That changes today. For the first time, Rage can now be bought digitally on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Microsoft announced. You can buy the game on your console for $15 or through this Xbox Store page; it weighs in at 21.2 GB.
Sony streaming service PlayStation Now saw a major expansion last year when it launched on PC. This year, the service is leaving behind a number of platforms to focus exclusively on just two of them.
In a PlayStation Blog post today, Sony announced that it will soon end PlayStation Now support on almost all devices: PS3, Vita, PlayStation TV, Sony Bravia TVs (models from 2013-2015), all Sony Blu-ray players, and all Samsung TVs. These changes will go into effect on August 15. Bravia TV models from 2016 will only be supported until April 1.
Once these changes are made, it will leave PS4 and PC as the only platforms with access to the service, which lets you stream hundreds of PS3 games.
"After thoughtful consideration, we decided to shift our focus and resources to PS4 and Windows PC to further develop and improve the user experience on these two devices," Sony explained. "This move puts us in the best position to grow the service even further. If you use any of the above devices, we want to give our heartfelt thanks for your support, and we hope you'll continue with us."
If you are using Now on any of the platforms set to be discontinued, you can always pick up your progress on PS4 or PC. If you're a subscriber who won't be using Now on either of those, Sony advises that you disable auto-renewal before service ends on the platforms you play on.
Sony didn't have any details to share about how Now will change with support dropped from these devices. Being a cloud-based service, it's unclear what supporting those platforms prevented it from being able to do.
New games are typically added to Now's library each month. The latest batch included a dozen games from Koei Tecmo.
Microsoft today announced the day and time of its E3 2017 briefing--and it's not the same schedule as last year. The Xbox show will be held Sunday, June 11, starting at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET.
Historically, the Xbox briefing is held on the Monday of E3 week, in the morning. Though the day is changing, the venue is staying the same: the Galen Center in Los Angeles.
Microsoft only announced the time and date of its E3 2017 briefing today, not any specific programming details. You can definitely expect news about Project Scorpio, as the tweet that announced the details today used an image of the system first shared at E3 2016. The system is scheduled to go on sale this holiday, so it will surely be a big focus of the event.
Microsoft is the only company to formally announce the time and date of its E3 briefing so far. Last year, Bethesda and EA's briefings took place on the Sunday before E3 week, followed by Sony and Ubisoft on the next day. EA's own E3 event, EA Play, takes place June 10-12, but the company has not announced when its briefing will take place, if it has one.
We'll report back with more details on this year's E3 as they become available.
The wild and over-the-top action game Let It Die, from No More Heroes developer Grasshopper Manufacture, has passed 2 million downloads, it was announced today. This figure includes downloads of the free-to-play PlayStation 4 game in North America, Europe, and Japan; it came out December.
To celebrate the "momentous and bloody milestone," everyone who logs into the game between February 16 and February 23 will receive one Death Metal, which is the game's currency.
Additionally, players who craft weapons during the promo period will receive the following rewards:
Additionally, a new Let's Play video featuring Dogma and Clerks director Kevin Smith has been released--check it out in the video above. Smith is also in the new Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare DLC.
Let It Die began its life as Lily Bergamo, but at E3 2014, it was confirmed that the game morphed into its current state. It is the first game from Suda, AKA Suda 51, and developer Grasshopper Manufacture since the studio was acquired by GungHo Online Entertainment (best known for its hugely successful free-to-play mobile game Puzzle & Dragons) and the first PS4 game for both companies.
Capcom has responded to the Dead Rising 4's reviews. In a recent investor Q&A, the English translation of which was published today, Capcom was asked why the zombie game did not receive "more distinguished reviews." Capcom management responded by saying the game's "more approachable" nature did not resonate with everyone.
"Compared to the series up to now, this game was made more approachable in order to allow a wider audience to enjoy it," the company said. "However, there was a wider range of opinions for the new game. Moving forward, we intend to grow unit sales on a continuous basis by releasing additional digital download content while implementing updates for improvements."
"Dead Rising's zombie-slaughtering formula has started to wear a bit thin after all these years, especially since its combat remains largely routine," reviewer Scott Butterworth said. "The surprisingly well-crafted story, wild new combo weapons, and expansive open world elements, however, turn Dead Rising 4 into an over-the-top piece of popcorn entertainment that captures the series' best elements."
"There was real consternation about the intensity of the tone of the film," she said, as reported by Variety. "It's more of an elegy about life and death. The paradigm for it was a Western, and my colleagues were up in arms.
"It's not a wise-cracking, cigar-chomping mutton-sporting Wolverine, and the debate internally became, 'Isn't that freakin' boring?' Isn't it exciting to imagine Wolverine as a real guy and he's world-weary and he doesn't want to fight anymore until a little girl needs him?"
Hugh Jackman returns to play Wolverine again in Logan for what might be the last time. Unlike the previous entries in the series, Logan is rated R; Jackman agreed to a paycut to make this happen.
Logan also stars Patrick Stewart, Sienna Novikov, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Boyd Holbrook, and Richard E. Grant. It was directed by James Mangold and hits theaters on March 3, 2017.
An expensive new figure of Street Fighter's Ken is on the way, Pop Culture Shock Collectibles announced today.
Priced at $500, the 1:4 scale figure stands 25 inches tall. It's a part of the company's Ultra Statue line and features Ken's colors from Street Fighter IV. Check it out below.
Pop Culture describes it as a "hand-crafted polystone figure." In addition to the statue itself, your purchase entitles you to a certificate of authenticity.
