By Anonymous on Nov 10, 2017 11:49 pm Erick and Rob head back into Hyrule to find the missing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 armor in Zelda Breath of the Wild.
Disney has announced that Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is returning to the franchise to develop a new trilogy of films after the release of Star Wars: Episode IX. Additionally, Johnson will also write and direct the first installment of the new trilogy.
The announcement shows exactly what Disney has planned for the series after the ninth film in the Skywalker saga (Episodes I through IX). According to StarWars.com, this new trilogy will be separate from that saga, introducing new characters from a part of the Star Wars galaxy the previous films have never explored. Johnson is developing the new movies with his longtime producer Ram Bergman.
In a statement, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy says, "We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi. He's a creative force, and watching him craft The Last Jedi from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy."
Johnson and Bergman shared their excitement about the possibilities that come with creating their own corner of the Star Wars universe. In a joint statement, the director and producer say, "We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on The Last Jedi. Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can't wait to continue with this new series of films." Johnson also tweeted about the news, joking, "Obviously I hope you like The Last Jedi. But man now I REALLY hope you like The Last Jedi."
Obviously I hope you like The Last Jedi. But man now I REALLY hope you like The Last Jedi.
In the aftermath of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there were many questions on the minds of fans. Revisiting the Star Wars universe after so many years--and even longer if you pretend the prequels never happened--may have given hints at life in the galaxy after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, but there are still many more questions to address?
Meanwhile, in an interview on The Star Wars Show, producer and Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy praised The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson's take on the iconic saga, saying, "I think he's done an exceptional job of taking these new characters and some of the legacy characters and moving us to this next place."
However, Kennedy cautions, "He doesn't answer all the questions, I will say that up front. But there are certain questions he does answer in a really wonderfully provocative way, and I think there'll be some surprises that people aren't expecting."
Given that this is only the second part of a new trilogy, it makes sense that everything wouldn't be resolved by the end. Still, it's enough to make you wonder exactly what Johnson's movie will address. The mystery surrounding Rey's parents, in particular, has been a major topic of discussion since the character was first announced long before the premiere of The Force Awakens.
If The Last Jedi doesn't tackle that question, chances are the theorizing is only going to continue as fans try to figure out her connection to the Force. Considering how her character is being built up in marketing for the new movie, she might become one of the most powerful Jedi of all time.
As many of the posters--and the climax of The Force Awakens--show, so much of this new trilogy centers around her and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) as foes on different sides of the Force. That's easy to see in two new motion posters released for the upcoming movie.
One, featuring Rey, reads "Fulfill your destiny." That certainly points to a lot more being revealed about the character as she goes toe-to-toe with Ren, whose poster demands, "Let the past die." Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theaters on December 15.
Running into some bumps with Destiny 2's Guided Games? Bungie's noticed too. This week's update post delves a little deeper into the Guided Games experience and what the team has planned for it.
Guided Games is a Destiny 2 feature that pairs solo players with high-level players for endgame activities like Nightfalls and the Raids. Even with its good intentions, Bungie has noticed that the new feature isn't quite what it's meant to be just yet, and updates to the mode are coming.
"Well, one thing we're really happy to see is that Guided Games has enabled a bunch of new players to play the Nightfall and/or Raid for the first time (since Destiny 1)," social designer M.E. Chung said in the update post. "Our goal with Guided Games for end-game content is about helping players find tight-knit communities to join, but we see and are very aware of the current issues. For example, we know that the lack of reconnections causes all kinds of problems with unintentional oathbreakers, that the lack of audio feedback when a clan is found is causing players to miss the queue, that guides lack proper incentives, that we need a guided games option for Trials of the Nine, etc."
Both social designers M.E. Chung and Steve Dolan acknowledged that Guided Games isn't quite up to par because of these issues. Small changes to alleviate the issues are coming with the release of Curse of Osiris on December 5. These changes include audio cues when you find a guide, full clan guides, reminders that when you reject a clan you're still at the front of the queue, and new Nightfall and Raid content with the expansion.
The two also mention the need for updates to chat in-game and checkpoints. Clan chat in-game is one of the team's highest priorities, as well as Tower and zone chats. As for checkpoints, those were excluded from the game to prevent farming, but the team has seen that not having them has been detrimental too. The possibility is being looked into, but bringing the feature could potentially make queues longer.
