The next entry in the large-scale multiplayer FPS series PlanetSide was revealed, and developer Daybreak Games appears to be taking cues from one of its other games while incorporating franchise staples. It's dubbed PlanetSide Arena, and it'll launch next month on PC with battle royale modes though it's slated to have different modes added as post-release updates.
Daybreak (formerly Sony Online Entertainment) has been running PlanetSide 2 on PC and PlayStation 4, but Arena takes the series in a new direction. There will be solo and team-based battle royale with up to 100 players in a single match, and a unique mode called Massive Clash which puts two teams of up to 250 players each (500 total) in the last-person-standing style mode. The game remains class-based as well and will launch with three choices--Medic, Engineer, and Assault--each with their own specific abilities. Daybreak made it clear that each class is viable for solo play since health, weapons, and jetpacks won't differ between them.
Capture The Flag, Team Deathmatch, Search And Destroy, and Conquest are some of the modes that are going to be added in the future; Daybreak stated that it doesn't want PlanetSide Arena to strictly be battle royale. It'll launch with one map, and is said to support the scale the game is aiming for, which will be up to 1,000 players per match. There will also be seasonal battle passes which give you additional cosmetics and blueprints, which are weapons you can purchase at terminals in a match with currency that's strictly earned during the match itself.
It's not much of a surprise to see Daybreak bring battle royale to PlanetSide considering the studio's work on H1Z1: Battle Royale. PlanetSide Arena launches on January 29, 2019 for PC exclusively; it's available to pre-order now and grants access to the upcoming closed beta. The standard edition goes for $20 and includes the Season 1 battle pass and an Assault class armor set, and there's a deluxe edition for $40 that comes with the aforementioned items, armor for the other classes, and a hoverbike. Plans for console versions have not been revealed.
Pokemon Go's latest Legendary Pokemon, Cresselia, has been a regular sight in Raid Battles since it first appeared in the game last month, but it won't be available for much longer. The Lunar Pokemon is scheduled to leave Go on Tuesday, December 18, at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET, making this your last opportunity to catch one for the foreseeable future.
Just as with most other Legendaries in Pokemon Go, Cresselia will spawn at certain Gyms. To catch one, you'll first need to head to a Gym where a Cresselia Raid is taking place and then team up with other players in-person to battle it. If you manage to successfully bring Cresselia down, you'll be rewarded with a handful of Premier Balls; you can then use these to try to capture it.
Cresselia is a pure Psychic-type Pokemon, making it vulnerable to Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-types. It's also got high HP and defense stats, so you'll want to bring along Pokemon like Tyranitar, Houndoom, Scizor, and Giratina--if you managed to capture one before it left Raid Battles earlier this fall--for your best chance to defeat it.
Cresselia is the second Gen 4 Legendary to appear in Pokemon Go, following the aforementioned Giratina, which initially arrived as part of this year's Halloween event. Niantic hasn't announced when another new Legendary will debut in the game, but given how frequently the developer has been introducing them this year, we likely won't have to wait long until another Legendary Pokemon appears.
In the meantime, you have another chance to capture some previous Legendaries thanks to December's Field Research. Each time you achieve a Research Breakthrough this month, you'll earn another encounter with one of six Legendaries: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Raikou, Entei, or Suicune. Niantic has also improved the effect of the Mystery Box, making it easier to find the new Mythical Pokemon Meltan in the wild.
Over the next few days, we will reveal what we believe are the 10 best games of 2018, organized by release date. Then, on December 19, we will reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Game of the Year. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2018 hub.
We ruined our planet. The remains of human civilization now reside on four islands run by mega-corporations, and now those islands are being overrun with enormous insects--the Vek. You're a small, time-and-reality-traveling squad of mech pilots, and it's up to you to do your best to save this timeline from destruction. The odds are overwhelming, there's only so much you can do, and sacrifices will need to be made. You're going to try your best, and if you fail, well, there are always other parallel universes to save.
Into The Breach is focused. It is an exceptional distillation of turn-based tactical strategy. The compact, chessboard-sized 8x8 maps mean that confrontations and problems arise immediately. The short missions means there's a constant urgency. The clear transparency of its systems shows you absolutely everything that is going to happen in the next turn--what enemies are targeting, how much damage they will deal, and any effects that will occur. It's a game that tells you everything you need to know, keeps randomness to a minimum, and never wastes your time.
Into The Breach is creative. It's a game where your level of success is determined by how well you can use your abilities to manipulate your enemies and the environment. It's not about how many Vek you can kill, but how effectively you can mitigate damage. Your mech might have a pithy cannon that only deals a small amount of damage to a Vek. But that cannon might also have a push effect, meaning your shot can knock aliens into a bottomless pit, slam them into the side of a mountain, or best of all, move them into the path of another Vek's attack. Think outside the box, and that pithy cannon becomes a surgical tool.
Into The Breach is meaningful. There is always a threat to counter, and every single turn is a series of tough calculations about how you can make a single action have the greatest effect. You could use a mech to deal some damage to an enemy, or you could instead use it to physically block an emerging one from entering the map. You'll be able to stop the overwhelming forces from becoming even more overwhelming next turn, but can that mech afford the damage it will receive from acting as a weight? When you don't have the resources to save everything at risk, what can you afford to lose? You might decide to sacrifice a civilian building and take one step closer to total failure, let an optional objective be destroyed and deny yourself a coveted reward, or even sacrifice one of your own mechs, killing the pilot, but making sure everything else survives. Every decision matters.
Into The Breach has variety. Once you begin to unlock more squads--equating to 27 different mechs with distinct abilities--you start to see the battlefield in completely different ways. You'll learn to use the Blitzkrieg crew to set up chain reactions that might allow you to damage 10 tiles at once. You'll use the Rusting Hulks crew to blanket the map in a debilitating electric smoke that inhibits anyone from attacking. The Ice Mech, whose only ability is to freeze itself and another tile at the same time, is initially inexplicable. But when things click, it becomes the ultimate defensive tool, helping you to complete stages without hurting anyone at all.
Into The Breach is a masterpiece. Every single turn is a unique, satisfying mental conundrum of roundabout thinking, prioritizing compromises, and maximizing your capabilities. Every single battle is a wonderfully choreographed ballet, a kinetic push and pull of units, a whirlwind of attack reversals and near misses. The world building from writer Chris Avellone is evocative, the soundtrack from composer Ben Prunty is haunting, and the cohesive design from developers Justin Ma and Matthew Davis is exceptional. Into The Breach is a compulsively replayable tactical gem, whose sharp focus makes every moment feel pivotal. It is one of the best games of 2018.
