Microsoft has announced that this coming weekend will be a Free Play Days For All event on Xbox One. So whether or not you have an Xbox Live Gold membership, you'll be able to play with your friends online in whichever game you want.
The Free Play Days For All event begins on January 31 and continues until February 3. Microsoft's advertising for the event leans heavily on Fortnite, but you'll be able to play any game you own. Whether that means you jump into another battle royale game, such as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or into something else, like Titanfall 2 or Dark Souls III, is up to you.
If you do jump into Fortnite, you'll be able to cross-play with friends on other systems, including Switch and PS4. The game is currently experiencing a DJ Marshmello-themed mini event, with an in-game challenge to track down Showtime posters. Two more challenges are expected to open up on February 1, just in time for the Free Play Days For All event.
If you're on the fence about pre-ordering Anthem, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to try the game prior to its launch--which is staggered out over multiple days in a manner even EA admits is confusing. BioWare's upcoming multiplayer-focused, third-person shooter is having a free demo February 1-3, so if you have an Xbox One, you'll be able to play without the additional requirement of purchasing a Gold membership.
Anthem's VIP demo ran into several technical problems, but hopefully some of those issues have been ironed out for the free one this weekend. If you played the VIP demo, your progress will carry over into the free one, including having all four Javelins unlocked.
In its latest earnings report, Nintendo revealed that the mascot fighter has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, making it the company's third best-selling Switch game to date. According to Nintendo's updated list of best-selling Switch software, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate moved a combined 12.08 million physical and digital copies as of December 31, 2018--a figure that's all the more impressive considering the game had only been available for roughly three weeks by that point.
Ultimate launched for Switch on December 7 and quickly set new sales records for the series. The title has already sold more than twice as many copies as its predecessor, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. At this rate, it's also on track to overtake the series' best-selling entry, Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii, which sits at 13.29 million units--assuming it hasn't already done so, as Nintendo has yet to share Ultimate's January sales figures.
Ultimate wasn't Nintendo's only big sales success in 2018. Switch's first Pokemon RPGs, Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, have also sold a combined 10 million copies since their launch in November. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, meanwhile, remains the companies best-selling Switch game, surpassing 15 million units, with Super Mario Odyssey following at 13.76 million.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's first DLC character, Piranha Plant, arrived earlier this week as part of the game's big 2.0.0 update. Those who've registered their copy of the game via My Nintendo by January 31 are able to claim it for free; here's how to do it. Everyone else will be able to purchase Piranha Plant at a later date.
Members of the PlayStation 4 system software beta program can try out the next iteration of the console's firmware now. Invites have gone out for the 6.5 beta, letting players kick the tires and test the stability of an update that is mostly focused on, what else, stability.
The invite notes that firmware 6.50 "does not include any new major consumer-facing features" but requests the community's help "fine-tuning the performance and stability improvements the update brings." Interested testers can download the beta through a special link, and then provide feedback on a beta forum.
This is similar to the 6.0 update, which despite being a whole number was focused squarely on stability improvements. Sony is being more upfront about that fact this time around though, after functionality in the 6.0 beta was kept a secret known only to testers. That left the eventual roll-out somewhat of a disappointment when it didn't do much at all.
We do know that some consumer-facing features are on the way, however, including the long-awaited PSN name change feature. Those who have access to that beta have been able to change their name for free the first time, and then at $10 USD/CAD / €9.99 / £7.99 for each subsequent change. PlayStation Plus members get a break, costing only $5 USD/CAD / €4.99 / £3.99. But Sony also warned those testing the feature that it could lead to losses of data, including DLC purchases, game saves, and more.
With DJ Marshmello set to hold a concert in Fortnite very soon, Epic Games has kicked off a mini event that consists of new challenges and rewards. The first segment of this is now live and involves something called Showtime posters; here's how it works.
The first of the Showtime challenges asks you to search a Showtime poster. This simply involves tracking down one of these posters and holding the Use key while standing in front of it. Do that, and you'll net a Marshmello-themed spray for yourself. Two more challenges will open up on February 1, each with a reward of their own; complete all three to net an additional reward.
Until the others unlock, that leaves you to merely track down a showtime poster. It's unclear exactly where these can be found at this point, but they appear to be scattered all around the map. We found one located on the side of the structures just north of Dusty Divot; you can see what you're looking for in the image below.
It's a relatively easy challenge, provided you can locate one of the posters. Whether the other two objectives prove to be just as simple remains to be seen, but even if they're knocked out quickly, there's a new batch of Week 9 challenges to keep you busy. Among them: one asking you to pop golden balloons and a multi-tiered one that has you dance on a sundial, followed by two other objects.
As for DJ Marshmello, the electronic musician is currently on tour. The next stop listed on the schedule is Pleasant Park, one of the locations on Fortnite's island. If you go there now, you can actually see that a stage has been set up for the concert, though just what it will look like on the day remains to be seen. The concert is scheduled for Saturday, February 2, at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 7 PM GMT.
Ben Affleck has played Batman in three DC movies to date, but it's safe to say that none of those movies were particularly well received. From the "sad Affleck" meme that did the rounds while he was promoting the critically panned Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice to the commercial failure of Justice League, there has been much speculation that the star will not return to the role again. He has now confirmed this. Sort of.
Following the news that the next Batman movie, titled The Batman, is set to hit theaters in June 2021, Affleck took to Twitter to retweet a story that he would no longer play the role. The original story ran in Deadline carried the headline "Ben Affleck Passes The Torch To Next Generation Of Bruce Wayne." Affleck retweeted this, adding that he was excited for the film, which will be directed by Matt Reeves. Check it out below:
The Batman was first announced back in 2016, with Affleck attached to star, co-write, and direct. He initially stepped down as director when Reeves came on board, and soon after it was reported that Affleck's script had been abandoned. While Affleck never stated that he was leaving the role, last year it was reported that Reeves' movie will feature a much younger Bruce Wayne.
