As first revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, Joe will play Decepticon Predaking in Transformers: Power of the Primes, the final installment of the Prime Wars trilogy being produced by Hasbro and Machinima. The series, which airs on the go90 streaming service, is going all-out for the final part of the trilogy, lining up a rather impressive voice cast.
Predaking is a Decepticon combiner, which brings together the five Predacon Transformers to create one massive robotic warrior. Joining Joe will be Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Mark Hamill and former Sons of Anarchy lead Ron Perlman in bringing the Transformers to life. Hamill will voice Megatronus--the first Decepticon--while Perlman plays Optimus Primal.
While both characters will play major roles in Power of the Primes, Megatronus has actually already debuted in the universe. Hamill's voice first appears in the final episode of Transformers: Titans Return, the series that leads to Power of the Primes. Other voice actors of note include Wil Wheaton as Perfector, Judd Nelson as Rodimus Cron, and Jamie King as Solus Prime.
Transformers: Power of the Primes is expected to debut in the second quarter of 2018, bringing the Prime Wars trilogy to a close.
A new patch is on the way to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. This marks the second update the title has received since it left Early Access on PC last month, and it introduces some exciting new features and content to the massively popular battle royale game.
One of the big new features coming to PUBG is the replay report tool. In an effort to further stamp down on cheating in the game, developer PUBG Corp. is implementing a new system that allows players to report suspected cheaters from PUBG's replay feature. "We encourage you to use the replay report tool as it is an effective and efficient way of making us aware of the players who are undermining your enjoyment of the game," the developer wrote in a post on the Steam forums.
Additionally, the update introduces two new types of loot boxes, which will contain Desperado and Biker cosmetic items. Both of the new crates are currently available on PUBG's test server, and every test server player will receive 100,000 BP and six Early Bird keys in order to open and try out the new crates. However, PUBG Corp. says these items and BP are strictly for testing purposes and won't be transferrable to live accounts. Both the loot crates and replay report tool will be implemented in the live game once the test build is deemed to be stable.
Beyond the new loot crates and reporting system, the update will address an assortment of bugs and make some gameplay tweaks, such as adding more objects to certain sections of the desert map Miramar in order to provide more coverage for players. One tweak that players may not be as excited about, however, is to the in-game energy drink. PUBG Corp. says it has "changed the design of the energy drink," so it appears players will, sadly, no longer be able to get their hands on a can of Hot Bull.
PUBG Corp. hasn't yet indicated when the features will be released for the live game, but they are currently available on PUBG's test server. The developer says the "live server update schedule will be announced later on." In the meantime, you can find the full patch notes for PUBG's latest update below and on Steam.
PUBG Update #2 Patch Notes
World
Added more objects around La Bendita on Miramar to increase the amount of cover
Gameplay
Reduced the visible distance when parachuting down in order to test the optimization of server and client performance at the early phases of the game
Item
Changed the design of the energy drink
UI/UX
Adjusted the squad team colors (players 1~4) to better reflect their callout names (yellow, orange, blue, green)
Adjusted squad team colors to make them more consistent between different colorblind options
Added a function where a player can select more detailed criteria for the "Cheating" category in the in-game report tool
You can choose multiple items or you can just report without selecting any of them
Replays
While player's nameplate is on (H key), now you can check the current weapon of that player by pressing G key
Added report button in replay
Report button pops up when pressing RMB on the player list (TAB key)
While observing / following mode, report button appears on the timeline (J key)
Added a care package icon changing effect according to the status
The icon will be different when the care package is falling and looted by other players
Adjusted replay system so that now a player can watch the replay without extra delay in the following cases
Solo mode
When the player won the match
When all teammates are eliminated
Bug Fixes
Fixed the issue where when a player lands from the plane the position of character teleports intermittently
Fixed the issue where character animation is frozen when rejoining after a crash
Fixed the issue where the red zone disappears instantly after it formed
Fixed the issue where some vehicles spawned on Miramar are stuck to an object and unable to move
Fixed the issue where a player sometimes couldn't pass through a door even though it was open
Fixed the issue where mouse cursor would disappear on a replay map
Fixed the issue where when replay and death cam were played, the crosshair was bouncing
Fixed the issue where the falling speed meter text was showing abnormally in Portuguese
New Content
Added two new crates (free / paid)
You can open the paid crate box with the Early Bird key which is purchasable in Steam market
In order to test the stability, 100,000 BP and 6 keys will be granted to each account (test server only) The below chart shows the crate box drop rate
The new free/paid crate box has a 40% drop rate and the previous crate boxes (Wanderer and Survivor) have a 10% drop rate
DESPERADO (new paid crate box) : 40%
BIKER (new free crate box) : 40%
Wanderer : 10%
Survivor : 10%
The below chart shows the individual drop rate per item that can be earned through the new free/paid crate boxes (displayed down to two decimal places):
Each of the league's teams will have its own skin available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. During the opening remarks at an Overwatch League event, Blizzard revealed that these will be added in an update today and can be purchased using League Tokens. This is a new type of currency that players can purchase and use specifically for these skins. The idea is to allow the profits to be split between Blizzard and the respective teams. Specific pricing hasn't been announced, but we'll report back with more details once Blizzard shares them.
