2025 was an amazing year for video games. There were so many excellent games released, offering a huge range of experiences. From big-budget, ambitious titles to smaller games that prove surprisingly deep and engaging, there was something for everyone.
Recently, information surfaced indicating that Pokemon Legends: Z-A was developed with a budget of only about $13 million. This is significantly less than the large budgets – often in the hundreds of millions – typically seen for major, high-profile games. Former Nintendo employees Krysta Yang and Kit Ellis discussed this leak on their YouTube channel, suggesting that Pokemon Legends: Z-A only needed to sell 200,000 copies to cover its costs, compared to the millions required for most AAA titles. However, a smaller budget isn’t necessarily a negative, particularly for a Pokemon game.
New research explores how quantum anamorphic encryption and secret sharing can conceal messages within seemingly normal quantum communications, offering enhanced security against even the most powerful adversaries.
Solana ($SOL), that fickle maiden, hath jumped 5% as the x402 protocol doth stir the speculative pot. A blockchain so lively, it makes the court jesters blush! 🎭
Since the game came out, many new games inspired by it have pushed the boundaries even further, offering increasingly refined and diverse combat experiences. Some clearly take inspiration from Bloodborne, while others explore unique approaches, proving that difficult and fast-paced gameplay can be achieved in many different ways.
Although Minecraft is known for its unique challenges, Doom from 1993 arguably takes the lead. Over time, players and programmers have pushed the limits by getting Doom to run on unexpected devices – everything from DSLR cameras and medical scanners to thermostats. But playing Doom using only printed screenshots is a particularly unusual feat, even for the Doom challenge community.
In ARC Raiders, you’ll fight ARC enemies and search for valuable loot, all while watching out for other players who might attack. Because you lose everything you’re carrying when you die, exploring the world is risky and requires careful planning and skill. While some players want a mode where they can play against the environment only, the developers recently explained why adding that option would actually make the game worse.
These games are all about stealth and strategy. You’ll need to carefully move through environments, listen for enemies, and hope the wind doesn’t give you away. It’s a tense experience that relies on your skill, a little bit of luck, and a lot of patience. If you enjoy the rewarding feeling of successfully tracking and ‘catching’ something after a challenging hunt, you’ll likely love these open-world adventures.
Researchers have developed an enhanced quantum key distribution protocol leveraging systematic polar coding to improve key generation rates and performance.
In a post on X that was undoubtedly more dramatic than necessary, Glassnode analyst Chris Beamish (who clearly has too much time on his hands) has chronicled Bitcoin’s latest existential crisis through the lens of the MVRV Z-Score. This indicator, much like society’s judgment of one’s choice in waistcoats, compares Bitcoin’s market cap with its Realized Cap – which is essentially asking, “Darling, are you worth what you think you’re worth?”
