-CosmiNNe

Voted 2 !

Alors que l'industrie du RPG s'appuie encore beaucoup trop sur du remplissage, CD Projekt RED confirme une décision qui en dit long sur sa vision artistique. Une fois de plus, le studio ne chargera pas la mule inutilement avec The Witcher 4. L'aventure de Ciri promet de porter haut et fort l'héritage de Wild Hunts ! The Witcher 4, bien loin d'un Death Stranding L'univers du Sorceleur s'apprête à revenir sous le feu des projecteurs. Compte tenu du succès d'estime et de ventes de The Witcher 3, la pression est grande. L'attente sera encore longue avant de mettre le pied sur le territoire de Kovir. Mais, déjà, les déclarations s'enchaînent et donnent drôlement envie. Une récente interview de Philipp Weber, le directeur narratif, confirme d'ailleurs un élément qui va renforcer la confiance des fans dans la suite. Nous pouvons maintenant le dire : The Witcher 4 va bien enterrer les quêtes FedEx. C'est en tout cas ce qu'affirme l'ancien concepteur de quêtes du troisième opus. Fort de l'expérience acquise sur ce dernier, il compte bien continuer sur la même lancée. Il n'est pas question de prendre les joueuses et joueurs pour des coursiers. Ce sont des déclarations bien cocasses juste après la sortie d'un certain Death Stranding 2. Mais, dans ce cas précis, tout est pensé pour servir cette fonction. En revanche, de nombreux autres RPG tendent à faire du remplissage en proposant des quêtes à foison, sans qu'elles aient nécessairement d'utilité d'un point de vue de la narration. Or, The Witcher 3 avait brillé en prenant soin de s'écarter de cette tendance et il en sera de même pour la suite. L'objectif est donc clair, Philipp Weber le dit : « Je veux que chaque membre de mon équipe ait envie de créer le meilleur jeu possible et prenne à cœur le travail artistique que nous accomplissons ». Le contrat est maintenant scellé avec les fans. CD Projekt s'engage par ces déclarations à ramener de l'humanité dans le monde du RPG via The Witcher 4. Compte tenu de l'autre grosse licence du studio sortie entre temps, Cyberpunk, la confiance est bien là pour la nouvelle épopée des Sorceleurs. https://www.gameblog.fr/jeu-video/ed/news/the-witcher-4-quetes-philipp-weber-699103

Outfit7 has announced the official launch of My Talking Tom Friends 2, marking the beginning of a new era for Talking Tom & Friends, where the characters speak, feel more real, and connect more deeply with fans. In My Talking Tom Friends 2, you can look forward to diving into a fresh new world with Talking Tom, Talking Angela, Talking Hank, Talking Becca, and Talking Ben. And of course, you can expect bigger and better experiences within Tom’s world – here’s just a quick taste of what’s in store! With the launch of the sequel comes fab new ways for you to express your personality in not just a single house, but a whole neighbourhood, along with new mini-games you can enjoy with your fave characters. And now, the characters express themselves in themed homes that reflect who they really are — from Tom’s rockstar loft and Angela’s creative studio to Becca’s tech hub and Ben’s inventor’s garage. It’s all part of a deeper, more expressive direction for the franchise. This approach ties into Outfit7’s broader 2025 vision, where characters across the Talking Tom & Friends universe are evolving with richer stories, real voices, and more genuine emotional depth — starting right here in My Talking Tom Friends 2. Whether you're dropping by the boutique or taking a break at the greenhouse, there's plenty to discover in the new neighbourhood, day and night. Yes, My Talking Tom Friends 2 has a complete dynamic day-night cycle too! You can even take a bus ride to the Water Park for some splash-tastic fun, with other exciting destinations to be added in future updates. The possibilities are endless with the new bus system — so you’d best hop on. Want fo find out what collaborations My Talking Tom Friends 2 has in store? Check out our exclusive Outfit7 interview to find out This connected, ever-growing world is part of Outfit7’s ambitious roadmap for 2025, which includes multiple new game releases and a complete brand refresh that applies a modernized, unified identity across all titles. Friendship and fun for everyone All of these new places bring cool new things to do, which means you can look forward to crafting kites or even literally painting the town red with some street-style spray painting. By the way, Tom and his friends will be speaking with real voices to bring every joke, quip, and heartfelt moment to life. It adds a whole new dimension to the experience. The friends are buzzing with life, after all, and they're eager to pass that infectious energy on to you! And to hype up the launch even more, My Talking Tom Friends 2 is offering Tom’s exclusive Rizzler Outfit to everyone who joins in on the fun within the first 14 days, along with a housewarming gift of 100 Golden Chillys and 3 sticker packs to jumpstart the fun. https://www.pocketgamer.com/my-talking-tom-friends-2/out-now-on-ios-and-android/

