In an age where day-one updates and mandatory installations are the norm, it's been pleasant for Nintendo Switch to have physical games you can insert and play immediately. Despite what its box might suggest, Lego City Undercover won't prove to be an exception.
Some concerns were raised recently when a photo of Undercover's box made its way online (via Nintendo Everything), suggesting it had a sizable required update. A note on the back states, "Up to 13 GB storage required for game download." That would be unusual for a Switch game, and particularly problematic as that would take up roughly 40% of the system's internal storage.
As it turns out, this is simply a mistake.
"The information is listed incorrectly on the packaging of Lego City Undercover for Nintendo Switch," a spokesperson told GameSpot. "Players who purchase a physical copy of Lego City Undercover on Nintendo Switch at retail are getting the complete game and do not need to download additional content to enjoy the full experience."
The spokesperson further clarified that you don't need an internet connection in order to play the game. Instead, one is merely "suggested" so that you can download "the typical content update patch."
Prior to this being straightened out, there had been speculation that this had been a deliberate move in order to keep the game's price down.
A previous report from Eurogamer suggested that manufacturing costs for physical Switch games can be higher than those for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, particularly for those requiring high-capacity game cards. Additionally, digital Switch games reportedly can't be priced lower than their physical counterparts. While Nintendo has not confirmed these details, it may explain why multiplatform games such as Rime and Minecraft: Story Mode carry a higher price on Switch than other platforms.
With all of this in mind, some players speculated that Lego City Undercover was shipping on a lower-capacity game card in order to keep the physical and digital price of the game down.
It turns out that isn't the case, though it doesn't rule out the possibility of a developer potentially doing so in the future.
You might need to do a double-take if you go over to Reddit user tettzan777's house to game; he's transformed an old Nintendo 64 into a working Nintendo Switch dock. Check out the end result:
In a post on Imgur and in a YouTube video (below), tettzan unveils the "Nintendo Switch 64" and how he made it. This shows how he modded the broken N64's cartridge slot into a Switch dock. He also swapped out the controller ports for USB ports.
Tettzan says there's plenty of space between the dock and the Switch, so the unit never touches the edges and gets scratched. Some players have reported the official Switch dock can scratch portions of the system's screen, which tettzan hopes to make less likely with a further adjustment to his mod.
"I'm planning on adding a thin box surrounding the cartridge slot and sticking a soft felt on top to make a better fit for the Switch," he said on Reddit.
If you're concerned about a working console being gutted for this mod, don't worry. Tettzen says he got a haul of 13 broken Nintendo 64s with the intention of refurbishing them. This one was the most damaged, so he decided to get creative and give it a new lease on life.
With Destiny's new Age of Triumph update--the game's final live event--Bungie is celebrating the game's past few years. That includes one of its more infamous moments.
Until he was replaced by veteran voice actor Nolan North, Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage's performance as your Ghost companion was maligned. In particular, a line in the Destiny alpha where he exclaims, "That Wizard came from the moon!" was the butt of numerous jokes, and it ended up being cut for the final game.
With Age of Triumph now available, Reddit user Undead_Primate has discovered the dialogue has been restored as a joke. After completing the mission, the Dinklage line plays, followed by North's version of Ghost clearing its throat. You can watch a video clip here.
It isn't the first time Bungie has embraced the ridiculous line, as it previously sold a shirt with it adorned on the front. It became the Bungie store's best-selling item within an hour of going on sale.
The Age of Triumph update also features other nice, less jokey touches for longtime Destiny fans, such as restoring the original main menu music.
The first trailer for the big screen adaptation of Stephen King's It has arrived. The horror movie releases in September, and this first teaser delivers the terrifying goods. Check it out below--but be warned, scary clowns lie ahead!
The film's young cast includes Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, Jaeden Lieberhe (Midnight Special), Sophia Lillis (37), Wyatt Oleff (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Chosen Jacobs (Hawaii Five-0). It also features Bill Skarsgard as the demonic clown Pennywise.
King's classic novel was published in 1987. The author recently revealed he had seen the film and was very happy with it. He tweeted:
Andy Muschietti's remake of IT (actually it's Part 1--The Losers' Club) succeeds beyond my expectations. Relax. Wait. And enjoy.
As King notes, the movie is expected to be the first of two films--in the novel, a group of kids overcome their fears to eventually defeat the creature known as It. Years later he returns, and as adults they must work together to finish the job. The first movie will be about the children's story, while a second will chronicle the adults' narrative.
In a new interview with USA Today, director Andrés Muschietti spoke about the terrifying clown Pennywise. "It's established that Pennywise takes the shape of your worst fear," he said. "He doesn't have a steady behavior, he doesn't expose how he thinks, and that's what makes him really unpredictable.
"Pennywise's character is motivated by survival. In order to be alive in the imagination of children, he has to keep killing."
