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“I wish I could do that”: A developer on The Sims has been eyeing up Paralives’ characters’ asymmetric shoes and their wider possibilities
A senior character artist on The Sims, Jess Hyland, has praised rival life-simulation game Paralives for allowing characters to wear mismatched shoes and earrings, saying she wishes The Sims could do the same. Speaking at the Develop conference following a talk on how The Sims 4’s character creator has evolved since 2014, Hyland noted that…
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More rail services in England set to slow as heatwave shrinks soil
South Western Railway is expected to announce reduced train speeds and timetable changes as prolonged drought conditions cause the soil beneath railway embankments to shrink, disturbing track alignment. This follows similar measures already confirmed by rail operators in the east of England, and reflects a wider pattern of the climate crisis increasingly disrupting Britain’s railway…
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Best Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, Outdoorsy People (2026)
Wired has published its 2026 gift guide for hikers, backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts, aimed at people struggling to choose presents for gearheads who obsess over reviews and product specs. Rather than defaulting to a gift card, the guide recommends specific items its reviewers say are useful, fun and likely to actually get used outdoors, with…
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New Spider-Man 2 update adds Brand New Day suits and PS5 optimisations
Insomniac Games has released a new update for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, adding cosmetic and technical enhancements timed to the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day film. The patch introduces two free suits, including one inspired by the forthcoming movie, and adds a Power Saver mode aimed at players wanting better performance on standard PS5 consoles rather…
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Pragmata Starts Strong, But Resident Evil Series Is The Star Of Capcom’s Latest Financial Report
Capcom’s latest financial report for the first quarter of FY2026 shows the Resident Evil series has become the best-selling Japanese third-party game series of all time, overtaking Final Fantasy. The milestone comes as the company also reported strong overall growth, driven largely by robust game sales across its portfolio, including a solid debut for new…
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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gets surprise update adding Spider-Man: Brand New Day suit and more as Insomniac’s game gets even prettier on PS5 Pro
Insomniac Games has released a surprise update for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, adding new content that coincides with the release of a Spider-Man theatrical film. The free patch primarily introduces two new costumes for players to unlock and equip, alongside technical improvements aimed at owners of Sony’s upgraded console hardware. The first outfit, “Fresh Start,” draws…
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Marmite and Dove owner Unilever warns of price rises due to growing costs
Unilever, the owner of Marmite, Dove and Hellmann’s, has warned that it will push through further price rises in the coming months as it seeks to recoup rising costs. The Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant said a slowdown in price increases during the second quarter was due to temporary factors, including World Cup-related discounts and efforts…
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Civilization 7’s latest update adds more depth to peace deal brokerage and leader relations, as Firaxis gear up for “bigger additions”
Firaxis has released update 1.4.2 for Civilization 7, adding more depth to diplomacy by expanding how peace deals can be negotiated and how leader relationships are tracked. The update, arriving on 28 July 2026, is described by senior game designer Taymoor Rehman as intentionally smaller in scope, as the studio prepares “bigger additions” to the…
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Spider-Man 2 Gets Enhanced PS5 Pro Support Today, Plus New Suits
Insomniac Games has released an update for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to coincide with the new “Brand New Day” film, adding enhanced PS5 Pro visuals, two new free suits, and a Power Saver mode. The patch continues Sony’s pattern of revisiting older PS5 titles with upgraded technical support, following a similar update recently applied to Horizon…
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Monster Hunter Wilds’ latest patch makes online-only missions playable offline, alongside some other useful updates
Capcom is releasing patch 1.042 for Monster Hunter Wilds on 4th August, which will make Event Quests and Challenge Quests playable offline for the first time. These quests are the game’s main live-service element, rotating weekly and offering coveted rewards, but were previously locked behind an online connection, meaning offline players missed out on some…