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EA games — maker of the popular Sims, FIFA, and Madden franchises — is investing in more robust game development for people with disabilities.

In honor of International Day of People with Disabilities (Dec. 3), the electronic gaming company announced it will be expanding its Patent Pledge to include dozens more patents for accessible technologies that would put the power of more inclusive design in the hands of game developers. EA's Patent Pledge is a commitment to providing royalty-free IP to the gaming industry at large, and a promise not to enforce EA patent infringements for the accessible technologies the company offers.

SEE ALSO: X got a new AI image generator called Aurora

The 23 new technologies include six audio and sound technologies, as well as a new opensourced photosensitivity analysis plugin for the Unreal Engine 5 builder. The plug-in allows designers to test their games using EA's IRIS tech in real-time — IRIS makes gameplay easier for people with epilepsy or other photosensitivities. The audio patents include tech for improved and simplified speech recognition and more personalized speech options, including text-to-speech in the voice of video game characters and machine-learning powered voice aging. These options make in-game expression more inclusive for gamers.

"Among other things, these patented accessibility technologies could be used to improve the gameplay experience of players who have speech disability or who prefer or need assistance with verbally expressing themselves," explained EA. "They could make it possible for those players’ speech to be more effectively recognized and reflected in-game in a way that is representative of their age, emotion, language and speaking style."

The video game titan has introduced several other accessibility patents, including personalized music and sound settings for those with specific hearing needs, haptic and touch screen technologies, and a tool known as Fonttik, which ensures visual fields and on-screen text are accessible to those with low vision. The offerings are part of EA's larger accessibility efforts.

"By making this technology available to others royalty-free, we want to encourage the industry to work together to make video games more inclusive by removing unintended barriers to access," wrote EA senior vice president Kerry Hopkins.

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Dec. 9: OUR TOP PICK Sonos Move 2 $359 (save $90) Get Deal BEST EARBUDS DEAL Amazon Echo Buds with ANC $34.99 (save $85) Get Deal BEST FITNESS TRACKER DEAL Garmin vivofit jr. 3 $69.99 (save $20) Get Deal BEST TABLET DEAL Amazon Fire HD 8 $54.99 (save $45) Get Deal BEST STREAMING DEVICE DEAL Roku Ultra $79 (save $20.99) Get Deal

Only a little over two weeks separate us from Christmas, which means its crunch time for securing gifts for those on your list. If you missed out on shopping during Cyber Week, all hope is not lost for scoring a deal. In fact, plenty of Black Friday prices are live once again at Amazon. We've helped you out by rounding up a few of the best deals we think are worth adding to your cart on Monday, Dec. 9.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If none of these catch your eye, be sure to check back each day this week for brand new selections.

Our top pick: Sonos Move 2 Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Move 2 $359.00 at Amazon
$449.00 Save $90.00 Get Deal

One of our favorite Bluetooth speakers, particularly for smart homes, is back on sale at its Black Friday price of $359 (reg. $449). It's not exactly the most portable option for a Bluetooth speaker, but what it lacks in portability, it makes up for in impressive stereo sound, 24-hour battery life, and dynamic smart features. Plus it looks sleek and comes in both black and white options. As Mashable's Stan Schroeder writes in his review: "This speaker is one of the best in class, and the quality of sound it produces is reason enough to consider it."

Check out our full review of the Sonos Move 2.

Amazon Echo Buds with ANC Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Buds with active noise cancellation $34.99 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $85.00 Get Deal

If you're looking for budget earbuds that can quiet the world around you, the Amazon Echo Buds with active noise cancellation are basically a no brainer. Originally released in 2021, they feature a comfortable build, effective noise cancellation, solid sound quality, and average battery life. "I'd call them a steal for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the world of ANC without setting their wallet on fire," writes Mashable's Alex Perry in his review of the buds. And that was at their full price of $119.99. As of Dec. 9, they're back down to their best-ever price of $34.99 — that's 71% in savings.

Check out our full review of the Amazon Echo Buds with ANC.

Garmin vivofit jr. 3 Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin vivofit jr. 3 $69.99 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

The Garmin vivofit jr. 3 is designed to get kids excited about moving their bodies. This particular model uses Disney princesses to motivate kids to achieve active minute goals and unlock entertaining app adventures, games, and icons. The parent-controlled app is also a bonus for moms and dads who want to keep their kids safe. It can be used to assign tasks, schedule alerts and alarms, and reward kids for good behavior. Usually $89.99, it's on sale for just $69.99 as of Dec. 9. That's a savings of 22%. Not a Disney fan? There's also a more simplistic model (also on sale) that features a "Garmin world tour" instead of the magical kingdom.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 $54.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $45.00 Get Deal

Amazon quietly released a new Fire HD 8 tablet in October and it's seen numerous discounts since. As of Dec. 9, it's back down to its best-ever price of $54.99 — that's 45% in savings. Compared to the 2022 model, the latest Fire HD 8 includes 50 percent more RAM for boosted performance (3GB instead of 2GB), a better camera (5MP vs. 2MP), new generative AI-powered features, and a better price. It also didn't fix what wasn't broken; it packs the same display, storage options, and battery life as its predecessor.

