Latest news with #Assassin'sCreedShadows
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
PlayStation launches epic summer sale with the best PS5 games from $4 — here's my 17 favorite deals
PlayStation Store runs sales events pretty much all year long. But the biggest discounts are typically saved for the flagship ones, and that's proving to be the case with the launch this week of the epic PlayStation Summer Sale. This sale offers up to 75% off the best PS5 games and blockbuster new releases. This sale is discounting loads of the biggest games of 2025, including Clair Obscur Expedition 33 and Assassin's Creed Shadows. Plus, acclaimed titles such as Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Baldur's Gate 3 and Elden Ring are also on sale. Whatever type of gamer you are, there's a deal for you here. The deals start from just $4, and with almost 5,000 discounts available, I've combed through the savings and picked out my favorite on-sale PS5 games. Plus, for those who prefer a physical game disc over a digital download, I'm also rounding up the best PS5 game deals at Amazon and Best Buy. These are the PS5 game deals you don't want to miss this summer. One of the most acclaimed and influential games of all time, Resident Evil 4 has been reborn in this full-scale remake. You play Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to rescue the President's kidnapped daughter in a spooky European village overrun with gruesome enemies. Featuring modernized gameplay and overhauled visuals, this is Resident Evil 4 as you've never seen it before. Final Fantasy XVI is a mature, action-focused reinvention of Square Enix's long-running RPG franchise that spins a yarn closer to "Game of Thrones" than any of the previous entries. In FF16, you play Clive Rosfield, son of the Duke of Rosaria. After a tragic opening, you're forced to become a "Bearer" for another ruler, and set off for a gripping tale that's laden with twists, wielding all kinds of powers in precise, real-time battles as you travel the length and breadth of Valisthea. Atlus's Persona series has a strong pedigree, and this full-fledged remake brings the Persona 3 story to the current console generation so franchise veterans and newcomers can experience it. Part social sim and part JRPG, Persona 3 Reload updates the visuals and incorporates many quality-of-life improvements and new elements, bringing the original tale up to date and making this another must-play RPG. Sonic X Shadow Generations combines a remaster of 2011's Sonic Generations, a love letter to the Blue Blur that remains a fan-favorite to this day, with a new Shadow-focused campaign. It's a strong package, and it's perfectly timed to coincide with the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie, which is now available to watch on streaming, so you can have a whole Sonic X Shadow-themed weekend. Star Wars Outlaws represents a new frontier for a Galaxy far, far away as it's the first-ever open-world game set in the iconic sci-fi universe. You play a Han Solo-type named Kay Vess, as you explore various planets and navigate criminal syndicates and the sinister Galactic Empire. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the game the PS5 was born to play. In this stylish intergalactic adventure, you'll take control of seasoned heroes Ratchet and Clank — as well as their distaff counterparts, Rivet and Kit. With 10 huge planets to explore, tons of weapons to customize and upgrade, a variety of enemies to fight, and plenty of puzzles to solve, Rift Apart is an absolute joy from start to finish. We're in a golden age of horror remakes, and Silent Hill 2 is among the very best. This stunning new take on the survival-horror classic sees you step into the fog-blanketed town as James Sunderland, a man on the hunt for his missing wife. Tense and atmospheric, it's fantastic. Kingdom Come Deliverance II is a vast RPG sequel that sees you once again step into the boots of Henry, a young nobleman on a quest for revenge in medieval Bohemia. Designed to be as immersive as possible, the world reacts to your actions, and most quests can be completed in a myriad of ways. Its more restrictive elements may be off-putting to some players, but if you're looking for a sprawling quest that gives you plenty of freedom, few do it better than KCDII. Metaphor ReFantazio, an original fantasy adventure that combines social sim elements with stylish turn-based combat, comes from the creator of the acclaimed Persona series. Yes, it's basically Persona in a fantasy setting, but that's a recipe for success, and Metaphor easily gets its hooks into you. It's also meaty, with even a rushed playthrough taking several dozen hours. Returnal is a heart-pounding PS5 game that combines bullet-hell gameplay with an engaging roguelike structure. You play an astronaut stuck in a time loop on a mysterious and very deadly alien planet. It's your job to break the cycle and unravel the mystery of this strange new world and how you came to be stranded here. Long before Elden Ring, Bloodborne and Dark Souls, From Software released Demon's Souls, the first Souls title to truly establish the core gameplay loop that has taken the gaming world by storm. For the current generation, Sony had Bluepoint develop this faithful, beautiful remaster, which improves on the original title and updates it with amazing graphics, new weapons, and items. The Last of Us Part 1 is a stunning remake of the PS3 original, completely rebuilt from the ground up to take full advantage of the PS5 console. It includes the full original game as well as its DLC chapter, Left Behind. This is the ideal pick for fans of the HBO show ahead of season 2 or returning players looking to experience Joel and Ellie's first gripping cross-country adventure all over again. Following this year's dramatic Masters tournament, now is the time to step out onto the links and prove yourself a golfing whiz, at least in the virtual world. PGA Tour 2K25 is the latest entry in the annual sports sim series, and boasts the level of authenticity you'd expect from a 2K game. Split Fiction is a co-op adventure where two writers, Mio and Zoe, get trapped in a chaotic mix of their own stories. One minute, you're dodging cyber ninjas, the next, you're riding dragons. It's all about teamwork, solving puzzles, and navigating wild genre mashups to escape their own imaginations. The latest entry in the juggernaut Call of Duty franchise is a return to the world of Black Ops, and per series tradition, comes packing three distinct modes: Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies. While the boots-on-the-ground gameplay isn't anything new for the series, it's as polished as ever, and there's a reason it remains the premier shooter on the market (even if the aggressive monetization and gimmicky skins are off-putting).
