The Hub of Reid Harris Cooper

ENDIX, the Virtual Event You Can Play, is now LIVE on Steam and Epic Games Store

Posted on 05/22/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

The free digital gaming expo is open from May 23–24, 2026. No ticket, No travel, No cost. Just download and walk in.

ENDIX is live now on Steam and the Epic Games Store. From anywhere in the world, players can download the experience for free and step directly onto the expo floor for two days of demos, premieres, panels, giveaways and meetups with the people behind their favourite games.

ENDIX is built on a simple belief: a great gaming expo should be open to everyone, not only to those who can afford to travel. There is no ticket, no shortlisting and no paywall; only a download is needed to join.
“Cost and distance should never be the reason someone misses out on a great gaming expo. ENDIX is live now, and anyone, anywhere, can walk in.”
— Nikos Perifanis, Founder, ENDIX

Download and join now:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4356840/Endix
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/endix-9f1da1

Every booth at ENDIX is crafted by the developers themselves and built from real in-game assets. Walk-through spaces that feel like a natural extension of the worlds they showcase. Players can explore dozens of demos, watch new trailers before anyone else and meet the people behind the games face to face. Built-in voice chat connects visitors with developers, journalists, content creators and a global community of players, all roaming the same digital floor in real time.

Between booths, the expo comes alive with parkour challenges, mini-games and other activities scattered across the world, with prizes for those who take part. Top content creators are on site throughout the weekend, exploring the expo, streaming their reactions and meeting their communities inside ENDIX itself.

For those brave enough, Theatrum Obscurum, ENDIX’s dedicated horror wing, returns inside an abandoned theater built for the occasion. It is the home for the darker and deliberately unsettling corners of the medium, with a curated selection of horror titles showcased in an environment designed to set the mood.

This edition brings together a lineup that spans AAA publishers and standout indies. THQ Nordic anchors the publisher presence with Gothic 1 Remake, Wreckfest 2, Titan Quest 2, REANIMAL and Tides of Tomorrow. They are joined by 505 Games with Among the Trolls, Team17 with Silver Pines, Gameforge with Shelf Heroes and Under a Rock, Amber with Mexican Ninja, Untold Tales with Everdream Village, PQube with Necrophosis: Full Consciousness and 10 Chambers with Den of Wolves. On the indie side, highlights include Alpha Nomos (RibCage Games), Sea of Rifts (Out Of Bounds Games), Hela (Knights Peak) and DAVE THE DIVER – In the Jungle (MINTROCKET), with dozens more across every major genre.

Brand partner Alienware is on the floor with a playable in-world mini-game and giveaways throughout the weekend. Across the two days, ENDIX is handing out more than 600 game keys alongside Alienware hardware and exclusive branded merch and monitors for players competing across the expo.

What’s Happening This Weekend

Dozens of playable demos spanning every major genre
First looks at new trailers and premieres
Theatrum Obscurum, the curated horror showcase inside an abandoned theatre
Built-in voice chat to talk directly with developers, press and creators
Live developer panels hosted inside the expo world
Creator meetups and community games throughout the weekend
600+ game key giveaways and Alienware hardware prizes
Free access via Steam and Epic Games Store — no ticket required

“Gaming events have always asked people to come to them. ENDIX comes to you, and it doesn’t charge you for the privilege. That’s the whole point and starting today, anyone with a PC can walk through the doors of ENDIX”
— Daniel Thorsen, ENDIX

Posted in Conventions, Events & Expos, Video Games | Comments Off

Eurovision 2026

Posted on 05/18/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

I always look at Eurovision as a chance for an amazing talent to break out internationally and maybe even to the US. The music industry is a maze and great artists fall through the cracks and exist in places where they are heard and succeed but not at the level their quality deserves.

These links are based on initial impressions from the 35 accepted submissions and being grabbed by that. Language had no bearing. It all based on my personal ears and deciding I wanted more of the artist and enjoying the other tracks I heard.