Also going live in-game today is a new Overwatch League tab. From here, players can check out the schedule for upcoming matches and track news related to the league. Blizzard recently launched a standalone Overwatch League mobile app to provide similar functionality from outside of the game.
Outside of Overwatch League, other new content is on the way to the game. Kaplan recently said that the Blizzard World map is coming soon along with an expansion to the number of items found in the base loot box. New heroes are also in the works, but it's unclear how soon we'll see any of those.
In the lead up to the game's beta and release date, Konami continues to showcase more of Metal Gear Survive. A new six-minute video highlights much of what to expect from single-player and the survival game overall.
The video offers some glimpses of story cinematics from Survive. Caskets are dropped off Mother Base into the ocean and the zombie-like enemies are seemingly transported through wormholes into the alternate dimension where the game takes place. We also meet an incredibly dim-witted soldier who talks to a man who is very clearly dead, setting up an attack from the reanimated corpse.
We also get another look at crafting--covering weapons, Base Camp (which we can see evolve over the course of the game), and more. That includes how you can summon or build things like a fence in the middle of the game world, which is used to delay a batch of enemies pursuing the player. In another area, a structure with a ladder is built to allow the player to reach the top of a building.
Weapons are also a big focus, with a wide variety on display. A bow and arrow, flaming bat, giant sledgehammer, and more are used to dispatch enemies at various points.
There has been some skepticism from fans about Survive, both because of the departure from the usual Metal Gear Solid style and the lack of involvement from series creator Hideo Kojima, who no longer works for Konami. Players will have a chance to try the game out for themselves ahead of its PS4, Xbox One, and PC release on February 20, as a Metal Gear Survive beta is scheduled to take place later this month.
Electronic Arts made a lot of headlines during the 2017 holiday season with its Star Wars Battlefront II's microtransaction controversy. With UFC 3 as the company's next big release, we were curious how this latest installment in EA Sports' MMA series will handle its own in-game economy. It turns out--for better or worse--that the game will retain much of the same systems found in UFC 2, with a few minor changes.
Brian Hayes, UFC 3's creative director detailed how microtransactions will work for UFC 3, which will be exclusive to the Ultimate Team mode, "There are no microtransactions except in Ultimate Team. It's similar to how it was in UFC 2. You can fight head-to-head against other people and earn coins, you can fight offline against the CPU avatar version of another person, and you can take on single-player scenario objectives in Ultimate Team.
All these activities earn you coins. You can spend these coins on item packs or you can buy UFC points to buy item packs. You can buy UFC points in Ultimate Team but they get you nothing outside of Ultimate Team. If you are not interested in microtransactions, you still can play Ultimate Team."
Hayes continued by detailing how UFC 3 Ultimate Team mode differs from its UFC 2 counterpart, "We also overhauled the fighter customization UI so you have a much better view of what items your fighter has and how well those items fit together. It's a much more robust chemistry system. Another big change is that you can fight in Ultimate Team with licensed fighter avatars. In UFC 2, it was user-created fighters only. Now you can get something like a Conor McGregor card and you can upgrade him just as you would a created fighter. You can fight with the skin of a UFC fighter if you wanted to."
Along with Ultimate Team, UFC 3 features a promising Career Mode, which has robust training and self-promotion components to complement the actual cage matches. The above video not only showcases this mode, but also the newly overhauled motion-captured fighter animations.
The inaugural season of the Overwatch League begins on January 10. 12 teams split into 2 divisions will play for the next six months to see who is the ultimate Overwatch champion, while competing for a prize pool totaling $3.5 million. Unless you're fortunate enough to make it to Blizzard Arena in Burbank, California, you're going to have to watch the matches online.
Here are the details on where, when, and how you can keep up and follow your favorite teams during this first week of the Overwatch League regular season.
How and Where: Simply go to overwatchleague.com where live matches play out through an embedded Twitch livestream. Past matches will be archived under the site's Videos tab. You can also catch the matches directly on Twitch.com and at mlg.tv.
You track your favorite teams, keep up with league news, and set alerts using the Overwatch League app. You can even customize spoiler settings so you can watch completed matches without knowing the outcome in advance.
The Overwatch League and Twitch are also developing innovative rewards and other programs for fans, which will bestow the league's most steadfast viewers with unique Overwatch League in-game items with exclusives. More details about insider content and additional rewards for the biggest fans, as well as Cheering with Overwatch League Cheermotes, will be announced as they become available. The matches will be broadcast on multiple channels with three different languages: English, French, and Korean.
When: Here is the schedule for the first week of the first stage, which runs from January 10 to January 13 (times are in PST).
January 10, Wednesday
4PM - San Francisco Shock versus Los Angeles Valiant
6PM - Shanghai Dragons versus Los Angeles Gladiators
8PM - Dallas Fuel versus Seoul Dynasty
January 11, Thursday
2PM - London Spitfire versus Florida Mayhem
4PM - Philadelphia Fusion versus Houston Outlaws
6PM - Boston Uprising versus New York Excelsior
January 12, Friday
4PM - Los Angeles Valiant versus Dallas Fuel
6PM - Florida Mayhem versus Boston Uprising
8PM - San Francisco Shock versus Shanghai Dragons
January 13, Saturday
11AM - London Spitfire versus Philadelphia Fusion
1PM - New York Excelsior versus Houston Outlaws
3PM - Seoul Dynasty versus Los Angeles Gladiators
Click here to learn more about Overwatch League including facts about the season structure, how to buy tickets, and what apps you can download.
