Audiences have come to expect a little supernatural flair in their adventure movies and games, from the monsters running around in Uncharted to the divine, face-melting forces in any Indiana Jones film. Even the 2013 Tomb Raider game, which rebooted the series on a more realistic path with a younger, more relatable Lara Croft, fell back on the supernatural in its final act. That's one of the things that sets the new Tomb Raider movie apart: It remains grounded in reality right up through the post-credits stinger.
Given how similar the movie is in many respects to the 2013 game, the lack of a magical climax is a major change. It makes the new Tomb Raider unique among its contemporaries, and provides a neat little twist by playing against audience expectations.
So how did it wind up this way? We asked Tomb Raider producer Graham King, who bought the rights to make this movie way back in 2010, years before the game was even released.
"We spoke about it. 'Which way should we go?' And I think if we would have had a third act that turned into that, it would have taken away from the characters that people have been watching for the last hour and 25 minutes," King told GameSpot. "It would have completely changed it. And I think you've got to be really careful in films not to change genres too much in the third act. I made a film that we did, and it didn't do too well."
Tomb Raider could have easily gone in a different direction toward the end, and there was even some pressure for that to happen. "The studios analyze that a lot, and there were some people saying we should go with like, they all melt, the coffin opens, everything changes," King said. "There was a lot of experimental stuff at the beginning."
But "the movie doesn't end there," he continued. "She goes back to London. She goes back to her life. So how do we keep an audience buying that? If we take it too far into the supernatural or too far into these moments in the tomb turning into something unrealistic, then the audience won't be with us for the set-up of the next movie."
"All my paranoia from when I first bought the rights to this back in 2010, I think has paid off," he said. "All the, we can't just be a film for the gamers, it just has to stand up on its own, whether people play the Tomb Raider games or not, we have to have the right story to tell, we have to have the right actors playing these characters, and I think everything came together and it was all driven by how different this story is in a genre picture. The heart, the emotion, the father daughter story, the transformation of a girl in London who's delivering food for a living, how believable it is that she then becomes Lara Croft and goes through what she goes through to become Lara Croft."
He said getting Alicia Vikander to play Lara Croft was one of the big victories for the movie's production. "We were kind of joking around, 'Let's go after Alicia Vikander!'" he recounted. "Well, she just played The Danish Girl. She just won the Oscar. Is she really going to want to play Lara Croft? You know? Who knew, right?"
"She worked her butt off every single day in the most extreme heat in Africa, and physically, mentally--people don't quite know how exhausting it is, they think actors, oh, they get paid a lot of money, they come and show up, and they get in front of the camera," he continued. "I mean, 15-16 hours a day for 100 days straight, is mentally draining, physically...and wow did she have it. If she didn't have the passion it would have shown. But it shows how committed she was in her performance."
Speaking of the potential for a sequel, I had one final question for King, about a small detail toward the end: Was Lord Richard Croft aware that he owned the company that was fronting for the evil organization Trinity?
"That's what we're going to have to talk about in the next one," King replied, "if we're lucky enough to make it."
Fortnite: Battle Royale is live on iOS devices now for select players and their friends, and a recent comparison between how the game plays and looks on the iPhone X and the Xbox One X show how similar the experiences are. Digital Foundry has done a side-by-side comparison of the game and found high-level graphics and performance have made their way to the mobile version.
Writer John Linneman fired up Fortnite on an iPhone X and joined forces with himself on his Xbox One X. He captured real-time footage of the exact same gameplay on both systems in spectator mode, and remarked just how similar the two experiences looked and played. On account of Fortnite's cross-platform play between PC and Xbox One, it's no surprise the mobile version matches it closely, but it's still a major accomplishment for a multiplayer shooter this size. You can see some of the side-by-side gameplay below.
The two experiences are not carbon copies of each other, however, and there are some compromises when playing on the iPhone X. For example, the game is noticeably darker on mobile, while shadow map draw distance is reduced. There's no grass animation on mobile, with wind effects reduced. Of course, these differences are heightened when you're playing on an older or less powerful iPhone.
In terms of performance, Digital Foundry found there was only a minor stutter on the iPhone X with Fortnite running at a locked at 30 frames per second. There are frame-pacing hiccups occasionally, but overall it's an impressively stable experience very similar to the console experience, wrote Digital Foundry.
There are a few gameplay differences between Fortnite on mobile vs. console, of course, but it's clear that bringing the game to iOS is off to an early success for developer Epic Games. An Android version will be released in the coming months, and you can read more about Fornite's latest 3.3 update, which adds new content to both Battle Royale and Save the World modes. Its latest limited-time mode, Blitz, just launched this week and has already received a hotfix update.
Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is coming this week, marking another sumptuous RPG from Level-5. Like the first game, there's no shortage of things to do in this Ghibli-inspired adventure, and role-playing games are known for their lengthy playtimes. Now we have a better idea of just how much time you'll put into this trip through Ding Dong Dell.
Our Ni No Kuni 2 review said the game lasted roughly 35 hours, which included a handful of hours devoted solely to developing the kingdom. 100% completion could be roughly double at 70 hours.
It should be noted that while you have some freedom to pick and choose which quests you do and when, they aren't entirely optional. Elements like skirmishes and kingdom building are treated as open-ended but you need to do some of each to level up high enough to access the end-game.
Our review found it charming, with a great soundtrack and a demanding combat system, but we lamented an overreliance on fetch quests and underdeveloped secondary characters. It will be available on PC and PlayStation 4 on March 23.
Following a delay, the next PC game to be offered for free to Twitch Prime members is now available. The original Devil May Cry--not to be confused with 2013's DMC: Devil May Cry--is up for grabs to everyone with a Prime subscription for a limited time.
Free games and other in-game content (like the recent Fortnite pack that's still available) are offered periodically through Twitch Prime. This Devil May Cry freebie was originally set to go live last month but was delayed due to "unforeseen technical circumstances." As a result, the promotion will run until April 3, giving you just under a month total to claim it. You can grab it from Devil May Cry's hub or by clicking the Prime Loot button in the top navigation bar from anywhere on Twitch's site. You'll need to use the Twitch desktop client in order to download the game, but the game is yours permanently once you claim it.
Devil May Cry was originally released in 2001 on PS2. It's a stylish action game that has spawned several sequels. A collection of the first three games, Devil May Cry HD Collection, launches for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 13. It features remastered versions of Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3 with improved visuals and a 60 FPS framerate. You can see a trailer of it above.
