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Lakers Projected Trade Package for Klay Thompson Revealed
The Los Angeles Lakers have been somewhat unpredictable so far this offseason. Other than the Walker Kessler deal, they ditched the blockbuster trade and instead opted to prioritize complementary additions. The front office doesn’t appear to be done yet, and there is an opportunity to further increase guard depth and veteran shooting. Dallas Mavericks star […] The post Lakers Projected Trade Package for Klay Thompson Revealed appeared first on HEAVY.
Much-wishlisted 100-player shooter Wardogs gets an early access release date and promises refunds for anyone unhappy with the closed beta
Indie multiplayer shooter Wardogs will soon be available to anyone who doesn't want to wait around of a closed alpha invite.
Man shot at Durham sports bar
A man suffered life-threatening injuries after being shot in the parking lot of Bralie's Sports Bar & Grill.
Entertainment and trial attorney on legal issues shaping Tupac Shakur murder trial
Nearly 30 years after rapper Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis has begun with jury selection in a Las Vegas courtroom.
Saber's newest game trailer takes a shot at Gearbox's CEO, if you look closely
The first hint that something might be up with the recent debut trailer for Saber Interactive’s Rideshare Stimulator is an unusual choice of words—aside from that second one in the game’s title. “Don’t take your passengers too seriously,” the trailer’s narrator says, as he describes this upcoming game. It a car game about the gig work of driving eccentric people to their destinations, a riff on Crazy Taxi. And then, he says: “When I think I’ve met the randiest of passengers, someone even stranger gets in.” “Randiest”? That suggests “randy,” which usually means having strong sexual desire. Yet none of the oddball backseat occupants featured in the trailer seem particularly lustful. One is an old man who considers his grandson a failure, another shares the theory that birds might control traffic lights, another says he’s banned from an aquarium. A little later, there’s a license plate, shown 63 seconds into the trailer, on the front of an SUV: USB DRV It’s a Texas plate. The symbol between those letters is a cog wheel. If you know, you know. That’s a reference to Texas-based Borderlands game development studio Gearbox Software (their logo features a cog wheel). More specifically, it’s a reference to Gearbox’s CEO Randy Pitchford, who in 2018 found himself explaining the nature of video he’d saved on a USB drive that was found at a Medieval Times restaurant before being returned to the studio: “It was ‘barely legal’ porn. This girl’s handle was ‘Only 18.’” The “girl” in the video had committed a solo sex act that Pitchford, an avid practitioner of magic, found remarkable. “I realized, this is not a sex worker…This is a fucking magician.” Back then, the USB drive was central to competing lawsuits against Gearbox by the studio’s former lawyer and by Gearbox against him. A settlement in late 2019 “exonerated” Pitchford, per the Hollywood Reporter. The USB story has resurfaced at times, now in a trailer from a company that not long ago was corporate brethren with Gearbox. Saber vs. Gearbox The head of Saber told Game File that the reference is payback. “The dig is because Randy took shots at Embracer in Borderlands 4,” Saber CEO Matt Karch told me when I asked him about the license plate. “Without Embracer, Randy is performing magic tricks at birthday parties for a living.” Having interviewed Karch during a cross-country flight in late 2024, I can confirm that Karch was unimpressed with Pitchford during their time both working in the Embracer group. I’d approached him not out of surprise that there was animosity but that it was manifesting publicly now. Gearbox was founded in 1999, worked on a port of Halo early on, and developed hit series such as the loot-based sci-fi shooter Borderlands before it was purchased by The Embracer Group in early 2021 for $363 million (with a possible earn-out of over $1 billion, if certain targets were hit by 2027). Saber was founded in 2001, worked on a remaster of Halo early on, had a big hit with zombie shooter World War Z and was purchased by Embracer in early 2020 for $150 million, with a potential earn-out of up to $375 million. For a few years, the Embracer group was a voracious acquirer of game studios. Then, as investment dried up, it choked. In March 2024, Embracer sold Saber to an investment company controlled by Saber CEO Matt Karch, and it sold Gearbox in an all-stock deal to long-time Borderlands publisher Take Two Interactive. Other studios were shut down. Hundreds of developers were laid off. Gearbox didn’t say much about their Embracer experience, nothing too direct, at least. In the summer 2024, Pitchford told reporter and occasional Game File contributor Nicole Carpenter that Borderlands 4’s story was in some way thematically connected to Gearbox’s experience at Embracer: “There’s this cultural and emotional shift in me, personally, and at the