In anticipation of the regular season of the first Overwatch League tournament on January 10, 2018, the Overwatch League and streaming video service Twitch announced a two-year media rights partnership providing global live access to the six-month competition. The first match goes live on January 10 at 4PM PST when the San Francisco Shock meet the Los Angeles Valiant. It can be viewed at overwatchleague.com through its embedded Twitch stream. Past matches will be archived under the site's Videos tab. You can also catch the matches directly on Twitch's website and at mlg.tv.
Twitch will be the exclusive worldwide third-party provider for all the Overwatch League matches with streams in English, Korean, and French. This exclusivity deal does not apply to China.
The Overwatch League and Twitch are also developing innovative rewards and other programs for fans, which will bestow the league's most steadfast viewers with unique Overwatch League in-game items with exclusives. More details about insider content and additional rewards for the biggest fans, as well as Cheering with Overwatch League Cheermotes, will be announced as they become available.
To learn more about Overwatch League, check out GameSpot's coverage below:
The offbeat superhero show The Tick is returning to Amazon Video next month. The first six episodes hit the streaming service last summer, and the next batch will be available from February 23.
A new trailer for the show has been released. Guardians of the Galaxy's Peter Serafinowicz plays the antennae-spouting hero of the title once more, with Griffin Newman (Search Party) as his reluctant accountant sidekick, Arthur Everest. The cast also includes Watchmen star Jackie Earl Haley as the villainous Terror, and Rogue One's Alan Tudyk as the voice of Dangerboat (who is a talking boat). Check it out below:
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.
In an interview with Uproxx last year, Edlund spoke about striking the right tonal balance for the show. "I'd say that's the highwire act here," he said. "To me, it's a dangerous, but I think an exciting and interesting, move to take things seriously while still having fun with them. It creates a strange, interesting kind of crisp new air in it.
"I think for someone who cannot allow The Tick to grow or stretch, or find new territory, it might feel wrong, and that'd be okay. But I feel like what's happened is, a lot of the people I was worried about--the people The Tick's grown up around, and I've worked with, and fans that have weighed in so far--a very good number of them are feeling this new [approach]."
This marks 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.
Among the biggest surprises in tech news last year was the announcement of a collaboration between Intel and AMD. The two companies announced in November that they had partnered to produce fast integrated graphics solutions for laptops, and at the Consumer Electronics Show, the two revealed what they've come up with.
Intel is launching a new G-series of its Core i chips, which combine Intel's H-series CPUs with a custom version of AMD's Radeon RX Vega GPU. It utilizes Intel's Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) to make this happen and is equipped with 4 GB of dedicated HBM2. Intel says the end result is a chip that "reduces the usual silicon footprint to less than half that of discrete components implemented separately." In effect, what that means is much smaller and more power-efficient devices--laptops in particular--which are capable of more demanding tasks, such as virtual reality.
Among the devices this will be utilized in is a new Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing), which is pictured in the gallery above. Previously codenamed Hades Canyon, Intel says it offers the company's smallest VR-capable system ever. Two different variations of the NUC will be available. There's the more powerful NUC8i7HVK, which is based an unlocked 8th gen Intel Core processor and Radeon RX Vega M GH graphics. The alternative is the more modest NUC8i7HNK, which still uses an 8th gen processor but utilizes Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics tech.
The chip will also be used in new devices from HP and Dell, as well as an upcoming cloud gaming service being developed by Gamestream and Artesyn. We're still waiting on details regarding that, but as CNET notes, this could mean Intel and AMD compete with Nvidia and its GeForce Now service.
With the second beta for Dragon Ball FighterZ quickly approaching, Bandai Namco has shared some more details about the upcoming demo. On Twitter, the publisher revealed the full lineup of fighters and modes that players will be able to try out during the beta, including a handful of recently announced characters.
The Dragon Ball FighterZ open beta kicks off for everyone on January 14 and runs until January 16. It will feature 11 playable characters. While many of them were previously available in the closed Dragon Ball FighterZ beta back in September, the lineup also includes some newly announced characters like Beerus, Kid Buu, adult Gohan, and Nappa. The full beta roster consists of:
Goku
Vegeta
Adult Gohan
Frieza
Kid Buu
Cell
Picolo
Krillin
Nappa
Android 18
Beerus
Additionally, the beta will feature seven stages and a handful of modes to try out. Players will also be able to witness two Dramatic Scenes, which recreate iconic moments from the anime and manga series when you meet certain conditions during a battle.
Dragon Ball FighterZ arrives in a little over three weeks, and Bandai Namco continues to show off new footage of the game ahead of its release. The publisher has shared another character trailer for the anticipated fighter, this one focusing on the recently revealed Goku Black.
