Gamers today will rightly point out that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the game that will most likely bag the coveted Game of the Year award for 2025. Ahead of December 11, the popular turn-based RPG has not won yet. However, the nominations have just been announced, and it’s now safe to say that Expedition 33 has a real shot for the award.

The annual Game Awards has a lengthy list of awards it usually hands out. Of course, the highlight is Game of the Year. Besides Expedition 33, five other titles are vying for the crown: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

Besides the coveted award, Expedition 33 also got 11 other nominations, totalling 12, which is the most a single game has gotten in the twelve-year history of The Game Awards. This includes Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Audio Design, Best Independent Game, Best Indie Game Debut, and Best RPG.

If you’ve been counting, that’s just nine nominations. The remaining three of the 12 need their own spotlight. For Best Performance, the game single-handedly got three nominees in: Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, and Jennifer English. That’s half of the list, rounded out by Ghost of Yotei’s Erika Ishii, Silent Hill f’s Konatsu Kato, and Indiana Jones’s Troy Baker. Notably, even 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3 didn’t get multiple nominees in the category.

While Expedition 33 has a real chance with running away with a good chunk of the awards, viewers can control 10 percent of the vote via the fan voting process already up now. Plus, the awards will soon include a Players’ Voice award, which goes up on December 1.

SEE ALSO: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review: Beautifully haunting

The Legend of Zelda might be one of the hardest video games to adapt. After all, how do you write a script for a protagonist who never talks? But, by God, Nintendo is doing it anyway. Now, the company has released the first official images from the upcoming live action film’s production.

The upcoming Zelda film has had a long production cycle. First announced in 2023, it was only earlier this year when Nintendo put a date to the film’s premiere: March 26, 2027. Even now, we don’t know much about the film.

Over the weekend, unofficial photos showed that product started its filming in New Zealand. Unofficial photos don’t really mean much except for those who hang around the rumor mill, but they can spiral towards those excited for the film’s release. To get ahead of the rumors, Nintendo released official photos, over the Nintendo Today app, which show both Link and Princess Zelda.

Notably, Zelda, the archetypal princess in distress, isn’t wearing her usual princess’s garb. Rather, she’s wearing the blue gear from the Breath of the Wild duology, where the princess had a more active role in saving Hyrule. Bo Bragason, who plays the princess, will likely take on a more front-and-center role.

Link, played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, is wearing his more traditional green clothing from the past games. Though the film looks like it’s adapting the most recent duology, it might be an entirely different story, based on Link’s different clothes.

SEE ALSO: The Legend of Zelda live-action film now has a premiere date

Google has officially launched Google Wallet in the Philippines. This gives Android users a secure and convenient way to pay in stores, online, and in-app. The service also supports digital items such as loyalty cards, boarding passes, event tickets, and more.

Google Wallet is available for download on the Google Play Store starting today. You can add a participating bank card to Google Wallet, then pay with your Android phone or Wear OS device wherever contactless payments are accepted.

Prep Palacios, Country Manager of Google Philippines, said the launch aligns with the country’s growing digital lifestyle and supports faster, safer transactions.

FinTech Alliance PH chairman Lito Villanueva noted the service strengthens financial inclusion, backed by collaboration between the private sector and government.

BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto E. Tangonan emphasized that banks and e-money issuers remain responsible for risk management when working with technology service providers. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said Google Wallet supports the nation’s digitalization agenda.

Features and supported partners

Google Wallet stores digital credentials securely. The app holds your payment cards, and Google Pay completes the transaction. You can also add boarding passes from Philippine Airlines and other carriers, with instant alerts for flight changes. The app supports event and cinema tickets, loyalty cards, vouchers, and digital car keys.

Participating issuers include Visa and Mastercard cardholders from banks such as China Bank, EastWest, RCBC, GoTyme, Maya, UnionBank, Wise, Zed, and GCash. Online payments are supported on platforms like Shopee and select merchants via partner payment service providers.

For transit, users can tap and pay at MRT-3 stations, modern jeepneys in Cebu and Mandaue City, and other terminals that accept Visa or Mastercard. Google Wallet supports digital tickets from Easybook. Beep App integration will follow soon.

Setup and security

To enable tap-to-pay, users can add a card inside the app, agree to terms, and complete verification. Google Wallet uses tokenization and device-specific security codes for every transaction, with screen lock required for access. Lost devices can be secured or erased via Find My Device.

Google Wallet is now available for download through the Google Play Store.