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Speaking to Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday, Luckey said, "When it comes to life-and-death decision-making, I think that it is too morally fraught an area, it is too critical of an area, to not apply the best technology available to you, regardless of what it is." Read Entire Article View the full article

Baldur's Gate 3 has dialogue. A LOT of dialogue. Heaping, great stonking helpings of dialogue. This was to be known already, given the sheer volume of NPCs you talk to when you're running around in the thing—'tis a fact that is self-evident... Read more.View the full article

It’s time to admit, before God and the good readers of Ars Technica, that I have a problem. I love roguelikes. Reader, I can’t get enough of them. If there’s even a whisper of a hot new roguelike on Steam, I’m there. You may call them arcane, repetitive, or maddeningly difficult; I call them heaven. The second best part of video games is taking a puny little character and, over 100 hours, transforming that adventurer into a god of destruction. The best thing about video games is doing the same thing in under an hour. Beat a combat encounter, get an upgrade. Enter a new area, choose a new item. Put together a build and watch it sing. If you die—immediately ending your ascent and returning you to the beginning of the game—you’ll often make a pit stop at a home base to unlock new goodies to help you on your next run. (Some people distiguish between roguelikes and “roguelites,” with the latter including permanent, between-run upgrades. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll use “roguelike” as an umbrella term). Read full article Comments View the full article

Tekken celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, with Harada being involved in every releaseView the full article

As a new week begins, ARC Raiders players officially have a new set of Trials Challenges to complete. Those looking to get their hands on some new in-game rewards can now do so by competing in the latest set of Trials for ARC Raiders, which once again require players to take on Wasps, Pops, Bastions, and even the Matriarch, which is currently the deadliest enemy in the game. View the full article

If I asked you to name the best battle royale games on Steam, I'm sure many of you would say PUBG: Battlegrounds first. Call of Duty Warzone and probably Battlefield 6, thanks to its RedSec mode, may come quickly after. Apex Legends is still trucking along too, bringing that Titanfall flair to the genre. However, I'm not sure many people would mention Naraka Bladepoint, NetEase's surprisingly enjoyable (and popular) wuxia BR. With slick movement, a great death mechanic, and enormous snakes that gatecrash your battles, it's a brilliant take on free-for-all fighting and its latest update offers an exciting array of new additions. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Naraka Bladepoint system requirements Naraka Bladepoint Season 13 update launches with new map and weapon Witcher 3 and Tomb Raider join forces with huge Steam battle royale View the full article

Open your mouth, Hades 2. Ah, it's as I suspected, you've eaten the original Hades! Don't worry, I don't blame you. You were only hungry, and the modders controlling your great maw were keen to see how Melinoë would cope with taking on the roguelike run through the underworld which Zagreus blazes through in the first game. Read more View the full article

The RPG's leads will choose the title by the end of the yearView the full article

Mr. Tekken himself, Katsuhiro Harada, has announced that he is leaving Bandai Namco after 30 years of service. Harada, who has been an outspoken and passionate figurehead for Tekken 8 in recent times, also worked on dozens of other Bandai games, including the SoulCalibur series, Tales of Arise, Code Vein, and more. He has confirmed that he is leaving the company at the end of this year, and is giving players one final gift - a 60-minute Tekken mix on Soundcloud. And you know what? It slaps. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Tekken 8 tier list - best characters ranked These limited edition Tekken 8 fight sticks are gorgeous, but super expensive The full Tekken 8 roster - all Tekken 8 characters View the full article

