The Game of Thrones prequel still doesn't have a proper name, but its cast is getting bigger. The show, which will star Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse in leading roles, has added eight more names to its roster of stars.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the newly revealed cast includes Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: Episode IX), Toby Regbo (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Denise Gough (Angels in America), Ivanno Jeremiah (Black Mirror), Jamie Campbell Bower (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia), and Alex Sharp (To the Bone). Much like everything else about the series, all character details are a tightly held secret.
What we do know is that the new show is set long before the events of Game of Thrones. A logline, per THR, reads "Only one thing is for sure: From the horrifying secrets of Westeros' history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend--it's not the story we think we know."
George R.R. Martin, who wrote the novels the franchise is based on, teased on his blog that the prequel would be called The Long Night. He later noted that HBO says a name has not been given to the series. In Game of Thrones lore, the Long Night refers to a time roughly 8,000 years before the events of the series during the Age of Heroes. It's during this time that the White Walkers make their first appearance in Westeros in the middle of a particularly brutal winter.
Directing the pilot episode for the series will be SJ Clarkson, who is also signed on to helm the next Star Trek film. Clarkson has an impressive TV resume, that includes directing episodes of Orange Is the New Black, Jessica Jones, Bates Motel, and Dexter, among others.
Jane Goldman, who wrote the pilot script and collaborated with Martin on the story, will serve as showrunner on the prequel. A production start date has yet to be revealed, though THR says more casting announcements should be announced at a later date. The final season of Game of Thrones will premiere in April.
Tropico 6 will not be available on PC later this month, as previously announced. In a frank message, developer Kalypso Media Group's owner, Simon Hellwig, announced a delay for the upcoming strategy game, explaining that it isn't yet great.
"Over the holidays, I have played Tropico 6 for many hours and really liked what I saw," he said in an open letter on Kalypso's website. "But, in my humble opinion, it is not enough to like a game--I want to love it! And Tropico 6 is good, but not very good, or outstanding. Yet.
"Combining my own opinion and the response we had from thousands of dedicated beta players around the world, Kalypso has decided to postpone the release of the game for another couple of months to March 29, 2019."
Hellwig said the extra time will be used to introduce more requests the developer has received from the community. "But we cannot do this overnight, and want to present the best possible Tropico experience to the fans of the franchise," he said. "Features like pathfinding, a challenging multiplayer and the comprehensive simulation not only of each individual Tropican, but of the whole economy, are already implemented well, but could benefit from more balancing, testing and enhancement to meet our very high quality standards for Tropico 6."
Hellwig went on to apologize to fans, though he did offer some good news to make up for the delay. Those who pre-order the game by a deadline on January 10 through certain digital platforms (including Steam and Kalypso's own store) will get the game's first DLC pack for free. That content is due out sometime in the second quarter of 2019.
Tropico 6 introduces some brand-new features to the series, such as the ability to play across archipelagos; you can even connect the various islands using bridges. As seen in a previous trailer, you can also steal well-known landmarks from around the world, such as the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty. In addition to the PC release now coming in March, PS4 and Xbox One versions are on the way later in the year.
Since its debut late last year, Fortnite: Battle Royale's X-4 Stormwing--the game's first flying vehicle--has been a source of complaints from many who feel it's overpowered. Now, with the release of the first and final content update of the 7.10 patch, Epic Games is making some changes to reduce its impact.
Epic has approached this in a variety of ways, as outlined in 7.10's update #3 patch notes. Perhaps most notably, its spawn chance has been reduced--it's no longer a guaranteed 100%, instead appearing only 80% of the time.
When you do encounter one, you'll receive significantly less knockback (down 70%) if a Stormwing collides with you. Meanwhile, when one hits a structure, it'll take 50% more damage. Additionally, its machine gun will now be less effective, with its spread increased by 75%.
You can see the full list of Stormwing-specific changes in the patch notes excerpt below. Whether these changes are sufficient (or have even gone too far) remains to be seen, but many will likely be happy just to see Epic made some attempt to address the Stormwing's power.
Besides these adjustments, the latest update introduces a new weapon, the Suppressed Sniper Rifle, which deals less damage but allows you to remain stealthy while using it. The patch also vaults the Six Shooter, meaning the weapon has been removed from the game for the time being, though it could always return in the future.
All of this comes as the 14 Days of Fortnite event returns. While it was scheduled to have ended by now (and did come to a close), Epic miscommunicated the end date for the event, leading to frustration from some who missed out on the chance to complete its challenges and earn rewards.
The latest weekly reset for Destiny 2 brings the new Niobe Labs content drop for The Black Armory expansion, but with it also comes another Ascendant Challenge. We've completed the Dreaming City's six-week cycle on Ascendant Challenges, which means that this week, we're back to the beginning. Here's where to go and what to do to complete the challenge.
As always, the Ascendant Challenge starts out with acquiring the corresponding bounty from Petra in the Dreaming City. You'll also need a Tincture of Queensfoil, a consumable item you can earn by taking part in certain activities in the Dreaming City (or you can outright buy one). Once you have both the bounty and a Tincture, you'll head to a Lost Sector, Aphelion's Rest, which is located in The Strand, just beneath the area where Petra is sometimes found. Using a Tincture will grant you a buff, Ascendance, that allows you to see a Taken portal. This one is located partway through the Lost Sector, atop a hill--it's hard to miss if you've used your Tincture.
Jumping into the portal takes you to the Ascendant Plane's Ouroborea. There, you'll have to explore the area to find four different blights. Enter the dome and destroy its core; you'll know you've done it when it disappears and the text "a seal breaks" pops up in the bottom-left corner. Once you've dealt with all the blights, you'll go back toward the center to destroy crystals (whose protective shield has been temporarily dropped). Just beware the knights who will chase you around as you do this--your best bet is to keep moving in a circle, which should let you destroy the crystals without allowing the knights to get too close.
