Bob (Sean Astin) was a new addition for the second season, but quickly endeared himself to fans in a way that was similar to Barb (Shannon Purser) in Season 1. He was quirky and nerdy, with a heart of gold. Unlike Barb though, he was there in the middle of the chaos for most of the season, unknowingly becoming part of the fight against the Upside Down. By the end of his time on the show, Bob had established himself as a hero that put his own life on the line to keep the group safe.
As it turns out, though, that wasn't the initial plan. According to executive producer Shawn Levy, Bob's death was originally going to happen much earlier in the season. "The death of Bob was initially much earlier," he tells Collider. "In fact, in an early outline, Evil Will kills him in like episode 3."
That certainly would have changed the tone of the season, given how the character of Will (Noah Schnapp) ended up playing out in these episodes. While there were hints that the Shadow Monster was taking control of him throughout the season, it wasn't until much closer to the end that it was obvious who was in charge.
However, as Levy explains it, Bob's death was originally going to come out of nowhere. "You know that scene in the car where he's driving him to school and he's talking about Mr. Baldo?" he asks. "In an early version, like, Will just straight-up murders Bob in that car."
Once they decided to keep him around, the character gained an even greater purpose. "We wanted to keep him alive longer, and then use his death as Joyce's engine," Levy says. "The avenging of that would become Joyce's engine for the finale."
That change also allows Will's possession by the Shadow Monster to play out as a slow burn, which helps establish just how major the change was.
Of course, none of that is the reason they actually changed their plans for Bob. What was it? "We saw Sean Astin's audition," Levy admits. The actor, with credits that include The Goonies and the Lord of the Rings trilogy won them over with his taped audition.
In the video above, you play as Connor, an android who works for the police rounding up deviant androids. Connor must convince a deviant android named Daniel not to kill Emma, the child of the family Daniel belongs to. You must analyse clues and reconstruct the crime scene, gaining an understanding of what happened and gradually increasing your chances of successfully saving Emma from being killed.
Detroit: Become Human developer Quantic Dream is perhaps best known for its 2010 PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain, and Detroit is a story-driven game in a similar vein, exploring a number of real-world themes.
Star Cards are a type of customization item that provide buffs, different skills, and so on. They can be earned through Crates, but at launch, DICE has made it so that Epic Star Cards--the highest tier--will no longer be obtainable through Crates. Instead, players will get their hands on them "primarily" by crafting, though special ones will be available through starter packs, by pre-ordering, or by purchasing special editions of the game.
Being able to craft Epic Star Cards would leave open the possibility that someone buys a bunch of Crates, turns the received items into materials, and then crafts Epic cards. That will seemingly still be possible, but players won't be able to do so right out of the gate, as there will be a level requirement for crafting higher-tier Star Cards.
A "select few" weapons will be exclusive to Crates, but DICE plans to provide access to most of them by playing. In a blog post, the company says that, if you want a new Heavy-class weapon, for instance, you can simply play as a Heavy to earn one. Classes will have milestones that unlock Crates specific to that class; inside, you'll find Star Cards and crafting parts.
This may not be the last of the changes to how Crates and progression work. "This system, as well as all of the others, will be continually iterated on and improved," DICE said. When it addressed the situation early in October, it also said it's considering a fan-requested mode "where all players will have the same set of Star Cards with flattened values." There's still no word when or if this will be added.
Rockstar has revealed the newest batch of content coming to Grand Theft Auto V this week. Along with a brand-new vehicle to purchase, GTA Online players will find a slate of Halloween-themed discounts and bonuses.
The new ride you can add to your collection this week is the Western Seabreeze, a stylish and colorful plane that can land on a runway or on water. You can purchase one from Elitas Travel, and its many customization options allow you to outfit it with weapons like a machine gun and bomb bay.
Rockstar is also still offering double GTA$ and RP for playing Condemned, the new Adversary mode introduced in last week's update. Players have until November 6 to take advantage of these bonuses. A Halloween Playlist is also available until then and includes the following modes, though you'll only be able to earn double GTA$ and RP for playing them today, October 31:
Lost vs. Damned
Slasher
Beast vs. Slasher
Come Out to Play
Transform - Inferno Race
There are also a number of Halloween-themed items on sale in GTA Online for a limited time. Players can get 25% off of the FränkenStange, Lurcher, LCC Sanctus, and Duke O'Death until November 6.
Outside of the Halloween bonuses and discounts, Rockstar is also offering double GTA$ and RP for Smuggler's Sell Missions and the Stockpile Adversary Mode, as well as a double GTA$ salary for Bodyguards and Associates until November 6. Players also have until then to get 25% off of the following items:
Western Company Besra (Jet)
Nagasaki Blazer Aqua (Special Vehicle) -- both Buy it Now and Trade Price
Hangar Custom Shop Add-On
Progen GP1 (Super)
Grotti Cheetah Classic (Sports Classic)
HVY Insurgent (Off-Road) -- both Buy it Now and Trade Price
Lampadati Toro (Boat)
All Melee Weapons
Finally, this week's premium race is Drop Ship, which is locked to the Ruiner 2000. Everyone who participates will receive triple RP, while the top three players will be rewarded with a hefty GTA$ payout. The time trial this week is Observatory. Players who manage to beat the target time will earn a big GTA$ and RP reward.
