Titan Comics has adapted some of today's biggest video game franchises into graphic novels, most recently launching comics based on Tekken and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The next title to receive the comic treatment is PS4's critically acclaimed Bloodborne, and now the publisher has given us another look at the debut issue ahead of its release.
The first issue of Bloodborne: The Death of Sleepreleases in comic stores and online in February. Here's Titan's synopsis of the issue: "Awakening in an ancient city plagued by a twisted epidemic--where horrific beasts stalk the shadows and the streets run slick with the blood of the damned--a nameless Hunter embarks on a dangerous quest in search of Paleblood."
Bloodborne: The Death of Sleep is being written by Ales Kot (Change, Zero, and Wolf). It features art by Piotr Kowalski, who previously worked on Titan's Wolfenstein and Witcher graphic novels. The publisher has shared the first lettered pages from Bloodborne: The Death of Sleep, along with several variant covers, giving you a chance to preview the debut issue before it hits comic stands. You can take a look at the pages in the gallery below.
Despite the game's popularity, developer From Software has not announced a sequel to Bloodborne, although the studio teased a mysterious new game during The Game Awards in December. While that may still be a ways from release, players will soon have a chance to relieve From Software's acclaimed action-RPG Dark Souls. A remastered version of the title is releasing this May for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
A lot of the science fiction that's appeared on TV over the years isn't exactly what sci-fi fans would call "hardcore," from goofy procedurals with light futuristic elements to animated comedies like Rick and Morty. Altered Carbon doesn't have that problem.
Netflix's latest original show throws so many far out sci-fi concepts at you in its first 30 minutes, let alone across the whole 10-episode season, that it's often hard to keep track of what's going on from one scene to the next. But for those who stick with it, Altered Carbon is an engrossing show with fascinating ideas that it sees through all the way to the end.
The core premise isn't too hard to grasp: Thanks to an invention called the "cortical stack," humans are effectively immortal. Your personality and memories--everything that makes you "you"--exists in your stack, which nests embedded in your spine. If your body (or "sleeve," as the show says) dies, you can be "re-sleeved," as long as your stack remains intact.
The show follows Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), the last of a group of futuristic freedom fighters who gets woken up and re-sleeved 250 years after his arrest (no more jail--they just put your stack on a shelf for the duration of your sentence). Kovacs is tasked with solving the murder of one of society's elite, Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), a "Meth" (after Methusalah, a Biblical figure who allegedly lived to almost 1,000 years old). Bancroft's stack was destroyed in the killing, but thanks to his vast wealth and frequent backups he gets to keep on truckin', which (un)naturally adds yet more wrinkles to his murder case.
Altered Carbon is based on a book of the same name, written by Richard K. Morgan and published in 2002. It's equal parts Blade Runner and William Gibson--fully cyberpunk in every sense of the genre. It's a noir sci-fi/gumshoe thriller bursting with the trappings of both genres, from murdered prostitutes and holographic billboard ads to AIs who flit between the real world and some convoluted cyberspace (where they hold a regular poker game). Class differences (between the Meths and everyone else) are stark. We're far in the future here; space travel is routine, although besides flashbacks, the season is mostly contained to a single city.
This digital rabbit hole goes deep, and Altered Carbon's central mysteries are complex and enigmatic enough to keep the pace up through all 10 episodes. But what's most fantastic about this show is how fully it explores its central concept, the cortical stack. Imagine a society in which the richest people on the planet control a means of literal immortality, while the poor continue to scrape by, and the societal gap that would create. Now fill that gap with every conceivable depraved indulgence the 1% of the 1% might get up to if everyone's body was disposable and replaceable. That's exactly what Altered Carbon does.
Is murder still immoral if it's consensual, and the victim can be re-sleeved and back on the street corner within minutes? The police issue permits for spectacular deathmatches held in rich people's flying mansions, and husband-and-wife teams fight to the death as a party trick (the winner gets an upgraded sleeve).
Meanwhile, the poor make do; a little girl who gets hit by a car is re-sleeved into an old woman's body, because that's all that was available. Neo-Catholics treat re-sleeving facilities like abortion clinics, protesting in droves. Their stacks are specially coded so they can never be revived, frustrating detectives who've gotten used to "spinning up" most murder victims to simply ask who killed them. Criminals spin up your stack in virtual reality and torture you to death over and over until you give them what they want, while the most notorious create illegal copies of their own stacks so they can be in two (or more!) places at once.
This universe is as dense as they come. Altered Carbon isn't hardcore sci-fi because it's set on a spaceship or there are weird-looking aliens running around; it's because the show recognizes that revolutionary new technologies don't exist in a bubble. They alter the fabric of the world, like cars, air travel, the internet, and cell phones have.
Altered Carbon never shies from examining exactly how an invention like the cortical stack would change our reality, and this future society appears far different from our own. Yet in many ways, it's really exactly the same--which is more or less the prime directive of great science fiction.
Altered Carbon is out exclusively on Netflix Friday, February 2.
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon launched for 3DS back in November, marking the mainline series' swan song on Nintendo's dual-screen handheld. As it did for the original Sun and Moon versions, The Pokemon Company is continuing to support the pair in the months following their release with free items and Pokemon. The company has a lot of giveaways lined up for 2018, which it has dubbed the Year of Legendary Pokemon, though those certainly won't be the only freebies players can expect to find this year.
We've rounded up all of the free distributions currently running for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon below, many of which are also open to Sun and Moon players. We'll be updating this list as more giveaways are announced, so check back often to see what free items and Pokemon you can get. In the meantime, you can learn more about the latest Pokemon games in our rundown of everything new in Pokemon Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon. We also break down the differences between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, if you're still unsure of which version to pick up.
Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon Free Gifts
Dialga/Palkia -- Feb. 2-28
Kicking off the Year of Legendary Pokemon are the Space and Time Pokemon, Palkia and Dialga. The two are being distributed in the US at GameStop from February 2-28, while UK residents can pick them up from participating Game stores. The Legendary you receive will depend on which version you have: players with either Sun or Ultra Sun receive Palkia, while those playing either Moon or Ultra Moon get Dialga. You'll need to redeem your download code by May 23 to claim the Legendaries.
Magearna
Unlike most other gift Pokemon, the Mythical Steel/Fairy-type, Magearna, is not available through the Mystery Gift feature, but via a QR code, which is compatible with Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon. After defeating the Elite Four and completing the main story, you can use the QR Scanner to scan the code below. Once you've done that, visit the Antiques shop in Hau'oli City and pick your Magearna up from the deliveryman waiting there.
