Learning game development can be a daunting task, especially if you have no prior coding, art, or design training. But there is an increasing number of resources available to make it easier. Today, Microsoft announced an initiative of its own that aims to help people learn to make games, called the Xbox Academy.
Microsoft will hold a series of free game development courses at its stores in New York City and Sydney, Australia. There are three different courses in the series, each specializing in an aspect of game development.
The first, simply called Game Development, covers how to design and deploy games onto Xbox One and PC. The second, Game Programming, involves learning how to use the Unity game engine to create adventure games. Finally, Game Design goes into depth on how to conceive of and pitch game ideas.
The Xbox One is a particularly open platform, considering that anyone can turn their console into a development kit. The Xbox Live Creators Program, which is currently in testing, will additionally provide a relatively cheap and simple way to get games published on the Xbox Store. It's cool to see Microsoft continuing this support and working to make the barrier to entry for game development as low as possible.
The courses in NYC take place once a day from August 20-September 3. Sydney's courses begin on September 25 and run through October 1. You can register for the NYC courses here and the Sydney courses here. The classes are officially credited, meaning that they can potentially carry over to full-time game development programs.
In Friday the 13th, the survival horror game based on the classic horror film franchise, one player assumes the role of iconic serial killer Jason and must hunt down seven others playing as hapless camp counselors. However, he isn't the only one capable of murder; camp counselors can kill one another as well using the various weapons they find. This has led some players to deliberately kill their teammates during online matches--an issue that has become so prevalent that publisher Gun Media will be removing the feature in a future patch.
The publisher announced the decision in a post on Reddit. "[T]he biggest thing we've heard from our community with the game are issues pertaining to rampant team-killing that has unfortunately been abused by players on all platforms," the post begins. "While the mechanic's intent is designed to promote life-or-death experiences into each and every game you play, the reality has turned into more of a Battle Royale scenario to a point our team feels a change needs to be made."
Following the game's next patch, "Public Games will no longer allow counselor team-killing through weapons use against other counselor players," meaning shotguns, machetes, and other weapons that camp counselors can wield will no longer have any effect on their teammates. However, players can still kill one another by running them over with a car. "We decided on this as the alternative was abused during our beta where users would simply stand in front of the car, effectively blocking it from moving," the publisher explains.
"Our team believes that the ability to hurt other counselors is something that this game should have as it adds tension and requires players to make tough calls," Gun says. "However, we do not believe this should be a mechanic that is abused by players to the point where the vast majority of our current communications from fans are complaints of rampant/unwarranted team-killing/griefing/trolling."
Still, while team-killing may be disappearing from public matches, it doesn't appear to be the end of the mechanic entirely; it will still be allowed in private sessions for the time being, "with the hope of better options in the future."
August 3 update: The previously available Walmart pre-orders were ultimately canceled. Nintendo has since revealed that SNES Classic pre-orders should arrive in the US by the end of August. We don't yet know when they will go up for sale exactly, but you can check out the store listings at some major retailers through the links below.
Update: Those in the UK may have missed at least their first chance to pre-order from certain retailers, but Nintendo's online store has the SNES Classic available as of this writing.
Original Story: Nintendo announced the SNES Classic today. A miniature version of the classic Nintendo console, the $80 system that comes with 21 games and two controllers launches in the US in September. Given that last year's NES Classic sold out basically instantly everywhere it was sold, fans might be wondering how they can secure the SNES Classic right away.
US retailers are not yet widely accepting pre-orders, but in Australia, you can secure a pre-order right now through JB Hi Fi and EB Games. The console sells for $120 in Australia and it looks a little different than the North American edition.
In the US, Amazon has a page up for the SNES Classic, as does Best Buy, but you cannot actually pre-order the system there as of yet. We will update this post as more retailers open pre-orders for the SNES Classic. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
As with the NES Classic Edition, the SNES Classic features HDMI output and resembles the look of the system it's based on but in a smaller form factor. But unlike that system, it comes with two controllers in the box.
On the subject of supply, while Nintendo isn't sharing specific numbers, it did say it will deliver "significantly more" units than it did with the NES Classic Edition. That said, it only plans to ship the system between September and the end of 2017.
Last month, Sony announced that PlayStation 4's 5.0 system update was on the way and that a beta would take place in August. While it still hasn't shared official details about the changes and improvements the patch will introduce, the update notes for it have now been leaked.