The Batman hits theaters on June 25, 2021. Earlier this week, Reeves hinted at what fans could expect from the film. "It's very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale," he said. "It's told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it's going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It's more Batman in his detective mode than we've seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He's supposed to be the world's greatest detective, and that's not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been."
In related news, DC has also announced the release date of the next Suicide Squad movie. It's simply titled The Suicide Squad, and is not a sequel to the 2017 movie, but a new version written by James Gunn. Gunn was hired by DC to work on the script in October, following his departure from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn is also in negotiations to direct, and that it will "take the franchise in a new direction with a mostly all-new cast of characters and actors."
Square Enix has been very protective of Kingdom Hearts 3 spoilers, even holding back some of its special endings for post-launch. That rolling time period has now ended, as Square Enix has announced that its closely guarded "Secret Movie" is now available for those who have fulfilled the requirements.
The Secret Ending is tied to photographing the Lucky Emblems, which are recognizable as Disney's Mickey Mouse logo, hidden throughout the world. Check out our Lucky Emblems guide for details on their locations. The number of Lucky Emblems you need to collect to unlock the Secret Movie is different based on your difficulty level. On easy mode you'll need to get them all, but in the other two modes you can get fewer to unlock them.
This is actually the second post-launch movie added to Kingdom Hearts 3. A special epilogue was also added and is viewable upon finishing the game's main story. Square also patched in a "Memory Archive," a series of short films that reviews the major points of the story so far.
When the game leaked and spoilers began to circulate online, director Tetsuya Nomura asked fans to please not share them, and detailed his plans for the post-launch movies. More recently, he said he's reconsidering simultaneous worldwide launches to avoid leaks.
"What sticks with me is the exciting battle against elemental titans with Hercules, taking Rapunzel out into the unfamiliar wide world for the first time, snapping selfies with Winnie the Pooh, and going toe to toe with Davy Jones," critic Tamoor Hussain wrote in GameSpot's Kingdom Hearts 3 review. "In 2002, as Sora, I left Destiny Islands to travel across the universe and make new friends. In 2019 I brought old ones home, and I had so much fun doing it."
Release dates for video games have becoming increasingly murky in recent years for a variety of reasons. Often a game comes out on one day but can be accessed a few days early if you pre-order, and different regions sometimes get new releases on different days. With Anthem, the upcoming RPG shooter from BioWare, things are even more complicated even without regional differences, prompting publisher EA to release a chart to both help you figure out when you can play and illustrating just how unusual the situation is.
The problem is that you can obtain Anthem in multiple ways, including some options that don't involve directly purchasing it. Those on PC can get into the full game as early as February 15, provided you subscribe to Origin Access Premier--EA's pricey $15/£15 per month or $100/£90 per year service that gets you access to its new releases, among other things.
If you're on Xbox One, you can also start playing Anthem on February 15, but only for 10 hours total; you can do this by subscribing to EA Access, letting you try a chunk of the game without buying it. If you're on PC and are a subscriber to the platform's EA Access equivalent, Origin Access, you also get 10 hours to play starting on February 15.
Those on PS4 don't have the ability to subscribe to any Access-style service from EA, so you'll have to wait until the actual release date--February 22--to play, at which time you can buy the full game. That's also the day that buyers of the $80/£70 Legion of Dawn edition get in; this special edition does not come with any kind of early access. Pre-ordering any version of the game also does not get you in early. Here's all of this information in chart form, courtesy of EA's support Twitter account:
Figuring out when you can start playing is just a matter of finding your path to the game in that chart, but it's nonetheless striking that a chart is needed for what should be a simple fact. Confusion aside, this might also prove frustrating for groups of friends looking to play together who are acquiring the full game at different times--or it might just drive users to subscribe to one of the Access services, which is likely what EA wants.
If you're planning to complete all the challenges for Week 9 of Fortnite's seventh season, you'll need to hunt down some balloons and pop them. Sounds fun, right? It is! However, it can also be a bit frustrating since the island is very big, and those pesky balloons can be a bit inconspicuous. The challenge requires you to pop "10 golden balloons," which is slightly misleading as they're closer to silver than golden. To make it easier for you, we've put together a guide for where they can be found.
All you've got to do is head to the locations below, locate the balloons, and fire off a shot to pop it. Then, move to the next one, rinse, and repeat until you've got all 10. It's a good idea to pack a weapon with some range as, now and then, you may find people waiting nearby to take you out, so being able to pop them from safety is certainly handy.
Fortnite Golden Balloon Locations
Grid reference I2 on the roof of the brick house
Grid reference B2 on the roof of the mausoleum
Grid reference J5 on the tower at Lonely Lodge
Grid reference I6 on the bear statue south of Retail Row
Grid reference G4 in the area outside Tomato Temple
Grid reference H5 attached to an electricity pylon
Grid reference F6 on one of the structures in the middle of Dusty Divot
Grid reference E4 on an abandoned boat in Loot Lake
Grid reference D2 in the "O" of the destroyed motel sign
Grid reference J3 next to the truck hanging off the edge of the cliff
The other tricky challenge for the week involves finding three specific objects on the island to dance on top of: a sundial, an oversized cup of coffee, and a metal dog head. Sound familiar? You've probably seen them dozens of times, but you can use our location guide to pinpoint exactly where they are and get the challenge done.
Microsoft announced its fiscal results for the quarter ending December 31, 2018, and it has some positive numbers almost across the board for its Xbox gaming division. The Xbox business went up year-over-year by almost every metric, except for hardware revenue, which decreased.
According to the company, gaming revenue increased by 8%, at a total of $4.23 billion. Xbox software and services revenue increased by the most at 31%, thanks to the strength of third-parties. Xbox Live monthly active users are also up 8%, totaling 64 million. That figure includes Gold and Silver members, as well as users on Windows 10 and smartphones.