Celebi -- Ends Sep. 21
Players who purchase either Pokemon Gold or Silver from the 3DS Eshop by September 21, 2018 will receive a bonus download code for the Mythical Pokemon Celebi. The code can be redeemed in Pokemon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon. We've outlined the steps you need to take to find and redeem the code here.
Following a delay, Epic Games is prepared to release the new update for Fortnite. However, that process will require a period of server downtime, which begins at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM GMT on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. There's no time table for how soon it will return, but we'll keep this story updated with any developments.
Once servers are back online, you'll have to download update 2.4.0 before being able to play. As detailed previously, this patch makes changes and additions for both the Battle Royale and Save the World modes. On the BR side, players will get access to the new minigun weapon, a drop-rate reduction for high-end suppressed pistols, and the ability to disable the new auto-run feature. Save the World gets the Cozy Campfire item and new types of Expeditions, among other things. A variety of smaller improvements and bug fixes have also been made to both modes, as you can read about in the full breakdown of Fortnite 2.4.0's patch notes.
Castle Rockis coming to the Super Bowl, but you don't have to wait until Sunday to see the new trailer for the Hulu series set in a universe built around Stephen King stories. The teaser that will air during the big game has arrived, and it's loaded with reference to King's various works.
The series will follow Henry Deaver (Andre Holland) as he comes to the fictional Maine town of Castle Rock after receiving a call from Shawshank Prison, otherwise known as the setting of The Shawshank Redemption. In that town, characters from throughout King's wide range of novels interact--and based on this trailer, so do the casts of his films.
Both Sissy Spacek (Carrie) and Bill Skarsgard (It) are featured in the teaser, though neither look to be in character. The former comes face-to-face with a blood-drenched German shepherd--which harkens back to Cujo, though that menacing dig was a St. Bernard--while Skarsgard's character seems to be an inmate of Shawshank.
The entire 40-second clip is filled with haunting imagery, whether its children in scary masks, a woman appearing to jump to her death, a shot of the sewers should remind any horror fan of Pennywise's abode, or blood swirling down a drain. "I think that something terrible is going to happen," Spacek's character Ruth Deaver says. "It's happening."
Castle Rock, which is produced by JJ Abrams and also stars Melanie Lynskey, Scott Glenn, Jane Levy, and Terry O'Quinn, does not have a release date yet. However, Hulu promises it will debut this summer.
When The Dark Knight first hit theaters in 2008, fans were immediately taken with Heath Ledger's The Joker. The now-iconic portrayal of Batman's biggest villain overshadowed just about anything else in the movie.
Unfortunately, the one thing it didn't overshadow was Ledger's untimely death months before the film's release. While it was never confirmed, many fans believed the original plan was to feature Ledger once again in Christopher Nolan's third Batman movie. After all, at the end of The Dark Knight, The Joker is left dangling from a building.
Now, Ledger's intentions to wear The Joker's face paint for the director once again are becoming more clear. In 2016, Kate Ledger--the actor's sister--spoke with Australian press outlet news.com.au about a documentary on her brother's life. While the interview is nearly a year old, it's definitely new to some and provides some very interesting insight into Ledger's mind after production wrapped on the film.
"He was so proud of what he had done in Batman. And I know he had plans for another Batman," she says. "He loved working with Chris Nolan and Christian Bale and Gary Oldman. He just had the best time ever doing that film. When he came home at Christmas, he couldn't wait to tell us all about it, and he was doing the voice and laughing, showing me all the rushes. We had a great time."
Regardless of the circumstances of his death, to his family, Ledger was quite pleased with the character he was able to create and was eager to revisit it. Unfortunately, any plans he had never came to pass.
In the aftermath of Ledger's death, Nolan instead cast Tom Hardy to play the antagonist Bane in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. Sadly, that leaves the world with no idea about what a second movie featuring Ledger as The Joker would be like. There's still The Dark Knight, though, which the actor posthumously won an Oscar for.
The world has finally started to see Black Panther, the next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That means the first reactions to the movie have started to arrive on social media. While full reviews are still under embargo, critics and those in attendance at Black Panther's premiere have plenty to say about it that should give you some indication of how the movie was received.
GameSpot's own Michael Rougeau sums up the most people's feelings about the film with a simple GIF. Others, including LA Times writer Jen Yamato, praised the world the movie built and the representation it gives black viewers who often don't get to see people like them on the big screen. "Black Panther is incredible, kinetic, purposeful," she writes. "A superhero movie about why representation & identity matters, and how tragic it is when those things are denied to people."
BLACK PANTHER is incredible, kinetic, purposeful. A superhero movie about why representation & identity matters, and how tragic it is when those things are denied to people. The 1st MCU movie about something real; Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger had me weeping and he's the VILLAIN
Representation is something many who were able to view the film see as the most important aspect of what director Ryan Coogler has crafted. "[The] representation of Black women in [Black Panther] made me feel seen. Seen in a way other superhero movies have not done well," journalist ReBecca Theodore-Vacon writes. Natasha Alford, deputy editor at The Grio, adds, "If you don't understand the power of representation, imagine growing up never seeing a superhero who looks like you. When American Girl dolls came out I always picked Addy who had to escape slavery. But now kids have [Black Panther's] Nakia, Shuri, and Okoye."
Black Panther is the best MCU movie ever. I was blown away from start to finish and I'm not even being biased. This was by far the best marvel movie to date. Thank you, Ryan Coogler! #BlackPantherpic.twitter.com/8Qh0hlOYAb
If you don't understand the power of representation, imagine growing up never seeing a superhero who looks like you. When American Girl dolls came out I always picked Addy who had to escape slavery. But now kids have #BlackPanther's Nakia, Shuri and Okoye. Dope on many levels.
Beyond the importance of who the movie portrayed, it is also being praised for how well its story is told. "[Black Panther] is exceptional--the James Bond of the MCU. You've seen nothing like this in a superhero movie--it's bold, beautiful & intense, but there's a depth & spiritualness that is unlike anything Marvel has ever done.," Fandango's Erik Davis says. Adds Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta, "Black Panther looks, feels and sounds unlike any Marvel film to date. A visual feast. Wakanda is amazingly realized, the antagonist actually has an arc with emotional motivations. Marvel's most political movie. So good."
