With the new week comes a bunch of new originals, TV shows, and movies to watch on Netflix. From a blockbuster film to a new original animated Godzilla movie, there's plenty to love from Netflix's latest offerings.
The biggest new addition is Solo: A Star Wars Story, the latest film in the Lucasfilm franchise. While the Han Solo origin story may not have been the box office success those involved were hoping for, GameSpot reviewer Michael Rougeau enjoyed Solo, even with its flaws.
Other new streaming options include the Netflix original film Godzilla: The Planet Eater, which first debuted in Japan in November, as well as a new season of Friends From College. Rounding out the week are original films Sex Education and The Last Laugh.
You can take a look at everything coming to Netflix this week below. Then make sure to look at all of January's additions on the streaming service, as well as what Hulu and Amazon Prime Video are offering to kick off 2019.
Avail. 1/9/19
GODZILLA The Planet Eater-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Avail. 1/10/19
When Heroes Fly-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/11/19
Friends from College: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Massacre at the Stadium-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
It's still early in the creation process of the Mad Box, developer Slightly Mad Studios' recently announced new game console. It's so early, in fact, that there's not even a definitive design for the Mad Box. Studio head Ian Bell is sharing possible designs for the console on Twitter and asking people for feedback about them.
Bell tossed a few concept photos for the possible Mad Box out on the internet, which all are drastically different. One looks like a PC tower with some plastic and neon accoutrements, while another resembles a Portal 2 Companion Cube, and a third could reasonably be mistaken for something like a Blu-Ray player.
For all three, Bell tweeted things like, "Would love to hear your feedback," and his attitude online makes it clear the studio is looking for input from potential customers on several aspects of the project.
One of our much less 'out there' designs with standard cooling. Let me know your thoughts. pic.twitter.com/GiQwLovL1c
These latest designs follow other images Bell shared over the weekend of another potential design for the console, which looks like a standard PC tower with plastic pieces acting as stands on either side.
Though Bell has been very vocal about the Mad Box since it was announced last week, we know very little about it. He claims the machine will be the most powerful console ever built," and support features like 120 frames-per-second in virtual reality. The studio also says it plans to provide a free game engine for developers who want to make games for the console, and that the studio doesn't believe in trying to make exclusivity deals, leaving developers free to put their games out on other platforms as well.
All that sounds nice, but the Mad Box is still obviously in very early stages--Bell has said Slightly Mad (best known for simulators like the Project CARS games) is in the process of making deals with component makers, and went so far as to blur out the internal components in one Mad Box design image, since they're not finalized. He's speculated the console is still three years away at this point, and it'll definitely face an uphill battle against the existing, well-established PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch consoles.
Numerous changes to a lot of gaming hardware came to light in 2018, including consoles. Some were good, and others not so much. Check out our report cards for more detailed accounts.
Doom composer Mick Gordon has posted a video asking for people to join a "heavy metal choir" that will create music for an upcoming game. Gordon did not reveal what that game might be, but considering Bethesda confirmed that the composer is creating a new soundtrack for Doom Eternal and heavy metal fits the franchise's aesthetic, this choir might just be for the upcoming first-person shooter.
In the video, Gordon reveals that he isn't announcing a competition, and that this in an "open invitation." If you wish to participate, you must be at least 18 years old, fund your own trip to Austin, Texas where the recording session will be held, and submit a demo of your "killer metal" voice by February 1. The recording session will take place during the first week of March, and be both a paid gig and credited role in the upcoming game.
Doom Eternal will be an even more immersive and gruesome descent into hell in comparison to its 2016 predecessor. You'll be able to fight even faster and harder with new mobility systems--such as a grappling hook and free running--and weapons. A new multiplayer feature is being added as well, where other players will be able to invade your game as powerful demons.
Doom Eternal is scheduled for release in 2019, coming out for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Bethesda has yet to reveal whether the Switch version will release alongside the others or sometime afterwards.
Skybound Games, the new developer behind Telltale's The Walking Dead series, has announced the release date for Episode 3 of its final season. Broken Toys will release on January 15, across the PC (on Epic Games Store), PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The announcement was accompanied by a trailer that sets the tone for the new episode.
Telltale made its name revamping the adventure game genre with the success of The Walking Dead, and then used that reputation to develop a variety of other licensed property games based on franchises like Batman, Borderlands, and Guardians of the Galaxy. Following massive layoffs, though, the studio announced that all of its current projects were on hold indefinitely. That included The Walking Dead, which was in the middle of its final season.
Telltale pulled the final season from sale while in talks with developers, and later announced that Skybound Games, the studio founded by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, would finish the project. At the 2018 Game Awards, Skybound announced that it would be an Epic Games Store exclusive. Season Pass holders were exempt from this new exclusivity arrangement, letting Steam users finish the season there if they had already purchased it.
This is the first we've heard since then, finally giving an exact date for the once seemingly dead project to continue. The final episode, Take Us Back, does not have a release date yet. If Skybound keeps pace with the general rate of episodes under Telltale, it will release a few months after Broken Toys.