Like Beerus and Hit, the two other most recently announced characters in Dragon Ball FighterZ, Goku Black hails from the current Dragon Ball Super series. Despite his striking resemblance to Dragon Ball hero Goku, Goku Black is actually the assumed form of the villainous Kai, Zamasu. He can create an energy scythe to cut down foes and summon Zamasu to assist with certain attacks during a match. You can watch the Goku Black trailer above.
Civilization VI's Rise and Fall expansion is coming out in about a month, and today Firaxis revealed that Georgia will be a new playable civilization included in the DLC. As with all civs, Georgia will have a unique unit, structure, and abilities.
The civilization's leader is Tamar, who reigned as Queen of Georgia in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. In real life, she helped unify a divided kingdom and strengthen a national culture, and she is canonized in the Georgian Orthodox Church.
In the game, she has the Glory of the World, Kingdom, and Faith ability, which allows her to declare a Protectorate War after the Theology Civic is attained. Troops gain bonus Faith after such a war is declared, and the entire civilization gains bonuses as they spread the religion. Finally, Envoys sent to a city-state of the majority religion have double the effect.
Georgia's unique unit is the Khevsureti, a warrior dressed in chainmail and wielding sword, axe, and buckler. The shield has a cross on it, and it's darkly colored to keep the warrior hidden in the night. The Khevsureti get a Combat Strength bonus and also incur no movement penalty on hills. Its unique building, meanwhile, is called the Tsikhe, which is a replacement for Renaissance Walls. It raises outer defense levels, grants Faith, and has a lower production cost than the walls.
Finally, Georgia's civ ability is called Strength in Unity, which gives a bonus for Dedications. When you make a Dedication as a Golden Moment begins, you receive its Normal Age bonus toward increasing the Era Score as well as its Golden Age bonus.
Rise and Fall launches on February 8 for PC, and it comes with seven other Civilizations. Among the others are the Cree, Mongolia, and the Netherlands. The expansion will also change the late game and add a Loyalty system, new types of alliances, Governors, and more.
Like other digital storefronts, the Nintendo Switch Eshop is ringing in 2018 with a limited-time sale. The Nindies New Year Sale is going on from now until January 15, and it offers discounts on a handful of great games for Nintendo's hybrid console.
Unlike the separate first-party Eshop sale going on in Europe, the Nindies sale is available in North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand, featuring commensurate discounts across all regions. Switch owners can get the acclaimed rhythm/action game Thumper for $13.39 (£10.71), the retro-inspired adventure game Thimbleweed Park for $15 (£11.24), and the stylish hack-and-slash game Severed for $10 (£9). Other great titles on sale as part of the promotion include:
Those aren't the only games currently on sale in the Eshop. Switch owners in the US can also pick up a handful of retro action games from Inti Create games at a discount, including Blaster Master Zero ($7), Mighty Gunvolt Burst ($7), and the Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack ($32). Those titles will be on sale until January 14. Additionally, the co-op action-RPG Nine Parchments is $18, the supernatural adventure game Oxenfree is $5, and the logic puzzle game The Bridge is $4.49.
You can find the full list of games on sale right now in the US Eshop on Nintendo's website. Those in Europe, meanwhile, have access to a different selection of discounted titles, including Arms, 1-2-Switch, Flip Wars, and Romancing SaGa 2. You can find the list of Europe's Eshop sales here.
It was 2001 when the first Halo game launched on the original Xbox and since then, fans have often wondered how long it would take before the franchise was adapted to TV or film. To this day, however, it hasn't come to pass.
Speaking to TV Guide at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Showtime president David Nevins promises, "[It's] still in very active development." It's worth noting those same words were used in 2015. He wouldn't elaborate beyond that, except to say he's seen scripts from the proposed series.
Showtime president of programming Gary Levine echoed that sentiment, adding that Halo "is absolutely still in development, still moving forward and I'm encouraged by what we've seen so far." He also confirms the adaptation is a live-action series that he believes "will definitely satisfy the fans of Halo and I think also satisfy the drama audiences of Showtime." There's still no word on when it will actually happen, though.
It's promising that Showtime is still pursuing the series, given how other attempts have fallen apart in the end. In 2005, Microsoft famously tried to get a film version of Halo off the ground by sending men dressed as Master Chief to various studios in Hollywood, armed with scripts to show movie executives.
While that may not have worked out in the end--and was, honestly, a little over-the-top for trying to get any movie made--Halo still remains a viable franchise. Should Showtime want an epic sci-fi series to become a cornerstone of their programming, Master Chief may be the answer. After all, with five main games and a series of spin-offs to its name, there is still plenty of life left in Halo.
It's a new week, which means Microsoft has rolled out a fresh set of weekly deals on Xbox Live. Covering Xbox One and Xbox 360, the deals this week are not all that extensive, though there are some solid offers to be had depending on what you are looking for.
2018 is here, and January is bringing with a variety of new content to streaming services. Amazon has announced all of the movies and TV shows coming to Prime Video this month--and there is some great content coming to kick off the New Year. [Update: Due to the shutdown of Anime Strike, Amazon Prime Video is also now home to some of its anime content.]
