By Oscar Dayus on Feb 11, 2019 11:05 pm
The James Bond franchise is one of the most famous, most lucrative, and longest-running film series in the world. The franchise has been hugely influential, affecting almost every form of spy fiction written, filmed, or developed since the 1960s in some way. Moreover, the brand has stayed relevant for far longer than most comparable mega-franchises: Marvel's 80-year existence and Disney's seemingly perpetual presence on Earth pre-date Bond's 1953 print debut, and they stand as some of the only similar properties to prevail. Conversely, attempts to reinvigorate big IP such as Back to the Future or The Mummy have not been successful enough for studios to continue making them. To remain part of the zeitgeist for so long is no easy task, and despite some missteps, James Bond has defied the odds time and again, reinventing itself repeatedly to avoid being left behind. Some of those reinventions are obvious, such as the changing of actors, writers, and directors, or even come in the form of distinct reboots--the hardest of which came in 2006 with the 21st Eon-produced film, Casino Royale. Others, however, are a little more tricky: Bond has had to change even more drastically to fit new media, such as for the first 007 video game, a 1982 text adventure title for the ZX Spectrum named Shaken but Not Stirred. Unfortunately, the Bond games have endured an uneven run over the years, with some great games, some poor ones, and none at all since 2012's poorly received 007 Legends. To dive deeper into the continued evolution of the British spy, I spoke to Bruce Feirstein, screenwriter of three Bond films--GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is Not Enough--and writer of the video games From Russia With Love, Everything or Nothing, Blood Stone, and 007 Legends. GameSpot: How does writing a Bond game differ to writing a Bond film? Bruce Feirstein: It's not all that different. You're still trying to tell an interesting story, with unique settings and compelling characters. So the actual process isn't that different. It's just as collaborative, and in some aspects easier. For example, in Everything or Nothing, the original sequence was written in Hong Kong. There was some problem having to do with visual rights--I think some of the buildings were trademarked, and we'd need permission--so I suggested putting the opening sequence in Athens. Everyone agreed, and in ten minutes we moved forward. A change like that in a film could take a month to get through all the decision makers and the clearances. How did writing for Sean Connery differ to writing to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig? Each is a little bit different. I was writing the Brosnan Bond that I wrote in the films, so it wasn't much of an adjustment. Daniel Craig's is terser, so his dialogue was cut back to reflect the Bond he created on the screen. And Connery was the Bond I always had in my head, having been the first Bond I saw. He and I actually talked about this. Can you talk a little more about the creation of Judi Dench's M? What was your reaction when you saw her death in Skyfall, and how do you think Ralph Fiennes is handling the role now? While I was working on GoldenEye, [director] Martin Campbell and I met at the studio one morning to discuss what we should do about updating M. I said it was just a bunch of guys talking in a room, and Martin replied, "Why don't you try it as a woman?" So the idea came from him. I wrote the "sexist misogynist dinosaur" scene in three hours, and pretty much what you see on the screen is what I wrote that first morning. As far as her death, Judi Dench brought great grace and originality to her role as M. She was amazing, and always took what we wrote and made it better. So I was sad to see that she wouldn't be playing M anymore, but that's the inevitable process in these films. And just as Judi defined the role in her way, Ralph Fiennes is bringing his own touch to the role now. He's a terrific actor. Is there anything you would have changed if you'd been involved in the films and games since you stopped working on the franchise? No. If the franchise hadn't evolved over the past 55 years, it wouldn't exist anymore. Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have created--in my opinion--the perfect Bond for the post 9/11 era. Along with Daniel Craig, of course, and the writers, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. I wouldn't change a thing. They've done an extraordinary job, and all deserve huge credit. Which game do you think, looking back, offers the truest representation of Bond? I think they all represented Bond well. But the most influential game was the original GoldenEye. I didn't work on that game--but it had a huge impact on gaming. Funny enough, these days, I keep meeting people who are let down when they find out I only co-wrote the GoldenEye movie, and not the game. I remember Everything or Nothing really resonating with players, too. Why do you think that is? I suspect that this is because it was an entirely original story, with a new villain and all new supporting characters. So the whole experience was new. And we got very lucky in having Willem Dafoe as the bad guy. He gave a great performance. How does working on an original story for a game compare to converting a film into a game? Which do you think works best for a game: creating a bespoke story or converting the iconic films? An