Gaming

Beats brand readies budget iPhone controllers under Apple ownership

• Apple is making two iPhone game controllers, likely under Beats
• Code references were found in macOS, not iOS, but target iPhones
• Beats used to hit lower price points outside Apple's premium design ethos

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has confirmed that Apple is developing two game controllers for the iPhone, correcting earlier speculation that arose after MacRumors found references to first-party controllers in macOS 26.7's code rather than iOS. Gurman clarifies the devices are nonetheless designed for iPhones, and, notably, that Beats executives…

Inzoi is turning life sims into RPGs by focusing on single characters rather than a whole cast

• Inzoi is testing an RPG-style mode called Canvastown
• It focuses on one character instead of a whole family
• Up to 50 players can interact online; still early in development

Inzoi, the life simulation game seen as a rival to The Sims, is developing a new mode that reworks the genre around a single character rather than a whole household. Game director Hyungjin Kim announced the mode, called Canvastown, which shifts the experience towards RPG-style role-play, letting players…

All Aniimo pre-registration and launch rewards

• Aniimo launches 15 September with two reward tracks for players
• All four pre-registration milestones hit, unlocking all rewards
• Launch campaign adds four outfits, unlocked via story progress

Aniimo's developers have detailed two separate batches of free rewards players will receive when the game launches on 15 September. The first set is tied to pre-registration milestones, with rewards unlocked based on how many players signed up in advance; the second is a distinct launch campaign offering…

The Greatest Video Game Franchises of the 20th Century, Ranked

• Polygon ranks the most influential video game franchises born in the 1900s.
• Madden, Mega Man, Castlevania and Donkey Kong all feature prominently.
• Many of these series still spawn new games, films or shows today.

Polygon presents a ranked list of the most influential video game franchises to emerge in the 20th century, judged by their lasting impact on the medium rather than personal favourites. The selection spans multiple genres and platforms, from sports simulations to action-platformers and Gothic adventure games, highlighting how…

Apple’s rumored gaming controller for iPhone could feature Beats branding

• Apple reportedly developing iPhone gaming controllers under the Beats brand.
• Two prototypes codenamed T6502 and T1057 found referenced in macOS code.
• Beats version may be cheaper, skipping Apple's premium materials; no launch date yet.

Apple is reportedly developing a gaming controller for the iPhone that could launch under its Beats brand rather than the main Apple label, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The move would mark Apple's entry into a new hardware category, expanding beyond its current practice of merely stocking third-party…

‘Buddy’ is Totally Bonkers, But it Will Never Eclipse My Favorite “I Hate Barney” Thriller

• Horror film Buddy earned more in week two than its opening weekend
• Critic says Buddy underdelivers on both comedy and scares
• Prefers 2002 cult flop Death to Smoochy as a sharper satire

The film Buddy, a horror comedy about a murderous unicorn on a Barney-style children's show, has become an unexpected box office success, earning more in its second week than its first. A Polygon critic argues that despite its promising premise, the film fails to deliver on either the…

No more expansions are coming for Diablo 4 but there is something else to tide you over until the sequel

• Diablo 4 will get no more paid expansions, ever
• Blizzard is now focused on Diablo 5, due 2029
• Seasonal content continues, shaping story ahead of the sequel

Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo 4 will receive no further large-scale, paid expansions, as the studio redirects its development effort towards the sequel, Diablo 5. Diablo game director Brent Gibson told PC Gamer at BlizzCon that the team feels it has finished telling the "Story of Hatred" and…

10 Near-Perfect GameCube Games Nobody Played

Polygon has published a list of ten GameCube games from the early-to-mid 2000s that critics regard as excellent but which sold poorly and remain little-known today, arguing they are worth revisiting despite the cost of tracking down original copies. The piece frames the GameCube as Nintendo's last console…

Melty Blood: Twi-Lumina Announced For Switch 1 & 2, Out 2027

• Melty Blood: Twi-Lumina confirmed for Switch and Switch 2
• Releases 22nd April 2027, per new trailer
• Features new characters, story and refined battle mechanics

Melty Blood: Twi-Lumina, the next instalment in TYPE-MOON's fighting game series, has been confirmed for release on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on 22nd April 2027. Developer French Bread and publisher Aniplex first revealed the game with a teaser trailer at EVO Japan in May 2026, and a…

What was the PSX? The souped-up PS2 rarely sold outside of Japan

• Sony's PSX combined a PS2, DVR and DVD burner, Japan-only in 2003
• It sold poorly and was discontinued by early 2005
• Its XMB menu later became a defining PS3 feature

The Sony PSX was a quirky hybrid console released only in Japan in December 2003, combining a fully functional PlayStation 2 with a DVR, DVD burner, TV tuner and broadband capability. It matters as a curious footnote in gaming history because, despite its ambition, it flopped commercially and…