Rockstar has revealed the details for its newest content update to Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode, Red Dead Online, which recently left beta. If you play on PS4, you'll have early access to some of the content, but those with an Xbox One will also get the update's entire collection of add-ons soon enough.
The update adds new Free Roam missions, which see the return of two characters from Red Dead Redemption 2's campaign. You can join Sadie Adler on a ride out to the Adler Ranch or head to Lemoyne to seek out Black Belle. These Free Roam missions will be made available on both PS4 and Xbox One at the same time.
Both PS4 and Xbox One players will also receive a 25% increase when it comes to A Land of Opportunity and Free Roam missions, as well as all Showdown modes, Races, and Free Roam events. If you're a part of a posse, you'll also earn an extra five Gold Bars, RDO$, and XP as a bonus when your friends play together.
The rest of the update's content is coming to PS4 first but will make its way to Xbox One eventually. On PS4, Red Dead Online will provide early access to the Ancient Tomahawk weapon, two new Showdown modes, and the Perlino Andalusian Horse, as well as new horse equipment, clothing, and emotes. The two new Showdown modes are Make It Count: Ancient Tomahawk and Last Stand. The new clothing includes items from the Wheeler, Rawson and Co. Catalogue, such as the Wescott Skirt, Valdez Vest, Citadel Boots, and Plaid Cap.
In a blog post, Rockstar also mentioned that the update makes several quality-of-life fixes to Red Dead Online. "We continue to work behind the scenes to address overall game stability and performance with recent fixes including closing some duplication exploits, resolving issues related to reduced numbers of animals in sessions, updating Defensive mode to revert Playing Style to Offensive and apply a Hostility penalty when stealing cargo from another player's horse and more," the developer wrote.
I felt a great disturbance on Sunday night. It was as if millions of tweets were suddenly sent out in anger (and millions of fans were definitely not silent). That's what happened after Game of Thrones aired its final episode. The North may have survived the Battle of Winterfell, but the internet looks more like the people of King's Landing right after Daenerys showed up and burned them all to death.
After the show became a worldwide cultural phenomenon, Game of Thrones turned its fans against each other with this final season. Beyond the online discussions on Twitter and Reddit, the disappointment-turned-into-hatred toward Game of Thrones has reached the point where well over a million people--at the time of writing this article--have signed a petition begging HBO to remake the last season with new writers.
Many critics have correctly pointed out that this season felt rushed. GameSpot's Michael Rougeau wrote about why the last few episodes have been full of misplaced fan service. Wired covered the notable differences in storytelling from when the show passed the books, focusing on how the showrunners gave themselves a fixed endpoint instead of accepting more episodes like HBO offered. That forced the narrative of this season to become more of a checklist of what people wanted to see than the natural story of the characters making decisions and following the consequences of those decisions. Daenerys going Mad Queen and slaughtering the people she vowed to free was the moment that seemingly broke the fandom, and many fans felt betrayed by the choices in this season.
Of course, this is far from the first time a giant franchise released a new installment that split the fandom right down the middle. Coincidentally, this past Sunday also marked the 20th anniversary of the release of the start of the prequel trilogy and a film absolutely everyone loves, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Remember that one? The movie people hated so much, with characters so loathed by fans, that one of the stars of the movie considered suicide because of the backlash against his character, and another one destroyed all his Star Wars memorabilia after being bullied endlessly? Maybe an online petition isn't so bad, considering.
That movie wasn't a masterpiece either, and despite news clips of early reactions showing satisfied viewers (watch this below), the film is now regarded as one of the worst things to happen to the Star Wars franchise and the start of a trilogy that threatened to destroy everything the franchise had built.
Except it didn't. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Star Wars in general? Is it Jar Jar Binks doing fart jokes? Qui-Gon Jinn talking about midi-chlorians? Probably not, unlike you actually love the prequels, which is totally fine. Otherwise, you probably think of scenes in the movies that you love, like the Binary Sunset scene, the Darth Vader reveal, or maybe even Han and Chewie arriving on the Falcon in The Force Awakens. No matter what your favorite Star Wars movie is, you always remember the moments that made you happy more than the ones that disappointed you.
Confession time: I used to love the prequels. Despite having memories of seeing the special edition of A New Hope shortly before the release of Episode I, the movies I vividly remember seeing in theaters were Episodes I-III. Even if I always thought it was weird that Anakin was so much younger than Padmé and I had no interest whatsoever in the taxation of trade routes, I still loved the podracing sequence, the Battle of Naboo, and of course the lightsaber battle between Maul, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon. If I think back to 1999 it is those scenes that come to mind.
Likewise, no matter what you think of this last season of Game of Thrones, we will always have those early days. More than that, we survived up to this moment. We survived seeing Ned Stark beheaded in the first season, the massacre of the Red Wedding, and that awful, awful Dorne storyline. It is entirely within everyone's right to criticize the show, but a handful of disappointing episodes won't take away all those moments of thrilling political intrigue, staring in awe at the cunning conversations between Arya and Tywin, the horror of seeing Oberyn suffer such a horrible death, the collective anger after watching the Red Wedding, and the many tears we all shed every time a favorite character bit the dust.
I get it. You can only do the series finale of Game of Thrones once, just as you could only tell the story of how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader once--or could you? There probably won't be a remake of the prequels, and you can't go to the past and change the script or the acting, but you can build up from what's already there and try to make it better. Star Wars has the Expanded Universe, and even though most of it is technically not canon anymore thanks to Disney, there are still plenty of stories that expand on what we see in the movies and even improve them. After the prequel trilogy was over, Dave Filoni made Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and in the show's six (soon to be seven!) seasons: Darth Maul came back, Jar Jar became a bit less annoying, and we got to know more about Qui-Gon Jinn and how the clones were created and their purpose in the creation of the Empire. More importantly, it got us to care about Anakin Skywalker even if the prequels didn't. The Phantom Menace may not be fully vindicated in the eyes of fans who were burned after spending years waiting, but thanks to the ever-expanding EU, the prequel era feels fresher than ever.
And if even after all that you still don't want anything to do with the prequels, there's still Disney's sequel trilogy, and the recently announced non-Skywalker movies, and the Disney+ TV shows. Star Wars fandom survived the prequel era, and the dark times before it when fans had to wait a decade and a half for more Star Wars. There has truly never been a better time to be a fan of the galaxy far, far away.
The same thing applies to Game of Thrones. For better or worse, the series has become a cultural phenomenon bigger than any single episode or season of the show. Not only did we all become addicted to the endless cycle of rooting for a character only to see them mercilessly killed by their own stupid decisions, but an entire tourism industry flourishes in Northern Ireland and Dubrovnik thanks to filming locations for the show. A few polarizing episodes do not take away from all the discussions regarding what characters were secretly planning, debates over what Hodor meant, and the watch parties that occurred all over the world.
HBO is still working on those prequels. And best of all, we still have the books! Even if you end up disappointed by the finale, remember you can still look forward to reading George R. R. Martin's ending eventually. Being the rare adaptation that got ahead of its source material, we still don't know what the original ending is, or if it will change because of the show. In any case, that's as close as you can get to a remake, even if you have to use your imagination to picture how it all looks.
Game of Thrones, and by extension its fandom, will be OK. We may argue, we may fight, but even if we don't love it now, we all used to love this show and watched it religiously every Sunday night. Winter came and went, and there will be other shows in the future, but for now--and only for now--our watch has ended.
Nintendo is shutting down two of its mobile games in Belgium this summer, the company has announced. Both Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes will be taken offline on August 27, after which point players will no longer be able to download or play the titles in the country.
According to Nintendo, the decision to shut the games down is due to the Belgian government's stance on loot boxes (via Games Industry). The Belgian Gaming Commission ruled last year that loot boxes constituted gambling and recommended criminal prosecution against game developers who utilized such mechanics in their titles.