Provided you've willing to part with $500 for it, you will be waiting a while. Its release is estimated as coming in the January - March window of 2018, which puts it about a year away. If you're interested, preorders are available through Pop Culture's website (via Game Informer).
GameSpot has a For Honor review in progress up--we'll be posting our final review once we've had a little more time to dive deep into the game's fighting mechanics. Until then, check out the roundup below. We'll continue to update this article as more final reviews come in.
"One-on-one battles are fun and challenging for the way they punish you for thoughtless play. But this heavily contrasts with fighting For Honor's AI minions, which frequently feel mundane; defeating them simply requires mindless swinging rather than the calculated execution of one-on-one combat. Fighting these "opponents" also proves middling due to the inability to lock onto them directly. More often than not you'll find yourself swinging your weapon wildly at the air rather than hitting them.
[But] despite these evident shortcomings, For Honor already has the workings of a well-made multiplayer fighting game." -- Matt Espineli [Full review in progress]
IGN -- No score (review in progress)
"For Honor is a unique and somewhat risky venture in this day and age of publishers being hesitant to stray far from the model of their proven hits. Like a delicious, gamified Turducken, it's a brawler with the depth of a fighting game inserted into the body of a third-person action game, which is in turn stuffed into an online team-based objective game. And in my roughly 40 hours spent playing a combination of alpha and beta tests, it's easy for me to say that For Honor's combat system is the most tactically complete and flexible version of melee combat I've ever experienced." -- Brandin Tyrrel [Full review in progress]
Destructoid -- No score (review in progress)
"For Honor reminds me of the kind of game that gets featured in TV shows where the writers don't really know a lot about games. It's just this crazy mash-up of fantasy warriors, cool martial arts, and plenty of blood splashed about without any real context or plot. Turns out, I'm totally fine with that." -- Nic Rowen [Full review in progress]
Trusted Reviews -- No score (review in progress)
"For Honor is a real surprise. In terms of gameplay mechanics it's top-notch, visually it's excellent, and there's a decent--if fairly formulaic--campaign to play through. The signs are extremely promising, with the recent beta test proving that the multiplayer battles can be excellent. There's some more testing to be done before delivering a final verdict, but Ubisoft could well have another online-focused hit on its hands." -- Tom Orry [Full review in progress]
Announced this week, the new, 10-inch figures are for the game's three classes: Titan, Hunter, and Warlock. The $20 toys come standing on a Destiny-themed base. Here's what they look like:
"Detail, depth, and customization--that's what Destiny gives its players, and that's what made it the biggest new video game franchise launch," McFarlane Toys CEO Todd McFarlane said in a statement. "With our upcoming Destiny line, fans can expect that same amount of detail and customization that we have built our own reputation on."
The figures will be available at "major retailers" around the US in July. McFarlane said the Titan, Hunter, and Warlock toys are part of its "initial wave" of figures, which suggests more are coming later.
McFarlane Toys is no stranger to video game figures, as the company has already released toys based on the Mass Effect, Five Nights at Freddy's, and Assassin's Creed franchises. Outside of gaming, McFarlane has made figures for big-name series such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and Spawn, which was created by McFarlane.
"For anyone who either hasn't yet tried Destiny or hasn't played in a while, we think we've made a sequel that's going to have a lot for them to love, too," Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said during an earnings call this month. "The cornerstone of that is a great cinematic story that's been a real focus with a great cast of memorable, relatable characters, coupled with some very nice ways to make the game more accessible to a casual player. Without losing anything that our core players love, we've made it more accessible to someone who just wants to have a great, more casual first-person action experience."
Bungie is not finished supporting the first Destiny, as a new update released this week made a series of weapon and ability balance changes--check out the full patch notes here.
In an interview with We Got This Covered, Worthington explained that all four of the upcoming sequels would be filmed simultaneously. "They're going to be shooting concurrently," he said. "The plan is to have some time in between, I think, but these things are always ambiguous until they start. We're still set to start in the summer, though. James needed time to perfect the scripts. Whenever he says jump I go because he's the man. I've read all the scripts. They're great. This film is going to be like nothing you've ever seen."
Worthington went on to emphasise the "family" aspect that Cameron has previously spoken about. "This is going to be Jake [Sully, Worthington's character] eight years later, and he's got a family now'" he said. "The world is bigger than the first one, but essentially, it's a movie about family.
"Jake will still have that essence of a kid seeing the world for the first time, but he's been living in the world for a while now, so what's this world he's seeing now for the first time? The film will explore that within this family dynamic."
Cameron has also revealed that he hoped to make the films in glasses-free 3D. "I'm going to push," he said. "Not only for better tools, workflow, high dynamic range, and high frame rates--the things we are working toward. I'm still very bullish on 3D, but we need brighter projection, and ultimately I think it can happen--with no glasses. We'll get there."
Daymare: 1998, an indie survival horror game inspired by Resident Evil, has received a new trailer just hours before its Kickstarter campaign goes live.
The trailer offers a glimpse at the game's eerie setting. It also features creepy voices and flashes of at least one enemy. Take a look for yourself above.
Developer Invader Studios was previously developing a fan remake of Resident Evil 2 before the project was abandoned at Capcom's request. Resident Evil 2 was released in 1998, a number that features heavily in Daymare's marketing, most prominently in its name. This new title features "many connections with beloved old school survival horror games and '90s landmark brands," according to the developer.
In addition to the trailer, Invader has revealed new details about the game's Kickstarter campaign. Reward tiers range from €1 (around US $1.06) to €7000 ($7,404), with a digital copy of the game costing €12 ($12.69). The Kickstarter campaign begins on February 15 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM GMT and will end March 17.