Twitch Prime is the premium membership of livestreaming service Twitch. Without knowing it, you may already have a subscription, as Twitch Prime is one of the benefits that Amazon Prime members receive. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can claim your Twitch Prime membership here. Since the DMC promotion first started, Twitch has announced plans to expand its free games program, with 10 games coming between March and April.
April showers bring lots of new programming on Netflix. From classic--and not so classic--movies to new original TV shows and films, the streamer is making sure you have more than enough to binge for the beginning of spring.
Among the films being added to the service are the so-bad-it's-good video game adaptation Mortal Kombat, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, The Iron Giant, The Lost Boys, and the first two Cabin Fever movies. You'll also be able to stream Scarface, Sin City, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
On the originals front, April 13 will see the premiere of Netflix's Lost in Space reboot, as well as new seasons of The Magic School Bus Rides Again, Money Heist, and Wakfu. Each Sunday will also bring new episodes of The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale. If documentaries are more your speed, Bill Nye: Science Guy will debut on April 25.
It's not all good news, though. There are a number of films leaving Netflix in April. Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin will all disappear on April 1. Additionally, both Ace Ventura movies, the first two American Pies, 30 Days of Night, and Small Soldiers will also all be gone at the beginning of the month.
Following some tests in select marks, PUBG Corp. and Tencent have made a surprise announcement by suddenly releasing PUBG Mobile in the United States and other regions around the world. It had previously been available in Canada, but it's now seeing a much wider release--and it runs quite well.
Not only is it out on iOS and Android, it's available for free, unlike the PC and Xbox One versions. It comes not long after the launch of an invite-only test for Fortnite Mobile, which is currently only playable on iOS. The official PUBG Twitter account seemingly took a shot at Fortnite--or at least the many PUBG clones that are out there--in an announcement tweet, stating, "The true Battle Royale experience is now on your phone."
If you're eager to get a look at what it's like, you can check out our video of the game above. You'll see it running on an iPhone X, although a wide range of hardware is supported across iOS and Android. The game has a number of graphics settings that allow it to scale to different hardware.
This is an in-development version--the developers say it will continue to improve--but it feels like a surprisingly complete version of the existing game. As with Fortnite Mobile, the controls are somewhat of a challenge, but again we see some minor changes that have been made to better fit the platform.
The NPD Group today released its report for February 2018 game and hardware sales in the United States, and among the noteworthy takeaways is that the Nintendo Switch continues to sell incredibly well. NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said in a statement that the Switch, over its first 12 months on the market, has reached the "highest installed base for a console platform in history." What that sounds like is that, over its first year, Nintendo's hybrid console is selling better than the PS4 and Xbox One over their respective first years.
For February, Sony's PS4 was the best-selling console of the month and it is still the best-selling console so far this year. In total, hardware spending in the US reached $316 million, which is up by 55 percent. NPD said the growth was driven by Switch and Xbox One sales. Another notable takeaway is that February's total hardware spending was the highest for a February since February 2014 ($345 million).
Turning to game sales, Monster Hunter: World was the month's best-selling game, pushing its win streak to two months at No. 1. Call of Duty: WWII was No. 2 for February, while NBA 2K18, GTRA V, and Shadow of the Colossus made up the rest of the top five in that order. Other interesting takeaways is that Mario Kart 8 is back at No. 1 for the Switch-specific chart for the first time since May 2017. Additionally, Nintendo was the biggest game publisher based on dollar sales for the month. You can see all the top charts below.
The Accessories and Gamecards category, meanwhile, saw sales jump 35 percent to $282 million. That's a new record for February in NPD's history, beating the previous record of $262 million from February 2016. The black DualShock 4 was the best-selling accessory in February, and it's still the top-selling accessory for all of 2018.
Overall, covering games and hardware, total video game spending jumped 23 percent to $995 million in February, while year to date total spending rose 39 percent to $2.1 billion.
February 2018 Top 20 All Platforms
*Titles marked with an asterisk do not include digital sales*
Gorogoa is one of the hidden gems of last year. The stylish and beautiful puzzle game originally launched on Switch, PC, and mobile devices, and it was well-received by critics and fans. Today, it was announced that the game is coming to PS4 and Xbox One in the near future.
Developed and illustrated by one person, Jason Roberts, the game tasks players with moving painting-like panels. These panels have depth, however, so you can navigate into and out of them to arrange them in such a way as they can be stacked with another panel.
It's an extremely difficult game to explain in text, so it's worth watching the trailer in the embed above. In any case, it's a strange but great game that's both meditative and challenging to play.
Publisher Annapurna hasn't announced a specific date or price for the PS4 and Xbox One ports, but it's safe to assume that they'll be $15 like the Switch and PC versions. In our original review of Gorogoa, GameSpot critic Jason D'Aprile gave it an 8/10, writing, "The art is stunning, the atmosphere fascinating, and the puzzles are incredibly devious and clever. Gorogoa might not be a long game, but it is easily one of the most engaging puzzle games in recent memory."
Fortnite developer Epic kicked off the latest limited-time mode for Battle Royale, Blitz, earlier this week. Along with shorter match times, Blitz mode features significantly increased resources and loot spawns to quicken the pace of matches, although those will be seeing some changes soon.
On the Fortnite: Battle Royale subreddit, Epic announced it will adjust the abundance of building resources in Blitz mode with a hotfix update released on March 20. According to the developer, the rate at which players can acquire resources in the limited-time mode was "too abundant," and so the rate has been decreased in order to preserve a risk/reward element when players farm for them.
"Having tons of resources is a blast, and our goal with the mode was to make it easier to gain resources due to the storm moving in so much faster," Epic wrote. "We believe that our initial resource numbers were a bit too abundant, and are making this adjustment to ensure there is still some risk/reward when farming in Blitz."
Specifically, Epic has reduced floor loot resources from 100 to 60. Likewise, the farming resources increase was reduced from 200% to 150%. Epic says it will continue to "monitor" how these changes affect Blitz mode, so further adjustments may be on the way. You can read more about the building material adjustments on Reddit.
Epic hasn't announced an exact end date for Blitz, but limited-time modes in Battle Royale typically run for about a week. Blitz began following the release of Fortnite's 3.3 patch last week, which introduced Supply Llamas and a new weapon to Battle Royale: remote explosives. However, the update also removed Smoke Grenades from the game. Shortly after the patch, Epic "temporarily disabled" another weapon, the Boogie Bomb, due to a bug, but that will return once the issue has been resolved.
