KARMA: The Dark World Unveils Atmospheric EP “Into the Mist” Ahead of Launch

Posted on 03/21/2025 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

 Watford, United Kingdom – 21th of March, 2025 – Geng Li & LM Audio Productions in association with Black Razor Records are happy to announce the release of the “Into the Mist” EP from the upcoming game KARMA: The Dark World. Combining orchestral score with original songs, this EP sets the atmospheric stage for players preparing to enter the gripping and shadowy universe of KARMA. 

“Into the Mist” is now available for purchase and streaming on all major Digital Service Providers (DSPs). Fans and gamers can immerse themselves early into the dark ambience that defines KARMA: The Dark World. 

Listen and Purchase the EP: 

In KARMA: The Dark World, players take on the role of Daniel McGovern, an elite Roam Agent tasked with mind-diving into the memories of suspects. What begins as another routine investigation soon unravels into a dark conspiracy that challenges everything he believes. As McGovern navigates the minds of those he pursues, he must confront disturbing truths and question his own reality.

Ahead of KARMA’s imminent launch, now just a week away, Wired Productions and Pollard Studio have shared new trailer during Future Games Show – Spring Showcase, giving fans a longer glimpse into the clandestine world awaiting them.  

Watch the captivating trailer here:  

YouTube Video.

KARMA: The Dark World is available for Wishlist now on Steam, PlayStation Store, GOG and Epic Store. 

KARMA: The Dark World will also launch on Xbox at a later date, with further details to be announced in the coming months. 

Posted in Nothing To See Here | Comments Off on KARMA: The Dark World Unveils Atmospheric EP “Into the Mist” Ahead of Launch

The Fading of Nicole Wilson – A Ghost Hunt Unveils a Darker Truth

Posted on 03/08/2025 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Watch the Announcement Trailer and step into a chilling folk-horror mystery coming later this year.

Hamburg, Germany – 06.03.2025 – Daedalic Entertainment and developer One-O-One Games are proud to announce The Fading of Nicole Wilson, a story-driven folk-horror adventure that dares players to uncover a dark and thrilling mystery. Releasing later this year on PC, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, the game explores themes of authenticity, sacrifice, and the cost of fitting in.

Teenager Brit, feeling trapped in her small-town life, takes on a ghost-hunting job at the abandoned Timberline Hotel, hoping to make a name for herself. But when her employer is suddenly hospitalized, she is left alone to investigate. What starts as a routine paranormal inquiry quickly spirals into something far more sinister. Armed with her camera and ghost-hunting gear, Brit must navigate the hotel’s eerie halls, uncover its hidden past, and confront a chilling truth no one has ever told before.

With immersive 3D sound (binaural audio), exploration-based gameplay, and a gripping narrative, The Fading of Nicole Wilson blends supernatural horror with emotional storytelling. Players will piece together unsettling clues, solve puzzles, and experience a haunting world inspired by folk horror.

Key Features:

  • A gripping narrative adventure blending mystery and folk horror
  • Explore eerie locations in Lewis & Clark County, unearthing Helena’s dark secrets
  • Immersive 3D sound (binaural audio) for an unsettling, atmospheric experience
  • Deep, emotional storytelling with flawed, relatable characters
  • Puzzle-solving and investigation mechanics to uncover the truth

For more information, please visit the Steam Page:The Fading of Nicole Wilson on Steam or contact bernd.berheide@daedalic.com.

Posted in Nothing To See Here | Comments Off on The Fading of Nicole Wilson – A Ghost Hunt Unveils a Darker Truth

An Update (and “Nerd News for 3/6/25”)

Posted on 03/06/2025 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Life and living has gotten away from us here at Pop-Culture Spectrum. We promise within 2025 more Nerd Notes, more Press releases, more reviews, more photos.

A project in mind also is photos and stories from the vast collection we have gathered. Figuring out the best way to do this while staying cohesive yet true to the brand has proven daunting.

We completely missed out on Steam Next Fest this year from time, harddrive space, PC capabilties and truly time.

Currently at this time of this posting we were at the the Digital event Middle Grade Magic. Here are a few selections of graphic novels and books being promoted that excited us.

