There are few stars in Hollywood busier than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. In the last 12 months, the actor starred in no fewer than four big movies, including the wildly successful Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. His next film is the action thriller Skyscraper, which hits theaters in July. A new trailer has now been released.
Skyscraper stars Johnson as Will Sawyer, a former US Marine who now assesses security for skyscrapers. He's hired to work in China, on the tallest, most advanced building in the world. Inevitably, it's taken over by bad guys and set alight, with Sawyer the only man who can stop them and save his family. Although the set up is very Die Hard-esque, the movie looks like it'll have much more in common with Johnson's 2015 disaster epic San Andreas. Check it out above.
Skyscraper also stars Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black), Neve Campbell (Scream), Noah Taylor (Preacher), and Byron Mann (Altered Carbon). It's directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, who previously directed Johnson in 2016's Central Intelligence, as well as helming the comedies We're the Millers and Dodgeball. It hits theaters on July 13.
In related news, more details have emerged about another of Johnson's upcoming projects--the Fast and Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw. The movie will also star Jason Stathatm and will be directed by Deadpool 2's David Leitch. From Leitch's description, it sounds quite a bit different from the rest of the franchise's entries.
"I think we want to have our own take on the Fast universe," Leitch said. "It will definitely have elements of the original DNA, but it is more drifting into Shaw's spy word and Dwayne's agent world and, obviously, we want to build on their relationship, their conflict, their banter. That chemistry that they have between them, that's sort of what's driving the movie."
After many weeks of speculation, EA finally confirmed that this year's upcoming Battlefield game will be Battlefield V. The publisher formally announced the title last week, and soon the world will get its first look at the anticipated shooter during the Battlefield V reveal event, which airs later today, May 23.
The presentation kicks off at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST and will be hosted by The Daily Show's Trevor Noah. You'll have a variety of different options for watching it. EA will stream the broadcast on its YouTube and Twitch channels, but you'll also be able to tune in right here on GameSpot and follow along as EA pulls back the curtain on the new shooter.
Prior to the reveal event, you'll be able to tune in right here and watch us stream some matches of the series' previous installment, Battlefield 1. We'll also discuss our theories on Battlefield V and what we hope to see during the presentation. Our Battlefield 1 stream begins at 12:30 PM PT / 3:30 PM ET / 8:30 PM BST.
At the moment, EA has revealed very few details about Battlefield V. The publisher hasn't confirmed which platforms it will launch for, although it's a safe bet it'll appear on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, just as Battlefield 1. Likewise, EA hasn't announced a release date for Battlefield V, but it did previously say the game would launch sometime this fall.
Outside of those vague details, however, Battlefield V remains very much shrouded in mystery. According to alleged leaks, the game reportedly takes place in World War II, which would make it the first game in the series to be set during that conflict since 2009's Battlefield 1943. We'll soon learn whether or not that turns out to be the case.
After a retailer leak and a series of teaser images, we finally got confirmation that Rage 2 is real. Bethesda released a live-action reveal trailer that set the tone for the game and a follow-up gameplay trailer that gave us a glimpse at some in-engine action. Senior vice president of Bethesda Pete Hines has confirmed that we'll find out even more about the game at E3, so in preparation for that, here's a wrap-up of everything we know so far and what we want to see more of when June rolls around.
What We Know So Far:
Rage 2 is a collaboration between two major studios. The first is, naturally, id Software, the developer of 2016's fantastic Doom reboot as well as the first Rage game. The second is Avalanche Studios, which came as a surprise. Avalanche is famously known for the Just Cause series, dense open-world games with an emphasis on non-linear exploration as well as joyful traversal and creative destruction. Avalanche was also responsible for the 2015 Mad Max game, another open-world title based on the film series of the same name with a focus on melee and vehicular combat.
We know that Rage 2 will be running on Avalanche's APEX engine, which powers Just Cause and Mad Max, so we can expect the open-world elements of previous Avalanche games to be a significant facet of Rage 2. Vehicular combat is something we saw a lot of in the debut gameplay trailer, and we know from the game's official website that we'll get to drive a variety of vehicles ranging from monster trucks to gyrocopters.
The same trailer also showed us a variety of environments--sprawling deserts, dense forests, and industrial wastelands. Hopefully, this translates to a large and diverse open world that builds on some of the environmental features seen in Mad Max, like its impressive weather effects. Bethesda has confirmed that Rage 2's world is filled with many competing factions, reminiscent of Just Cause 2, and hopefully means that progression will be flexible and player-driven.
But we also saw a lot of fast-paced first-person shooting, which is where id Software is likely to incorporate a lot of the design ideas that made Doom such a joy to play. We got a glimpse of some extreme scenarios in the gameplay trailer, like juggling an enemy in the air with gunfire, which hints at some creativity and rule-bending when it comes to combat, hopefully in the vein of the playful FPS Bulletstorm. Regarding mechanics, we know that weapons will be upgradable, and there will be an Overdrive system that allows you to "push your guns beyond their mechanical limits". The concept of Nanotrite powers also returns from the first Rage, which suggests a variety of combat aids like temporary buffs, automated sentry tools, and ammo types.
Pre-order bonuses have already been confirmed and will include an exclusive mission called "Cult of the Death God" as well as an exclusive pistol, armor, and monster truck. We gather that Bethesda probably has a post-launch plan in place already. Bethesda has also stated that the game is coming in Spring 2019.
What's Confirmed For E3?
Bethesda has confirmed that it will be talking more about Rage 2 at E3 2018, and it will almost certainly make an appearance at the publisher's press conference on June 10 at 6:30 PM PT.
What We Hope To See At E3
Bethesda's press conferences have traditionally clocked in at under an hour, and Pete Hines has said that this year's runtime definitely won't be over three hours. It's unlikely that we'll get a live gameplay demo, but we'll probably get an in-depth presentation about the game's world, systems and mechanics, and a new trailer that reinforces all the new information we learn.
But it's also likely that the game is going to be playable on the show floor, and what we're hoping to see is a significant portion of the game's open world to be available for play. We want to be able to see how the different biomes flow into each other and what kind of random encounters and events you might be able to stumble upon and become involved with naturally. We want to see how progression works and just how flexible you can be. Is it going to stick to a more rigid structure of handing out a selection of quests for different factions, or is it going down the Far Cry 5 route of letting missions naturally reveal themselves as you explore the world? Just how much of Just Cause and Mad Max will we see in Rage 2?
Vehicle customization is also a big feature we want to learn more about. We want to get a taste of the variety of vehicles the levels to which you can customize them. How distinctly you can alter the vehicle's driving behavior, how varied the combat and utility options are, and how traversing the world by air or land changes your experience. And can we know a bit more about that towering mech in the trailer? Can we drive it and play Rage as a post-apocalyptic Mechwarrior game?
Finally, we want to see if the punk-rock party atmosphere of the game's first two trailers is going to be a major element of the actual game. Neon colors, fun-loving characters, and a party vibe brought the mood up for the reveal, and we're hoping to learn if that tone remains consistent when playing Rage 2. We also want to see Andrew W.K. perform live at the Bethesda press conference and announcing that he's in charge of the game's score. That would make us very happy.