Satoshi (Moldova): This rapper definitely has some extreme pride in his country based on his other songs. He also has some killer flow.

SIMÓN (Armenia): Paloma Rumba is awesome but it was Ay Paparey Bye that won me over.

Alexandra Căpitănescu (Romania): Choke Me is an American track through and through, but her native Romanian stuff released and signed to Universal Romania is wonderful.

Veronica Fusaro (Switzerland): Signed to Deepdive Records, has quite a few albums, all in English. Has toured Europe. Has the chops and the songs to be a bigger star, but the machine is the machine.

Vanilla Ninja (Estonia): They also performed in 2005 Eurovision and have been constant. Again, ufortunately the music industry doesn’t actually care about music especially in the 00s but maybe the machine can finally pay attention.

LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER (UK): His YT focuses more on sound tech then songs, but the songs that are there great.

Lavina (Serbia): Turns out the song submitted to Eurovision is the first time this band has done a song in Serbian. They’re a progmetal group with all their songs in English.

JONAS LOVV (Norway): Maybe my top of the bunch, amazing sound, great songs, this is my Go-Jo like “find” from the season.

ESSYLA (Belgium) : Close behind Jonas with some really catchy tracks.

Eva Marija (Luxemberg): Her other main song available “Time to Go” is wonderful.

I have not actually watched the live performances because what happens there is not representative of what I’m seeking in the artist. I want to know about them outside of Eurovision and these are the ones who I want to hear more from after the 2026 season.

Posted in Music | Comments Off

Nerd Notes 5/17/2026

Posted on 05/17/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Nothing new in life here, but plenty new music or new things hit my eye view, so here’s an ICYMI Nerd Notes.

I don’t drink Folgers… it is not the best part of wakin’ up. I like small batch coffee, but that isn’t to say Folgers is bad. It is very good and perfect for daily coffee drinkers looking for a quick fix that isn’t mud. What they do best though is get good marketing done and this is great marketing and leads well into a gamut of music videos that my eclectic ears enjoyed.

MUSIC

I’ll be doing a Eurovision 2026 post but former Eurovision contenstants came together to make this super group song. Followed by that is other new stuff from former Eurovision contenstants. Some I discovered through EV, others I knew before it.

And now back to other new music:

The All-American Rejects full LP is now out, so they recently dropped three new tracks on their own.

The following are playlists or long videos of full soundtrack albums from Television and Movies:

MOVIES & TV

OTHER STUFF

https://www.instagram.com/zachsmithdraws

A book trailer from a Jon Chad book. https://www.instagram.com/jonchlaunch/

Excited for this one. Now we have a release date.

Barry Blaustein, famous for the wrestling documentary “Beyond the Mat” and the co-creator of Eddie Murphy skits on SNL and film vehicles like Coming to America and Boomerang passed away. He also helped create this wonderful Pilot starring Corin Nemec (with Eddie Murphy skits) that was retooled into Parker Lewis.

Posted in Music, Nerd Notes, TV and Movies | Comments Off

Harvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea is Now Available for Pre-Order with Exclusive Wolf Plush

Posted on 05/12/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Burlingame, CA. – May 12, 2026 – Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, today announced Harvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea is launching on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam on September 24, 2026. The next entry in the Harvest Moon franchise is now available for pre-order at Amazon (NSW 2, NSW, PS5) and the Natsume Store. Pre-Order Harvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea and receive Lupo (Baby Wolf Plush), the Bloomfield Guardian while supplies last!

Natsume, Inc. also shared new screenshots from the upcoming title, revealing a first look at new characters, a new bustling city, cozy camping, powerful tornadoes, and more.

Farm, explore, and discover!

Embark on an unforgettable journey in the enchanting world of Teradea, where peaceful farm life meets thrilling adventure!

Raised in the quiet comfort of Bloomfield Village, your life is about to change forever. A mysterious mist creeps from the Forest of Echoes, wild beasts roam under the cover of night, and strange disasters threaten villages across the land.

