VR gaming has largely been a difficult space to navigate from a consumer perspective. PC-based platforms require a decent rig, the room to prop up external sensors, and the willingness to deal with wires--not to mention the high cost of entry. As vast as VR worlds can be, the setup requirements have been somewhat restricting. Oculus Quest forgoes all of that by delivering a standalone VR gaming platform with the features we've come to expect from the high-end. It's not perfect, but Quest is an example of the ideal VR experience.
Quest offers a whole lot more than its cheaper, entry-level counterpart, the Oculus Go. With Quest, you get six degrees of freedom (6DOF) for positional tracking thanks to the headset's four inside-out sensors--formally called Oculus Insight. This translates to roomscale capability without external sensors. In many ways, it's an improvement over the requirements of beefier PC-based headsets which rely on base station sensors (save for the upcoming Rift S) since you're no longer tied to a dedicated space for VR. A potential drawback of inside-out tracking, however, is the headset's inability to pick up controller movements that fall outside the range of the sensors, though it hasn't been an issue in our experience thus far.
Oculus Quest headset and Touch controllers. It's all you need to get into VR.
Another piece of tech that elevates Quest above other mobile VR platforms is the incorporation of the revised Touch controllers. These are fully-featured controllers with analog sticks, face buttons, grip buttons, and triggers--they're reminiscent of the first run of Touch controllers, but lighter and with the motion-sensing ring above the face buttons for better tracking with the Quest's sensors. You won't miss out on functionality offered in PC-based VR, and Touch remains the best solution for VR controllers at the moment with their ergonomic design and smooth buttons and triggers.
So, what's powering Quest? Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip. It's typically used in smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8, and the reliance on a mobile (though relatively powerful) chip is an inherent compromise that needs to be made, and the visual limitations show with games like Apex Construct and Journey of the Gods. This isn't a slight against the quality of those games, it's been enjoyable to explore their full 3D worlds. Rather, they're examples of the general upper limit of Quest's hardware capabilities, which fall far short of mid- to high-range gaming PCs. Regardless, the Snapdragon 835 provides enough power to render an acceptable level of visual fidelity for games.
Quest will launch with Robo Recall but the game was not made available during our review period; it'd be a good test of Quest's ability to keep up with something more graphically demanding. However, there's reason to believe that it'll work just fine. Tweaking level of detail and graphical features isn't the only option to make things work. A technique called foveated rendering lowers the pixel count of screen space in your periphery, and it helps ease the hardware's workload without sacrificing necessary visual clarity. You can think of it as adaptive resolution for the areas you're not focusing on, and the drop in peripheral resolution is only noticeable if you're looking for it.
I almost think of the Oculus Quest as the Nintendo Switch of VR; it's not the most powerful piece of hardware, but its portability and ease-of-use makes it stand out against existing platforms while delivering a new way to enjoy games.
The headset projects a total resolution of 2880x1600, higher than the current mainstream HMDs, but it's worth noting that Quest's fast-switch LCD displays run at 72Hz. On paper, it's a considerable drop from the 90Hz we've come to expect from VR displays, but there haven't been any perceivable issues with the downgrade quite yet. Having played games like Thumper, Beat Saber, I Expect You To Die, and Face Your Fears 2, the loss in peak framerate won't make much of a difference. And if Space Pirate Trainer and the Superhot VR demo are anything to go by, 72Hz might just suffice in the long run. Again, a fast-paced experience like Robo Recall would be a good test to see if a max 72 FPS is enough to mitigate disorienting players.
By and large, the hardware performs admirably, and the operating system follows suit. Quest is painless to setup; every time you boot it in a new location, you simply set up your Guardian boundaries to establish a safe play area, or you can just set the ground level and continue as a seated experience. It runs Oculus OS, so your only means to access software is through the Oculus Store--Quest is a closed system.
Battery life might seem disappointing at first as Quest lasts for around three hours on a full charge. But considering that I didn't feel the desire to stay in VR for too long, I could easily go for three to four sessions before needing to juice up the headset. And if you don't mind staying tethered to play while charging, a lengthy USB-C cable comes packed in.
One aspect I find disappointing is long-term comfort. Quest's headstrap is adjustable on the sides and on top with secure velcro straps, and the whole thing pulls back and lifts upward with ease which makes the process of getting it on rather painless. But Quest needs a better facepad out of the box. The stiff padding isn't so much the issue as it is the noticeable pressure point it creates on your forehead. I've tried loosening the straps, but the headset would sag a bit. I tilted the headset downward a little, but offset the pressure to my upper cheeks and pull my undereyes downward. I wouldn't call this a deal breaker since I'm not one to stay in VR for too long, but after about 45 minutes, I needed to give a rest before bearing the discomfort again.
Journey of the Gods from Turtle Rock Studios makes its debut alongside the Oculus Quest.
Given that most of the Quest library is comprised of games that are already out on other platforms, it may not be all that attractive for those with existing VR setups, though it's worth mentioning that several games will be cross-platform between Rift and Quest. While there'll be 40+ games at launch, we've only been able to experience a handful of them with the Oculus Quest. You're not going to get photo-realistic 3D worlds in games, so the appeal of Quest really relies on the creative use of the headset's power. Journey of the Gods and Moss, both of which will be available at launch, are such examples where imagination overcomes graphical limitations, and the hope is that more games like them are in Quest's future.
Above all else, Oculus Quest nails down convenience. It's a unique feeling to be able to slap on a headset and get a full untethered VR gaming experience with ease. I almost think of the Oculus Quest as the Nintendo Switch of VR; it's not the most powerful piece of hardware, but its portability and ease-of-use makes it stand out against existing platforms while delivering a new way to enjoy games. It's between the lesser mobile headsets and traditional powerhouses, and that's an attractive place to be.
