Embark Studios started developing a cooperative shooter focused on players versus environment, but shifted direction mid-way through to the player versus player versus environment extraction shooter it is now. This change allowed them to really focus on creating the immersive, cinematic experience that defines the game.
Valve is offering two free Half-Life games. The first, Half-Life Legacy, is a completely updated version of the original Half-Life, with improvements and bug fixes, making it the definitive way to experience the classic. The other free game is Half-Life Arena, which isn’t a full game like Legacy. Instead, it’s a reimagining of the original game’s Deathmatch mode, expanded into its own separate experience.
Steve Ahn recently addressed a Change.org petition related to Avatar. He expressed gratitude for the support but clarified that someone falsely posted a comment using his name. He wants to make it clear he didn’t write the comment and hopes this stops any further misunderstandings. He was especially concerned that the post suggested future action and wanted to prevent any unfair criticism or hardship for the artists involved due to this unauthorized activity.
Although Steve Rogers seemingly disappeared after the battle, he actually returned as an older man, having lived a full life. He met with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes to pass on the Captain America shield to Sam. This created a difficult situation for Sam, as he couldn’t easily explain how he’d received the title. However, this moment also presented a significant problem for the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe, though it wasn’t immediately obvious.
Many people don’t realize just how important Shigeru Miyamoto has been to the world of video games – some even say he rescued the industry from complete collapse. In 1983, a flood of terrible games led to a major downturn for video games in the US. The infamous game E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 is often blamed for this crash, and it was Miyamoto’s work that ultimately helped the industry recover and become profitable again.
Over the past thirty years, we’ve seen many movie franchises extend well beyond the traditional three-film trilogy. The seven series listed below are notable because they each have at least four films, and each movie is generally considered good – or at least enjoyable – on its own merits. While judging movie quality is always subjective, and opinions will vary, each of these series has a dedicated fanbase and could reasonably be considered among the best.
On December 26, 2025, Pierre485 announced on X that Mario Kart World had a record-breaking launch in Japan, selling 2.5 million copies in just 29 weeks. This makes it the fastest-selling game for the Switch 2, the best-selling game of 2025, and the fastest-selling Mario Kart game ever in Japan. Previously, Mario Kart Wii took 89 weeks to reach 2.5 million units sold in Japan. Mario Kart World‘s success is significantly faster than its predecessor, and is a strong reason to consider upgrading to the Switch 2.
Issue #15 of Absolute Wonder Woman marked the first team-up between characters from the Absolute line, pairing Wonder Woman with Batman to investigate a series of murders connected to the goddess Hecate. This story is a thrilling adventure that highlights the heroes’ contrasting styles and demonstrates how vital they both are. More importantly, it reveals a key difference between the Absolute Universe and the main DC Universe: while Superman is the central figure in the Prime Universe, Wonder Woman holds that position in the Absolute Universe, and this issue powerfully confirms it.
In 2006, Elijah Wood provided the voice for Mumble, a charming tap-dancing penguin, in the musical comedy Happy Feet, directed by George Miller. The film follows Mumble, a penguin who can’t sing but is a talented tap dancer. Featuring a star-studded cast including Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, and Steve Irwin, Happy Feet will no longer be available on HBO Max after December 31st.
Recently, the stage production of Gachiakuta released a statement addressing concerns about racism. The production team explained that some characters – including Corvus, Semiu, and Jabber – were portrayed by actors of different races. In a statement released on December 26th, they clarified that the production has no intention of discrimination and aims to respect the original manga’s story. They confirmed they checked with the original author to see if the characters’ nationalities or racial backgrounds were specifically defined in the source material.