Get this man a shield — Chris Evans may not be totally done with Captain America. Though the Avengers: Infinity War actor had confirmed that he was hanging up the star-spangled suit for good after Avengers 4, directors Joe and Anthony Russo hint that this may not totally be the case.
Chris Evans caused a stir last month when he posted a tweet celebrating the wrapping of Avengers 4, with a message that read suspiciously like a goodbye to Captain America. “It was an emotional day to say the least,” Evans wrote. “Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor.”
Of course, Evans has been talking about retiring from Marvel for months now, and his contract with the company seemed to confirm as much. But Joe Russo suggested to USA Today that this may not be the last time Evans and Captain America will be connected:
“I think it was more emotional for him than it was us because he’s not done yet. I won’t explain what that means but fans will soon understand what I’m talking about.”
No, we don’t understand! Evans is not signed up for any films past Avengers 4, and much hoopla has been made about the a new era of the MCU after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and the still-untitled Avengers 4. But perhaps Russo is hinting that while Evans will no longer play the role onscreen, he’ll still be involved in the Captain America series in some capacity? Like as a director, perhaps?
Hear me out. Evans has spoken about wanting to retire in front of the camera and shift gears to directing for years, recently making his directorial debut with 2014’s Before We Go. He later backtracked from his claims of retiring from acting, but still seems to hold a flame for directing, which he hasn’t done since Before We Go. Maybe Marvel wants to keep Evans associated with the company by giving him a big-budget project as his second directorial feature, taking the helm of the next Captain America movie with another actor playing the superhero. Crazier things have happened.
What are we to make of Robert Zemeckis‘ Welcome to Marwen? The film is based on a rather tragic, depressing true story, but every trailer so far has made Marwen look like a wacky, over-the-top comedy. Steve Carell plays a man who finds solace creating dolls after surviving a brutal attack. Also, the dolls come to life with creepy uncanny valley faces, and dance around. Folks, I just don’t know. Watch the latest Welcome to Marwen trailer below, and see for yourself.
Welcome to Marwen Trailer
Robert Zemeckis has made some great films, and with Welcome to Marwen, he’s attracted an excellent cast: Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Merritt Wever, Janelle Monáe, Eiza González, Gwendoline Christie, and more. And yet, Welcome to Marwen looks…off. The first trailer for the film was met with such a negative reaction that a second trailer was quickly released a few weeks later. And now we have trailer three, which, honestly, doesn’t look much better. This trailer plays up the comedy big-time, leaning into Carell’s natural talent for humor.
Here’s the thing: Welcome to Marwen is based on the true story of Mark Hogancamp. Hogancamp was nearly beaten to death by a group of men after he told them he was a cross-dresser. Hogancamp suffered brain damage and severe memory loss. Lacking the means to pay for therapy, Hogancamp began building a miniature World War II village in his back yard, and creating dolls based on himself, his friends, and his attackers. All of this is chronicled in the 2010 documentary Marwencol.
While the basic concept – a man is attacked and builds a small village in his yard – is in place here, Zemeckis and company are taking things to a very strange place by having Hogancamp’s dolls come to life, and engage in gun battles. Not helping matters is the way the dolls look. Zemeckis loves to play around with technology, but the VFX being used to graft Carell and other’s faces onto these dolls is just creepy looking. In short, everything going on here looks ill-conceived. It also looks like a semi-dramatic remake of Small Soldiers.
But maybe it’ll turn out okay. Maybe the film is just difficult to sell in trailer form, and will play much better in its final form. We’ll know for sure when Welcome to Marwen opens December 21, 2018.
When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp (Carell) and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic. As he builds an astonishing art installation—a testament to the most powerful women he knows—through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one.
Domee Shi has already made history as the first female director to helm a Pixar short, and now she’ll be shattering a few more glass ceilings at the notoriously male-run animation studio. The director behind the lovely, Oscar-contending Pixar short Bao confirmed that she is working on her feature film debut with Pixar’s backing.
Bao became a minor sensation when it debuted in front of Pixar’s Incredibles 2 this summer, eliciting tears (and some confusion) over the delicious way it depicted a mother’s empty nest syndrome. But it seems like it went over well with Pixar, who is giving director Domee Shi her first feature. In an interview with Deadline, Shi revealed that she is working on a new 90-minute film:
“We’re just developing the story for it right now. It’s super early on, but I’m really excited to play in this new 90-minute film format.”
This is a huge step forward for Pixar, which has been a notorious “boys club” since its meteoric rise from cutting-edge technology company to one of the biggest animation giants today. Of the 19 feature films that Pixar has released since 1995, only Brave had a female director — who was fired midway through production. Allegations of sexual harassment, women creatives being shut out, and more abounded under the dominion of former Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter. However, Lasseter’s exit this summer seemed to signal the start of a new, more inclusive era at Pixar.
Pixar has begun making strides toward diversity with its acclaimed shorts, first with the charming Sanjay’s Super Team in 2015, and this year with Shi’s Bao. Last year’s Coco, a vibrant love letter to Mexican culture, was also a huge success for the studio.
Now Shi — who began her career at Pixar as an intern and went on to become a story artist on Inside Out and work on The Good Dinosaur, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4 — seems like she could be leading the charge for female directors at the company.
The award-winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen is coming to the big screen. The musical, which features songs by La La Land and The Greatest Showman team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, has been running on Broadway since 2016, and took home Best Musical, Best Score, Best Actor in a Musical, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 71st Tony Awards. Stephen Chbosky, director of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and the recent Wonder, is in early negotiations to direct.
It was only a matter of time before Hollywood came calling for Dear Evan Hansen, the toe-tapping musical about mental illness and suicide. Broadway musicals are a dime a dozen, but a musical that manages to last always gets attention. More often than not, the big stage musicals on Broadway will close after a few months of shows. But every now and then, something with cultural weight comes along. Hamilton is obviously the best recent example – a musical that will probably play until the end of time, due to how successful it’s been.
