Latest news with #SurgentStudios
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Palworld studio's publishing arm signs another "very exciting game" to add to its list of "bangers," not long after helping release a new horror game featuring Baldur's Gate 3 and Final Fantasy talent
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Palworld studio Pocketpair has published its first game after establishing the Pocketpair Publishing label back in January. Dead Take – a horror game developed by Tales of Kenzera: ZAU studio Surgent Studios, featuring Baldur's Gate 3's Neil Newbon and Final Fantasy 16's Ben Starr in lead roles – arrived last week, but the publisher is already teasing what's to come outside of its already-announced second title Truckful. In a tweet, Pocketpair Publishing celebrates the launch of its new game with a slightly threatening message, "We hope you've been enjoying Dead Take over the weekend! If not, then go enjoy it!" complete with an angry emoji. But rather than linger on its new game, the tweet continues: "In other news, we signed a very exciting new game! More info to come soon!" Pocketpair publishing manager John 'Bucky' Buckley adds a follow-up message, saying: "True BTW." He elaborates: "Signed a VERY exciting game a couple days ago. Really excited to share more info about it in future, but it needs to cook for a bit first!" That's not all, as Bucky confirms Pocketpair Publishing has "quite a few others in the wings that we'll start revealing soon though!" He assures fans that they are "all bangers of course." Considering we're mere weeks away from Gamescom, that probably fits into the criteria of "soon," but the publisher hasn't directly given a timeframe of when this could be, or any hints as to what the latest game is. Considering the publisher got 150 pitches within its first week, there's a world of possibilities for what type of game it could be. However, one thing you can cross off the list is Iron Galaxy's pro wrestling battle royale game Rumbleverse, which was shut down by publisher Epic Games after six months. When it was suggested by a fan, Pocketpair Publishing said "it's not." It is worth noting, however, that Bucky said earlier this month he "would love to hear more about" the FPS game that Romero Games was apparently working with Microsoft on before the publisher pulled funding amid its own massive round of layoffs. Considering that project was first announced back in 2022, it could be something that would be ready to announce "soon" if Pocketpair has in fact picked it up, but that's just speculation on my part. As Palworld update soars, IP expert says "weird" new moves from Nintendo in ongoing lawsuit read like a "desperate attempt to win by doing something odd."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Palworld dev and Pocketpair publishing manager says "big things" have happened that he can't talk about for "at least a year or 2," and keeping the secret is "gonna kill me"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Something mysterious is going on behind the scenes at Palworld studio Pocketpair, as one dev (and the company's publishing director) teases "something very exciting" that he's not able to talk about for "at least a year or two." John "Bucky" Buckley has taken to Twitter today preparing fans for what sounds like a big announcement… and also one that we're almost certainly going to be waiting quite some time for. "Something very exciting happened and I literally won't be able to talk about it for like…at least a year or two," he writes. "But you guys are going to be super excited about it!" In some follow-up replies, he says "big things" have happened, but reiterates that he's "going to have to hold all this crazy news inside," and "it's gonna kill me." He adds: "I'm going to be gnawing my legs off trying not to spill the beans." The extra mysterious part of all this is that Bucky really could be teasing any number of things. Earlier this year, Pocketpair Publishing was launched with the goal of providing "comprehensive support for game development through funding and publishing for indie developers and studios." Since then, it's published Surgent Studios' new horror game, Dead Take, revealed it's publishing Truckful, and just this week, Bucky stated that "a VERY exciting game" has just been signed, with "quite a few others in the wings," too. Given that Bucky has brought this extra secret stuff up in a separate post, it doesn't seem like he's talking about that recently signed game, though. Of course, there's also a chance that Pocketpair itself is developing something – Palworld has been wildly successful, so maybe a sequel could be on the cards? Or, maybe Bucky is secretly hyping fans up for the Palworld – More Than Just Pals dating sim, which, believe it or not, is actually a thing with a real Steam store page. Palworld has a gigantic new Terraria collab because creator Redigit got a Hail Mary DM from Pocketpair: "Let this be a lesson to always shoot your shot."