original story is more fun because you're working from a clean slate. Anything is possible. With an adaptation, you've got to adhere as much as possible to the source material. Both are enjoyable experiences, but creating something new is more interesting. From a writing perspective, what defines Bond as a character? Bond is a lone warrior with a license to kill who hides his inner conflicts about what he does by striking a cool, dispassionate demeanor, and never allowing anyone to get too close to him. We've seen the series tackle text adventures, first-person shooters, third-person action games, strategy, and more. In your eyes, what's does a hypothetically perfect Bond game look like? In any format, the perfect Bond game allows the player to enter an alternate reality of James Bond's world, and experience a James Bond adventure. The platform is less important than the execution. Were you involved with the canceled Casino Royale game? There's a lot of misinformation and speculation on the internet about Bond games that were cancelled or didn't exist in the first place. As I recall, what some think of as a canceled Casino Royale game was actually an earlier version of either Bloodstone or Everything or Nothing that was stopped at one developer and moved to another. But I could be wrong. Why do you think there hasn't been a Bond game for a while? I can only speculate here, as I haven't discussed this with Eon. I don't know why there hasn't been a recent Bond game. But I do know that in general, there are fewer games based on movies these days. I've heard lots of reasons for this: 1) Huge game makers like Activision or Electronic arts would rather develop their own franchises. 2) As it now takes 18 months to make a first class game, day/date releases (meaning the game is released on the same day as the movie) aren't practical. 3) The market for original games--Halo or Call of Duty--is much larger than the market for game tie-ins. Again, I don't know how much of this impacts Bond, or has anything to do with Eon's plans for future games. I'm just talking about movie games in general. Would you like to be involved in another Bond game or film if the opportunity presented itself? Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have been incredibly loyal to me over the years. Being asked to write the games was flattering, and a great gift, for which I am very grateful. If they asked me to write another one, I'd be there in a minute. And if they didn't, I'd be the first in line to buy it, and cheer them on, and hope for it's great success. I am blessed to have been a small part of the franchise in any way at all. Finally, as a bit of fun: who's your favourite Bond actor from the film series? And who would you like to see take on the role after Craig steps down? They say the first Bond you saw is always your favorite Bond. Connery was my first Bond, but the truth is that I like, respect, and admire everyone who has played the role. They were all perfect a reflection of their time: Connery in the cold war, Roger during the Reagan years, Tim Dalton during the end of the USSR, Pierce in post-cold war era, and Daniel Craig in the post 9/11 era. And, more importantly, from someone who worked inside the franchise: Every one of them made the next one possible.
By Dan Auty on Feb 11, 2019 10:30 pm
While the future of Marvel's output on Netflix remains uncertain, the studio is still continuing to form relationships with other streaming services. It has been announced that Marvel Television is teaming up with Hulu to produce four new animated shows, all aimed at an adult audience. The four upcoming shows are M.O.D.O.K, Hit-Monkey, Tigra & Dazzler Show, and Howard The Duck, and all arrive with some impressive creative names attached. The character of M.O.D.O.K. dates back to 1967 and is described by Hulu as "an egomaniacal supervillain with a really big head and a really little body, who struggles to maintain control of his evil organization and his demanding family." That show will be co-written by comedian and actor Patton Oswalt. Hit-Monkey is written by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, who are best known for directing movies such as Office Christmas Party and Blade of Glory. The character of Hit-Monkey first appeared in a 2010 issue of Deadpool, and is a "wronged Japanese snow monkey, mentored by the ghost of an American assassin." Tigra & Dazzler Show focuses on "two woke superheroes and best friends who fight for recognition among powered people," and will be written by Erica Rivinoja (Girls Trip, Trolls) and comedian Chelsea Handler. As for Howard the Duck, this show sees director, writer, and comic book icon Kevin Smith attempt to what the 1986 movie could not--namely, produce a decent screen version Howard the Duck. These four sets of heroes will also come together for a Hulu special titled The Offenders, in which these unlikely heroes are "forced to team up in order to save the world and certain parts of the Universe." There is currently no premiere date for any of Hulu's new Marvel shows, but late 2019 or 2020 is likely. In related news, Marvel will also be an important part of Disney's upcoming streaming platform, Disney+. A Loki show, starring Tom Hiddleston, has been confirmed, and it has been reported that a series focusing on Vision and Scarlet Witch is also in the works. In addition, an Avengers spin-off centered on Falcon and Winter Soldier has been rumored.