Disney's plans for a new streaming service were first revealed back in August, but it was the news this week that the studio is planning new Star Wars and Marvel TV shows that gave fans a better idea of what to expect from it. Disney CEO Bob Iger has now spoken about the service and revealed that it will cost less than Netflix to subscribe to.
As reported by The Wrap, Iger explained that the price of the service will be connected to the amount of content that it will carry. "Our plan on the Disney side is to price this substantially below where Netflix is," he said "That is in part reflective of the fact it'll have less volume."
The service will launch with "a lot of high quality" content and will increase its price as the platform adds titles over time. For reference, the cost of a Netflix subscription currently ranges from $8 to $14 a month.
The service is set to launch in 2019. It is expected that all Disney content, including releases from Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar, will eventually disappear from Netflix and be solely available to stream on the new platform. In addition, fans can expect a live-action Star Wars show, an unnamed Marvel series, and shows based on Monsters Inc. and High School Musical.
Demand for Nintendo Switch remains high, but supply shortages have proven to be a problem since launch. Nintendo continues to work toward alleviating that as we head into the holiday season, where it expects to sell a ton of systems, but it reportedly has its sights set much higher in 2018 and beyond.
During the current fiscal year, which runs from April 2017 through March 2018, Nintendo expects to sell 14 million Switch units. Combined with sales from its launch month in March, that will bring it to a total of nearly 17 million units in its 13 months of availability. According to sources with "direct knowledge" speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo plans to potentially produce a whopping 25 to 30 million units during its next fiscal year (April 2018 through March 2019).
Nintendo has reportedly begun informing business partners about these plans. Depending on how well it sells during the holiday season, Nintendo could increase that figure further, according to the WSJ.
As part of its recent earnings report, CEO Tatsumi Kimishima said that Switch production would increase for the holidays, and that manufacturers have upped the number of production lines assembling Switches. The WSJ notes this typically will only happen when a company agrees to the deal for an extended period of time because of the costs involved. That suggests the extra work lines may not be a short-term move.
If Switch sells as well over the next few months as Nintendo expects, the system will top lifetime sales of the Wii U, which sold 13.56 million units. It would also bring it close to lifetime sales of GameCube (21.74 million). Should Nintendo indeed make 25-30 million units next year, eventual sales of those systems would push it past N64 (32.93 million), although the company's best-selling home console, Wii (101.63 million), is still much further off.
Nintendo's handheld unit sales may actually be the better point of comparison. A survey released as part of the recent earnings report shows that the bulk of Switch owners use it in both handheld and docked modes. However, there are more who use it exclusively as a handheld than those who only use it when connected to a TV. Nintendo's handhelds have traditionally sold better than their console counterparts--DS lifetime sales are 154 million--in part because of the potential for a single household to buy more than one.
Nintendo isn't making additional units just so they can sit on store shelves. It's unclear what exactly is driving its optimism, but one possible explanation is the launch of a major game or games. Nintendo's 2018 and 2019 lineup has not yet been detailed, but we do know Metroid Prime 4 is on the way, as is a Pokemon "core RPG." Metroid does not yet have any kind of release date, while Nintendo lists Pokemon for a "2018 or later" launch.
The Xbox One X and the PlayStation 4 Pro share a lot of similarities. Both are mid-generational upgrades that are capable of making games look and perform better than their respective predecessors. Both are also newer flagship consoles that are geared (and priced) towards enthusiasts with 4K TVs. But which one should you get? In this head-to-head article, we'll break down winners across five categories: specs, design, game library, operating system, and value/features.
Integrated AMD graphics with 6 teraflops of performance
Integrated AMD graphics with 4.2 teraflops of performance
RAM
12GB GDDR5
8GB GDDR5
Storage
1TB HDD
1TB HDD
Optical Drive
4K HDR Blu-ray/DVD
Blu-ray/DVD
Just looking at the comparative spec chart above, it's hard to see how the PS4 Pro can win here. The Xbox One X essentially has more of almost everything.
Both consoles use a custom 8-core AMD CPU, but the Xbox One X's processor is clocked 200MHz faster at 2.3GHz. In the GPU department, the Xbox One X has an even bigger advantage. Microsoft's recently-released console offers six teraflops of graphics performance. This is 1.4 times as much as the PS4 Pro.
