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Chris
4d ago
Christopher Barrett, the former director of Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter Marathon, has settled the defamation and breach-of-contract lawsuit he filed against Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie in December 2024. Barrett had sought over $200 million (approximately 30 billion yen) in damages, alleging that the companies fabricated sexual harassment allegations to avoid paying him share compensation and retention bonuses owed after Sony's acquisition of Bungie in 2022. The lawsuit was initially dismissed by the Delaware Court of Chancery in December 2025 on jurisdictional grounds, and Barrett refiled in the Delaware Superior Court in January 2026. On July 9, 2026, a joint statement from all parties announced the settlement. Terms were not disclosed, but Barrett said he was "very satisfied with the result." As part of the resolution, his name has been added to the credits of Marathon as "Original Game Director." Barrett was fired in March 2024 after an internal investigation found he had made inappropriate comments about female subordinates' appearances and relationships.
4d ago
NEOWIZ has appointed Chris Chung, former CPO of Wargaming, as head of its new Global Business Group. The company also restructured into three business units: New Game Development Group, Global Business Group, and Live Game Business Group. The move aims to strengthen global publishing and IP portfolio after the success of Lies of P.
5d ago
The final US trailer for Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' has been released, along with the announcement of simultaneous IMAX screenings. The film, an adaptation of the ancient Greek epic, stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. It is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras.
Jul 2
Ubisoft has appointed Christoph Hartmann as General Manager of Creative House 2, a new business unit focused on competitive, cooperative, and tactical games. Hartmann, former president of 2K Games and vice president of Amazon Games, will oversee IPs including The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, and the recently acquired MOBA March of Giants. The appointment is part of Ubisoft's ongoing organizational restructuring under a three-year plan.
Jul 1
Universal Pictures has released 'The Odyssey: Defy the Gods,' the official Roblox game for Christopher Nolan's upcoming film 'Odyssey,' on Roblox and other platforms. The multiplayer nautical action-adventure game lets players sail with companions, gather supplies, and overcome obstacles like storms and whirlpools. An event offers the limited gold avatar item 'Helmet of Agamemnon.' The game carries an 18+ age rating on Roblox.
Jun 30
Netflix is developing a live-action television series based on Atlus and Sega's Persona video game franchise, according to a report from Variety. The project has Christopher Monfette attached as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Monfette's credits include the final two seasons of Star Trek: Picard, 12 Monkeys, and 9-1-1. The series will be produced by 21 Laps Entertainment, the company behind Stranger Things, and Story Kitchen, the production outfit founded by Sonic the Hedgehog film producer Dmitri M. Johnson. Sega's Toru Nakahara, who produced the Sonic movie series, will also serve as an executive producer. Additional executive producers include Shawn Levy, Robert Atwood, Dan Levine, Michael Lawrence Goldberg, and Timothy I. Stevenson. Variety's report did not specify whether the adaptation will follow the story of a specific Persona game. The Persona franchise, which launched in 1996 as a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei series, has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The franchise includes six numbered titles and multiple spin-off games. Netflix declined to comment on the report. The series would join Netflix's growing catalog of video game adaptations, which includes The Witcher, Arcane, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
Jun 29
Cygames released a new "Umamusume Pretty Derby" commercial featuring jockeys Yutaka Take and Christophe Lemaire. The "Rich Flavor" edition is themed around ramen, tying into the new training scenario. Lemaire sings a homage to the 1992 Sharan Q song "Ramen Daisuki Koike-san no Uta" in the ad. A second CM with Uma Musume characters also launched.
Jun 28
Obsidian Entertainment announced that Grounded 2 will launch early access on PS5 starting August 11, 2026, with cross-play and cross-progression across Xbox, PC, and PS5. Game director Chris Parker detailed the new Buggy mount system, which functions as a combat companion and inventory carrier, and confirmed an amphibious Buggy type coming in the August Into the Abyss update.
Jun 16
Chris and Sylvia discuss the lasting impact of the Touhou Project on gaming, manga, and fan culture. The column follows last week's reveal of a full remake of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, the sixth main-series game, which is getting an official English release on modern platforms.
Jun 10
Christopher Nolan's 2014 film Interstellar will be screened in full at Tokyo International Forum on September 26, 2026, with a live performance of Hans Zimmer's score by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor Matt Dunkley and organist Charlie Andrews travel to Japan for the event. Advance tickets went on sale June 10.
Jun 5
To promote Christopher Nolan's film 'The Odyssey', IMAX has created a popcorn bucket shaped like an IMAX film camera. Priced at $50, it sold out quickly after online sales began on June 4. The bucket includes a viewfinder showing a scene from the film in IMAX aspect ratio.
May 28
Anime News Network's Sylvia and Chris discuss the growing trend of female protagonists in shonen manga, using Akane-banashi as a key example of a series that executes shonen tropes with a female lead without relying on fanservice.