Bloober Team, renowned for their critically acclaimed horror games like the Silent Hill 2 remake and Layers of Fear series, is developing a new survival horror game titled *Cronos: The New Dawn*. In an interview with DBLTAP, co-directors Wojciech Piejko and Jacek Zieba revealed that the game will feature only one difficulty mode initially, emphasizing the importance of challenge in the survival horror genre. A harder mode will unlock after the first completion. Inspired by FromSoftware's design philosophy, the team aims to ensure players experience the game as intended during their first playthrough. *Cronos: The New Dawn* is scheduled for release in 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

"Cozy Game Restoration" offers a relaxing experience focused on restoring and collecting video games, including rare finds like regional variants and limited-edition items. Players unlock collection-based quests, earning cosmetic rewards upon completion. The game emphasizes the meditative process of restoration without timers or currencies, featuring a growing list of games to restore. It's optimized for Steam Deck, despite running on desktops, ensuring immersive gameplay. Notably, features like popping bubble wrap are planned. Set for release in July, fans can add it to their wishlist and engage with the community via various platforms for updates and content.

Today marks a decade since the release of *The Witcher 3*, a game that catapulted CD Projekt Red and the Witcher franchise into global fame, leading to a Netflix TV series. In a recent anniversary interview, associate game director Paweł Sasko revealed that the memorable sidequest "The Last Wish" almost focused on Yennefer's quest to restore her fertility, rather than exploring her love for Geralt. The team ultimately chose a more emotional narrative to highlight their bond. This decision resulted in one of gaming's most iconic romantic sidequests. With *The Witcher 4* now in development, featuring Ciri as the protagonist of a new trilogy, fans eagerly await the next chapter in the beloved saga.

The concept of "deprofessionalization" in game development is gaining traction, driven by the success of free-to-play live service games, struggles of large studios to boost sales, and achievements of solo developers or small teams. This trend pushes career professionals out of traditional roles in the gaming industry, leading to more irregular working arrangements. Observations from PAX East 2025 highlight a shift towards smaller teams and solo developers, with fewer opportunities for artists, writers, and audio professionals. While indie markets offer some commercial viability, most indie games still fail. The challenge lies in finding creative solutions to sustain careers in game development without relying solely on gig work or triple-A experience. Rigney suggests that better management practices and innovative funding models could help balance this emerging trend.

Nintendo has revealed official details regarding free updates for several Switch 1 games optimized for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Titles such as *Super Mario Odyssey*, *The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening*, and *Pokémon Scarlet* will receive visual enhancements tailored for the new console's display and high-resolution TVs, alongside features like HDR support and improved frame rates. Some games also introduce GameShare functionality, enabling multiplayer experiences either locally or online via GameChat. These updates are set to roll out starting June 5, 2025, offering enhanced visuals and performance improvements without additional cost to players owning a Switch 2 console. This distinguishes them from paid Switch 2 Edition titles featuring more extensive upgrades.

Doom: The Dark Ages is the latest addition to id Software’s Doom series, blending traditional elements like intense combat and powerful weapons with new features such as a medieval setting and a dragon companion. A key innovation is the Shield Saw, which serves both as a defensive tool and an offensive weapon, altering classic Doom gameplay. Players can block attacks, parry for rewards, throw the shield to eliminate enemies, and dash across battlefields. Upgrades like Shield Runes enhance abilities, offering strategic bonuses after successful parries. Additionally, the Shield Saw aids in solving environmental puzzles by destroying obstacles and activating mechanisms, enriching the gameplay experience beyond pure combat.

Recent trends in baby naming reveal a shift towards traditional names, with an unexpected twist: inspiration from classic video game characters. An analysis by Online Free Games found that parents are increasingly turning to digital worlds for unique monikers. Topping the list is "Jade" from *Beyond Good & Evil*, symbolizing courage and determination, followed by "Max" from *Life is Strange* and "Arthur" from *Red Dead Redemption 2*. These choices reflect both modern and classic naming preferences, blending nostalgia with contemporary culture. The study highlights how gaming has become a significant cultural influence, impacting decisions beyond entertainment. Despite this trend, some iconic gaming names like "Link" remain less popular, indicating a preference for more conventional options.

János Turánszki, creator of Wicked Engine, highlights a Frostbite solution supporting both shadow maps and ray-traced shadows, referencing Alex Tardif’s simplified implementation. Recently, Wicked Engine demonstrated handling 50 simultaneous 720p HD Matrix video streams across 2000 screens. Turánszki released a sample illustrating the use of Vulkan, DirectX 12, and DirectX 11 APIs to harness video decoder hardware, leveraging GPU native resource types for games. This method allows decoded videos to function as textures with optimized codecs, eliminating the need for external libraries. Async compute access enables parallel video decoding and rendering tasks for enhanced performance. Wicked Engine exemplifies this by using video textures for materials and lighting in 3D environments. Follow updates on X/Twitter and engage with 80 Level Talent platforms.

The "Global Video Games Consoles and Accessories Market 2025" report by Global Info Research provides a comprehensive analysis of the video games consoles and accessories market, covering key influencing factors such as market share, price analysis, competitive landscape, consumer behavior, and technological impact. The report forecasts the market size to grow from US$ 26,410 million in 2024 to USD 36,260 million by 2031, with a CAGR of 4.7%. It includes detailed data analysis segmented by region, product type, and application, along with insights into major manufacturers like Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, and others. The study evaluates market opportunities, growth potential, and industry dynamics, offering strategic insights for businesses aiming to expand, identify target customers, or develop new markets. This extensive research supports informed decision-making through reliable data and analysis.

Bookoff Massapequa, a 10-month-old secondhand store and part of a Japanese discount chain, offers more than just books. Located on Long Island, it is the first of its kind in the area, selling and buying items such as books, movies, CDs, vinyl, video games, and anime figures. Store manager Diana Hernandez emphasizes their mission to give items a second life. Prices vary, with books ranging from $1 to $5 and rare items costing more. The store also features over 100 Gashapon vending machines, offering random toys, appealing to collectors. Bookoff Massapequa attracts diverse shoppers, from bargain hunters to collectors, contributing to its growing popularity.

Epic Games has announced that Apple has blocked its attempt to reintroduce Fortnite to the iOS App Store, continuing their legal battle since 2020. Despite submitting the game for review on May 9, Apple has not approved its release, keeping Fortnite offline globally on iOS. This dispute stems from Epic's challenge against Apple's 30% in-app purchase commission and restrictions on alternative payment methods. Although a US judge recently ordered Apple to cease charging a 27% commission and using warning prompts, Apple's resistance persists. Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, expressed frustration over Apple's delay, emphasizing the impact on live service games like Fortnite when platforms obstruct app releases. The ongoing saga highlights tensions over app store policies and developer freedoms.

On 5th June, Nintendo will release software updates for Nintendo Switch games compatible with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. These updates are not new editions but rather enhancements that improve game resolution and frame rate, leveraging the superior hardware of the new console. Notably, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, which has faced criticism, will benefit from these improvements. High-resolution images showcasing the enhanced visuals of the game on the Nintendo Switch 2 have been released. This update aims to provide a better gaming experience by optimizing existing titles for the newer system.