No release date has yet been set for Daymare, which is currently only coming to PC.
The survey asks 24 questions in all, beginning with basics like your age and gender, as well as whether or not you've played Final Fantasy XV. If you haven't, the survey will ask why. The first part of the survey is fairly straightforward, but it gets more potentially interesting closer to the end.
One of the last questions is about DLC. It asks people to explain in a few sentences how they feel about season passes and DLC; answers don't have to be specific to Final Fantasy XV. Square Enix has already announced Final Fantasy XV DLC and a season pass, so perhaps the publisher is looking to tweak it.
The final question might be the best one. It says, "If you ask one thing to the developers of Final Fantasy XV, what would it be?" You can then fill it whatever response you want. We can only imagine what some people will write in.
Final Fantasy XV is getting a Nissin Cup Noodle hat as DLC, at least in Japan.
Square Enix is teaming up with Nissin for 15 different Cup Noodles that are themed around boss characters from across the Final Fantasy series. Everyone who buys the food gets a code that unlocks a Cup Noodle hat for Final Fantasy XV main character Noctis. Here is what it looks like (via Siliconera):
The noodle cups cost ¥6,048 ($52) for a 15-pack and are apparently only sold in Japan--go to this website to order yours. If you really want the Cup Noodle hat DLC, it might be possible to import the food and get the code that way. Or maybe codes will show up on eBay.
The Nissin/Square Enix partnership for real noodle cups is an extension of the product placement deal that saw Nissin noodle cups show up in Final Fantasy XV. There was a silly fan-made video that joked about this.
In the earliest moments of Prey's opening hour, I found myself trapped in my own apartment. The windows were sealed, the doors were locked, and the elevator in the hallway was broken. Eventually I figured out I could smash my way through a sliding glass door, but I later discovered there was another possible solution: I could have escaped through the fish tank.
Like Arkane Studio's other major first-person action franchise, Dishonored, Prey equips players with versatile tools and abilities that can be used to solve problems in a variety of ways. However you choose to approach its puzzles and attack its enemies, the game endeavors to ensure you can actualize your ideas, even if that means smashing a decorative aquarium and crawling through the resulting hole. It's a textbook example of the "player choice" approach to game design championed by classics like System Shock, Deus Ex, and, of course, Dishonored.
"If you help [survivors] out, they might show up in your office later and provide help. Or you might have an empty office, if you play that way." -- Ricardo Bare, Lead Designer
But Prey also apes specific elements from other acclaimed titles, including BioShock, Half-Life, and Dead Space. All told, the game contains traces of stealth, action, survival, role-playing, and even horror games, all set within a single sprawling space station that rewards exploration. I spent more than an hour playing from the beginning of the game and still came away feeling like I'd barely scratched the surface of Prey's ambitions. And while I'm excited about what the game could become should it successfully realize all of its ideas, it's not yet clear how or if its disparate parts will gel together--or even if they succeed individually.
Some of its mechanics boldly deviate from genre norms, but it's too early to tell if this will ultimately prove refreshing or just confounding. For example, Prey contains firearms, but unlike the vast majority of modern shooters, you cannot aim down sights. Instead, the left trigger is reserved for optional alien powers unlocked later in the game. "Once players acquire Typhon abilities, the left trigger becomes the means by which those powers are targeted and activated," explained lead designer Ricardo Bare following my demo. "Holding left trigger freezes time and allows players to aim powers [like] Kinetic Blast or pick targets as in Mimic Matter. It's similar to entering VATS mode in Fallout."
This ability-focused setup worked out fine for Dishonored, but guns seem more central to Prey's design: I acquired a shotgun, pistol, and multipurpose GLOO Cannon within the first half hour. Despite this abundance of weapons, however, ammunition proved extremely scarce, and the grid-based inventory system limited the number of items I could carry. Though by no means as a punishing as a true survival game, I still had to scavenge for health and ammo while juggling crafting materials to make room for more immediately useful items. And there's another catch: strenuous actions like sprinting and melee attacks drain your stamina meter, which is quick to deplete but slow to recharge (at least early on). When it's empty, you can no longer attack, and your movement slows considerably.
Your health won't regenerate on its own, but you can drink from fountains or seek out healing items to restore it. Or you could just load a quick-save and try again.
Altogether, design choices like the stamina bar, aiming, and survival mechanics constitute a gamble, and while I still can't quite decide if that gamble pays off, I am impressed Prey refuses to be bound by convention. And though its opening hour left me feeling a bit underpowered, the game does provide plenty of options for growth as you progress. Prey contains two completely separate upgrade systems--one for human abilities and one for alien abilities--both of which comprise three distinct branches that all focus different playstyles.
Bare remained reticent about the total number of possible upgrades, but he did confirm that, "just based on the economy alone, you can't acquire enough 'neuromods' to get every single power. You'd have to start a new playthrough. You could probably acquire enough to fully spec out all the alien abilities or fully spec out all the human ones, but not both." Neuromods are collectible items scattered throughout the space station that allow you to unlock new powers for protagonist Morgan Yu. Sadly, none of the alien abilities were available during my demo (I couldn't even find them in the menu), but I did scrape together neuromods to start exploring the human upgrades.
For the most part, the human powers provide simple but helpful boosts that unlock new options within the world. You can bump up Morgan's strength, for example, which then allows you to move heavy objects and access rooms that were previously blocked. You can also improve Morgan's hacking abilities, which you can use to open doors, decrypt passwords, and uncover hidden safe codes. You can even select a repair skill that lets you fix busted elevators and revive sentient turrets much like the ones you found back in BioShock.