On Wednesday, Netflix gave followers a first look at Matt Groening's newest animated series, Disenchantment. Additionally, the streaming service announced the show would be coming to Netflix on Friday, August 17.
All 10 episodes of Disenchantment will drop on the same day. The images revealed by the streaming giant include the main characters of the show: Princess Bean, her elf-friend Elfo, and the demon Luci. You can see the cast of the new show below.
The new show takes place in Dreamland, a medieval kingdom where Bean (Broad City's Abbi Jacobson), Elfo (Friends From College's Nat Faxon), and Luci (The Eric Andre Show's Eric André) go on adventures in this fantasy world.
Additionally, the show will feature the voice talents of Jeny Batten, Matt Berry, John DiMaggio, Noel Fielding, Billy West, Tress MacNeille, and Lucy Montgomery. Josh Weinstein (Futurama, The Simpsons) and Groening will serve as executive producers.
Groening's biggest series, The Simpsons, has been in the news quite a bit recently. The series hit its 636th episode, which surpassed Gunsmoke, and The Simpsons claimed the title of the most number of episodes for a prime time scripted TV series. Additionally, there's been some controversy with the way the show replied to the documentary The Problem With Apu. Groening responded and said that "people love to pretend they're offended."
Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale rolls on with a new set of challenges for Battle Pass owners to complete. Week 4's challenges are now live on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and iOS, and this time around, they're made up primarily of straightforward tasks, although a few may still pose a bit of trouble. Here's how to complete all of Week 4's objectives.
As usual, there are seven new challenges to complete, most of which are fairly self-explanatory. On the easier end of the spectrum, one challenge tasks you with dealing damage with Assault Rifles, which is simply a matter of finding the right weapon and using it to inflict a specific amount of damage to other players.
Some of the other new challenges are a bit more dependent on luck. One tasks you with visiting the center of three Storm Circles in a single match, while another has you searching seven Ammo Boxes in a match. There's also a challenge that requires you to search seven chests in Wailing Woods, but fortunately, this one doesn't have to be completed in a single round.
The one that will likely prove to be the trickiest is a Hard-difficulty challenge that cryptically says to search between a bench, Ice Cream Truck, and Helicopter. Both benches and Ice Cream Trucks are fairly common on the map, so your biggest clue is the helicopter. As you can see in our map below, the challenge leads you to the center of Moisty Mire, under a big tree near the area's movie set. Simply head to that location and you'll be able to pick up a Battle Star.
The remaining two challenges are likewise labeled Hard. The first tasks you with eliminating one opponent using a Trap, while the second has you eliminating three players in Snobby Shores. Your best bet for completing each is to attempt the challenges in a Solo playlist, where you don't need to worry about opponents being revived by teammates. The reward for clearing each Hard challenge is 10 Battle Stars.
Completing weekly challenges helps you rank up your Battle Pass, which in turn unlocks new skins and cosmetics. As always, the weekly challenges will be available through the remainder of Season 4, so you have until the season ends to complete them and unlock rewards.
However, since Season 4 kicked off, Epic has offered an incentive to complete each weekly challenge as quickly as you can. Clearing all the challenges within a given week completes a new Blockbuster challenge, which rewards you with a loading screen that points to the location of a free Battle Pass tier. You can get a full rundown on how to complete everything in our Season 4 challenge guide.
Season 4, Week 4 Challenges
Deal damage with Assault Rifles to opponents (1,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Wailing Woods (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search 7 Ammo Boxes in a single match (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Visit the center of different Storm Circles in a single match (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between a Bench, Ice Cream Truck, and a Helicopter -- 10 Battle Stars
Fortnite's 4.2 content update is now available, and along with finally introducing jetpacks to the game, it marks the beginning of a new limited-time mode in Battle Royale. The second iteration of the Solid Gold event is now underway on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and iOS, and as before, the theme of the mode is Legendary weapons.
Every weapon that players find while playing Solid Gold v2 will be of the Legendary variety. Developer Epic has also adjusted the drop rates for each weapon. Now, players will have a high chance of finding the Hand Cannon and Suppressed Pistols as floor loot; the Assault Rifle, Minigun, and Sniper Rifle will appear most commonly in chests; and the Rocket and Grenade Launcher have the highest chance of appearing in supply drops.
On top of the adjusted weapon rates, Epic has also increased the drop rates of Chug Jugs, Slurp Juice, Shields, Launch Pads, Campfires, and all Special Grenades. Meanwhile, the drop rates of standard Grenades, Spike Traps, and Bandages have been decreased. Players will also get 50% extra stone and metal resources from farming.
As is commonly the case, Epic hasn't announced an exact end date for Solid Gold v2, but limited-time modes in Fortnite traditionally run for about a week. You can read more about the special event in the patch notes on the official Fortnite website.
On top of Solid Gold v2, another limited-time event is slated to start very soon in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Beginning Friday, May 25, players will be able to participate in Close Encounters, a new mode that revolves around "close quarters combat" using jetpacks and shotguns, which will be the only types of weapons that spawn in the mode. Additionally, the storm moves in more quickly than usual in Close Encounters, and each match typically lasts about 15 minutes.
After months of being delayed, jetpacks have finally made their long-awaited debut in Fortnite: Battle Royale. The items arrive on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and iOS as part of the 4.2 content update, but despite their extended gestation period, they won't be around for very long.
Unlike most other items that Epic has recently added to Fortnite, jetpacks will only be available in the game for a limited time. The developer hasn't specified how long they'll appear, but you'll need to be pretty lucky to get your hands on one, as they're a Legendary item that can only be found in treasure chests.
Jetpacks are the first in a new line of items that Epic is introducing to the game: backpacks. Unlike the Back Bling cosmetics that were added earlier this year, backpacks take up an inventory slot like other weapons and items. Players can only pick one backpack up at a time; if you grab a second, it will replace the one you're already carrying. Your backpack will also automatically be destroyed once it is fully used up.
Jetpacks are activated by pressing jump while in the air; however, you will only be able to stay airborne for a limited time before you must recharge. Fortunately, the jetpack begins recharging automatically when it isn't being used. You will also not be able to enter Targeting Mode while flying.
Alongside the jetpacks, Epic has kicked off a new limited-time event in Battle Royale: Solid Gold v2. This marks the second iteration of the mode, and as before, the only weapons it features are of the Legendary variety. Another limited-time mode called Close Encounters is also scheduled to arrive in the game "soon" and revolves around "close quarters combat" using shotguns and jetpacks. You can learn more about the 4.2 content update in the patch notes on the Fortnite website.
In June last year it was reported that a new TV adaptation of the classic DC comic book Watchmen was being developed by HBO. There hasn't been much news about the project since, but now writer and showrunner Damon Lindelof has given fans an update on the project.
Lindelof took to Instagram to post a lengthy essay about the Watchmen TV show. In the piece he speaks about his relationship with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's groundbreaking comic over the years, his intentions for the adaptation, and the fact that he knows some fans won't be happy that he is making a new version of Watchmen in the first place.
Lindelof explains that he was introduced to Watchmen by his father when he was 12, and he makes it very clear how important it was to both his developing tastes as a writer and his relationship with his father. He then speaks about the numerous times he was offered the job of adapting the books over the past decade, which he declined based largely on the fact that Moore has repeatedly expressed his unhappiness about adaptations of his work.