Nintendo is only the latest gaming company to change or outright pull its games in Belgium following the BGC's ruling. Valve, Blizzard, and Rocket League developer Psyonix have removed the ability to purchase loot boxes in their titles in the country, while Square Enix shut down three of its mobile games. Nintendo says it will not release any future titles that employ loot box-like mechanics in the country.
Like many other mobile games, both Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes feature a form of premium in-game currency. In the former, these come in the form of Leaf Tickets, which can be exchanged for Fortune Cookies that contain a random item. The latter, meanwhile, has Orbs, which can be exchanged to summon new heroes. Players in Belgium can continue to purchase and redeem these currencies until the cutoff date.
Loot boxes have come under scrutiny in a number of different countries of late, including the US. Senator Josh Hawley recently announced he was introducing a bill that would ban loot boxes in games targeted at minors. Meanwhile, New Zealand and France had also recently undertaken their own investigations and ruled that loot boxes are not gambling.
While Miz just had a battle with Shane McMahon at the WWE PPV Money in the Bank, he and wife Maryse are wrapping up the first season of their reality series on USA Network Miz and Mrs. on May 21. Neither of them are strangers to television, with nearly 30 years combined experience on WWE programming.
18 years ago, Mike "The Miz" Mizanin appeared on the Real World, and following that, he had a career on the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, so jumping into a new reality series following he, his wife Maryse, and their newborn daughter Monroe Sky isn't uncharted territory. Their USA Network series was actually in the works long before filming actually began. "It was actually pitched to us three years before," explained Miz. "They saw the way we were together on Total Divas a little bit and, from there, they were like, 'They need their own reality show,' but I was a little hesitant because I was on The Real World about 20 years ago. I loved being on The Real World and I always thank MTV and Bunim/Murray for putting me on that show because it gave me, I feel like, everything."
There was a stigma on reality stars the first decade the genre existed on television, as early reality TV was a lot more reality-based and a whole lot less scripted. "Hollywood looked at it as that I had no talent," continued Miz. "Whoever is on a reality show, like, you have no talent, you're just standing in front of a camera, and that's who you are, and that's what you did, back in those days. But things have changed in the world and back then, we didn't have camera phones. We didn't have social media. So now, everything has changed to where everything is a reality show, whether it's YouTube, internet, Instagram, and Twitter. Everything. I know exactly what people are doing. The biggest stars in the world, I know what they're doing because they're on their Instagram all the time doing stories.
"So, I looked at that and I said, 'You know what? We can make something really special here.' And my wife and I looked at each other and we were like, 'We really could.' We have the family, we have the friends, and we have the support we need. And our stories are so well done and my experience on The Real World and on The Challenges, as well as being at WWE has taught me how to tell a story. How to create characters. How to make sure that you entertain an audience while being true to who you are, who we are."
Three years later, both Maryse and Miz are executive producers on USA's Miz and Mrs., and they're doing the show the way they want to. "I feel like Maryse and I have made a show that both of us are very proud of," Miz explained. "And when people watch it, the only negative thing that I ever see or ever hear is that it's not long enough, it's not 60 minutes, and I like the 30 minutes, though, because I think it's fast-paced, it's fun, and you can watch it with your whole family."
The season finale of Miz and Mrs. airs on Tuesday, May 21 on USA Network at 10 PM. For more from the "It Couple," check out Maryse talking about her potential return to WWE and the women's revolution.
It's been nearly four years since Quentin Tarantino had a movie in theaters. That's about to change, though, thanks to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. A trailer for the director's latest film--his ninth overall-- has released, showing what Hollywood in 1969 looks like through the eyes of the man also responsible for titles like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and Django Unchained. Spoilers: It's weird.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio as an aging movie star, with Brad Pitt playing his closest confidante and stuntman. The film intertwines multiple stories, including some that pull from actual Hollywood history, to set the stage for what an official synopsis calls "a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood's golden age."
One of those stories, which Pitt's Cliff Booth seemingly finds himself a part of in the trailer, is the Manson family murders. In the first look at the film, Booth ends up at George Spahn's (Bruce Dern) movie rank, where Manson (Damon Herriman) lives with his followers--Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme (Dakota Fanning) is shown in the trailer, however "Tex" Watson (Austin Butler) and Catherine Share (Lena Dunham) are among those appearing in the film.
The movie also features Luke Perry, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, Rumer Willis, Maya Hawke, Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, and Emile Hirsch, to name a few.
The release of the trailer coincides with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's premiere screening at the Cannes film festival. It will be in theaters on July 26.
Finally, you can explore the universe with No Man's Sky, which is on sale for $37.49. With last year's large-scale update, "Next," and the upcoming "Beyond" free expansion releasing this summer, No Man's Sky has come a long way since its initial launch and is worth picking up if it's not already part of your collection.
The action-RPG Dauntless has officially launched, ending a year-long open beta. The free-to-play game is now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through the Epic Games Store. Phoenix Labs notes that this official launch fulfills its promise of cross-platform functionality, letting you play with friends regardless of platform or take your account with you.
The launch also comes alongside several updates. A new Mastery system lets you refine your skills and achieve rewards, and each Behemoth and weapon have their own unique Mastery cards to customize. The campaign has also been revised, and the update includes the new Season 5 Hunt Pass, named Hidden Blades. Hidden Blades opens a Moon Blossom festival and unlocks a bunch of new cosmetic rewards as you work your way through the levels.
As previously announced, this update launches alongside the new Arcslayer pack. It comes with a set of mech-inspired armor, consumables, and some premium currency. Switch and mobile versions are in development but a release date for either has not been announced.
"No one has ever launched on console with full cross-play support from the start, but we believed in our vision and, thankfully, our friends at Epic Games, Sony, and Microsoft did too," said Phoenix CEO Jesse Houston. "Keeping the community connected is one of our top priorities, and with all the new players coming in at launch, there's never been a better time to be a Slayer in Dauntless."
Fans of Netflix's acclaimed sci-fi satire Black Mirror had much to celebrate last week when the company announced that Season 5 will be released on June 5. The first trailer was very impressive but it edited all three of the new stories together, and it wasn't always clear what the episodes would be about. But now individual trailers and details for each episode have been released.
The episode titled "Striking Vipers" features a trio of actors best known for their roles in superhero movies. Avengers star Anthony Mackie, Aquaman's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Guardians of the Galaxy's Pom Klementieff feature in the episodes. Netflix's synopsis states that it focuses on "two estranged college friends who reunite in later life, triggering a series of events that could alter their lives forever." This promo actually reveals less than the first trailer, which included shots of a VR-style fighting game, but it still looks very intriguing. Check it out below.
The other episodes in the new season of Black Mirror are titled "Rachel, Jack and Ashley, Too," and "Smithereens." The former stars Miley Cyrus as a pop star whose "charmed existence isn't quite as rosy it appears," with Madison Davenport (Sharp Objects) as a teenage fan, while "Smithereens" features Andrew Scott (Sherlock) and Topher Grace (Blackkklansman) and looks at the dangers of app addictions.
Black Mirror Season 5 will be the first release from the show since the interactive special Bandersnatch, which hit the service in December 2018. Prior to that, Season 4 was released in December 2017. For more on Black Mirror, check out our look at the most WTF moments in Season 4 and all the Season 4 Easter Eggs.
Red Dead Redemption 2's multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, received a huge update last week, finally bringing it out of its beta phase. Rockstar has now rolled out another update for the online mode, introducing yet more Free Roam missions and other content--including a new batch of timed-exclusive goodies for PS4.
With this week's RDO update, PS4 players have early access to a brand-new weapon, the "devastating" Ancient Tomahawk. You can pick one up for free from your local Fence, regardless of your rank. Going along with it is a new Showdown mode called Make It Count, a battle royale-style free-for-all that has players vying to be the last one standing on a shrinking battlefield using nothing but the Ancient Tomahawk.
Additionally, PS4 players can pick up the Perlino Andalusian Horse, which has higher stamina than a standard steed. There's also a new assortment of clothing and emotes, as well as a second brand-new Showdown mode, Last Stand. This mode has players fighting to survive in frantic two-minute rounds. You can read more details on the PlayStation Blog.