studio. What does it mean to trade some autonomy for organization?” When Borderlands 4 came out, there was something stranger: the matter of “Embracer’s Bluff,” a location in the game featuring an AI-powered toilet and a large trash dump, according to a detailed Kotaku account of the place. Gearbox never commented on it; Take Two never got back to me about it when I asked them last year. By contrast, since Saber exited Embracer, Karch has been one of Embracer’s biggest defenders, casting their management as well-meaning and supportive despite the layoffs and studio closures that resulted from their excessive expansion. Like others, Saber’s Karch saw Embracer’s as a shot. With Rideshare Stimulator’s trailer, he’s returned fire. “It’s amazing to me how fast people forget those who went above and beyond for them,” Karch told Game File. A rep for Gearbox did not comment by press time. Game File is a reader-supported publication. Your backing makes my reporting—including any coverage of trailer-based beefs—possible. Good news! I’m currently running Game File’s first big sale of 2026. You can get a one-year subscription for 23% off. Click here to take advantage of the limited-time offer. And thank you for your support! Item 2: In brief… 🚫 Wal-Mart has laid off the staff of Restart, a games media outlet launched in 2024, Aftermath reports. 🟥 A GTA VI preview is on the way, at last, via an “extended look” that will premiere, unusually, on Netflix at 3pm ET on August 27, then officially go live elsewhere six hours later. Last week, Game File noted that Take Two label Rockstar Games is overdue for showing off GTA VI, based on the timing of the initial hands-off previews of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2. During a call with investors, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said pre-orders for GTA VI were “unprecedented and astonishing,” but added the company can’t predict how many of those pre-orders represent bonus sales vs. sales that otherwise would have been made at launch. During the same call, Zelnick was noticeably bullish on the future of playing games over streaming cloud connections (predicting wider adoption in three or so years). He sounded unbothered by Sony’s plans to stop making discs for new games (he said the business is 90% digital already and predicted that there could still be limited edition physical editions of games “in the same way there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business.”) 👀 Take Two wrote off $43 million in their spring quarter after deciding “not to proceed with further development of an unannounced title in its pipeline from a third-party developer.” 🤔 Some rare age-demographics from a big publisher: Capcom recently told investors that “users in their 20s account for approximately half of the users of both Pragamata and Resident Evil Requiem.” Item 3: The week ahead Tuesday, August 11 Game releases: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Switch 2; already out for PC, PS5, Xbox) continues the Bethesda strategy of putting Elder Scrolls games on everything; Royalty Free-For-All is a Smash Bros.-style fighting game featuring public domain characters such as Mother Goose brawling with Oliver Twist in a stage based on the original Little Shop of Horrors movie. Wednesday, August 12 Game release: Pro Jank Footy (PC, console) is an arcade-style Australian Rules Football game with increasingly ridiculous rules, the more you play (I enjoyed the Steam demo) Thursday, August 13 Game release: Super Mario Sunshine (Switch 2, originally released in 2002 on the GameCube) is released for Switch 2’s Nintendo Switch Online service. This game is the black sheep of 3D Mario games. It’s the successor to the breakthrough Super Mario 64 and the rare Mario game built around a single (vacation resort) theme. Mario’s got a water-spraying backpack, a Yoshi pal and a lot of blue coins to collect.
50 Cent to executive produce 'Payday' TV series
50 Cent is cashing in on Payday.The rapper/producer has boarded the TV adaptation of the popular first-person shooter video game series. He’ll executive produce under his G-Unit Film & Television prod...
Colombia Earthquake: Direct Relief Mobilizing Medical Aid for Immediate Health Needs
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake reverberated through Colombia today, the largest earthquake to impact the country in a decade, according to the Associated Press. The earthquake shook the country at 7:34…
'We're Totally Supporting It' — Take-Two Boss Says Borderlands 4 Performance 'Has Not Affected Our Plans at All' as Fans Await Year 2 Roadmap
Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick has insisted publisher 2K remains committed to Borderlands 4, and that the looter shooter's commercial performance hasn’t affected plans to support the game.
Tupac murder trial witnesses include Suge Knight, Diddy bodyguard
The official witness list for Duane Keith "Keffe D" Davis' looming trial over the 1996 shooting death of hip-hop superstar Tupac Shakur has been released.
What Can Fans Expect From Reed Sheppard This Upcoming Season?
