Blumhouse wasnt going to publish a game in 2024. The studio, one of the leading names in horror films, announced in February 2023 that it was launching a video game publishing business and executives were scouting projects from independent teams with budgets under $10 million. The goal of Blumhouse Games was to support a few rad horror titles per year, with a tentative plan to start publishing them in 2025.
But then, in September 2023, the Blumhouse folks stumbled across Fear the Spotlight. It was a moody, voxelized horror game about two friends sneaking around their haunted high school and communing with the ghosts of students that died in a fire in the 90s. Spooky shenanigans and mysterious puzzles ensued, all presented in third-person and with a gritty PS One aesthetic. Fear the Spotlight was a PC game made by Crista Castro and Bryan Singh of Cozy Game Pals, a husband-and-wife team with impressive professional credentials: Castro was an art director at Nickelodeon and the art lead on the Animaniacs reboot, and Singh was a programmer who worked on The Last of Us and Uncharted series and Journey. They left their corporate jobs and founded Cozy Game Pals during the pandemic, and Fear the Spotlight was their first major project together.
Cozy Game Pals
Fear the Spotlight didnt have a particularly buzzy debut, but a few weeks after it hit Steam, Blumhouse Games president Zach Wood and creative lead Louise Blain happened to spot it on Twitter. Castro told Engadget how it went down:
Zach found it, and he and Louise Blain sat down and played it together and were like, oh my gosh, this is exactly the kind of game that we want to be publishing, this is really great. Let's reach out to them and see, do they need any help? Is there something here that we can work together on?
Meanwhile, yes, we did need help, Singh added, laughing. We had released it, but we had no idea how to get people to know about it. The people that were finding it were saying very positive things, and we're like, OK, that's great, but now what do we do? We know how to make things, but we don't know anything else about marketing.
Blumhouse signed Cozy Game Pals and asked how they could help improve Fear the Spotlight. At first, Castro and Singh suggested porting it to consoles and adding additional languages, basic things to get the existing game in front of more players.
They were excited about the idea, but then they also offered more time, Singh said. They asked, what would you do if you had an extra year to work on it?
The opportunity to expand Fear the Spotlight caught Castro and Singh by surprise. It also scared them, at first.
Cozy Game Pals
We had never really considered a significant addition to the game before that, Singh said. And we also had what we thought was a finished game that we were really proud of. So it was really, really difficult to figure out how to add to a thing that we felt was finished; we didn't want to ruin it. Part of it is our taste and our work, but also part of it feels like black magic. Like, if we mess with it, is it going to come out in a way that we're proud of?
Castro and Singh took the chance. On October 26, 2023, about one month after Fear the Spotlights debut, they removed it from Steam with the promise that theyd add new gameplay, console versions and localization features. They didnt mention Blumhouse at the time. Behind the scenes, Blumhouse Games gave Cozy Game Pals one year to create the definitive version of Fear the Spotlight, with no creative restrictions.
The revamped version of Fear the Spotlight came out on Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X/S on October 22, 2024, developed by Cozy Game Pals and published by Blumhouse Games. Its the first game in Blumhouses publishing roster, which includes future titles from EYES OUT, Half Mermaid, Perfect Garbage, Playmestudio and Vermila Studios.
Cozy Game Pals used the year of extra development time well. Rather than messing with the black magic of the original, Castro and Singh added an entirely new segment, doubling the games run time and expanding on their initial ideas in sophisticated, extra-horrific ways. Fear the Spotlight, by the way, is an excellent horror experience. It has low-poly environments, low-res textures and grainy CRT effects, but its animations are smooth and the camera uses friendly third-person controls, nailing the nostalgia without compromising modern conveniences. The story revolves around two teenage friends, Vivian and Amy, and takes them on individual but connected journeys through twisted, spirit-infested versions of reality. Their dialogue and personalities feel authentic, and their emotions are incredibly relatable, whether in the face of unspeakable horrors or just when talking to a crush. It has a few good jump scares, too.
