How Kendrick Lamar Turned His Super Bowl Halftime Show Into A Giant PlayStation Easter Egg - Related to kendrick, studio, outlines, alongside, plans
Ex-Sega studio Relic outlines future plans following last year's split
Relic Entertainment, the studio behind the likes of business of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, has outlined its future plans as an independent studio - including a greater focus on smaller titles and older games - following its separation from Sega last year.
Relic was founded in 1997, becoming known for its work in the real-time strategy genre as the years went on. In 2013, the studio was acquired by Sega - but the companies last year revealed they would be parting ways, with Relic becoming independent once more.
Since then, Relic has undergone a period of downsizing, laying off 41 staff last year (a move that followed a major round of redundancies in 2023), but now the studio has reemerged to discuss its future plans, announcing a "bold" vision that'll see it focusing on three key areas.
Part of the studio's new strategy will see it 'actively pursuing' the development of "smaller-scope, in-house games" alongside the larger, more complex strategy titles it's known for - all in order to "explore new genres and gameplay experiences".
It also intends to 're-imagine classics', through the likes of re-releases, remasters, and "brand-new franchise experiences that capture the spirit of the originals while appealing to a new generation of players." That's alongside Relic's third focus: a "deepening commitment" to and "robust support" for its existing titles, starting with business of Heroes 3.
The studio has already announced a new update and new DLC for Company of Heroes 3, both launching this month. Fire & Steel, as the DLC is known, promises four new Battlegroups for multiplayer and co-op/skirmish vs. AI. There's the Heavy Weapons Battlegroup (US Forces), Terror Battlegroup (Wehrmacht), Canadian Shock Battlegroup (British Forces), and Panzerjäger Kommand Battlegroup (Afrikakorps), with more details to be revealed closer to release.
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How Kendrick Lamar Turned His Super Bowl Halftime Show Into A Giant PlayStation Easter Egg
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX performance has generated a lot of online chatter, and surprisingly, not all of it has to do with Drake. When the Grammy-winning rapper took the stage for the halftime show, the stage itself took the form of a tic-tac-toe board--but X's and O's were accompanied by a triangle and a square, which were meant to evoke the aesthetic of a "PlayStation-style controller," 's coordinators and set designers. The idea--which Lamar personally dreamed up--was meant to represent the rapper's life as though it were a video game.
"I think the [video game theme] was symbolic, his way to reach young people," art director Shelley Rodgers told Wired. "A lot of it is showing his journey, [showing him] traveling through the American dream."
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show set was inspired by the PlayStation controller, show's art director says.
"Each performance space was shaped like a button on a PlayStation-style controller, a performance intended to portray Lamar’s life as a video game."
Via: @WIRED [website] — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) February 10, 2025.
Creative director Mike Carson added that Lamar and his production firm, pgLang, are "really into keeping things clean and minimal."
"We went with a monochromatic concrete look and allowed the video game motif to come alive through dialogue, lighting, choreography, and music," Carson expressed.
But despite the stage's streamlined, minimalist design, the folks running the show had several difficult hurdles to overcome. Lamar, his backup dancers, the lighting, and the stage itself had to be set up and ready to go in under eight minutes. Once the performance ended, production had had roughly six minutes to get everything off the field--without messing up the turf. Even though the Superdome's turf is synthetic, protecting it was still no small task, especially given the fact that part of the set dressing was a real GNX that had been heavily modified to allow Lamar's numerous backup dancers to enter the stage in a clown car-esque manner.
"They were on board with our vision from day one," Carson mentioned of Shelley Rodgers, who worked to bring the vehicular optical illusion to life. "Even with this being one of the largest halftime footprints ever, Shelley and team came with clever ideas and guidance to help us maintain the design integrity and get this beast across the finish line."