As a crowded backcourt threatens his minutes, the bulked-up sharpshooter must trade finesse for physicality to anchor Houston’s rotation and emerge as a Sixth Man contender.
The One Area Alex Caruso Could Improve For Next Season
While Alex Caruso’s elite defense remains his calling card, unlocking consistent perimeter shooting will force defenders to respect him and create vital spacing for Oklahoma City’s stars.
The next year Call of Duty will introduce a new sub-series to replace Black Ops and Modern Warfare
Publisher Activision is officially preparing the shooter for release. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4, which is scheduled to launch on October 23 of this year....
Almost Everything But The Music Sold Out In NIN Quake Collection
Commemorating three decades of the transformative 3D shooter, id Software releases a surprise new expansion and limited merch collection with composer Trent Reznor
Riverside County deputies shoot person during mental health call
Sheriff’s deputies in Moreno Valley shot an unidentified person while responding to a mental health crisis after, according to the Riverside County sheriff's office, they aimed a firearm at the deputies.
Mental health call turns into deputy shooting in Moreno Valley; man left in critical condition
A mental health call in a Moreno Valley neighborhood ended with deputies shooting a man and leaving him in critical condition.
Deputies shoot armed person ‘experiencing a mental health episode,’ Riverside County Sheriff’s Office says
Deputies shot an armed person “experiencing a mental health episode” in Moreno Valley Friday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies and a clinical therapist from th…
RFK Jr. questions scientists, access to data at CDC campus one year after shooting
Some scientists in the room said Kennedy’s expressions of appreciation were difficult to hear after his previous criticisms of the CDC, as well as federal health department cuts last year that included hundreds of positions at the agency.
RFK Jr. questions scientists, access to data at CDC campus one year after shooting
Some scientists in the room said Kennedy’s expressions of appreciation were difficult to hear after his previous criticisms of the CDC, as well as federal health department cuts last year that included hundreds of positions at the agency.
Landover murder suspect dies in apparent suicide after deadly business dispute
Prince George’s County police say a deadly Landover shooting stemmed from an ongoing business dispute. The suspect later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Monica Barbaro details deleted ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ scene with Jon Hamm
Monica Barbaro recalled shooting scenes for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ with Jon Hamm and Lewis Pullman that got ‘cut’ from the film.
Quake remaster ‘Dawn of the Machine’ update now available
Publisher Bethseda Softworks and developers id Software and Nightdive Studios have released a free update for the 2021-released first-person shooter remaster Quake, adding the new expansion “…
Fall sports Senior Media Day
Seniors, mark your calendars for our fall sports Senior Media Day photo shoot, which will take place on Monday, Sept. 14, at 3:30 p.m.! All seniors playing a fall sport should report to the third-floor balcony area at Albany High promptly at 3:30 p.m. to get their photograph taken by John Wong Photography. Photographs taken on our fall sports Senior Media Day will be utilized for the creation of large, weatherproof senior banners. Each senior will be featured in their own individual banner. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Albany Booster Club for funding our senior banners, which will be proudly displayed at our senior night events. Thanks to our booster club's support, each senior will get to keep their banner as a memento of their hard work and dedication as a Falcon student-athlete. There is no sitting fee for the Senior Media Day photo shoot. Students and families will be given the opportunity to purchase photos separately if they so choose. Senior Media Day photo shoots for winter and spring sports will be publicized leading up to each season. In addition to our Senior Media Day photo shoots, seniors will also be asked to participate in our sports photo sessions each season for all student-athletes in grades 9-12, facilitated by Upstate Images. Upstate Images provides our sports photography for our Albany High yearbook and students and families will be given the opportunity to purchase individual and/or team photos if they so choose. More details will be available at the start of the fall sports season.
Marvel Rivals season 9.5 will finally address a growing issue with NetEase's hero shooter
Season 9.5 brings a long overdue fix for Marvel Rivals' ballooning file size
Nuclear waste delivers a political haymaker. Five states say it can be done.
From proposals to bury waste under the Gulf of Mexico to shooting canisters deep underground, GOP-led states mainly see economic opportunity.
'He Was Ready to Take on the World': Jamaican Entertainment Community Mourns Ras Ajai After Fatal Shooting
'He Was Ready to Take on the World': Jamaican Entertainment Community Mourns Ras Ajai After Fatal Shooting - DancehallMag. The Jamaican entertainment industry is struggling to come to terms with the violent death of reggae artiste and actor Brian "Ras Ajai" Boucher, whose life. DancehallMag is an independent news outlet that covers all things Dancehall and Reggae music, the artists, and culture.