By Jordan Ramée on Feb 11, 2019 10:28 pm
It's the second week of February, and love is in the air as we approach February 14, aka Valentine's Day. New TV series and movies are being added to Netflix throughout the week--some about love, and others very much not so. So whether you're spending time with that special someone, or opting out of the season this year to spend time with yourself, there's something new to watch. For Valentine's Day, you can start watching the reality TV series, Dating Around. This Netflix Original fits into the same style of other reality TV dating shows, so if you love (or love to hate) these types of series, you might enjoy Dating Around. The shtick of this particular show is that a young, available bachelor or bachelorette goes on first dates with five different people. After that, the person picks whomever they enjoyed spending time with the most and then they get a second date with that person. If reality TV isn't really your thing, there's plenty of other new series to watch as well. On February 15, The Umbrella Academy releases on Netflix. This Netflix Original is a live-action show based off of the popular comic book superhero series of the same name. Similar to X-Men, The Umbrella Academy focuses on a group of kids, teens, and young adults--each born with incredible, sometimes dangerous, superpowered abilities--who grow up together in a school run by a famous entrepreneur, known as The Monocle, that acts as a surrogate father and mentor. The students grow apart as time goes on, but come back together upon The Monocle's death, and reform the team upon realizing one of their own has become a supervillain that might destroy the world. Also on February 15, the second season of the The Dragon Prince premieres on Netflix. Although we enjoyed it, the first season of this fantasy animated series ended rather abruptly with a cliffhanger, so hopefully this follow-up can answer fans' questions. The show focuses on two human half-brothers who team up with the elven assassin sent to kill them, in order to stop a war between their respective races. You can catch up on the first season on Netflix right now in preparation for this Friday. Every TV series and movie coming to Netflix this week is listed below. We've also outlined every show and movie coming to and leaving the streaming service in February 2019. Coming To Netflix February 10-16Avail. 2/10/19- Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj: Volume 2 (Streaming Every Sunday)-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 2/11/19- Flavorful Origins: Chaoshan Cuisine-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
- Little Women
Avail. 2/14/19- Dating Around-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
- Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 2/15/19- Larry Charles' Dangerous World of Comedy-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
- The Breaker Upperers-- NETFLIX FILM
- The Dragon Prince: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
- The Umbrella Academy-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
- Yucatan-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 2/16/19- Black Sea
- Studio 54
- The 40-Year-Old Virgin
By Steve Watts on Feb 11, 2019 09:01 pm
Sony's decision to forgo E3 2019 caused waves, and the statement regarding its rationale revolved mostly around finding "inventive opportunities to engage the community" and plans to "think differently and experiment." SIE Worldwide Studios head Shawn Layden has now explained further--touching not only on what they plan to do differently in the future, but why E3 was no longer as useful. Layden told CNet that the nature of E3 had been built up around standards that no longer apply, both for retailers and journalists. At its inception, the show had been a place for retailers to plan their stock, and for journalists to plan cover stories for magazines. In the modern era, he says, both of those have shifted. "Now we have an event in February called Destination PlayStation, where we bring all retailers and third-party partners to come hear the story for the year," he said. "They're making purchasing discussions in February. June, now, is just too late to have a Christmas holiday discussion with retailers. So retail has really dropped off. And journalists now, with the internet and the fact that 24/7 there is game news, it's lost its impact around that. "So the trade show became a trade show without a lot of trade activity. The world has changed, but E3 hasn't necessarily changed with it," he added. Against all of those market forces, Sony was making a plan to do fewer and bigger games, which meant that June was no longer a good time in the year to outline its latest plans. "We feel like if we ring the bell and people show up here in force, people have [the] expectation 'Oh, they're going to tell us something.'" The idea of setting expectations echoes Layden's rationale for skipping PSX in 2018, which was announced before Sony pulled out of E3 as well. We don't know yet when Sony will be outlining its own upcoming plans, or in what form. It follows big publishers like Activision and EA who have scaled back their E3 plans in recent years. Sony's show in 2018 was also very different, focusing narrowly on just four games. For its part, Microsoft seems eager to fill the void left by its biggest console competitor. Xbox head Phil Spencer has said the company is going to "go and be as big at E3 as we've ever been."
