he approved the series.

Reporter Stephen Totilo of Game File briefly had the ear of Eisner after a panel about video game company Delphi Interactive, for which Eisner is an investor. Totilo asked the 84-year-old businessman if he recalled giving the go-ahead for Kingdom Hearts, which launched on PlayStation 2 in 2002. Eisner simply responded: "No."

Totilo says he clarified to Eisner that he was pitched the game in Tokyo and it was a crossover between Final Fantasy and Disney characters. While that jogged Eisner's memory a bit, he failed to remember why he gave Square the thumbs-up, according to Totilo.

At least one person from that Tokyo meeting remembers how it went down--per Kingdom Hearts Insider, Shuji Utsumi, then the managing director for Disney Interactive's Asia Pacific division, detailed that faithful day when he ran Kingdom Hearts by Eisner and over 100 members of management. Utsumi characterized Eisner's demeanor as that of an "ancient Chinese Emperor," and regarding the pitch for Kingdom Hearts, Eisner's response was "Keep at it, and do it right."

The origin story of the wonderful and strange Kingdom Hearts series is well-known among hardcore fans, stemming from a chance encounter between Square's Shinji Hashimoto and a Disney executive on an elevator. Even with how big the first Kingdom Hearts and its subsequent follow-ups grew, it shouldn't be too surprising that it was just a blip to Eisner, who ran the behemoth entertainment corporation from 1984 to 2005.

As for what's next for the franchise, Kingdom Hearts I-III Collection is due for release in October, though its reveal was marred by some questionable artwork. There's no word on when Kingdom Hearts 4 will come out, but with any luck, we'll hopefully receive news at next month's D23 expo.

The Best Way To Play Kingdom Hearts View Images

Epic Games has confirmed that The Simpson family, and characters from the wider world of Springfield, are returning to Fortnite.

In a social media post, the company said, "I miss my friends: Bart, Lisa, Krusty..."

A full reveal for the "Reloaded" of the Fortnite x The Simpsons event will take place on July 29, so we won't have to wait long to learn more.

https://twitter.com/Fortnite/status/2080290057270018225

The Fortnite x The Simpsons crossover event originally took place in November 2025. It was a tremendous success, helping propel Fortnite to its highest player numbers in a long time, so it's no surprise to see it come back like this.

In the original collaboration, the Fortnite map got turned into an explorable version of Springfield. That was novel for the game and helped encourage people to try it out. The crossover also led to a lot of great memes as young people discovered The Simpsons for the first time.

Additionally, Epic has confirmed that  The Simpsons is being added to the Fortnite UEFN program, which means players will be able to make “fully authentic” games based on the iconic animated show. This rolls out later this year, and you can bet that someone will make a new Hit & Run very fast.

Shigeru Miyamoto had some choice words for businesses that put profits over people, essentially saying it's a shame that the priority always seems to be short-term profits over long-term playability.

In a recent interview with Famitsu (that was machine translated by VGC), Miyamoto talked about his son, Mario the Plumber's, continued success in the face of companies who regularly chase profits. In pondering just why Mario remains so popular, Miyamoto explained that Nintendo as a company doesn't approach game development from a profit point of view but rather from one of playability.

He cited Pokemon and Splatoon as two franchises that were designed like this because, had they been created with maximizing profits in mind instead of creating fun experiences, they would've been fundamentally different games.

Miyamoto then expanded on his thoughts about Mario and how that franchise was created with physical movement as the center of the gameplay experience. Because of the simplicity of that concept, he said anyone in the world--regardless of culture or language--can enjoy a Mario game. That, to Miyamoto, is what separates Nintendo from other companies. That is also why Miyamoto finds it disappointing that the endgame for most businesses is profits instead of playability.

"So, the reason Nintendo enjoys such strong global support is simply that we don't start by asking: 'What's trending right now?' Instead, we focus on who we’re actually doing this for. Who is it that's putting up the money? I really dislike terms like 'depreciation' or 'recouping costs,'" he said. "The people funding these projects are doing it to make a fortune, so why celebrate things like 'we recouped our investment' or short-term profits? To me, if you've burned through the talents of so many people just to achieve that, that feels like a massive failure."