Another weekly reset has arrived for Destiny 2, which means it's time for a new Nightfall Strike... except it doesn't. The Flashpoint has moved to the EDZ, but despite the reset, players still have access to the same Nightfall as last week: The Arms Dealer. It features the same exact Challenges but different Modifiers, which is unusual. We do know that a new Destiny 2 update is slated to arrive this week, and it's possible the Nightfall will change following that. We'll update this story if that proves to be the case, but for now we'll look at the Nightfall version of The Arms Dealer.
The time limit is in place and can be extended because of the first of the two modifiers, Timewarp: Killing Time. By slaying enemies, you'll receive additional time--up to a limit--to complete the Strike. The other modifier is Prism, which cycles through each of the damage types. The selected damage deals more than usual, while the others are less effective.
In terms of Challenges, Speed of Dark is active, which asks you to finish the Strike with at least five minutes left on the timer. Unbroken requires you to make it through the mission with fewer than three deaths. And finally, Trash the Thresher tasks you with bringing down a Thresher (the Cabal gunship) during the fight with Bracus Zahn.
The reward for completing the Nightfall is Powerful Gear. This is one of the few activities to offer those, and they're among the best items you can get your hands on. It's also a reliable way to increase your Power level past 265, should you be struggling to pass that point. If you haven't made it to that point, you may want to consider waiting until after you've raised your Power level before grabbing the Nightfall reward. This Nightfall will be available until the next weekly reset, which occurs at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET / 9 AM GMT / 4 PM AEST on Tuesday, November 7.
The Nightfall is available from the start for the PC version, which is out now. If you haven't yet unlocked the Nightfall, you'll need to complete two Strikes and approach the suggested Power level of 240 before Zavala will allow you to take part in them. Traditional matchmaking is not available, but in its place we have Guided Games, providing players with the opportunity to be matched up with members of a clan for the mission (which requires a Nightfall Ticket). Alternatively, clan members can sign up to serve as guides through the Nightfall. Doing so does not require a Ticket.
The news comes from Variety film reporter Justin Kroll, who appeared on a recent episode of Meet the Movie Press. "I've been tracking various movies in this world, director-wise, specifically Flashpoint," he says. "I've heard they've slowed that search down to see how this film does."
If true, it's hard to blame Warner Bros. for hitting pause on the film at this point. Flashpoint was originally set to be directed by Seth Grahame-Smith, who left over creative differences. His replacement Rick Famuyiwa departed the project for the same reasons. Since then, names like Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future) and Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The LEGO Movie) have been reported as possible directors, though nobody has been properly announced.
Justice League is a major moment for the DC film universe, as it comes on the heels of the critically acclaimed and financially successful Wonder Woman. With the movie currently tracking for a bigger opening weekend than Wonder Woman, it may behoove the studio to wait and see how the movie truly performs before rocketing forward with yet another spinoff. After all, Wonder Woman 2 is already a guarantee, while Shazam is currently in pre-production for a 2019 release. And that's all before any critical response to Justice League, which could change the way the movie is received by the general public.
With so many superhero movies already in the pipeline, taking your time with Flashpoint isn't a bad idea. Given how important the character of The Flash is to not only the Justice League, but the entire DC universe, it's one Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment need to make sure they get right.
Destiny 2 already features PS4-exclusive content, but that won't be true for just the base game. The newly revealed Curse of Osiris DLC expansion will also include at least one thing that PC and Xbox One players won't have immediate access to.
Sony revealed Curse of Osiris during its Paris Games Week showcase. Curiously, however, it called no attention to exclusive content (as it did with Monster Hunter World's beta and Horizon: Zero Dawn items), despite the fact that it was a PlayStation event. Subsequently, however, Bungie teased on the PlayStation Blog what PS4 players will get: an exclusive Crucible map.
No specific details about it were shared, but there is a batch of screenshots that show it's apparently set in the New Pacific Arcology, a location you'll have spent some time in if you've reached Titan in the game's campaign. You can get a look at the map in the images above.
Curse of Osiris releases for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on December 5. It features a new story that takes players to Mercury and the Infinite Forest location, and it adds a new social space, missions, Strikes, "Raid content" (whatever that means exactly), free roam activities, a world quest, and "more."
Activision said earlier this year that PS4-exclusive content in the base game--which includes a Strike, Crucible map, and gear--will remain that way until "at least Fall 2018." However, game director Luke Smith subsequently stated that it will arrive on Xbox One and PC before the end of 2018, likely meaning we'll see it sometime between September and December 2018. Just how soon Curse of Osiris's PS4-only content launches on other platforms, however, remains to be seen.
When Ron Howard took over as director of the upcoming Star Wars spin-off Solo: A Star WarsStory back in June, the film was reportedly only a few weeks away from the completion of principal photography. However, Howard continued to film throughout the summer and fall, and only wrapped production this month. It has now been reported that he has reshot almost the entire movie.
The news comes via The Resistance Broadcast, a podcast associated with Star Wars News Net. The show's sources claim that up to 80 percent of the movie has been reshot, with a dramatic increase in the movie's budget.
Solo: A Star WarsStory stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, with Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Emilia Clarke also star. It hits theaters on May 25, 2018.
One thing you can count on every October, aside from a bunch of big game releases, are developers releasing Halloween-themed updates and events. Halloween is just about here, and already we've seen a number of such announcements, and some of these events are already underway.