By Steve Watts on Feb 11, 2019 07:30 pm
H1Z1: Battle Royale on PlayStation 4 is adding a new, non-battle-royale mode and various quality-of-life improvements starting later this month. The theme for the February 21 update is "Beyond Royale," and it's set to add deathmatch, ranked leaderboards, a new Battle Pass, and more. The new game mode, FFA Deathmatch, places 50 players into a combat zone with instant respawns. The first player to 25 kills before the timer runs out wins. A new Training Mode will let you experiment with your loadouts and weapons before jumping into any of the combat modes. The battle royale mode will still get some love in the update, though. A new Battle Pass will feature 100 reward tiers featuring 200 cosmetic items, and PlayStation Plus subscribers will get an extra reward track with some exclusive items. You'll also be able to track your progress with new ranked leeaderboards across each of the battle royale modes. Each rank will be categorized across six tiers, from Bronze mode to Master. Daybreak also teased that season 3 will include other improvements like attendance rewards, redesigned lobbies, an refined UI, and extra challenges for players who unlock the full Battle Pass. The battle royale genre got a new competitor this month with the addition of Apex Legends from Respawn. It joined other popular entries like Fortnite, the battle royale mode of Black Ops 4, and H1Z1. Daybreak notes that its game was the second-most downloaded F2P game last year.
By Oscar Dayus on Feb 11, 2019 05:37 pm
Red Dead Redemption 2 has reclaimed the No.1 spot atop the UK physical games chart for the week ending February 9, with last week's winner Kingdom Hearts 3 slipping to No.3. Another perennial favorite, FIFA 19, rises to No.2 for this week. In a barren week for new releases, only one new game enters the chart, according to sales monitor GfK Chart-Track. Monster Energy Supercross 2, a bike racer from the developer of the Moto GP series, Milestone, debuts at No.34. Multiple big games are set to be released in the coming weeks, with Metro: Exodus, Far Cry: New Dawn, Anthem, and Crackdown 3 all due out before the end of the month. The chart will therefore surely be shaken up considerably, and it will be interesting to see which of those games performs best. Red Dead Redemption 2 launched last year to universal acclaim. "While Red Dead Redemption was mostly focused on John Marston's story, Red Dead 2 is about the entire Van der Linde gang--as a community, as an idea, and as the death rattle of the Wild West," wrote Kallie Plagge in our Red Dead Redemption 2 review. "It is about Arthur, too, but as the lens through which you view the gang, his very personal, very messy story supports a larger tale. Some frustrating systems and a predictable mission structure end up serving that story well, though it does take patience to get through them and understand why. Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it's also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it's a world that is hard to leave when it's done." 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. - Red Dead Redemption 2
- FIFA 19
- Kingdom Hearts 3
- Resident Evil 2
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Spyro Reignited Trilogy
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Grand Theft Auto V
By Dan Auty on Feb 11, 2019 05:36 pm
The acclaimed Spanish-language drama Roma and period comedy The Favourite were the big winners at this year's BAFTA awards. The British film awards ceremony is seen as an indicator of who might succeed at the Oscars later this month. The Favourite won the most number of awards, claiming seven of the 12 it was nominated for. These include Olivia Coleman for Best Actress and Rachel Weisz for Best Supporting Actress, plus Outstanding British film and Original Screenplay. Roma took home Best Film, as well as Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron and Best Film not in the English language. Elsewhere, Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek won Best Actor for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury, Mahershala Ali won Best Supporting Actor for Green Book, and Spike Lee collected his first BAFTA for co-writing the screenplay for Blackkklansman. While superhero movies are rarely represented at the big awards ceremonies outside of technical prizes, there were two notable exceptions this year. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse took home Best Animated Film, while Black Panther star Letitia Wright collected the Rising Star Award, which is voted on by the public. Black Panther also won the Best Special Visual Effects award. Check out the full list of winners below: Best film Roma Outstanding British film The Favourite Leading actor Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody Leading actress Olivia Colman - The Favourite Supporting actor Mahershala Ali - Green Book Supporting actress Rachel Weisz - The Favourite Director Alfonso Cuaron - Roma EE Rising Star Award Letitia Wright Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer Beast - Michael Pearce (writer/director), Lauren Dark (producer) Film not in the English language Roma Documentary Free Solo Animated film Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Original screenplay The Favourite Adapted screenplay BlacKkKlansman Original music A Star Is Born Cinematography Roma Costume design The Favourite Editing Vice Production design The Favourite Make-up and hair The Favourite Sound Bohemian Rhapsody Special visual effects Black Panther British short film 73 Cows British short animation Roughhouse Outstanding contribution to British cinema Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen
By Eddie Makuch on Feb 11, 2019 09:24 am
Game of Thrones is one of the most popular shows on the planet, so you might be wondering why HBO is deciding to end the show after eight seasons. Actor Liam Cunningham, who plays Davos Seaworth, says in a new interview that it's good, actually, that the show is ending. Why? Because going on any longer might create the feeling that the show is overstaying its welcome, he said. "I get asked all the time, 'What the hell are you guys thinking? You could run Game of Thrones forever.' If you want to stay cool, and the show is cool, the best way to stay cool is to not overstay your welcome," Cunningham told IGN. In fact, Cunningham said it "would be dishonorable to stay on longer than we should." He admitted that he will personally "dearly" miss Game of Thrones, adding that he expects to be referred to as "Game of Thrones' Liam Cunningham" even on his tombstone. "But it was time to get out and wrap up that story… People deserve the end of that story and to not drag it out just because there's a book to be made. I think it's very honorable what they're doing," he said. Author George R.R. Martin said his novels are deep and rich enough to support as many as 13 seasons' worth of shows. Martin said Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff originally had only seven seasons planned, so Martin and HBO were successful in convincing them to do one more, at least. Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres in April--you can see new photos here. While the mainline show is ending, a prequel TV series may be on the way, while Martin continues to write the novel series.
By Eddie Makuch on Feb 11, 2019 08:23 am
Disney has been on a trailer spree today. In addition to the new Aladdin trailer that revealed an unsettling look at Will Smith as the Genie, Disney and its subsidiary Marvel released new spots for Captain Marvel and Dumbo today. The Captain Marvel TV spot, titled "Ready," shows more of Brie Larson as Carol Danvers and some of the struggles she faces before becoming Captain Marvel. It looks like viewers are in for quite a journey with Captain Marvel. Check out the spot in the video embed above. The new Dumbo spot is longer, coming in at around 60 seconds. It provides even more close-ups of the impossibly cute, big-eared Dumbo, as well as the best look so far we've gotten of Michael Keaton's villainous character, who recruits Dumbo for one of his new attractions. Dumbo is directed by Tim Burton, who directed Keaton in Beetlejuice back in 1988. Captain Marvel hits theatres on March 8, with Dumbo following on March 29. It's a very busy start to the year for Disney, as Avengers: Endgame from Marvel arrives in April, with the new Aladdin coming in May. Star Wars: Episode IX comes out in December, so Disney is poised for another huge year.
