Latest news with #SouthofMidnight
Business Mayor
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
Call of Duty sees boost on Twitch thanks to Verdansk map
The streaming space saw a relatively quiet April, according to StreamElement's latest State of the Stream report. Twitch saw fewer hours watched than in March, which the report attributes at least in part to a lack of 'major' game releases — games like South of Midnight and Oblivion Remastered not being enough to move the needle on viewers at least. The most notable thing about the month is the precipitous spike in viewership for Call of Duty: Warzone, which saw 45 million hours watched in April, a 146% increase. According to StreamElement's report, which was done in partnership with Twitch saw a total of 1.573 billion hours watched in April, less than even February despite have two more days. For daily hours watched, Rainmaker's data shows viewers watched about 52 million hours total per day, lower than any other month in April. Or Perry, StreamElements CEO, attributed the viewership spike to the re-launch of the much-beloved Verdansk map. 'The highlight of April was Call of Duty: Warzone experiencing a whopping 146% surge in viewership on Twitch, driven by the return of an updated version of the fan favorite Verdansk map. Nostalgia is a powerful tool because it makes things feel instantly familiar, with Warzone's latest release standing out by reestablishing that emotional connection while upgrading rather than simply recycling old content.' The rest of the report covers the list of the top 10 streamers on Twitch. Caedrel remains at the top of the list, thanks to his League of Legends commentary streams — he covered the LCK Spring Split in April, and also received the EMEA Masters Trophy his team, Los Ratones, won at the winter event. It's his third month
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Xbox's next-gen console coming way sooner than we'd have liked
It seems that the next-gen Xbox console might be arriving sooner rather than later. The Xbox Series X/S launched in 2020 and has graced us with first-party titles such as Forza Horizon 5, Starfield and Halo Infinite. More recently, we were treated to the surprise hit that is South of Midnight from Compulsion Games. Check out the South of Midnight trailer below! By console generation standards with Xbox Series X/S being five years old, it's still relatively young. For example, the last generation, Xbox One, lasted from 2013 to its discontinuation in 2020. The original Xbox had a slightly longer life span from 2001 to 2009. However, Microsoft's most successful console, the Xbox 360 lasted over a decade from 2005 to 2016. So, to be fair, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the next-gen Xbox console could be around the next corner. With that in mind, a game intended to release on the next Xbox and PlayStation 6 has reportedly been cancelled. As reported by Eurogamer (via Insider Gaming), the game in question is based on the iconic Ridley Scott sci-fi movie franchise, Blade Runner. Interestingly, the game called Blade Runner: Time to Live was being developed by Until Dawn studio, Supermassive Games. So, it might be safe to assume that its estimated 10 to 12 hour story campaign would offer multiple choice scenarios and alternative endings. Players reportedly would have been the last Blade Runner bounty hunter alive in 2065, assuming the role of So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model android, said to be 'inexplicably still alive well beyond your limited lifespan.' Its story would also have focused on 'the philosophical themes of Blade Runner with kinetic action-adventure gameplay.' What's more, documents obtained by Insider Gaming read: 'Journey from the teeming undercity of New Zurich 2065 to the eerie remnants of the forgotten world beyond.' 'Under orders to retire, Rev, the mysterious and ruthless leader of an underground replicant network, you are betrayed and left for dead in a brutally hostile environment.' It's claimed that Blade Runner: Time to Live had entered pre-production in September 2024, with its prototype build aimed to have been completed by March this year. Blade Runner: Time to Live was expected to be released in 2027 and was not only intended to launch on PC and next-gen consoles but also PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mid-April Xbox Game Pass Update Brings 11 New Titles, Says Goodbye to 6
Midway through April, Xbox Game Pass has expanded its lineup with major hits and indie gems — but six games are on the way out. The second wave of Xbox Game Pass additions is here for mid-April. As fans have come to expect, every batch of new titles is accompanied by some notable removals from the service. On April 30, six games will leave the platform to make room for 11 new titles arriving over the next two weeks, beginning with the additions of Grand Theft Auto V and Hunt: The Showdown 1896. Xbox Game Pass April 2025 started with a bang, introducing players to Compulsion Games' South of Midnight, as well as the newly released indie sensation Blue Prince, which joined the lineup on April 10. CGMagazine's review of South of Midnight says, 'The art direction is so strong that simply looking at the world is enjoyable.' The review of Blue Prince calls it 'one of the most interesting and addictive puzzle games I've played this year, filled with charm and secrets to uncover.' The mid-April Xbox Game Pass update aims to elevate subscriber libraries with 11 new titles, listed below with their respective release dates. April 15 Grand Theft Auto V — added to Standard, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass Hunt: Showdown 1896 — added to PC Game Pass April 16 Neon White – added to Standard Xbox Game Pass SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game – added to Standard, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass April 17 Tempopo – added to Standard Crime Scene Cleaner – added to Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 24 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – official release, added to Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 29 Towerborne — added to Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 30 Far Cry 4 — added to Standard, Ultimate, PC Game Pass May 1 Anno 1800 — added to Standard, Ultimate and PC Game Pass Call of Duty Modern Warfare II — added to Ultimate and PC Game Pass DREDGE — Standard, Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Series X|S and Cloud) Alongside the new addition, Xbox Game Pass has removed six titles from their service starting on April 30, and they can be seen as listed below. Have a Nice Death Kona II: Brume Sniper Elite 5 The Last Case of Benedict Fox Thirsty Suitors The Rewinder Xbox Game Pass subscribers affected by the six upcoming removals may want to dive back in, as these titles will no longer be playable through the service after April 30. Fans can visit the official Xbox website for more information.