#BlackPanther is exceptional - the James Bond of the MCU. You've seen nothing like this in a superhero movie - it's bold, beautiful & intense, but there's a depth & spiritualness that is unlike anything Marvel has ever done. It's 100% African & it is dope af. pic.twitter.com/Z77IjnIjf2
Black Panther looks, feels and sounds unlike any Marvel film to date. A visual feast. Wakanda is amazingly realized, the antagonist actually has an arc with emotional motivations. Marvels most political movie. So good. #BlackPanther
Whether it's the plot, the design, the cast, or the messages it's sending, the reaction to the movie was universally positive. While reviews will certainly go into more detail about Black Panther, these reactions bode well for how many viewers will see the film when it finally hits theaters.
Can't say too much about #BlackPanther. What I will say is it's action and adventure is nothing compared to its story and soul. I loved it. Can't wait to see again. pic.twitter.com/TGFKqNGo9N
Still thinking about #BlackPanther and the premiere! It was more than a movie screening. It was a celebration! What a wonderful night! What a wonderful movie! Can't wait to see it again! pic.twitter.com/OUOrAfi94t
#BlackPanther is simply awesome. Extremely bold and as touching as it is thrilling, it boasts GOT-style intrigue, crazy innovative action and a deep bench of memorable characters. Top 5 all-time Marvel movie, easy. More later. pic.twitter.com/mmz8Nuf1sy
It's not just critics that loved the film. The red carpet premiere also means many directors and actors, including those responsible for other MCU movies, were able to take in the movie and share their thoughts.
I don't know where to begin with Black Panther. Ryan Coogler & Marvel got it SO RIGHT - the landscape has CHANGED. But I'll start with the fierce, hilarious women of Wakanda - & costumer @iamRuthECarter, who did Serenity & does HISTORIC work here. Wows all 'round. #BlackPantherpic.twitter.com/epGxbU1QNR
By this point, you should be ready to see Black Panther. Thankfully, you only have a couple of weeks left to wait. The movie hits theaters on February 16.
Those eager to get their hands on Yakuza 6 will be able to try it out fairly soon, but the full experience will now require a longer wait. Sega has announced a delay for the upcoming PS4 title, but a demo is on the way in just a few weeks that will allow players to transfer their save to the full game.
In a message shared on the franchise's official Twitter account, Sega revealed that it has pushed Yakuza 6's release back about a month. Rather than launching on March 20, as previously planned, it will now launch in North America and Europe on April 17. "This was a tough business decision we didn't make lightly," the message reads in part.
Alongside the delay, Sega announced that a demo will launch on February 27. Exactly what it will consist of was not shared, but it did say that it will "allow players to bring their save into the game on release." It also teased it has "many new plans to reveal over the coming weeks to give you all more insight into the series."
Yakuza 6 originally released in Japan in December 2016. Games in the series have traditionally taken a somewhat long time to come to western markets; even with the delay, this will be a much faster turnaround than what we saw with Yakuza 5, which had a three-year gap between its Japanese and international releases.
The next update for Fortnite may have been delayed, but that doesn't mean we have no idea of what to expect from it. Epic Games has released the full patch notes for update 2.4.0, and they're headlined by the addition of a new gun to Battle Royale: the minigun.
As detailed on Fortnite's website, the minigun is a new weapon type that you'll be able to find in both chests and supply drops. It fires "almost" as quickly as the existing SMG and uses Light ammo. Epic didn't specify what makes it worthwhile, but it seems safe to assume you'll be able to fire it for longer without reloading than other weapons. It's one of two weapon changes to Battle Royale in this update, the other being a reduction to drop chances for Epic and Legendary versions of the suppressed pistol.
For those playing on consoles, 2.4.0 introduces an option to enable or disable to the auto-run feature. This was added in update 2.3.0 and allows you to toggle on auto-run by double-clicking the left stick. If you'd prefer that weren't possible, you can get rid of the option entirely with the new patch installed.
The remainder of the Battle Royale changes come primarily in the form of bug fixes and other improvements. There's now a spectator count shown in the HUD (which you can disable, if you'd rather not know), and the newly added Chug Jug's animation has been fixed. Epic also highlighted a few known issues that remain in the game, including chests sometimes having no loot, being unable to equip the first weapon you acquire, and the Pause menu being inaccesible when you are downed while in Build mode.
Save the World mode also sees a variety of additions and improvements. The Cozy Campfire, added previously to Battle Royale, makes its debut here; it heals nearby allied players and Defenders. The Hero Squad, Survivor Squads, and Armory screens all have more options now through context-sensitive menus, and two new types of Expeditions have been added. Trap Runs let you amass a variety of traps, while People Runs let you collect a "small amount" of the People resource.
As reported previously, Epic has delayed the release of update 2.4.0 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This was done to "further improve stability and hammer out some remaining bugs." There's not yet a time table for when it will roll out, but this perhaps not coincidentally comes after a recent update's release resulted in some extended server downtime. To make up for that, Epic will provide Fortnite players with some freebies after 2.4.0 is released. You can see the full patch notes here.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is a game that fans of Akira Toriyama's manga and anime series have been waiting years for. However, what makes this PS4, Xbox One, and PC fighting game really special is that it marries the passion and attention to detail these fans want with the depth that fighting game faithfuls need to sink their teeth into it.
Better still, Dragon Ball FighterZ's approachability makes it a game that new or casual fighting game players can get into. Even someone with a passing interest in Dragon Ball Z can find something to enjoy. It's fast, vibrant, and spectacular, and in our Dragon Ball FighterZ review we awarded it a 9/10.
The passion for it at GameSpot is infectious, and you need only watch the video above to see why. In it Peter, Joey, and Erick talk about what makes Dragon Ball FighterZ so much fun, and why they think it's a fighting game anyone can fall in love with. They cover everything from the fantastic presentation, which makes you feel like you're watching a new episode of Dragon Ball Z, to the intricacies of its gameplay.
If you're still on the fence about the game, read our Dragon Ball FighterZ review roundup to get an overview of its critical reception. By the time you're done you'll know if it's something you want to check out.
Netflix's new sci-fi show Altered Carbon is based on a series of novels by Richard K. Morgan. It takes place in a cyberpunk future where death is no longer a limitation on the lives of humankind, and existing in virtual reality is as normal as walking the streets of the real world. The seven settled worlds have evolved to accommodate this massive leap in technology, giving the rich and powerful the means to cheat death by moving between bodies, while miring the less privileged in rundown districts filled with their vices.
