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Japan Forward
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Forward
Is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a JRPG?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been lighting up the gaming world recently, winning big-time approval from critics and fans alike, despite being the very first game from independent developer Sandfall Interactive. People are calling it the best new JRPG (Japanese Role Playing Game) in years, a refinement of the template set out by games like Final Fantasy . The twist, of course, being that Clair Obscur is not a Japanese game. Made in France by a team of around 30 developers at Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur is helmed by Director Guillaume Broche and several of his fellow ex-Ubisoft colleagues. The game draws heavy inspiration from classic JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Persona , hidden gems such as Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon , and Japanese action titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice . Gustave and Lune begin their quest to slay the Paintress in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The result is a game that blends turn-based combat with action in a gorgeous fantasy world. Yet, while it is every bit as high-concept and fantastical as the games that inspired it, Clair Obscur manages to avoid much of the bloat that has crept into those series over the decades. It delivers an immersive world and a relatable story about a band of young adventurers on a quest for freedom over tyranny, told over a relatively compact 30 to 40 hours. Clair Obscur is set in a dark fantasy world where, for the past 67 years, the inhabitants of the island of Lumière have perished one age group at a time. Each year, they fall victim to a mystical sorceress known as the Paintress, who has been counting down from age 100, reaching 33 this year. Now aged 32 and facing their own demise next year, stoic expeditioner Gustave and his peers undertake a voyage dangereux to destroy the Paintress so that future generations may live. The game was released on April 24, receiving a critic score of 92% on Metacritic and a user score of 9.7, making it one of the most highly acclaimed games of all time. IGN gave it a 9/10 score, writing, "Wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story." Clair Obscur's deep and complex battle system is a hybrid of classic turn-based commands and skill-based action. Our writer at IGN Japan gave it a slightly lower score of 7/10, saying, "While I was hooked by its combat system, the story's sudden plot twist felt forced. Although this was hard to ignore, it is undeniable that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an appealing game that delivers a strong message." IGN France, meanwhile, gave it a perfect 10/10, labelling it "a sumptuous and captivating work of art that never forgets its status as a game, offering rich and exhilarating gameplay." Within 12 days, it had sold two million copies, plus an undisclosed number of additional players on Xbox Games Pass. Michael Douse, the publishing director at Larian Studios, whose own RPG Baldur's Gate 3 was a smash hit in 2023, estimated on his X (Twitter) account that the game will end up selling at least six million copies, and maybe up to ten million – huge numbers for a lower-budget independent game. I hope now word of mouth is in control it can reach its potential. and I say that in support of the developers and their incredible achievement. It has the potential to reach a conservative 6, at least. Could top 8-10. — Very AFK (@Cromwelp) May 6, 2025 For comparison, the most recent Final Fantasy game, 2024's Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth , also scored 92% with critics but 8.9 with users, while the latest mainline game in the series, 2023's Final Fantasy XVI , scored 87% and 8.4. Despite these being excellent and well-made games, sales in the series appear to be in decline. Publisher Square Enix reported that FFXVI sold three million units in its first week, but has been noticeably reticent to announce official numbers for Rebirth , suggesting they are low. This is less than previous games, with 2016's FFXV selling five million copies on its first day, the fastest-selling game in the series to date, eventually reaching at least ten million. Rebirth 's 2020 predecessor, a FFVII remake, sold 3.5 million in three days and finally hit around seven million. The budgets to make each of these games were likely much, much higher than for Clair Obscur . Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, the second in a trilogy of remakes of Square Enix's classic RPG, was met with critical praise but apparently disappointing sales. That's not to pick on Final Fantasy or Square Enix: JRPGs are a niche genre in gaming. An important, storied, and beloved niche – but a niche nonetheless. Which makes Clair Obscur 's crossover success all the more impressive. Sandfall Interactive's game has sparked fresh debate about what the term JRPG really means. After all, if the "J" stands for "Japanese", should it only apply to games made in Japan? Or any game with the characteristics of a JRPG? What even are the characteristics of a JRPG? In fact, the term JRPG has had its controversies over the years. In February 2023, Final Fantasy XVI producer and veteran developer Naoki Yoshida told YouTube channel Skill Up that he found the term offensive. Clair Obscur has won high praise for its painterly art style and moving story. Yoshida commented, "For us as developers, the first time we heard it, it was like a discriminatory term, as