Category: Gamespot

Chewbacca And A Falling Moon Might Have Ended The Star Wars Expanded Universe

When Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, fans had much to celebrate, not least that a new series of movies in the blockbuster franchise was on the way. There was however one decision that many fans were less happy with–the decision that the Expanded Universe of spin-off novels, comic books, TV shows, and video games was no longer to be part of Star Wars canon. Now, Star Wars Story Group member Leland Chee has spoken about what he believes was one of the main reasons for this decision.

The Star Wars Story Group is a division of Lucasfilm dedicated to overseeing ongoing franchise storylines and maintaining continuity. Speaking to Syfy’s Fandom Files podcast, Chee suggested a reason why the entire 30-year-old Expanded Universe was rebranded as Star Wars Legends, and no longer part of “official” franchise story chronology. It’s down to the death of one central character–everyone’s favorite Wookiee, Chewbacca.

“For me it came down to simply that we had killed Chewbacca in Legends–a big moon had fallen on him,” he said, referencing the 1999 novel The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime, in which Chewie sacrifices himself to save Han. “Part of that [original decision] was Chewbacca, because he can’t speak and just speaks in growls, he was a challenging character to write for in novels. Publishing had decided they needed to kill somebody, and it was Chewbacca.”

“But if you have the opportunity to bring back Chewbacca into a live action film, you’re not gonna deprive fans that,” he added. “There’s no way that I’d want to do an Episode VII that didn’t have Chewbacca in it and have to explain that Chewbacca had a moon fall on his head. And if we were going to overturn a monumental decision like that, everything else was really just minor in comparison.”

Chee subsequently clarified that this wasn’t an official Lucasfilm statement on the decision to retire the Expanded Universe. “Chewbacca and the Legends decision is my personal rationalization,” he tweeted. “The decision was made long before I joined the Story Group.”

In related news, the synopsis for the upcoming spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story has been released. It revealed that the movie will feature the first meeting between Han and Chewie. It hits theaters on May 25, 2018.

In addition, other members of the Star Wars Story Group spoke recently about some of the decisions made in the The Last Jedi, including the presence of the compass from the game Battlefront II and the origin of Han’s dice.

Powered by WPeMatico

January 18, 2018
New PUBG PC Patch Is Out Now, Here's What It Does
A new patch is available now for the PC edition of PUBG. This is not the biggest or most significant of patches following the 1.0 release in December, but it does include some notable changes and fixes. Starting off, it includes a client optimisation that should improved general performance when a lot of players are in the same area simultaneously. If players are bunched up like this, you can expect there would be a big firefight, so it’s good to know performance should now be better in such an important time in your gameplay session.

There are also two bug fixes included with the new PUBG PC patch, the first of which fixes an issue where your character could be “instantly stopped and adjusted.” The second fix is for a problem where the way your character moved during a replay seemed off. These are minor but welcome changes, and it’s good to see developer PUBG Corp. continue to release updates to address the feedback fans have been sending in.

In the developer’s blog post announcing this patch, the studio also said it hopes to provide an update on what’s next for PUBG in the near future. That’s all PUBG Corp. had to say on the matter; we will report back when those details are announced.

PUBG is also available in early access on Xbox One. Despite not running as well on the console, the game recently surpassed 3 million players. The Xbox One version also received a new update recently that fixed bugs and made other performance improvements. Another update added extra control options and more.

PUBG PC Patch Notes:

Client Optimization
- Reduced lowered performance issue when many players were in the same area
Bug Fixes
- Fixed the issue where character movement was instantly stopped and adjusted
- Fixed the issue where character movement seemed unusual during the replay
Powered by WPeMatico
January 18, 2018
New Destiny 2 Update Out Now, Brings Faction Rally To PC, PS4, And Xbox One Again

Following the latest round of maintenance, a new update is now available for Destiny 2 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, while the new Faction Rally event is live. As expected, the hotfix patch doesn’t make any sweeping changes, though it does make an important tweak for some players. Here’s exactly what it does.

The patch notes consist of only a single sentence: “Players who do not own Curse of Osiris now have the ability to earn Season 2 rewards within Faction Rallies and Iron Banner.” This was an expected adjustment, but it’s nonetheless good news for anyone without the first DLC expansion, Curse of Osiris.

Bungie’s plans for seasonal content were originally much different and would have required players to purchase DLC to continue accessing them. This resulted in a great deal of anger in December after the release of Curse of Osiris, when non-DLC players suddenly found they had access to less of the game than before. The month’s Faction Rally event was canceled as Bungie worked to reverse course on how seasonal content would work. However, The Dawning went on as planned, albeit with all players allowed to participate.