On top of the new content, Rockstar is extending a special offer for PS4 players. Those without a PS Plus subscription, which you typically need in order to play online games on the console, will be able to jump into Red Dead Online for free until May 27. You'll still need to own a copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 to get access to Red Dead Online, but you'll be able to try its online mode out for a limited time at no cost. You'll also be able to get a discount on a PS Plus subscription if you decide to sign up after the trial period.
Like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and a handful of other games, Red Dead Online offers some timed-exclusive content for PS4. Those playing on Sony's console get early access to select weapons, modes, and other things 30 days before they go live on Xbox One. Past timed-exclusive content included the Red Chestnut Arabian Horse and the Open Target Races mode.
Rockstar has more updates in store for Red Dead Online over the next few weeks. On May 28, the developer is introducing another new Showdown mode, Head for the Hills, as well as a Wild Animal Kills Free Roam challenge. You can read more about what's on the way to Red Dead Online soon on Rockstar's website.
The sci-fi anthology satire Black Mirror is set to return to Netflix on June 5, and following last week's first trailer, we now know more about the three new episodes. While the first promo didn't always make it clear what the individual stories would be, the streaming giant has now released separate details and trailers for each episode.
The episode featuring pop star Miley Cyrus is titled "Rachel, Jack and Ashley, Too." Cyrus plays--you guess it--a pop star, but one whose public persona and private life seem very different. In addition, she's loaned her name and voice to a series of sinister robo-dolls, which a lonely teenager called Rachel (Madison Davenport) has recently acquired. Check the trailer out below.
The other episodes in the new season of Black Mirror are titled "Smithereens" and "Striking Vipers." The former stars Andrew Scott (Sherlock) and Topher Grace (Blackkklansman) and looks at the dangers of app addiction, while "Striking Vipers" features Marvel stars Anthony Mackie and Pom Klementieff, alongside Aquaman's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. According to the official synopsis, this episode focuses on two estranged college friends who "reunite in later life, triggering a series of events that could alter their lives forever."
Black Mirror Season 5 will be the first release from the show since the interactive special Bandersnatch, which hit the service in December 2018. Prior to that, Season 4 was released in December 2017. For more on Black Mirror, check out our look at the most WTF moments in Season 4 and all the Season 4 Easter Eggs.
If you're looking for something new to watch at home but don't want to wait until it releases on one of the various streaming services like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, or Netflix, then you're probably aware that each week, various digital storefronts release new movies. Additionally, on Tuesdays, physical copies of movies come out at various retailers as well.
This is a pretty light week for releases on both the digital and physical fronts. If you don't subscribe to Netflix--which feels like a weird statement--and you want to check out one of the service's more popular series, Season 2 of 13 Reasons Why is available for purchase today. The show follows teenagers at a high school and how they deal with the suicide of one of their peers. There aren't a lot of other notable releases, aside from Tyler Perry's latest Madea movie.
If you want to head to an actual store--or just jump on Amazon--you can pick up The Upside or the latest How To Train Your Dragon movie. However, one of the most fun releases this week is Isn't It Romantic. Rebel Wilson stars as a woman stuck in a rut who somehow gets transported into a typical romantic comedy, but only she realizes this. Her cynicism drives the comedy in the film, and it's the perfect date movie, with a little something for everyone. It may drag at times, and it flat out becomes a rom-com towards the end, but this is still a solid watch.
Below, you'll find the full list for this week's releases, both digitally and physically. There are also links to connect you to purchase them if you like.
We're well into the era of the Nintendo Switch, but there's still a nostalgic charm to Nintendo's handheld consoles of the past. Released in 2013, the Nintendo 2DS isn't that old, but even at the time it was released, it felt like a step back from the 3D technology introduced with its predecessor, the 3DS. The 2DS was marketed as a more affordable option ($40 cheaper than the 3DS at launch), and some find the tablet shape more comfortable than the 3DS' clamshell design.
If you've been wanting to pick up a Nintendo 2DS, GameStop currently has a great deal on the handheld console. When you purchase a 2DS bundle with New Super Mario Bros. 2, you'll also receive your choice of a free game. The free games available include:
Each of the above games sells for $20 at GameStop (and New Super Mario Bros. 2 sells for $30 on its own), so getting a brand-new (not refurbished) 2DS with two games for $80 is a pretty solid deal. This offer expires Sunday, May 26, so act fast if you want to claim it. You'll have to add both the console bundle and your selected game to your cart, where you'll see the discount applied.
As a reminder, the 2DS can play both DS and 3DS games; it'll just show the 2D visuals. The handheld is a perfect way to revisit some of the best games of the 3DS era, and it also makes a great gift for young ones who are just getting into gaming.
Last week it was announced that the sci-fi anthology satire Black Mirror will be returning to Netflix on June 5. Season 5 will consist of three new episodes and while the first trailer was very impressive, it wasn't always clear what the individual stories would be. Now Netflix has released separate trailers and details for each episode.
The first trailer is the episode that opened that initial promo. It's titled "Smithereens," and the official synopsis states that it focuses on a "cab driver with an agenda who becomes the centre of attention on a day that rapidly spirals out of control." This episode stars Andrew Scott (Sherlock, Spectre), Topher Grace (Blackkklansman), and Damson Idris (The Twilight Zone) and seems to center on the dangers of app addiction. Check it out below:
The other episodes in the new season of Black Mirror are titled "Rachel, Jack and Ashley, Too," and "Striking Vipers." The former stars Miley Cyrus as a pop star whose "charmed existence isn't quite as rosy it appears," with Madison Davenport (Sharp Objects) as a teenage fan. "Striking Vipers," meanwhile, features Marvel stars Anthony Mackie and Pom Klementieff, alongside Aquaman's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. This episode centers on "two estranged college friends who reunite in later life, triggering a series of events that could alter their lives forever."
Black Mirror Season 5 will be the first release from the show since the interactive special Bandersnatch, which hit the service in December 2018. Prior to that, Season 4 was released in December 2017. For more on Black Mirror, check out our look at the most WTF moments in Season 4 and all the Season 4 Easter Eggs.
Join GameSpot as we celebrate gaming history and give recognition to the most influential games of the 21st century. These aren't the best games, and they aren't necessarily games that you need to rush out and play today, but there's no question that they left an indelible impact on game developers, players, and in some cases, society at large.
It's hard to explain what it was like to be a console first-person shooter fan in 2001. While PC players had been enjoying FPS games for years, the experience was never as strong on consoles. Where PCs had the fluidity of the mouse-and-keyboard setup, controls on console struggled to capture the same feel--to this day, two of the best-regarded FPS games of the era, GoldenEye 64 and its follow-up, Perfect Dark, were played with controllers that didn't even sport dual analog sticks. In the nascent days of console online multiplayer, squaring off against other players, the thing that could really make shooters exciting, was limited to split-screen battles (often on tiny TVs). There were standout titles of the era, of course, but the FPS field was nothing like what we experience today.
Imagine, then, the arrival of Halo: Combat Evolved. For the first time, the discussion around console shooters opens up to a huge number of new possibilities. The Xbox's system link multiplayer, the console market's first experience with LAN, meant you could play with seven other friends--and more than that, you could work together as teams and execute tactics that your opponents couldn't anticipate simply by glancing over at your side of the screen. For those whose gaming consisted purely of console experiences, it was the first time a shooter experience would become something similar to playing paintball or laser tag. It was a glimpse of the possibilities of the shooting genre's future, and it was glorious.
Halo's arrival on the console FPS scene didn't just herald the shooter future, it manifested it. From the jump, the game was unmatched. In the very first mission, as players took on the role of genetically enhanced supersoldier Master Chief, developer Bungie was throwing together elements that shifted how playing shooters felt on a fundamental level. First and foremost was the enemy design. The alien Covenant were generally not idiots--they fought hard and smart, taking cover when they were hurt, grouping up to channel their fire, throwing grenades to flush you out of your hiding places, and charging up when they knew they had you on the ropes. Every encounter with an Elite enemy in the original Halo was a harrowing one, because the bastards weren't just tough and didn't just absorb a lot of shots. They were also very good at finding ways to kill you (and never missed a chance to laugh about it afterward).
