There’s a lot more to the story Remedy’s Control started, and Control 2, now officially titled Control Resonant, gives us our first real look at where it’s heading. Shown off at the recent Game Awards, the sequel’s announcement trailer raises more questions than it answers, teasing a supernatural crisis that feels bigger, messier, and far less contained. As Dylan Faden says in the trailer, “something is coming,” and it looks like the Hiss, the Mold, and other entities have escaped the Oldest House, colliding with a “godlike cosmic force” that’s actively warping reality. With Remedy teasing early details and Control Resonant set for a 2026 release, here’s everything we know so far, including its expected release date, story, gameplay, and more.
Control Resonant: Release Date and Platforms
While Remedy hasn’t locked in a specific release date yet, the studio confirmed during The Game Awards that Control Resonant will launch sometime in 2026. As for platforms, the game is set to arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Mac (via Steam and the App Store), and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. There has been no mention of a Nintendo Switch 2 version so far, and while a port isn’t off the table, there’s no official word on that just yet.
What Will The Story of Control Resonant Be About?
Control Resonant will take place years after the events of Control, with the Federal Bureau of Control still reeling from the Hiss invasion and locked down as a matter of policy. Dylan Faden, who spent much of the first game under Bureau surveillance, is now being deployed to the field as Manhattan becomes the centre of a rapidly escalating paranatural crisis. Remedy bills Control Resonant as “Dylan’s story – the other half of that sibling tale,” which first began with Jesse Faden.
Control 2’s plot revolves around a containment failure that puts Manhattan on the verge of collapse, with Dylan sent in to find his sister and deal with a cosmic entity that has escaped into the city. Moreover, this crisis is no longer confined to the Oldest House, and the game’s story will unfold across multiple districts of Manhattan.
According to Co-Creative Director Mikael Kasurinen, the FBC is struggling to hold back a world-ending threat as cosmic forces tear through Manhattan. “After years in confinement, Dylan is now being deployed by his former captors at the height of a supernatural crisis. The Federal Bureau of Control is struggling to contain a world-ending threat as Manhattan becomes the new battleground – a warped city where cosmic forces twist reality, bend gravity, and reshape the skyline into something unrecognizable,” said Kasurinen.
Remedy is touting Control Resonant as both “a sequel and a new entry point,” adding that the sequel’s story is designed to be easy to follow, while expanding on the events of the first game.
In fact, Mikael Kasurinen, the Creative Director of Control Resonant, shared, “You don’t have to know the first game to jump into the sequel; we’ve made this one easy to pick up and hard to put down. We’re pushing the scale beyond anything we’ve done before, elevating combat, exploration, and storytelling into a bigger, more memorable experience. It’s ambitious, a little wild, and we can’t wait for players to get lost in it.”
Image Credit: Remedy
Control Resonant: Gameplay
From whatever little we have seen so far, the gameplay in Control Resonant already feels like a big departure from the original. You’ll be playing as Jesse’s brother, Dylan Faden and the sequel is built to play like him. Where the first game leaned heavily on third-person shooting and telekinetic powers, Control 2 looks to be geared towards faster encounters built around movement, combos, and direct engagement.
Dylan will wield the Aberrant, a shapeshifting artifact that can transform into a bunch of different melee weapons. As we see in the trailer, Dylan fights up close, and the general tone leans further toward action RPG territory, with a greater emphasis on character progression and build variety. Remedy has confirmed that Control Resonant will include deeper progression systems that allow players to change how Dylan’s abilities develop over time.
According to a post shared on the Xbox blog, these systems will revolve around “raw melee power, ability-drive agility, or environmental manipulation, or a mix of all three.” During a group Q&A, Creative Director Mikael Kasurinen explained that Control Resonant’s direction isn’t a dramatic genre shift, but rather a continuation of ideas the studio had been building toward.
“The new genre come from our overall desire to move in this direction as a studio. Like, when you think about the Control franchise, this was the place we wanted to end up in anyway,” Kasurinen said. “We started to bring in these RPG elements, Metroidvania, stuff like that. And we’re simply continuing on that path with Control Resonant. So it’s not a shift, per se, but more like going further towards the direction.”
Is There A Trailer For Control Resonant?
The first and only trailer for Control Resonant debuted at The Game Awards, and while it’s thin on concrete details, it does show us the world, some story beats, a bit of gameplay, and our best look at Dylan Faden yet. The trailer cuts quickly between cinematic moments and brief gameplay snippets, opening inside the Oldest House, with a man sitting in a glass containment cell, before shifting focus to what’s going on outside.
That man is later revealed to be Dylan Faden, Jesse’s brother, who spent much of the first game under Bureau control. We also see Jesse stabbing an unconscious Dylan with a strange metallic object, which appears to be the Aberrant, the shapeshifting melee weapon Dylan uses. As shown in the trailer, supernatural forces have fractured reality, tearing surroundings apart and rearranging streets into distorted new spaces.