Hardware didn't fare quite so well. It was down 19%, which Microsoft credits largely to the year-over-year comparison putting it against the launch of the Xbox One X in 2017. Overall, company revenue was up 12% for a total of $32.5 billion.
Microsoft's Xbox division has been making big moves as it prepares for the future. It has plans to expand Game Pass to PC, and has acquired a long list of studios to produce more first-party content. Those include Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, Playground Games, Compulsion Games, and most recently, Obsidian and InXile. It has also announced a game-streaming service that will begin rolling out in beta this year, and it's at work on the multiple new Xbox consoles.
The company recently teased "new Microsoft technologies" while touting its line-up for 2019. Recently Xbox head Phil Spencer said they'll be "going big" at E3 this year, following Sony's announcement that it's dropping out altogether.
With the huge success of Aquaman and much excitement around this week's first Birds of Prey teaser, it seems that the DC movie universe is finally back on track. The studio has now added two new movies to its schedule, with confirmed release dates for The Batman and the reboot of Suicide Squad, which is titled The Suicide Squad.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Batman will hit theaters on June 25, 2021, while The Suicide Squad will be released on August 6 of the same year. In addition, Warner confirmed the release of a new movie titled DC Super Pets, which will focus on the pets of various DC heroes. That arrives on May 21, 2021.
The news of The Batman's release follows comments made by director Matt Reeves earlier this week, in which he described the film as "a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale." The movie has been in development for several years now, and it was originally set to be directed by and star Ben Affleck. While Affleck has not been officially replaced as Batman, it is thought that the role will be recast for the new movie. Affleck himself tweeted that he was "excited" for The Batman, implying that he wouldn't be in it.
As for The Suicide Squad, this is not a sequel to the 2017 movie, but a new version written by James Gunn. Gunn was hired by DC to work on the script in October, following his departure from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. THR also reports that Gunn is in negotiations to direct, and that it will "take the franchise in a new direction with a mostly all-new cast of characters and actors."
Before we get to these, there are several new DC movies set for release over the next two years. Shazam! arrives in April, while October will see the release of Joker, which stars Joaquin Phoenix and focuses on the early life of the iconic DC villain. Birds of Prey arrives in February 2020, while Wonder Woman 1984 is released in July that year.
The Fortnite island has been full of players frolicking in the snow over the last few days--and by frolicking we mean desperately trying to not get killed by other players and the hordes of ice monsters. Still, it's good times. We're now in Fortnite Season 7, Week 9, and the fun is set to continue with a new batch of weekly challenges. As always, get these done and earn Battle Stars to upgrade your Battle Pass. As you level the pass up, new cosmetics will be unlocked for you--easy as ice pie.
In the free category, this week's challenges involve using the Sneaky Snowman item in three different matches, eliminating three enemies at Junk Junction or Retail Row, and completing a multi-stage challenge that begins with landing at Retail Row.
However, if you want to maximize your Battle Star earnings, you'll need to have a premium Battle Pass, which you can get by paying V-Bucks. For those who have one of those, the extra set of challenges will require you to pop 10 golden balloons, get three kills with a shotgun, and complete two timed trials in an X-4 Stormwing Plane. Additionally, there's a another multi-stage challenge that involves dancing on three specific items on the island.
Free
Use a Sneaky Snowman in different matches (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Land at Retail Row -- 1 Battle Star
Eliminate opponents at Junk Junction or Retail Row (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Pop 10 golden balloons (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Dance on a sundial -- 1 Battle Star
Shotgun eliminations 3 -- 10 Battle Stars
Complete timed trials in an X-4 Stormwing plane (2) -- 10 Battle Stars
On January 30, Fortnite developer Epic Games launched update 7.30 of the game for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, iOS, and Android. Although the patch throws a umber of weapons into the vault, it also adds a new item called the chiller grenade, as well as the Solid Gold limited-time mode. Additionally, controller support for mobile players as been introduced. You can read all about those in the full Fortnite update 7.30 patch notes.
Mario Kart Tour, the smartphone debut of Nintendo's hit racing series, has been delayed. In an earnings report, the publisher confirmed the mobile game would not hit its intended release window of the financial year 2018/19, which ends in March.
Instead, the company now says Mario Kart Tour will launch in the summer of 2019. Explaining the delay, Nintendo said it wanted to "improve [the] quality of the application and expand the content offerings after launch," and hence needed more development time.
Mario Kart Tour was announced last year, though few details are known at present. All that's been revealed is the logo you can see above.
The latest game in the racing series is Nintendo Switch's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which has now sold over 15 million copies worldwide. For more on that title, read our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review.
Nintendo has revealed its 10 best-selling Switch exclusives, and there are some eye-watering sales figures involved. As part of its latest earnings report, the company confirmed its best-selling Switch game is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which has been bought by just over 15 million people around the world as of December 31.
Below that, Super Mario Odyssey sold an impressive 13.76 million copies, while Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is already in third place with 12m copies shifted, despite having been available for less than a month at the time these data were recorded. It should be noted Nintendo only disclosed the figures for games it published, meaning big third-party games such as Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and FIFA 19 are excluded from this list.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe lying at the top of this chart is especially impressive given its non-Deluxe predecessor, Mario Kart 8, was the best-selling game on Wii U, with 8.42m units sold. New Super Mario Bros. U was the third best-selling game on Wii U, so it will be interesting to see how its Deluxe version does on Switch.
In the two years since launch, the Nintendo Switch has had some critically acclaimed games, including the aforementioned Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For more top-rated titles on the system, check out our rundown of the best Nintendo Switch games.
Challenges for Season 7, Week 9 of Fortnite are now live, and for one of them, you'll have to embark on a dancing pilgrimage around the island. Specifically, the challenge requires you to locate three key landmarks, hop on top of them and then do a little dance to earn the precious Battle Stars. Those with good knowledge of the map will probably be able to get this done real quick, but if you need a guiding hand, we're here to offer one. Below you'll find a breakdown of the challenge, as well as exactly where you should go to complete it.