Eurogamer reports that it has obtained the release notes for the 5.0 patch. The major changes include the ability to stream 1080/60 FPS gameplay over Twitch using a PS4 Pro, as well as a new system that allows you to follow any PSN member (rather than only verified individuals, like developers). This setup sounds more like what's possible on Xbox One or Twitter, where one person can follow another without the two needing to add each other as friends. If that idea disturbs you or you simply want Bob to stay out of our business, privacy settings will allow you to close yourself off to non-friends or block specific people.
In a small but welcome change, notifications and upload/download statuses can be seen from the Quick Menu that's accessed by holding the PlayStation button. That means you don't have to retreat to the notification screen in order to check on any of this.
The 5.0 update also adjusts how sub accounts work, providing new tools for parents to manage what their children have access to on PSN. Some or all of this will be accessible from your PC or smartphone.
Curiously, there's no mention of PlayStation Now here. It was believed that the streaming service would be affected by the update, as the beta sign-up form inquired about PS4 owner's subscription status, but it appears that may not be the case.
PS4 update 5.0 is still without a release date. We'll report back as Sony shares more.
Rez Infinite, the updated and enhanced version of the classic rhythm-based shooter, is no longer exclusive to PlayStation 4. As of today, it's available for PC on Steam.
This marks the first time Rez--which originally launched for Dreamcast and PS2 in 2001--has been released on PC. But as was the case when it launched on PS4 last year, Rez Infinite is also the best way to play the game. Most significantly, it includes a brand-new stage called Area X. While still the same kind of shooter as the rest of the game, it was built from scratch for Infinite and affords players more freedom in their ability to move and navigate the world.
Optional VR support--which is quite spectacular--also makes the transition to PC, with both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive supported. Infinite also features enhanced visuals and audio with support for 4K. The PC version supports some enhancements beyond the PS4 release, featuring "double the textures of PS4 with additional graphics settings such as rendering resolution, texture quality, anti-aliasing (MSAA - Classic Rez / FXAA - Area X), and texture filtering (Trilinear or ANISO)."
Gearbox, which is best known as the developer of the Borderlands series, has quietly revealed its next project. Like Borderlands, Project 1v1 is a first-person shooter, but it offers a twist.
Project 1v1 is described as a "competitive first-person shooter that combines the action of fast-paced 1v1 first-person combat with the metagame strategy of a collectible card game." Unfortunately, that's virtually everything we know; the email Gearbox sent out to some fans and the game's new website both contain little more info than that. You can check out some artwork from the site below.
Despite a general lack of details, some people will have the chance to try the game out quite soon. A "short" closed technical test is scheduled for this summer, and Gearbox has opened sign-ups for the beta on its website. This will include only a "limited number of players" and is meant to "test the online infrastructure and learn what players like you think about the game in order to inform and influence future development." While international players can sign up, servers will be hosted in North America, so the game may not run ideally for those elsewhere in the world.
This test will consist of three game modes: Challenge lets you take on a friend; Arena lets you take on the "current Arena champion," with a win elevating you to their position; and Ranked, where you play against an opponent of similar skill. Wins in Ranked mode net you experience and crates that provide you with more cards.
Platforms are not explicitly laid out on the website. However, the beta sign-up process mentions the need for a Steam account, which suggests it will be PC-only, at least for now. Additionally, Project 1v1 is only a code name; the final version will be called something else.
Nintendo's Switch fighting game, Arms, has received a new update, and version 2.1 adds new training exercises and changes a bunch of fighters. There are also lots of balance changes not specific to any one fighter, such as the rush gauge filling slower when your attacks miss.
In terms of specific tweaks, plenty of fighters and Arms have been buffed. Master Mummy and Mechanica now have faster movement, as do the Boomerang and Coolerang Arms. There also a few Arms that have been nerfed to some extent, such as Bubb and (ironically, given the name) Buff--they now extend slower. Take a look at the full list of changes, via Nintendo, at the bottom of this article.
In our Arms verdict, critic Kallie Plagge called the title a "strong, substantial fighting game," but one that "takes a while to really hit its stride." Read more in our full Arms review.
Added five exercises to Training and added difficulty level indications.
Adjusted the way the rush gauge fills, decreasing the amount gained for punches that do not connect with the opponent.
When 3-4 players start a battle, instructions on how to switch targets will now be displayed. A cursor will also be displayed above the current target for a set time.
Adjusted hitbox sizes for fighters, improving issues where hits were not registered despite looking like hits.