Are There Any Other Games Like Control Resonant?
If you haven’t played Control yet, that’s still the best place to start to get a feel for the world and the tone, even if Resonant looks like it’s heading in a slightly different gameplay direction. Beyond that, we’d recommend The Stanley Parable, Half-Life, Little Nightmares II and Returnal if you’re after something more action-driven with a similarly strange, hostile world.
A comedy with a wild premise is making waves on Netflix. With seven seasons currently streaming, Younger is the kind of show that’s a joy to binge-watch, especially during the holidays. It’s the time of year when being a couch potato isn’t so frowned upon.
Viewers seem to agree, as Younger has made the Top 10 in 47 countries this week.
The series delivers romance, jokes, an appealing cast, and a satisfying arc for the main character. That said, new fans might be wondering whether more episodes are on the way. Here’s what we know so far.
Younger Season 8 Release Date
Unfortunately, Younger season 8 isn’t happening. The series, which initially aired on TV Land in the US, concluded with season 7.
The good news? Younger ended on its own terms, so you don’t have to worry about cliffhangers. While revivals can never be ruled out, the episodes available on Netflix are all we get for now.
Faced with ageism and a saturated job market, Liza pretends to be a 20-something in order to become an assistant at a prestigious publishing house. What starts as a white lie becomes a complicated balancing act as Liza juggles friendships, office politics, and romantic entanglements. Hiding your age is one thing, keeping up with a younger crowd another.
Along the way, she forms a tight-knit bond with coworker Kelsey, and becomes entangled in a love triangle with tattoo artist Josh and publishing boss Charles. Expect sharp humor, witty dialogue, and heartfelt moments.
By the time the seventh season wraps up, Liza has gone through many ups and downs, but her confidence is unshaken. While Younger season 8 might never become a thing, her story of reinvention remains inspiring. Age is just a number, after all.
Are There Other Shows Like Younger?
Younger was created by Darren Star, also responsible for Sex and the City and Emily in Paris. You can’t go wrong with either.
Originally ordered by Hallmark+, heartwarming drama Ripple was acquired by Netflix and it’s currently streaming in certain territories. It ended up spending a big chunk of December climbing regional Top 10 lists. Figures, as it’s a fitting watch for the festive season.
The show’s surprising popularity has left fans wondering whether a sequel might be on the way. While the first season’s open ending leaves room for more, the future is uncertain, at least for now.
Ripple Season 2 Release Date
At the time of writing, Netflix hasn’t made any official announcements about a potential Ripple season 2. Additionally, the title dropped with little fanfare, and it’s not available globally yet. It might be a while before we learn more about the show’s fate.
That said, the fact that the drama has reached the Top 10 in several territories is a good sign. As long as Ripple season 2 gets the green light, new episodes could arrive in late 2026.
Ripple Cast
Frankie Faison as Walter
Julia Chan as Kris
Ian Harding as Nate
Sydney Agudong as Aria
Robert Bazzocchi as John
Marci T. House as Tara
Sarah Swire as Ellis
Vanessa Smythe as Claire
What Could Happen in Ripple Season 2?
Set in New York, Ripple centers on four strangers whose paths intersect in unexpected ways.
Walter is a widower struggling with grief after the death of his wife, searching for community and purpose. Nate is a bar owner facing serious health challenges, including a cancer diagnosis. Kris is a former music executive reeling from professional loss. Finally, Aria is an aspiring musician wrestling with heartbreak and fertility struggles.
A symbolic blue stone and a neighborhood bar serve as connective threads, drawing these characters together. The aim? To highlight how even small choices can set off a ripple effect that changes the course of multiple lives.
By the time the end credits roll, the finale delivers quiet resolutions and hints at new beginnings for everyone involved. As long as Netflix decides to order additional episodes, Ripple season 2 could easily continue their stories, maybe bring them even closer together. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Fantasy anime Record of Ragnarok keeps going strong. The third season, now available on Netflix, has amassed 3.3 million views this week alone, and the show is currently #1 in two countries.
The 15 new episodes make for a quick watch. Thankfully, due a fun plot and devoted fanbase, the series could go on for a while. Question is: will it?
Record of Ragnarok Season 4 Release Date
Netflix hasn’t announced plans for a potential Record of Ragnarok season 4, at least not yet. That doesn’t mean a renewal isn’t happening. The third season premiered not long ago, so the platform might be waiting to assess how it performs before making a decision.
Viewership numbers are strong, and the anime is based on a manga series, so there’s plenty of story available for a follow-up. As long as the streamer gives the green light, a fresh batch of episodes could drop in late 2026.
Record of Ragnarok Cast
Miyuki Sawashiro as Brunhilde
Tomoyo Kurosawa as Göll
Wataru Takagi as Zeus
Junichi Suwabe as Hermes
Yukihiro Nozuyama as Heimdall
Sho Hayami as Odin
What Could Happen in Record of Ragnarok Season 4?