It's disappointing the more exotic alien powers largely remain a mystery outside of the few already announced, like the ability to morph into certain physics objects. Regardless of what those powers turn out to be, however, Prey's extensive skill trees should support a variety of playstyles. When asked about stealth options, for example, Bare replied, "You don't have to fight. There's maybe a couple of instances in the game where you absolutely have to fight something, but you can definitely play stealth. It's fair to describe Dishonored as a stealth game; this is a game with stealth. It's just one of the branches of upgrades you can apply to your character."
Thanks to Dishonored, we know Arkane does powers and playstyles well, so I'm anxious to see what's still to come from Prey. In the meantime, the game already contains a few brilliant ideas, most notably its abundant Mimic enemies. Prey takes place on a space station in the grips of an unknown catastrophe, so it's crawling with creepy, spider-like aliens. In groups, they'll swarm you with a front frontal assault, but when you catch them alone, they may choose camouflage instead since Mimics can disguise themselves as any physics-based object in the game: chairs, trash cans, potted plants--you never know when something's going to spring to life and try to rip out your throat.
To make matters worse, Mimics are indistinguishable from the objects they emulate--a Mimic disguised as a trash can will look identical to every other trash can. As a result, the random clutter we ignore in every other game suddenly becomes a source of constant suspicion, brilliantly turning our ingrained expectations against us. Even more impressively, Mimics pick objects procedurally, meaning if you die and reload an earlier save, there's no guarantee you'll find hidden Mimics in the same locations. And more than once during my demo, I chased a Mimic into a room only to find the room empty when I burst through the door, meaning the Mimic was smart enough to hide convincingly in the split second it was out of my sight. That's both impressive and terrifying.
Mimics aren't the only enemies after you, though. Bare also teased a late-game enemy that sounds an awful lot like Resident Evil 3's Nemesis: "There's this creature called the Nightmare that is specifically designed to hunt you. They made it to come after you. And it's a dynamic system, so you can do things to trigger its appearance. And when it shows up, it's like this huge roar [and] a giant creature, and it is looking for you specifically to kill you. And if you do things like install alien powers, it'll show up in the map that you're in and try to sniff you out." Bare declined to elaborate on who "designed" the Nightmare, but it sounds pretty menacing regardless.
Outside of its enemies, Prey's world--the expansive, varied Talos 1 space station--is also shaping up to be a major highlight. Like BioShock's Rapture, it mixes harsh industrial laboratories with the art deco detailings of a fancy cruise ship, a juxtaposition made even eerier by the mangled corpses and unexplained smears of blood scattered throughout. Though moodier lighting might have bolstered the tension in certain areas and occasional load screens dampened the atmosphere, Talos 1 contains plenty of secrets to uncover. Despite combing every area during my demo, I somehow missed an entire basement segment and walked right past a few carefully concealed ducts that would have allowed me into areas I assumed were off limits.
Clever, careful exploration will clearly play a key role in the overall experience, which means your path through the campaign could easily differ from your friends'. "Some of it does depend on what abilities you chose," said Bare. "So if I chose the ability to hack then I can probably get to this area before other players. Some of it is the progression of the story. And then some of it is just what side quests you did. There's an elevator in the main lobby that, if you fix it, it actually opens up huge amounts of the space station, and if you do that early, then you'll have access to more of the space station initially than somebody else who didn't." [WARNING: The following video contains the game's surprising opening sequence. If you're worried about spoilers, skip the video and continue reading below.]
"A lot of the side missions serve to flesh out the space station," Bare continued. "You can just hit the main beats and finish the main game, but you can spend many many many hours going down side trails, like finding missing people." Unfortunately, I didn't encounter any of these missing people during my demo, but they're potentially one of the most interesting things about Talos 1--and Prey itself. According to Bare, "How you treat the human beings on the station matters. There are consequences throughout and at the end, especially for what you do with the survivors that you meet. There are definitely multiple endings--a wide variance. There's two main branches, mostly centered around the fate of the space station and the survivors, but then within those branches, there's tons of little permutations."
I'm not going to spoil it here, but Prey's superb Portal 2-esque opening sows the seeds of paranoia that will no doubt take root as you dig deeper into the story. And while Bare assured me that storytelling is "not our key drive" and that the game won't "have a bazillion cutscenes," the idea of branching endings is still incredibly intriguing given the conspiratorial nature of the intro. Regardless of how the narrative plays out, however, Prey's ambitious blend of genres combined with its open-ended exploration and emphasis on player creativity made my demo an unusual yet remarkable experience. With any luck, the final game will synthesize these ideas into a cohesive package worthy of Arkane's reputation.
Prey is scheduled to launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 5. For more on Prey, be sure to check out our recent video impressions as well as our interview with lead designer Ricardo Bare and creative director Raphael Colantonio.
Immediately after President Trump announced his controversial travel policy last month, the high-profile video game group, the Entertainment Software Association, released a statement that spoke about how it could adversely affect the US gaming industry. Now, the ESA's CEO, Michael Gallagher, has released a new, more thorough statement that doesn't hold back in its criticism.
"The President has set forth a reckless and misinformed path regarding our foreign creators and storytellers, and ESA joined with industry leaders to demand a better approach to security concerns," he said. "We will be vigilant in the months ahead to guide policies that grow our medium and collaborate with you to repel misguided efforts that dim our frontiers."
In the ESA's original statement, the group, which organizes E3 every year and represents the video game industry's interests in Washington, said the US video game market relies on immigrant talent.
