During the recent Nintendo Direct, Elden Ring: Tarnished was officially presented, a version of the acclaimed game designed specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. This new edition will include all the content from the base game, as well as the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, ensuring that both new players and veterans can enjoy the complete experience. The soulsfashion lives on in this new version of Elden Ring One of the highlighted features of Elden Ring: Tarnished is the new customization options that will be added to the game. Bandai Namco has announced that players will be able to enjoy new armors and […]
During the recent Nintendo Direct, Elden Ring: Tarnished was officially presented, a version of the acclaimed game specifically designed for the Nintendo Switch 2. This new edition will include all the content from the base game, as well as the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, ensuring that both new players and veterans can enjoy the complete experience.
Soulsfashion lives on in this new version of Elden Ring
One of the standout features of Elden Ring: Tarnished is the new customization options that will be added to the game. Bandai Namco has announced that players will be able to enjoy new armor and aesthetic upgrades for the character Torrent, although no new types of weapons have been mentioned. Currently, FromSoftware’s official profile on Twitter has confirmed four new armor sets, generating excitement among the gaming community.
The availability of Elden Ring: Tarnished is expected in 2025, although an exact release date has not yet been confirmed. For those interested in acquiring the Nintendo Switch 2, it was announced that pre-orders will be available one week before the launch in the UK and Germany, with invitation links being sent by Nintendo. This launch model seems to align with the company’s recent business strategies, which aim to maximize access to its new console.
It is important to mention that all the new features of Elden Ring: Tarnished will be available on all platforms, which means that users on other consoles will not be excluded from the innovations that will be introduced. Meanwhile, the announcement slipped in among other important news from the Direct, but it has managed to capture the attention of the series’ fans, eager for any updates related to this universe.
There has not been a significant update for Starfield since November 2024, which has led the gaming community to an anxious wait for news. While some players are sharing ship designs or expressing frustrations about paid mods, others are calling on the developers to improve communication about the future of the title. A communication problem, not that there is nothing in the works. The Starfield team, in response to fans’ concerns on Twitter, has committed to working on new planned content for this […]
There has not been a significant update for Starfield since November 2024, which has led the gaming community to an anxious wait for news. While some players are sharing ship designs or expressing frustrations about paid mods, others are calling on the developers to improve communication about the future of the title.
A communication problem, not that there is nothing in the oven
The Starfield team, in response to fans’ concerns on Twitter, has committed to working on new planned content for this year. “We greatly appreciate your passion for Starfield,” the official account stated, adding that while they are not ready to share specific details yet, they have many exciting things on the way. This acknowledgment of the lack of information has been received by the community as a slight ray of hope, even though it is not a concrete announcement.
Last October, the first major expansion of the game was released, known as Starfield Shattered Space. However, it received mixed reviews, being considered disappointing and not fully addressing the weaknesses of the base game. Expectations for future updates are high, and players continue to wish for the team to communicate more regularly about the upcoming changes and content.
On the other hand, Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, has mentioned that Starfield could be available on other platforms, including the PS5. This possibility opens new opportunities for the franchise, although the community remains focused on the content expected for this year. Meanwhile, fans continue to seek alternatives to satisfy their appetite for sci-fi adventures until official news about Starfield arrives. And some industry giants keep singing its praises.
HBO is working on a reboot of the iconic Harry Potter series, and the casting of actors has become a critical topic in the fan community. According to the latest rumors, John Lithgow is in “final negotiations” to play Albus Dumbledore, the famous headmaster of Hogwarts. This role has previously been portrayed by notable actors such as Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law, which adds pressure and expectations to the upcoming lead. Albus Dumbledore may already have a new actor. Lithgow’s potential casting has generated a strong divide among fans. The uncertainty comes from […]
HBO is working on a reboot of the iconic Harry Potter series, and the casting has become a critical topic in the fan community. According to the latest rumors, John Lithgow is in “final negotiations” to portray Albus Dumbledore, the renowned headmaster of Hogwarts. This role has previously been played by prominent actors such as Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law, which adds pressure and expectations to the upcoming lead.
