Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the most ambitious new IPs created by veteran game studio Atlus, incorporating elements of its other major RPG franchises while giving it a distinctive high fantasy twist with elements like the bizarre "human" monsters. If there were one thing that Metaphor: ReFantazio has in common with its contemporaries in Atlus' lineup, though, it's that after you play it, you often suffer an insatiable craving for another game just like it.

The Nick is a meta-horror game, blending psychological thrills and RPG elements, will immerse players in a chilling, surreal experience within an abandoned mansion. The game will launch on March 11, 2025, on Steam.

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Faced With a Fractured Base, a Desperate Harris Campaign Turns to... Republicans

Spotify’s new cover art maker is fun, and surprisingly not AI. | Image: Spotify Spotify now has a new “Create cover art” option for playlists that lets you make custom collages to represent your playlists. The beta feature, which is available for both free and Spotify Premium members, is launching for English users in 65 markets. The company says it partnered with artists like Ugly Primo, who designed Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti album cover, and Cey Adams, who has worked on albums and logos for The Notorious B.I.G and Beastie Boys. I gave it a shot and produced the masterpiece below, using a picture I took of a possum that was lurking outside my kid’s bedroom one night. It’s a pleasantly robust image maker, with layering, various effects, and the ability to rotate or change the size of images. It’s still in beta,... Continue reading…

Three advocacy groups are trying to amp up the pressure on Google for allegedly destroying company records. The American Economic Liberties Project, Check My Ads, and the Tech Oversight Project are urging the State Bar of California to investigate Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs and a member of the Bar. They claim Walker “coached” the company “to engage in widespread and illegal destruction of records relevant to multiple ongoing federal trials.” In a letter shared exclusively with The Verge, the groups point to a 2008 memo Walker sent to employees while he served as general counsel. The so-called Walker Memo was highlighted in the Department of Justice’s recent antitrust trial, one of multiple cases where Google has... Continue reading…

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images A group of Democratic lawmakers are urging the Justice Department to prosecute tax prep companies accused of improperly sharing user information with Meta and Google through their advertising pixels. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), are calling on the DOJ to take action against tax prep companies that they say failed to protect taxpayer privacy. In a new letter shared exclusively with The Verge, the lawmakers advance their previous calls for law enforcers to investigate these companies. All this is the latest in a series of events that kicked off after The Markup published a report in 2022 revealing how tax prep companies shared financial information with Meta and... Continue reading…

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge For years, we’ve heard that over-the-counter hearing aids were about to be amazing. They’d look like headphones and seem totally socially inconspicuous; they’d be able to help you tune the sound around you to exactly your needs in every situation. It’s a nice idea, but we haven’t seen much product to back it up. With a new software update coming to Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 earbuds next week, it all might be starting to come true. On this episode of The Vergecast, The Verge’s Chris Welch takes us through his experience with Apple’s new hearing health features, including the surprisingly intense and emotional hearing test you can take right on your phone. We talk about the changing social norms of headphones, what it means that Apple is now... Continue reading…

Here are some of the AI tools that Canva is increasing prices for. | Image: Canva Canva has added a bunch of new AI features to its web-based design platform, including updates for generating text and video effects and a more powerful text-to-image app. The latter is called “Dream Lab” — a new image generator tool born from Canva’s acquisition of generative AI startup Leonardo.ai earlier this year. Dream Lab is powered by Leonardo’s Phoenix model (not be be confused with Adobe’s Firefly AI) and allows users to generate images from descriptions in a variety of styles like “3D render” and “Illustration.” Canva already has its own Stable Diffusion-based AI image generator and hosts several other third-party apps, but the new Dream Lab offering introduces some improvements to the platform. It’s seemingly better at... Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft Microsoft is refreshing its Xbox Wireless Headset today, adding an upgraded microphone and improving the battery life. The refreshed headset will also support Dolby Atmos at no extra cost and Bluetooth 5.3. This updated model has similar rotating ear cup dials to the original, letting you adjust volume and game / audio chat balance. Microsoft has tweaked the design slightly on the outside, removing the green accent in favor of an all-black look. Image: Microsoft The new all-black design. The upgraded microphone includes auto-mute and voice isolation to minimize background noise. You can also directly pair this headset with Xbox consoles or mobile devices and PCs through the Bluetooth 5.3 support. While the... Continue reading…