It's surely a cool experience to be involved as a major actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, whether because of the money, fame, or whatever else. If you're Chris Pratt, who plays Guardians of the Galaxy lead Peter "Star-Lord" Quill, the highlights of the experience also apparently include getting to work with Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr.
In a new interview with Empire Magazine (via ComicBookMovie), Pratt sung the praises of Downey and shared some of the perks of getting to work alongside him. "Man, he set a really amazing tone," Pratt said. "He's a bit like Tony Stark himself. I think a lot of what makes Tony Stark are the same qualities that make Downey great. I think Downey is about as rich as Tony Stark now. [Laughs]
"He really takes care of the actors around him in a way I've never seen before. I was a little under the weather and pushing really hard on the days I was working. He came up to me and said, 'You doing alright?' I said, 'Yeah, I've got a little sore throat.' Within 10 minutes, there was a person here giving me all these herbs and taking care of me. He offered me the use of his trailer where I could sit down and use some of his hi-tech healing gadgets. It was amazing. I'm living my best life."
Pratt also recalled how, when he was first cast in Guardians of the Galaxy, he heard from Downey before anyone else. "When I first arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Downey was the first to call and tell me, 'Hey man, welcome. If there's anything you need, I will help. There are so few people on the planet who are going through what you're going through right now. I have, so I'm here. I'll always answer the phone.' I feel completely empowered to pay it forward with Tom [Holland, who plays Spider-Man] or Chadwick [Boseman, who plays Black Panther]. I'm not saying that I'm senior to them, other than I got that experience of opening a movie with Marvel and being along for the ride. Now I just really feel compelled to offer them, even if it's a fraction of what Downey was able to offer me, and just say, 'Anything you need, you let me know.'"
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds developer PUBG Corp. has deployed a new update for the title on Xbox One. The patch is available to download now and focuses primarily on optimizing the game's framerate, reducing crashes, and all around improving its performance.
In particular, the new patch makes some texture changes in order to improve PUBG's graphical performance on the console. Similarly, vehicle profiles have been optimized to improve the framerate, and PUBG Corp. has implemented various other unspecified fixes in order to reduce crashing.
In addition to that, the developer has tweaked the inventory system to make navigating menus and swapping between weapons much quicker than before. Players can now quickly scroll using the controller's shoulder triggers, and weapon slots and attachments can now be selected with the D-pad. Finally, PUBG Corp. has added "focal points to identify selected areas" on the inventory screen.
Other changes in this update include a counter that displays the number of players left on the airplane, while a bug that caused players to hear footsteps when no other players were around has been fixed. You can read the full patch notes--courtesy of the official PUBG forums--below.
PUBG recently reached another milestone on Xbox One, surpassing 5 million players on the console. To commemorate the achievement, PUBG Corp. is giving away another free cosmetic item, the PUBG5 varsity jacket. All players who purchase the game and create a character by 12:01 AM PT on March 22 will receive the outfit for free.
PUBG Xbox One Update 11 Patch Notes
Performance / Optimization / Stability
Implemented texture changes to improve graphical performance
Optimized vehicle profiles to improve framerate
Additional fixes to reduce crashes
UI/UX (Inventory)
The layout of the inventory has been improved, adding focal points to identify selected areas, a clearer button guide and tooltips
Improved selection of weapon slots and attachments--players can change the focus and selection by using the D-Pad
Quick scrolling has been added by using LT/RT buttons
Gameplay
A counter has been added to show the number of players remaining on the airplane
Cosmetic Items
Reminder to the community that the Varsity Jacket (also known as the PUBG5 jacket) announced last week will be rewarded to players after March 22nd 12:01AM. Look for it in your in-game inventory from March 22nd, inside the customization tab of the menu.
Bug Fixes
Fixed issue that caused players to hear footsteps when no other players were in the vicinity
Fixed an issue that prevented the blue zone from being displayed correctly
Overwatch's roster of heroes has grown once again, and it now stands at 27. Brigitte, the newest Support character, has arrived on PC, PS4, and Xbox One through the new update Blizzard has released for the game. In addition to her, there are also some other changes and fixes made--most notably, a nerf to Sombra--as outlined in the full patch notes.
Before Brigitte's reveal, game director Jeff Kaplan had described the new character as someone who was "very needed." She carries the Rocket Flail, which she swings in an arc in front of her and can hit multiple enemies. She can heal nearby allies over time (as she deals damage) and knock back distant enemies, and she carries a shield that protects her and teammates located behind her. Brigitte also has a charge ability that can stun enemies, and her Ultimate--Rally--allows her to move faster and provide armor to her nearby allies.
In short, Brigitte is essentially a mixture of Reinhardt and Torbjorn (her father) with the ability to heal. She's been available on the PTR in recent weeks but will now get into the hands of everyone for the first time. She launches with a variety of alternate looks; you can see all the Brigitte skins in our gallery.
The other big change in this update involves Sombra, who's being nerfed. As recently announced, Blizzard is addressing frustrations with her by putting Hack on a two-second cooldown when it's interrupted by damage. Additionally, the game should now deal with her line-of-sight being broken while casting Hack.
"We're also removing the 0.1 second window of time during a hack where it couldn't be canceled via line of sight or with other abilities including Tracer's Recall and Zarya's Particle Barrier, which was originally put in place so the hack wouldn't be interrupted by small objects such as light posts. We've implemented a separate fix for that issue, so she should still be unaffected by those small objects."
The free update is out now on all platforms. Aside from what's outlined above, Blizzard primarily makes a round of bug fixes, although one small feature is that the team info screen will show how close teammates are to having their Ultimate. The full patch notes can be seen on Blizzard's website.
If you haven't yet had a chance to try out IO Interactive's latest Hitman game, which launched in 2016, now you have the opportunity to play part of it for free. The developer announced today that the game's Sapienza map is now available at no cost to all players across PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The Sapienza map is one of the six locations to be released by IO, and it takes players to the Italian coastline. It's now available as part of the Spring Pack, a free pack that includes almost all of the content IO released for the Sapienza map.
This means that you can play through the entire story mission and all of its side content, including levels of Mastery, Escalation Missions, all challenges and Challenge Packs, and Featured Contracts. Additionally, you can take on any future Elusive Target that IO activates in Sapienza.
Once you download the Spring Pack, it's yours to keep. If you decide to buy the full game with all of the maps, your progress will carry over. The Spring Pack is available as a standalone download that includes the introductory ICA Facility location; if you already have the intro pack or other levels, you can download the Spring Pack through the in-game store. The pack will be available for free until April 3.