Over the next few days, we will reveal what we believe are the ten best games of 2018, organized by release date. Then, on December 19, we will reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Game of the Year. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2018 hub.
On paper, Dead Cells is an amalgamation of familiar ideas, some of which have been recycled to the point of overexposure; the exploration, discovery, and gradual empowerment of Castlevania and Metroid, the trial-and-error runs of Spelunky, and the oblique world of Dark Souls. But what truly distinguishes Dead Cells is the harmony it achieves between these individual elements. Developer Motion Twin successfully captures the essence of each of the games it is inspired by and uses them to give life to an experience that is refined and refreshing.
Crucially, each of the ideas supporting Dead Cells is dynamic, ensuring that while aspects of its design may be familiar, the challenges they present are unpredictable. Whether it's the shifting layout of the diverse environments you navigate, the weapons you wield to hack and slash enemies, or the abilities that support you, each one ensures that Dead Cells remains surprising in every single play session. Its variables are cards in a shuffled deck; you're dealt a hand and you've got to figure out how to play it.
But this doesn't come at the cost of a sense of progression and, most importantly, the feeling of growth and mastery. Dead Cells' masterstroke is giving you the ability to influence these variables just enough to inspire the belief that things could go your way. At first, this is most evident in the route you progress through the game, which starts as a defined linear path but, over time, opens up, inviting you to chart your progress based on the confidence you have in your skills.
Death is unavoidable, but where games like Dark Souls, Metroid, and Castlevania reset your progress and ask you to run the same assault course again, using the knowledge of what awaits to inch forward until the next inevitable death, Dead Cells' cycle of life and death is all in aid of bolstering your fundamental competencies. You gather the items, resources, and abilities that will eventually lead to that successful run, so each journey out into its decrepit world is in service of collecting cells to acquire weapons or abilities that flesh out your skillset.
While aspects of Dead Cells' design may be familiar, the challenges they present are unpredictable ... Its variables are cards in a shuffled deck; you're dealt a hand and you've got to figure out how to play it
The weapons that are so crucial to success, however, are still subject to the luck of the draw, and buying them just ever so slightly increases the chance they'll drop. You can never grow too attached to one loadout, as it almost certainly won't be the same when your decayed body is given life once again. This is character development in the truest sense of the phrase. Dead Cells, by its very design, forces you to embrace experimentation, to reach for the unfamiliar and form an understanding of it.
That inability to truly know where you're going and the way it constantly shoves you out of your comfort zone makes you earn that mastery you so crave. On paper, Dead Cells may seem like Metroid meets Castlevania with some Spelunky and a dash of Dark Souls, but in many ways its design is antithetical to the fundamentals of those games. Dead Cells, then, is an experience that stands on its own; distinct, thrilling, and constantly rewarding.
One of the wildest movies that came out this past year was The Happytime Murders, a very adult movie featuring puppets, directed by none other than Brian Henson, the son of Muppets and Sesame Street creator Jim Henson. The movie is over-the-top with adult humor, but there was one moment that some people found went too far.
During the audio commentary on the home release of the movie, Henson recalled one line of dialogue from early on in the film that had to be cut. Phil Philips (Bill Barretta) is talking to his brother Larry (Victor Yerrid)--a former cast member of a popular TV series--when they are approached by a fan of the show (Fortune Feimster). She talks to the two and goes on her way.
In the original version of that scene, things were a bit different. "In the long cut, she's brought in a dog with her, and Phil tells her to 'Get that dog out of here or I'll put a f***ing fork in its face,'" explained Henson. "Of everything in the movie, they decided, 'That's too much. You've crossed a line.' It's like, 'Really? Saying I'm gonna put a f***ing fork in its face to a dog is crossing a line?' The whole idea was to establish that dogs are really dangerous."
There never would have been any depiction of an animal getting hurt on screen, but the line would have helped for one scene later, when Larry gets torn apart by a few dogs in his own backyard. It was supposed to be an establishing moment that some felt went too far.
The Happytime Murders is available digitally and on DVD and Blu-ray now. In addition to the audio commentary from Henson and Phil Philips, the physical release also contains deleted scenes, a gag reel, and behind-the-scenes footage giving the audience more insight into how this adult puppet movie was put together.
Following their announcement earlier this month, PvP battles have finally arrived in Pokemon Go. The new Trainer Battle system is now live for users level 10 and up, and it gives them the ability to challenge other players directly to three-on-three Pokemon battles.
Once users reach the requisite level, they'll be able to face off against other players, either locally or remotely. You can battle any other trainer you meet in-person, whether or not they're registered on your friends list, simply by scanning a QR code in a new battle menu. However, you'll need to be Ultra friends with another player in order to challenge them remotely.
Trainer Battles are separated into three different Leagues to make the feature accessible to players of all levels: Great, Ultra, and Master. Each League enforces a different Combat Power limit for your Pokemon: in the Great League, each monster can have a maximum of 1,500 CP; Ultra League's limited is 2,500 CP per Pokemon; and Master League has no CP restriction.
Whether you win or lose, you'll receive rewards for taking part in Trainer Battles, including a chance to get the new Sinnoh Stone, which is needed to evolve certain Gen 4 Pokemon. You can also challenge the leaders of Pokemon Go's three major teams--Valor, Mystic, and Instinct--to practice NPC battles. You can read more about how the feature works in our Pokemon Go PvP guide.
Like several other retailers (GameStop and PlayStation Store for example), GOG is currently having a massive winter sale. But to get people's attention, it's doing something the others aren't: giving away a free game. Between now and December 15, you can head over to GOG to get a free copy of Full Throttle Remastered with no strings attached. It normally retails for $15, and it's compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Full Throttle is a LucasArts adventure game from 1995, and the first project that featured the inimitable Tim Schafer as creative lead. It tells the tale of biker gang leader Ben Throttle as he gets roped into a narrative drenched in mystery, murder, and humor.
This edition launched in 2017 and comes with new high-res graphics and 4K support, plus remastered music and audio. Purists--or anyone else who's curious--can switch back to the original mode on the fly, or even mix and match new graphics with old audio, or vice versa. It also comes with audio commentary from the creators and a library of concept art for your perusal.