This sentiment isn't set in stone, though. Again, I still need to experience more demanding games in both the graphical and physical sense to see if it can keep up. But our initial impressions after about 10 hours with a handful of games are promising, so there's reason to believe Quest is the platform VR gaming needs. Oculus Quest launches on May 21 with the option for 64GB storage at $400/£400 and 128GB at $500/£500. Pre-orders are now open on the official Oculus website.
The Good
The Bad
+ Accurate inside-out tracking is a game changer
- Closed system limits the types of experiences you can have
+ Full game experiences due to capable hardware, 6DOF, and Touch controllers
Detective Pikachu features Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds lending his voice talents to the title character, but he had a very different direction in mind for his vocal style. His idea was to style it after film noir, a genre known for its gritty monologues and fatalism.
Reynolds described his take on The Tonight Show (via THR) as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit had a baby with Blade Runner." But that concept quickly got push-back. He characterized the studio's reaction as, "Or maybe just do Ryan Reynolds ... Maybe shut up and do the other thing."
It seems the actor is happy that his voice made the movie so cheerful and bright, though. He said he's glad that a movie that's "just a nice adventure" is being released right now because "the news these days is just like pouring hot lemon juice into your eyeballs." Evocative!
Detective Pikachu tells the story of a teenage boy (Justice Smith) in the Pokemon world who visits Ryme City to put his deceased father's affairs in order. He meets up with his dad's former detective partner, a talking Pikachu (Reynolds) that only he can understand, and they set off on an adventure to solve the mystery of his father's death.
Reviews are relatively positive, though critics appear to agree that fans of the venerable franchise will get more out of it. GameSpot's review concluded that against all odds, live-action Pokemon works.
The latest timed event in Destiny 2, the spring-themed Revelry, is winding down this weekend. You've only got until the next weekly reset on Tuesday, May 7, to dive into the Verdant Forest, complete your Triumphs, and unlock the game's latest Exotic weapon, the Arbalest. If you're still struggling, we've got a guide that can help nabbing Arbalest go a little quicker. And if you need more Exotics, good news: the snake-faced Xur returns once again with a bag full of them.
Head to Io to find Xur this week. He's hanging out in the Gaint's Scar region. From the spawn point, ride your sparrow north and head to the cliff wall on the left side of the area. Look for a cave entrance: Inside, you'll find Xur waiting and, as usual, acting a little weird.
The Huckleberry is Xur's Exotic weapon of choice this week. The Exotic submachine gun fires bullets extremely quickly, and kills refill its magazine from reserves, making it a deadly close-range bullet hose. In the armor department, Xur brought two Forsaken Exotics this week, making up for last week's disappointing inventory. Titans can pick up the Antaeus Wards leg armor, which reflcet incoming projectiles, refilling your Super energy, when you slide. For Warlocks, there's Contraverse Hold, Exotic gauntlets that power up your charged Void grenades, returning grenade energy on a hit and helping you resist damage. Hunters get a Year One Exotic: Gemini Jester, a leg armor set that disorients enemies and turns off their radar when you dodge near them.
Here are all the Exotics Xur offers this week and what they'll cost you:
The Huckleberry (Exotic SMG) -- 29 Legendary Shards
Antaeus Wards (Exotic Titan leg armor) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Gemini Jester (Exotic Hunter leg armor) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Contraverse Hold (Exotic Warlock gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary Shards
If nothing Xur has strikes your fancy, you can also purchase a Fated Engram from Xur. Thanks to a recent update, Fated Engrams can now dish out Exotics from the Forsaken expansion, as well as from the original Year One group. Grabbing one of the engrams gives you a random Exotic that you don't already have--if you can afford it. Fated Engrams will run you 97 Legendary Shards, and you can only get one per account each week. Xur also offers the Five of Swords challenge card for free, which allows you to add difficulty modifiers that increase your score in Nightfall runs.
Finally, Xur brings yet another Invitation of the Nine weekly bounty. Completing these gives you a Powerful gear drop, as well as a bit of story about the Nine and the Drifter, along with a new Lore entry that fills in the history of the Emissary of the Nine. As usual, you'll have to clear out a mess of enemies of various types, and complete a Strike. Stick to the planet mentioned in the bounty to kill the enemies you need, as they don't always count if you kill them in other places. Be sure to finish the bounty by Thursday's daily reset, or you won't be able to grab a fresh bounty from Xur on Friday.
The popular competitive esport Rocket League has become the latest victim of review bombing, following news that developer Psyonix is being acquired by Epic Games. Concerns that the acquisition would mean the game will be pulled from Steam led to a flurry of negative reviews on the platform, before Steam's new anti-bombing tool was deployed to stop it.
Steam reviews recently dipped from "Very Positive" down to "Mixed." That prompted Steam to implement its tool that excludes periods of "off-topic review activity" from the aggregate score. The negative reviews are still visible, and they almost universally reference the Epic acquisition, but they're no longer counted in the average.
Concerns about the game's exclusivity stemmed from a statement (via The Verge) that mentioned the game will be coming to the Epic Games Store later this year. It said "in the meantime" it will still be available for purchase on Steam, and that "thereafter" it will continue to be supported--reportedly through the release of patches and DLC.
That gave the impression that once it appears on the Epic Store it will be pulled from the Steam storefront, though no formal announcement has been made. The official Rocket League Twitter account issued a vague statement that stresses the game "remains available on Steam" and that current players can "look forward to continued support," but didn't necessarily rule out pulling it off the store at some future date.
