Latest news with #showcase
The Verge
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
The Access-Ability Summer Showcase returns with the latest in accessible games
Now in its third year, the Access-Ability Summer Showcase is back to redress the lack of meaningful accessibility information across the ongoing video game showcase season. As we see progress broadly slow down, it's also a timely reminder of the good work that's still happening in pursuit of greater accessibility in gaming. 'At a time where we are seeing a slowdown in accessibility adoption in the AAA games space,' organizer Laura Kate Dale says, 'we're showing that there are interesting accessible games being made, games with unique and interesting features, and that being accessible is something that can bring an additional audience to purchase and play your games.' The showcase is growing, too. In 2025, it's longer, more packed with games, and streamed concurrently on Twitch, Youtube (where it's also available on-demand), and on Steam's front page. That growth comes with its own challenges — mitigated this year by Many Cats Studio stepping in as sponsor — but the AA Summer Showcase provides an accessible platform in response to the eye-watering costs of showcasing elsewhere (it has previously been reported that presenting trailers across Summer Game Fest starts at $250,000), while providing disabled viewers with the information they need to know if they can actually get excited about new and upcoming releases. It's lesson Dale hopes other platforms might take on board. 'I grow the show in the hopes that other showcases copy what we're doing and make this the norm,' she says. 'If I could quit hosting the AA Summer Showcase next year because every other show in June committed to talking about accessibility as part of their announcements, that would be wonderful news.' To help that along (sorry, Laura, don't quit just yet), The Verge has collated the games featured in this year's Access-Ability Summer Showcase below. Visual accessibility in focus A major theme that emerged from this year's showcase is color blind considerations. The showcase kicked off with ChromaGun2: Dye Hard by Pixel Maniacs, a first-person color-based puzzler. In its color blind mode, colors are paired with symbols for better parsing and those symbols combine when colors are mixed. A similar spirit is echoed in Sword and Quill's Soulblaze, a creature-collecting roguelike that's a bit of Pokémon mixed with tabletop RPGs (dice included). It also pairs colors and icons, adding a high level of customization to color indicators, difficulty, and an extensive text-to-speech function that supports native text-to-speech systems and NVDA. Later, Gales of Nayeli from Blindcoco Studios, a grid-based strategy RPG, showcased its own color blind considerations and an impressive array of visual customization options. Room to breathe A welcome trend carried over from last year, games continue to eschew time pressure and fail states. Dire Kittens Games' Heartspell: Horizon Academy is a puzzle dating simulator that feels like Bejeweled meets Hatoful Boyfriend. Perhaps its most welcome feature is the ability to skip puzzles altogether, though it also features customization for puzzle difficulty. Sunlight from Krillbite Studio is a chill hiking adventure that tasks the player with picking flowers while walking through a serene forest. It does away with navigation as you'll always be heading the right way, while sound cues direct you to nearby flowers. This year's showcase featured two titles from DarZal Games. Quest Giver is a low-stakes management visual novel which casts the player as an NPC handing quests out to RPG heroes, while 6-Sided Stories is a puzzle game involving flipping tiles to reveal an image. The games were presented by Darzington, a developer with chronic hand pain who develops with those needs in mind and, interestingly, with their voice (thanks to Talon Voice). Both games feature no time pressure, no input holds or combos, and allow for one-handed play. Single-handed controls are also a highlight of Crayonix Games' Rollick N' Roll, a puzzle game in which you control the level itself to get toy cars to their goal without the burden of a ticking clock. Highlighting highlights Speaking of highlights, this was another interesting trend to emerge from this year's showcase. Spray Paint Simulator by Whitethorn Games is, in essence, PowerWash Simulator in reverse. Among a suite of accessibility features that help players chill out and paint everything from walls and bridges to what looks like Iron Man's foot, the game allows you to highlight painting tasks and grants a significant level of control over how those highlights appear and how long they last. Whitethorn Games provides accessibility information for all its games here. Cairn, by contrast, is a challenging climbing game from The Game Bakers which looks like transplanting Octodad onto El Capitan. As it encourages players to find new routes up its mountains, the game allows players to highlight their character's limbs, as well as skip quick reaction minigames and rewind falls completely. Highlights are also important to Half Sunk Games' Blow-up: Avenge Humanity, in which players can desaturate the background and customize the size and tone of enemy outlines to make its chaotic gunplay more visible. Something Qudical's Coming Home, which debuted during the showcase, also offers in its tense horror gameplay as you evade a group of murderers. You can switch on a high-contrast mode that highlights objects to distinguish them from the environment (including said killers). Unsighted If this year's been challenging for accessibility, it's been even more disappointing for blind players when it comes to games that are playable independently. The AA Summer Showcase, however, included an interlude showing off the best titles from the recent Games for Blind Gamers 4, a game jam in which all games are designed with unsighted play in mind and judged by blind players. Four games were featured: Lacus Opportunitas by one of last year's standouts shiftBacktick, The Unseen Awakening, Barista, and Necromancer Nonsense. This was chased by a look at Tempo Labs Games' Bits & Bops, a collection of rhythm games with simple controls and designed to be playable in its entirety without sighted assistance. A difficult subject Accessible indie games often favor the cozy, but this year's AA Summer Showcase brought a standout game that bucked that trend. Wednesdays by ARTE France is a game that deals with the aftermath of childhood abuse. That's certainly in keeping with the host of trauma-driven indie games out there. Wednesdays, however, positions itself as a more hopeful examination of that trauma, both through its visual novel style memories and theme park manager gameplay. Like so many of the showcase's games this year, Wednesdays includes mitigations for color blindness — though no essential information is tied to color in-game — as well as a comprehensive text log for cognitive support, manual and automated text scrolling, and customization options for cursor speed, animations, fonts, inputs, and more. Better yet, all those options are displayed at launch and the game always opens in a windowed mode to allow for easier setup of external accessibility tools.
Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
3 new PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (June 6-8)
We're fully in showcase season with SGF 2025 starting today and a surprise State of Play happening earlier this week with tons of upcoming PS5 games shown off. Oh, and there's a little console called the Nintendo Switch 2 that just came out as well. But if you're a PlayStation faithful, you will need some games to play this weekend between showcases and while waiting for Death Stranding 2. Last week we got an early drop of PlayStation Plus games, but there's even more that just hit the service this week you might've forgotten about. I've picked out a fresh batch of brand new games you can get lost in over the weekend, so let's get to it. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk If you have any fond memories of Jet Set Radio, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk was made for you. If you weren't around or missed out on that game, this is more than just a nostalgia play. This is a hip-hop-infused skating and graffiti game that looks and sounds like nothing else. You can choose to play on skates, BMX bikes, and skateboards but none of them are meant to be mechanically challenging. Instead, the game is more focused on style, tagging, and chaining together long strings of insane tricks. The maps might be a little too big and confusing later on, but it has a cool story, fantastic locations, and style all its own. Recommended Videos Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC. Alone in the Dark I hope you read my recommendations last week, where I said it was the perfect time to play Alone in the Dark 2. If not, I'm hurt, but it's okay. Alone in the Dark is a reimagining of the 1992 original so you're totally safe starting here. You can pick between two protagonists: Emily Hartwood, played by Jodie Comer, or Edward Carnby, played by David Harbour. This is a classic third-person horror game with slightly altered events depending on your character. Sadly, the game was met with mixed reviews and stiff competition at the time it came out and developer Pieces Interactive was closed down afterward. While not the best survival horror game I've played, it is still one worth trying for fans of the genre. Alone in the Dark is available now on PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Myst There was no predicting Myst and Riven would show up in the Classics catalogue, but that's why I love it so much. These two classic adventure games are the perfect games to go to next if you got hooked on Blue Prince earlier this year. These are first-person puzzle games with very little in the way of instructions, meaning you will need to use your own smarts to overcome the roadblocks. Because these games are on the older side, some of these puzzles are a bit unfair compared to what you might be used to now, so don't feel bad referring to a guide here and there. But, if you want that same satisfaction of working out a devious puzzle with nothing but your own brain power, these two games are exactly what you need. Myst is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mobile, and PC.
Geek Culture
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Summer Game Fest 2025 Event Guide, Including First Southeast Asian Games Showcase: Singapore Edition
Another year has come and gone, bringing with it the reminder that the once-great gaming event, E3, is no more. As the past two years have shown, however, the hype is still going strong, driven by a slew of new announcements and updates from separate showcases, each running their own schedules. A notable addition to this year's lineup is the Southeast Asian Games Showcase, joining returning headliners like Sony's PlayStation State of Play, Xbox Games Showcase, and the main Summer Game Fest 2025 presentation. The celebration of regional developers will put over 45 indie titles in focus, including Art is Rifle , Overhours , Urban Jungle , Eat the Rich , Fallen Tear , Troublemaker 2 , Until Then , Lost & Found Co. , Building Relationships , Whisper Mountain Outbreak , Acts of Blood , High Times , Singapore's very own SEDAP!: A Culinary Adventure and Glyphica: Typing Survivor , and more. Here's the full list of every showcase announced as part of gaming's biggest season, with dates and times in Singapore Time (GMT+8): Date Scheduled Stream Time (GMT+8) How to Watch 5 June, Thu Sony PlayStation State of Play 5 AM LINK 7 June, Sat Summer Game Fest 2025 Main Show 5 AM LINK 7 June, Sat Day of the Devs 7 AM LINK 7 June, Sat BALL X PIT: The Kenny Sun Story 8 AM LINK 8 June, Sun Wholesome Direct 12 AM LINK 8 June, Sun Women-Led Games 1 AM LINK 8 June, Sun Latin American Games Showcase 2 AM LINK 8 June, Sun South East Asian Games Showcase 3 AM LINK 8 June, Sun Green Games 4 AM LINK 8 June, Sun Frosty Games Fest 7 AM LINK 9 June, Mon Xbox Games Showcase 1 AM LINK 9 June, Mon PC Gaming Show 3 AM LINK 9 June, Mon Death Stranding 2 Game Premiere 10 AM LINK 10 June, Tue Black Voices in Gaming 12 AM LINK It's always nice to have more representation on the global stage, especially with the Women-Led Games, Black Voices in Gaming, and Latin American Games Showcase events shining the spotlight on minority and underrepresented groups in the space. For fans of Hideo Kojima, the Death Stranding 2 premiere promises more news about the highly anticipated sequel before its official launch on 26 June. The main showcase for Summer Game Fest 2025 will take place on 7 June, but the week-long celebration has already kicked off with the State of Unreal livestream on 3 June, which unveiled a stunning tech demo of The Witcher 4 running on Unreal Engine 5. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Zenith Cafe Hosts Intimate London Showcase at Gibson Garage to Spotlight Rising Talent