Persona 5, the latest entry in Atlus' acclaimed RPG series, launches on April 4 and ahead of its launch reviews have been published.
As always, we've collected together a number of reviews and put them below so you get a good sense of its critical reception. It seems Atlus has delivered another superb experience, as the general consensus looks to be overwhelmingly positive.
In GameSpot's Persona 5 review critic Lucy James awarded the game a 9/10, saying it is "stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes."
She continued: "There's an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It's a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come."
"Persona 5 is a game that shouldn't be missed. It's stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes--there's an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It's a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come." -- Lucy James [Full Review]
Polygon -- 9/10
"It's been almost a decade since the original release of Persona 4, a game that introduced many players--including myself--to this series. With that amount of time, with the amount of energy and passion a lot of Persona 4 fans put toward that game, it would have been easy for Persona 5 to be a letdown. Instead, it successfully pushes this series to new heights of polish, allure and charm. It has a few blemishes, enough to distract a bit from the intriguing and weighty themes that the game wrestles with. But even through the rough patches, Persona 5 doesn't give up a drop of its colorful personality." -- Phillip Kollar [Full Review]
Eurogamer -- Essential
"Persona 5 is unconscionably sublime. Every beat, every subtlety, every movement of the camera - it all translates into a kinetic masterpiece, strung together with the best visuals this side of Atlus. Persona 5 won't change your mind on JRPGs if you lack a taste for the genre, but if you're in any way a fan, well why the hell are you still reading this? Go forth and damn well purchase." -- Cassandra Khaw[Full Review]
Kotaku -- No Score
"This game will take many, many hours of your time. In exchange, you'll get a terrific, pulpy story told with style to spare. Persona 5 took nearly 100 hours of my time, and I gave it gladly." -- Kirk Hamilton [Full Review]
Game Informer -- 9.25/10
"If the opening hours of Persona 5 are like starting a massive novel, then the closing hours are like finishing one, complete with the bittersweet finality of turning the last page. But it also carries an immense sense of satisfaction. After 100 hours of playing, all of my big questions were answered. I understood the characters, I knew my way around the world, and I had fun almost every step of the journey. You become a resident of Persona 5 the more you play it, and it has the rare ability to transport in a way few games can." Joe Juba [Full Review]
Fallout fans who've been pining to play Bethesda's strategy spinoff on Steam are getting their chance: Fallout Shelter has now been released on PC's biggest gaming platform.
The game tasks players to built their own vault, creating a functioning shelter for their dwellers who have escaped the wasteland of Fallout's post-apocalyptic world. You build improvements, level up survivors, and send your residents out on quests for rewards.
Fallout Shelter is free to download, with the option of buying extra items and resources in the Steam store. It's not Shelter's first PC release (Bethesda launched the game on its own client last year), but now players will get the chance to earn Steam achievements and take advantage of Steam's cloud support.
Fallout Shelter is also getting an update today across all platforms. There are more than 30 new quests for players to send their dwellers on, and a limited-time Easter Quest that will reward you with an exclusive legendary pet, a free lunchbox, and other rewards.
Fallout Shelter was released for iOS and Android in 2015. Last month, it launched on Xbox One and Windows 10 as a Xbox Play Anywhere title, meaning you can download it on one platform but also access it (and any saved games) on another. It's gained more than 75 million players worldwide, and with today's Steam release, no doubt that number will just continue to climb.
Thanks to Cross-Buy, PS4 will have a total of four games, as both of April's Vita games--10 Second Ninja and Curses 'n Chaos--are playable on both systems.
April's freebies will arrive on the PlayStation Store next Tuesday, April 4. You have until then to claim March's games, which include Tearaway Unfolded and Disc Jam.
Director Luc Besson is known for such hits as The Fifth Element and Lucy, and the upcoming Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets looks every bit as spectacular as his other movies. The lavish space epic is due in theaters in July, and a new trailer has arrived. Check it out below:
Based on the acclaimed French comic book series Valérian and Laureline, the film stars Cara Delevigne, Dane DeHaan, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Clive Owen, Rutger Hauer, and Rihanna. The first trailer was released in November.
Shortly before production began in 2015, Besson posted on Facebook about what audiences could expect. "It's a huge sci-fi film," he said. "It's based from a comic book, maybe the most famous one in Europe. I'm a big fan of it since I'm 12 years old.
"Valerian and Laureline are two agents traveling through space and time. I have around 800 days of work ahead of me, plenty of time to be discouraged or feel lonely, so I'm counting on your support. I will try to share my adventure with you as much as I can. So... I go back to work."
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is released on July 27.
Many of the changes center around improving performance of the overall dashboard, as well as providing quicker access to frequently used features. The Home screen now houses a much smaller icon for the game you're currently playing and provides options to jump to related areas, such as its Game Hub. Additionally, the background will now feature artwork from the game, provided you don't have custom background art already set.
