ESPN:

Back inside the Diamond Lounge, Ho pointed out something Silver would never forget.

“If you notice,” he told Silver, “the restaurants in Chinatown are empty.”

Silver paused.

“The Chinese community in the U.S. are quite aware of what’s going on in China – much more than the general public,” Ho said. “And the Chinatown restaurants are a reflection of that. People are scared.”

The two talked for 15 minutes. Silver had already been concerned about the possibility of filling NBA arenas with nearly 20,000 fans, but the unemotional, matter-of-fact tone from Ho was striking. The next morning, on the same day the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global public health emergency, Silver called Ho and asked whether he would serve as a consultant for the NBA on COVID-19. Ho agreed.

The first, goosebump inducing moment of this amazing oral history of the day the NBA shutdown due to COVID, which was – believe it or not – five years ago today.

Definitely going to be hanging with me today the five years that have passed, what happened in them, and who we are now versus who we were then.

Gematsu:

The timeless RPG Chrono Trigger, which first launched for Super Famicom in 1995, celebrates its 30th anniversary on March 11 in Japan. In a celebration post on its official Twitter account, Square Enix said users can look forward to various developments that go beyond the world of the game throughout the next year.

I admit, I was a latecomer to Chrono Trigger, playing it via emulator some years after its initial release. But, wow. What a game.

It truly is one of the best JRPGs of its era, if not all time.

I’m sure the celebration events hinted to are more likely to be, say, Chrono Trigger concerts, as opposed to a new game or redux version…but, Squeenix, old pal, if you were to HD2D this, like you did with Dragon Quest? Day one. Full price.

Apple Newsroom:

In this quirky action game — an Apple Arcade exclusive — players expand their Katamari by rolling up objects scattered across the earth. Featuring unique and whimsical gameplay, and a captivating soundtrack that blends different genres, the game invites players to energize the king’s “live stream” by rolling their Katamari to create stars. As users advance, comments from in-game fans appear, and the longer they play, the larger their audience grows. By completing the king’s challenges and boosting their subscriber count, players can unlock dynamic new stages.

The proper title of the game is Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE. The Katamari franchise is one of my all time favorites, and I am incredibly excited to see a new installment.

The question, however, is this: the games have always been, uh, quirky in their controls, and that’s with two proper analog sticks. How’s this going to work via touch?