Explore a vast, living landscape filled with hidden caves, remote islands, and lively towns. Build your farm, forge friendships, and even find love as you shape your destiny in Teradea. Travel alongside your animals – each with special abilities that help you leap across terrain, break through obstacles, and uncover valuable treasures.

Along the way, you’ll meet unforgettable allies like the Harvest Goddess and ingenious inventor Doc Jr., befriend powerful Guardian Spirits, and take on the mysteries behind earthquakes, violent storms, and a looming darkness that threatens everything you know.

Key Features

Massive Open World Exploration – Teradea is a sprawling world packed with diverse regions—from peaceful villages to lush wilderness. Explore maze-like caves filled with ore and gems, uncover nautical charts to reach remote islands, and discover rare collectibles and animals not found anywhere else.
Romance & Relationships – Meet and build relationships with 10 unique characters—5 bachelors and 5 bachelorettes. Form deep bonds, experience heartwarming events, and choose your perfect partner to build a life together.
Animal Companion System – Travel with a variety of animals, each offering unique abilities that go beyond simple companionship. Use them to reach hidden areas, destroy obstacles like rocks and fallen trees, and uncover secrets scattered across Teradea. Your companions are essential for both exploration and adventure!
Campsites & Travel System – The world is too large to explore in a single day! Set up at campsites to rest, recover stamina, and cook meals by the fire. Meet traveling merchants who offer exclusive items you won’t find anywhere else.
Expanded Player Movement – Jump, climb ladders, and scale vines to reach previously inaccessible areas. Combine your movement skills with your animal companions to fully explore every corner of the world.
Power Statue Mini-Challenges – Discover glowing Power Statues hidden throughout the world, each offering quick challenges or puzzles. Free dormant Power Wisps to earn Power Wisp Fruits, then trade them at the Forest Goddess Statue to boost stamina and unlock useful abilities.

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off

Nerd Notes 5/9/2026

Posted on 05/09/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Vegas was incredible. We got to see wrestling, rebeat the OmegaMart mission, got to experience Horror Unleashed, went to the NAB Show, enjoyed a suite, got to explore things we missed last time and see things we loved last time, missed a to of things too, saw so many friends, ate great food. It was an experience and a half. Here are two videos I created while there before the regular nerd notes catch up.

MUSIC

The entire Grave Diggler Story deal from Ice Nine Kills rules.

Hate them, love them, it’s catchy.

The first band under the new A24 Music label.

New Stones, New Diamond, new Paul, New Ringo… 2026 music is wonderful.

MOVIES & TELEVISION

Still looking great.

NicolaWalker and JemaineClement was enough, but it’s also from Sophie Goodheart, who has a solid resume.

Avantika is going to be a major star I feel.

I’ll most curious to see if the writers decide to still stick to coninuity or ignore it completely just for the concept.

This looks so fun!

Rarely do I promote Foreign films, but this has weirdo vibes of excellence.

Dafoe!

Coleen Hoover book, noted writers, Michael Showalter directed, and of course the cast. Yeah. One to have an eye on.

I really love what they’ve done here. To adapt Anthony’s summer as is from Restaurant Confidental would be broing, but to actually adpt to be a comprehensive composite should be fantastic.

WRESTLING

This interview is a bot miss for fans of hardcore, death match, weed, fun, GCW, ICW NHB, indepedent wrestling, and happiness. The next one will be the dirty gossip but this just the clean straightforward and worth your time.

Posted in Music, Nerd Notes, TV and Movies, Wrestling | Comments Off

Play “LEON MUST DIE FOREVER,”a Free, High-Octane Minigame Added toResident Evil™ Requiem, Starting Today!

Posted on 05/07/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

If you thought Leon was done, think again! Resident Evil™ Requiem, the fastest-selling Resident Evil game in franchise history, released the action-packed “LEON MUST DIE FOREVER” as a free minigame, playable starting today across PlayStation®5, Nintendo Switch™ 2, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Epic Games Store, and GeForce NOW!

