TheWild ™

Nick movie: COLORADO Time: ChanelQhu Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 124Mins Trailer:

After sharp-eyed Magic: The Gathering fans cried foul over a recent promotional image's seeming use of generative AI, Wizards of the Coast initially asserted that it was fully human-made. However, just two days on Wizards has deleted the offending marketing post and acknowledged that generative tools were used in the image. The picture in question situated five new MTG cards (with their human-made bona fides, at least, not in question) on a desk in a steampunk-flavored apothecary-come-bookstore. All well and good, but minute details in the image showed telltale signs of it having been made with AI tools, namely the filaments in the lightbulbs, some of the wiring on the desk, and ticks on the pressure gauge⁠. It's all in line with image generation tools' consistent failure to render fine detail like fingers, teeth, and text. That'd be a bummer on its own, but this comes after Wizards of the Coast swore off AI art entirely following its controversial use by a longtime freelancer in a Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook. Wizards initially denied that the MTG promotional image was made using generative AI tools, stating: "We understand confusion by fans given the style being different than card art, but we stand by our previous statement. This art was created by humans and not AI."Magic fans were not convinced though, and even some artists who work with Wizards of the Coast expressed alarm and dismay. Illustrator Jason Rainville stated that he was considering alternate sources for commissions if Wizards would be pursuing this tech despite its prior statements, though the artist has since retracted that criticism following Wizards' admission and promise to do better. Artist Dave Rapoza, on the other hand, declared he was done working with Wizards of the Coast entirely: "You can't say you stand against this then blatantly use AI to promote your products, emails sent, goodbye you all!" On Twitter, Wizards of the Coast stated that the image background was sourced from a third-party vendor, and claimed that "It looks like some AI components that are now popping up in industry standard tools like Photoshop crept into our marketing creative, even if a human did the work to create the overall image." Wizards elaborated further in a statement on its website: "We already made clear that we require artists, writers, and creatives contributing to the Magic TCG to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final Magic products. What’s now apparent is that we need to update the way we work with vendors on creative beyond our products—like marketing images we use on social media—to make sure that we’re supporting the amazing human ingenuity that is so important to Magic. "Along with so many others, we also want to get better at understanding whether and how AI is used in the creative process. We believe everyone benefits from more transparency and better disclosure. We can’t promise to be perfect in such a fast-evolving space, especially with generative AI becoming standard in tools such as Photoshop, but our aim is to always come down on the side of human made art and artists." The issue of a third party artist or vendor using AI tools without disclosing such definitely seems like a tricky one for companies like Wizards of the Coast⁠—it was, after all, the reaction against artist Ilya Shkipin's use of the tools in the Glory of the Giants sourcebook that prompted Wizards to take firm stand on the issue in the first place. Wizards of the Coast has a real incentive to get this right. As important as its rules, systems, and worldbuilding are, one of the main things it's selling with Magic cards and tabletop sourcebooks is art⁠—if the art Wizards sells becomes devalued by shoddy AI work while the company's relationship with illustrators is poisoned in the process, that's a huge problem. The company's initial firm denial is upsetting, but that aside, I think Wizards has made the right call by retracting the art, admitting that it was created with generative AI, and outlining how it will avoid mistakes like this in the future. The flood of low-quality AI art on the internet seems to be creeping into commercial use, and it feels like we've all been deputized to try and suss out what's real or fake, not unlike how we've all become accustomed to having unprecedented media literacy when it comes to discerning misinformation out there on the world wide web. Sometimes that can lead to false positives, like with another piece of D&D art that was accused of being AI generated before getting exonerated last month. And we're just getting started: some commenters online have accused Apex Legends of using AI generation for key art in a recent trailer for its Final Fantasy Rebirth crossover event, while tablet manufacturer Wacom pulled a promotional Twitter post that was accused of having used AI art. We are one week into 2024, but the burgeoning "AI revolution" has me thinking we're in for a long year indeed. https://www.pcgamer.com/wizards-of-the-coast-reverses-course-admits-to-using-ai-in-promotional-image-well-we-made-a-mistake-earlier/