In a cosmic council held once every millennium, the gods vote to destroy humanity. That’s when Brunhilde, leader of the valkyries, argues that humans deserve one final chance to prove their worth.
To decide humanity’s fate, she proposes the Ragnarok tournament. In other words, thirteen human champions will fight thirteen gods in one-on-one combat. If humanity wins seven of the thirteen bouts, they earn another thousand years of existence. If the gods win seven, humanity will be wiped out forever.
To give humans a fighting chance, the valkyries fuse their souls with human fighters to forge divine weapons capable of harming gods. What follows are high-stakes, larger-than-life battles that pit legendary human figures against deities.
In season 3, the tournament is at a critical juncture, with each duel pushing the characters beyond their limits. If the show is renewed, Record of Ragnarok season 4 will likely continue in the same vein, while also expanding on the mythology. The manga series is available in English for those keen to explore the source material.
What should have been a joyous children’s party becomes a tragedy in popular series The Accident. The drama, which recently came out with season 2, explores what happens in the aftermath, and how the quest for justice entangles all families involved.
With 4.3 million views this week, the Mexican production is currently the third most-watched non-English show on Netflix. It’s also the #1 show in five countries where the platform is available. Does that mean season 3 is a sure thing?
The Accident Season 3 Release Date
At the time of writing, Netflix hasn’t announced plans for a potential The Accident season 3. The second installment has premiered not long ago, however, and viewership numbers are solid. A renewal could be right around the corner, in which case new episodes will probably arrive in late 2026.
That said, the ending of season 2 offers closure for many of the characters. While there are still plot threads to explore, we’re not holding our breath.
The Accident Cast
Ana Claudia Talancón as Daniela
Sebastián Martínez as Emiliano
Alberto Guerra as El Charro
Eréndira Ibarra as Lupita
Shaní Lozano as Yolanda
Silverio Palacios as Moncho
Erick Elías as Fabián
What Could Happen in The Accident Season 3?
The Accident kicks off with a children’s birthday party. The celebration turns into a nightmare when a bouncy castle is lifted into the sky by a sudden gust of wind, killing three children.
At the heart of the series are Daniela, a police detective, and her husband Emiliano, whose son dies in the accident. As the community is left to pick up the broken pieces, suspicions and secrets emerge. Is anyone at fault for the tragedy? And how far are the families willing to go to get justice?
The second season plunges deeper into the aftermath of grief. Relationships continue to fracture and alliances shift, culminating in a tense finale that balances tragedy with hope. We won’t give away spoilers, but suffice it to say that several characters face stark endings.
That’s the main reason why The Accident season 3 seems unlikely. If Netflix does decide to renew the series, it could follow the characters as they attempt to move on.
There’s a very specific kind of outfit that only appears on New Year’s Eve. The this-is-my-once-a-year-glam-excuse kind. But to be honest, it has nothing to do with that yearly tradition and everything to do with the intent. Overkill styling choices turn into fashion regrets just a few hours in the night. Here’s everything I hate.
The annual return of my greatest fear: sequins
Unless you’re under the Ibiza sun, sequins are just really hard to justify. NYE shouldn’t be the exception. It’s become a reflex, you don’t think about what to wear, you think about what color sequins to pick. Trust me, no shade will make you stand out in a pool of little shiny discs. Don’t get me wrong, I love shine. Last year I wore a nude maxi covered in crystals. There’s always a way to sparkle without choosing what 99% of the crowd does.
When the calendar says Dec 31st we ditch the 12. Not December, the heels
Every year, someone convinces themselves that 12cm stilettos are a great idea. They’re a great visual, and that’s about it. I try to keep myself collected. Α few days before NYE, I place kitten heels on the dinner table, just to make a note in my brain. If you’re like me and have second thoughts about the heel, let them be first, swap the heights, save yourself.
Velvet & lamé: the tradition I close my eyes for
On a level of 1-10 on how distasteful I find those two on NYE, I’m just gonna say I might prefer sequins. I’m not a fan of lamé in general, but on that night, it’s exactly the shine I turn my head around for (the other direction). Velvet gets an A for difficulty, it can look amazing when done right, but never on NYE. Too stiff, too serious, basically something we shouldn’t touch when unsure.
Red fulfilling its seasonal obligation
Red might be the universal color for sexy. Blondes, brunettes, red-heads, it suits almost everyone, I understand the appeal. Yet every year, NYE transforms it from sexy to seasonal gimmick. Come December, it’s exhausted. This is a plea, back off. It’s stealing the room’s sexiness, one red outfit at a time, and turning wearers into literal, walking Santa’s elves. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Shy coats making sure nothing happens
Nothing kills an outfit faster than a shy-looking coat. There’s nothing more underwhelming than all that NYE effort hiding under a little fur trim, a trench, and soft lines. Go big, full fur, strong shoulders, structured everything. Reach for something equal. If the outfit’s going to work, the coat must work too. Half-hearted glam rarely survives the night.