But Dear Evan Hansen is no slouch either. The musical, which debuted on Broadway in 2016, is still going strong. One of the biggest signs of success on Broadway is recoupment – making the money invested back, and turning a profit. Dear Evan Hansen has done that, and then some. Last year, it was announced the show had “recouped its $9.5 million capitalization costs about eight months after the show began performances on Broadway.” Since then, a National tour has begun, a West End production is expected to open in London next year, and the musical has been adapted into a young adult novel.
And now here comes the movie. Deadline reports Universal Pictures is making a Dear Evan Hansen movie, and that they hope to land Stephen Chbosky as a director. Chbosky has experience telling stories about teens going through troubled experience, having written the Perks of Being a Wallflower novel, and then adapting it into a film himself.
Dear Evan Hansen “tells the story of a young man with social anxiety disorder who so yearns to make a connection with his peers that he fabricates a relationship with a deceased student to become closer to the boy’s family. When a classmate commits suicide, shy Evan Hansen finds himself at the center of the tragedy and turmoil. In a misguided attempt to comfort the boy’s grieving family, Evan pretends that he was actually good friends with their son. He invents a fabricated email account to prove their friendship, and when a fake suicide note makes its way online, Evan finds himself the unintended face of a viral video about loneliness and friendship.”
I’ve never seen the show, but I have heard the soundtrack, with music from Greatest Showman songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – and it’s quite good, thanks very much in part to the lead performance of Ben Platt, who has one killer singing voice. Dear Evan Hansen has enough great songs, and enough of a strong message, that it could make for a fantastic film embraced by audiences young and old. Or it could end up being like the terrible Les Misérables movie directed by Tom Hooper! Who knows. In the meantime, listen to my favorite song from the show below.
Blade Runner is becoming an anime. The seminal sci-fi franchise that preceded the cyberpunk anime explosion in the ’90s is going to a medium that seems uniquely suited to it.
Adult Swim and Crunchyroll have joined forces with Alcon Television Group to develop a Blade Runner anime titled Blade Runner: Black Lotus that will act as a prequel series to the critically acclaimed Blade Runner 2049.
Alcon Television Group, a division of Alcon Entertainment, is currently developing Blade Runner: Black Lotus, an anime series inspired by Denis Villeneueve’s majestic Blade Runner 2049. Adult Swim and Crunchyroll are set to distribute the series, Crunchyroll announced Thursday. Crunchyroll is a widely used streaming service that specializes in anime and has recently begun producing its own original anime series.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus is “set to feature top creators from Japan” and will consist of 13 30-minute episodes produced by Ultraman animation studio Sola Digital Arts, according to Crunchyroll. Plot details are under wraps for now, but we know that Blade Runner: Black Lotus will take place in the year 2032, 17 years before the events of Blade Runner 2049, and feature some familiar characters from the universe.
It’s unknown whether Blade Runner: Black Lotus will at all be related to the anime tie-in to Blade Runner 2049, Blade Runner: Black Out 2022. Directed by Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo creator Shinichiro Watanabe, the stunning anime short film helped fill in the gaps between Ridley Scott‘s original Blade Runner and the sequel taking place 30 years later. However, it’s possible that the new anime series will be connected, as Watanabe is on board as creative producer for Blade Runner: Black Lotus. The series will also feature high-profile anime filmmakers like Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) and Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex), who are set to direct all episodes of the first season.
I couldn’t think of a more perfect medium for a Blade Runner spin-off than anime. Though Ridley Scott’s original 1982 film preceded the anime cyberpunk phenomenon that blew up the ’90s — and ended up bleeding into much of Western pop culture in the process — its rich, neon-drenched visual language practically screams anime. And it’s a good lateral move for the Blade Runner franchise after Blade Runner 2049 captivated critics but failed to capture audiences. The film may have been a box office disappointment, but its influence on sci-fi is too powerful to not be expanded in other mediums. And I can consider this a point for anime, after Hollywood’s exhaustive attempts to adapt the medium to live-action.
Greensky Bluegrass Delivers A Windows-Down Rock And Roll Tune 'Do It Alone'
The Kalamazoo, Mich. band has been playing bluegrass on its own terms for 18 years. And its upcoming album, All For Money, is no exception.
[[tmz:video id="0_nkgvwo9l"]] Quentin Tarantino's waking up a married man after throwing a romantic, wild, semi-traditional Jewish wedding reception ... and we've got the video inside the celebration. Quentin and his bride, Daniella Pick, showed up at…
A young boy upstaged Pope Francis on Wednesday, escaping from his mother and running onto the papal podium at a general audience, tugging on the hand of a Swiss guardsman and playing behind the pontiff's chair. Pope Francis told her to let him carry on playing. As she left the stage, a smiling Francis leaned towards Bishop Georg Ganswein sitting next to him and whispered: "He is Argentinian.