The note reveals that although Lindelof did ultimately accept the job of leading the new TV version, he is not planning a direct adaptation. "Those issues are sacred ground and will not be retread nor recreated nor reproduced nor rebooted," he said. "They will however be remixed. We are not making a 'sequel' either. This story will be set in the world its creators painstakingly built… but in the tradition of the work that inspired it, this new story must be original.
It has to vibrate with the seismic unpredictability of its own tectonic plates," he continued. "It must ask new questions and explore the world through a fresh lens. Most importantly, it must be contemporary. The Old Testament was specific to the Eighties of Reagan and Thatcher and Gorbachev. Ours needs to resonate with the frequency of Trump and May and Putin and the horse that he rides around on, shirtless. And speaking of Horsemen, The End of the World is off the table… which means the heroes and villains–-as if the two are distinguishable–-are playing for different stakes entirely."
Lindelof also stated that the show will have a diverse team of writers behind it. "In [our writers'] room, Hetero White Men like myself are in the minority," he said. "And as Watchmen is (incorrectly) assumed to be solely our domain, understanding its potential through the perspectives of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community has been as eye-opening as it has been exhilarating. We've committed to doing the same in front of and behind the camera. And every single person involved with this show absolutely adores Watchmen."
Lindelof's acclaimed drama The Leftovers was also screened on HBO, and concluded its third and final season last year. His other writing credits include the movies Prometheus and Star Trek Into Darkness, and he was the co-creator and joint-showrunner of Lost.
Watchmen was first published by DC in 1986 as a 12-part limited series. It was written by Moore and illustrated by Gibbons and is widely considered to be one of the greatest comic books ever released. It helped usher in a new, more mature approach to mainstream superhero comics, and in 2005, it was featured on Time's list of the 100 greatest novels of the 20th century.
A film version was in the works for many years before Zack Snyder's version hit screens in 2009, and 12 Monkeys director Terry Gilliam was attached at one stage. Snyder's movie was a modest success, making $185 million at the worldwide box office.
The Mission Impossible series has proved to be one of the longest-running and most successful action franchises of all time. 22 years have passed since the original movie was released, and star Tom Cruise shows no signs of slowing down in his role as Ethan Hunt, with the sixth film releasing in July.
Following last week's new poster and trailer for Mission Impossible: Fallout, a new international trailer has landed. Unlike many promos for other territories that only reuse footage we've already seen, this one actually has plenty of new stuff in it, including some great moments of humor as well as amazing-looking action. It also continues the trend of making sure that the filmmakers get as much as value as possible out of the infamous moment when Cruise broke his ankle on set. Check it out above.
Mission Impossible: Fallout also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, Henry Cavill, and Alec Baldwin. It's directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who previously helmed 2015's Ghost Protocol. It hits theaters on July 27.
Alongside Cruise's accident, the other notorious story that emerged during the movie's production was Cavill's mustache. As the trailer shows, the Superman actor sports an impressively full 'tache for his role as CIA assassin August Walker, and the scheduling clash with his reshoots on Justice League meant that it had to be digitally removed for the DC movie.
In a recent interview with Empire, Cavill spoke about the controversy. "When we decided to go for the moustache, I certainly wasn't expecting all the events to unfold as they were going to unfold," he said: "I wasn't expecting Justice League reshoots to be as extensive as they were. As you will see when [Fallout] comes out, to have a fake moustache on would not have been a possibility."
With Justice League failing at the box office and much uncertainty about the direction of the DC universe, DC fans haven't exactly had as happy a time as those of rivals Marvel. But there's plenty to look forward to, with Aquaman arriving in November and Shazam following in April. We now have a first official look at star Zachary Levi in costume.
To be strictly accurate, it's a picture of Levi standing in front of the Shazam poster, which the actor posted on Instagram. The poster was revealed at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas and features Shazam enjoying a big soft drink, which supports director David F. Sandberg's earlier statements that the movie will have a more lighthearted tone than many of DC's movies. Check it out below:
Shazam also stars Asher Angel as the character's young alter ego, Billy Batson, and Mark Strong as the evil Doctor Sivana. The cast also includes Adam Brody (The OC, CHiPS), Grace Fulton (Annabelle: Creation), and Ross Butler (13 Reasons Why), and it hits theaters on April 5, 2019. A synopsis was released back in February.
In terms of future DC movies, Wonder Woman 2 arrives in November 2019. Beyond that, it was recently reported that the much-rumored Birds of Prey film was moving ahead and could start production in late 2018 or early 2019. The film will see Margot Robbie reprise her Suicide Squad role as Harley Quinn, and has been described by the actress as an "R-rated girl gang film."
DC also recently announced new streaming service DC Universe, which launches later this year. The service will feature an animated Harley Quinn show, as well an animated Young Justice series, plus live-action Titans and Swamp Thing shows.
A sequel to 2014's animated smash The Lego Movie has been in the works for several years, with its original 2018 release pushed back to February next year and two other Lego movies appearing the meantime. But the movie's title has now been announced, together with a teaser poster.
The film will be titled The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. The title and poster was revealed by the movie's official Twitter account--the poster is just the logo, but it's a suitably colourful, brick-based design. Check it out below:
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part will be directed by Mike Mitchell, who previous helmed the hugely successful Trolls. He is actually the third director to be attached to the project, following Chris McKay, who instead made The Lego Batman Movie, and Rob Schrab, who exited the movie due to "creative differences."
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who directed the first film, are producing and co-writing. While plot details aren't known at this stage, last year McKay gave a few hints about it, and revealed that the film would follow directly on from the first movie and involve issues of gender. "[It looks at] what's different and similar about gender, when a boy plays vs. how a girl plays," he said, via Collider. "What kinds of stories are there? Chris and Phil are super f***ing smart and really thoughtful and sensitive writers. The kinds of questions and the interesting ideas that they're getting into with this movie.
"It's going to be like the first Lego Movie was, where it's about something else that's really profound. I'm really excited about where the movie is gonna go because it's about these things that are actual notions that people have that might even be unconscious biases, where people don't even realize that that's the way they're looking at the world."
The Lego Movie made more than $469 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The film boasted an impressive lineup of voice actors, including Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman.
When GLOW returns to Netflix for Season 2, it will bring with it many surprises as the ragtag group of female wrestlers works to make their TV dreams a reality. Along the way, they'll run into some interesting faces--including one that should be very familiar to longtime WWE fans.
Chavo Guerrero Jr., a former WWE Tag Team, WWE Cruiserweight, and ECW Champion, will appear in the second season, though it's far from his first exposure to the series. After serving as a fight coordinator and wrestling trainer to the cast in Season 1--a role he reprises this year--Guerrero is also getting the chance to mix it up in the ring with some of GLOW's cast on-camera in Season 2.
"Chavo is on the show this year, and he wrestles with some of the women," star Alison Brie says in a group interview. "So that was very exciting to witness." She continues, "He stayed in character the whole time, super weird. We were like, 'Chavo, are we going to stretch before the match?' And he was like, 'F**k you, I'll see you in the ring.'"
If he's getting in the ring to wrestle women, it sounds like Guerrero will be modeled after Andy Kaufman's intergender wrestling gimmick from the 1970s. It's an act similar to what independent wrestler Joey Ryan does today.