Expert Voice: Elvin Zhang, Partner & Brand Marketing Director at PODpartner
The Holiday Inventory Dilemma
Each holiday season, apparel companies face a critical decision: Should I purchase 5,000 units of my collection or 10,000? The traditional retail model of placing orders well in advance, taking a gamble on sales, and discounting as much as possible after the holiday rush is not only risky, but also outdated.
On-demand manufacturing offers a fundamentally different approach. It enables apparel manufacturers to launch their seasonal collections, produce only what they sell, and eliminate unsold products from their inventory, eliminating the inventory risks associated with traditional manufacturing models. But rather than asking yourself in 2025 if you should use an on-demand strategy, you should be asking yourself if you can afford NOT to.
How Holiday Retail Usually Works (And Why It’s Broken)
The old system of holiday retail is built on predicting the future and hoping you are right. The traditional model includes a six-month lead time, yet trends can shift from one day to another, creating a difficult gamble for brands to engage in, either they will overbuy and take the loss of deep post-holiday discounts, or they will underbuy and miss the holiday sales rush. With the holiday market projected at $241.4 billion by 2024, the costs of this gamble are substantial. It’s nearly impossible to predict trend lines in July when a TikTok trend can create both the success or failure of a product within a matter of weeks.
The traditional model remains prominent, but the shift to on-demand manufacturing presents challenges, especially for established brands that have relied on bulk production for years. Completely abandoning the traditional model overnight is not always feasible. Many established brands are reluctant to completely adopt 100% print-on-demand (POD) due to their established reliance on traditional ordering models.
The Hybrid Strategy for Established Brands
The winning approach is a gradual transition. At PODpartner, we advocate for what we call the “Hybrid Strategy.” For 20% of core basics, traditional bulk production can still be used to reduce costs. For the remaining 80% of trend items, holiday editions, or collaborative items, the POD model is the best fit.
Consider a streetwear brand that continues to stock its classic black logo sweatshirts through traditional production methods but lists new designs (those inspired by trending memes or TikTok) through on-demand production. This allows the brand to maintain profitability with its classic products while capturing demand for trendy items with the flexibility of POD. Before the peak season in Q4, they only stocked up on the most classic designs. For those new designs with complex patterns or chasing TikTok hot memes, they listed them all through PODpartner. As a result, they maintained the profit of their basic business with the traditional model and captured 3 trending items with the POD model.
The most important aspect is that product quality from PODpartner meets retail-grade standards, ensuring that consumers cannot tell the difference between traditional inventory and printed-on-demand items. We ensure this seamless blend of models enables brands to transition smoothly without sacrificing product quality or customer experience.
Why On-Demand Manufacturing Changes Everything
On-demand manufacturing is no longer simply a trend, but a complete overhaul of the way apparel companies manage their inventory. On-demand manufacturing presents a new question: “Why purchase inventory at all?” Not only will this business model minimize your risk, but it will completely eliminate it.
The early hurdles of print-on-demand (such as restricted design requirements and fewer product offerings) have all disappeared. On-demand manufacturing is now an operational model that produces a product within 48 hours at quality levels equal to those found with traditional manufacturing models, thereby providing a viable model for not only the small startup but also for larger companies.
What On-Demand Manufacturing Unlocks
Unlike traditional retail, on-demand manufacturing provides distinct advantages that are reshaping how brands approach the holiday season:
Rapid Market Response: In 48 hours or less, you can produce enough products to respond to a market trend in real time. If a TikTok trend takes off on Friday, your brand can create and ship a response product line by Monday, rather than waiting six months for your next production cycle.
Infinite Experiments: You can try out an infinite number of small collections with virtually zero financial risk. Launch multiple designs, gauge how consumers will react to them, and then scale up those designs that are successful. If a collection fails, there is no loss, and you have only spent money on inventory.
Brand Materials Made-to-Order You are no longer limited to buying 500 units in order to add a personal touch to your products. With on-demand, you get per-order customization of packaging, professionally made hang tags, and detailed design elements as early as day one, with no need for minimum purchases.
Financial Freedom: On-demand offers a major financial advantage. Brands will be able to use 100% of their money towards increasing sales—customer acquisition or influencer marketing—creating a new way of growing sales.
Handling Peak Season Volume at Scale
In terms of handling a surge in order volume during peak seasons, such as Q4, PODpartner’s strength lies in its fully integrated system, which is unlike other platforms that rely on external factories. Many platforms collapse under pressure because they cannot control production schedules. However, we at PODpartner operate our own factories and have exclusive production capacity, giving us the edge in maintaining our commitment to a 48-hour delivery time.