If you're already looking forward to a new Hitman game, IO has big plans for the series. After the developer was put up for sale by publisher Square Enix, it went independent in June of last year. Then, IO announced that a new game and TV show are on the way.
While some storylines in wrestling blur the lines between reality and fiction, the absence of Daniel Bryan from in-ring action has been very much a real-life ordeal. After sustaining multiple concussions, which led to seizures, Bryan was forced to retire in early 2016. Although he has been the Smackdown general manager since the summer of 2016, Bryan was not allowed to compete or fight at all in WWE. On the March 20 episode of Smackdown, Bryan announced his return to the world, only to very quickly be beaten to a pulp by aggravated superstars.
Daniel Bryan have a heartfelt speech on the Tuesday night show to let the world know that he's been cleared to compete in the ring again. The emotionally charged segment had Bryan with tears in his eyes during the opening moments of Smackdown. It was a sincere, beautiful moment to share with fans.
However, this is WWE, and stories need to be told and friends need to be betrayed. Later in the evening, Bryan came out again to fire Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who beat up Smackdown commissioner Shane McMahon a week prior. Long story short, Zayn and Owens were not pleased, and they powerbombed Bryan on the ring apron after an in-ring assault.
While this is seemingly all setting up a Wrestlemania match between Bryan and Shane McMahon taking on Owens and Zayn, what WWE did sensationally well with this segment was let Bryan play to the crowd. We got to see the "Yes Kicks," Bryan's dropkicks in the corner, and overall, it was an exceptionally exciting moment.
This was the first time Bryan has fought on television since April 26, 2016, when he and John Cena took on Cesaro and Tyson Kidd--another wrestler forced early into retirement because of injury. Bryan looked pretty good in the ring; however, the main worry is that Bryan will still use his high-risk, in-ring style which got him hurt in the first place. While there was nothing more exciting than seeing Bryan compete back in the ring, he has to play it safe for his latest run.
The latest Operators for Rainbow Six Siege were only released earlier this month, but already players are looking ahead to what's next. We know we can expect more new Operators in the next seasonal expansion, but it appears we've now gotten an early first look at them courtesy of some sleuthing by fans.
As shared on Reddit by user Mr_Donald_Duck, images and names of two Italian Operators have been discovered in the PC version's files. Essentially, we get placeholder images that show what each character looks like and what their name is--Alibi and Maestro. Alibi is seen flanked by two translucent silhouettes that resemble her, while Maestro is seen with some kind of backpack and shotgun shells hanging from his chest.
Prior to this, Reddit user Artex3 shared information from the game files that may have hinted at what kind of gadgets to expect from the Operators that we now know are likely to be Alibi and Maestro. These included references to holograms, decoys, and bulletproof cameras. The former two seemingly match up with Alibi's picture and suggest she'll be able to fool enemies with fake versions of herself. Maestro, then, would be left to reinforce cameras.
Bear in mind that these leaks may not necessarily turn out to be what we see from Season 2 of Year 3, and that things could always change. But it's not uncommon for details on new Operators to leak in advance of Ubisoft officially revealing them.
Rainbow Six Siege received the big Chimera update earlier in March to kick off Year 3 of the game. That included two new Operators and the limited-time co-op Outbreak mode, which is playable until April 3. We don't yet have an official date for when the next season begins, but a new Rainbow Six Siege update was just recently released.
Dinosaur survival game Ark: Survival Evolved has already made the transition from PC to consoles, and later this year, it will also make move to something a bit more portable. Developer Studio Wildcard has announced a Nintendo Switch version of the game is officially in the works.
Details on the Switch edition of Ark are currently scant, but Wildcard confirmed it will offer the same suite of features as the existing console versions on PS4 and Xbox One. The game is due out on Switch sometime this fall as a physical and digital release. It was showcased during an Epic Games keynote during the Game Developers Conference this week
Ark quickly became a major success story after it launched on Steam Early Access in mid-2015. An Xbox One version, released through the Game Preview program, followed later that year, and it's continued to add new features and content in the intervening period. A full release followed on PC, PS4, and Xbox One last year. Although it pales in comparison to something like PUBG (as most games do), it's consistently among the most-played games on Steam.
Just recently, Wildcard announced that a free-to-play mobile version of Ark is also in the works. That release is being handled by War Drum Studios, the same developer responsible for a number of Rockstar's mobile adaptations, including GTA: Chinatown Wars and GTA: San Andreas. The first invites for the iOS beta have just been sent out.
A new event is set to begin very soon in Pokemon Go. Ahead of this month's Community Day, Niantic is bringing back the Easter-themed Eggstravaganza event, making it easier for players to hatch certain Pokemon and providing extra bonuses for a limited time.
Beginning tomorrow, March 22, players will be able to hatch an "even greater variety" of Pokemon from Eggs. In particular, monsters that typically hatch from 5 km or 10 km Eggs, like Wynaut or Ralts, can be found in 2 km Eggs for the duration of the event. Some Pokemon, such as Pichu and Togepi, will also hatch more frequently.
In addition to that, every Egg that players hatch during the Eggstravaganza event will come with extra Candy. Niantic is also offering double Stardust throughout the event as an added bonus, and special boxes that contain Super Incubators, Star Pieces, and other items will be available for purchase from the in-game shop.
Pokemon Go's Eggstravaganza event runs until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on April 2. That is also the same day that the latest Legendary Pokemon, Lugia, is scheduled to leave the game. Following its initial run as a Raid Battle boss last summer, Lugia returned to Pokemon Go earlier this month. This time, the Legendary Pokemon knows the "newly improved" Flying move Sky Attack, and Niantic says it will be easier to capture than before if players manage to successfully defeat it.
Niantic is hosting the third Pokemon Go Community Day event this weekend, on March 25. As before, the event will run for a three-hour block of time. The featured Pokemon for this month's Community Day is the classic Red and Blue starter Bulbasaur, and if players manage to evolve it into a Venusaur during the event hours, it will learn the powerful Grass-type attack Frenzy Plant.
On Tuesday, March 20, WWE reported that Daniel Bryan, after two years of "retirement," would return to in-ring action just in time for Wrestlemania 34. Along with this announcement, WWE emphasized that it had done its due diligence in medically clearing Bryan. The company listed the names of four medical doctors and implied that there were many more--a battery of "neurosurgeons, neurologists, and concussion experts"--who had cleared Bryan to wrestle. It was them, you see, and not the company, that had driven this decision.