Although the chest is unlikely to have much in the way of worthwhile rewards, finishing the Ascendant Challenge also completes the bounty you picked up from Petra. That rewards you with a piece of Powerful gear that is highly desirable and can increase your level, making this all worth the trouble, provided you're capable of getting it done. With The Black Armory expansion in full swing, players are back to the gear grind to get to the new level cap of 650.
Although this Ascendant Challenge is not a new one, there is a lot happening in Destiny 2 right now. Niobe Labs means the fourth of The Black Armory's new Forges to unlock, as well as a new step in the Mystery Box Exotic quest we've been tracking since the expansion released last month.
There are actually five new Exotic weapons in The Black Armory to find, four of which we know about (and one of which we can take a guess at). There's also a lot more happening in January and beyond: Bungie laid out its content calendar for the rest of Year 2, which is pretty extensive.
Captain Marvel is the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it's set to hit theaters in March. Following the trailer that premiered earlier this week, we have a series of stylish new posters to promote the Dolby, IMAX, and 3D releases of the movie
Two of the posters are a variation on the same design, which shows Captain Marvel--aka Carol Danvers--blasting into the sky. The Dolby poster has a wartime propaganda feel, while the IMAX one takes a more cosmic approach. The 3D poster is a more regular design and shows star Brie Larson without the helmet she's wearing in the others. Check them out below:
The movie is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. It also stars Samuel L. Jackson as SHIELD boss Nick Fury, plus Ben Mendelsohn (Star Wars: Rogue One), Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes), DeWanda Wise (She's Gotta Have It), and Gemma Chan (Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them). It hits theaters on March 8.
In a recent interview with Collider, Larson spoke about headlining Marvel's first female hero-led movie. "I don't know how it's any different," she admitted. "To be honest, I don't want it to feel different. Kind of over the first female blah, blah, blah. And like, 'Wow, maybe women can actually do the same things that dudes can do. Like, what a crazy concept!' I feel like the more we talk about it, the more we perpetuate the myth that it's an impossible task. If it wasn't like that before it's because it was wrong. That was just wrong. Now we're just doing what's natural."
Fans won't have to wait long to see more of the character after her debut movie, as Larson is set to play Captain Marvel again in April's Avengers: Endgame. The first trailer for the hugely anticipated follow-up to Avengers: Infinity War was released in December--check out our breakdown of the trailer here.
Xbox One owners looking to save some money on games this week have a number of good options. That's because a new set of deals is now available on Xbox Live, dropping prices on digital titles from all genres. Read on for a peek at what's on sale between now and January 14.
If competitive online gaming is your thing, you have some appealing options available. Battlefield V, one of the biggest shooters of recent months, is already on sale for half price, bringing it down to $30 / £30. Those who prefer melee combat over firearms can pick up For Honor for $10 / £8.25. And if a vehicular version of indoor soccer sounds like a good time, pick up Rocket League for $10 / £8.
Anyone who only wants to spend a small sum on games this week can grab a few fine titles on the cheap. The digital version of the card game Uno is down to $3 / £4. The colorful platformer Rayman Legends is only $5 / £6. And if you don't mind a challenge, Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition is on sale for $9 / £7.50.
You'll find more of our picks in the list below, or you can check out the full set of discounts here.
The release of the Resident Evil 2 remake is creeping closer and closer, and soon you'll get a taste of the action. But true to the tense survival-horror tone of the series, it's going to be a race against the clock that tests your skills and wits, and once time has expired you're out of luck. A demo will be available to download from January 11 through January 31.
The "1-Shot demo" for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One will last just 30 minutes. You'll be put into the shoes of Leon with a set of objectives to complete. If you finish them before the timer is up you can restart the mission to explore Raccoon City again to fill out the rest of the time. If you become a zombie snack, you'll be able to continue as much as you'd like until you hit the time limit.
Once you complete the demo, you'll get to view an exclusive new cinematic trailer. You won't be able to play the demo again once the time has expired, but you can view the trailer as much as you'd like.
Just like the original, the full game will feature dual perspectives between Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield. It's an ambitious project that goes far beyond a simple reskin, though, as Capcom is designing it from the ground up with new scares and a more modern control scheme.
Resident Evil 2 will release on January 25. It's among our most anticipated games of 2019, in large part because it appears to be doing justice to a bona fide classic. Capcom has been teasing bonus extras like classic costumes and other special looks for the remake. For details on how to get all of their clothing options, along with several other special edition goodies, check out everything we know.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, the special edition release of the 2012 RPG, is coming to Nintendo Switch. Capcom released an announcement trailer that shows the game as it runs on Nintendo's handheld, and dropped a release date of April 23. It will cost $30.
Dragon's Dogma received a positive reception upon its release in 2012, and Capcom quickly produced the enhanced "Dark Arisen" version with extra content and features on PS3 and Xbox 360. It was later ported to PC and then to PS4 and Xbox One. Dark Arisen included a new Bitterblack Isle dungeon for end-game adventurers, high-level weapons and armor, and visual enhancements. This Switch version will include a tweaked UI to improve visability on the Switch screen, and you can use the online functionality (Pawn trading system) without a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
The high skill ceiling and engrossing larger-than-life battles drew comparisons to the Dark Souls series, among others. It became a cult classic among fans of the emerging subgenre that has become known as Souls-likes. But it was also a uniquely risky game that tried new twists, some of which worked better than others.