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At tonight's 32nd American Cinematheque Award dinner at the Beverly Hilton, guests were seated in the ballroom by 7:30 p.m. But it was not until 10:40 p.m. that the night's honoree, Bradley Cooper, took the stage after an outpouring of affection from Hollywood colleagues, including A Star is Born co-stars Lady Gaga and Sam Elliott, Jennifer Garner, Sean Penn, and many others. The dinner and multi-media award show was a fundraiser for the American Cinematheque, a nonprofit…
EXCLUSIVE: The ax continues to fall on Marvel’s series at Netflix. Daredevil, which launched the Marvel universe on the streaming platform, has been canceled after three seasons. The move comes on the heels of Netflix canceling Iron Fist and Luke Cagelast month – but Daredevil seems to have an afterlife elsewhere. “Marvel's Daredevil will not return for a fourth season on Netflix,” the streamer said in a statement tonight to Deadline. “We are tremendously proud of the…
Dara Reneé (Freaky Friday) is joining ABC's Black-ish in a recurring role. She’ll play Stunts, a friend of Dre’s (Anthony Anderson) young cousin Kyra (Quvenzhané Wallis). Created and executive produced by Kenya Barris, Black-ish tells the story of the Johnsons — an affluent African-American family struggling to raise their kids in the largely white culture of well-to-do suburbia. In addition to Anderson, Black-ish stars Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow, Yara Shahidi as Zoey…
Chris Robinson has been set to direct an untitled film about the formative years in the life of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier wrote the script, based on Shooting Stars, the book James wrote with Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger. James and Maverick Carter will produce for their SpringHill Entertainment alongside Terence and Rachel Winter, who will produce for Tangerine Pictures and Cold Front Productions…
EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Taylor Dudley, who currently stars in the Syfy series, The Magicians, and Al Di have signed on to topline Some of Our Stallions, an indie comedy-drama from Silicon Valley producer Carson Mell, who will also co-star. Mell, who co-wrote the Sundance film, The Long Dumb Road, will write and direct the film, which centers on two best friends struggling with mental illness while searching for the love of their lives. Underlying Tension is financing the film…
Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy will be back for a fourth go-round. AMC Networks has renewed drama series Preacher, from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, for a fourth season. The series will begin production on Season 4 in Australia early next year. "Preacher is a show unlike any other on television, said David Madden, President – Programming, Entertainment Networks, AMC Networks. “A passionate base of fans found their way to Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy and have followed along with…
Eiza Gonzalez has been set to co-star with Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in the David Leitch-directed Fast and Furious spinoff Hobbs and Shaw. Chris Morgan wrote the script and the film is produced by Johnson with his Seven Bucks Productions partners, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, along with Statham, and Morgan. Kelly McCormick, Steve Chasman, Amanda Lewis, Ainsley Davies and Ethan Smith are executive producing. Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby and Ray Donovan’s Eddie Marsan…
EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-winning comic, host and author Dennis Miller has signed with UTA in all areas. The move comes as the Saturday Night Live alum’s ninth stand-up special, Fake News, Real Jokes, bowed this month via Comedy Dynamics. Miller currently hosts his twice weekly podcast The Dennis Miller Option and has a twice-daily syndicated radio feature The Miller Minute. Miller, who for six years anchored “Weekend Update” on SNL before exiting in 1991, won five Emmys for his…
Period gangster epic Peaky Blinders today completed its 50th day of shooting for Season 5, and with that comes the first look at new cast member Sam Claflin, as well as more detail about his character. Check out the photo below. Claflin is one of a host of new recruits for the BAFTA-winning drama that’s created and written by Steven Knight. As we’ve previously reported, Brian Gleeson and Anya Taylor-Joy are also new to the mix with returning leads Cillian Murphy, Helen…
Yalitza Aparicio had just completed her teacher training for preschool in her hometown of Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca when she was cast to play Cleo in Alfonso Cuarón's retelling of his own childhood in Mexico City, Roma. She had no aspirations to act—her sister, in fact, was the performer of the family—but on a nationwide search of Mexico, Aparicio's physical similarity to the Cuaróns' real-life nanny Liboria "Libo" Rodríguez was undeniable. Libo had cared for Alfonso and his…
Tom Hanks is reportedly in early talks to play the puppet master and patriarch figure Geppetto in Disney’s live action Pinocchio which is being directed by Paddington‘s Paul King. Andrew Miano and Chris Weitz are producing. King, Weitz, and Simon Farnaby have written the most recent draft of the script. The original 1940 animated movie won two Oscars for best original score and the classic Disney tune, “When You Wish Upon a Star”. The movie based on the Carlo Collodi…
You have seen the last of Marc Lamont Hill on CNN; the cable news network has fired the Temple University professor after delivering a speech at the United Nations in which he used an expression used as a dog whistle by Hamas and other anti-Israel terror groups. "Marc Lamont Hill is no longer under contract with CNN," CNN said in a statement. Speaking at the United Nations, Hill said Wednesday, “We have an opportunity to not just offer solidarity in words but to commit to…
The first major update is coming to Battlefield V next week alongside the the launch of the World War II game's Tides of War event. While the full patch notes have not been released yet, developer DICE has started to provide some insight into what you can expect for this update and ones to come on a further-out timeline.
Writing on Reddit, the studio said one of the more notable changes has to do with the Time to Kill (TTK) and TTD (Time to Death) elements. DICE is observing that players are dying too often/too quickly, and are getting frustrated as a result. In the wake of this, DICE is "looking at how we can improve the experience for new players and veterans and alike."
Next week's Battlefield V update won't include any changes to TTK specifically, but DICE is looking into changes that might lead to a "perceived" slower TTK through things like netcode, damage feedback, and other elements.
"We want to achieve gunplay balance where the experience is healthy, where latency is in a good place in order to improve consistency experience across all platforms including PC and console," DICE said. "We want to propose any TTK model changes to you, the community, and involve you in testing experimental changes with the goal of improving experience and create deeper gameplay potential."
Core gameplay designer Le Bihan said improving the TTK/TTD experience is "one of our high priorities right now," adding that getting things to a better place involves "complex pieces that are being investigated..."
DICE is working on some new TTK measures, and it may roll the changes out on a small pool of servers first, to compare with the original TTK formula.
"It may be proposed to players in-game by rolling out the new TTK changes globally to all players connecting to any server, while adding a new playlist accessible through the server browser where players can play the old (or as it is, current) TTK to compare the two experiences," Bihan said.
As for changes that are coming to to Battlefield V next week in the new update, players can expect the revive mechanic to improve for both the reviver and the revivee. "We identified a few delays that prevented players to get full control after the animation was completed--this is now resolved and will virtually make the reviving experience 'faster.' We want to see if what we are addressing improves the quality of the experience enough. Increasing the revive speed is something we still keep in mind but aren't implementing just yet," DICE said
As for the weapon balance changes, DICE is making a series of changes, which you can see at the bottom of this post. Outside of those changes, DICE confirmed that the ability to drag a downed teammate--a feature shown in trailers before launch--won't be included in the update. "We are still investigating feasibility around this mechanic," DICE wrote.