Critic Jeffrey Adam gave the 8.7/10 in GameSpot's original Full Throttle review, comparing it to the movies Easy Rider and Mad Max. "The engaging, film-quality script unfolds with the confidence and grace of its square-jawed main character, Ben," he wrote. "All the ingredients of a great story are here: murder, deception, greed, lust, unrequited love, honor, and of course, motorcycles. Surprisingly, despite all these elements, the plot doesn't ever seem forced or melodramatic; it just flows. Even in the face of adversity, Ben's gravel-voiced one-liners supply laugh-out-loud comedy that Schwarzenegger and Van Damme would envy."
So click over to GOG and add the game to your library before Full Throttle goes back up to full price.
Metro Exodus will be releasing a little earlier than previously planned. Deep Silver and 4A Games announced that the game has gone gold and will be coming on February 15, 2019--not February 22 as previously announced. Adjust your calendars accordingly.
To celebrate the announcement, the studio has put out the game's title sequence, from the same studio that produced those sequences for the HBO shows Game of Thrones and Westworld. You can check out that very frosty video above.
"Our fans have been waiting patiently for Metro Exodus ever since we announced the title at E3 2017," said Deep Silver CEO Klemens Kundratitz, in the announcement. "We had previously delayed the release date to ensure 4A Games had the time to deliver their ambitious vision for the game, but now we're delighted to confirm that Metro Exodus has 'gone gold' and we are able to bring the release date forward to the 15th February 2019."
Metro Exodus looks to be a bigger take on the Metro concept without going open-world. "I think for Metro fans, it's really important to make it clear that it's not an open world game," Huw Beynon told GameSpot. "It's a series of levels, and you play them in linear order, and you still have traditional Metro-style levels when the game starts; the game will feel very familiar, and then at E3 we showed the first of these new huge levels, we call them sandbox survival levels. Each one of those can take several hours to complete, several days worth of in-game time, that's where we're going to gradually expand the horizons."
Metro has a pricey Collector's Edition which comes out to a whopping $235 with the game. A less expensive Limited Edition includes a season pass and art book. It's coming for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Read more details in our pre-order guide.
Fortnite Season 7, Week 2 challenges are, for the most part, pretty straightforward. Among both the free and paid categories, the tasks will be familiar as they've been used numerous times in the past. However, in the paid section there are a couple that require a little extra time and effort. The first involves playing sheet music on giant pianos that can be found on the island. The second asks players to find an abandoned mansion and compete in a dance off. Here's where to go and what to do to complete the objective and earn some Battle Stars.
This particular challenge is designated as "Hard" in the challenge list, and that's mostly because finding the abandoned mansion can be tricky, if you're not super familiar with the current layout of the island. Thankfully, we are, and we've completed the challenge. That means we can tell you exactly where to go: the Lonely Lodge mansion. Specifically, you'll need to head the basement of this mansion, where you'll find a little dance floor ready to host your battle of moves.
The other tricky thing is actually having someone else there because--as with all dance offs--it's a one versus one situation. We recommend doing this challenge first, as most players will be looking to get it done so the dance floor will be heaving with party goers. You only need to partake in a dance off, not necessarily win one--it's the taking part that counts. The swarm of players might lead to some deaths, but you will need someone else to participate in order to get it done, so the sooner you try this, the better.
To make things easier, we've put together a video of us doing the challenge. Take a look above and you can see us go through the steps, and you can even play along if you want. Overall, this one shouldn't take you very long at all, so you can switch to other challenges in no time.
Once that's done, you can take a look at the full Fortnite Season 7, Week 2 challenge list to see what else you can complete to unlock Battle Stars. If you've completed all the challenges thus far, you may want to peruse our gallery for Season 7's new cosmetics and rewards to see if anything tickles your fancy. Running short on Battle Stars? Don't worry, we've got a complete Season 7 challenge guide that you can use to do last week's challenges.
Marvel's Spider-Man has one more planned piece of DLC left to close out "The City That Never Sleeps" storyline. The final chapter, called Silver Lining, will launch on December 21. As the name implies, it brings back Silver Sable, and she's not exactly happy that Hammerhead has been stealing her weapons.
This looks to wrap up the story that began with The Heist, which left off with a cliffhanger ending regarding the antihero Black Cat. In the second chapter, Turf Wars, the villain Hammerhead continued to consolidate his power over the other New York crime families, with the help of Sable tech left behind by the mercenary. This next chapter will presumably tie up those plot threads, and includes new missions and upgraded enemies, along with new trophies and challenges.
Of course, the star of these DLC packs has been the addition of new Spidey suits. Each one has included three more suits, and this one is no different. This time the three suits are the Peter Parker Spidey suit from the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse film, a Cyborg Spider-Man suit, and the Aaron Aikman Spider-Armor. You can also get a Silver Lining dynamic theme by pre-ordering Into the Spider-Verse from the PlayStation Store.
As always you can pick up Silver Lining for $10 individually, or as part of the City That Never Sleeps bundle for $25. A digital deluxe edition bundles together the game and the DLC for $80, though you may be able to build your own discount for cheaper since the base game has gone down to $40 in some areas.
We're in Week 2 of Fortnite Season 7 and there's a fresh crop of challenges for your to reap Battle Stars from. For PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, or mobile players, Week 2 challenges are broken up into two categories, as usual. Both the Free and Battle Pass categories have fairly straightforward tasks, but in the latter there's one that could give you a bit of trouble if you don't know where to look. With that in mind, we've put together a handy guide to help you find the pianos in Pleasant Park and Lonely Lodge where you're tasked with playing sheet music.
Unlike previous iterations of this challenge, you don't actually have to hunt down the sheet music this time around, as the notes you need to play are visible when near the pianos. So, all you've got to do it head to the giant pianos and get to playing them. Thankfully, Epic Games has done us a solid and pointed us in the right direction: Pleasant Park and Lonely Lodge.
However, those are pretty big areas, so you may require more specific info on where to go. If you're at Pleasant Park, head to the hill just to the west and you'll see the musical instrument. Jump on the keys in the right order and you're good to go. Keep in mind that you'll want to pick the right moment to start playing, as other players who also try to use the same piano will interrupt your progress.