14 Days of Fortnite is live again on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. As a make good for previously announcing the wrong end date, developer Epic Games has brought the holiday-themed event back for another week, giving players on all platforms another chance to unlock any rewards they may have missed out on the first time around.
The encore event will be live through 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET / 8 AM GMT on January 15. During this time, all of the 14 Days of Fortnite challenges will be available, allowing players to complete any remaining tasks and unlock their corresponding rewards; however, any previous progress on partially completed challenges has been reset. You can see the full list of challenges and rewards in our 14 Days of Fortnite roundup.
14 Days of Fortnite first kicked off in December. As its name describes, the event ran for two weeks, with a new challenge to complete and reward to unlock each day. However, there was some confusion surrounding when the event would end, and as a result, many players felt they didn't have as much time as they expected to complete the challenges.
Epic acknowledged it had shared the wrong end date for the event on its social channels and offered to give everyone who completed at least one 14 Days of Fortnite challenge the Equalizer glider--the 14th unlockable reward--for free. The developer later announced it would instead bring the entire event back for a week.
"We communicated an incorrect end date for the 14 Days of Fortnite event and did not feel the Equalizer Glider compensation was the right approach," Epic wrote on its website. "After further discussion, we've decided to bring back this event early next week through January 15 at 3 AM ET (0800 UTC). We'll also be enabling some of the most popular Limited Time Modes that were available during the event."
Capcom released a Devil May Cry 5 demo for Xbox One in December, but if you didn't already grab it you have officially missed your chance. The demo has been pulled from the Xbox store, though it's still playable if you downloaded it previously. Its listing now says it is not currently available.
Take heart, though, demon hunters. If you missed out on that demo--or if you're just a PS4 owner and never had access to it in the first place--you'll get a fresh bit of DMC5 next month. The tweet that announced the demo had been pulled also gave word that a new one will be coming on February 7, this time for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Since the demo's release, Capcom has continued a steady stream of announcements, like its seamless co-op play. Most recently the studio showed off the new playable character V, who controls very differently from swift melee-focused characters like Dante. V moves slowly around the battlefield, instead summoning a variety of beasts to do his fighting for him. The game is among our most anticipated games of 2019.
"It all seems fitting for Capcom's next stylish-action game to look back on its lineage as a whole, as it plans to finish the main story of the Sparda saga," wrote editor Alessandro Fillari. "Whether it'll close things proper, or if it'll lead into the next phase of the series remains to be seen, but Devil May Cry 5 will no doubt revel in the time it has--and it'll definitely look good while doing it."
Devil May Cry 5 is coming to PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on March 8. For more details, including the various bonus goodies you can get for pre-ordering or with special editions, check out our pre-order guide.
During Nvidia's CES 2019 live press conference, the company announced a wave of gaming laptops that will feature its latest GPUs, the GeForce RTX 20-series. These laptops will have mobile versions of the RTX 2060, RTX 2070, and RTX 2080 depending on the model, and will come from major manufacturers like Samsung, Acer, Asus, Razer, and more. Over 40 different models will be available on January 29.
This is the first batch of laptops that feature RTX GPUs, a new generation of video cards that debuted with high-end desktop versions back in September last year with the RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti. According to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, some of these laptops will be "twice as powerful as the PS4 Pro" and, specifically, an RTX 2060-powered laptop will be 1.6 times as powerful as a PS4 Pro. Compared to desktop GPUs, that same RTX 2060 laptop is said to outperform a desktop GTX 1070.
Of the 40 laptops coming soon, 17 of them will feature the low-profile power-efficient Max-Q design. Max-Q was introduced last generation as a way to pack high-end GPUs into ultra-thin laptops with little compromise in terms of overall performance.
Screenshot from Nvidia's CES 2019 presentation.
Introducing GeForce RTX Laptops. Bring the power of RTX GPUs on the go with over 40+ models rolling out starting January 29th.#CES2019pic.twitter.com/zG5xaBllmg
Not only do the RTX video cards offer better overall performance from the previous GTX 10-series generation, they're also capable of real-time ray tracing and DLSS. The RTX GPU architecture features RT Cores that specifically take care of ray tracing as to not impact overall performance. As a result, there are a few more active parts in these GPUs so temperatures and power consumption remain a key question.
In the same presentation, Nvidia introduced a new mid-range video to the line up with the RTX 2060; it's said to perform on par with or better than the GTX 1070 Ti, and between 1.4 and 1.9 times better than the GTX 1060. It'll launch on January 15 with prices starting at $350.
Desktop GPUs buyers will also get a free game (or two). Those who purchase the RTX 2060 or RTX 2070 can choose between Battlefield V and the upcoming game Anthem for free. If you buy the RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti, you'll get both games bundled.
For more coverage around the event, you can also check out CNET's CES 2019 hub.
Do you feel lucky? If so, the PC game storefront Green Man Gaming has an intriguing proposition for you. It's a promotion called Lucky Dip, in which you pay $1 / £1 to see just how lucky you are. Wagering that small sum gets you a random PC game from a pool of several dozen titles. Some of the games you've heard of, while others you likely haven't. The game you receive is left up to chance. Even so, it's a pretty good deal, seeing as most of the games sell for more than $10 on their own.
