Latest news with #videoGame
Geek Wire
3 days ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
Report: Electronic Arts shutters Seattle-area studio Cliffhanger Games, cancels ‘Black Panther' game
Black Panther prepares to receive MoPOP exhibit visitors. (GeekWire File Photo / Frank Catalano) Electronic Arts plans to shutter its subsidiary Cliffhanger Games and has canceled development on its debut project, an original video game starring Marvel's Black Panther. IGN first reported the news. Cliffhanger was formerly based in Kirkland, Wash. An unknown number of employees are affected by the closure, which comes alongside a wave of layoffs at other departments within EA. According to LinkedIn, Cliffhanger employed 74 people, and had been onboarding new hires as recently as last month. IGN reported that EA has adopted a recent policy where laid-off employees may end up reassigned to other teams within the company rather than simply dismissed. Despite several waves of dismissals and reorganizations in the last two years, EA reportedly has a higher overall headcount now than it did in 2024. According to an internal EA email from president Laura Miele, cited by IGN, Cliffhanger's shutdown is part of a series of changes that are intended to 'sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.' Cliffhanger debuted in 2023 under the leadership of former Monolith Productions studio head Kevin Stephens, after a two-year incubation period. It had yet to divulge any real details about its Black Panther project, but the earliest reports about Cliffhanger indicate that BP would've been an open-world action-adventure in the same spirit as Monolith's award-winning Shadow of Mordor. Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., is one of the largest independent video game companies left in the modern industry. It's arguably best known to mainstream audiences for its Madden and FIFA sports games, but has also produced big hits like Battlefield, Dead Space, Mass Effect, and Apex Legends. Its recent layoffs have been attributed to a process of reorganization and refocus that was first announced in 2024 by CEO Andrew Wilson, which he called 'leading through an accelerated industry transformation.' Cliffhanger's closure is the latest in a series of shutdowns and layoffs that have plagued the international video game industry for over two years. In the Pacific Northwest, impacted companies include Phoenix Labs, Monolith Productions, Rec Room, and Wizards of the Coast's Project Sigil team.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Star wideouts snag cover of EA Sports College Football 26
May 27 - Coming off outstanding freshman seasons, wide receivers Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Ryan Williams of Alabama will grace the standard edition cover of the EA Sports College Football 26 video game. It marks the first time in the video game franchise's history that the cover will feature a pair of wideouts. The game will be released on July 10. A major piece of the Buckeyes' run to the national title, Smith -- the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class -- caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in 16 games in 2024. "Being on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 is a tremendous privilege, and I'm proud to represent Ohio State alongside Coach (Ryan) Day while carrying the Buckeye legacy forward, celebrating the passion of our fans and the tradition of this incredible program," Smith said in a statement. Williams finished with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games for the Crimson Tide. He also rushed for two scores. "I know y'all think I'm young, but growing up, the oldest one I remember is the one with Mark Ingram," Williams told On3. "From there to 2014, just playing those games -- if I could ever be on the cover, it would mean the world to me. Just thinking back to little Ryan, that's what they called me back home. If he got to see what was going on right now, I could only imagine how excited he would be. It's a blessing. It's super exciting." Along with the standard edition cover, a deluxe cover featuring coaches, current players and former stars will be released. Ohio State's Day, Georgia's Kirby Smart and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman are among the coaches featured and will also be in the game. Former stars Tim Tebow, Reggie Bush and Denard Robinson will also be on the deluxe cover. First released in 1998, the original EA college football video game franchise ran until 2013 before returning last season. Last year's edition racked up more than $400 million in sales. --Field Level Media
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
PlayStation and Xbox game bought by 12.5 million closes forever in two days and will be unplayable unless you upgrade
CONSOLE owners risk being locked out of a hit video game forever – with just days left to dodge the closure. A popular title snapped up by millions of players is due to be deleted from online console stores this week, before being totally shut down on select machines later in the year. 5 Players of survival game Rust have been warned to check their consoles as soon as possible. The game came out as an "early access" title back in 2013 before its official release in 2018. But game-makers say the "old-gen" version of Rust that was created for the PS4 and Xbox one is due to be taken down from online stores imminently That means from May 29, 2025, the game will no longer be available to download for new players. And the game will become totally unplayable after "the final wipe", which is scheduled for later this year. That means even owners of the game will be locked out. "Starting May 29, 2025, the old-gen version of the