By Eddie Makuch on Feb 11, 2019 07:55 am
Disney has released a new trailer for its upcoming live-action Aladdin. It's a fine trailer, complete with colourful city shots and dark, ominous tones, but the real meat of the matter is at the end. Will Smith's CG version of the Genie is revealed, and, well, have a look for yourself in the video embed above. I have questions. Why does Will Smith's Genie look like a blue Shrek? Also why has the Genie been hitting the gym? Will Smith also plays a live-action version of the Genie, and you can see an image of him here. Smith previously spoke to EW about the "terrifying" job of playing the Genie. As you may remember, the late Robin Williams portrayed the Genie in the animated classic, and he leaves very big shoes to fill. "Robin didn't leave a lot of meat on the bone with the character," Smith said. "[But] I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different. Just the flavor of the character would be different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete." Disney describes the movie as a "thrilling and vibrant" take on Disney's classic animated film. It's directed by Guy Ritchie, and the Sherlock Holmes director's trademark "fast-paced, visceral action" is said to infuse his take on Aladdin. Mena Massoud plays Aladdin, while Naomi Scott portrays Jasmine. Marwan Kenzari plays Jafar and Navid Negahban plays the Sultan. Alan Menken, who worked on the music for the original Aladdin, is back again and contributing "recordings of the original songs" from the first film. In addition to new versions of the classics, Menken and award-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote two new tunes for the film. The new Aladdin hits theatres this May. The studio that made Sharknado, Transmorphers, and Abraham Lincoln Vs. Zombies is making its own Aladdin.
By Eddie Makuch on Feb 11, 2019 06:05 am
While no official title for the new Terminator movie directed by Deadpool's Tim Miller has been announced, producer James Cameron has now revealed the working title for it. It's being made with the tentative title "Terminator: Dark Fate," Cameron told Yahoo! "That's our working title right now," he explained. Cameron is an executive producer on Dark Fate, or whatever it ends up being called. The movie reportedly scrubs sequels Rise of the Machines, Salvation, and Genisys from the timeline, in essence resetting the story to 1991's Judgment Day. Linda Hamilton returns to play a new version of Sarah Connor in the new film, though specifics about the story are under wraps for now. Cameron said on Jimmy Fallon's late night TV show that Connor will "kick some serious ass" in the film. Dark Fate, or whatever it ends up being called, comes to theatres November 2019. Cameron's latest movie, Alita: Battle Angel, which he produced, hits theatres on February 14. He's also working on all of the Avatar sequels, the first of which arrives in 2020.
By Eddie Makuch on Feb 11, 2019 05:17 am
The Monster Hunter movie from the star and creative team of the Resident Evil film franchise now has a release date. The film will land on September 4, 2020, film studio Sony has announced, according to Deadline. The movie stars Resident Evil's Mila Jovovich in a lead role, and the film is directed by her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, who directed the Resident Evil movies. Jovovich plays a monster hunter, Lt. Artemis, who fights together with a mysterious character played by martial arts actor Tony Jaa.
Here is the official description of the untitled film (via Deadline): "Behind our world, there is another--a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When Lt. Artemis (Jovovich) and her loyal soldiers are transported from our world to the new world, the unflappable lieutenant receives the shock of her life. In her desperate battle for survival against enormous enemies with incredible powers and unstoppable, terrifying attacks, Artemis will team up with a mysterious man (Tony Jaa) who has found a way to fight back." Sons of Anarchy star Ron Perlman and rapper-turned-actor T.I. Harris also star in the film. The six Resident Evil movies from Jovovich and Anderson made more than $1 billion at the box office, and the team will surely be looking to replicate that success with the Monster Hunter film. While Jovovich and Anderson may be finished with Resident Evil movies, a reboot of the franchise is in the works and is said to be a "priority" for development. As for the Monster Hunter video game series, the latest instalment, Monster Hunter World, recently crossed a massive 11 million copies sold.