Xbox Game Pass adds two games today, including day-one RPG Beast of Reincarnation
Xbox Game Pass adds two more games today, as day-one action RPG Beast of Reincarnation and first-person shooter twin-pack Heretic + Hexen hit the service.
Director Vincent Ward denies thinking Samantha Morton was Emily Watson on movie shoot: ‘Impossible’
Vincent Ward, the Kiwi director of 2005’s ‘River Queen,’ tells EW that it’s ‘impossible’ he could have confused his star, Samantha Morton, for Emily Watson on set, as Morton recently claimed.
Trade Deadline: What Seattle Mariners' AL West rivals did
A look at how the 2026 MLB trade deadline shook out for the Seattle Mariners' AL West rivals, including the first-place Houston Astros.
Chino Hills Murder-Kidnapping Tied to Business Dispute, Officials Say
The execution-style killing last week stunned the city of Chino Hills, an upper-middle-class community roughly 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Changeable Guardian ESTIQUE for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC launches August 6
AMATA Games will release Cat Hui Trading LLC-developed side-scrolling robot shoot ’em up Changeable Guardian ESTIQUE for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Sto…
Lori Petty says Patrick Swayze would do ‘ballet in the air’ while skydiving during ‘Point Break’ shoot
Lori Petty recalls skydiving, air ballet, and more memories of Patrick Swayze on the set of ‘Point Break,’ as the film marks its 35th anniversary.
K-League K-League All Stars Man City Manchester City
Following Enzo Maresca’s maiden game as Manager, in which City drew 1-1 with Inter Milan before a 3-1 penalty shootout defeat, our attention now turns to our next friendly. Live WEDNESDAY 5 AUGUST: ...
Court delays for son of Chiefs coach accused of shooting his mom delayed pending mental health check
The 27-year-old son of Chiefs assistant Eric Bieniemy has had his court appearances in connection with the shooting of his mother delayed pending a mental health evaluation. Elijah Bieniemy faces
9 Games To Play If You Liked 007 First Light
So you want to punch, shoot, use gadgets, and sneak some more? Well, we can help with that
Pathogenic review: Damn, it feels good to be a virus
The hot new roguelite twin-stick shooter lives up to the hype.
Howard County task force discusses response to crisis and mental health calls following deadly shooting
The Howard County task force was created in the aftermath of the deadly police shooting of Alex LaMorie, a man with autism, on May 1 in Columbia.
Court delays for Eric Bieniemy's son, pending mental health check
- Two court appearances scheduled for the 27-year-old son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in connection with the shooting of his...
Court delays for son of Chiefs coach accused of shooting his mom delayed pending mental health check
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Two court appearances scheduled for the 27-year-old son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in connection with the shooting of his mother at their Virginia…
Gears of War: E-Day's Multiplayer Thrives Off Its New Horde Siege Mode
After about 10 hours with the Gears E-Day multiplayer beta, Xbox's long-time shooter series is making some smart gameplay changes.
Cricket & archery well placed for Commonwealths spot
Cricket, archery and shooting are among the sports well placed to regain their spot at the Commonwealth Games in India in 2030.
Mobile business owner claims self defense in fatal shooting
Investigators say 25-year-old Evan Bagley came to the business, got into an argument with another man, and pointed a gun at him.
Mobile business owner claims self defense in fatal shooting
Investigators say 25-year-old Evan Bagley came to the business, got into an argument with another man, and pointed a gun at him.
Mobile business owner says he shot and killed man in self defense
Mobile police responded to a deadly shooting at Chips Auto Glass on Halls Mill Road on July 28. Investigators say 25-year-old Evan Bagley came to the business, got into an argument with another man, and pointed a gun at him.
Eric Bieniemy's wife out of ICU in major health update after alleged shooting by son
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided a positive development on the condition of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s wife, Mia Bieniemy, after she was allegedly shot several times by their son on...
Ohio University Lancaster to launch Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program in Spring 2027
The addition of the nursing program represents another step in Ohio University Lancaster’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality, career-focused education that meets the needs of the communities it serves.
Willy Street businesses impacted as protests block customer traffic
MADISON — Restaurants and shops along Willy Street have had to adjust how they operate as customer traffic has gone down following protests that erupted after a police shooting on
Did the Orlando Magic Really Improve This Offseason?