Naturally, the series is stuffed with grand ideas, existential quandaries, and strange technologies, and--in many cases--it doesn't dwell on them enough to fully explain them. It's easy to get lost in all the tech terminology, references to government agencies, or fleeting historical context, so we've put together a breakdown for all the most important things you need to know to watch Altered Carbon and fully understand what's going on.
In the video above, we go through everything from Stacks and Sleeves to AI, VR, Dippers, Songspires, CTAC, and more. We explain what they are, how they fit into the world of Altered Carbon, and why they're important to the story. Of course, we've done this while avoiding major story spoilers (there's some minor spoilers for episode one and two). You can also read about the many cyberpunk terms in Altered Carbon here.
Altered Carbon is available to watch on Netflix now, and we think it's well worth your time. You can watch our spoiler-free Altered Carbon review to find out why we like it. We also have a written Altered Carbon review for you to check out. For those looking for a deeper dive, we'll have a spoiler-filled Altered Carbon review coming up soon too. Make sure to subscribe to GameSpot Universe on YouTube so you don't miss it.
Marvel comics legend Stan Lee has been released from hospital following a health scare. The 95-year-old was rushed to Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles on Wednesday to be treated for shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat.
Lee is now home and spoke to ABC Los Angeles station KABC to assure fans that he was feeling well. "All I really want to do is tell you that I'm feeling great," he said. "I'm glad I spent that evening in the hospital. I figured that a little check up wouldn't be bad for me. And in fact, it turned out to be pretty good, it got me a lot of publicity!"
Lee attended the premiere for Black Panther, the latest Marvel movie, earlier this week. In the interview, he joked about attending the screening. "I'm always there, cropping up," he said. "I'm always helping, aiding, and assisting. I hope the world realises how much it owes to me!"
Lee's first break in the comics industry came in 1961, when he co-created the Fantastic Four with artist Jack Kirby, after years of struggling as a writer for a variety of publishers. In the following years he helped create such as now-legendary superheroes as Spider-Man, Hulk, the X-Men, and Iron Man.
A few days ago, this post showcasing 3D-printed thumbsticks for the HTC Vive controllers rocketed to the front page of Reddit. While the Vive controllers offer excellent positional tracking, they use a variant of Valve's Steam controller touchpads rather than traditional joysticks. The divisive touchpads have caused many users to clamor for a joystick solution similar to Oculus' Touch controllers, and that's where this 3D-printed joystick mod comes into play. Considering we have access to a 3D printer, we decided to print and try it out ourselves.
Creator and Reddit user Eisenmeower posted open-license STL files of his joystick mod on Thingiverse, so you can download and print it yourself. In addition to the standard PLA+ material that you'll need for the frame of the mod, you'll need a conductive PLA material for the actual thumbstick portion of the peripheral, which attaches to the frame. The conductive material allows the thumbstick to track on the touchpad where your thumb would naturally reside. We used Proto-pasta CDP11701 Conductive Carbon PLA 1.75 mm filament as our conductive material.
One issue you'll notice after you print out the device and attach it to the Vive controller is that its highly flexible PLA frame means you can potentially push the joystick off the touchpad if you're applying too much force in any one direction. Furthermore, when you release the joystick when it's off-center, it can take a second to wiggle back to center. Fortunately, we didn't notice this causing any judder in any of the games we played with it.
Another important aspect of the joystick mod is that unlike traditional joysticks, it does not have a central fulcrum. This means that it's designed to slide across the touchpad, which can take a short adjustment period.
The first thing we did to test the mod was to navigate up and down Valve's SteamVR menu. This was problematic because it doesn't hold its scroll when you slide the thumbstick up and down, and that's because the touch pads are designed so that you're supposed to constantly swipe at it with your thumb.
It fared much better when we used it in games that had artificial locomotion options. For instance, in Fallout 4 VR, Onward, and Arizona Sunshine, we could hold the thumbstick forward to appropriately move forward. We could also move the thumbstick side-to-side to strafe. It doesn't feel as refined as the Oculus Touch's stick, but it surprisingly works better than the Vive's default touchpad for these movements. It does have its shortcomings, however. When we tried it in VRChat to move our third-person avatar around the environment, it felt janky and lacked precision.
Another gripe we had with the mod was that, using our Creality CR-10 3D printer, one of the two joysticks we printed would constantly detach from the frame. We used super glue to hold it in place, however, and so far it's holding up. The texture of the joystick itself offers a lot of grip and perhaps most closely resembles the N64 controller's joystick. The rest of the frame easily snaps onto the Vive controllers and seems durable given our Hatchbox PLA 1.75 mm black filament material.
For right-handed users, we find it most optimal to use the 3D-printed attachment on the left hand for artificial locomotion movements and then leaving the right controller with the default touchpad so that you can navigate menus with your thumb. This allows you to get the best of both worlds.
The mod certainly isn't ready for mass market adoption, and we certainly wouldn't recommend going out and buying a 3D printer just for the joystick, but if you already own a 3D printer or know somebody with one, it's worth a print--especially since it does have its use-case scenario in games that support artificial locomotion.
The Pokemon Company has a ton of giveaways lined up for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon this year as part of its Year of Legendary Pokemon, which will give players a chance to receive a free Legendary each month in 2018. That starts today, February 2, with the first pair of free Legendaries, Dialga and Palkia.
From now until February 28, players can pick up a download code for the Space and Time Pokemon from a participating GameStop location in the US; UK residents will be able to obtain a code from Game stores during the same time frame. The code can be redeemed in either Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, or the original Sun and Moon versions, but the Pokemon you receive will depend will depend on which game you have. You can see which Pokemon you can get and their moveset below:
Pokemon Ultra Sun / Pokemon Sun
Palkia
Spacial Rend
Aura Sphere
Draco Meteor
Hyrdo Pump
Pokemon Ultra Moon / Pokemon Moon
Dialga
Roar of Time
Aura Sphere
Draco Meteor
Flash Cannon
To claim your Pokemon, select Mystery Gift from the games' main menu and choose the option to receive your gift via a code/password. Input the code you received when prompted and the game will download your Legendary. You'll then be able to pick it up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
The Pokemon Company will continue offering new Legendary Pokemon for free through November; next month, players will be able to get another pair of Legendaries from the Sinnoh region, Regigigas and Heatran, while Entei and Raikou from Pokemon Gold and Silver will be the Legendaries on offer in April. You can see the full Legendary Pokemon distribution schedule here.