Soul Machine by Jordana Globerman
The Green Kingdom by Cornelia Funke
Flash Gordon: The Girl from Infinity – written by Marguerite Bennett and illustrated by Bev Johnson

AND NOW NERD NOTES (but not a month’s worth, a very select selection):

A full length documentary about the creation of the Audrey II puppet used in the musical Little Shop Of Horrors
The Rick Astley cover of “Pink Pony Club” by Chappel Roan is a must hear.
Trailer for a new documentary piece on the incomparable Andy Kaufman.
Sparks had a new song and music video. These dudes still got at.
The newest Las Vegas attraction opens August. Before that though John Wick opens.

Stay tuned for more frequency on Nerd Notes, the deep dive into our collection of stuff and more coming very soon.

Posted in Nothing To See Here | Comments Off on An Update (and “Nerd News for 3/6/25”)

Nerd Notes 1/18/2025

Posted on 01/18/2025 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

FILM/STREAMING

A new Levinson/ Pileggi collab on one of the biggest stories about the Mafia in America.
I love Dropout and I love Game Changer. This little animated video captures the fun and creativity of the improv so well and is infinitely watchable.
The Netflixverse continues and it looks like its gonna be a banger.
Groundhog Day x Happy Death Day x Cabin in the Woods x Gore and Violence
The Pitt seems like a great show and thie cast seems like they became very fast friends.

MUSIC VIDEOS

Magic, pure technological magic and also a song we always need.
My first introduction to Boys Go To Jupiter, checked their back catalog after this, really good stuff and an excellent music video as well.
Great song but an even better music video, I didn’t see the ending coming and it was excellent.

WRESTLING

I shall be front row at Game Changer Wrestling’s The People vs GCW 2025 at Hammerstein Ballroom in midtown Manhattan NYC on Sunday. Here are two exellent videos cover why this a not miss show for many and most wrestling fans.

Posted in Music, Nerd Notes, TV and Movies, Wrestling | Comments Off on Nerd Notes 1/18/2025

First REAL Nerd Notes of 2025 (1/10/2025)

Posted on 01/10/2025 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

In subject order this time. Here are trailers, videos and stuff from Youtube that caught my attention when logging in between 1/6 till today (1/10) of 2025.

MOVIES AND TV TRAILERS

This along with the SNL50 special should rock
I don’t know about this but the gore and efx look cool.
First twist spoiled, but the fact that isn’t even the twist… looking forward.
Doesn’t look great but the cast!
Statham action. Predictable but fun.
Looks interesting.

MUSIC

Alexz = Heart
Love the art on this too.
Dawgs!
Making of above
This randomly hit my reccs and seeing Dudley play piano to a subdued Christopher is amazing so I have to share.
Good stuff
Good stuff
Good stuff
Good stuff
Good stuff
Good stuff

WRESTLING

Posted in Music, Nerd Notes, TV and Movies, Wrestling | Comments Off on First REAL Nerd Notes of 2025 (1/10/2025)

Helios Hotel: The Night Shift, launching on PC Feb 14, 2025

Posted on 01/09/2025 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Check-in for a short stay with first-person indie horror Helios Hotel: The Night Shift, launching for PC on Feb 14, 2025

Download the demo now to begin your shift!

Washington, US – 9 January 2025. Rose Lane Games, a new developer and publisher of indie horror games, announced today that its inaugural chapter-based indie horror, Helios Hotel: The Night Shift, will be launching on February 14, 2025 on PC across Steam with a 15% for the first week of launch.

Helios Hotel: The Night Shift is a first-person, choose-your-own-adventure style horror game inspired by paranormal and slasher films such as The Shining, Halloween and Friday the 13th that is broken down into bite-sized chapters. The main protagonist, Rose, has just moved to a small town ready to start a brand-new life and quickly lands a job as the fancy new hotel’s front desk receptionist.