One caveat is that you're more likely to win some games than others. Stable Orbit, for instance, has the highest chance of appearing, at 5.24%. Black & White Bushido is the rarest game, with only a 0.07% chance. You can view the odds for all of the games below. The percentages aren't based on popularity, though, so you have a good chance of getting some of the most well-known titles.
Since the games are given out randomly, there's a chance you'll get a game you already own or a duplicate if you play more than once. In either case, GMG is offering no refunds. If you get a game you already own or don't want, you can visit this thread on the GMG forums to see if anyone wants to trade.
Title
Odds
Stable Orbit
5.24%
Toybox Turbos
4.07%
Peregrin
3.59%
Ballistic Overkill - 1 Pack
2.91%
Super Cloudbuilt
2.91%
Tower 57
2.91%
LEGO Batman: The Videogame
2.91%
ADR1FT
2.91%
War Tech Fighters
2.91%
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
2.91%
The Black Death - Single Pack
2.91%
Evil Genius
2.91%
Frozen Synapse Prime - Standard Edition
2.91%
Mount and Blade
2.91%
Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword
2.91%
Killing Floor
2.91%
Quarantine
2.91%
Magicka - Standard
2.91%
Dead Age
2.91%
F.E.A.R 3
2.91%
RAGE
2.91%
Mount and Blade - Warband
2.91%
Insurgency
2.91%
The Little Acre
2.91%
Injustice: Gods Among Us - Ultimate Edition
1.75%
Next Up Hero
1.75%
Beyond Eyes
1.75%
InnerSpace
1.75%
Beat Cop
1.75%
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year
1.75%
Crusader Kings II
1.75%
This War Of Mine
1.75%
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD
1.53%
Serial Cleaner
1.33%
The Flame In The Flood
1.16%
Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide
1.03%
Edge of Twilight – Return To Glory
0.98%
Bomber Crew - Standard
0.98%
Space Ribbon
0.79%
The Last Door: Season One
0.73%
The Bunker
0.67%
Supreme League of Patriots: Issue 2 – Patriot Frames
Nintendo has become known for developing games on its own dedicated hardware over the last 30 years, but that could eventually change. The company's new president Shuntaro Furukawa stated in a recent interview that the company is open to changing its approach based on shifting technologies, even if that means no longer developing its own consoles.
"We aren't really fixated on our consoles," Furukawa told Nikkei (translated by Nintendo Everything). "At the moment we're offering the uniquely developed Nintendo Switch and its software--and that's what we're basing how we deliver the 'Nintendo experience' on. That being said, technology changes. We'll continue to think flexibly about how to deliver that experience as time goes on.
"It has been over 30 years since we started developing consoles. Nintendo's history goes back even farther than that, and through all the struggles that they faced the only thing that they thought about was what to make next. In the long-term, perhaps our focus as a business could shift away from home consoles--flexibility is just as important as ingenuity."
As for how he plans to address the changing landscape, Furukawa said that he'd like to increase their mobile output, as well as continue to pursue some licensing agreements with its characters.
"I'm thinking about little ways we can reduce that kind of instability," he said. "I'd like to increase the (amount of) games on smartphones that have a continuous stream of revenue. We're also dabbling in theme parks and movies--different ways to have our characters be a part of everyday life. I'm anticipating a strong synergy like that."
None of this suggests the Nintendo Switch will necessarily be the company's last (or even second- or third-to-last) home console. The speculation seems to have been hypothetical and mostly about how he intends for the company to stay flexible. As long as home consoles are doing well for Nintendo's bottom line, it will probably continue making them. But it does mean there could be a day when one of the longest-running console manufacturers gets out of the game.
Last year, Furukawa made headlines just after being named Nintendo's new president when he suggested the company was considering "various possibilities" regarding a 3DS successor. At the time, he also commented that he planned to make smartphones "a pillar of [our] income."
FoxNext Games, D3 Go, and Rival Games have announced Alien: Blackout, a game set in the much-loved science fiction world of Alien. Blackout is a mobile game that casts players as Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley.
While her mother was the protagonist of the four main entries in the Alien movie franchise, Amanda's character has been explored primarily through video games, most notably 2014's Alien: Isolation. In Blackout, Amanda once again finds herself on a Weyland-Yutani space station infested with aliens and must fight to survive.
"The terror of Alien is brought to life in Alien: Blackout," reads D3 Go's website. "Try to stay alive while trapped aboard a crippled Weyland-Yutani space station carrying a deadly Xenomorph as it tirelessly hunts you and the crew.
"Outsmart the perfect hunter by making perilous choices. Players must rely on the damaged controls of the space station or risk sacrificing crew members to avoid deadly contact, permanently altering the outcome of the game."
Players will be tasked with surviving seven levels by guiding Ripley's crew through "increasingly challenging tasks using only the station's emergency system." Contending with limited power supply, survival will require players to effectively operate a holographic map, surveillance cameras, and motion trackers to stay hidden and out of the Xenomorph's clutches.
