Although the PlayStation VR has sold well since its release last year, there's still a lot of room for improvement. The creator of Gran Turismo recently discussed what he thinks VR needs to succeed; now, the developer of the PS4-exclusive shooter Farpoint has shared his own thoughts on where PSVR might go in the future.
In an interview with Finder, Impulse Gear founder Seth Luisi was asked what he hopes the next iteration of the PSVR headset will be. In response, Luisi emphasized the importance of controllers and controller tracking--not surprising, considering Farpoint uses the PSVR Aim controller.
"We do feel that controls and controller tracking are very important," he said. "We are able to achieve a lot with the Aim controller and I would love to see that taken further. So I would probably put Move 2.0 at the top."
But he also said that having room-scale VR like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive is also a top priority. "I think room-scale would come along just behind that," he added.
Luisi further discussed the significance of resolution, arguing that he believes it isn't pixel count that matters most, but rather the headset's field of view. "Having a wider field of view can make you feel more immersed in the world, and I think that will be a big focus [for Sony] going forward," he explained.
Farpoint was released in May and sold relatively well, becoming the highest-charting VR game ever on the UK sales chart. In his 7/10 review of Farpoint, critic Justin Clark wrote, "It'll give you a taste of something new for PSVR, and give you hints of what to look forward to if the Aim controller attracts wider support. It's going to be hard to go back to two Move controllers now that Sony's new toy has made a case for itself."
It's the 15th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts, and Diamond Select Toys has a few new vinyl toys being released for their Vinimate line, which you can check out below.
The new line of Vinimates features Sora, Donald, Mickey, and Goofy. The figures will be sold individually and retail for $10 each. The Vinimates line of toys measure up at four inches tall, as opposed to the more popular Minimates, which come in at two inches.
The Vinimates and Minimates toy lines have been around since 2002 and covered properties in the past like Marvel, The Walking Dead, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The line has only covered video game franchises a few times, with the most notable being its Street Fighter run, which also crossed over with Darkstalkers and Tekken for future lines.
In what has to be one of the cooler real-world applications of video games in the last few years, Eve Online players can now help find actual exoplanets. Developer CCP Games has just updated Eve to include Project Discovery, which features a database of measurements of distant stars that players can investigate to try and locate planets outside our solar system.
It's a collaboration between CCP, Reykjavik University, Massively Multiplayer Online Science, and University of Geneva professor Michel Mayor. Project Discovery uses data from CoRoT, a European Space Agency telescope designed specifically to search for exoplanets. Check out CCP's video about the project below.
If helping out the effort to locate celestial bodies isn't enough, you can also earn in-game rewards through Project Discovery. You can get the game's Plex currency, ship skins, and blueprints for special CONCORD ships.
"The University of Geneva is proud to pioneer this new way to interact with so many people," University of Geneva rector Yves Fluckiger said in a press release. "The image of the ivory tower is long gone when hundreds of thousands are invited to participate to scientific discoveries."
This is actually the second iteration of Eve's Project Discovery. The first version presented players with data gathered from research on human cells, and the project helped scientists identify a new cellular structure.
The new expansion for XCOM 2, War of the Chosen, is launching for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC next month. Ahead of its release, developer Firaxis has released a video walkthrough that gives fans a glimpse at one of the missions they'll undertake in the DLC, as well as some of the new factions and enemies they'll encounter.
In War of the Chosen, players will have to unite opposing factions in order to reclaim the Earth. The new video introduces fans to two of these: the Reapers, who are described as "masters of concealment," and a group of former ADVENT soldiers called the Skirmishers. The two factions are distrustful of one another, but players must bring representatives from each group to a meeting to convince them to work together.
The ensuing mission has players choose two teams to escort the representatives to a rendezvous point. However, to reach the rendezvous, the teams must make their way through ruins infested with zombie-like foes called the Lost. These enemies travel in large groups and are drawn to noise, so players will have to use explosives carefully or they may attract even more Lost.
The video also gives fans their first look at the Assassin, one of the eponymous Chosen who are sent by the Elder to destroy XCOM. The Chosen are unlike any other enemies in the series and have different strengths and weaknesses each time players encounter one, forcing them to constantly adapt their strategies. You can learn more about the Assassin in the full video walkthrough above.
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen releases on August 29. The expansion was first revealed last month at E3 2017, and along with the aforementioned factions, it introduces new missions, Hero classes, and environments to the critically acclaimed strategy game.
Following last year's pilot episode, the full season of the offbeat superhero show The Tick hits Amazon in August. The first trailer has been released--it's a mix of action and comedy, and definitely doesn't take itself very seriously. Check it out below:
The first six episode of The Tick will hit Amazon on August 25, with the following six due in 2018. The show stars Guardians of the Galaxy's Peter Serafinowicz as the antennae-spouting hero of the title. He is joined by Griffin Newman (Search Party) as his reluctant accountant sidekick Arthur Everest, and Watchmen star Jackie Earl Haley, who plays the villainous Terror.
The Tick was created by Ben Edlund and first appeared in 1986 as a spoof of superheroes, initially in a comic strip before heading up his own title in 1988. Edlund is an executive producer on the show.