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Samsung is believed to unveil its next-generation Galaxy S24 phones on January 17. Days ahead of the grand launch event, last year's Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ have received price cuts in India. The revised retail prices are currently showing up on the Samsung online store and other retailers including Amazon and Flipkart. They are listed with a price cut of Rs. 10,000 from their original price tags. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy. They have Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays and triple rear cameras. Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ price in India Samsung Galaxy S23 is now priced at Rs. 64,999 for the base 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option and Rs. 69,999 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The smartphone debuted in February last year with a price tag of Rs. 74,999 for the base variant and Rs. 79,999 for the 256GB storage version. The Galaxy S23+ is now listed for 84,999 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant, down from the original launch price of Rs. 94,999. The 8GB RAM + 512GB storage variant is available for Rs. 94,999, instead of Rs. 1,04,999. The new price tags are currently showing up on the Samsung online store, Amazon India, and Flipkart. Samsung Galaxy S24 Series AI Camera Tricks Teased: See Here The price cut comes in the wake of the new Galaxy S24 series launch on January 17 at the Galaxy Unpacked event. In previous years, Samsung slashed the prices of older flagship models after the launch of new versions. Samsung Galaxy S23 features a 6.1-inch full-HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with up to 120Hz refresh rate while the Galaxy S23+ has a 6.6-inch full-HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a refresh rate ranging from 48Hz to 120Hz. They are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, paired with 8GB of RAM. They have a triple rear camera setup, comprising a 50-megapixel primary wide-angle sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera, and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera. They feature a 12-megapixel selfie sensor as well. Samsung has equipped the Galaxy S23 with a 3,900mAh battery that supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The Galaxy S23+ packs a 4,700mAh battery that supports 45W wired charging. https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/samsung-s23-plus-india-price-cut-rs-10000-drop-specifications-galaxy-4821515#pfrom=desktop-lhs-trending

The computer age introduced a new element to businesses, universities, and a multitude of other organizations: a set of components called the information system, which deals with collecting and organizing data and information. An information system is described as having five components. Computer hardware This is the physical technology that works with information. Hardware can be as small as a smartphone that fits in a pocket or as large as a supercomputer that fills a building. Hardware also includes the peripheral devices that work with computers, such as keyboards, external disk drives, and routers. With the rise of the Internet of Things, in which anything from home appliances to cars to clothes will be able to receive and transmit data, sensors that interact with computers are permeating the human environment. Computer software The hardware needs to know what to do, and that is the role of software. Software can be divided into two types: system software and application software. The primary piece of system software is the operating system, such as Windows or iOS, which manages the hardware’s operation. Application software is designed for specific tasks, such as handling a spreadsheet, creating a document, or designing a Web page. Telecommunications This component connects the hardware together to form a network. Connections can be through wires, such as Ethernet cables or fibre optics, or wireless, such as through Wi-Fi. A network can be designed to tie together computers in a specific area, such as an office or a school, through a local area network (LAN). If computers are more dispersed, the network is called a wide area network (WAN). The Internet itself can be considered a network of networks. https://www.britannica.com/story/5-components-of-information-systems