D3 Go describes Blackout as "an immersive and captivating Alien experience, perfectly designed for mobile gaming. It continues: "Every decision can lead to a different conclusion. Players can test different strategies and theories to outlast the Xenomorph in pursuit of victory."
As of yet, a release date and prices for Alien: Blackout have not been announced. It is set to launch for iOS and Android devices.
D3 Go is known for the Puzzle Quest series of mobile games, having developed games based on the Marvel and Magic: The Gathering licenses. Rival Games, meanwhile, developed narrative-driven game Thief of Thieves, which is based on the comic by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.
EA has claimed the first UK No.1 of 2019, as FIFA 19 sells better than any other physical game for the week ending January 5. The sports sim rises one place from last week, replacing Red Dead Redemption 2, which falls one position to No.2.
In another barren week for new releases, it's the old reliables that chart best, according to sales monitor GfK Chart-Track. The four places below FIFA and Red Dead are all unchanged from last week, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Battlefield V, and Forza Horizon 4 all remaining in their respective No.3 - No.6 positions.
There are no major titles launching until later in January, so the chart will likely remain similar until New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story launch for Switch and 3DS, respectively. The former launches on January 11, while the latter comes to Europe on January 25 (January 11 in North America).
You can read the full top 10 sales chart below, courtesy of UKIE and Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.
The Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and acclaimed drama Green Book were the big winners at the 76th Golden Globes awards on January 6. Bohemian Rhapsody took home the award for Best Drama, while star Remi Malek won Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.
Green Book won three awards, including Best Musical or Comedy Picture and Best Supporting Actor, Musical or Comedy, for Mahershala Ali. Other winners in the movie categories include the highly acclaimed Netflix film Roma (Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón and Best Foreign Language Film), period comedy The Favourite (Best Actress, Musical or Comedy, for Olivia Coleman), and the political satire Vice, which won Christian Bale the Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of Dick Cheney.
In terms of TV shows, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story won Best Limited Series, and the Netflix comedy The Kominsky Method took home Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy, and Best Actor in same category for Michael Douglas. The long-running thriller The Americans won Best Drama for its final season, while Golden Globes host Sandra Oh won Best Drama Actress for Killing Eve.
The Golden Globe winners are voted by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. They are seen as an indicator of what might triumph at the Academy Awards next month. You can see a full rundown of the Golden Globe winners and nominees below.
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Winner: Bohemian Rhapsody
If Beale Street Could Talk
A Star Is Born
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born)
Willem Dafoe (At Eternity's Gate)
Lucas Hedges (Boy Erased)
Winner: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman)
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Winner: Glenn Close (The Wife)
Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)
Nicole Kidman (Destroyer)
Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Rosamund Pike (A Private War)
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Crazy Rich Asians
The Favourite
Winner: Green Book
Mary Poppins Returns
Vice
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins Returns)
Winner: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)
Charlize Theron (Tully)
Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians)
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Alienist (TNT)
Winner: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Sharp Objects (HBO)
A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Barry (HBO)
The Good Place (NBC)
Kidding (Showtime)
Winner: The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Kristen Bell (The Good Place)
Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown)
Alison Brie (Glow)
Winner: Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Debra Messing (Will & Grace)
Best Director – Motion Picture
Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born)
Winner: Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
Peter Farrelly (Green Book)
Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman)
Adam McKay (Vice)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Antonio Banderas (Genius: Picasso)
Daniel Bruhl (The Alienist)
Winner: Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Patrick Melrose)
Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal)
Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
Capernaum
Girl
Never Look Away
Winner: Roma
Shoplifters
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Winner: Christian Bale (Vice)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns)
Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)
Robert Redford (The Old Man & the Gun)
John C. Reilly (Stan & Ollie)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Winner: Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects)
Penelope Cruz (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Thandie Newton (Westworld)
Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid's Tale)
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (The Favourite)
Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Adam McKay (Vice)
Winner: Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie (Green Book)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Winner: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
Timothee Chalamet (Beautiful Boy)
Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman)
Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Sam Rockwell (Vice)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Caitriona Balfe (Outlander)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale)
Winner: Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)
Julia Roberts (Homecoming)
Keri Russell (The Americans)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Amy Adams (Vice)
Claire Foy (First Man)
Winner: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
All the Stars (Black Panther)
Girl in the Movies (Dumplin')
Requiem For a Private War (A Private War)
Revelation' (Boy Erased)
Winner: Shallow (A Star Is Born)
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Marco Beltrami (A Quiet Place)
Alexandre Desplat (Isle of Dogs)
Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther)
Winner: Justin Hurwitz (First Man)
Marc Shaiman (Mary Poppins Returns)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Amy Adams (Sharp Objects)
Winner: Patricia Arquette (Escape at Dannemora)
Connie Britton (Dirty John)
Laura Dern (The Tale)
Regina King (Seven Seconds)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method)
Kieran Culkin (Succession)
Edgar Ramirez (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Winner: Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal)
Henry Winkler (Barry)
Best Television Series – Drama
Winner: The Americans
Bodyguard
Homecoming
Killing Eve
Pose
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Jason Bateman (Ozark)
Stephan James (Homecoming)
Winner: Richard Madden (Bodyguard)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Matthew Rhys (The Americans)
Best Motion Picture – Animated
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Winner: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Nvidia revealed a new video card, the GeForce RTX 2060, during its live press conference to kick off CES 2019. It joins the RTX 20-series family next week on January 15 and pricing for RTX 2060 cards will start at $350--prices will varying depending on model and manufacturer.