New York Times
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Soaking in the Swamps and Myths of South of Midnight
In South of Midnight, the regional folk tales of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi take center stage during a sorrowful adventure embellished by magical realism and strands of hope. The difficult history of one girl's community unfolds in a world inspired by the humid swamps and bayous near New Orleans and the dusty sawmills of LaSalle Parish. Moments after the game begins, a frightful hurricane takes young Hazel Flood's home. It bobs away down a raging, windswept river with her mother trapped inside. During her ensuing search, Hazel encounters the ghosts of slaves and the downtrodden everywhere. Through a combination of cynicism and empathy, she uncovers tales of child and animal abuse, accidental or murderous. These affecting, sometimes shocking, stories are told carefully and with respect for the dead. Hazel (voiced by Adriyan Rae of 'Chicago Fire') is a weaver, a paranormal human who receives powers through two formidable knitting needles. Even when she complains that she needs a bath after falling into polluted water or hog waste, she never stops moving forward. While the story could benefit from moments of self-doubt, Hazel's love for her mother is all-encompassing. She needs her mother, who is a social worker, to be found alive more than she herself needs to live. Too much of the game play, however, is familiar: skating on walls, squeezing between rocks and battling with bold pushes that momentarily throw gruesome creatures across grim, bramble-filled terrain. These monstrous haints are made from a damaged Grand Tapestry. They're angry and ugly, and they must be fought until their strands can be unraveled. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
07-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Tuesday Briefing: Trump's Tariff Threat to China
Trump threatened China with even bigger tariffs President Trump yesterday told China to rescind its retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. or face additional tariffs of 50 percent starting tomorrow. The threat came as countries around the world were trying to appeal to the president to have steep tariffs rolled back. The added tariffs would bring the total taxes that Trump has imposed on Chinese imports since he came into office to 104 percent. Asia: Bangladesh and Vietnam asked Trump to delay imposing the tariffs, while the Philippines offered to reduce tariffs on U.S. goods. South Korea and Japan said they wanted to hold talks with the Trump administration. Europe: E.U. officials are taking a two-part approach, offering to slash tariffs on American-made cars — which Trump later told reporters wasn't good enough — and industrial products even as they prepare to retaliate with wide-ranging import taxes. Representatives from the bloc are expected to vote tomorrow on a list of products they plan to target with tariffs. Markets: Wall Street swung wildly, with the S&P 500 ending the day in a decline. More on Trump Trump announced talks with Iran Trump said yesterday that the U.S. would hold talks with Iran on Saturday on reining in its nuclear program. He warned that if the meeting fails to yield a breakthrough, 'Iran is going to be in great danger.' The face-to-face talks in an undisclosed location would be the first such meeting between the U.S. and Iran since the 2015 nuclear accord was concluded. Trump did not specify who would be conducting the negotiations, but said they would be 'high level.' Speaking in the Oval Office after a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Trump said a new nuclear deal with Iran would be 'stronger' than the previous agreement. Context: Trump pulled out of the previous nuclear deal in 2018, even though Iran was shipping 97 percent of its nuclear material out of the country. Iran has since rebuilt its capability and today produces near bomb-grade uranium. Does a Black Sea truce benefit Ukraine? My colleague Constant Méheut last week joined the Ukrainian Navy on a patrol mission in the Black Sea, where Russia's forces have been repelled far enough that commercial shipping has returned to near prewar levels. Constant wanted to know how naval officers and business owners in Odesa viewed a Black Sea truce — which Kyiv and Moscow agreed to negotiate last month — if Ukraine already has the upper hand on those waters. Many rejected the idea; some expressed their doubts. 'For me, nothing changes,' one captain said. 'It's fighting as usual.' Russia: Some 800,000 Russians fled their country after the invasion of Ukraine. A peace deal may not be enough to bring them back home. The video game South of Midnight, which comes out today, taps into American folklore to tell the story of Hazel, a young woman trying to find her mother, who was lost in a storm. The magic Hazel discovers along the way helps her heal the world around her. The developers went to great lengths to make the game world feel real, even touring swamps to record the sounds of the land and wildlife. Here's more about the game. Lives lived: Amadou Bagayoko, a Malian guitarist and composer who, with his wife Mariam Doumbia, invented the genre 'Afro-rock,' died at 70. 'The White Lotus' is never really over Season 3 of 'The White Lotus' came to an end on Sunday, but that doesn't mean we have to stop talking about it. At 18 million, the show has built one of the largest audiences of any HBO series. It has inspired several memes ('Live Laugh Lorazepam'). And brand collaborations promise fans that they can live like their favorite characters. If you're craving more stories of wealth and murder before the next season, here are 10 books we recommend. And Jason Isaacs, one of the show's stars, talked to us about accents, the awkwardness of onscreen nudity and his character's surprising fate. Read our recap of the finale. As for Walton Goggins, he knew it had to end this way. Cook: This slow-roasted citrusy fish is fragrant and sumptuous. Watch: The film 'A Nice Indian Boy' is a gay rom-com that kicks off at a Hindu temple. Read: Could 'The Unexpurgated Code' be the funniest book ever written? Travel: Here's how to spend 36 hours in Carmel, Calif. Move: This 20-minute agility workout can help you age better. Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That's it for today. See you tomorrow. — Emmett P.S. Here's how Times journalists cover breaking news. We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@