So, the three landmarks you need to find are a sundial, an oversized cup of coffee, and a giant metal dog head. All there are spread out across the map, so it may be easier to find one, drop out of the game, and then fly out of the Battle Bus to the next and so on. The sundial can be found in the bottom right of the island in the desert area. Head to grid reference G9 and look for a hill north of the gas station. You'll see a bunch of cars stacked in a very strange way--that's your sundial.
Next up is the oversized cup of coffee, which you'll need to drop into grid reference F5 to find. Head to the Dusty Divot diner, specifically the parking lot, and you'll see the caffeinated beast there. If you're approaching it from the front, it's on the left of the car park area. And finally, the giant metal dog head is all the way up in the top left of the island at Junk Junction. Hop over to grid reference B2 and look for the crane on the left of the entrance, which has a little dog face on it. Get to the very top of the crane--the head as it were--and bust a move. Take a look at the map below for a visual representation, and there are also screenshots showing the exact locations.
Fortnite Sundial, Oversized Cup of Coffee, Giant Metal Dog Head Locations
Sundial: Southwest of Paradise Palms at grid reference G9
Oversized Coffee Cup: Dusty Divot diner at grid reference F5
Giant Metal Dog Head: Junk Junction at the top of the crane; grid reference B2
The rest of the challenges for the week are fairly straightforward, and you can get a breakdown of them all here. Of course, the wintry event in Fortnite is ongoing and, as part of that, a new weapon called the Chiller Grenade has been added to the game. It arrived in update 7.30, which also introduced the Solid Gold limited-time mode. You can read about both of those, as well as the various other tweaks and changes, in the full Fortnite update 7.30 patch notes.
As Rare's high-seas adventuring game Sea of Thieves approaches the first anniversary of its release, the studio has addressed some player feedback. In the hopes of balancing and providing consistently enjoyable content for players in its open-world sandbox, the developer took to YouTube to announce that, in a future update, Xbox One and PC cross-play will be optional.
In an official developer update, Sea of Thieves' executive producer, Joe Neate, talked at length about the developer's plans for changing the way cross-play works between the platforms. While Neate acknowledged that cross-play has brought many benefits to Sea of Thieves, he admitted that, with the game's new PvP mode, Arena, on the way, he wants everyone to feel that "they have a level playing field."
In this forthcoming Sea of Thieves update, console players using a controller will have the option to only matchmake with other controller users on console, effectively splitting the player base as such: a controller-only pool and the cross-play pool. The cross-play pool is just as it sounds: any user who wants to play with anyone, regardless of controller input, will be able to do so. According to Neate, players will be able to toggle the option on and off at will. The option, as Neate confirmed, will be available whether players enter free-play or the game's upcoming Arena mode.
In addition to the option of cross-play in Sea of Thieves, Neate announced that mouse-and-keyboard input will makes its way to the game on console. Neate didn't provide a release window for when this update will hit the game, nor did he specify when this cross-play update will hit the game. However, Neate did confirm that Rare has discussed optional cross-play at length internally and the studio's already hard at work on implementing the update.
In our Sea of Thieves review, we said that, at the time of launch, "it's a somewhat hollow game that can be fun for a handful of hours when played with friends, and something worth trying out if you happen to be an Xbox Game Pass subscriber." Our reviewer, Peter Brown, continued, "Even though it's hard to wholeheartedly recommend, I like enough of what I see to hold out hope that things will eventually improve as the game continues to be patched and updated with new content."
Acclaimed writer Stephen King's no stranger to his work getting adapted to the big screen. From It to The Dark Tower, King's work has made the jump from words to visuals since the 70s. Now as detailed by the Hollywood Reporter, another novel from King's expansive bibliography is set to hit the big screen.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, CBS All Access has ordered a 10-episode, straight-to-series adaptation of King's best-selling post-apocalyptic epic, The Stand. The drama will see a script penned by Josh Boone (All We Had, The Fault in Our Stars), who was initially scheduled to write a feature film based on the 1978 epic. Ben Cavell (Justified, SEAL Team) is reportedly writing The Stand's script alongside Boone.
Both Boone, who will also direct, and Cavell will write and executive produce this King adaptation. Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee (Death Note, The Disaster Artist) and Mosaic's Jimmy Miller (Bad Teacher, Semi-Pro) will also executive produce The Stand. Richard P. Rubinstein (Dawn of the Dead, Dune)--who served as a producer on several King adaptions throughout the 80s and 90s, including Golden Years, Thinner, and a 1994 mini-series of The Stand--is confirmed to executive produce the CBS drama with Boone, Cavell, Lee, and Miller. Will Weiske (Bridge of Spies, Her) and Miri Yoon (Behaving Badly, Death Note) will co-executive producer the drama. As the Hollywood Reporter states, Owen King, Stephen King's son, will produce.
"I'm excited and so very pleased that The Stand is going to have a new life on this exciting new platform," King said. "The people involved are men and women who know exactly what they're doing; the scripts are dynamite. The result bids to be something memorable and thrilling. I believe it will take viewers away to a world they hope will never happen."
Stephen King's The Stand, a novel almost as long as David Foster Wallace's 1996 epic Infinite Jest, expands on King's Night Surf, a short story published in an issue of Ubris magazine in the spring of 1969. The nearly 1000-page novel imagines the total breakdown of society after a modified version of the flu used for biological warfare is accidentally released. This causes widespread panic, triggering an apocalyptic pandemic that wipes out the majority of the world's human population.
The TV series will see the fate of mankind rest of the shoulders of a few of the survivors of the pandemic. With the world caught in an elemental struggle between good and evil, the nightmares of the remnants of humanity are embodied in Randall Flagg, the Dark Man, an individual with unspeakable powers.