Changed the pause, results, and replay menus in Training to be more convenient.
For Best Stage in Stats, made it harder for less frequently played stages to be selected, even if you have a high win ration on them.
Corrected issue that caused the game to hang-up when the ending was skipped at a particular time.
Fighter/Arms-Specific Tweaks
Master Mummy
Increased dash speed. Increased movement speed when jumping.
Mechanica
Increased movement speed when jumping.
Kid Cobra
Adjusted floatation when performing a jump attack.
Byte & Barq
Trained Barq to get up quicker.
Boomerang
Increased speed when throwing in a wide curve. Increased extension speed. Increased homing.
Coolerang
Increased extension speed. Increased homing.
Revolver
Increased extension speed. Improved curving performance. Increased retraction speed. Shortened the time needed from starting a rush to firing the first shot.
Made it so the electric shock when a charge attack connects lasts longer. Corrected odd behavior that occurred when a rush attack connected with a wall or platform.
Blorb
Corrected odd behavior that occurred when a rush attack connected with an opponent that was not targeted.
Seekie
Increased retraction speed. Made it so the electric shock when a charge attack connects doesn't last as long.
Ramram
Increased retraction speed. Decreased expansion rate for charge attacks. Decreased speed of charge attacks.
Cracker, Popper, Hydra
Increased retraction speed.
Bubb, Buff
Decreased extension speed. Decreased expansion rate when extending.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has received a new trailer--but it's a little different from most video game trailers. Instead of concentrating on new guns, new enemy types or the array of locations you'll fight in, the majority of the trailer highlights a naughty child, seemingly acting in a wartime comedy show. Some gameplay does emerge towards the end however--take a look above.
Wolfenstein II's E3 reveal was similar--it aped TV footage from decades gone by in the form of mock game shows, ads, and cartoons, before showing gameplay footage later on. It's certainly a change from the usual affair of Big Dudes With Guns, that's for sure.
Following its exclusivity period on PS4, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's third major DLC is available for Xbox One and PC. Players on all platforms can now download the Absolution map pack, which adds a handful of new stages to the popular shooter, as well as a new chapter in the Zombies experience.
The Zombies map is the biggest draw of the Absolution DLC. Called "Attack of the Radioactive Thing," this chapter is inspired by 1950s-era monster movies and features guest voice work from Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Suicide Squad) and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark). According to Activision, "Players will fight against a new array of zombie enemies across a ravaged beach town where a government science experiment has transformed the residents into flesh-devouring zombies and introduced a new biological menace into the city."
The DLC also adds four new maps to the shooter. The first, Bermuda, is a shanty town "created around the remnants of a crashed ship." Permafrost is a close-quarters map set in a frozen cityscape. Fore is a mini-golf course that features "magical forests, giant creamsicles, and elevated castle walls." The final map, Ember, is a remake of Resistance from Modern Warfare 3.
The success of last year's Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them showed that a hit film property can have life beyond the end of the main series. The Hunger Games and Twilight franchises were hugely profitable for Lionsgate, and it has now been reported that the studio is looking to continue them.
As reported by Variety, Lionsgate boss Jon Feltheimer recently spoke about the studio's plans for both series and explained that they would only proceed with the approval of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer and Hunger Games creator Suzanne Collins, respectively.
"There are a lot more stories to be told, and we're ready to tell them when our creators are ready to tell those stories," he said.
This isn't the first time that plans for more Hunger Games movies has been discussed. In 2015, Feltheimer said that the studio was "actively looking at some development and thinking about prequel and sequel possibilities." Vice chairman Michael Burns subsequently stated that the franchise "will live on and on," and he suggested that further movies might take the form of prequels.
The final Hunger Games movie was Mockingjay Part 2, which opened in November 2015. In total, the franchise grossed more than $2.9 billion worldwide. The Twilight saga drew to a close in 2012, having made in excess of $3.3 billion worldwide.
There's a new trailer showing off Destiny 2's competitive multiplayer, and we're getting a look at the total carnage that erupts in the game's 4v4 battles.
"Enter the Crucible to fight, to conquer, to crush...Don't be captured, show your enemy what a real fight looks like," says the trailer's narrator, Lord Shaxx, as the game's three central classes--Hunter, Titan, and Warlock--and their abilities are showcased. Check out the new trailer above.
In May, developer Bungie announced it would be overhauling the series' multiplayer in Destiny 2. The game will limit competitive multiplayer to 4v4, focusing on battles between smaller teams. Game director Luke Smith said the changes are caused by Bungie's desire to rethink "the Crucible from first principles."