With so much going on, it can be difficult to keep track of everything that's happening. Given that many of these events, such as Overwatch's Halloween Terror, provide you with a limited amount of time to obtain items you can use year-round, you'll want to stay on top of how and when you can expand your collection. We've compiled a list of many of the Halloween-themed events happening in games this month--there's also a Halloween sale on Steam--and we'll continue to update this as more are announced. Check everything out below, and let us know what you'll be playing (as well as any we missed) in the comments.
Absolver
As part of a broader update that also introduces a new prestige system and more equipment, Absolver's 1.08 patch also has something for Halloween lovers. Nine new masks are now available, six of which are Halloween-themed, allowing you to give yourself the look of a creepy owl, a messed-up skeleton, or a bunch of melted candles, among other things.
Activision will host a monthlong event in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare called Willard Wyler's Halloween Scream that features several different components. Each week, players will be able to pick up a free Halloween Supply Drop by logging in, as well as a Halloween-themed cosmetic item on each Friday. Halloween gear and loot, such as a zombie-themed Rig skin, will also be up for grabs.
Additionally, Gesture Warfare mode--where you take out opponents by doing things like pinching your fingers--returns for a limited time. Carnage, one of the maps in the Retribution DLC, will be free to all players from October 12 until November 1 in a special playlist that runs only that map and offers double XP. Finally, Boss Battle will allow DLC owners to tackle a different Zombie episode's final fight each week.
The Witches Festival is back in The Elder Scrolls Online, offering double XP and a variety of themed elements. Special loot is available from boss monsters (like Witches Festival recipes and pumpkin or scarecrow masks), while there are also spooky items for purchase in the Crown Store--maybe the most notable of which is the Exorcised Coven Cottage. You can also change your appearance to something more seasonal, and event achievements are available for those who haven't unlocked them in past years.
Dates
Now - November 1 at 7 AM PT (10 AM ET/3 PM BST; 1 AM AEDT on November 2)
The Halloween Mayhem event in Entropia Universe presents players with the chance to get special weapons and armor, as well as to take part in an item hunt. Joining a Halloween instance--designated by the points on the map located in the gallery above--will place you outside of a graveyard, and looting special Halloween items awards you with points. The players who earn the most during the course of the event will win various prizes.
The Escapists 2 gets in on the Halloween fun, but it does so through a premium DLC pack. The Wicked Ward adds a horror-themed prison to escape from in addition to themed customizations, items, and crafting recipes. It's priced at $4/£2.79 and is included with the season pass.
Dates
Available now
Final Fantasy XIV
The All Saint's Wake event is now live in Final Fantasy XIV. The seasonal event brings back the Continental Circus, and there are new things to do by talking to the special Adventurers' Guild investigator in Old Gridania. Taking part in the event allows you to unlock new gear (like a werewolf head) and items (such as a pumpkin pie set tabletop item).
Dates
Now - November 1 at 7:59 AM PT (10:59 AM ET/4 PM BST; 2 AM AEDT on November 2)
For its first Halloween on the market, For Honor is celebrating with a special Feast of the Otherworld event. This allows players to participate in the Endless March mode, where you're squaring off against hordes of skeletons. There's also new gear, emotes, and masks (which go in a new customization slot) to earn by taking part.
Both the PvP and PvE sides of Fortnite get some attention with its Fortnitemares update. The PvE side is where much of Halloween-themed content comes into play, as there are special enemies, weapons, and other things to check out. But a variety of Halloween cosmetics are on sale on the store to help players distinguish themselves from the competition.
The Coalition is marking Halloween in Gears of War 4 in a variety of ways. As the video above reveals, Friday the 13th marks the return of Skorge, the Locust general who will make an appearance as a skin. Later in the month, players can jump into a special multiplayer playlist that adorns everyone with a pumpkin head, or take part in a special mode called Phantom Dodgeball. The Coalition has also teased "a few extra surprises," of which Skorge is likely one.
Dates
October 13 (Skorge)
October 27 - TBA (pumpkin heads, Phantom Dodgeball)
Rockstar hasn't gone all-out for Halloween in Grand Theft Auto V, although it has released a new mode that it's connecting to the holiday. A new Adversary mode named Condemned is now available where one player is marked for death, and the only way to save themselves is to kill another player. Everyone competes to be the last person standing; double GTA$ and RP are available until November 6. And it has even less to do with Halloween, but this same update provides free GTA$ and adds a weaponized vehicle, Vigilante, that is basically the Tim Burton version of the Batmobile, so it's a good time to log on.
Guild Wars 2 brings back the Shadow of the Mad King event this year. This consists of multiple elements, including a decorated version of Lion's Arch, new armor and weapon skins to collect, and a special jumping puzzle in the Mad King's Clock Tower. You can also head to the Mad King's Labyrinth for some limited-time, spooky activities and take part in the Lunatic Inquisition PvP event. Or you can meet up with King Oswald Thorn, who is said to have "deadly tricks up his sleeve."
Hacktag has received an update dubbed the Hackoween Special, which introduces a significant amount of new content. There's a new mission type, Boss Takedown; 24 new levels spread between Boss Takedown and Data Scavenger; new co-op mini-games; and five new characters. You'll also see characters wearing some Halloween outfits.