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Labour has vowed to reset the “broken relationship between schools and families” by tackling the crisis in pupil absences and child mental health, ahead of rival policy announcements from the party and the government this week. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, is to set out the “generational challenges” facing England’s schools and pupils in a keynote speech on Tuesday. It will come a day after the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, announces the government’s latest efforts to repair school attendance rates since the Covid pandemic. Phillipson told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “The challenge that we’re seeing at the moment around persistent absenteeism means that one in five children are regularly out of school. That figure is set to rise to one in four. “That is a staggering number of children. It’s damaging their life chances and it’s damaging the life chances of all of the children within the school community too.” In her speech, Phillipson will state: “The Conservatives have nothing to say about the broken relationship between schools and families that has provoked the crisis we’re seeing in attendance – these measures are only tinkering around the edges of a generational challenge. “Persistent absence has reached historic levels under the Conservatives, beginning even before the pandemic, and they cannot be trusted to fix a problem that they have caused.” Labour’s plans include more mental health counsellors for secondary schools, and universal free breakfast clubs for every primary school pupil. The plans will only apply to England, with education policy devolved to national governments. Phillipson said parents would be expected to play their part, telling the BBC: “Those parents that choose to take their children out of school, for holidays or for trips or where it’s not necessary, should reflect seriously because that damages children’s life chances. They only get one chance at school. They only get one childhood.”The Centre for Social Justice thinktank released a survey that found 28% of UK parents agreed that “the pandemic has shown it is not essential for children to attend school every day”, while 58% disagreed. But in response to a further question, 88% of parents agreed “it is vital children attend school as much as possible”, with only 8% disagreeing. On Monday, the Department for Education (DfE) is to announce its own measures, which expand existing efforts to improve attendance. Last week the Guardian revealed that the centrepiece of Keegan’s announcement included £15m funding for “attendance mentors” in 10 of the worst-hit areas, providing one-to-one support for about 3,600 persistently absent children a year. A pilot of the attendance mentor scheme, run by the children’s charity Barnardo’s, is already running in five areas. Barnardo’s said that in Middlesbrough the mentors had improved the attendance of more than 80% of the children involved. The DfE’s most recent figures show unauthorised absences in secondary schools, as well as absences involving illness, are still well above levels seen before the pandemic in 2020. The DfE will this week also begin a national campaign on the importance of attendance, using the strapline “moments matter, attendance counts”. The DfE did not disclose how much it would spend on the campaign. Keegan said: “Tackling attendance is my number one priority.” https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/07/labour-vows-tackle-school-absences-broken-relationship-families

Mazda will launch a new two-row mid-size SUV, the CX-70, in the U.S. on January 30. Based on the same platform as the CX-90, the CX-70 was originally supposed to arrive in 2023. It will offer a hybrid powertrain and is also likely to have Mazda's new 3.3-liter inline-six. UPDATE 1/3/24: The new 2025 Mazda CX-70 will debut January 30, according to a page on Mazda's Canadian website. Mazda officially describes it as, "a spacious two-row SUV designed for life's greatest adventures." It will likely go on sale in the U.S. later in the year, though we don't have a specific on-sale date yet. Check back soon for more coverage of this new crossover model, which we expect to be offered in inline-six and hybrid variants. Now that Mazda has launched the three-row CX-90 SUV, we've been waiting for its smaller sibling to arrive. Called the CX-70, this two-row mid-size crossover was originally slated to go on sale by the end of this year, but Mazda's North American CEO Tom Donnelly told Automotive News that this new model will now launch sometime in 2024. The addition of the CX-70 is part of Mazda's goal to grow its U.S. sales by offering more models to America's SUV-hungry buyers. The company's lineup will soon include the CX-30 subcompact, the CX-50 and CX-5 in the compact segment, and the CX-70 and CX-90 in the mid-size segment. We have an idea of what to expect from the CX-70, as Mazda already said that it will essentially be a wide-body version of the CX-60 (pictured), an SUV that's already on sale in Europe. The CX-70 will have a shorter wheelbase than the CX-90 but will use the same longitudinal-engine platform and is likely to share powertrains with its larger sibling. Donnelly also confirmed that the CX-70 will be offered with a hybrid powertrain, almost surely the same setup as the CX-90 PHEV that uses a 2.5-liter inline-four gasoline engine. The CX-90's turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six, which produces either 280 or 340 horsepower depending on trim level, should also make its way into the CX-70. More information on the CX-70 is surely coming within the next few months, although Mazda has not provided a specific timeframe for when the SUV will debut. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a45596995/mazda-cx-70-release-date/