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Pocketpair-published horror game turns Balatro's live-action Jimbo actor into a jester again, devs insist it's "accidental," really: "No one will believe that we genuinely didn't mean to do this"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Final Fantasy 16 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 actor Ben Starr has lent his talents to horror game Dead Take, and although one moment in it appears to be a direct nod to his other iconic role as Balatro's live-action Jimbo, the devs insist the apparent reference was "genuinely accidental." Dead Take – the latest game from Tales of Kenzera: ZAU studio Surgent Studios, and the first game to be published by the Palworld devs' publishing arm, Pocketpair Publishing – launched at the end of last month, and it didn't take long for players to spot the moment in question. The coincidence was highlighted in a video from streamer and content creator TadpoledRin, who shares a clip of them cautiously turning the handle of a jack-in-a-box, only to be jumpscared by a jester popping out of it, with a picture of Starr (or rather, his live-action character of Vinny Monroe) pinned to its face. "Balatro!" TadpoledRin declares, after recovering from the scare. Responding to this, the official Surgent Studios Twitter account says that "no one will believe that we genuinely didn't mean to do this," before digging up evidence from "the moment we realized" in late July. A series of messages from the studio's Slack chat shows one dev sharing a screenshot of the in-game jester alongside an image of Starr at this year's BAFTA Games Awards, dressed in full Jimbo attire. "This is the most incredible happy accident that just dawned on us," they wrote at the time, with their fellow devs responding "HOW HAVE WE NOT REALIZED THIS" and "if I had known I would have matched the colors and outfit." Back to the present day, and Dead Take creative director and founder of Surgent Studios Abubakar Salim reiterates that the whole thing was "genuinely accidental," which honestly makes the whole thing even funnier. What is it with games picturing Starr as a jester, all of a sudden? He really does rock the look, though, and to quote him from his aforementioned appearance at the BAFTA Game Awards: "This might be a rather confusing, and at first glance, suspiciously arousing moment. But don't worry, it's perfectly natural. Don't fight the feeling, Jokers have full sex now." I thought the scariest thing about Dead Take would be its Final Fantasy and Baldur's Gate 3 stars doing American accents, but no horror game has stunned me like this since 2022.
WIRED
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- WIRED
'House of the Dragon' Actor's New Horror Game Skewers Hollywood
Aug 8, 2025 11:24 AM Abubakar Salim's game Dead Take explores scandals, exploitation, and AI-fueled media manipulation. Still from Dead Take. Courtesy of Surgent Studios Abubakar Salim has a lot of beef with Hollywood—and he's getting it off his chest in his latest video game. The actor, known for his roles as Alyn of Hull on House of the Dragon and Father in Raised By Wolves , has been balancing his time between the big screen and gaming, two industries that have been affected by a slew of similar issues: long hours, shrinking jobs, abuse of power, and, more recently, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence use and generative AI. Salim's sophomore game, Dead Take , is a story of Hollywood, ambition, and exploitation, dressed up as a horror game that takes aim at his industry's problems, from corruption to AI use. 'Hollywood is pure horror,' Salim says. Dead Take is a firm departure from his debut game, Tales of Kenzera: Zau . Where Zau told a vibrant, heartfelt story about grief, Dead Take is a psychological thriller set in the dark rooms of a Hollywood mansion. After his friend Vinny goes missing, struggling actor Chase breaks into the home of the industry's hottest director, Duke Cain, in search of clues. The game is an escape room by way of home invasion; room-by-room puzzles unlock more areas of the house, whether that means digging through bedrooms and closets, or navigating a poolhouse. Duke's domain is littered with clues about a lost child and a failed marriage, along with hints about how far he's willing to push actors in his films. Salim likens writing the game to an exorcism. 'You hear these stories,' he says of whispers about headline-making abuse and bad behavior. 'It is horrific. To then make a game that explores that felt like 'oh fuck you' to the industry and the machine. It really is mad what people get away with, the amount of toxicity that exists on an industry level.' Dead Take lets players piece together these sorts of stories, much as you would in real life, through emails, notes, and context. An actress caught in a MeToo-like scandal. A director pitting his actors against each other, or pushing them beyond their limits. Throughout their search, players find flash drives containing video clips of the game's actors. Salim made the unusual choice to let these scenes play out as real-life footage instead of as animation. Although the use of full-motion-video in games has enjoyed newfound popularity, thanks to titles like Immortality, it's still uncommon. Ben Starr ( Final Fantasy XVI , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ) and Neil Newbon ( Baldur's Gate 3 , Date Everything ) act as the game's leads, Chase and Vinny. Both actors have worked for years, but it's only recently that they've had the spotlight, thanks to more prominent roles in popular games. 'They're fucking good and I wanna show that, rather than putting them behind a character,' Salim says. As a creative professional, there's a lot for Salim to dislike about AI use—and he certainly does dislike a lot—but one fear stands out to him: images or videos being 'bastardized' in ways actors and artists have no control over. 'I think that's disturbing and disgusting,' he says. 