The Guide screen has also been refined and is now accessed with a single press of the Xbox button, rather than two. The first tab that's shown allows you to move to the Home screen or access the My Games and Apps section, Xbox Store, recently launched apps, pins, and more. There are also background music controls and an easy way to jump into the GameDVR menu, allowing you to record clips of various lengths (up to five minutes) or start recording a manual clip (lasting up to 10 minutes).
At Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm Spring Summit this past Monday, the iconic developer revealed significant changes to its MOBA game, which are encompassed by its 2.0 update. Among the changes are an overhauled progression system, the addition of loot chests, a bevy of cosmetic items, a tweaked currency system, and a new character named Cassia.
Heroes of the Storm will no longer have level caps after the 2.0 update. Player progression is currently capped at level 40 and individual heroes at level 20. The two systems will be unified in that your player level is the sum of hero levels gained. All previous XP gained will carry over to the update, so those who played beyond the progression caps will be leveled accordingly. Along with removing the ceiling, XP gaps between each level will also be reduced to make for faster, more frequent progression. This is due in large part to the rewards that will be tied to player progress.
Each level gained will yield a loot chest--familiar to those who play Overwatch. The newly implemented loot system for Heroes 2.0 guarantees a basic loot chest, while rare and epic loot chests are rewarded for reaching specific milestones. A chest of a certain rarity is guaranteed to drop at least one item of that rarity, and there's a chance of dropping items of higher rarity. You can expend Gold to reroll loot chests as well. Each chest will contain four items which can consist of playable heroes, portraits, voice lines, and announcer packs. Heroes 2.0 also introduces new types of items, including banners, emojis, and sprays.
Loot chests are now in Heroes of the Storm.
Emojis will be part of in-game chat and hero-specific emojis are unlockable. Sprays allow you to tag the battleground, another concept similar to Overwatch. Banners are flags that can be dropped on the battleground. Additionally, you'll be able to organize and package cosmetics into loadouts, so you can enter a match with a specific combination of skins, mounts, banners, and sprays. Each character can have up to three loadouts.
The in-game shop will also be renamed Collection, which will include a crafting mechanic using a new item called Shards. Crafting with Shards is simply another avenue to obtain cosmetic items outside of progressing or real money. While Gold is still used to unlock new heroes, the currency system will include Gems, which will now act as real money. Gems can be obtained with real money or through progression, and players will receive 1000 Gems for hitting level 5.
New to Heroes of the Storm, Cassia.
To go along with all the changes in the 2.0 update is a new Assassin hero named Cassia. The following is a breakdown of her abilities:
Avoidance (Trait) - Grants her 65 physical armor when moving unmounted, meaning she'll take 65 percent less damage against basic attacks.
Lightning Fury (Ability) - A javelin projectile that splits into two bolts that can hit nearby enemies.
Blinding Light (Ability) - An area-of-effect (AoE) ability that blinds enemies in its target area for two seconds. It takes 0.5 seconds to activate. Cassia also deals 15 percent extra damage to blinded enemies.
Fend (Ability) - Cassia charges with a flurry attack that damages targets every 0.25 seconds for 1.5 seconds. Multiple targets can be hit within a small range, but Cassia is immobile for the duration of Fend.
Ball Lightning (Heroic Ability) - A projectile that can bounce around enemies up to six times, dealing damage with every hit.
Valkyrie (Heroic Ability) - Summoning a Valkyrie will pull and damage the first enemy hero hit and stun them for 0.5 seconds. Enemies in the path will be knocked back. This ability takes 0.75 seconds to activate.
Open beta for Heroes of the Storm 2.0 starts today, and it will officially launch at the end of April. Additional content for Heroes 2.0 will be revealed in the coming weeks as well.
If you're still in the market for either of Nintendo's recent, hard-to-find systems, you'll have a shot at picking them up through Best Buy today.
Both the Switch and NES Classic Edition will be available through Best Buy's website today, the company announced on Twitter. They'll go live at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET in "limited quantities." Given how quickly they've sold out previously, you can expect them to go fast.
When the systems go live, you'll be able to pick them up through this page. Only the Switch system with gray Joy-Cons appears on there right now, though that may still change.
The Fast and the Furious franchise is now onto its eighth movie, and shows no signs of slowing down. The Fate of the Furious hits theaters next month, and a new behind-the-scenes featurette has been released. Check it out below:
The Fate of the Furious is directed by F. Gary Gray, who most recently helmed the hugely successful hip-hop biopic Straight Outta Compton. Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jason Statham are all returning from the previous movies and are joined by Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren, and Kurt Russell.
The movie is the first in the series to be made without the involvement of Paul Walker, who tragically died before he had finished working on 2015's Furious 7. In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Diesel spoke about the decision to continue the franchise without Walker.
"It wasn't just a question of whether this franchise could work without Paul," he said. "It was whether I could even survive doing it without Paul. [But] I'd seen this video of Paul guaranteeing eight, while we were making seven. That hit me."