Roku Ultra Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Ultra $79.00 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $20.99 Get Deal

Our favorite Roku streaming device, the Roku Ultra, is on sale once again. Usually $100, it's down to just $79 on Dec. 9, which is a savings of 21%. More powerful than the Roku Express 4K Plus, Roku's premium streaming device features a quad-core processor that offers smooth HD, 4K, and HDR streaming on a zippy interface. It comes with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support, a microSD slot for storing and streaming external media, an Ethernet port, and the Roku Voice Remote Pro with customizable shortcut keys.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

When it comes to J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is a tough act to follow. Look no further than the Hobbit movies, which floundered in their efforts to capture the original films' success. Then there's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, whose attempts to cram everything we love about Middle-earth into too-short seasons make for unwieldy (if still fun) TV.

Enter The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an anime prequel from director Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus) that centers on the legendary kingdom of Rohan, 183 years before The Lord of the Rings. While certainly indebted to Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, The War of the Rohirrim doesn't just seek to replicate its predecessors' formula. Instead, it plays with tone and structure to forge a path that is far bleaker. That path starts with the medium of anime, which offers a new angle into Tolkien on a visual and thematic level.

SEE ALSO: 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim' trailer teases an epic battle for the fate of Rohan

Kamiyama and screenwriters Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou frame The War of the Rohirrim as a historical tale told by The Lord of the Rings' Éowyn (Miranda Otto, returning in voiceover). Her voice acts as a bridge between the medium of live action and anime, with anime acting as a vehicle for live-action Éowyn's storytelling. While we never see any live action scenes, the hint of them becomes the film's baseline reality. Anime, with its heightened, stylized qualities, serves as a representation of legend.

And truly, there is no one better to tell this legend than Éowyn, as War of the Rohirrim's heroine Héra (voiced by Gaia Wise) is essentially Éowyn from 183 years in the past.

The War of the Rohirrim is what you'd get if you Éowyn had a solo film. Héra in "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim." Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The War of the Rohirrim is based on a short section of Tolkien's appendices, in which Héra is but an unnamed daughter. However, in fleshing her out, the film is able to add new depth to the story, all while making sure Héra is the kind of person Éowyn would actually be telling a story about.

Like Éowyn, Héra is the daughter of a king of Rohan: the formidable Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Succession's Brian Cox). She's also a headstrong rider and fierce fighter, one who aspires to be just like the shieldmaidens of old. It's not hard to see Éowyn looking up to her and using her story to inspire the next generation of shieldmaidens, years down the line.

That story kicks off in earnest when the Dunlending lord Freca (voiced by Shaun Dooley) proposes that Héra marry his son (and her childhood friend) Wulf (voiced by Luke Pasqualino). Yet that marriage is the last thing both Héra and Helm want. In fact, Helm sees the proposal as such an affront that he challenges Freca to a fight. Here, we see another benefit of incorporating Héra further into the story. Her presence and development add new layers to Helm, as we get a better sense of his relationship to his family. His protectiveness of Héra carries shades of Théoden's own protectiveness over Éowyn, but he has an added element of bloodthirsty bravado that carries over into his brawl with Freca.

SEE ALSO: The 'Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' cast debates whether Sauron is "brat"

That fight is the first of many skirmishes The War of the Rohirrim has to offer, and it's as uncompromising as one might expect when a man named "Hammerhand" is involved. All it takes is one mighty punch for Helm to kill Freca outright, but the feud between Helm's family and Freca's is far from over. Wulf, in his grief, vows revenge.

And revenge he'll get! Years later, Wulf has amassed enough of an army that he can march on Rohan. In the war that follows, Helm, Héra, and the Rohirrim must retreat to the Hornburg stronghold, where they'll make one last stand to save their people.

Sound familiar? That's because the story of Helm Hammerhand is basically the prototype for The Two Towers' Battle of Helm's Deep. After all, he's the reason the Hornburg comes to be known as Helm's Deep! Yet The War of the Rohirrim is no Helm's Deep retread. It's a brutal, lengthy siege that pushes everyone involved to new, desperate limits.

The War of the Rohirrim's siege sequence isn't just Helm's Deep 2.0. Helm Hammerhand in "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim." Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

While the battles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy are gargantuan undertakings, and unquestionably the best fantasy set pieces put to screen, they aren't particularly lengthy affairs. The Battle of Helm's Deep takes place over the course of one night, whereas the Siege of Gondor and the Battle of Pelennor Fields last a few days. The siege in The War of the Rohirrim lasts an entire winter, and the film makes sure you feel the impact of every one of those months spent in the cold.

Within the walls of the Hornburg, the remaining people of Rohan are confronted day in, day out with their impending doom — especially as Wulf's army constructs a siege tower that could break their last defense. Things are hardly better outside the walls, though. Wulf's encampment bears the brunt of the snowy elements, forcing his own people to consider whether this siege is really worth it. Of course, there's no question for Wulf, who remains resolute in his snarling, single-minded quest to tear Helm apart. But for everyone else involved (including the audience), The War of the Rohirrim's siege sequence is a tightly wound coil of dread. One side has to break — but which will it be?