Decreased M1928A1 maximum damage to 25.1 (previously 30)
Increased the 3 hit kill range of the Gewehr 1-5 to 30 meters (previously 25 meters)
Increased maximum damage for the Sturmgewehr 1-5 and StG 44 to 25.1 (previously 24)
Reduced the range at which the Turner SMLE can kill with one headshot and one body shot to 30 meters (previously 35 meters)
Increased the 4 hit kill range of all assault rifles, LMGs, MMGs and SMGs to 10 meters (previously 9 meters) to make close quarter damage more reliable
Increased all SMG 5 hit kill range to 30 meters (previously 25 meters)
Bolt actions no longer deal slightly reduced damage when hitting the lower body or upper arms, this means the minimum damage will never go below 55 damage.
Recoil
Increased horizontal recoil of the KE7 to 0.45 (previously 0.36)
Increased horizontal recoil of the M1907 SF to 0.41 (previously 0.39)
Decreased horizontal recoil of the STEN to 0.38 (previously 0.4) and increased the efficacy of the Ported Barrel specialization
Specializations
Increased the effect of the Slings and Swivels specialization. Switching to your primary weapon is now an additional 50 ms faster for all weapons and firing after sprinting is allowed an additional 16 ms earlier for bolt actions, assault rifles, semi auto rifles and SLRs
Changed the specialization for the KE7. Recoil Buffer has been removed. Quick Aim has been added. Specialization tree has been reordered
Reload
Increased the reload speed of the KE7. Base reload time is now 3.55 s (previously 3.75 s)
Increased the reload speed of the MG34 with the double drum magazine. Tactical reload is now 3.7 s (previously 4 s) and empty reload is 5.083 s (previously 5.5 s)
Increased the reload speed of the M1907 SF. Tactical reload is now 2.7 s (previously 2.9 s) and empty reload is 3.3 s (previously 3.5 s)
Miscellaneous
Improved sustained fire accuracy of SMGs while aimed and stationary
Decreased sustained fire accuracy of assault rifles while aimed and moving
Increased muzzle velocity of all SMGs as follows:
MP34: 495 m/s (previously 450 m/s)
MP34 (High Velocity Bullets): 560 m/s (previously 520 m/s)
STEN: 495 m/s (previously 430 m/s)
MP40: 455 m/s (previously 400 m/s)
EMP: 420 m/s (previously 380 m/s)
MP28: 345 m/s (previously 320 m/s)
Suomi KP/-31: 330 m/s (previously 300 m/s)
M1928A1: 330 m/s (previously 280 m/s)
Decreased drag of SMG bullets from to 0.005 (previously 0.007) for regular bullets and 0.0035 (previously 0.005) for High Velocity Bullets
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The Marvel Netflix show Daredevil has been canceled. It becomes the third Marvel show on Netflix to get canceled in two months, following the axing of Iron Fist and Luke Cage in October.
In a statement to Deadline, Netflix confirmed Daredevil's third season, which premiered in October, was its last. "We are tremendously proud of the show's last and final season and although it's painful for the fans, we feel it best to close this chapter on a high note."
Netflix thanked showrunner Erik Oleson, as well as the writers, cast, and crew, while the network also said it was grateful to the fans who watched the show since it premiered in 2015.
Daredevil's three seasons will stay on Netflix "for years to come," Netflix said, adding that you can expect to see Daredevil the character in "future projects" from Marvel.
Charlie Cox played Daredevil on the Netflix show, with a supporting cast led by Vincent D'Onofrio.
With Daredevil's cancellation, Netflix now has just two Marvel shows that continue production: Jessica Jones and The Punisher. Marvel's move away from Netflix is not all that surprising, given parent company Disney is launching a streaming service of its own, Disney+, in 2019.
The Deadline report also offers some insight into the relationship between Netflix and Marvel, and it sounds less than great. Netflix and Marvel reportedly clashed over the number of episodes in a season, while there have been creative issues as well, the site said. You can read the full story on Deadline here.
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Two major new releases, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Fallout 76, failed to sell up to expectation at GameStop, the retailer announced today in its latest earnings report.
CFO Rob Lloyd said Black Ops 4 was "not as successful as we had hoped." For Fallout 76, the executive said the game's review scores likely hurt sales. "Obviously, you can see in the market what the Metacritic scores are around Fallout 76, and that's impacted its sell-through. I'll probably just leave it at that."
Some of the sports games that released in August and September were also "not up to our expectations" in regards to sales, Lloyd explained. He didn't name any titles, but Madden NFL 19, FIFA 19, NBA 2K19, and NBA Live 19 all released in August and September this year.
On the brighter side, GameStop management said Red Dead Redemption 2 and Spider-Man for PS4 were two of its top-sellers. And while Black Ops 4 did not sell up to GameStop's expectations, the title launching in October instead of November helped GameStop's overall game sales rise by more than 10 percent during the quarter.
GameStop management did not say what its sales expectations were for any new release, so we don't know the degree to which Black Ops 4 and Fallout 76 underperformed. However, their underperformance was significant enough to disclose on the earnings call.
GameStop's total global sales--comprising hardware, software, accessories, and more--rose by 4.8 percent to $2.1 billion for the quarter ended November 3. New hardware sales rose 12.8 percent thanks to gains from Xbox One X and PS4. As for software, as mentioned, game sales jumped by 10.9 percent. Accessories sales, meanwhile, posted the biggest gains of all, rising 32.6 percent. Pre-owned sales dropped by 13.4 percent.
Overall, GameStop posted a loss of $488.6 million for the quarter, which compares to a profit of $59.4 million during the same quarter last year. GameStop management said the loss was due to an "impairment charge" of $587.5 million that it paid as a result of the "sustained decline in the company's share price." Indeed, GameStop's share price has been steadily falling for years now from more than $45 per share in 2015 to around $14.5 today.
