We tried out the iPhone 15 Pros and the regular iPhone 15s — and they feel really nice in the hand.

The limited time I had in Apple’s controlled demo area means there’s no way to do a detailed look at some of the features that I — and probably you — really care about most such as the performance upgrades in the A17 Pro chip, the 5x telephoto lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and battery life. I’ll test those thoroughly when I get the devices for review. But until then, enjoy the pics!

Every time Yoko Taro speaks, you get the feeling he is messing with you, just a little bit.

It’s not unlike the twisting, surreal stories behind the Drakengard and NieR franchises he’s masterminded. And yet underneath all of Taro’s theatrics — including the large, moon-like mask called Emil that he is rarely seen without — there is always a kernel of sincerity behind every answer he gives.

So, when I ask how he’d like to see the industry change, Taro’s outlandish response wasn’t as surprising as you might think — especially given his many remarks on the failings of the video game industry at large.

“I would like to see aliens or something attack Earth in a way that destroyed all of the silicon-based technology we currently have, so the whole world had to return to the 8-bit era and game creators were forced to make a living developing games in that low-tech environment.”

But behind his jokes is a serious artist who remains his own harshest critic. Taro’s pessimism toward the industry sits uncomfortably alongside his unflinching optimism about the medium’s potential for storytelling. It’s the myth of Sisyphus, but instead of a boulder, Taro has his mask. So it’s no surprise, then, that he’s deeply ambivalent about the future of the medium.