2h ago
Opper published jevman, an open-source benchmark that has AI models play Pac-Man to compare decision-making. Six models, including Jev, Kev, Laya, Clef, and GPT-6 Luna Decisions, each play 100 games against standard-rule ghosts. Models receive maze, dot, and ghost data as JSON and return up, down, left, or right as probabilities within a 2-second limit per junction. Ranking uses the 100-game average score, with a 95 percent confidence margin, so models inside that margin are treated as tied.
5d ago
Grasshopper Manufacture announced that it became independent from NetEase Games as of October 1, 2026. The Tokyo studio, founded in 1998 and led by representative director Goichi Suda, has more than 25 years of development experience and more than 25 titles, including killer7, The Silver Case, and the No More Heroes series. It became a subsidiary of GungHo Online Entertainment in 2013 and came under NetEase through a share transfer agreement in 2021. Grasshopper Manufacture released its latest title, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN, in February 2026 and marked its 28th anniversary in March. The studio said the decision followed sufficient discussion with NetEase Games and its cooperation, and that it will keep a good relationship and cooperate mutually if opportunities arise. It said it has built up self-publishing know-how and will keep planning and developing titles with its own style. Procedures such as changes among officers are underway.
Sep 17
Bandai Spirits will release S.H.Figuarts (Shinkocchou Seihou) Kamen Rider KickHopper & Kamen Rider PunchHopper 20th Anniversary Ver. as a two-figure set marking 20 years of Kamen Rider Kabuto. Preorders open on Premium Bandai and the Tamashii Web Shop at 4:00 PM on September 18, 2026, with shipment scheduled for March 2027. The set costs 22,000 yen including tax, and shipping and handling are separate. Both figures stand about 145mm tall and use PVC and ABS. The coloring reinterprets the suit colors from the show, a scheme different from the Shinkocchou Seihou KickHopper and PunchHopper figures released in 2017. The bodies are sculpted from the skeleton up and include joint mechanisms for wide articulation. Anchor Jacks on KickHopper's left leg and PunchHopper's right arm have movable gimmicks for their Rider Kick and Rider Punch finishers. New light-collecting head parts let you stage the compound eyes glowing when light shines from behind the head, and a PET background sheet recreates their simultaneous transformation scene.
Aug 6
Crunchyroll announced it is adding an English dub for the television anime of Umiharu's The Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World manga. All 13 episodes debut in English on Tuesday. The dub staff includes director Caitlin Glass, producer Samantha Herek, script adapter James Cheek, mixer Matt Grounds, and engineer Jeremy Woods.
Aug 2
Nintendo announced on July 31, 2026 that two previously unreleased Virtual Boy titles, ZERO RACERS and Dragon Hopper, will be added to the Virtual Boy Nintendo Classics service for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers on August 4. ZERO RACERS is a racing game where players pilot a floating machine through courses made of connected square ducts, aiming for high rankings with acceleration, deceleration, and directional movement. Dragon Hopper is a top-down action game starring Prince Dorin, who is ousted by the rebellious minister Lexer and must find four vanished spirits to return to the fairy kingdom. Dorin can transform into a dragon with special abilities. The update also adds a color change feature, letting players switch the game screen from the traditional red to green, Game Boy-style, or Super Game Boy-style schemes. The dedicated Virtual Boy (Paper Model) hardware is on sale from July 31 to August 17 at a discounted price of 1,980 yen, down from 2,980 yen.
Jun 26
Grasshopper Manufacture released the first major update for its action-adventure game ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN on Steam on June 26, adding a costume change function, a photo mode, and collaboration outfits from the indie game Hotline Miami. The update, named "ROMEO'S UPDATED, MAN," is available for the PC version, with a similar update planned for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Players who have cleared the game can change Romeo's appearance in his room on the time ship, choosing from three masks and eight jacket types. The Hotline Miami collaboration includes outfits based on the characters Jacket and Biker. Other costumes reference past Grasshopper Manufacture titles, including a Tiger Jacket series tied to a hitman character and a Demon Jacket linked to a legendary demon hunter. The photo mode allows camera adjustment, color correction, depth of field control, and frame art. A 20% off sale on Steam and a 10% off bundle with Hotline Miami are also live. ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN launched in February 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and currently holds an 88% positive rating on Steam from approximately 1,900 reviews.