For the cast, it was a special moment. After being shown the literal ropes by Guerrero, he was stepping into their domain--acting. "It's so exciting to watch someone we love shine," Jackie Tohn, who plays Melrose, explains. "In the same way, I love watching these girls. It's like, wait a sec, we can now get to watch Chavo, who by the way has basically raised us. Now he gets his moment to not be behind the scenes, it's really nice."
With Guerrero stepping into the show as a male wrestler that fights women, Brittany Young (Carmen "Machu Picchu" Wade) relished the opportunity to tangle with her trainer. "Well I know in my scene with him, without giving too much away, I literally was talking trash to him as Carmen, but deep down inside I was like, 'This is Britney vs. Chavo,' and after every take, he'd be like, 'Yes, do that one more time, because I've got a great comeback now,'" she remembers. "So, just like throwing things at him and seeing him react, for us it's a family, and to see uncle Chavo get into the show, we were all ecstatic."
Of course, with Guerrero going full-'80s wrestler, he had to have the ring attire to match, and GLOW made sure he left an impression with his wrestling trunks. "They're like little speedos-shaped [shorts] and there's this embroidered monkey right on the ass cheek. What a delight," Tohn jokes.
You'll be able to get a full look at Chavo when Season 2 of GLOW premieres Friday, June 29, on Netflix.
E3 promises to bring news on lots of big games, and Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. for Switch is unquestionably one of the show's most anticipated titles. Nintendo has already said the fighting game will be the focus of its overall showing this year, so you can expect a lot of news and reveals during the event. In this feature we're rounding up important details about the game like what we know about it so far, what's confirmed for E3, and what we hope to see from the game at the show. Here we go!
What We Know So Far
During a Nintendo Direct in March, Nintendo officially announced a new Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Switch. Revealed by way of a really cool teaser trailer, the game is due to launch on Switch in 2018, though a specific date hasn't been revealed yet. The announcement video showed Inklings from the Splatoon series (who will apparently make their Smash debut with the new game), along with expected characters like Mario and Link.
The video also showed the silhouettes of characters like Samus, Donkey Kong, and Bowser, along with many others. The game, like all other Switch games, will be playable on your home TV or on the go via the tablet screen, allowing you to "settle it in Smash" wherever you are.
The last Smash Bros. game was released in 2014 for Nintendo Wii U and 3DS. It was a massive commercial success, selling more than 14 million units between both editions, while critics generally enjoyed the mascot fighting game as well.
What's Confirmed For E3
The new Super Smash Bros. for Switch is definitely going to show up during Nintendo E3 2018 pre-recorded briefing on June 12. And after that, you can expect Nintendo to share even more details about the fighting game during the Nintendo Treehouse livestream event. Presumably developers will stop by to show off the game and discuss it at length.
Given that we know almost nothing about the new Super Smash Bros. for Switch outside of the fact that it exists, E3 is poised to be a huge show for the game. We hope to see lots of gameplay and character reveals (here are our own predictions), along with details about whether or not it is a port of the Wii U edition as some are speculating that it may be. One possibility is that Nintendo goes the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe route and takes the Wii U Smash game but also packages in more characters, arenas, and other features. If Nintendo goes down this path, the Smash community's legions of dedicated fans will want to see lots of extra content and special features packed in to make the upgrade worthwhile. Nintendo could also wow fans and confirm the new Smash is a brand-new title built from the ground up for Nintendo Switch. We'll have to wait find out for sure.
If the new Smash launches after September (which it probably will), it may be one of the titles that requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and hopefully Nintendo clarifies how that all works regarding what content/features are behind a pay-gate and what's not. Given Nintendo's increased focus on DLC these days, Nintendo could also surprise and excite fans by announcing extra-content plans for the game, whether that comes in the form of extra characters or stages, or things like cosmetics. That being said, fans will be looking for any potential DLC announcements to stay on the player-friendly side and not wade into the microtransaction/pay-to-win category.
Another exciting thing to think about for the new Smash is guest characters. Nintendo's existing partnership with Microsoft for Minecraft cross-play, it would also be really cool to see a Microsoft character come to Smash Bros. for the first time. Even Phil Spencer is up for bringing Banjo and Kazooie to Smash, so we hope to see it happen.
Smash is a big-time competitive game, so we also hope to learn more about Nintendo's ambitions to help the game appeal to fighting game fans. Super Smash Bros. Melee for GameCube remains the gold standard for some in the fighting game community, and it will be interesting to see what tricks Nintendo has up its sleeve to push the new Smash as an eSport title.
E3 may not be the biggest video game trade show in terms of size and attendance, but it is far and away the year's most anticipated. The annual gaming showcase takes place in Los Angeles every June and has been home to some of the biggest and most exciting gaming news, from console reveals to tons of surprise game announcements (not to mention plenty of often-unintentional hilarity).
The Electronic Entertainment Expo has been around for more than two decades now, and in that time it has solidified itself as the preeminent video game trade show. Every major developer and publisher typically reserves its biggest reveals for E3; Sony announced the price and release date of the original PlayStation during the first-ever E3, and Microsoft unveiled its debut home console, the original Xbox, a few years later at the event. E3 is also where Nintendo dropped the very first trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, causing an entire theater to erupt in cheers.
Despite how deeply ingrained E3 has become in the gaming industry, the expo has undergone some dramatic changes in its 22-year history. While it was always intended as a venue for press and industry insiders to get their first look at the biggest upcoming titles and hardware, the ESA attempted to downsize the event in 2007, and the next couple of years featured much smaller--and decidedly less exciting--showings. E3 would revert back to its original scale in 2009 and continue to expand since, even opening its doors to the public for the first time last year.
With E3 2018 quickly approaching, we wanted to take a look back at the long history of the expo and how it has changed over the years. In the video above, you can watch us recount the history of E3, from its debut as the first dedicated video game trade show in 1995 through to last year's event. You can also relive some of the many unintentional memes the show has spawned over the past two decades, from giant enemy crabs to overcaffeinated spokespeople.
E3 2018 officially begins on June 12, but it will be preceded by several press conferences from the likes of Sony, Microsoft, EA, and Bethesda. You can find the full E3 2018 press conference schedule here. There will undoubtedly be a lot to see throughout the week-long event, so stay tuned to GameSpot for our complete coverage.
In March, representatives from the video game industry met with President Trump to discuss video games in the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school shooting. One of the attendees was Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive. Now, Zelnick is speaking about that meeting for what appears to be the first time--but he isn't saying much. Speaking to Mad Money's Jim Cramer this week, Zelnick was asked directly how the meeting went. "It was interesting," Zelnick said, leaning forward in his chair and appearing to chuckle in a somewhat awkward exchange with the fast-talking Cramer. Pressed for more details, Zelnick gave a diplomatic response.
"I haven't talked a lot about it publicly. The truth is, when you're asked to show up and have a conversation on a serious topic, you show up," he said. "Our position is plain."
Zelnick went on to say that it's not true that Trump was picking on video games during the meeting. "Not at all," Zelnick said when Cramer said video games were not being singled out during the meeting. As we reported previously, Trump also discussed violence in film during the meeting.