Albus Dumbledore may have a new actor
The possible casting of Lithgow has generated a strong division among fans. The uncertainty comes from the reactions to other casting rumors, such as that of Cillian Murphy, which has already sparked intense debates on social media. The importance of casting decisions in a reboot of this magnitude is undeniable, given that Harry Potter is an unmovable part of contemporary pop culture. From the Twitter account, Culture Grave, interest in Lithgow has been mentioned, which has significantly increased speculation about the future of the series.
John Lithgow is an actor known for his versatility in television and film, having left an indelible mark with his roles in series like Dexter and 3rd Rock from the Sun, as well as in beloved movies like Shrek. His participation as Dumbledore could attract both old fans and new generations, although it is clear that any casting decision will draw both applause and criticism.
Despite the excitement generated by the possibility of seeing Lithgow in this role, neither HBO nor the actor himself have officially confirmed these rumors. This silence leaves the saga’s followers in a tense anticipation as they await an official statement. With every hint that arises, curiosity surrounding the Harry Potter reboot continues to grow.
The PlayStation Network platform has been experiencing significant outages, reminding users of the issues that occurred in 2011 during the PS3 era. This situation severely affected various services and games, including the highly anticipated open beta of Monster Hunter Wilds, scheduled by Capcom for last weekend. Players encountered difficulties accessing PSN, which forced the Japanese company to cancel the game test before its official release, set for February 28. Capcom has decided to do what Sony does not: compensate players Before […]
The PlayStation Network platform has been experiencing significant outages, reminding users of the issues that occurred in 2011 during the PS3 era. This situation severely affected various services and games, including the highly anticipated open beta of Monster Hunter Wilds, scheduled by Capcom for last weekend. Players encountered difficulties accessing PSN, which forced the Japanese company to cancel the game’s test before its official launch, scheduled for February 28.
Capcom has decided to do what Sony does not: compensate players
In light of this adversity, Capcom made the decision to extend the open beta dates by 24 hours, thus offering a new opportunity for users to try the game and its multiplayer capabilities. The new dates for the beta are from February 13 to 18, significantly extending the testing time post-interruption.
The company announced this extension through a message posted on Twitter, where it thanked the understanding of the hunters and notified that the additional period will begin on February 13 at 7 p.m. PT and will end on February 18 at 2:59 a.m. GMT. With this measure, Capcom aims not only to recover lost time but also to ensure that the servers are in perfect condition for the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds, which promises to be one of the major releases of the year.
The PSN service outage not only impacted Capcom, but also disrupted the plans of other developers and scheduled releases. However, the Japanese company has managed to react quickly to ensure that fans have the opportunity to try out the mechanics and features of the new title before its release. The new beta is expected to be well received and help players immerse themselves in this new installment of the famous monster hunting saga.
Every day it becomes clearer that what was promised as “the great cultural revolution” has turned into a mere refuge for the mediocre. I am talking, of course, about artificial intelligence, capable of creating texts without heart, images without soul, videos without naturalness, extracts from a future that science fiction authors have been warning us about for years. What have we done? Of course, we have embraced drawings with six fingers, dislocated jaws, blurry faces, and unnatural movements. And, among all the people in the world, who would you say has decided to support AI as […]
With each passing day, it becomes increasingly clear that what was promised as “the great cultural revolution” has remained merely a refuge for the mediocre. I am talking, of course, about artificial intelligence, capable of creating texts without heart, images without soul, videos without naturalness, excerpts from a future that science fiction authors have been warning us about for years. What have we done? Of course, we have embraced drawings with six fingers, dislocated jaws, blurry faces, and unnatural movements. And, among all the people in the world, who would you say has decided to support AI as if it were the salvation of creativity? Of course, the king of the mediocre: Elon Musk.
Imagine you are the richest person in the world. You are the right-hand of the President of the United States, own an aerospace company, the most well-known electric cars, and even your own social network that you have destroyed by mistreating it. What is the next step? Well, for Elon Musk, it’s video games. Does that mean he has gathered a group of people who will create the future of the industry over several years? Of course not: he has relied on an artificial intelligence company.
Musk has said on Twitter that he has created a video game studio that will use AI to “make video games good again.” Because it’s not like we’re literally drowning in pending games because most of them are excellent! Of course, by “good” he refers to his fanciful ideas of anti-woke power that he believes the silent majority shares (instead of the minority that shouts louder than it should).