"These are the moments that stand out in a role-playing game destined to be remembered by anyone who plays it," wrote Kevin VanOrd in GameSpot's original Dragon's Dogma review. "Dragon's Dogma takes chances, and it's that riskiness that makes this role-playing game so unique among its peers. Of course, some of those risks will have you groaning in frustration. Dragon's Dogma is many things: a flawed classic, an exciting disaster, a triumphant mess. One thing it isn't is a generic rehash. Dragon's Dogma will remain with you, frustrations and victories alike, when your memories of other games have long since faded."
Epic Games has detailed the content of Fortnite's third content update for version 7.10 of the battle royale title. Although the patch makes a number of tweaks, the headline feature is the introduction of the Suppressed Sniper Rifle. "Trade power for stealth with the Suppressed Sniper Rifle," reads the weapon's description. "Drop in now and sneak up on your enemies."
The Suppressed Sniper comes in both Epic and Legendary rarities, and you'll find it as floor loot and in chests, vending machines, and supply drops. It first a single shot that doesn't deals lower damage but comes with the added benefit of letting you remain stealthy.
Another significant change is a nerf to the game's lone flying vehicle, the X-4 Stormwing. Players receive significantly less knockback when hit by the plane, while the plane takes more damage when it hits a structure. The spread of its machinegun has also increased significantly, and the Stormwing itself now has an 80% spawn rate, rather than 100%. It's a notable nerf overall to the plane, which has been the source of some complaints for weeks.
Additionally, The Block--a space where creations from the community are showcased--has been updated with an arena created by community member KojackNumber2. The custom area is focused on acrobatics, and as such features lots of bounce pads to launch players around.
The Six Shooter, meanwhile, has been vaulted, as has the Uncommon, Common, and Rare variants of the Burst Assault Rifle. This means these weapons will no longer drop in the game. As with most items that are thrown into the vault, it may show up again in the future. The Dual Pistols have been pulled out of the vault and are available to use in-game once again.
Take a look below for the full patch 7.10 Content Update 3 notes, along with details on what it does to the Creative Mode. To see what's changed with Fortnite's Save The World mode, head to Epic's official website.
Battle Royale
Weapons + Items
Suppressed Sniper Rifle added.
Available in Epic and Legendary variants.
Can be found from chests, floor loot, Vending Machines, and Supply Drops.
A single shot, scoped sniper rifle.
The suppressor makes for a quieter shot, trading stealth for power.
Deals 100/105 base damage
Six Shooter has been vaulted.
The following variants of the Burst Assault Rifle have been vaulted:
Uncommon, Common, Rare
Dual Pistols have been unvaulted.
Dynamite drop rate reduced by 40%.
Boom Box adjustments:
Drop rate reduced by 33%.
Health reduced from 600 to 400.
Duration reduced from 25 seconds to 18 seconds.
Gameplay
X-4 Stormwing adjustments:
The knockback a player receives after being hit by a Stormwing has been decreased by 70%.
Damage done to the Stormwing from colliding with structures has been increased by 50%.
Impact damage reduction while boosting through structures reduced from 50% to 25%
Increased the spread of the Stormwing machine gun by 75%.
Stormwing spawn chance has been decreased to 80% from 100%.
Supply Drop health has been reduced to 250/500/750 (Solo/Duo/Squad).
Bug Fixes
The X-4 Stormwing is no longer able to fly above the max build limit.
Creative
Weapons + Items
Suppressed Sniper Rifle added to Creative Inventory Weapons
Available in Epic and Legendary variants.
A single shot, scoped sniper rifle.
The suppressor makes for a quieter shot, trading stealth for power.
Deals 100/105 base damage
Fortnite's iOS version reportedly made over $455 million in 2018, according to Sensor Tower. The mobile app insights company also states that the Android version, which bypasses Google's Play Store, made even more. By comparison, PUBG Mobile is believed to have brought in $100 million worldwide on iOS in 2018. The figure is impressive for Fortnite, but is much less than less than the reported nearly $800 million that Pokemon Go brought in 2018.
Over the past year Netflix has been increasing its focus on animated content, and there are some high-profile projects set to hit the service. Directors Tim Miller (Deadpool, the upcoming Terminator sequel) and David Fincher (The Social Network, Seven) are the latest names to work a new animated series for the company.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Miller and FIncher will executively produce a series titled Love, Death & Robots for Netflix. It's an 18-part anthology show aimed at an mature audience that will span several genres, such as sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and comedy. The animation styles will vary too, from traditional 2D to more modern CG styles, and each episode will run from 5 to 15 minutes. While it does not yet have a premiere date, Netflix has released some images from the show. Check them out below:
In a statement, Miller said: "Love, Death & Robots is my dream project. It combines my love of animation and amazing stories. Midnight movies, comics, books, and magazines of fantastic fiction have inspired me for decades, but they were relegated to the fringe culture of geeks and nerds of which I was a part. I'm so f***ing excited that the creative landscape has finally changed enough for adult-themed animation to become part of a larger cultural conversation."
As the producer of House of Cards, Fincher has been involved with Netflix since the company started producing original content in 2012, and more recently made the acclaimed Mindhunter for the service. Miller has previously worked with Fincher, and created the spectacular animated title sequence for his 2011 movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
In October, it was announced that Guillermo del Toro is working on a new animated movie version of Pinocchio for Netflix, and there are also a further six major animated projects in the works. The company continues to push into this area ahead of the launch of Disney's streaming service Disney+ next year. Netflix also reportedly plans to launch its own animation studio, which will enable it to make projects in-house without having to outsource much of the technical work to existing animation companies.
2018 might be over and done with, but we're not done just yet celebrating the year's games. The Writers Guild of America has announced the nominees for "Outstanding Achievement In Video Game Writing," and titles like Assassin's Creed Odyssey, God of War, and Spider-Man made the cut.