This will be the third time the character has been adapted for TV. In the mid-90s he featured in an animated series, while a live-action show was broadcast on Fox in 2001. Although that only lasted nine episodes, it received strong reviews and has since gained a cult following. A terrible side-scrolling beat-em-up video game was also released in 1994.
What Remains of Edith Finch launched in April for PS4 and PC to critical acclaim. Soon, it'll no longer be exclusive to those platforms: developer Giant Sparrow announced today that the game is coming to Xbox One.
Xbox players don't have long to wait, either. The game launches next week, on July 19, for $20. It's a beautiful narrative-driven adventure that follows the story of Edith Finch as she tries to discover what happened to her family. You can check out the game's new trailer below.
Giant Sparrow previously worked on The Unfinished Swan, another narrative adventure title with similar themes of life and death. Recently, creative director Ian Dallas sat down with GameSpot to discuss What Remains of Edith Finch, its connection to Unfinished Swan, and its ending moments. You can check out our full interview here.
When it was released in May, GameSpot gave the game a 9/10. Critic Justin Clark praised its art style and storytelling, writing, "It's not often that a game's plot slips past the bitterness of grief to finally get to the acceptance, but that's the triumph in What Remains of Edith Finch. Ultimately, if the game has any resemblance of a moral, it's that the bravest, most beautiful thing every one of us does is choose to keep going, despite knowing what's coming."
Mafia III's third DLC pack has been revealed. It's called Sign of the Times, and it's coming out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on July 25.
According to publisher 2K, Sign of the Times sees you take on a "deranged and violent group of cultists" called The Ensanglante. The cult uses a hallucinogenic drug to "bend its members to their will" and turn them into killers, all in service of restoring righteousness to New Bordeaux through violent rituals.
In a blog post, Mafia III senior writer Ed Fowler detailed how Sign of the Times would have a more deliberate pacing than the previous two expansions, Faster, Baby! and Stones Unturned.
"There's a mystery to solve with Lincoln searching for stray objects left behind, strange writing--you'll even examine bodies for clues," the writer said. "By eyeballing the environment and using a blacklight flashlight to uncover hints, you'll zero in on where The Ensanglante operate and what the hell their endgame is for New Bordeaux. At key points in this DLC, we have these investigation zones where you'll methodically look for clues that reveal more of the truth… and it can quickly turn a corner where you'll be dealing with cult members in tense firefights."
The add-on forms part of the US $30 / £25 / AU $45 season pass, though it's also available individually for an as yet unknown price. Previous expansions have cost US $15 / £12 / AU $23 each.
It's been a year since Pokemon Go debuted for mobile devices, and developer Niantic is celebrating the occasion with a host of live events for the popular app. Today, the developer shared more details about some of the events that will take place this summer across the US and Europe.
Later this month, Niantic will host the first official live event for the game, Pokemon Go Fest Chicago. The event takes place in Chicago's Grant Park on Saturday, July 22, and will feature a "variety of activities" for Pokemon Go users. Attendees will be able to take part in three "Challenge Window" activities, which will have players working together to catch certain types of Pokemon. Completing the challenges will unlock a "variety of perks" for Pokemon Go players not just at the event, but around the world.
Players who aren't able to attend the event in-person can still participate in the Challenge Windows by catching as many Pokemon as possible. If players around the world are able to catch enough monsters, a "mystery challenge" will be revealed at the live event that can potentially "unlock an extra-special bonus across the globe." You can see more details on the events and rewards in the image below.
Pokemon Go players in the UK will be able to take part in a separate event on the same day. Niantic has partnered with the UK heritage organization Big Heritage to host events in the city of Chester on July 22 and 23. During that weekend, historical sites around the city will become PokeStops, and Chester Castle will be opened to the public for the first time in 20 years to host a number of activities.
Other Pokemon Go players across Europe will have a chance to participate in special live events as well. Select Unibail-Rodamco shopping centers across the continent will host Pokemon Go Safari Zone events, which will give users the chance to catch rare Pokemon, including ones that players haven't been able to encounter in Europe before. The events will also allow players to team up and challenge unique Raid Bosses. You can find the full list of Safari Zone events below:
August 5
Fisketorvet -- Copenhagen, Denmark
Centrum Cerny Most -- Prague, Czech Republic
August 12
Mall of Scandinavia -- Stockholm, Sweden
Stadshart Amstelveen -- Amstelveen, Netherlands
September 16
CentrO -- Oberhausen, Germany
Les Quatre Temps -- Paris, France
La Maquinista -- Barcelona, Spain
Additionally, a special Pokemon Go experience will take place at the annual "Pikachu Outbreak" event in Yokohama, Japan, which runs from August 9-15. More details about the event will be announced "soon."
It might not have been quite as successful as the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy or The Avengers, but 2015's Marvel adventure Ant-Man was enough of a hit to merit a sequel. Ant-Man and the Wasp is set for release next year, and we have a first look at the Wasp's costume. It appears on a banner at Disney's D23 convention in California, and was tweeted by Wasp actress Evangeline Lilly. Check it out below:
The movie will star Paul Rudd as Ant-Man--aka Scott Lang--once more. Michael Douglas is to return as scientist (and Wasp's dad) Hank Pym, while Michael Peña (The Martian, Fury) is back as Lang's criminal pal Luis. It has also been announced that Randall Park (The Interview, Trainwreck) will play SHIELD agent Jimmy Woo.