Metro
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: What is the next Assassin's Creed game?
The Tuesday letters page is unimpressed with how EA's handled the Need For Speed franchise, as one reader is upset MindsEye isn't on sale yet. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Next, please I've just finished Assassin's Creed Shadows and I enjoyed it. It was bloated and unoriginal and all the usual complaints, but the action was fun and after all the complaining I liked the characters, even if I stopped paying attention a bit to the actual story. I know there's meant to be a 100 other games in development at the moment, but it made me realise I don't actually know what the next mainline one is supposed to be? I'm hoping for something set in South America, which I don't think we've even had in a spin-off, but I really don't know what they're planning. A lot of people are down on the series but apart from all the bugs in Unity I've never really been disappointed by any of them. I don't take them too seriously and don't get involved with all the Ubisoft hate, so I find they're a good game to relax with, that you know won't kick your ass. Bosley GC: The next mainline one is believed to be codenamed Hexe. Hexe means witch in German and Ubisoft had a teaser video with some Blair Witch style imagery, so it seems pretty clear the rumours about a game set in 16th century Germany are true. The rumoured release date of 2026 may be subject to change though. Slow Fallout I get the feeling that in a few years, when the Amazon show is over and forgotten, we're going to be drowning in new Fallout games, just at the point that they're not needed anymore. It's what's going to become a classic problem in the future, I think, where a company tries to jump on a bandwagon but forgets it takes more than five years to make a game nowadays, so when the game comes out it's yesterday's news. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. I'm not saying I don't want more Fallout games but to have a bunch of them all coming out in 2030 is going to be pretty weird. Like the reader said, Bethesda has mismanaged all this and they should've had a steady stream of spin-offs, if not mainline games. Now Microsoft is just going to force them to pump out as many as possible, as quickly as possible. Even if quickly is relative. Doshin Niche of a niche So, just as we all assumed, these Asus Xbox portables are just going to be an expensive novelty. Nobody's going to be buying these for their kid's birthday or anything. Not only do they cost too much but they're not consoles, they're just portable PCs. Although I imagine there's a fair percentage of people that are going to be buying one not realising that. The whole idea seems such a non-event, a niche of a niche, that will be forgotten almost as soon as they're released. Technically that's not a criticism, but if Microsoft have a plan, beyond U-turning every one of their announcements at least once, I wish they'd cut to that, instead of wasting their time with trivial stuff. Every minute they waste on these portables is another where it seems like they don't know what they're doing. Kogborn Email your comments to: gamecentral@ That's the way to do it Regarding the 'surprise' success of Elden Ring Nightreign and it being on sale on Amazon, I would say to anyone that can afford it to give the game a go. It's not even full price to start with, which I think explains a lot of its success, and it's very quick to play through a round, whether you win or lose. All these companies desperate for a live service hit should look closely at what From has done as I don't even imagine it was a very expensive game to make. A lot of it is reused assets, so they probably wouldn't have cared much if it wasn't a hit. That's the sort of attitude you've got to have, I think. Compare that to Sony banking a whole generation on such games and then spending $400 million making Concord. They did every possible thing wrong, while From just waltzed in there and is currently even beating Helldivers 2. Loops Grim reality In regard to Zeiss's email regarding how difficult a game should be. I agree if a studio have only one difficulty level for a game as their choice, but… I am a gaming veteran of 40-odd years, with a full time job and a social life, so to have a very difficult game to try to beat is sometimes nigh on impossible for me. I have been playing Black Myth: Wukong since it came out and I think that