Times have changed in the video game business. Game sales are increasingly trending toward digital over physical, which is theoretically a problem for GameStop, as physical sales--and re-selling games--was for a time the bread and butter of GameStop's business model.
The company is currently conducting a comprehensive review of its business, and this presumably also includes a potential sale. Former Xbox boss Shane Kim is the company's interim CEO; he took over after Michael Mauler quit GameStop after only three months for "personal reasons." Longtime GameStop CEO Paul Raines died in March at the age of 53. GameStop is currently working with an executive hiring company to find a permanent CEO.
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Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's biggest names, and now his next role has potentially been revealed. Collider reports that Hanks is being eyed to play Geppetto in Disney's upcoming live-action Pinocchio movie. Geppetto is the toymaker who builds Pinocchio out of wood, and then wishes on a star for Pinocchio to come to life. Magically, it works.
Disney's live-action Pinocchio is being directed by Paddington's Paul King, with Star Wars: Rogue One writer Chris Weitz producing. Paddington writer Simon Farnaby wrote the newest draft of the script, taking over for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne.
According to Collider, the new Pinocchio has a budget of $150 million, with production expected to begin in summer 2019. If it's anything like the 1940 original, you can expect a wild ride.
Hanks has worked with Disney before. He voices Woody in the Toy Story franchise, while he played Walt Disney himself in Saving Mr. Banks. His next big role is Fred Rogers in the upcoming untitled film about the iconic children's TV show host.
Pinocchio is just the latest live-action remake from Disney. The company's next big one is The Lion King, and Disney just recently released a stunning trailer for it. There are also live-action remakes of Mulan and Aladdin in the works, while some of Disney's previous live-action reboots included Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson and The Jungle Book from Iron Man director Jon Favreau.
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Yet another video game industry group has come out to say government control of loot box regulations is a bad idea. International Game Developers Association (IGDA) CEO Jen MacLean released a statement this week where she called on developers and publishers to take this issue seriously to avoid a scenario where politicians get involved and put forth legislative action that could impact games with loot box mechanics.
"By not taking significant action as an industry and global game developer community to self-regulate how loot boxes are used, we run the very real risk that governments around the world will take that action for us, and perhaps create significantly restrictive laws that could impact any random reward elements in games," she said. "I offer my strongest advice to game developers and interactive entertainment businesses on this matter: addressing how loot boxes are used is both the right thing, and the smart thing, for the global game development industry to do."
MacLean's statement comes in response to the news this week that the US Federal Trade Commission may launch an investigation into loot boxes. Australia's government has also called for a "comprehensive review" of loot boxes to determine what might be done. The IGDA backs up what the Entertainment Software Association has already said: the industry should self-regulate when it comes to loot boxes. Politicians, meanwhile, will argue that laws are necessary to ensure that something is being done to protect young people from falling into dangerous gambling habits. Self-regulation may be a good idea in theory, but actual laws or regulations would put more pressure on developers and publishers.
In her statement, MacLean--a former executive at Curt Schilling's controversial defunct Rhode Island developer 38 Studios--said loot boxes with real-money mechanics "run the risk of triggering gambling laws."
As an industry, MacLean said she advises the following three steps be taken immediately to avoid a situation where the government gets involved:
Affirm an industry commitment to not market loot boxes to children
Clearly disclose the odds of different rewards when purchasing loot boxes (as many games already do to comply with Chinese law)
Launch a coordinated education campaign that boosts awareness of the parental controls that are available to appropriately limit how players engage with games
"We have to try and stand up for what is right," Lee said earlier this year. "I think it is inevitable that, whether it was spurred by Battlefront or some of the recent big-title games just being so ridiculously exploitative of the player base, there is enough of generational transition in politics and positions of authority around the country and the world, that you have people who understand what the industry is doing and are willing to stand up and take action and do something about it. Inevitably, the industry will have to change.
"Because more and more jurisdictions are going to start protecting their citizens from the kinds of exploitive and predatory practices that the industry has been employing lately. Inevitably, that means a better industry for everybody and better games for everybody."
Conversation around loot boxes heated up at the end of 2017 in the wake of EA's Star Wars: Battlefront II. For a brief period of time, before the game's official release, the title was set to allow players to spend real money on loot boxes that could potentially include items that impact gameplay. Some said this made Battlefront II effectively a slot machine where players could pay for the chance to get something they wanted. EA removed loot boxes from Battlefront II on the eve of the game's public release, though it appears the controversy negatively impacted the game's sales. Battlefront II re-introduced microtransactions in 2018, but only for cosmetics. EA's newest shooter game, Battlefield V, features no loot boxes at all, while microtransactions aren't turned on yet. Other games, such as Overwatch, continue to use loot boxes as an extra method of monetisation.
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December is almost here, which means Niantic will soon roll out a new batch of Field Research tasks for Pokemon Go. As usual, if you complete enough of these before the month ends, you'll earn an encounter with a rare Pokemon. This time around, however, the developer is giving players another chance to catch not one, but six previously featured Legendaries.
Each time you achieve a Research Breakthrough in December, you'll earn another chance to capture one of six Legendaries: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Raikou, Entei, or Suicune. Each of these Pokemon was featured with previous Field Research tasks this year, making this a good opportunity to catch any of the ones you missed the first time around (or simply add more Legendaries to your collection).
The Legendaries aren't the only things returning to Pokemon Go in December. Niantic says it is also bringing back "some of the most popular Field Research tasks from past months." As before, you'll be able to acquire these by spinning the Photo Disc at different Poke Stops. In order to achieve a Research Breakthrough, you'll need to complete at least one Field Research task a day for seven days.
The new Field Research tasks are scheduled to roll out on December 1 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET. You'll have until then to complete your current slate of tasks and earn an encounter with Shedinja, the Bug/Ghost Pokemon first introduced in Ruby and Sapphire.