To be eligible, a game must have been released between December 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018, and also feature on-screen writing credits. Additionally, the credited writers must have already been or applied for membership in the WGA Video Game Writers Caucus. This incurs a $100 fee. However, WGA said it also considered games that were not developed "under WGA jurisdiction."
The winner will be decided by panels made up of Caucus members and others Writers Guild members who are "active in video game writing." The announcement of the winning title will come during the 2019 Writers Guild Awards on February 17.
What do you make of the nominees for 2018? Let us know in the comments below!
Outstanding Achievement In Video Game Writing
Assassin's Creed Odyssey:
Associate Narrative Directors: Matthew Zagurak, Joel Janisse, James Richard Mittag
Narrative Director: Melissa MacCoubrey
Story by: Jonathan Dumont, Melissa MacCoubrey, Hugo Giard
Scriptwriters: Madeleine Hart, Betty Robertson, Jesse Scoble, Diana Sherman, Kelly Bender, Jojo Chia, Ian Fun, Zachary M. Parris, Ken Williamson, Daniel Bingham, Jordan Lemos, Simon Mackenzie, Katelyn MacMullin, Susan Patrick, Alissa Ralph, Stephen Rhodes
Team Lead Writer: Sam Gill
AI Writers: Jonathan Flieger, Kimberly Ann Sparks
Batman: Enemy Within, Episode 5 - Same Stitch
Lead Writer: James Windeler
Written by: Meghan Thornton, Ross Beeley, Lauren Mee
Story by: Meghan Thornton, Michael Kirkbride
God of War
Written by: Matt Sophos, Richard Zangrande Gaubert, Cory Barlog
Story and Narrative Design Lead: Matt Sophos
Story and Narrative Design: Richard Zangrande Gaubert
Narrative Design: Orion Walker, Adam Dolin
Spider-Man
Story Lead: Jon Paquette
Writers: Benjamin Arfmann, Kelsey Beachum
Co-Written by: Christos Gage
Additional Story Contributions by: Dan Slott
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Narrative Designers: Alex Scokel, Eric Fenstermaker, Kate Dollarhyde, Megan Starks, Olivia Veras, Paul Kirsch
Additional Writing: Tony Evans, John Schmautz, Casey Hollingshead, Nitai Poddar
Fortnite is one of the most popular games on this dear planet Earth right now, and now a new report provides new insight into how much money the game made in 2018.
According to Sensor Tower, the free-to-play game banked $455 million in revenue in 2018 on iOS alone following its launch in March this year. The total figure is surely significantly higher given the game is also on Android. The Android edition bypassed the Google Play Store, and is available exclusively through Epic, so revenue figures are unavailable.
Fortnite made $69 million in December alone on iOS, according to Sensor Tower, and this works out to the game's biggest month ever for revenue. On average in 2018, Fortnite on iOS brought in $1.6 million every day.
The Sensor Tower report also claims Fortnite was downloaded 5.2 million times in December on iOS, which is up 59 percent compared to November. All up, Fortnite has now been downloaded an estimated 82.6 million times on iOS alone.
Fortnite is a free-to-play game that is supported by various microtransactions. The game is also available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, so the game's total revenue figure is surely significantly higher.
By comparison, Sensor Tower reports that Fortnite's main competitor, PUBG Mobile, brought in $100 million worldwide on iOS in 2018.
Fortnite's $455 million on iOS in 2018 is a massive figure, but it's less than the reported nearly $800 million that Pokemon Go brought in last year. Notably, however, this figure covers iOS and Android, and Pokemon Go has been out since 2016 while Fortnite only launched for iOS in March 2018.
The new Captain Marvel movie starring Brie Larson hits theatres in March, and now a new "special look" trailer for the superhero film has landed. This new trailer, which premiered during the College Football National Championship on Monday night, contains footage from previous trailers as well as a number of brand-new scenes.
The trailer deals further with further explaining who the Skrulls are, as Larson's Carol Danvers explains to Nick Fury that they are invading Earth. She attempts to prove that she isn't a Skrull by firing off a photon blast, which she says Skrulls are not capable of. (You'll have to take her word for that.)
Captain Marvel also stars Jude Law, Gemma Chan, Samuel L. Jackson, Lee Pace, Ben Mendelsohn, Annette Bening, and Djimon Hounsou. You can see a full breakdown of who's in the movie here.
The new movie lands in theaters on March 8. With that release date fast approaching, tickets are now on sale in the US, including those for early showings on the night of Thursday, March 7.
Captain Marvel fans won't have to wait long to see more of the character after her debut movie, as Larson is set to play Captain Marvel again in April's Avengers: Endgame.
Fighting game Dead or Alive 6 won't launch on time. Developer Team Ninja and publisher Koei Tecmo announced today that the title has been delayed to March 1, 2019. It was previously scheduled to be released on February 15, so the delay is only a couple of weeks.
Producer and director Yohei Shimbori said in a statement that the team needed more time to focus on polishing "balance, gameplay, and expressivity."
"The title's development is already near complete; however, we would like to take more time to further polish its balance, gameplay, and expressivity," Shimbori said. "In return for your patience, we commit to bringing you the best Dead or Alive gaming experience.
"I am truly sorry for the inconvenience caused by the release delay of Dead or Alive 6."
Dead or Alive 6 will launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In other news, a tweet from the game's channel might be teasing that a demo for Dead or Alive 6 is in the works. The message states, "Perhaps the time has come to give our fighters a chance to TEST their skills." The mention of "test" might be in reference to a demo, but no official announcements have been made at this stage.