though we were being made fun of for creating these games. And so for some developers, the term JRPG can be something that will maybe trigger bad feelings because of what it was in the past. It wasn't a compliment to a lot of developers in Japan. We understand that recently, JRPG has better connotations and it's being used as a positive, but we still remember the time when it was used as a negative." The term was coined at some point in the late 1980s or early 90s, with the first confirmed online usage made on a web forum in 1992, and was used to differentiate between RPG games from Japan and the West. As Yoshida pointed out, it was mostly used by gamers and media outside of Japan. I've personally never considered it a derogatory term, but I can understand how someone in Yoshida's position may find it othering. These days, we tend to expect a JRPG to cast the player as a specific protagonist to experience a set story, whereas Western RPGs will usually have players create their own character and co-author the story as they play. We also tend to expect a turn-based combat system and anime-influenced visual design and characters. 2023's Sea of Stars was a homage to classic Japanese RPGs, despite being made in Canada But of course, early Japanese RPG developers were themselves heavily influenced by Western games such as the early-80s Wizardry series from America, just as some of today's Western developers grew up with JRPGs. The lines have blurred accordingly, with games like 2023's Sea of Stars being considered a JRPG despite being made in Canada. While Clair Obscur does pay homage to the best of the JRPG genre, it also does a great job of honoring its French roots. The game's dialogue is available in French or English, with a stellar voice cast in both, and even in English, it is unafraid to slip in plenty of French terms. When the game's characters face erasure at the hands of the Paintress, their bodies disintegrate into petals that flutter on the wind, a process named the Gommage – a French word meaning to exfoliate and erase. And as you play, Gustave's friends mutter expletives in French, with a well-timed "Merde!" reminding you of their origins. Gustave dressed in an outfit simply titled Baguette. The setting itself is a fantasy take on France's pre-WWI Belle Époque period, a distinctly French visual style that is striking. And you can even dress Gustave, Lune, Maelle, and their amis in a stereotypically French costume comprising a striped T-shirt, beret, and freshly baked baguette slung across their backs, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the development team's culture. French President Emmanuel Macron even praised Clair Obscur in an Instagram post, calling it "a shining example of French audacity and creativity." IGN recently published a video titled The 25 Best JRPGs of All Time, in which it gave the editorial team's favorites, including titles like Chrono Trigger , Persona 5 Royal , and Final Fantasy X . In some ways, I was actually a little surprised that all the games in IGN's best JRPGs list were indeed from Japan. Our team at IGN Japan gave our own thoughts on the list during an episode of our video podcast Shaberisugi Gamer a few days later, drawing a lively debate in the comments from our viewers. As for me, I'm steadily working my way through Clair Obscur and loving every minute of it. I often struggle to play modern RPGs as the time commitment is so extreme, as many games require around 60-80 hours to beat, so the fact that Clair Obscur offers a fascinating story and hugely engaging combat system within a relatively tight package appeals to me. Gustave and friends on their perilous journey. As a British pop-culture journalist based in Japan for 19 years, I've always enjoyed cross-pollination of culture, and for me, the erosion (or gommage ) of boundaries is always welcome. So the idea of a JRPG made outside of Japan didn't seem strange to me until the conversation blew up around Clair Obscur . I hope you'll try the game and see what you think! Author: Daniel Robson
Toronto Star
26-04-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Ontario expands pension plan to self-employed doctors previously excluded
It's a shot in the arm for doctors at a time when Ontario is scrambling to ease a shortage that has left 2.5 million people without a family physician. Since January, doctors with their own practices have been able to join the same pension plan enjoyed by colleagues who work in hospitals — and bring their receptionists, nurses and any other staff along for the ride to retirement. Hundreds of self-employed physicians have expressed interest and more than 75 have taken steps to become part of the $123 billion Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, also known by its acronym pronounced 'hoop.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW While the opening wasn't created with the troublesome doctor shortage in mind, it can't hurt, says a senior executive. 'If the ability to access the defined-benefit pension like HOOPP is the reason for a physician to set up shop in or stay in Ontario, that's fantastic,' says Rachel Arbour, a lawyer and head of plan benefits, design and policy. 'But we're here to provide really good pensions and retirement for health-care workers, and this is one of the reasons why we looked at growing our plan to physicians,' she adds. 