GoKawiil
Tech News
A CESA survey unveiled at Tokyo Game Show 2026 found that 85.8% of Japanese game developers now use generative AI tools in their workflows, up from 51% the previous year. Of those, 63% use AI daily while 22.8% use it occasionally, mainly for debugging, error correction, and automated testing rather than direct code generation.
One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner, revealed that its upcoming Soulslike title Valor Mortis will cost $40/€40 when it launches on October 13. The game offers a roughly 20-hour story set in a supernatural reimagining of Napoleon's war in Eastern Europe, and the studio says it spent a year deciding on this price point.
Early reviews of Control Resonant, a spin-off from Remedy Entertainment's Control franchise, are highlighting its striking game world and departure from the original title's formula. Critics have responded positively to the studio's willingness to experiment rather than simply repeat past success.
FunnyPlaying has released the FPGB Mini, a compact FPGA-based handheld that plays original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges as well as ROMs from a microSD card. Priced at $69.99 for its first limited batch of 20 units, it undercuts the $239.99 Analogue Pocket significantly, though it lacks support for GBA or Game Gear cartridges.
A Reddit user known as ActualAerie1011 says they used Google's simulated fruit fly connectome to play the card game Balatro, reportedly achieving a roughly 20% win rate on the easiest difficulty with the default deck. The approach reportedly paired a custom seed-finding algorithm with reinforcement-style feedback, rewarding the model for good outcomes and penalizing poor ones. No code or technical documentation has been shared publicly, leading some commenters to question the claim's validity.
CNET released the solutions for the September 18 edition of NYT's Strands puzzle, themed around agreements. The nonspangram words were PACT, TREATY, CONTRACT, COVENANT and AGREEMENT, with the spangram revealed as LETSMAKEADEAL.
In the latest 9to5Mac Happy Hour episode, hosts Chance Miller and Benjamin Mayo share hands-on impressions after a week testing the iPhone 18 Pro and new Apple Watch models, alongside first reactions to Apple's newly released operating systems, including macOS Golden Gate. The episode also touches on rumors that Apple may be developing its own game controllers for iPhone.
Amid renewed debate over whether AI development should slow down for safety reasons—sparked by an Anthropic researcher's resignation and criticism of both Anthropic and OpenAI—commentary argues investors shouldn't react to individual statements from either side. Instead, the analysis suggests using game theory, the framework popularized by John Nash and dramatized in 'A Beautiful Mind,' to predict that AI spending will likely continue unabated due to competitive pressures, particularly U.S.-China rivalry.
Razer has released the Kraken V4 X Sensa HD Haptics Edition, a wired USB headset priced at $100 that brings its haptic feedback technology to a mainstream price point for the first time. The headset supports over 100 PC titles, including Battlefield 6, the Silent Hill 2 remake, Marvel Rivals, and 007 First Light, translating in-game sounds into physical sensations through two modes: scripted Dynamic Haptics and background Audio-to-Haptics processing.
A Reddit user known as ActualAerie1011 says they used a custom trainer algorithm alongside Google's recently released fruit fly connectome to play the card game Balatro on its easiest settings. The setup pits the simulated brain against an algorithm that hunts for favorable game seeds, comparing outcomes and reinforcing the brain's decisions through repeated trials. The creator reports a current 20% success rate and says training is ongoing, though no code or detailed methodology has been shared publicly.
Xbox's new disc-to-digital feature, which converts physical game discs into digital copies by inserting them into a console, stems from a plan Microsoft made ahead of the Xbox One's 2013 launch to embed unique identifiers on discs. Sources say Microsoft was already exploring broader digital ownership concepts back in 2011, including gifting, recycling and swapping physical games for digital versions, though most of these ideas were shelved after backlash over the Xbox One's always-online requirement.
Rockstar has confirmed the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto VI, titled Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, comprising 34 original songs. Six singles are already available, featuring artists like Travis Scott, Keith Richards, Morgan Wallen and Yung Lean, spanning multiple genres. The album will release on streaming services, CD and vinyl on November 19th, matching the game's launch date.