Many claims were made at CES about the performance of the RTX 2060, and it is said on par with or better than the GTX 1070 Ti (see our review of the 1070 Ti to get an idea of its performance). According to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, the GeForce RTX 2060 can handle Battlefield V at 1440p resolution with an average of 60 FPS. Several benchmarks and metrics were shown; compared to the GTX 1060, last generation's mid-range card, the RTX 2060 can perform between 1.4 to about 1.9 times better at 1440p with high settings (depending on the game).
Still image from Nvidia's CES 2019 keynote.
Nvidia's RTX line of video cards boasts the ability to efficiently perform real-time ray tracing, which translates to reflections, lighting, shadows that more accurately resemble the real world. Previous video cards have difficulty with ray tracing because of how demanding it is, but GeForce RTX cards feature RT Cores that specifically perform ray tracing as to not impact overall framerate. RTX cards can also use an AI-based antialiasing method called DLSS, which offers a cleaner image with minimal performance loss.
A closer look at the GeForce RTX 2060 Founders Edition
To sweeten the deal, Nvidia is included some high-profile games along with the purchase of an RTX video card. If you buy an RTX 2060 or RTX 2070, you can choose either Battlefield V or the upcoming shooter Anthem in a bundle. Those who buy an RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti will get both games bundled.
The GeForce RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti were first launched in September last year, and we reviewed both cards. Be sure to check out our RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti review to see how these new cards stacked against the previous generation's GTX 1080 Ti.
To kick off CES 2019, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took the stage in Las Vegas to remind everyone about the company's new line of AI- and ray-tracing capable graphics cards, which now includes the GTX 2060--a new $350 mid-range GPU just announced during the press conference.
To help entice interested customers even further, Huang announced that anyone who buys a GTX 2060 for a limited time (in "most regions around the world") can receive a free PC copy of either Anthem or Battlefield V. This deal kicks off when the new card goes on sale on January 15. For more details about the new card, which is said to be on par with the GTX 1070 Ti, check out CNET's report on the GTX 2060.
Huang also announced that any customer who purchases a GTX 2080 will receive both games for free, although it's worth noting that Nvidia's prices the GTX 2080 at $800.
Nvidia is also at CES with its first partner for what it calls the Big Format Gaming Display--a 65-inch, 4K, 144Hz monitor with G-Sync support from HP. Check out CNET's coverage of the announcement, and stay tuned to both CNET's and GameSpot's coverage of CES 2019 throughout the week.
A brand-new trailer for BioWare's upcoming action game Anthem premiered tonight during Nvidia's press conference at CES 2019. The new video shows off some new enemies and gorgeous locations from the game, while it also spotlights some of the new Javelin exosuits.
Additionally, Nvidia confirmed that the AI-based antialiasing DLSS technology will be available for Anthem. Check out the lovely-looking trailer below. Note that it was likely captured on a high-end PC, so that's why it looks so impressive.
This trailer premiered during the Nvidia CES keynote where the company also announced a new GeForce RTX 2060 video card. It promises to deliver "next generation" gaming.
The GPU launches on January 15, and the price tag, $350 US, is lower than what you might have guessed. Check out more coverage here on GameSpot and on sister site CNET.
Nvidia also announced a nice new deal for the RTX 2060. Everyone who buys the card, or a new desktop PC with the card inside it, can get their choice of Anthem or Battlefield V for free. The promotion is available in "most" regions globally.
GameSpot and CNET will have lots more coverage of CES 2019 in the days ahead.
Fortnite is serving up a new tournament at the Australian Open later this month in Melbourne. The high-profile tennis tournament announced today that it will hold a $500,000 tournament during the Australian Open finals weekend January 26-27.
It's being called the Fortnite Summer Smash, and it'll feature a professional solos tournament, as well as a proam duos event featuring 100 "personalities" from the entertainment, gaming, and sports worlds. $400,000 is up for grab in tournament prizes, while $100,000 is being provided for charitable donations.
Australian Open director Craig Tiley said in a statement that Fortnite is a "global phenomenon," so he's excited to have the game at the tournament to help the event "reach more people." Epic Games co-founder Mark Rein added, "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the fun of a competitive Fortnite event to fans and players in Australia."
You can register for the Fortnite solos tournament through this website starting at 12 PM AEDT on January 9. At the actual competition, players will go through qualifying rounds, earning points based on how they finish. For example, a victory royale gets you 3 points, while 2nd through 3rd gets 2 points, and so on. You don't necessarily need to win or finish close to the top to earn a lot of points, as 3-4 eliminations gets you 1 point, 5-6 eliminations earns you 2 points, and 7 or more eliminations gets you 3 points.