Nintendo's Eshop is getting the critically-acclaimed hack-and-slash adventure game Severed today. Nintendo Switch players in North America and Europe will be able to pick up the game for US $15 / £13.49.
Severed is a first-person dungeon crawler that came out last year, first on PS Vita and then on Wii U, 3DS, and iOS devices. At its core is the touch-screen interface and colorful art, both of which are in full display in the game's new Nintendo Switch trailer above.
Severed puts you in command of Sasha, a one-armed warrior who wields a living sword as she travels through a nightmare world to find her family. The game uses touch controls to let you solve puzzles, uncover secrets, and do battle by hacking and slashing with your fingers and performing defensive moves. There are also many RPG elements, including the ability to unlock new abilities via a skill tree, along with a dark story set in a "surreal, non-linear world."
When it debuted on Vita, GameSpot reviewer Jason D'Aprile called the game deceptively simple with gameplay that got deeper as the game went on. "The weird, old-school scrolling method and touch-based interactions hide a remarkably deep and involving mix of action, adventure, and role-playing," he said.
"The more hours you pour into Severed, the more complex it becomes and the darker the story gets. It takes a while to grasp, but once the game picks up steam, it becomes an intriguing experience." You can read our full Severed review here, and check out the latest new releases on the Switch Eshop.
In the gallery below, you'll find every Knights of the Frozen Throne card that's on the way. These include cards with a new keyword, Lifesteal, which heals players based on the damage that it does. There are also Legendary Hero cards, which replace your character with a modified Death Knight version when played; these come with a new ability and look.
In addition to new cards, Knights of the Frozen Throne includes new single-player content--something the most recent expansion, Journey to Un'Goro, did not. Earlier this year, Blizzard made changes to how new expansions and single-player Adventures are rolled out. Knights of the Frozen Throne's single-player component is different than those in the past, as it comes with a set of free missions, including a prologue, two wings of three boss fights each, and a final battle against the Lich King. Completing the prologue will net you a random Legendary Hero card, while finishing each wing will also get you a card from the expansion. If you make your way through everything, you'll also obtain a card pack.
A special, one-time pre-order offer is available for Knights of the Frozen Throne, allowing you to buy 50 card packs for $50. Doing so also gets you a special card back, pictured above along with some new artwork.
The next big update for No Man's Sky is coming soon. Following a weird ARG campaign, developer Hello Games today announced that Update 1.3 is coming out this week. "Atlas Rises," as it's called, will be free on PC and PlayStation 4, just as the previous updates have been. The update focuses on "improving the central story," while it also adds a fast-travel feature by way of portals.
"It's been an exciting, intense, and emotional year for us at Hello Games," founder Sean Murray said in a release. "We have been quiet, but we have been listening intently. We've spent that year working hard on free updates for this game our team cares about so much."
The patch notes for the Atlas Rises update will be released soon.
Also in the release, Hello Games talked about why it launched the ARG campaign, Waking Titan, and revealed that more than 250,000 people came together to try to figure it out.
"What we do is much more important than what we say, but since launch we have sometimes focused too much on that," Murray said. "We wanted to reach out and celebrate the devoted community that means so much to us. We launched Waking Titan to try to do that. You've travelled great distances both real and virtual, undertaken complex tasks, and explored the depths of simulation theory. New friendships have been forged, and a tight-knit community has been created. Most importantly a cute hamster has a new home."
Update: One day after launch, a new update has arrived for the PS4 version of LawBreakers. The game's developer claims this should resolve the problem players were encountering with the game freezing or hitching. To ensure it installs, make sure to close the game completely before jumping back in to the action.
Original Story: LawBreakers, the new arena shooter from Boss Key Studios and Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski, is now available for both PC and PS4. While the PC version appears to be in good shape--and is good fun, as you'd expect from a game with lasers you can shoot out of your boots as you retreat--the PS4 version has been encountering some troubles on launch day.
Numerous players have reported issues of hitching when playing the console version of LawBreakers; during gameplay things will freeze for a fraction of a second. It's not a huge amount of time, but it's nonetheless more than enough to be an annoyance, not to mention a real hindrance in a fast-paced competitive shooter.
Boss Key Studios and publisher Nexon have already acknowledged that they are aware of the problem and looking to fix it. A tweet from Boss Key suggests the problem is limited to "when players change roles/leave match." Many players report this happening mid-match when they're doing neither of those things, though perhaps other players doing so is what triggers the issue.