In addition to Dialga and Palkia, players still have a chance to add a couple of free Mythical Pokemon to their collections. You can read more about those in our roundup of every free Pokemon available in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon right now. The series' third Gen 2 title, Pokemon Crystal, is also now available to purchase on the 3DS Eshop. Any Pokemon captured in that game can be transferred to the newer Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon versions.
Last week's rollout of a new Fortnite update didn't go as smoothly as planned, leading to an extended period of downtime across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Epic Games has apologized for the situation and now plans to offer players of both the Battle Royale and Save the World modes a freebie to make up for it.
On the Battle Royale side, players will receive 20 Battle Stars toward their Battle Pass progression. The Battle Pass can be purchased to unlock various rewards as you play the game, with the primary being new cosmetic items. Epic offers the ability to buy Battle Pass ranks, so this will save you either some real-world money or the playtime it would require to amass 20 Stars.
For Save the World, which remains in paid early access (unlike the openly free-to-play Battle Royale), Epic will give players 1,600 Seasonal Gold, which is normally earned by completing missions during events. It can be spent in the event store on things like heroes and schematics.
If you've been looking for something to play on the cheap, the latest Humble Bundle is a great opportunity to get some great PC games for a steep discount. It includes a bunch of fantastic Rockstar titles, and you can get all of them for just $15 total.
Also as usual with Humble Bundle, you can decide where you want your money to go. This month's charity is the Rainforest Alliance, an environmentalist organization working to mitigate biodiversity loss, climate change, and social inequality. Rockstar is donating all of its proceeds to the charity, so you can choose how to split your money between the Rainforest Alliance and Humble Bundle.
The deal ends on Monday, February 12. This is a great opportunity to check out some classic Rockstar games and see the predecessors of Grand Theft Auto V. And although GTA V isn't included in it, there are some pretty incredible mods out there that'll make GTA IV look pretty amazing.
Ubisoft has revealed what DLC content will be included in Far Cry 5's season pass, which is available as part of the game's Gold Edition or as an add-on across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. According to the publisher, the DLC is designed to "take players on three uncanny adventures with a unique Far Cry twist."
Hours of Darkness will see players travelling back through time to Vietnam, where they'll battle agains Viet Cong soldiers. Dead Living Zombies, meanwhile, will pit players against the zombie hordes in multiple scenarios that are inspired by B-movies. Finally, Lost on Mars will take players to Mars to go "toe-to-claws" with Martian arachnids.
Those who purchase the season pass will also get the single-player campaign from Far Cry 3. It will be available four weeks early to them, before becoming available to purchase as a standalone product in "Summer 2018."
Alongside the season pass details, a new story trailer for Far Cry 5 has been released, check it out above. Far Cry 5's release date has been confirmed as March 27 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. One of the big new additions is the ability to use dogs to distract enemies and pick up weapons for you. Other classic open-world gameplay opportunities such as flying planes are also available. For lots more on Far Cry 5, check out all of GameSpot's previous written and video coverage here.
On January 23, Ubisoft revealed PC specs for Far Cry 5, detailing the minimum and recommended requirements, as well as what hardware you'll need to run the game at 4K.
According to Deadline, Grey is in "negotiations" to helm the Men in Black reboot. Original stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are not returning to the series, and the franchise will be relaunched with a brand-new cast. The site states that the movie will "focus on new characters chasing villains that put the picture on more of a global scale than the two previous films." It hits theaters on June 14, 2019.
Grey has had considerable box office success over the past few years. The Fate of the Furious earned $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the second biggest film in the Fast and Furious franchise so far. Prior to that, his 2015 hip-hop biopic Straight Outta Compton earned $201 million worldwide, from a modest $28 million budget.
All three original Men in Black movies were big box-office hits. Although the third movie was not as well received critically as the first two, it still made $624 million at the worldwide box office. In total, the whole series has made more than $1.6 billion.
2K and Firaxis Games have announced that XCOM 2 Collection is available now on PC, Mac, and Linux. Additionally, it has confirmed on Twitter that PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will be released "soon."
XCOM 2 Collection features the base game along with four DLC packs for it (Resistance Warrior, Anarchy's Children, Alien Hunters, Shen's Last Gift). The larger War of the Chosen expansion is also included. To celebrate the launch of the collection PC, it is available at 50% off on Steam until February 3 at 2 AM UK time. You can take a look at the full list of content included in XCOM 2 Collection below, courtesy of 2K and Firaxis.
The XCOM 2 Collection is now available for PC, Mac, and Linux. Coming soon to #PS4 and #XboxOne.
XCOM 2 –Aliens rule Earth, promising a brilliant future for mankind while secretly hiding a sinister agenda. As the leader of a guerrilla force facing impossible odds, you must ignite a global resistance to eliminate the alien threat and save the human race from extinction.
XCOM 2: Resistance Warrior Pack–Customize your squad of resistance fighters with a set of bonus outfits and head gear, as well as custom armor and face camo. Instantly unlock a survivor of the old war as a new recruit in your barracks.
This rebellion-themed content pack introduces more than 100 new exotic customizations for the entire arsenal of armors available to your XCOM soldiers. These options are purely cosmetic and do not alter the stats of a soldier.
Transform the soldiers of XCOM into an elite alien hunting squad with impressive new weapons and armor to face off against new alien Rulers that will pursue your squad across an entire campaign. Additional cosmetic upgrades to soldiers and the Avenger are included, as well as a new epic mission where Central Officer Bradford leads a squad with the guidance of an old friend.
XCOM 2: Shen's Last Gift –Investigate ADVENT's Lost Towers facility where Chief Engineer Lily Shen accompanies your squad in search of her late father's secretive final project. Discover a unique new soldier class complete with powerful new combat abilities, strategy mechanics, and customization options.
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen - The XCOM 2: War of the Chosen expansion adds extensive new content in the fight against ADVENT when additional resistance factions form in order to eliminate the alien threat on Earth. In response, a new enemy, known as the 'Chosen,' emerges with one goal: recapture the Commander. The expansion includes new Hero classes to counter the 'Chosen,' new enemies, missions, environments and increased depth in strategic gameplay.
