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Phantom Blade Zero's Fast-Paced Action Took 15 Years, Two RPG-Maker Games, And A Whole Lot Of Money To Bring To Life
S-Game is finally nearing the release of Phantom Blade Zero, and as part of previewing it one last time, I discovered this game has a whole lot of history
15 leaders honored for 2026 Business Excellence Awards
This year, NH Business Review marks the 24th anniversary of our Business Excellence Awards, which celebrate the initiative, creativity and tenacity of the Granite State’s business community.
Mercy Health reminds public to prioritize health during busy fall and winter months
The fall and winter months get busy quickly with holidays, school activities and year end obligations. Mercy Health encourages the public to prioritize health with routine checkups and preventive care.
Crimson Desert’s lower review scores were because critics didn’t get a ‘fair chance to explore’, exec says
The press “had limited time” and didn’t play the launch version…
Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Preview
Spurs are back, but the results need to be better.
Arjuna Natural to spotlight women’s health innovation and Ashwagandha Quality at SupplySide Global
Arjuna Natural, a leader, manufacturer, and innovator of standardised botanical extracts, will spotlight its award-winning women’s health portfolio and latest ingredient research at SupplySide Global in Las Vegas, NV, booth 6519, including new research on Rhuleave-K, a turmeric and boswellia combination developed to support fast-acting relief from PMS symptoms and lower back pain
Riverhead Town Board Roundup: RFP to bidders authorized for former LI Science Center building as condemnation proceedings continue
The Riverhead Town Board is issuing a request for proposals, or RFP, to interested parties who want to transform the empty 111 East Main St. building into a “destination attraction.” The 5-0 vote on Tuesday means qualified developers, attraction operators, entertainment companies, destination retailers, hospitality groups, and public-private partnership teams can now submit their bids...
Huber Heights offers $150K in business, nonprofit grants; deadline Oct. 16
Huber Heights businesses and nonprofit organizations have until Oct. 16 to apply for an economic development grant program with $150,000 allocated for 2026.
'NAZA' review: Israeli documentary is a living nightmare
Documentary "NAZA" examines how Israeli forces use AI and surveillance systems to target and kill Palestinians.
'La Bola Negra' review: A magnificent gay epic that transcends time
An unfinished play, a tragic love story, and an investigation into the past, "La Bola Negra" will compel and devastate you.
'Club Kid' review: Jordan Firstman reimagines 'Big Daddy' with a subversive wit
From "I Love LA" to a New York City fairytale, this queer comedian has us seated.
We’re Investigating Prior Authorization. Help ProPublica Understand Your Health Insurance Denial.
ProPublica is looking into the ways health insurers’ use of prior authorization impacts patients. We need your help to figure out if the process is still leading to delayed or missed treatments, tests, medical equipment or medication.
Joyce Spencer: Community news for Friday, Oct. 9
Click for community news.
ADHD and autism at risk of over-diagnosis, says report, as author warns of rise in mental ill health
Prof Peter Fonagy, who chaired the review, tells Radio 4's Today programme there has been a "very real" rise in "distress and mental ill health among young people".
'Avatar: Seven Havens' review: The Avatar apocalypse is a bold, brilliant addition to the franchise
"Avatar: Seven Havens" blows everything up, and the franchise is better for it.
Inside the deadlock at the world's top climate science body
The decision was expected to take minutes. But after nearly three years of debate, members of the world’s leading authority on climate change still can’t agree on a timeline to publish its next review of the latest science on the warming planet.
Inside the Deadlock at the World's Top Climate Science Body
By Kate Abnett and Sudarshan Varadhan BRUSSELS/SINGAPORE, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The decision was expected to take minutes. But after nearly three years of debate, members of the world’s leading authority on climate change still can’t agree on a timeline to publish its next review of the latest science ...
ADHD and autism at risk of over-diagnosis, says report, with author due to speak to BBC
The government-commissioned review, which covers England, also says better support is needed for young people with mental health problems.
These 10 albums have surprising ties to cults and unconventional religions
Every religion has a musical tradition no matter how small the church or strange the belief. Some of this music was recruitment propaganda, some was not. Either way, fringe faiths among musicians is not a new phenomenon.
Festival continues
Photos from the first day of the second Winchester Main Street Festival, which continues through Saturday.
Music Review: Remi Wolf emerges, dirty but renewed, on 'Mud'
Remi Wolf, the singer-songwriter known for her funk and soul-inspired choruses and danceable beats, comes down to earth on “Mud,” her third album. Wolf settles into new territory on the
Sanibel Island Writers Conference returns this November
During the past decade, as cell phones and tablets made their way into every jacket pocket and onto most bedside tables, you may – fairly – have subscribed to the
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Hamilton County School Board approves new health clinic in Howard School
School board members explained that Erlanger had challenges staffing the school-based health clinic during their partnership that started in 2024.
Phantom Blade Zero hands-on preview
Six hours with Phantom Blade Zero gave us a deep look at its combat, weapons, exploration, story, and PC performance ahead of release.
No ‘snowflakes’: mental health review says today’s youth have it harder and harms are real
Peter Fonagy lauds courage of young people and warns of consequences of rising prevalence of mental illness
Mental health and ADHD diagnosis can cause harm, says official review
Government-commissioned report calls for more opportunities to work and socialise for young people and rejects claims of ‘snowflake’ generation
‘Animals’ Review: The Politician’s Dilemma
Ben Affleck plays a mayoral candidate who’s having a very bad day in this fizz-free political thriller.