Boss Key COO Arjan Brussee remarked on Twitter, "Here's my official statement on this issue: %]?!*$&@;\><?•=. Fnck. Fixing now." Prior to that, he responded to a question about the problem by saying, "We broke something (showed only after we unlocked everything) and thought we fixed it. Accelerating hotfix patch process."
LawBreakers is the debut game from Boss Key, which was founded by Brussee and Bleszinski back in 2014. It's a class-based first-person shooter that is multiplayer-only--and, as such, carries a $30/£25/AU$45 price tag.
Nintendo Switch online services may go down for a few hours today as Nintendo performs network maintenance.
As announced last week, server maintenance is scheduled for today, August 9, from 5:50 PM PT/8:50 PM ET to 7:30 PM PT/10:30 PM ET. The company's website states that "some network services may become unavailable" during this time.
This isn't the first time Nintendo has done server maintenance for the Switch, and the descriptions are usually this vague about which services will go offline. That potentially means no online Splatoon 2 action, although this is thankfully coming after the conclusion of the recent Splatfest event that saw a battle between ketchup and mayo.
Ubisoft has hired former EA/DICE veteran Patrick Bach to run a new studio in Stockholm, Sweden, the developer's second outfit in the country after The Division studio Massive, in Malmo.
Bach spent 15 years at EA's DICE studio, which is located in Stockholm, leaving the studio after Battlefield 1 shipped. The game has been a huge hit, recently passing 21 million players, so Bach went out on a high note. Bach worked a lot of Battlefield games and more recently the Star Wars: Battlefront series before moving on.
Ubisoft's new office in Stockholm
Ubisoft Stockholm, as it is called, will collaborate with Massive Entertainment to work on AAA games, including the newly announced Avatar title. In a press release, Ubisoft said it plans staff up to 100 people in its first two years.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Ubisoft family, where I feel I will be able to use my experience in the game industry in a new and different way," Bach, the Studio Manager for Ubisoft Stockholm, said in a statement. "My goal has always been to create the best possible gaming experiences for players. When talking toUbisoft about what we value most, it was clear that we share the same passion for nurturing teams' creativity with that goal in mind."
Ubisoft also pointed out today that Massive Entertainment is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The Malmo-based studio was acquired by Ubisoft in 2008. The developer is growing still, as Ubisoft said it plans to hire 20 more people in the next two years.
"I am confident that Patrick Bach's leadership skills, his desire to nurture the passion and creativity of the people he works with, and the attraction of Ubisoft's renowned brands will encourage world-class talent to join Ubisoft Stockholm," Massive managing director David Polfeldt said. "The combination of these different elements will lay strong foundations for the new studio, enabling the team to focus on the quality and innovation of the games they create, and grow to become one of the best studios in the world."
You can see the job opportunities that the two studios have in the links below.
Disney is set to pull at least some of its content from Netflix. The studio has announced that, following the currently deal, it will remove all of its movies from the service with the intention of providing both entertainment and sports content via two new streaming services of its own.
As reported by Bloomberg, an ESPN-branded service is set to arrive first in 2018, which the site reports will feature 10,000 live sports events a year. This will be followed by an entertainment service, which would at home to new live action and animated movies released by Disney and its subsidiary, Pixar. Whether this would also include movies from its Star Wars and Marvel businesses is unclear.
In a statement, Disney boss Bob Iger said, "Our direct-to-consumer services mark an entirely new growth strategy for the company, one that takes advantage of the incredible opportunity that changing technology provides us to leverage the strength of our great brands."
Netflix responded to the reports, and explained in a statement that its content would remain on its service for another two years. The statement said, "US Netflix members will have access to Disney films on the service through the end of 2019, including all new films that are shown theatrically through the end of 2018. We continue to do business with the Walt Disney Company on many fronts, including our ongoing relationship with Marvel TV."
Although Disney originally signed the deal with Netflix in 2012, it didn't come into effect until last year. However, it is not surprising that the studio wants to take advantage of the shifting landscape for streaming media and offer its content direct to consumers.
Disney has had a strong 2017 at the box office, but its takings have dipped compared to 2016. Although such guaranteed hits as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Thor: Ragnarok, and Pixar's Coco are set to be released at the end of the year, the company has nothing lined up for a fall release. In addition, Disney's cable networks are a hugely important part of its business, and subscriber numbers for ESPN--which Disney owns--are continuing to decline.