He underlined this point, saying that Nintendo's standard practice is what he calls the "principle of gameplay." It's the idea that, if something is unique and fun to play, it will have a longer-lasting impact on a person's life rather than something that came into existence only to satisfy shareholders or line their pockets.

"We've always focused on creating the best possible product to match the 'fun gameplay' we envision," Miyamoto continued. "I think that's the only real difference. I might sound a bit arrogant saying this [laughs], but if you make things while constantly asking 'will this make money right away?' you can't create anything truly unique or with broad appeal."

Nintendo is a business, too; there's no doubt that profits are important to maintaining the company's longevity. However, at least for Miyamoto, fun and playability come first. Maximizing profits for the company's success comes second.

It's a big day for Halo, as Halo: Campaign Evolved launches today, July 23, in early access. Beyond the excitement that normally surrounds the launch of a new Halo game, the release is especially notable because today will also be remembered as the day Halo finally came to PlayStation after more than two decades of console exclusivity on Xbox.

The sci-fi series debuted in 2001 as a launch title for the original Xbox, and the franchise has been exclusive, at least on console, to Xbox ever since--until today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sUil_Tj_OQ Why now?

Why is Halo now, after all these years, finally coming to PlayStation? According to developers, the aim is to "bring players back together" and help the franchise reach new audiences.

“There are people who have never been exposed to Halo. Maybe they’ve always been on Sony products, switched consoles at a certain point, or just missed it at the time. We want to bring players back together,” executive producer Damon Conn said.

Creative director Max Szlagor added that, “Halo is best played when we have a large, healthy community.” Releasing Halo: Campaign Evolved on PS5 is a “way to grow, expand, and reconnect the Halo community,” Szlagor said.

“We want to honor the Halo legacy on PlayStation, and we’re paving the way to expand our Halo universe–that’s how we see it,” Conn added. “And it’s not a small thing. We don’t, and we won’t, take it lightly. We definitely feel the weight of it.”

Also, money

That all may be true, but another factor at play here is money. Microsoft bringing Halo to PlayStation is also a way to make more money, and that's important for Xbox given how unhealthy the business is currently.

Microsoft's new multiplatform strategy has already helped Microsoft generate hundreds of millions of dollars bringing its games to PS5, so it's not surprising to see Microsoft bring another major franchise to a rival console.

The pivot to releasing Xbox games on rival consoles came from the Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond days, and now that they are gone, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has suggested the company will return to more exclusives.

Halo veteran Brian Jarrard said in 2025 that Halo games will be on PlayStation going forward, so Campaign Evolved may not be the last Halo game on a Sony console. Whether or not Sharma and her team could change this, however, remains to be seen.

What Halo games are coming next?

Years ago, Microsoft announced that multiple new Halo games were in development at Halo Studios, and they will be developed using Epic's Unreal Engine. Halo: Campaign Evolved is the only one that's been announced, but Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes are reportedly also in the works. Beyond those, a report said Microsoft is working on a new live-service Halo game.

For more on Campaign Evolved, check out GameSpot's breakdown of how to play with your friends across platforms. Campaign Evolved's early access starts today for people who buy the game's $70 premium edition. The standard edition ($50) unlocks on July 28. Game Pass members get the game with their subscription, but they can buy a $20 upgrade to the premium edition to start playing today.

Campaign Evolved is a remake of the original Halo, with improved graphics and features. It also includes new prequel missions. However, there is no multiplayer.

Voice actor Nick Apostolides has revealed how he prepared to play Leon Kennedy in the recent Resident Evil remakes, and part of that preparation involved listening to some iconic bands.

In a Cameo video, Apostolides said he turned to some iconic metal and grunge bands. Specifically, he said Nirvana inspired his performance as Leon in Resident Evil 2 because the "grunge, rock energy" helped him get in a good headspace to play a young Leon.

He also called out Alice in Chains (and specifically the songs "Them Bones" and "Would") as his inspiration for Resident Evil 4. The actor then turned to "super heavy" Metallica to get in the groove for Leon in Resident Evil Requiem. He said Metallica's "Orion" is his favorite song of all time, and listening to it helped him prepare to play Leon in Requiem.

https://twitter.com/RENews_X/status/2079188765730611344

Apostolides has been praised for his performance in the Resident Evil series over the years, and now he's no doubt won over new fans by revealing his fantastic taste in good music.