Zenith Cafe hosted an intimate London showcase at Gibson Garage, featuring acoustic sets from Gareth Dunlop, Danny Addison, and Nathan O'Regan. LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, May 12, 2025 / / -- Independent record label Zenith Cafe brought its artist-first ethos to the heart of the capital last night with an exclusive industry showcase at the iconic Gibson Garage, London. The event celebrated the label's momentum going into 2025, with live acoustic performances from three of its standout artists: Gareth Dunlop, Danny Addison, and Nathan O'Regan. Held in the basement performance space beneath Gibson's flagship showroom, the evening offered a stripped-back, intimate experience for a packed room of industry guests. Each artist performed a concise three-song set, highlighting the breadth of talent nurtured by the Cambridge-based label. Label representatives Sophie and Laura opened the night with a heartfelt introduction, sharing insight into the label's current direction and growth, before introducing each artist. Gareth Dunlop performed selections from his latest album 'Welcome to the House of I Don't Know', a critically acclaimed release nominated for Album of the Year at the 2024 Northern Ireland Music Prize. He was followed by multi-instrumentalist and composer Danny Addison, whose emotive performance underscored his reputation as a thoughtful and cinematic songwriter, and an artist that's really going to have a spotlight on him this year. Closing the night was Nathan O'Regan, whose debut EP 'Uncovered Vol. 1' has quickly established him as one to watch within the UK folk and roots scene. Each artist performed using Gibson and Epiphone acoustic guitars, generously provided by the venue, adding an authentic connection to the legendary setting. Guests departed with branded Zenith Cafe records and publishing tote bags, filled with a curated selection of music releases, including CDs, vinyl, and cassettes. Now under the leadership of the second generation of the Turner family, Zenith Cafe continues to build on its legacy as a progressive, independent label with a strong focus on artist development, creative collaboration, and global sync opportunities. With a roster achieving growing international success, and a renewed commitment to live performance and publishing, Zenith Cafe is firmly positioned as one of the UK's most exciting independent music entities heading into the next year. Instagram | Website Patrick Welsh Rising Notes email us here Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Teenager's directing debut an 'incredible' and 'wonderful' evening for Stars Appeal
A musical theatre showcase, directed by a Salisbury teenager, turned out to be an 'incredible' success and raised thousands for charity. Directed by Rosie Fielder, 18, A Sea of Stars took place on Saturday, May 3, at Godolphin School and was enjoyed by more than a hundred people. The show consisted of 12-18-year-olds from Starcast's elite training group, performing a selection of much-loved musical theatre favourites with music from Wicked to Billy Elliot. The chosen charity was The Stars Appeal, which fundraises for Salisbury District Hospital, and was decided on in honour of Rosie's grandmother, who Rosie said was 'nothing but supported, cared for and made comfortable' by the team. She said: 'It's a charity that's so big and local to people in Salisbury. 'I could guarantee that everyone or everyone you know has had some sort of impact by the Stars Appeal. It's such a big charity." READ MORE: Teenager dabbles in directing as she puts on musical showcase for charity The show was a huge success, and John Glenn MP was in attendance and thoroughly enjoyed it. John Glenn MP with director Rosie Fielder (Image: Rosie Fielder) Rosie said: "I want to say a massive thank you to Peter McAuley and Anwen Howells for their incredible work on sound and lighting, and a gigantic thank you to Anna Would for all of her support from start to finish on the entire project. "The performers gave their all to the concert, and I am so grateful. They all got me some flowers and chocolates, and a lovely card, and I'm not sure what I did to deserve all of that love, but they're all brilliant. Overall, from tickets, the bar, a raffle and generous donations, Rosie's production managed to raise £2,000 for The Stars Appeal. Rosie went on to say: "We've been rehearsing since February, and I am so proud of what the kids have done. "It was a pleasure to have John Glenn in attendance on the night, and it was lovely to meet him and hear his kind words about the concert. "All together, it was a wonderful evening of music and dancing and joy, and the kids are already asking for the next one."