It's not yet clear how Bryan will return to action--whether as a part-time wrestler who only fights at the major PPVs or as a regular, in-ring presence on the weekly shows. But regardless, the press statement was a textbook example of WWE covering its butt--that if Bryan were to get severely injured during his current run, it's the doctors, not the WWE, who should suffer the blowback for clearing him.
Truth be told, that's not a bad instinct in this situation. During his original WWE run, Bryan was a go-for-broke wrestler who placed his high-risk spots as a top priority, even above his own well-being. And WWE should be taking backstage measures to protect its employee, given his medical history, his wrestling style, and his temperament. This is a man who, by his own admission, was experiencing post-concussion seizures at odd times and lied about them to his employers.
WWE can't get in Bryan's head and convince him that working a safer style is the best idea. But it can institute a series of restrictions on Bryan's ring work to force him into a safer style, and institute a heavy penalty (a fine, perhaps, or being taken off TV) if he breaks them. No suicide dives to the floor outside of the ring. No high-risk moves from the top rope, or from ladders or announcer tables.
And absolutely, positively, no diving headbutts. That needs to be a company mandate if it isn't already. There is no reason to perform this dangerous move, for any reason, when it's caused so much misery for its most famous practitioners. Dynamite Kid was confined to a wheelchair with spinal injuries. Chris Benoit experienced multiple concussions throughout his career, which may have led him to commit horrible crimes on the last weekend of his life. For a concussion-prone man to continue using this finisher, at this point in his career, would be unconscionably stupid. And WWE should reflect that in its regulations.
The WWE producer who works with Bryan and his opponents might consider choreographing huge portions of their matches, rather than only scripting the major spots and calling the rest of the action on the fly. Because many times, the major injuries don't happen during the high-risk spots. It happens at the most mundane points in the match, when performers get complacent and run on autopilot. There is precedent for this sort of exhaustive choreography. "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat planned out every single move of their WrestleMania III Intercontinental title match, and it's widely considered to be one of the greatest matches in WWE history.
And ultimately, Bryan needs to self-regulate and do all this on his own, without the WWE forcing his hand. In 2015, WWE warned him to tone down the theatrics, and Bryan was largely dismissive of its requests. In an interview with the Miami Herald, he pushed back on this sentiment, stating, "I have always marched to the beat of my own drum. We are all individual entities. Not to say I ignore their advice, but you also have to know your own body and where you're at physically."
Clearly, he didn't know his own body. In more recent interviews, Bryan appears to have toned down his stance. He seems committed to working a safer style. On Edge and Christian's podcast, he cited Jerry Lawler as someone who was still able to work, despite being a senior citizen, because he protected his body in the ring. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is another model Bryan can look to. After hurting his neck during a botched piledriver spot, he changed to a brawler style that was more grounded and less risky. And still, Austin main evented WrestleMania X-7 with The Rock, in a match that didn't have a single top rope spot.
Rock and Austin relied on their psychology more than their athleticism to get over with the crowd. And granted, Bryan is much smaller than those guys; he may feel pressure to stand out in a room full of big men. But there's no longer a need for that overcompensation; Bryan is already working for the biggest wrestling promotion in the world. He's as over as a single individual can be and dropping the high-risk maneuvers isn't going to change that status. Currently, Bryan is saying all the right things. But who knows how his mindset might shift once he's back in the ring? And really, what has he done to earn the WWE's trust in this matter?
In his return speech on the March 20 episode of SmackDown, Bryan thanked the WWE for looking out for him, and for treating him as an individual who needed to be protected from harm. The best way that WWE can follow through on this commitment (if it hasn't already) is by instituting rules that will protect the best wrestler of his generation from himself.
Blizzard has kicked off its latest cross-promotional event for StarCraft's 20th anniversary, this time in Hearthstone. The digital CCG is offering three packs for winning a match in this week's Tavern Brawl, which carries a distinct StarCraft flavor.
The "Portals to Another Dimension" Brawl assembles a 10-card deck from your chosen class, then fills your deck with 20 more cards from one of three categories: Tech, Swarm, and Mind. Those portals cost one mana and summon a discount minion or spell that fits into one of those categories. Tech is filled with mechs and explosions, Swarm has toxic creatures, and Mind packs psychic powers. Each is meant to correspond to one of the classic StarCraft factions.
Your prize for winning a match is three Kobolds & Catacombs packs. Tavern Brawls regularly give out card packs every week, but usually it's just one Classic pack. Tavern Brawls are limited-time events, though, so make sure you win a match by March 25 to claim your reward.
We're nearing the end of StarCraft's 20th anniversary events. StarCraft 2 and Remastered received special skins and anniversary portraits. Overwatch got a Kerrigan skin for Widowmaker, Diablo 3 got a Battlecruiser pet, and now Hearthstone has its own crossover event. Remaining events include Heroes of the Storm anniversary portraits starting on March 27, and World of Warcraft pets on March 31. Blizzard also plans to mark the occasion with a special anniversary stream on March 30 and a mini-documentary on March 31.
Hearthstone is preparing to kick off its next expansion, The Witchwood, in April. That will mark the first expansion rolling over into the Year of the Raven, which also means older expansions and some select cards will be rotated out of Standard play. We took a closer look at the revealed cards so far. Blizzard will be hosting a stream next Monday, March 26, at 11 AM PT, to reveal more cards and likely announce release plans.
When Star Trek: Deep Space Nine premiered in 1993, it was unlike any other Star Trek show up to that point. Captain Sisko's crew members manned a space station, not an exploration vessel like the Enterprise. They had several preoccupying, persistent concerns over a period of years, from the rebuilding of war-torn Bajor to the guardianship of an Alpha Quadrant to Gamma Quadrant wormhole.
The crew members were not seeking out adventure; more often, the adventure found them. Multiple episodes formed massive plot arcs. The characters were deeper and more nuanced than in previous Treks, and the writers dug down on a handful of issues, rather than superficially exploring a wide range of them.
And the funniest, unlikeliest breakout star of the show was Quark. Quark was a Ferengi--a money-hungry scoundrel with a heart of gold--who ran a bar/casino on Deep Space Nine's promenade. The bar was a center for gossip, illicit dealings, and backroom negotiations, which in turn drove the show's larger plot points.
In an interview with GameSpot, the actor behind Quark, Armin Shimerman, reflected on the show's legacy and the character's place in Star Trek history. Shimerman will reprise the role of Quark for "Victory is Life," the upcoming Star Trek Online expansion due out this June.