paying £50 to £70 for games with brilliant graphics that I most probably will never see the end of is slightly depressing. Gaz69 Need for better decisions I often wonder how some of these companies (and I don't even just mean games companies) have lasted as long as they have with some of the decisions they make. I'm not going to talk about Microsoft again though, but instead EA and the terrible way they've handled Need For Speed over the years and… decades, really. As you said in your article, Need For Speed used to be one of the biggest games around and now it's probably dead, maybe forever. How they never made an Underground 3 I will never know, especially as all they did make in recent years is remakes and low budget rip-offs of Fast & Furious. They never made a game anyone would be interested in, just tried to wallow in the wrong kind of nostalgia and chased trends that were already old by the time their games came out. It's impossible that people could be bored of racers. The world didn't suddenly decide that racing fast cars is boring, any more than it got tired of playing soldiers. The problem wasn't with the concept of Need For Speed but the boring, low effort, low budget games EA kept making. They really would've been better off with Burnout but that's obviously not going to happen. And the reason they're not going to give it a proper try? Because they've got Criterion and all their other studios working on Battlefield. You know, that game franchise that they keep making worse with every sequel. Sound familiar? I don't know if this is bad management or what, but I assume it is. But I also assume all the execs that got the company into this position got their company bonuses last year and probably again this year. Gorf Surprise release I must've missed a memo somewhere along the line, but I had no idea that Sony is releasing games on Switch now. It seems only family friendly ones, but everything so far seems pretty small beans. I don't know how much Everybody's Golf sells, let alone Patapon, but I'm going to guess it's not going to set the charts or Sony's bank balance alight. So why are they doing it? If they're trying to work their way up to big releases, then what are they going to be? I certainly can;'t imagine The Last Of Us on Switch 2, even Astro Bot seems a stretch in terms of what Sony would allow. Omega Switching expectations I had not realised that Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment only said 'winter' as it's release date. I feel they wouldn't have done that if there wasn't a chance it was going to be delayed and knowing how things go that suddenly makes it very likely. I wouldn't call it anything like a disaster, but the Switch 2 launch sure has been… unexpected. With all that time and money and goodwill I expected Nintendo to come out swinging but really, they've just sort of meekly stepped on stage and done the absolute minimum effort. Mario Kart World is a great game, and I love the console itself, but I expected more, in terms of games and announcements. What's the next big one after Donkey Kong? Why have so few companies, especially Nintendo's close allies in Japan, announced little or nothing so far? The Switch 2 feels like a soft launch and I can't tell whether that's on purpose, and they're really waiting for Christmas, or if this is just it and somehow that's all Nintendo could manage. I just don't get the lack of energy and excitement, which was so clear when the Switch 1 came out. I was expecting all that and more for the Switch 2 but instead it's just kind of there. Focus Inbox also-ransI was going to pick up MindsEye in the Amazon Prime Day sale but to my surprise it wasn't part of it. I don't see how giant flops like that are still full price but great games, that are very recent, like Elden Ring Nightreign are already on sale. DON GC: There are probably a number of factors, but as a multiplayer game it probably didn't sell many physical copies, so Amazon was left with a lot of unsold ones – regardless of the game being a hit overall. I wish Atlus would remake the original isometric Persona games. I tried to get into them but just couldn't. A remake that modernised them and improved the graphics would be much more interesting to me than Persona 4 again. Limpton More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: What is the hardest game on PS5? MORE: Games Inbox: What is the easiest Soulsborne game? MORE: Games Inbox: What's the best superhero game?
