Minority Mindset

Since Bungie announced the reboot of its beloved Marathon series in 2023, it has experienced a turbulent journey. The studio has endured two rounds of layoffs, resulting in the loss of 220 jobs, particularly in 2024. This instability was further compounded by frequent changes in leadership. The original game director, Chris Barrett, was dismissed for misconduct and is currently engaged in a lawsuit against both Bungie and Sony.

Johnny Somali, whose actual name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, is currently facing trial in South Korea due to his controversial online activities within the nation.

This colossal statue is available for preorder and will ship sometime in Q2 2026.

In a recent blog post, Bungie stated that they have been listening carefully to every comment and live chat on social media platforms like Twitter and Discord. They understand that the upcoming Marathon game should embody the same enthusiasm shown by the community, hence they’ve decided to postpone the initial release date of September 23rd. This decision was reached after extensive discussions among the Bungie development team, aiming to create a game that truly resonates with your passion.

At the Xbox showcase near Summer Game Fest, I had a quick go at the ROG Xbox Ally X. The demonstration was mostly a visual display, with only a short time given for us to play Gears of War: Reloaded on it. Consequently, my initial impressions are a blend of hands-on feedback and grand promises, but so far I’m quite impressed by what I’ve experienced and learned about it.

Art of Vengeance” was developed by Lizardcube, known for creating stunning 2D hand-drawn games such as Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and Streets of Rage 4. These games stand out from other 3D games or even the pixel art of Ragebound due to their unique visual style reminiscent of comic books. Sharp, inky lines and smooth animation are characteristic of these games, and “Shinobi” follows suit, adding an extra layer of excitement as it showcases these elements with the swift and adaptable abilities of the Shinobi character.

The intriguing journey known as “Adventure of Samsara” boasts a rich and lengthy backstory. Initially presented on Kickstarter in 2016 under the title “Tower of Samsara”, it aimed for a relatively modest fundraising goal of $48,561. Regrettably, it fell short by more than two-thirds of this target. This setback might have signaled the end of its journey, like so many other indie games that never took flight. However, Brazilian game studio Ilex Games persistently pursued the project until they found a home with Atari. There, it underwent a transformation into a science fiction spin-off of the classic Atari 2600 title “Adventure”. Essentially, “Adventure of Samsara” is the fusion of these two worlds, according to an Atari representative who spoke with me. The game represents Ilex’s original concept, but it incorporates narrative elements from Adventure to establish its place within that universe.