The company in question is, of course, xAI (within Musk’s obsession with the letter X), which so far has brought Grok, the artificial intelligence of Twitter that literally no one is using. No one really knows what he means by “making games using AI” (all games in history have AI in some way, that’s what it’s about). Could it be that he’s still hurt from that time he was booed at a Valorant tournament and has decided to create his own games? His followers on Twitter think it’s the best idea ever. The rest of us just want this horrible dystopia to end once and for all.
Imagine you’re playing Call Of Duty and your game keeps lagging, causing you to lose continuously. A stealth shot, an incredible attack, someone who saw you standing and killed you before you could even react. It’s normal to end up cursing the mother of the person who killed you, imaginary beings, or even the video game and its developers. But there was a person in France who decided to go further… And it almost had consequences. I’ll see you at Lidl A user named JimmyBLLT kept losing in […]
Imagine you are playing Call Of Duty and your game keeps lagging, causing you to lose continuously. A stealth shot, an incredible attack, someone who saw you standing and killed you before you could even react. It’s normal to end up cursing the mother of the person who killed you, imaginary beings, or even the video game and its developers. But there was a person in France who decided to go further… And it almost had consequences.
A user named JimmyBLLT couldn’t stop losing in a game back in May, so he decided to turn to his computer to vent and write on Twitter “Xavier Niel, I hate you, I challenge you to a one-on-one in front of the Lidl on Sainte Street in Marseille“. Who is Xavier Niel? Just a billionaire with a fortune valued at 10 billion euros and the majority shareholder of Iliad SA, one of the largest Internet providers in all of France.
What would you do if you had that money and read a written threat against you? Probably open your vault and take a bath, Uncle Scrooge style, right? Well, Niel is not like that and decided to go to the Lidl supermarket on Sainte Street in Marseille to confront it. In a video he uploaded on November 15, half a year after the threat, Biel said “I’m waiting for you, where are you? Come on! Do you want us to meet in the parking lot?”.
If you think there is now a Call Of Duty player and a millionaire in the hospital with several fractures after an epic fight, I’m sorry to disappoint you. JimmyBLLT explained that he wrote his first tweet after losing his temper due to lag, he refused to fight the millionaire and gave up. Once again, capitalism beats us all.
When something is successful, many rush to copy it in the hope of also achieving success. Sometimes it works out well, like that time Instagram copied Snapchat to create its Stories, but most of the time it goes wrong, like that Facebook copy manufactured by Google called Google+ that no one ended up being too interested in. And what about Twitter? Deep down, it’s the simplest social network of all: you only need text, images, and a couple of functions. It’s easy to copy, but… Why do we need another Twitter if we already have one […]
When something is successful, many rush to copy it in hopes of achieving success as well. Sometimes it works out, like that time Instagram copied Snapchat to create its Stories, but most of the time it doesn’t, like that Facebook copy manufactured by Google called Google+ that no one was really interested in. And what about Twitter? At its core, it’s the simplest social network of all: it only requires text, images, and a couple of functions. It’s easy to copy, but… Why do we need another Twitter if we already have one and don’t like it too much?
Although now it seems that we have all packed our virtual bags to move to Bluesky, in November 2022 this exodus was not yet so clear. Clearly, something had to be done after Elon Musk’s arrival to power at the social network, but no one was quite sure what. Move to Mastodon? To Threads? To Bluesky? What was the right path? There are very few breadcrumbs, and they have to be shared among several, after all.
As soon as he arrived at Twitter, Musk decided to lay off a large part of the staff, who suddenly found themselves out of work. This was the case for Sarah Oh and Gabor Cselle, who decided to do what they did best: create Twitter 2. Or, to summarize, T2, which to avoid litigation evolved into Pebble some time later. Pebble was an alternative to Twitter that allowed, like the former, 280 characters, with the intention of being as similar to the social network they loved as possible, but with more security and moderation.
After several tests since they founded the company in November 2022, Pebble was finally launched on April 25, 2023, with an invitation system that initially allowed only 1000 users to post, who had to invite five other friends until reaching 6000, and then continue expanding. All this without an app, just through the web. And if you’re wondering if it was a success, consider whether people are moving to Pebble or other places.