Gamespot: The first time you played a Ferengi was not on Deep Space Nine, but on the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Last Outpost" in 1987. What were you told about the Ferengi at the time?
Armin Shimerman: Well, what we were told about the Ferengi and what we ended up with were like night and day. The Ferengi were going to be the new Klingons. They were never meant to be a comical race; they were meant to be ferocious and menacing. And unfortunately, they hired me to play one of the lead Ferengi, and I failed miserably.
My final performance was not at all what [Star Trek creator] Gene Roddenberry wanted. By that point, he was rather sick, and he was not on set. But I met him briefly--maybe no more than 30 seconds--when he looked at my makeup and looked at my costume.
"The Last Outpost" was a disaster. And no one one bears the brunt of that mistake more than I do.
Are you able to put a disappointment like that behind you after it's finished?
I didn't put it behind me for years; it was like sword of Damocles hanging over my head. All of my work on Deep Space Nine, for the first four seasons, was me trying to eradicate that original performance from everyone's mind. It was my personal agenda to rectify the mistake I made--to take a one-dimensional character and make him a three-dimensional character.
Given that you were so passionate about righting this wrong, were you a Star Trek fan even before appearing on the shows?
I was a huge Star Trek fan. I watched the original show (1966) when it aired. As a young man, I would rush home to make sure I caught every episode. And for the first year [of Deep Space Nine], other members of the cast would come up to me and ask me questions. I remember one person--I can't remember who--came up to me and said, "Armin, you know about this [Star Trek stuff]. What's a Klingon?"
I assumed, wrongly, that because you already played a Ferengi in The Next Generation, the Deep Space Nine role as Quark was more or less locked up. But that's not the case?
I auditioned for the role three times, and I went through a lot of angst.
When I first found out about the role, I browbeat my agent to get me auditions. I was one of the earliest actors to audition for Quark. A good six weeks went by, and I heard nothing. I kept calling my agent for feedback. But eventually, I assumed it wasn't going to happen, and I was heartbroken.
Six weeks later, my agent called and said I had a callback. I auditioned for a room of suits at Paramount with my good friend Max Grodenchik [who was eventually cast as Quark's brother, Rom]. And ten days later, I had a final audition with [DS9 co-creators] Rick Berman and Michael Piller. What I later found out is that I and the other actors sitting in the hallway would eventually become the series regulars. Twenty-four hours later, I was notified that I was going to be a series regular. And I'm proud to say that I was the first one called.
I was ecstatic; I was performing Hamlet that evening, and my feet didn't touch the stage.
How much creative control did you have over Quark and what he said or did?
None. None of us ever did. The only creative control the actors had were over things we could do in a take. The powers-that-be could see the dailies and say, "Oh, he smiled at Kira in a certain way!" That was the only way we could really affect the writers and producers. There was no ad-libbing, and if we didn't toe the line exactly as written, we would be told to do another take.
Can you remember any specific examples of how you added to Quark's characterization through this sort of limited improvisation?
Early on in the first season, there was an episode called "Move Along Home" [where Quark is coerced into a game where he literally bets on the crew members' lives]. They wrote on the page that I was a sniveling, cowardly sort of creature, much like the Ferengi in The Next Generation. So I played against that in "Move Along Home." I tried to make him as troubled and conflicted about the dilemma in front of him as anyone would be. And that, for me, was the first time I had an influence on the writers, where they saw the quality that Armin Shimerman was bringing to the Ferengi.
There was another episode, much later, where it said in the script that "Quark makes a low, moaning, crying sound." I was brought in relatively early in the day for makeup, which is a two-hour process. And instead of bringing me in right away [on set], they made me wait, because other people were being shot.
I sat for about six hours in makeup waiting to do this "low, moaning, crying" thing. I got angrier and angrier. And when they finally brought me on set, out of frustration I "squealed." That wasn't what they were expecting. But they used it, and they began writing it into scripts.
At times, I would take the writers out to lunch and ask them questions so I would be more informed about what was going on in my character's head. I kept on asking [writer] Ira [Steven Behr] and the others, "Can you just tell me what his IQ is?" Because in some episodes, Quark is very smart and in some episodes, he's very dumb.
The fans love Quark's chemistry with Odo, the security constable on the station. Did you immediately realize that it was something special, or was it something that evolved over time?
Fans are very kind about the relationship between Quark and Odo. But we don't really remember that many scenes between the two of us--not to the extent that the fans remember it…A little goes a long way, when it comes to things like this.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is often seen as unique among the Trek television shows, because it took place on a space station, not on a starship. What do you think were the strengths of this setup?
The greatest advantage is that we could establish a coterie of supporting characters that the other shows could not. They became as important as the main characters. And because the bench of supporting characters was so phenomenally strong, our episodes have more layers and depth to them.
We were one of the first shows to have a season arc. Nowadays, it's de rigueur. But in the 1990s, that was rare for a one-hour show.
Ira and Rick took a lot of heat for that; Paramount did not want that. They wanted individual shows they could sell to syndication, so that someone watching the show could see it every now and then and not be lost. They complained that the viewers needed to know too much to watch our show. Now, that's not a problem anymore.
A new Dragon Ball game is coming to iOS and Android devices. Bandai Namco unveiled Dragon Ball Legends during a presentation at this year's Game Developers Conference, and now the publisher has shared the first trailer for the upcoming mobile fighting game.
The video, embedded below, showcases the simple but flashy battle system of the new mobile Dragon Ball game. Like the recently released Dragon Ball FighterZ, Legends is a three-on-three fighting game featuring a number of recognizable characters from the series, including Goku, Frieza, Piccolo, Nappa, Vegeta, and Pan, along with an entirely new character designed by Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama.
To tailor the game for mobile devices, Dragon Ball Legends features a card-based interface. Different attacks are performed by tapping on the appropriate cards at the bottom of the screen, and combos can be unleashed by tapping the cards consecutively. The game also offers online PvP battles against other players around the world. Bandai Namco demonstrated an online match during its GDC presentation, which you can watch in the video at the top of this story.
Bandai Namco hasn't announced a release date for Dragon Ball Legends, but the game is slated to arrive this summer. In the meantime, players can pre-register for it on the official Dragon Ball Legends website. As an added incentive to sign up, Bandai Namco will give away different in-game items depending on how many players pre-register.