"You're talking about a bond and a brotherhood," he continued. "The pain wasn't about whether something would work. It was about the loss of someone very important in my life. Was there ever any moment I wasn't thinking about him? That's the question. Every day I'd be saying, 'this movie has to be amazing because of Paul.'"
Last year, Diesel announced the release dates for the next three parts in the series, with parts 9 and 10 following in 2019 and 2021. He also told Variety that there were plans for spinoffs. "We've written out story lines for various characters," he said. "We've been playing with it for a long time. It's a very rich property and we're committed to treating it with a lot of class."
Starting today, you can broadcast your gameplay via the Guide and through the Beam app. The image above shows off what this looks like on Xbox One.
On Windows 10, Beam broadcasting will be available for everyone starting on April 11. These features have been available for a while now on both platforms through the Xbox Insider Program for testers.
GameSpot recently caught up with Microsoft Partner Group Program Manager Chad Gibson to discuss the update and its Beam features specifically. In our interview, Gibson discussed the unique qualities of Beam--the service "blur[s] the lines between the playing and watching experience," he says.
Gibson also discusses what Microsoft learned during the Xbox Insider testing period and how the final product is adjusted as a result. Additionally, he told us a little about how Microsoft plans to grow and evolve Beam in the time ahead with new features and functionality, while he also stressed that other livestreaming services such as Twitch are not going to go away.
You can see our full interview below.
GameSpot: The Beam acquisition last year I think sort of went under the radar. Can you talk a bit about why Microsoft wanted to pick up Beam and what it adds to your portfolio?
Gibson: It's an exciting time for the game video space and we see a lot of potential with Beam. Matt Salsamendi and James Boehm--Beam co-founders--started a really unique service. Beam's sub-second latency and interactive options connect steamers and viewers like never before, and we're going to continue to evolve Beam and blur the lines between the playing and watching experience. For example, after we launch the Beam viewing app on Xbox One, and Beam broadcasting from the Guide on Xbox One and Game bar on Windows 10 PC, we're going to really focus on how we can help partners and creators by building features that enables them and their viewers to interact in compelling ways. That's our guiding force.
The interactive nature of the service is pretty cool and sets you apart from your competitors. Can you talk more about this?
Yeah, of course. Beam's low-latency enables streamers and viewers to interact and engage with each other in near real-time, whereas traditional streaming latency on other platforms is about 8-10 seconds. Beam interactivity ranges from sounds boards and screen effects to game integration.
At GDC we talked through a few examples that we are working on with a number of first- third-party game developers to bring to market. In one example, the game can identify a particular "chosen" viewer and allow that viewer to decide if they are going to help or challenge the player/streamer they are watching, at a high level. In another example, the game could reward the viewers who helped the player/streamer beat a boss by arming their weapon with various power-ups. The interactivity platform enables games to treat the audience as an active participant of the game session. This translates to innovation potential for both developers and gamers, through game experiences, that we expect to come to market later this year.
How will Beam exactly be integrated into Xbox One and Windows 10 from a functional perspective? Do you have any plans to bring it to the Xbox App?
[Starting today] you'll be able to stream your Xbox gameplay on Beam directly from the Guide on your Xbox One, with the ability to manage your Beam broadcasts and interact with fellow gamers on chat overlays that appear on your screen. You'll also be able to watch, interact, and chat with streamers using the Beam viewing app on Xbox One. We've also added Beam functionality right into Windows 10 at a system level, and starting April 11, you'll be able to start a broadcast almost instantly using the Game bar--no extra software is required.
What have you seen from the Preview release in terms of feedback and what changes are you making as a result?
We use the Xbox and Windows Insider Programs to gather feedback from gamers. We want them to have an active role in shaping the Beam experience, and we have received some great feedback. In terms of specific changes we've made, here are a few that come to mind: We've made changes to the way the navigation works in the Xbox One viewing app so it's easier to scroll through long lists, added controller shortcuts to make jumping to chat much faster, and minimized how much configuration is necessary to start a stream with native broadcasting.
Obviously low-latency is a big part of Beam. It wouldn't be what it is without it. What can you say about what's going on under the hood, technically, to allow this?
Our FTL streaming protocol delivers sub-second video latency for streamers. With FTL the network traffic is closer to how voice communications or multiplayer games are built than traditional media streaming. Technically speaking, using UDP vs. HTTP for delivery. Our FTL SDK takes care of packaging the media into the appropriate networking format to send to the Beam ingest servers. The FTL SDK is consumed by native broadcasting--in the case of Xbox One and the Windows Game bar--and we also make it available for applications such as Open Broadcaster Software & XSplit to enable low latency streaming directly to Beam.
Can you talk about how you will continue to grow and evolve Beam with new features and functionality in the future?