Just seven months after opening, Pebble closed its doors: only 3000 people used it daily, and with that attendance, it simply wasn’t viable. The website became an instance of Mastodon and that’s where the adventure ended. Another grain in this vast sand that is the Internet, a footnote in history that at least dared to stand up. Hey, who knows? Maybe with a little more advertising, we would be moving to Pebble instead of Bluesky…
It has been a daily drip. When Twitter was bought by Elon Musk and started making erratic decisions, such as allowing people to see messages from those they have blocked or letting the social network fill with tension and far-right messages, many ended up leaving for a fresh start, either to a less relevant alternative (Mastodon, Threads, etc.) or to live their online life away from the social network. For over a year, we have lived with the uncertainty of what would be Twitter’s successor, but only now, when it has finally […]
It has been a daily drip. When Twitter was bought by Elon Musk and started making erratic decisions, such as allowing people to see messages from those they’ve blocked or allowing his social network to be filled with tension and far-right messages, many ended up leaving for good, either to a less relevant alternative (Mastodon, Threads, etc.) or to live their online life away from the social network. For over a year, we have lived with the uncertainty of what would be Twitter’s successor, but only now, when the massive exodus has finally arrived, have we known what the solution was.
What worked on Twitter in its early days wasn’t the platform itself, but the people you encountered on it. When the worst you could find was a troll or someone bored who wanted to argue with you. When bad people were banned and hateful behavior wasn’t allowed. When it was a playground for creativity, humor, and camaraderie. Sometime later, it has turned into Mordor, a place where the people you didn’t want to enter have done so, and their greatest pleasure is to annoy you. You, specifically.
Long-time Twitter users felt like they were in a prison that they stayed in because there was no real alternative: after all, none of the other destinations had enough people to create a real community. However, after Donald Trump’s success in the elections, with Elon Musk as his second in command, more progressive users have decided to seek an island where they can be safe on Bluesky, the platform created by Jack Dorsey after leaving Twitter, which is basically like an early version of that social network.
Videos can only be one minute long, gifs have pixels, there are no polls, and you can’t attach photos in direct messages, but it has something that goes completely against the current direction of Twitter: you can block entire lists of people. In just two clicks, you can ensure that you won’t read anything that goes against your ideals and that no one will come to your comments to stir things up. Is it an echo chamber? Yes. Of course. After what we’ve been experiencing since 2020, it’s exactly what we need. A little bit of peace. There may be fewer people, but it’s growing by leaps and bounds… and it’s noticeable in the interaction.
Fewer people, more audience
The Twitter algorithm is so damaged that currently, by posting the same message, you get more views on Bluesky with a quarter of the followers. In other words: it’s worthless to have tens of thousands of followers if the interaction is null because the social network decides to hide your messages or show them only to those who oppose you to encourage confrontation. And a large part of the people have already realized this: Bluesky users, who in July were close to six million, now exceed 18 million, increasing at a rate of one million per day.
In fact, it is the most downloaded app in the App Stores, and we can all see in our Twitter follower count that it is causing real damage to the other social network, which is gradually declining, almost dripping, to a result that the owner of SpaceX doesn’t care about at this point. After all, he already has what he wanted, which was a position in politics. The natural result is what we are all sensing: Bluesky and Twitter will be separated by political affiliation, creating respective echo chambers. Except for a few brave souls shouting into the void and other successful accounts that don’t want to rid themselves of their ego so quickly, everything seems to indicate that we will have two powerful social networks, with Threads as the haven of Stephen King and Instagram users.
And yes, it’s a hassle. Of course, it’s a hassle. Starting from scratch is not something anyone enjoys, but there are tools and extensions that make it easy to find your friends and rebuild the community from scratch. It may take time to reach the numbers you once had, but you will gain something much better than that: peace of mind. Knowing that there are no bots, cryptocurrency ads, or people using your face to discredit you. That you won’t lose your job because of what a name followed by numbers, which is clearly a multi-account, says.