Pokemon Go's next Community Day celebration is scheduled to begin on Friday, November 30. This time around, the event will run through the entire weekend and bring back every featured Pokemon and special move from previous Community Days. Another Gen 4 Legendary, Cresselia, is also now available in Raid Battles and will remain there until December 18.
from GameSpot - All Content https://ift.tt/2AADaHG
This Anthem developer gameplay shows off the market and freelancer enclave areas where factions live. The Anthem closed alpha lands December 8th and 9th on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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1:29 PM PT -- Tommy just fired back by saying, "And the plot thickens! After I and our production crew created the 360 and Crüecify, We hired a company called SGPS in Las Vegas to create it. WELLLLL GUESS WHO'S DOING TRAVIS'S SET DESIGN????…
Hey everyone! We have lots of exciting Rain World news for you. We’re happy to announce that Rain World will be receiving a PlayStation content update on 21st December. This update includes new game modes and local multiplayer. The update will also be accompanied by a physical release through Limited Run games.
For those unfamiliar with Rain World: Rain World is a survival platformer inspired by the simplicity of 16-bit classics. You are a Slugcat, the world around you is full of danger, and you must face it — alone. Search for your missing family in a cruel world filled with predators ready to eat you on sight. Survive by eating, hibernating and navigating your way through a huge map of over 1,600 rooms. Rain World is filled with otherworldly beauty and countless mysteries that provide hours of exploration.
New game modes
Rain World is a game that challenges players’ survival skills against a cruel, uncaring ecosystem. We’ve added two new game modes to accommodate different play styles. We’ve added The Monk mode for players who prefer a slower, kinder experience. When playing as the Monk, there are fewer enemies and more food for your Slugcat. It’s less intense, but don’t expect it to be easy. This is still Rain World, after all!
Next up is The Hunter. The Hunter takes the Rain World experience a step further than the base game mode. The Hunter is for players who like the intensity and difficulty of Rain World and want even more. We’ve upped the amount of food required to hibernate and added unique enemies. For Souls-like players looking for a new challenge: look no further than The Hunter.
Multiplayer and Sandbox
Multiplayer prototypes of Rain World have existed for a while. We brought this feature to Steam last year and we’re now bringing it to PlayStation. Play with friends in a fully customisable arena that lets you choose everything from the types of monster, the level of monster aggression and amount of time before the dreaded rain destroys everyone. Once you’ve created the arena you’re ready to outwit and out-survive other Slugcats. Avoid monsters and eat as much food as you can, or, just stab your Slugcat friends with a spear. It’s up to you!
Multiplayer also doubles as Sandbox mode, where you can play alone in an arena of your creation. One of the most unique and entertaining aspects of Rain World are the interactions between monsters. These are rare, special occurrences within the game but they can be orchestrated by players in Sandbox mode. What happens when a Vulture and three sea monsters are in the same area? Now you can find out and with Rain World’s unique procedural generation, your games will never play the same way twice.
Physical edition
Last but certainly not least, we are thrilled to announce that we are partnering with Limited Run games to release a physical edition of Rain World PS4. Now you can showcase the game with its gorgeous jacket art in your home.
In addition to the physical release, Black Screen records is also bringing us the soundtrack on Vinyl. Not to brag, but the soundtrack was named the best game soundtrack of 2017 by multiple outlets, so you don’t want to sleep on this. In other exciting Rain World merch news, Sanshee just restocked their long sold-out Slugcat plushies. If you don’t have one yet, get one now. They won’t be around forever.
If you’re thinking “wow that’s a lot of cool stuff I wonder if they’re making a collector’s edition” — you’re right: we’re also releasing a collector’s edition with Limited Run Games. The collector’s edition will include the game, an exclusive art print, a Slugcat plushie, and the vinyl soundtrack. The Limited Run pre-purchase period starts December 21. There will be limited copies of these available so set an alarm now!
We can’t wait to share the content update and physical edition with PlayStation players. Rain World is available now from PlayStation Store. Save a Slugcat and play today!
Since launch, PS VR has propelled us into fantastical worlds and experiences with unparalleled immersion. And from today you can get more of those experiences for less with the PS VR Mega Pack*.
This hardware bundle includes a PS VR headset, PS Camera and voucher codes** for five acclaimed PS VR games, including hit platformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission, the blisteringly-fast WipEout Omega Collection, open-world adventure The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, hellish shooter Doom VFR, and PlayStation VR Worlds.
PS VR Mega Pack offers everything you need to begin your virtual reality adventure. Let’s take a closer look at those games:
1. Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Experience an adventure like no other as you set out with your loveable robotic pal to rescue his friends in this critically-acclaimed game named “platformer of the year” by PlayStation Universe. Move your head to peer around platforms and use your Dualshock 4 as a multi-tool gadget to battle bad guys in Japan Studio’s endlessly inventive adventure.
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
You’ll swear the air tastes sweeter as you breathe in the gorgeous open world expanse of Tamriel. Head-tracking on the PS VR headset lets you drink in the sights – or pinpoint attackers – as you wander the landscape taking on quests. Live your best fantasy life and decide what role you take in Bethesda’s classic action RPG epic.
3. WipEout: Omega Collection
The iconic futuristic racer has never been this engrossing, letting you roar through chicanes above the clouds and bullseye competitors from a unique cockpit view built especially for PS VR. With multiple comfort settings to make even the most speed-wary player feel at ease, this is truly the greatest way to experience the future of racing.
4. Doom VFR
ID Software’s thrilling sci-fi shooter’s greatest trick is in making you experience two opposing mindsets. One: fear at being surrounding by escalating numbers of demons intent on ripping you limb from limb. Two, complete badassery due to being fully, overly – unfairly – equipped to deal with it. And with PS VR, Doom is more thrilling and brutal than ever.
5. PlayStation VR Worlds
Five wholly different VR experiences housed in a single package. Enjoy a diving adventure in Into The Deep, race down steep roads and dodge traffic in VR Luge, battle against competitors in sci-fi sport Danger Ball, see off hostile extraterrestrials in Scavengers Odyssey, or take part in gritty crime thriller The London Heist.