Cozy Game Pals
The first half of Fear the Spotlight is packed with satisfying puzzles, spooky phantoms and tense hide-and-seek mechanics. The second half, created after Blumhouses intervention, adds layers of emotional depth and introduces a truly terrifying foe. Vivian is the main playable character in the original version and Amy's story takes center stage in the expanded content.
The first Vivian story was really us figuring out how to make this game, Castro said. But then by the time we were making Amy's, we had so many lessons learned. I feel like the monster is better, the puzzles are better, the storytelling is more streamlined. The second half wraps it up really nicely.
On top of handling the art, Castro was the main writer on Fear the Spotlight, while Singh handled programming. Castro was the diehard horror fan in the relationship he was a Resident Evil boy, she was a Silent Hill girl (read to the theme of Avril Lavignes Sk8er Boi) and together, they wanted to capture the fun of being scared in video game form. Fear the Spotlight draws from their personal lives and memories of high school, when every emotion felt new, extreme and sometimes silly. From this lens, Fear the Spotlight also deftly handles serious topics like loss, death, prejudice and love.
It's just such an impactful time in our, in most people's lives, Castro said. I grew up playing these games in the 90s or in the early 2000s, like Silent Hill one and two and three. So thinking back to high school and how I felt, writing the story was just like, I can only write from my own personal experience. Having a crush and feeling awkward, and when you actually bond with someone, how special that is.
Singh continued the thread, saying, I think the home-life stuff we bond over a lot of our shared experience, which is also represented in the game. Families are complicated, family structures. Having a father that's not present in your life, or the loss of a very close family member, it just changes you and affects you. Those are just pulled from our lives.
Castro and Singh lovingly described Blumhouse Games as a scrappy team of horror fans, with fewer than 10 people supporting a handful of projects at once, and doing so while trying to prove themselves in a new market. On top of handling trailers and press for Fear the Spotlights re-release, the Blumhouse crew helped Cozy Game Pals find a contractor to do a logo and key art, a porting company to help get the game on consoles, and a localization team. More than any of that, though, Castro and Singh said the people at Blumhouse Games seem to truly enjoy the projects theyve signed.
They've just been the ideal partner, incredibly supportive, Castro said. They really let us decide everything for our game, the game is completely our vision. We would show them prototypes and level designs and of course, they had feedback and thoughts, but yeah
They know our game really well, Singh said. They're genuine fans of the original release. They know our game intimately and can talk to us about our ideas from a very informed perspective.
Castro concluded, They come from it from a support perspective. Like, how can we help you guys create your vision that you care about, that you're happy with. It's been amazing.
Fear the Spotlight is available now for $20 on Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X/S.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-fear-the-spotlight-became-blumhouses-first-video-game-140044877.html?src=rss
Though it disappeared over 40 years ago, International Harvester is a mythical brand in North America thanks in part to the Scout, one of the world's first SUVs. Now, Scout Motors is back under Volkswagen as an all-new marque and just revealed its first two models: the Terra pickup and Traveler SUV. Both use a brand-new EV platform and will start at under $60,000 before incentives when production launches in 2027.
Scout motors says its "priority was to honor the spirit of the original Scout," sold by International from 1961 to 1980 in various forms. Though the Traveler and Terra clearly have modern designs, they use rounded contours and a "black mask" on the front and rear fascias to invoke the older models. They also come with separate bumpers and upward-sweeping side windows, again reminiscent of the classic Scout.
ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
Other design elements are fully modern, like a thin LED strip around the "grill" and rectangular headlights bisected by slim daytime running lights. (The models shown here are 85 percent of what we'll see in final production vehicles, Scout said).
The original Scout and International 150 pickup were practical and tough (we called it "Inter-smashable" back in the day), and the new models will keep some of those aspects. Both have body-on-frame construction with a solid rear axle, along with front and rear locking hubs for off-road use. They'll offer 2,000 pounds of payload along with 7,000 pounds of towing capacity for the Traveler and 10,000 pounds for the Terra pickup. Both will come with all-wheel drive via front and rear electric motors.
ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
That should keep working and outdoorsy buyers happy, but the vehicles can also raise your hairs. Both will accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds thanks to an estimated 1,000 pound-feet of torque and four-wheel-drive system, though Scout has yet to provide a top speed.
The base trim package will offer up to 350 miles of range while the extended range version is effectively a hybrid that will go up to 500 miles using a gas-powered range extender. Charging times aren't mentioned, but they'll use an 800-volt architecture that supports up to 350 kW speeds. It will also feature bidirectional charging and vehicle-to-home capabilities, along with over-the-air updates and remote diagnostics.
Scout Motors
The cabin is as far as it can be from the spartan interior on the originals. It looks luxurious and high-tech with a digital cluster and large displays, along with a promised "responsive" infotainment system and high-resolution backup cameras. At the same time, it comes with toggles and dials for climate and other controls. The seats and panels are covered with a mix of brown leather, fabric and a wood-like material.
Both have a frunk with 120-volt and USB-C outlets and can fit golf clubs, a gym bag and a small cooler, Scout says. The Terra's 5.5-foot bed will also contain a 120- and 240-volt outlets for tools, compressors and the like.
The Traveler, meanwhile, will have a split tailgate and come with two roof options. The first is a Cabana top with panels that fold back for open-air motoring, while the second is a glass roof with a powered shade. Both vehicles will be available with a front bench seat to increase passenger capacity.
ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
Much like Tesla, Scout will sell its vehicles directly to consumers without a dealership in the middle. Purchasing one will take "minutes" with the company promising full price transparency and handling sales, delivery and service. You'll be able to check them out in person at dedicated "Scout Workshop" retail and service locations.
Both models are designed and engineered in Michigan and will be built at a new factory in Columbia, South Carolina by some 4,000 workers. Production starts in 2027 with vehicles arriving for the 2028 model year. Prices will start under $60,000, according to Scout Motors, and reservations are now open.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/vws-scout-ev-revival-starts-with-an-suv-and-a-pickup-120042790.html?src=rss
We finally got an iPad Mini refresh, and it's not particularly exciting. But that's fine! It's still a useful little tablet, and now thanks to the A17 Pro chip, it's already ready for upcoming Apple Intelligence features. In this episode, Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham joins to discuss what he liked about the new iPad Mini, and what he hopes Apple will eventually fix in future models. Also, we chat about Netflix abandoning its AAA game studio, and why over 10,500 artists signed a letter against AI training.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!
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Topics
The refreshed iPad Mini is playing it safe and thats totally fine 0:58
Netflix closes Team Blue, its attempt at a AAA game studio 24:16
Over 10,000 of the worlds top artists sign a letter protesting AI training using their work 28:27
X Terms of Service changes on account blocking, AI training spurs a fresh wave of Bluesky signups 30:07
Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) chosen to helm Amazons God of War series 38:35
Working on 42:11
Pop culture picks 43:17
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Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Ben EllmanGuest: Nathan IngrahamProducer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'BrienThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/engadget-podcast-the-new-ipad-mini-is-boring-and-thats-okay-113045384.html?src=rss
If youre fluent with concepts like release schedules and calendars, you may notice Apple hasnt updated its computers in a while. Its nearly a full year since the iMac and MacBook Pro got speed bumps, and just over a year for the Mac Pro and Mac Studio. Now, Apples head of marketing, Greg Joswiak, has announced an exciting week of announcements, from Monday.
Its easy to assume well see those models getting pushed from variants of the M3 to the M4. Given the M4s focus on AI, expect plenty of attention on Apple Intelligence, which comes to users as part of iOS 18.1s update at the same time. That each model is likely to be announced piecemeal across the week, rather than at one glitzy event, suggests we wont see too many other big changes.
The rumor suggests only the Mac Mini will get a major hardware revision, shrinking its chassis to a far smaller footprint. If Im honest, Im secretly hoping the Mac Mini doesnt become the same size as an Apple TV model, which has been hinted at. Especially if it means saddling us with a beefy power brick to clutter the floor instead.