At the moment, Bluesky is in its early stages, and everyone is treating each other with the expected (and expectable) cordiality. For now, it hasn’t reached its user limit, and beyond the server issues, it should prepare to welcome the 20 millionth Twitter user. Considering that Twitter has 586 million active users, it still has a long way to go, but no one believed it would get this far. Who knows, it might just remain a niche social network, but it’s likely to grow, even if only due to the bandwagon effect. Because entering like a bull in a china shop has its consequences. And they are not positive.
In May, Behaviour Interactive announced that they were preparing a spin-off of Dead By Daylight initially titled Project T. It was a collaborative game for four people in a PvE experience where they would have to defeat a new class of enemies using, as usual, talismans, weapons, and more. Fans were already rejoicing at this new expansion of a universe that has continuously provided terrifying DLCs over the past few years, but suddenly, they decided to cancel the project. But why? The Dead Dead By Daylight It turns out that the studio, to go […]
In May, Behaviour Interactive announced that it was preparing a spin-off of Dead By Daylight initially titled Project T. It was a collaborative game for four people in a PvE experience where they would have to defeat a new class of enemies using, as usual, talismans, weapons, and more. Fans were already rejoicing at this new expansion of a universe that has continuously provided terrifying DLCs over the past few years, but suddenly, they decided to cancel the project. But why?
It turns out that the studio, in order to gain feedback from the public, made a program available so that they could play the current version, which was not yet finished and was a bit primitive, to be able to fix the errors in time. The problem is that those who have tried it have ended up very, very unsatisfied.
As explained on Twitter, “After the game tests in July, we conducted an internal risk assessment from a commercial and product perspective. Although a number of players expressed appreciation for what they had played, unfortunately, the result of this thorough analysis has been mostly unsatisfactory“. In other words, it’s better to cut now than when the game is already finished.
So, “with a heavy heart” they have announced the cancellation of Project T and have thanked the fans for their support. The Dead By Daylight saga, however, continues: at the beginning of the month, The Casting of Frank Stone was released, a more cinematic spin-off that also failed to win over the audience. However, there is still a movie in the works. Evil never stops lurking.
When Elon Musk paid $44 billion to buy Twitter, he was, at that moment, paying for a respected and admired social network worldwide—a place where people informed themselves and debated about any topic. It was 2022 then. Now, in 2024, Twitter is called X, and it is the worst social network to be on.
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Since his arrival, Elon Musk has not ceased in his determination to destroy the app from within (with very controversial decisions), while proclaiming to the four winds that advertisers should stay, he even threatens to sue them if they leave.
If 2024 has been a terrifying year in terms of revenue for Twitter, it seems that 2025 will be no better. A new report from the British market research company Kantar reveals that 26% of advertisers plan to reduce their advertising investment on Musk’s platform next year.
More marketers to pull back on X (Twitter) ad spend than ever before – Kantar
YouTube emerges as marketers’ favourite ad platform for 2024, Amazon and TikTok come out top among consumers and Netflix revealed as an advertising darling
According to Kantar’s research, this is the “biggest decline ever recorded” on any of the major global advertising platforms. Undoubtedly, Elon Musk has made an effort to achieve this goal.
“Advertisers have been withdrawing their advertising investment from X for several years,” says Gonca Bubani, Director of Global Thought Leadership at Kantary. “The marked acceleration of this trend in the last 12 months means that a change in direction currently seems unlikely.”
X is likely to lose even more advertisers soon
According to Kantar, advertisers’ trust in advertising on X was already “historically low” before Musk. Since the acquisition, however, that trust has further eroded.
According to the market research company, advertisers’ confidence in Twitter was 22% in 2022. Now known as X, confidence in the same platform is 12% in 2024.
According to the Kantar report, only 4% of advertisers believe advertising on X provides brand safety. When compared to its competitors in the social media space, X ranks at the bottom.
According to Kantar, Google ranks first in brand safety, with 39%. In terms of trust and innovative advertising, X “scores outside the global top ten.” TikTok is considered the most innovative, and YouTube has topped the trust barometer.
The chart included in Kantar’s report, which provides images of those statistics, makes the contrast between X and other social media platforms in this space even more evident.
It is unlikely that X will change course under Musk’s leadership. This week, Elon Musk was criticized for promoting a video of Tucker Carlson on X with a guest who sympathized with Hitler. “Very interesting. Worth watching,” Musk said.
