Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows launched on March 20, and it got off to a hot start in the US. The game was the best-selling title overall in the US during its launch week, according to analyst Mat Piscatella of Circana. This counts sales through March 22, so Shadows achieved this after only three days.

Piscatella added that, after three days of sales, Shadows is already one of the top five best-selling games of 2025 in the US based on dollars. In terms of a comparison, Piscatella pointed out that only Capcom's Monster Hunter: Wilds had a better first week in terms of dollar sales in 2025 so far.

Wilds is the No. 1 best-selling game of 2025 so far in the US. March's complete sales data for the US will be published by Circana on April 23, at which point we will have a better picture of how Shadows sold in March and how it compares to other titles in the market.

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A Minecraft Movie arrives in theaters this weekend, but the first reactions to the video game movie have arrived online. Directed by Jared Hess, the film focuses on four strangers who are transported to the strange but whimsical Overworld and have to find their way home.

The embargos have lifted on social media reactions, with fans mostly saying it's a mixed bag. Some say it's fun but with an unclear audience, while others think it's destined to be a cult classic--similar to Hess' Napoleon Dynamite 20 years ago.

While more in-depth reviews are coming later this week, let's take a look at some of the initial and brief thoughts on A Minecraft Movie. YouTuber Cris Parker had fun with the movie, but the characters felt underdeveloped.

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Later this year, Grand Theft Auto 6 may set the bar for the next few years in gaming. The first trailer for the game revealed even more realistic visuals than previous GTA games, but it's just another step forward. According to Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of GTA's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, animation that is indistinguishable from live-action footage may be arriving sooner than anyone expects.

During an interview with Bloomberg, Zelnick noted that games have not reached the 'technological asymptote" of movies and TV shows, but he believes the industry is heading towards a future where games can truly replicate the appearance of reality.

"Our game, NBA 2K, if you squint, looks like real basketball," said Zelnick. "But you still have to squint a little bit. It's still animation. It's terrific animation. But we don't really have interactive entertainment yet that really looks like live-action. Technology will get us there, but probably [in] a shorter period of time than maybe even I expect. That doesn't mean that every game is going to look like live-action. That wouldn't make any sense creatively, but that will be another tool in our toolkit that's generated by technology."

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Henk Rogers isn't a household name, but he should be. A game designer and entrepreneur, Rogers was instrumental in turning a little-known Soviet puzzle game into the worldwide phenomenon of Tetris. You can dive into the fascinating story of how this happened with The Perfect Game: Tetris - From Russia With Love, a hardcover book that covers all aspects of Rogers' storied life. Available on April 1, it's now up for preorder ahead of its impending release.

The Perfect Game: Tetris - From Russia With Love $38 | Releases April 1

This hardcover book spans 350 pages and is a comprehensive look at how Rogers impacted the gaming industry. Whether it's programming his first big game in Japan, creating the Tetris Company, or negotiating with other creators and brands, there's never a dull moment. You'll also get a glimpse at how he's pushing for the use of renewable energy and the many international awards he's accrued over the years.

Of course, Tetris is a big focus of the book, so there's no shortage of wild stories for you to unravel. This includes tense negotiations with a Soviet Union company before finding a way to market the puzzle game to the masses. It's an easy recommendation for Tetris fans and anyone interested in history or climate change, as Rogers is a passionate advocate of sustainability.

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Rogers wasn't the only person responsible for Tetris' popularity, and you can dive further into its surprisingly deep history with two other books--The Tetris Effect and Tetris: The Games People Play. Both take a closer look at Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris, and the winding road it took to bring the puzzle game to a wider audience.

Consider filling up your bookcase with other gaming stories, as there are a bunch of great options up for grabs. Whether you want to learn more about CliffyB and the creation of Gears of War, how Reggie helped guide Nintendo of America during his tenure as president, or explore the complex history of Doom, you'll find plenty of great options at Amazon.