Epic Games has made a habit of securing exclusives on its emerging Steam competitor, even recently issuing an ultimatum to Steam aimed at improving developer revenue splits. This has led to similar controversies over games like Metro Exodus and The Division 2--but in both of those cases, the switch was formally announced, rather than inferred by fans.
If you like your consoles extremely textured and spiky, you're in luck: Microsoft has announced a promotion for the upcoming film Godzilla: King of the Monsters, with four custom-themed Xbox One X consoles as the prizes. Each one is modeled after an iconic creature from Godzilla lore, including the King of the Monsters itself.
You can enter the sweepstakes by retweeting the promotional Xbox tweet by June 7. You have to be age 14 or over, and minors need a parent or guardian's permission. If you win you'll be notified via Twitter direct message. Four winners will get one of the specialized Xbox One X consoles.
Those consoles are modeled after Mothra, Rodan, Ghidorah, and of course, Godzilla. The film, which releases on May 31, refers to this collection of monsters as "Titans" and has them brawl for monster supremacy. It's directed by Michael Dougherty and stars Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Vera Farmiga (The Departed), and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones).
These consoles are all the Xbox One X, the more powerful revision of the original Xbox One. Microsoft also offers the Xbox One S, a revision to the Xbox One size that doesn't boost its power. It also recently introduced the Xbox One S All Digital Edition, which is similar to the standard S model except it lacks any disc drive.
Call of Duty is one of the biggest video game series around. Black Ops 4's popularity is still going strong, even with the next Call of Duty game on the horizon. And although the series was huge from the very beginning, it owes a decent proportion of its success to the groundbreaking game that was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
CoD4's multiplayer modes completely changed the series--and the shooter genre--and its popularity continued into the sequels Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3. If rumors are to be believed, the next Call of Duty will be Modern Warfare 4 and will no doubt leverage the franchise's legacy. But how much can you remember of the first game in the subseries?
To test your knowledge, we're asking you to name all 20 of the game's multiplayer maps, just by glancing at images of their respective loading screens. We've also given you the teams that fight on the map in question to help you out. However, you've only got five minutes, so you'll need to be quick. Let us know your score in the comments below, and be sure to share the quiz with your friends and family to see who has the superior gaming knowledge. For more quizzes, check out our previous brain-teasers below.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the latest movie in the hit action series, in which Keanu Reeves stars as a former assassin reluctantly brought back into action. It hits theaters later this month, but some critics have already seen the movie, and their first reactions are rolling in via social media.
The movie is directed by Chad Stahelski, who helmed John Wick: Chapter 2 and co-directed the first movie. It also stars Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Halle Berry, Lance Reddick, Asia Kate Dillon, Anjelica Huston, Jason Mantzoukas, and Mark Dacascos.
The reactions on Twitter so far are very positive. Unsurprisingly, many critics have highlighted the action sequences, which go beyond anything seen in the series so far in terms of their scale and invention. There is also praise for the way the movie broadens the mythology of its hitman underworld, plus the performances from Reeves, Berry, and Dillon.
Check below for a roundup of reactions. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum releases on May 17. For more, check out the latest trailer and this tense first clip.
#JohnWick3 continues to build on the series' mythology and has some of the coolest action and most memorable side characters of the entire series. I'm not sure about everything it adds, and certain things will be controversial (no spoilers). But overall it's more @JohnWickMovie! pic.twitter.com/Vodcx2nJwE
Oh, and #JohnWick3 is another gorgeous and inventive action extravaganza. I think JW2 is a "better" movie, but this one is completely entertaining and a living video game. #KeanuReeves is once again a force of nature. He actually looks his age, which adds to the pathos. pic.twitter.com/qAojlFhV5n
#JohnWick3 is AWESOME. Some of the action set pieces are so insane you'll wonder how director Chad Stahelski and his team filmed them. Saying that, the @Halleberry/#KeanuReeves set piece featuring her dogs might be my favorite. Wait till you see this one. Esp if you like dogs... pic.twitter.com/ym2Tn012xw
If you want more John Wick, #JohnWick3 definitely delivers. More insane fights (the Casablanca sequence, OMG), more lore, more dogs (big plus!). pic.twitter.com/e7k6h1qDWD
#JohnWick3: A eye-popping, jaw-dropping, show-stopping killer. Extends world-building dynamics beautifully, but also assigns meaningful resonance to character-driven action. Keanu Reeves is perfect, @AsiaKateDillon is magnetic & @halleberry kicks ass. ❤️'d every stellar minute! pic.twitter.com/cIBF61IZK1
Onto my proper #JohnWick3 reaction: Pure visceral cinema. After the dramatic world expansion of CHAPTER 2, CHAPTER 3 returns to a leaner, exhilarating story chock full of breathless, bone-crunching action and even a few laughs. I was sweating 30 minutes in. This movie RULES.
#JohnWick3 is the electrifying end, if it is the end, of John Wick. It's not a perfect movie but it cements John Wick as the definitive action icon of the 2010s. The movie begins on a high note and, exhaustingly, keeps it up the entire time. Also: VERY GOOD DOGS. pic.twitter.com/h5TVkNy3sP
There's a bit in #JohnWick 3 where Keanu and a bunch of bad dudes are just chucking knives at each other for about five minutes straight and it's pretty much the greatest thing ever.
In a statement, the museum said this year's four inductees have all "significantly affected the video game industry, popular culture, and society in general."
The World Video Game Hall of Fame opened at the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York in 2015 with the aim of honoring the best, most influential games ever. To enter the Hall of Fame, a game must have "enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general."