We have a lot of things going on right now. One of the areas we're focused on are partnerships for interactivity--for both community and game developers. That's the area that I'm most excited about. The whole concept where viewers are part of the game experience is very exciting. There are so many ideas for great game integrations. We're excited to get those to market and continue to foster the great community on Beam. We'll also have exciting new differentiators rolling out in the months ahead. And partners are pretty excited too. The coolest thing about our partner conversations is how creative they are--every conversation starts with an idea that we haven't even thought about. Most developers already realize how important it is to have their games watched and streamed. We don't have to educate them on that, so the conversations get right into the meat of interactivity and we explore what can be done to make their games interactive.
Beam being a first-party product, it's going to receive preferential treatment, I would imagine. But is anything going to change for other livestreaming services such as Twitch?
Gamers on Xbox One will still be able to broadcast to Twitch--they'll be no changes there. The game video space is growing rapidly and we believe there is an opportunity for multiple broadcast providers to participate and give gamers more choice over their gaming experiences. We're really excited about Beam and its differentiators like low latency and interactivity, and we'll continue to listen to our fans to make Beam a place where broadcasters and viewers want to go to watch game streams, interact, and engage with one another.
Gaming giant Blizzard today announced Blizzard Collectibles, a new product range of "premium" items such as statues, replicas, and artwork based on Blizzard games and designed by the company.
The first products in the Blizzard Collectibles line include statues of Overwatch characters Tracer and Reaper, as well as statues of Grommash Hellscream and Illidan Stormrage from Warcraft. One of the upcoming products is an Overwatch Widowmaker statue, which is 13.5 inches tall.
The Overwatch statues are priced at $150 each and they're all available now except for Widowmaker, which launches later but is available to preorder now. The Warcraft statues are pricier, coming in at $350 each.
Additionally, the Blizzard Collectibles line includes a $225 Hearthstone Keepsake Box, a physical box made of polystone and lined with velvet. A rune on the box illuminates and plays the Hearthstone theme music when you open it.
"We tend to go all-in when it comes to representing the things we're passionate about in our work, and that's exactly what we're doing with this new line of high-end statues, replicas, and artwork," Blizzard consumer products exec Matthew Beecher said in a statement. "Our goal with Blizzard Collectibles is to produce pieces of art that capture the personality of our games, and we're excited to share these premium items with gamers and collectors worldwide."
The sequel to Disney's animated movie Wreck-It Ralph now has a title. It'll be called Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, Disney announced during a presentation at the CinemaCon in Las Vegas, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
As announced previously, the main voice actors, including John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, and Jane Lynch, are reprising their roles in the sequel. It will be directed by Oscar-winner Rich Moore (Zootopia) and Phil Johnston and is slated to open in March 2018.
As the title Break the Internet suggests, the sequel sounds like it will be more about the internet than video games, the focus of the first entry.
"This time, Ralph's wrecking wreaks havoc on the web--as only he can do," Johnston said when the movie was announced. "The world of the internet is the perfect place to send Ralph and Vanellope. The scope and scale are so vast and the possibilities for comedy are endless."
Wreck-It Ralph was a big success. It made close to $50 million during its first weekend, outperforming Walt Disney Animation Studios' previous record-holder, Tangled. The film went on to generate more than $470 million at the global box office against a $165 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo.
The movie was generally well-received by critics and also featured the voicework of other actors such as Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, and Mindy Kaling. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature but ultimately lost out to Pixar's Brave.
NetherRealm will announce the next fighter for Injustice 2's roster later this week, the developer has confirmed. A post on the game's website shows that the reveal will take place on March 30.
The teaser image doesn't give anything away about who the character might be.
The latest character to be announced for Injustice 2 was Black Adam, who was revealed in a trailer that arrived last week--watch it here.
Before that, another trailer showed off a better look at Cheetah in action. NetherRealm has since provided more in-depth demonstrations of the moves at the disposal of Robin and Dr. Fate.
A new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales featurette released today appears to confirm a fan theory about the swashbuckling franchise.
In the video below (via Gizmodo), actor Brenton Thwaites' character, Henry, is given a last name--Turner. We've known for a while now that Orlando Bloom's Will Turner will be in the movie, but we haven't actually seen him yet. But at 1:03 in the video below, we learn that Henry Turner may in fact be the child that Will Turner has with Keira Knightly's character, Elizabeth.
The new Dead Men Tell No Tales trailer also provides a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the film and the main players--behind the camera and in front.
Additionally, Disney has published the full synopsis for Dead Men Tell No Tales:
"The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea--notably Jack. Jack's only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced."
In addition to Johnny Depp, Bloom, and Thwaites, Dead Men Tell No Tales features Geoffrey Rush, David Wenham, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin McNally, and Golshifteh Farahani. The movie, which is directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, opens in theaters on May 26.