Dan Cooper
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News in Brief
iOS 18.2 has a child-safety feature to blur nude content and report it to AppleIt uses on-device machine learning.
Good Omens final season will have only one episodeCreator Neil Gaiman has stepped back from the show.
Yooka-Laylee remaster rolling to all consoles, including Nintendos next systemIts called Yooka Re-Playee.
Your Balatro deck can now feature Binding of Isaac charactersIm still refusing to learn what Balatro is, sorry.
Google Photos will show when images have been modified with AIIf your friends suddenly developing extra hands wasnt a big enough clue.
The UKs antitrust regulator will formally investigate Alphabets $2.3 billion Anthropic investmentIts also (briefly) looked into Amazons investment in the same company.
Latest UN report demands unprecedented emissions cuts to salvage climate goals
The longer you shilly-shally, the harder the pain will be.
The UN has published a new report on the climate crisis. It can be best summed up as are you even listening? It analyzed the latest round of international commitments and believes were on course to hit 2.6 degrees Celsius of warming. If we want to avoid climate events of Biblical proportions, were going to need to curb emissions far more aggressively.
Continue Reading.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: A great phone, but I wish it was cheaper
Does Samsung know why it bothers making Fan Edition phones?
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
After each flagship phone launch, Samsung releases a Fan Edition, offering most of the same features in a slightly cheaper package. Engadgets Igor Bonifacic put the new Galaxy S24 FE through its paces and found, like its predecessors, its a bit pointless. After all, you can pick up a no-compromise version of the handset for almost the same price when it goes on sale.
Continue Reading.
President Biden sets up new AI guardrails for military, intelligence agencies
Including a ban on giving AI control over nuclear weapons.
The White House has issued a memorandum outlining where AI should and shouldnt be used in military and intelligence applications. That includes a prohibition on giving AI systems the ability to launch nuclear weapons, profile people and grant asylum. Now all we need to do is make sure the AI doesnt get smart enough to trick people into making those decisions on its behalf.
Continue Reading.
Blueskys upcoming premium plan wont give paid users special treatment
Good.
Bluesky
Bluesky has revealed its plans to make money without simply handing the platform over to advertisers. It will offer a premium subscription that lets users customize their profiles, upload higher-quality video and generally get a warm and fuzzy feeling. Hopefully, the users who flocked to Bluesky from that place will appreciate it enough to pay to keep the lights on.
Continue Reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111515857.html?src=rss
Live events are booming, but theres a disconnect. Performers are frustrated because fans are more focused on capturing content than soaking up the live vibe. Heineken has a fix. Following the buzz around its minimalist Boring Phone (a collab with streetwear brand Bodega that saw impressive demand), Heineken returns with an app called Boring Mode, urging people to embrace the moment, phone-free.
At this month's Japan Mobility Show Bizweek, Toyota Motor Corporation unveiled the latest iteration of its portable hydrogen cartridges. Designed primarily to power fuel cell electric vehicles, the new cartridges are compact enough to be carried by hand or in a backpack, allowing drivers to instantly pop in fuel instead of recharging at a station. Toyota envisions the swappable cartridges becoming a ubiquitous renewable energy source, powering not just cars, but also appliances. As a test case, it worked with Rinnai Corporation on an outdoor stove.
The United Nations' Environmental Program has released a new report with yet more dire news about our odds of avoiding climate disaster caused by greenhouse gas emissions. According to this assessment, the current trajectory of international commitments will see the planet's temperature increasing 2.6 degrees Celsius or more over the course of this century. That amount of temperature change would lead to more catastrophic and life-threatening weather events.
UN members are due to submit their latest Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of the COP30 conference in Brazil next year. The NDCs lay out each country's plan for reduced greenhouse gas emissions. One part of the NDCs are to reach the goal set by the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and one part targets keeping global temperature increases to within a less ideal 2 degrees Celsius. While the report says it is technically possible to reach the Paris Agreement goal, much larger actions will be required to cut emissions by the necessary amount.