The Xbox One X also offers 12GB of GDDR5 RAM. Microsoft says that 3GB of it is reserved for operating-system tasks, with the rest of the 9GB going towards games. This, alone, is more than the entirety of the PS4 Pro's 8GB GDDR5 allotment.
In terms of storage, both consoles offer a 1TB hard drive and allow you to use external USB drives for additional storage. One advantage that the PS4 Pro offers is that it allows you to swap the HDD out for an SSD or bigger drive.
While the PS4 Pro has a Blu-ray player, only the Xbox One X has one that's capable of playing 4K HDR media.
Ultimately, real-world performance is going to come down to how developers can leverage either console's hardware, but on paper, the Xbox One X has better overall specs.
Winner: Xbox One X
Design
Both consoles sport a matte black finish. Arguably the biggest difference between them is that the Xbox One X is significantly smaller at 11.8x9.5x2.4 inches (29.9x24.1x6 cm), which makes it Microsoft's smallest console yet. In comparison, the PS4 Pro measures a much larger 12.8x11.6x2.1 inches (32.5x29.4x5.3 cm). Despite its smaller size, the Xbox One X is 1.2 pounds heavier than the PS4 Pro, weighing 8.4 pounds.
In terms of ports, both consoles offer three USB 3.0 ports, SPDIF, and Ethernet connections. The PS4 Pro does have a port for its PlayStation Camera, however, whereas the Xbox One X features an extra HDMI-in and an IR-out.
Both consoles run very quiet, but the Xbox One X does run warmer and consumes more power. In our testing, we clocked the Xbox One X consuming over 170 watts during gameplay. At the same time, temperatures rose past 61 degrees Celcius. Conversely, we clocked the PS4 Pro consuming around 150 watts with temperatures hovering in the mid 40 degrees C during similar tests.
Despite this, we're going to give the nod to the Xbox One X for its smaller footprint and its clean, minimalist design.
Winner: Xbox One X
Games Library
To make this comparison as objective as possible, we counted all the games that scored 70 and above on our sister site Metacritic to see which console offered more compelling games.
At the time of this writing, the PS4's library comes ahead with 796 games. It's exclusives consists of notable games like Persona 5, Uncharted 4, Bloodborne, and Horizon Zero Dawn.
The Xbox One's library consists of 563 games that have scored a 70 and above. It's anchored by console exclusives such as Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Ori and the Blind Forest, Cuphead, and Killer Instinct. It's important to note that if you missed the Xbox 360 generation, Microsoft has enabled backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games, too; some of which will get Xbox One X enhancements.
This category should ultimately come down to your personal preference, but when you look at the raw numbers comparing this generation's games, Sony's console currently comes out ahead here.
Winner: PS4 Pro
Operating System
While the user interface for PlayStation's operating system is simpler than Microsoft's, the Xbox One's UI has undergone numerous overhauls. Its newest dashboard, released last month, is its most responsive and arguably best iteration yet.
It still has a deeper learning curve than the comparatively minimalistic PlayStation equivalent, but it offers more features like 4K video capture, Cortana voice support, and integrates Microsoft's Mixer streaming app into the OS, which provides lower latency video streams than Twitch.
While Xbox's new dashboard offers slightly more features, it is less intuitive than Sony's solution. Whereas the PlayStation UI pushes a simpler design that puts a greater emphasis on your games, Microsoft's UI is more cluttered and highlights news, deals, games, apps, and entertainment. The Xbox One operating system does allow you to simplify navigating by allowing to you pin your favorite apps and games to the home menu, however.
Both Microsoft and Sony's UI have their strengths and weaknesses, but at the end of the day, owners will mostly use their consoles to play games and stream movies/TV shows. Both systems support your standard array of popular video streaming apps that include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video and more. Considering both consoles do good jobs of getting you to your most-played games and apps, we're calling this one a draw.
Winner: Draw
Value and Features
The Xbox One X comes with AA batteries to supplement its included controller, whereas Sony bundles in a supplemental USB charging cable with its peripheral. We prefer Sony's solution a bit better here since it saves users the trouble of purchasing additional batteries. The PS4 Pro also includes a mono headset, whereas the Xbox One X does not.
