🎮 Teatime with dragons
Get into a new literary genre, reignite your love of gaming, and so much more...
Mornin’. It finally happened. The weekend of Barbenheimer came and went. “She’s Everything. He’s Just Ken” vs. “The World Forever Changes.”
This got me thinking about some of the greatest, most memorable movie taglines. Tim is a fan of Alien’s “In space, no one can hear you scream,” while Marques is partial to Jaws’ “You’ll never go in the water again.” I myself happen to think it doesn’t get any better than Escape from New York’s “Breaking out is impossible. Breaking in IS INSANE!”
What about you? Any votes for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s “An epic of epic epicness” or The Royal Tenenbaum’s “Family isn’t a word, it’s a sentence” or even Night of the Creeps’ classic “The good news is your dates are here. The bad news is they’re dead”?
Let us know, because it’s Monday and you need the procrastination.
—Eric Alt, Andrew Nusca, Tim Leong, Marques Edge
Buffed/Nerfed
What’s up and down in the world rn.
Buffed: Cocaine Bear sequels. Scientists warn that cocaine dumped into the sea by drug runners could be eaten by sharks and have disastrous consequences (on everything except the schlock movie industry).
Nerfed: Washington football fans. So you finally jettisoned the old Redskins jersey and invested in a brand new Washington Commanders fit? Might want to keep that receipt. New partial-owner Magic Johnson may be thinking another name change.
Buffed: Australian cockatoos. Thanks to artificial “nests,” scientists have helped save one of Western Australia’s most endangered bird species. Just try and say “cockatube” without smirking, though.
Nerfed: Childhood trauma. Notorious nightmare fuel Watership Down—which was somehow rated “G”—just got upgraded to a “PG” rating 45 years after its original release by the British Board of Film Classification. The damage has been done, though.
Buffed: Waffle House news. When typical Waffle House news stories tend to be smartphone footage of fistfights, it’s refreshing that this one is just plain strange. Singer Lana Del Rey has apparently been working shifts as a waitress in Alabama. OK, sure, why not? —EA
Field Upgrade: How to get back into gaming after an absence
Level up.
The more complex, emotional, and immersive games get, the harder it can be to get back into them once you’ve been away for some time. It can be daunting to fire up and revisit old worlds and old comrades.
But don’t worry! Contributing writer Dan Noel is here to help ease you back into the games you love. Take it slow, remember to hydrate, and it’ll all be ok. - EA
Your moment of meme
Extractor: Everything you need to know about “cozy fantasy”
Investigations of interest.
Enjoying hot cocoa with a band of dragons next to a crackling fire in a coffee shop owned by a kindly Orc woman.
Doesn't that just give you an overwhelming feeling of coziness?
Welcome to cozy fantasy. A sub-genre of fantasy, yet on the lighter side compared to heroic battles and epic quests. Think everyday life narratives that focuses on quaint, small-town communities and relationships.
Contributing writer Leslie Gonzalez joins Barnes & Noble Category Manager Kat Safras in this fantasy world and shares all there is to know about this increasingly popular genre.
Mixtape Monday
We are well into summer now, so let’s start off the week by refreshing our playlists with some new and unexpected, shall we? Also, let’s promote some collaboration in the workplace by focusing (almost) entirely on artist team-ups.
We have some mellow jams, some throwbacks, and at least one genre you might not have even heard of before.
Here we go:
King Pari “Love Me or Leave Me.” A super mellow, summer-ready slow jam that reminds you Friday is just a few days away. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Andrew Snell, QA functional tester, Activision)
Gorillaz (feat. Mick Jones and Paul Simonon), “Plastic Beach.” Two former members of The Clash joining forces with a cartoon band you might have forgotten you loved. Remind yourself. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Zach Churchill, QA functional tester, Activision)
TheFatRat (feat. Laura Brehm), “MAYDAY.” Some songs claim to “transport” you as you listen to them. It’s hard to imagine any other song doing it this well. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Renuka Dixit, senior product manager, Activision Blizzard)
KAYTRAMINÉ (feat. Pharrell Williams), “4EVA” A bouncy jam with an undeniable, beat—let this one get your head bobbing. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Calvin Hatcher, QA functional tester, Activision)
A Dark Halo (feat. Anna Hel), “Vector Unknown.” Have you ever heard of “cyber metal”? Brace yourself for a whole new aural adventure then. We’re pretty confident you’ve never heard anything like this before. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Susan Lowmiller, HR recruiting, ATVI Publishing)
—EA
Wormhole
Click the following image and…well, we don’t want to ruin the surprise.
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