As a result of that cancellation, we have not seen a Faction Rally or Iron Banner event since the start of Season 2, which began with Curse of Osiris’s release. The first Season 2 Faction Rally is now underway, bringing with it new gear for players to earn. Season 2’s first Iron Banner will begin later this month, on January 30.

Many other changes are on the way to Destiny 2 in the future, including a rework for mods and the addition of Masterwork armor. Bungie also intends to alter how Eververse microtransactions and Bright Engrams work, and it has plans for a variety of quality-of-life improvements.

Powered by WPeMatico

January 17, 2018
Nintendo Revealing New Switch “Experience” Today

Nintendo held a surprise Nintendo Direct Mini just last week, during which it revealed a bunch of new games for its Switch console. But the company isn’t finished yet: it’s now teasing something else for Switch, with a full reveal scheduled for just a few hours’ time, on Wednesday, January 17 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 10 PM GMT (that’s 9 AM AEST on January 18).

“Tune in to discover a new interactive experience for Nintendo Switch that’s specifically crafted for kids and those who are kids at heart,” read a post on Nintendo’s website. Nothing else has been revealed about the new game so far, but it sounds as if it’s to be a new family-centric title.

Many of the games Nintendo showed off last week could be considered family-friendly. Kirby Star Allies, Mario Tennis Aces, and new Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle DLC were in the spotlight, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is being ported to Switch.

For those over the age of 18, we also discovered that Dark Souls is being remastered and brought to a Nintendo console for the first time. Dark Souls Remastered joins other surprising titles that have released on Nintendo’s platform, such as last year’s Doom and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as well as the upcoming Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and Payday 2. While these may not be exclusive, they join the ever-expanding list of Nintendo Switch games coming in 2018.

You can catch up on all the other news and announcements from the Nintendo Direct presentation here, including the reveal of Hyrule Warriors on Switch as well as details for a free update to Super Mario Odyssey.

Powered by WPeMatico

January 17, 2018
DC's Flashpoint Movie Will Reportedly Be Directed by Spider-Man: Homecoming's Writers

A lot of uncertainty currently hangs over the DC movie universe–there are currently three movies scheduled for release, but many more in various stages of development. One of these is the standalone Flash movie, which will focus on the Flashpoint story from DC’s comic books. The film has already lost two directors, but it has now been reported that replacements have been found.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are in talks to direct Flashpoint. Daley and Goldstein wrote the screenplay for Marvel’s Spider-man: Homecoming, as well as the comedy hit Horrible Bosses. As directors they also helmed 2015’s Vacation and the upcoming comedy thriller Game Night.

In November last year, it was reported that Flashpoint was close to being greenlit. The film has had its share of development troubles over the last couple of years; it was first announced in 2015, with Seth Grahame-Smith hired to direct. Grahame-Smith left the production in May 2016, citing “creative differences,” with replacement Rick Famuyiwa quitting a few months later for the same reason. Warner then hired Joby Harold to rewrite the entire script. At one stage Back to the Future director Robert Zemekis was in talks to direct, and a recent rumor also suggested that the movie was offered to Ben Affleck, who plays Batman in DC’s movies.

The title Flashpoint was confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2017. It’s a reference to the 2011 Flash comic event that put Barry Allen, The Flash, in a very different universe than his own.

In related news, last week it was announced that Shazam will hit theaters on April 19, 2019. It is now the third confirmed movie on DC’s slate together with this year’s Aquaman and Wonder Woman 2, which arrives in November 2019.

Powered by WPeMatico

January 17, 2018
The Spawn Movie Will Be More R-Rated Than Deadpool, Creator Says

Comic book legend and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane has been trying to get a new movie version of his demonic anti-hero into production for some time. Last year, it was reported that Blumhouse Film, the producers of such hits as Get Out and Split, would produce the movie. The film has yet to start shooting, but McFarlane has further hinted at what fans can expect from it.

Speaking at the ACE Comic-Con, McFarlane explained that his movie would be very different from other recent R-rated comic book adaptations. “It’s funny in Hollywood, if you say you want to do an R-rated movie, they go like ‘Oh like Deadpool and like Logan?’” he said, via The Playlist. “For me, no. Deadpool, to me, was a PG-13 action movie. It just had some naked butts and a couple f-bombs. Other than that, I thought it was the same PG-13 formula.

“I’m talking R. I’m talking that there will not be a lot of fun, there will not be any stupid lines in it. I never like my hero to make a joke right when the jeopardy was at its highest. I felt that if my hero wasn’t afraid right now, why should I be? I want my heroes to go ‘S**t, what do I do now?’”