We hope all the recent videos have gotten you hungry for some DOA action. Perhaps the time has come to give our fighters a chance to TEST their skills. Make sure to follow us here so you don't miss any updates.. . . #DOA6#DEADORALIVE6pic.twitter.com/yXYEk8233N
Sony has provided a new sales update for the PlayStation 4, and things are going quite well, it seems. The console has sold 91.6 million units worldwide as of December 31, which includes 5.6 million units sold during the holiday season (which Sony tracks as November 19-December 31).
Additionally, Sony announced that Spider-Man for PS4 has sold 9 million copies physically and digitally as of November 25. The Insomniac-developed PS4 exclusive launched in September, selling 3.3 million copies in its first three days to set a new sales record.
Another big figure was 50.7 million, which is the number of PS4 games (physical and digital) that were sold during the holiday season. This boosts the total number of PS4 games sold globally since the console launched in 2013 up to 876 million across physical and digital as of December 31.
Sony also announced that the PlayStation Network had 90 million monthly "active" users as of the end of November 2018.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our passionate community around the globe, and our partners, for helping us achieve these milestones," Sony Interactive Entertainment president John Kodera said in a statement.
"This year, we will bring more enhanced experiences to our fans along with a highly anticipated lineup of games that are only possible on PS4. As we look toward the next PS4 milestone, SIE will continue to evolve, and we will further expand the platform to deliver the best interactive entertainment experiences to the world."
The PS4 is doing extremely well in the market, but it still has a lot of work to do to match the sales of the PlayStation 2. That console sold more than 150 million units.
There are a number of exciting PlayStation 4-exclusive games in the works, including Death Stranding from Hideo Kojima and The Last of Us: Part II from Naughty Dog.
There's still no word on when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will start filming, but that's not stopping Dave Bautista from signing on for more work. The actor, who plays Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has joined the cast of the Dune reboot from director Denis Villeneuve.
As reported by Variety, the former WWE superstar will star alongside Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in the film. Villeneuve, who last directed Blade Runner 2049, is co-writing the script with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts.
Villeneuve's reboot will be the second time a Dune film has hit the big screen. Adapted from the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, the first film was released in 1984 from writer and director David Lynch. Prior to that, Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to adapt the book to film, but the project was ultimately abandoned. The 2013 documentary Jodorowsky's Dune revisited the writer and director's failed venture and examined the impact it had on science fiction franchises like Alien and Star Wars.
Dune is set in the future in space, following the fall of the Atreides family, who ruled the planet Arrakis. Chalamet will play Paul Atreides, who attempts to regain his family's place of nobility on the world, with Ferguson set to star as his mother. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bautista will play "Beast" Rabban, the nephew of a Baron that now controls the planet.
There's no set release date for Dune just yet. However, Bautista will soon be back in theaters as Drax when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26.
Rockstar Games has announced job listings for new, unannounced titles, which the company has described as "next-generation" projects. Whatever the creators of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V have planned next, it looks like we won't see it until the release of whatever comes after Xbox One and PS4.
First noticed by Gear Nuke, Rockstar India is hiring for technical artist positions, including a senior environment artist, to join a team tasked with creating "next-generation worlds for some exciting upcoming projects." The India branch is also hiring a vehicle artist, and the description sounds like it could be for something like GTA 6. Also, Rockstar New York is looking for a MoCap tools developer to help create and build "upon the next generation of MoCap tools and pipeline," as well as a technical face developer to "help research and develop new technology for future titles." Rockstar Toronto is also hiring for projects that use next-generation technology.
For fans of Rockstar or people familiar with the process with which the company makes games, these announcements might not be a surprise. Rockstar spends many years developing new titles--the original Red Dead Redemption and its sequel released nearly a decade apart--and the company still hasn't finished with Red Dead Online. Both Microsoft and Sony have hinted at their next consoles possibly being announced by 2020 and released soon after, so Rockstar pushing out another game before the end of the Xbox One and PS4's lifecycles seems unlikely. It makes sense for the company to be looking ahead to whatever is next.
Rockstar's last game, Red Dead Redemption 2, is our Game of the Year for 2018. When describing the title, our senior reviews editor Kallie Plagge wrote, "It's hard to shake the kind of connection you develop with Red Dead Redemption 2's world and characters. It's a game that can try your patience, for sure, but it simply wouldn't be the same if it didn't. It's an unforgettable experience that challenges your expectations as often as it meets or exceeds them, and there's no question that it's our Game of the Year."
The first footage of Game of Thrones Season 8 was released during the Golden Globes ceremony this week, and now we're getting even more insight into the final season. HBO chief executive officer Richard Plepler told Variety that the final six episodes are like six movies. He said he's seen the final episodes two times already, and though the CG work wasn't finished, he was still blown away.
"It's a spectacle. The guys have done six movies," he said. "The reaction I had while watching them was, 'I'm watching a movie,'" he said.
Plepler said showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff knew the bar was already high, and they took things even further. "They've exceeded the bar. I've watched them twice without any CGI and I'm in awe. Everybody's in for an extraordinary treat of storytelling and of magical, magical production."
Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres in April, and it is expected to be a thrilling, dramatic conclusion to the acclaimed HBO fantasy show. As mentioned, there are only six episodes, but each one could be as long as a movie. Not only that, but HBO shot what sounds like an incredibly epic battle sequence that took 55 nights to shoot.
While the mainline Game of Thrones series is ending, HBO has a prequel series in the works, starring Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse. It's titled The Long Night.
More details about Venom 2 have come to light. According to Variety's Jeff Sneider, Sony is bringing back Venom 1 writer Kelly Marcel (Fifty Shades of Grey, Saving Mr. Banks) to write the screenplay for the sequel. She will also executively produce the film.
