At CES 2025 in Las Vegas this week, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) unveiled transformative trends and expected highlights of the massive trade show during a media preview on Sunday. CTA Senior Director of Innovation and Trends Brian Comiskey led a discussion on the rise of Gen Z, the increasing influence of artificial intelligence, and predicted a “Quantum Decade” for the 2030s. Sustainability, energy transitions, and human security, especially around food, also emerged as critical themes. “Innovation is never just one thing — it’s the convergence of technology and human-centric values that drives progress,” Comiskey noted. Continue reading CES: Tech Trends Focus on Gen Z, AI, the ‘Quantum Decade’

Senior media executive Sharon Tal Yguado has launched Astrid Entertainment. The new venture will initially focus on games, with plans to expand into multiplatform content. Yguado, who earlier held top positions at Fox Networks Group and Amazon Studios, says Astrid is developing “rich worlds” where millions of people worldwide can build communities. The company, which is currently staffing, is already underway on its first interactive environment for multiplayer stories. Astrid has raised pre-seed investment funding of more than seven figures from participants including NetEase Games, Stardom and Tower 26. Continue reading TV Exec Launches Astrid Entertainment for Games and More

Creating Metaverse, the digital universe depicted in “The Matrix,” “TRON” and “Ready Player One” and described by novelists William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, sounds like a nearly impossible feat. But Seattle-based 8 Circuit Studios, staffed by veteran gamers, plans to rely on its expertise plus blockchain and cryptocurrency to develop this world more quickly than previously deemed possible. That’s because the company proposes that gamers, developers and publishers will work together to create the Metaverse ecosystem. Continue reading 8 Circuit Studios Uses Blockchain, Ethereum to Build Games