Microsoft released a celebratory video to mark Solitaire's inclusion in the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Microsoft Casual Games boss Paul Jansen said Solitaire getting inducted into the Hall of Fame is a "historic day" for what he said is one of the most-played games ever. Windows Solitaire launched in 1990 as a tool to teach users how to use a mouse.
Mortal Kombat series creator Ed Boon said on Twitter that NetherRealm is "very honored" for Mortal Kombat to be added to the Hall of Fame.
Some of the previous Hall of Fame inductees include classics like Donkey Kong, Halo: Combat Evolved, The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon Red & Green, and World of Warcraft, among others. The inductees are on display permanently at The Strong Museum.
Metallica singer James Hetfield has a small role in the new Ted Bundy movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile, and Evil that stars Zac Efron as the serial killer. Hetfield plays the police officer who caught Bundy for the first time--for a traffic violation. It's a pivotal moment in Bundy's life and the movie, and Hetfield "absolutely nailed the part," according to Efron.
Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel, Efron said he expected Hetfield--who has limited acting experience--to ask for some advice or a note. He didn't.
"James Hetfield, to his credit, he came in and he absolutely nailed the part," he said. "He just crushed it. It's like he's been acting his whole life. He did a great job."
"James Hetfield is the shit."
A Netflix movie, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile follows the crimes of Bundy but told from the vantage point of his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, who is played by Lily Collins (Tolkien, To the Bone). Kaya Scodelario, Jim Parsons, John Malkovich, and Haley Joel Osment.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile hits Netflix on May 3; it is directed by Joe Berlinger. He was nominated for an Oscar for the documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.
Netflix paid a reported $9 million to acquire the film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in January. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil will also have a limited theatrical run.
BioWare's newest game, Anthem, received a mixed critical reception upon release in February. It sold very well but it might not have had the impact some expected it to. BioWare later delayed a lot of the game's anticipated content, leading some to worry about its future. Some of Anthem's top developers are now speaking up to stress to fans that that BioWare is committed to the project. Anthem's head of live services, Chad Robertson, said on Twitter that BioWare remains fully committed to the game and expanding it with new content.
"We remain 100% committed to Anthem and look forward to showing players the new content we are working on," he said. "We want to make sure we aren't overpromising, so our updates on what's coming in the game will be focused when we have things near completion."
A "big team" is working on Anthem's upcoming content across BioWare's Austin and Edmonton studios, Robertson added. The teams are specifically working on "improving the game."
BioWare lead producer Michael Gamble weighed in as well. He said BioWare's commitment to Anthem "has not changed," despite what you might have heard.
There's been a lot of (incorrect) speculation on this. The studio's support and commitment to anthem HAS. NOT. CHANGED. https://t.co/uxwY3ADPRO
"A lesson we have learned is we have been talking about things too early. There are so many factors that can cause us to pivot on our plans--whether it's bugs & stability issues, player feedback, or complications with a feature that require us to take more time to deliver it," BioWare said. "Our goal is to tell you about new content and features once the work is closer to being done."
As part of BioWare's effort to communicate with fans and involve them, BioWare is launching a Player Feedback Environment (PFE) server for Anthem's PC version. The purpose of this is to give a small amount of players access to new content before it's released publicly to share feedback with BioWare.
"We believe in Anthem. We believe the game will be great, but we recognize getting there will take a lot of hard work," the developer said. "We want to do that work and we want you all to join us on the journey to get there."
The next big video game movie, Detective Pikachu, opens in theatres soon. Ahead of its premiere, reviews have started to show up online. To help you get an idea about if the movie is worth your time and money, we're putting excerpts from the reviews into a roundup.
The movie, which loosely follows some elements of the video game of the same name, features Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu. He teams up with a character played by Justice Smith, who can speak to Pokemon, in an attempt to find out what happened to his father.
Detective Pikachu was directed by Rob Letterman, who previously directed Shark Tale, Gulliver's Travels, and Goosebumps.
You can see a rundown of Detective Pikachu review exceprts below, while more information on the film's critical reception can be found on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Detective Pikachu
Directed By: Rob Letterman
Written By: Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly, Nicole Perlman
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighy, Ken Watanabe
"A neutered Ryan Reynolds tries hard but can't make this live action-meets-animated movie gel. It's plodding and listless and really not funny or smart enough. Turns out, you can't copy Deadpool tricks for the PG set." -- Mark Kennedy [Full review]
IGN
"Despite the film industry's resistance to video game movies, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu has landed a critical hit. Sure, not everything goes off without a hitch, but the lifelike Pokemon provide a nonstop stream of delights to make the weaker aspects of the movie forgivable. Smith's character gives the story an emotional weight and Reynolds delivers an endearing comedic performance that's closer to his subversive Deadpool schtick than you'd expect. While video game movies haven't had the best track record, this movie is by and far the best example of how to do one right." -- Joshua Yehl [Full review]
Variety
"While the cultural significance of Detective Pikachu is virtually self-evident, you do have to be fairly well invested in the Pokemon franchise to appreciate the result, which feels like Legendary Pictures' half-baked attempt to get in on the massive popularity of the Pokemon phenomenon without necessarily understanding or respecting the underlying IP." -- Peter Debruge [Full review]
Entertainment Weekly
"As the wisecracking voice of Pikachu, Ryan Reynolds deserves some sort of special citation for doing the best he can without Deadpool's f-bombs (or a decent script) to lean on. But the main problem is that the film's gumball-mayhem plot is so frenetic that it's impossible to determine if it makes a lick of sense. Maybe that was the point." -- Chris Nashawaty [Full review]
The Wrap
"Is there a Pokemon whose power is to move through your eyeballs and brain and then leave absolutely no impression? Because that was my experience of watching Detective Pikachu, a CGI-heavy live-action/animation hybrid based on the popular game-anime-manga franchise (and specifically on the eponymous Nintendo game)." -- Alonso Duralde [Full review]
USA Today
"While the pint-sized Sherlock gives Detective Pikachu heart and soul, the rest of the film lacks its title character's verve." -- Brian Truitt [Full review]
Smith makes a sympathetic and believable reluctant hero, as Goodman's distance from his father plays into how the story takes shape. Reynolds was a great choice for Pikachu, although you may at times struggle to hear a yellow mouse and not a certain red-spandex-clad superhero when he talks. You're The Worst's Chris Geere is extremely good at playing a douchebag CEO's sociopathic son, while Ken Watanabe is somewhat wasted as a police lieutenant we only meet a couple of times. And there are still more characters whose true identities and purposes will surprise you.