Watch the thrilling trailer here on YouTube, and for all latest assets and information on Resident Evil Requiem, visit the official Resident Evil Requiem website, Resident Evil YouTube, and Capcom Press Center.

“LEON MUST DIE FOREVER” is an extra game mode that is unlocked after players complete the main story and comes packed with the nonstop combat action that players know and love from legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy. Fight your way through areas you’ve visited previously throughout the game and defeat the final boss, all with stronger enemy variants, five increasingly difficulty ranks, and a race against the clock! Fill your enhancement gauge by defeating enemies in order to unlock Leon’s “enhancer abilities” exclusive to this game mode.

The order and progression of each area, plus options for Leon’s “enhancer abilities,” differ among each run, adding to increased replayability.

Alongside the release of “LEON MUST DIE FOREVER” comes several additional announcements:

Various bug fixes across platforms have been addressed
Added PC support for the DualSense® wireless controller’s adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and motion sensor features
All-new “LEON MUST DIE FOREVER” merch including t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirt, and hoodies, is available now on Amazon!
And don’t forget that the first-ever Resident Evil amiibo figures release on July 30 featuring the main characters from Resident Evil Requiem, Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy!

Resident Evil Requiem, the latest mainline entry in the iconic survival horror Resident Evil series, takes players on an incredible journey back to Raccoon City to experience exhilarating, death-defying action and spine-tingling survival horror as Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy face their pasts and uncover the truth behind the Raccoon City Incident that changed the world forever.

Stay tuned for even more updates on Resident Evil Requiem later this year as we continue to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Resident Evil franchise.

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off

Doug the Duck reporting for duty

Posted on 05/06/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

It’s short and sweet, but it doesn’t have to be and it is definitely ducky. Duck Side of the Moon is a truly fun, adorable and simple adventure when played straightforward, but there’s plenty of side quests and collectibles. There are strangely power-ups that you don’t need to actually complete the main adventure at all which I did find a little weird, as the game came to an end without unlocking stuff and I was shocked as I expected those upgrades to be needed for completion of the plot, not for being a completest.

The plot is cute and fun though, and deeper than you might think through a couple of sequences that feel “larger” than the cute simpleness presented by the world you find yourself in. While there’s no vocals, each character has personality that feels if not fleshed out, apparent even if one dimensional. The art is also super adorable. Whoever thought rocks could be precious… but they are… they are geodes which are precious… but I mean in the “awww. Look at you, you sweet little thing” way.

The gameplay is hard to describe. It’s very easy. It’s intuitive. You are duck, you can fly, you have a robot who can mine. There are no actual enemies, so you’re never in defense. This is completely an explore and fetch quest adventure and while it is very short it is worthwhile. My gameplay was officially 4 hours and I think the story path isn’t more than 2 hours tops but maybe more.

Duck Side of the Moon releases May 7^th, 2026 on Steam.

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off

CASE SOLVED?

Posted on 05/03/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

My brain is not used to mouse and keyboard. Years and years of gaming with a controller, but somehow my mentality was able to revert easily to uncover stones, win staring contests, survive a chase, find clues and discover the mysteries that lie within the town of Orchard under Hill as a the biggest trope a noir story can have, a detective with amnesia.

Although it’s not just any detective, it’s an anthropomorphic squirrel living among anthropomorphic snakes, foxes, dogs, cats, tortoises, hares, peacocks, birds and more. A squirrel full of quips who may or may not understand what he’s doing or why. A squirrel with a deep gravelly voice that would fit well in a 30s mystery film, done wonderfully by David Carter who voices multiple other characters in a way that each sounds completely original and fun.

The dialogue is peppered with clever, funny comedy but also what seems a well thought out (I think?) plot of many moving parts. Gareth Owens is a very fun writer, and Leopold Låby put in major work in designing the puzzles. The artist of some of the main sequences who also did the art for the comic Eloi Amizet brings a special kind of whimsy to the work. While the pixel art work of Penusbmic, Nashrullah Amin and Ruan Quintino as well as a whole team of talented artists truly bring the world to life. And the music by Logan James Hart is subtle and contained, adding extra breath.