Along with The Stand, CBS All Access' roster includes Star Trek: Discovery (which launched its second season on January 17), The Twilight Zone, Why Women Kill, and more.
You may recognize Kotaro Uchikoshi from his work directing the Zero Escape games (999, Virtue's Last Reward, and Zero Time Dilemma), and you might be familiar with Spike Chunsoft's murder mystery series Danganronpa. But it appears they're making a somewhat unexpected move related to their next game. They're promoting their own virtual pop idol and influencer. What a time to be alive.
Iris Sagan, also referred to by her stage names A-set or Tesa, is said to be an important character in Uchikoshi's and Spike Chunsoft's upcoming game AI: The Somnium Files. It's worth noting that her design comes from artist Yusuke Kozaki, who is best known for his character designs in Fire Emblem Awakening (including Fates and Heroes) and the No More Heroes series.
Apparently Iris a big-time streamer, internet pop star, and 18 year-old high school student all at the same time. And it seems that she has an active Twitter account alongside a video in which Uchikoshi-san himself comically introduces A-set, followed by a sort of music video that features her dancing and singing to an original song (feel free to see for yourself below).
I'd like to consider myself a bit of an authority on digital pop idols as I still believe Rise Kujikawa (Persona 4) and Hatsune Miku to be the gold standards--so, my fandom sets the bar is set pretty high. But I won't write off Iris (or A-set) quite yet, especially if this ties into a larger narrative for AI: The Somnium Files.
AI: The Somnium Files was first revealed during a panel at Anime Expo 2018, and Iris was first introduced as a key character. Not much has been said about the game itself, but it shares similarities to the developers' previous games; you'll play as Kaname Date and investigate a series of murders which will involve solving puzzles and gathering evidence that hopefully lead to sound conclusions. It's set to launch for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC sometime this year.
In Kingdom Hearts III, you learn early on in your adventure about Lucky Emblems, which are Mickey Mouse symbols that you're encouraged to photograph with your Gummiphone. The reward for photographing Lucky Emblems isn't made entirely clear at first, but know that doing so will net you the secret ending. If that entices you, then we encourage you to always be on the lookout. Sora, Donald, and Goofy often note when a Lucky Emblem is nearby, so take the time to investigate. They're usually hidden behind objects, on walls, or somewhere up above.
Depending on the difficulty level you've chosen, the number of Lucky Emblems you need to get the secret ending will vary. If you're playing on easy, you need to get them all, but any difficulty level above that requires less. We've yet to collect the full data on how much you need for each difficulty level, but just know that you should start making a habit of snapping shots of these cleverly hidden symbols.
Seeing as you're here, the importance of this task isn't lost on you! To help you nab that secret ending, we've collected the locations of every Lucky Emblem below. It helps to know that the game organizes all the Lucky Emblems on your Gummiphone in order of where you find them in the world, so if you're missing one but have the others around it, try covering the ground in-between the two. But if the shots below aren't enough to point you in the right direction, refer to the video above for further clarification on where each one is.
It's worth noting that getting all the Lucky Emblems also nets you Orichalcum+, an essential synthesizing material required to craft the best Keyblade in the game, the Ultima Weapon. Photographing all 80 Lucky Emblems is but one of the few ways to get an Orichalcum+; you need seven to craft the Keyblade.
If you're looking for more Kingdom Hearts 3 guides, be sure to check out our beginner's tips feature. You can also read our review for our full thoughts about the game.
Olympus is a great sampler of the open design of the game's maps. When you start your journey here alongside Hercules, you unfortunately aren't made aware of Lucky Emblems, but you might've noticed their presence. Aside from the one hidden in the Forge to the north of the Realm of the Gods save point, most of the Lucky Emblems are found along its multiple pathways. For further clarification on where to find them all, jump to the "00:20" mark in the video above.
Twilight Town
Twilight Town covers a relatively small area, which makes getting all nine of its Lucky Emblems a cinch. They're mostly hidden in easy-to-miss spots and places up high. But if you haven't been back to Twilight Town in ages, you can jump to the "03:12" mark in the video above for additional clarification.
Toy Box
The Toy Box world has pretty clear delineations between its few areas. That said, most of its Lucky Emblems are cleverly hidden in spots you wouldn't expect. For additional guidance, jump to the "05:41" mark in the video above.
Kingdom of Corona
With such a lush forest filling up the majority of its runtime, it's a bit surprising that most of the Kingdom of Corona's Lucky Emblems are actually located in town. Finding these should be no trouble, but if you need assistance, jump to the "08:10" mark in the video above.
Monstropolis
Monstrolpolis is another area where you might have trouble locating its Lucky Emblems. Clever visual tricks make spotting them all a chore for the untrained eye. These shots should help clear things up, but you're welcome to jump the "10:46" mark in the video above if you're lost.
Arendelle
While Arendelle is a beautiful winter wonderland, it's rather difficult to find many of its Lucky Emblems given how its copious amounts of snow makes a few of its areas look rather similar to each other. If you're struggling, refer to the "13:19" mark in the video above for more explicit directions on where to find each Lucky Emblem.
Hundred Acre Wood
Winnie the Pooh and friends have the smallest world in Kingdom Hearts III. Its three Lucky Emblems are tucked away in unexpected corners. You can see the locations in more detail at the "17:20" mark in the video above.
San Fransokyo
There's a lot of vertical space in San Fransokyo, which makes finding its Lucky Emblems difficult. Just know that you're going to find the majority of them at the world's highest points. But if the constant climb upwards is waring you down, jump to the "17:52" mark in the video above for additional reference.
The Caribbean
The Caribbean is by far the largest area in the game, which makes it rather tough to root out all of its Lucky Emblems. A bunch of islands make up the sum of its massive map, so if you're having trouble pinpointing where everything is, we've made notes starting at the "20:44" mark in the video above.