Dates
Available now
Hearthstone
Part of Hearthstone's Halloween celebration is tied to Fireside Gathering events. Hallow's End-themed real-life meet-ups will take place over the course of more than a month, and a free Warlock hero (Nemsy Necrofizzle) is available for attending certain ones. She'll continue to be available even after Hallow's End concludes.
For those who can't make it to an event, there's still plenty happening in-game. For one week, players can get a Whispers of the Old Gods card pack and an Arena ticket just for logging in. The following week, logging in rewards a Knights of the Frozen Throne card pack and another Arena ticket. A special dual-class Arena mode will also be available for a limited time. Here's how Blizzard explains it: "At the start of every Arena run, players choose a Hero, a Hero Power from another class, and then choose cards from both of those classes in addition to neutral cards. That's not all though: each of the nine classic Hearthstone Heroes will attend their Arena games in costume!"
Finally, players will be able to take on the Headless Horseman in a special Tavern Brawl. You'll wear a costume that dictates what cards you have available and grants a passive power that will help you defeat him.
Dates
Now - November 5 (Fireside Gatherings, Dual Class Arena)
October 24 at 9 AM PDT - October 30 at 11:59 PM (Whispers of the Old Gods freebie)
October 31 at 12:01 AM PDT - November 5 at 11:59 PM (Knights of the Frozen Throne freebie)
Heroes of the Storm once again sees its Hallow's End event, which kicks off this month. However, this marks the first Halloween since Blizzard launched HotS' new Loot Chest system, which means things work a bit differently than in the past. Like in Overwatch, event-specific chests will replace the standard ones during the event. You'll earn one with every level up, and at least one of the four rewards inside is guaranteed to be a Hallow's End item, which includes skins, mounts, sprays, and portraits. Weekly Brawl rewards after October 20 will take the form of a Hallow's End chest, and these can also be purchased using gems.
Also during the event, you can make progress toward quests that will net you a special spray (by playing two games), banner (eight games), and portrait (15 games). However, Custom Games, Training matches, and Brawls don't count toward these totals.
The Halloween Horrors content pack update has been released for Killing Floor 2. This introduces a new map that is meant to be set inside the mind (or more precisely, the nightmares) of Boozo the clown. There are new Achievements to earn and two new weapons to use: the Seeker Six (a multi-shot, guided rocket launcher) and the Hemoglobin (which somehow drains enemies of blood). New, limited-time unlocks include face paint and pumpkin helmets. Prize tickets can be earned for free by playing, or you can purchase them; either way, they can be exchanged for new Halloween Horror cosmetics, such as weapon skins. Finally, the King Fleshpound has been added as a permanent member of the boss rotation, and new daily and weekly objectives can earn you in-game cash to spend on cosmetic items.
Minecraft's Halloween Spooktacular event is officially underway. This brings special, themed content and activities to official servers for players on Bedrock Engine platforms (which is to say, most versions of the game). Among other things, the Lifeboat server is home to a haunted house parkour course; InPvP has the Haunted Mansion SkyWare map; and Mineplex brings The Pumpkin King, plus quests, flaming pumpkins to fight, and more. You can get a look at what awaits in the video and gallery above.
For its second October, Blizzard has brought back Overwatch's Halloween Terror event. It replaces the standard Loot Box with an event-specific one, which contains a variety of Halloween-themed cosmetic items. These include both those from last year and more than 50 new ones, such as Legendary skins for Ana, Symmetra, Zenyatta, and McCree. Last year's Junkenstein's Revenge event also returns as a special Brawl mode--this is a Horde-style co-op game type where a team of four takes on waves of AI-controlled enemies. New to this year's version is an endless variant, where you can compete on leaderboards by seeing how many waves you can successfully make it through.
As part of the Shadow's Eve event, Paragon players will be able to get their hands on limited-edition chests. These contain regular items and Shadow's Eve-specific rewards, including skins and banners. Narbash, Wukong, and Yin have received new skins for the event, and each week will offer up a selection of different skins from last year. (These skins and banners are only available during the event.) A special Mega Bundle that includes all of this will be sold from October 24 - November 11; you'll receive a discount if you've already gotten your hands on any of the contents.
Dates
Now - November 1 (Shadow's Eve)
October 24 - November 11 (Shadow's Eve Mega Bundle)
Following leaks that spoiled some surprises, Niantic has officially announced its Halloween plans for Pokemon Go. Sableye, Banette, and other Gen 3 Ghost-types will make their debut, with more creatures from Hoenn coming later this year. During the event, a Pikachu wearing a special hat can be found in the wild, and a new cosmetic item will be available to players as well. Additionally, bonus Candy can be earned for catching, transferring, and and hatching Pokemon, and your buddy Pokemon will accumulate Candy two times as fast as usual.
Dates
October 20 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST (6 AM AET on October 21 in Australia) - 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM on November 2 (7 AM AET on November 3 in Australia)
Rift's Autumn Harvest event is back, and it offers both activities and themed rewards, such as a broom mount and special masks (like a mummy and plague crow). There's also a premium DLC pack, The Mummified Power Pack, for $20 that includes a variety of cosmetics, currency, and consumables.
Rocket League marks the occasion with a new Haunted Hallows event. By playing online matches, you'll earn a new type of currency: Candy Corn (because, let's be honest, it's not like you're going to eat it). It can be spent to purchase Halloween-themed items, decryptors, and Halloween event crates. These crates contain special items and can be earned with regular keys or decryptors, but using the latter will make the items you receive untradeable. Candy Corn will only remain in your inventory until a week after the event ends, but anything you purchase with it will remain yours.