Comment émergent les tendances ? Elles se dessinent sur les podiums ou dans les rues, mais les réseaux sociaux se hissent aussi au rang de prescripteurs. Nul doute qu'il vous est déjà arrivé d'épingler une inspiration pour votre table de convives sur Pinterest, de scroller sur TikTok pour un maquillage de fête, ou d'arpenter Instagram, lovée au fond de votre lit, pour dénicher, avant de dormir, votre tenue du lendemain. Passage en revue des tendances qui feront la mode, la beauté ou le lifestyle l'année prochaine sur les réseaux sociaux. Jellyfish mania Mode, beauté, déco : en 2024, la méduse déploie ses tentacules. Côté mode, on opte pour des pièces aux coupes vaporeuses comme flottant dans les airs aux rythmes des pas. Côté coiffure, la jellyfish cut, qui allie le bob aux longueurs XXL pour recréer le corps et les tentacules de la méduse, fera son grand retour. Côté déco, on déniche des lampes et autres objets d'art inspirés du cnidaire.En 2024, le bleu Klein, ce bleu au degré infini de profondeur, fera partie des coups d'éclats chromatiques qui illumineront l'année. Cette tendance flattera toutes les couleurs de peau, les garde-robes et les intérieurs déco pour donner un nouveau souffle à vos espaces de vie, et du peps à votre look.Le nœud s'imagine de mille façons, de la tête aux pieds, et promet d'upgrader n'importe quelle silhouette. Elle s'inscrit également dans la tendance Cutecore, qui combine mignon et sexy, adoptée par la chanteuse Rosalía. L'unique condition pour 2024 : oser la version maximaliste, plus moderne et pointue.Initialement réservée aux fêtes de fin d'année, la couleur argenté s'infuse désormais dans notre quotidien. D'un pantalon orné d'une multitude de paillettes chez Ami, à un trench coat aux airs futuristes imaginé par Marine Serre, cette tendance a été repérée sur les défilés de la fashion week. En 2024, elle ornera garde-robes, ongles et objets déco fétiches. Pinterest le confirme puisque la recherche du mot-clé “nail art métallique” a augmenté de +295 % sur la plateforme.Avec une montée en flèche de la pratique de sports de raquette comme le padel ou le badminton, en 2024, la tendance athleisure version Racket girl sera prise d’assaut (+80% de recherches pour le mot “tenue de badminton” sur Pinterest). Jupes plissées, chaussettes montantes associées à des cardigans seront plus po[CENSORED]ires que jamais, sur le cours ou dans la rue. Pour bien s'approprier la tendance, on associe la jupe tennis à une ceinture comme chez Miu Miu, ou on accessoirise son look d'un travel bag comme chez Casablanca.L'année prochaine, la tendance aux volumes XXL sera de retour. Déjà très prisée des créateurs, elle a été aperçue sur les défilés les plus en vue de la saison. En résultent des bottes ultra oversize chez Balenciaga, d'immenses crustacés clinquant apposés sur des silhouettes noires chez Schiaparelli. Chemise oversize, bijoux-sculptures ou coiffures d'envergure seront ainsi de prime. En 2024, on ose l'audace et le maximalisme. https://www.vogue.fr/article/tendances-reseaux-sociaux-2024