The first-place prize is $100,000 AUD, with $50,000 AUD going to second and third place. 4th through 6th place gets $25,000 AUD, while 7th through 10th gets $5,000 AUD. 11th through 15th gets $3,000 AUD, while the 16th through 20th place finishers gets $2,000 AUD each. Those who finish 21st through 100th get $1,000 AUD each. The $100,000 AUD in winnings from the Duos tournament will go to charity.
The announcement trailer for Halo Infinite shown at E3 2018 was for the game's new engine, not the game itself. No footage of the game has been released as of yet. That's still the case, but now Halo franchise manager Frank O'Conner has provided an update of sorts on how the game is coming along.
In a lengthy Twitter thread, O'Conner spoke at a very high level about some of the design considerations at play. Crucially, O'Conner explained that one of the challenges--and opportunities--of a game like Halo is that the way in which people play is "subjective and broad." O'Conner remarked that he doesn't use Ground Pound in Halo 5 because he's not skilled enough, though for other players it might be one of their strongest moves.
The numerous and varied ways in which people play Halo all need to be accounted for across the Halo experience. All of these things "must be accounted for in everything from initial design proposals to final schemes and matchmaking performance. Everything is connected and top tier players are stacked on a pyramid of different styles and preferences," he said. "Options help but the core game loop must also be good.
"And that will be true no matter what changes are made to the next game and should be at least fairly considered when having conversations--as should campaign content and player options/choices. The 'perfect' Halo probably exists as an average but logically speaking, there's almost no chance that a mathematical objectively polled average would look like some of the idealization proposals I've watched and read."
That being said, O'Conner said he is "super confident and enthusiastic" about how Halo Infinite will handle its approach to appealing to veteran Halo players and newcomers alike at the same time. Not everyone connected to Halo is so enthusiastic or upbeat about this. Marcus Lehto, who co-created the Halo franchise, said he thinks Halo is in a "no-win" scenario because of the challenging task of pushing the franchise forward with new ideas while also trying to retain and refine the features that veteran fans enjoy and come back for.
For Halo Infinite, O'Conner said he is "extremely happy" with how the multiplayer plays currently. He added that he expects it to continue to change and improve as development continues, including in areas that do not necessarily appeal to how he plans to play. O'Conner didn't get into specifics about Halo Infinite's multiplayer, and that's probably for a number of reasons. He said he has a rule that he will never discuss work-in-progress versions of Halo Infinite, so everyone will have to wait to find out.
"It will keep changing & things I like now will change and things I don't get will improve--but I like every flavor of Halo so far, so in that regard I'm a filthy casual," he said. "What I can do tho is listen to this community."
Halo Infinite's campaign places more of an emphasis on Master Chief, which is good to hear after Halo 5 controversially strayed away from him. It's also apparently a very big game, as O'Connor already said the game will have "capacious" missions/levels.
The new superhero movie Aquaman enjoyed yet another weekend at the top of the box office charts. According to Entertainment Weekly, the movie made a further $30.7 million in the US and Canada for the January 4-6 weekend; it's now been the No. 1 movie for three straights weeks since its debut.
Aquaman was competing against just one other new release this weekend, Sony's Escape Room, which took in $18 million for a second-place finish. Marry Poppins Returns ($15.8 million), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ($13 million), and Bumblebee ($12.8 million) rounded out the Top 5 five at the domestic box office this weekend.
Aquaman has now made $259.7 million at the US/Canada box office and $681 million from international markets for a total global haul of $940.7 million. $1 billion might be possible.
The film is now one of the biggest DC Extended Universe films, beating out Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($873.6 million) and Wonder Woman ($821.8 million). The Batman movies The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises each made more than $1 billion, so Aquaman still has some work to do to catch up to those.
Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as Aquaman, with a cast that also includes Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, and Nicole Kidman.
For more on Aquaman, you can check out GameSpot's review and related feature content linked below.
As part of the Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday night, HBO premiered a sizzle reel that shows the briefest of segments from some of its upcoming shows, including Game of Thrones and Watchmen.
In the Game of Thrones Season 8 segment, we see Sansa Stark telling Daenerys, "Winterfell is yours, your grace." And ... that's it. We're still awaiting a proper trailer, but this will have to do for now. It's not an earth-shattering reveal, but it still shows off a meeting that's been awaited for years.
The HBO sizzle reel also provides a first look at the network's other shows coming in 2019, including True Detective Season 3 starring Mahershala Ali and Big Little Lies Season 2 featuring Meryl Streep. Additionally, there is brief footage of the brand-new Watchmen and Euphoria shows coming this year. You can watch the full video above.
Game of Thrones Season 8 is the show's final one, and it's expected to be a dramatic conclusion to the much-loved fantasy series. The program premieres in April, and while there are only six episodes, each one could be as long as a movie.
While the mainline Game of Thrones series is ending, HBO has a prequel series in the works, starring Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse. It's titled The Long Night.
Marvel Games, the division of the entertainment giant responsible for video games, recently changed its logo on social media. The logo replaces the A in Games with a 4.