Ahead of the game's launch, Android users will have a chance to participate in two exclusive closed beta tests for Dragon Ball Legends. The first kicks off early next month, on April 6, with the second following a week later on April 13. Registration for the beta is open now until March 26. If you're interested in taking part, you can sign up here, although not everyone who applies will be selected.
EA made a big decision when it removed the controversial microtransactions from Star Wars Battlefront II hours before its release. We knew they would eventually return in some modified form, and that day is nearly here. Developer DICE has released a major update for Battlefront II on PC, PS4, and Xbox One that paves the way for the revamped microtransactions and, in the meantime, makes significant changes to the game's progression system.
DICE previously detailed all the ways in which progression is changing. You'll only earn Star Cards and items that impact gameplay by playing; they can't be purchased. That means crates no longer have Star Cards in them; instead, they have things like credits and cosmetic items. You'll continue to have access to any items you already unlocked, and all heroes and hero ships have been unlocked for everyone. Additionally, Arcade mode will see all Epic Star Cards and weapons available for use without needing to unlock them first.
In April, Battlefront II will offer skins for purchase with credits or Crystals, the latter of which are purchased with real-world money. DICE makes it clear that these are purely cosmetic, so you won't be able to pay your way to an advantage over other players, which was the concern with Battlefront II's original microtransaction/loot box setup.
Another big addition in this update is a new map. The Bespin map from the previous Battlefront can now be played in certain modes--Blast, Heroes vs. Villains, and "for a limited time" in Jetpack Cargo. You can see it in the screenshot above.
Patch notes for the new update reveal further changes that have been made on the balance side. They're too extensive to outline in full here, but they include a buff for Iden Versio, who gets a health increase. The Droid Shield's active time has been increased, and her Pulse Cannon has been reworked to be more effective and work a bit differently (it does less explosive damage but is more accurate). Other heroes to be changed include Han Solo (who also gets more health), Boba Fett (who loses some forward thrust with Jetpack), and Leia (who now recovers health faster and with less delay).
Other balance changes of note include some specific weapon tweaks and map adjustments, such as certain vehicles increasing in price or spawn locations being moved to make things more fair for both sides. You can check out the full patch notes on the Battlefront forums.
As it so often does, Twitch is offering another batch of free in-game goodies to Amazon Prime members, this time for Epic's popular shooter Fortnite. Right now, those with a Prime account will be able to claim the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack, which includes cosmetics and other items for both Battle Royale and Save the World modes.
The Twitch Prime Pack is redeemable on all platforms--PC, PS4, and Xbox One--and comes with two exclusive gliders and outfits for Battle Royale: the Havoc Outfit and Back Bling, plus the Sub Commander Outfit and Slipstream Glider. Additionally, users will receive four exclusive Twitch chat emoji and two heroes for Save the World: Havoc and Sub Commando Jonesy. You can take a look at some of the freebies below.
Twitch Prime regularly offers free items and games for Amazon Prime members, so anyone who's a subscriber to the premium service is able to take advantage of this offer. To grab the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack, simply click on the Prime Loot icon at the top of Twitch's homepage or visit Epic's official website for more details about how to claim the free items.
The Twitch Prime Pack isn't the only freebie that Fortnite players can get right now. PS Plus subscribers can also download the PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack on PS4, which includes an exclusive glider and outfit. You can grab the pack here. Meanwhile, the next free game for Twitch Prime members is the original Devil May Cry, is also available to download now after being temporarily delayed due to "unforeseen technical circumstances."
Initially, the Nintendo Switch was not compatible with wireless headsets; if you wanted to use an audio device separate from the HDMI connection, you needed to use the 3.5mm jack atop the console itself. That changed with software version 4.0.0 when a few headsets began to work. The 5.0.0 update that released earlier this month expanded compatibility, and a handful of wireless USB headsets now work with the console. However, since it'll require a USB port for the dongle, these headsets will only work when the Switch is docked.
Not every wireless USB headset is guaranteed to work, though. This prompted us to test out the 30+ wireless headsets in our inventory to see what's compatible with Nintendo's new console. With the help of our sister site CNET, we compiled the following list.
Wireless Headsets Confirmed To Work With The Nintendo Switch
Logitech G533
Logitech G933
Plantronics Rig 800HS
Plantronics Rig 800LX
Sony PlayStation Gold Wireless (Stereo)
Sony PlayStation Gold Wireless (2018 reissue)
Sony PlayStation Platinum Wireless
SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless (set to PS4 mode)
SteelSeries Siberia 800
SteelSeries Siberia 840 (discontinued)
Turtle Beach Stealth 450
Turtle Beach Stealth 520
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (PS4 model only)
Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (PS4 model only)
Turtle Beach Elite 800
Nintendo Switch with the Logitech G933 wireless headset connected via USB.A handful of the wireless USB headsets that work on the Nintendo Switch.
Wireless Headsets That Work, Under Certain Conditions
Astro A50 Gen 3 (only by plugging 3.5mm into the base station)
LucidSound LS30 (if you trick the dongle by plugging in a 3.5mm cable first)
LucidSound LS40 (if you trick the dongle by plugging in a 3.5mm cable first)
SteelSeries Arctis 7 (only by plugging 3.5mm into USB dongle)
Wireless Headsets That DO NOT Work
Astro A20
Astro A50 Gen 3 over USB
Asus Strix Wireless
Corsair Void Wireless
Corsair Void Pro Wireless
HyperX Cloud Flight
Razer Man O' War Wireless
Razer Thresher Ultimate Xbox
Razer Thresher Ultimate PS4
Razer Thresher 7.1 for PS4
Turtle Beach Stealth 420X
Anything that requires an Xbox One wireless adapter for other devices
Razer Thresher
Turtle Beach Stealth 600
Turtle Beach Stealth 700
Wireless Headsets Not Yet Tested
Astro A50 Gen 2
Astro A50 Gen 1
Corsair Gaming H2100 (does not work, according to Reddit user SeraphisQ)
Logitech G930
Plantronics Rig 800HD (will work, according to Reddit user Hylje5000)
Skullcandy Plyr1 and Plyr2
SteelSeries H Wireless
Turtle Beach Stealth 400
Turtle Beach Stealth 420X (does not work, according to Reddit user Pantoner)
Turtle Beach Stealth 500P (will work, according to Reddit user 3600CCH6WRX)
Turtle Beach Ear Force PX4
Razer Chimaera
Note that the Switch does not transmit audio through Bluetooth, which may change in the future, though latency is a big concern with Bluetooth audio. Of course, this is not a complete list of wireless USB headsets that are available. We'll be updating this list as we put more headsets to the test and when new ones come in.