A GameStop listing for Resident Evil Requiem has stated that the game's Deluxe Edition will include costumes for a shock second character — and no, it's not who you might think. Over the past year, the internet has been waiting for Capcom to confirm that Resident Evil hero Leon S. Kennedy is in Resident Evil Requiem as a second playable character. There have been rumors, there have been AI image leaks, and there have been increasingly cryptic teases from Capcom itself. And it's against this backdrop that fans have been left stunned, as GameStop's Resident Evil Requiem Deluxe Edition listing has gone live and mentioned exclusive content for... Rosemary Winters. Rosmary Winters?! The daughter of Resident Evil 7 and Village protagonist Ethan Winters, Rosemary initially appears in the latter game as a baby, though has a starring role in that game's Shadows of Rose expansion, set in the future when she is a teenager. Her inclusion here, if GameStop's listing is indeed to be believed, is a huge curveball for Resident Evil fans — as Requiem has so far been pitched as an entry that ties the series back to its roots in Raccoon City. Indeed, Capcom has even said that it wanted the game to tie up older plot threads (such has what happened to Umbrella) rather than focus on characters from more recent games. But perhaps it sees Rosemary as an opportunity to close off those, too. GameSpot seems to have accidentally just posted more Deluxe Edition content for Resident Evil Requiem, which includes some spoilers, including Mercenaries Mode, Grace having a "FBI Visor" mechanic, & two planned story DLC for RE9. [Hidden Content] — AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) December 7, 2025 GameStop's listing states the Deluxe Edition includes a "'Morphic Visor' cosmetic filter for Rose's visor" and the "Shadow Walker' costume pack: 3 exclusive outfits for Rosemary Winters." There's also mention of two additional story scenarious and a "major" Mercenaries mode update, included in an expansion pass. None of this content is officially announced. The listing has come as such a surprise to fans that there is some skepticism over its legitimacy — even as it sits on the website of GameStop, one of the world's biggest video game retailers. Fan speculation has run the gamut here — that the retailer has been hacked, or the entry updated by a rogue employee just to watch fans react as they are now doing. Or, alternatively, it's real — and an accident, or even yet another canny piece of marketing from the chain. And as for Leon? Well, there's certainly no sign in GameStop's listing. What does this mean for his inclusion? Well, if GameStop's listing is accurate, simply that he's not a part of the Deluxe Edition content. Whatever's going on, all eyes will be on Resident Evil Requiem's appearance at The Game Awards later this week, where Capcom is expected to tease fans with more on the game, now just a few months from launch. Will we see Leon? Will we see Rose? IGN will be reporting live — and in the meantime, we've contacted GameStop for comment. Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social View the full article