Disney's next live-action revival movie, Aladdin, opens this Memorial Day weekend in the United States, and it's expected to make a lot of money over its opening weekend. Early box office tracking numbers suggest the film will make $80 million or more over the long weekend.
The estimates, which were obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, further state that Aladdin's opening-weekend US/Canada haul could actually be closer to $100 million as Disney ramps up its marketing efforts.
For comparison, Disney's latest revival film, Dumbo, opened to a disappointing $45.9 million in the US and Canada back in March. Aladdin is of course a bigger, more widely known name than Dumbo, so it is expected to do better. Disney's next new live-action remake, The Lion King, opens in July and surely it is eyeing a bigger opening-weekend box office haul.
Aladdin, which is based on Disney's 1992 animated classic, stars Mena Massoud as Aladdin. He discovers a magical lamp, which conjures a singing, dancing, wise-cracking genie (Will Smith). The genie grants him three wishes, with which he sets about wooing Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and avoiding the evil Jafar (Marwan Kenzari). Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie is directing the new Aladdin.
Cloud gaming is poised to potentially be the Next Big Thing for gaming, and one of the companies that stands to benefit the most is Activision Blizzard, according to CEO Robert Kotick. In an earnings call, Kotick said new platforms like Google Stadia are good for gaming to help grow the market, but these platforms can't succeed without content.
Activision Blizzard owns and controls decades worth of content, and that positions the company uniquely, Kotick said. "When you own 30 years of IP like we do, there's probably never been a better time to be in the games business," Kotick said. "When these big, well-funded companies are building out platforms where they have limited amounts of content to actually serve up to customers, I'd say there's a great opportunity for a company like ours."
"For starters, they will all try to broaden the audience for gaming and make big investments and commitments to doing so and that's just helpful for growing the market," Kotick added. "But in each case, none of these platforms can succeed without great content. Truthfully, they really don't know how to make it. So when you think about what will be required, it will be support from us [and other game publishers] to allow them to actually build an audience. We have a better audience than most to capitalise on all these new platforms."
Google Stadia's announcement in March was light on content partners, leading some to shrug the service off. Stadia boss Phil Harrison teased that more details will be announced in June, so it could be soon that we learn more about who Google is partnering with. Stadia has also created an internal game development team, Stadia Games led by industry veteran Jade Raymond, that will create games for Stadia.
Microsoft is working on its own game-streaming service, xCloud, and it's not a stretch to imagine that the company will tap into its long list of owned studios to make new content for the platform. Sony, too, has its PlayStation Now streaming service that will likely continue to leverage first-party studios in an addition to third-parties to build out its content catalog as Xbox is expected to do.
Outside of those companies that are directly tied to game development, Amazon, Verizon, and Wal-Mart are among the non-gaming companies that are confirmed or rumoured to be building cloud gaming platforms. Those companies will need game content to build out their services.
Going back to Kotick, he said distribution models are always evolving and changing for games, and he expects this to continue with cloud gaming. In the next 5-10 years, Kotick said there will be "more ways and places to engage players [and] that serves us better than almost any other company." Kotick added that, beyond partnering with the new cloud gaming services, Activision has a unique opportunity to connect directly with its massive network of 345 million monthly active players across its catalog of games.
Kotick is not the first gaming executive to discuss the issue of cloud gaming companies and a potential struggle to get compelling content. Xbox boss Mike Nichols said about Stadia, "They don't have the content."
What do you think about cloud gaming? Let us know in the comments below! You can also read GameSpot's cloud gaming primer to find out everything you need to know.
The Call of Duty franchise continues to soar. Activision announced today that the shooter series has now cleared 300 million copies sold since it debuted back in 2003.
The Call of Duty series premiered in 2003 with Infinity Ward's World War II shooter Call of Duty. No mainline Call of Duty game was released in 2004, but a new entry has launched every year since, with development shifting around between Activision-owned studios like Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games, with support from other owned studios like Raven Software and High Moon, among others.
Activision has not provided a breakdown of sales by individual title or brand, but the Black Ops and Modern Warfare brands are believed to be the most successful.
After Paramount and Sega unveiled the first official trailer for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie, fans of the blue blur took to the internet to complain about the film's design of the titular hero. In response, Sonic the Hedgehog director Jeff Fowler announced Sonic will undergo a redesign ahead of the movie's release.
"Thank you for the support," Fowler tweeted. "And the criticism. The message is loud and clear... you aren't happy with the design and you want changes. It's going to happen. Everyone at Paramount and Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be." Fowler did not clarify what this redesign would entail, nor if the effort to do so will push Sonic the Hedgehog past its scheduled November 19 release date.