This story has been updated to clarify the specifics of what Disney has revealed about its strategy.
Valve today announced Artifact, a Dota card game based on the hugely popular MOBA . A teaser trailer was released, but it doesn't show much at all. It does, however, confirm that the digital card game will launch sometime in 2018.
The announcement came today during Valve's The International Dota 2 tournament. Teams are competing for a share of more than $20 million, making it one of the biggest gaming tournaments in history.
We will report back with more details on Artifact as they are announced.
Overwatch's next seasonal event is now live. Much like last year, Summer Games features new cosmetic items that are only available for a limited time, as well as the return of the special Brawl mode LucioBall.
The cosmetics will be the highlight of the event for many, and they include new skins for Sombra, Widowmaker, Reaper, and Junkrat, among others. These are less Olympics-centric than those offered last year; Soldier 76 gets one that puts him in cargo shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and sandals (with socks!) and replaces his assault rifle with one that features the words "A Salt Rifle."
Summer Games 2017 also introduces a new map for LucioBall, the soccer/Rocket League-esque mode that has teams of Lucios try to knock a ball through the opposing team's goal. You also have another chance to get your hands on last year's skins, which are available at a discounted price, as laid out below.
NBA Live 18 launches in September, and EA Sports has now announced the professional basketball game's soundtrack. There are 31 tracks, including songs from big, big names like Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, and Gorillaz.
You can listen to some of the songs from the NBA Live 18 soundtrack through the Spotify embed below, while the full tracklist follows at the bottom of this post.
This year's other big NBA game, 2K's NBA 2K18, has a soundtrack that includes 49 songs. Among them are cuts from artists like Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, and Outkast.
A demo for NBA Live 18 launches on August 11 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while the full game is slated to come out later. In other news, EA recently announced that WNBA teams will be in the game, with star players like
Director James Cameron has revealed new details about the four long-awaited Avatar sequels, which are shooting back-to-back. Specifically, he told Empire about how the sequels will all have the same villain, but it's someone you might not expect.
[AVATAR SPOILERS FOLLOW BELOW]
Cameron told the magazine that Stephen Lang's Colonel Quatrich will be the villain for the four sequels. But, he died at the end of the first Avatar, didn't he? He took two massive Na'vi arrows to the chest at the end of that movie. But apparently he did not die, or perhaps he became a machine or a Na'vi by some means and lives on that way, as Empire suggests. We don't know, but according to Cameron, Quatrich is coming back.
"The interesting conceit of the Avatar sequels is it's pretty much the same characters," Cameron said (via EW). "There are new characters and a lot of new settings and creatures, so I'm taking characters you know and putting them in unfamiliar places and moving them on this greater journey. But it's not a whole bunch of new characters every time.
"There's not a new villain every time, which is interesting. Same guy. Same motherf**ker through all four movies. He is so good and he just gets better. I know Stephen Lang is gonna knock this out of the park."
As mentioned, all four Avatar sequels are shooting at the same time. This is probably a way to save money, as sets don't need to be taken down and rebuilt. But it sounds like a massive task all the same, to shoot four movies back-to-back. Such an undertaking is not new in Hollywood, as Peter Jackson shot the three Lord of the Rings movies back-to-back.
Speaking about why he's shooting all four Avatar sequels at the same time, Cameron recalled a conversation he apparently had with Jackson. "I said 'It's your fault I'm doing this, motherf**ker!'" he said.
Another key casting detail for the Hellboy reboot has been confirmed, as Resident Evil movie series star Milla Jovovich is joining the film in a big role. According to Deadline, Jovovich will play the Blood Queen herself in the film, titled Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen.
This news follows word from last week when it was announced that Game of Thrones and Deadwood star Ian McShane was joining Rise of the Blood Queen. He'll play Professor Broom, the adoptive father of Hellboy, who is played by Stranger Things star David Harbour. In the Guillermo del Toro Hellboy series, Ron Perlman played the red alien, while the late John Hurt portrayed Broom.
Rise of the Blood Queen will be directed by Neil Marshall, who directed episodes of Game of Thrones, along with the movies The Descent and Doomsday. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola is also involved with the film.
Marshall recently said on the Post Mortem podcast that, unlike del Toro's two Hellboy films, he would be making a more adult movie.