The Smart Production Routing system automatically assigns orders to the best production lines based on fabric inventory, machine load, and shipping address, all within milliseconds. This ensures that even during peak times like Black Friday, products can complete the entire process, from raw fabric to finished product, within the required 48 hours. Additionally, the upgrade to advanced industrial dryers, which are 40% more efficient for thicker fabrics, ensure that every order stays on track for quick delivery. For extremely urgent orders, PODpartner even offers a ‘green channel,’ prioritizing hot-selling items to prevent out-of-stock issues.
The Competitive Reality in 2025
Although models that rely on traditional inventory remain steady, they are becoming less competitive in terms of the flexibility and scalability that the on-demand model offers. The question is not whether on-demand manufacturing is better, but which model best fits the 2025 holiday retail reality. On-demand enables brands to switch to trends in real-time, eliminating inventory risk while freeing capital for growth. The old models are too inflexible and slow, unable to keep pace with the constant changes in consumer preferences.
Of course, this flexibility means nothing without quality. In the heavyweight cotton category, we’ve invested heavily in production technology specifically to address the common technical issues of ‘print-through’ and ‘insufficient fastness’ that have plagued traditional POD. This is precisely the confidence that allows us to benchmark against top-tier fashion brands.
Why Brother GTX Technology Makes the Difference
Instead of choosing industrial models that prioritize speed at the expense of image quality, we have firmly opted for the industry-leading Brother GTX series of direct-to-garment printers. These are the preferred choice for many internationally renowned brands when producing limited editions or high-end custom collections.
When it comes to handling heavyweight fabrics, Brother’s performance is far ahead. Their exclusive Innobella textile ink technology offers a wider color gamut and higher color density. This means that even on dark 300g+ heavyweight sweatshirts, our prints can still achieve photo-realistic finesse and vividness, completely avoiding the common ‘bleeding through’ or ‘graying’ issues associated with ordinary equipment.
We’ve also developed a dedicated color profile (ICC Profile) for Brother devices, ensuring that every gradient and shadow can be reproduced 1:1 on the clothing. Through this combination of Brother devices and our proprietary process, we have enabled POD products to bid farewell to the ‘cheap look’ and deliver what we call ‘retail-grade quality.’
Where the Industry Is Heading
The demand for on-demand manufacturing continues to grow rapidly. New manufacturing techniques have allowed for larger product prints, various print options for individual clothing items, and higher quality embroidery than traditional methods could produce. It is likely to be an increasingly important method in the near future and will also allow brands to capitalize on consumer trends as they are occurring by utilizing social commerce platforms to manufacture and deliver products to consumers.
At PODpartner, we are working hard to advance the possibilities of on-demand manufacturing. We have invested significant capital into high-end production technologies and have created relationships with top-tier manufacturers around the world. This has given us the opportunity to provide brands with capabilities that match or even surpass those found in traditional manufacturing models while still offering them the flexibility and no-inventory advantages inherent in the on-demand model.
Freedom From Financial Gambles
The transition to on-demand manufacturing is not only about logistics but also about freedom. It means leaving behind the financial gambles that have defined conventional retailing. By eliminating the risk of prediction and overstocking, on-demand allows brands to focus on what matters: growth. On-demand is the future of holiday retail, and it is here. It is time for brands interested in removing the risk of inventory and redesigning their operations to take action.
We have experienced at PODpartner how brands can transform their operations when they eliminate inventory risk. We have the infrastructure and support that makes this transition not only possible, but also profitable.
Understanding the True Cost of Production
Why gamble with overstocking and markdowns when you can eliminate inventory risk entirely and turn your capital into a marketing powerhouse instead? In 2025’s holiday season, profitability hinges on cash flow efficiency, and PODpartner unlocks that advantage.
Let’s do some math: While unit cost of POD is indeed higher than that of traditional bulk goods, when inventory risk is taken into account, the final net profit margin of the POD model is more advantageous. We must honestly acknowledge this point: The per-unit production cost of POD is indeed higher than that of traditional bulk production. After all, the cost logic of finely printing each piece on a high-end Brother device is entirely different from that of a factory assembly line applying screen printing ink.
However, focusing solely on ‘production cost’ is the mindset of a novice seller. A mature CEO focuses on the ‘landed cost per sold unit.’
Consider this example: In the traditional model, the cost of a heavy sweatshirt might be $20 each. If you order 1,000 pieces, it costs $20,000. But in the fashion industry, achieving a 70% sell-through rate is considered excellent. The remaining 300 pieces that don’t sell become dead inventory. This means you’ve spent a total of $20,000 to sell those 700 pieces. Breaking it down, the real cost per piece you sell is actually $28.6 ($20,000 ÷ 700). And that doesn’t even include storage fees and interest on capital. At PODpartner, the cost of the same sweatshirt might be $25. It looks $5 more expensive than $20, right? But you only pay for one piece at a time as it sells. Your real cost is locked at $25. The result: The actual cost under the POD model ($25) is lower than the hidden real cost of the traditional model ($28.6). So, PODpartner is not selling ‘more expensive clothing.’ We’re helping you eliminate the ‘wasted money spent on unsold inventory.’ That’s the accounting logic for high-profit brands in 2025.