The bears don’t know it, but in summer and fall, they’re being watched … and cheered. As if they’re at a pie-eating contest, people want these bears to gorge on salmon till it looks like their bellies will burst. And during Fat Bear Week, the humans cast their ballots for the biggest, best bear. To survive the coming winter, brown bears must pack on the pounds so they can sleep up to seven months while food is scarce. When they begin their feeding frenzy—usually in July—adult males weigh between 600 and 900 pounds. By the time Fat Bear Week rolls around in late September or early October, some brown bears are topping over a thousand pounds. (Adult females weigh about a third less than males.) Rangers set up cameras around the park to monitor the bears and show people how important the Katmai ecosystem is. In summer and fall, thousands of people tune in to watch the fish-catching. Then during Fat Bear Week, viewers vote for their favorite burly bear. Soon after, the carnivores will waddle off to sleep for about half a year. “For these bears, fatness means success,” says Amber Kraft, interpretation and education program manager at Katmai National Park. “Fat Bear Week celebrates that success and the health of their ecosystem.” Fat Bear Week might sound silly, but it’s all about survival. As the weather turns cold, usually in late October or November, brown bears enter their dens for a period of light hibernation to wait out the winter when food is scarce. To conserve energy, the bear’s body temperature drops by 10 degrees, they breathe just once or twice a minute, and their heart beats just 12 times a minute, says Jennifer Fortin-Noreus, a bear biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Deep hibernators enter a rest so intense that it’s almost impossible to revive them. But brown bears often shift positions, and they can easily wake up to react to danger or give birth.) The bears also won’t eat, drink, or even go to the bathroom during this time. That’s why they have to constantly chow down in the months before their light hibernation so they can survive off the fat stored in their bodies. “Fat bears are ready for the winter,” Kraft says. “And this is serious business—if a pregnant female doesn’t have enough fat, her cubs won’t survive.” Good thing these bears could win any eating contest you entered them in! In late summer and fall, they forage up to 14 hours a day, feasting on grass, berries, rodents, and—of course—nutrient-packed salmon. In June and July, bears catch the salmon as they swim upriver in Katmai to lay their eggs. By September, the fish start to die off. So the bears catch these easy meals as the salmon float back downstream. “One sockeye salmon in early summer contains about 4,500 calories—that’s about nine cheeseburgers’ worth of energy,” says Mike Fitz, a former National Park Service ranger who created Fat Bear Week. And a bear might eat 40 salmon in a day. This phase of nonstop eating is called hyperphagia (pronounced hi-PER-fay-zhuh), and scientists think that the bears can keep eating because their brains and bodies prevent them from feeling full during this time (compared to how you would feel after eating 360 cheeseburgers). Luckily, Katmai National Park is like an all-day buffet. Every June, almost a million sockeye salmon leave the Pacific Ocean and swim up the rivers. Because the park has such a healthy number of salmon, more than 2,200 bears can call the park home.Meet some contestants Fat Bear Week gets started after rangers select 12 contenders. The bears are chosen based on things like having before-and-after pictures of the skinny spring bear and the fat fall bear, and if the animal has wandered onto the livestream at Brooks Falls that year. (That would increase the chances that people can see the animal during Fat Bear Week.) They also try to choose both males and females of different ages. When it’s time to vote, it’s not just about which bear packed on the most pounds. Sometimes people root for a mother bear raising her cubs or an older underdog bear with chipped teeth. And it’s also about the journey to jumbo-size. “Fat Bear Week isn’t just about body size,” Fitz says. “It’s about the different ways bears get fat." https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/fat-bear-week

Kevin De Bruyne had an assist-making return and Phil Foden struck twice as holders Manchester City thrashed Huddersfield 5-0 in the FA Cup third round. Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku were also on target as City - further aided by an own goal - swept aside their Championship opponents in a one-sided tie at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The impact of the in-form Foden was again impressive but De Bruyne's comeback, after five months out, was arguably of greater significance. The Belgian was given just over half an hour at the end of the game and marked the occasion by teeing up a goal for fellow returnee Doku. De Bruyne's presence brought some of the biggest cheers of the afternoon from the home fans and afterwards his boss Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the key midfielder. "We are incredibly delighted he is back," said Guardiola. "Kevin wins games and few can do that. He has a special ability to do something that is hard to find. I don't want to put pressure on Kevin, he knows that and we have known each other a long time - he has that sort of special quality. "Kevin will help us with his talent but I don't want to put all the pressure on his shoulders because it is not fair to him."Of course he has a special ability and quality to do something that is difficult to find. We have guys in midfield who love to run. Kevin is exceptional. He is unique." Discussing the next steps for De Bruyne as he continues his return to top fitness, Guardiola said: "He played really good minutes and we thought it was better to play second half minutes. "It was really, really good and now he needs to accumulate training sessions more than games. Now for Newcastle he has another chance and training minutes here and in Abu Dhabi [on City's upcoming warm weather training break]." The visitors resisted well for the opening half an hour, limiting Alvarez to a long-range shot which was comfortably saved by Lee Nicholls while Oscar Bobb had an effort unwittingly blocked by team-mate Rico Lewis. The visitors showed some spirit by launching a handful of counter-attacks but the final ball was generally lacking. Sorba Thomas did get through on goal on one occasion but he failed to beat Stefan Ortega and the offside flag indicated it would not have counted anyway. City suffered a blow when Manuel Akanji limped off after a heavy challenge from Alex Matos, who was booked, but they soon began to step up the pressure. Huddersfield were pegged back as Sergio Gomez had a low ball turned behind and a Foden shot was deflected to safety. The opener came on 33 minutes as Mateo Kovacic slipped in Alvarez and his firm pass was well taken and rifled in by Foden at close range. The second followed just four minutes later as Matheus Nunes linked with Foden and then found Lewis, who squared for Alvarez to stretch and poke home.