"We can make the movie we want to make," he said. "It's not like I'm going to force it to be R-rated, but if it happens to come out that way, just because of my own sensibilities, then fine. And nobody's going to stop us. So, that's the main [difference]. And I'm sure, obviously, the success of things like Deadpool and Logan have not hurt that cause. But, also, when you go back the original material, it is kind of bloody, so I'm going to embrace that."
This past Sunday's episode of Game of Thrones, "The Spoils of War," set a ratings record for the franchise. 10.2 million people watched the fourth episode in Season 7 on HBO, beating out Episode 1, "Dragonstone," which tallied 10.1 million viewers at the start.
Note that these figures are for broadcast TV viewing on HBO. "Dragonstone" ended up passing 30 million views, when streaming, DVR, and repeat viewing figures are counted.
It's a return to form for Game of Thrones, as Episodes 2 and 3 drew around 9.2 million viewers each on HBO for their first run. All of these figures come by way of Entertainment Weekly, which has a summary of the news and more here.
As EW points out, the leak could have helped "The Spoils of War" perform better. Some people who saw the lower-res leaked version apparently sung its praises online, and might have watched it again themselves and encouraged others to do so when it was officially released.
For lots more on "The Spoils of War" and this coming Sunday's Episode 5, check out GameSpot's stories below.
Developer Ninja Theory has given you a chance to win their newest game, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice on PC. Entry is open worldwide. Competition ends Sunday, August 13th at 12:00 PM PT and twenty-five (25) winners will be contacted via email. Scroll down below to enter in the giveaway.
About this game:
From the makers of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DmC: Devil May Cry, comes a warrior's brutal journey into myth and madness. Set in the Viking age, a broken Celtic warrior embarks on a haunting vision quest into Viking Hell to fight for the soul of her dead lover. Created in collaboration with neuroscientists and people who experience psychosis, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice will pull you deep into Senua's mind. Read our official review of the game here.
Enter below and gain additional entries:
To win Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice on PS4, too, enter here.
Developer Ninja Theory has given you a chance to win their newest game, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice on PS4. Entry is open to the United States and Europe. Competition ends Sunday, August 13th at 12:00 PM PT and twenty-five (25) winners will be contacted via email. Scroll down below to enter in the giveaway.
About this game:
From the makers of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DmC: Devil May Cry, comes a warrior's brutal journey into myth and madness. Set in the Viking age, a broken Celtic warrior embarks on a haunting vision quest into Viking Hell to fight for the soul of her dead lover. Created in collaboration with neuroscientists and people who experience psychosis, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice will pull you deep into Senua's mind. Read our official review of the game here.
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To win Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice on PC, too, enter here.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris could feature video game competitions. The co-president of the Paris Olympic bid committee told the Associated Press that discussions will be held with people from competitive gaming circles and the International Olympic Committee to discuss the prospect of having gamers compete for Olympic Gold.
Tony Estanguet, the co-president of France's bid committee, told the AP that the gaming community deserves to at least be part of the discussion.
"We have to look at it because we can't say, 'It's not us. It's not about Olympics,'" Estanguet said. "The youth, yes they are interested in eSport and this kind of thing. Let's look at it. Let's meet them. Let's try if we can find some bridges.
"I don't want to say 'no' from the beginning," he added. "I think it's interesting to interact with the IOC, with them, the eSports family, to better understand what the process is and why it is such a success."
A list of events for the 2024 Games in Paris will begin to take form in 2019, while the official list of sports will be announced after the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
Paris has yet to be officially announced as the host of the 2024 games, but that's expected to happen in September. Los Angeles was in the mix as well, but it recently elected to host the event in 2028 instead.
In 2014, former Blizzard chief creative officer Rob Pardo said there is a very good argument to be made for gaming being a part of the Olympics. "I think the way that you look at eSports is that it's a very competitive skillset and you look at these professional gamers and the reflexes are lightning quick and they're having to make very quick decisions on the fly," he said. "When you look at their 'actions per minute', they're clearing over 300."
It sounds like it's still very early days for gaming joining the Olympics, so we don't know yet which games would be featured, what the format would be, or any other particulars.
What do you think? Should gaming be a part of the Olympics? Let us know in the comments below!
Speaking to TrustedReviews, game director Stephen Viljoen said people playing on Xbox One X will see the best-looking version of the game on console. "I can't tell you exactly what all the various sliders will be at when you're on Xbox One X versus on PS4 Pro, but obviously they'll be higher [on Xbox One X], so there will be a significant, a noticeable improvement, because you have better hardware."