Of course, it could be argued that if it wasn’t for the huge success of Deadpool and Logan, it would be a lot harder to get funding for any R-rated comic book movie. Nevertheless, this isn’t the first time that McFarlane has suggested that his movie would be very different from the current wave of superhero movies.

In an interview last year, McFarlane was asked how confident he was about his ability to direct the movie, which will be his debut. “I didn’t used to draw comic books and I drew comic books and I won awards,” he said, via Deadline. “I don’t know how to read music and I have a Grammy Award. I’m spending my own money so who cares if it doesn’t work out? It’s a $10 million budget movie, and [a studio] would just get a 22-year-old punk director. I just want to be the old punk directing it.”

The Spawn comic book was first published in 1992 and was massively popular, with the first issue selling 1.7 million copies. However, the 1997 film adaptation received a negative critical reception and underperformed commercially.

Numerous video games featuring the character have been released over the years, including Spawn: The Video Game, Spawn: Armageddon, and Spawn: The Eternal.

Powered by WPeMatico

January 17, 2018
New To Netflix This Week: 2018 Winter Olympics Preview And More Movies, TV Shows, And Originals
If you’re in need of new shows and movies to stream this week, Netflix is ready. The streaming service is adding quite a bit of content for the week, including your first taste of 2018 Winter Olympics programming.

While the Olympics don’t kick off until February 9, NBC is debuting a two-part special, 2018 Olympic Winter Games Preview: Meet Team USA & Go for the Gold. The specials–which are available now–will only be streaming for a limited time, getting removed from Netflix at the conclusion of the games. In them, you’ll get to know the athletes on Team USA and their stories leading into the Olympics.

If the winter games aren’t something you’re interested in, though, there’s still plenty to watch on Netflix. New seasons of Friday Night Tykes, Grace and Frankie, and Trolls: The Beat Goes On all arrive this week, along with movies like Dallas Buyers Club and Wild Hogs.

There’s plenty more arriving on Netflix this week, which you can see below. Additionally, you can take a look at everything coming and going on the streaming service in January.

January 14
- Wild Hogs
January 15
- 2018 Olympic Winter Games Preview: Meet Team USA & Go for the Gold
- Rehenes
- Unrest
January 16
- Dallas Buyers Club
- Katt Williams: Great America (Netflix Original)
- Rita: Season 4
January 17
- Arango y Sanint: Ríase El Show (Netflix Original)
- Friday Night Tykes: Season 4
January 18
- Bad Day for the Cut
- Tiempos de guerra: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
January 19
- Drug Lords: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
- Grace and Frankie: Season 4 (Netflix Original)
- The Open House (Netflix Original)
- Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Powered by WPeMatico
January 17, 2018
Dragon Ball FighterZ Beta Experiencing Network Issues, May Be Extended (Updated)

Update: Bandai Namco US announced via Twitter that this weekend’s beta has come to a close, but there will be one more 24 hour beta opening because of the network issues faced. The beta extension will not occur today, but on a different date.

Thanks to all of you who playtested the Open Beta of DRAGON BALL FighterZ, your participation was invaluable and we’ve decided to do another round of open beta testing (24hr. period). Dates & times to be announced soon, stay tuned! #DBFighterzBETA pic.twitter.com/4ldSsb1Jdt

— Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) January 16, 2018

The original story is as follows

If you’re trying to hop on the Dragon Ball FighterZ beta this weekend, be prepared to run into some issues. The beta is currently undergoing some network issues, which are being addressed.

Bandai Namco US announced via Twitter that this weekend’s beta isn’t going quite as smoothly as planned. Due to some network errors that “cannot be addressed quickly,” the beta may be extended past this weekend.

FighterZ, the DRAGON BALL FighterZ Open Beta is experiencing network issues that cannot be addressed quickly. We’ll keep the Open Beta online but you might experience problems during gameplay. We may extend the Open Beta, more info here: https://t.co/5WMdnjzVQ5 #DBFighterzBETA pic.twitter.com/4c7EJCqhFE

— Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) January 14, 2018

“Our team is working hard on optimizing the open beta but ran into some issues that cannot be addressed in a short amount of time, so we are asking for your patience until the next server update,” the team’s full statement, posted to Facebook, reads. “The current open beta will remain online and available so that the players who can log in and play it, can keep doing so. Please note, that if we cannot address the issues within a decent amount of time, we will consider extending the open beta of Dragon Ball FighterZ.”

Bandai Namco US has yet to release any other details about the network issues. When more news arises, or if an extension is announced, we will update this story.

Provided you can get connection, Dragon Ball FighterZ’s beta is currently open to all PS4 and Xbox One owners. The full game will launch on January 26.

