The games industry has many big-name studios with eager eyes on them, all waiting to see what their next big hit could be. But giant studios aren't necessarily the home to what could be your next favourite game. There are thousands of independent game studios and solo developers, all hard at work crafting new game experiences with often unique ways of looking at games. In this series we aim to highlight those very games and the developers behind them. In this interview we catch up with Bradley Erkkila, an independent developer with multiple titles across his portfolio of games, from various solo development titles to others in partnership with fellow developer Colin Lane, such as Rowdy Wrestling and Golf Zero. We discuss tips for those making games independently, what some of the highlights are of doing so and some of its challenges in today's market. PocketGamer.biz: First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Have you always had an interest in video games? Bradley Erkkila: Before I got into game design, I worked in the media industry as a designer for 15 years. I always enjoyed games of all shapes and sizes, especially on a visual level, as that was my background. I remember when I was quite young, I designed levels with pencil and paper for the old TurboGrafx-16 ‘Keith Courage’. That’s going way back! What made you decide to start designing your own games? It was nearing the end of 2013, and I decided to learn how to make a mobile game on a whim, sort of like a New Year's resolution. I thought it would be cool to involve my son in something just for fun. At the time, the mobile side seemed like the most viable path to shipping something. I did some research and stumbled upon the powerful yet beginner-friendly Stencyl engine, and I started developing Owen’s Odyssey. I then began socialising with a small group of like-minded folks, and we’ve been helping each other ever since. Do you usually work alone on a game, or have you worked with some of these people? And what is the development process like? When I’m working on my own, I tend to come up with the art direction first. I just find it the most fun. I’ll obviously tweak as I go based on where the game is going technically and mechanically, but having a somewhat defined visual style pretty early in development is something I prefer over working with placeholder art. I’m just a visual person. On the other hand, I’ve collaborated with Colin Lane a lot over the years. He’ll usually come up with some kind of demo using placeholder art, as he works in the opposite way. Incredible Indies: Bradley Erkkila on why indies should "keep things as simple as possible" | PocketGamer.biz

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor publisher EA has issued a statement regarding the game's performance issues on Sony's new flagship console, the PlayStation 5 Pro. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is one of the many triple-a titles experiencing graphical glitches on the console, but the game's publisher has now said that it is aware of the issues and is actively investigating. Although the PlayStation 5 Pro's graphical issues aren't just tied to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, it's the latest performance-based problem to plague Respawn Entertainment's successor to 2019's Jedi: Fallen Order. After launching in 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, Jedi: Survivor was flooded with negative reviews, largely due to the poor performance of the game on PC. While the game is in a much better state now (albeit not for everyone), thanks to numerous updates from Respawn, the sequel is now being affected by graphical issues on the PS5 Pro. In Digital Foundry's latest YouTube video, the channel discovered that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor runs much worse on the PlayStation 5 Pro. While in Performance Mode, Digital Foundry noted that there were some serious graphical issues, such as texture flickering, largely down to the console's new PSSR technology. Thankfully, the game's publisher has issued a statement via Twitter, saying that it is aware of issues with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on the PlayStation 5 Pro and is actively investigating. While it's unclear how long it will take for this issue to be resolved, fans can rest easy knowing that the studio is working to deploy a fix. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Addresses PS5 Pro Performance Issues

ASRock releases new generations of power supplies in different capacities and wattages with varying specifications and features. All except its low-end series use the ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards. What's common between all these variants is the inclusion of 12v-2x6 cable—some with two connectors—with dual colors on the connector to give a visual indication of a proper connection like MSI. There are nineteen power supplies spread over four series: Taichi, Phantom Gaming, Challenger, and Steel Legend. All except one have Cybenetics certification between A+ and A. The Taichi and Phantom Gaming series are the upper-end variants, with Steel Legend being a more mainstream option and labeled as a value series. The Taichi series appears to be its flagship series, with 80 Plus and Cybenetics Titanium certification along with Cybenetics LAMBDA A+ ultra-quiet certification. For now, two power supplies between 1300W and 1650W have been introduced within this series, all with dual 12v 2x6 connectors and modular cables. These power supplies use Japanese capacitors, Infineon CoolMOS, and SIC SBD and are backed with a 10-year warranty. ASRock launches almost 20 ATX 3.1 power supplies — capacities from 750W to 1,650W and 80 Plus certifications from Bronze to Titanium | Tom's Hardware

