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In Japanese culture, business relationships are usually cultivated over a long period. It’s almost like dating. The prospective business partner must be showered in gifts and taken out for meals before they sign on the dotted line. For Monster Hunter Now, Capcom’s Ryozo Tsujimoto said yes within the first ten minutes of the pitch.
Monster Hunter Now is the latest game from Niantic, creator of Pokemon Go. It melds Monster Hunter with its usual geolocation gameplay, asking you to walk around in real life to find monsters that you’ll battle for crafting materials.
It’s a lot more involved than Pokemon Go, asking you to dodge, block, and attack, with multiple weapons with their own quirks.
Niantic’s chief product officer Kei Kawai wanted to connect people as they work together to take down giant beasts, transplanting the camaraderie of Monster Hunter’s main series into the real world in the way the classic PSP game used to bring people together. His cousin found his wife through Monster Hunter on PSP and he wanted to create those same bonds with the modern audience.
“So we went to the pitch [saying], ‘Hey, we would like to work on a Monster Hunter game set in the real world’,” Kawai says. “And so I sat down with him, shared slides, started talking – and it was a first pitch… Like 10 minutes into that, he was like, ‘Let's do it’.
“He told me there's a lot of fans telling him they want to play Niantic [style] games, and if they're gonna work with anyone in making a real-world game, it's gonna be Niantic. So I was surprised. I imagined that it's gonna take a lot of eating and drinking and talking to get anything done In Japanese business.”
We recently attended the Monster Hunter Now Carnival in Toyko and saw the first in-person realization of Niantic’s mission statement.
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Steelers are growing concerned over Aaron Rodgers' alarming performance
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot to work on after the first couple of weeks of training camp have concluded and they prepare for a preseason game. The offense has not played well throughout these early practices. Even though they have to go against the highest-paid defense every day, it's not a good sign when the third-team offense has consistently been the most exciting and inspiring unit on that side of the ball. There are lots of things that need to be fixed before Week 1 kicks off — or else it will be a long season. As usual, these problems start with the quarterback position. Insider Mike DeFabo reported on a big problem that Aaron Rodgers has had with his receiving core. "While Rodgers’ quick release has married well with DK Metcalf’s ability to win on slants, the QB hasn’t been able to unlock his big-play threat downfield," DeFabo said. "During Sunday’s practice, Rodgers did find Metcalf on a deep cross thanks to some blown coverage. But that touchdown is the outlier in an offense that’s relied overwhelmingly on short, quick passes or checkdowns. During a 7-on-7 period, Rodgers overthrew Metcalf on a pair of vertical routes. This comes days after Rodgers and Metcalf failed to connect on a go route during the two-minute drill to end 'Friday Night Lights.' The only other memorable deep ball between the two in team periods also fell incomplete about a week ago, when Rodgers’ pass fluttered out of bounds as Joey Porter Jr. stayed in Metcalf’s hip pocket." While DK Metcalf has never been a polished route-runner, he was still brought in to make life easier on the quarterback. Multiple reports from training camp continue to express similar analysis, indicating that the connection between Metcalf and Rodgers, especially downfield, has been far from perfect. If the chemistry between Metcalf and Rodgers continues to stall, someone else will have to step up. As DeFabo also reports, no one else has been able to take an alpha role in this receiver room thus far. "On Sunday, Rodgers looked for [Roman] Wilson on a corner route. The uncatchable ball skipped well in front of the receiver," DeFabo said. "Either the throw was errant or they weren’t on the same page. It was a similar story last week, when Rodgers looked for Wilson along the sideline and threw it well out of bounds. After that misfire, Rodgers walked Wilson through how to run his route the way the QB wants. Meanwhile, [Calvin] Austin missed his second consecutive practice with an injury." After essentially being redshirted due to injury in his rookie year, Roman Wilson has been given multiple opportunities to run with the first-team offense and prove that he belongs on the field. So far, he appears to have absolutely zero chemistry with his new quarterback, which could cause him to lose reps as time goes on. The injury to Calvin Austin III has not helped at all, either, as he was named WR2 earlier in the offseason. While Rodgers wants everyone to thrive, he is known for being very particular and demanding of his receivers. With Metcalf not being a great route-runner and Wilson still trying to learn the system, the veteran quarterback is having a hard time getting what he wants out of them. Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni was also brought in to be a no-nonsense type of coach who forces his players to be the best that they can be. He'll need to earn his keep this offseason as he continues to prepare his unit for the regular season. If 2025 is as much of a struggle as training camp is so far, the whole position could see a massive overhaul.
Green Bay Packers: Tucker Kraft Shares Concern Level on Issue That Nearly Became a Bigger Problem
Yankees quickly pull plug on key trade-deadline acquisition
After a disastrous start to his time in the Bronx, the New York Yankees have seen enough of reliever Jake Bird. Acquired in a trade-deadline deal with the Colorado Rockies, Bird was sent to Triple-A after giving up a game-winning three-run home run against the Texas Rangers on Monday night. The long ball continued what has been a head-shaking start for the 29-year-old right-hander with the Yankees, as he has given up seven runs (six earned) and four hits in just 2.0 innings worked over three games. His recent outings extend what has been a downward spiral for Bird. While with the Rockies, Bird allowed runs in 10 of his last 17 games before being traded, equaling a 13.20 ERA during that stretch. Before that, Bird was one of the most dominant relievers in baseball, posting a 1.41 ERA through his first 28 outings of the season. Bird's collapse in the Bronx goes along with the overall struggles of the Yankees bullpen. Devin Williams, another trade that was supposed to be an answer in the late innings for New York, served up the game-tying homer on Monday night in Texas. Over his last seven appearances, he has a 7.71 ERA, and a potential change at closer could be in the air after manager Aaron Boone's comments after Monday's loss. The Yankees made deals at the deadline to boost the bullpen, bringing in Bird from Colorado, David Bednar from Pittsburgh and Camilo Doval from San Francisco. However, those moves have mostly hurt the Yankees, who also saw leads evaporate in a three-game road sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins. While it's still too early to say the Rockies won the trade by acquiring two prospects for Bird, the early results for the Yankees certainly point in that direction. If Bird isn't able to regain the confidence that was such a big part of his demeanor while in Colorado, the trade will be a decision that New York could regret for the rest of the season and beyond.