Why Cash Flow Efficiency Matters More Than Unit Cost
More importantly, it’s about cash flow efficiency. Under the traditional model, that $10,000 in goods would be tied up in the warehouse for half a year. In contrast, under the POD model, this $10,000 can be fully invested in Facebook or TikTok ads. If your ROAS is 3, this money can generate $30,000 in sales for you.
Therefore, the competition in 2025 will not be about who has a lower purchase price, but about who has faster capital turnover. PODpartner is the engine that accelerates your capital turnover.
The opportunity is clear. Test on-demand manufacturing against your current model and discover how your capital can be better invested in growth rather than inventory. The future of holiday retail is already in motion.
Key Takeaways
What is on-demand manufacturing for apparel? On-demand manufacturing is a production model where garments are created only after orders are placed, eliminating inventory risk and enabling brands to respond to trends in real-time with 48-hour turnaround times.
How does the Hybrid Strategy work? The Hybrid Strategy combines traditional bulk production for 20% of core basics with on-demand manufacturing for 80% of trend items, holiday editions, and collaborative products, allowing brands to maintain cost efficiency while capturing trending opportunities.
Why is print-on-demand quality now comparable to traditional manufacturing? Advanced technology like Brother GTX printers with Innobella textile ink technology enables retail-grade quality on heavyweight fabrics (300g+), achieving photo-realistic prints without common POD issues like print-through or color fading.
What is the true cost comparison between POD and traditional manufacturing?
While POD costs $25 per unit versus $20 for traditional bulk, the landed cost per sold unit is actually lower with POD ($25) compared to traditional models ($28.6) when accounting for unsold inventory, storage fees, and capital costs.
How does cash flow efficiency impact profitability? POD enables brands to invest capital in marketing instead of inventory. For example, $10,000 spent on ads with 3x ROAS generates $30,000 in sales, versus that same capital sitting in a warehouse for six months under traditional models.
Ready to eliminate inventory risk and transform your holiday strategy?Visit PODpartner to learn more about our retail-grade print-on-demand solutions, or contact our team to discuss how the Hybrid Strategy can work for your brand.
If you have spent time playing browser games on a website like Poki, you will be familiar with how much the scope of a game can expand as you play. In Monkey Mart, produced by indie developer TinyDobbins, the game uses ‘marts’ to create a feeling of progressing to new difficulties, with each mart adding more products, machines, and responsibilities.
This guide explains how to move through each of the four marts in the game, what you gain at each stage, and the mechanics you will have to master before moving on.
Step 1: Start and Stabilize the First Mart
At the beginning of the game, the most important thing is to focus on familiarizing yourself with the game’s mechanics. In this cute monkey game, there is a great flow to get into: plant basic crops like bananas and corn, and harvest them after a short wait. Then you will place them on shelves for customers who check out at the register.
At this point in the first mart, players will likely feel a little overwhelmed by how much there is to do at once. Remember to focus on:
Upgrading your shelf and crop space.
Earning enough money for automation, such as hiring a helper to assist with harvesting or stocking.
Getting a handle on these core patterns of earning and upgrading will be key to the future gaming experience.
Step 2: Use Money to Upgrade Efficiently
The second mart becomes available after you unlock enough stalls and save sufficient in-game currency. To reach this point faster, focus on upgrading walking speed, carry capacity, and worker efficiency rather than adding unnecessary items.
When the second mart opens, you will notice more space and a greater need for organization. New crops appear, which increases customer demand and income potential. Your task here is to balance production and sales. Let shelves empty too often, and customers will leave. Overbuild without support, and your character will struggle to keep up.
Step 3: Prepare for Machines and Processed Goods
Advancing beyond the second mart requires good planning. Before the third mart becomes available, you must unlock key stalls and earn enough money to build in the highlighted construction areas. This is where upgrades begin to matter more than raw expansion.
The third mart introduces machines like ovens, blenders, and freezers, that transform ingredients into finished products, such as baked goods or frozen treats. These items sell for more money, but they also take a lot more legwork. To handle this, make sure you:
Hire more helpers for your busiest areas.
Upgrade your storage and your movement so that you can check areas fast enough.
Step 4: Managing Production Chains
After entering the third mart, shift your focus from farming alone to managing production chains. Ingredients must be harvested, processed by machines, and delivered to shelves in the right order. This mart often feels like the point where Monkey Mart becomes more strategic. Customers expect variety, and machines need attention. Here are some tips for the later game stages:
Watch which stations start to lag behind and upgrade or automate those areas first.