The Age
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
The video games industry is having its #MeToo moment. But there's a long way to go
Quinn, alongside other female, queer and non-binary gamers and developers were heavily targeted, with many facing ongoing harassment, doxxing and even death and rape threats. Independent games were also targeted, particularly if they appeared to skew more progressive. The online maelstrom became so severe that sites such as Kotaku, a popular gaming blog, banned their writers from contributing to crowdfunding appeals like Patreon. Tech company Intel also pulled an ad campaign from video game news site Gamasutra following complaints from GamerGaters about a column written by the editor-at-large that was critical of the male-centric gamer identity. The intensity of the GamerGate movement has since dissipated, but the sexist and bigoted attitudes it espoused live on. For example, the writer of a 2023 IGN report – which laid out a history of alleged sexism at the developer of Black Myth: Wukong, Game Science – became the target of a lengthy harassment campaign. And last year, rumours swirled that Ubisoft was allegedly forced by 'DEI [diversity, equality and inclusion] warriors' into making the main character of Assassin's Creed Shadows black, despite historical evidence that a black samurai warrior existed. Cue the #MeToo movement While GamerGaters were launching co-ordinated harassment campaigns against female and other minority gamers, developers and games journalists, trouble was also brewing inside the very companies that create the games they play. In August 2019, games designer Nathalie Lawhead posted about the alleged abusive behaviour and rape she says were inflicted upon her by former colleague composer Jeremy Soule. He vehemently denied the allegations and was never charged with a crime. Soule's management was contacted for comment. However, Lawhead's post had a domino effect, as several other women within the industry proceeded to share their own accounts of abuse in the workplace, including sexual harassment, gaslighting and retaliation. This included Zoe Quinn, who on August 27, 2019, accused Alec Holowka (who worked on the 2017 indie hit Night in the Woods) of sexual and verbal abuse. Holowka died shortly after on August 31. These weren't the first abuse allegations made within the industry. In 2018, a Kotaku investigation exposed a culture of sexism at developer Riot Games (makers of League of Legends). This resulted in five former employees suing the company over workplace harassment and discrimination. About 150 of Riot Games' employees protested over how the company was handling the lawsuit in 2019 – the largest video games protest of such nature at the time. The Ubisoft trial Arguably the most commonly referenced example, however, is the string of complaints made against executives at Ubisoft. In 2020, dozens of company employees filed complaints of sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment. While not accused of any misconduct individually, managing director Yannis Mallat left the company in the wake of the complaints. 'The recent allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees make it impossible for him to continue in this position,' Ubisoft said in a statement reported by Bloomberg at the time. Global head of human resources Cécile Cornet was not accused of any misconduct personally but also departed Ubisoft and her division was reorganised. Chief creative officer Hascoët also departed at the time of Mallat and Cornet, and was last week found guilty in a French court of psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment. 'These departures come following the initiation of a rigorous review that the Company initiated in response to recent allegations and accusations of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour,' according to the Ubisoft statement to Bloomberg in 2020. According to Bloomberg, it was the 'most significant executive exodus in the $US150 billion industry since the #MeToo movement started gathering momentum'. The company proceeded to launch an internal inquiry. Following this, Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot announced a plan to overhaul the company's creative editorial team, adding that his 'goal is to create an inclusive and open culture that embraces more diverse and multidisciplinary expertise'. This series of events culminated in the recent trial in Bobigny, in which Serge Hascoët, former Ubisoft game director Guillaume Patrux, and former Ubisoft editorial vice-president Thomas François were found guilty of enabling a culture of bullying and sexual harassment within the company. What were the results of the trial? Thomas François was found guilty of sexual harassment, psychological harassment and an attempted sexual assault, and was given a three-year suspended prison sentence and fined more than $53,000. Serge Hascoët was acquitted of sexual harassment and complicity in psychological harassment, but was found guilty of psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment. He was given an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of more than $80,000. Guillaume Patrux was found guilty of psychological harassment and given a 12-month suspended sentence and a fine of more than $17,000. Could this foster real change? UNSW associate professor Michael Kasumovic, who has researched gender differences in video games, says this could be a turning point within the industry, particularly as games companies continue to realise that gender equity is not only positive socially, but also financially. 'Many companies are interested in improving the STEM pipeline to increase diversity on their teams. And with social media, people are more willing to share their experiences,' he says. 'This [Ubisoft] trial could definitely speed things up, especially in Europe, where they're cracking down on such things more strongly.' Dr Susannah Emery, a lecturer in game design and digital media at the University of South Australia, also thinks this trial will show game companies there are legal consequences for poor workplace practices, but emphasises it won't fix everything. 'For a long time, the games industry has been dominated and controlled by certain voices and cultures, and when those are the people making the games, those are the voices amplified within the games they make,' Emery says. 'Everything else is seen as an exception to this 'norm' – women make up about half of all game players, but in Australia, only make up around 21 per cent of game developers. Loading 'Real action in this space has been slow because the systems controlling this, such as leadership and the laws, weren't built with safety or equity in mind. This is starting to change due to verdicts like this, but there's still a lot of work to do be done here.' The fallout from both GamerGate and the #MeToo movement has resulted in greater regulation within companies, including the implementation of moderation, the ability for gamers to modify their voice, and bans. A spokesperson at the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, Australia's peak industry body representing the video games industry, says creative environments flourish when people feel supported and empowered. 'All employees deserve a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace; one free from harassment, discrimination and intimidation ... It's vital that all workplaces within our sector continuously examine and strengthen their culture to uphold the highest standards and foster spaces where creativity and talent can thrive.' However, Kasumovic notes this is not just an issue within the video game industry, but a broader societal issue. 'One of the biggest things that needs to happen now is the education of young men so they realise their value isn't determined by their ability to compete,' he says. 'This is difficult because there are still so many spaces that allow men to behave in overtly aggressive and male-dominating ways … Society must continue to punish individuals who behave this way. Young people need to see and understand this sort of behaviour is unacceptable. 'Unfortunately, if history tells us anything, we have a long way to go.'