What does it all mean? Nothing is for sure at this stage, but one interesting rumour claims a big Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite update is coming that could re-brand the game as Marvel vs. Capcom 4. The "4" could also be a reference to Fantastic Four. Or maybe it's connected to Avengers, given that Avengers: Endgame is the fourth instalment in the series. For now, all of this is speculation, but we'll report back when official news drops.
The new Marvel Games logo
In other news about Marvel Games ... errr Marvel G4mes, the company recently partnered with a team of former Blizzard developers to work on a brand-new Marvel mobile game. The title has yet to be officially announced, and another possibility is that the "4" has something to do with this new project. Marvel is good at surprising people and keeping them guessing, so it's also possible the "4" is related to something we haven't even thought about yet.
Marvel Games had a strong 2018 thanks in part to Insomniac's Spider-Man, which was a critical and a commercial success. A new Marvel Ultimate Alliance game, The Black Order, is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2019. Additionally, Square Enix is working on a Marvel game, codenamed, The Avengers Project, but we don't know much about it yet.
The song "Unshaken" by D'Angelo plays during a particularly memorable part of Red Dead Redemption 2, and now the tune has been released on Spotify and other platforms.
"Unshaken" is D'Angelo's first new release since 2014's LP Black Messiah. It's a ruminating, brooding song with a haunting and memorable chorus that gets stuck in your head. "May I stand unshaken / amid, amidst a crashing world."
Red Dead Redemption fans ripped the song from the game and posted it on YouTube and elsewhere. Additionally, the song was performed as part of a Red Dead Redemption 2 music medley at The Game Awards in December. However, this is the first time it has been released officially. You can listen to it right now on Spotify and other digital platforms.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack also includes new music from Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, country legend Willie Nelson, and rapper Nas, among others.
Rockstar Games will presumably release the Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack in some official capacity in the future, though we're still waiting for official details about that.
In other Red Dead Redemption 2 news, the game has been nominated for seven different awards at the Game Developers Choice Awards, including Game of the Year.
The Space Jam movie from Warner Bros. was a big hit. The wacky basketball film from 1996 successfully mixed live-action and animation to bring together real people like Bill Murray and Michael Jordan and Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and others.
It made more than $230 million worldwide, and this success no doubt encouraged Warner Bros. to move ahead with another film that mixed live-action with CG Looney Tunes characters, Looney Tunes: Back In Action. The 2003 film was a box office disappointment, however, making only $68 million against a reported production budget of $80 million.
Now, it's been revealed that Warner Bros. was thinking about yet another live-action/CG hybrid movie. Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk revealed on Instagram that Warner Bros. approached him to make a skateboarding movie with the tentative title "Skate Jam." Hawk presumably would have starred in the movie as himself, alongside Bugs Buggy and other Looney Tunes characters just like Space Jam and Back In Action.
The meeting between Hawk and Warner Bros. executives took place before the release of Back In Action. There were discussions about the story and shooting schedules, and Hawk said the studio offered him $1 million up front just for signing on. He said he thought it was as close to a sure thing as ever, but after Back In Action tanked at the box office, Warner Bros. put Skate Jam on hold. It never got mode.
Here's Hawk's full statement on the matter:
"In 2003, I was requested to meet with Warner Brothers about doing a film with the Looney Tunes characters that was tentatively titled 'Skate Jam.' Their plan was to bring back Bugs, Taz, etc into the cinema with a current release called "Back In Action" and then immediately start working on my project. I was about to leave for a skate trip in Australia so they met me at that iconic dome-shaped restaurant in the middle of LAX before my flight that evening. They were SERIOUS. We talked about storylines and shooting schedules, and they casually mentioned that I would get $1 million up front for signing on. I flew to Sydney that night with a sense of wonder and excitement; I had never met with Hollywood heads and felt so sure about something happening.
"During my week-long trip, 'Back In Action' was released in theaters and bombed. By the time I got home, Skate Jam had been "indefinitely postponed" and I never heard about it again. I still think it would have been a hit considering skateboarding's popularity at the time, and the reverence kids (now young adults) had for Space Jam. This drawing was given to me at a skate demo that Looney Tunes sponsored years before our movie talks began; with Marvin fittingly on a hoverboard."
While Skate Jam never happened, Warner Bros. is now making Space Jam 2 with LeBron James starring as the equivalent of Michael Jordan from the original, it seems.
Space Jam 2 is being directed by Terence Nance (Random Acts of Flyness), with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler attached to produce.
One of Netflix's new original shows is The Witcher, starring Superman actor Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. Cavill is spending time in the gym to get buff for the role, and he appears to be very committed to getting into shape for the part of the monster-slayer.
In a post on Instagram from Hungary, Cavill said a little snow and a 2 kilometre hill aren't enough to keep him from getting to the gym for leg day. The image also shows that Cavill hasn't been skipping arm day, either. "It's a solid snow day here in Hungary and I live at the top of a 2km hill, but it's also leg day so I will have to trust in this lovely steed from Audi to get me to the gym in one piece!" he said. "Can't let a little slippery hill get in the way of me bringing you the best live action Witcher possible can I now."