Bungie set a standard with enemy AI design in Halo. But it also did a lot to make its fights feel more like battles, capturing a feeling that many shooters have chased ever since. The mostly-pretty-good AI extended to allies as well, and much of the time in Halo, you're fighting the Covenant with the support of a squad of UNSC Marines. You might be a one-player army in Halo, but you always felt like part of a team, and excited shouts of your squadmates as you take down a big enemy or set off a big explosion (as well as their cries as they got blasted by grenades) created the sense that there was more to Halo than just your role in the game. Few titles captured the feeling of stepping straight into a full, realized world the way Halo did, and a huge part of that was the idea that you were just one (really good) soldier in a much larger, active army.
Halo felt like it was doing something video games had always wanted to do, but had never quite achieved before.
So many of those battles managed to take on an epic scale thanks to Halo's perfect combination of elements. Huge fields often had vehicles crossing them, some of which you had to deal with on foot, others which you could battle in tanks or Warthogs of your own, with marines jumping into the gunner positions to back you up. A phenomenal soundtrack and Bungie's cinematic approach made those moments even more exhilarating, expanding the scope even further. The game's smart level design gave you tons of agency--you could pick your way through engagements, slamming straight into enemies or finding ways to flank them out while your squad distracted them, hunting down vehicles or rocket launchers to turn the tide in your favor, or sneaking past enemies and avoiding fights altogether.
Halo felt expansive in a new way for shooters, setting the tone for massive, cinematic, action movie-like games that would follow. Level after level, Halo felt like it was doing something video games had always wanted to do, but had never quite achieved before. It wasn't necessarily inventing new things, but it took the best ideas of the genre and turned them into a singular experience. When it comes to the AAA shooter experience as we now know it, Bungie cracked the code with Halo.
Shooters are still feeling the influence of some of the best and freshest ideas of Halo. The ability to carry only two weapons and think strategically about which you pick up? Halo. Recharging shields that force you to find a shady spot and consider your tactical options mid-fight? Halo. Grenades on a trigger button, ready at all times? Halo. The standard in console FPS control schemes? Halo again. The franchise it spawned was such a powerhouse that for years, developers and publishers hoped their games might become the "Halo-killer" to usurp its place at the top of the shooter heap.
Bungie elevated console shooters with Halo, but the even bigger lasting influence of the game might be how it shook the console landscape by legitimizing Microsoft's Xbox. When Microsoft decided to leap into the console market, there was no shortage of skepticism, but Halo was the reason to purchase the new machine. The game proved that Microsoft was not just some late-comer trying to use an abundance of cash to muscle out the dominant PlayStation, and it would be Halo's sequels that helped make Microsoft a bigger force through Xbox Live. Through its role as an Xbox exclusive, Halo helped lay the foundation for the next two decades of what gaming would become.
Halo changed the conception of what games could be for a lot of players. It rocked the shooter world with ideas that have become standards to this day, and its approaches to gameplay and presentation made for that truly "epic" experience that games have continued to try to capitalize on ever since. But more than anything, it altered gaming for console players, elevating the experience with an amazing single-player campaign, a huge and expansive game world, and the first steps into the future of multiplayer. Playing Halo in 2001, it felt like things had changed--almost 20 years later, we're still feeling the shockwaves.
The racing game Grid is getting a reboot, and it's speeding our way sooner than you might expect. The game, simply called Grid, is coming from Codemasters and it will arrive on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on September 13, 2019.
This will be the fourth game in the Grid series, and it will feature racing across famous racing circuits and settings in four different continents. You can race GT, Touring, Stock, Muscle, and Super-Modified cars. Circuit and street races will be available, along with less conventional modes like World Time Attack and Hot Laps.
As you progress you'll earn new liveries, player cards, and teammates. The cars will sustain damage as they trade paint, and if you brush another racer too often they could become your "nemesis" and begin to target you for retribution. Codemasters boasts that F1 racer Fernando Alonso is consulting on the game.
"Grid as a racing franchise is revered by our community and we are delighted to bring it to the current generation of consoles," said game director Chris Smith. "The game offers so much variety and depth, from the number of modern and classic cars through to the locations and race options. Renowned for its handling, the game will appeal to all types of player, from casual drivers who want a lean-in challenge, to sim drivers who want some serious fun."
The most recent Grid game was Grid Autosport in 2015, which received a middling reception in GameSpot's review. It cited uninteresting race types as a requirement for progression, too-forgiving handling, and inconsistent AI.
"There are a number of nice extra features that similar games have shied away from: split-screen multiplayer, for example, and an online component that is entirely separate from the single-player, which means there are essentially two games to progress through," John Robertson wrote. "Play it for a few hours, and the cracks begin to show, though. They're not game-breaking, but they are abrasive, and they dull the shine of the early portions of the game. If you're up for some casual racing, Autosport is a decent option, but when you go deep, the experience is soured by the finer details."
The 1995 classic Toy Story not only kicked off Pixar's run of box office hits, but ushered in a new era of CGI animation. 24 years later, the fourth movie in the series releases on June 21, and the new trailer is here.
This latest Toy Story 4 trailer features all the movie's new toys, including talking spork Forky, Canadian motorcycle star Duke Caboom, and fluffy dolls Ducky and Bunny, alongside the old favorites. Forky is the favorite toy of Woody and co's new owner Bonnie, and when he goes missing, the rest of the gang must set about trying to get him back. Check it out above.
Toy Story 4 sees all the main cast of the previous movies return, including Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Blake Clark (Slinky Dog), Wallace Shawn (Rex), and John Ratzenberger (Hamm). Forky is played by Arrested Development's Tony Hale, Duke Kaboom by Keanu Reeves, and Ducky and Bunny by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.
Toy Story 4 isn't the only doll-related movie hitting theaters on June 21. The horror reboot Child's Play also arrives that day, and last month a new poster was released, showing evil Chucky having murdered poor Woody.
Double Fine Productions latest post-apocalyptic action game, Rad, launches on August 20 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One, the California-based company tweeted out.
Initially announced back in March during Nintendo's Nindies Spring Showcase, Rad is the newest game from the Psychonauts developers. A 3D action roguelite set in a post-apocalyptic world in love with 80s aesthetics, the game is a collaborative effort with Jump Force publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment. In case you missed it, check out the reveal trailer below.
Rad puts you in the mutated shoes of a teenager combing through a wasteland overwrought by radiation and monstrous enemies. Throughout the game, you'll encounter mutations that work as randomized power-ups to diversify and add nuance to your moveset. Mutations seem to run the gamut, ranging from a cobra head, which grants greater attack distance, to bat wings and more.
We had the opportunity to check out Rad in a hands-on preview during GDC 2019. In the preview, Michael Higham expressed cautious optimism, saying, "It's refreshing to hear where Rad draws inspiration and see it in action. And it channels that quirky Double Fine personality in a genre and theme that can seem worn which certainly helps Rad stand out."
The return of Stranger Things is one of the big TV events of the year, and it's now only six weeks from release. Following the recent batch of new character posters, Netflix has revealed the first clip from the season.
We've known for some time that Season 3 is set during the summer of 1985. This first clip is set by the pool, where bad boy Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) is working as a lifeguard, much to the delight of various admirers, including Nancy and Mike's mom Karen (Cara Buono). It's very funny and is set to the classic Cars song "Moving In Stereo." Check it out above.
All the main cast are back for Season 3. So that's Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Noah Schnapp (Will), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), and Sadie Sink (Max). There's also Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton as lovelorn teenagers Nancy and Jonathan, plus Winona Ryder as Will and Jonathan's mom Joyce; and, of course, David Harbour as everyone's favorite small-town cop Jim Hopper.