Dead or Alive 6 director Yohei Shimbori has announced that the upcoming fighting game will have a free-to-play version that only includes the "core fighters." This additional version of the game was previously hinted at after a posting for "Dead or Alive 6 Core Fighters" appeared on the Microsoft Store, before quickly being taken down.
"First of all, about the listing on the Microsoft Store, that was a mistake from the development team," Shimbori said in an interview with Siliconera. "We do have plans to make a free-to-play version, but we haven't announced when it will be available. We can promise it will be out post-launch of the full game. We can't talk about it yet since we don't have concrete details about what will be included yet. But, it will be similar to what we had with Dead or Alive 5: Core Fighters."
Dead or Alive 5: Core Fighters is a free version of the fifth DoA mainline game. It only gives you four playable fighters, with the option to unlock a few costumes. It was followed by two other versions of Dead or Alive 5, a complete collection of the main game and all DLC called Ultimate and a HD remaster called Last Round.
Team Ninja hopes that Dead or Alive 6 can be a point of transition for the fighting game series. The developer wants the game to be an esports contender, and also get more people to jump into the franchise. To help with the latter goal, new fighting mechanics have been added to the game to streamline combos and counters for less experienced players. Team Ninja is also trying to tone down on the sexual fan service present throughout the franchise, and deliver a more compelling narrative in the single-player campaign.
Dead or Alive 6 was originally scheduled for release on February 15--alongside half a dozen other games--before being delayed to March 1. The game will be available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Phoenix Labs has announced that its Monster Hunter-like game, called Dauntless, will move from its own current launcher to the Epic Games Store. Also, when the game releases on consoles and mobile later this year, Dauntless will support both cross-platform multiplayer and progression on all systems.
There hasn't been an official confirmation as to when Dauntless current launcher will be retired, but it's probable that the PC version of the game will move to the Epic Games Store prior to or around the Xbox One and PS4 release. Phoenix Labs aims to have every player's saved data for Dauntless be tied to their Epic accounts, so when they transition to another system, their data goes with them. This system will apply to the Nintendo Switch and mobile versions of the game that launch later this year as well, allowing for total cross-play.
Phoenix Labs has also announced the release of Hunt Pass Season Two, which is now live in Dauntless and continues until March 13. This second season is Valentine's Day-themed, and introduces new limited-time rewards, such as platinum bundles and romantic emotes. The pass has a free Basic track, and an Elite track that costs 1,000 platinum. Both tracks have 50 levels, but going Elite will net you special Ace chips and notes, exclusive transmogs, and more.
Dauntless is currently still in open beta on PC. When it launches on the Epic Game Store, your progress will carry over, regardless of which platform you choose to play on. Dauntless is scheduled for an April release on Xbox One and PS4, and will also launch on Switch and mobile before 2020.
Dauntless is simply the latest in a long long of exclusive titles that Epic has managed to secure. Although the new PC game store started out with smaller exclusives, such as Ashen and Hades, it has recently been making larger moves. For example, both Metro Exodus and The Division 2 are launching exclusively through Epic, and Ubisoft has confirmed that more of its 2019 titles are scheduled to only release through the PC game store as well.
Earlier this week, Deep Silver announced it will sell the PC version of Metro Exodus exclusively through the Epic Games Store--a move that Valve, the company behind Steam, decried as "unfair." THQ Nordic GmbH tried to distance itself from the controversial decision, and now THQ Nordic AB--parent company of both THQ Nordic GmbH and Deep Silver--has issued a response in support of the move.
Following the announcement that Metro Exodus would be skipping Steam, THQ Nordic GmbH took to Twitter to explain it had no involvement in the decision. "The decision to publish Metro Exodus as a timed Epic Store exclusive was made entirely on Koch Media's side as Metro is their intellectual property. They are a sister company of THQ Nordic (Vienna), which is the reason why we can and will not comment on this matter," the company wrote.
In a follow-up tweet, THQ Nordic GmbH said: "We do not want to categorically exclude the possibility of timed exclusives for any of our games in the future, but speaking in the here and now, we definitely want to have the players choose the platform of their liking and make our portfolio available to as many outlets as possible."
Now, THQ Nordice AB, which owns THQ Nordic GmbH, released a statement of its own supporting Deep Silver's decision. "I believe it's in the group's, and ultimately the consumers', best interest that business decisions are made close to the market and this is the group's consistent business model," CEO Lars Wingefors said. "I firmly believe that Deep Silver and Koch Media have carefully considered the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and risks in their decision to go solely with Epic Games Store. The decision has my full support."
Metro Exodus was available to pre-order on Steam before Deep Silver decided to bring it exclusively to the Epic Games Store, and while it is no longer available on Valve's storefront, any Steam pre-orders will still be honored. According to Deep Silver CEO Klemens Kundratitz, Epic's more appealing revenue split--the storefront gives developers 88% of their revenue while Epic only takes 12%--was one of the deciding factors behind the move.
"Epic's generous revenue terms are a game changer that will allow publishers to invest more into content creation, or pass on savings to the players," Kundratitz said. Indeed, in the US, the PC version of Metro Exodus will retail for $50--$10 cheaper than the $60 price tag the game carried on Steam while it was still available.
Metro Exodus isn't the only big game skipping Steam entirely. Ubisoft recently announced that The Division 2 will likewise only be available through the Epic Games Store, in addition to its own storefront.
Blizzard has announced a new map for Overwatch is now live on the PC test servers. Called Paris, the new map takes place in the French city.
Paris is a new Assault map and it contains many narrow streets and corridors. Despite taking place in the city of love, the new map looks as if it's structured to funnel players into fierce firefights as they battle it out for capture points. Noticeable landmarks on the Paris map are the Cabaret Luna, the Pâtisserie Galand, and the Maison Marat--a palace in the center of the city.