Ant-Man and the Wasp will be directed by Peyton Reed, who previously helmed the first film. Reed took over from Edgar Wright, who had worked on the movie for many years but left shortly before production began. Wright recently revealed that he has never seen the final film.
In an interview with Modern Myth Media last year, Reed spoke about his plans for the sequel. "For me, as a comic nerd, I have always thought of Ant-Man and Wasp as a team," he said. "That's a lot of what the second movie is really about--how they work together, and what their personal and professional relationships are like.
"To show her finally fully formed in this movie is really exciting. We really get to introduce this character into that universe. To me she's not a supporting character in this movie. It's every bit as much her movie as it is Scott Lang's."
Ant-Man and the Wasp hits theaters on July 6, 2018.
Disney's series of live-action fairy tale reboots have proven hugely popular so far, and there many more to come over the next few years, including The Lion King, The Jungle Book 2, and Mulan. However, it has been reported that the producers of the much-anticipated remake of Aladdin can't find anyone to play the lead role.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has so far been unable to find an actor to take on the role of Aladdin. The site states that Disney wants to cast an actor in his 20s, who can sing and dance, and is of "Middle-Eastern or Indian descent."
THR reports that the casting process has stretched on for many months. There have been a number of rounds of screen tests, with director Guy Ritchie going back to earlier taped auditions when the most recent tests failed to produce any contenders.
THR notes that established stars Dev Patel (Lion, Slumdog Millionaire) and Riz Ahmed (Star Wars:Rogue One, Jason Bourne) were considered, but that the role of Aladdin is most likely to go to an unknown. While the studio has a number of actresses in mind to play Princess Jasmine, including Power Rangers star Naomi Scott, the casting of a female lead very much depends on the chemistry with whoever is chosen to play the title role.
In April, it was reported that Will Smith will appear as the Genie, a role played by Robin Williams in the 1992 animated version. The film was originally set to begin production this month, but it has now moved back to August. It doesn't currently have a release date.
In related news, it was announced this week that comedian and late night TV host John Oliver will play the role of Zazu in the upcoming live-action version of The Lion King. Oliver joins the like of Donald Glover (Simba), James Earl Jones (Mufasa), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), and Billy Eichner (Timon). The Lion King is set for release in July 2019.
It's a big day for Overwatch and competitive gaming overall. Blizzard Entertainment today announced the owners of the first seven Overwatch League teams, and included among them are some very big games in traditional sports, gaming, and other industries.
As rumored New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is a billionaire, will own the Boston-based Overwatch League team. Additionally, Jeff Wilpon, who is the co-founder and partner at Sterling VC, which owns the New York Mets, will operate the New York team. There will also be Overwatch League teams in Los Angeles (Immortals), Miami-Orlando (Misfits Gaming), San Francisco (NRG Esports), Shanghai (NetEase), and Seoul (Kevin Chou, Kabam).
"We looked at major cities around the world and came up with a list of cities that wasn't just based on population size but really the concentration of Overwatch players," Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer told GameSpot. "And once we had our cities identified, we set out and were talking to who we thought would be great owners. We wanted to make sure we were partnering with partners who, first and foremost, had a proven track record of building and growing a fan base."
With today's announcement, the Overwatch League becomes the first major international pro esports league with a city-based structure. This is a big step for competitive gaming, as it brings it more in line with traditional sports leagues, though Overwatch League is unique in that teams from different countries will compete in certain events.
Here is a rundown of the first seven Overwatch League team owners.
Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and the New England Patriots (Boston)
Jeff Wilpon, Co-Founder and Partner of Sterling.VC and COO of the New York Mets (New York)
Noah Whinston, CEO of Immortals (Los Angeles)
Ben Spoont, CEO and Co-Founder of Misfits Gaming (Miami-Orlando)
Andy Miller, Chairman and Founder of NRG Esports (San Francisco)
NetEase (Shanghai)
Kevin Chou, Co-founder of Kabam (Seoul)
Kraft, who is the chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, said in a statement that his company has been looking at the esports market "for a number of years."
"The incredible global success of Overwatch since its launch, coupled with the League's meticulous focus on a structure and strategy that clearly represents the future of esports made this the obvious entry point for the Kraft Group," he said.
The seven teams announced for the Overwatch League today are just the start. By comparison, MLB has 30 teams and the NFL has 32. You can expect Blizzard to expand the Overwatch League's roster of teams in due course, as good partners are found.
"We don't have a set number in our mind right now," Nanzer said. "We want to grow this over time. We want to make sure that we get great owners in big markets around the world. We expect this to be the first of many announcements. And over time, I think you can expect that the size of the Overwatch League will be similar to the size of the traditional sports leagues."
While competitive gaming is undoubtedly on the rise in terms of profile and prominence, the debate around esports being "real" sports will never end. Nanzer isn't losing any sleep over it.