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Dandadan Standard Edition Blu-ray

$35 | Releases June 10

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Dandadan Collector's Edition Blu-ray

$65 | Releases June 10

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Dandadan was one of 2024's breakout anime hits, and while we'll have to wait a while for season two, you can at least rewatch the first batch of episodes with a new Blu-ray release dropping on June 10. Dandadan Season One will be available in standard or Collector's Editions priced at $35 and $65, and fans can preorder both at Amazon.

Dandadan Standard Edition Blu-ray $35 | Releases June 10

The standard edition includes all 12 episodes from the first season, as well as a handful of extra content like an interview with the production crew, a scene breakdown from one of the directors, and an interview with composer Kensuke Ushio. This two-disc Blu-ray set comes in a nice slipcase featuring key art from the series.

Preorder at Amazon Dandadan Collector's Edition Blu-ray $65 | Releases June 10

For the collector's edition, you're getting all of the on-disc content from the standard version and some physical extras., including a 32-page art book, art cards, and a sticker. This version also features unique box art.

Preorder at Amazon Dandadan Blu-ray Collector's Edition

Dandadan is one of the most unique anime debuts of 2024. The series adapts the popular manga of the same name, which follows Japanese high school students Momo and Okarun. Both investigate paranormal phenomena, though they don't see eye to eye. Momo believes in ghosts but doesn't think aliens are real, while Okarun believes in aliens but not ghosts. Naturally, they soon discover that ghosts and aliens are both very real and very dangerous. Fortunately, both gain supernatural abilities to use against the paranormal forces threatening their world. The anime is produced by Science Saru--the same studio behind the recent Scott Pilgrim Takes Off animated series--and the animation does justice to mangaka Yukinobu Tatsu's original art.

While the upcoming Dandadan Season One Blu-ray will be a great way to revisit the story so far, the original manga series is also available for those who want to experience the source material, or who don't feel like waiting until the next seasons to see what happens next. So far, 12 volumes have been translated into English and are on sale now at Amazon, while Volumes 13, 14, and 15 are all planned to release later in 2025 and are available for preorder.

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Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Launch Edition

$50 for console / $44 (was $50) for PC | Releases June 19

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One of the Shin Megami Tensei's most obscure subseries is returning with Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army on Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on June 19. The new game is a remaster of the action-RPG Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army that originally launched on PlayStation 2 back in 2006. The new version features enhanced graphics and retooled gameplay, so it should be the ideal way to experience one of the most unique Megami Tensei spin-offs. Preorders for Raidou Remastered's physical edition for console are available at multiple retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy, for $50. PC players can save on Steam key preorders for the standard and Digital Deluxe editions at Fanatical.

• Preorder physical edition at Amazon -- $50
• Preorder for PC at Fanatical -- $44 ($50)
• Preorder Digital Deluxe for PC at Fanatical -- $57.19 ($65)

Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Preorder BonusRaidou Remastered Preorder Bonuses

All preorders include the Raidou Glasses DLC, which unlocks the Raidou Glasses cosmetic item Raidou can equip in-game.

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SanDisk Ultra 1.5TB microSD Card

$95 (was $150)

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SanDisk Extreme 2TB microSD Card

$176 (was $210)

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Pokemon-themed SanDisk 1TB microSD Card

$100 (was $150)

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SanDisk 1.5TB and 2TB microSD cards are on sale for great discounts at Amazon on the final day of the retailer's Big Spring Sale (March 31). The sale kicked off last week, and while Samsung's 1TB microSD cards were (and still are) prominently featured, SanDisk's cards were noticeably absent. But that has changed, with the SanDisk Ultra 1.5TB discounted to $95 (was $150) and the new 2TB Extreme on sale for $176 (was $210), which is the best price yet for the largest microSD card on the market today.

If you're looking for a high-capacity microSD card to expand your storage on Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, or handheld Windows PC, we've put together a short list of the best deals from popular brands below and a longer list with more deals at the bottom of this story.

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After almost two decades, cult-classic zombie film series The Return of the Living Dead is getting two new sequels, the first of which is planned for December 2025. In anticipation of the series' return, the original The Return of the Living Dead from 1985 is getting a premium steelbook release on June 10, and preorders are now open at Amazon. Originally released on 4K Blu-ray in 2022, this upcoming limited edition 4K steelbook looks like it'll quickly become a sought-after collector's item, thanks to gorgeous (and slightly haunting) artwork spanning both the front and back of the steelbook.