Overwatch's latest event, the annual Lunar New Year celebration, is still live across all systems. Modeled after Chinese culture, each celebration adds new content to Overwatch that makes reference to the country's historical and cultural figures. This year's event, titled the Year of the Pig, will continue until February 8.
The Year of the Pig event largely pays homage to Chinese generals and famous figures during the Han dynasty, especially with all its new skins. For example, Reaper, Hanzo, Reinhardt, Torbjor, Zenyatta, and Tracer have new Lu Bu, Huang Zhong, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, and Hong Gildong skins respectively. Orisa also has a new Epic Sanye skin, and Brigitte has a new Epic General skin. Past Overwatch Lunar New Year event skins are available again too.
The Lunar New Year also brings along a patch and balance changes. There's nothing major, although armor now works a little bit differently. Damage reduction is now only -3 instead of -5, so you will see a difference when shooting armored targets with heroes that have burst-fire attacks. Previously, automatic weapons had a noticeable advantage over burst-fire when shooting armored targets, but now the latter should perform a lot better.
Overwatch is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Although Paris is only live on PC's test server, it will make its way onto other platforms eventually. To access the test server, go to the Battle.net client and click on the drop-down menu for Region/Account. From there, you'll see an option to install the test server.
CBS has announced the premiere date for the new The Twilight Zone. The TV series will debut on CBS All Access, and be exclusive for subscribers.
The Twilight Zone is scheduled to premiere on April 1, and no that's not an April Fool's Day joke. Two episodes will be available for subscribers on Monday, April 1, with new ones releasing on a weekly basis starting Thursday, April 11. The new series comes from the mind of Jordan Peele, who is also the host and narrator of the show. His production company, Monkeypaw, is set to produce the series.
Other cast members for the The Twilight Zone include Ike Barinholtz, John Cho, Lucinda Dryzek, Taissa Farmiga, Greg Kinnear, Luke Kirby, Sanaa Lathan, Kumail Nanjiani, Adam Scott, Rhea Seehorn, Alison Tolman, Jacob Tremblay, Jefferson White, Jonathan Whitesell, Jessica Williams, DeWanda Wise and Steven Yeun. A reimagined version of the original The Twilight Zone's "The Wunderkind" episode is already confirmed for this new series, but details have not yet been released for other episodes.
It's a great day to be a fan of #TheTwilightZone! We're celebrating the 59th anniversary of the classic series AND the official start of production on the reimagining coming to CBS All Access in 2019! @JordanPeelepic.twitter.com/evuQQDOp6P
This new The Twilight Zone follows the format of the original show, which ran from 1959 to 1964. The original series is a collection of short stories, each about a mysterious dimension that its narrator refers to as "not only of sight and sound, but of mind." Episodes covered a wide variety of supernatural and science fiction events that befell ordinary people, which range from a frantic driver being pursued by a mysterious hitchhiker to a beautiful woman born in a society that values ugly facial features.
Alongside news of the The Twilight Zone's premiere date, we also learned that Stephen King's The Stand is set to become an All Access series, while The Good Fight Season 3 also get a release date.
Bandai Namco is kicking off a second season of DLC for Dragon Ball FighterZ this week with the release of two new characters: Jiren and Videl. The pair are now on sale as of January 31, and ahead of their arrival, the publisher has shared a new gameplay video showcasing both fighters in action that you can watch below. You can also see a livestream of us checking out the new fighters above.
The Bandai Namco video pits Jiren and Videl against each other in a standard three-on-three bout, giving fans a closer look at each one's fighting style. Jiren looks like a real powerhouse, knocking Super Saiyan Blue Goku out with ease. Videl, meanwhile, favors close-range combat, and as we saw in her reveal trailer, she can call in Gohan (dressed as Great Saiyaman) for certain attacks.
Jiren and Videl will each retail for the same price as other Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC characters: $5. Both are also included in the FighterZ Pass 2, which costs $25 and grants access to four additional characters, two of whom will be Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta and Broly from the new Dragon Ball Super movie. The remaining two fighters have yet to be announced.
Ahead of Jiren and Videl's release, Bandai Namco has rolled out an update for Dragon Ball FighterZ across all platforms. This one primarily makes various balance adjustments. You can read the full patch notes on Bandai Namco's website.
In other Dragon Ball news, Bandai Namco recently revealed the first trailer for its new Dragon Ball Z action RPG. The game is being developed by CyberConnect 2 (Asura's Wrath, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy) and is slated to launch later this year for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Bandai Namco hasn't shared many other details about the title yet, but it will be a retelling of the series and star Goku.
The Super Bowl is almost here, and the one thing just as exciting as the big game is the commercials that air during the event. And one company that everyone has their eyes on this year is none other than Marvel, which has two big movies coming out in the first half of the year. But what can we expect from Marvel this Sunday?
2019 is going to be a big one for Marvel. In addition to what's coming from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants--formerly Fox properties--should be released under the Marvel banner with the buyout of 20th Century Fox coming to a close. That means that this year, Marvel will be releasing five movies. Here is what Marvel has planned for the upcoming year.
Marvel's 2019 Movie Schedule:
Captain Marvel - March 8
Avengers: Endgame - April 26
Dark Phoenix - June 7
Spider-Man: Far From Home - July 5
The New Mutants - August 2
Chances of anything being shown for New Mutants--an X-Men movie that's been pushed back, delayed, and riddled with problems--is a long-shot, simply because it's not high-profile enough for Disney to drop significant money on. And again, the problems that have plagued this movie's production will have undoubtedly affected the final product.
Spider-Man: Far From Home just got its first trailer, and because it takes place in a post-Endgame world, don't expect a new video for the movie. We may see the recent trailer again during the game, but don't expect anything new. And the same goes for Dark Phoenix.
Marvel will likely be pushing both Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame during the Super Bowl, if the company does in fact have ad space. More than likely, we'll get another Captain Marvel trailer, which may or may not have any new footage, for a final push before the March release.
Then, there's Avengers: Endgame. Plenty of people and news outlets are speculating we will get a brand-new trailer for the April film. CBS ad execs have been keeping it tight-lipped when it comes to what movie studios will be represented for commercial spots, according to AdAge. And some of these spots cost up to $5.3 million. So even though there is zero confirmation, people are speculating we will get an Avengers: Endgame trailer during the NFL Championship. But why?
If you remember back to last year's Super Bowl, Marvel dropped an Infinity War trailer during the game. Alongside that, Disney also dropped a trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story as well, so the company has no problem dropping large amounts of money on ad spots for its larger movies.
So on February 3, during the big game, there is a pretty good chance we'll get Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, but more than likely, it will be a surprise with no confirmation prior to the event. For more on the Super Bowl, check out some halftime show options.
The private beta for The Division 2 is almost here, and we've outlined all the information you need to know in order to participate. Ubisoft has announced that new content will become available later in the demo, so you'll need to check in past the first day to see everything.
The Division 2 leaves the New York City setting of the first game for a story told in Washington DC. The loot-driven RPG elements and third-person cover-based shooter mechanics from The Division return, but this sequel promises a larger focus on how a player's choices will impact the in-game world. The popular Dark Zone from the first game has been multiplied into three in The Division 2, and how they work has also changed.
The Division 2 launches on March 15 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The PC version, previously scheduled for Steam, is now releasing on the Epic Games Store instead.
When Is The Division 2's Private Beta
The Division 2 private beta starts on February 7 at 1AM PT / 4AM ET / 9AM UK and ends February 11 at 1AM PT / 4AM ET / 9AM UK. The beta will be available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
How To Participate In The Private Beta
In order to participate in the private beta, you'll need to be invited. You can get an invite in one of two ways. You can either pre-order The Division 2 or you can register on the game's main website for a chance to win an invite. Pre-ordering the game is the only guaranteed way to participate.
You can preload the game 24 hours before it becomes available. If you plan on playing on PC, Ubisoft's recommended PC specs--which put the game at 1080p and 60fps--requires an AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or Intel Core I7-4790 that's paired with 8 GB of RAM and either an AMD RX 480 or Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 with 4 GB of VRAM.
What Can You Do In The Private Beta
There seems to be a fair bit of content available in The Division 2 private beta. On February 7, you'll have access to a couple main missions, several open-world activities, one of the PvP modes, and one of the three Dark Zones.
Of the two main story missions, the first will take place in Grand Washington Hotel, while the second is located at Jefferson Trade Center. While exploring the world, you'll find five additional side missions. If you want, you can also participate in The Division 2's new Skirmish PvP mode or journey into Dark Zone East. You'll be able to rank up to level seven throughout your time in the private beta, and unlock new skills to use.
Starting February 8, endgame content will be unlocked in the private beta. You'll be able to try a level 30 agent, as well as one of the three new specializations. There's also an endgame Invaded mission available.
The Los Angeles Rams will take on the New England Patriots at the Super Bowl this weekend. But for many viewers, Super Bowl Sunday is about the spectacle. The year's biggest game, biggest half-time show, and of course, the biggest commercials. Advertising during the Super Bowl guarantees a massive audience and the prestige of sharing airtime with some of the most iconic ads ever created.
This year, companies like Amazon, Doritos, and Budweiser have already begun to show off teasers for ads that will air on February 3. Some of these are versions of the final ads themselves, but many are Internet-ready ads for the ads that we'll see during the big game. Check out all that we know about for sure below. We also expect to see some movie trailers, including a likely look at some upcoming Marvel films.
Amazon Alexa
Amazon is advertising its Alexa virtual assistant with a series of ads, centered around a fictional Beta Testing program reserved strictly for celebrities like Harrison Ford. If anyone knows how to deal with smart-aleck robots, it's him.
Avacados from Mexico
Who doesn't love some guac to go with those chips? Avacados from Mexico, a marketing group for the tree fruit import business, created a commercial using that mainstay of advertising success: cute dogs.
Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer
In one of the more high-concept ads we've seen so far, a group of mermaids pitch their spiked seltzer, Shark Tank style, to a gang of actual sharks.
Bubly Flavored Water
Singer Michael Bublé has riffed on his very adjective-like name before, and now the crooner is playing at being a bit miffed at the similarity with the flavored water brand Bubly.
Budweiser
The self-proclaimed King of Beers has become somewhat known for its Super Bowl commercials, so of course it's planning to show up this year. This year it's tipping its hat to sustainable energy, promoting its use of wind power with the help of its iconic clydesdale horses and (why not?) a cute dog.
Doritos
Perpetual football snack Doritos uses all that tortilla money to bring Backstreet back (alright), as the 1990s heartthrobs give Chance the Rapper a shot at joining their crew. We've only seen teasers so far so the big day will likely bring a longer ad spot.
M&Ms
Christina Applegate stars in a teaser for the little candy confections, as a frustrated woman locked out of her car by someone--or something--on the inside.
Planters Peanuts
A brief teaser for Planters shows the company's monocled mascot tossing peanuts into the mouth of baseball great Alex Rodriguez.
Skittles
Skittles is very consciously making a point of not showing an ad during the game, instead advertising that it is hosting a full-blown Broadway musical. It stars Michael C. Hall and will play to an actual live audience in New York concurrent with the Super Bowl itself, with ticket proceeds and a matching donation going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Stella Artois
In an ad for Stella Artois beer, fictional characters known for their associations with particular alcoholic beverages decide on a change of pace and instead order a Stella. Those include Carrie Bradshaw of Sex in the City eschewing her cosmo and The Dude rejecting a White Russian. This ad strategy may have backfired slightly for Stella, though, as the initial vague teaser starring Jeff Bridges raised hopes for a Big Lebowski sequel. Sorry, fans of The Dude.
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