In GameSpot's XCOM 2 review, Mike Mahardy awarded it a 9/10, saying that "layered tactics, impactful meta-game, and deep character-building are all intact on PS4 and Xbox One," making XCOM 2 a "superb" strategy title across all platforms. Our War of the Chosen review was equally praise-filled, with Daniel Starkey giving it a 9/10.
"Everything that Chosen brings--from the elite soldiers to the deeper connections between your squads--feels like a living part of the XCOM universe," he said. "If you like your deep strategy and brutal turn-based tactics alongside brilliant interplay between camp and emergent drama, there is none better."
Update: It has now been confirmed that the Solo trailer will debut during Good Morning America on Monday, February 5. Original story below:
It is so common for big movies to be previewed, teased, and trailered months in advance that it's surprising to be less than four months away from one of the year's biggest blockbusters without even an official image. But this is the case with the upcoming Star Wars spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story, which arrives in May. However, it has now been reported that we will finally see the first trailer this weekend.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the trailer will screen on Sunday night during the Super Bowl. It is not surprising that Disney will use the Super Bowl to debut the trailer, as that has long been one of the most important slots for studios to trailer upcoming movies. However, Solo is likely to be the only movie featured that we have seen literally nothing of in advance, making anticipation even higher.
THR also states that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Mission Impossible:Fallout will also screen on Sunday, the latter of which ha snow been confirmed. However, three studios will reportedly skip the game entirely--Fox, Sony, and Warner. So don't expect to see trailers for the likes of X-Men: Phoenix, Deadpool 2, Fantastic Beasts: The Curse of Grindelwald, or The Predator.
Solo has had a troubled production, with Ron Howard taking over directorial duties from Chris Miller and Phil Lord in June last year. There have been rumors that Howard has reshot a lot more of the movie than initially expected. At least one role had to be recast, with Paul Bettany replacing Michael K. Williams. Bettany himself commented in the issue, and said that Howard "reshot a lot more than was originally intended."
However, Donald Glover, who plays Lando in the movie, last month stated that despite the lengthy production, little about the film altered after Howard came on board. "It didn't really [change]," he said. "I think we were never faced with anything like that and [Howard] did a good job of coming in and didn't want us to change what we were doing at all. He wanted us to be comfortable with our vision."
Solo: A Star WarsStory stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca. Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Emilia Clarke also star. It hits theaters on May 25, 2018.
Anthem, the new IP from BioWare, will not be released in 2018 as previously planned. Instead, the Destiny-esque action game will launch in early 2019, EA confirmed today during its quarterly earnings call with investors. For its part, the company claims this is not a delay.
Prior to the call, it shared this with the Wall Street Journal, confirming a recent report from Kotaku that said Anthem had been delayed. Speaking with the WSJ, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen stated this was not actually a delay. However, that appears to be untrue, given the company had previously cited a 2018 release for the game, which is headed to PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
EA didn't go into great deal about the reasoning behind the delay. Kotaku's report suggested it was due at least in part to issues with development, though the statement to the WSJ attributes it instead to a desire to release the game during a less crowded period. EA only briefly addressed the subject during this afternoon's conference call with investors, and it was presented as if this were not a delay. We'll report back with anything it has to say during the Q&A portion of the call. Its actual earnings report made no mention of the news.
Last week it was announced that the title of the next movie in the long-running Mission Impossible series is Mission Impossible: Fallout. It has now been confirmed that the first trailer will screen during the Super Bowl this weekend. While we wait for that, the movie's poster has been revealed.
The poster is more subdued than those of previous entries in the franchise and is dominated by the silhouette of star Tom Cruise, with a helicopter stunt placed on top of the image. Check it out below:
Mission Impossible: Fallout hits theaters on July 27, 2018. While we don't have many plot details yet, director Christopher McQuarrie previously stated that it will be an "emotional journey" for Ethan Hunt. "I've seen five of these movies and I don't know who Ethan Hunt is," he said last year. "One movie sort of dealt with his personal life; the other movies are about people speculating what's really going on in Ethan's head. I want to know who Ethan is in this movie, I want an emotional journey for this character, and Tom really embraced it."
Mission Impossible: Fallout will pair Cruise once again with co-stars Rebecca Ferguson--the breakout star of the last movie--Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Alec Baldwin. Interestingly, Michelle Monaghan will also appear. The actress has previously played Julia, Ethan's wife. After being a major figure in Mission Impossible III, she made an uncredited cameo in 2011's Ghost Protocol but was nowhere to be seen in Rogue Nation.
Bungie has concluded its server maintenance routine, and Destiny 2 servers are back online. The first Iron Banner event of Season 2, which began in early December with Curse of Osiris's release, is now live for a limited time, and a major new update has been released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Here's exactly what it does.
As Bungie detailed previously, update 1.1.2 introduces Masterwork armor. This is a rare quality that all Legendary armor can take on, and it operates similarly to the Masterwork weapons system added in December. Essentially, Legendary armor can drop as (or be upgraded to) a Masterwork version, which provides you with an additional stat bonus that can be re-rolled. Each piece of Masterwork armor also offers a 3% damage resistance bonus while your Super is active; this effect stacks, offering a maximum of 15% if all five of your armor pieces are Masterworks. These items can be obtained through all of the normal means, though Trials of the Nine and Raid activities are more likely to drop them. Dismantling them provides you with materials that can then be used to upgrade a Legendary item into a Masterwork.
Drops related to the Raid have also changed in a number of ways. By completing a corresponding activity in a given week, you'll be able to purchase a rotating selection of armor or weapons from Benedict 99-40. Raid encounters are now guaranteed to drop a piece of armor or a weapon, and completing a Prestige Raid encounter before doing the normal version will get you rewards from both the Prestige and normal versions. A new Exotic Ghost exclusive to Leviathan can now be found during Raid activities' final encounter. Finally, as pictured below, Raid armor all now have unique mods with new perks that only work when on the Leviathan. These can be rotated in and out by spending a Raid Token, and even existing Raid armor will have a spot to equip these mods.
This patch kicks off the Iron Banner event, which features new gear to earn. Other notable changes include a reduction in the amount of XP needed to receive an Illuminated Engram; it now takes 120,000, rather than 160,000. Both the Gleaming Boon of the Crucible and Vanguard have seen their Bright Dust prices slashed. And several individual items have seen balance fixes or changes; Prometheus Lens, for instance, which was a major problem in Crucible after its release and was later nerfed, has seen its damage increased. Additionally, its Flame Refraction perk no longer pulls ammo from your reserves; instead, it generates fresh ammo to use.