Powered by WPeMatico

January 16, 2018
Sign-Ups For “Major” PS4 System Update Beta Now Open

Just a few months after the big 5.0 PlayStation 4 system update, Sony is preparing to release its next major firmware patch. Furthermore, you could get the included improvements early, as Sony has announced it is holding a beta for the update.

“You can register to be a beta tester anytime between today and the start of the beta expected in February,” Sony stated. There’s no word yet on what’s included in the update, but the company did call it a “major” one. North American players can sign up here, while Europeans can click here to register. You can also opt in to automatically take part in future update betas, and those in North America will receive an exclusive avatar for doing so.

To be eligible you’ll need to own a PS4, be connected to the internet, and hold a PSN master account, and those in North America must be at least 18 years old. Bear in mind registering doesn’t guarantee you access, and if selected you can always roll back to the previous live system version at any point. Finally, this is the first time players from Canada are eligible to take part in a PS4 update beta.

The most recent PS4 update brought the console to version 5.03, while the most recent major update, 5.0, included new features based around the console’s in-built streaming capabilities, as well as an enhanced Friends List, more versatile Quick Menu, and overhauled parental control features.

There’s no word yet on when we’ll be able to change our PSN usernames–a feature much-requested by the PlayStation community. However, Sony hinted at PSX that this capability may arrive within the year.

Powered by WPeMatico

January 16, 2018

Final Fantasy 15 PC Release Date, System Requirements, And GOTY Edition Revealed

Final Fantasy XV launched for PS4 and Xbox One in 2016, but PC owners are still waiting to play the open-world RPG. Now, publisher Square Enix has announced the game’s PC port will arrive on March 6.

The PC version will support “native 4K (maximum 8K)” resolution and HDR, as well as mods. Other features, revealed with a trailer last year, include high-quality ambient occlusion and “advanced hair simulation.” The port–which costs $50 / £40–also includes all the season pass content (Episode Gladiolus, Episode Prompto, Episode Ignis, and the Comrades multiplayer expansion), a new dungeon, extra boss fights, an added in-game vehicle, and new features such as a first-person mode. Take a look at the port’s system requiremtents at the bottom of this article.

Additionally, Square Enix has revealed a new version of Final Fantasy XV for PS4 and Xbox One titled the Royal Edition. This bundle–which costs $50 in the US with international pricing yet to be revealed–includes all of the added content coming to the Windows Edition; alternatively, those who already own Final Fantasy XV on console can buy a $20 add-on called the Royal Pack, which includes all of that added content. Finally, the Royal Edition comes with new box art from long-time Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano–take a look at the new artwork below. The Royal Edition and Royal Pack both launch on the same day as the Windows Edition, March 6.

That might not be the end for Final Fantasy XV content, however: the game’s director, Hajime Tabata, said recently that he hopes to release more DLC packs for the game in 2018. Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto also teased that 2018 will be a “big” year for the franchise.

The DLC has expanded upon what was already a fine game. Our critic, Peter Brown, called the JRPG “a fascinating game” with a “beautiful world and exciting challenges.” He awarded it an 8/10. For more, take a look at our full Final Fantasy XV review.

Final Fantasy 15 PC Edition System Requirements

	Minimum Specifications	Recommended Specifications	4K HDR Specifications
OS	Windows 7 SP1/ Windows 8.1 / Windows 10 64-bit	Windows 7 SP1/ Windows 8.1 / Windows 10 64-bit	Windows 10 64-bit Fall Creators update
CPU	Intel Core i5-2500（3.3GHz or higher） AMD FX-6100 (3.3 GHz or higher)	Intel Core i7-3770 (3.4 GHz or higher) AMD FX-8350 (4.0 GHz or higher)	Intel Core i7-3770 (3.4 GHz or higher) AMD FX-8350 (4.0 GHz or higher)
Graphics Card	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 AMD Radeon R9 280	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 AMD Radeon R9 280	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Main Memory	8 GB	16 GB	16 GB
Screen Resolution	720p	720p	4K (2160p) HDR
Hard Disc Free Space on SSD	100 GB	100 GB	155 GB
Sound Card	DirectSound compatible sound card, Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos support	DirectSound compatible sound card, Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos support	DirectSound compatible sound card, Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos support
DirectX®	DirectX 11	DirectX 11	DirectX 11
Other	DVD-ROM／DVD-ROM Drive, mouse, keyboard, gamepad	DVD-ROM／DVD-ROM Drive, mouse, keyboard, gamepad	DVD-ROM／DVD-ROM Drive, mouse, keyboard, gamepad

January 16, 2018

Category: Gamespot

PUBG PC Patch Notes:

Final Fantasy 15 PC Edition System Requirements