Sydney Morning Herald
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The video games industry is having its #MeToo moment. But there's a long way to go
Quinn, alongside other female, queer and non-binary gamers and developers were heavily targeted, with many facing ongoing harassment, doxxing and even death and rape threats. Independent games were also targeted, particularly if they appeared to skew more progressive. The online maelstrom became so severe that sites such as Kotaku, a popular gaming blog, banned their writers from contributing to crowdfunding appeals like Patreon. Tech company Intel also pulled an ad campaign from video game news site Gamasutra following complaints from GamerGaters about a column written by the editor-at-large that was critical of the male-centric gamer identity. The intensity of the GamerGate movement has since dissipated, but the sexist and bigoted attitudes it espoused live on. For example, the writer of a 2023 IGN report – which laid out a history of alleged sexism at the developer of Black Myth: Wukong, Game Science – became the target of a lengthy harassment campaign. And last year, rumours swirled that Ubisoft was allegedly forced by 'DEI [diversity, equality and inclusion] warriors' into making the main character of Assassin's Creed Shadows black, despite historical evidence that a black samurai warrior existed. Cue the #MeToo movement While GamerGaters were launching co-ordinated harassment campaigns against female and other minority gamers, developers and games journalists, trouble was also brewing inside the very companies that create the games they play. In August 2019, games designer Nathalie Lawhead posted about the alleged abusive behaviour and rape she says were inflicted upon her by former colleague composer Jeremy Soule. He vehemently denied the allegations and was never charged with a crime. Soule's management was contacted for comment. However, Lawhead's post had a domino effect, as several other women within the industry proceeded to share their own accounts of abuse in the workplace, including sexual harassment, gaslighting and retaliation. This included Zoe Quinn, who on August 27, 2019, accused Alec Holowka (who worked on the 2017 indie hit Night in the Woods) of sexual and verbal abuse. Holowka died shortly after on August 31. These weren't the first abuse allegations made within the industry. In 2018, a Kotaku investigation exposed a culture of sexism at developer Riot Games (makers of League of Legends). This resulted in five former employees suing the company over workplace harassment and discrimination. About 150 of Riot Games' employees protested over how the company was handling the lawsuit in 2019 – the largest video games protest of such nature at the time. The Ubisoft trial Arguably the most commonly referenced example, however, is the string of complaints made against executives at Ubisoft. In 2020, dozens of company employees filed complaints of sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment. While not accused of any misconduct individually, managing director Yannis Mallat left the company in the wake of the complaints. 'The recent allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees make it impossible for him to continue in this position,' Ubisoft said in a statement reported by Bloomberg at the time. Global head of human resources Cécile Cornet was not accused of any misconduct personally but also departed Ubisoft and her division was reorganised. Chief creative officer Hascoët also departed at the time of Mallat and Cornet, and was last week found guilty in a French court of psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment. 'These departures come following the initiation of a rigorous review that the Company initiated in response to recent allegations and accusations of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour,' according to the Ubisoft statement to Bloomberg in 2020. According to Bloomberg, it was the 'most significant executive exodus in the $US150 billion industry since the #MeToo movement started gathering momentum'. The company proceeded to launch an internal inquiry. Following this, Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot announced a plan to overhaul the company's creative editorial team, adding that his 'goal is to create an inclusive and open culture that embraces more diverse and multidisciplinary expertise'. This series of events culminated in the recent trial in Bobigny, in which Serge Hascoët, former Ubisoft game director Guillaume Patrux, and former Ubisoft editorial vice-president Thomas François were found guilty of enabling a culture of bullying and sexual harassment within the company. What were the results of the trial? Thomas François was found guilty of sexual harassment, psychological harassment and an attempted sexual assault, and was given a three-year suspended prison sentence and fined more than $53,000. Serge Hascoët was acquitted of sexual harassment and complicity in psychological harassment, but was found guilty of psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment. He was given an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of more than $80,000. Guillaume Patrux was found guilty of psychological harassment and given a 12-month suspended sentence and a fine of more than $17,000. Could this foster real change? UNSW associate professor Michael Kasumovic, who has researched gender differences in video games, says this could be a turning point within the industry, particularly as games companies continue to realise that gender equity is not only positive socially, but also financially. 'Many companies are interested in improving the STEM pipeline to increase diversity on their teams. And with social media, people are more willing to share their experiences,' he says. 