Over the past week, many users around the world have received extortion emails sent via the Microsoft 365 Message Center. These emails are demanding users to pay $2,000 worth of cryptocurrency to a specific address, under the threat of stealth nude webcam photos of them being leaked to family members, friends, and colleagues. Normally, these kinds of emails are supposed to get caught by spam filters, but because they’re being sent via an official Microsoft address, they’ve managed to get through the eye of the needle. It’s not entirely clear how these hackers managed to send the extortion emails as of this writing, but according to BleepingComputer, the incident is currently being investigated by Microsoft. If you ever receive this kind of blackmail email, never pay out any money under any circumstance. If you do, there’s a high risk that you’ll be flagged as a susceptible victim and repeatedly blackmailed for more and more money, again and again, until you’re broke. Further reading: What is ransomware? What you need to know This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC för Alla and was translated and localized from Swedish. Hackers are exploiting Microsoft 365 to send extortion emails | PCWorld

The Vivo V40e is the latest and most affordable smartphone in the V40 series. Priced below Rs 30,000, it is touted as the slimmest smartphone with a 5,500mAh battery. Moreover, Vivo claims the V40e continues the V-series legacy with its cameras and design. But how accurate are these claims, and how well does the phone perform with the mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC? Let’s explore these aspects in this Vivo V40e review. The Vivo V40e is a good buy for its performance and battery life. The handset also boasts a sleek, durable design paired with a vibrant AMOLED display that provides ample brightness for outdoor use. The viewing experience is further elevated by its stereo speakers, adding to the handset’s overall appeal. The Vivo V40e design is reminiscent of the iQOO Z9s smartphone, launched earlier this year. The handset flaunts a sleek design with an interesting camera module, which comes in a pill shape with two oval sections. The upper section is black, raised, and houses dual cameras, while the lower section is flushed, contains the Aura ring light, and matches the colour profile of the phone. We received the Vivo V40e in a mint green colour, which has a smooth marble-like finish and silver-hue wave-like pattern to further accentuate the Vivo V40e design. Having said that, the phone boasts a glossy finish that attracts smudges and fingerprints. vivo V40e Review - Pros and cons, Verdict | 91Mobiles

A Jersey-based charity providing specially designed beach wheelchairs for people with disabilities has reflected on a successful summer season. BeachAbility said leadership, strong partnerships and a grant from the Association of Jersey Charities contributed to the successful season. The charity said every year there was "significant impact access" to the island's beaches for about 150 wheelchair users. Alongside appointing a new leadership team, the charity said it also recruited a summer worker to ensure beach wheelchairs were well-maintained. BeachAbility chairwoman Beth Gallichan said: "We're incredibly grateful to Jersey Employment Trust for helping us find the right person and to the Association of Jersey Charities for their financial support, which enabled us to continue providing uninterrupted service through the summer. "Thanks to funding and the generosity of our dedicated volunteers, locals and visitors alike can enjoy our beautiful south coast beaches using accessible wheelchairs. "This access allows people to fully experience Jersey's stunning coastline alongside friends and family, a vital part of our local culture and lifestyle." Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Jersey beach access charity reflects on successful season

US car giant General Motors has reached an agreement in principle to enter Formula 1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand. A statement on Monday said that GM and its partner, the US group TWG Global, had committed to name a new team after GM's luxury Cadillac brand and to build its own engine "at a later time". F1 said the application process would "move forward". Greg Maffei, president and chief executive officer of F1 commercial rights holder Liberty Media, said: "With Formula 1's continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1. "We are excited to move forward with the application process for the GM/Cadillac team to enter the Championship in 2026." Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of F1's governing body the FIA, said: "General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) world and is working with impressive partners. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application to bring a GM/Cadillac branded team onto the grid for the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship. "All parties, including the FIA, will continue to work together to ensure the process progresses smoothly." Senior sources in F1 have told BBC Sport that GM and TWG will pay an anti-dilution fee of $450m (£358m) to secure the entry. This will be split between the existing 10 teams as compensation for their loss of prize money as a result of F1’s income now being split 11 ways rather than 10. The teams receive between them in the region of 63% of F1’s income. This is larger than the $200m anti-dilution dictated by the existing F1 rules, but the contracts between the teams, F1 and the FIA end after 2025 and are being renegotiated for 2026. The fee is expected to go up again in the new deals. The Cadillac team will need to buy a customer engine from an existing supplier to plug the gap before its own engine is finished, which is not expected to be before 2028. Talks have not been completed, but the favourite at the moment is Ferrari. The Italian team will have a spare supply from 2026 as a result of one of their two current customer teams, Sauber, morphing into Audi's official entry, for which the German car company is building its own engine. The new Cadillac entry is a revision of the Andretti bid that was rejected by F1 in January. F1 said at the time that it did not believe the Andretti project, which was in partnership with Cadillac, would add value to the sport. This revised bid is viewed differently because it will be GM entering as a team owner. The new team will be a joint effort between GM and TWG, with Dan Towriss, owner of US team Andretti Global, and TWG's Mark Walter as the other key investors. Towriss was at last weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix working on the new project. Michael Andretti, who co-founded the team that bears his name, is no longer involved after stepping down from his role in Andretti Global in September. The former IndyCar and F1 driver was viewed as a divisive figure who had rubbed people up the wrong way with what was seen to be his confrontational approach to trying to secure an entry. F1 is facing an investigation from the US department of justice into its decision to reject Andretti’s initial entry. Michael's father Mario Andretti, the 1978 Formula 1 world champion, is to be involved in an advisory capacity. The 84-year-old said in a post on X: "Feel very lucky that I've been able to stick around for this long and do what I love for so long. "And the idea that the Cadillac F1 Team wants me around... I'll help where I can, a non-executive role with the team, not involved in day-to-day operations (because I don't want a job), but offering advice, inspiration, friendship anywhere I can. I am beyond fortunate." GM’s entry will raise the number of car manufacturers building engines for F1 to six, in addition to Mercedes, Ferrari, Ford, Honda and Audi. Ford, Audi, GM and Honda have all been persuaded to take part in F1 from 2026 as a result of new engine regulations that increase the role of the hybrid part of the engine to about 50% of the total power output. Honda, which is in F1 with Red Bull at the moment, had announced plans to pull out, but reversed its decision on the basis of the road-relevance of the new rules. It has an exclusive supply deal with Aston Martin from 2026. Ford, Audi and now GM are all new entrants. Ford is partnering with Red Bull in building a new engine. Renault-owned sports car brand Alpine will remain in F1, but is abandoning its engine build programme and its team will use Mercedes customer engines from 2026. "Exciting times ahead with the news of Cadillac joining the Formula 1 grid as the 11th team in 2026," said McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown. "Their rich history and experience in automotive innovation and performance will no doubt add a new dimension to our incredible sport. Looking forward to the competition!" Formula 1: General Motors agrees in principle to enter F1 in 2026 with Cadillac brand - BBC Sport

Mohamed Salah is "selfish" for publicly expressing his disappointment at Liverpool's failure to offer him a new contract, says former Reds defender Jamie Carragher. Salah, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, told reporters after Sunday's win at Southampton that he is "probably more out than in" and has yet to be offered fresh terms. The 32-year-old is Liverpool's top scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions and scored twice against the Saints to move the club eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. "I must say I am very disappointed with Mo Salah," Carragher told Sky Sports' Monday Night Football. "Liverpool have Real Madrid midweek [in the Champions League] and Man City at the weekend. That's the story right now." He added: "If he keeps putting comments out, his agent puts out cryptic messages, that is selfish. That is thinking about themselves and not the football club." Liverpool have not publicly commented on Salah's remarks, but a club source told BBC Sport that contact between Liverpool and Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, is ongoing and has been positive. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Chris Sutton said Salah's decision to approach reporters in the mixed zone to talk about his future suggests he wants to stay at Anfield. "It wasn't one of those where Mo Salah was asked to talk, he actually made an approach and wanted to speak to a couple of press guys to get things off his chest," said the former Blackburn and Chelsea striker. "So in that respect it says to me that he wants to stay." The Athletic's Rory Smith added: "It strikes me that he is making it very clear to the Liverpool fans that he wants to stay and that if he doesn't end up staying that it's not really a lack of intent on his part. "The problem will be his age. Liverpool will be looking at the vast data set you have of footballers over the last 20, 30 years, which suggests that at some point in your mid-30s your performances do dip. They will wonder whether is it worth committing £300,000 a week or so to a player who might only have another year at this level. "Or maybe he will have another two years at this level? Or another five or six? That's the gamble Liverpool have to take." As well as Salah, defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and club captain Virgil van Dijk are also out of contract at the end of the season. "The most important thing for Liverpool Football Club this season isn't the future of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold," added Carragher. "The most important thing is Liverpool winning the Premier League. "I hope they don't feel like this club would fall apart if they left. Steven Gerrard left the club and the next manager won the Premier League. Graeme Souness left and Liverpool won the Double. "Salah, would we miss him? Of course we would. But Liverpool will move on." Mohamed Salah contract: Jamie Carragher says Liverpool forward 'selfish' for comments - BBC Sport

Fruit and veg sellers marked the 50th anniversary of New Covent Garden Market by sending some of their produce to their regular customers - the animals at London Zoo. Gorillas Alika, Effie and baby Venus, and Amara the pygmy hippo enjoyed a breakfast of vegetables and greens from one of the traders at the south London market. Its 175 businesses provide fresh produce to hundreds of retail and hospitality businesses including Harrods, Claridge's, Michelin-starred restaurants, and more. To mark the milestone anniversary, wholesalers also shared their memories of the market over the years. Originally based at Covent Garden in central London, which gave the market its name, it relocated and officially opened for business at the 35-acre Nine Elms site in 1974. The late Queen Elizabeth II ceremonially opened the site the following year. Now the wholesale traders sell fruit, vegetables and flowers throughout the year and typically work through the night, bringing in nearly £900m in annual turnover. Owner of Bevington Salads and chairman of the New Covent Garden Tenants' Association, Gary Marshall, said he has been working at the market for nearly 45 years and has watched things change over the decades, with "happy memories of the market stretching all the way back to being a teenager". "I followed my father and grandfather into the market trade and like other wholesalers here, I'm proud to say that my business is being passed on through the generations," he said. "New Covent Garden Market is more than just a market. We're the lifeblood of the supply chain in London and the south east of England." London Zoo animals enjoy feast for market's 50th anniversary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces arrest if he travels to the UK, after an international arrest warrant was issued for him, Downing Street has indicated. A No 10 spokesman refused to comment on the specific case but said the government would fulfil its "legal obligations". On Thursday the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, along with Israel's former defence minister Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The court's member countries, including the UK, have signed a treaty that obliges them to act on arrest warrants. Asked whether Netanyahu would be detained if he entered the UK, the prime minister's official spokesman refused to comment on "hypotheticals". However, he added: "The government would fulfil its obligations under the act and indeed its legal obligations." This refers to the International Criminal Court Act 2001, which states that if the court issues a warrant for arrest, a designated minister "shall transmit the request… to an appropriate judicial officer", who, if satisfied the warrant appears to have been issued by the ICC, "shall endorse the warrant for execution in the United Kingdom". The PM's spokesman confirmed the government stands by the process outlined in the act and would "always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law and indeed international law". He was unable to confirm which secretary of state would be involved in the process and did not answer questions about whether the government was seeking legal advice from Attorney General Lord Hermer - the UK's top lawyer - in relation to the case. Generally, arrest warrants and extradition requests from around the world must be sent to a special team in the Home Office for basic checks before they are acted on. The UK’s legislation on the ICC says that the courts have the final say on whether an arrest and “delivery” of a suspect should go ahead. Asked whether the PM was still willing to talk to Netanyahu, the PM's spokesman said it was "obviously important that we have a dialogue with Israel on all levels", describing the country as "a key partner across a range of areas". No 10 indicates Benjamin Netanyahu faces arrest if he enters UK

On the day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Anton says the nuclear weapons base he was serving at was put on full combat alert. “Before that, we had only exercises. But on the day the war started, the weapons were fully in place,” says the former officer in the Russian nuclear forces. “We were ready to launch the forces into the sea and air and, in theory, carry out a nuclear strike.” I met Anton in a secret location outside Russia. For his own protection, the BBC will not reveal where. We have also changed his name and are not showing his face. Anton was an officer at a top-secret nuclear weapons facility in Russia. He has shown us documents confirming his unit, rank and base. The BBC is unable to independently verify all the events he described, although they do chime with Russian statements at the time. Three days after troops poured over Ukraine’s borders, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces had been ordered into a “special mode of combat service”. Anton says that combat alert was in place on day one of the war and claims his unit was “shut inside the base”. “All we had was Russian state TV,” says the former officer, “I didn’t really know what it all meant. I automatically carried out my duties. We weren’t fighting in the war, we were just guarding the nuclear weapons.” The state of alert was cancelled, he adds, after two to three weeks. Anton’s testimony offers an insight into the top-secret inner workings of the nuclear forces in Russia. It is extremely rare for service members to talk to journalists. “There is a very strict selection process there. Everyone is a professional soldier – no conscripts,” he explains. “There are constant checks and lie-detector tests for everyone. The pay is much higher, and the troops aren’t sent to war. They’re there to either repel, or carry out, a nuclear strike.” The former officer says life was tightly controlled. “It was my responsibility to ensure the soldiers under me didn’t take any phones on to the nuclear base,” he explains. “It’s a closed society, there are no strangers there. If you want your parents to visit, you need to submit a request to the FSB Security Service three months in advance.” Russian deserter reveals war secrets of guarding nuclear base

Nick Movie: The Message Time: July 29, 1976 Netflix / Amazon / HBO?: None Duration of the movie: 2h 57m Trailer: None

Musician Name: Christopher John Cornell Birthday / Location: July 20, 1964 / Seattle, Washington, United States Main instrument: Guitar Musician Awards & Nominations: Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance 2019 Satellite Award for Best Original Song 2006 · You Know My Name iHeartRadio Music Award for Rock Song of the Year 2016 · Heavy Is the Head World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Writer Best Performance: ?? In his last performance he died ! Other Information: - Musician Picture:

Live Performance Title: HIGHEST IN THE ROOM Signer Name: Travis Scott Live Performance Location: Rolling Loud New York 2019 Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video): 4.4/10 Official YouTube Link:

Artist: Calvin Harris Real Name: Adam Richard Wiles Birth Date /Place: January 17, 1984 / Dumfries, United Kingdom Age: 38 Years Old Social status (Single / Married): Single Musical Genres: Electronic dance music, Pop music, House music, ...... etc Awards: calvin harris awards - Google Search Top 3 Songs (Names): ONE KISS WE FOUND LOVE THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR Other Information: - Artist Picture:

Music Title: Shivers Signer: Ed Sheeran Release Date: Sep 10, 2021 Official Youtube Link:

@3dystan_maas Remember that you're an admin. So please refrain from mocking players after using commands on them. And avoid insulting anyone in the server no matter what, especially admins It's important to be kind. Topic Locked!

@3dystan_maas Reply within 12 hours

Yes @Wolf.17