Take-Two is a member of the Entertainment Software Association, which represents the video game industry's interests in Washington. The group attended the meeting with Trump and, while we don't know exactly what was said, it is likely the ESA pointed to studies that have shown there is no link between violent video games and violent behavior.
In addition to Zelnick, Trump's brother Robert Trump--who is a member of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax's board of directors--also attended the meeting. A number of lawmakers also were there, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
Trump has suggested that violent video games are a problem in the past, tweeting that they are "creating monsters" back in 2012. After the shooting in Parkland, he referenced how he's been told "the level of violence in video games is really shaping young people's thoughts." He went on to suggest that a movie and or video games rating board is needed, despite the fact that those already exist in the US in the form of the MPAA and ESRB.
More broadly, lawmakers have taken issue with violent video games for more than 25 years. An uproar around the violence in games like Mortal Kombat is what led to the founding of the ESRB, which is a self-regulatory body. After the Sandy Hook school shooting, then-Vice President Joe Biden also met with the games industry to discuss violence, though that ultimately had little impact in terms of legislation. Most notably, a 2011 ruling by the Supreme Court struck down a bill that would have blocked the sale of violent video games to minors.
Studies have yet to connect the motives of shooters with a connection to violent video games. In fact, there's research that suggests school shooters may be less interested in violent games than other people. The ESA has frequently cited the fact that games are played internationally as further evidence that they are not to blame: "Video games are plainly not the issue: entertainment is distributed and consumed globally, but the US has an exponentially higher level of gun violence than any other nation," it said recently. A recent Washington Post story further suggests this is a US-centric problem.
There is no basically no chance that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be delayed again. That's according Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive.
Speaking to CNBC's Jim Cramer, Zelnick said he is confident the PS4 and Xbox One western will actually come out on October 26. "Hand on heart" it will come out then, Zelnick said. Asked about this again, Zelnick said the 1,000 or so people working on the game across Rockstar's studios are committed to getting the game out on time. "When I said hand on heart, it's over 1,000 people at Rockstar Games with their hands on their hearts," he said.
This isn't the first time Zelnick has expressed confidence in Red Dead Redemption 2 coming out on time. Back in February, Zelnick said he was "confident" the game would not be delayed again after it was pushed from Spring 2018 to its new date at the end of October.
"All of our labels are focused on releasing a title when they reach that apex of effort and perfection," he said at the time. "And in this instance, Rockstar Games felt more polish was required, and naturally we are in favour of that decision [to delay Red Dead Redemption 2]. The date of October 26 is set, and I am confident that will be the release date. We are incredibly excited about it."
Zelnick is getting these questions because Rockstar has a history of delays. The original Red Dead Redemption was delayed before launch, while Red Dead Redemption 2 was delayed multiple times. It was originally due to launch in 2017 before getting pushed back twice. Grand Theft Auto V was also delayed before launch. The wait is often worth it for Rockstar's games, as Rockstar has become known for excellence--even if it takes a while.
Here's some unexpected movie news: Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, the writers of Deadpool, and Hollywood blockbuster veteran Michael Bay are teaming up for a movie. For Netflix. Production company Skydance Media has brought Reynolds and Bay together with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick for a new film called Six Underground.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Six Underground represents Netflix's biggest blockbuster push since the Will Smith movie Bright which was a miss with critics but still a massive success for Netflix. As THR explains, Netflix typically spends money on movies with low- or mid-level budgets, with Bright being an exception and now Six Underground.
Sources told the site that the plot of Six Underground involves six billionaires who fake their deaths to become a group of heroes who go after bad guys. The script was written by Reese and Wernick, who wrote Deadpool 1 and 2, as well as Zombieland and its upcoming sequel.
According to THR, production on the film will begin this summer ahead of a 2019 premiere on Netflix.
Bay is one of Hollywood's biggest names. He's known for directing high-octane, explosion-filled blockbusters like the Bad Boys and Transformers franchises. In addition to Six Underground, he has a number of other projects in the works, including the Dora the Explorer live-action movie.
Looking for a deal on Xbox games? Microsoft has now announced all of this week's Xbox Live Deals With Gold offers, and there are some great deals to be had. Microsoft's Major Nelson rounded this up on his blog--see the full list here--and we're breaking out some notable offers to give you a snapshot of what's on sale for the week.
Go to Major Nelson's blog to see a full rundown of this week's Deals With Gold offers, some of which require an Xbox Live Gold membership. The offers are good through May 28.
Fortnite is coming to E3. Developer Epic Games today announced its plans for the big-time gaming show--and there is a lot in store if you're into the popular battle royale game.
Starting off, Epic will have a Fortnite booth on the show floor in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. There, from June 12 through June 14, you'll be able to play Fortnite, win "exclusive prizes," and eat snacks. It's interesting that Fortnite would have an E3 booth when the game is already released--and free--but maybe Epic has something more to announce at the show that we do not know about yet.
In addition to its booth on the show floor, Epic is holding what it's calling a "Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am" where popular streamers will team up with celebrities in a doubles tournament. $3 million in prize money is up for grabs (which is separate from the $100 million that Epic is handing out for other tournaments). The $3 million for the E3 tournament will be given away to a charity of the winner's choosing, and that's nice to see.
In total, there will be 50 professional players and 50 celebrities competing in the event. Some of the biggest pairings include Ninja and Marshmello, Myth and Paul George, and Markiplier and Joel McHale. The tournament is taking place on Tuesday, June 12, starting at 3:30 PM PT / 6:30 PM ET.
Tickets cost $10, but you may not be able to get one. Epic said it's sending out inivations to buy them by email only to people who live in the Los Angeles area. There will be 3,000 tickets available in all, and they'll go out in waves, so keep checking your email.
Finally, Epic is hosting a "Party Royale" on the evening of June 12. This is an invite-only event, but you can visit the Fortnite booth on the show floor to enter for a chance to win a ticket. You have to be 18 or older to attend the party. And note that Party Royale tickets are separate from the Pro-Am tickets.
Microsoft has announced a set of new Xbox One dashboard features that will start to roll out to Alpha Preview members in the June update. These won't be available to the wider Xbox One user population until a later date, but as usual the preview features give us an advance look at what's coming.
A new customization option called Groups will allow you to create custom collections of games and apps. They're essentially custom sets of Pins, so you'll be able to display multiple collections on the Home and the My Games and Apps menus. Your Groups will be tied to your Xbox Live account, so they'll appear consistently across multiple consoles.
Other new features include an improved search, with the function mapped to Y across anywhere in the dashboard and easier access to displaying more results. You'll also be able to store multiple wi-fi passwords, and the Narrator will add five more languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, and Dutch. The notes mention an improvement to family sharing with child accounts.
Some users will also get experimental features as pilot tests for the future. The full announcement also includes notes on changes made based on user feedback, and bug fixes.
Epic is going big on professional competitive Fortnite play. The developer announced today that it will provide $100 million (!!!!!) in funding for Fortnite prize pools in the 2018-2019 season. In a brief blog post, Epic said it wants Fortnite competitive play to be "more inclusive" and focused on "the joy of playing and watching the game."
"We're getting behind competitive play in a big way, but our approach will be different," Epic said. "We plan to be more inclusive, and focused on the joy of playing and watching the game."