Upcoming fantasy action RPG Soulframe was slated to release later this year, but developer Digital Extremes is no longer certain whether Warframe's spell-slinging cousin will launch in 2025. Counterintuitively, though, you can play the game right now, with Digital Extremes opening up access to the pre-alpha (loftily dubbed "Preludes") until the end of this weekend. The situation was explained to Eurogamer by Soulframe's creative director, Geoff Crookes, and community manager Sarah Asselin. When asked if Soulframe was still on track for a 2025 launch, Crookes' response was uncertain. "I'm going to be flakey here and say we have ambitions," he explained. "We're going to judge where we are in the fall. We have ambitions to release it as soon as we can!" Asselin, meanwhile, described the fall release window as an "aspirational goal" adding "We're looking at where we're at by the end of the year, but we want to feel confident that we've built Soulframe out to the point where it feels good to do so, for the players and the developers." As part of this year's Tennocon (Warframe's annual community event), Digital Extremes announced it is opening up the game's alpha to any players who sign up during the event. Since Tennocon runs through this weekend, that means time is pretty tight. But you can still sign up for the alpha via the Soulframe website, by creating an account and then downloading the game to play its most recent version. In his chat with Eurogamer, Crookes explained that the reason for this is because Digital Extremes had underestimated just how many people are waiting to play: "We didn't realise the queue was so big when we started to let people in, a lot of the people who were immediate signups kind of got left behind. Some people, out of frustration, didn't check their emails. So we thought let's be aggressive and give people an opportunity." If you haven't been following Soulframe and are pondering whether to check it out, Digital Extremes also released a new trailer during Tennocon, which you can view above. Showing off the game's reworked combat system and a showdown against a three-headed bear, it looks like enjoyably flashy, if somewhat familiar fantasy fare. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/soulframe-dev-says-launching-in-2025-is-now-an-aspirational-goal-but-you-can-play-the-fantasy-rpgs-pre-alpha-right-now-if-youre-quick/

"Using AI powered tools, they were able to achieve an amazing result with remarkable speed," Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a July 17 earnings call. He was referring to the recent Argentinian Netflix original The Eternaut, which includes a scene with AI-generated visual effects showing a building in Buenos Aires collapsing. "The cost of it just wouldn't have been feasible for a show on that budget," Sarandos said of the decision. "So that sequence actually is the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film." The scene in question takes place in episode 6 of The Eternaut, at approximately 59:49 during a series of flashback shots in the final ten minutes of the show. There are no readily available clips of it online at the time of writing, but you can skip to it on Netflix if you want to see for yourself. The AI-generated bit is easy to miss since the collapsing building is only seen in two shots that are each hardly a second or two long. Considering how brief this segment is, it's clear that Netflix was just that keen to tout the tools' usage in any context for marketing purposes. Generating the VFX with AI was reportedly "10x faster" than it would have taken for a traditional VFX team. While it sounds like the production team may have hired a VFX team for this scene if they had had the budget for it, Netflix claims using AI isn't just about saving money. As Sarandos went on to state, "We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper. They're AI-powered creator tools. So this is real people doing real work with better tools." This is just the latest turning point in Netflix's shift toward AI–back in May, Netflix announced a plan to start rolling out AI-generated ads in 2026. Clearly, the streamer isn't backing off on AI, and it just goes to show that actors, writers, artists, and creators are right to be worried about their careers and the future of the entertainment industry. https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/we-remain-convinced-that-ai-represents-an-incredible-opportunity-netflix-used-ai-special-effects-in-original-series-instead-of-paying-vfx-artists/