"It doesn't really matter," he told us. "At the end of the day, it's competition, and people love to see competition. People have hobbies like golf and tennis and if you have hobbies like that, you want to go watch and see who is the best in the world at those hobbies--and it's no different for games."
"This is not something that we're doing for a short-term gain. We're taking a very long-term view of this."
Announced at Blizzcon last year, the Overwatch League will kick off later this year. For the league's first season, matches will take place at a venue in the Los Angeles area, as the local squads take the time they need to create their own local venues. There will eventually be home and away matchups, just as with traditional sports. Full details on the schedule and ticket sales opportunities will be announced later this year.
Overwatch League teams will make money through ticket sales, advertising, and broadcast rights revenue. According to Blizzard, this money will be shared evenly, though local teams get to keep all the revenue from their home territory and venue up to "a certain amount." If/when this figure is eclipsed, a percentage will be given to a shared league revenue pool. Another element here is that franchises can operate and make money from five non-professional events in their home region every year.
Additionally, there will be league- and team-based Overwatch content sold in the game, with 50 percent of revenue going to a shared revenue pool for all teams.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions about the Overwatch League, but what's clear is this is a massive step forward for competitive gaming. Kraft and Wilpon, titans of business, getting on board is clear indicator that competitive gaming is no passing fad.
GameSpot spoke with Nanzer about today's news, and you can see some of the big takeaways from our talk listed out below.
The announcement of the seven teams today is just the start, Nanzer says. More will be announced in due time. By comparison, the NFL has 32 teams and MLB has 30.
The version of Overwatch played in Overwatch League matches is mostly the same as the public version. However, Overwatch League will hold back new heroes, maps, and balance changes until they are properly tested.
There is a minimum base salary for Overwatch League players, though this figure was not disclosed.
Blizzard will support Overwatch League teams with support and benefits, though there are no plans for a player's union. However, Nanzer says Blizzard would be open to having a discussion about that if players want one.
Nanzer envisions Overwatch League as a "forever league" that kicks off this year and never ends, similar to how the NFL and MLB started and have never stopped and never plan to.
Blizzard will announce details on the Overwatch League prize pools later. They are holding back for now because the prize pool isn't always what's most important, Nanzer said, mentioning that people rarely talk about the prize pool for the Super Bowl.
However, Nanzer did say the Overwatch League prize pool will be "meaningful."
There were reports about franchise fees of $20 million for the Overwatch League, but Nanzer declined to share any specifics on this.
Sony may have only released the PlayStation 4 Pro at the end of last year, but more hardware could come as soon as 2019, according to one analyst. Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter has told GamingBolt that he expects the PlayStation 5 to launch in 2019, and that it will be a "half step," similar to how, in Pachter's view, the PS4 Pro was a "half step" over the base PS4.
"The PS4 Pro is better [from a technical perspective] than the PS4, so I think that's a half step towards the PS5," he said. "I think the PS5 will be another half step."
He added: "My expectation that is that it's not coming out in 2018. That [it will be] 2019 or 2020 but probably 2019. Sony is probably timing it better because they are going to bring out a 4K-capable device when the 4K TV market reaches 50% in the USA and 35% in the rest of the world.
"I think Sony has probably got the next console cycle nailed down already. I think they already know what they got to do."
By contrast, Microsoft will launch its native 4K-capable console, the Xbox One X, this November. It is unclear when the next Xbox after that is scheduled to launch.
Pachter went on to speculate about what kind of console the PS5 might be, and whether it will be backwards compatible: "The PlayStation 5… how much faster can it be? It will surely support 4K. Will it support 240 frames per second? Great. Will it play games that were made for the PS4 Pro? That's the question. I think it will. So I think they will build a console that will backwards compatible with the PS4 Pro. So I think it will be perceived by the consumers to be a half step and I think Shawn [Layden, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America] is telling the truth when he says it will be a full-fledged console."
We likely won't receive any official word from Sony on its next console for quite some time. The PS4 was announced nine months prior to its release, while the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro revisions were revealed just one week and two months, respectively, before they hit store shelves.
In response to the news, Sony simply stated, "We don't comment on rumor or speculation."
Blizzard's team shooter Overwatch has been updated on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but it's probably not the patch you were hoping for. This one merely introduces bug fixes, so console owners will have to wait a little longer for Doomfist.
The new character was added to Overwatch's public test server on PC last week, but he's still not available on consoles. Instead, this patch includes fixes for multiple audio issues and a problem with Orisa's ultimate, which in some instances could charge while her Supercharger was deployed. Take a look at the full patch notes below.
Doomfist was added to the PTR in its own recent update. Coinciding with the character's announcement and release on the PTR, Blizzard released the video above, in which director Jeff Kaplan explains the general design of the character. This includes the potential use of Doomfist as a character who can flank and dive into groups of enemies, and how his passive--which gives him shields by dealing ability damage--allows him to survive. Sadly, there's no explanation for why he isn't voiced by Terry Crews.
Overwatch players can currently get a free Golden Loot Box, which is guaranteed to contain one legendary item, through Twitch Prime. In addition, Twitch Prime subscribers also get 10 standard Loot Boxes--five in August and five in September. Later this year, members will receive items and loot for Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, as well.