Trump bucks and the politics of mailing checks
The checks started going out last week, nearly one million of them, and mostly to battleground states. With a return address for the U.S. Treasury and a letter enclosed signed by President Donald Trump, these one-time checks for $500 were ostensibly government rebates for Obamacare enrollees who overpaid. In the accompanying letter, however, Trump attacks his predecessor and talks about his record in office on an important issue he’s not polling well on, which makes it seem more like the most expensive political mailer in U.S. history. The average piece of direct mail costs between 30 cents and $3, according to Mail Processing Associates, a print, mail, and fulfillment company. At $500 a pop plus roughly 50 cents each to issue the paper check, the cost of Trump’s healthcare mailer sent to more than 950,000 enrollees comes in at more than $475 million. Trump’s midterm healthcare message “For years, the Biden Administration overcharged you to fund the operation of HealthCare dot gov,” Trump wrote in the letter. “That money belongs to hard-working Americans, not the Government, and now, I am returning it to you!” In the letter, Trump makes false and misleading claims about his administration’s record on healthcare costs, an issue Democrats have a 20 point advantage on over Republicans, according to a recent poll from KFF, a nonpartisan health policy think tank. Trump touts his administration’s TrumpRX program, which he claims is “delivering massive discounts.” However, new research from KFF found that of a selection of drugs available on the TrumpRX platform, just five were the lowest price, while 13 were the highest price. Trump also falsely claims in the letter that he’s fighting to lower healthcare costs. In reality, average monthly premium payment costs for enrollees rose 58% under Trump while marketplace sign-ups declined 5%, per KFF. Under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it’s estimated 10 million more Americans will be uninsured by 2034. You get a check and you get a check and you get a check Trump’s long promised cash outs to his fans, from his days as a casino operator and gameshow host to his presidency. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the first Trump administration made the unprecedented move to put Trump’s name on checks that went out under the CARES Act (notably the $500 refund checks this time around don’t feature Trump’s name). Ever since, Trump’s been chasing that high. In his second term, Trump’s promised more stimulus that never arrived, like refund checks from DOGE cuts and tariffs, while he said at his party’s convention last month that he’d give out $5,000 checks to everyone if Republicans win in November. In reality, DOGE overstated its cost cutting and Trump’s government actually now spends more than former President Joe Biden’s, while Trump’s tariffs actually grew the trade deficit. His proposal for $5,000 checks would add about $1.2 trillion to the national debt. The problem is there’s no money to give. These $500 checks — plus $90 Medicare rebate checks also going out as well as $250 deposited this week in some Trump Accounts for kids courtesy Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and his wife Susan — represent the closest Trump’s going to get to making good on his promise to deliver cash fast. And the checks seem especially targeted. Though the $500 checks went out to enrollees in one of 30 states that use the federal HealthCare dot gov marketplace, a Reuters review found 71% of the payments, or $339 million, went to enrollees in 13 states that have the most competitive elections for governor and U.S. Senate. Most Americans don’t buy it Could Trump bucks sway the election? An Economist-YouGov poll found 57% of U.S. adults doubt Trump will deliver on his promise for $5,000 checks, compared to 21% who do. “I’m waiting on my DOGE check and I’m still waiting on my tariff check,” one 2024 Trump voter who’s since turned on him told a recent focus group. “It felt like kind of trying to buy people’s votes, which honestly felt like in elementary when the class president was like, hey we’re going to take you to the water park if you vote for me. It’s like, I don’t think it works like that.” But for voters in swing states who got a check, it could still matter. One survey published in 2022 found receiving a physically personalized check in the mail during the pandemic was associated with a much greater self-reported likelihood of voting for Trump in 2020, and those gains mainly came from out partisans. The issue for Trump comes if these checks are mostly going to Obamacare enrollees whose premiums have gone up by more than just $500 since he took office and who view the money as something like a bribe before the election rather than an actual long-term solution to lowering household costs. Spending $500.50 per mailer would be absurd as a normal campaign expenditure, but since Trump’s checks and letter are a government rebate, his campaign and super PAC didn’t have to spend a dime and he got out his message regardless. If enough voters in key states are swayed by the one-time payment, it could prove to be the best $0 the Trump campaign spent. Subscribe [ ](https://www.yellopolitics.com/p/why-independent-candidates-are-making) [ Why independent candidates are making independence central to their brand ](https://www.yellopolitics.com/p/why-independent-candidates-are-making) Hunter Schwarz · Oct 6 [ Read full story ](https://www.yellopolitics.com/p/why-independent-candidates-are-making) [ ](https://www.yellopolitics.com/p/these-designers-and-grocery-nerds) [ These designers and grocery nerds will brand Mamdani’s NYC grocery stores ](https://www.yellopolitics.com/p/these-designers-and-grocery-nerds) Hunter Schwarz · Oct 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.yellopolitics.com/p/these-designers-and-grocery-nerds) Trump wants to turn his first-ever golf course into a government course for presidents
Bulldog Business: Kraziness (Over)Reaction and FanFest Preview
Bulldog Business Podcast: Episode 2
Bulldog Business: Kraziness (Over)Reaction and FanFest Preview
Bulldog Business Podcast: Episode 2
LMH Health Cancer Center reaccredited for excellence in breast care
The LMH Health Cancer Center has once again earned accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program administered by the American College of Surgeons. The recognition follows a rigorous review process conducted every three years and confirms that LMH Health meets national standards for breast cancer care, patient support, quality […]
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ stars preview Defenders reunion with final season teaser
Marvel’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ stars staged a Defenders reunion at New York Comic Con to preview the final season of the superhero show.