"While recognizing that enhancing national security and protecting our country's citizens are critical goals, our companies rely on the skilled talent of U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, and immigrants alike," the statement said. "Our nation's actions and words should support their participation in the American economy."
In the new statement today, Gallagher said the ESA will focus on a number of objectives in the future, including educating "key figures" in Washington, DC and around the country about issues such as immigration, trade, cybersecurity, and more. "ESA will champion the innovators, creators, and consumers who make up the video game ecosystem," Gallagher said. "We are here on behalf of each of you to defend against misguided and harmful attacks as well as supporting and advocating for elements that contribute to the continued positive growth of this great community."
The ESA also said it will connect with lawmakers to help them understand video games better; one part of this will be the expansion of the GovGames Twitch channel. This is a video streaming site that in the past year featured members of Congress playing video games. Additionally, the ESA said it will lend a hand in the creation of a new Congressional caucus "focused exclusively on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality."
Also in Gallagher's statement, he said the ESA hopes to involve more gamers in the political process. Already, 1.7 million people have joined the Video Game Voters Network and the ESA is hopeful that it can work with these people on "important issues."
"Ours is a great industry filled with finest creative talent in the world, and ESA is proud to advance our collective interests at every turn and in every forum," Gallagher said. "All of us at ESA consider it a privilege to be the voice and advocate for the most creative, innovative, and engaging of all industries and communities."
ESA members include some of the biggest companies in gaming, including Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Take-Two, Warner Bros., Ubisoft, and Bethesda.
For more on Trump's new immigration policy and its effect on gaming, check out the stories below.
Actor Vince Vaughn has joined Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's new comedy-drama, Fighting With My Family, according to a report from Hollywood news site Deadline. The movie is based on the life story of WWE's Paige, who comes from a family of professional wrestlers.
The film is written and directed by The Office's Stephen Merchant. According to Deadline, MGM recently paid $17.5 million for the global rights to it.
Florence Pugh (The Falling) plays Paige, with Jack Lowden (Dunkirk) portraying her brother Zak. Johnson, Vaughn, and Game of Thrones star Lena Headey also have lead roles.
"The film follows the story of reformed gangster and former wrestler Ricky, his wife Julia, daughter Saraya and son Zak, who make a living performing in tiny venues across the country," Deadline reports. "Ricky and Julia want a better life for their children, and when brother and sister get the chance to audition for the WWE, it seems the family dream is coming true and all their troubles will be solved. However, Saraya and Zak are about to learn that becoming a WWE superstar demands more than they ever imagined possible as athletes and siblings."
Writing on Instagram, The Rock said Vaughn "loved the script and sank his teeth" into his role.
"Vince has been a buddy of mine for years and I'm fired up to see what he brings to this role," he said. "I grew up in and love this wild, crazy and unpredictable world of pro wrestling. Our little passion project is coming together nicely."
Production begins today, February 15, and more casting news will be revealed in the time ahead.
The Rock, who is Hollywood's highest-paid actor, is a busy man. In addition to Fighting With My Family, some of the movies he'll appear in this year include Jumanji, The Fate of the Furious, and Baywatch.
Last year's X-Men: Apocalypse used a series of clever 80s-themed viral videos in its promotion, and the upcoming X-Men spinoff Logan looks to be doing the same. A creepy new promo has been tweeted by director James Mangold, which shows mutant child Laura Kinney--aka X-23--being given her deadly claws. Check it out below:
In a recent interview with Slashfilm, Mangold discussed the freedom of making a film with more restrictive rating. "It was exciting," he said. "What was inspiring, and what we really set out to do more than anything about specific ratings, was just to make an adult film. For me, the rating and the violence level was part of it. But also just raising the maturity level of the film.
"A lot of these films are essentially made for both 12-year-olds and 20-year-olds, and I thought it would be interesting, even if we got less money to do it, to make one of these films, a comic book film, essentially, that's for adults."
Logan also stars Sienna Novikov, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Boyd Holbrook, and Richard E. Grant. It hits theaters on March 3, 2017.
One of the Amazon Deal of the Day items for today, February 15, is EA's FIFA 16. The pro soccer game, which was released in 2015 and is not the newest release in the series, is discounted to $15 or less right now on the shopping site.
Nintendo of Japan has released a new Nintendo Switch trailer. The 30-second spot shows off the console's unique hybrid nature and contains a segment featuring what looks like EA's FIFA 18.
In the video (via Eurogamer), two people are playing the new FIFA in the Switch's portable mode, on a coffee table. It's not a lot to go on, but this is apparently the first time we've seen any footage of FIFA 18 on Switch. It's not clear if this is FIFA 18 footage or gameplay from a different FIFA game.
Earlier this month, EA's Peter Moore confirmed that EA is making a "custom" version of FIFA for Switch that is essentially FIFA 18. There were rumors that the Switch version of FIFA 18 would be based on the edition that comes out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Asked if the Switch version would be closer to the PS4/Xbox One or to the PS3/Xbox 360 versions, Moore replied, "What you have will be a custom-built version for the Nintendo Switch from the FIFA development team in Vancouver."
EA CEO Andrew Wilson recently said that "FIFA 18 will build on the foundation we created with story mode this year, bringing players back to The Journey with Season 2, featuring new characters and new storylines."
Pokemon Go's Valentine's Day event comes to an end today, February 15, at 11 AM PT. However, one part of the update is being extended for a few more days.