Criticism for Sonic's design in the movie has been aimed at pretty much every part of the speedy blue hedgehog. Most of the dislike seems to stem from the movie version's legs, torso, teeth, and eyes. Most of the changes to Sonic's design in the coming movie currently make him appear uncannily human, which some fans have found unnerving. Most likely, the planned redesign will make Sonic look closer to his original cartoonish appearance.
Sonic the Hedgehog sees Sonic partner up with a state trooper to stop Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, a mad scientist and skilled roboticist working with the government to uncover the secrets of the blur blur. In the movie's trailer, we see the sassy Robotnik devise contraptions to capture Sonic, only for the mad scientist to become more deranged as the hedgehog continues to escape as a result of his super speed.
In the movie, Sonic is voiced by Ben Schwartz, a seasoned actor who's been seen on Parks and Recreation and House of Lies, and also voiced characters in the new Duck Tales Show and BoJack Horseman. Dr. Robotnik is played by Jim Carry, an actor well known for portraying that exact archetype in numerous films throughout his career. In an interview, Carry said, "I made sure that there are some winks and nods, and edgy things that are still acceptable to [all] age groups."
During the Activision Blizzard earnings call today, management confirmed that the game will be revealed before the end of the current fiscal quarter, which means it'll be announced before June 30. That makes sense, given new Call of Duty games are typically announced in May before getting shown off further at E3 in June. This year could be different in a way, however. Activision typically showcases the new Call of Duty game during Sony's E3 briefing due to its exclusive content deal, but that won't happen this year because Sony isn't attending E3.
On the earnings call, Activision management says it feels "incredibly good" about how the new Call of Duty title is shaping up, and they're excited to finally reveal it eventually.
Not only that, but Activision boss Coddy Johnson teased that Activision plans to support the game's release with even more content after launch to keep players engaged.
"We need to do even more to maintain the breadth of our Call of Duty player base beyond the launch quarters," he said. "The Call of Duty team is hard at work on that for this fall's big content release, excitement for which is incredibly high around the organisation. We expect that both the launch and the post launch will bring game-changing experiences to our fans."
Activision is able to create more content for this year's Call of Duty game because it's increasing development headcount across the board, including the Call of Duty team. Activision announced it was increasing aggregate headcount for its development teams by about 20 percent following its layoff of 800 people primarily from non-game development roles.
Little is known about the title, but Activision previously said the game will feature a campaign mode. That's notable because 2018's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 did not include a campaign but instead added a battle royale mode called Blackout.
Additionally, it was confirmed that the Call of Duty series has sold more than 300 million copies since it premiered back in 2003.
Also on the call, Activision said interest in the new Call of Duty mobile game from Tencent is high; the game has more than 10 million pre-registrations on Google Play.
Actor Peter Mayhew, who is best known for his portrayal of Chewbacca in the Star Wars series, has passed away. Mayhew died on April 30 in his home in North Texas, USA. He was 74.
His passing was announced by his family in a statement posted to Twitter. After the news broke, tributes poured in. Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill said, "He was the gentlest of giants-A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile & a loyal friend who I loved dearly-I'm grateful for the memories we shared & I'm a better man for just having known him." Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo opposite Mayhew's Chewbacca, told The Hollywood Reporter, "Peter Mayhew was a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character. These aspects of his own personality, plus his wit and grace, he brought to Chewbacca. We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him. He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the Star Wars audience."
A number of other actors and celebrities connected to Star Wars and otherwise have responded to the news. Scroll down to see their responses.
Mayhew played Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith and The Force Awakens in a role shared by Joonas Suotamo. Mayhew did consulting work for The Last Jedi to help Suotamo feel capable in the role.
Outside of his film career, Mayhew did a lot of charitable work for groups like Wounded Warriors, Make-A-Wish, and the 501st Legion. He also created his own Peter Mayhew Foundation that supports individuals and families in need.
The family of Peter Mayhew, with deep love and sadness, regrets to share the news that Peter has passed away. He left us the evening of April 30, 2019 with his family by his side in his North Texas home. pic.twitter.com/YZ5VLyuK0u
Mayhew is survived by his wife, Angie, and three children. "His kindness, generosity, and care will live on in the Peter Mayhew Foundation with Angie taking the helm as his voice," his family said in their statement.
Mayhew's first big movie role was in 1977's "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger," which was released in the same year as A New Hope.
He was the gentlest of giants-A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile & a loyal friend who I loved dearly-I'm grateful for the memories we shared & I'm a better man for just having known him. Thanks Pete #RIPPeterMayhew#Heartbroken@TheWookieeRoarspic.twitter.com/8xbq9HEWF2
"We are deeply saddened today by the news of Peter Mayhew's passing. Since 1976, Peter's iconic portrayal of the loyal, lovable Chewbacca has been absolutely integral to the character's success, and to the Star Wars saga itself."-Kathleen Kennedy.
The @WaltDisneyCo mourns the loss of our beloved #chewbacca portrayer, #PeterMayhew. Peter was larger than life in so many ways...a gentle giant playing a gentle giant. Rest in peace.
RIP Peter Mayhew. To create a beloved character with warmth and humor is a testament to any actor's spirit. To do it under a half ton of yak hair takes a true legend. ❤️❤️
💔I am so sorry to hear about Peter. We had so many fun and memorable tweets back and forth over the years plus seeing each other at a convention here and there. My deepest condolences to his family. He will be sorely missed! 😢 https://t.co/R3lAEvkQJc
Xbox One players have two more games they can now play on their console. Microsoft's director of programming for Xbox Live, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, took to Twitter to announce that the Xbox One now supports two more Xbox 360 titles via backward compatibility.