At Lonely Lodge, move towards the hill on the north shore and you'll spot the piano. Once again, hop on keys in the right order and you'll complete the challenge. For a closer look at exactly where you need to go, and how to properly play your musical masterpiece, you can watch us complete the challenge in the video at the top of this guide.
Fortnite Play Piano Sheet Music Locations
Pleasant Park: Hill to the west
Lonely Lodge: Hill on the north shore
This is one of two tricky challenges this week, with the other involving a dance off at an abandoned mansion. That requires another player and knowing where to go, so we've put together a guide to help you figure out what to do.
The year may be winding down--and your desire to do anything too taxing along with it--but don't kick up your feet and call it a year just yet, there's new Fortnite: Battle Royale challenges to do for Week 2! If you're among the millions that like to hop into Epic's battle royale title to get your hands on Battle Stars and cosmetics on the regular, you'll know how this goes by now, so let's break down the Week 2 challenges of Fortnite Season 7.
First up are the challenges that are available to everyone, which aren't very difficult at all. One asks you to search a chest in seven different named locations on the island for five Battle Stars. The second requires you to damage opponents with five different types of weapons--again, for five Battle Stars. The final challenge in the free section is for 10 Battle Stars and, as a result, is a little harder, requiring you to eliminate three enemies in Snobby Shores or Fatal Fields.
Meanwhile, for those that have spent money on a Battle Pass, you'll need to visit Snobby Shores and Pleasant Park in a single match for five Battle Stars, and eliminate one enemy from at least 50m away for 10 Battle Stars. However, there are two more that are a little more difficult. One involves playing Sheet Music on the pianos near Pleasant Park and Lonely Lodge, while the other involves competing in a Dance Off at an abandoned mansion. We've assembled guides through those two links to help you know where these are located and what you need to do when you get there.
Fortnite Week 2 Challenges (Season 7)
Free
Search a chest in different named locations (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Damage opponents with different types of weapons (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents in Snobby Shores or Fatal Fields (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Stage 1: Visit Snobby Shores and Pleasant Park in a single match (2) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play the Sheet Music on the pianos near Pleasant Park and Lonely Lodge (2) -- 5 Battle Star
Compete in a Dance Off at an abandoned mansion (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate an opponent from at least 50m away -- 10 Battle Stars
Fortnite Season 7 officially began on December 6, when Epic Games detailed what was new and changed in its Season 7 patch notes. Of course, there was an inaugural set of challenges, and you can see our guides on how to complete the harder ones among them in our full Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide. Since then, we've already gotten another update to add the controversial Infinity Blade sword.
Unsurprisingly, the Season 7 update introduced a whole bunch of new cosmetics, ranging from new skins and back bling to sprays and contrails. However, Epic also added in a new type of cosmetic called Wraps, which are essentially skins for guns and vehicles. You can see all of that in our Fortnite Season 7 cosmetics gallery.
The new map for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Zombies mode, Dead of the Night, features new characters who are performed by big-name celebrities. The new Dead of the Night chapter features new characters played by actors like Kiefer Sutherland (24, Metal Gear Solid V), Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Harry Potter), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, and Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon). You can check out a trailer for the new Dead of the Night map in the video below.
The Dead of the Night map includes werewolves and vampires, in addition to zombies. Here's how Activision officially describes the Dead of the Night chapter (via Polygon):
"This all-new undead experience is set in 1912 and drops players into a lavish estate owned by the famed relic-hunter Alistair Rhodes, where they'll step into the role of a new set of characters.
"As the unlikely crew of heroes bands together, they'll equip all-new weapons to fight the mysterious force that has taken over the party. Players will also take on a variety of Zombies, including new enemies such as vampires and werewolves, and much more, to survive the nightmarish evening."
The Dead of the Night map is included with Black Ops 4's Battle Pass. The new map is part of what's now in the game through the Absolute Zero expansion--there's also more content for multiplayer. Check out GameSpot's rundown here to see everything in the Absolute Zero update.
In honor of Ralph Breaks The Internet, we're giving away $25 Fandango Giftcards to two (2) lucky fans. Entering into our Instagram giveaway below is easy -- just like and follow for a chance to win!
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10. Publicity Release Terms. Except where prohibited by law, a Winner's acceptance of a Prize constitutes permission for the Sweepstakes Entities to use Winner's name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, and address (city and state) worldwide and in all forms of media, in perpetuity, without further compensation.
11. Improper Conduct. Administrator, in its sole discretion, may disqualify any entrant from participation in or use of any or all portions of this Sweepstakes, and refuse to award a Prize, if a Winner engage(s) in any conduct Administrator deems to be improper, unfair or otherwise adverse to the operation of the Sweepstakes or detrimental to other entrants of the Sweepstakes. Such improper conduct includes, without limitation, falsifying personal information required during entrant registration or Prize claim, violating any term or condition stated herein, accumulating entries through methods such as automated computer scripts or any other programming techniques, allowing others to use entrant's personal information for the purpose of accumulating entries, or intentionally trying to defraud, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise tamper with the computer programs in connection with this Sweepstakes. Winners agree that Administrator may void a Prize or any part of a Prize that a Winner may have won and/or require the return of a Prize or any part of a Prize that a Winner may have won as a result of such improper conduct. Winners further acknowledge that any forfeiture of a Prize and/or return of a Prize shall in no way prevent Administrator from pursuing other avenues of recourse, such as criminal or civil proceedings in connection with such conduct. WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, EACH OF THE SWEEPSTAKES ENTITIES RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
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20. Identity Disputes. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of the winner based on an email address, the winning entry will be declared made by the Authorized Account Holder of the email address and/or wireless phone number submitted at time of registration into Instagram and/or entry into the Sweepstakes. For purposes of these Official Rules, "Authorized Account Holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
21. Binding Arbitration. The parties waive all rights to trial in any action or proceeding instituted in connection with these Official Rules and/or this Sweepstakes. Any controversy or claim, arising out of, or relating to, these Official Rules and/or this Sweepstakes shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party. The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of New York, in the City of New York and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered into any court having jurisdiction thereof.
22. Governing Law and Jurisdiction. This promotion is governed by U.S. law and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Administrator in connection with this Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings which are not subject to arbitration, as set forth in Section 21 of these Official Rules and/or for entering any judgment on an arbitration award, shall take place in the State of New York, in the City of New York.
