Category: Gamespot

The timing of Call of Duty: WWII‘s release might suggest there was some political motivation behind making it–it is, after all, a game about battling Nazi forces that’s coming at a point where we’ve seen real-life, unabashed support of Nazism in the United States. In fact, the timing is a mere coincidence, given that development on the game started several years ago. However, WWII’s developers do hope there are lessons players can take away from the experience.

“No, I don’t think that current climate has affected us or changed our strategy or our message,” Sledgehammer co-founder Michael Condrey tells GameSpot. “We set [production] in motion before that. It’s still rooted in the same place, which is telling us the story of camaraderie and heroism in an important time in human history.”

Fellow co-founder Glen Schofield echoes that sentiment, saying it’s “coincidental” that Sledgehammer is releasing a game where you fight Nazis at this point in time. He also suggests it’s simply a trend in popular culture where, seemingly out of nowhere, we’ll suddenly see multiple projects focus on the same subject that had not been getting much attention previously–like how we suddenly saw movies such as Dunkirk and Hacksaw Ridge come out in a short span of time.

Despite the importance of World War II, there are concerns that its significance (and that of the Holocaust, which is touched on in some way in the game) could be lost on the younger generation, particularly as those who lived through the era continue to pass away. Condrey suggests this game is an opportunity to remind–or perhaps even introduce–the conflict and its horrors to a new audience.

“I also think [this subject] is still as important today as when we started three years ago,” he says. “It’s telling the story so it doesn’t happen again, that is important. Telling the story because the people that went to fight for our cause are no longer telling it, that’s still important.”

Condrey brings up the Spanish American War as an example of something that doesn’t receive the same sort of attention that it used to, and how that can’t be allowed to happen with World War II.

“I remember when we were with Marty [Morgan, a historian and advisor on the game] in New Orleans outside of the World War Two history museum. He walked us down, and it was a great moment; he walked us down to this monument in New Orleans [to] The Spanish American War,” he explains. “It’s a monument that’s somewhat overgrown, somewhat forgotten. [It’s an] important moment in history, and yet it’s sort of gone from historical relevance.”

After pointing out that the Spanish American War isn’t taught to the same degree as it used to be, Condrey says, “Exactly. That was his point. We can’t allow World War II to fade. It was too important an infliction moment in human history to let it fade in the same way that the Spanish American War has faded from this country’s history.

“That has made this the most personal and profound game I’ve ever worked on.” — Michael Condrey on Call of Duty: WWII

“That has been meaningful. That has made this the most personal and profound game I’ve ever worked on. I’ve worked on a lot of games I’m really proud of, a lot of creative games that gave me a lot of excitement and joy. None have carried the historical weight and meaning that this one has. That’s been really rewarding.”

Schofield says politics weren’t what drove the decision to make this game, but that he, too, hopes that it can play some part in ensuring the horrors of WWII are never repeated. “Trying to equate anything [in] a video game to what’s going on today in politics would be wrong,” he says. “Not that I’m not politically motivated, but we started the game three years ago.”

Noting that he prefers to allow people to have their own interpretation of art, he says, “I guess what I’m just trying to say is that I don’t know about the politics of today and how that all works into it. I hope, you know, my stance is that I never want this to happen again, and if the game can help in any way, then wow, that would be awesome.”

We have much more from Condrey and Schofield in our new feature exploring the making of Call of Duty: WWII. The game itself arrives on November 3 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Powered by WPeMatico

Rockstar teased some kind of Red Dead Redemption 2 news for today, and now it’s delivered. A new trailer for the upcoming open-world game has been released, which begins teasing the game’s story, combat, characters, and some notable moments from throughout.

You can watch the trailer above, but be aware that there’s no new release date shared. We get a look at protagonist Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang, as well as a bow weapon and crocodile, both of which are new. (You can also see our full Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer breakdown for more.) The official description for the video says Red Dead Redemption 2 is the “story of outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as they rob, fight and steal their way across the vast and rugged heart of America in order to survive.”