Katsuhiro Harada has announced his departure from Bandai Namco having worked on the Tekken series for 30 years. Harada, who worked on all the Tekken games right up until last year’s Tekken 8, said in a statement posted to social media that the loss of close friends in his personal life and the retirement or death of senior colleagues has caused him to reflect on the time he has left as a creator. Advice from Ken Kutaragi — the legendary ‘father of PlayStation’ — supported Harada in making the decision, he said. Harada did not say what he plans to do next, but he did not say he was retiring himself. Harada has had a somewhat frought relationship with the Tekken series and indeed Bandai Namco in recent years, and has spoken about the development difficulties he's endured while at the company. Most recently, Tekken 8 has caused a great deal of friction between players and the development team, and Harada has stepped in multiple times on social media to address fan concern. Perhaps the most high-profile example of this came in October last year, when Harada stepped into a row over the ***** of a premium DLC stage for Tekken 8 after fans accused Bandai Namco of “corporate greed.” His explanation for the DLC stage basically came down to his role on Tekken within Bandai Namco, and his separation from the business side of the operation to focus on development. This structural set-up was a mistake, Harada admitted in a tweet he eventually deleted, and he confirmed plans to reorganize not only the Tekken business but his role within it to ensure community expectations were met in the future. Here's what Harada said, at the time: The Tekken project is divided into two companies: a game development studio and a publisher that is responsible for game sales (at the time of the development and release of Tekken 7, the development and publishing companies were not separate). As some of you may know, I moved to the Development Studio side a few years ago, and have been focusing on maximizing the quality of the content/tech/graphics etc... The development side and publishing side each have their own roles, and there are differences in the way they think and the responsibilities, I who should be the one to act as a bridge between the two, have not been able to properly participate in the publishing (sales) decision-making process for Tekken. As a result, I think that there were parts of the process that did not take the Tekken community's opinion into account. I think I failed to create an organizational structure that would allow me to oversee things beyond my own position. One of my roles was to listen to the opinions of the community and reflect them not only in the content but also in the out-game, but I was clearly becoming passive, worrying about the relationships between companies and not exercising my role. From now on, I will review this structure and change it to one that values the community as it did in the past. It was a typically frank statement from Harada, who was never shy to criticize his paymasters at Bandai Namco over their management of Tekken and the company’s various fighting game franchises. In June last year, for example, Harada was remarkably candid in discussing why Soul Calibur disappeared, and has spoken about trying and failing to get KFC mascot Colonel Sanders in Tekken. Here's Harada's exit statement in full: I’d like to share that I’ll be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. With the TEKKEN series reaching its 30th anniversary—an important milestone for a project I’ve devoted much of my life to—I felt this was the most fitting moment to bring one chapter to a close. My roots lie in the days when I supported small local tournaments in Japanese arcades and in small halls and community centers overseas. I still remember carrying arcade cabinets by myself, encouraging people to “Please try TEKKEN,” and directly facing the players right in front of me. The conversations and atmosphere we shared in those places became the core of who I am as a developer and game creator. Even as the times changed, those experiences have remained at the center of my identity. And even after the tournament scene grew much larger, many of you continued to treat me like an old friend—challenging me at venues, inviting me out for drinks at bars. Those memories are also deeply precious to me. In recent years, I experienced the loss of several close friends in my personal life, and in my professional life I witnessed the retirement or passing of many senior colleagues whom I deeply respect. Those accumulated events made me reflect on the “time I have left as a creator.” During that *******, I sought advice from Ken Kutaragi—whom I respect as though he were another father—and received invaluable encouragement and guidance. His words quietly supported me in making this decision. Over the past four to five years, I’ve gradually handed over all of my responsibilities, as well as the stories and worldbuilding I oversaw, to the team, bringing me to the present day. Looking back, I was fortunate to work on an extraordinary variety of projects—VR titles (such as Summer Lesson), Pokkén Tournament, the SoulCalibur series, and many others, both inside and outside the company. Each project was full of new discoveries and learning, and every one of them became an irreplaceable experience for me. To everyone who has supported me, to communities around the world, and to all the colleagues who have walked alongside me for so many years, I offer my deepest gratitude. I’ll share more about my next steps at a later date. Thank you very much for everything. Breaking… Photo by SIA KAMBOU/AFP via Getty Images. Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article

The game will also come to consoles via a different publisher. View the full article