23. Winner's List/Official Rules. For the name of the Winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope for receipt by December 31, 2018 to "Winner List, Ralph Breaks the Internet Fandango Gift Card Giveaway" 1401 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. For Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the above address marked "Official Rules: Ralph Breaks the Internet Fandango Gift Card Giveaway" for receipt by December 31, 2018. Residents of VT may omit postage on the self-addressed envelope. The name of the Winners may be posted, and the Official Rules will be posted on the CBSI Service (i.e. GameSpot.com).
[UPDATE] Right on schedule, Capcom updated Street Fighter V's Arcade Edition today with ads. The advertisements on stages, character outfits, and loading screens, are switched on by default, but you can toggle them off in the Battle Settings menu.
As you probably might have guessed, the Street Fighter subreddit is awash with criticism of the newly launched ads. People are suggesting it's a slippery slope, and creating mock-up images that show things like sponsored headgear from McDonald's and Mtn Dew skins. Some people are speculating that the introduction of ads in Street Fighter V is actually a test for launching a free-to-play version of the game. This is only speculation, of course, but it'll be interesting to see if Capcom responds to the feedback around ads in Street Fighter V. Keep checking back for the latest.
The original story is below.
Capcom is trying something new on the business side for Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition. The publisher announced that the game is adding optional "sponsored content" on December 11, and it will come in the form of advertisements to tell you about the Capcom Pro Tour competitive gaming event, content bundles for the game, and extra costumes you can buy.
The ads will show up in "several locations" throughout the game, including loading screens, tournament stages, and even on characters themselves. Specifically, characters will now have a new "Ad Style" option that will display sponsored content on clothing or the character model itself. The ads on stages, meanwhile, will display sponsored content in clear sight. And the loading screen ads are exactly what they sound like; Capcom clarified that the loading screen with ads enabled won't be longer than when they're disabled.
An example of Capcom Pro Tour ads in Street Fighter V
The important thing here is that these ads are entirely optional. If you do decide to view the ads, you'll be rewarded with extra Fight Money (the game's currency) when you play Ranked and Casual matches. There is an upper limit on the Fight Money payouts, however, though Capcom did not say what it is.
Capcom's blog post suggests that the sponsored content functionality is switch on by default. It can be toggled off in the Battle Settings menu. You can choose to only see ads where you want them, too; so you could choose to only see the costume ads or the stage and loading screen ads. Go to Capcom's blog post to learn more.
As Gamasutra reminds us, advertisements in games is nothing new, but what's notable here is that Street Fighter V is not a free-to-play game. Still, it is not unprecedented for full price games to feature ads. EA's FIFA franchise displays well-known global brands on the sidelines. Additionally, back in 2008, Barack Obama's campaign spent money to buy ads in 18 different video games, and he eventually went on to win the Presidency that year.
An example of more ads in Street Fighter V stages
Most major video game publishers are looking at ways to make more money from games in new ways, and in-game advertising is just one of those ways, alongside microtransactions.
Ads in Street Fighter V launch on December 11, and it will interesting to see how players react. We also don't know yet what other gaming or non-gaming brands might sign up to put ads in Street Fighter V. Another question some may be asking is if Capcom is adding ads to Street Fighter V to make up for how it failed to reach Capcom's sales targets.
The game was originally released in 2016 for PS4 and PC, while the better-received Arc
(Presented by Oculus) If seeing is believing, 'tis the season to see the world of gaming in a whole new way! Thanks to Oculus, every day between now and December 21st, we're bringing you 12 days of content showcasing everything you need to treat yourself to the world of VR.
If you're ready to take the full leap into the world of VR, you're going to need a gaming rig to guide you! Here are our picks to get you not only up and running, but future proofed.
If you're always on the move, take a look at our picks for the best laptops that can handle VR Gaming.
Change the Game VR Charity Challenge - Day 1 (December 13th)
Two team of five players compete in a variety of VR games to raise money for charity! Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is up first!
Change the Game VR Charity Challenge - Day 2(December 14th)
The tournament continues on day two as the participants compete in Face Your Fears!
Change the Game VR Charity Challenge - Day 3(December 15th)
Things are heating up as we get down to the wire! Which team will come out on top in Dead and Buried?
Change the Game VR Charity Challenge - Day 4(December 16th)
It's the final day of the tournament! Which team will take home the prize money for their chosen charity? Find out as they compete in Creed: Rise to Glory!
Making Your PC VR Ready (December 17th)
If you're ready to step into the world of VR gaming, here's our guide to make sure your tried and true PC can handle it!
Virtual Reality Beyond Gaming (December 18th)
VR isn't just for games. Take a look at some of the ways VR is being developed outside the gaming world!
Top Tricks for Setting Up Your Oculus (December 19th)
Before you put on your brand new Oculus, make sure you check out our guide to maximize its potential!
Oculus Rift Livestream (December 20th)
Join Chastity and Ben as they play some of their favorite VR games: Super Hot VR, Robo Recall, and I Expect You to Die!
VR Games to Keep Your Eye on In 2019 (December 21st)
2019 will be a big year for VR gaming. Take a look at some of our picks we can't wait to get our hands on.
The new Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Switch is off to a fast start, at least in Japan. New sales numbers from Famitsu reveal that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sold 1.24 million copies over its first weekend (December 7-9).
According to the publication (via Gematsu), this represents the highest launch sales in the history of the Smash Bros. franchise in Japan. Not only that, but it's the best opening for any Switch game in the island nation, according to the report.
The Famitsu report also states that, as expected, the launch of Smash Bros. Ultimate helped drive console sales. Nintendo sold 278,313 Switch units during the week, which is more than 2.5x more than the 107,450 that Nintendo sold in Japan the week prior.
Sales numbers for Smash Bros. Ultimate in other parts of the world have not been disclosed as of yet, but keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
In other Smash news, the next Ultimate update is coming next week. The full list of patch notes haven't been released yet, but what we do know already is that it will kill any in-game replays that have been saved.
Despite the already vast fighter roster, Ultimate is getting plenty of post-launch character expansions--including Piranha Plant and Persona 5's Joker. We have our own list of characters we want to see.
In our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review-in-progress, Edmond Tran gave the game a 9/10, writing, "Situational downers don't stop Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from shining as a flexible multiplayer game that can be as freewheeling or as firm as you want it to be. Its entertaining single-player content helps keep the game rich with interesting things to do, as well as bolstering its spirit of loving homage to the games that have graced Nintendo consoles. Ultimate's diverse content is compelling, its strong mechanics are refined, and the encompassing collection is simply superb."