But every good game needs a villain, and the halftime show appeared to serve as the final act in Lamar's seemingly endless beef with fellow rapper Drake. At one point in the show, Lamar told his female backup dancers that he wanted to perform "Not Like Us," but had decided against it because "people like to sue." But near the end of his 13-minute performance, Lamar performed a lightly censored version of the incredibly popular diss track. The "life as a video game" theme also resurfaced at the end of the show, with Lamar yelling "Game Over!" as the same words appeared in lights across the stadium.
Drake has yet to make a statement about the halftime performance. Lamar's rival was reportedly out of the country during the Super Bowl.
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Marvel Rivals Adding Human Torch And The Thing Very Soon, Alongside A Rank Reset
Marvel Rivals will receive its mid-Season 1 modification on February 21, bringing new heroes, big changes to the game's meta, and a rank reset for competitive mode enjoyers, developer NetEase has unveiled.
In a blog post, NetEase stated competitive players will have their ranks drop four divisions following the mid-season revision. The mid-season rank drop is happening due to "major balance changes" that are expected to "shake-up the battlefield" for the remainder of the game's first competitive season.
There are a few additional changes coming to competitive as well, with a new Gold rank and above costume for players to earn and Crests of Honor cosmetics for players at Grandmaster rank and above that will have a unique design each season. NetEase mentioned players will need to complete 10 matches in competitive mode in order to claim the rewards for any given season.
What balance changes are in store for Marvel Rivals is still under wraps, but NetEase did confirm that the Human Torch and The Thing will be making their debut alongside the mid-season improvement. The Thing will be a new Vanguard character. Meanwhile, Human Torch will be added to the game's increasingly large Duelist lineup. With the additions of the two heroes, the entire Fantastic Four will be playable in Marvel Rivals, with NetEase having added Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic at the beginning of Season 1.
NetEase has already expressed players can expect new two new playable characters every season--one at the beginning and another at the season's mid-point, with each Marvel Rivals seasons lasting three months.
The first major balance changes for Marvel Rivals as part of Season 1 nerfed some of its most popular damage-dealing Duelist characters while buffing many of the game's powerful Strategist (aka support) heroes. Given how dominate Strategists and their game-halting healing ultimate abilities currently are, it's likely nerfs are incoming for characters like Cloak & Dagger and Luna Snow. However, players will have to wait for the official patch notes to see what's in store for Marvel Rivals mid-Season 1 update.
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Market Impact Analysis
Market Growth Trend
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0% | 7.2% | 7.5% | 8.4% | 8.8% | 9.1% | 9.2% |
Quarterly Growth Rate
| Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5% | 8.8% | 9.0% | 9.2% |
Market Segments and Growth Drivers
| Segment | Market Share | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Console Gaming | 28% | 6.8% |
| Mobile Gaming | 37% | 11.2% |
| PC Gaming | 21% | 8.4% |
| Cloud Gaming | 9% | 25.3% |
| VR Gaming | 5% | 32.7% |
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity:
Competitive Landscape Analysis
| Company | Market Share |
|---|---|
| Sony PlayStation | 21.3% |
| Microsoft Xbox | 18.7% |
| Nintendo | 15.2% |
| Tencent Games | 12.8% |
| Epic Games | 9.5% |
Future Outlook and Predictions
The Sega Studio Relic landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements, changing threat vectors, and shifting business requirements. Based on current trends and expert analyses, we can anticipate several significant developments across different time horizons:
Year-by-Year Technology Evolution
Based on current trajectory and expert analyses, we can project the following development timeline:
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity, influencing adoption timelines and investment priorities:
Innovation Trigger
- Generative AI for specialized domains
- Blockchain for supply chain verification
Peak of Inflated Expectations
- Digital twins for business processes
- Quantum-resistant cryptography
Trough of Disillusionment
- Consumer AR/VR applications
- General-purpose blockchain
Slope of Enlightenment
- AI-driven analytics
- Edge computing
Plateau of Productivity
- Cloud infrastructure
- Mobile applications
Technology Evolution Timeline
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
Expert Perspectives
Leading experts in the gaming tech sector provide diverse perspectives on how the landscape will evolve over the coming years:
"Technology transformation will continue to accelerate, creating both challenges and opportunities."