The new Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming, has a "unique, surprising" tone that will set it apart from the films that came before it, according to director Jon Watts. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Watts talked about how the story builds in scope and significance throughout it.
"I think it has a unique, surprising tone that's different from the others, and different from the other movies in this universe," he explained. "I'm pretty proud of the tone we struck. It's fun. It's able to go from a very small story, and really emotional small stakes and just get bigger and bigger until it's on a massive scale without ever losing sight of the story we were trying to tell."
As we saw in the new trailer that arrived today (see it above), Homecoming will have action and humor. The film follows a 15-year-old Spider-Man who is in high school, leading up to his battle against the evil Vulture, who is played by veteran actor Michael Keaton.
Holland told THR that Homecoming was a "nonstop job." He did a lot of his own stunts and ended up injuring himself on-set one day.
"I've never worked harder on anything in my life. It was a nonstop job and I felt so passionate and proud of what we were creating," Holland said. "I'm so proud that I was able to give my best, and I'm so grateful that I didn't get injured. I did a lot of stunts. At the very end, I fell down some stairs, and tweaked my ACL just a little bit."
Spider-Man: Homecoming premieres on July 7 and also stars Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, and Donald Glover. For lots more on the new trailer, check out GameSpot's in-depth video breakdown here.
Director Roar Uthaug started off by telling GQ that filming is now wrapping up in South Africa and will move to London next. The film, which stars Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, premieres in March 2018.
There have been two Tomb Raider films already, starring Angelina Jolie. The new one is different in that it's an origin story for Croft, much like the 2013 video game.
"It's a story that not only highlights her incredible physical accomplishments but delves deeper into her humanity," Uthaug explained.
"I've seen the films--they were a lot of fun and Angelina Jolie was a terrific Lara Croft. We are [making] a very different film, an origin story and I think fans will love Alicia in the role," he added.
The 2013 Tomb Raider reboot was partially the inspiration for the movie, and the film will contain "many touchstones" from the game. But Uthaug wants fans to know that the new movie is not like other video game adaptations, as it will focus more on practical effects instead of CGI (Michael Fassbender said the same thing about the Assassin's Creed movie).
"Our movie takes a more realistic, grounded approach. Lara Croft is a hero and a champion but she is not a superhero. She is very much human, and we see her deal with that humanity in many ways," he said.
The new Tomb Raider also features Walton Goggins (Sons of Anarchy) as the villain and Daniel Wu (Warcraft) as a ship captain who serves as an ally. The Wire's Dominic West plays Croft's father.
Gears of War 4 will adopt a "Season" setup for its multiplayer, the developer announced today. As in other games, including Halo 5, Seasons in Gears of War 4 will span "a few months," during which time players will first earn ranks through placement matches and then move up or down based on their performance.
Ranks will reset at the end of a Season, so you'll need to earn back your skill rating through new placement matches. In a blog post, developer The Coalition says it is still nailing down the specifics for how long Gears of War 4's seasons will last.
Players can earn new rewards, including weapon skin sets, for rising through the ranks. There are tiers including Bronze, Silver, Gold, Onyx, and Diamond, with skin sets matching these.
The Coalition also announced that it's adding a new skill-based algorithm for Gears of War 4 to improve the quality of the game's ranking system.
"This updated version of our Skill Ratings should improve the accuracy of your Tier Placements, and take more of your Skill over time into account," the developer explained. "When this system goes live, you may find your initial placement Tier is higher or lower than expected compared to Season 0. This is actually a more accurate representation of your skill (and performance in your placement matches) so brace for potential changes!"
Also in the blog post, The Coalition said a future update for Gears of War 4 will address team balance for ranked play. The update, due out in the "coming days," will adjust the game so that "while players from different tiers will play together at times--teams should now be much more evenly balanced tier for tier."
You can read the full blog post from The Coalition here.
Battlefield 1's first paid expansion, They Shall Not Pass, came out on March 14 for Battlefield Premium members, and now it's available for everyone to buy.
The expansion, which adds the French army and four maps set in France, is up today for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It's available for $15 on all systems, though EA/Origin Access subscribers on Xbox One and PC can get it for 10 percent off, which comes to $13.50.
In addition to the French army and maps, They Shall Not Pass comes with two new Operations, six new unlockable weapons, the Char 2C Behemoth tank, and a new mode called Frontlines, among other things. Watch the video above to see They Shall Not Pass in action.
There are a further three expansions coming to Battlefield 1 over the coming months. Check out GameSpot's previous coverage to learn more about all of these.
Telltale Games' new Guardians of the Galaxy episodic series will premiere in April, the developer announced today. The first of five episodes, "Tangled Up in Blue," launches on April 18 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, as well as iOS and Android devices.
The episode costs $5, while there will be a physical disc version (providing access to the first episode and the further four as they're released) available starting on May 2 in North America.