Now I won’t say the game is perfect. Those mouse and keyboard controls still took a lot to get used to. Especially in the two chase sequences in this first chapter. Not impossible, as I actually made it through, and also very forgiving. Yet I have zero clue how I’d ever beat the Punch-Outesque unneeded to succeed arcade game without a controller. I just don’t think in QWERTY or QWASDE. This was such a minor thing but one should be aware of before dropping in. If I could get past it and reach the end (for now), then you definitely should be able to.

I said (for now), you should know that No Stone Unturned as it exists right now is in “Early Access” with the next chapter to come sometime this summer, but getting in the door now is the way to go. You’ll get to live in Cox and the inhabitants of the town, get yourself wet and understand the world and the controls before that next story comes out.

DISCLAIMER: P-CS received a review copy of the game but it in no way reflected the review, just as it never reflects any review.

NO STONE UNTURNED is available NOW on Steam for $12 (or 10% off if you see this article before May 6^th). There is also a demo available if you’re not ready to leap right in.

Posted in Comics, Video Games | Comments Off

First-Person Survival Bar Management On the Rocks Coming to PC via Steam Early Access in 2026

Posted on 04/27/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

This one isn’t my type of game but I know friends and colleagues who would be totally into it.

Ankara, Türkiye – April 27th, 2026 – Independent publisher 312 Interactive and developer LootBag Studios today announced On the Rocks, a first-person survival bar management game launching on PC via Steam Early Access in 2026. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the game centres on a lone bar operating in a world where clean water is gone and staying alive depends on purifying whatever can be scavenged. Players must turn limited resources into valuable drinks to sustain, grow and expand their post-collapse establishment.

On the Rocks is a first-person survival crafting and bar management game set in a desolate desert landscape with little clean water left, where players keep a lone bar running against the odds. Venture into the dangerous wasteland to gather toxic liquids, plants and materials, while maintaining stamina and hydration. Injuries will directly impact your survivability, reducing your maximum health or increasing dehydration from bleeding. Exploration is risky, especially as night falls and vicious, hostile threats come out to play. Staying out too long can push resources to the limit, and failure can mean losing valuable supplies, or not making it back at all.

Back at the bar, players transform gathered resources into useful supplies. Command massive industrial machines to purify liquids and ferment them into valuable beverages through a hands-on brewing system that rewards mastery. The bar is both a safe haven and a central gameplay hub, where players manage stock and pricing, upgrade equipment and manage the day-to-day operations. Serve stragglers of the broken world, each with distinct demands, attitudes and expectations. Reputation is critical to long-term success, shaping who visits and what opportunities emerge.

Balancing endurance with business management is essential, as success behind the bar fuels further exploration, creating a gameplay loop that blends resource management, crafting, and player-driven progression. How long can you keep the only functioning bar in the wasteland running?

“We’re excited to reveal On the Rocks and invite players into its harsh, sun-scorched world,” said Aysu Ünal, co-founder at 312 Interactive. “Our game is a love letter to post-apocalyptic classics like Fallout and Mad Max. Fans of survival and management games can look forward to a unique blend of scavenging, crafting, and running a bar – a combination rarely explored in games. We can’t wait to see how players endure our harsh, unforgiving world, while building the last bar worth visiting in the apocalypse!”

For more information about On the Rocks
Wishlist on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4149640/On_the_Rocks/
Visit the website: https://312interactive.com/
Follow on X: https://x.com/ontherocks_game
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ontherocksgame/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ontherocksgame
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ontherocksgame
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/7pdyx2Puv5

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off

ENORMOUS NERD NOTES 4/25/2026

Posted on 04/25/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

After 8 Days in Las Vegas of wrestling, history, street art, food, and entertainment catching up on all the music, video game trailers, movie trailers, television trailers and what not was an adventure. I am sure I missed something, but here is everything that I thought was cool, interesting or important to share in case you missed it.

MUSIC