Keep an eye on when helpers like assistants, farmers, and chefs get tired: they might need an upgrade to their motivation and energy.
Custom accessories are a great way to keep up the cute atmosphere as things get stressful!
Step 5: Access Later Marts and Switch Between Stores
In newer versions of the game, a fourth mart can become available once the third mart reaches full development. The process remains consistent: unlock required stalls, gather funds, and build the next location when prompted. Once you have unlocked multiple markets (or marts), you can switch between them using the delivery truck, allowing you to manage or revisit earlier stores.
Getting the Hang of Things
By following these insights into each mart, you will always know what to work on next in Monkey Mart. Instead of carting bananas around aimlessly, you can focus on efficiency, upgrades, and production balance. Plus, playing through a browser game website like Poki makes it easy to return and refine each store as the game continues to be updated. Who knows, there might be more marts on the horizon soon.
When it comes to literature on the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, the English language market is blessedly rich—with texts ranging from career studies (e.g., Donald Richie’s The Films of Akira Kurosawa) to biographical tomes (Stuart Galbraith IV’s The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune). Other releases include translations of Japanese books offering glimpses into the minds of not only the director in question but his collaborators; among these are screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto’s Compound Cinematics: Akira Kurosawa and I and—of course—Kurosawa’s own memoir, Something Like an Autobiography. Not as well-known among Occidental readers, however, is another tome wherein the great director wrote about himself. It was published in Japan shortly after his 1998 death and comes to us now under the title Long Take.
For personal reasons, Kurosawa chose to end Something Like an Autobiography with the making of his 1950 film Rashomon, before he’d achieved international fame. The book told the story of a misfit whose childhood and early adult experiences included surviving the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II; whose career began with him advancing through the directorial apprentice program at P.C.L. (Photo Chemical Laboratory—one of the entities that’d later merge into the studio Toho) and helming eleven early-career movies*; and who in that span of time never set foot outside Japan. Long Take, recently converted into English by Anne McKnight for University of Minnesota Press, follows a mature filmmaker with several masterpieces to his credit, who’s now seeing the world, and whose continued career and recognition has taken him to new places—and to new people.
Long Take is not a traditional memoir—rather, it is a collection of essays (some by Kurosawa, others by his daughter Kazuko) mixed with roundtable conversations with writer Hisashi Inoue and fellow director Yoji Yamada. Looking back on a post-Rashomon time, the director remembers attending international festivals and mingling with filmmakers from other countries—while his fellow Japanese artisans kept to themselves. Subsequent travels result in rendezvous with contemporaries like Andrei Tarkovsky, Sidney Lumet, John Cassavetes, and Werner Herzog. A missed encounter with John Ford on the set of 1945’s The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail pays off with multiple meetings outside Japan. All the while, Kurosawa describes his impressions of the filmmakers he meets and occasionally shares opinions of their works from other Japanese—such as close friend Ishiro Honda’s reverent words for Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali (1955).
Which is not to say Kurosawa neglects discussing his own filmography; one of the book’s highlights is his transcribed conversation with Yamada and Inoue wherein he recalls challenges endured on Seven Samurai (1954)’s mud-soaked finale. And in what makes for a pleasurable read, Kurosawa assumes a humble, unpretentious demeanor, noting his preference to be labeled an artisan rather than an artist and expressing distaste for films that have no function but to talk down to the viewer. (He argues great movies should, first and foremost, entertain and make audiences feel something as they watch.) As in Something Like an Autobiography, the director offers industry insights—e.g., how television negatively impacted the film business—and contrasts the rewards afforded to Japanese makers of hit movies versus their Hollywood counterparts. Honda, he remarks, should’ve lived in a castle after Godzilla (1954), a film Kurosawa includes in a list of 100 favorites.
Said list is published in Long Take and derives from conversations between Kurosawa and his daughter Kazuko. The latter writes in her own essays about working on her father’s later movies (she sometimes doubled as a mediator during moments of tension), discusses veteran members of the crew, and documents how she became a caretaker after a fall left the great director chairbound. Kazuko likewise paints an intimate portrait of who Akira Kurosawa was outside the studio, revealing his at times charming naïveté (there’s a funny bit stemming from him being tasked with fetching rice for dinner) and his forward-thinking attitude about life. The latter is particularly inspiring, as it comes from a man who survived not only the earlier mentioned calamities in Japan’s history but also the loss of a spouse and a failed suicide attempt in 1971. Long Take doesn’t answer the long-asked question of why Kurosawa slashed his wrists and throat that day (it’s a secret he seemingly kept to himself), but the philosophy behind how he moved on from it—and from other tough moments—is one the reader can take and apply to their own life. And that makes this newly translated tome equally inspiring as it is informative.
