Visualize this scenario: it’s 1976 at Camden’s electric ballroom. The Sex Pistols are on stage, bringing “British anarchy” to a pogo mosh pit filled with punk rockers. The floor is sticky with lager, the air heavy with attitude, and in the midst of it all, a Tenrek with a striped lowland pattern blending in…
Imagine an animal perfectly fitting into a Sex Pistols concert – that would be the lowland striped Tenrec. This small mammal from Madagascar’s rainforest sports a yellow quill crown reminiscent of John Lydon.
With stripes running along its black body, the Tenrec can raise its spines as a defense mechanism. For instance, non-receptive females may use these sharp spines to ward off unwanted advances. Even predators like snakes and fossas are cautious around these punk rockers of the animal kingdom.
Similar to Lydon, the lowland striped Tenrec is a bit of a musician itself. It has quills on its back that vibrate when the muscles contract, producing high-pitched sounds for communication. This makes them unique among mammals.
There are 36 varieties of Tenrecs, all part of the family Tenecidae. They vary in size, with the lowland striped Tenrec being breakfast sausage-sized. Despite their appearance, they are closely related to elephants and sea cows due to their evolutionary history.
Living in large family groups, lowland striped Tenrecs are social animals that use their long noses to forage for earthworms and invertebrates. This behavior helps make earthworms more active and easier to detect.
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Niantic Labs announced the sale of its video games division to Saudi-owned Scopely for a whopping $3.5 billion. This move comes as U.S. augmented reality companies pivot towards geospatial technology, unable to recreate the success of the 2016 sensation, Pokémon Go.
The deal, revealed on Wednesday, also propels Saudi Arabia closer to its goal of becoming the ultimate global gaming hub. The Kingdom’s Sovereign Wealth Fund acquired Scopely for $4.9 billion in 2023 as part of a broader strategy to diversify beyond fossil fuels.
As per the agreement, Niantic will distribute an additional $350 million to its shareholders. Additionally, it will separate its Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (AI) business into a new entity named Niantic Spatial, led by John Hanke, the founder, and CEO of Niantic.
Niantic Spatial will receive $250 million in capital from Niantic’s balancesheet and an additional $50 million from Scopely. All former investors of Niantic will retain their shares in Niantic Spatial.
This move marks the end of a challenging period for Niantic, which struggled post the success of Pokémon Go, leading to employee layoffs in 2022 and 2023.
Saudi Arabia, already known for being a gaming and esports center, is steadfast in its plan to invest nearly $38 billion in gaming-related ventures through its savvy gaming group.
Savvy Games, a prominent investor in global video game companies, including Nintendo, holds a 7.54% stake despite a slight profit decrease last year.
fOr now I'm in the slal in the pocket of Pokemon trading cards. It was a demonic, smooth blend of battles that collected and deleted cards, and since it was released I had been open the app honestly on my phone at least twice a day. The virtual card is beautifully completed. Particularly rare art cards feature idyllic scenes of Pokemon in their natural habitat. I spent hours fighting too. He hone his deck and chased his winning streak to earn the victory crest. I put most of my friends in it. I was able to fill in the last few holes in my collection, predicting the day when Dena's makers would eventually activate the deal.
I quit this week on the day the deal was made public and an expansion filled with fairly new cards. I did some deals for Venosaur ex and Machamp Ex, which avoided my grasp despite being open Hundreds I took a screenshot of the Pack's “Collection Complete” screen, but it hasn't been open since. I'm finished.
I didn't quit in protest A crazy, expensive nature It features monsters from the age of Pokemon that do not hold nostalgic powers for me, mostly with new trading features or new cards. I suddenly had enough. I enjoyed every minute of my time at the game…until not. Normally you know that you finished the game when you finished it, but in this era of eternal games, we have to choose When should I stop? Sometimes this happens overnight for me. One day I'm enjoying the game, the next day I'm tired of it.
Inconveniently, I recognize it in about 75% of the game's campaigns. Especially with open world titles, the best times are in the middle, and you're playing enough to understand the unique ideas and systems of the game. do not have It's enough to master them completely. There is a point where you know you're approaching endgame. Suddenly, the friction between me and the gaming world – as the game designers mention, “stickiness” is gone, everything feels smooth and easy, and I lose interest. (This is why I love it fromsoftwareThere are very few games out there from Dark Souls to Elden Ring.
Enough is enough… Indiana Jones and a large circle. Photo: Game Press
Here's a small selection of games from the past year that I've abandoned like this, until the end: Indiana Jones and the Great;Dragon Dogma 2;Paper Mario: Millennium Door. Zelda: Echo of wisdom. Like a Dragon: Infinite wealth. I was able to sit and polish in the evening several times with one of these. Some of them already have a few months after leaving them unfinished – but it always feels like a chore. Meanwhile, I played the lonely mountain: Snow Rider, Baratoro And as the stickiness is still there, Hades is far too long past their completion point.
I often ask readers to write to ask when it's okay to quit the game. For me, the answer is “Whenever I stop having fun.” I rarely quit because I'm stuck. Instead, I quit Stop When I got stuck, I felt like I was seeing everything that the game had to offer. I think it's easy to continue playing things that have lost their appeal from a sense of obligation.
A long-standing study of trophies and achievements is 15-35% of players (PDF) You actually complete a specific game. I feel like developers are making hours of content, people may never see it, but there is enough entertainment available to everyone, and you can find all of that time. You can hardly blame people for not being there. Some players take pride in finishing every game they start, but for the rest of us? It's okay to stop it.
When I finished the Pokemon trading card game, I felt it was easy. A part of me felt relieved to be relieved of my daily habits. It opened a small space for something new in my time – and something new everytime What you're looking for when you get a video game.
What to do
Life is catastrophically obsessive… Civilization VII. Photo: 2K Game
Two huge historic games are coming out this week. The Kingdom Comes to Rescue 2with a pathetic, challenging simulation of 16th century Bohemia, where you're really rubbing your face against horse dung at first. Civilization VIInext in a life-rising, life-rising, life-risingly obsessive strategy series that challenge you to re-run human history from the beginning. (The latter may seem particularly appealing now, as it appears we've caused all-powerful confusion.)
Available at: PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5 Estimated playtime: Over 100 hours
What to read
Reaching the new Box Office Heights… Sonic Hedgehog 3. Photo: Paramount in America/Sega
Third Sonic Movies It's just now The second highest growth video game movie everbrought 462.5m behind the 2023 Mario movie. (I swallowed up the pride of Nintendo kids from the 90s and took them to see them during Christmas. Are you okay. ) It's also on track to overtake Bruce Almighty as Jim Carrey's best-selling film. If that happens, it becomes a wonderful Pub quiz questions.
in IGNRebekah Valentine investigates the phenomenon of Imitation Slop Game It appears on Droves, the console's digital store, and receives this incredible quote.
Among the well-known winners in Grammy Awards It was the soundtrack for the video game: Interestingly, this year's award was presented to composer Winifred Phillips for the soundtrack to the 1981 RPG, Wizardry. Explainer About how the game was remade decades ago and won a Grammy Award.
God of War: Ragnarök, one of the best video game stories of recent years. Photo: Sony Santa Monica
This week's question comes from Natalie:
“A lot of games were played and took unfinished games before I could understand what all my favourites had in common: the fascinating stories. The best storytelling of all video game time Would you recommend it?”
There are so many forms of video game stories, and this is a difficult question to answer. Many of the best stories in the game are those we found for ourselves. That said, my favorite stories from recent years are refreshing to my heart as game correspondent Keith Stuart and I have recently updated our list of games on all consoles today. Here is the author's story that I remember most from the current gaming generation: Our Last Parts I and II; God of war And then the sequel. Immortal;and Alan Wake 2 (Mainly because of the method mentioned). Here are some very short stories you can play on the Nintendo Switch: OxenFree; Wonderson; To the moon; Night in the forest; Space for unbound and Loki. You might want to try it too Citizen's sleeper If you like sci-fi. Regarding all-timers: Undertail, Chrono Trigger, Portal And that sequel Edith Finch's Remains and Fallout New Vegas I'm there for me.
What are your top three? Tell me at pushbuttons@theguardian.com. And ask more
I
I started playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) about 10 years ago when I was 7 years old. My older brother Marco had already been playing with my father for years. At first, the three of us were playing at home. For me, Pokemon TCG is a family activity that keeps us close. I think that’s important, especially today when everyone is using a cell phone.
I’m from Iquique, a city in northern Chile. There’s a strong Pokémon community here, and several local shops host tournaments. This game is for two players, each person preparing a deck of 60 cards. Each card represents one Pokémon with different abilities and powers. Then use your cards to battle your opponent. The person with the more powerful card combination is the winner.
Throughout Chile, Japanese culture is ingrained within our own, and anime, Pokemon, and manga are very popular here. When I was a child, there were many Japanese programs on TV. I watched Naruto, Dragon Ball, and of course Pokemon.
When I was 10 years old, I went to Santiago for my first tournament and made it to the finals. Before I started playing Pokemon TCG, I hadn’t traveled much. Currently, I have participated in tournaments in Sao Paulo, New Orleans, Buenos Aires, and most recently in Hawaii, where the 2024 World Championships were held.
We started saving for Hawaii a year before the competition. My brother won the tournament in Brazil and won the prize money, as well as the funds to go to the World Championships as one of the top players in Latin America.
My father Marco and I left for Hawaii last August. It was the furthest place we have ever traveled. On the first day, there was a three-hour wait to register for the tournament, and then we lined up again at the Pokemon Center where merchandise was sold. I got stuffed animals such as a scuba diving Pikachu that is exclusive to Hawaii. Then we watched the matches and focused on developing strategies against our opponents.
Marco is a better player than me and one of the best players in the world. But the game also involves luck. I didn’t get too emotional during the three-day championship, I just had a lot of fun. My father taught me not to worry about winning or losing, but to focus on playing well and sharing great experiences with my opponents.
I participated in 15 games throughout the tournament. Each game can last up to 50 minutes. In the final, I didn’t have a very good deck, so I didn’t expect to win. But my opponent made a mistake, so I gave it my all and it worked out. My father would say I’m too humble.
I didn’t have time to celebrate my victory because I had a flight to catch. I received the trophy and immediately headed to the airport. But when we returned to Chile, we arranged a barbecue, invited about 30 friends over to our house, and of course played Pokemon. A few weeks later we received an invitation to the presidential palace. Athletes, even those in niche sports, are invited to meet with the president.
I wasn’t really interested in it, but I saw it as an opportunity to encourage younger kids to play. I was the first Chilean to win the Pokémon Championship. We are such a small country that we cannot win many things.
When my father and I arrived at the palace, we were told that Chilean President Gabriel Boric had to attend an emergency meeting and would not be able to attend. Instead, we spoke to the Secretary General, the Foreign Minister, and the Japanese Ambassador who were interested in the social impact of this game.
Suddenly the door opened and Borrick came in and said, “Hello, Kabros (everyone), how are you doing?” He asked to see some of my cards and offered to take a few selfies. It didn’t feel like I was talking to the president, I was just playing with another card player. He plays the Magic the Gathering card game, which has a similar format to the Pokémon TCG.
I’m not interested in defending my title. No one has ever won the title back-to-back. I just play for fun. Anyone can win with a little luck. Even if you have a good deck and that day comes, who’s to say you can’t become the next Pokemon champion?
As told by Caris McGowan
Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@theguardian.com
aEvery New York Millennial — and any parent — will be familiar with Pokemon cards, a mainstay of newsagent hustling since the turn of the century. The shiny metallic plastic packaging contains trading cards decorated with creatures of varying rarity, from the humble Squirtle to the special edition illustrated Snorlax. There have been several attempts to bring these expensive illustrated cards (and the fighting games you can play with them) to smartphones, but until now all was poorly received. The Pokémon trading card game Pocket, released last week, is the best game yet. That really hooked me.
Here, for the first time since the release of the Pokémon Trading Card Game on the Game Boy Color in 1998, we have a decent virtual version of the incredibly popular card game. This is good news because it's very funny, but it's also bad newsBecause it's alarmingly convincing. I've been playing for at least a few hours every day this week, but I'm starting to run out of things to do. I probably won't let my kids play with it. Because if I was left this helpless by the appearance of a glowing Charizard, the children would definitely have no hope.
Just like real cards, the appeal of this game revolves around the slim chance that a particular pack might contain an ultra-rare card. Tapping on a booster pack decorated with Mewtwo, Pikachu, or Charizard will reveal a shiny, shiny packet in a glittering carousel that you can select and open with a swipe of your finger. The virtual cards are beautifully rendered. The good news is that if you flip the pack before opening it, the cards will appear from the back to the front, prolonging that brief moment of suspense until you find out what the cards are. When you tilt the screen, rare items will sparkle. As I discovered this morning, when you get a really rare card, you get an entire mini-movie animation of the scene depicted on that card.
The game gives you one free booster pack every 12 hours. The £7.99 per month subscription gets you another daily pack, allowing you to play battles and earn more for money, but only up to a certain point. The Pokemon trading card game Pocket is not evil. It doesn't force you to pay for your time. A limit on the number of packs that can be opened each day is an effective brake on the randomized reward aspect of the game's dopamine mining.
The illustrated cards are the most beautiful and most coveted versions of each creature. Photo provided by: Pokemon Co., Ltd.
On the other hand, if you want to deploy cards in battle, you can do it as many times as you like for free. This is not a simulation of collecting real Pokemon cards, but rather a simulation of fighting Pokemon cards, which surprisingly few children actually collect. The rules for these battles are exactly the same as in real card games, but simplified. Build a deck of 20 cards of different Pokémon and useful item cards, such as potions to heal damage or Poke Balls to collect creatures from your deck. Every turn, you can generate energy and attach it to your Pokemon to increase their attack power. A good deck consists of one or two very powerful Pokémon and a small phalanx of other creatures and cards that complement their abilities. The important thing is that do not have It's about who has the rarest and flashiest Pokemon cards. If you think carefully, you can make great strategic decks from relatively common cards.
After a few fights, I quickly felt how my deck worked and made small adjustments between each match. While not as good (or deep) as the actual card game, this quickfire version is much better suited to play on your phone. It's still engaging and moderately challenging, especially when playing against other human players, but it's also intuitive. what? do not have All the different currencies and items you can earn in these battles are intuitive. I spent more time figuring out what they would be used for than worrying about deck composition. Every time you reach a small collection or combat milestone, you are always rewarded with gold, sparkling dust, tickets, and hourglasses.
This is the worst thing about the free-to-play Pokemon trading card game Pocket. But overall it doesn't feel overly manipulative, and certainly no more manipulative than the actual cards. everytime It costs money. I dread to think how much my family has spent on them over the years. The amount of things you can do without opening your wallet isn't as generous as Pokémon Go, but for me monetization doesn't get in the way of fun. Despite this, it looks like he's already earned a pretty impressive $24 million.
The 226 cards currently on offer are cleverly oriented towards the peak of early 2000s Pokémon millennial nostalgia. The trading card game Pocket has a lot of appeal for those of us who are part of the first generation of Pokémaniacs. Similar to Pokémon Go, the options expand over time, so I think you'll eventually get tired of it. For now, I'm enjoying this luxury every day.
The new year has only just begun, but it looks like the biggest games of 2024 are already in store. And it’s not his multi-million dollar sci-fi extravaganza set in a vast universe created by a giant publisher. It’s a survival adventure released by a small Japanese company that had only released one game before. It’s called Palworld, and is more accurately described as a “Pokémon with a gun.” If that sounds terrible, you seem to be very lonely. It sold 5 million copies within three days of its release on January 18th. What in the name of Pikachu is going on?
What is Palworld?
Developed by Tokyo-based Pocketpair, Palworld belongs to the genre known as survival adventure, where players are thrown into a harsh open-world environment to find food and shelter, craft tools, and, of course, fight enemies. While, yes, you have to survive, whether they are aliens or hungry wolves. Minecraft is probably the most famous example, but titles like Rust, Ark, Don’t Starve, and Subnautica all compete in similar fields.
What does it actually do?
Palworld: Funny, silly, and weirdly engrossing. Photo: pocket pair
You control a character who arrives in a lush open-world environment known as the Parpagos Islands and must survive by farming, cooking, building shelter, and battling various enemy factions. Also, more than 100 kinds of cute creatures called “pals” live in this world, and each one has its own unique abilities. You can catch these cute beasts and use them to fight your enemies or craft useful items in your base.
A big part of the game is exploring the world and looking for allies and resources. It is important to monitor your hunger level and collect resources. As you battle enemies (using captured allies), you unlock new crafting recipes by following various technology trees. You can play alone, but if you choose the PC version, you can also play online with up to 31 other so-called “Paltimers”.
It’s funny, silly, and oddly engrossing even though all the individual elements are very recognizable. Pokemon developer Game Freak has been too reluctant to seriously reinvent its aging series over the past five years, with some feeling that Palworld is the modern incarnation that longtime fans have been craving. There is. Indeed, very well received among many top video game influencers, No1 game on streaming platform Twitch Within one day of release. This certainly helped attract attention.
So this is like a neoliberal pastiche of Poku
Do we emphasize the immoral exploitation of these animals as mere resources?
Well, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but it might be true. And in fact, one of the enemy factions you’ll face in the game is the Free Pal Alliance, an activist organization dedicated to freeing Pals from slavery.
Palworld screenshot shows character riding a flying dragon-like monster Photo: pocket pair
Are people mad at obvious pock?
Lemon connection?
This game is highly controversial among some developers, and not just because of its similarities to Pokemon. Accusing the developer of plagiarism As well as the creature design, it also uses tropes and conventions from other successful survival games, most notably Ark and Rust.However, Nintendo, Creatures, and the Pokémon Company, which are responsible for Pokémon, have yet to comment, although Don McGowan, who managed the Pokémon Company's legal team for 10 years, said: Game files recently talked about on news sites: “This seems like the same old plagiarism nonsense I saw thousands of times a year when I was chief legal officer at Pokemon. I'm just surprised it's gotten this far.”
Takuro Mizobe, CEO and lead developer at Pocketpair, said: claimed The game has been checked against legal requirements and does not infringe on copyright.
Also, Pokemon isn’t the only game based on monster hunting.Other titles such as Digimon and Monster Rancher have existed alongside it for many years, and the entire genre has Insect collecting is a popular hobby in Japan.
, Therefore, it is never a concept that can be followed. The history of video games is one of successful ideas being “borrowed” and improved upon, and most modern genres can be traced back to one or two of his wildly successful ancestors.
There was also debate over whether the studio created assets using AI-generated art without notifying the platform or players.Mr. Mizobe Showed interest in AI art generation in the past. PC Platform Steam requires studios to: Disclose the use of AI-generated assets With games sold on the site. There have been concerns in the industry about the potential for job losses from widespread use of generative AI and the unauthorized use of AI models trained on copyrighted material. However, at this time there is no evidence that Pocket Pair used his AI model in this way.
Where can I play?
Although the game is technically still in development, bug has been resolved.However, you can download it if you have a PC. Steam Early Access For £25. You can also play a preview version on Xbox, but this version is even less stable and currently doesn’t feature a 32-player online mode. Cooperative play is possible for 2 to 4 people. If you’re into the idea of cute mini monsters wielding machine guns, you know where to go.
IIn early November, I was standing in a long line at Van Gogh’s gift shop in Amsterdam to buy a Pokemon ballpoint pen. It was one of the few items left in the store – this was in its second month of establishment Pokemon collaboration, but the craze for limited edition merchandise continued. Everything from T-shirts with pictures of Pikachu on the front to notebooks to shoulder bags was stripped away, leaving only prints and postcards behind the cash register. It was just after noon, but the number of people inside the store quickly led to the area being cordoned off and other people being denied access until things calmed down.
This has become a familiar sight for participants and staff alike. Launched in September to commemorate the museum’s 50th anniversary, the collaboration aims to introduce the Dutch artist’s work to a new audience, and since its inception, the collaboration has had enthusiasts and scalpers clamoring for the best. It caused a commotion and caused a huge mess of Pokemon goods. But the main culprit was in one item – limited edition. “Pikachu wearing a gray felt hat” trading card. The card sold out online as soon as it went on sale, with desperate gallery visitors having to scrum to get their hands on the card. Footage of the poke riot was quickly posted to Twitter. (now known as X), the card has since sold for up to $900 in eBay listings. This card was discontinued in mid-October.
“Bedroom” at the Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum exhibition, Munchillax and Snorlax inspired by Sow (1988). Photo: Pokemon International Co., Ltd.
So, what was it like actually working there? “Her first week was pretty bad,” recalls one of her employee girlfriends. “It’s just been too busy. A lot of people are trying to come four times a day just to get their cards.” The cards are aimed at children aged 6 to 12 and will be on display. Awarded after the conclusion of a Pokémon treasure hunt where participants learned about Van Gogh’s history from a new set of Van Gogh-inspired Pokémon drawings that were temporarily added to the Society.
“In the morning, people were rushing to the store at once, even though there was only one item per person,'' the employee said. They describe the scene as more like a “theme park” than a museum, with at least 2,000 of the 5,500 tickets sold by card alone. Many people who came that day had to be turned away.
“It was total chaos,” explains another. “What did people expect? You’re taking out something from the ’90s that people were fans of. You get the idea, but it doesn’t work with Pokémon.”
To meet demand without compromising the experience, trading cards were replaced with postcards. Additionally, in order to prevent scalpers, limited edition items were moved from the gift shop on the first floor to the first floor, a rule of one item per person was introduced, and customers were required to wait in line. However, when I visited, the Pokémon Adventures treasure hunt flyer was also out of stock, and I was told it would be reprinted. When I told him I was a journalist, he found me behind the counter. The Van Gogh Museum later told me that they had enough treasure hunt leaflets (in Dutch and English) until the end of the collaboration, but that’s not what I found.
Pokemon Adventure Treasure Hunt Leaflet. Photo: Matt Poskitt
In any case, shortages and overcrowding led to an increase in dissatisfied visitors. “Usually a month he gets two complaints,” says one of his staff members. “Most of the time, it’s important to have a lot of people here. [During the Pokémon exhibition] There were 12 pieces a day. First, it was about the line.after that [because] We didn’t hand out any more cards…so they felt like they bought a ticket and thought they didn’t get anything.”
The situation has improved somewhat with the removal of trading cards from the Van Gogh Museum. “I think we drew the wrong crowd for the first few weeks,” the staffer says. “[Afterwards] I was happy. All the kids would do was come and leave with a postcard and happy.”
“I think it’s been that way for the last few weeks.” [successful], yes,” they say. “There were a lot of families who wanted to go on a treasure hunt. Even though there are no more treasure hunts, regular art treasure hunts are still held. Usually we give out about 20 or 30 tickets, but yesterday we handed out about 50. I did. The kids are in.”
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