Looking to add more games to your Xbox library? The next run of Games With Gold freebies are now available on Xbox One and Xbox 360 for those with an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
On Xbox One, Superhot--the FPS where time only advances when you move--is free. And on Xbox 360, the puzzle game Quantum Conundrum from Portal designer Kim Swift drops to the low, low price of $0.00. The latter can also be played on Xbox One through backwards compatibility. A Games With Gold title from earlier this month, Trials of the Blood Dragon, remains available until the end of the month. Quantum Conundrum will also return to its regular price at that point, while Superhot will be free until April 15.
Claiming these games will add them to your library and allow you to play them for as long as you remain an Xbox Live Gold member. Both of these games originally arrived a bit earlier than expected, but they've now replaced two of the existing Games With Gold games.
You can download March 2018's free Games With Gold titles on your console or you can get the download process started by clicking these Xbox.com store links:
Are you in need of new shows and movies to binge? Thankfully, Netflix has your streaming fix thanks to a large number of new originals and a few films being added to the service over the course of the week.
The most notable title arriving on the streamer is the second season of Santa Clarita Diet, the dark zombie comedy starring Drew Barrymore as a member of the brain-eating undead community. The first season was a funny and bizarre trip into suburban life when you're a zombie, and Season 2 will likely continue the trend. The new episodes will see Joel McHale, Maggie Lawson, and Gerald McRaney join the cast in guest roles.
The first season of anime Sword Gai The Animation will also debut on the service this week, along with Netflix originals Alexa & Katie, Dinotrux Supercharged, The Mechanism, and Requiem. Additional titles for the week include In Search of Fellini, Conor McGregor: Notorious, and Red Trees.
A new Fortnite update is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but in addition to checking out the new stuff it has to offer, Battle Royale players have some other things they can now do. Fortnite's week 4 challenges have rolled out for Battle Pass owners, and some of them might prove to be tricky.
The full list of challenges is outlined below; one requires you getting the right weapon and utilizing it efficiently (dealing a specific amount of damage with a sniper rifle), while another has you tracking down chests in the Flush Factory or supply drops around the map. There are two in particular that you might need some help with.
The first of these is not labeled as Hard; you're told to visit five different ice cream trucks. These are scattered around the map--there are more than five in total, with a handful located right inside major locations like Tomato Town, Pleasant Park, and Retail Row. Others are in less obvious locations, though you can track them all down with this map shared by Reddit user imkairu.
What is labeled as Hard is the challenge that reads, "Search between a Vehicle Tower, Rock Sculpture, and a Circle of Hedges." That somewhat vague clue is pointing you toward a point in the southeast corner of the map, in the G9 section. It's just on the edge of some water--you can see it in this screenshot from Reddit user __Kaneda__, or see the map they provided here.
You can check out all of the week 4 challenges below. Keep in mind that, despite being added weekly, you have the entirety of Season 3 to finish these out. That means you can also go back to complete previous weekly challenges.
Weekly challenges are only available to those who own the new Season 3 Battle Pass, which costs 950 V-Bucks. It expands the number of optional tasks you're given in Battle Royale and allows you to unlock more items like outfits, gliders, and emotes. The Season 3 Battle Pass also includes new types of items, such as loading screens and Back Bling. Check out our gallery of Battle Pass rewards for a look at everything you can get.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Week 4 Challenges
Deal damage with Sniper Rifles to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Flush Factory (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Supply Drops (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Visit different Ice Cream Trucks (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between a Vehicle Tower, Rock Sculpture, and a Circle of Hedges (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Trap Eliminations (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Eliminate opponents in Tomato Town (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
It's a new week, and that means more deals on Xbox Live. Microsoft's Major Nelson has now announced all of this week's Xbox Live Deals With Gold offers for Xbox One and Xbox 360--and they include some nice offers depending on what you're looking for.
Moving to Xbox 360, there are only a handful of deals, and some of them are Skate 3 ($5), Dragon Age 2 ($5), and Worms ($1.24). To see a full rundown of this week's Xbox One and Xbox 360 deals, including region-specific pricing, check out Major Nelson's blog. Bear in mind that some of the offers require an Xbox Live Gold membership; the deals expire on March 26.
In other news, Xbox Live Gold members now have a fresh batch of free Games With Gold titles to pick up, including Superhot and Quantum Conundrum. These will both be available alongside an existing Games With Gold title; adding them to your library will allow you to continue playing them for as long as you're an Xbox Live Gold member.
The logo was revealed on a poster tweeted by the movie's official Twitter account. There isn't really anything on it apart from the logo, but it certainly has an explosive comic book look. Check it out below:
Although no official image of Shazam's costume has been released yet, some on-set images of Levi in costume did leak last month. We might not have long have to wait until we see the first official image of the character; Sandberg recently predicted that an on-set image might leak from the shoot, and told fans on Reddit, "If someone had managed to snap a shot of the suit last week when we were shooting outside they would have released an official pic right away. Since we got away with it they want to do more of an official thing. And it's right around the corner."
Shazam first appeared in 1939, when he was known by the name Captain Marvel. The character was bought by DC in 1971, when he was renamed, due to Marvel's ownership of the name Captain Marvel. A live-action Shazam TV show was broadcast in the mid-'70s, while an animated show followed in 1981.
The Switch has quickly become a huge success for Nintendo since its launch last year. Not only has the console broken hardware and software sales records for company, it has also proven to be beneficial to third-parties, with indie games in particular performing exceptionally well on the platform.
During an indie-focused press event following the recent Nindies Showcase, Nintendo revealed the top 10 best-selling indie games on Switch to date. While the company didn't share specific sales numbers for each of the games, the list is comprised of many popular titles that have experienced a resurgence on the hybrid console, including the beloved farming sim Stardew Valley, the roguelike shooter Enter the Gungeon, the multiplayer cooking game Overcooked Special Edition, and Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, among others. You can find the full top 10 list, in no particular order, at the bottom of this story.
Third-party and indie game have had some notable success on Switch. Many indie developers have reported that their titles frequently sell better on Nintendo's console than on PS4 or Xbox One, with Switch sales in many cases exceeding sales on the other platforms combined. Shortly after Celeste's release, game creator Matt Thorson revealed the Switch edition was outselling other versions. Similarly, Super Meat Boy developer Team Meat said sales of the Switch version came "shockingly close" to how well the game sold on Xbox 360 when it originally launched in 2010.
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