Lego has officially revealed its Donkey Kong Arcade set, a nostalgic throwback to one of the company's first big games. A tribute to the groundbreaking 1981 arcade hit--which starred Mario as Jumpman--the 1,371-piece set launches on August 1 and is priced at $200. It also comes with a gift in the form of an Animal Crossing kit featuring everyone's favorite landlord, Tom Nook, valued at $5, if preordered from The Lego Store.

• Amazon
• The Lego Store

Inside the box, you'll find all the pieces you need to build a nostalgic arcade cabinet. It features the original first stage of Donkey Kong, complete with scaffolding, ladders, and hammer details, and a mechanism to circulate the 21 barrels in a continuous loop. Other cool details include a function to move Jumpman with the joystick and make him jump by hitting the correct button. While you won't get any minifigures inside of it, there are pieces included to build pixel-accurate versions of Jumpman, Donkey Kong, and Lady.

Once it has been fully constructed, the set measures 15.5 inches tall, 10.5 inches wide, and has a depth of 5.5 inches. This is the latest in several Nintendo Lego sets released over the years, although several of them were recently discontinued. Last year saw the release of the Lego Nintendo Game Boy, a 1:1 scale replica of the iconic handheld that was extremely popular amongst fans.

Lego's line of Pokemon sets are also evolving, as the toy company recently announced several kits coming soon. The highlight of these new arrivals is the Lego Iconic Trainer Moments: Poke Ball, a cute replica of the signature tool used to catch Pokemon. Fans can also look forward to minifigures of Arcanine, Munchlax, and Rayquaza, as well as a scaled minifigure of Red, the original Pokemon trainer.

These will be joining several more Pokemon sets following the launch of its first three kits. Announced earlier this year, there'll be 12 sets launching with Smart Play compatibility, including Smart Play All-in-One projects like the $120 Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle display (751 pieces) and the $70 Training House Pikachu (400 pieces). Part of a new subline at Nintendo, Smart Play kits include interactive features through Smart Brick pieces, offering lights and sound interactivity.

Amongst the new releases are 10 "Smart Play Compatible" sets, which are compatible with Smart Brick pieces but do not ship with those advanced bricks like the All-in-One sets do. Some of the highlights here include the Charmander & Geodude Cavern Clash (198 pieces) and the Cubone & Gengar's Spooky Showdown (782 pieces) sets.

A new trailer for Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie has arrived, providing a new look at the scary video game adaptation.

In this new trailer, we see the medical courier Bryan (Austin Abrams) at a hospital where he takes on a new job where he must ferry organs to "Raccoon City General," a hospital "outside the zone."

The job pays double, so Bryan takes it. Then, well, everything goes badly as Bryan finds himself in a world of hell. Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNd1gb19A-c

Cregger's Resident Evil movie tells an "entirely original story" that takes place in the Resident Evil universe. Some fans have questioned this approach, saying they'd rather see one of the game's stories adapted and for the film to feature popular characters like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine.

That's not going to happen, though, and Cregger thinks fans of the game will be happy with what he creates.

"When you watch it, you'll be like, 'This is very Zach.' It's just [that] it takes place in the Resident Evil world. I don't think fans of the games are gonna be bummed," he told Entertainment Weekly.

The Resident Evil movie comes to theaters on September 18. It stars Abrams as an "idiot" medical courier named Bryan who gets mixed up in a horrifying adventure that Cregger says is akin to The Lord of the Rings.

“Not that he’s stupid, but he’s not your typical game character, with no combat skills whatsoever and completely inept at survival. Bryan is very much an everyman who happens to be burdened with this kind of sacred mission that’s going to take him into the heart of everything. It’s kind of like Frodo going into Mordor," he said.

A new firmware update for PS5 consoles has been released, and as usual, it's not much to write home about. PS5 update version: 26.04-13.60.00 once again keeps things simple, offering a very incremental enhancement to the Sony-produced hardware.

"We've improved the messages and usability on some screens," the extremely brief update notes read.