The 10th season of the BBC's sci-fi show Doctor Who arrived on January 1, along with Darren Aronofsky's chilling drama Requiem for a Dream. Also now out is Sam Mendes' Oscar-nominated (and very sad) movie Revolutionary Road and David Fincher's thriller Zodiac. Quentin Tarantino's first movie, Reservoir Dogs, also came to Amazon Prime on January 1.
Coming on January 12 is the first season of the Amazon Original show Electric Dreams, which stars Bryan Cranston, Anna Paquin, Timothy Spall, and Steve Buscemi. At the end of the month, you'll be able to see the new 2017 entry in Vin Diesel's xXx franchise, The Return of Xander Cage. You can see Amazon Prime's full lineup below, as rounded up and compiled by GameSpot sister site CNET.
New to Amazon Prime, January 2018
January 1
The 2018 Rose Parade Hosted by Cord & Tish (Amazon original)
All is Lost
American Ninja
Assassination
Avenging Force
Babel
Baby Mama's Club
Black Rain
Brothers
Burning Blue
But I'm a Cheerleader
Capote
Coming Soon
Cool World
Cross Bronx
Dangerous Curves
Drop Dead Sexy
Doctor Who, season 10
Evolution
Flawless
Freedom Writers
Hamlet
Highway
Horsemen
Hustle & Flow
Invaders from Mars
Love and Death
Love Story
Murphy's Law
Platoon Leader
Pretty Bird
Primitive
Requiem for a Dream
Reservoir Dogs
Revenge of the Ninja
Revolutionary Road
Richard the Lionheart
Show of Force
Six Degrees of Separation
Step Into Liquid
Street Smart
The Perfect Weapon
The Presidio
The Wraith
Thelma & Louise
Uncommon Valor
Words and Pictures
Zodiac
January 5
The Devil's Double
January 6
Grimm, season 6
January 7
A Ghost Story
January 9
Prime Suspect: Tennison, season 1
January 12
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams, season 1 (Amazon original)
If you're looking for a scare, this week Netflix has a few additions you should make time for. In addition to new seasons of TV shows and some original comedy specials, the streaming service is adding a couple of very scary movies--and one your kids are going to love.
On the frightening front, The Conjuring arrives on Netflix on January 10. The 2013 horror film launched a franchise that includes two sequels, two Annabelle movies, and at least two more spin-off films in the years to come--The Nun and The Crooked Man.
In addition to The Conjuring, this week also sees the arrival of 47 Meters Down on Netflix. The survival-horror film follows two sisters stranded inside of a shark cage on the ocean floor, with Mandy Moore and Claire Holt starring. Rounding out the movie additions for the week is Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.
Also premiering on Netflix is the second season of Disjointed, the original series starring Kathy Bates as a marijuana dispensary owner. The sci-fi series Colony also has its second season--which aired in 2017--available to stream.
HTC has unveiled what's next for its PC virtual reality platform, Vive. As part of its CES announcements, HTC revealed an upgraded version of the Vive headset and a wireless adapter for both the new and existing headsets.
The aptly titled Vive Wireless Adaptor uses Intel WiGig technology and runs on the 60 Ghz band, which HTC describes as "interference-free" and will, as a result, provide "lower latency and better performance." A price was not shared, nor was an exact release date, but HTC said it will be the first to market. It's due out sometime in Q3, meaning it'll be out between July and September.
That will support both the existing Vive and the newly announced Vive Pro. This is described as a head-mounted display (HMD) upgrade "built for VR enthusiasts and enterprise users who want the best display and audio for their VR experiences." It offers two OLED displays with a combined resolution of 2880x1600, which is a 78% increase over the 2160x1200 resolution of the standard Vive. Thanks to that bump, HTC says "text, graphics, and [the] overall experience all come into sharper view."
Vive Pro comes with integrated headphones and a built-in amplifier, as well as a new headstrap. This is meant to be more comfortable and can be customized with a sizing dial that reduces the amount of weight on the front of the headset, the company said. Pro also includes dual microphones with active noise cancellation and two front-facing cameras.
Again, a price and release date for the Vive Pro were not shared; those details will be provided "soon." Unfortunately, we didn't get even a release window for when to expect the premium headset.
Additionally, HTC announced an update for Viveport that will replace the existing 2D catalog the service provides. Instead, users will see "fully immersive interactive previews." These VR previews are "interactive glimpses of content that give customers a room-scale preview of an experience and the opportunity to interact with content before purchasing or subscribing."
Finally, HTC has released a new update for the Vive Video app. It improves the UI and adds new features, and content from Vimeo can also now be accessed right through the app.
Updates for the early access version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on Xbox One continue to roll out. The latest patch is now available and makes some technical improvements, adds some options, and fixes some bugs. We decided to put it through its paces on Xbox One X in our latest livestream.
As you can see in the video above, PUBG seems to be running smoother than ever on console, although it still suffers from framerate issues, even on the more powerful Xbox One X. You can see the new option in the settings menu to adjust aim acceleration (something that did not previously exist), and we managed to play without having the game crash. Developer PUBG Corp. said that "a number of known crashes" were addressed with this latest patch.