Overwatch July 11 PS4/Xbox One Update Patch Notes
General
Fixed a bug that caused some players to lose audio during the match.
Fixed a bug causing the vacuum-of-space sound effects from the Horizon Lunar Colony menu screen to persist even after selecting a new menu area.
Heroes
Fixed a bug that prevented Pharah's "I am the rocket queen" voice line from playing correctly.
Fixed a bug that allowed Orisa's ultimate to charge while her Supercharger was deployed.
Update [July 12]: Arms' 2.0 update is out now on Nintendo Switch. Take a look at all the changes it introduces in the patch notes below.
Original story follows.
The next major update for the Nintendo Switch brawler Arms goes live tomorrow, July 12. Along with a new character and stage, the free update adds an entirely new versus mode to the game.
As Nintendo revealed last week, the new character coming in tomorrow's update is Max Brass, the champion of the game's Grand Prix. The update will make Brass a playable fighter, and as you can gather from his burly physique, he is one of the heaviest bruisers in the game. When his Arms are fully charged, he can take punches without flinching, and his Arms remain charged when his health falls below a certain point. Brass comes with three Arms sets (Nade, Roaster, and Kablammer) as well as a new outdoor stage called the Sky Arena.
In addition to Brass, Nintendo is introducing a new versus mode with tomorrow's update. In an interview with Eurogamer, Arms producer Kosuke Yabuki revealed that the mode will give players a chance to play as the game's final boss, Hedlok. "Max Brass is the main part of tomorrow's update, but there is a new versus mode where in a fight between two or three players there's a Hedlok mask players battle over, and when you get the mask your own character can turn into Hedlok," explained Yabuki.
Nintendo has said it will continue supporting Arms with a steady stream of free content. The first update the company released for the game arrived near the end of June and added an Arena Mode for local multiplayer as well as a LAN Mode. Nintendo will also take a similar approach to supporting the upcoming Splatoon 2. The team-based shooter launches for Switch this month, on July 21, and will receive free DLC maps, weapons, and gear for a year following its release.
Take a look at the full Version 2.0 patch notes below.
Arms Version 2.0 Patch Notes
Arms League Commissioner Max Brass added as a playable character.
New Nade Arm added.
New Roaster Arm added.
New Kablammer Arm added.
New Sky Arena stage added.
New versus mode "Hedlok Scramble" added.
Punch or touch the capsule containing the Hedlok mask to become Hedlok for a period of time.
This can be selected in Versus, Friend, or Local and it will also appear in Party Match.
"Stats" added to the Top Menu.
Check stats such as your most used fighter, best stage, and ARM accuracy.
"Events" added to the Top Menu.
Here you can set whether or not you want to join official online events.
Snake Park has been swapped out for Sky Arena in the Ranked Match stage roster.
Raised highest rank in Ranked Match to 20.
Increased the penalty for disconnecting during Ranked Match play.
Shortened the amount of time necessary for the following Arms to return after being extended, making them easier to use: Megaton, Megawatt, Revolver, Retorcher, Boomerang
Increased movement speed of the Guardian.
Improved visibility during charge attacks for the Popper and Cracker.
Increased the amount of time necessary for the following Arms to return after being knocked down, increasing risk: Popper, Cracker, Hydra.
Increased the amount of time it takes to recover when a grab is deflected with a single punch.
Decreased the amount of damage when the Hydra's rush connects with multiple consecutive hits.
Decreased the distance Kid Cobra travels when jumping.
Fixed issue where in some instances Ribbon Girl could remain airborne for an overlong period of time while continually attacking.
Fixed issue where Ninjara would not destroy the light boxes on the Ribbon Ring stage when getting up.
Fixed issue where the time necessary for the Triblast to return when deflected was shortened.
Fixed issue where Arms such as Blorb and Megaton would catch on the ground and fail to fire.
Fixed issue where explosive Arms would sometimes fail to explode when receiving an attack.
Fixed issue where the Slapamander would sometimes fail to hit Helix when he is extended.
In online play, fixed issue where the appearance or non-appearance of items could differ between devices.
In online play, fixed various issues with V-Ball including an issue where the ball would remain grounded and play would not proceed.
In online play, fixed an issue where sometimes Barq would continually defend against an opponents' rush attack for a set period of time.
In online play, fixed issue where sometimes pillars in the Scrapyard would not be destructible.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Warner Bros. was considering Mel Gibson to direct the Suicide Squad sequel. While the studio might have spoken to the Oscar-winner about taking the helm, it looks like he won't be directing it. Deadline reports today that The Shallows director Jaume Collet-Serra is now the frontrunner to direct Suicide Squad 2.
As for Collett-Serra, he also directed Orphan, Unknown, and Non-Stop. His latest movie, 2016's The Shallows, starred Blake Lively as a surfer who got trapped in the water and was surrounded by a shark.
Suicide Squad was not a huge hit with critics, but the movie was still one of the biggest box office smashes of 2016. Actor Joel Kinnaman, who played Rick Flag in the supervillain team-up, said the sequel could start shooting in 2018.
The Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, so it's always exciting to hear about what he might be doing next. Today, The Hollywood Reporter said it's heard from sources that Tarantino's next film will be about the Manson Family murders, and he is reportedly talking with big-name actors about appearing in it.
Tarantino has reportedly reached out to Brad Pitt, who appeared in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, about having a role in the untitled film. The director has also apparently gotten into contact with Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence.
Tarantino is now putting the "finishing touches" on the script, according to THR. At least one part of the film will focus on the death of actress Sharon Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski who was murdered by Mansion and his group in 1969. Tate was eight months pregnant at the time, and four others were killed on that August evening. Manson and his followers were sentenced to life in prison.
All conversations with actors are said to be only in the early stages, and one source told THR that Lawrence will not play Tate. Filming on the untitled and unannounced Tarantino movie is tipped to start in 2018.
A report from Deadline has even more details. The site reports that Margot Robbie is also being looked at for the role of Sharon Tate, while Samuel L. Jackson (who has been in lots of Tarantino's films) is reportedly being considered for the lead role. The site has also heard that Pitt's character could be a detective investigating the Tate murders.
His eight movies so far have included Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight. Tarantino won Best Writing Oscars for Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained.
Today, the gaming hardware company Logitech announced that it will acquire the gaming headset maker Astro for $85 million. The sale will be made official in August this year.
Vice president and general manager of the Logitech G brand Ujesh Desai stated that ASTRO's console-centric headsets will be a "perfect compliment to Logitech G's focus on PC gaming."
Logitech put out a press release outlining the purchase, which included a statement on the expected impact on financial results for fiscal year 2018:
"With the addition of Astro, we're investing in an adjacent gaming market — the console gaming market — to help accelerate the long-term growth of our gaming business. In FY 2018, we expect the acquisition of Astro to add approximately two points of growth to the to p line, and to be slightly dilutive to the bottom line in the first year, as we integrate the business and invest to expand Astro internationally."
With regards to the sale, co-founder and president of Astro Jordan Reiss made the following statement:
"The whole team at Astro has always held Logitech and Logitech G products in the highest regard, so I'm ecstatic we are joining forces. Astro's brand strength combined with Logitech G's unrivaled technology and global distribution network is going to bring our products to even more gamers around the world."
Logitech's latest headset, the G433.
Astro is known for its high-end gaming headsets in the A40 and A50 models for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which work for the PC as well, but they retail for over $200. The company also released the budget-level A10 headset for all platforms last month that goes for $60. The latest headset from Logitech is the G433, which we recently reviewed.
[UPDATE]: The Amazon Prime Day sale is now over and the following deals are no longer active.
The original story follows.
Amazon's massive Prime Day sale has begun in both the US and UK, and it's offering Black Friday-like discounts on a wide selection of products. Most notably, Prime members will be able to snag some great deals on PS4, Xbox One, and PC games, as well as accessories and other tech, with more sales cropping up throughout the day.
Prime Day is the online retailer's annual sale exclusively for Amazon Prime members. Subscriptions run $100 per year (or $50/year with a six-month free trail for students) and offer members a number of benefits, including exclusive discounts, free shipping, access to Amazon Prime Video, Prime Music, Twitch Prime, and more.
Below you'll find a list of the best gaming and tech deals in the US; we've also rounded up some of the best Prime Day deals in the UK. Please note that the prices below may not necessarily be the cheapest deals available, and some of the items may only be available in limited quantities or for a specific time. New sales will continue to go live throughout the day as well, so check back regularly as we update the lists with more discounts from this year's Prime Day.
Best US Amazon Prime Day Deals
Console Deals
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB Console Uncharted 4 Bundle -- $229
Xbox One S 500GB Console Bundle with Play & Charge Kit, Xbox White Wireless Controller, and 3 Digital Games -- $240
One of the most heavily criticised elements of Destiny was its story, and that's nothing new for Bungie games, as people didn't always love Halo's story, either. Now, senior narrative lead Jason Harris and cinematic lead Matthew Ward have talked about how the story for Destiny 2 will be more of a focus compared to the original.
"Destiny 1 in a way was foundational," Ward told IGN. "It was meant to set up the world and ask a lot of questions, but not necessarily deliver too many answers. But leave enough out there for us to build upon."
Destiny 1's DLC, including House of Wolves, Rise of Iron, and Taken King did not focus much on the mysterious Traveler, but Destiny 2 will, Ward said. While he didn't give away any specific details, he and Harris promised Destiny 2 will have a lot of story baked into it, so much that fans might take issue with how much story there is.
"We're learning from and listening to all the feedback we got on Destiny 1, and we're applying it," Ward said. "I hope people complain about how much story we have. That'd be the Reddit thread I'd like to read. 'Too much damn story [makes angry typing gesture].'"
Harris said in the interview that Bungie "spent a lot of time" world-building for the Destiny franchise overall. He added, "I can't emphasize enough that we are now ready to tell stories in this world. Big, expansive, cinematic stories."
"I think players are ultimately going to see a wide variety of story channels, an eclectic number of outlets to see story infused throughout the game; top to bottom, soup to nuts. There is story everywhere," he said.
Destiny 2's beta starts on July 18 for PS4 and July 19 for Xbox One, first for people who pre-order the game. It then opens up to everyone on July 21, wrapping up on July 23. The beta will be available on PC later.