More details on the structure of tournaments and eligible platforms will be announced "in the weeks ahead," so keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
This is a really big deal, in part because the $100 million prize is more than double the $38 million in total prize money that Valve's Dota 2 paid out in 2017 across all of its tournaments, according to E-Sports Earnings (via CNBC). The International, which is Valve's massive Dota 2 event, paid out the biggest prize pool in gaming history last year with almost $25 million for the single event. For another point of comparison, the inaugural Overwatch League tournament will pay out a total of $3.5 million in prize money for its entire season.
Fortnite brings in more than $1 million every single day from its mobile version alone, according to SensorTower; Epic makes even more money from the console and PC editions. The game is free, but players can spend real money on cosmetics (which do not impact gameplay whatsoever).
In other Fortnite news, Epic is finally adding jetpacks to the game tomorrow as part of an update. Content update 4.2 arrives shortly after the end of Fortnite's latest limited-time mode, Solo Showdown. Unlike other special events in the game, Solo Showdown was a competition in which players competed to earn a spot on the rankings board based on their score, with the top 100 players taking home a prize of V-Bucks. The standings can be found of Fortnite's official blog.
With just a few weeks to go before E3 2018, Hideo Kojima is teasing some kind of Death Stranding reveal for the big show. Kojima tweeted a cryptic image today that looks like it could be an screenshot from the PlayStation 4 game's expected E3 trailer. Kojima captioned the image, "+1 on the T-minutes 3 weeks. E3 2018. DecimaxKojima=DS."
Let's unpack this: the +1 is likely in response to The Last of Us: Part II director Neil Druckmann releasing his own mysterious image on Twitter about an E3 reveal. And as for the DecimaxKojima=DS line, that is more than likely about how Death Stranding (DS) uses Killzone and Horizon: Zero Dawn developer Guerrilla Games' Decima engine.
— Kojima Productions (@KojiPro2015_EN) May 22, 2018
But what is the image showing? It shows what appears to be moss covering...something. People on the Death Stranding subreddit are speculating wildly about what it all may mean. Some believe the moss is covering a body. Check out the image in the embed above and let us know what mysteries you think it may be hiding. The Last of Us: Part II image is below.
Death Stranding Mads Mikkelson (Hannibal), The Shape of War director Guillermo Del Toro, and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead). In April, Kojima spoke a little about the game, explaining why he wanted Norman Reedus to be naked in the game's first trailer.
While Sony is predicting PlayStation 4 hardware sales to decline in the future, any negative impact from lower hardware sales may be offset by gains to Sony's services. This week, Sony announced that the number of PlayStation Network monthly active users has risen to 80 million, which is up from the 70 million figure that Sony disclosed this time last year.
Additionally, the number of people who pay for PlayStation Plus has risen to 34.2 million. That compares to 26.4 million from a year ago. What's more, PS4 gamers are spending 800 million hours on the system each week as of December 2017, which compares to 600 million hours per week at this point last year. All of this is notable because, as PS4 sales decline, revenue from services like PS Plus will be important to PlayStation's overall profitability.
In the current fiscal year, Sony said some of its strategies for the year include focusing on ways to "enrich and utilize" exclusive games and "grow and improve recurring revenue" from services like PlayStation Plus, PlayStation Vue, and more. Here is the relevant slide:
Today during Sony's Corporate Strategy Meeting, PlayStation boss John Kodera said the PlayStation 4 is entering the end of its lifecycle. While this could have a negative impact on Sony's gaming division overall, it probably won't because revenue from subscription services such as PlayStation Plus may help offset any decline in hardware sales, Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki quoted Kodera as saying. Importantly, Sony is not discontinuing the PS4 now or anytime soon, of course. The system is expected to continue to sell well, as new, exclusive games for it like The Last of Us: Part II, Spider-Man, and others come out.
As some further important context, Kodera was talking to investors and analysts about the health and viability of the PS4 as a platform. Earlier this year, Sony said it expected to sell 16 million PS4s during the year, compared to 19 million during the year prior, so Kodera was more than likely attempting to contextualize and explain the downturn in sales and what that all means. And the wording about the PS4 entering the end of its lifecycle may mean the system still has many years left of viability, only that the console is not rising as fast as it once did as it relates to sales. And of course, that is expected, given the system was released almost a half-decade ago.
The PS4 launched in November 2013, so it makes sense that the console would be entering the final stages of its lifecycle now given historical trends of consoles. The system has sold more than 79 million units by Sony's latest count, which puts it just below the PS3 which reached 80 million units in 2013.
Sony's Game & Network Services segment, which houses the PlayStation business, is expected to remain a juggernaut for Sony, with PSN hitting 80 million monthly active users (which is up from 70 million this time last year). Additionally, Sony said it will look to add more PS Plus subscribers going forward, which will help Sony make more money on a regular basis. On top of that, Sony said it wants to create more first-party exclusives, while it's also looking at "harnessing growth opportunities" in the area of "add-on content."
Overall, Sony predicted a downturn in profit for the Game & Network Services division for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021. For that year, Sony expects its Game & Network Services unit to bring in between 130 billion and 170 billion yen in profit, which compares to 190 billion yen for the current fiscal year.
Intriguingly, Kodera also said during the meeting that the period covering now through March 2021 would be a time when PlayStation will "crouch down once" to stand taller in the future. It's not immediately clear what he meant by this, however, but there is already speculation that a PlayStation 5 console is coming. PlayStation executive Shawn Layden recently confirmed that Sony's E3 2018 briefing will not include any hardware announcements, however.
Also during the event, Kodera said PlayStation VR as a platform is growing, but not at a level that reaches what was projected. That's not the only PlayStation business that is not having the easiest time, as PlayStation Vue--Sony's TV streaming service--is running into tough competition that is having a negative impact, apparently. Kodera said PlayStation VR and PlayStation Vue can still grow, but not necessarily at the rate they would like to see.
PS chief Kodera: PS4 is entering final phase of its life cycle, which would have negative impact to the unit, but recurring revenue via membership services etc should cushion some of that.
SIE chief Kodera: Beefing up first-party titles wouldn't just mean more new IPs. Strategy includes franchising successful IPs and refreshing existing IPs.
SIE head Kodera told analysts and investors that the period until March 2021 would be when PlayStation to "crouch down once" to grow further in the future. hmmmmmm.
SIE head Kodera: PSVR growing, but industry's growth is below market expectations. PS Vue is facing harder-than-expected competitions. Vue and PSVR would aim for further growth with realistic outlook.
Earlier this year, NPD analyst Matt Piscatella told GamingBolt that the PS4 should have another strong year of sales in 2019, though not as good as 2018. He added that the next PlayStation console probably won't be released until 2020 or later.
The PlayStation 4 was yet again the top-selling console in the United States during the month of April, the NPD Group announced today. The PS4 took the top spot in April and remains the best-selling system for the entire year so far.
The NPD Group added in its report that the PS4 in April 2018 had the highest April sales of any console since the Nintendo Wii in April 2009. The PS4 also drove the highest April dollar sales for a console since the Wii in April 2008.
In terms of dollar sales alone, the PS4 Pro 1 TB God of War limited edition model topped the charts in April in terms of hardware dollar sales. But in terms of units sold, the Nintendo Switch 32 GB neon red/blue Joy Con model did the best. The NPD Group did not provide any data about how the Xbox One platform performed in April 2018.
