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Forbes
16 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
I Missed My Only Chance To Buy An ‘Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee' Action Figure
Abe action figure. I was browsing LinkedIn today, something I don't recommend anyone spend their precious time doing, and happened to come across a cool Kickstarter campaign for an Abe action figure. No, not presidential Honest Abe, and not Good Burger actor Abe Vigoda, but the brave Mudokon with a heart of gold, plucked directly from long-running puzzle-platforming franchise Oddworld—the Abe, in my retro gaming book. The only trouble is…. the campaign ended on May 29, so now I can't buy what UK-based Gametee was selling: An officially licensed, 5-inch tall, 10-point articulated, hand-painted Abe action figure. What a complete bummer, although I'm honestly happy for the 1,686 backers who helped fully fund the project, which soared way over the original £14,000 goal with an impressive total £112,959 (roughly $152,000 USD). I'm honestly surprised it's taken this long for an official Oddworld toy to make it to market, because the IP's world and characters are so stunningly rich and fleshed out and, let's admit it, utterly bizarre. It's all perfect for plastic, really. I'm thinking back to the '90s and I can't recall any mention of Oddworld action figures being in the works, although I wouldn't be surprised if there were talks at some point. Crash Bandicoot eventually got a set of toys, as did Primal Rage, Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. No Abe, though, until now. As disappointed as I am that I missed this Kickstarter opportunity, it does give me hope that maybe Oddworld Inhabitants and Gametee will partner again to expand on what could potentially be a whole series of creatures. The Oddworld universe is simply begging for this kind of collectible tribute, and truly, there's no shortage of wacky critters to immortalize. An Elum would be rad, which is a sort of alien steed that Abe rides around like a two-legged horse. A Slig toy would be a must as well, since they're patrolling everywhere inside the games. I'd especially love a Scrab or a Paramite, and I'm even imagining some detailed dioramas in which to display the figures. Or maybe Mighty Max-style playsets with miniature Mudokons, and neon lights! I'm getting carried away, obviously, but it's fun to think about. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder You can find a lot of custom Oddworld statues and similar works on sites like Etsy, and some of them are truly incredible, but in the end, official merch just hits different. Abe's Oddysee released way back in 1997, which seems like eons ago, but seeing this sort of Kickstarter come to fruition really brought back a lot of great gaming memories. The games were hard, no doubt, but I forgave the steep difficulty curve, simply because the sheer creativity on display was through the roof. I'll eternally have a soft spot for Abe and his strange adventures, especially those incredible CG cutscenes that made owning a legacy PlayStation feel like magic. Oh, and we can't forget the farts. So many digital farts.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Escape From Tarkov' Players Angry After AI Art Found In New Map
The new Iceberg map is proving controversial. Earlier this week a new map launched in Escape From Tarkov Arena called Iceberg, however fans have since discovered that it features AI generated artwork, and as you might expect, a lot of them are not happy. Yesterday, patch 0.3.1 for Escape From Tarkov Arena was launched, and the headline new addition was a new map for the Blast Gang and CheckPoint game modes called Iceberg, which is set in a luxury hotel that is now being used for the combat arena sport. By most accounts, it's a decent map, with a lot of players seeming to have fun in the first day of action. However, fans have now discovered some AI generated artwork on the map, and quite a few are angry and disappointed about its inclusion. The top thread on the Escape From Tarkov sub-Reddit is currently highlighting some of the AI art, and asking the developers to not use it again in either Arena or the main Tarkov game. Throughout the Iceberg map, there are posters on the walls that parody other games. Some examples include parodies of the iconic Dark Souls graphic of a character next to a bonfire, the key art of the recently released Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and artwork that appears to be referencing Steam hit Lethal Company. Many fans on the sub-Reddit theorised these images were made with AI, and now a member of the Escape From Tarkov PR team has confirmed to me that that is the case and these images were made with AI. As is the case with a lot of AI work, there has been somewhat of a backlash from areas of the Tarkov community, with some fans calling the use of AI lazy and many sharing their disappointment that developers Battlestate Games has chosen to use this technology instead of commissioning human artists. However, others are arguing that this is a good use of AI, with features of the map that are inconsequential to gameplay and something that will barely be noticed by most players. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Had these images not been made by AI these would have been some very cool Easter eggs for players to discover on the new map, but now they are creating somewhat of a negative storm, which is a common occurrence in the world of Tarkov. It's only been a year or so since the extremely controversial Unheard Edition of Tarkov that saw a lot of fans pledge to never come back to it. If you want to see the AI artwork on the Iceberg map yourself, then you are in luck, as Escape From Tarkov Arena is having a free weekend right now. You can play the game for free until 6:00 PM MSK on June 2, and there is a new task chain and double XP to enjoy when you do. If you want to purchase Arena after trying it, there is also a 20% discount for the duration of the weekend. If you would rather watch, then Twitch Drops for Tarkov Arena are currently live as well, so you can get some in game rewards to watching the action.
Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
3 new PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (May 30-June 1)
Under normal circumstances, we would have to wait until next week to get our drop of new PlayStation Plus games, but this is a special occasion. We're currently right at the start of the Days of Play event where Sony celebrates with tons of community events and huge discounts on PS5 games and accessories. The icing on the cake is that we're not only getting four new games for Essential members, but an additional four for Extra and two more for Premium, with several already available. That's a lot to keep up with if you weren't prepared for it, which is where I come in. We will have to wait for most of the games until Tuesday, but here are a few new games you can start playing over this weekend to start the celebrations early. Destiny 2: The Final Shape With all the talk surrounding Marathon, Bungie, and live service games as a whole, it might feel in bad form to recommend The Final Shape right now. However, for what it's worth, Bungie did manage to make what looks like its last major expansion to the Destiny universe its best yet. This feels like the true swansong of the 10+ year journey players have been on since launch in all the right ways. The story is as complex as ever overall, but the micro moments with characters and the buildup to missions and major battles are thrilling. Gunplay, as always, is a joy with even more ways to break open the game. If you're overly pessimistic about Bungie right now, this might help remind you that it can still deliver. Recommended Videos Destiny 2: The Final Shape is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Another Crab's Treasure Don't be fooled by the tone or presentation of this game. Another Crab's Treasure is a deep (pun intended) soulslike with a style all its own that is way more than just a fun parody. Sure, you will see deliberate jabs here and there, like how the game takes place in the Sands Between, but the gameplay is dead serious. Besides its underwater setting, what sets this game apart is its shell mechanic. Depending on what shell your crab is wearing, you have access to a different ability. If even the mention of the word soulslike turns you off, fear not. This game is meant to be beginner-friendly and has plenty of accessibility and assist options. Another Crab's Treasure is available now on PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC. Alone in the Dark 2 I'm taking you way back with this pick, but stick with me because I have a reason. Sadly, I can't put the very first game on the list since it isn't on PS Plus, so Alone in the Dark 2 will have to do. This is the sequel to the game that essentially inspired all survival horror games after. It is a bit rough on the eyes now, and just as clunky as it was in the '90s, but just as creepy and astounding when you consider the era it came out in. But beyond being a classic I think anyone should try, next week we are getting the 2024 reboot that sadly went overlooked by most. There's no need to play this first to understand the modern entry, but it is always a fun exercise to see where a series started compared to where it is now. Alone in the Dark 2 is available now on PS4, PS5, and PC.
Forbes
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Fortnite's AI Darth Vader Is Unfortunately Very Funny
Fortnite The internet is currently littered with hundreds of clips of Fortnite players talking to Darth Vader via voice chat, who is no longer a bot saying a few canned lines, but a Google Gemini-powered AI character that can respond to player queries in real time. There are many, many ethics conversations to be had about this. In this instance, Fortnite is using AI to clone and repurpose a dead actor's voice, James Earle Jones, to make this feature. However, Jones signed his voice rights over to Disney before his death and his family is supportive of this new addition to Fortnite. So, is tech that can be abused and threatens the jobs of voice actors okay to use when the actor in question gives specific permission to use it? I'm not sure about the complicated answer to that, though it does seem kind of creepy and unsettling to me. But if you understandably take the side this is a bad idea, the unfortunate truly is that Fortnite AI Vader is actually very funny. No, I'm not talking about Darth Vader being jammed through the wall of his prompts to swear or say racial slurs, but it's the breadth of his conversation and knowledge of real world info in addition to seemingly knowing the names and back story of every Fortnite character who talks to him. Here's a collection of videos I've found that are some of the funniest, and more are appearing by the hour: Darth Vader on whether Epic should acquiesce to the popular fan request of adding lightsaber mining tools to Fortnite: FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Darth Vader pumps up Peter Griffin: Darth Vader tells a player they're adopted: Darth Vader seemingly threatens to kill a player in real life: Darth Vader learns about Ichiban Kasuga: Darth Vader accuses a player of cheating: Darth Vader participates in the 'Italian Brainrot' meme: Darth Vader talks Hatsune Miku's use of the Force: Unlimited bacon confuses Darth Vader: Darth Vader is concerned about Goku: Darth Vader says a popular phrase: Darth Vader asked if he's in Kingdom Hearts 4: Darth Vader on his alleged foot fetish: Darth Vader ragequits a party: Darth Vader gives Leon S. Kennedy relationship advice about Ada Wong: Darth Vader gives his McDonald's order: Is a lot of this is stupid Gen Z meme stuff? Sure, a lot of it, but guess who mostly plays Fortnite at this point. Whatever you think of this, it's abundantly clear that the vast majority of the Fortnite playerbase is not concerned with AI ethics and just wants to make Darth Vader say funny things. And I mean, he is. Expect to see a lot more of this in the future, for better or worse. But probably worse. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
CNET
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
GTA 6, Nintendo's California Opening, FBC: Firebreak First Look
GTA 6, Nintendo's California Opening, FBC: Firebreak First Look | Obvious Skill Issue 4 GTA 6, Nintendo's California Opening, FBC: Firebreak First Look | Obvious Skill Issue 4 Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 28:02 Loaded : 0.36% 00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 28:02 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. GTA 6, Nintendo's California Opening, FBC: Firebreak First Look | Obvious Skill Issue 4 GTA 6, Nintendo's California Opening, FBC: Firebreak First Look | Obvious Skill Issue 4 May 17, 2025 Tech Show Transcript Today on Obvious Skill Issue, David is joined by social producer Faith Chihil to chat about GTA6's latest delay announcement, what it was like visiting Nintendo's second U.S. store, and whether Remedy's FBC: Firebreak, a multiplayer shooter, can live up to the creepypasta search action vibes of Control.