Tom Hardy is set to return as Venom/Eddie Brock, with Woody Harrelson starring as the bad guy Carnage. Michelle Williams is also set to return as Anne Weying.
According to Variety, Marcel is getting a "significant" payday for Venom 2, though a specific figure was not disclosed. Venom 1 was directed by Rubin Fleischer, but it's not confirmed yet if he's coming back for the sequel. He will be busy with Zombieland 2, and that could limit his availability for Venom 2.
BREAKING: Kelly Marcel to write and executive produce the VENOM sequel which will bring back Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams and Woody Harrelson as Carnage.
Venom made more than $855 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest movies of 2018. It was tremendously commercially successful despite getting a very poor reception from critics. The film fared much better with audiences, however.
No release date has been confirmed for Venom 2, but it's rumoured to premiere in October 2020.
It just got more expensive to visit Disneyland in California. As it regularly does, Disney recently raised ticket prices, and this time the hike comes not long before the opening of the new Star Wars area, Galaxy's Edge, this summer.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the cheapest ticket to get into Disneyland now costs more than $100, while daily parking prices are increasing from $20 to $25. In 2016, Disneyland launched a demand-based pricing scheme that offers lower prices on days that are less in demand and higher prices for popular days like weekends and holidays.
A one-day, one-park ticket for Disneyland or California Adventure for a "low-demand" day is now $104, which is up from $97. The same ticket for a regular-demand day is jumping from $117 to $129. And the daily ticket price of a high-demand day is now $149, and that's up from $135.
Prices are also increasing for annual passes, while access to the MaxPass app that lets you digitally reserve seats on rides is now $15 instead of $10.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Disneyland raises ticket prices every year in part to help keep crowds at manageable levels. However, demand has remained strong, and even more visitors are expected at Disneyland when Galaxy's Edge opens in June.
Disney CEO Bob Iger told Barron's that Disney is trying to be "much smarter" as it relates to the pricing strategy for its parks. "To try to spread attendance and reduce attendance in the peak periods so we can improve guest satisfaction. Crowding is an issue," he said.
A similar park is opening at Disney World in Florida in Fall 2019; it's not immediately clear if daily ticket prices are increasing at Disney World as well.
Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge is a massive 14-acre park featuring a number of new rides, including one that lets you pilot the Millennium Falcon. Another ride lets you join the Resistance and fight the First Order, including Kylo Ren.
CES 2019 is underway, giving us a glimpse at some of the new tech products that are on the way in the coming year and beyond. HTC was the latest company to host its CES press conference, and it made a number of big announcements during the event, from revealing a new Viveport subscription model that offers unlimited access to VR games to unveiling its next VR headset, the Vive Cosmos.
If you weren't able to follow along with the press conference, we've rounded up all of the major news from HTC's CES 2019 event below so you can catch up on the company's biggest announcements.
Vive Pro Eye
HTC kicked off its press conference by announcing the Vive Pro Eye. Described as "an evolution in the enterprise VR space," the headset is geared more toward business than gaming and integrates eye tracking natively to give users "greater accessibility, gaze-oriented menu navigation." No release date or pricing details have been announced. [Full story]
Viveport Infinity
HTC announced it is launching a new model of its Viveport subscription streaming service, dubbed Infinity. As its name suggests, the service will offer subscribers unlimited access to the Viveport catalog for a monthly fee. Infinity is scheduled to launch on Vive Day, April 5, although no pricing details have been announced yet. [Full story]
Vive Reality System
Viveport Infinity wasn't the only VR service HTC announced during its press conference. The company also revealed the Vive Reality System, a "reimagining of Vive core software" reminiscent of the PlayStation Home social space. Users will be able to to connect with each other and watch videos, play games, and do "other creative experiences" together. No launch details were announced. [Full story]
Vive Cosmos
HTC capped off its CES 2019 press conference by unveiling the Vive Cosmos, the company's next VR headset. While very few concrete details were announced, it appears the goal of Cosmos is to address some of the flaws most VR headsets have faced. HTC also says the Cosmos will provide "absolute comfort" and be "easy set up." As with its other announcements, no release date or price point were shared, although the headset's reveal trailer teases it's "coming soon." [Full story]
Veteran Elder Scrolls composer Jeremy Soule is "currently not involved" with The Elder Scrolls VI. Responding to questions from fans, Soule said on Facebook that he "would never turn [his] back on [The Elder Scrolls]," but at this stage he is not lined up to do the music.
It sounds like it is still very early days for The Elder Scrolls VI, so it might be the case that Bethesda hasn't yet approached any composers to do the music for the game.
"While I've not said much about this out of courtesy to Bethesda, I would never turn my back on TES, and I believe that my involvement would hinge on a creative decision on their part and where they want to take the franchise," Soule said (via VG247). "To confirm, I am currently not involved with TES VI."
The Elder Scrolls VI was announced at E3 2018 alongside another new Bethesda game, the single-player RPG Starfield. That game is coming first, and then The Elder Scrolls VI, but Bethesda hasn't announced any release dates.
"[The Elder Scrolls VI] is big and it's ambitious, but also … the most important thing to underscore is that the timeline between products that you get from BGS is not any different than it has been historically just because we've talked about two games after Fallout 76," Bethesda boss Pete Hines told GameSpot.
"I try really hard to manage people's expectations. It's not like 'Fallout 76 this year, Starfield next year, and then TES6 the year after.' The timeline isn't any different. What's different is just trying to be transparent and say, 'Don't freak out, the next thing we're doing is single-player [in Starfield], [and] we are making TES6."
The Elder Scrolls VI may be so far off that it won't launch until a new wave of consoles is released, though nothing is certain at this stage.