Developer Niantic announced on Twitter that the special Lure Modules that run for six hours--12 times as long as the usual 30 minutes they're active for--will still run for that extended period until February 18 at 4 PM PT. Here is the tweet that Niantic sent out announcing the news:
Thanks for spreading the love this #ValentinesDay. As our gift to you, Lure Modules will continue to last 6 hrs. until 4 PM PST on Feb. 18! pic.twitter.com/gUE7rcHBLi
The other parts of Pokemon Go's Valentine's Day update, including a higher frequency of "adorable pink Pokemon" like Chansey and Porygon, will presumably come to an end at the scheduled time today. For more on the game's Valentine's Day update, you can read GameSpot's previous coverage.
Ubisoft's swordfighting game For Honor arrived this week, but its launch did not go exactly to plan. Now, the publisher has rounded up all of the most "critical" issues that it is aware of and provided some workarounds where available.
On PC, some players are reporting that For Honor will not launch due to some kind of problem with the game's Easy AntiCheat program. For this, players can navigate to the "Verify files" option from For Honor's Properties tab to fix the problem until a more permanent solution is available.
Another PC issue prevents players from quitting For Honor and returning to the desktop after receiving an error message in matchmaking. The only workaround right now is to restart the game.
On console, there are fewer known issues right now. One of these is a connectivity problem where groups that contain players from different regions (i.e. North America and Europe) run into matchmaking issues. Ubisoft says "it's not recommended to create mixed-region groups."
You can see a full rundown of For Honor's PC and console known issues below, with descriptions written by Ubisoft. We'll continue to update this post if more issues pop up and others are fixed.
GameSpot has played a portion of For Honor. Reviewer Matt Espineli said in his review in progress," For Honor already has the workings of a well-made multiplayer fighting game."
Stay tuned for our full review in the near future, and in the meantime, check out our For Honor footage and features below.
[PC] Easy AntiCheat – Impossible to launch the game
Easy AntiCheat sometimes displays an error message. Afterwards the game doesn't launch at all or just closes after the intro videos.
Workaround: Use the "Verify File Integrity" option in Uplay PC client. Open your For Honor game page, click "Properties", and in the "Local files" section select "Verify files."
[PC] Easy AntiCheat – Easy AntiCheat sometimes displays an error message with error code 10018
Easy AntiCheat sometimes displays an error message with error code 10018.
Workaround: Close the game, check that all game processes have ended correctly (or close them using Task Manager), and restart the game.
Close the game and restart Uplay PC client.
[PC] User may be unable to quit to desktop
User may be unable to quit to desktop after getting a "connection has been lost" error message while being idle on matchmaking.
Workaround: Player must restart the game.
[PC] TITAN X GeForce GPU Support
We are aware of an incompatibility introduced in the For Honor beta with the early generations of TITAN X GeForce graphics cards that make it so the game does not start.
We were able to reproduce the issue with our open beta version but have yet to successfully reproduce it on our official release version of the game.
If you encounter this issue in the full release version of the game, please contact Customer Support and share your DXDiag report in order to help us reproduce it.
[PC] Gamepads not working
Workaround: Unplug all other non-necessary peripherals, especially Steering Wheels and Flight Joysticks.
[PC] Controller switches Right & Left Trigger (Xbox One S & Xbox Elite)
Issue might be connected to Bluetooth controllers.
Workaround 1: Connect the Controller using USB.
Workaround 2: Install Windows 10 Anniversary update.
[PC] Game stutters when you are hit
Could be Connected to Bluetooth Controllers.
Workaround 1: Connect the Controller using USB.
Workaround 2: Install Windows 10 Anniversary update.
Connectivity & Online Issues
[PC] NAT Type Group Issues
Groups with more than 1 Strict NAT are not recommended as they will not be able to reach matchmaking.
Workaround: Preferably invite friends with open or moderate NAT types.
[PC] Mixed Region Group Connectivity Issues
Users might encounter connectivity issues when grouping with players from other regions.
Workaround: It's not recommended to create mixed region groups.
Glitches
[PC] Duel rewards (1v1 VS AI)
User is presented with a pop-up stating that the Rewards will be added automatically when the response comes in. However in that game mode there is no Reward.
[PC] Host stuck for 15 seconds after selecting "Change options" after a custom match
After playing a "Custom Match" in a group, if the host selects "Change Options" in the post-match screen, he will be stuck for about 15 seconds on the pop-up.
Workaround: Currently no workaround.
[PC] Menu issues in 21:9 resolutions (Faction war orders & Hero Customization tabs)
No workaround for now.
PS4 And Xbox One
Connectivity & Online Issues
[XB1 & PS4] NAT Type Group Issues
Groups with more than 1 Strict NAT are not recommended as they will not be able to reach matchmaking.
Workaround: Preferably invite friends with open or moderate NAT types.
[XB1 & PS4] Mixed Regions Group Connectivity Issues
Players may encounter connectivity issues if their group contains players from different regions (example : North America and Europe).
Workaround: It's not recommended to create mixed region groups.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's release is coming up in just a few weeks. It's not surprise, then, that Nintendo is rolling out a marketing blitz to support the highly anticipated RPG. The Switch's Super Bowl LI ad contained footage of the game, and now a new trailer reveals even more.
A Japanese TV trailer, the 30-second video (via DualShockers) shows off some pretty dramatic action sequences, including one where Link fights a sand-monster and another where he squares off against a fire-breathing baddie. Also on display are some of Breath of the Wild's gorgeous-looking environments; Link races along the beach on his horse with a beautiful sunset in the background in one segment. This being the Zelda series, the music is exhilarating as well. Take a look:
In other Breath of the Wild news, Nintendo recently announced a $20 DLC pass for the game that comes with multiple expansion packs and more. Read GameSpot's coverage to learn more.