There are some new characters too. In keeping with the tradition of casting actors who became famous in the '80s (Ryder, Matthew Modine, Paul Reiser, Sean Astin), Princess Bride star Cary Elwes is joining as sleazy politician Mayor Kline. There's also the offspring of some '80s stars; Jake Busey, son of Point Break star Gary Busey, will play a journalist named Bruce, while Maya Thurman-Hawke (daughter of Uma and Ethan) is set to play a character named Robin.
Disney's streaming platform, Disney+, is set to launch in the fall, and the studio's biggest properties are all getting new TV shows. Among them, several Marvel shows are on the way, including a series focusing the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are set to play the characters once more, and some of the supporting cast has now been revealed.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Brühl and Emily Van Camp will reprise their roles from 2016's Captain America: Civil War. Bruhl plays the villainous Baron Zemo, while Van Camp will appear as Sharon Carter. Van Camp also appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
In addition, Falcon & Winter Soldier will be directed by Kari Skogland, whose extensive TV credits include The Handmaid's Tale, Fear the Walking Dead, The Punisher, and House of Cards. It will be written by Empire's Malcolm Spellman and will run for six episodes.
Although it was first rumored back in December, Falcon & Winter Soldier wasn't confirmed until last month. The logo was revealed during a presentation of the Disney+ app at the studio's Investor Day webinar.
Other Marvel series in the works for Disney + include shows focusing on Loki, Vision and Scarlet Witch, and Hawkeye. No release dates have been announced so far, but we will almost certainly see some in 2020. Disney+ launches on November 12 with a subscription price of $6.99 a month, or $69.99 for a year.
In related news, Avengers: Endgame continues to do incredible business at the worldwide box office. It is now the second most successful movie ever released in the US, beating James Cameron's Avatar, and second only to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Correction: this story originally incorrectly stated that From Software's rumored new title could be a Game of Thrones game. Martin himself has only confirmed that he did some "consulting" work for a new game developed in Japan. What's more, the rumor is that Martin is working with From Software on a new video game project of some kind but not necessarily a Game of Thrones game. GameSpot regrets the error.
HBO's Game of Thrones is officially over, but the series is continuing with a two-hour documentary on May 26 and then potentially a new prequel TV show. Outside of TV, author George R.R. Martin is keeping busy. He wrote on his blog that he did some consulting work on a video game from a studio in Japan. He never says it is a Game of Thrones game, so he may only be doing consulting work for writing or other world-building, but it's still exciting to think about.
Martin said this mysterious game is being developed "out of Japan." Gematsu reports that Sekiro, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls developer FromSoftware is working on the game, which is an open-world title featuring horse-riding. Hidetaka Miyazaki is reportedly working on the title with Martin. It remains to be seen if it is a Game of Thrones game, however.
The game is said to be published by Bandai Namco, with a reveal at Microsoft's E3 2019 briefing planned for June. The game has reportedly been in development for three years. Gematsu notes that it only confirmed this information with a single source but decided to publish its story in light of Martin's blog post revealing a new game in development by a Japanese studio.
It would definitely be an intriguing development to learn that From Software was working on a new title from Hidetaka Miyazaki with the help of George R.R. Martin, even if it isn't a Game of Thrones game. It is the kind of announcement that would be a huge get for Microsoft if it were to premiere at the Xbox E3 briefing. Even if the cat is out of the bag now--if this is even real--it's exciting to think about.
Correction: this story originally incorrectly stated that From Software's title could be a Game of Thrones game. The only suggestion is that Martin is working with From Software on a new video game project of some kind.
The Game of Thrones series finale, "The Iron Throne," aired on Sunday, and its ending was divisive, as much of the past season had been. Not everyone enjoyed how writers/showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff wrapped things up for the show that began back in 2011.
The book series on which the show is based, George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire," however, might have a different ending. The author wrote on his blog today that the ending to his book series, which finishes with The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, might be different than the TV show.
Or maybe not.
First off, he said he knows he's late with The Winds of Winter, but he promises that "it will be done." The last book in the series, A Dance With Dragons, was released in 2011. He isn't ready to commit to a release date for the next book, but he stressed that it will be finished, and then A Dream of Spring--the series' final book--will follow. But how will it all end?
"The same ending as the show? Different? Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes," Martin said. "I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan, never forget. They had eight hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I'm done… and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I'll add them. And of course the butterfly effect will be at work as well; those of you who follow [my blog] will know that I've been talking about that since season one."
Martin added: "There are characters who never made it onto the screen at all, and others who died in the show but still live in the books… so if nothing else, the readers will learn what happened to Jeyne Poole, Lady Stoneheart, Penny and her pig, Skahaz Shavepate, Arianne Martell, Darkstar, Victarion Greyjoy, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Aegon VI, and a myriad of other characters both great and small that viewers of the show never had the chance to meet. And yes, there will be unicorns… of a sort…"
But what will be the "real" ending to Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire? Martin says that is a "silly question." Instead, Martin said fans should get comfortable, sit back, and buy his books to find out how it all ends.
"How about this? I'll write it. You read it. Then everyone can make up their own mind, and argue about it on the internet," he said.
Quentin Tarantino's ninth movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is premiering this week at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Tarantino is now speaking up to urge those fortunate enough to see it early to keep their lips shut so as to preserve the "journey of discovering a story for the first time." The movie doesn't have its public premiere until July.
In a note posted on Twitter, Tarantino said, "I love cinema. You love cinema. It's the journey of discovering a story for the first time. I'm thrilled to be here in Cannes to share 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," with the festival audience. The cast and crew have worked so hard to create something original, and I only ask that everyone avoids revealing anything that would prevent later audiences from experiencing the film in the same way. Thank you."
— Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (@OnceInHollywood) May 20, 2019
The Cannes Film Festival is a special place for Tarantino. One of his earlier movies, Pulp Fiction, won the show's Palme d'Or award years ago that helped make Tarantino a big name.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood tells a Pulp Fiction-style story that features intersecting stories set in Los Angeles during 1969. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, who is the struggling former star of a Western TV show, while Brad Pitt plays his stunt double Cliff Booth. Rick's neighbour is Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who was murdered by the family of Charles Manson (Damon Herriman).
The movie is due in theatres on July 26. It also features Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, James Marsden, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Timothy Olyphant, Lena Dunham, Emile Hirsch, and Dakota Fanning. Bruce Dern came aboard the movie last year to play a part meant for Burt Reynolds who died in September 2018. Luke Perry filmed scenes for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood before his death in March.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood might be one of Tarantino's final movies. In 2016 he said that he would quit directing after his tenth movie, but it remains to be the seen if this is still the case.
Sony has again provided some new details on its next-generation console. As part of Sony's Corporate Strategy Meeting today, the company discussed at a high level what it hopes to achieve in the future across its various business units, including PlayStation.
The two keywords for PlayStation going forward are "immersive" and "seamless," Sony said. Concerning hardware, Sony said its next-generation console, the PlayStation 5, will offer an "immersive experience created by dramatically increased graphics rendering speeds."
This will be made possible through the "employment of further improved computational power and a customized ultra-fast, broadband SSD," Sony said.
Overall, the PlayStation 5--or whatever Sony ends up calling its new console--will offer experiences that "greatly exceed" what is possible on PS4 and PS4 Pro. Sony said people can expect "completely transformative and immersive gaming experiences" on the PS5.
One of the features that PlayStation system architect Mark Cerny talked about for the PS5 is how its use of solid-state drives will reduce loading screen times.
Cerny pointed out that the fast travel loading screen in Spider-Man on PS4 took roughly 15 seconds on a PS4 Pro, but less than one second on a dev kit for the PS5. Given that the new hardware will be backwards compatible with older games, that means your load times will likely be reduced across the board when you upgrade. Check out the video below from The Wall Street Journal report Takashi Mochizuki who is attending the Sony event today to see the faster load times in action.