‘NAZA’ review: An urgent, unsettling work of journalism and filmmaking
"NAZA" is everything a documentary about the civilian casualties of Israel's military operations in Gaza can and should be, writes our reviewer.
Nationwide sweepstakes offers chance to meet Reba McEntire
DENISON, Texas (KTEN) — Fans of the “Queen of Country” Reba McEntire have a chance to meet her in Los Angeles.
The editors: Make it safe to lose elections
Today’s political rhetoric depicts electoral defeat as apocalyptic. If this leads to a rejection of the rule of law, it places the constitutional order itself at great risk.
FCC considers change that could mean more political robocalls
The FCC is reviewing a petition to let some political groups send prerecorded robocalls, including AI-generated voices, without consent.
The Public Health Cost of FDA’s Tobacco Review Delays
When avoidable delays in reviewing cigarette alternatives prolong smoking, they cost lives. Quitting reduces the risk of premature death, while continuing to smoke sustains exposure to the hazards responsible for smoking-related disease. Because cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke cause more than 480,000 deaths annually in the United States, the years-long delay documented in a September...
Delta Q3 earnings preview: Premium business expected to blunt high fuel costs; CEO Bastian, Musk battle over in-flight wifi
Delta Air Lines will report third quarter results Friday morning, with investors expecting Delta's premium business to continue to blunt issues like rising fuel costs and capacity cuts.
NFLSU rookie check-in: Week 5 preview
The top LSU players from the class continue to play well
Rothwell pitches business approach to town government in supervisor run
Councilman Kenneth Rothwell is running for Riverhead Town Supervisor this November after serving on the town board since 2022.
‘The Social Reckoning’ review: A pale shadow of ‘The Social Network’
There’s a moment in “The Social Reckoning” when a character cites Antigone, John Proctor, “A Tale of Two Cities,” Gandalf and Chicken Little, all in the same sentence; in other
Attacks on Health Care in the occupied Palestinian territory (01-15 September 2026)
Situation Report in English on occupied Palestinian territory about Health, Protection and Human Rights and more; published on 8 Oct 2026 by Insecurity Insight
Breaking into the Peer-Reviewed Engineering Literature
Editor’s note: We are delighted to present a new series by William Dembski, adapted from his Substack. This is the 14th post. Find the full series so far here, “My Personal History with Information.”…
Jonathan Groff gets rave reviews in Royal Shakespeare Theatre debut
A technical glitch with the set may have thrown a wrench into his latest opening night on stage, but that didn’t prevent Jonathan Groff from getting some glowing reviews earlier
NFL Thursday Night Football preview: Cowboys get a break by facing shorthanded Buccaneers
RWJBarnabas, Hackensack Meridian Health cited by Becker’s for oncology programs
RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers Cancer Institute and Hackensack Meridian Health have been named to Becker’s Hospital Review.
Fucoidan research surpasses 5000 papers as Marinova targets gut health, immunity and men's urinary health
With 550+ studies published in 2025 alone, Marinova is positioning its FDA GRAS and EU Novel Foods-authorised Maritech organic fucoidan for formulators targeting the prebiotic, healthy ageing and prostate health categories
‘Hellraiser: Revival’ Review: A Sadistic Flesh-Ripping Horror Shooter That Understands Clive Barker
Saber Interactive nails the 'Hellraiser' experience with satisfyingly brutal combat and depraved visuals that will no doubt please fans.
2026 Election Preview: Billionaires, AI, and Generational Change
A panel of top political reporters unpack the key races and issues shaping California’s 2026 election.