A new head coach and Nikola Vučević’s return headline Orlando’s summer, but a bolstered Eastern Conference and lingering shooting woes threaten to stall the young roster’s ascent.
Judge orders immigration officials to release key witness in Texas ICE shooting
The witness was one of three passengers in a van driven by Lorenzo Araujo Salgado when he was shot by an ICE officer during a traffic stop.
Bilimeters now in every Sanford Health Sioux Falls clinic
Bilimeters are handheld digital devices that give an instant reading of newborn babies' bilirubin levels, as opposed to a blood draw.
Mental health help for those affected by Seattle Center mass shooting
In the aftermath of the mass shooting at Seattle Center, people may be feeling a range of emotions that are testing their mental health and sense of safety.
Big STALKER 2 Overhaul Coming 20th August in 2.0 Patch and First DLC
Hardcore shooter expanded and improved
Did League Cup come too early for Saints?
Does the League Cup group stage come too early in the season for teams like St Johnstone? Simo Valakari's side were one of two Premiership sides, Falkirk were the other, that failed to progress to the last 16 of the League Cup. St Johnstone finished third in Group F with seven points after their 1-1 draw with East Fife, which Dick Campbell's side snagged a bonus point in after winning the shootout.
Former Portland Trail Blazers Star Arrested in Arizona
Former Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Isaiah "J.R." Rider was arrested in Arizona over the weekend. The post Former Portland Trail Blazers Star Arrested in Arizona appeared first on HEAVY.
Gunfire in Central Business District injures innocent bystander during altercation
A shooting in New Orleans' Central Business District late Saturday night injured an innocent bystander and hospitalized another person involved in a verbal altercation, police said.
Will Kings’ Karaban Thrive Around Better Players?
After overcoming a rocky Summer League start, UConn’s championship-winning connector looks to translate his elite basketball IQ and catch-and-shoot prowess into a reliable weapon alongside Sacramento’s veteran stars.
Overnight shooting at Owensboro business leaves victim with life-threatening injury
Overnight shooting at Owensboro business leaves victim with life-threatening injury
Goals will come for Kilmarnock, says Kiltie
Greg Kiltie has "full faith" Kilmarnock will find their scoring form once the Premiership season gets under way. Despite creating a slew of chances, the Ayrshire side drew a blank in a goalless draw at Peterhead in their final Premier Sports Cup group game on Saturday. Despite losing the penalty shootout, a point was enough to ensure they finished top of Group H and progressed to the last 16.
'No panic' at St Johnstone after cup exit
St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari says there is "no panic" after his team were knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup after losing on penalty kicks to League One side East Fife. It was East Fife substitute Jaiden Fairley who scored the winning penalty in the bonus shootout, but they miss out on a runners-up place via goal difference.
Bowman 'honoured' to make return after eight-year hiatus
Goal shooter Lisa Bowman says she had "goosebumps" playing for Northern Ireland in their opening Commonwealth Games defeat against England as she made her return to the international stage after an eight-year break.
Trump returns to correspondents' dinner 3 months after shooting
President Donald Trump returned to the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association dinner Friday night, delivering a rambling, hour-long speech.
Trump at rescheduled White House correspondents' dinner: 'The show must go on'
A shooting upended the first attempt at the dinner in April.
Azzi Fudd wins WNBA All-Star 3-point contest; Shakira Austin, Elena Delle Donne, GG Banks take Shooting Stars Challenge
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft shined in her All-Star 3-point contest debut.
White House Correspondents’ Association hosts rescheduled dinner nearly 3 months after shooting incident
Trump returns to correspondents’ dinner after shooting disrupted April event
The president will address a smaller, heavily secured gathering Friday as his administration intensifies its legal and rhetorical attacks on journalists.
Wisconsin congressional delegation reacts to deadly police shooting
Corey Ruiz died after being shot by a Madison police officer on Wednesday.
Trump to deliver ‘unifying yet vicious’ remarks at press dinner months after shooting incident, White House says
The president, first lady and top administration officials had to be evacuated and the April dinner canceled after a heavily armed man rushed past security.
Passengers in Texas ICE shooting say officers not in danger
One of them described the government’s account as “a lie.”
Man killed in Milwaukee shooting was father, business owner, family says
Milwaukee police said a 44-year-old was shot and killed near Appleton and Congress on Wednesday. The victim's family identified him as Keon Davis.