Sony's official video comparing performance of PS4 Pro vs next-gen PlayStation pic.twitter.com/2eUROxKFLq
Cerny also talked about how the PS5 will allow for faster rendering, which means more environmental objects and textures will populate at a faster rate. In the presentation today, Sony said the PS5 will offer "many new features" beyond these advancements to loading and rendering, though none were mentioned.
Also during the presentation, Sony said it expects the PS4 to reach sales of 100 million units by the end of the 2019 calendar year. PS4 sales currently stand at 96.8 million systems sold. PlayStation Network has 94 million monthly active users, the company said.
Additionally, Sony management talked about how streaming will play a big role in the PlayStation brand going forward. The PS5 will support Remote Play functionality, Sony confirmed, while management also said it's looking to its new deal with Microsoft for cloud-gaming solutions to play a role in the company's future success in that area. Sony of course already operates the PlayStation Now streaming service (which has 700,000 subscribers by Sony's latest count), but it appears the company has bigger and bolder plans in the future.
Sony is not attending E3 2019 next month, so the company presumably won't be announcing the PlayStation 5 there. The PlayStation 5 will have an "appealing" price point given its specs, according to Cerny, but there is no ballpark estimate yet regarding what the price may be.
Game of Thrones Season 8 is over, for better or worse. The finale made some pretty unexpected moves, perhaps most of all placing Bran on the throne (well, a throne, not the Throne). How the show reached that point, and what it all means, is a topic we could (and honestly will) debate for years to come. But the big question looming over all of this is: Will the ending be the same in the books, once author George R.R. Martin actually finishes writing them?
Bran ascending to rule Westeros (six of the seven kingdoms, at least) makes a certain amount of sense in the show. In communing with the Three-Eyed Raven beyond the Wall, Bran gained powers that allowed him to view events from throughout history, past and present, anywhere in the world. Once every character in the show accepted that Bran has these powers and thus has more knowledge than anyone else could ever hope to gain, the lords of Westeros all agreeing to crown him king is a logical move. It's not totally clear why Bran did many of the things that he did (or didn't do) over the last few seasons, besides a vague sense that everything happened for a reason.
If you're a glass-half-full type of viewer, you might choose to believe that Bran spent several years playing puppet master with the goal of becoming king because he's ultimately benevolent. Bran has seen every possible future, and he knows that, despite the horrors that have occurred along the way, this was the best path in the end, because he'll be a good ruler and avoid even more bloodshed in the future. It's the fantasy version of Doctor Strange's "one in 14 million" path forward in Avengers: Infinity War.
There's one key difference, though: Doctor Strange didn't peer into 14 million possible futures and then pick the one where he becomes emperor of the galaxy. Did Bran manipulate events throughout Game of Thrones to achieve the best possible ending for everyone--least lives lost, most wars averted, etc.--or was the purpose of his machinations simply to put himself in power, no matter the cost?
If Bran was meant to be evil in the end, the show did a pretty bad job explaining how he got that way. I don't believe that's the case, but things might turn out very differently in the next book, The Winds of Winter--even if on the surface, they appear to turn out the same. It all has to do with the Three-Eyed Raven's real identity, Bran's warging/skinchanging abilities, and another possible meaning of the "song of ice and fire."
Who Is The Three-Eyed Raven?
The entire storyline around the Three-Eyed Raven is one area in which Game of Thrones simply missed its mark. If you only watch the show, you probably know roughly three things about this character: He was played by two different actors across two seasons (Struan Rodger and Max von Sydow), he lived in a cave north of the Wall, and he didn't much care for the Night King.
His story is so much better in the books, where he's known as the Three-Eyed Crow--and where he has an actual identity beyond teaching Bran how to do magic and be weird. In the books, the Three-Eyed Crow is actually Brynden Rivers, or Lord Bloodraven--a Targaryen bastard who served as Hand to multiple Targaryen kings, remained loyal to the Targaryens through several rebellions of a splinter faction called the Blackfyres, and was eventually arrested and sent off to the Night's Watch. There, he rose through the ranks to become Lord Commander, but disappeared while ranging north of the Wall (not unlike Ned Stark's brother Benjen).
When Bran meets Bloodraven in that cave in the far north, the Targaryen bastard is around 125 years old. Obviously, that's far beyond a normal human's lifespan; the sorcerer is essentially a living corpse, with a weirwood tree growing around and through him, roots snaking in and out of the empty socket where he lost an eye in a duel with his half-brother Aegor "Bittersteel" Rivers over 100 years earlier. (There's a saying that Bloodraven, a spymaster and skinchanger, had "a thousand eyes, and one.") He also has a distinctive winestain birthmark on one cheek--the source of his name, as it apparently resembles a bird.
(I should stop here to note that, technically, the Three-Eyed Crow and Bloodraven being the same person isn't 100% confirmed yet in the books, although the amount of evidence and clues that point to this theory being fact is overwhelmingly convincing.)
Why does any of this matter?
It's been established that author George R.R. Martin gave Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, at the very minimum, the basic gist of his story outline, so that they could work toward the same ending even as the show passed the books. But "Bran is king in the end" might not be the exact same ending George has in mind.
In the books, Bran was still chilling in that cave with the Three-Eyed Crow the last we saw. The show passed the books when Bran escaped the Night King's attack there, was rescued by Benjen, and headed back down South. Afterward, Bran was clearly changed: He no longer seemed like himself, and even made cryptic statements about how he wasn't really Bran anymore.
If we assume that some or all of these details came directly from the original author's still-unpublished book material, then there are some logical leaps we can make. I'll shout-out here to Twitter user T.J. Hafer, who started me thinking about this theory.
What if Bran really isn't Bran anymore? What if the Three-Eyed Crow isn't a benevolent being who wants to help Bran fight the White Walkers (the "Others" in the books), but simply another player of the game of thrones vying for power? The books are full of Targaryens and Targaryen loyalists who want to see their dynasty returned to glory, many of whom are not present in the show, and Bloodraven might be simply one more--albeit one playing a very long game.
Bloodraven may have sensed Bran's latent magical abilities and lured him north of the Wall so that he could get close to the Stark boy--and steal his body. It's been suggested--and this is how it seemed to work in the show--that "Three-Eyed Raven" is a mantle that can be passed from character to character. But what if becoming the Three-Eyed Crow really means that Bran literally becomes Bloodraven?
In the books, if Bran is really the Targaryen bastard Brynden Rivers in disguise when he returns southward, his actions throughout the rest of the series--if the novels play out at all like the show did--could make a lot more sense. Brandon Stark wouldn't sit around doing nothing while tens of thousands of innocent people died, but Bloodraven might, if it meant returning the Targaryens to power. In the book's history, Bloodraven traveled north to the Wall in the company of a young Maester Aemon--yes, the same Maester Aemon who's still alive in Jon and Sam's time. But unlike Aemon, Bloodraven may not have been content to let his family be snuffed out, even if it meant biding his time for decades and concocting a demented, complex plan to maneuver his way back to power in King's Landing.
And maybe the titular Song of Ice and Fire--although it still applies to Jon and Dany, too--could also symbolize the war between Bloodraven, a firey Targaryen, and the Others, who want to stop him from carrying his plan out for some reason. For book readers who have had a lot of time to speculate in between releases, these theories go deep--there are rabbit holes involving things like the Stark family's connections to the Others, and that may all play into this as well.
One thing I know for sure is that the ending as presented on the show--that Bran appeared to manipulate the other characters by selectively revealing bits and pieces of information only when it suited him and allowed tens of thousands of people to die horribly so he could be a Good, Just King--doesn't sit quite right with me. Whether the series' true ending is something that fans have already predicted, exactly the same as the show or completely different, or even something that no one has yet foreseen, we'll simply have to wait to find out.
The mainline Game of Thrones show is over. Sunday night's finale, "The Iron Throne," wrapped up the story that began back in 2011. People were divided on the episode, but whatever the case, it was a huge ratings success with more than 19 million viewers to set a new series record.