Telltale also confirmed that a new trailer for its Guardians of the Galaxy series will premiere on Thursday, March 30, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Additionally, some new art for Tangled Up in Blue featuring the character Mad Titan has been released and can be seen embedded above.
WWE's biggest PPV event of the year, Wrestlemania, will take place this Sunday, April 2. There are quite a few different ways to watch the event, with a few huge differences in price points.
The easiest and cheapest way to watch Wrestlemania 33 is through the WWE Network. Currently, the streaming service is offering one month free to new subscribers, so you can watch the event without paying, as long as you remember to cancel your account afterwards. The WWE Network, which offers all of WWE's events, original programs, and classic matches, costs $10 a month.
The more traditional route of buying the PPV through your cable or satellite subscriber is available, which is important considering that many people in rural areas don't have access to internet fast enough for streaming. While we couldn't find pricing for this year's event through Comcast, AT&T, or Time Warner--some of the largest cable providers in the United States--previous PPV events, including Wrestlemania 32, cost $60 plus tax. You can expect this year's even to be around the same price.
The WWE Network is available to users multiple ways. It can be accessed on a phone, tablet, or through your PC (both iOS and Windows 10 have apps available). In addition, the app is available through certain smart TVs and devices like Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast. You can also watch the network using your Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4 by downloading the app through their stores. However, there have been reports in the past that live-streaming through consoles can get a bit glitchy.
Ubisoft has announced changes to its DLC and update plans for Watch Dogs 2, which will see the release of more multiplayer-focused content for free.
The previously announced No Compromise DLC will no longer include the Showdown multiplayer mode, as that will now be released for free. Showdown is a 2v2 mode meant to be an "endgame challenge for experienced players." Here's how Ubisoft describes it in a blog post:
"Its competitive matches come in three flavors: Steal the HDD; Doomload, a King of the Hill-style match; and Erase/Protect the Servers, a Watch Dogs twist on classic domination matches. Spread out across 15 distinct locations, these modes will flow seamlessly from one to the next, pushing you to bust out every skill you've learned over the course of the game with dynamic hacking, shooting, driving, and puzzle-solving challenges."
In the blog, Watch Dogs 2 live producer Kris Young explained that there were two main reasons for moving Showdown from a premium DLC pack to a free update.
"The first is that we want everyone to be able to participate and play it. We really wanted to have as many people as possible playing the mode for a better challenge, better matchmaking time and quality, and a healthier, more active community.
"The other is community feedback we've received since we announced the original plans. Our community asked for more multiplayer content, and that's also a reason why we've decided to make Showdown accessible for free for all players."
A free update coming to all platforms on April 17 will add Showdown, as well as multiplayer and leaderboard support for the drone, motocross, and ekart races. There will also be new loot truck challenge events where you hack an armored car while fighting off enemies, new clothing, and a quick-swap option for weapons. Finally, there will be a non-lethal paintball gun that can "stun enemies, splash color across the environment, and temporarily splatter a paint effect across the screens of multiplayer opponents."
Further free updates are planned for the months ahead, including one in June that will allow a group of four players to explore the city and take part in activities together. The image above provides a rundown of the announced content for 2017.
To make up for the removal of Showdown, No Compromise will now feature more single-player content than previously planned. Launching on April 18 on PS4 and May 18 for Xbox One and PC, it will consist of a DedSec Operation, single-player time trials, two non-lethal weapons (the Air Shotgun and Taser Sniper Rifle), and three emergency service packs. These let you dress up as a police officer, firefighter, or paramedic "with a DedSec twist," providing an outfit and vehicle with new abilities that let Marcus "affect NPC behavior and do previously impossible things." More details will be shared during a livestream on April 13.
The winners will be announced during a ceremony at The Strong museum in Rochester, New York on Thursday, May 4.
"These 12 World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists span decades, gaming platforms, and countries of origin--but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on the world of gaming and popular culture," The Strong museum's Jon-Paul C. Dyson said in a statement.
"They're among the most influential games of all time."
The Strong museum let the public nominate games for induction, and responses came in from more than 100 countries. The finalists were chosen by an "international selection advisory committee" comprised of journalists and scholars connected to the video game industry.
There have been two classes of the Strong Museum's World Video Game Hall of Fame so far, including Doom, Grand Theft Auto III, The Legend of Zelda, The Oregon Trail, Pac-Man, Pong, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and World of Warcraft. These are on permanent display at The Strong museum.
Games are recognized for a number of criteria, including "icon-status," longevity, and geographical reach, as well as impact on design and development on other games, pop culture, and society.
The library of games that EA Access subscribers have access to grows today with NHL 17.
The professional hockey game, which was originally released in September 2016, joins NHL 15 and NHL 16 in the Vault of freebies. NHL 17 was not released on PC, so it is not available through the EA Access equivalent, Origin Access. The EA and Origin Access libraries do not mirror one another.
There are dozens of games available in the EA and Origin Access game libraries--you can see all of them here in our roundup.