Dates
Now - November 6 at 10 AM PT (1 PM ET/6 PM BST; 4 AM AEDT on November 7)
The newest patch for Smite brings back the Halloween makeover for Arena mode's map and the Scary Potion. The latter messes around with players--last year's version, for instance, would occasionally play a Loki sound effect that made you think you were about to be backstabbed. Additionally, a Halloween chest is for sale that includes things like spooky and themed skins (Trick or Treat Cupid and Grim Reaper Thanatos). Through the Odyssey, there are new Halloween skins you can buy directly, such as Mummified Izanami and Yurei Susano.
Trove has brought seven seasonal adventures themed around the holiday. You'll find pumpkin lairs, and by clearing them out, you'll receive candy corn that can be spent on mystery boxes at the Shadowy Station located in the new Shadow's Eve hub. These boxes offer a chance at receiving two new mounts--one of which is a moving coffin--and other new mounts are also up for grabs by playing. Logging in by November 20 also lets you claim a free Musical Mat mount from the Deals tab of the store.
Blizzard hasn't yet revealed its full Halloween plans for World of Warcraft, but we do know that Hallow's End will return. The event "celebrates the break of the Forsaken from the Scourge," Blizzard says. "Fun and mischief reign as the Innkeepers of Azeroth give treats, and tricks, to whomever asks."
World of Warships again gets into the Halloween spirit this year, introducing four new ships themed around the holiday. You can take part in a continuation of the mission with special rewards. Your goal is to allow a ritual to be completed that closes a portal allowing devious enemies through, but you'll have to contend with a fog that both heals enemies and damages you.
Destiny 2PC players have a new update to download, as Bungie has released hotfix 1.0.5.1. As the version number suggests, this isn't a major content update of any sort, and it won't be coming to PS4 or Xbox One. However, it stands to be an important one depending on what kind of hardware you're running the game on.
According to Bungie, this update removes the SSSE3 processor requirement from the game. This was problematic for anyone with a CPU that doesn't support SSSE3 (which stands for Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3), an instruction set that rendered the game all but unplayable with certain hardware, such as the AMD Phenom II series of processors. This was one of the problems outlined in Bungie's PC known issues list.
With this update available, Bungie says players on Phenom II and other CPUs lacking SSSE3 support should try logging in again after downloading the update. Even with this fixed, there are a number of problems that remain with the PC version. Crashes on AMD Vega GPUs continue while playing the mission entitled Six, but Bungie says this is resolved by downloading the latest AMD driver. It's also looking into performance troubles that arise when playing "for extended periods of time." If you're encountering this, Bungie's advice in the meantime is to close and re-open the game.
During Sony's Paris Games Week press conference, we got yet another look at the upcoming Spider-Man game from Insomniac Games. Focusing more on the story this time around, we see Peter Parker dealing with the day-to-day issues that his counter-part does not encounter. With appearances from key Marvel villains, such as the Kingpin, Spider-Man will have a lot on his plate during his crime-fighting adventures in New York.
During the trailer, we see Peter interact with many of the story's important characters, including the game's main villain, Mister Negative. There seems to be a lot going on in this brief glimpse, and while it's a bit light on gameplay, we're learning a lot more of the game's main story. Interestingly enough, it seems that Miles Morales--who's currently Spider-Man in the comics--will have a larger presence in the story than the last tease in the E3 trailer made most people believe. It'll be interesting to see where this will all lead.
Be sure to keep to keep up with GameSpot as we go over Sony's Paris Games Week showcase. Head on over to our roundup page, where we detail all the events and games that happened during Sony's press-conference and pre-show.
With Sony's Paris Games Week press conference over, we finally learned details on some of the publisher's latest games, like Detroit: Become Human, God of War, and The Last of Us 2 There were even a bevy of new games. From Sucker Punch's Samurai epic Ghost of Tsushima to Spelunky 2, there was a whole lot of exciting new IPs and sequels. With so many exciting announcements, we've compiled all the biggest ones from the press conference below.
What news are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below, and if you want to relive the announcements again firsthand, check out our Sony Paris Games Week press conference liveblog.
As part of its latest earnings report, Nintendo shared new sales figures and updated its sales forecast. If all goes as Nintendo expects, Switch will have sell more during the current fiscal year than Wii U has sold total since its launch in 2012.
Nintendo announced today, through the end of September, it has sold 7.63 million Switch units worldwide. Back in July, Nintendo said it expected to sell a total of 10 million during the current fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018. As a part of its earnings report, Nintendo updated its projections, saying it now expects to sell 14 million Switches during this fiscal year (not counting those sold back in March, during the previous year).
Wii U has sold 13.56 million units since its release in November 2012. If Nintendo's Switch sales projection proves to be accurate, that means the system will have outsold five years of Wii U in just a single year. While not an especially high bar--Wii U was a sales failure compared with prior Nintendo platforms--it is still striking to see happen.
During its launch month, Switch sold 2.74 million units worldwide. If it does indeed sell 14 million units by the end of March, that will bring its total to 16.74 million at that point. That brings it close to the lifetime sales of GameCube (21.74 million) but still far behind that of the ultra-successful Wii (101.63 million).
From July through September, Switch sold 1.97 million units, while 3DS sold 950,000. Supply issues remain the major impediment for Switch, although Nintendo has reportedly increased Switch production as we head into the holiday season.