There are a ton of other tweaks made in this update too, and the patch notes are quite long. You can see them in full on Bungie's website.
The name of the game in Monster Hunter is, obviously, hunting monsters. But whether you're assigned to hunt down a particular creature or you happen upon one during an Expedition, you don't necessarily have to kill it. Capturing monsters is often the best way to go, and in some cases it's a mandatory aspect of a given quest. Monster Hunter World makes strides in welcoming in new players, but the process still might be unclear. Here's exactly how to do it.
First, it's important to note that not all monsters can be captured. Smaller monsters can't be, though minor wildlife--ants, birds and rabbit-like creatures, and so on--can be easily snagged with the Capture Net (and some can then be freed in your living quarters). It's the creatures known as Large Monsters that you'll be able to properly capture, and doing so requires a few items.
In the video above, we run through the exact process. Essentially it boils down to a few steps: wear the monster's health way down without killing it, deploy a trap (such as the Shock Trap or Pitfall Trap), and then tranquilize the monster after it gets stuck in the trap. The process of tranquilizing can be done with Tranq Bombs or Tranq ammo from ranged weapons; the effects from these last a short time, so it's possible to capture a monster by trapping it after it's been tranquilized.
If you enroll in a quest where you goal is to explicitly capture a monster, the item box will provide the necessary items for free, though you may want to come equipped with extras. However you do it, capturing a monster can net you more monster parts than killing it. It's a more involved process, but the rewards can be worth the effort.
Monster Hunter has always been an intimidating series to dive into. Although the community surrounding it is quite friendly and helpful, the games themselves often lack the kind of assistance that a newcomer requires to fully grasp what's going on. Monster Hunter World makes strides in that direction, but going in with an idea of what to expect will make the entire experience much easier to deal with.
In the video above, we run through some beginner's tips that will help you to get started, whether you're a newcomer to the series or a lapsed played who's forgotten some of the essentials. Although every weapon is viable, some are friendlier to those just getting acquainted with the series. And something like pre-hunt preparation, while not the sexiest-sounding activity in the world, is essential to excelling at the game. We also have a text-based Monster Hunter World beginner's guide that will walk you through all the key information you should have before playing, as well as a guide on how to capture monsters.
As noted above, World does a better job of welcoming in new players than past titles, but that's not its only improvement. It also features much larger and more beautiful environments, thanks to being built for current-gen consoles and PC (the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X experience is particularly nice). There are also smaller quality-of-life improvements that are extremely welcome, such as the addition of scoutflies, which make the process of locating and tracking your target much easier.
Monster Hunter World is a game with a simple premise: explore the world, fight huge monsters, then turn them into your own weapons and armor. And as the first Monster Hunter in many, many years on a home console that isn't the Wii U, Monster Hunter World has the potential to draw in even more players than any game in the series before. Whether this will be your first game in the series or you're a returning veteran, we'll cover Monster Hunter with in-depth guides and reviews throughout the coming weeks to help you take down the game's biggest beasts and craft the best-looking gear.
In this roundup feature, you'll find links out to all our most-relevant Monster Hunter content as it goes live, so check back for updates and Monster Hunter tips!
The final public beta has ended for Monster Hunter World, but its full release on Xbox One and PS4 is imminent. Set to launch on January 26, Monster Hunter World marks the end of the franchise's long hiatus from home consoles. The latest entry in the series is also coming to PC, but Capcom hasn't set a firm date for that launch yet. According to the game's producer, Ryozo Tsujimoto, the delay is because "rather than have it taking up resources during the console development and not being able to have our full attention on it. We want to get console out the door, and then we're going to take some extra time and try and get the PC version as good as possible." The PC date is currently set for sometime this fall.
For PS4 and Xbox One users, Monster Hunter World will have an important day one patch that adds online multiplayer, event quests, chat, and other online features. In addition, the patch will fix some bugs and add series-favorite Poogies to the game. Additional space required for the patch will be approximately 815 MB.
Review
Our full Monster Hunter World review is now online, in which we awarded the game an 8/10. "Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large."
Digital Deluxe Edition ($70/￡57.99/$115 AUD) -- includes a Samurai Set skin, three gestures, two sticker sets, and an additional face paint and hair style option. The PS4 version of the Digital Deluxe Edition also comes with 14 weapon-themed PSN avatars. All of these items will be available to purchase separately once the game launches.
Collector's Edition ($150/$300 AUD) -- includes a physical copy of the game, a voucher for the customization items included in the Digital Deluxe Edition, a hardcover art book, a monster statue, and a code for a digital soundtrack, all housed in a collector's box.
Monster Hunter World PS4 Pro ($450/£380/$660 AUD) -- The special "Rathalos" edition of the console will also come with a red controller, pre-order bonuses, a physical copy of the game, and a special PS4 dynamic theme.
Arc System Works' highly-anticipated fighting game, Dragon Ball FighterZ, is officially here. The cel-shaded 2.5D fighter follows a 3v3 format similar to Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and it's packed with Easter eggs and references for Dragon Ball fans to find. Here, we're collecting all the details you need to know about Dragon Ball FighterZ, from the release date to gameplay, tips, and more.
Dragon Ball FighterZ released on January 26 and is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It also had a pre-release open beta, during which only 11 of its characters were playable. The game is out, but we'll continue to update this feature with the final review, guides, and more as they're published. We'll also update with information about the DLC as it arrives, so stay tuned!
GameSpot's Dragon Ball Fighter Z review-in-progress is now online. In it, critic Peter Brown states, "FighterZ is complex and distinct enough to be enjoyed by fighting game competitors, but there's no question that it's been designed to tap into the hearts of Dragon Ball's most dedicated fans, and no doubt those same qualities will win people over who've never given the series a chance." You can read the full review here, or check out our FighterZ review roundup.
The roster primarily includes Dragon Ball Z characters, though there are a few introduced in the recent films and Dragon Ball Super--including Goku Black, Beerus, and Hit--and an entirely new character, the mysterious Android 21, who is locked behind completion of the story mode.
Guides
We've assembled a Dragon Ball FighterZ beginner's guide to help you grasp the game's fundamentals. We touch on a variety of subjects, including managing your Ki energy, assembling a strong team of fighters, and much more. You can also check out the video version with the best tips to know before starting.