'We believe we play an important role in recruitment and retention. Health-care employers in our province can say to their staff 'we can offer you a great pension.'' Canada Desperately seeking a family doctor. What a striking scene in one small Ontario town says about a brewing crisis Megan Ogilvie The plan boasted a solid 9.7 per cent gain on global investments last year on behalf of 475,000 members and retirees in health care across the province. Opening the pension plan to self-employed physicians who have established their own medicine professional corporations and agree to pay a membership fee to the Ontario Hospital Association is the result of years of work and urging from within the health-care sector, including the Ontario Medical Association. The change to include self-employed doctors involved getting approval from Ontario's pension regulator and the Canada Revenue Agency. The OMA offers a group retirement savings plan to its members — who include 31,500 practicing physicians — but recognizes that many would also like to have a traditional pension plan with defined benefits. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'It has a good track record,' says Kimberly Moran, a chartered accountant and the OMA's chief executive officer, of the HOOPP pension. While the shortage of an estimated 3,500 family doctors has many root causes, such as heavy workloads, long days and administrative paperwork, Moran notes the new pension offering provides 'a little bit of help.' Provincial Politics Doug Ford government pledges more money to ease doctor shortage on eve of election call Rob Ferguson Recognizing it was politically vulnerable because of the doctor shortage, Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives pledged $1.4 billion in new spending on the eve of Ontario's Feb. 27 election campaign for expanded primary health-care teams, with Health Minister Sylvia Jones acknowledging 'there's no doubt people have been waiting a long time, too long, frankly, to get connected to a family-care practitioner in their community.' Ford has also added more spaces in medical schools and a new medical school is opening at Toronto Metropolitan University in Brampton next fall, but will take years to produce fully trained doctors. The OMA said 8,600 physicians have retired or left their practices since 2018, meaning two doctors are lost for every three new ones added to the health-care system. As many jurisdictions around the world compete with each other for med school graduates, more than 750 doctors have reached out to a HOOPP hotline about the pension plan after reading full details posted on the organization's website. They are encouraged to discuss the prospect of joining with their own financial advisors. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Every doctor is going to have a slightly different set of circumstances they're going to have to work through and make sure that it makes sense for them,' says Moran. Aside from paying a membership fee to the Ontario Hospital Association, which would not reveal the dollar value but said the cost is 'modest' for doctors, physicians joining the plan make contributions both as the employer and the employee, based on income. Those contributions are tax-deductible. 'It's about half-and-half in terms of doctors who are sole practitioners and those who have staff with them,' Arbour says. 'We would love the family physicians, their nurses, the receptionist, the whole bucket of people supporting that practice to come into our plan. The longer you're in our plan, the bigger your pension income will be upon retirement.' Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Hamilton Spectator
26-04-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario expands pension plan to self-employed doctors previously excluded
It's a shot in the arm for doctors at a time when Ontario is scrambling to ease a shortage that has left 2.5 million people without a family physician. Since January, doctors with their own practices have been able to join the same pension plan enjoyed by colleagues who work in hospitals — and bring their receptionists, nurses and any other staff along for the ride to retirement. Hundreds of self-employed physicians have expressed interest and more than 75 have taken steps to become part of the $123 billion Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, also known by its acronym pronounced 'hoop.' While the opening wasn't created with the troublesome doctor shortage in mind, it can't hurt, says a senior executive. 'If the ability to access the defined-benefit pension like HOOPP is the reason for a physician to set up shop in or stay in Ontario, that's fantastic,' says Rachel Arbour, a lawyer and head of plan benefits, design and policy. 'But we're here to provide really good pensions and retirement for health-care workers, and this is one of the reasons why we looked at growing our plan to physicians,' she adds. 'We believe we play an important role in recruitment and retention. Health-care employers in our province can say to their staff 'we can offer you a great pension.'' The plan boasted a solid 9.7 per cent gain on global investments last year on behalf of 475,000 members and retirees in health care across the province. Opening the pension plan to self-employed physicians who have established their own medicine professional corporations and agree to pay a membership fee to the Ontario Hospital Association is the result of years of work and urging from within the health-care sector, including the Ontario Medical Association. The change to include self-employed doctors involved getting approval from Ontario's pension regulator and the Canada Revenue Agency. The OMA offers a group retirement savings plan to its members — who include 31,500 practicing physicians — but recognizes that many would also like to have a traditional pension plan with defined benefits. 