The first big content update for World of Warcraft's Battle for Azeroth expansion has arrived. Tides of Vengeance is now live in the Americas, bringing a new Warfront, quests, heritage armor, island expeditions, and much more to Blizzard's long-running MMO.
Headlining the content update is Battle for Darkshore, a brand-new Warfront in which players can unlock "powerful hero transformations" based upon their combat role, Blizzard explained on the official WoW website. The developer has also added new quest lines and World Quests to the game, as well as another chapter in the War Campaign; you can access the latter by going to your ship either in Boralus or Zuldazar.
On top of that, two new island expeditions are now available: Jorundall and Havenswood. Blizzard has also added two new events that players may encounter as they explore the various islands on the Great Sea. Both Jorundall and Havenswood, along with all of the previous island expeditions, feature new enemies, achievements, items, and vendors as well.
Additionally, the Tides of Vengeance update brings a new pet battle dungeon to the game: Gnomeregan. In order to access it, you'll first need to have earned the All Growns Up achievement, which you can do by raising a pet to level 25. Blizzard has also added two new heritage armor sets for dwarves and blood elves. To get them, you'll need to be level 120 and complete either the Keep Yer Feet on the Ground or the Pride of the Sin'dorei quests in Ironforge and Silvermoon, respectively.
You can find the full patch notes for the Tides of Vengeance update on the WoW website. There's even more content on the way to the MMO in the near future. Beginning January 22, players will be able to take part in a new raid, Battle of Dazar'alor. The raid will arrive alongside the start of Season 2 of PvP and Mythic Keystone Dungeons.
Detroit: Become Human has crossed a new sales milestone. The PlayStation 4 exclusive from French developer Quantic Dream has now passed 2 million in sales, with the achievement coming around five months after the game was released in May.
According to Quantic Dream, Detroit is now the studio's fastest-selling game ever, meaning it is performing better commercially than the PlayStation 3 games Beyond: Two Souls and Heavy Rain. But was Detroit profitable after 2 million sales? Someone asked the studio this on Twitter, and the developer mostly dodged the question. "We left an imprint in 2 to 3 million people's minds (and counting). We made them cry and laugh and feel for a number of characters. We made them feel truly alive. That is what counts." Given how much secrecy there is in gaming regarding sales figures and profitability, it makes sense that Quantic Dream might not want to publicly disclose whether or not Detroit was profitable.
Detroit tells the story of three androids coming to terms with their newfound sentience in a futuristic Detroit, Michigan where robots are treated as second-class citizens.
The game picked up mostly positive review scores across the board. Here at GameSpot, we scored Detroit an 8/10, with reviewer Peter Brown commenting, "Detroit is well worth playing, but it struggles to strike the right balance between giving you freedom of choice and reminding you that it's all a game in the end."
Quantic Dream has not announced any new projects yet. Recently, the studio has found itself embroiled in controversy after multiple French outlets worked together on investigative stories that made accusations of poor studio culture and harassment.
Pixar, the animation giant that makes us laugh and cry with movies like Up and Toy Story, has announced its next film. Onward is Pixar's next original project, and it'll feature the voices of Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, Jurassic World star Chris Pratt, Seinfeld alum Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and The Help's Octavia Spencer. The movie is still a long time out, as it doesn't hit theatres until March 2020. It'll be directed by Monsters University director Dan Scanlon.
According to Disney, Onward focuses on "two teenage elf brothers who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is till a little magic left out there." Holland and Pratt presumably voice the two elf brothers.
We're thrilled to reveal that our next original feature, "Onward," starring Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer, arrives in theatres March 6, 2020! #PixarOnwardpic.twitter.com/Dup9lDQysB
Scanlon said in a statement that the movie was inspired by his own relationship with his brother. As is often the case in Disney movies, it begins with death. Their father dies when the boys are young, and then they set out into a suburban fantasy world.
"The world is basically a mix of the fantastic and the everyday," Scanlon said (via Entertainment Weekly). "There are mushroom houses that line the streets with satellite dishes sticking out the top of them and a minivan parked in front of each one. There are no humans… but there are unicorns everywhere. They're basically rodents, possums eating all the trash out of your bins."
Onward is the first new Pixar movie to be announced following the departure of Pixar founder John Lasseter in the wake of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour claims.
Pixar's next movie is Toy Story 4, which hits theatres in June 2019. The company's latest film, The Incredibles 2, came out this year and is expected to be a contender for Best Animated Film at the 91st Oscars.
If you've logged onto Super Smash Bros. Ultimate recently, you may have noticed a message about Update 1.2.0 coming out "next week." While we don't know what it will do, the most important takeaway is that the update will kill any in-game replays that have been saved. There is a process by which you can save your replays, but you'll have to act before the update comes out.
You need to go to the Vault, click on Replays, and then go to Replay Data. From there, you can convert your replays into videos that are saved to your Switch as opposed to your Ultimate game file. As a warning, videos are saved on your system as opposed to a cloud so they will take up quite a bit of storage space if you try to keep a lot of them. Nintendo hasn't revealed the exact day that Version 1.2.0 of Ultimate goes live, so it's probably wise to convert the replays you want to save sooner rather than later.
Nintendo also hasn't released the patch notes for this newest update so it's unknown what it will change exactly. Ultimate's Day One update addressed issues with the replay system though, so this may be a follow-up that fixes any lingering problems.
If you're struggling with Ultimate, we have a few guides to help you out. If this is your first Smash game or you're a beginner, we have tips on how to unlock all the characters as quickly as possible. Of the 75 fighters that launched with the game, we've recorded all of their Final Smashes so you can see how they work. We've also got eight tips that help anyone learn how to dominate their friends at the game.
Despite the already vast fighter roster, Ultimate is getting plenty of post-launch character expansions--including Piranha Plant and Persona 5's Joker. We have our own list of characters we want to see.
In our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review-in-progress, Edmond Tran gave the game a 9/10, writing, "Situational downers don't stop Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from shining as a flexible multiplayer game that can be as freewheeling or as firm as you want it to be. Its entertaining single-player content helps keep the game rich with interesting things to do, as well as bolstering its spirit of loving homage to the games that have graced Nintendo consoles. Ultimate's diverse content is compelling, its strong mechanics are refined, and the encompassing collection is simply superb."