Overall, hardware spending in April 2018 in the US jumped by 15 percent to $225 million. On a year-to-date basis, hardware spending surged 14 percent to $1.2 billion. Drivers of growth included spending increases on Xbox One, PS4, and the SNES Classic.
As for software sales, dollar sales for PC, portable, and console games jumped 13 percent to $359 million. Year to date, spending rose 9 percent to $1.9 billion. As you would expect, God of War was April's best-selling game in the US, and NPD noted that the exclusive earned the "highest ever launch month dollar sales" for a PlayStation exclusive.
Additionally, PS4 game sales on a dollar basis in April 2018 set a new record for April for any platform since NPD started tracking data in 1995. Previously, the Xbox 360 held the record, which was achieved in April 2008.
Thanks to the success of God of War, Sony was April 2018's biggest publisher in terms of revenue, but Ubisoft remains the top publisher of 2018. Far Cry 5 was the No. 2 title of April in the US in terms of dollar sales, and it continues to be 2018's best-selling game overall. Another note about April 2018 game sales is that MLB The Show 18 placed No. 3 for revenue; it is now Sony's second biggest exclusive of 2018, only behind God of War.
Additionally, Nintendo Labo launched in April, with the Variety Kit entering the charts at No. 4 in terms of dollar sales. The Robot Kit landed in the No. 21 position.
Overall, video game spending in April 2018 in the US--across games, hardware, accessories, and game cards, jumped 18 percent to $823 million. On a year to date basis, spending rose 15 percent to $4.2 billion.
April 2018 Top 20 Best Selling Games:
*No digital sales
God of War
Far Cry 5
MLB The Show 18
Nintendo Labo Variety Kit
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze*
Mario Kart 8*
Grand Theft Auto V
Call of Duty: WWII
Super Mario Odyssey*
NBA 2K18
PUBG*
Ghost Recon: Wildlands
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
Monster Hunter World
Rainbow Six Siege
A Way Out*
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life*
Sea of Thieves
Kirby Star Allies*
FIFA 18*
April 2018 Top 10 Xbox One Games
Far Cry 5
PUBG
Sea of Thieves
Call of Duty: WWII
Grand Theft Auto V
Ghost Recon: Wildlands
NBA 2K18
A Way Out
Monster Hunter: World
Rainbow Six Siege
April 2018 Top 10 PS4 Games
God of War
Far Cry 5
MLB The Show 18
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life*
Grand Theft Auto V
Call of Duty: WWII
Monster Hunter: World
NBA 2K18
A Way Out
FIFA 18
April 2018 Top 10 Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Labo Toy-Con Variety Kit*
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze*
Mario Kart 8*
Super Mario Odyssey*
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
Kirby Star Allies*
Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 02 Robot Kit*
Splatoon 2*
Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle*
Pokken Tournament DX*
April 2018 Top 10 3DS Games
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Mario Kart 7
Mario Party: The Top 100
Minecraft
Super Mario Maker
Super Smash Bros.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Kirby: Battle Royale
Top 10 Best Selling Games For 2018 Year To Date
Pokemon: Ultra Sun*
Pokemon Ultra Moon*
Detective Pikachu*
Super Smash Bros.*
Mario Kart 7*
Super Mario 3D Land*
Minecraft*
Super Mario Maker*
Mario Party: The Top 100*
Kirby: Battle Royale*
Top 10 Best Selling Games For 12 Month Period Ended April 2018
Treyarch is planning some interesting changes to the familiar Call of Duty formula with Black Ops 4. While every game in the long-running FPS series has had their own spin on things over the years, this year's game is looking to buck some trends that has already made the community stand up and take notice. There was a lot to take in from the May 17 reveal event, so here's a more detailed breakdown of what's coming up for Blacks Ops 4, and we want to see at E3 2018.
What We Know So Far
For starters, the long-rumored removal of the traditional single-player campaign turned out to be true. In its place are a series of solo missions set between Black Ops 2 and 3 centering around the game's Specialist characters. These Specialists also make an appearance in the multiplayer mode, where they have a more tactical purpose than in Black Ops 3. While Treyarch's previous game featured a number of acrobatic moments of finesse and speed, the next game in the sub-series is much more grounded, opting for a more tactical approach focusing more on maintaining flow of combat. Moreover, Black Ops 4 also introduces some hero-shooter elements by placing a greater emphasis on the Specialist characters and their gear sets, requiring players to be more mindful who they pick and how they can fit into the makeup of the current team.
Moving on to the Zombies mode, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Treyarch is expanding on the horde-based shooter with even more weirdness. Set on three distinct maps; an Ancient Roman gladiator arena of The IX, the sinking Titanic in Voyage of Despair, and a remake of past Zombies maps in Blood of the Dead--featuring the original Zombies mode cast--there are plans to offer more variety in the off-the-wall game mode. Added to this are several customizable options and gametypes which can add buffs to zombies and player-characters, timed challenges on the global leaderboards, and for the first time in series history, bot support.
However, the biggest addition to Black Ops 4 is the brand new battle royale mode known as Blackout. It's described as something of a celebration of the Black Ops series where you can play as characters from the previous games and use any weapon throughout the Black Ops series--including the exploding RC car. In familiar battle royale style, you'll have to fight against others online to be the last person standing. Treyarch has not revealed the number of players in each Blackout match.
What's Confirmed For E3
Activision is confirmed to make an appearance at E3 2018, showcasing both Destiny 2 and Black Ops 4. While they've been tight-lipped about what exactly they'll be showing at E3, we can expect to see more footage of the multiplayer mode based on their presence in previous years. it's fair to say that the game's multiplayer mode will be the focus, which should have stations set up for fans to play on the show floor.
What We Want To See At E3
While Treyarch revealed a great deal about the game during the May 17 event, we're in the dark about certain key details about the game. One big concern is the lack of a traditional COD campaign, which has been a hallmark of the series since its debut. If Treyarch is able to showcase the best of what solo missions can offer, it would go a long way to assuage community concerns. Call of Duty by tradition has always had a solid story campaign for players to dive into, which often offers the context for the setting of the core game and its multiplayer mode. While solo missions would be different from how the previous campaigns did things, potentially they can offer fans a quick way to experience a COD-style campaign with their favorite characters.
We'll likely see plenty of the multiplayer at E3 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, but one thing that would be great to see is what the game will look like in the hands of skilled players. League play will make a return in the Black Ops 4, and seeing the game in action with some of the world's best players would be a solid way to reintroduce high-level play for the general audience. Since combat is tactical and emphasizes more teamwork this time around, having fans experience what top-tier Black Ops 4 gameplay looks like can go a long way in showcasing the new systems at work. It would also be a good opportunity to show how to utilize Specialist abilities effectively, while also being quite entertaining to watch.
During the reveal event, Treyarch also announced the upcoming beta later this year. E3 is a great place to reveal the date of the beta as well as what will be available for players to dive into. While the contents of the beta will most likely be focused on traditional multiplayer, it would be an exciting announcement at E3 to have the Blackout mode also playable in the beta. When you announce a new battle royale game, you're already going up against some of the biggest games in the industry. So Black Ops 4 will need to showcase something very special for Blackout if it wants to stand up against the likes of Fortnite and PUBG.