The beta lets you try the opening story mission, called Homecoming, as well as the Inverted Spire Strike mission. In Crucible, you can try two modes, Control and Countdown. Additionally, the new social space, The Farm, will be playable for a period of time.
Some services won't be online yet, however. The beta won't support Destiny 2's Clan features, character progression won't be representative of the final game, and characters will be wiped before the game is released. If you participate in the beta, you will get a special emblem.
The full version of Destiny 2 launches in September for PS4 and Xbox One, with a release on PC to come in October.
Cards Against Humanity isn't exactly known for subtlety; the company did, after all, dig a giant hole for no reason and make thousands of dollars in donations from it. Today, Cards Against Humanity launched another parody/joke/stunt, and this one critiques the "pink tax."
Cards Against Humanity For Her, as the new version of the game is called, is exactly the same as the original--except it comes in a pink box. At $30, it's also $5 more expensive than the original version. Its website satirizes the advertisements for products that target women, with ridiculous lines like, "There for you when you need a good cry," and, "Listens to your problems without offering any suggestions."
The For Her edition specifically critiques the Pink Tax, a term that refers to the extra cost of female-targeted products compared to male-targeted ones.
"Everyone hates it when the men retire to the parlor to discuss the economy and the various issues of today," the website states. "What are us ladies supposed to do? Now there's an answer. Cards Against Humanity for Her."
All profits from sales of the game go to EMILY's List, an organization that helps and advocates for pro-choice Democratic women run for political office. In addition to the new version, CAH also released the Period Pack and the Weed Pack, expansions to the base game that are, as you might've guessed, about periods and marijuana, respectively.
Sony closed out its E3 2017 presentation with an extended look at Spider-Man, the PS4-exclusive action game from Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac. The gameplay demo offered fans a glimpse at the sprawling city that serves as the game's setting, and now we have some idea as to just how large it will be.
In an exchange with a fan on Twitter, Insomniac revealed that the world in its upcoming Spider-Man game is "several times larger" than Sunset City, the setting of the studio's Xbox One-exclusive title Sunset Overdrive. Insomniac had previously called that title "the biggest game" the studio had ever developed, which means the upcoming Spider-Man will be massive indeed.
That's not a comparison we can really make. It's several times larger than Sunset City was tho
The gameplay demo that capped off Sony's E3 presentation showcased Spider-Man making his way through a construction site and taking down gang members with a combination of his web-slinging abilities and Batman: Arkham-style combat. After confronting the gang's leader, the webslinger swung through New York in a dramatic chase sequence as a helicopter destroyed parts of the city. Toward the end of the demo, we also got a brief glimpse at Miles Morales, the newest comic book Spider-Man, hinting that he may appear in the game in some capacity.
Insomniac hasn't revealed a release date for Spider-Man, but the game is slated to arrive sometime in 2018. We got a chance to speak with Marvel Games vice president and executive producer Mike Jones at E3 last month, who discussed his philosophy toward creating superhero games and how the success of the Batman: Arkham series influenced Marvel's approach for Spider-Man.
Esports are increasingly getting airtime on TV channels, and the 2017 EVO fighting game tournament is the next step. ESPN announced recently that the Street Fighter V finals at the tournament will be broadcast live on ESPN 2.
Starting at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET on July 16, the television channel will air the Street Fighter V World Championship. This is the second time that ESPN 2 has broadcast the event; the 2016 tournament was the first.
President of EVO Joey Cuellar stated in a press release, "Fighting games bring a tremendous level of hype and excitement, and Evo's mission is to share that experience with fans worldwide. We're pleased to team up with ESPN to bring this game to new audiences."
The Xbox One's backwards compatibility feature, introduced in November 2015, lets you play Xbox 360 games on the new console. But what games are available? We've now rounded them all up--and we'll continue to update this post as new games are made available.
Confirming reports, Netflix today announced a 10-episode series based on My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way's The Umbrella Chronicles graphic novel series. Coming in 2018, the live-action show is based on the graphic novels that were written by Way.
Here is how Netflix describes the show in a press release: "The Umbrella Academy is a live-action series that follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes (The Umbrella Academy)--The Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror, and The White Violin--as they work together to solve their father's mysterious death while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities."
The Umbrella Chronicles series is published by Dark Horse, and the art is done by Gabriel Ba. In a statement, Way himself said he's "thrilled" with the news that The Umbrella Chronicles is coming to Netflix, saying he couldn't think of a better home for the show.
For its part, Netflix VP of original content Cindy Holland said in a statement that the network was drawn to the series for its "wholly unique, visual, and stylized" nature.
"These aren't the usual superheroes, and this series will embrace the singular tone of the graphic novels--dark yet humorous, supernatural yet grounded in reality," Holland added. "We're excited to see this world and introduce these unforgettable heroes to Netflix members around the globe."
Fargo's Steve Blackman is the executive producer and showrunner for The Umbrella Chronicles, while Way himself will be a co-executive producer. The script for the pilot episode was adapted by The Exorcist's Jeremy Slater.
