Summary A former Sony head has revealed thatGrand Theft Autowas a PlayStation 2 exclusive because of the Xbox. The executive spoke during a recent interview, where he acknowledged that Sony had been concerned about the coming Microsoft console, and that led to threeGTAgames being PS2-exclusive. Grand Theft Auto 3was a massive success, but its overwhelming popularity came as a bit of a surprise to some members of the game development community....

Summary Hit real-time strategy gameStarCraft 2has received a new update, almost 9 months after its last set of balance changes.StarCraft 2has received continual support from its community and developer Blizzard for almost 14 years, since the game’s first release in 2010. With an active scene that stretches all the way back to the original 1998 title,StarCraftis arguably one of the longest-lasting major competitive gaming communities ever.StarCraft’s community has lasted through multiple rereleases of the game over the years, and in the process has become one of the originators of the competitive gaming eSports scene....

While the franchise has been absent for a while, it’s looking more and more likely that Blizzard Entertainment’s legendaryStarCraftfranchise is mounting a comeback. The series has mostly been dormant sinceStarCraft 2rolled out itsWings of Liberty,Heart of the Swarm, andLegacy of the Voidinstallments from 2010 to 2015. Some developments have occurred since, likeWings of Libertygoing free-to-play in 2017,StarCraft: Remasteredbeing released in 2017, andStarCraft 2: Campaign Collectionlaunching in November 2024, but a fully newStarCrafttitle has never looked as plausible as it does now....

Summary Starfielddeveloper Bethesda has confirmed the latest update adds support for achievement-friendly Creations, this means any Creations released through the Verified Creators program will have the option to make the mod achievement-friendly. WhileStarfield’s Creations program has been massively popular with the community since its release earlier this year, players were left disappointed by the fact that downloading and playing with any mods through the game’s Creations program would disable achievements....

Talismanis a celebrated board game series, famous for paring downa typical D&D gameto a straightforward board game that requires little to no prior knowledge to play. The 5th edition of the game wasreleased earlier this year, the first update in over a decade, and it was well-received across thetabletop gaming community. Now, the first new expansion is here,Talisman Alliances: Fate Beckons, and the game will change once again, as players team up to defeat new evil forces....

Black Friday may be over, but Amazon’s massive discounts on its electronics are still yours for the taking duringCyber Monday sales. If you’ve been meaning to buy aTV streaming devicealong with a smart speaker, it may be worth considering the Amazon Fire TV Cube. Not only does the Fire TV Cube offer the capabilities of these two devices, but it is now cheaper than before thanks to a 29% discount. This translates into $40 in savings, as you can grab the device for just $100 instead of $140....

Summary The Penguinrevealed the next chapter in Matt Reeves’ Batman universe earlier this year and set up Colin Farrell’s transformative character as the DC villain fans know him to be. With Farrell expected to reprise the role in some capacity inThe Batman Part 2, the movie must ensure it doesn’t waste the character’s potential thatThe Penguinspent a whole season setting up. The Batman, directed by Reeves, was released in 2022 and established a new version of the iconic Dark Knight, with Robert Pattinson behind the cowl....

Summary In all the years ofFinal Fantasy, there have been a lot of memorable boss fights. Whether players value combat puzzles,secret super bosses, or visual spectacles, there’s something for everyone. Even since its earliest 3D incarnations,Final Fantasyhas always tried to push visuals in gaming, first through CGI, then later bringing that flair into the environments and battles. Of course, the more recent entries in the series have upped the visuals and capitalized on modern hardware to create fights that transcend what earlier games could accomplish....

Summary Few genres out there have the freedom to explore the more truly outlandish settings, like RPGs. The escapism that role-playing offers sets the stage for developers to create the most intriguing worlds rich with lore that the players get to adventure through as newcomers, learning all the juicy story along the way. Whether it’s flying cities, or continents separated into their own planes of existence - the more ‘out there’ ideas can often resonate the most with audiences, especially as they’re used to comment on the wider societal issues that players can relate to....

Summary The mix of fear and allure that draws audiences to crime drama is also part of why movies andTV shows about gangstersare so popular. It’s a tradition that started with classic films likeChinatownandThe Godfather, and the concept was adopted by subscription and streaming services generations later. Virtually all of the TV shows about gangsters are based on real-life events and the people involved, and they’re often combined with other genres like period pieces, thrillers, or action movies....

Summary JRPGs are some of the most engaging titles available to players today, ofteninvolving immersive stories and great, well-constructed gameplay mechanics. These games are ones that players can lose themselves in for hours, and it’s no surprise to see just how popular this genre is today for its combination of high-quality narrative and gameplay elements. Many of these games, however, can be quite difficult. Some haveruthless boss battlesor many moving elements at once to keep track of in battle....

Spoilers ahead forThe Penguin The Penguinis not the most uplifting piece of comic book media. Solo projects for iconic villains are on-trend right now, but this extension of Matt Reeves’Batmanuniverse is one of very few that have the guts not to turn a villain into an anti-hero. This is a grim and gritty crime drama with all the moral corruption that entails. There are no heroes here, but the depths of darkness can still be a bit impressive....

Summary The resurgence thatStephen Kingis currently having, thanks in no small part to the popularity of streaming platforms is a sight to see. There are some King works that are more popular than others and in an age when companies are loath to take a real risk on things, the author’s resurgence has been thanks to remakes of previously released IPs. Most recently, HBO Max featured aremake ofSalem’s Lotas part of its Halloween offerings....