While the main show is over, a two-hour documentary is coming next week. After that, HBO has multiple prequel spinoff programs--or "successor shows," as George R.R. Martin calls them--in the works that are scheduled to debut at some point in the future.
Here is a brief breakdown of everything we know about the Game of Thrones spinoffs.
HBO initially announced that it was working on scripts for as many as five different Game of Thrones spinoffs, though the network never committed to actually producing that many. HBO announced in 2017 that it had commissioned pitch scripts for shows to be run by Jane Goldman, Max Borenstein, Brian Helgeland, and Carly Wray. Goldman's show is being made (or at least a pilot; more on that later), but it's unclear what the status is of the other projects.
The latest update from George R.R. Martin, who is involved with the spinoffs as a producer, is that three of the five shows are coming along well. The highest-profile show that we know about is the one starring Naomi Watts that is reportedly scheduled to begin shooting this year.
Martin wrote on his blog that the Naomi Watts Game of Thrones prequel is called The Long Night, though he later walked that back, so the name could change. Whatever the title is, the show is set thousands of years before the mainline HBO show and concerns legendary characters like Bran the Builder, founder of House Stark, and Lann the Clever, founder of House Lannister. None of the characters from HBO's mainline Game of Thrones show are expected to appear in the prequels.
The title Martin mentioned, the Long Night, refers to a winter that lasted a generation--which also included the first war with the White Walkers. The program's showrunner is Jane Goldman, who worked on Kingsman and the X-Men film series. The pilot episode will be directed by S.J. Clarkson who directed episodes of Jessica Jones and The Defenders
The other two shows are still working on scripts, but there is no word yet on the stories they'll tell or who may star in them. Martin teased that at least one might concern the Targaryen dynasty, which is covered in the recently released companion book, "Fire & Blood."
"We have had five different Game of Thrones successor shows in development (I mislike the term 'spinoffs') at HBO, and three of them are still moving forward nicely," Martin said. "The one I am not supposed to call The Long Night will be shooting later this year, and two other shows remain in the script stage, but are edging closer. What are they about? I cannot say. But maybe some of you should pick up a copy of Fire & Blood and come up with your own theories."
In terms of what the new show could cover for its story, the 300-year history of the Targaryens in Westeros make up a rich tapestry of storytelling opportunities. Aegon Targaryen's original conquest of the Seven Kingdoms would be pretty intense, but there's also the Dance of Dragons, when a Targaryen prince battled a princess over who would succeed their father on the Iron Throne, and the Blackfyre Rebellion, when a bunch of legitimized Targaryen bastards banded together to overthrow the trueborn Targaryens.
Before you get too excited, remember that HBO has only ordered a pilot for the Naomi Watts Game of Thrones successor show, so it remains to be seen if it will get picked up to series. As you may recall, the pilot episode of Game of Thrones was problematic and had to undergo reshoots. Not only that, but HBO recast Daenarys and Catelyn Stark after the original pilot, which never aired. Tamzin Merchant played Daenerys in the pilot, while Jennifer Ehle portrayed Catelyn Stark in roles that were later given to Emilia Clarke and Michelle Fairley respectively.
One of the Game of Thrones prequels that will not happen is the one from Game of Thrones series producer Bryan Cogman. He said recently that HBO has decided to not move forward with his idea. Cogman recently signed a deal with Amazon to work on their network of shows going forward.
It's not immediately clear why HBO decided to pass on Cogman's Game of Thrones prequel idea, but HBO programming boss Casey Bloys previously talked about why the network was commissioning so many. "The idea was, if we're going to try it, let's take a couple of shots and see," he said. "My hope is at least one lives up to the level of quality [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] have set."
Benioff and Weiss are apparently not involved in the new Game of Thrones prequels. They are currently working on a new trilogy of Star Wars movies, the first of which is scheduled to premiere in 2022.
The finale episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 is here, and at last, the question of who will sit the Iron Throne has been answered. Fans, viewers, and Las Vegas have speculated about which character would ultimately rule since the show's beginning, with all kinds of callbacks and Easter eggs providing clues along the way. Plenty of characters have tried to manipulate their way to power over the years, only to ultimately fail (and die, often horribly).
So the fact that Bran Stark wound up the ruler of Westeros is somewhat confusing. He's an entirely unassuming choice, having seemingly done very little since he became the new Three-Eyed Raven way back in Season 6. Though Bran has the ability to warg into animals (and sometimes people) and to know about seemingly anything that's happening anywhere, he seems to rarely use these powers, and hasn't been very involved in the goings-on of Westeros. He outed Littlefinger in Season 7, provided some information about dealing with the Night King, and helped Jon learn about his true identity, but that's about it. Bran came off as a good choice for the ruler of Westeros because it's seemingly not a job he wants ("I don't really 'want' anymore," he said earlier in Season 8), because he's supposedly wise, and because he's distant and therefore can be objective and just.
But some viewers are questioning the choice of Bran in the end, because it doesn't make a ton of sense. For someone who knows seemingly everything, Bran hasn't spent much time this season helping anyone. He did little during Season 7, he did nothing during the Battle of Winterfell, and what information he has provided hasn't been all that useful. What makes him such a good choice for king, other than the fact that he's a great compromise to keep the power away from everyone else?
The fact that Bran hasn't had much going on since Season 6 has bothered a lot of viewers, and now to have him wind up on the throne seemingly by default is even less satisfying. Bran does say one thing that suggests he knows more than he's letting on, though. During the council to choose the new king, when Tyrion asks Bran if he's up for the job, Bran responds, "Why do you think I came all this way?" Once again, Bran suggests he knew something would happen before it did, so why isn't he using that information more effectively?
If you think about it, Bran's actions--and more aptly, his inaction--have constantly and subtly pushed in the direction of him becoming king. Season 8 makes a lot more sense if you consider that Bran might have been manipulating events for his own benefit all along. After all, he could have saved a lot more lives along the way, if that had been his goal. But what if it wasn't?
Bran the Deceiver
Consider Bran's actions during the Battle of Winterfell. Though he can warg into animals and get a bird's eye view of the battle, which could then allow him to pass useful intelligence to the fighters defending the castle, Bran does nothing. He just sits in the godswood, quietly using himself as bait for the Night King. If he could have helped, why didn't he? Maybe because Bran foresaw several key deaths that would help bolster his position.
The Battle of Winterfell saw so many of Daenerys's forces eliminated that she was suddenly on even ground with the Lannisters. She also lost Jorah Mormont, her most trusted adviser and most capable protector. Other key deaths during the battle included a popular and capable leader in Lyanna Mormont, who was known to sway public opinion with gripping speeches, and Theon Greyjoy, who had a history with Sansa Stark that could divide her loyalties. Key people who might have changed the rest of the events of Season 8 were lost during the battle.
Bran also helps provide Jon with the information about his true parentage, even though that does nothing but complicate an already strained wartime situation. It's Bran who convinces Samwell Tarly to tell Jon the truth about who his parents were, which instantly puts Jon into conflict with Dany even though he's already pledged her his loyalty, bent the knee, and given up being King in the North for her. Jon has a better claim to the Iron Throne than Dany, but it's obvious he doesn't want to rule. Why tell Jon about his parents at all, or at least, why tell him right before he fights a battle that could mean the destruction of all of Westeros? It seems like a bad move that doesn't help anyone, unless you consider that Bran wants to sow discord and push Daenerys over the edge.
Losing Ser Jorah leaves Daenerys without her best bodyguard and without the man who had often acted as the voice of reason against her worst impulses, right when Dany is within sight of her goal, and right when the biggest threat to her claim to the throne, Jon, is suddenly revealed. Daenerys then loses her dragon Rhaegal and her close friend and adviser Missandei to a sneak attack at Dragonstone--again, something that seems like a guy who can become a bird and see things anywhere in the world could have helped her avoid.