'This [Ubisoft] trial could definitely speed things up, especially in Europe, where they're cracking down on such things more strongly.' Dr Susannah Emery, a lecturer in game design and digital media at the University of South Australia, also thinks this trial will show game companies there are legal consequences for poor workplace practices, but emphasises it won't fix everything. 'For a long time, the games industry has been dominated and controlled by certain voices and cultures, and when those are the people making the games, those are the voices amplified within the games they make,' Emery says. 'Everything else is seen as an exception to this 'norm' – women make up about half of all game players, but in Australia, only make up around 21 per cent of game developers. Loading 'Real action in this space has been slow because the systems controlling this, such as leadership and the laws, weren't built with safety or equity in mind. This is starting to change due to verdicts like this, but there's still a lot of work to do be done here.' The fallout from both GamerGate and the #MeToo movement has resulted in greater regulation within companies, including the implementation of moderation, the ability for gamers to modify their voice, and bans. A spokesperson at the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, Australia's peak industry body representing the video games industry, says creative environments flourish when people feel supported and empowered. 'All employees deserve a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace; one free from harassment, discrimination and intimidation ... It's vital that all workplaces within our sector continuously examine and strengthen their culture to uphold the highest standards and foster spaces where creativity and talent can thrive.' However, Kasumovic notes this is not just an issue within the video game industry, but a broader societal issue. 'One of the biggest things that needs to happen now is the education of young men so they realise their value isn't determined by their ability to compete,' he says. 'This is difficult because there are still so many spaces that allow men to behave in overtly aggressive and male-dominating ways … Society must continue to punish individuals who behave this way. Young people need to see and understand this sort of behaviour is unacceptable. 'Unfortunately, if history tells us anything, we have a long way to go.'
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Business Standard
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag remake might release sooner than expected
It appears that the French video game publisher Ubisoft is in the works to remake the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag game, which was launched back in October 2013. A voice actor who was behind the voice of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's protagonist Edward Kenway hinted that the remake is under development and gamers might soon get to play it. Matt Ryan, the man who voiced the in-game character Kenway, was seen at a convention engaging in an interaction where he said: 'Have you beat the game?... Well you may have to beat it again.' What further confirmed the suspicion of the remake was when he said: 'There's a reason I say that but I can't say anything.' According to a report dated October 4, 2024, by Insider Gaming, certain details were shared with the publication, which suggested that the remake of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag—codenamed Obsidian—was well under development and it could be released by the end of 2025. Additionally, as per Gadgets360, back in July 2023, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot revealed that the company had several remakes of classic Assassin's Creed games in development, though he did not specify which titles were being reworked. Assassin's Creed Shadows delay and domino effect on pipeline After the release of the Assassin's Creed Shadows which was delayed heavily, Ubisoft announced that it would be pushing back the release of some of its major upcoming games. The company said the delay was to allow more time for development and to ensure the best possible conditions for the games' success, as reported by Gadgets360. While Ubisoft did not name the specific titles facing delays, the statement hinted that some of its biggest franchises — such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six — might be affected. Since the game is now in public, it is possible that the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag might be released by the end of this year or in early 2026. What is Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag all about? Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is an open-world action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft and released in 2013. Set during the early 18th century Golden Age of Piracy, it follows Edward Kenway, a pirate-turned-Assassin caught between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order. Unlike earlier games, Black Flag puts a strong emphasis on naval exploration, allowing players to captain their own ship — the Jackdaw — and sail across a vast Caribbean world that includes locations like Havana, Nassau, and Kingston. The game focuses on themes of freedom and rebellion. Players can engage in ship battles, treasure hunts, harpooning, and traditional stealth-based missions. Edward's journey evolves from a selfish pursuit of fortune to a deeper involvement in the Assassins' cause. A modern-day storyline also runs parallel, as players relive Edward's memories through the Animus, continuing the broader Assassin's Creed narrative.