Developed by Team Ninja for the PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is an enhanced Ninja Gaiden 3 port that includes the original DLC, as well as a variety of performance enhancements and improvements. Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge released nearly a year after the initial game's March 2012 release date and brought alongside a host of changes like increasing the speed of kunai climbing, introducing new weapons like the lunar staff and kusarigama, improving enemy AI, and more.
Trials Evolution was developed by RedLynx. Released for the Xbox 360 in April 2012 before speeding to iOS and PC in 2013, Trials Evolution--the fourth mainline entry in the Trials franchise--tasks you with facing and overcoming a variety of motorcycle trials in a bid to claim the top spot on the leaderboards. Trials Evolution includes two course editors (Lite and Pro) that allow you to create and share courses online.
In our Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge review, we called the update "a welcome gesture, and one that makes for an improved action game--yet a hundred small fixes are no substitute for a game built from the ground up to be a challenging, fluid, and fulfilling action extravaganza."
In our Trials Evolution review, we said it's "a great game that not only tests your skill and patience, but keeps you laughing at the ridiculous scenarios."
We've finally reached the end of Fortnite Season 8, but there's still one more set of weekly challenges to complete before Season 9 officially begins. Week 10's challenges are now live across PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, which means this is your last chance to level your Battle Pass up and unlock any remaining Season 8 skins and rewards.
As has been the case this whole season, there's an added bonus for completing as many challenges as you can. If you finish all of the tasks from a given week, you'll complete one of Season 8's Discovery challenges, which in turn will unlock a special loading screen. These screens all feature some cool artwork, but the real reason you want to unlock them is because each one contains a subtle clue that points you to a free Battle Star--which levels your Battle Pass up by one tier--or a Banner--which can be used as a profile icon--hidden somewhere around the game's map.
If you've finished all 10 weeks' worth of Season 8 challenges, you'll be able to pick up one final Banner before the season ends. To find it, though, you'll need to look carefully at the loading screen below, which is your reward for completing the tenth Discovery challenge. This screen depicts a group of characters gazing at the mysterious alien vault beneath Loot Lake, which will presumably play a pivotal role in the seasonal changeover as Season 9 begins.
Among the things you can spot in the loading screen is someone in the Peely banana skin and, more importantly, the hidden banner. It's located just near the perimeter of the hole, in the northwest corner.
You can see the Banner's exact location on the map below. We also walk you through where to find it in the video at the top of this guide. However, the usual caveats will apply. This particular Banner won't appear in the game unless you've completed all 10 weeks' sets of challenges and unlocked the above loading screen, so you won't be able to simply go to the right area and collect it unless you've done all the necessary work.
You only have a few more days to complete any outstanding Season 8 challenges and unlock all of this season's Battle Pass rewards. If you need help mopping up some remaining missions, be sure to check out all of the tips we've put together in our complete Fortnite Season 8 challenges guide. You also still have a little more time to take part in Fortnite's Avengers: Endgame crossover event and unlock the new Avengers-inspired rewards.
Fortnite's final update of Season 8, patch 8.51, arrived on May 2. Along with the usual assortment of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, the update introduced the recently teased Shadow Bomb item, which gives players the ability to turn invisible temporarily and gain additional movement speed and abilities. You can read the full Fortnite 8.51 update patch notes here.
The final season of Game of Thrones is upon us, and it's wrapping up plot threads and offing characters left and right. Season 8 is only six episodes, but it has a lot of heavy lifting to do in acting as the culmination of everything that's happened in the show up to now. We're halfway through Season 8, we've seen the Battle of Winterfell, and there's still a lot of ground to cover.
We know it's a big undertaking to remember everything that has happened in Game of Thrones while readying to tune in each Sunday. There are any number of theories, callbacks, Easter eggs, and lore dives to keep in mind for each episode. That's why we've got a massive rundown of all our Game of Thrones coverage--everything you need to know about each episode, what might be coming down the pike, and what's important that has come before.
Read on for a mess of links bringing you everything you might want to know about Game of Thrones Season 8. We've arranged our coverage by episode, but keep in mind: If you're not caught up, later stories are going to include spoilers!
Game of Thrones' "Long Night" is over, for better or worse, and with the White Walkers defeated, what remains is what's always been there: the battle for the coveted Iron Throne.
But before Jon or Dany (or Jaime or Tyrion or Arya or basically every other character on the show) can shove a knife through Cersei's stupid face and plant a more deserving butt in that seat, Game of Thrones has to do something it's been building toward for many years: Cleganebowl, the battle between the Hound, Sandor Clegane, and the Mountain, Gregor Clegane.
Why does this matter? We'll get to that. But there's more than just the history of Game of Thrones to look at; the show's most recent events, including the Hound's visions in the flames and adventures with Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion, may give us some new insight into how Cleganebowl might play out.
Let's get that context out of the way first, though.
What Is Cleganebowl?
"Cleganebowl" is the name Game of Thrones fans (and fans of the book series A Song of Ice and Fire before them) have given to the theorized clash between the Hound, Sandor Clegane, and his brother, the Mountain, Gregor Clegane.
This theory was born long ago for those who read the novels, and the reasoning behind it is the same in the show as it was in the books. But since the last book came out almost a decade ago and as far as the books are concerned, the Hound has retired to a religious commune and is out of the running, the most egregious and tantalizing foreshadowing for this fight has taken place in the show's recent seasons.