Cowboys' problem with Micah Parsons may hand Steelers a franchise QB
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most-talked-about NFL organizations throughout the course of the 2025 offseason. One of the biggest headlines that was attached to the franchise involved a rare May trade that sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Many expected the wide receiver to be dealt before or during the NFL Draft, but after a move didn't occur, it was believed that he would play out the final year of his rookie contract in the Steel City. Now, he is teaming up with CeeDee Lamb in the NFC, and a duo has been formed that could be very dangerous. Unfortunately for fans of the Cowboys, the two wide receivers have not been the talk of Dallas' training camp. Team owner Jerry Jones is playing hardball with edge-rusher Micah Parsons, and the talented defender recently requested a trade. The decision not to pay Parsons yet has left Jones under intense scrutiny, given the fact that the pass-rusher is one of the league's best. Jones' recent comments also show how dysfunctional the situation has become. In a recent appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," respected analyst Dan Orlovsky found a way to relate Parsons' situation to quarterback Dak Prescott, insinuating that if Jones does indeed trade Parsons, Prescott's Super Bowl window in Dallas would close. "If they trade [Parsons], and I don't think they do, if they trade him, it declares the Dak Prescott era over," Orlovsky said. "This team has no shot of winning a Super Bowl without Micah Parsons. No shot, and if you're doing it, it's to acquire a ton of first-round picks, so you have the ammunition to go get an Arch Manning of the future." The Steelers are set to have 12 draft picks in 2026, which gives the front office plenty of options when it comes to bringing in the next franchise quarterback. Instead of drafting one, however, could an available Prescott be a target for general manager Omar Khan? Orlovsky believes trading Parsons away would upset the Cowboys' best players. "There's no way that you can go to your locker room with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, some of the first-round picks you have on your offensive line, Trevon Diggs, and go, 'Hey, go beat Philadelphia when you don't have Micah Parsons. Go beat the Rams when you don't have Micah Parsons.' Your locker room will sit there and go like, 'Oh, well you've obviously moved on, so we're going to start our process of moving on as well.'" Any team interested in acquiring Prescott would have to take a long look at his contract. Some of the cap hits are astronomical in the coming years, but Khan is known to be a guru when it comes to the finances in deals. There's no reason to believe that he couldn't make something work for Prescott if a trade were to happen during the 2026 offseason. Fans in Dallas shouldn't be panicking just yet, but there were already some rumors about Prescott's long-term position with the Cowboys during the 2025 offseason. Certain reports were eventually debunked because it was quite literally impossible for Jones to entertain the idea of dealing Prescott after the franchise altered the quarterback's contract. Prescott has a no-trade clause, but that can always be waived, especially if he is upset about how Jones moves forward. If the Cowboys trade Parsons and pick up a plethora of draft capital, and then go on to invest in a first-round signal-caller, Prescott may be requesting to be traded as well. That's a long way away from happening, but the Steelers immediately come to mind as a team that would likely be interested. The Steelers' best-case scenario would be the emergence of Will Howard It's not easy to make a name for oneself in the NFL, and it's even tougher for players like Will Howard who were drafted in the sixth round. Pittsburgh will be in the quarterback market once again in 2026 if Aaron Rodgers is serious about retirement, so it would be a fantastic development if Howard solidifies himself as the next starter in the Steel City.
Ex-Yankees Bust Clint Frazier Sends Clear Anthony Volpe Message
Hindsight is 20/20, and the New York Yankees may have a major regret regarding a player on track for his second 20-20 season in three years. Although shortstop Anthony Volpe has 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and a career-high .710 OPS, he also has a league-high 16 errors. The 24-year-old Volpe is striking out at a 23.8% clip and batting just .189 with runners in scoring position. Volpe went hitless with a walk in Monday’s 8-5 loss to the Texas Rangers, leading ex-Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier to suggest that Volpe is in a “tough spot.” "Everybody is so hyper focused on him at the moment and you gotta believe he’s fully aware of it because it’s impossible to not be,” Frazier wrote on X/Twitter. “That standing ovation might need to come here soon,” Frazier added. “It could help.” Frazier is referring to the idea that Yankees fans should give Volpe a standing ovation the way that Philadelphia Phillies fans did for Trea Turner two summers ago. Los Angeles Dodgers fans did something similar for struggling All-Star shortstop Mookie Betts on Monday night, though Betts went 0-for-4 in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Longtime Yankees pitcher David Cone made a similar proposal last week. The Yankees return home for a three-game set against the Houston Astros beginning Friday night. The 60-53 Yankees trail the first-place Toronto Blue Jays by 5 1/2 games at publication. Although the Yankees and Seattle Mariners are tied for the AL’s second Wild Card spot, they only have a 1 1/2 game lead over the Rangers.
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