game will no longer be available in platform stores," said Rust official Pedro Silva. "If you already own it, you can keep playing until the final wipe, which will wrap up in October. "We're planning to make that one something special." TIME TO UPGRADE? To keep playing, you'll need to have a next-gen console. Get an inside look at the new PS5 30th anniversary edition And you'll also need to upgrade to the newer version of the game, which was made for the Xbox Series X/S or the PS5 (recently price-hiked). Fortunately for owners of newer consoles, you'll be able to get the actual game upgrade for free. That means you won't need to pay out any extra money (beyond what you've paid for the pricier console). Sadly game bosses haven't confirmed exactly when the release date for this upgrade will arrive – but it won't be far off. 5 However, it won't be out in time for the May 29 store shutdown. "Players will have until the end of October to transition to the new and improved version of Rust Console Edition, which is expected to launch sometime this summer," Silva explained. "Just to be clear, the release date is not May 29, 2025. "We still need a bit more time. More will be announced in the future. Thank you for your support!" WHERE CAN YOU PLAY RUST? Here's what you need to know... Current versions: Windows PC macOS PlayStation 4 Xbox One Upcoming versions: PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X Xbox Series S Picture Credit: Double Eleven This means that new players who want to try the game won't be able to until the next-gen version comes out. And existing Rust players will need to upgrade before the older-generation title is killed forever. GONE RUSTY? Multiplayer survival game Rust first came out on consoles in 2021, just three years after it fully launched on PC. The title tasks players with surviving in a brutal and unforgiving wilderness – where you need to gather and steal materials, as well as avoiding starvation, death, and other players. 5 Rust landed to mixed reviews but sold more than 12.5 million copies, many of which are loyal fans of the game. Gamers keen to keep playing the title on consoles will have to upgrade their versions. And game-makers at Double Eleven have teased what the new PS5 and Xbox Series X/S releases will look like. "The game will be available in three editions: Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate," Double Eleven, a British studio responsible for the console version, said in a statement. OTHER GAME CLOSURES COMING UP Here's what to watch out for... MultiVersus - May 30 xDefiant - June 3 The First Descendant - June 19 Black Desert - June 26 Resident Evil ReVerse - June 29 Madden NFL 21 - June 30 Arizona Sunshine - July 1 Skyworld - July 1 Danmachi Battle Chronicle - September 29 WWE 2K24 - September 30 Madden NFL 22 - October 20 PGA Tour 2K21 - October 30 NBA 2K24 - December 31 "We'll reveal the perks and prices for each edition soon, along with upgrade options if you want to switch editions on the same platform." It added: "To mark the occasion, we are planning something special: the 'Wipe of Wipes', a memorable send-off to celebrate the legacy of old-gen. "By then, the new-gen version will already be available to everyone. "And you can smoothly transition to this new era of Rust Console Edition."
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Unreal estate: the 12 greatest homes in video game history
This year's surprise hit Blue Prince is a proper video game wonder. It's an architectural puzzler in which you explore a transforming mansion left to you by an eccentric relative. The place is filled with secrets, and whenever you reach a door you get to pick the room on the other side from a handful of options. The whole game is a rumination on houses and how we live in them. Nostalgic and melancholic, it feels designed to make us look harder at what surrounds us. This Addams'-style Queen Anne with clapboard facades and dark windows is a classic haunted house, reportedly inspired by the Skywalker Ranch. The great twist of this early LucasArts adventure is that all kinds of spooky things are happening, but the fiends and monsters you meet are often surprisingly charming – the odd hamster-in-a-microwave incident aside. Maybe not a great place to live, but these guys would make memorable neighbours. Nestled amid the foreboding Arklay mountains outside Raccoon City, the Spencer mansion is what would have happened if the murderer from the Saw movies had become an architect. This vast country pile in the Second Empire style is lusciously adorned with oil paintings, antique furniture and hidden rooms. However, any potential buyers should know it's essentially a vast trap, filled with puzzles and monsters, designed to kill anyone wanting to investigate the massive bio-research facility beneath it. Based on Goose Creek Tower in Alaska, Finch house is a monument to the doomed family who once lived there, which explains why the bedrooms are sealed off like museum exhibits. Floors are piled up haphazardly and navigating the interior can feel like moving through the transformations of a pop-up book. Living here would be fascinating, but you'd need good joints, what with all the stairs. On the plus side, the bookcases are filled with works such as Gravity's Rainbow, Slaughterhouse-Five and House of Leaves, so you'd get to catch up on your postmodernist reading. One of the great video-game homes, this strange mansion is left in disarray after an almighty booze-up. The rooms feel very much like a lurid hangover, incorporating stomping boots, chomping toilet seats and at one point, an entire tree. What makes this classic platformer so haunting is the juxtaposition of domesticity and surreal horror. The bedroom is out of bounds