One other notable change is an increase to the damage players can deal against vehicles. As our own Nick Margherita describes early in the stream, vehicles were previously a safe haven for players on Xbox One. Whereas someone in a vehicle could easily be killed on PC, that was not the case previously on console, allowing vehicles to serve as an arguably cheap way of surviving the late stages of a round.
Following its debut in December, PUBG remains in the Xbox One's early access Game Preview program. There's no telling how long it will remain in this state; the PC version finally hit 1.0 in December, adding a new desert map and more. You can see what we think of that version in our PUBG review.
This patch, like the Xbox One update that released just before Christmas, brings general "quality-of-life" improvements, as well as a few gameplay tweaks. The first of those is an increase in how much damage players can deal to vehicles--though PUBG Corp. says it will continue to monitor player feedback and adjust this as necessary in the future.
Elsewhere, the in-game options menu has added a new variable that lets you tweak aim acceleration, a change that will hopefully help players who have found PUBG more difficult to play with a controller than on PC's mouse and keyboard setup. You can also now turn music on or off via the same menu. Finally, PUBG Corp. says both server and player frame rates have been "slightly increased," and a number of crashes have been addressed. Take a look at the full patch notes below, via PUBG Corp.
Aim acceleration can now be adjusted by players via in-game option
Player weapon damage has been increased against vehicles. We will continue to monitor player feedback and telemetry and make further balancing adjustments as needed in future updates
FPP Solo matchmaking queue will be made available for NA / EU / Oceanic servers. We will open other modes within those regions as concurrency allows
Fixed an issue that caused indoor lighting and shadows to appear too dark and blueish
Analog stick acceleration added while exiting the plane and while parachuting
Optimization
PhysX performance enhancements
Server FPS slightly increased
Client FPS slightly increased
Some VFX received slight optimizations
Option
Music on/off option added
Bug Fixes
Addressed a number of known crashes
Fixed a UI issue that occurred when multiple players attempted to loot from the same source
Monster Hunter is one of those series known just as much for its punishing difficulty as its actual gameplay. It's become a mystical franchise of sorts, often talked about in vague, awed terms by those who don't know it, and with fervor by those who do. Traditionally, Monster Hunter games have appealed to a small cult following, with a steep learning curve that dissuades many players from checking it out.
However, the series' first Western console release in several years is approaching with Monster Hunter World, and a huge new group of players will have the chance to check it out. To help guide these beginners and hopefully reduce the learning curve, a group of fans have created a cool new support group.
Called Adopt-a-Hunter, it's designed to pair up a veteran with a new player, so that the vet can explain some of the tricks and nuances of Monster Hunter that the game may not explain. It also will likely give the new player access to communities of other Monster Hunter players that they can play with.
It's great to see a fan initiative attempting to become a sort of tutorial system for the game; it'll hopefully help players learn the game and prevent them from becoming discouraged by its difficulty. Signups for Adopt-a-Hunter are open now at its website; according to the FAQ, matches will be sent out a few days before launch. You can learn more about the initiative at the site.
There are no fewer than three X-Men movies due in 2018--Deadpool 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and The New Mutants. The latter is not as high profile as the other two hotly anticipated sequels, but it's perhaps the most intriguing film of the lot. Director Josh Boone has previously described The New Mutants as a "horror movie," and last year's first teaser certainly suggested that this is what we can expect.
The movie arrives in April, so a full trailer is due very soon. In the meantime, a spooky new promo has been tweeted by the movie's official account. It shows the character of Sam Guthrie--aka Cannonball--who is played by Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton and seems to be undergoing some sort of traumatic flashback. Check it out below:
The New Mutants is released on April 13, 2018. It also stars Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Anya Taylor-Joy (Split), Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why), and Alice Braga (Elysium).
In an interview last October, Boone revealed that the movie could kick-start a trilogy of scary X-Men movies. "We brought it to Fox as a trilogy of films, really all based on that long run by [Marvel writer Bill] Sienkiewicz, and kind of incorporates some stuff from later issues in the '80s," he told Collider. "These are all going to be horror movies, and they're all be their own distinct kind of horror movies. This is certainly the 'rubber-reality' supernatural horror movie. The next one will be a completely different kind of horror movie.
"Our take was just go examine the horror genre through comic book movies and make each one its own distinct sort of horror film. Drawing from the big events that we love in the comics."
In related news, the first images from X-Men: Dark Phoenix were revealed last month. The movie will focus on the character of Jean Grey, who becomes corrupted by Phoenix Force that provided her with her powers, forcing her to turn them against the X-Men. It hits theaters in November.
Over the past couple of months, Bungie has published blog posts, held livestreams, and taken to Twitter to address some of the more contentious issues surrounding Destiny 2 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Responding to public feedback and frustration about Bungie's perceived lack of transparency, the studio has stated an intention to be more open. Recently, the developer revealed that it will talk about the future of the game on Thursday, likely with a heavy emphasis on player feedback.
On Twitter, game director Christopher Barrett stated that he does, in fact, read and watch as much feedback as possible across many platforms. And, presumably based on what he's read, he also announced that he'll discuss some of what's in store for Destiny 2 in 2018 later this week.
"For anyone curious--I read Bungie forums, I read Reddit, I read Twitter, I watch Twitch," he wrote. "I also play Destiny. I share your love of the game. I'll talk about where we are headed Thursday."