Officers shoot man allegedly armed near UCI Health in Los Alamitos; condition unknown
Los Alamitos officers shoot machete-wielding man after pursuit
Police were urging the public to avoid the area.
Woman shot in neck after shooting at southeast Houston business
A 20-year-old woman was shot in the neck after gunfire erupted outside a southeast Houston business Wednesday, according to the Houston Police Department.
Neighbors suspect mental health issues in fatal Simi Valley police shooting
A 37-year-old man was shot and killed by police after leading officers on a pursuit through Simi Valley and crashing a pickup truck into a parked police motorcycle and a home Tuesday, authorities s…
Man shot after altercation outside business on Detroit’s southwest side
A man in his 20s was wounded in a shooting following a physical altercation outside a business on Detroit’s southwest side.
Armed man shot by Irvine police called 911, reported mental health crisis, police say
A police shooting unfolded in Irvine after police say a man armed with a knife, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, called 911.
Splatoon Raiders review – Nintendo’s inky shooter fades to grey
The single-player offshoot of the quirky and colourful multiplayer series is disappointingly run-of-the-mill
Nintendo keeps making shooters more friendly and approachable
A fresh take on looter shooters.
Joint operation shuts down illegal business tied to Durham violence
Authorities said the property had linked to a series of violent crimes, including homicides, shootings, aggravated assaults, thefts and weapons violations.
Businesses worry about perception of Tucson mass shooting
The yellow police tape cordoning off East Congress Street Sunday didn’t come down until the better part of the day had passed.
Kodak's New Point-And-Shoot Is a Real Disposable Replacement
At just $35, the EC35 is basically a refillable disposable camera.
Suicide by Police: Shootings raise questions about mental health crisis
Officers faced with split-second decisions as deadly confrontations involving mental health crises rise
Senators demand ICE answers and body cameras
Dozens of Democratic senators and Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King want more details on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s vetting practices and vehicle pursuit policies following more deaths in ICE shootings.
Senators want answers on ICE policies
Dozens of Democratic senators and Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King want more details on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s vetting practices and vehicle pursuit policies following more deaths in ICE shootings.
Gears of War Designer Cliff Bleszinski Reveals Struggle With Alcoholism, Discusses the Failure of LawBreakers and Potential Return to Video Game Development
Video game developer Cliff Bleszinski has revealed his struggle with alcoholism and how it affected not just his work on Gears of War but contributed to the failure of hero shooter LawBreakers and his studio, Boss Key Productions.
Science can serve dark as well as light
I’m not sure how many of you are watching “Star City,” Apple TV’s spin-off of its “For All Mankind” program (2019-present), but it’s one of the better sci-fi series I’ve seen in a while, with an impressively dark political message. (Some light spoilers below.) For the uninitiated, “For All Mankind” presented a slightly tweaked history of the U.S. space program in which it was the USSR that landed on the Moon first in 1969, and shortly thereafter put a woman cosmonaut on the lunar surface. This sparks an ongoing space race that, in the original series, yields a lot of benefits for humanity. President Nixon’s insistence on a female astronaut corps to compete with the Soviets boosts the feminist movement of the 1970s and the ERA passes. New fuels generated for the space program create clean and cheap energy around Earth. There are also some darker changes — the USSR is thriving well into the 2000s, there are terrorist counter-technology movements around the globe, laborers on Mars work in nightmarish conditions and organize strikes and riots, etc. the @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe That show offers glimpses into the subtle ways this Earth is different. Teddy Kennedy never went to Chappaquidick because he was racing back to Washington to deal with the space program crisis; he gets elected President in 1972. John Lennon survives his early 1980s shooting but Pope John Paul II does not. The Apple Newton succeeded. Pretty much the whole of season 4 is a setup for an Al Gore joke. Again, mostly, the vision that “For All Mankind” presents is a positive one, with technology advancing many human interests. “Star City” goes in a very different direction. This spin-off show is about the same set of events but from the Soviet perspective. As we meet them, the team of scientists and cosmonauts responsible for the lunar landing are still basking in their hero status, but their program is embedded deep in the Soviet security state of the late 1960s. Everyone’s apartment is bugged. Whole teams of clerical staff spend their days transcribing recordings of people’s lives. People in the program, including respected cosmonauts, are regularly arrested. An incredibly menacing Colonel Lyudmilla Raskova (Anna