Nearly 30 years after Core Design’s planned Nintendo 64 version of Tomb Raider was canceled, a homebrew developer known as Snake has demonstrated a work-in-progress port running on N64 hardware via the Analogue 3D. Built from scratch using the TRX decompilation approach alongside libdragon and Tiny3D, the project reportedly implements most of the full game but still faces major bugs and performance constraints, with no release date or ROM distribution confirmed.

Nearly 30 years after Core Design’s planned Nintendo 64 version of Tomb Raider was canceled, a homebrew developer known as Snake has demonstrated a work-in-progress port running on N64 hardware via the Analogue 3D. Built from scratch using the TRX decompilation approach alongside libdragon and Tiny3D, the project reportedly implements most of the full game but still faces major bugs and performance constraints, with no release date or ROM distribution confirmed.

Sony has raised prices on its Certified Refurbished PS5 Slim consoles by $100, pushing the Digital Edition to $499.99 and the disc-drive model to $549.99. With the $399 PS5 Fortnite bundle sold out and new PS5 models already more expensive, sub-$400 options are rapidly disappearing, leaving the older “Fat” refurbished PS5 at $399 as one of the last budget alternatives.

Fallout creator and veteran CRPG designer Tim Cain criticizes the rise of YouTube and Twitch influencer culture, arguing that many players now “abdicate their own judgment” by letting online personalities dictate what to buy and how to feel about games. In his video “How the Internet Changed Game Design,” Cain says this shift has also pressured developers to design for streamable clips and rigid genre labels, a trend he calls unhealthy for game design.

Lego and Sega’s newly revealed Sega Genesis set (40926) launches June 1, 2026, for $39.99 with 479 pieces, detachable controllers, and a plug-in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cartridge, but its compact size and sticker-heavy build have drawn immediate criticism. Fans online say it lacks the detail and premium feel of Lego’s larger retro console kits, particularly the 2,646-piece NES set, and some argue even the earlier Genesis Controller gift-with-purchase model looks more faithful.

Takuya “Tom” Shiraiwa was Capcom’s de facto one-man localization operation in 1990, translating game text while simultaneously managing overseas arcade board sales and serving as the main conduit between Japan and Capcom’s U.S. offices. His recent interview highlights both his growing influence and the workload and compensation pressures that ultimately pushed him to leave for Square Enix in 2004.

Newly unsealed emails from 2018, disclosed amid the Elon Musk–Sam Altman lawsuit, show Valve cofounder Gabe Newell offering to connect game director Hideo Kojima with OpenAI and asking Musk to host him for a SpaceX tour after Kojima expressed interest in AI and a lifelong desire to go to space. Musk replied that Kojima was welcome to visit the rocket factory and provided an email contact, corroborating Kojima’s later public recollections and underscoring how spaceflight has remained a recurring theme in his work and public statements.

Spiders, the studio behind Greedfall and Steelrising, has shut down and entered liquidation weeks after releasing Greedfall II prequel Greedfall: The Dying World, becoming the first major casualty of parent company Nacon’s insolvency. The French union STJV condemned the closure as a deliberate management choice, as Nacon’s financial crisis, sparked by a failed €43 million bond repayment and an unsuccessful effort to sell subsidiaries, raises fears that more studios could follow.

Palit has confirmed that Galax is not exiting the GPU market, clarifying that a now-deleted regional post about redirecting RMA and warranty claims fueled incorrect shutdown reports. The company says operations and product development will continue as normal, with Galax, KFA2, and Hall of Fame brand management being centralized under Palit’s Taiwan headquarters as part of an efficiency-driven restructuring.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 director Naoki Hamaguchi says development is progressing smoothly and that he has already completed more than 40 full playthroughs of the still-unfinished finale to ensure a high level of polish. While the concluding entry remains without an official title or release date, Hamaguchi indicated an announcement is in preparation, fueling speculation of a summer reveal and a potential launch in early 2027.

Warhorse Studios addressed backlash over alleged AI-driven translation practices during a Reddit AMA, following outrage sparked by the departure of a Czech-to-English translator who said his role was being replaced by AI. The studio insisted AI is only used in early production, not in final game content, and said it is hiring human English translators while teasing a “huge immersive RPG” without confirming its identity.

Reports from Chinese industry forums and leakers claim Nvidia will restart production of the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB in June 2026, with add-in board partners targeting a July launch to offset delays and uncertainty around an entry-level RTX 50-series release amid ongoing GPU and memory shortages. The move would rely on newly fabbed Samsung 8nm Ampere chips rather than clearing old stock, but pricing and supply remain key uncertainties that will determine whether the card can credibly serve budget buyers.

Preorders for Plaion Replai and SNK’s 1:1 Neo Geo AES+ reproduction have hit a snag in the U.S. and Canada, where buyers currently can’t order directly from Plaion’s site due to state-by-state tax registration requirements triggered by unexpectedly high demand. Plaion is directing customers to Amazon for the $249.99 standard and $349.99 Anniversary editions with a listed November 12, 2026 delivery, while the $1,000 REPLAI-exclusive Ultimate Edition remains unavailable until compliance is completed around late May.

Fallout co-creator Tim Cain says his YouTube channel is nearing its end, as he has run out of topics after three years of sharing industry stories and development advice. In the same update, Cain suggested he may build one final game before retiring again, while noting he doesn’t want to create another Fallout entry or a new IP that enriches others.