The Return of the Living Dead 4K Steelbook (Limited Edition) $45 | Releases June 10

Since this 4K steelbook was just revealed, we're still waiting on official word as to what exactly is included. The only thing that's known so far is that you'll get the premium steelbook and a 4K version of the hit film--though we wouldn't be surprised if it's packed with common extras like bonus features and standard Blu-ray and digital formats of the movie. Amazon lists this as a "limited edition" release, so consider locking in your preorder before it sells out. If you preorder now, you won't be charged until the item ships, and if the price changes between now and June 10, you'll only pay the lowest amount.

Preorder at Amazon The Return of the Living Dead 4K SteelbookThe Return of the Living Dead 4K Steelbook Bonus Features

While we don't have a list of bonus features for this upcoming version of The Return of the Living Dead, we'd expect it to offer many of the same features available on current editions. For example, there's already a Walmart exclusive 4K steelbook available for $35, and it includes the following:

• Audio commentary with author Gary Smart
• Audio commentary with cast and crew
• The Decade of Darkness featurette
• The FX of the Return of the Living Dead
• Still galleries
• And more

Keep in mind that these special features are not yet confirmed for the upcoming steelbook, but we'd be surprised if it didn't contain similar content. We'll update this section when more details are revealed.

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The Verdansk map returns to Warzone on April 3 as part of Call of Duty's Season 3 update, and Activision has released a new launch trailer for Verdansk. The trailer is packed with nostalgia and showcases the type of action players can expect on Verdansk.

The Verdansk launch trailer rocks out to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and features a medley of operators from past and present Call of Duty. This includes classic looks for Captain Price, Ghost, Gaz and Farah from Modern Warfare 2019, as well as Sev and Troy Marshall from Black Ops 6. Even Peter Stormare's The Replacer makes a cameo.

Vehicular warfare was really popular with the original Verdansk experience, and the new trailer shows plenty of action with chase scenes, including helicopter explosions and sentry turrets mounted to SUVs.

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It was recently reported that a movie based on Split Fiction could happen, but game director Josef Fares isn't holding out hope that it actually gets made. In Hollywood, nothing is ever certain, and that's something that Fares firmly believes.

"I believe it when I see it, because nothing has happened yet," Fares told Variety. "Look, here's the thing--it would be nice if it happened, but again, I believe it when I see it. Sometimes there's a lot of talks, but nothing happens. So we will see."

To be sure, no Split Fiction movie has even been announced. Variety reported, citing anonymous sources, that Story Kitchen won a "bidding war" for the rights to make a Split Fiction movie. Importantly, if that's true, what's happened is that the rights to a potential Split Fiction movie were sold. This doesn't necessarily mean a Split Fiction movie will happen soon, or ever.

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The popular Western flick, Tombstone, first hit theaters in 1993--starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer, it was a box office success and continues to be mentioned as one of the best Westerns ever made. Fast forward over 30 years, and the film is finally getting a 4K Blu-ray release. The Tombstone 4K Steelbook is now up for preorder ahead of its April 22 launch, and since it comes packed with bonus features, it's an excellent way to relive the iconic adventure.

Preordering at Amazon means you won't pay until the item ships, and you'll be eligible for any discounts that appear between now and April 22.

Tombstone 4K Blu-ray $56 | Releases April 22

The Tombstone 4K Blu-ray gets you the 4K Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and digital versions of the film. Of course, you'll also get a premium steelbook to protect (and show off) the movie in your collection. This is bound to be one of the best ways to view the classic Western on modern TVs, thanks to support for HDR and a wider color spectrum when viewed in 4K.

Preorder at Amazon Tombstone 4K SteelbookTombstone Bonus Features

Want to learn more about the film? You'll get a bunch of fun bonus features with this steelbook. This includes the following:

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Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 features a mixed soundtrack, as not every song from the original games have made it into the upcoming remaster. While there are several classics like Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" and CKY's "96 Quite Bitter Beings" on the playlist, other iconic tracks have been cut and replaced with a selection of curated songs that Tony Hawk says he personally chose for the game.