and the refrigerator threatens to extend for miles. Oh, and there's an entrance to Hades on the floorplan. Nintendo's dreamy deconstruction of capitalism is so close to being a doll's house for adults that it makes sense that you get your own home to decorate. Beyond choosing the wallpaper and adding just the right indoor plants, you also have an option to fill the air with recordings of music performed by a local dog. This sounds childlike, but the compulsion to refine layouts feels like a very middle-aged kind of obsession, and in one of many brutal lunges at realism, you don't even get to enter your house without first being handcuffed to a gigantic mortgage. What's your favourite Zelda dungeon? Allow us to make the case for Snowpeak ruins, from the slightly under-loved Twilight Princess. There have been better puzzles in Zelda, and better rewards for beating a boss, but this cosy getaway high in the mountains is easily the most warmly domestic space in the entire series. It's not just down to the warmth radiating from the many hearths or the juxtaposition to the icy chill outside. It's the presence of two gentle Yetis, wandering around despite your dramatic arrival, tending to bubbling pots of stew. Lara Croft's country house may have started as a place for the games to tuck away a tutorial section, but the Manor quickly evolved into a vital part of the series' appeal. Croft isn't just gymnastic and deadly, she's absolutely minted. Her house is filled with the strangely proportioned rooms you often got when PS1 games ventured indoors, and there's often a hedge maze alongside a gymnasium. Croft has a room just for her harpsichord! And she has a butler who's happy to wearily plod along behind her and endure an eternity locked in the freezer. Luigi's Mansion was the first game to give either one of Nintendo's plumbers much in the way of a personality. It's tempting to argue that's because Luigi's thrown in among ordinary domestic clutter here, rather than being let loose to jump and dance through worlds of colourful whimsy. The mansion in question may be filled with ghosts, but it's also filled with bookshelves, hallway carpeting, light fixtures and a decent-sized kitchen. It's the perfect place for the ever-roving Marioverse to settle down for a moment and offer a sustained depiction of a single place. Jade is a photojournalist rather than a soldier, exploring a fantasy world that's based on Europe rather than the US or Japan. No wonder, then, that instead of a mansion or hi-tech HQ, she gets to live in a lighthouse on the misty shores of a quiet water world. The lighthouse doubles as a refuge and orphanage, and it's a delight to spot the little details the designers have included, whether it's the chummy mess in the living spaces, or the crayon drawings on the woodwork. Players are drawn to Botany Manor by the puzzles, which revolve around uncovering the conditions required to allow a series of flowers to grow and thrive. But the space itself is arguably the thing that draws everyone back until the game is complete. Here is a version of early 20th-century English elegance pitched somewhere between the worlds of Jeeves and Flora Poste. The colours and sense of expectant stillness, meanwhile, could come from a piece of Clarice Cliff Bizarre Ware pottery. When novelist Adrienne Delaney moves into this remote New England property seeking inspiration, she loves the giant fireplaces, labyrinthine corridors and authentic gothic chapel but isn't so keen on the presence of a wife-murdering demon intent on decapitating, stabbing or squashing residents to death. Heavily inspired by The Shining and the works of Edgar Allen Poe, adventure designer Roberta Williams built this mansion to be the ultimate gore-splattered horror house. Viewing recommended.
Geek Culture
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Alex Garland To Direct Live-Action 'Elden Ring' Film At A24
Elden Ring , FromSoftware and Bandai Namco's hit 2022 video game, is getting a live-action movie adaptation courtesy of A24 and Ex Machina director Alex Garland. Garland, who also wrote the classic 2002 zombie flick 28 Days Later alongside the franchise's latest entry, this year's 28 Years Later , will be attached to the project as both its writer and director. The film will be produced by DNA Productions' Peter Rice ( Warfare ), Andrew Macdonald ( Dredd ) and Allon Reich ( 28 Weeks Later ). Renowned author George R. R. Martin, who worked on the original video game, will also be attached to the project as a producer alongside Vince Gerardis ( Game of Thrones ). Martin had previously teased the film's existence during IGN's 2025 Fan Fest, hinting that there was 'talk about making a movie out of Elden Ring ', and saying at the time that he would focus on his next book, The Winds of Winter , before committing to any heavy involvement on the film. The project is still in its early stages, with no plot and casting details or release window announced yet. Its video game source material, on the other hand, continues to see massive success since its original launch in February 2022, and although developer FromSoftware had previously said it wasn't considering a sequel, the game is set to be expanded further with the upcoming multiplayer spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign , alongside an upcoming port of the original title for the Nintendo Switch 2, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition , which includes not only the titles 2024 expansion Shadow of the Erdtree , but also adding two new classes, four armour sets and customisation options for the Torrent mount. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. A24 Alex Garland Bandai Namco Elden Ring Elden Ring movie FromSoftware