Open science is compatible with research security, says Canada’s chief science advisor
Open science is “not incompatible” with research security and science leaders and policymakers should “demystify” the false dichotomy between the two, according to Mona Nemer, Canada’s chief science advisor. More than a decade ago, EU policymakers were promoting open science, open innovation and open collaboration across the world. It was a political movement that aimed to make scientific research, data, software, publications and methodologies transparent, accessible and reusable for everyone.But that rhetoric has changed over the past few years. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and Donald Trump came back to power in 2025, international partnerships have become more pragmatic. Countries are trying to implement protectionist policies and governments are increasingly worried about technology espionage. According to Nemer, science can remain open if the sector can come up with improved security protocols that would protect research data from undue manipulation by foreign actors. “If anybody can fiddle with the with the data, then [open science] is actually quite dangerous and quite useless,” she told Science|Business. Universities and research institutions are increasingly vulnerable to attempted espionage and other types of foreign interference. In September, the UK’s domestic counter-intelligence service MI5 issued a security warning against collaborations with the China General Technology Research Institute. And earlier this year, Germany’s Helmholtz Center for Information Security was criticised by federal research minister Dorothee Bär, who told a parliamentary hearing that “existing rules and systems” at the institute “were not suitable” for preventing leaks to China. According to Nemer, universities and research institutions should perhaps follow the example of the private sector, as companies have been able to safeguard their research while still publishing results. “I think that there is a level of research security hygiene that researchers and institutions need to just adopt,” she said. “You don't have to tell Sanofi or IBM how to safeguard their research, which they end up publishing anyway.”While certain areas of research will not be open for collaboration with certain partners, in other areas cooperation is necessary even with researchers based in adversarial countries. “I stress this because politics change,” she said. “Science and politics don't make for good fellows, and whether we like it or not, politics will influence certain things.”Researchers will play an important role in “protecting the integrity of science,” said Nemer. “I think that it's time that there's a commitment to a certain scientific compact, so that citizens don't think that science is actually an open door for espionage and for anti-nationalism.”New partnershipsNemer spoke with Science|Business on the margins of the Hamburg Science Summit on September 17, the day when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called for increased cooperation with the EU, including in science and technology. Canada is looking to strengthen ties with partners in other corners of the world, after the Trump administration threatened to put tariffs on Canadian goods and services and even openly suggested Canada could become the 51st state. In parallel, the US government has indicated it wants to retreat from international science projects, including US collaboration with Europe’s CERN particle accelerator and other big science labs.Related articlesThe stats we need to better understand R&DCanada looks to deepen research and education links with the EUCan researchers trust that AI models won’t leak their ideas?Nemer said the US is still a science “powerhouse,” but Canada and Europe will have to work closely together on global challenges. “It’s important for both [sides], but I think it's also important for the rest of the world, because the cut in funding for development, in health, in regions like Africa and other places, have dramatic effects.” The Trump administration is also planning a review of the Nelson memo, a Biden-era document that mandated that results of federally funded research would be openly available. With that idea being called into question, Nemer said it could be “very disruptive” to scientific collaborations and could jeopardise research on climate change, the Arctic and global health. “When your collaborator suddenly tells you I'm not going to share the data with you as a researcher, if this happens, I think it's very worrisome,” she said. “I'm certainly hoping that a lot of the Canadian institutions, funders, researchers, have started looking at joining forces on databases and using more European research infrastructures,” Nemer added.
Review: Hellraiser: Revival (PS5) - Faithful Adaptation Let Down by Severe Gameplay Woes
You opened the box, we answered
Good Beer Festival is Returning to Salisbury Featuring Live Entertainment and Tasty Brews
We're previewing Salisbury's Good Beer Festival is where you can find live entertainment and over 100 craft brews, so we'll tell you why this event keeps people coming back year
MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Verity’
“Verity” wishes it was a twisty thriller. It is indeed twisty, but it doesn’t have the heart to be a thriller.
Preview: Bruins look to get back on track against Utah
Not losing 4-1 would be a reasonable goal.
Meet the Candidate: Jerry Schillinger
There are two candidates for Montana House District 34 on the general election ballot: incumbent Jerry Schillinger, a Republican, and Jasmine Erickson, a Democrat.
Voluntary Business Update on Prosus Food Delivery
AMSTERDAM, October 08, 2026--Prosus N.V. (Prosus) (Euronext Amsterdam: PRX; JSE: PRX) today announces a letter to shareholders outlining a Food Delivery Update for Prosus. The financial information on which this update is based has not yet been reviewed nor reported on by Prosus’s independent auditor.
Restaurant, Texas Tech students' app, more make Lubbock business news
Business Reporter Alana Edgin reviews recent Lubbock area businesses news and hints at upcoming articles in the Around the Hub column.
The highest-paid employees at Main Line Health
Plus, we review an all-you-can-eat wagyu spot.
Continental Roadmap on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (2026-2030) [EN/POR]
Analysis in English on World about Health; published on 8 Oct 2026 by Africa CDC and AU
'Behemoth!' review: Pedro Pascal's cellist drama is (mostly) music to our ears
Pedro Pascal and Tony Gilroy team up for a musical drama that could use a tad more fine-tuning.
Gallery Eleven featured artist for October to hold reception at Elk City gallery
CHARLESTON — Gallery Eleven has announced its featured artist for October.
The Math Singularity Is Here, and Science May Be Next
OpenAI has released an extraordinary body of mathematical work produced by an unreleased frontier model: 722 manuscripts spanning 372 research families across fields including number theory, complexity theory, and mathematical physics. Each result required, on average, the equivalent of roughly three hours of ChatGPT Pro reasoning. A New Era of Discovery We may be witnessing the beginnings of a “math singularity”: a point at which machine-generated discovery accelerates beyond humanity’s ability to independently reproduce, verify, or fully absorb it. If frontier models can generate hundreds of meaningful results in the time it takes a human researcher to investigate one, the constraint will no longer be producing new mathematics. It will be our capacity to validate, interpret, and integrate it. This does not make mathematicians obsolete. It changes their role. They may increasingly serve as guides, critics, and meaning-makers. Increasingly, they will decide which questions matter, determining which results can be trusted, and explaining why they are important. Mathematical insight may become abundant, while human judgment becomes more valuable than ever. Mathematics May Be Only the Beginning Every scientific discipline could eventually experience a similar acceleration. AI systems could generate and test hypotheses, connect findings across specialized fields, and explore possibilities at a scale no human research community could match. In medicine, imagine models identifying overlooked disease mechanisms, designing drugs and clinical trials, personalizing treatments, or discovering cures in months rather than decades. In materials science, AI could help create better batteries and cleaner industrial processes. In climate science, it could accelerate advances in energy, forecasting, and carbon removal. In biology, it could uncover relationships hidden across enormous genomic and molecular datasets. The result would not simply be faster research. It could expand the frontier of what is scientifically possible. The New Bottleneck Scientific discovery, however, is not the same as scientific progress. A medical breakthrough must still survive laboratory testing, clinical trials, regulatory scrutiny, manufacturing constraints, and real-world deployment. As machine-generated ideas multiply, the bottleneck may shift from producing breakthroughs to validating them safely and translating them into practice. We may soon have more hypotheses than laboratories can test, more drugs than clinical trials can evaluate, and more mathematical results than experts can review. That imbalance will require better systems for automated verification, reproducible research, prioritization, peer review, and collaboration between AI and domain experts. The importance of OpenAI’s work is not merely the number of manuscripts produced. It offers a glimpse of a world in which intelligence can explore thousands of intellectual paths in parallel. If ideas cease to be scarce, humanity’s defining challenge will be deciding which are true, which matter, and how to turn them into progress. The math singularity is not the end of human inquiry. It is the beginning of a new kind—one in which machines expand the frontier of knowledge and humans decide where it should lead. Subscribe Share Leave a comment
Wake Forest vs NC State Prediction: The Wolfpack Are Back
NC State bounced back from a nightmarish first few weeks with two big wins, but Wake Forest is the biggest test yet. Here's the CFN game preview and prediction.