According to Reuters, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed the company is now making more systems at the earnings briefing, saying, "We've boosted Switch production to meet strong demand as it was difficult for customers to buy the consoles at retail stores."
The Monster Hunter series is no stranger to crossover cameos in its DLC, and Monster Hunter World continues that tradition of cross-collaboration. Announced during the Paris Game Week Sony press conference, in Monster Hunter World, you'll be able to dress up as Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn.
Previous Monster Hunter games have included similar costume changes, such as the Legend of Zelda armor in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. This time around, you'll be able to acquire Aloy's bow and full armor set, as well as Palico armor, but only in the PS4 version.
Also announced at the show is an upcoming beta for Monster Hunter World, which will run from December 9-12 for PlayStation Plus subscribers. It consists of three quests and can be played solo or online. A new trailer for the game showed off a glut of new monsters and environments in the game, which you can check out above. The beta quests feature the Great Jagras and Anjanath in the Ancient Forest area, as well as the Barroth in the Wildspire Waste.
Monster Hunter World is coming to PS4 and Xbox One on January 26 (with a PC release coming later). The Horizon Zero Dawn Aloy DLC will, obviously, be exclusive to the PlayStation version, but it hasn't been revealed yet if PS4 will be the only one with beta access.
It's the end of October, and, among other things, that means now is your last chance to pick up some of the month's 2017's free Games With Gold titles before they return to their normal price points. On Xbox One, the freebies include the adventure game Gone Home and the first-person puzzle game The Turing Test.
And on Xbox 360, 2007's first-person shooter Medal of Honor: Airborne is free for the next 24 hours. Note that this game plays on Xbox One through backwards compatibility. The Turing Test is free through November 15, but the rest are only free until the end of the day on October 31, so be sure to grab them now.
The much-anticipated reboot of the classic '80s sci-fi action movie Predator is released next summer, and although we're yet to see any footage from The Predator, a few details have started to emerge. A cool motion poster was revealed via the franchise's official app last week, and now star Thomas Jane has been speaking about the movie.
In an interview on Shadow Nation, Jane provided the first clue as to what The Predator is actually about--and it sounds amazing. The actor explained that the film will focus on a group of "shellshocked" soldiers, who are arrested and are in the process of being transported to an army hospital. However, one of the soldiers is being targeted because he has seen the Predator ships come to earth.
"They're going to take that bus, drive it down to a ditch and shoot us all just to get rid of this one guy," Jane explained, via AVP Galaxy. "But, of course, we take the bus over. We're all like, 'Let's go kill these f***ing Predators ourselves!' And we're just crazy enough to believe that this guy really did see a UFO and there's these aliens out there. So that's kinda cool!"
Jane went on to talk about working with director Shane Black, who previously helmed Iron Man 3 for Marvel and last year's comedy thriller The Nice Guys. "I can just say I had a blast," he said. "We had a great cast, with this terrific ensemble with all these great actors. And Shane Black wrote and directed it, so it has that kind of Shane Black humor. We had a blast. It was funny.
"You know the Predators, you know they didn't f*** those up. They're still Predators and they're pretty much the same Predator as always. I think it might be great. I tell you the acting is going to be pretty good. I'm going to be good in it!"
The Predator was originally set to arrive in March but will now hit theaters on August 3. It also stars Boyd Holbrook (Narcos, Logan), Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu, Key & Peele), Sterling K. Brown (The People v. OJ Simpson), Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse), and Jacob Tremblay (Room).
FIFA 18 on Nintendo Switch was met with mixed reception when it launched last month, but now EA has released a new update for the port that will hopefully improve things. Title Update 3 introduces some gameplay changes and some aesthetic tweaks, as well as fixing a number of bugs.
Firstly, changes have been made so that you'll no longer keep getting the same Skill Games before each match. The Trainer has also been fixed, so it will now display the correct button prompt when performing crosses.
Off the pitch, the Chile national team has a new crest and updated kits to bring them in line with those of the real-life team. In addition, the patch addresses an issue where the ball would sometimes be invisible during pre-match cinematics. Take a look at the full patch notes at the bottom of this article, via EA.
The update to FIFA for Switch is a small but welcome one, given the game's problems at launch. In our review, we said "FIFA 18 on Switch delivers some enjoyable soccer when on the pitch, but without Pro Clubs and The Journey, and in restricting all access to FUT when you're not online, it shoots itself in the foot. Being able to play FIFA on the go or with a friend is gratifying, and if you're happy to just play through Career Mode for the next year, then this port will satisfy your needs and is the best mobile FIFA you can buy, but compared to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, this port is inferior in every other way." Read more in our full FIFA 18 Nintendo Switch review.
Konami, the publisher of games such as PES 2018 and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, has reported a profit increase for the six months ending September 30. The Japanese company saw profits rise over 40% year-on-year during the period to ¥17.2 billion / US $152 million.
Konami attributes its encouraging results to "continued strong performance of mobile games Jikkyou Pawafuru Puryakyu and Professional Baseball Spirits A" in Japan, as well as the announcement of a new PES mobile title for the region. In addition, the company highlights global sales of Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card games and the worldwide release of PES 2018 on consoles and PC. Konami also has a substantial health and fitness division, its second-biggest section in terms of revenue.