Admittedly, it's a pretty simple story: As Sandor has discussed at various points throughout both versions of Game of Thrones, his brother Gregor is a total dick. When they were kids, Gregor bullied Sandor incessantly, even burning the Hound's face in a hot brazier as they fought over a toy. That gave Sandor the distinctive scars on his face, an all-encompassing cynicism for the world in general, the fear of fire that has influenced the Hound's participation in at least two battles, and a burning hatred for his brother that's lasted their entire lives.
For his part, Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane has lumbered here and there throughout the books and the show, wreaking havoc and despair everywhere he went. He brutalized a horse at the tourney in Season 1, and he terrorized Arya during Season 2. In Season 4, he smashed Oberyn Martell's face even while succumbing to the Red Viper's deadly poison, and was later revived as an apparently unthinking, mute zombie to lead Cersei's personal Queensguard. He also has a history of being super terrible in the past; When Daenerys's father, the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, was overthrown, the Mountain reportedly raped and murdered Elia Martel, the wife of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, and killed her children--including an infant. Just about everyone has a score to settle with the guy.
When Sandor and Gregor finally came face to face again for the first time since Season 1, it was in the show's Season 7 finale, during The Fateful Meeting of Named Characters in the dragon pit outside King's Landing. "Remember me? Yeah, you do," the Hound told his brother. "You're even uglier than I am now. What did they do to you? Doesn't matter. That's not how it ends for you, brother. You know who's coming for you. You've always known."
In other words, Sandor doesn't give a flying chicken whether his brother is a brainless zombie or there's still a glimmer of the old rotten son-of-a-gun in there somewhere behind those purple eyes. The Hound is going to kill the Mountain in the end, and we couldn't be more excited for their final throwdown.
How Could The Lord of Light, R'hllor, Fit In?
After Arya Stark casually slipped a dagger into the Night King's exposed belly fat like so many joking Reddit commenters and fandom s***-posters had accidentally correctly guessed she would over the years, a question arose: Is the story of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, the God of Flame and Shadow who the Red Priests worship, now finished?
Melisandre is dead, her mission to gently suggest that Arya do what Arya does complete. Beric is also dead, having protected Arya so she could reach said pep talk. Thoros died last season after getting mauled by a zombie bear, then being fine, then dying later for no reason. And the Red Priestess Kinvara, who you probably don't remember because she appeared in a single scene back in Meereen two seasons ago, might as well be dead, because there's no way she's ever appearing on this show again.
But R'hllor might have one follower left on the continent of Westeros: Sandor Clegane. With every other R'hllor-loving character dead, the Hound may be next to take up the Lord of Light's cause.
The narrative set-up is all there. The Hound witnessed Thoros bring Beric back to life many seasons ago (after being the one to land the killing blow, in fact), and seemed shaken. He saw visions in the fire that inspired his group of misfits to head north to the Edifice Formerly Known As The Wall, where they helped Jon on his extremely stupid mission to kidnap a zombie. He's been hanging around with these characters for seasons on end, and despite his projected cynicism, Sandor has seen the signs himself.
And there's plenty of thematic pay-off to be had in Sandow Clegane embracing the God of Fire. Fire is the tool his brother used to scar him for life, both physically and emotionally; fire is the source of Sandor's cynicism, and his greatest fear, producing a primal response in him that we've seen over and over, whether at the Battle of the Blackwater, his duel with Beric long ago, or the recent Battle of Winterfell. Fire is the Hound's greatest weakness, and overcoming that weakness could represent the growth of his character if he finally abandons his cynicism and finds inner calm.
Plus, Red Priests get to light their swords on fire. There's poetic justice in the idea of the Hound bashing his undead brother's big, stupid head in with a flaming blade, and more importantly--the reason I think the show may actually follow through on this one--it would look awesome.
There are three episodes left to go in Game of Thrones' final season, and more than anything else, Cleganebowl happening is just shy of certain. Here's hoping the show manages to do it in a way that has actual narrative and thematic pay-off, and looks cool too.
This week has been jam-packed with Golden Week game deals at Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Nintendo Eshop, and the latest deal is actually a freebie that Final Fantasy XIV Online players will want to snag. If you don't already own Heavensward, the critically acclaimed DLC is available for free on both PC and PS4 until June 27.
Important things to know: The PC edition is free from the Square Enix Store as part of its Golden Week sale, while the PS4 version is available from the PlayStation Store. However, both the PC and PS4 expansion require The Final Fantasy XIV Online Starter Edition to play (and in PlayStation's case, you must own it to even claim). Square Enix notes that its PC download of Heavensward isn't compatible with Steam's version of the Starter Edition, so you'll have to own the base game in some capacity outside Steam.
Here's where a Twitch Prime membership comes in handy--the streaming site is currently giving away a free PC download of Final Fantasy XIV Online: Starter Edition, but that deal ends tomorrow, May 3, so grab it ASAP if you're also planning to get the Heavensward DLC while its free. On the Twitch Prime website, scroll right under "Free In-Game Loot & More," and you'll see the FFXIV offer.
The Heavensward expansion earned a 9/10 from GameSpot for its exciting and epic continuation of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn's story, gorgeous visuals, detailed environments, and variety of dungeons and challenges.
"Heavensward is an essential purchase for those who have spent more hours than they'd care to admit in Eorzea," wrote critic Pete Davison in his Heavensward review. "While new players--or those who never beat A Realm Reborn's complete story--may feel aggravated at being locked-out of the expansion until they catch up, there's little denying that Final Fantasy XIV as a whole offers astonishing value for those willing to immerse themselves, and it will only continue to grow and expand over time."
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