Scare up some fun: Dirty Birds host free Halloween double feature at GoMart Ballpark
The Charleston Dirty Birds will transform the field at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston, West Virginia into a free outdoor movie theater on Oct. 9, 2026, for a Halloween-themed double feature sponsored by The Arc of the Three Rivers of Dunbar, West Virginia. Families, friends and movie fans are invited onto the field for an evening featuring the 1993 release “Hocus Pocus” followed by 1991's “The Addams Family,” bringing two Halloween favorites to the big screen in downtown Charleston, according to a news release from the Dirty Birds. Concessions will be available for sale at the park for the event.
John Gillispie: Season three of 'Reacher' features clever story
Movies & More reviewer John Gillispie shares his thoughts about the third season of “Reacher,” which is “not rated,” according to the DVD box. However, because of the amount of
'Below' review: Josh Hartnett's sea monster series is perfect for 'Widow's Bay' fans
Creatures of the deep await in this fun 'Jaws' riff, including sea hags.
Premier League Gameweek 5 Review: Biggest Talking Points and Takeaways
Gameweek 5 of the English Premier League season delivered another weekend full of talking points, with several results catching the attention of fans across the country. There were big wins, surprise results and some disappointing performances as teams continued to find their rhythm early in the season. Arsenal suffered a heavy defeat away to Brighton […]
Open Science and Equity: Does openness alone lead to fairness?
Open Science improves sharing and reuse of knowledge, increases transparency, and encourages public participation in the research process. While this approach has gained widespread support from researchers and policymakers, the new report, “Equity in Open Science: Case studies of Open Science infrastructures and Open Peer Review”, shows that openness alone does not automatically lead to […]
Round Up: The Reviews For Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Are In
Here's what the critics think
Dodgers NLCS preview: Who has edge in rematch with Brewers?
The Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS last year. Milwaukee represents their next challenge in pursuit of a World Series three-peat.
Beloved Belleville gardening business to close after 21 years
After more than two decades helping customers make their yards more beautiful, Sandy’s Back Porch Gardens in Belleville is set to close its doors early next month. “I keep telling people that there are mountains to climb, hills to roam and rivers to raft, and I want to do all those things,” owner Sandy Richter said.
Muramasa: Revenant Blades hands-on gameplay preview
Recently, I had the chance to visit Marvelous at its Shinagawa headquarters for a one-hour preview of its upcoming Vanillaware side-scrolling action RPG remaster Muramasa: Revenant Blades. As a dis…
Preview: 'Muramasa: Revenant Blades' Polishes Vanillaware's Gem To Shine Brighter Than Ever
Reforged
holding space in music therapy for patients with dementia
They call it music therapy, which is too imprecise a term to describe what really happens sometimes, when music touches a person sliding into eternity through a gradually darkening tunnel
Naples Film Festival highlights indie films and new talent
Naples International Film Festival Producer Shannon Franklin grew up in Naples and got her theater degree from the University of Florida, but her area code is all “Hollywood.”
Old Town Trick-or-Treat returns, business sought
Halloween fun returns to Old Town Lompoc on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 12–3 p.m., featuring for treats, games, music, costumes, and "plenty of spooky fun for the whole family," the
Gears of War: E-Day Launches to Modest Reviews and 31,500 Peak Steam Players
Gears of War: E-Day, the origin story of the long-running Gears of War franchise, launched on Steam, Xbox, and Game Pass, and, although Microsoft has been building hype for the new Gears game for several months leading up to launch day, the game's launch performance on Steam is less than stellar....
SIU hosts Saluki Care Week to promote student mental, physical health
Southern Illinois University is hosting Saluki Care Week to help students destress and connect with on-campus health services.
Review: Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen (PS5) - Epic Expansion Is Peak Dragon's Dogma
Top Dogma
Reviewing the Bears’ PFN grades from Week 4 vs. Jets
After the Bears’ win over the Eagles, we look at how PFN scored each of Chicago’s starters in Week 3.
Who Won August and September: Original Films or Franchises?