PlayStation Wrap-Up 2025, the annual recap that has been exciting fans over the years, is yet to be released this time around. However, we can undoubtedly make some predictions based on the usual schedule over the last couple of years. If you're someone who owns and plays games on a PlayStation console, the yearly Wrap-Up is an excellent way to show your favourite titles to your buddies. It's not just a show off since the Wrap-Up recap allows you to view your favourite games, time spent on them, and much more. Let's look at when the PlayStation Wrap-Up 2025 could potentially release this time around. PlayStation Wrap-Up 2025 expected release date When the PlayStation Wrap-Up originally began years back, Sony sometimes released the recap in January. However, there has been more consistency over the last couple of years. The annual recaps during 2023 and 2024 launched on the second Tuesday of December. If the same schedule is followed once again, we could be getting the PlayStation Wrap-Up 2025 on Tuesday, Dec. 9. However, this is purely a speculation on my end since Sony hasn't informed anything to us. There also hasn't been any hint or teaser for when the annual recap will be available to us. It will be interesting to find out what PlayStation has to offer us as part of the recap. Previously, we received different rewards based on our in-game activities. While PlayStation Stars isn't available any longer, there should be customised themes on offer based on our in-game achievements. There could be exclusive avatars as well, which could be a nice show-off. However, the ultimate use should be the different stats and insights related to our annual activities. This will include games we played the most, along with some of the hardest achievements we might have pulled off. There should be a dedicated section for multiplayer titles as well. Ultimately, the exact details will only be known after Sony launches the PlayStation Wrap-Up 2025. Once it goes live, we will have a dedicated guide on how you can view your stats. The post When will PlayStation Wrap-Up 2025 release? Expected dates and more appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The Xbox Year in Review 2025 should be coming pretty soon for fans, and we can predict a date for when the recap could go live. Xbox's yearly recap has been a popular feature for both PC and console gamers. The stats not only provide you with interesting insights, but you also get cool rewards based on your gaming practices. Thankfully, we can undoubtedly make some predictions about the release date, despite no official word from Xbox. Xbox Year in Review 2025 expected release date Over the years, Xbox has released the Year in Review on different days of December. Last year, the Year in Review was released on Dec. 4, which was earlier than expected. However, the routine this time around could be different. As of writing, the Xbox Year in Review 2025 hasn't been released. The page for the Xbox Year in Review 2025 is already up and online. However, the page will show that the Year in Review is over, and it will be back when a new one (Xbox Year in Review 2025) goes live. I believe that Xbox could reveal the Year in Review 2025 anytime this week, and pinpoint Dec. 10 if I had to. However, we will have to wait for the yearly recap to go live patiently. Xbox hasn't provided any teasers or hints on when the recap will become available to us. The process for viewing the Xbox Year in Review should once again be the same. It will be available to those who use the Xbox app on their PC. Once available, you can view all the stats and also share them with your buddies. Last year, we managed to get profile customisation options based on our preferred gaming genres. It will be interesting to find out what Xbox has in store for us this time around. The post When will Xbox Year in Review 2025 release? Expected dates and more appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The storage market is in flux: PCIe 4.0 prices are climbing, PCIe 5.0 and USB4 are getting cheaper, and Crucial is gone. Here are the best picks for speed, capacity, and value. Read Entire Article View the full article

Battlestate Games has released a new Escape from Tarkov promo code, but this time around, its reward appears to be a joke. The latest free bundle offers what some players may consider one of the worst possible combinations of Escape from Tarkov items. View the full article

Specific structures in Minecraft can sometimes be hard to find, especially rare ones like a Woodland Mansion. These large buildings tend to spawn in odd locations, but they act as valuable mega dungeons to explore for new treasures. Some seeds that deliberately create a Woodland Mansion in your world can even give you the perfect base, giving you a grand home within a fresh adventure. View the full article