"It was my choice to pick some different songs by the same artists featured in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 original soundtrack," Hawk wrote on Instagram. "I'm hoping that discovery is half the fun, and a big reason that these soundtracks resonated in the first place. So listen and enjoy the ride. More to come--both old and new."

Some of the new tracks here include "Real Thing" by Turnstile, "End It" by New Wage Slavery, and "Collard Greens" by Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar. This isn't the only omission from the remasters, as when it was first announced, it looked like former Jackass star Bam Margera had been cut from the roster, although Hawk has since claimed (via VGC) that he demanded the controversial skateboarder be included in the game.

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Last year, Palworld established itself by doing things that Nintendo would never do with Pokemon, including arming pals with lethal weapons. Now, Palworld developer Pocketpair has revisited its 2024 April Fool's Day joke with a new look at Palworld: More Than Just Pals, which lets players romantically court pals and even date them. And what started out as a joke could be real this time.

Even if this new update is just a continuation of the original joke, some of the Pocketpair devs clearly put a a lot of work into this one. Palworld: More Than Just Pals has a page on Steam with multiple screenshots, and a detailed breakdown of some the characters that the players can supposedly pursue. Most of the romantic options are for pals, but there's one adult, Nurse Saya, that players can also flirt with. Most of the main characters are showcased in the announcement trailer that was created for the game and published a year ago.

The newly released second trailer continues the flirtations as Nurse Saya and the pals practically throw themselves at the players-character.

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Square Enix in Japan has launched a website celebrating the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX, and has special merchandise planned to commemorate the occasion.

For starters, Square Enix is selling the Final Fantasy IX Picture Book: Vivi, Grandpa, and the Day of Departure for 1,320 yen or approximately $9 USD, which is set to release on July 2. There are also several goods to order, such as figures, necklaces, and plushies, as well as the 25th Anniversary vinyl called Timeless Tales.

Square Enix is collaborating with the eyewear brand Zoff to create a special pair of glasses, and there will be some sort of "commemorative lottery" in July, with details being revealed at a later date.

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Capcom has revealed that Monster Hunter Wilds has now sold over 10 million copies since its release on February 28 across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Capcom is planning to release a free item pack to all players, but its contents are currently unknown. Capcom has also chalked up the game's success to the introduction of cross-play across all platforms as well as new features such as Focus Mode and the seamless movement between environments, leading to a more immersive experience. Its producer cited the game's story as a reason for its success too.

On PC, Monster hunter Wilds hit 1.1 million concurrent players during launch day, making it a huge success. According to an analyst, the PC version is outselling the console versions combined.

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Doom: The Dark Ages will be available on PC through Battle.net, Blizzard has announced, making id Software's upcoming shooter only the second non-Activision Blizzard title to be offered on Blizzard's platform.

Buying Doom: The Dark Ages on Battle.net doesn't mean being locked into Blizzard's digital ecosystem. Instead, buying the game on Battle.net and linking an Xbox account also grants access to the game on Xbox consoles and the Xbox app for Windows PCs at no extra cost, an extension of Xbox's "Play Anywhere" initiative where buying certain games on Xbox or PC grants access to both the console and PC versions.

Battle.net was once exclusively home to Blizzard's own franchises like World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo. In 2017, Bungie's Destiny 2 became the first non-Blizzard (but still Activision-published) game to be offered on Battle.net, followed by other Activision titles like yearly installments of Call of Duty and even Crash Bandicoot 4 in 2020. Destiny 2, meanwhile, would later be removed from Battle.net in 2020, as it's no longer published by Activision.

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The slogan “Stand and Fight” has been plastered all over Doom: The Dark Ages marketing: a catchphrase that feels at odds with the modern Doom series. Doom 2016 was applauded for its fast gameplay and Doom: Eternal took that one step further with the Meat Hook that let you whip around the battlefield at breakneck speeds. The movement--for many--is what makes Doom, Doom. So to see Doom: The Dark Ages’ encourage players to hold their ground and fight seemed antithetical to that finely tuned formula. At least, that’s what I thought. After three hours of hands-on time with id Software’s next shooter, it seems like Doom: The Dark Ages has found a hypnotic balance between its iconic fast-paced gameplay and the blow-for-blow combat that Dark Ages is bringing to the mix.