Maxwell Martin) forces confessions and tortures and kills, expressing little more than annoyance in the process. Meanwhile, the space program’s highly respected Chief Designer (Rhys Ifans) has a vision for the program that he knows the government will not approve. He insists that they need to think past the Moon to focus on colonizing the solar system, starting with Venus. (This is a rough parallel to the Americans’ pivot to Mars in the original show.) He essentially builds a secret space program within the space program, calculating that the government will embrace the mission after it has succeeded. (As an aside, I’m not sure why the Venus obsession, as a successful mission can’t produce the biggest public relations payoff: a cosmonaut standing on the surface holding the Soviet flag. Anyone standing on Venus would be immediately crushed by the 92-bar atmosphere and then cremated in the 900°F temperatures. But in a country with no free press perhaps the visual payoff was less valued.) But the overall vision is that the technological advances have only amplified the most fearsome aspects of the Soviet system. The state is paranoid (but not incorrect) about American spies and does monstrous things to protect its secrets. People are terrified to trust each other. Classic banality-of-evil figures order people to harm those they care about; those people comply rather than get shot. Others are forced into criminal behavior to protect loved ones. We’re reminded all the time these days of what happens when a government despises science. It manifests in the defunding of schools, the elevation of fossil fuels as the rest of the world pivots to solar, outbreaks of measles and diarrhea, etc. But “Star City” offers a vision of a bad government that likes science. It’s not encouraging. It’s not yet clear if there will be a season two of this show. But I strongly recommend season one. It’s both thoughtful and gripping. Share
New Official Ghost Recon Release Confirmed For PS5 and Xbox Series X
Ubisoft’s latest Ghost Recon Wildlands release could be the first sign of a long-awaited current-gen revival for the beloved 2017 shooter.
Chicago passed on the World Cup but has other sports plans - Live Updates
A whole new generation of sports teams is betting Chicago’s appetite for sports is bigger than its traditional loyalties.
Downtown Tucson business speaks out about safety in the area after mass shooting
Two of the victims in Sunday's mass shooting in downtown Tucson were on the patio of Empire Pizza when gunfire rang out. Now the business is calling out a lack
Kodak EC35 is a dirt-cheap point-and-shoot film camera
The film photography renaissance continues and gets more affordable.
Parking lot fight leads to fatal shooting outside Southeast Dallas business
Dallas police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened early Sunday morning after a disturbance outside a business in Southeast Dallas.
An American Woman Shook Up One of the Oldest of England’s Old Boys Sports
Camille VanderMeer went to Cambridge for an M.B.A. and the chance to race Oxford. She returned champion of an altogether whackier competition.
Kings’ Darnell Credits Team for Ending Summer on High Note
Sacramento salvaged their tournament with a balanced offensive clinic, providing coach Chris Darnell vital evaluations of playmaking prospects and rookie shooters ahead of the regular season.
Maine Dems rally behind Platner's far-left platform in scramble to court his followers: 'Beyond furious'
All candidates in the Maine Democratic Senate debate called for abolishing ICE just days after the fatal Biddeford shooting of a 25-year-old father.
Quincy plans $10M shooting sports complex; council to vote Monday
The City of Quincy announced a proposed clay sports park during a press conference on Friday.
Hearing rescheduled for Hunter Vanderwall after previous mental health evaluation surfaces
Hunter Vanderwall, 19, is charged in connection of the shooting death of Lawrence Boyd in November 2025.
Orlando Magic Summer League Guard Ready to Take Major Leap
After transforming his physique and sharpening his perimeter shooting, Alex Morales is embracing a defensive-first mindset to transition from G League standout to a permanent NBA roster spot.
Ron Howard describes ‘intense’ filming experience on John Wayne’s last movie
Howard and Wayne starred in the 1976 movie “The Shootist” together along with Lauren Bacall and James Stewart.
Lawsuit filed in cop's fatal shooting of woman in mental health crisis
Family members insist that 25-year-old Victoria Lee was no threat, and officers knew it
Classic PS1 Shooter’s PS5 Remake Out Today on PlayStation Store
A cult classic from the PlayStation 1 days has gotten a new HD remaster, and it's out now. Better yet, the game is also discounted.
Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble pre-registration now available
Pre-registration for free-to-play multiplayer arena shooter Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble is now available for iOS via App Store and Android via Google Play, publisher Sony Interactive Entert…
Texas Democrats demand answers after two deadly ICE encounters
Two shooting deaths of men in cars by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — one in Texas, the other in Maine — are bringing new attention to ICE’s tactics and training.