* PS VR Mega Pack launches in UK on Monday 3rd December, and 4th December in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
** Internet connection is required to download the supplied codes on PlayStation Store.
When I was in college, I decided it was time to finally play all the acclaimed PS4 exclusive games I had heard so much about. Like many college students, my main problem was money, so I did the next best thing I could think of: I went to an electronics rental store, filled out my three references for a background check, and took a PS4 home for only a week.
At the time, I had no idea how much of an impact that week of binge-gaming would have on my life, but it has now led to releasing my own game The First Tree tomorrow on PlayStation 4.
By far the two games which had the biggest influence on me were Journey and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.
I loved the visuals, the music, the story unfolding through poignant words or no words at all; I explored a new place and simultaneously learned something new about myself. I needed to make something beautiful like that.
A few years back, my dad passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. I wasn’t one to talk about it and had a hard time opening up, but I still wanted to communicate with others who had suffered loss — so that they could tell me it would be okay, and that I could tell them the same.
I combined the inspiration I received from those aforementioned games and all the feelings of loss I had into my own story about a fox and a son.
The First Tree is a third-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Players take control of the fox on a poignant and beautiful journey that crescendos at the source of life.
Along the way, players uncover artifacts and stories from the son’s life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.
The first impression people have is that this is a fox simulator, which couldn’t be further from the truth. There are some simple puzzles and platforming sections the fox must overcome on her journey, but mostly the game is a relaxing opportunity to reflect in a beautiful, melancholy world.
There are also lots of secrets to uncover in the colorful landscape, with possible answers to the main question: how is this fox and man related in all of this?
The awesome thing about indie games is that they almost always come from the heart, and I definitely poured mine into this project.
I’m grateful for all the talented artists, musicians, and programmers who allow their work to be licensed so a former film-student like myself could somehow finish a game.
Big thanks to DO Games for helping me with the porting process as well. In the end each of us have our own journey to the first tree, and I hope you find meaning there like I did.
Hello everybody! I’m thrilled to let you know that we will be releasing Scintillatron 4096 exclusively for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on 18th December. The game is a fast-paced, highscore shooter with a big emphasis on combo building. We’re launching the full trailer today, which you can see on this page.
I thought the best way to explain the game would be through some of its inspirations…
1. Classic arcades
I claimed a misspent youth in the tag-line, which on reflection may be mis-selling. It wasn’t an exciting youth of wild rebellion but I did play a lot of great video games. I’m thinking back to the ’80s and ’90s. These were halcyon days for the coin-operated arcade and the home computers that had the games ported to them. Scintillatron 4096 borrows from this era:
Highscore is king – your score on the ranking boards (both local and global) is what matters
It’s tough – think a couple of minutes per game at first, up to half an hour once you’re properly competitive
Boss fights – although we did these slightly differently, overwhelming you with swarms of tiny enemies rather than one big bad guy
There are also more subtle things like the ‘Hurry Up’ mechanism.
When I used to play Bubble Bobble with my brother there was what we called the “Hurry Up Monster” – a nasty dinosaur thing that appeared if you took too long. Scintillatron 4096 has its own Hurry Up… not exactly a monster but a nasty red, glowing thing that turns up, multiplies and kills you off – mean!
2. Pinball
You’re right – there are no balls or flippers! However – Chris (my fellow developer) and I played pinball in the arcades, at home on the Amiga, and in an awful smoky pub during our lunchtimes in the early 2000s (misspent later youth.) Pinball is all about building a score, learning the table and knowing which risks to take.
Scintillatron 4096 is built around similar “score-building” gameplay. Most important is the Combo. It’s one thing to clear a wave, quite another to pick off every enemy of the same colour in sequence and earn the “Perfect” Trophy.
3. Risks and reward
There were a couple of things many of the best arcade games seemed to share:
If you lost a life it was often because you took an extra risk and you never blamed the game.
Similarly, you’d invent little extra challenges for yourself – “yes, I can clear wave 1 pretty easily, but how about I do it in only 20 seconds / without touching the floor / with no use of the brake…”
From the off, we wanted to get this feeling of taking your own risks and setting your own challenges into Scintillatron 4096. I think it works. When I play I almost always die doing something unwise for a few extra points. The thing is, when it does come off and you scrape the Perfect in a blaze of pulses and particles with the Hurry Up lurking…. it feels pretty good. And here we are…
It’s a rather eclectic set of inspirations and experiences, but I hope it gives a picture of what makes Scintillatron 4096 tick. If you remember the classic arcade games or like something skillful and pretty intense it might just be your thing. We’ve taken the trophies very seriously too – there are 45 including some proper challenges. I wish I’d also had space to talk about the co-op and competitive two-player modes on PS4 – maybe a future blog…
Scintillatron 4096 is out 18th December as a Cross-Buy bundle for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.
Hey Party pilots! With Override’s release just around the corner, we thought it would be nice to give you some mech-sized tips before the big day! Our gigantic mechs have a wide range of abilities and personalities, so we can guarantee that you will find the perfect, insanely large fighting robot to suit you! First, let’s dive into some basics.
Override’s combat is easy to learn, hard to master. To build a solid foundation, there are three core mechanics you should be familiar with: basic attacks, charged attacks, and blocking. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, and it is up to you know when to utilize them!
Basic attacks
Basic attacks consist of your normal punches and kicks, and they are quick and easy to pull off. Although they deal the least amount of damage, basic attacks are great for interrupting charged attacks, chaining combos together and quickly building up your meter for special abilities.
Charged attacks
While charged attacks take a bit of time to set up, their payoff is huge. A successful charged attack will send your opponent flying, and it will even break your opponent’s guard if they attempt to block it. Plus, it just looks awesome. But, be careful. A quick basic attack will interrupt a charged attack and stun you!
Blocks and counters
Blocking with your face is a bad idea, so why not block with a cool energy shield instead?! Not only does blocking allow you to take zero damage from basic attacks and small projectiles, it also gives you the opportunity to counter punches and kicks.