US Congress leaders have reached a deal over the total amount of spending for the rest of 2024 as they seek to avoid a partial government shutdown, local media report. The $1.6tn (£1.2tn) figure includes $886bn for defence and more than $704bn for non-defence spending, according to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. However, there appears to be some discrepancy over the numbers. The deal now needs approval from the House of Representatives and Senate. They have less than two weeks to finalise funding and stop the suspension of some federal services. According to a statement from Democrats Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer - House Minority Leader and Senate Majority Leader respectively - the non-defence spending amount agreed is $772bn. Mr Johnson, announcing the deal had been reached in a letter to colleagues, accepted that the amount of funding "will not satisfy everyone, and they do not cut as much spending as many of us would like." Republicans have been seeking to freeze overall government spending by cutting some budgets. Sunday's deal includes greater protection from cuts to benefits and health - a provision demanded by Democrats. The House Freedom Caucus, a conservative Republican group within Congress, called the deal a "total failure". "Sad to say but the spending epidemic in Washington continues with both parties being culpable," said Andy Biggs, the group's former chairman. In a statement, Mr Jeffries and Mr Schumer said the agreement "clears the way for Congress to act over the next few weeks in order to maintain important funding priorities for the American people and avoid a government shutdown". President Biden, meanwhile, said it "moves us one step closer to preventing a needless government shutdown and protecting important national priorities". Lawmakers are due to resume negotiations in Washington on Monday following the holiday break and have until 19 January to sort out funding for programmes including transport, housing and energy. A second load of annual funding, for sectors including defence, expires on 2 February. Explained: US debt ceiling - what is it and why there is one US Congress avoids government shutdown in last-minute deal The agreement on an overall amount of spending comes after the government in October secured a short-term deal to avoid a federal shutdown temporarily, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden minutes before the deadline. Shutdowns normally happen when both chambers of Congress are unable to agree on the roughly 30% of federal spending they must approve before the start of each fiscal year on 1 October. With Republicans holding a slim majority in the House and Democrats holding the Senate by a single seat, any funding measure needs buy-in from both parties. Repeated efforts to pass spending bills in the House in recent months have been thwarted in recent weeks by rebel right-wing Republicans. Meanwhile, an agreement has still not been reached on a separate bill which includes a further $50bn of military aid to Ukraine, as Congress continues to argue over migration policy at America's southern border. October's short-term deal to prevent a shutdown excluded new aid for Kyiv in a blow for Democrats, for whom this was a key demand. Some Republicans argue that any further funding would be detrimental to America's interests. Congress has so far approved more than $100bn (£78bn) in military, humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine since Russia began its full-scale invasion last year. Negotiations are also continuing about providing further security aid to Israel as it seeks to eliminate Hamas following the 7 October attacks. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67908646

Nick movie: Steel Woman Time: ChanelQhu Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 108Mins Trailer:

An upcoming farming sim will take place in a magical world of spirits and monsters where you restore a deteriorating countryside inn and explore the town and region po[CENSORED]ted by people, monsters, and more. The game plans to launch with cooperative play, and it'll also have a neat-looking twist: By wearing ancient masks, you can use the power of creatures and monsters—one example is using the rooting power of a boar to till fields. Part of the game will include exploring the surrounding countryside and further venturing into the "divine realm, a maze brimming with intriguing puzzles." Presumably you'll solve those with powers from your magical masks, some of which the developer hints at: "Transform into a crow tengu and soar freely in the skies of Seikyu. Whether climbing cliffs effortlessly as a Dryad with vine powers, or diving deep as a Slime in search of hidden treasures, use your creativity to solve puzzles in novel ways." Descriptions of the game involve all the stuff you'd expect, like faming, building new facilities, and more pastoral pursuits like chickens and cows, but others include concepts like making your revitalized home into a luxurious inn for monsters once more."We drew inspiration from various mythologies and monsters from folktales around the world. This led us to create a world that brings together Monsters, Youkai, and Gods. In Tales of Seikyu, most of the villagers are based on Asian folktales, but you will also encounter monsters from Western stories like vampires or minotaurs. Players can witness how these diverse creatures coexist, form societies, and even establish romantic relationships with them," said developer ACE Entertainment in a FAQ. That's pretty clear! In the trailer, villagers such as a winged woman, an otter man, and a guy who kind of looks like a mushroom show up. The winged woman is implied to be a possible romantic partner for the player.s Tales of Seikyu will launch a Kickstarter on January 12, 2024. It also has a Steam page where you can learn more. https://www.pcgamer.com/farming-adventure-tales-of-seikyu-invites-you-to-entertain-monsters-in-your-inn-and-become-one/

Fans of Blizzard’s Warcraft-themed CCG are having a rough start to 2024 as Hearthstone announced that it’s discontinuing Duels. This is the second game mode to cease operation in the space of 12 months. In an article on the official Hearthstone website, Blizzard announced plans to discontinue support for its po[CENSORED]r Duels mode. Unlike the Hearthstone Mercenaries final update from early 2023, this decision doesn’t simply put the mode into maintenance mode, but instead, the company plans to entirely remove the mode from the game client. Players online have speculated that this is due to Duels making use of standard Hearthstone cards, whereas Mercenaries uses entirely unique assets. Blizzard’s post says, “We do not have plans for any further scheduled updates for Duels… This change will allow us to shift our resources to where we feel they will have the most impact, including Traditional Hearthstone, Battlegrounds, and more. We want to thank all our passionate Duels fans for every pile of loot, treasure, and hard-fought victory you’ve collected along the way. It’s been a heroic run, and we couldn’t have done it without you.”The Duels Mode will leave the Hearthstone client in April 2024, according to Blizzard’s statement. We assume this will also remove any associated achievements, so get grinding while you still can to unlock all of those bonuses. In more positive news, Blizzard’s statement also confirms that Battleground Duos, a cooperative mode first showcased at Blizzcon 2023, is “scheduled for an upcoming Battlegrounds patch”. Some of the Treasures from Duels may also live on in Hearthstone’s Arena Mode next season. That’s everything we know so far about Hearthstone discontinuing Duels. While you’re here, check out our guide to the best Hearthstone decks for the current meta. For something completely different, take a look at our Honor of Kings tier list and Honor of Kings codes guides. Writing a definitive list of the best mobile games is a tricky – some would say foolhardy – task at the best of times. We’re talking about a process that incorporates hundreds of thousands of games spread across iOS and Android, covering over a dozen years. So we’ve decided to approach this from a simple if slightly out-there premise. If an alien were to land tomorrow and ask for a crash course in gaming, which of the best mobile games would you encourage it to install on the best gaming phone first? With such an unusual filter applied, we’re not looking for obscure gems or even necessarily run-away hits here. We’re looking at those important, genre-defining games that represent something essential to the history of smartphone gaming—a veritable greatest-hits compilation of the App Store and Google Play. All we sti[CENSORED]te is that the game has to still be active and great to play today. We’re also only going to include one game per series, so we’ll generally (but not exclusively) go with the first rather than the best entry. https://www.pockettactics.com/best-mobile-games