[UPDATE] As it turns out, EA's relationship with the PGA Tour has not ended. "We continue to have an ongoing relationship with the PGA Tour," an EA representative told GameSpot today. However, no further details on the nature of the relationship are available.
The original story is below.
Independent developer HB Studios announced today that it has reached an agreement with the PGA Tour to add officially licensed courses to The Golf Club 19.
The PS4, Xbox One, and PC game will have a Career Mode that begins with players progressing as a real player would. This includes going through Q-School, then the Web.com tour, and eventually to the PGA Tour--including the FedExCup Playoffs. A press release explains that sponsorships will be unlocked through career mode, so the licensing may apply to more than just courses. Those courses include: TPC Summerlin, TPC Scottsdale, TPC Sawgrass, TPC Southwind, TPC Deere Run, and TPC Boston. More courses may be added as DLC later on.
The deal between HB Studios and the PGA Tour appears to only cover courses and potentially sponsors, but not players themselves. The financial terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed. The deal was brokered by CAA Sports, which is the sports division of the mega-talent agency.
The first Golf Club game launched in 2014, with a sequel arriving in 2017. Those games were praised in particular for their course-creation tools, but as mentioned, they lacked a wider appeal due to how they did not have the PGA Tour license. The third game is coming out in August.
The PGA Tour's licensing director Matt Iofredo told GolfChannel.com that the tour enjoyed a "long-term successful partnership" with EA, adding that the split was amicable. He told the site that video games are a good way to help grow golf as a sport, and that's why he's happy to see the PGA Tour's licensing deal go to a new company.
"The hope is that you start playing the video game and it piques your interest in golf in general and then maybe you want to attend an event, maybe you want to tune in on TV or one of the digital platforms, or maybe you want to go out to a driving range and hit balls and eventually go play," Iofredo said.
EA once enjoyed a lot of success in the licensed golf game market, thanks in part to Tiger Woods. But after losing Woods, the franchise went on a mini hiatus before getting resurrected in 2015 with a new game called Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. The game received generally poor reviews, and EA never released another major licensed home console game. Rory McIlroy PGA Tour will be removed from digital marketplaces this week, presumably due to its expired licensing deal.
May's Pokemon Go Community Day may be over, but Niantic has already announced details for next month's event. The sixth Community Day will take place on Saturday, June 16, and it'll feature the rare Rock-type Pokemon Larvitar.
During the event, Larvitar will appear in much greater numbers than usual. Judging by the past few Community Days, players will need to evolve it into a Tyranitar before the event ends in order to learn a rare attack, although what move that will be remains to be seen; Niantic doesn't typically announce a Community Day's exclusive attack until just prior to the event.
In addition to increased Larvitar spawns, players will be able to earn extra XP by participating in the Community Day. During the event hours, players will receive triple the normal amount of XP for capturing Pokemon. Additionally, any Lure Modules that are activated during the event will last for three hours, as opposed to their usual 30 minutes.
As before, the Community Day will only run during a specific three-hour window, which begins at different times depending on what part of the world you live in. You can find the scheduled hours for each region below:
North America
11 AM - 2 PM PT
2 PM - 5 PM ET
Europe and Africa
10 AM - 1 PM BST
Asia-Pacific
12 PM - 3 PM JST
The Community Day isn't the only real-world event taking place next month. Niantic is kicking off the Pokemon Go Summer Tour 2018 on June 30 with a Safari Zone event in Dortmund, Germany. That will be followed in July by the second Pokemon Go Fest event in Chicago, with a special Safari Zone event planned for Yokosuka later this summer.
In other news, Niantic recently announced that Alolan forms of Gen 1 Pokemon will soon begin appearing in Pokemon Go. The Legendary bird Ho-Oh is also available again in Raid Battles until June 7, giving players another opportunity to capture it. Meanwhile, the Eon Pokemon Latios and Latias are scheduled to leave the game on June 5.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is adding yet another character to the mash-up mix soon, with the Donkey Kong Adventure pack. The new trailer above gives us a first look at some of the new characters and gameplay introduced by the jungle's second-funkiest monkey.
For one, this DLC pack doesn't just add Donkey Kong himself. It seems DK will be tagging along with two other adventurers: Rabbid Peach, and Rabbid Cranky. The trio take on a new type of enemy Rabbids who appear mixed in with DK's typical enemies, given their grass-leaf headwear. We also get to see some of Kong's signature moves, like bongo-ing enemies closer to him or swinging from vines.
In a separate announcement, Ubisoft suggests it will take about 10 hours to complete the new content. It will consist of four new zones in all: Lagoon, Reef, Jungle, and one that's being kept under wraps for now. Most notable among DK's new move set is the ability to pluck the Rabbid ears out of the ground that herald the arrival of more enemies, and use them as a projectile weapon. The enemies will still come, but it gives another combat option that could end the battle that much faster.
The trailer ends with the announcement of a Mario + Rabbids Gold Edition, which will include a season pass. That will entitle you to several weapons, the Ultra Challenge pack, and the Donkey Kong adventure. No release date has been given for the DK expansion. Nintendo only promises that it's coming soon.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was a surprise at E3 last year, and despite the offbeat premise, it won over plenty of fans. GameSpot's Mario + Rabbids review gave it a 9/10 and called it an "implausibly engrossing formula that is positively challenging and endlessly charming." It even made our list of the best Switch games of 2017, so another go-around with our favorite monkey should be welcome.
Deadpool 2 delivered the goods when it comes to what fans of the superhero franchise want. The Merc with a Mouth, played by Ryan Reynolds, had plenty of meta jokes and dirty words to sling at audiences, while poking fun at himself, other comic book movies, and anything else that stood in his way.
As with the first movie, Reynolds embraced the utter ridiculousness of the character and his personality, taking it to the extreme. Still, there is one moment the actor was against--at least at first. The following contains spoilers for Deadpool 2. If you haven't seen the movie, you should stop reading now.
In the movie's post-credits scene, Deadpool uses Cable's (Josh Brolin) watch to travel back in time, rectifying a number of events--including preventing the deaths of Peter (Rob Delaney) and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). Originally, though, Vanessa wasn't going to be resurrected.
"The entire tag to the movie... was actually initially conceived as a scene with Peter," Reynolds tells the Empire podcast. "The whole thing was a scene with Peter, just because we loved Peter."
Director David Leitch didn't think that was enough, though. He approached Reynolds and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick with the idea of using the moment to undo Vanessa's death, which Reynolds wasn't a fan of at first. He remembers, "I was like 'No, we can't bring Vanessa back! That's cheating!'"
In the end, though, they settled on the scene as it plays out. "Rhett, Paul, and I thought, 'Fine, if we're going to go back to save Vanessa, then let's bring back Peter, let's kill Baraka-pool, and let's execute Ryan Reynolds,'" the Deadpool 2 explains. And that's exactly what they did. The scene stands out as one of the most ridiculous and memorable of any comic book movie and leaves room for Baccarin to return in future Deadpool movies.
Like it or not, it's hard to forget the scene as it played out. Still, while it's great that Vanessa is still alive, what the world really wants to know is if Peter will be back for Deadpool 3.
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