I woke up this morning thinking I would behave myself, then I saw how many prices had quietly slid into the sweet zone again. I tell myself I am only browsing, but that lie never survives for long. There is real temptation across every platform today and it's time to make out like a bandit before the bargains get gone. Contents RetroNintendoXboxPlayStationPCPC GearLEGOThis Day in Gaming In retro news, I'm using an incendiary lick from K.K. Slider's guitar to light a 20-candle cake baked for Animal Crossing: Wild World, the coziest life sim I ever smashed on Nintendo DS. I still remember slapping that cart in and strolling into a village of friendly animals, hours of fishing, house-proud decorating, digging for fossils, and writing silly letters. The real time clock and seasons made the world feel alive, and the holiday events added small joys that made each visit feel special. Wild World also let me harass my mates online through Nintendo Wi-Fi, which was a rare thrill in mine ye olden times. As I always say with this series, only the geniuses at Nintendo could make paying off a crippling mortgage entertaining. Aussie birthdays for notable games. - Shane Warne Cricket '99 (PS) 1998. eBay - Quake III Arena (DC) 2000. eBay - Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) 2005. eBay - Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) 2012) eBay Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch The Switch shelves are still buzzing with bargains, from big cosy adventures to crunchy challenge-fests. Whether you dock, go handheld, or commute like a champion, there’s discounted joy in every flavour. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (-24%) - A$68Everybody's Golf Hot Shots (-33%) - A$47Hogwarts Legacy (-29%) - A$64Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (-52%) - A$24The Diofield Chronicle (-57%) - A$36.50 Expiring recent deals Let's Sing 2026 + Mic (-41%) - A$59Persona 5 Tactica (-63%) - A$34.60Katamari Damacy Reroll (-75%) - A$7.40The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (-13%) - A$69.90Lego City Undercover (-56%) - A$39.80Immortals Fenyx Rising (-38%) - A$37.40Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (-35%) - A$65Dragon Ball Fighterz (-45%) - A$49.10 Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card. Switch Console Prices How much to Switch it up? [/url] Back to top Exciting Bargains for Xbox Xbox fans are eating well, with a mix of powerhouse action, deep RPG time sinks, and a few under-the-radar gems that are criminally cheap. Perfect time to pad the library before the next backlog guilt wave. Assassin's Creed Shadows (-46%) - A$59Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (-75%) - A$29Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (-52%) - A$24The Crew Motorfest (-81%) - A$19Dying Light 2: Stay Human (-52%) - A$47.90 Xbox One Assassin's Creed The Ezio Col. (-37%) - A$44Cars 3: Driven to Win (-63%) - A$41Bayonetta & Vanquish Bndl. (-56%) - A$26.10 Expiring recent deals Assassin's Creed Mirage (-70%) - A$24Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 (-74%) - A$29Tekken 7 (-48%) - A$36.60Yakuza: Like a Dragon (-52%) - A$14.90Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 (-47%) - A$39.90WWE 2K25 (-76%) - A$29 Or just invest in an Xbox Card. Xbox Console Prices How many bucks for a 'Box? [/url] Back to top Pure Scores for PlayStation Sony’s corner of the ***** pile is stacked with prestige hits, cult sleepers, and a few wallet-friendly oddballs. If you’ve been circling a sequel, reboot, or director-cut upgrade, now’s the perfect moment to swoop. Elden Ring (-62%) - A$38.20Persona 5 Royal (-49%) - A$48.80Rise of the Ronin (-53%) - A$59Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (-51%) - A$24The Crew Motorfest (-75%) - A$28Split Fiction (-37%) - A$44 PS4 Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Rem. (-58%) - A$29.20Mortal Kombat 11 Ult. (-60%) - A$36.10Far Cry 5 (-85%) - A$14.90 Expiring recent deals Astro Bot (-42%) - A$64Tekken 8 (-54%) - A$39Lego Horizon Adventures (-68%) - A$19Visions of Mana (-51%) - A$49Tales of Arise (-69%) - A$30.80 Or purchase a PS Store Card. What you'll pay to 'Station. [/url] Back to top Purchase Cheap for PC PC deals are firing on all cylinders, with everything from indie bangers to beefy triple A sandboxes going for a steal. If your launcher icons are looking sparse, this is your cue to overcommit spectacularly. Star Wars Outlaws (-70%) - A$29.90RoboCop: Rogue City (-90%) - A$6.30Yoku's Island Express (-90%) - A$2.80Slay the Spire (-75%) - A$9.20Undertale (-75%) - A$3.60South Park: The Stick of Truth (-80%) - A$8.90 Expiring recent deals 40K Space Marine 2 (-60%) - A$35.90Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (-85%) - A$14.90Cyberpunk 2077 (-65%) - A$31.40Death's Door (-80%) - A$5.90Gris (-80%) - A$4.30Broforce (-80%) - A$4.30 Or just get a Steam Wallet Card PC Hardware Prices Slay your pile of shame. [/url] Legit LEGO Deals Just like I did last holiday season, I'm getting festive with the LEGO section. In Mathew Manor, my sons and I are again racing this year's batch of LEGO Advent Calendars. Basically, we open the City, Harry Potter, Minecraft, and Star Wars on the daily and compare the mini-prizes for "Awesomeness" and "Actual Xmas-ness". 2024's winner was the Lego Marvel one, but, weirdly, there's no 2025 equivalent. So it's anybody's race this year. Here are the cheapest prices for the four calendars we're using. Score them yourself or just live vicariously through our unboxings. LEGO CIty Advent 2025 - A$59.95 $45LEGO Harry Potter Advent 2025 - A$59.95 $45LEGO Minecraft Advent 2025 - A$59.95 $45LEGO Star Wars Advent 2025 - A$59.95 $45 Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube. View the full article