While you can stream 4K HDR videos on the PS4 Pro, Sony's console doesn't come with a physical 4K HDR Blu-ray player like the Xbox One X. Microsoft's console does cost $100 more at $500, however. Another advantage that the PS4 Pro offers is that it supports virtual reality through its PlayStation VR headset. Microsoft's console currently does not support VR.
When we take into consideration its cheaper price tag, included goodies, and VR support, we're going to give the PS4 Pro the nod when it comes to value and features.
Winner: PS4 Pro
Conclusion
Coming into the conclusion, we have two wins for the Xbox One X and two wins for the PlayStation 4 Pro. As we've highlighted in this story, both consoles have their strengths and weaknesses.
Perhaps the biggest advantage that the PS4 Pro offers is its bigger, arguably more compelling game library. At the same time, however, the Xbox One X has its own exclusives, will likely play third-party games better, and comes with a 4K HDR Blu-ray player.
It's a good idea to base your choice on what exclusives you prefer and what system your friends game on. Do you prefer franchises like Halo and Gears of War? Or are you more of an Uncharted and The Last of Us fan? The good news is that both high-end consoles are great and you can't go wrong choosing either one.
Despite its adorable appearance, Mimikyu is one of the more unsettling Pokemon introduced in Sun and Moon, and the upcoming Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon versions make the Ghost/Fairy-type even creepier by giving it a brand-new Z-Move.
The attack is called Let's Snuggle Forever, and it's a lot more insidious than its name may make it sound. When Mimikyu is equipped with its exclusive Z-Crystal, Mimikium Z, the Pokemon's Play Rough attack turns into Let's Snuggle Forever, a devastating Fairy-type move. You can watch Mimikyu use it on an unsuspecting Tyranitar in the trailer below.
Here's how the official Pokemon website describes the new attack: "When Mimikyu's wishes are in sync with its Trainer's, it comes up behind its target, enveloping it in the cloth that it wears. Then it uses its full power to show its opponent a little 'tough love.'"
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon release for 3DS next week, on November 17. In addition to new Z-Moves, the games introduce several new features and Pokemon, as well as bring back past Legendaries and antagonists. Players who pick up a copy of either title by January 10 will receive a free Rockruff that evolves into Dusk Form Lycanroc. We've put together a guide that breaks down the major differences between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
The first image of the new star of Doctor Who has been released. The picture was tweeted by the show's official twitter account and gives us a first look at the latest Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker.
Whittaker was announced in the role of the 13th Doctor in July. She is the first female star of the long-running sci-fi series, and is pictured on a grassy plain with the TARDIS behind her. Check it out below:
Whittaker replaces Peter Capaldi, who has played the Doctor since 2013. Capaldi will make his final appearance on this year's Christmas Special, and it's likely we'll see Whittaker make her debut in it too. The Christmas episode is titled "Twice Upon a Time," and a trailer was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in July.
Whittaker's first full season as the Doctor will air in 2018. The show also has a new showrunner, with Broadchurch's Chris Chibnall taking over from Steven Moffat. In a recent interview with the Radio Times, Chibnall suggested the show might take a different approach from previous seasons.
"What the BBC was after was risk and boldness," he said: "I had ideas about what I wanted to do with it. When I went to them and said, 'This is what I would do,' I actually expected them to say, 'Ooh, let's talk about that.' But they said: 'Great!'
"I finally said yes because I love the show to my bones. I resisted it for a very long time, and [the BBC] really had to woo me."
GameStop has announced its pre-Black Friday lineup of deals, and there are some good ones to be had, though you need to be a PowerUp Rewards Pro or Elite member in order to take advantage. During the Pro Days event, which runs from now until November 12, you can save on both hardware and games.
On the hardware front, GameStop is throwing in a free game of your choice and a $50 store gift card when you buy any Xbox One S bundle. That's a pretty slick deal, given that many of the Xbox One S bundles already come with a pack-in game. GameStop is also offering the 1 TB Xbox One S bundle with a Samsung 40" 4K TV for $300 off.
GameStop is also discounting headphones, controllers, apparel, and collectibles. Additionally, you'll get up to 30 percent more trade-in credit on games, accessories, and electronics, while pre-owned games and accessories are discounted by up to 30 percent.