The company goes on to cite the Japanese economy's "long-term recovery" as a contributing factor, though it does warn that "the future remains uncertain because of concerns about political and policy movements and North Korea's actions."
On the horizon for the company is Metal Gear Survive, a multiplayer stealth game coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The spinoff is set in the same universe as Metal Gear Solid V and takes place after the events of Ground Zeroes. Metal Gear Survive's release date has been set as February 20 in the US and February 22 in Europe.
The main addition is a first glimpse of C-3PO from the upcoming movie, and eagle-eyed fans will notice that he has a golden right arm once more, instead of the red one he had in 2015's The Force Awakens. In addition, there's some new dialogue from Rey and a few extra shots of BB-8. Check it out below.
The Last Jedi is directed by Rian Johnson and stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, and Andy Serkis. Tickets for The Last Jedi are now on sale prior to its December 15 release.
Unsurprisingly, the movie is expected to have a huge opening weekend at the box office. Early first-weekend projections have predicted that the film will make $215 million in the US over its first three days. While that would be below The Force Awakens' first-weekend haul of $247 million, it would still be the second-biggest of all time, ahead of Jurassic World's $208 million opening in 2015.
Update 2: The week's deals have now ended, to be replaced by a new set of weekly Xbox One deals. Original story follows.
Microsoft's Major Nelson has announced this week's lineup of Xbox One deals, and while the lineup is not all that extensive, there are some solid offers to be had. We also now know what Games With Gold titles that November will bring, if you'd prefer something free. [Update: It's Monday, and that makes today your last opportunity to pick up these games at their current discounts. You also have a bit more to take advantage of the Xbox Shocktober Halloween deals.]
Xbox One X's release is just days away, so now could be a good time to pick up some games in preparation. With that in mind, Microsoft has revealed which games are on offer as part of this week's Xbox One Deals with Gold and Spotlight sale. We also now know what Games With Gold titles that November will bring, if you'd prefer something free.
Some of the discounted games this week include XCOM 2 (US $24 / £18 / AU $28), EA Sports UFC 2 (US $20 / £15 / AU $26.23), and Styx: Shards of Darkness (US $16.50 / £13.20 / AU $25.64). In addition, The Escapists: The Walking Dead is currently on offer for US $15 / £11.24 / AU $20.21 for Gold members to celebrate the new season of the Walking Dead TV show. All these deals are available until 3 AM PT / 6 AM ET / 11 AM GMT / 10 PM AET on November 6--check out the full list here.
Shadow of the Colossus' PS4 remaster is one of the console's most anticipated games, and now we know when we'll get to play it. The port is coming to PS4 on February 6, 2018. The news was revealed after Sony's Paris Games Week press conference, during which it showed off a new trailer of the upcoming remaster. You can check out that trailer below.
Update: Creator of Spelunky, Derek Yu, has now confirmed the sequel is "coming first to PS4 and Steam." No other platforms have yet been mentioned, but the original came to numerous systems, and the use of "first" suggests it will end up on more than just these two. Original story follows.
At today's Paris Games Week PlayStation Conference, Sony revealed a sequel to the popular rogue-like title Spelunky. Shockingly, it's called Spelunky 2, and it's coming to PS4.
In addition, a brief trailer was shown off, showing the message, "Looking to the skies, the walls are shifting once again," hinting the new game might be set in space or in the sky, as opposed to the first game's mines, jungles, ice caves, and temples. No release date was mentioned, and we don't currently know whether the platforming title will come to other platforms. As this was announced at a Sony event, we only know that it's coming to PS4, but the first game came to numerous platforms, so it's possible we'll end up seeing this on PC, Xbox One, or Switch. Notably, however, there was no mention of a Vita version.
Since Infamous: First Light released in 2014, we've been in the dark as to what developer Sucker Punch has been working on. Now, at Paris Games Week, the company has revealed its new game. It's called Ghost of Tsushima, and it's coming to PS4.
In addition, Sony has released a new trailer for the game; take a look at the video above. Other than it being open-world, little is known about the game's premise or how it'll play, but it appears to take place during the Mongol invasions of Japan and it details the exploits of a lone Samurai turned vengeful assassin.
In addition to the release window news, Sony also showed off a new trailer for Detroit, showing off some new characters and the kinds of decisions you'll face in-game. Take a look at that video below.
Super Mario Run has now passed 200 million downloads worldwide, up from 150 million. That's a massive number, but Nintendo doesn't see the game as having an acceptable level of financial success yet. As part of its latest earnings report today, Nintendo said that Super Mario Run has "not yet reached an acceptable profit point." This follows comments from Nintendo about how the game had not made the kind of money that it hoped.
Despite that, Nintendo said the game has helped the company learn "a lot" about mobile game development, knowledge it will use with its other projects going forward.
Also in the report, Nintendo clarified that downloads in the company's home country of Japan amounted to only 10 percent, or 20 million, of total worldwide downloads. Nintendo added that its goal with Super Mario Run is to make it the "definitive Mario application for smart devices." As part of its effort to do this, Nintendo mentioned the game's big 3.0 update that came out in September and added a new mode, stages, and a character.
"We also ran campaigns to foster more interest, including a special price offer for a limited period, to commemorate the release of the new version," Nintendo said. "Although we have not yet reached an acceptable profit point, we have learned a lot in terms of game development and deployment that we want to take advantage of moving forward."