We've covered a lot Dragon Ball FighterZ's Easter eggs--which you can see below--but if you want to see them for yourself, we detail how to trigger all the game's anime references in our Easter eggs gallery.
Gameplay and Features
Watch Dragon Ball FighterZ gameplay, see all the Easter eggs, test your Dragon Ball knowledge, and more.
Dragon Ball FighterZ includes a new story mode that takes place after the end of Dragon Ball Z and sometime during the events of Dragon Ball Super. The new character, Android 21, seems to play a major part in the story.
Note that in any mode, you can opt to use either the Japanese or English voice acting.
Rockstar Games has confirmed that Red Dead Redemption 2 will launch on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on October 26, 2018. The announcement was made on the official Rockstar Games blog where the company apologised for a delay. The game was originally due out during Spring 2018, following an earlier delay from fall 2017. According to Rockstar, this new delay affords the studio extra time to improve the game.
"We are excited to announce that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be released on October 26 2018," it said. "We apologize to everyone disappointed by this delay. While we had hoped to have the game out sooner, we require a little extra time for polish."
It continued: "We sincerely thank you for your patience and hope that when you get to play the game, you will agree the wait will have been worth it. In the meantime, please check out these screenshots from the game. We look forward to sharing a lot more information with you in the coming weeks." Alongside the release date announcement, a selection of new screenshots have also been released, which you can check out below.
Click image to view in full screen gallery
As previously detailed, Red Dead Redemption 2 follows protagonist Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang "as they rob, fight and steal their way across the vast and rugged heart of America in order to survive."
Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to both PS4 and Xbox One; however there's no word on a PC version as of yet. The first Red Dead Redemption has not been released on PC, but Rockstar's last major release, Grand Theft Auto V, made its way to PC.
Interestingly, in December 2017, Grand Theft Auto V players discovered references to secret missions in an update that connects to Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar later sent GTA Online players an email in-game that provides a clue to help them pursue "rumors of a lost relic from the frontier." Completing this mission awarded players with a Double-Action Revolver for use in Red Dead Redemption 2.
One of the big questions surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2 is how the huge success of GTA Online will factor into it. Although Rockstar hasn't announced an online component to the game, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of the studio's parent company Take-Two, previously said to expect a "recurrent consumer spending" element to be included in most if not all of the company's games going forward. He left the exact form this model will take ambiguous, however.
"We've said that we aim to have recurrent consumer spending options for every title that we put out at this company," Zelnick said. "It may not always be an online model. It may not, probably won't always be, a virtual currency model, but there'll be some ability to engage on an ongoing basis with our titles after release across the board."
World of Warcraft, one of the most enduringly successful and engaging MMOs in the history of the genre that it basically defined, is still truckin' along with a new expansion, Battle for Azeroth, coming this summer. GameSpot recently had the opportunity to speak with senior game designer Paul Kubit and producer Shani Edwards about two of the biggest new elements of the game and expansion: level-scaling and Allied Races.
Level-scaling in World of Warcraft was added in the recent 7.3.5 patch for all players. Previously limited to Legion's zones, this sweeping new feature is now available across most of the game. What it means is that the level of creatures and quests scale to the level of the player. In turn, this means you can party up and play together with friends, regardless of your level, all the while earning level-appropriate rewards for your accomplishments.
Kubit told GameSpot that players have responded really well so far to the new level-scaling system, adding that now is an opportune time to release it more widely with the new Allied races out now and the expansion due out soon. Fixed leveling was problematic and could lead to gameplay experiences that were not as fun and engaging as they could be, Kubit acknowledged.
Fixed leveling led to a more scripted experience because you could only play through level-appropriate zones instead of having free reign, Kubit said.
"In the past, what you had to do with fixed levelling was you had to go to one of three zones that was the correct level for you and then go to this one and this one. It was very scripted."
"It didn't offer a lot of choice."
But with level-scaling, you can now freely move through Azeroth and carve your own path instead of being forced down one particular path.
Getting level-scaling working across Azeroth was not so easy. Kubit said it took "hours and hours" of staring at numbers to make sure enemies were properly scaling.
"It was a big data problem. There are thousands of quests in the game. And tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of creatures, and the majority of them had to be looked at," Kubit said.
Kubit also spoke to us about how Blizzard didn't want the new level-scaling experience to come at the expense of the feeling of progression. As anyone who has played World of Warcraft knows, the sense of exploration and adventure and mystery is part of the major appeal of the game. Being able to run directly from the starting zones to the end of the game would kill some of that sense of progression, Kubit said.
"We had a couple goals for scaling the world in a way we thought was satisfying," he said. "The first was we didn't want to take everything in the game and say, 'OK, everything in the game now scales to every level, from 1 to 110, so you can fight anything and get rewards.' That sounds great but we still wanted to maintain some of that progression.
"On one side of things, making sure that when you're a Level 1 character just getting into the game you can't go straight to Icecrown. That should be something you look forward to and have to get stronger to do. And on the flip side, when you're Level 110, we wanted to make sure that when you go back to Durotar that you're not getting chased around by boars that used to be level 3 or whatever."
Regarding the new Allied Races, producer Shani Edwards told GameSpot that they exist in the game now principally due to player feedback. These characters were introduced in the Legion expansion.
"They came from player feedback. A lot of players would see some of these Allied Races as we're calling them now like the Nightborne and say, 'Oh, that's a really neat character model; I'd love to play as them,'" Edwards explained. "And it just kind of made sense for Azeroth for you to recruit new members to your faction. So we decided that these four really helped with Legion; you gained their trust, you helped them with their quest lines, and really formed a deep relationship with them. So it really made sense for you to be able to recruit these four as part of your allegiance going into Battle for Azeroth."
Electronics giant Sony today announced earnings for the period ended December 31, showing slowing PlayStation 4 sales. For the quarter, Sony shipped 9 million PS4 consoles, which compares to 9.7 million during the same period last year.
In other Sony news, CEO Kaz Hirai--who was previously the boss of the PlayStation business, has stepped down. He will officially leave his post on April 1 (this is not an April Fools' joke).
Sony's video game division, which is called Game & Network Services, saw its sales and operating income increase year-over-year, as you can see in the chart. The uptick in revenue was due in part to increased PS4 game sales, including digital sales through PSN.
Sony, which is a massive company whose other branches including film, TV, and music, reported revenue of $23.65 billion, which is up 11.5 percent compared to last year. The company pulled in $2 million in profit for the period, which is up from last year.
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