The best gaming laptops in 2025 can finally be the do-anything notebooks we've always wanted them to be. As well as being just as capable 3D rendering in Blender, or thrashing the GPU with generative AI, now they're not just frame rate-chewing gaming monsters when plugged into the power socket, they're machines that can game when running on battery, too. The new Nvidia GPUs paired up with either AMD's mighty Strix Point APUs, or Intel's Arrow Lake H-series CPUs, have delivered the best gaming laptops we've ever tested on PC Gamer. And the team here have been testing notebooks with a collective 60+ years of tech-prodding experience. We know what makes them tick, and what makes a great system. We might well have seen the ultimate head-to-heads already, and that has given us a new winner for the best overall machine. The best gaming laptop today is the new Razer Blade 16, and it is a stunning machine that rights all the wrongs of its previously portly chassis of the past few years. It's now a gloriously slimline machine, but still utterly on point in terms of the experience you want from a powerful notebook for gaming. It's put the latest Asus Zephyrus G16 in the shade, though that's largely down to its preference for Intel over AMD CPUs and a vastly improved Razer design. And it actually has battery life. Yes, this is the big change for gaming laptops in 2025, they actually have decent gaming battery life. It's the same situation when it comes to the compact machines, too, with the best 14-inch gaming laptop being the new Razer Blade 14, which has just pipped the Asus Zephyrus G14 to the title thanks to its gorgeous design and sumptuous gaming experience. https://www.pcgamer.com/best-gaming-laptop/

Marrakech – The Casablanca Stock Exchange closed on a high note Friday, with its benchmark MASI index surpassing the symbolic threshold of 19,000 points and reaching a record MAD 1 trillion (US$100 billion) market capitalization for the first time in its history. The MASI index gained 1.30% to close at 19,168.83 points, bringing its year-to-date performance to an impressive 29.75%. The MASI 20, which tracks the 20 most liquid companies, rose 1.28% to 1,578.22 points, while the MASI ESG advanced 1.26% to 1,318.74 points. Trading was robust, with transactions reaching MAD 466 million (US$46.6 million) on the central market. Attijariwafa Bank led activity, accounting for MAD 62 million (US$6.2 million) in trades and posting a significant 3.57% gain to close at MAD 725 (US$72.5). Maroc Telecom followed closely with equivalent trading volume and a 2.54% increase to MAD 121 (US$12.1). Among emerging stocks, Vicenne, a medical equipment company, continued to capture investor attention. Introduced on the exchange just one week ago, the stock is now trading at MAD 345 (US$34.5), representing a remarkable 46% surge since its initial public offering. Vicenne’s IPO raised MAD 500 million (US$50 million) and was oversubscribed 64 times, generating demand worth MAD 32 billion (US$3.2 billion). Other notable performers included Maghreb Oxygène, which jumped 9.96% to MAD 425 (US$42.5), and Sothema, gaining 9.56% to close at MAD 1,810 (US$181). On the downside, Sanlam Maroc recorded the day’s steepest decline at 6.75%, falling to MAD 1,865 (US$186.5). This market rally comes amid favorable economic conditions despite global uncertainties. According to the High Commission for Planning (HCP), Morocco’s economic growth accelerated to 4.8% in the first quarter of 2025, up from 3% a year earlier. This performance was primarily driven by a 4.6% increase in non-agricultural activities, stimulated by major infrastructure projects related to the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup. Sectoral indicators confirm this positive trend. Cement sales, a key barometer for construction activity, grew by 9.8% to reach 6.8 million tons by the end of June, despite the slowdown during Eid Al-Adha. The automotive sector posted impressive growth, with sales up 36.6% in the first half of the year, totaling 88,728 units. Agriculture also contributed to the recovery with a 4.5% increase in added value during the first quarter. This strategic sector still represents between 11% and 15% of GDP and accounts for nearly 40% of national employment. On the external front, the trade deficit widened to MAD 133 billion (US$13.3 billion) by the end of May, primarily due to increased imports of capital goods and construction materials. However, this deficit is partially offset by a growing surplus in services, fueled by tourism recovery and strong business services. The current account deficit remains contained at around 2% of GDP. Inflation continues to decline, averaging 2% in the first quarter before dropping to 0.7% in April and 0.4% in May, mainly due to falling food prices. In this context, Bank Al-Maghrib has maintained its key interest rate at 2.25%, awaiting greater visibility on geopolitical tensions and the international environment. Public finances remain under control, with the central bank projecting a budget deficit of 3.9% of GDP for 2025, despite sustained public investment. This trajectory is supported by increased tax revenues and rigorous expenditure management.