Until now, it had been months since Rockstar last shared anything about the game. Red Dead Redemption 2 was at one time scheduled for release this fall, only to be delayed until next year. In May, we got new screenshots showing off various environments, and prior to that, we got Redemption 2’s first trailer. There has otherwise been very little to go on for fans.

Rockstar has not yet announced a release date for Red Dead Redemption 2, but we do know it’s due out during Spring 2018 (but no sooner than April 1). It’s coming to both PS4 and Xbox One; there’s no word on a PC version, a possibility that Rockstar parent company Take-Two has declined to address when asked. The previous game was never been released on PC.

Powered by WPeMatico

Last year’s highly acclaimed anime movie Your Name is both the most successful anime film of all time around the world, and the biggest domestic movie ever released in Japan. It’s no surprise that Hollywood has been looking to remake the film, and it has now been reported that Star Wars and Star Trek director JJ Abrams is to produce a live-action American version.

According to Screen Daily, Abrams’ production company Bad Robot has won the rights to adapt Your Name, alongside Paramount Pictures. The screenplay for the new movie will be written by Oscar-winning Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer.

Your Name is a teenage body-swap romantic comedy drama, directed by Makoto Shinkai and produced by Toho pictures. To date, it has made $355.3 million at the worldwide box office. This far exceeds the previous anime record holder, 2005’s Spirited Away, which made $289 million.

In a statement, the original movie’s producer, Genki Kawamura, said: “Just like in the film it feels like a dream. Mr. Abrams and his team have captivated audiences in their masterful reinvention of known properties. And [main characters] Mitsuha and Taki have found a perfect narrator, Mr. Heisserer, to tell their sci-fi infused love story, which gave the film such drive.

“The meetings so far have been creatively stimulating with fantastic ideas that no doubt will make for a great movie. I am greatly honoured to work with these incredible creators in bringing to audiences the Hollywood live action version of Your Name.”

In related news, it has been confirmed that Abrams will return to the Star Wars saga to direct Episode IX, which is due in 2019. He previous made 2015’s The Force Awakens, and has replaced Colin Trevorrow, who left Episode IX earlier this month.

Powered by WPeMatico

After a long summer still playing last year’s football games, you’ll be pleased to hear FIFA 18 is almost here. With that in mind, we thought we’d round up everything you need to know about EA’s soccer game here, including its release date, some gameplay, our review, and more.

FIFA 18 Release Date And How To Play Right Now

FIFA 18’s release date for the UK, US, Europe, and Australia is set for Friday, September 29, 2017. However, some people already have their hands on this year’s title, as it was released on EA Access last week and for some pre-order customers earlier this week. If you want to play early, you can buy the Ronaldo or Icon Edition from the PlayStation Store or Xbox Live. The Ronaldo Edition costs US $80 / £80 / AU $120, while the Icon Edition will set you back US $100 / £90 / AU $130. For reference, that’s a little more expensive than the standard version, which is currently US $60 / £60 / AU $100.

FIFA 18 Review

In our FIFA 18 review, we awarded the game a 7/10. “It’s off the pitch that EA excels,” we said. “From the variety of game modes on offer and how everything’s presented, to the constant updates in FUT’s Team of the Week, Daily Objectives, and discussion of real-world happenings in commentary, FIFA 18 captures the world of football and confidently translates it into a video game. On the pitch, however, EA’s soccer series is still lagging far behind PES 2018‘s more fluid, satisfying football. This year’s improvements are welcome, but more needs to be done in the coming years if FIFA is to be a world-beater once again.” For more critical opinion, check out our FIFA 18 review roundup.

FIFA 18 Gameplay

Check out some FIFA 18 gameplay at the links below.

• Barcelona Versus Real Madrid In FIFA 18
• Alex Hunter Plays Street Soccer In Rio – FIFA 18 Gameplay

FIFA 18 Demo

FIFA 18’s playable demo is out now on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live. It includes 12 teams–including top clubs Manchester United and Bayern Munich–and two modes: Kick Off and The Journey.