There is no word yet on who will star in The Umbrella Academy. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
If you already own either of these, they should show up automatically in your Xbox One game library. If not, you can buy them through your Xbox One or via the Xbox Store links below.
In other backwards compatibility news, Microsoft announced at E3 that Original Xbox games are coming to the catalog later this year. However, the lineup of titles may not be as extensive.
[UPDATE] The Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon steelbook dual pack is also available for preorder in the US exclusively on Amazon. The bundle is listed for $80.
The original story follows below.
The next pair of Pokemon titles, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, are slated to arrive for 3DS on November 17, and like their predecessors, it looks like players who want both versions will be able to snag a bundle. Amazon Canada has listed a special edition steelbook dual pack for $100 CAD.
Like the steelbook bundle for the original Sun and Moon versions, the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon dual pack includes a physical copy of both games and features the new forms of the Legendary cover monsters, Solgaleo and Lunala, adorning the outer sides of the steelbook case. You can see images of the steelbook, taken from the Amazon product page, below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were revealed during a special Pokemon Direct broadcast the week before E3 2017, though details on the games are still scant. According to series director Junichi Masuda, the upcoming pair are set in the same world as the first Sun and Moon but tell an "alternate story." The games also include new features, though Masuda didn't elaborate on what those entail. He did, however, confirm that some Pokemon that didn't appear in the original Sun and Moon versions can be found in the upcoming pair.
While Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon may be exclusive to 3DS, Nintendo has revealed two other Pokemon titles that are on the way for Switch. The first, Pokken Tournament DX, is a deluxe version of the Wii U/arcade fighting game and releases for the system on September 22. Nintendo also confirmed during its E3 presentation that Game Freak is already developing a new mainline Pokemon RPG for the hybrid console, though it "may not arrive for more than a year."
Yoko Taro, the developer known for wearing a moon helmet for any public appearance, has gained a lot of attention due to this year's release of Platinum Games' acclaimed action game Nier: Automata. Today, he shared some interesting facts about what he enjoys playing.
The Danganronpa series of visual novels also appears on his top seven, and he cites its cinematography and "great tempo" as reasons for his appreciation of it. He also added, "I go out to drink with the scenario writer Kazutaka Kodaka once in a while too, but when I saw his piercing eyes that appear as though he doesn't trust anyone around him, I thought, 'Ah, he does seem like the person that would create a mad game like Danganronpa…'"
Rounding out the list are the 2D shooter Resogun and the episodic game Life Is Strange. Taro lauded Life Is Strange's graphical fidelity and narrative tone. He also lamented the fact that developer Dontnod's previous game, Remember Me, hasn't been localized in Japan yet. You can read more of his comments on the games over at the PS Blog.
Rockstar has revealed the latest round of bonuses and discounts Grand Theft Auto V players can earn in GTA Online. This week also brings a new vehicle to the popular online game along with the new Overtime Rumble mode, plus details on the latest Premium Race and Time Trial schedules.
This week's batch of discounts is all about executive offices. Starting today, players can save up to 40% on furnishings for their criminal empire. Here's the full list of discounts:
Maze Bank West -- 25% off
Arcadius Business Center -- 30% off
Lombank West -- 35% off
Maze Bank Tower -- 40% off
Executive Office Garages & Custom Auto Shop -- 25% off
Executive Office Garage Renovations -- 25% off
Custom Auto Shop Renovations -- 25% off
Also beginning today, players can get their hands on the latest addition to the Sports class of vehicles, the stylish Grotti Cheetah Classic. The car marries a vintage design with cutting-edge power and is available exclusively at Legendary Motorsport. You can see a picture of it below.
In addition to that, players can participate in the new vehicle mode Overtime Rumble. The mode is a team-based remix of Darts and has up to 10 players launching a Ruiner 2000 through the air attempting to land on platforms of various sizes. Players will earn double GTA$ and RP for their accuracy in the mode until July 17.
Finally, this week's premium race is Big Drop, while Up Chiliad is the current Time Trial. The events run from today until July 17 and will net the top players sizable GTA$ and RP rewards. You can find more information on this week's bonuses and new content on Rockstar's website.
This month's Twitch Prime promotion is a good deal for Overwatch fans: subscribers can grab one free Golden Loot Box on the site. In addition, Overwatch will be 50% off later today during the Amazon Prime Day sale.
From now until August 10, players can get a Golden Loot Box, which is guaranteed to contain one legendary item, but you'll need to be a Twitch Prime subscriber to take advantage of it. If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, which costs $100 per year, you get a Twitch Prime subscription for free. You simply need to link your Amazon Prime account and your Twitch account.
In addition, Twitch Prime subscribers also get 10 standard Loot Boxes--five in August and five in September. Later this year, members will receive items and loot for Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, as well.
Today is Amazon Prime Day, the massive sale for Prime subscribers. There are a ton of video game deals happening, and you can see some of the highlights here. Overwatch is getting a big discount later today: starting at 2:05 PT/5:05 ET, the game will be 50% off on PS4, Xbox One, and PC through Amazon. Keep an eye on its store page for the deal when it goes live.
In other Overwatch news, Doomfist was recently released in a PTR update. You can read more about the new character here.
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