Alien fans might be getting more than just a new mobile game in 2019. A new tweet from the Alien Anthology Twitter account, which represents 21st Century Fox's franchise, suggest the company means to expand on the story started in 2014's Alien: Isolation in more ways than one.
The Alien Anthology account tweeted that more news is on its way for the franchise, specifically concerning Amanda Ripley, the daughter of series protagonist Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). That followed the announcement that Amanda would star in a new mobile game called Alien: Blackout, which is due out on Google Play and the iTunes App Store on January 24.
Amanda was the player character in Isolation, which took place 15 years after the events of the original 1979 film. In that game, Amanda went with a Weyland-Yutani team to Sevastopol Station, a distant space station in the process of being decommissioned, after the flight recorder was recovered from Ellen's destroyed ship, the Nostromo. While Amanda eventually got hold of the recorder, she also went through the same thing as her mother, when an alien began picking off the people of Sevastopol one by one. Alien: Blackout seems to pick up the story from there, with Amanda trying to fend off another alien in a place called Mendel Station while still pursuing answers about what happened to Ellen.
The tweets from Alien Anthology teasing the new game also use the hashtags #AmandaRipley and #ReadPlayWatch, which suggests there's more to do with Amanda's story than just play it. In fact, the latest tweet emphasizes the "watch" part of the hashtag with capitalized letters, unlike the other tweets.
Just what "watch" might mean (or "read," for that matter) is anybody's guess at this point. The Alien franchise has long been more than just movies, expanding into comics and novels as well as games. The franchise has seen something of a resurgence recently with the release of two prequel movies, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, but it's not clear whether there will be a follow-up to director Ridley Scott's Covenant. Amanda's story provides another avenue that it seems the franchise is set to explore, in some form or another.
Still, while fans might have hoped for a full sequel to Alien: Isolation rather than a mobile game, at least it seems that Amanda Ripley isn't being totally discarded from the Alien story.
During CES 2019, HTC announced Viveport Infinity. Infinity is the first subscription model for Viveport that allows you to have unlimited access to the service's catalog of games.
The current Viveport subscription models are for a three-month, six-month, and 12-month plan which each allow you to play a total of 15, 30, and 60 games respectively. For each plan, you're allowed to play five new games every month. These plans essentially create a figurative time limit to completing titles, but they also offer a way to play through a collection of Vive and Oculus VR games for a fraction of the full retail price.
HTC has not yet announced a price point for Viveport Infinity, although it may be more than the current USD 12-month subscription plan--which costs $80 USD in total. Infinity is scheduled to release on Vive Day, April 5.
Viveport offers dozens of games. Some are VR versions of older games, such as Fruit Ninja VR, but there are plenty of original titles as well, like Transpose, Zomday, and Vestige. New titles are added on a fairly regular basis, and games can be individually purchased as well--allowing you to keep them forever.
During CES, HTC also announced Vive Pro Eye, which is a business-focused headset that tracks your eyes, allowing you to control your system without the need for a controller. HTC also introduced Vive Reality, which is a virtual space for people to interact in, as well as watch videos, play games, and create experiences together. The company also announced Vive Cosmos, another new headset, that's capable of playing VR on the go.
HTC Vive users will be able to experience their virtual reality headset in a new way thanks to Vive Reality System, a reinvention of the headset's core software that creates a world around the user, allowing them to engage with the software in a more immersive way. Vive Reality System was announced during CES 2019 and conjures memories of PlayStation Home, a virtual world social world that Sony launched on PS3.
Like PlayStation Home, Vive Reality System is very much focused on social interactions and all that entails. This means that users will be able to connect with each other and partake in activities such as watching videos, playing games, and "other creative experiences," according to HTC.
We also wanted to rethink how users interact in VR, so we are announcing the VIVE Reality System, a re-imagination of VIVE core software to bring more custom and meaningful VR experiences to our audience. Here's a glimpse of it in action. #HTCVIVE#HTCVIVEREALITYSYSTEMpic.twitter.com/rnS1CfWEbD
It seems many of the interactions users will have will be through a "Lens," which effectively gives them a window into other virtual worlds and applications running on the hardware. These can be thought of as pop-up windows for applications, much like those used on personal computers or mobile devices, except in a completely virtual world.
What HTC showed of Vive Reality System at CES was described as a "glimpse" at it, which means it'll likely show more in the coming weeks and months. The company did not announce when Vive Reality System will launch.
Following the announcement of Vive Reality System, HTC finished up its press conference by revealing Vive Cosmos, the newest VR headset in its stable. Vive Cosmos will offer "comfort, easy setup, and will require no external tracking," according to HTC. It will also allow users to experience VR at home and on-the-go. HTC has promised to reveal more about Vive Cosmos soon.
During the presentation HTC also showed off the Vive Pro Eye, a new enterprise-focused version of the headset that features native eye tracking technology. This, HTC says, will deliver "greater accessibility, gaze-oriented menu navigation" and effectively eliminate the need to use controllers to get around the interface.
In terms of gaming, it announced Viveport Infinity, a subscription service that, for a monthly fee, will grant members access to a library of games. For more on CES you can check out GameSpot's hub and also head over to CNET for comprehensive coverage of everything going on at the show.
During its CES 2019 press conference focused on virtual reality, HTC made a series of announcements revealing what's next for the company. It capped off the event with the reveal of the Vive Cosmos, its next VR headset.
You can get a quick look at the headset in the video below; the goal of Cosmos appears to be addressing some of the flaws that most VR headsets have faced to this point. HTC claims it provides "absolute comfort" and "easy set up." Additionally, it offers the Vive experience without the use of any external tracking devices. Cosmos is usable both at home or on the go, according to HTC.