That puts Daenerys at King's Landing in a fraught state. Her enemies have killed her best people, her advisers are turning on her, her dragons are dead, she hasn't won any loyalty despite helping beat the army of the dead, and the man she loves could challenge her pursuit of the goal she spent her life chasing. She's primed to do something terrible, and Bran could have stopped any or all of those circumstances from coming to pass with his superpowers. But he doesn't.
Playing The Long Game
Really, the events of Season 8 make a lot more sense if you assume Bran is manipulating people on purpose, Littlefinger-style. He tells Jon that he's actually Aegon Targaryen knowing that at the very least, it'll create distrust between him and Daenerys. He lets lots of people die fighting the army of the dead because he wants them gone, but sets up Arya to kill the Night King (he gave her that Valryian steel dagger, don't forget) to eliminate one of his chief adversaries. He allows Dany to lose her armies and her dragons to weaken her. He doesn't provide any of his family members with information about King's Landing or their enemies that could help them take the city with less bloodshed. Everything he does or doesn't do sets up the opportunity for Cersei, Dany, and Jon to eliminate each other, and nothing he does or doesn't do saves lives or de-escalates that conflict.
There's even a fan theory to go with this idea, but it's based more on George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels than what's in the show. It concerns the true identity of the Three-Eyed Raven: a Targaryen bastard called Brynden Rivers, also known as the Bloodraven. With his greensight and warg powers, the theory goes, the Bloodraven could have lured Bran north of the Wall and then taken over his body, executing a lengthy plan to take the Iron Throne for himself. (Here's more about the idea of Bran becoming the Bloodraven.)
Fans have also speculated that Bran could become the Night King through some combination of time travel and magic ever since Season 6. The touch of the Night King has been enough to turn babies into White Walkers and dragons into wights, and the Night King pointedly touched Bran during a vision in Season 6 ("His mark is on me," Bran reminded us in Season 8). Maybe that touch had more of an effect on Bran than we all realized.
If Bran is evil, then his arc in Season 8 is a masterstroke of manipulation and careful inaction--everything Bran doesn't do matters as much as everything he does do. There's a reason he doesn't use his powers to help people in Season 8: He doesn't want to help them. And by doing very little, acting disinterested, and downplaying his magic abilities, Bran sets himself up to seem like an excellent choice for king. He gets the throne with no opposition because everyone else thinks it was their idea to crown him. Littlefinger couldn't have executed a better deception.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum is still in theatres, but we're already learning about the sequel. It was confirmed today that John Wick 4 will open in theatres on May 21, 2021.
This was announced by way of a text message sent to fans and media (including here at GameSpot). It says: "You have served. You will be of service. John Wick: Chapter 4 is coming - May 21, 2021."
The ending to John Wick Chapter 3 certainly set up more stories to be told in the John Wick universe, so the announcement today is no surprise. Part of what drives the success of the series is star Keanu Reeves and stunt-coordinator-turned-director Chad Stahelski, so hopefully the pair return for the 2021 sequel.
In addition to John Wick Chapter 4, it was announced in 2017 that a spin-off film centered on a young female assassin was being developed. There is also a TV show; Starz is developing The Continental, a series set in the Los Angeles location of the franchise's infamous assassin hotel.
Surprising no one, the Game of Thrones finale was a ratings smash. The episode, "The Iron Throne," attracted 19.3 million viewers across all platforms right away, HBO announced. This includes 13.6 million people who watched the linear TV broadcast on HBO, and the rest coming from replays and streaming.
The previous record for a linear broadcast episode on HBO was 13.4 million from Season 4 premiere of The Sopranos back in 2002. "The Iron Throne" is the most-watched episode of the final Game of Thrones season, surpassing "The Bells," which had 18.4 million viewers.
Overall, Game of Thrones Season 8 averaged 44.2 million viewers per episode after a week of viewing, which is up by more than 10 million over the average of Season 7.
HBO also announced that the show that follows Game of Thrones on HBO, Barry, reached 2.7 million viewers for its own season finale to reach an all-time series high. It is up 253 percent from the previous season's finale which attracted 774,000 viewers.
"The Iron Throne" was written and directed by Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. The pair are finished with Game of Thrones, but the series will continue through prequels, one of which stars Naomi Watts and begins filming this year. On May 26, HBO will air a two-hour Game of Thrones Season 8 documentary that promises to dive deep into the story behind how the final season came to be.
For more on Episode 6, check out the show's latest coffee cup-style gaffe (this time featuring a pair of water bottles) and a reminder of who was at the council meeting (there were some faces present who we hadn't seen in years). For our thoughts on the final episode, check out our "The Iron Throne" review.
The more Universal Studios Orlando reveals about their upcoming Harry Potter-themed roller coaster, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the more exciting it looks. In addition to the incredibly lifelike animatronic of Hagrid that is featured in the attraction, the theme park has revealed many new details about the immersive ride, as well as a bunch of new photos and a ride-along video of the attraction. Get ready for a wild Harry Potter experience.
According to Universal Orlando Resort, the coaster is set in an actual forest made up of 1,200 living trees. It also breaks a few roller coaster records, including having the most launches in a single ride--there are seven--and a free-fall vertical drop which lets riders fall 17 feet without warning.
The ride is also story-driven, which is unlike what you'll find on most roller coasters. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is heavily themed and takes riders through numerous scenes as there encounter various elements from the Harry Potter franchise. An official ride description reads, "As they make their way to their enchanted motorbikes, guests will see materials from the class, including dragon eggs on the verge of hatching and a makeshift nursery where Hagrid kept his Blast-Ended Skrewts--the creatures that are being brought to life for the first time ever for this epic new adventure." There will also be a pre-show in the ride's queue, which includes appearances by Hagrid, his trusty dog Fang, and Arthur Weasley.
As you can see in the photos above and the video below, the theming on this particular ride is extensive and loaded with Easter eggs from the Harry Potter franchise--including the Monsters Book of Monsters playing a role in the story. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure opens at Universal Orlando's Island of Adventure on June 13.
Netflix subscribers have plenty to check out on the service this upcoming week, with originals, comedy specials, TV seasons, and movies all hitting every day of the week. It was actually a smaller month for Netflix in May, with a more limited selection compared to what subscribers are used to. Here's what you can look forward to for the week of May 19.
If you're a fan of CW's series based on the characters from DC Comics, you'll have a lot to binge this week. Season 7 of Arrow arrives on May 21 and Season 5 of The Flash heads to Netflix on May 22. If you enjoy the CW shows, but you're not into superheroes, find out what madness happened on Season 3 of Riverdale, which lands on May 23.
Additionally, there are plenty of Netflix originals to keep you occupied. Comedian Wanda Sykes has her new special "Not Normal" coming on May 21. The horror anthology series Slasher returns with a new entry, exclusively on Netflix, titled "Solstice." Someone is murdered at an apartment complex and no one did anything to help, even though there were plenty of witnesses. One year later, someone is extracting revenge on those who wouldn't help.
On the sci-fi side of things, Rim of the World arrives on May 24, and the movie follows four teenagers stuck at a summer camp while an alien invasion threatens the rest of the world. Finally, sharing a name with a Marvel Comic series--and nothing else-- What / If is a new anthology series that explores the decisions people make and the ripple effects they create. It lands on Netflix on May 24.
Below, you'll find the list for what's coming out for Netflix this week. Additionally, both Hulu and Amazon Prime Video have revealed what's coming to those services for the month of June.
Coming To Netflix This Week
May 20
Prince of Peoria: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Rosario Tijeras (Mexico Version): Season 2
May 21
Arrow: Season 7
Moonlight
Wanda Sykes: Not Normal -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 22
A Tale of Two Kitchens -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
One Night in Spring -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Flash: Season 5
May 23
Riverdale: Season 3
Slasher: Solstice -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 24
After Maria -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Alta Mar -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Joy -- NETFLIX FILM
Rim of the World -- NETFLIX FILM
She's Gotta Have It: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Perfection -- NETFLIX FILM
WHAT / IF -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
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