Like all worthwhile texts on film artists—sorry, artisans!—Long Take delivers behind-the-scenes information while simultaneously probing its subject’s mind and heart. Readers will surely come for stories from the set but will walk away feeling they got to know Akira Kurosawa: a man who made extraordinary films and had extraordinary experiences, but who felt the emotions we’ve all felt, who loved movies (as we do) for the reactions they produce within us, and who was—as he would’ve been first to point out—every bit as human as everyone who will read this book.
* I’m counting the early-career pictures that Kurosawa included in his official filmography: Sanshiro Sugata (1943), The Most Beautiful (1944), Sanshiro Sugata Part II (1945), The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail (1945), No Regrets for Our Youth (1946), One Wonderful Sunday (1947), Drunken Angel (1948), The Quiet Duel (1949), Stray Dog (1949), Scandal (1950), and Rashomon (1950). I am not counting the 1941 picture Horse, which was technically directed by his mentor Kajiro Yamamoto (even though Kurosawa took charge of large sections) or the 1945 labor union film Those Who Make Tomorrow, of which he only directed a part and completely disowned.
The 1990s were a golden era for arcade gaming, a time when dark rooms filled with flashing screens, loud sound effects, and competitive energy defined youth culture around the world. For many players, arcades were more than entertainment spaces—they were social hubs where skills, reflexes, and reputation mattered, much like placing a strategic wager in jetx bet before the action begins. The games of this decade left a lasting legacy that still influences modern gaming today.
The Rise of Fighting Games
One of the most important shifts in 90s arcades was the explosive popularity of fighting games. These titles transformed arcades into competitive arenas where players gathered to test their skills against one another.
Street Fighter II: A Genre-Defining Classic
Released in 1991, Street Fighter II changed everything. It introduced a diverse roster of characters, each with unique fighting styles, special moves, and backgrounds. This depth encouraged mastery, rivalry, and endless replayability. Arcades quickly became battlegrounds where players lined up coins on cabinets to signal the next challenger, creating a culture of respect and competition that defined the decade.
Mortal Kombat and the Power of Controversy
While Street Fighter II focused on precision and technique, Mortal Kombat shocked audiences with digitized graphics and graphic finishing moves. Its controversial violence sparked public debate but also fueled massive popularity. The game proved that arcades could push boundaries and generate cultural conversations far beyond gaming circles.
Beat ’Em Ups and Cooperative Play
Another defining feature of 90s arcades was the dominance of beat ’em up games. These titles emphasized cooperative gameplay, allowing friends—or strangers—to team up and fight through waves of enemies.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a perfect example of arcade accessibility. Bright visuals, simple controls, and beloved characters made it appealing to all ages. The ability for up to four players to play simultaneously turned it into a social experience that captured the spirit of arcades as communal spaces.
Final Fight and Streets of Rage
Games like Final Fight and Streets of Rage offered a grittier take on the genre. With urban settings, memorable soundtracks, and satisfying combat, they showcased how beat ’em ups could tell simple but engaging stories while delivering nonstop action.
Racing and Sports Games That Pulled Players In
Arcades in the 90s were also known for immersive racing and sports games that used specialized cabinets to enhance realism.
Daytona USA and the Thrill of Speed
Daytona USA became a landmark title thanks to its smooth gameplay, iconic soundtrack, and multiplayer cabinets that allowed friends to race side by side. Sitting in a racing seat with a steering wheel and pedals made players feel part of the action, blurring the line between game and simulation.
NBA Jam: Over-the-Top Fun
In sports gaming, NBA Jam stood out by embracing exaggeration. With its famous “He’s on fire!” commentary, impossible dunks, and fast-paced matches, it delivered instant fun without requiring deep knowledge of basketball. This accessibility made it a staple in arcades worldwide.
Puzzle and Skill-Based Arcade Legends
Not all influential arcade games relied on action and speed. Puzzle and skill-based titles carved out their own devoted audiences.
Tetris and Timeless Design
Although Tetris originated earlier, its arcade presence in the 90s reinforced its status as a universal classic. The simple concept of fitting falling blocks proved endlessly addictive and demonstrated that great game design does not require complex graphics or controls.
Puzzle Bobble and Friendly Competition
Puzzle Bobble combined charming visuals with competitive gameplay. Players faced off by clearing bubbles while sending obstacles to their opponent, making it a favorite for both casual players and seasoned arcade regulars.
Why 90s Arcade Games Still Matter
The arcade games of the 1990s defined more than a decade—they shaped how games were designed, played, and shared. They introduced competitive multiplayer experiences, encouraged social interaction, and proved that games could be both accessible and deep. Many modern genres, from esports fighters to cooperative action games, trace their roots directly back to this era.
Even today, the influence of these classics can be seen in remakes, digital re-releases, and retro-inspired indie titles. The spirit of the 90s arcade lives on, reminding players that great games are not just about graphics or technology, but about the emotions and memories they create.