In addition to games, EA/Origin Access members can play some games ahead of launch; most of the time, subscribers get a five-day headstart. Another benefit is that subscribers save 10 percent on all EA digital content, which knocks down the price of a $60 game to $54.
More than 100 PC users in Illinois are suing Microsoft for over $5 million. They say they were pushed or forced into upgrading to Windows 10 by the company's aggressive marketing, and claim that upgrading damaged their computers.
Windows 10 was offered as a free update for a year after its release in July 2015. The class-action lawsuit claims many users had their hard drives damaged after agreeing to install the upgrade.
"Allegedly the Windows 10 installer genie checks the consumer's computer for compatibility; it does not, however, check the condition of the PC and whether or not the hard drive can withstand the stress of the Windows 10 installation," reads the complaint, which was filed in Chicago last week.
One of the plaintiffs, Stephanie Watson, claims Windows 10 installed without her consent. She says she took her PC to Geek Squad, which was unable to fix her computer after the upgrade destroyed some of her data, reports Courthouse News.
Another of the plaintiffs, Robert Saiger, says he agreed to the upgrade but that Windows 10 stopped some of his software from working and caused data loss. The third plaintiff named in the suit, Howard Goldberg, claims he accepted the upgrade after repeatedly declining it for six months. He says the download failed over and over, damaging his computer. He blames the failed upgrade for lost data, lost revenue, and costs to repair his PC.
In a statement shared with Courthouse News, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "We believe the plaintiffs' claims are without merit." Microsoft went on to defend the free upgrade, calling it "a choice designed to help people take advantage of the most secure, and most productive Windows." It added that customers had the option to refuse the upgrade, as well 31 days to roll back to their old operating system after accepting the update.
Last year, Microsoft awarded a California travel agent $10,000 in small-claims court after she claimed Windows 10 upgraded without her consent, damaging her computer and causing her lost business. Microsoft appealed the decision at first but later dropped the appeal to "avoid the expense of further litigation," according to a Microsoft spokesperson.
We've now rounded up all the freebies into lists, which you can see below. We will update this post in the days, weeks, and years ahead when more games are added. EA has vowed never to remove any games from the "Vault" of freebies. "I think one of the key things is that once a game goes into the Vault it stays there, it's not going to be taken out, that's a commitment we've made," Peter Moore said.
In addition to free games, EA/Origin Access members can play some games (but not all) ahead of launch; most of the time, subscribers get a five-day headstart. Another benefit is that subscribers save 10 percent on all EA digital content, which knocks down the price of a $60 game to $54.
The service costs $5/month or $30/year.
EA Access Free Games (As of February 24, 2017)
New and upcoming games are bolded
Battlefield 3 (released on January 20)
Battlefield 4
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (released on January 20)
Battlefield Hardline
Bejeweled 2
Bejeweled 3
Dead Space
Dead Space Ignition (coming in 2017)
Dragon Age: Inqusition
EA Sports UFC
EA Sports UFC 2
Feeding Frenzy
Feeding Frenzy 2
FIFA 14
FIFA 15
FIFA 16
Heavy Weapon
Madden NFL 15
Madden NFL 16
Madden NFL 17 (released on February 24)
Madden NFL 25
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge Catalyst
NBA Live 15
NBA Live 16
NHL 15
NHL 16
NHL 17 (added March 28, 2017)
Need for Speed
Need for Speed Rivals
Peggle 2
Plants vs. Zombies
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour
Skate 3 (released on February 13)
SSX
Star Wars Battlefront
Titanfall
Unravel
Zuma
Zuma's Revenge (coming in 2017)
Origin Access Free Games (As of February 24, 2017)
Sony has launched the latest round of weekly deals on the PlayStation Store, and there's a lot to take in.
All three versions of Ghost Recon: Wildlands for PS4 can be had at a discount: standard ($51), Deluxe ($59.49), and Gold ($85). That's only a 15% discount on each, but given the game was just released earlier this month, it's awfully soon for a sale on the digital version.
The Resident Evil series is featured in its own sale, discounting games on all platforms. Among the highlights are Resident Evil, Resident Evil 0, and Resident Evil 4 for $10 each on PS4 or PS3. The PS1 Classics versions of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 (playable on Vita, PS3, or PSP) are $1.49 each. Resident Evil 7 remains full price, but its Deluxe edition can be had for $75 (down from $90).
As with its predecessor, Destiny 2 will offer certain content first on PS4.
Sony's official PlayStation YouTube channel has uploaded its version of the new Destiny 2 teaser trailer, and it lasts a few extra seconds. That's to make time for the screen pictured below, which reveals that unspecified content will be exclusive to PS4 for a limited time.
Destiny 2 is rumored to release for PC in addition to PS4 and Xbox One. If that proves to be true, PC players may also be subjected to this wait for Destiny content.
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