Publisher EA is offering a seven-day free trial of its PC free game library service Origin Access.
To take advantage of the trial, you have to sign up for a monthly (US $5 / £4) or yearly (US $30 / £20) subscription, but EA says if you cancel before the seven days are up, you won't have to pay a dime. It is not clear how long the offer will run for.
"Compared to Resident Evil 6, [Resident Evil 7's initial 3 million in shipments] may seem like a lower initial pace, however this can be attributed to the recent wider adoption of digital downloads and the transition from a sharp initial spike in sales for games to a continuous long tail," Capcom said.
"Further, we believe that achieving our fiscal year target of 4 million units for this title is wholly possible, as we expect sales to continue for a longer period, buoyed on highly positive post-launch reviews from both the media and consumers."
Also in the Q&A, Capcom talked about how Resident Evil 7's DLC should help "stimulate continuous interest" in the game, which in turn should help the game sell well over an extended period of time. Overall, Capcom says Resident Evil 7's DLC will be an "important" element to help the game exceed the sales of Resident Evil 6, which is Capcom's second best-selling game ever, at 6.7 million units.
It's going to be a big week for Pokemon Go. Niantic today announced that a further 80 Pokemon will start appearing in the game later this week. The Pokemon come from Pokemon Gold and Silver's Johto region and include Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile.
In addition to the new creatures, a new update for Pokemon Go adds "encounter gameplay, new Evolution items, two new Berries, and expanded outfit and accessory options for their Trainer avatars."
"Today is a momentous occasion for our team here at Niantic which has been hard at work to deliver these additional Pokemon and build upon the encounter and capture mechanics for our passionate global community of Trainers playing Pokemon Go," Niantic CEO John Hanke said in a statement.
"Pokemon Go is a live experience which we'll be continuing to support and evolve in new and interesting ways for years to come with new gameplay features, in-game and live events, more Pokemon to discover and much more."
The new Berries included the Nanab Berry (slows a Pokemon's movement) and the Pinap Berry (doubles the amount of Candy received if the next catch attempt is successful). As for the new customization items, the update adds more hats, shirts, pants, and more. Additionally, new items can be purchased for real money, Niantic said.
Watch Dogs 2's latest update has introduced a new post-ending scene that could hint at a possible sequel, as well as its setting.
This article contains story spoilers for Watch Dogs 2.
Immediately after Watch Dogs 2's existing ending, there is now a short audio conversation between two unknown voices. A transcript of their discussion is below.
Man 1: How much of this is hyperbole? Has it really gone global?
Man 2: There are new Dedsec cells popping up everywhere. The Middle East, South America, Europe. And not just them. We can't even keep up with all the new hacktivist groups.
Man 1: Alright. Make the call.
Man 2: You Sure?
Man 1: Do it.
In itself, the discussion could only be a mild hint, if it is indeed a hint at all--but the most interesting part is the name of the audio file, which you can see in the video below, via YouTuber Frenzy.
The file is named 51.462014, -0.112504.wav. As Eurogamer reports, if you treat those figures as coordinates, the resulting location is London, UK.
Creative director Jonathan Morin said recently that Watch Dogs 2 has a number of Easter eggs to discover. Whether this new one is just an Easter egg or whether it really does let slip a potential sequel's location is not clear.
Hearthstone's new update will overhaul the game's ranking system and nerf two cards.
In a blog post, developer Blizzard detailed the changes coming to its card battler as part of its February update. The first to be balanced is Small-Time Buccaneer. Blizzard says "the combination of Small-Time Buccaneer and Patches the Pirate has been showing up too often in the meta," so it has halved the former's health stat from 2 to 1.
The second card to be tweaked is Spirit Claws, which now costs 2 Mana (up from 1). This is to combat the overuse of the weapon, which has proved to be "extremely efficient" at removing minions, says Blizzard.
Lastly, the upcoming patch will change how the ranking system works. In ranked play, there will now be "floors," designed to aid players' progression. These floors, present at Ranks 5, 10, and 15, will act as checkpoints, meaning that once you get to, say, Rank 5, you can never dip below that back to Ranks 1-4. Look out for the update "near the end of February."
If you've seen the LEGO Batman Movie, you might have noticed that the voice of Batman's computer is none other than Siri, the personal digital assistant found on Apple products.
Well, it wouldn't truly be a cross-promotion if it didn't work both ways. Users have found that saying "hey computer" or "hey 'puter" while Siri's listen prompt is running, will result in Siri calling you Batman and spouting quotes and references from the movie, reports Mac Rumors.
"How can I help you, Lego Batman?" and "Hello, sir. I've heated up your lobster thermidor in the microwave," are just two of the references you can expect to hear. If you've got a Siri-enabled device handy, give it a try for yourself.
Game developers from around the world are planning to participate in #ResistJam, a game jam scheduled for March 3, that aims to raise awareness and express opposition to "oppressive authoritarianism" in all its forms.
According to the jam's official page on Itch.io, it is intended to give participants a chance to "resist through the power of interactive media," as a response to the current global political climate, which "grows increasingly terrifying by the day."
"Not everyone can march, or be a figurehead of a movement, but we can all find ways to resist the oppressive hegemonic authoritarianism that pervades modern society," reads the jam's description. "This is one of them."
This is an online jam, which means participants will create games during the event from wherever they like, and submit them to the itch.io jam page before the deadline. Participants can therefore work from home individually, or collaboratively online in their teams, or choose to come together and co-locate if they wish. The jam itself has no central physical venue.