This is likely in reference to the "development update" that Barrett and Bungie teased last week, although what it'll detail is unknown. It's possible that we might get at least a hint about the next expansion for the game. Recently, a PlayStation Store page leaked that showed Destiny 2: Gods of Mars as the next DLC pack, but Bungie has yet to say anything official about it yet.
For a few years running now, Razer has shown off a piece of prototype technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in an attempt to stand out. This year, the company has unveiled Project Linda, which looks like a PC laptop but acts as a dock for the Razer Phone that turns the mobile device into what's a essentially an Android-based laptop.
Project Linda takes on a form similar to the Razer Blade Stealth laptop, but replaces the trackpad with a docking port that connects to the Razer Phone via USB-C. The phone's screen is mirrored on Project Linda's display and the phone itself becomes the trackpad. In certain games, the phone can be used as a secondary screen and work like a companion app.
While the Razer Phone has a 1440p 120 Hz display, Project Linda (in its current form) is only equipped with a 13.3-inch 1080p 60 Hz screen, although Razer said it plans on matching the two devices' resolutions and refresh rates in a new iteration of Project Linda.
Project Linda running at CES 2018.
All the processing power comes from the phone, which consists of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip and 8 GB of RAM running on Android. he only internals in Project Linda are a lithium-ion battery and 200 GB solid-state storage drive. At full capacity, the laptop battery is said to fully charge the Razer Phone three times over. The keyboard has full functionality on Android and features Chroma RGB backlighting. A 3.5mm audio jack and one USB 3.0 are built in as well, and you can connect mice via USB.
Project Linda doesn't have a release window or price range as it's still in the concept phase. Razer has a history of showing off prototype technologies at CES that don't hit the market; 2014 had Project Christine (a module-based PC tower) and 2017 brought us Project Valerie (a triple-screen laptop). However, Linda seems to be the most realistic concept of the bunch. For more on Razer tech, be sure to read and watch our Razer Phone review or our Razer Blade gaming laptop review.
The first distribution for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon is coming to an end soon. Nintendo is giving away a special Rockruff for the new titles until January 10, making this your last opportunity to add the Rock-type puppy Pokemon to your team.
What makes this particular Rockruff different from those you could acquire in-game is that it comes with the Own Tempo Ability, which allows it to evolve into the new Dusk Form Lycanroc. Rockruff you encounter in the wild in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon do not typically have this Ability, making this your only way to obtain a Dusk Form Lycanroc within the games.
Like previous Pokemon distributions, you can receive your free Rockruff by selecting Mystery Gift via the games' main menu. Choose the option to receive your gift via the internet, and you'll be able to pick your Rockruff up from the deliveryman waiting inside any of Alola's Pokemon Centers. The Pokemon comes at level 10 and knows the moves Tackle, Bite, Fire Fang, and Happy Hour.
Nintendo is giving away the Own Tempo Rockruff as a free gift to early adopters of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. It's the first distribution announced for the new games thus far, though players can still take advantage of a couple of ongoing distributions to net some rare Pokemon. Those who purchase either Pokemon Gold or Silver from the 3DS Eshop will receive a free code for Celebi. You can also scan a special QR code to receive the Mythical Pokemon Magearna.
The third Gen 2 Pokemon game, Pokemon Crystal, releases in the 3DS Eshop on January 26. Like Gold and Silver, it will be compatible with the Pokemon Bank service, so any Pokemon you capture can be transferred to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Players will also be able to encounter Celebi in Crystal "in an event after completing the game."
Along with revealing new details about Monster Hunter World during a Japanese livestream today, Capcom announced a slate of new accessories and merchandise themed around the upcoming game. These include a special Monster Hunter PlayStation 4 controller and console bundles--though sadly, they've only been confirmed for Japan thus far.
Coinciding with the launch of Monster Hunter World later this month, Capcom is releasing a special Rathalos Edition DualShock 4 controller for PS4. The limited-edition controller costs 6,480 yen (roughly $57) and comes in red with a Rathalos wing pattern on its grips. You can take a look at images of the Rathalos Edition DualShock 4 below.
In addition to the limited-edition controller, Capcom has announced a pair of Monster Hunter World PS4 bundles, which will likewise launch alongside the game later this month. The Monster Hunter World Starter Packs include either a black or white 500 GB PS4, as well as a copy of the game. Each Starter Pack bundle retails for 35,980 yen (about $318).
Capcom revealed many new details about Monster Hunter World during today's livestream. The publisher shared a new trailer (above) for the game showcasing the returning Elder Dragons and other new monsters that players will encounter. Additionally, Capcom announced a third PS4 beta for Monster Hunter World will take place later this month, on January 18. It will feature the same two environments and three monsters as the previous two PS4 betas, along with one new monster to hunt: the Nergigante.
With Monster Hunter World's console launch quickly approaching, Capcom continues to announce new details about the anticipated action game. During a Japanese livestream, the publisher shared a new trailer that showcased some of the monsters that players will encounter in the game, including the fearsome Elder Dragons.