Check out the announcement trailer, below:

Players are also invited to start their first shift by downloading the teaser demo, here

You take on the role of Rose and initially undertake the everyday tasks of the hotel, such as booking in guests and ensuring they get everything they need. As today is Rose’s first day, she’s naturally keen to make a good impression with her boss; but what begins as a quick introduction soon evolves into a number of strange occurrences and a distinct feeling that something isn’t quite right…

Features

  • Creepy, claustrophobic atmosphere
  • Fully playable on Steam Deck
  • Exploration in first-person plants you firmly in the thick of the action
  • Jump scares and unnerving audio cues when you least expect them
  • Oddball cast of guests and employees leaves you unsure of their motivations
  • Simple tasks designed to both engage and alarm the player
  • Unlock achievements for performing certain actions
  • Player choices affect the character dialogue and what they will experience
  • The choices the player makes throughout the game’s chapters will affect the ending
  • A total of four endings based on the choices made throughout the game
  • Support for gamepad/controller as well as for Keyboard + Mouse
  • A basic graphics setting option that allows the game to run on lower-end hardware, provided it still falls under the minimum specs

Launch
Helios Hotel: The Night Shift releases on February 14, 2025 on PC via Steam for a suggested retail price of $2.99 / £2.49 / €2.99.

About Rose Lane Games
Rose Lane Games is an independent developer and publisher of videogames founded in August 2023 by Rick Castillo. Based in Seattle/Redmond, USA, Rose Lane Games aims to create memorable, story-driven horror games inspired by paranormal and slasher films primarily for personal computers and videogame consoles.

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off on Helios Hotel: The Night Shift, launching on PC Feb 14, 2025

NERD NOTES (first of 2025) 1/5/2025 (A BEAST)

Posted on 01/05/2025 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

I have not done a Nerd Notes since November 27th, 2024. As usual this will be a mish mosh of YT embeddings of music videos, movie, tv and video game trailers and anything else that caught my attention that I feel needs to be shared. An explanation to my sharing will be underneath each video per usual. Nothing will be in order but will cover November 28th till today unles it was something posted prior but discovered later. Into the HISTORY tab I go!

This making of made me want to go back and rewatch the film.
This looks actually really good. I hope these critics are on point. Also Dave Bautista.
A lovely recap to all of Playstation.
Sexy music, and sexy music video.
Also sexy music and sexy music video, but also pro wrestler.
Also sexy music and sexy music video, but also pro wrestler.
I will be very very curious how they turned this game into a full on film.
Yay! More Harley Quinn!
Christoph Waltz is a treasure.
Sometimes advertisements can just be really fun, here’s an example.
Sometimes they can feel like something you’d want as a full film!

And there there are perfume ads, which if all combined would be a surreal star studded blockbuster of a flick that could win Oscars and MTV awards at the same time.

Bleeding Fingers have done all the Jeopardy remixes but this one for Pop Culture Jeopardy rocks and so does the show, watch it.

Now for those games announced at the VGAs 2024 that got me super excited.

Naughty Dog looks like they have another amazing adventure here. Will it come out in 2025? Who knows, but I’m on board for it, when it comes.
The animation on Dispatch makes it feel like it’d be good as just a cartoon, but knowing its a choose your reaction game with multiple choices makes it even better,
It’ll be interesting to see how it keeps the flavor of MAFIA games and an interesting open world but staying situated in … the old country.
I’ve never actually gotten to play A Way Out or It Takes Two myself, but they looked awesome and so does Split Fiction. Hazelight makes cool stuff.
Here’s something a little different with my bud BMD doing a fun magic show. For the first time and ONLY time ever.
SUPERMAN!
It’s a bird, it’s a plane!
It’s Spider-man, doing whatever a spider can!
Baby Spice can do it by herself.
Very excited to see what SNL 50 anniversary special will be. They have to go above and beyond SNL 40.
This project is awesome and the final product must be watched.
I feel grateful that I will get to see this match mere feet from my eyes in person to be my official real start of 2025 adventures and weirdness and whatevers…. unless something happens before it.

Posted in Music, Nerd Notes, TV and Movies, Video Games, Wrestling | Comments Off on NERD NOTES (first of 2025) 1/5/2025 (A BEAST)

PERSONAL 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW

Posted on 12/31/2024 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

The following is in order from Jan.

– New Orleans vacation in Winter with mom. Visiting with Pam, Nerina and Meriel. Saw a Mardi Gras Parade. Got wasted on Bourbon Street by myself.

– NY NOW Winter 2024 (in which I got many products and fun stuff to keep me smiling)

– Neil Patrick Harris’ BOX ONE by Theory11 (This came out a few years prior but finally checked it for myself and loved the journey)

– Late Night With The Devil special event with Martin Monster. Saw my longtime friend Fritz. David D appeared in character.