'It has a good track record,' says Kimberly Moran, a chartered accountant and the OMA's chief executive officer, of the HOOPP pension. While the shortage of an estimated 3,500 family doctors has many root causes, such as heavy workloads, long days and administrative paperwork , Moran notes the new pension offering provides 'a little bit of help.' Recognizing it was politically vulnerable because of the doctor shortage , Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives pledged $1.4 billion in new spending on the eve of Ontario's Feb. 27 election campaign for expanded primary health-care teams, with Health Minister Sylvia Jones acknowledging 'there's no doubt people have been waiting a long time, too long, frankly, to get connected to a family-care practitioner in their community.' Ford has also added more spaces in medical schools and a new medical school is opening at Toronto Metropolitan University in Brampton next fall, but will take years to produce fully trained doctors. The OMA said 8,600 physicians have retired or left their practices since 2018, meaning two doctors are lost for every three new ones added to the health-care system. As many jurisdictions around the world compete with each other for med school graduates, more than 750 doctors have reached out to a HOOPP hotline about the pension plan after reading full details posted on the organization's website. They are encouraged to discuss the prospect of joining with their own financial advisors. 'Every doctor is going to have a slightly different set of circumstances they're going to have to work through and make sure that it makes sense for them,' says Moran. Aside from paying a membership fee to the Ontario Hospital Association, which would not reveal the dollar value but said the cost is 'modest' for doctors, physicians joining the plan make contributions both as the employer and the employee, based on income. Those contributions are tax-deductible. 'It's about half-and-half in terms of doctors who are sole practitioners and those who have staff with them,' Arbour says. 'We would love the family physicians, their nurses, the receptionist, the whole bucket of people supporting that practice to come into our plan. The longer you're in our plan, the bigger your pension income will be upon retirement.'
Muscat Daily
17-03-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Oman's workers' federation highlights layoffs
Muscat – The General Federation of Oman Workers (GFOW) has revealed in its latest report that 31 Omani workers were laid off from their jobs in February 2025. Additionally, the federation confirmed actions to prevent the termination of another 30 Omani workers during the same month. In its commitment to safeguarding workers' rights, GFOW provided 52 legal assistances in February. The federation also received 52 complaints from 51 establishments regarding employment terminations throughout 2023. These complaints primarily concerned unfair dismissals, but also included issues related to delayed payments, cessation of wages, poor working conditions, and non-compliance with safety and occupational health standards. Non-Omani workers were also among those dismissed by private sector establishments. The report further highlighted the expansion of labour unions across Oman. As of February 2025, the number of labour unions in the sultanate reached 327, spanning 16 sectors. The majority of unions operate within the commerce and industry sector (99 unions or 30%), followed by the oil and gas sector (82 unions or 25%), and the construction and contracting sector (32 unions or 9.7%). Additionally, a new sectoral worker union was established in February. These unions function as centralised organisations, coordinating and facilitating communication between the individual unions and the federation to enhance collective bargaining and support for workers' rights. GFOW continues to advocate for fair treatment, safe working environments, and the legal rights of workers in Oman.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Capital Allocation Trends At Gravity (NASDAQ:GRVY) Aren't Ideal
What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating Gravity (NASDAQ:GRVY), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger. For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Gravity is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.15 = ₩80b ÷ (₩624b - ₩83b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024). Therefore, Gravity has an ROCE of 15%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Entertainment industry average of 9.7% it's much better. View our latest analysis for Gravity While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you're interested in investigating Gravity's past further, check out this free graph covering Gravity's past earnings, revenue and cash flow. In terms of Gravity's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 50% over the last five years. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased. On a related note, Gravity has decreased its current liabilities to 13% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE. From the above analysis, we find it rather worrisome that returns on capital and sales for Gravity have fallen, meanwhile the business is employing more capital than it was five years ago. Since the stock has skyrocketed 134% over the last five years, it looks like investors have high expectations of the stock. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now. While Gravity doesn't shine too bright in this respect, it's still worth seeing if the company is trading at attractive prices. You can find that out with our on our platform. While Gravity may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio