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) I just heard someone say that if you’re reading a pundit or data analyst, and they don’t tell you that they got anything wrong, they’re not a pundit but an “influencer”. I agree with that. You have to tell your audience when you get things wrong, or they won’t (or shouldn’t) trust you as much. Today, we’ve got another edition of “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong”. In general, I’m patting myself on the back (and patting very hard) about a few things like IP at the box office, LIV golf, horror films, crowdfunding movies, superheroes, and old people going to the theaters. That said, I also made a couple of data mistakes on the streaming bubble popping and HBO’s datecdotes, so I’m not perfect. But first, I need your feedback... Subscribe Follow-Ups: What Should We Call Mid-Budget Movies Which Aren’t Cinematic Enough for Theaters But Are Too Expensive to Make Money on Streaming? After I asked for feedback on what we should call straight-to-streaming films that are too big to pencil out on streaming but not really big enough to resonate in theaters, I got some great suggestions from you all, including... “Moldilocks” from John Aboud “Little Big Indie” from Travis Frick1 “Midflicks” from Jonathan Funke. “Extra-Medium” from Jona Nwuke. (Read the explanation in the footnote.) Between these and Brandon Katz—who suggested “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”—we’ve got some excellent suggestions. And they’re better than my suggestion, the “Streaming Budget Dead Zone”, so let’s take a poll! The winning entry becomes the new term. Loading... RIGHT: LIV Golf is Fully Bankrupt…Is Anyone Else Next? A few years ago, I was always a bit perplexed at all the articles I’d read praising LIV Golf and their strategy to disrupt the PGA. LIV Golf, a brand new professional golf league, offered PGA stars ten times what they made on the PGA Tour to join their new league. And folks praised this strategy for its initial “success” in that a lot of big names did indeed leave the PGA. Yeah, of course the players came over. LIV Golf paid them so, so, so much more! But LIV Golf hadn’t discovered a way to increase potential revenue. So think about this in basic business terms… They paid much more in costs… …but had no real way to increase revenue. That’s not a strategy! That’s deficit financing. It won’t work unless you bankrupt the competition (and then turn around and pay those same golfers much, much less). It’s not a sustainable strategy and only lasts as long as the company/person/nation backing it decides they’re cool with losing money. For LIV Golf, that meant Middle East oil wealth, in particular Saudi Arabian money. Clearly, the current Iran War has hurt Middle East finances, so they need to trim their more exorbitant spending. And LIV Golf was part of that trimming. This should be a major warning for others. TGL’s parent company, TMRW Sports, just got a $1 billion valuation, despite TGL’s (the indoor golf league) horrible TV viewership of less than half a million viewers per match. Unrivaled, the women’s basketball league, just secured a $650 valuation, despite its horrible TV viewership and a new rival (Project B) entering the scene next year. To relate this to streaming, Hollywood should ask which streamers may have wealthy patrons funding their losses. (Let’s be clear: Google, Amazon and Apple.) Could those patrons lose their appetite? For Amazon, probably not. But Apple has a new boss, so maybe! WRONG: My Analysis of the Streaming Bubble Was Missing a Week I’m going to be congratulating myself a lot today, but I make mistakes too, like this data goof. When I last compiled the data on the decline in TV shows, I was missing one week at the end of June. If you look at the first image, you can see that one week was mislabelled as “July”. Mainly, this image got updated to show a 27% decline, not 29%: This change doesn’t really impact the overall analysis, but it is two percent better. By the way, through the third quarter, the decline increased and it’s now a 30% decrease since 2022. (I’ll write/visualize this in an upcoming article.) But I want you to trust me and my data. Especially these days, when many people are using LLMs that I know are inserting faulty data into their charts, I want to keep earning my audience’s faith. So that’s the accurate data. RIGHT: IP Remains Very, Very Popular In July, I wrote a giant (and I mean giant) article on Backrooms, Obsession, and the box office, going over what we know, what we don’t know about what works in theaters, looking at YouTubers, IP, the horror genre, comic book movies, and a whole lot more. The month of August really tested a lot of my theses and, being honest, mostly supported my arguments. Let’s start with IP. Looking at 8-Aug (the weekend after Spider-Man: Brand New Day came out) to 18-Sep (the weekend that Resident Evil came out, which I think provides a nice bookend to this time period), there were seven films based on pre-existing IP: Resident Evil (2026) ($126 million) Practical Magic 2 ($65 million) _Insidious: Out of the Furthe_r ($65 million) Coyote Vs. Acme ($59 million) Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie ($53 million) Tony ($15 million) Super Troopers 3 ($7 million) Compare those to the notable original films from the past month—I actually could have included more movies, but here are just thirteen, bringing us to an even twenty films—including.... The End of Oak Street ($54 million) Buddy ($26 million) Mutiny ($15 million) By Any Means ($15 million) The Dog Stars ($14 million) Runner ($14 million) One Night Only ($11 million) Hope ($8 million) Spa Weekend ($7 million) The Uprising ($6 million) Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma ($6 million) Onslaught ($3 million) Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man ($2.8 million) Here’s that in chart form: Five of the top six films in this time period were all based on IP. I made a big chart of films that grossed over $200 million at the box office before Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey hit theaters. Let’s update that chart! By the way, if you want to see how I categorized each film—so another bar chart—here it is: I know that many of my fellow critics/pundits/analysts dislike films based on IP and how Hollywood is making so many of them. And I’m sympathetic to this point of view. As I’ve written many, many times before, you need a balance between existing franchises, new IP, and original films. And Hollywood clearly needs to make more films like Resident Evil (a well-made film from a visionary director) and fewer Practical Magic 2’s (which didn’t get critical or customer buzz). But at some point, critics and pundits need to contend with what audiences are telling them: Movie-goers aren’t showing up to original films. Audiences are speaking with their dollars, telling you they want more IP and franchises. You can try to convince studio heads to make fewer IP-based films and franchises, but the data and numbers aren’t there. Instead, critics need to work harder to convince audiences to show up for original films. Aim your ire/concern at the average person, not studio heads.2 Because they’re just making the films that audiences are telling them to make. WRONG: Original Horror Films Didn’t Break Out I’ll be honest, even though I wrote an article casting some skepticism on the horror genre in July, if you asked me to make a prediction, I would have predicted that, in August, a new, original horror film would have blown up. No, seriously, I just assumed that Obsession and Backrooms presaged a change in audience behavior. But none of the buzzy new original horror films from August—Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Onslaught (not an action film in spite of the ads), The End of Oak Street, Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man, or _Buddy—_broke out. To be clear, exactly one of those films (Buddy) had good “ROI”, but again—I try to be specific in my language—none were “popular” in any broad sense of the word. None of them will be “saving” movies theaters like Backrooms or _Obsession_helped save the summer. The new Insidious film and Resident Evil, both based on IP, were far and away the biggest horror films since July. (We’ll see if this changes in October/Halloween season.) RIGHT: Stay Skeptical about Crowdfunding... I’ve long been skeptical about crowd-investing platforms as one of Hollywood’s saviors, mainly because there’s so much hype/buzz. People need to stay more skeptical about more things, explaining both the potential upside but also the downsides. In particular, the media often hypes crowdfunding at the start and never checks in on the actual results after they’ve come in later. And August gave us our first update! _Ice Cream Man—_directed by Eli Roth—grossed $6 million off of a $5.5 million budget. This is a production of The Horror Section, which was one of the first “crowd investing” studios with 2,400 investors, which means that 2,400 investors probably lost money. They certainly aren’t getting as great of returns as if they had just invested their dollars in the stock market. Hopefully Stiletto (Tagline: “Someone’s Going to Make it Rain Blood!”) does better next month. WRONG: Another Data Goof Here’s another data error. When the first episode of House of the Dragon came out, HBO put out that it had 21.5 million viewers in the first three days, and I read that to mean in the US…but no, it was global. So my US-only datecdotes charts shouldn’t have included it. We never got US-only numbers for the first episode, but for the final episode, HBO put out that it had 11 million US viewers. (And that global dropped to 21 million viewers.) Here’s the updated chart (which I’ve since used in the Streaming Ratings Report): Still, this show is absolutely huge. RIGHT: Superhero Films Remain Very, Very Popular After Supergirl flopped, I read a few takes that “comic book movies are going the way of the Western”. Post-Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that take didn’t age well. To be fair, I have a very nuanced take on the superhero genre right now; it’s down right now, for a lot of reasons. But it’s not “dead”. Maybe _Spider-_Man is just a really popular character? I saw that take, and it’s a fair counter-argument. (But pundits arguing that superhero movies were dead should have mentioned this $1.5 billion counter-argument…) But is it just Spider-Man? The next Avengers film already has $50 million in pre-sales (and I was skeptical that that film would do well) and the Avengers: End Game re-release topped the box office two weekends ago (over three original films). And I wouldn’t bet against Batman or Superman. So maybe it’s just Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and the Avengers. Oh, and Deadpool, of course. And Black Panther. And Wolverine. And probably the X-Men. Plus a well-made Wonder Woman or the Hulk film could break out. But that’s it! It’s just those ten characters/teams. Oh, what’s that? Lanterns is also doing well on HBO? (See previous section…) To be fair, I’m actually pretty sympathetic to the argument that more popular characters—like Spider-Man and Batman—anchor more popular films. In fact, I made that exact argument three years ago when I first wrote about the “Marvel-cession”. In many ways, you can blame The Guardians of the Galaxy for fooling Marvel Studios (and the rest of us) into believing that any character could pop. It turns out, the list of iconic characters is probably smaller than most people think. But it’s probably too early to say that superhero films and comic book movies are dead unless “death” means a slight decline over a longtime. RIGHT: Who Killed Theaters? Old People I get frustrated whenever I see headlines or analysis about how young people are “returning” to theaters. As I’ve detailed(for years), young people have always powered the US box office, despite narratives about “kids these days” and their “phones”. Really, what’s changed post-2020/pandemic is that old people aren’t going to the movies nearly as much. This summer, I saw a movie (from an older director) in a theater near a retirement community, and multiple older people at the theater were talking about how this was their first time seeing a movie in years. I dislike personal anecdotes, so YouGov can fill in the data, best summarized by this headline: “Who killed movie theaters? Not the youths”. According to them, 64% of people aged 18-29 have seen a movie in the last year, but only 30% of 65-and-older. 20% of 18-29 have seen a movie in theaters in the last week and 42% in the last month. Here’s the polling data: Most concerning? Many Americans (17%) think theaters are a worse or much worse experience than watching films at home. Slight WRONG: Hadestown Opens Big A live theater capture of the Broadway musical, Hadestown, made $20 million at the US box office, which begs the question: was I wrong to be skeptical about musicals a few years ago? Yes and no. On the one hand, $20 million is a far cry from being “popular”, so yeah, the genre isn’t that popular overall and Hadestown is one of the more popular musicals from recent years (i.e. the “Taylor Swift Data Fallacy” in action). On the other, I doubt filming this cost all that much, and I don’t think that they spent much on marketing, so this is a good source of ancillary revenue. Smaller Updates WRONG: As I mentioned in a Streaming Ratings Report, I underestimated the budget for Enola Holmes 3. It probably cost more like $50 million, if not more. But... I’m not sure that it really matters? At sub-10 million hours, prices have to come down to make this work. WRONG: Netflix is giving Ink a 27-day in theaters! To quote the kids/YouTubers these days, let’s go! Now I might actually have a chance to see Danny Boyle’s latest in theaters. I’d complained about this in a “Coming Soon” section, but I was heartened to read that Netflix is giving multiple films longer theatrical windows this year. RIGHT: Netflix is sending 4-5 films per year to theaters. Netflix is slowly but surely sending more and more films to theaters, as I cautiously predicted earlier this year. For now, it’s just three big films and a number of awards contenders, but still, this is great news. And they’ll be releasing box office grosses! Just this week, Ted Sarandos confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will come to theaters (and my guess is it performs in the box office top ten at a minimum). WRONG: Angel has 3 million subscribers! How do I know this? Well, they told Deadline, who reported it. I marked this as “wrong”, since they’ve doubled their subscribers in one year but, you know, they don’t really have a hit film to speak of and they’re still losing money. WRONG: Furious was only renewed for one more season. I accidentally wrote “two more seasons” in my latest “Renewals, Cancellations, Un-Orders and Removals Update”. RIGHT: House of David is ending with its third season. In July, Prime Video renewed House of David for a third season, as I just wrote in my latest “Renewals and Cancellations” report. Well, now it’s ending after that third season. Why? As I’ve been writing, its viewership wasn’t great. I got feedback that this show didn’t cost very much, but it cost enough that its limited viewership didn’t save it. WRONG: Adults was a Hulu original! So I missed Adults when it first came out last year; I saw that it aired on FX and just assumed that it was a linear-first program. Turns out, it aired three episodes on FX, but binge-released the rest of its episodes the next day on Hulu. Huh. So I should have covered it last year! But I just wrote about it. 1 “When I was a kid in the 90s, if you wore a t-shirt to school that wasn’t too big and also wasn’t too small, but somehow didn’t quite fit, we’d say you were wearing an “extra-medium” shirt.” 2 As always, a huge exception is Disney, which barely makes anything original anymore.
Attorney general candidates set to clash on Spectrum News
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State police launch skill game compliance info webpage
PSP has opened a new webpage to help business owners better understand compliance requirements for the removal of skill game machines. Starting Oct. 14, business owners may be subject to criminal charges for maintaining the machines.
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Some furloughed Star Wars Zero Company developers are returning to work, studio says
Bit Reactor, the Maryland based company, behind this summer’s well-received tactical combat game Star Wars Zero Company says that “more” of its team is returning to work after being furloughed ahead of the game’s release. This is the studio’s first statement on the matter since Game File’s August report that “most” of the development team had been furloughed—technically kept as employees, but without pay or benefits—a few weeks prior to launch. Some of those furloughs ended this week. “This week, we started the process of returning more of our team back to work at Bit Reactor, an important step forward in our continued support for Zero Company, “ Bit Reactor CEO Greg Foertsch said in a statement. He continued: “Having to ask team members to step away after we navigated unexpected business developments outside of our control and so close to launch was an incredibly difficult decision, but one that was necessary to help us eventually bring as many people back as possible. “This team means a tremendous amount to me, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together. Thank you to our fans for the incredible response to the game and for supporting us along this journey. We look forward to sharing more updates regarding Bit Reactor and Zero Company soon.” Game File reported in August that Bit Reactor had retained a small team to work on updates for Zero Company. One person familiar with the situation told Game File that the returns announced today bring the studio’s pay-rolled headcount to more than half of what it had been ahead of the furloughs. That means a considerable number of people have been brought back, but that a fair number also remain without pay. While companies in the U.S. are often legally required to publicly disclose how many people they’ve laid off, furloughs can often be kept private, for a time. The United States Department of Labor requires companies to publicly report mass furloughs if they meet specific criteria, including any expectation that they will last more than six months. For those game makers who remain furloughed by Bit Reactor, it’s now been about two months. For more about Bit Reactor, the furloughs, the studio’s back-story and the ongoing lawsuit that brought this to light, read my August report. [ ‘Most’ of Star Wars Zero Company studio Bit Reactor was furloughed ahead of launch ](https://www.gamefile.news/p/star-wars-zero-company-bit-reactor-furloughs-lawsuit) Stephen Totilo · Sep 1 Last week was meant to be a moment of triumph for Bit Reactor, the Maryland-based game studio founded in 2021 with ambitions to create a great new tactical combat game. [ Read full story ](https://www.gamefile.news/p/star-wars-zero-company-bit-reactor-furloughs-lawsuit)
What Will the Best Version of the Magic Look Like Under Sean Sweeney?
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Iconic Kentucky football throwback uniforms go viral with rave reviews
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Lawmakers withdraw request to delay skill game crackdown
Harrisburg, Pa. — Four state lawmakers, including Sen. Gene Yaw, have withdrawn their request asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to delay enforcement against skill game machines until February.
Lawmakers withdraw request to delay skill game crackdown
Harrisburg, Pa. — Four state lawmakers, including Sen. Gene Yaw, have withdrawn their request asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to delay enforcement against skill game machines until February.