The mod formerly known as Team Fortress 2 Classic was always slightly misnamed. It suggested a version of TF2 without the proliferation of cosmetics, a return to the readable silhouettes and basic weapons of its early days, and while it is that it's also a reimagining of TF2 that adds cut content and abandoned ideas from its early development. There's an ******* mode with a playable civilian class, four-team modes, jump pads, new weapons like the nail gun, dynamite pack, and tranquilizer gun, and more... Read more.View the full article

KOSMOS are a board game publisher best known for bringing out cozy games. Whether it's Catan, My City, or The Crew, their most well known hits all provide accessible fun for the whole family. Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll find a few titles with darker themes. Some of their escape room inspired EXIT games play like interactive horror movies, while Masters of Crime: Shadows is exactly as edgy as its title would imply. Well, now KOSMOS is working on what may be their darkest release yet... Perfect ******* Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Gritty horror awaits in this Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style TTRPG adventure Queen of Spies is the Belgian WW1 spy board game I never knew I wanted Infiltrate massive Warhammer 40k-style space hulks in this solo RPG View the full article

I finally had my sleep schedule fixed and was going to sleep at a reasonable time. And then I started playing MapleStory again. I was chasing the nostalgia high, prompted by my husband. We used to play the popular pixel MMO together in high school, many years ago when we had no responsibilities and a whole lot of time on our hands. View the full article

Star Wars is one of those universes that are perfect for video games. And, of course, there have been more than a few great ones. But only a handful were as good as the Knights of the Old Republic titles, and it appears we're about to get more of them. On Dec. 3, reputable leaker Kurakasis said a "big" Star Wars game was about to get announced, most likely indicating a worldwide premier on The Game Awards. At the time no one knew what this big game could be, but Kurakasis followed up yesterday, Dec. 6, by saying the game's title "ends with 'The Old Republic.'" This is huge news. Whatever it turns out to be, it's a return to one of Star Wars' most successful and most iconic subfranchises, one that spawned revolutionary singleplayer RPGs and a great MMO that is still operational. [Hidden Content] Some fans are concerned it's just more news about the Knights of the Old Republic remake that's been suspended in limbo for years now, but I reckon that wouldn't be an "announcement," given that we already got one and know it's coming. It could also be a third Knights of the Old Republic game, building on the hype surrounding Wizards of the Coast's RPGs, generated largely by the immense success of Baldur's Gate 3. KOTOR itself retains a large fanbase to this day, with many considering it one of Bioware's best series, coming from an era where Bioware still made great games. Thus, there is a lot of potential to making a game set in The Old Republic, especially if its part of the established KOTOR series. Of course, it could turn out to be nothing special and maybe tied to existing products, but I'm still hoping for something of note. The post Star Wars is going back to its most iconic game series, leak suggests appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The early December 2025 update for The Sims 4 has broken the Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs icons in the Create-A-Sim (CAS) menu, removing the visuals that shipped with the Lovestruck expansion. While the menu still appears to record player choices, the added inconvenience has already sparked dozens of player reports, prompting an official response from the Sims 4 developer Maxis. View the full article

s reported by Engadget, videogame merch and physical edition company iam8bit is suing Skybound Game Studios over alleged fraud and breach of contract in their multi-year partnership, particularly relating to their joint work on distributing Stray, the 2022 3D platformer where you play as a cat exploring a cyberpunk city... Read more.View the full article

If you've been avidly watching the Magic: the Gathering World Championship this weekend, then you might have seen that the deck "Temur Otters" is getting results. This archetype makes up two of the top eight decks, making it second only to Izzet Lessons in terms of popularity among high ranking players. One of the tricks behind this Otter offensive is an infinite combo that's capable of closing out games in a flood of furious semiaquatic mammals. Let's break down just how it works... Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The best Avatar MTG card is not Badgermole but a surprise boomerang This 24-year-old MTG card's price spiked 600% thanks to a ferocious free spell combo with Avatar's Iroh Deceptively powerful Avatar MTG card's price spikes 200% after powering up the Dimir Bounce deck View the full article