– MOCCAFest 2024 (I only went the one day but it was great to experience again)

– Recording the episodes of the Opening Contest Podcast with Carter (and one with David) [this continued after my mom’s health decline but stopped temporarily]

– First and so far only visit to Industry City for their comicsfest with mom in tow

– New furniture in the living room (Life changing actually, both before and after mom’s surgery)

– The Nick Karpe x Orange Crush VISITORS weekend

(The break in the year becoming rough was after these highlights as my mom had emergency LIFE SAVING surgery.

Then she was in rehab till June and till today is still on Ostomy but much stronger as of September, although always touch and go.

It has made the second half of 2024 difficult, life changing and stressful. I am grateful to have her still and to be there for her.

Every moment listed after this has been life giving and stress relieving.)

– Breana’s visit and all the sites we got to share. In a perfect world, I’d have Breana to hang out with on the regular, but I would also have Nick & Terri here, so… yeah, alas.

– Five Points Fest 2024 (art, wrestling, long time friends, hang outs and feeling like my old self)

– Great American Trash wrestling and music show on July 4th (friends and fun)

– NY NOW Summer 2024 (another excellent showvase)

– September day in the city with mother (5th Avenue, Rockefeller, just seeing her more herself since surgery)

– Opening of The Flowery dispensary 3 blocks from my home (a life changer)

– The Revelry Show (discovery and knowledge into a whole new world)

– New York Comic Con 2024 for two days + Fandom Party (new friends, old friends, solid stuff still making me happy)

– Election Day Nightmare event (seeing so many old school friends and acquainatainces felt great)

– Limited Run Games pop-up shop day and walk after to Freeman Alley (another one of those felt like my old self)

– Weekend at American Dream Mall and wrassles with Sam (what an experience this was, biggest weekend out since New Orleans and only other time I left NYC all year)

ADDITIONAL:

Every Twitch interaction (Bizz, Jord, Perception Studio & all connected, BMD, Minimal, and every new or long term person I’ve met and interacted with.

When not watching a film, TV show, going outside to the real world, online experiences with people were the life line I needed)

Playing MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2, DAVE THE DIVER, ASTROBOT, ALAN WAKE 2, HIGH ON LIFE, THE HOLY GOSH DARN and more. Video games were also true serenity.

Posted in Culture | Comments Off on PERSONAL 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW

PINE: A Story Of Loss Review

Posted on 12/15/2024 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Frustration, tedium, anger, reflection, repeat. What you know, what you know, memory, pain, what you know, sleep, repeat. Right, right, round, round, back, right, right, get lost, get found, carve, carve, sleep, repeat. Repeat, repeat, repeat, recovery, repeat, repeat, explore, breath, frustration, anger, beauty, deepness, sadness, pain, tedium, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, pain, tedium, cry, repeat. Keep going, you’ll get there, tedium, patience, confusion, reluctance, is it worth it, why keep going? Tedium, frustration, beauty, repeat.

These are the emotions one will feel while playing through the interactive cartoon PINE: A Story of Loss, a piece of art that clearly should win if anything a BAFTA (the only gaming award I know of that recognizes work like this as games can’t be nominated for film awards… yet).

I have only experienced the loss of a parent and a friend, but never the pain of what it must be like to lose a partner or lover. I am sure this game must give you some of those feels. I have only known them through what others have told me and much of PINE feels accurate. So accurate at times I turned the game off, just not wanting those feelings anymore. I put in 3.8 hours supposedly. I feel like it was less and yet so much more, which I totally feel what the developers intention was.

The work here from Tom Booth and the team at Made Up Games truly deserves to be experienced. No matter what you walk away from feeling during your gameplay. On a personal note my life went drastic places during the 4 hours over a variety of days playing through. It’ll stay with me and change as life changes, as an experience like this should. The art and music may bring me back someday, the gameplay itself may keep me away, but I will have always been grateful to have known it then to have not known it all.

PINE, A Story of Loss is available now on Steam for PC and Nintendo Switch for $9.99 (regular price, a 10% discount exists as the publication of this article 12/15/24) as well as a mobile presentation on iPhone and Android for $4.99.

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off on PINE: A Story Of Loss Review

Pine: A Story of Loss releases Dec. 13, 2024

Posted on 12/10/2024 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Check out the official release date trailer for PINE below:

Posted in Nothing To See Here | Comments Off on Pine: A Story of Loss releases Dec. 13, 2024