The trailer, which you can watch above, provides a glimpse at two particularly intimidating Elder Dragons that will return in Monster Hunter World: Kushala Daora and Teostra, both of which originally appeared in Monster Hunter 2. Kushala Daora is a steel dragon whose body is covered in metal plates; it can create windstorms to ward hunters off. Teostra, meanwhile, is known as the flame king dragon; it lives in volcanic areas and can spew blazing fire.
In addition to the Elder Dragons, the new trailer provides a look at a new monster called the Dodogama. This wyvern-like creature spits explosive rocks at hunters thanks to its unique saliva. The trailer also showcases many of the monsters Capcom has already revealed, including the Barroth and Anjanath (both of which were featured in Monster Hunter World's recent beta), as well as the game's flagship monster, the Nergigante.
The first of 2018's superhero movies is Marvel's Black Panther, and it hits theaters next month. The character of T'Challa, the crime-fighting king of Wakanda, made an impressive debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, and his standalone movie looks sets to deliver the action-packed goods.
A new extended TV spot has landed, and it features plenty of new footage. There's more of Andy Serkis's shady arms dealer Ulysses Klaue, confrontations between T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and the villainous Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), and tons of thrilling action. Check it out above.
The trailer follows the previous ones that were released in December, October, and June. The movie is directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed), and the cast also includes Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker. It hits theaters on February 12, 2018.
In a recent interview with Fandango, Coogler spoke about the character of Killmonger, and what sets him apart from previous Marvel bad guys. "I will say what makes him different--not from all Marvel villains, but I think a lot of Marvel villains--is that he has a real world sensibility to him," he said. "I think it's a benefit of having Mike as an actor, but he's a character that I think will feel very familiar to audiences. I think Marvel has had villains who you can relate to, but I think even more than that, you feel like he's of this world. He's very grounded, I would say."
In related news, it was confirmed recently that Jordan will return for Creed 2, the upcoming sequel to Coogler's hit Rocky spin-off. The film is to be directed by Steven Caple Jr, following the decision of writer and co-star Sylvester Stallone to step aside from directing duties.
When Ron Howard took over directorial duties from Chris Miller and Phil Lord on the upcoming Star Wars spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story in June last year, it was reported that there were only a few weeks of principal photography remaining. However, Howard continued to film for another four months, leading to rumors that he was was reshooting the majority of the movie.
Now Lando actor Donald Glover has commented on the issue and stated that despite the lengthy production, little about the film altered after Howard came on board. "It didn't really [change]," he said during the Television Critics Association press tour. "I think we were never faced with anything like that and [Howard] did a good job of coming in and didn't want us to change what we were doing at all. He wanted us to be comfortable with our vision."
Glover also spoke his excitement about being on the Solo set, and hinted at one of the moments that Howard directed him in. "I remember going on set one of the first times. He was like, 'Yeah, I want to follow you onto the Millennium Falcon and do this thing. I was like, 'I don't think I've ever seen the outside go into the inside.' He said, 'Yeah, no one's ever don't that shot.' As a fan I was really excited. I know there's been a lot of talk in the press about this movie, but, for me anyway, it was a dream and also it looks really cool to me."
Glover isn't the first Solo actor to deny that a lot of the movie was reshot. In November, Thandie Newton stated that, "Ninety percent of my stuff is with [Lord and Miller]. And it certainly wasn't about, 'Oh we have to start again and do it all over.'"
Nevertheless, the scale of the reshoots meant that at least one role had to be recast, with Paul Bettany replacing Michael K. Williams. Bettany himself commented in the issue recently, and said that Howard "reshot a lot more than was originally intended."
Last week, Howard tweeted a new image from the movie. As with most of pictures that the director has released it doesn't reveal much, but it does suggest that Han might pilot a new vehicle--possibly some form of speeder.
Solo: A Star WarsStory stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca. Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Emilia Clarke also star. It hits theaters on May 25, 2018.
Last time we saw Jennifer Lawrence, she was slowly going mad in a freaky house in Darren Aronofsky's highly divisive arthouse horror allegory, Mother! Lawrence's next movie is something very different--it's an espionage thriller titled Red Sparrow in which she plays a deadly Russian assassin.
A new trailer for the movie has now been released. Unlike the first teaser, which focused on the movie's tone and style, this reveals more of its plot. Lawrence plays Dominikia Egorova, a young woman who is recruited into Russia's secretive Sparrow spy school and forced to undergo a brutal training regime, from which she emerges as a ruthless agent. Check it out above.
Red Sparrow also stars Joel Edgerton (Bright, Black Mass), Matthias Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl), Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds), and Ciarán Hinds (Justice League). It's directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously directed Jennifer Lawrence in the last three Hunger Games movies, and also helmed the Will Smith sci-fi blockbuster I Am Legend. The film hits theaters on March 2, 2018.
In an interview with Inquirer.Net last year, the director spoke about working with Lawrence for the fourth time. "As I read the book, I pictured Jennifer in the role," he said. "Actually, before we even started working on the script, while we were in post for [final Hunger Games movie] Mockingjay, I was already talking to her about the character and picking her brain to see if she would be interested. To see her transform in a brave way and truly push herself into a new territory has been one of the most exciting things about this project."
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