Latest news with #TalesofKenzera:Zau
Engadget
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
May's Game Pass additions include the brilliant Metaphor: ReFantazio and The Division 2
This is a big month for Xbox Game Pass, as there are some real standout titles hitting the service. Upcoming games include the sublime Metaphor ReFantazio , Tales of Kenzera: Zau and The Division 2 , among others. Let's get to the games. You likely heard a whole lot about Metaphor ReFantazio last year. The JRPG was a bona-fide phenomenon, and it actually grabbed a nomination for game of the year. It also easily made our list of the best games of 2024 . It's developed by Atlus and the game improves on the formula behind the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei franchises in nearly every way. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The characters are great. The dungeons aren't procedurally generated. The world feels alive, with quests and objectives in nearly every nook and cranny. The story is perhaps the biggest reason why the game became such a sensation. It's grounded and feels like it was plucked from today's news, despite being set in a fantasy-laden kingdom. It'll be playable on May 29. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a Metroidvania platformer that wears its heart on its sleeve. The story is extremely emotional and engaging, particularly for this genre. The graphics are lovely and the gameplay is fluid, with plenty of nifty upgrades as you advance. What's not to like? The game arrives on May 22. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Tom Clancy's The Division 2 is something of a hybrid, with plenty of both tactical shooter and RPG mechanics. The game is set in an open world version of Washington DC, which is a pretty cool location. It's online-only, so there's a deep emphasis on multiplayer. It can be played solo, but you have to be connected to the game's servers. It'll be available on May 27. Other forthcoming games include Spray Paint Simulator (May 29) and Stalker 2 (May 22.) The deckbuilding roguelike Monster Train 2 is available right now.
Malaysian Reserve
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
TRENT REZNOR (CHALLENGERS), JEFF TOYNE (PALM ROYALE), DAVID FLEMING (JIM HENSON IDEA MAN), NAINITA DESAI (TALES OF KENZERA: ZAU) HONORED WITH ASCAP COMPOSERS' CHOICE AWARDS
ASCAP Celebrates 2025 Top Screen Composers NEW YORK, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Celebrating the musical storytellers whose scores elevate today's most popular films, TV series and video games, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announces today the recipients of the 2025 ASCAP Screen Music Awards, including the highly anticipated winners of the ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards. Chosen by the ASCAP composer and songwriter community, the ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards are a singular recognition among US performing rights organizations. The 2025 winners, selected from an outstanding collection of nominees, crafted the music for a passionate sports drama, a period comedy-drama television series, an inspiring documentary that delves into the visionary mind of Jim Henson and a captivating fantasy-adventure video game: Film Score of the Year: Challengers – Trent Reznor Television Score of the Year: Palm Royale – Jeff Toyne Television Theme of the Year: Palm Royale – Jeff Toyne Documentary Score of the Year: Jim Henson Idea Man – David Fleming Video Game Score of the Year: Tales of Kenzera: Zau – Nainita Desai In other categories, Andrea Datzman is honored with Top Box Office Film of the Year for the animated coming-of-age family film Inside Out 2. Composer Jeff Cardoni earned Top Network Television Series for his work in the heartwarming sitcom Young Sheldon, while John Sereda received Top Cable Television Series for his music in the historical drama When Calls the Heart. David Vanacore was the top winner in the Most Performed Themes & Underscore category. In addition, ASCAP recognizes some of the top composers of the past year's hit streaming series and films. The Top Streaming Series winners include Bear McCreary for his music in the epic fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Michael Abels for his tone-setting score in the sci-fi mystery-thriller The Acolyte, Jamie Jackson and WAZ for their work on comedy crime drama Bad Monkey and Rupert Gregson-Williams for his score and Josh Kear & Meghan Trainor for their theme to the suspenseful whodunit crime drama The Perfect Couple. Among the Top Streaming Films winners, Hans Zimmer is honored for his inventive score to the historical World War II drama Blitz, Lorne Balfe receives recognition for his music in action thriller Carry-On, Amelia Warner is recognized for her work on biographical sports film Young Woman and the Sea and Siddhartha Khosla is celebrated for his musical storytelling in the romantic book-to-film adaptation of The Idea of You. The complete list of winners is available on the ASCAP website: About ASCAPThe American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than one million songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world's most talented music creators. Founded and governed by songwriters, composers and publishers, it is the only performing rights organization in the U.S. that operates on a not-for-profit basis. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 20 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees; identifies, matches and processes trillions of performances every year; and returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar back to its members as royalties. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.
BBC News
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
House of the Dragon actor hides Bafta games award from daughter
A Bafta-winning game developer has had to hide his award in a desk drawer so his young daughter does not use the weighty award as a Salim, from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, made Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a game about the grief he suffered after his father Salim, who is also an actor in the TV show House of the Dragon, went from the set of the Game of Thrones spin-off to the Bafta Games Awards where his idea won the Game Beyond Entertainment category."[The award] is literally a weapon. So, I'm like, 'Right, let me just be super careful with this'," he said. "My daughter will literally look at it and be like, 'Oh, that's really cool to play with'." The Bafta winner was emotional as he accepted the prize at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. His father Ali Salim, 66, died of cancer in 2013, and after Mr Salim founded Surgent Studios in 2019 he began working on a game to explore his feelings of grief."We could have made just a fun game that we kind of throw out there... But I think because it is so personal, it really feels like we put our all in it," he said."We do hear it from people all the time, people who have lost either a parent or a friend or even a pet, how much this game has had an effect on them."I look at this Bafta and it's so surreal and weird to think like, 'Oh, the reason we won that was because our game meant something to people'." After releasing Tales of Kenzera: Zau in June 2024, Mr Salim said he felt racially targeted when he received hateful comments online, which suggested the game's narrative was about an "agenda to force diversity" rather than the emotion of grief.A few months after the game's launch Surgent Studios cut more than a dozen jobs because of funding issues, and in October 2024, it placed all game development work on following a partnership with Japanese firm Pocketpair it is now working on an as-yet untitled horror Salim said: "It has been gruelling and brutal and there was a real moment where I was just like, 'Why do we do this? Why do we put ourselves, as artists, through such pain?'"What was really nice about the Bafta is it just reaffirms and gives the confidence boost of being like, 'Hey, you're doing the right thing'. That in itself is so great." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