Additionally, a slide showed that the September update for Super Mario Run helped bring players back to the game. As you can see, the "weekly user trend" figures jumped significantly following the release of the update.
Super Mario Run is a "free to start" game that lets you play some levels, before asking you to pay $10 to unlock the rest.
Super Mario Run is available on iOS and Android phones. GameSpot awarded it a 7/10 in our Super Mario Run review. Critic Peter Brown said the game "offers great platforming and that distinct Mario charm that Nintendo's perfected over the years" but was "on the easy side and bereft of a long-lasting platforming adventure."
Sony today reported earnings for the quarter ended September 30, and among the notable takeaways for gaming is the fact that the PlayStation 4 has now shipped 67.5 million units worldwide. Sony shipped 4.2 million units during the quarter to boost the new total to that figure. 4.2 million is up from the 3.9 million units that Sony shipped during the same period a year prior, so the business is growing.
It's the highest quarterly shipment figure for PS4 since the holiday period last year, when Sony shipped 9.7 million units. Last quarter, shipments stood at 63.3 million units.
This slide also shows that Sony is now predicting to ship 19 million PS4 units by the conclusion of its current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2018. This is up from the previous forecast of 18 million. Whatever the case, this is down compared to last fiscal year, when Sony shipped 20 million systems.
Sony's Game & Network Services division, which houses the PlayStation business, saw its sales rise 35.4 percent year-over-year to ¥433.2 billion. Sony attributed the uptick in sales primarily to stronger PS4 game sales, including digital, as well as the uptick in PS4 hardware sales. Operating income for the division came in at ¥54.8 billion, up by a significant ¥35.8 billion compared to the same quarter a year prior.
"This significant increase was primarily due to the above-mentioned increase in sales, partially offset by an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses. During the current quarter, there was a ¥3.1 billion positive impact from foreign exchange rate fluctuations," Sony said.
When looking at all of Sony's various divisions together, the company had a strong quarter, with sales rising 22.1 percent and operating income jumping by a massive 346.4 percent. Check out the chart below to see a further breakdown of Sony's earnings.
Sony was not the only big game company to announce earnings today. Nintendo did as well, reporting strong surges in revenue and profit, while also stating that the Switch will outsell the Wii U after just one year on the market. Electronic Arts will report earnings later today, October 31, so keep checking back for more.
The SNES Classic is really popular. Nintendo announced today that it sold 2 million units worldwide, which is remarkable given that the $80 system only launched at the end of September. Clearly, there is demand for retro consoles, which is no surprise given how popular and in-demand the NES Classic was.
Presumably due to this incredible demand, Nintendo is re-launching the NES Classic in 2018, and Nintendo said about this, "We are hoping that consumers eager to purchase this system will wait just a short while longer."
A recently discovered trademark filing suggests that a Nintendo 64 Classic might be next. It remains to be seen if this will happen, but given the enormous success of the NES Classic and the SNES Classic, we wouldn't exactly be surprised to see that happen.
The SNES Classic comes with 21 games, including the previously unreleased Star Fox 2. GameSpot's review of the system praised it for being an "easy, accessible, and convenient" way to play classic SNES games.
Far Cry 5 presents you with a difficult task: a fanatical doomsday cult has taken over a county in Montana, and it's up to you to free the area from its clutches. However, as Ubisoft showed off in its Paris Games Week trailer, you don't have to go it alone: the entirety of Far Cry 5's campaign is playable in co-op.
This means that you'll be able to explore the Montana wilderness with a friend, and the video shows off a few of the possibilities. You can joyride in a pickup truck, wreak havoc in a plane, or take on actual story missions. Check out the video in the embed above.
You'll also be able to join forces with some of the other townsfolk who aren't as zealous about the cult's cause. Called "Guns for Hire," you can enlist the help of three NPCs who each have different strengths and weaknesses.
Ubisoft also recently revealed the game's composer, Dan Romer. Best known for his work on Beasts of the Southern Wild as well as his solo compositions, Romer states that he's brining in a lot of American folk inspiration into Far Cry 5's soundtrack. This means that you can expect banjos, fiddles, and dobros.
Super Mario Odyssey was hotly anticipated, and it released last Friday to widespread critical acclaim. But it's still surprising just how well the game has sold in its first three days on the market: according to Nintendo, it's already sold around 2 million copies.
The news comes by way of Nintendo's financial earnings report. The numbers on the game are pretty crazy when you take into account the fact that the company has moved 7 million Nintendo Switch units. That means that, in only three days, just under 30% of all Switch users have purchased Super Mario Odyssey.
It's safe to say that Super Mario Odyssey will likely continue to sell well, and Nintendo certainly wants to help move more units. In the earnings report, the company stated, "We will endeavor to further increase the number of consumers who want to purchase Super Mario Odyssey, and eventually we would like the game to be seen as an evergreen title that has longevity in the market beyond this holiday season."
If you haven't heard already, the new Mario game is pretty awesome. In our 10/10 Super Mario Odyssey review, GameSpot critic Peter Brown wrote, "Odyssey is sustained beyond its major milestones not only through colorful worlds and hidden challenges, but through the sheer joy of controlling Mario, who's never felt more responsive or dynamic in action. Even with everything new that's been introduced, Nintendo's forward-thinking platformer retains the series' classic handcrafted appeal, which is even more impressive when you realize how densely packed each kingdom is."
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