To execute a devastating punch counter or kick counter, press any punch or kick button respectively while blocking. If you are unsuccessful, however, you will end up in a vulnerable state where your opponent can punish you.
Staying a step ahead
Mastering these mechanics means you’ll always have an answer to what your opponent is cooking up. In fact, you can even bait them into punishable situations. For example, you can telegraph a charged attack to bait them into executing a counter-attack. If you cancel out of your charged attack, their counter will whiff and leave them vulnerable to attack.
Specials and Ultimates
As you dish out damage, you’ll build up your Special meter which will allow you to execute any of four unique abilities with each mech. There are offensive abilities like Vidar’s explosive arrows, or more defensive abilities like Vintage’s EMP that stuns everyone around him.
When you’re low enough on health, you’ll have the ability to pull off a devastating Ultimate Attack to help you make a comeback. You can combo them with certain special attacks to ensure you seal the deal, like stunning an opponent with MetaGeckon’s laser, then following it up with his massive sword strike Ultimate Attack.
We’re super excited for you guys to get your hands on Override! We hoped this brief guide helped and we can’t wait to face off against you guys online. Get ready to bash some mechs in the face!
Eyes up — the Black Armory is preparing to open its doors, and with it a new endgame activity called the “Lost Forges.” Now, we’re as voracious for new Destiny info as the next Guardian, so we reached out to Evan Nikolich, Design Director at Bungie, to learn what makes the Lost Forges tick and how this new activity will fit into the endgame of Destiny 2 once the Black Armory begins to reveal its secrets.
Where do the Lost Forges land in terms of Destiny activities? Is this something that rivals the iconic Escalation Protocol?
The Lost Forges were definitely inspired by activities like Escalation Protocol and Blind Well. That said, we wanted to give you more control over who you play with, so we added a new vector for fireteam coordination.
The focus for this activity is on three-player Fireteams. We enabled matchmaking so players always know what they are getting when they engage with the Forges. This new challenge will also require a bit more coordination with throwable relics that will be required to charge the Forge.
Since it’s a predictable, matchmade three-player activity, we thought we could add something on top of slaying hordes of enemies to up the challenge.
What was the inspiration for this new activity?
“We wanted loot acquisition to be tied more directly to the player’s actions and less to random rewards.”
From inception, we always wanted this release to be about the lost weapons and the Golden Age lore about the Black Armory.
In creating the activities, we thought about new and interesting ways to acquire Black Armory weapons and gear. We wanted to send players down the path of what it would mean to forge them.
We wanted loot acquisition to be tied more directly to the player’s actions and less to random rewards. We wanted the forging process to be something you could enjoy over and over again.
Our focus was on creating an experience that would allow players to develop new strategies quickly and feel justly rewarded upon every completion.
What type of player are you building this for? Will lower-level players be able to hop in and contribute, or is this more along the lines of a Raid Lair or Nightfall level activity?
The Lost Forges are definitely an endgame activity. They start at a power level above the current maximum of 600. Players will be able to hop in solo as we provide a matchmaking pool, but you will need to be at power to participate.
The Forges will not be as challenging or demanding of a player’s time as a Raid, but if a player is under-powered, it will be an uphill climb. We hope to see players come in the first week, build strategies, grind for power, and have discussions about how to best tackle the Forges. The goal from the outset with the Lost Forges was to add to the endgame ritual play of Destiny.
New Bungie ViDoc details the new weapons, gear, and activities Guardians can look forward to in the Season of the Forge and Black Armory
What kinds of loot will Guardians earn from the Lost Forges? Will players be able to earn max-level loot from it? In the past, these type of activities have had some of the most iconic weapons in Destiny (hello, Ikelos). Will this activity have specific weapons players will want to go after?
Players will be able to earn max-level loot from the Forges, but not initially. There will be a bit of a grind to get to max power over the first few weeks and then get subsequent max power rewards from the Forges.
As for iconic weapons, we definitely focused on a few key weapons in an effort to make them noteworthy and fill in what we believe to be some gaps in your arsenal. We’re all really excited about the return of Machine Guns and adding another Exotic Bow to the mix.
I want to hold my cards close to my chest, though. We want the community to explore the loot offering and make the final call are what the true god-tier load-outs are.
How are the Forges similar to previous activities like Court of Oryx, Archon’s Forge, or Escalation Protocol? How are they different?
“We’re trying something new by making the activity explicitly matchmade.”
We learned [with previous endgame activities] that players love challenging endgame content that’s easy to tackle and repeat. Not every piece of endgame content has to be tough or as lengthy as a Raid or even a Nightfall Strike.
Something you can jump into, be challenged, complete quickly, and then jump back into again is important to the ritual play eco-system of Destiny. We want the Lost Forges to fill that role.
Something else we know that has caused significant frustration with our prior events taking place in public spaces is that matchmaking does not always yield desirable fireteam size results.
We are trying something new here by making the activity explicitly matchmade. Once a player launches, they will start searching for other players to fill out their fireteam to create three-player team. Players will know they are getting a three-player team, and because we know the fireteam size we can add bit more complexity to the activity.
How many players can participate in this activity?
Three-player Fireteams is what we targeted for this activity. If you don’t have a team, we’ll build one for you in matchmaking.
How difficult are these challenges going to be?
Up front, we believe this is going to be challenging content. Players will be under-powered and will have be on top of their game to clear the Forges.
As players grow in power and develop strategies, the Forges will become easier to complete. Your initial encounters in Escalation Protocol and Blind Well were stiff challenges. We expect something similar with the Lost Forges.
Will this take place in a public area a la Escalation Protocol / Blind Well, or will it be an instanced event?
It will not be in a public space. The Forges exist in new spaces, secreted away in the destinations you know. Players will launch into private match-made instance of a space with three-player fireteam.
The Season of the Forge has begun in Destiny 2: Forsaken, and owners of the Annual Pass can begin discovering the secrets of the Black Armory and the Lost Forges starting 4th December.