FIFA 18 Player Ratings

With the game out in the wild, all of FIFA 18’s player ratings have been revealed. Top of the pile is Cristiano Ronaldo, who is 94 rated. Rounding out the top five highest-rated FIFA 18 players are Lionel Messi (93), Neymar (92), Luis Suarez (92), and Manuel Neuer (92).

FIFA 18 Web App

The FUT 18 Web App is EA’s online portal for accessing FIFA 18 Ultimate Team. Check it out here–for a limited time you can even get free rewards just for logging in each day.

FIFA 18 Career Mode’s New Features

Career Mode hasn’t changed a huge amount since FIFA 17, though there are a few welcome new features in FIFA 18, including interactive transfer negotiations. Rather than submitting an offer for a player and then waiting for an email response, FIFA 18 allows you to conduct transfer negotiations in real-time as part of an interactive cutscene. This involves first meeting with a representative of the selling club and agreeing to a fee for the player in question, before then negotiating personal terms with the star’s agent.

The only other new features are “dynamic news clips,” imitating those seen in real-world sports coverage when a player or manager gives a press conference. These clips are shown when a player wins a Player of the Month award or when you win a competition, among other events.

FIFA 18 Ultimate Team New Features

FUT 18 also has a number of new features. Squad Battles are new, weekly weekly single-player competitions where you compete against AI-controlled teams built by other human players, before being ranked against other real-world players for the amount of games you win. EA says these offer the best rewards for those who choose not to play online.

Elsewhere, Ultimate Team Legends are no longer exclusive to Xbox and have been renamed Icons. In addition, some Icons will receive Stories cards, in which the player in question actually has three versions available, each corresponding to a different stage in the player’s career. As an example, Ronaldinho has one card for his time at PSG in 2002, one for when he played for AC Milan in 2010, and one “prime” card, which highlights his peak in 2004, when he won World Player of the Year while playing for Barcelona. Two of these three cards will be available to obtain in packs and Squad-Building Challenges, though prime Icons will only available on select Thursdays that EA is calling Throwback Thursdays. You’ll only be able to get these in limited time packs and Squad-Building Challenges.

FIFA 18 Soundtrack

The full FIFA 18 soundtrack has been revealed, featuring acts like alt-J, The Amazons, and Weezer. Check it out in the Spotify embed below.

FIFA 18 For Nintendo Switch

In addition to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC, FIFA 18 is also coming to Nintendo Switch. While our impressions on the final build are coming soon, we enjoyed a pre-release version. EA has already said more FIFA games on Switch are likely following FIFA 18, even if some features–like the Frostbite engine and the Journey mode–are not included in this year’s game.

Powered by WPeMatico

The follow-up to what is still the biggest box office hit of all time–James Cameron’s Avatar–has finally started shooting. The film will be the first of four Avatar sequels that Cameron is making back-to-back, and it doesn’t hit theaters until 2020. The other three Avatar films will be released over the following five years.

To mark the start of production, Entertainment Weekly has revealed some of Avatar 2‘s new cast members, who will join returning actors Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Stephen Lang. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that all but one of these young stars will be rendered digitally as the movie’s blue-skinned aliens, known as the Na’vi. Check the image out below:

From left-to-right, the actors are Britain Dalton, Filip Geljo, Jamie Flatters, Bailey Bass, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion, and Duane Evans Jr. According to EW, Champion is the only one playing a human character.

Not surprisingly, specific plot details about Avatar 2 are scarce. However, producer Jon Landau did explain that the young cast would help shift the tone of the movie. “We never had this youthful element before, and that brings a different kind of energy to the film,” he said. “They represent the future generation of Pandora and play a very significant role–not just in this movie but throughout all the movies.”

The first Avatar sequel is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2020, with the next ones arriving on December 17, 2021, December 20, 2024, and December 19, 2025.

In related news, it has been confirmed that Cameron is also returning to the Terminator franchise. He will produce and work on the story for the sixth movie in the sci-fi action series he created, which is to be directed by Deadpool‘s Tim Miller and will hit theaters in July 2019.

Powered by WPeMatico