By Steve Watts on Feb 11, 2019 04:26 am
Deadpool may be known for its meta-humor but Captain Marvel apparently knows how to poke fun at itself too. A promotional site for the upcoming Marvel cinematic universe film authentically models itself after the terrible websites that populated the earliest days of the World Wide Web. The Captain Marvel site has it all: star wallpaper, animated gifs, rainbow Comic Sans, barely legible red-on-green font, and a non-functional guestbook. The gag will look familiar to those who saw the Internet stumble awkwardly into its current sleek and polished form. To those youngsters who don't remember this era: yes, it really was like this. For all of its silliness, the site does function too. It hosts the trailer, a brief explanation of Captain Marvel and the Kree, and a link to buy tickets. A pop-up image even lets you get in on the fun of punching an old lady. The 1990s setting and aesthetic serves a functional purpose in the MCU. When Thanos accomplishes his genocidal goal in Avengers: Infinity War, Nick Fury appeared to hit an emergency beacon to call in Captain Marvel--a sort of emergency last resort to face an unprecedented threat. That raises the obvious question of why she hasn't been around to handle the dozen or so other times life on Earth has been threatened throughout the MCU, and the film will probably answer what she's been up to all this time. That will set the stage for Avengers: Endgame later in the spring. The studio also recently released a pair of spiffy Captain Marvel posters, just as promotional material showed off the new costumes for the Avengers. The two movies will be back-to-back blockbusters, with Captain Marvel coming on March 8, followed by Avengers: Endgame on April 26.
By Eddie Makuch on Feb 11, 2019 04:06 am
One of the most buzzed-about topics in games in recent years has been and continues to be cross-play. Now, one prominent developer has spoken up to talk about the benefits of allowing players on competing systems to play together. Stew Chisam, the CEO of Smite and Paladins developer Hi-Rez, outlined some of the benefits of cross-play in a post on Twitter. For Paladins, which supports cross-play between Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, Chisam said overall match quality is improved thanks to cross-play. Wait-times for matches is down 30 percent, while the quality of matches is better because the level spread is down 40 percent. In all, Hi-Rez is reportedly seeing an 80 percent reduction in what it calls "bad" matches. Anyone who has played a ranked multiplayer game knows how frustrating it can be when you're matched with players who have a much higher skill level, so it's good to see the statistics seemingly indicate that cross-play helps improve things. Whether or not other games see these results remains to be seen.
Chisam is an outspoken proponent for tearing down the walls between consoles to allow for wider adoption of cross-play. Just recently, Chisam said on Twitter that he wants PlayStation to "stop playing favorites," and allow cross-play/cross-progression "for everyone." He added that Smite, Paladins, and the battle royale game Realm Royale, are "ready to go" for cross-play on PS4, so the developer is just waiting for Sony to give the go-ahead.
Microsoft has supported cross-play for a while already between select games, such as Paladins, Rocket League, and Fortnite. But it took Sony a while longer to allow cross-play with PS4, only just recently allowing it for Fortnite and later Rocket League. Would you like to see more adoption of cross-play in the future? Let us know in the comments below!
By Eddie Makuch on Feb 11, 2019 03:53 am
After years of development and multiple delays, Microsoft's next big exclusive, Crackdown 3, launches this week--and you can play it for only $1 if you meet a few requirements. As a first-party game, Crackdown 3 is free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. And right now, Microsoft is offering a one-month Xbox Game Pass trial for only $1. The catch is that you need to be a new subscriber to enjoy the savings. Xbox Game Pass already has "millions" of subscribers, but if you're not among them, right now seems to be a good time to jump in. You can sign up for Xbox Game Pass on the Xbox website or through your console. Crackdown 3 is coming to Xbox One and PC, but Xbox Game Pass is only on Xbox One right now. It could come to PC and other platforms down the road, but no announcements have been made as of it. Crackdown 3 launches on February 15. Crackdown 3 is not the only game coming to Xbox Game Pass in February; you can see a full rundown of February's additions below. For $10/month, Xbox Game Pass subscribers get access to a growing library of free games to download and play for as long as their membership stays active. There are more than 100 Xbox One and backwards-compatible Xbox 360 titles in the catalog, including Halo 5, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Sea of Thieves, PUBG, Mortal Kombat X, and many more. February Game Pass Games- Shadow of the Tomb Raider - February 7
- The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season - February 7
- Pumped BMX Pro - February 7
- De Blob - February 14
- Crackdown 3 - February 15
- Batman: Return to Arkham - February 21
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