The last major PS5 update was focused on the PS5 Pro, as it introduced an upgraded version of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) for owners of the beefier machine. Beyond that, we've seen an improved Friends Activity widget, the option to check your PS5 console serial number, and a power saver mode added in older firmware updates alongside the usual rounds of stability improvements. Just in time for several highly anticipated games in August and September, like Control Resonant, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls.

While these announcements are also usually brushed off, people online are using them lately to voice their displeasure with Sony's decision to kill PlayStation game discs in 2028. Every post by the company online has been met with a flood of negative responses calling on people to boycott the system or purchase the games on a different platform, as part of a campaign to persuade the company to offer some form of physical media option in 2028 and beyond.

Is it working? Probably not, as Sony and third-party publishers are weathering the storm of criticism, as a digital-only marketplace will be much more lucrative for them in the future.

Like several other first-party Sony games, Marvel's Wolverine relied on motion-capture work to draw an authentic performance from its cast. Spartacus actor Liam McIntyre plays the iconic mutant in Insomniac's new game, and in a recent interview, he explained how the role required him to dig deep to find the feral side of Wolverine that erupts from him whenever he enters a berserker state.

While McIntyre originally wanted to reference rabid dogs for inspiration--content "which is, first of all, very hard to find, probably for the best," he said to EW--his take on the character seeing red did terrify the team at Insomniac Games.

"I guess that's good, right? Being terrifying," McIntyre said. "But, suddenly, I was like, 'I'm really scared to go all out with this,' but they're such a good team that you feel safe. They will help me if it's not gonna work. They will tell me. They won't just let it happen. So I got to take some really huge swings with my character as a result of being able to trust them so much."

Marvel's Wolverine animation director Brian Wyser and narrative director Walt Williams added that McIntyre delivered not only the "raw" performance that the studio was looking for, but he also embodied the humanity of the character, who has spent decades being hurt by other people, inflicting that pain back on them, and has tried to bottle up his emotions. "You don't have that level of rage or pain if you don't have a genuinely deep yearning, caring heart inside of you," Williams said.

Out on September 15 for PS5, Marvel's Wolverine follows the mutant as he rejoins Team X to stop Sentinel creator Bolivar Trask from kidnapping mutants all across the globe. With the X-Men not yet formed, it's up to Wolverine to lead the charge by slicing and dicing his way through enemies like the ninja death-cult The Hand and the cybernetic mercenaries known as the Reavers. For more on the game, you can check out all the Easter eggs we spotted in the recent State of Play gameplay preview, every costume in the game so far, and why the game looks like it might be playing it safe.

Online gambling has been in the news a fair bit recently, with the ease of getting into online sportsbook betting becoming a hotly contested issue in the United States and popular prediction markets being subjected to increased controversy and government scrutiny. It's hardly limited to the United States, however, as illicit online gambling has wide appeal across much of Asia, despite local laws forbidding much of it.

South Korea in particular has seen an uptick in online gambling, particularly among youth, many of whom have gone to extreme lengths to obtain money to spend on gambling or cover their debts. To help combat the growing problem, the government has teamed up with one of the most famous figures in global esports, League of Legends prodigy Lee Sang-hyeok, better known by the handle "Faker."

As reported by the Seoul Economic Daily, Faker has been made an honorary police officer with the title of Senior Officer. The rationale behind this appointment is that "Lee is an esports player with high recognition at home and abroad and has consistently practiced the values of self-management and restraint throughout his long career, serving as a role model for young people." In this role, Lee will be producing public service announcements, such as videos and posters, to help promote South Korea's Youth Cyber Gambling Voluntary Reporting System, which aims to help youngsters with online gambling problems. As an added incentive to free themselves of gambling addiction, those who join the program may receive Faker's autographed uniform, which the article notes "will be delivered to young people who have overcome gambling addiction by faithfully participating in treatment programs, serving as encouragement for their healthy return to daily life."

This honor is hardly the first for Lee, who was the first Korean eSports athlete to receive the Cheongnyong Medal, a top honor for the country's athletes. He's also due to appear on South Korean postage and has recently debuted on a local Disney+ television program. Suffice to say, Lee is a broadly known public figure whose high profile might bring attention to the issue.

This all contrasts against the actions of League of Legends publisher Riot Games, who opened up sports-betting sponsorships for LoL teams a little over a year ago. Whether or not the South Korean government will actually take them to task for that is up in the air.