Marrakech – In a country where pet ownership is steadily growing and vet bills are climbing just as fast, Sanlam Maroc has unveiled a national first: Assur’Chien & Chat — the first health insurance policy dedicated entirely to cats and dogs in Morocco. Whether it’s an unexpected surgery or routine vaccinations, pet owners can now breathe easier. The policy, open to animals aged between three months and 15 years, covers a wide range of veterinary expenses — from medical consultations and surgical procedures to hospital stays, lab tests, medications, and even preventive care like vaccines and deworming. It’s a comprehensive offer that comes in three tailored plans: Essentiel, Confort, and Premium, each offering different levels of reimbursement. But the coverage doesn’t stop there. In case of a pet’s death, Sanlam offers a capped compensation payout based on the plan and the animal covered — a delicate but pragmatic touch in a market where the emotional and financial value of pets is increasingly recognized. Subscription is fully digital and accessible either through the insurer’s website or via its nationwide network of intermediaries. The launch is a timely one. With rising awareness about animal welfare and the growing financial burden of vet visits, Moroccan pet owners are now looking for real solutions — and Sanlam, it seems, has just offered one. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2025/07/230799/sanlam-launches-moroccos-first-pet-health-insurance-for-cats-and-dogs/

Rabat – Morocco’s opponent during the semifinals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is confirmed. The Atlas Lionesses will face off against Ghana next week in a thrilling and highly anticipated semifinal. Ghana’s team secured a place in the final four after they defeated Algeria 2-4 on penalties in the quarter-final stage. For its part, Morocco secured its ticket to the semifinals after a commendable 3-1 performance against Mali on Friday. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) commended the Atlas Lionesses’ performance, noting that their latest “result marked another strong statement of intent from Jorge Vilda side.” The coach and his Atlas Lionesses continue to build momentum in front of their home fans as they pursue a historic first CAF WAFCON title, CAF said. The Atlas Lionesses are closer to the final than ever and are determined to secure more wins to clinch the trophy at home. In the 2022 tournament, the Moroccan team finished runners-up after they lost narrowly to South Africa 2-1. Despite the defeat, the impressive performance secured the Atlas Lionesses a spot in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Meanwhile, Ghana’s Black Queens have reached the WAFCON final three times in the past, including in 1998, 2002, and 2006,They lost to Nigeria on all occasions. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2025/07/231422/morocco-to-face-ghana-in-wafcon-semi-finals/

Rabat — Morocco welcomed over 1.5 million diaspora members back home by July 10, marking a significant 13.30% increase compared to the same period last year. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita presented the figures of Moroccans living abroad (MREs) coming back to their country to the Government Council as part of his briefing on the 2025 Marhaba operation. Marhaba operation is Morocco’s annual summer program that helps Moroccans living abroad return home for vacation. The numbers tell a compelling story of growing connections between Morocco and its diaspora. Along with the 1,520,951 Moroccan residents abroad (MREs) who returned, officials registered 151,411 vehicles crossing into the country — a 3.56% rise from 2024. The government has intensified its efforts to handle the influx, with the country now processing more than 67,000 Moroccan arrivals daily during peak summer season, with July 14 recording the highest single-day numbers so far. Officials expect this upward trend to continue through the coming weeks as more families complete their summer journeys home. Over the last year, Morocco has significantly boosted its transportation infrastructure to meet growing demand. The maritime plan now includes 29 ships operated by seven different companies, running across 12 routes that connect Moroccan ports with destinations in Spain, France, and Italy. These expanded sea routes can now handle 7.3 million passengers and two million vehicles — a 3% capacity increase from last year’s operation. The Marhaba operation reflects Morocco’s commitment to maintaining strong ties with its diaspora community, which plays a crucial role in the country’s economy through remittances and investments. The program’s success demonstrates the enduring bonds between Morocco and the millions of Moroccans who have built lives abroad while maintaining deep connections to their homeland. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2025/07/231306/marhaba-2025-morocco-welcomes-1-5-million-diaspora-returns/