While the PC edition of Project Cars 2 will look and perform the best if you have a beefy enough rig, Viljoen remarked that the Xbox One X is a "great piece of hardware." The developer is looking forward to "making the most of it," adding that Project Cars 2 will look and run better on Xbox One X than any other system out there apart from a high-end PC.
Project Cars 2 launches on September 22 for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. GameSpot is meeting with the developers next week and we'll have more on the game soon. For now, you can check out all the cars and all the tracks through GameSpot's new videos below.
One of the year's biggest gaming shows, Gamescom, kicks off later this month in Cologne, Germany. Many of the big players in gaming are attending, including Nintendo, which today announced its lineup and streaming schedule (via Eurogamer) for the 2017 event.
Starting with the livestream events, Nintendo will host a stream for the hugely anticipated Super Mario Odyssey on Wednesday, August 23, starting at 14:00 BST. During this stream, Nintendo will show off a "fresh look at gameplay," with commentary from producer Yoshiaki Koizumi.
The next day, on August 24, Nintendo will hold a livestream dedicated to Metroid: Samus Returns. The stream begins at 11:00 BST, and it will feature producer Yoshio Sakamoto and creative director Jose Luis Marquez.
Spoilers for Preacher Season 2, Episode 8, "Holes," below
Preacher is the kind of show where an entire town and everyone in it are leveled in an explosion of feces, heavenly angels use their immortal powers to titillate gore-hungry audiences, and Hitler is by far not the worst person present. This week, in Season 2, Episode 8: "Holes," Preacher showed us possibly the most messed up scene yet, equal parts disgusting, shocking, and just plain mean-spirited.
What else could it be but Eugene's trip down the Hole?
After last week's fantastic introduction to The Grail, Preacher once again found itself stuck firmly in a mid-season slump with "Holes" overall. Jesse spent the entire episode sitting in a Best Buy, for no reason, getting nothing done, with no news or advancements on his end whatsoever, the only clue he might have received to God's whereabouts sent screeching down a shredder. Tulip's scenes mostly involved spackling walls, and Cassidy made aggrieved faces while he agonized over a choice that really shouldn't be this difficult.
But Eugene, man. Poor Eugene.
In Preacher's version of Hell, unlucky residents experience their worst living memory over and over again. This torture isn't as mystical as you might think, though; it's all orchestrated via creaking, crystalline mechanisms that, it turns out, are prone to breaking down should Hell's careful balance be disrupted. Eugene's arrival via the preacher's careless curse was apparently disruptive enough, as we learned this week. And thanks to Hitler (what a thing to write!) Eugene finally got a taste of what happens in the Hole, which is surely where he'll go if Hell's weirdly terrifying superintendent, Miss Mannering, learns that he's the culprit.
The first time we saw Eugene in Hell, we learned that his worst memory is also how his face got messed up. The scene, in which Eugene attempts to kill himself after the girl he loves kills herself because he tried to kiss her, was incredibly screwed up. It's a big change from the books--where "Arseface" and his friend Pube resolved to commit suicide to emulate Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain--and one that makes Eugene's plight much, much sadder. But in the Hole, it got even worse, Eugene's most painful memory twisted into something unspeakable.
Instead of rejecting him and subsequently blowing her brains out, Tracy reveals that she feels the same way and, incongruously, they sing a brief duet. It's a fleeting flicker of hope for Eugene that, as the audience, we knew wasn't going to last. But it still came as a shock when Preacher Jesse Custer entered the room and starting enthusiastically making out with the high school girl.
Her hands fumbled at the preacher's big, silver belt buckle. Eugene screamed at them to stop. He picked up the shotgun, Jesse egging him on. Her arm started moving up and down. Mom pounded at the door. Eugene raised the gun to his chin. Jesse visibly climaxed, oh my god. A bang, and Preacher cut to commercial.
That must have been an awkward scene to shoot. More importantly, it was incredibly hard to watch--the kind of scene where you're caught between laughing and cringing and your face just kind of scrunches up in horror instead. And it must count as one of the most messed up sequences ever to air on television.
This will doubtless serve as the impetus for Eugene (and Hitler!) to attempt to escape from Hell. The question is: How will Eugene confront the preacher if he ever makes it back to the world of the living? Was his latest Hell-vision simply a twisted version of that memory, or did it reveal something deeper within Eugene--like some anger at the man who sent him to this place to begin with?
Whatever Eugene winds up doing, it looks like Hitler's going with him. So that should be fun, at least.
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