'The last thing I want is someone to generate a horrific image of myself and then my daughter to stumble upon it as we're older. That would be horrible.' It's a fair concern in our current world. Actor Pedro Pascal is currently being smeared via AI-generated videos, which falsely show him groping fellow actresses. In May, players turned a digital Darth Vader, voiced by an AI replica of James Earl Jones in Fortnite , into a swearing, slur hurling foe in a matter of hours. In the game, these found video clips are key to unlocking the story. Players can use a computer bay inside Duke's mansion to edit film, 'splice' together clips, and create new footage. An interview of a single actor, for example, becomes a tense conversation when combined with another's. With each new clip, players are given an alternate view of the game's characters, allowing them to draw new conclusions. Each unlocked clip triggers a new series of puzzles. The machine, which Salim describes as 'cheaper than an editor, but expensive as hell,' isn't so far off from what a modern AI-powered editing suite can realistically produce. 'It's all about cutting corners,' Salim says. 'Furthering human evolution—it isn't about that.' AI may be able to do some tasks more quickly than humans, but comes with its own costs of job loss and climate impact. 'It's a threat,' Salim says of AI. It's currently being used across entertainment in different ways, whether it's for writing, animation, or video editing. Still, he doesn't believe it will ever be able to replace actors. 'The biggest threat is the content people are going to be taking in is just so fucking bad …to have this idea of a generation being brought up on computer generated, weird AI slop, it's terrifying. You're all gonna start thinking the same.'
Tahawul Tech
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Tahawul Tech
NVIDIA DLSS 4 arrives for Clair Obscur, Dead Take and Rune Factory
NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation multiplies performance in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dead Take, and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, while 7 Days to Die now features support for DLSS Super Resolution. Also, a new GeForce Game Ready Driver is being released, which optimises the experience in Mafia: The Old Country, as well as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It also adds support for 62 G-SYNC Compatible displays that deliver a baseline Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) experience that makes gaming smoother and more enjoyable. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the year's highest-rated games, and quickly sold several million copies. At launch, it featured support for DLSS Super Resolution and DLAA. With a new update, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also includes support for NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Frame Generation and NVIDIA Reflex, enabling GeForce RTX 50 Series and GeForce RTX 40 Series gamers to further accelerate frame rates and all GeForce RTX gamers to make the game more responsive. Brave a luxurious and haunting mansion in Dead Take, a first-person psychological horror crafted by BAFTA-winning developer Surgent Studios, published by Pocketpair Publishing, and featuring the talents of renowned game actor Ben Starr. When Dead Take launches, NVIDIA GeForce RTX gamers can activate DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Frame Generation, and DLSS Super Resolution to accelerate and enhance their experience. Marvelous Inc. and XSEED Games' Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma takes players to the previously unseen lands of Azuma as an Earth Dancer, where they'll embark on an epic adventure filled with thrilling combat, vast lands, a diverse cast, and four seasonal-themed villages and farms to rebuild with help from the locals. GeForce RTX gamers jumping into Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma can enable DLSS Frame Generation and DLSS Super Resolution, accelerating frame rates. Through the NVIDIA app, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series owners can activate DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for faster performance. EA SPORTS invites players to take the lead as a new chapter of Formula 1 begins with EA SPORTS F1 25, an official game of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship. Players will experience the emotional highs and lows in the latest instalment of the fan-favorite story mode, Braking Point, with Konnersport now battling for championships, as a dramatic event throws the team into chaos. Set in a brutally unforgiving post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead, 7 Days to Die is an open-world game uniquely combining first-person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games, purchased by over 20 million gamers. A recent major update upgraded the popular game with NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution and DLAA, giving GeForce RTX players the choice to either maximize performance or increase image quality. To enable DLAA, set 'Upscaler Mode' to 'DLSS,' and under 'Upscaler Preset' select 'Native AA.' Also, after a final Game Ready Driver release in October 2025, GeForce GPUs based on Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta architectures will transition to receiving quarterly security updates for the next three years (through October 2028). Lifetime support for these GPUs reaches up to 11 years, well beyond the industry norms. Windows 10 Game Ready Driver support will be extended for all GeForce RTX GPUs until October 2026, a year beyond the operating system's end-of-life, to ensure users continue to receive the latest day 0 optimizations for new games and apps.