"Increased deployment of solar photovoltaic technologies and wind energy could deliver 27 percent of the total emission reduction potential in 2030 and 38 percent in 2035," the report gives as an example of what's still needed. "Action on forests could deliver around 20 percent of the potential in both years."
"Every fraction of a degree avoided counts in terms of lives saved, economies protected, damages avoided, biodiversity conserved and the ability to rapidly bring down any temperature overshoot," UN Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen wrote in the report's forward.
International collaboration, government commitments and financial contributions will also be essential for getting back on track to either the 2-degree or 1.5-degree goals. "G20 nations, particularly the largest-emitting members, would need to do the heavy lifting," the report reads.
If all of this sounds familiar, that's probably because the UN has issued the same stark warnings in each of its annual reports on emissions for several years now. And other reports have echoed their calls, such as damning findings earlier this year that just 57 companies are responsible for 80 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/latest-un-report-demands-unprecedented-emissions-cuts-to-salvage-climate-goals-223450262.html?src=rss
Soccer meets social entertainment in a hospitality concept that rethinks how people experience the world's most popular sport. TOCA Social, which launched at London's O2 Arena in 2021 and opened a second location in Birmingham this summer, combines interactive games with a bar and restaurant.
Theres time for one more Armageddon for Amazons Good Omens but not much. Amazon Prime Video announced that Good Omens would return for one final season last year, but TVLine reports its only going to have one 90-minute episode that will begin filming in Scotland soon.
Amazon originally confirmed that author Neil Gaiman, who co-wrote the book upon which Good Omens is based with Discworld creator Terry Pratchett, will continue through the final season as the shows executive producer, writer and showrunner. TVLine says Gaiman contributed to the episodes writing, but he will not work on the production.
Gaiman has stepped out of the spotlight and away from several projects based on his works since his sexual assault allegations surfaced in July. The Tortoise Media podcast Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman outlined the authors alleged behavior with accounts from four women, one of whom signed a non-disclosure agreement. A fifth woman later stepped forward with similar accusations on the podcast. Gaiman denied the allegations and said he was disturbed by them, according to Rolling Stone.
The allegations paused pre-production for Good Omens third season. Gaiman also offered to step away from the show in September, according to Deadline.
Good Omens stars Michael Sheen as the angelic, fussy angel Aziraphale and David Tennant as the free-wheeling demon Crowley who formed an unlikely alliance to prevent the coming of the Antichrist and the fall of humankind. The dramatic comedy started as a limited series on Amazons streaming network in 2019 but the shows popularity prompted a second season in 2020 with an expanded cast including Jon Hamm as the archangel Gabriel.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/good-omens-final-season-will-have-only-one-episode-212956591.html?src=rss
The White House issued its first national security memorandum outlining the use of artificial intelligence for the military and intelligence agencies. The White House also shared a shortened copy of the memo with the public.
The new memo sets up guidelines for military and intelligence agencies for using AI in its day-to-day operations. The memo sets a series of deadlines for agencies to study the applications and regulations of AI tools, most of which will lapse following President Bidens term. The memo also aims to limit the most dystopian possibilities, including the development of autonomous weapons, according to the New York Times.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced the new directive today at the National Defense University as part of a talk on AIs presence in government operations. Sullivan has been one of the Presidents most vocal proponents for examining the benefits and risks of AI technology. He also raised concerns about Chinas use of AI to control its population and spread misinformation and how the memo can spark conversations with other countries grappling with implementing its own AI strategies.
The memorandum establishes some hard edges for AI usage especially when it comes to weapons systems. The memo states that AI can never be used as a decision maker for launching nuclear weapons or assigning asylum status to immigrants coming to the US. It also prohibits AI from tracking anyone based on their race or religion or determining if a suspect is a known terrorist without human intervention.
The memo also lays out protections for private-sector AI advance as national assets that need to be protectedfrom spying or theft by foreign adversaries, according to the Times. The memorandum orders intelligence agencies to help private companies working on AI models secure their work and provide updated intelligence reports to project their AI assets.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/president-biden-sets-up-new-ai-guardrails-for-military-intelligence-agencies-201752211.html?src=rss