Unfortunately, little else was shared about Cosmos, including a release date or price point. The video does say it's "coming soon," and we know Vive Day, April 5, will mark the release of another of HTC's announcements from today, Viveport Infinity. Whether Cosmos is coming quite that soon or not remains to be seen.
Without getting into specifics--really, nothing at all was shared about the device--HTC teased that there are hidden aspects to Cosmos not apparent from the announcement. "There's so much more to Vive Cosmos," HTC said in a tweet, "[and] we'll be sharing more details soon on this exciting new VR kit."
In another development at CES, HTC announced the Vive Pro Eye, an enterprise-focused headset that offers eye-tracking, negating the need for the use of handheld controllers. That, too, is currently without a release date or exact price.
Epic Games has been introducing a new item or weapon to Fortnite on a near-weekly basis since the game's Battle Royale mode became a global hit, and that trend will continue this week. Ahead of the title's latest update, the developer is teasing the arrival of yet another new weapon: the Suppressed Sniper Rifle.
The gun is listed as "coming soon" in Fortnite's in-game news feed, confirming it'll arrive as part of this week's content update. "Strike at your opponents quietly with this suppressed bolt-action Sniper," the accompanying description reads. You can take a peek at the new weapon below.
Players won't have to wait too long to try out the Suppressed Sniper Rifle. Epic announced on Twitter that Fortnite's next content update will roll out on all platforms--PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices--on Tuesday, January 8 at 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET / 1 PM GMT.
The most recent item to come to Fortnite was the Boom Box, which arrived last week as part of the 7.10.2 update. Unlike most other items in the game, the Boom Box doesn't deal damage directly to other players; rather, it functions as a counter for structures, sending out a blast of music that destroys those within its blast radius.
In other Fortnite news, Epic has extended the 14 Days of Fortnite holiday event, bringing it back on all platforms for another week to make up for the confusion surrounding its original end date. The event will be available until January 15, during which time all of its challenges will be available to complete. You can find the full list of challenges and tips on how to clear them in our 14 Days of Fortnite roundup.
HTC has revealed the Vive Pro Eye, a new version of its virtual reality headset that it describes as "an evolution in the enterprise VR space." Revealed during CES 2019, the big new innovation that HTC is touting for the Vive Pro Eye is, as the name indicates, eye tracking.
As detailed during the HTC keynote, Vive Pro Eye integrates eye tracking natively and will give users "greater accessibility, gaze-oriented menu navigation." This, in turn, removes the need for controllers to be used for navigating the user-interface, it says.
How this will translate to video games remains to be seen, but in its presentation HTC said the new eye tracking technology will enable businesses to create better training simulations, as well as improve how computing resources are used.
Given that HTC is very much targeting this new version of the Vive at businesses, it could be some time before we see the technology utilized in video games, if at all. As of yet, HTC has not priced the Vive Pro Eye. However, VR enthusiasts will no doubt begin tinkering with it once it's available and begin to reveal some of the gaming applications of the headset, which we're excited to see.
This was the first of many announcements made during HTC's presentation. The company went on to reveal Viveport Infinity, which is more squarely focused at the gaming market. Viveport Infinity is a paid subscription service that grants members unlimited access to a catalogue of games for a monthly fee. Again, pricing has not yet been confirmed, but the subscription service will be available from April 5.
HTC also outlined strategic partnerships designed to bring a seamless VR experiences to its audience, naming Mozilla as one key company it is teaming up with. The result of this partnership is Firefox Reality, a native VR browsing experience. This was coupled with the announcement that it will empower developers to make websites catered towards VR users.
For more on HTC's press conference, as well as CES 2019 as a whole, take a look at CNET's event hub, where you'll find comprehensive coverage of the tech-focused event.
If you live in the US and have a Nintendo Switch or 3DS, you now have one more option for buying games. The Humble Store has added a selection of digital Nintendo games to its lineup. The games come in the form of codes that you can redeem on the US Nintendo Eshop. And if you have a Humble account, you should check your email, because Humble sent some account holders a coupon for $5 off any Nintendo game priced at $19.99 or more.
Unfortunately, the 10% discount Humble Monthly subscribers get for most games in the store doesn't apply to these Nintendo titles. And none of the Nintendo games are on sale at the moment--even the ones that are currently discounted elsewhere, like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Arms, which are down to $42 each this week at Best Buy. Even so, it's always nice to have more options for buying games.
During CES 2019, Disney and Audi unveiled Holoride, a software company that creates VR experiences that you play from the back seat of a moving car. One such experience tested at the event by CNET was Marvel's Avengers: Rocket's Rescue Run, which has you fly through an asteroid field with Rocket and Iron Man as you shoot down enemy drones and approaching asteroids. Disappointingly, it seems like the experience was created solely for CES, and will never be commercially available.
According to CNET, Holoride aims to provide a VR experience that's "intended to match, visually, what the passengers feel as they ride: If the car turns, accelerates or brakes, the VR environment will do the same thing. And the experience--whether it's a game or a movie or something else--will be automatically tailored to the length and movements of your drive route." Not every ride has to be a game, for example. A virtual reality overlay can be applied to the world, painting ordinary landscapes and landmarks into something new. One of the given examples was transforming a normal drive into a journey through a prehistoric world filled with dinosaurs.
"The idea is to give people something interesting to do when they're riding as a passenger in a car," says Audi head of digital business Nils Wollny. "There are a lot of passengers traveling in the back seat who have nothing to do," he continued, "In most cases, transit time feels like wasted time."
One of the more obvious problems with this technology is motion sickness, as there are people who report feeling nauseous while riding in a car or playing VR, and Holoride is combining both experiences. CNET did report feeling queasy after the demonstration.
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