Valve co-founder Gabe Newell’s decade-old claim that consoles have shifted from bespoke graphics designs to PC-derived hardware has largely been validated, with modern systems relying on x86 architectures and AMD-based GPUs alongside PC-like features such as upscaling. As Valve and Microsoft move toward PC–console hybrids—via a new Steam Machine iteration and the rumored “Project Helix”—the divide between console and PC ecosystems continues to narrow, emphasizing shared hardware foundations and cross-library play.

A rare $5,100 MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z became unbootable after its owner attempted a DIY resistor mod, tearing pads and PCB traces near the GPU die. California repair specialist NorthridgeFix rebuilt the damaged traces and replaced missing components without schematics or donor boards, restoring the card to a successful POST pending full reassembly and stress testing.

Commodore is expanding its FPGA-based Commodore 64 revival with the new “Slimline” C64C Ultimate, a sleeker Amiga-inspired redesign that keeps the same cycle-accurate core while adding modern conveniences like HDMI, Wi‑Fi, turbo mode, extra RAM, and multiple SID options. Commodore is also using the original 1986 injection-molding tooling to recreate the C64C shell, but that fidelity comes at a premium with preorders priced from $299.99 to $499.99 depending on the edition.

Resident Evil: Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa is urging players to finish the main campaign during Japan’s Golden Week, as a May mini-game DLC will only unlock after completing the story at least once. Director Koshi Nakanishi says the mode focuses on Requiem’s combat, evoking Resident Evil 4 Remake’s Mercenaries, and confirms a separate story DLC is also in development, though details remain under wraps.

Modder Chris Hackmann (LeggoMyFroggo) has built the Time Frog Color, a 38 mm wristwatch that runs Game Boy Color games on original GBC hardware and accepts tiny physical cartridges, with an RP2040 handling display signal translation while preserving basic timekeeping when powered off. The build is an impressive, if impractical proof of concept, hampered by a very small screen, clunky controls, limited battery life, and no audio.

In a new YouTube retrospective, Fallout: New Vegas lead designer Josh Sawyer explains that Obsidian’s iconic “where are they now” ending slides for side quests were selected largely on director-driven instinct rather than narrative importance. He cites the NCR quest “Flags of Our Foul-Ups” as a key example, where a dark player outcome, drugging the Misfits with Psycho, inspired a dedicated slide imagining their descent into war crimes and eventual execution.

In a 2003 interview with Sweden’s Superplay magazine, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto addressed the growing popularity of Grand Theft Auto by arguing that Nintendo’s role was not to imitate Rockstar’s darker style, but to “produce alternatives.” He emphasized a design philosophy aimed at both children and adults while urging developers to observe moral and ethical boundaries, reflecting an approach Nintendo has largely maintained since.

Square Enix announced at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest 2026 that the MMORPG will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 in August 2026 with Early Access, offering a new portable option alongside its existing PC, PlayStation, and Xbox versions. The move comes with a notable drawback: Switch 2 players must pay for the game and then maintain a separate monthly subscription on top of any existing FFXIV sub, though no Nintendo Switch Online membership is required and current owners elsewhere will get 50% off Switch 2 Entry/Standard subscription tiers.

Nick Apostolides, the voice of Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem, says past live-action Resident Evil films left him disappointed but that he is “cautiously optimistic” about Zach Cregger’s upcoming reboot. Citing Cregger’s recent horror successes and early footage shown at CinemaCon, Apostolides adds he trusts the director to deliver “a good film first and foremost” that still retains key Resident Evil elements.

Sega has launched “Sega Universe,” an initiative designed to revive its classic franchises and expand them beyond games into film, music, fashion, and other entertainment. The first phase centers on 2026 anniversary projects for nine retro titles, ranging from Fantasy Zone and Out Run to NiGHTS into Dreams and Sakura Wars, as Sega builds on its broader transmedia strategy proven by Sonic.

Atari has acquired emulation specialist Implicit Conversions, adding the studio’s proprietary Syrup engine to accelerate the revival of 32-bit-era games, starting with PlayStation support and early PlayStation 2 work, on modern platforms. The deal bolsters Atari’s retro-focused strategy alongside Digital Eclipse, expanding its in-house tooling and talent to re-release titles from its own catalog and partner IP back catalogs.

Ubisoft has opened pre-orders for Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced, launching July 9, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with pre-order bonuses and a $59.99 Standard and $69.99 Digital Deluxe edition adding new cosmetics and packs. The headline $199.99 Collector’s Edition, currently sold out, includes the physical game and a 12-inch Edward Kenway statue plus premium extras, while the remake promises a visual overhaul, revamped combat, updated parkour and stealth, no loading screens, and new story content.

Square Enix says it has reached a court-backed settlement with a Final Fantasy XIV content creator accused of harassing staff, securing an apology, financial compensation, and a ban on similar conduct after obtaining the uploader’s identification. The move follows a recent case against the blog Netoge Sokuho and coincides with another FF14 news aggregator, Umadori Sokuho, voluntarily shutting down and issuing an apology amid the company’s broader anti-harassment push.

A Counter-Strike 2 LAN final at CAGGTUS Leipzig erupted into violence when Berlin-based streamer Maurizio “MAUschine” Weber punched opponent Fabian “Spidergum” Salomon during the awards ceremony after allegedly being taunted with his own catchphrase. Organizers and regulators responded swiftly, issuing escalating sanctions that culminated in an Esports Integrity Commission lifetime ban, alongside regional bans and a Twitch suspension.