Nintendo would "absolutely love" to have Red Dead Redemption 2 on Nintendo Switch, but more than likely it won't happen. That's according to Nintendo of America executive Reggie Fils-Aime, who explained in a new interview one of the reasons why the acclaimed western isn't on the company's hybrid console.
Fils-Aime told The Hollywood Reporter that developer Rockstar Games likely started work on the game years before Nintendo started to talk about the Switch. As a result, the developer might not have been able to accomodate another platform, Fils-Aime suggested.
"We'd love for it to be there. But again--and this is where there needs to be an understanding of just the development process--Red Dead has been in development for years, time that predated any communication of Nintendo Switch," Fils-Aime said.
"So, from the developer's mentality, they need to move forward and finish the game they've been working on and then be in a position to look at other opportunities. Any game from a key third-party that's coming out now, typically that development started well before any conversations about Nintendo Switch."
Fils-Aime acknowledged that he can't say for sure what will happen with future Rockstar games, but for now, this explains why Red Dead Redemption 2 isn't on Switch.
Additionally, it's not uncommon for platform-holders to show their new, unannounced consoles to developers well ahead of when they are publicly revealed. By some accounts, Red Dead Redemption 2 began development just after the first game shipped in 2010, and if that is indeed the case, that was still during the Nintendo Wii days.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a graphically demanding game, and the Switch is underpowered compared to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Fils-Aime doesn't mention this is in his comments.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is doing just fine without releasing on Switch. The game shipped 17 million copies and generated more than $725 million in revenue just days after release. What's more, it took only eight days for Red Dead Redemption 2 sales to surpass the number of copies of Red Dead Redemption 1 sold in eight years.
While Fortnite's Battle Royale mode gets much of the attention, the game's Save the World mode is not being forgotten. The recent 7.0.0 patch introduced the game's first major boss, The Storm King, with the final act of the Canny Valley campaign. GameSpot can confirm that Epic hired gaming veteran Cris Velasco (Overwatch, Darksiders 3) to compose 20 minutes of new music for the new chapter of Save the World.
Velasco recorded the music with a live orchestra in Los Angeles with the professional recording company Cinema Scoring. Velasco tells GameSpot that Fortnite is probably his biggest project yet, adding that the pillars of the Storm King himself--"huge, terrifying, and exciting"--match up well with the music he likes to make.
"I've had the fortune to work on some big franchises over the years, but I don't think any of them have had the same popularity as Fortnite does. So I was extremely excited to have been asked to write music for Season 7," he said.
"The Storm King was such a great canvas to compose for. Huge, terrifying, and exciting--just the kind of music I love to write! We recorded the score in LA with Cinema Scoring, who really helped bring life to the music and the wintery terror that the Storm King exudes. It also doesn't hurt that I've now earned the prize of 'coolest uncle' from my niece and nephew."
In other Fortnite news, the game's battle royale mode recently launched the much-anticipated Season 7. Among other things, it adds a new, wintry area to the map, the new Infinity Blade sword weapon, and a new X-4 Stormwing airplane to find on the map and fly.
Driving across the country in real life has its perks, but let's be honest: there's also a lot of down time. The Crew 2 is a racing game that cuts out the boring parts as you travel at unsafe speeds from coast to coast, using vehicles that go on the road, in the water, and through the air. There's nothing else quite like it on the market, and it's free to play December 13-17 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The only catch is that console owners will need either a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription to take part in the free-play weekend. If you have a gaming PC, you don't need any subscription to play the game for free, and you can pre-load it now via Uplay. The free trial makes the full game available to players, including PvP mode as well as the new Demolition Derby mode.
If you decide to purchase the full game after trying it out, any progress you make will carry over. You'll also be able to buy any digital version of The Crew 2 at a discount. To sweeten the pot even further, Ubisoft is throwing in a free in-game car for anyone who participates in the free weekend. The car you get depends on your platform of choice.
Xbox One: BMW Z4 GT3 2011
PlayStation 4: Maserati Gran Turismo S 2009 – Touring Car Edition
PC: Ford GT 2005 – Touring Car Edition
For more information about The Crew 2's free-play weekend, you can check out the Ubisoft blog.
Now that Batwoman has arrived and added a new hero to the Arrow-verse--not to mention a location in Gotham City--there are some questions we need to think about. The CW's superhero programming block is already jam-packed thanks to Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Black Lightning. Is there room for yet another hero next season?
To figure that out and take a deep dive through everything we learned about Batwoman in the "Elseworlds" crossover event, GameSpot teamed up with TV Guide for a roundtable discussion about whether a Batwoman show should happen and what it might entail. Luckily, thanks to "Elseworlds," we already know quite a bit.
First and foremost, this is a Gotham City that has been abandoned by Batman for one reason or another. In his place, Bruce Wayne's cousin Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) is suiting up at Batwoman to protect what's left of an already devastated city. Also still populating the city, from cells at Arkham Asylum, are the likes of Riddler, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Clayface, and Nora Fries just to name a few. What stood out in the Gotham-centric "Elseworlds" installment as Easter eggs and open doors to many notable Batman villains and elements fans of the comics will find familiar.
It's, honestly, a remarkable amount of world-building done in a single one-hour episode of TV. What's more, as those who saw the end of "Elseworlds" know, this entire event was all building to next year's crossover, "Crisis on Infinite Earths"--which will include Batwoman and one of the Gotham City foes introduced.
With so much time spent introducing the world of Kate Kane, it already seems like a foregone conclusion that we'll definitely be seeing a lot more of her in the future. Will she get her own show, though? That's something we'll have to wait to find out. In the meantime, join GameSpot and TV Guide in dreaming for the day that happens.
December is officially here, which means 2018 is winding to a close. This year has seen some great games come out across PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch, but while most of the year's biggest titles have already been released, there are still a handful of noteworthy games on the way this month to close out the year in appropriately grand fashion.
Headlining December's releases are new installments in the Just Cause and Super Smash Bros. series, as well as a new pair of spin-offs of Atlus's beloved Persona franchise. Those certainly aren't the only notable releases, however. This month also sees some high-profile games arrive on new platforms, including PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, which expanded to PS4 on December 7. An HD remaster of the PS2 classic Katamari Damacy also rolled onto PC and Nintendo Switch this month, while the Dark Souls-inspired Ashen hit Xbox One and PC.