— Industry Expert
"Organizations must balance innovation with practical implementation to achieve meaningful results."
— Technology Analyst
"The most successful adopters will focus on business outcomes rather than technology for its own sake."
— Research Director
Areas of Expert Consensus
- Acceleration of Innovation: The pace of technological evolution will continue to increase
- Practical Integration: Focus will shift from proof-of-concept to operational deployment
- Human-Technology Partnership: Most effective implementations will optimize human-machine collaboration
- Regulatory Influence: Regulatory frameworks will increasingly shape technology development
Short-Term Outlook (1-2 Years)
In the immediate future, organizations will focus on implementing and optimizing currently available technologies to address pressing gaming tech challenges:
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
These developments will be characterized by incremental improvements to existing frameworks rather than revolutionary changes, with emphasis on practical deployment and measurable outcomes.
Mid-Term Outlook (3-5 Years)
As technologies mature and organizations adapt, more substantial transformations will emerge in how security is approached and implemented:
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
This period will see significant changes in security architecture and operational models, with increasing automation and integration between previously siloed security functions. Organizations will shift from reactive to proactive security postures.
Long-Term Outlook (5+ Years)
Looking further ahead, more fundamental shifts will reshape how cybersecurity is conceptualized and implemented across digital ecosystems:
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
These long-term developments will likely require significant technical breakthroughs, new regulatory frameworks, and evolution in how organizations approach security as a fundamental business function rather than a technical discipline.
Key Risk Factors and Uncertainties
Several critical factors could significantly impact the trajectory of gaming tech evolution:
Organizations should monitor these factors closely and develop contingency strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts on technology implementation timelines.
Alternative Future Scenarios
The evolution of technology can follow different paths depending on various factors including regulatory developments, investment trends, technological breakthroughs, and market adoption. We analyze three potential scenarios:
Optimistic Scenario
Rapid adoption of advanced technologies with significant business impact
Key Drivers: Supportive regulatory environment, significant research breakthroughs, strong market incentives, and rapid user adoption.
Probability: 25-30%
Base Case Scenario
Measured implementation with incremental improvements
Key Drivers: Balanced regulatory approach, steady technological progress, and selective implementation based on clear ROI.
Probability: 50-60%
Conservative Scenario
Technical and organizational barriers limiting effective adoption
Key Drivers: Restrictive regulations, technical limitations, implementation challenges, and risk-averse organizational cultures.
Probability: 15-20%
Scenario Comparison Matrix
| Factor | Optimistic | Base Case | Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implementation Timeline | Accelerated | Steady | Delayed |
| Market Adoption | Widespread | Selective | Limited |
| Technology Evolution | Rapid | Progressive | Incremental |
| Regulatory Environment | Supportive | Balanced | Restrictive |
| Business Impact | Transformative | Significant | Modest |
Transformational Impact
Technology becoming increasingly embedded in all aspects of business operations. This evolution will necessitate significant changes in organizational structures, talent development, and strategic planning processes.
The convergence of multiple technological trends—including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and ubiquitous connectivity—will create both unprecedented security challenges and innovative defensive capabilities.
Implementation Challenges
Technical complexity and organizational readiness remain key challenges. Organizations will need to develop comprehensive change management strategies to successfully navigate these transitions.
Regulatory uncertainty, particularly around emerging technologies like AI in security applications, will require flexible security architectures that can adapt to evolving compliance requirements.
Key Innovations to Watch
Artificial intelligence, distributed systems, and automation technologies leading innovation. Organizations should monitor these developments closely to maintain competitive advantages and effective security postures.
Strategic investments in research partnerships, technology pilots, and talent development will position forward-thinking organizations to leverage these innovations early in their development cycle.
Technical Glossary
Key technical terms and definitions to help understand the technologies discussed in this article.
Understanding the following technical concepts is essential for grasping the full implications of the security threats and defensive measures discussed in this article. These definitions provide context for both technical and non-technical readers.
AR intermediate
platform intermediate
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