New Movies and Gaming Tech Announced at CES 2025!

This week is just Andy and Josh and we are talkin’ video game adaptations and CES, baby!

The film adaptation of Shadow of the Colossus remains in development, with Andrés Muschietti, the director of It and Mama, attached to the project since 2014. Muschietti recently confirmed that the script has reached a point he is satisfied with, but securing the desired budget has proven challenging. The original video game, released in 2005, is revered for its minimalist narrative and unique gameplay that tasks players with defeating 16 giant colossi to revive a young woman. Fans are eager to see how the film will capture the game's emotional depth and stunning visual design.

In addition to Shadow of the Colossus, PlayStation Productions is expanding its lineup of film and TV adaptations, including projects for Helldivers, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Ghost of Tsushima. A potential Helldivers movie is generating interest due to its thematic and stylistic similarities to the 1997 cult sci-fi film Starship Troopers. The Helldivers franchise, set in a dystopian future where players battle alien threats in cooperative gameplay, shares the satirical tone and militaristic themes of Starship Troopers, which itself was an adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 novel. This interconnected history adds a layer of intrigue for fans of both properties.

Another significant project in the works is a Horizon Zero Dawn adaptation, which aims to bring the richly imagined post-apocalyptic world of the game to life. The story, centered on protagonist Aloy as she unravels the mysteries of a world ruled by robotic creatures, is ripe for a cinematic or episodic treatment. The game’s striking visuals and narrative depth offer tremendous potential for an engaging adaptation that captures the original's essence.

The Ghost of Tsushima animation is another exciting addition to Sony’s slate of adaptations. The critically acclaimed game, which follows the story of Jin Sakai during the Mongol invasion of Tsushima, is lauded for its immersive storytelling and visual artistry. The animation aims to expand on these themes, delivering the rich cultural and historical tapestry that made the game a standout hit. Fans hope the project will retain the samurai drama and emotional resonance that defined the original experience.

Discussions have also surfaced about a possible Final Fantasy VII movie. While Yoshinori Kitase, the director of the original game and its recent remake, has expressed interest in an adaptation, he noted the difficulty of condensing the expansive story into a single film. Kitase suggested a series might be better suited to capture the depth and complexity of Final Fantasy VII’s narrative, which has become a cornerstone of gaming history. The game's rich world-building and iconic characters like Cloud Strife and Sephiroth continue to resonate with fans decades after its release.

The rise of video game adaptations reflects a growing recognition of the medium’s potential for compelling storytelling. However, translating these beloved properties into film and television presents challenges, particularly when dealing with games as narratively and emotionally dense as Shadow of the Colossus and Final Fantasy VII. As Sony and other studios invest heavily in these adaptations, fans are cautiously optimistic that the final products will honor the spirit of their source material while reaching new audiences.

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Nvidia has unveiled its latest GeForce RTX 5000 series graphics cards at CES 2025, introducing the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070 models. These GPUs are based on Nvidia's new Blackwell architecture, featuring next-generation Tensor Cores and Ray Tracing Cores, and are designed to deliver significant performance improvements over their predecessors.

Here is a summary of the key specifications and pricing for each model:

The RTX 5090, priced at $1,999, features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1792 GB/s. It boasts 92 billion transistors and more than double the AI processing speed of the RTX 4090, making it exceptionally powerful for high-resolution gaming and AI applications.

TechRadar

The RTX 5080 comes with 24 GB of GDDR7 memory and is priced at $999. The RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 are equipped with 16 GB and 12 GB of GDDR7 memory, respectively, with AI processing speeds of 1,406 TOPS and 988 TOPS. The RTX 5070 is particularly notable for its claim of delivering RTX 4090-level performance at a more affordable price point, leveraging advancements in DLSS 4 technology.

Yahoo

The RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 are scheduled to be available on January 30, 2025, with the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 expected to follow shortly thereafter. 

Additionally NVIDIA has announced Project G-Assist launching February: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/g-assist-ai-companion-for-rtx-ai-pcs/?linkId=10000032722176

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AMD has announced its latest midrange graphics cards, the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, at CES 2025. These GPUs are based on the new RDNA 4 architecture, which focuses on improved ray tracing performance and expanded AI acceleration capabilities.

Wikipedia

Here is a summary of the key specifications for each model:

PC Guide

AMD has not yet disclosed the pricing for these models. Pre-orders are expected to begin on January 23, 2025, with availability anticipated within Q1 2025.

Tom's Hardware

The company has also introduced FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4), its first machine-learning upscaling solution, which leverages the AI accelerator cores in the RDNA 4 architecture. FSR 4 will be exclusive to the Radeon RX 9000 series, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 being the first title to integrate this technology.

Wikipedia

AMD's new naming scheme aims to simplify comparisons with competitors, positioning the RX 9070 XT against Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti and the RX 9070 against the RTX 5070. The company has indicated that it will focus on the midrange segment for this generation, with no current plans to release higher-end models like the RX 9080 or RX 9090.

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Official Valve Announcement: https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/529834914570306832

Interview with Pierre-Loup Griffais, Engineer at Valve by PCWorld: https://youtu.be/UI-C-nZnDE8?si=ewR1gDconKy3GBa3&t=355