That's only a small glimpse at this month's releases. You can see all of the biggest games on the way for each platform in December 2018 below. For a look back at all of the most notable releases from the past year, check out our complete list of game release dates in 2018, and be sure to follow our Best of 2018 hub for our picks on the year's best games and other highlights.
Just Cause 4 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) -- December 4
Kicking off the month is Just Cause 4, which launched on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on December 4. This installment in the over-the-top action series takes protagonist Rico Rodriguez to the lush South American country of Solis, where the intrepid hero must once again thwart the plans of the sinister militant group, The Black Hand. Developer Avalanche Studios has amplified the action even more for this entry, expanding Rico's arsenal with new gadgets and an upgraded grappling hook. But the biggest addition to the game is the extreme weather system, which presents a whole new kind of challenge for Rico to overcome.
Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight & Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight (PS4, Vita) -- December 4
The Persona series is certainly no stranger to spin-offs, and its latest pair of offshoots, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, arrived in the West on PS4 and Vita on December 4. In the vein of Person 4: Dancing All Night, each title is a rhythm game featuring characters and music taken from their respective numbered installments. Both games also feature a slew of costumes and accessories to unlock for the characters, as well as support for PlayStation VR.
Nintendo's long-running mascot fighting series makes its Switch debut with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Featuring the largest roster in the franchise to date, Ultimate brings back every character who has ever appeared in a Smash Bros. game and introduces a handful of unexpected newcomers, including Castlevania's Simon and Richter Belmont and Animal Crossing's Isabelle. The game also boasts more than 100 stages, 900 music tracks, and an extensive array of Spirits--new collectible video game characters that grant your fighters stat boosts and abilities when equipped.
Lucasfilm has officially announced the cast for The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars TV series. Pedro Pascal, previously speculated to play the title role, has been confirmed to be the Mandalorian warrior the show is about, and he's being joined by quite the talented cast.
Pascal is best known for portraying Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones, but he's also starred in Kingsman: The Golden Circle and Netflix's Narcos. In a blog post, StarWars.com confirmed he would be joined by Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Carl Weathers (Predator), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), and Nick Nolte (Affliction).
"We're having a great time working with this incredibly talented group and excited for everyone to see what we're up to," said The Mandalorian writer and executive producer Jon Favreau. Individual directors--including Thor Ragnarok's Taika Waititi, Jessica Jones' Deborah Chow, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels' Dave Filoni--have been signed on to head individual episodes in The Mandalorian. There are plans for The Mandalorian to be followed by another Star Wars series that will see the return of Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, the character he played in Rogue One.
The Mandalorian takes place prior to The Force Awakens, long after the legendary career of Boba Fett. The series follows Pascal's character, a lone gunfighter on the run from the law of the New Republic. The Mandalorian launches on Disney+, the company's upcoming subscription-based streaming service, next year. Another season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars--previously assumed to be cancelled forever--is also scheduled to come to the service.
The Game Developers Choice Awards organizers have announced that Amy Hennig will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Hennig is best known for her work on the Uncharted series, but she has worked in the game industry since the days of the Atari 7800. She has experience as a digital artist, animator, game designer, writer, and director.
Hennig was the writer and director of the Soul Reaver and Legacy of Kain series, and went on to become creative director and writer for the Uncharted series at Naughty Dog. She's won multiple awards including the WGA Videogame Writing Award and the BAFTA.
Previous recipients of the GDCA Lifetime Achievement Award have included Tim Schafer, Tim Sweeney, Shigeru Miyamoto, Warren Spector, John Carmack, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Hideo Kojima, Sid Meier, Ken Kutaragi, Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk, and Peter Molyneux. Hennig will be the first woman to receive the award.
In a GameDaily interview accompanying the announcement, Hennig talked about the most recent news surrounding her work: the shake-up of her Star Wars game and her subsequent departure from EA.
"It's a very complicated situation," she said. "I just think that what we're seeing in general is an inflection point in the industry, where our business models are changing, paradigms are changing, what players want is changing. I mean, nobody saw things like PUBG coming out of the blue. Nobody saw Twitch streaming being the thing that's it going to be. So, everybody's in a really reactive wait-and-see mode right now. If you're sensing that, it's real.
"I think people are realizing that there are different ways of doing things, and obviously they can fight for that different way internally, or they can go set up their own thing and do it externally. And I think whenever you see uncertainty, then that can create conflict, right? People disagree about the right direction to go, and people get more and more concerned and risk averse. So you're probably seeing some of that."
The Game Developers Choice Awards will take place on March 20, 2019 at 6:30 PM PT, in San Francisco.
When you think about tables, ladders, and chairs, you don't typically think of them as weapons, unless you're a wrestling fan. The next WWE PPV takes all those items and jam-packs them into an event called TLC, which does not stand for "tender, loving care."
TLC comes to the WWE Network on Sunday, December 16. The next event comes to the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will air at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT, with a Kickoff Show beginning one hour prior.
This is a stacked evening, with a dozen matches planned for the card, which is on the same level as Wrestlemania, but Wrestlemania this PPV is not. There are a few matches to look forward to on this evening though. The New Daniel Bryan--which is like New Coke but actually awesome--defends his title against AJ Styles in what should be the match of the evening. There's also Seth Rollins fighting Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship, and again, this will be a great match.
The one we're all looking forward to is none other than Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch in a TLC match for the Smackdown Women's Championship. It's about time Asuka gets a bit of a push, especially after the losing streak she's been on since her winning streak was broken. Aside from those matches, this card is looking a bit underwhelming for the most part, primarily from everything else Raw is offering.
As of this writing, there are 12 matches planned for the PPV, featuring the superstars of Raw, Smackdown, and 205 Live.
Here's what is currently planned for TLC:
R-Truth & Carmella vs. Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox (Finals of MMC Season 2)
Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton (Chairs Match)
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Cedric Alexander (Cruiserweight Championship)
Elias vs. Bobby Lashley (Ladder Match)
Finn Bálor vs. Drew McIntyre
Natalya vs. Ruby Riott (Tables Match)
The Bar (c) vs. The New Day vs. The Usos (SmackDown Tag Team Championships)
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (Triple Threat TLC Match For The Smackdown Women's Championship)
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Nia Jax (Raw Women's Championship)
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin (TLC Match)
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose (Intercontinental Championship)
(The New) Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles (WWE Championship)
Make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, December 16 for live coverage of the event and a review TLC after it's all over.
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