Go to the GameStop Pro Days page to see a complete rundown of the deals. A PowerUp Rewards Pro membership costs $15/year, while the Elite Pro membership is $30/year. More details on how this all works can be seen here. In other GameStop news, the company said today that it nearly sold through its entire Xbox One X stock on the first day of availability this week.
Like that one song that Spotify keeps playing even though you're in shuffle mode, Xur is back. This time Destiny 2's best Resident Evil 4 Merchant cosplayer has landed on Nessus, and to get to him all you've got to do is fast travel to Watcher's Grave.
Once you've landed, bring up the map and pop a waypoint on him. If you've been playing Destiny 2 since launch, you'll no doubt be familiar with this spot, as it's a frequent haunt for our boy Xur. If you haven't, it's as easy as hopping on your Sparrow when you land, boosting straight forward, and then doing some light platforming up the tree to find him hanging out on a branch.
If you're wondering whether it's worth the effort, we've got a breakdown of everything he has to offer. Take a look below.
Click image to view in full screen
The Prospector (Grenade Launcher) -- 29 Legendary Shards
Foetracer (Hunter Class Helmet) -- 23 Legendary Shards
An Insurmountable Skullfort (Helmet) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Eye of Another World (Warlock Class Helmet) -- 23 Legendary Shards
The big Destiny 2 news this week is that Faction Rallies are up and running again. As with the last one, you'll need to pledge yourself to one of three groups, and then hunt down items to exchange for gear and weapons. Before you make your decision, check out our Destiny 2 faction rally guide to see all the new weapons, gear, and other rewards.
If you're planning to participate in the event, it may be worth checking out this article on a new Destiny 2 Faction Rallies exploit that lets you earn tokens really quickly. That'll save you some time and get you the gear you want much quicker.
Aside from general "connectivity improvements and optimizations," the patch brings with it "stability improvements and bug fixes" for in-game leaderboards, after they had to be temporarily suspended following "extremely high demand." There was no mention, however, of returning Headquarters to a social experience after it was made a solo one for the same reason.
The update also nerfs and buffs a handful of weapons. The Walther toggle action shotgun, Bren LMG, and LMG bipod have all been boosted, while the BAR, STG44, FG42, and machine pistol are all weaker now than before.
The patch weighs in at around 1.1 GB and is out now on PS4 and Xbox One; Sledgehammer says another update for consoles will follow within a day, and that a PC patch is coming soon. See more details about today's update--and all its tweaks--in the patch notes at the bottom of this article, via Sledgehammer.
Cuphead's visual style is the most distinctive part of the game, as it's evocative of old, light-hearted cartoons like Steamboat Willie. But its gameplay is something different: challenging and sometimes punishing, but rewarding nonetheless.
One particular boss in the game has become especially well-known for its brutality. Grim Matchstick, the dragon boss who throws fireballs and rings, is a struggle in spite of his cheery aesthetic. If you've already fought Grim, chances are you hate him--but the story of how he came to be is still intriguing.
GameSpot sat down with Cuphead creators Chad and Jared Moldenhauer and learned about the origins of the dragon. Among other things, they touch on the model castle in the background of the level, how it draws on Mega-Man, and how Disney cartoons inspired its final phase. Check out the video above.
Cuphead launched last month to critical acclaim, and it's already sold over a million copies. If you haven't played Cuphead already, it's worth a shot. In GameSpot's 8/10 review, critic Peter Brown lauds the game for its visual flair and "delightfully punishing" gameplay. If you're struggling to stay alive in the game, you can take a look at our guide to not dying.
The update, which is available on both Nintendo Switch and Wii U, introduces a new side-quest that, upon completion, rewards you with armor based on Xenoblade Chronicles 2's Rex. Like previous DLC armor sets, you'll need to acquire each piece individually by completing different portions of the side-quest.
Additionally, the patch adds support for the four new Champion Amiibo figures. The figures, which are available now, each unlock a helmet based on their respective Divine Beast. They also grant a specific buff--take a look at the bonuses below.
Erick and Rob head back into Hyrule to find the missing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 armor in Zelda Breath of the Wild.
Tips & tricks for evading the police in Need for Speed Payback, brought to you by EA.
No comments:
Post a Comment