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David Vondehaar Debuts New Game Inspired by David Lynch’s Style, Not a “Call of Duty Killer”

Former Call of Duty: Black Ops designer David Vondehaar is making some kind of shooter for GreaterThan Group – the holding company recently founded by a former NetEase executive, who are also funding development of Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic. What manner of shootybooty might this be? Well, Vondehaar is making allusions to the work of David Lynch – the beautiful crackpot behind such films and shows as Eraserhead, Twin Peaks and Lost Highway, whose impact on videogames extends from Silent Hill to Kentucky Route Zero, but who never, I think, developed a game himself.

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Individual Taken into Custody for Threatening to Detonate Nintendo Headquarters

**Kyoto Police Detain Individual for Bomb Menaces Aimed at Nintendo**

Police in Kyoto have arrested a 27-year-old man following accusations of dispatching threatening communications to Nintendo, where he claimed to have placed explosives at the firm’s headquarters. Thankfully, no explosive devices were found during the inquiry. This event is not isolated, as Nintendo has confronted similar threats previously.

As reported by KTV News, as translated by Automaton, the suspect sent letters in envelopes asserting he had positioned “multiple bombs” close to Nintendo’s facilities. In these correspondences, he made disturbing remarks such as, “I’m going to blow you all up” and “my plans cannot be obstructed.” The threats were initially reported by Nintendo on March 16, and an extensive search verified that no bombs existed on the site. Ultimately, the individual admitted to sending the letters and was taken into custody on May 12. Currently, no motive for his behaviors has been revealed, though reports suggest he was jobless at the time.

Nintendo has faced sporadic bomb threats over the years. A significant incident took place in 2024 when threats against the company resulted in the cancellation of a Splatoon tournament and the Nintendo Live 2024 Tokyo events. Notably, Nintendo was involved in an investigation in 2023 concerning a somewhat ambiguous bomb threat at California State University. This incident arose from a student’s joking comment about desiring a class cancellation coinciding with a Nintendo Direct presentation, which was perceived as a potential threat.

While bomb threats targeting major video game firms are not exceptionally common, there have been memorable incidents. In February, Ubisoft evacuated over 500 employees from its Montpellier studio due to a bomb threat, which was eventually deemed a hoax with no actual danger.

As this case demonstrates, the gaming sector is not exempt from such threats, underscoring ongoing issues regarding safety and security within corporate settings.

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“Unknown Worlds Confirms Circulation of Unofficial Subnautica 2 Builds Online Ahead of Early Access Release”

With just a day or two to go till Subnautica 2‘s early access launch, “unofficial builds” of the ocean survival game have leaked onto the internet. Picture a punctured Cyclops submarine slowly filling with illicit video files and screenshots, while Unknown Worlds staff wade around with their repair tools, shrieking “Nothing to see here”.

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UK MPs Accuse Rockstar Games of Failing to Engage with Employees During Legal Disputes Related to Developer Firings

Several UK politicians have called on Rockstar Games to be more transparent and co-operative in their legal dealings with GTA 6 developers fired last year. The staff were let go in autumn last year, with Rockstar subsequently claiming that they were fired due to the leaking of “confidential information” via a public forum, while the IWGB Game Workers Union have accused Rockstar of union busting.

With legal matters between Rockstar and union over the firings currently ongoing, several UK MPs have called on the former to be more transparent and accused the company of having “refused to properly engage with staff, representatives and trade unions throughout this process”.

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“Stardew Valley Creator Considers Adding Adultery and NPC Divorces, Citing Moral Objections”

The first thing I read this morning was a lifestyle headline about how humans simply aren’t “built” for monogamy. The second thing I read was Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone toying with the idea of introducing adultery and, by extension, divorces to cosy life sim Stardew Valley. If the third thing I read this morning is, for example, a bus advert for Paramount show Caught in the Act, I will interpret this as the universe granting permission to jump into a Portaloo with the next person who waggles their eyebrows at me.

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