Doom: The Dark Ages is a prequel to Doom 2016. The forces of hell are invading a realm heavily inspired by the medieval era, and the Doom Slayer is summoned to do what he does best: Rip and tear through demons. Although this may sound like standard fare for a Doom game, The Dark Ages appears to be taking its story a bit more seriously. It’s still a campy, somewhat self-aware, bloodsoaked romp through demon guts, but the team wanted to use the fantasy setting to its full potential. According to game director Hugo Martin, “When you think of fantasy, and Lord of the Rings, you think huge… There’s a grandness, an epicness to fantasy that people expect.” Despite the shift to fantasy, some of Doom: The Dark Ages’ biggest narrative inspirations for its story were action films like Roadhouse, Die Hard, and First Blood, when it comes to keeping the story engaging throughout its runtime.

While I loved Doom 2016’s minimal approach to storytelling, I’m curious to see what id Software does with Dark Age’s setting. The arenas, enemies, characters, and weapons have all received a medieval makeover that fits the setting and series perfectly. Gothic castles loom over battlefields, enemies use a mix of medieval weaponry and sci-fi firearms, characters are donned in plated armor, and macabre weapons like the Pulverizer grind up skulls and fire out deadly bone shards. It’s a match made in heaven, or rather, hell. That said, Doom: Eternal’s greater emphasis on story felt superfluous. There were some clever callbacks to previous games and fun moments, but when it comes to Doom, all I want to do is shoot, shred, and eviscerate demons. Thankfully, The Dark Ages has plenty of that.

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Depending on the gameplay options chosen, Assassin's Creed Shadows can be a challenging game, but Ubisoft is considering turning the difficulty up to 11 in the future. Amidst community feedback and patches, Ubisoft says it is "actively looking at" making a higher difficulty setting for fans who want to put their skills to the ultimate test.

Speaking to GamesRadar, Assassin's Creed Shadows creative director Jonathon Dumont said that the developers are thinking about making "a tougher setting for difficulty for some of our players," while also monitoring what people have to say about the game.

"Obviously, we can't do everything, but there are things that we're going to be actioning on, and just for the next updates, there are quite a bit of bug fixes and little feature enhancement stuff that is coming in," Dumont said. "I can't just make a list. There's quite a bit of it. So the team is always working to improve the game, and hopefully, people will be able to see the difference when they're playing Shadows in the upcoming months."

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Actor Jason Momoa stars in the upcoming A Minecraft Movie, which is based on the hugely popular video game. But Momoa himself doesn't allow his son to play video games, or even have a phone.

"We don't have a TV. My son doesn't have phone. He's 16 and doesn't have a phone," when asked if his children play video games. "We're different, dude. Because when he's 18 he's gonna have a phone and it'll be out of the house and he can explore the world after that."

Why no phones or video games? "Because I just want them to use their creativity in a different way. So, we do other things. These [phones] are new to the world. Everyone was doing just fine [before phones]. We watch movies together, and that's beautiful."

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One of the biggest unanswered questions in all of gaming for 2025 is when GTA VI will be released. Take-Two and developer Rockstar Games have yet to announce a date, and that could be part of the plan.

Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick told Bloomberg TV's Wall St. Week that while some of its competitors may announce release dates or windows years into the future, that's not what Take-Two will usually do. When asked directly why Take-Two is being so secretive about GTA 6's release date, Zelnick said the publisher likes to hold back marketing materials until "relatively" close to launch.

"The anticipation for [GTA 6] may be the greatest anticipation I've ever seen for an entertainment property, and I've been around the block a few times. And I've been in every entertainment business there is," he said. "We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. We have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance. We've found the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement, and balance the excitement with unmet expectation. We don't always get it right. But that's what we're trying to do."

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