These psychological tensions only continue to rise when rumors spread of a ghostly figure tearing through Wulf's camp. Here, The War of the Rohirrim takes a turn into Gothic horror, with the hallowed halls of the Hornburg perhaps being home to some greater supernatural forces. The result is deliciously frightening for a time, then surprisingly sweet in its payoff.

The same is true for the rest of The War of the Rohirrim, which takes us from the depths of Rohan's despair to the heights of Héra's hope for the future. Her fervent belief that some good can still prosper in even the darkest of times is unmistakably Tolkien in nature, linking The War of the Rohirrim to the Jackson films through more than repeated locations and Easter eggs (some more heavy-handed than others). However, it's the ways in which The War of the Rohirrim stands out from Jackson's films — like the use of anime and the psychologically-focused siege sequence — that allows The War of the Rohirrim to truly carve out its own space in onscreen portrayals of Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim opens in theaters Dec. 13.

SAVE UP TO 23%: Find the Dyson Supersonic, Airwrap, and Airstrait on sale post-Cyber Monday. Save up to 23%, including on the Dyson Supersonic, bringing it down to $329, saving $100.99.

Shop the best deals on Dyson Best Dyson deal Dyson Supersonic $329 at Amazon (Save $100.99) Get Deal Best Airwrap deal Dyson Airwrap $489.99 at Amazon (Save $110) Get Deal Best Airstrait deal Dyson Airstrait $399 at Amazon (Save $100.99) Get Deal

Just because Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, doesn't mean that the deals of the season are over. If you've still got lots of holiday shopping to do, the good news is, we're here tracking the best deals leading up to Christmas. If you're hunting for beauty tech, the elusive Dyson hair styling tools are still on sale ahead of the holidays.

Having tested our way through Dyson's hair styling tools, we get the hype. From the Supersonic to the Airwrap, they're an efficient way to get a blowout at home while cutting back on the amount of heat damage your strands face. However, we've never been a fan of the price tag on these devices. Luckily, Dyson hair styling tools are down to their all-time low prices ahead of the holidays. Plus, if you order now, these Dyson devices will arrive by Christmas.

Best Dyson deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Supersonic $329.00 at Amazon
$429.99 Save $100.99 Get Deal Why we like it

The Dyson Supersonic started the Dyson hair tool craze. It's an easy-to-use hair dryer, with magnetic attachments that make at-home blowouts a breeze. It's quieter, faster, and more lightweight than a traditional hairdryer, so if you're blow drying your hair everyday, it's going to be far less of a workout than you're used to.

Our biggest sticking point with the Dyson is its price tag, and we've found plenty of Supersonic dupes that get the job done at a better price. However, ahead of the holidays, it's down 23% on Amazon, bringing it to its lowest price ever of $329. So if you're looking to give the Supersonic to someone you love (even if that person is yourself), you'll save $100 while doing so.

More Dyson deals

• Dyson Supersonic (Refurbished) — $229.99 $349.99 (save $120)

• Dyson Airstrait — $399 $499.99 (save $100.99)

• Dyson Airwrap — $489.99 $599.99 (save $110)

More beauty tech deals

• L'ange Le Vite Straightening Brush — $27.64 $39.49 (save $11.85)

• L'ange Hair Le Volume 2-in-1 Titanium Blow Dryer Brush — $48.30 $69 (save $20.70)

• L'ange Hair Le Duo Standard 360° Airflow Styler — $53.40 $66.75 (save $13.35)

• Shark SpeedStyle — $129.99 $179.99 (save $50)

• T3 Aire 360 Ceramic Air Styler — $268.99 $299.99 (save $31)

SAVE $90: As of Dec. 9, you can nab a Sonos Move 2 for $359 at Amazon. That's 20% off the list price and a savings of $90.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Move 2 $359.00 at Amazon
$449.00 Save $90.00 Get Deal

Portable speakers are always a good idea — they’re great for gifting to friends, fam, and yourself. With a durable, portable Bluetooth speaker, you can take the party wherever you go.

As of Dec. 9, you can get the Sonos Move 2 for $359 at Amazon. (Sonos and B&H match this price.) That’s a $90 price cut and a pretty sweet deal for a powerful, all-weather (IP56 rating) Bluetooth speaker from one of the most trusted audio brands around.

SEE ALSO: Sonos Move 2 Review: Fantastic sound and a price to match

According to Mashable’s Senior Editor, Stan Schroeder, the Sonos Move 2 “almost sounds too good for its size and intention.”

The Move 2 can play for up to 24 hours on a single charge (you can listen twice as long as the previous generation) and has a built-in handle to help you tote it from one place to another. The automatic Trueplay tuning adjusts the speaker's sound output based on its surroundings, so you'll get a rich, immersive listening experience no matter where you place it.

“The Move 2 is equally as good at playing various types of music, including modern pop and its vast electronic soundscape, a well-recorded studio track by a jazz ensemble, and an intimate, live acoustic performance,” Schroeder writes.

The only qualms Schroeder had with the Move 2 were its weight and price, but with the $90 discount, you’re getting premo audio quality for an even more reasonable price point.