#ResistJam is being organized in partnership with IndieCade, and media partner the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). "So many parts of the agenda of the global authoritarianism flies int eh face of what we try to do," said IndieCade chief executive officer Stephanie Barish said in a statement to Polygon. "Like the indie game industry, we collaborate across borders, as partners, embracing differences and finding creative solutions to problems. Closing minds and borders is an affront to everything we stand for. ...We at IndieCade feel as though game devs and digital creators, with all our advantages, need to step up and confront these powers, and we believe we all will."
Australian game developer Damon Reese is #ResistJam's lead organizer. Reece believes "a game jam is something that anyone can participate in, even though a lot of people don't believe they can," he told us, "which is why we're running workshops and having mentors on call to help out jammers from all walks of life." A series of experienced mentors will be running workshops during the jam, which will be recorded and distributed. Amongst the jam judges are Vlambeer's Rami Ismail, and industry veteran and lead on Thimbleweed Park, Ron Gilbert.
Organizers are calling for participants to focus on "peaceful and inclusive ways to approach game development," rather than encouraging violent responses. It also asks that participants not make gaes that depict real-life people without their explicit permission. They're also investigating options for participants to be anonymous in order to protect their safety both online, and especially if they live in locations where it's dangerous to speak on political subjects.
#ResistJam kicks-off on March 3, and runs through to March 11. For more information, check out the jam site over on Itch.io.
SHIELD is aware Radcliffe is working with the Superior. Unfortunately Director Mace has been captured and is being used as bait to lure Coulson into his clutches. With Agent May still in Radcliffe's clutches, it's time for SHIELD to launch an assault to bring their own back home.
Warning: Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 14 of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, "The Man Behind The Shield," will be discussed below.
Director Mace Is Tortured
Director Mace sacrificed himself to give Fitz and Simmons time to capture Shockley. He awoke, chained in a prison cell. He still had some super-strength left from the serum and found the door unlocked. In the hallway, he ran into the Superior. It turned out he used the last of his strength breaking his bonds. The Superior was able to easily knock him out. Later, the Superior tortured Mace, trying to get him to denounce SHIELD. He's figured out Mace had been using a serum for his strength. When Mace stated he believed in Coulson and SHIELD, the Superior cut him loose and allowed his men to come in and fight him. As he was nearly beaten to death, Coulson and the team arrived and saved him.
Coulson's Past With May And Connection To The Superior
SHIELD tracked Mace's armor to Alaska. There, Coulson discovered he was the focus of an investigation as photos and documents were taped to the wall. Daisy found out there an old mine owned by the Superior which was the site Coulson was sent to years ago to retrieve an 0-8-4. This was back when Coulson had Level 4 clearance. Agent May requested to follow him on the mission. In the present, the Superior called Coulson and blamed him for his comrades being tortured and killed for failing to retrieve the object. Coulson confessed to the Superior that he still didn't know who he was, or even remembered what object they retrieved.
When May and Coulson escaped the soldiers in the past, they continued their discussion of possibly trying to go on a date if things didn't work out with her current "civilian" boyfriend. She thought that relationship wasn't going to work out at the time but ended up marrying Dr. Andrew Garner (who became the Inhuman Lash last season).
Quake Vs. The Superior
When Mace was rescued, Daisy got the chance to face with the Superior. This was her chance to fight the man responsible for hunting Inhumans through the Watchdog group. She used her powers but he was still able to hit her with one of his knives. She decided to switch to hand-to-hand combat. With a combination of her fists and powers, she knocked him out as some rubble from the ceiling landed on him.
Is this the end of the Superior? See below.
Aida Gets Creepy
Radcliffe started spending more time in the Framework, his huge virtual world. The Superior wasn't happy that Aida was meant to be Radcliffe's proxy while he was in there. Along with despising alien life, the Superior belittled Aida as being fake since she was an LMD (Life Model Decoy). After he spoke to her, she touched the necklace she took from Agnes, the woman she was modeled after. This showed she was affected by his words. When Mace was getting beaten, she watched through the cell door, seemingly fascinated. After the Superior was defeated and SHIELD was forced to make a quick getaway, she went the Superior's body and was pleased to see he was still alive. She mentioned their plan worked, most likely referring to Radcliffe. She coldly told him he still has not served his purpose and repeated the insults he used towards her.
You Get An LMD, And You Get An LMD...
The agents were forced to leave abruptly to get medical attention for Mace. Back in the lab, Simmons felt uneasy with timetable for the mission. There was a piece of time when she and Fitz didn't have contact with the others because the comms were down. She then discovered that the LMD detector at the base was disabled and a report was deleted from the records. With her SHIELD clearance, she was able to see it was Coulson that deleted the file. An image showed Daisy, Coulson, Mace, and Mack walking through the corridor when the alarm went off. Further investigation revealed four LMDs were detected. All four had been replaced at the base.
In the Director's office, the Coulson/LMD brings out the May LMD and said they've waited around long enough.
Our Thoughts
When the teaser for the LMD arc was released, it hinted at the idea of multiple agents/cast members being replaced. The show is taking an interesting approach with the LMD reveals. May being replaced and discovered by the others happened quickly. It seemed the show could have easily strung along viewers with the mystery of who else had been replaced. Even when it was shown another LMD was detected in the deleted file, they could have kept us guessing. We can assume the showrunners have this story arc plotted out. It's going to come down to Fitz and Simmons to save the others. They may know that those four were replaced, but there could be more LMDs, as far as they know. Next week they'll be scrambling to figure out who they can trust and how to save everyone.
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