In addition to Cavill as Geralt, the new Netflix Witcher show stars Freya Allan (Into the Badlands) as Ciri and Anya Chalotra (Wanderlust) as Yennifer.
The Witcher's showrunner is Lauren S. Hissrich, who previously worked on Daredevil, The Defenders, and the upcoming Netflix drama Umbrella Academy. The show is based directly on the fantasy novels written by Andrzej Sapkowski, from which the games are also adapted. Sapkowski is working on the new series as a creative consultant.
The new Witcher TV program is expected to premiere in 2019, according to the show's page on Netflix's website.
While the mainline Harry Potter books are over and done with, more details about the wider magical universe continue to come to light. The latest reveal came from the Pottermore Twitter account, and it has to do with the way that witches and wizards peed and pooped. At one point in history, the magical school Hogwarts didn't have bathrooms. So what did witches and wizards do when they needed to relieve themselves?
Unsettlingly, they just peed and pooped themselves wherever they were standing, and then used magic to "vanish" the evidence. Hogwarts eventually, and probably for the best, decided to adopt the Muggle way of plumbing to allow for a more traditional bathroom experience. Hopefully "vanishing" the evidence also included wiping, but we don't know for sure. It's also unclear if this method of pooping and peeing was contained to Hogwarts, or if the entire magical world did their business in this manner.
Hogwarts didn't always have bathrooms. Before adopting Muggle plumbing methods in the eighteenth century, witches and wizards simply relieved themselves wherever they stood, and vanished the evidence. #NationalTriviaDay
This is actually not the first reveal of the magically weird way witches and wizards peeped and pooped. A 2015 Pottermore essay about the Chamber of Secrets first confirmed it.
The latest entry in the Harry Potter spinoff film series, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, opened in November and has made more than $600 million worldwide.
Veteran actor Danny DeVito is joining the sequel to Jumanj: Welcome to the Jungle. Variety reported and actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson confirmed that DeVito will have a role in the film that's due out at the end of the year. The news about DeVito joining the sequel comes just days after it was reported that Awkwafina will also appear in the movie.
Plot details are being kept under wraps for the Jumanji sequel, and this includes details on who DeVito will play. But it appears DeVito will be among the people who get sucked into the Jumanji video game and become someone new once inside the game.
"The magic of Jumanji is who becomes who," The Rock told Variety. "And the idea of Danny DeVito joining our cast was too irresistible and something we knew we wanted to deliver to our audience this upcoming Christmas. Dwanta Claus loves everyone."
He wants to play the game that plays you. Welcome @DannyDeVito to our JUMANJI cast! Can't wait my friend. Oh the fun we will have, if... you just call out it's name. #JUMANJIhttps://t.co/PJoTAqhHV1
DeVito has been acting since the '70s, and he's still an in-demand actor. In addition to Jumanji 2, DeVito continues to star in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, while he's set to appear in two Disney movies this year: Dumbo and The One and Only Ivan. DeVito picked up a Best Picture Oscar nomination for his producing role for Erin Brockovich.
All the major stars of the 2017 Jumanji movie--Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan--are all expected to come back for the sequel. What's more, director Jake Kasdan, who is the son of legendary Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan, is returning as well.
Plot details are under wraps for the Jumanji sequel, but The Rock teased that Kasdan gave a "dynamite pitch" for the plot. The film hits theatres in December 2019.
Writer Erik Wolpaw, who worked on a number of popular Valve games like Half-Life 2: Episode One and Episode Two, as well as Portal and the two Left 4 Dead games, is back working with the studio again. He confirmed to Polygon that he's returned to Valve as a contractor, not full time. His name was spotted in the credits for Valve's new Dota card game, Artifact, and Gabe Newell himself reportedly confirmed Wolpaw had returned.
Wolpaw was at Valve since 2004 before initially leaving in 2017. After leaving Valve, Wolpaw worked with Double Fine on Psychonauts 2. He's now back working with Valve again, but it's not clear what he's contributing to besides Artifact.
He told Polygon that he never really left Valve, as he's maintained his contractor agreement with Valve since he left the company in 2017. He's helping out with other writers Jay Pinkerton, Steve Jaros, and Sean Vanaman.
"I've had a contractor agreement with Valve since the day I stormed out and then immediately timidly stormed back in to ask could I please have my old job back and they said no and I was like good because I'm too busy to work for you anyway and they said but you can be a contractor and I said oh thank god okay I'll do that," Wolpaw explained.
"I've been helping Pinkerton and Jaros and Vanaman whenever they need it. It's been busier on that front lately, but I'm not currently a full time employee. My main gig is still delivering juice for my niece Jodi's vegan juice shop plus an unpaid internship playing Slay the Spire three hours a day."
Artifact, which was released at the end of November 2018, was Valve's first new game in years. GameSpot's Artifact review scored the game an 8/10. It's exciting to see Valve releasing new games again, but fans are still probably very interested to hear about new Portal, Half-Life, and Left 4 Dead games.
Wolpaw wrote reviews for GameSpot earlier on in his professional writing career.
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