It was recently reported that episodes in Game of Thrones‘ final season, Season 8, could each be feature-length. Now, HBO’s programming boss, Casey Bloys, has confirmed that the network has no plans to air the episodes in theaters.
Asked by The Hollywood Reporter if he would rule out a theatrical release for the eighth season, Bloys bluntly said, “I would.” He added, “This is for subscribers,” referencing that only HBO subscribers will be able to watch Game of Thrones.
It wouldn’t have been totally unusual for Game of Thrones to play in movie theaters, as some people got to see the Season 6 premiere in a theater, according to EW.
As for when Season 8 will air, Bloys said he cannot speculate as to whether it will be in 2018 or 2019, or sometime later.
“All I will tell you is it is obviously a very ambitious season. This is the culmination of eight seasons of fantastic storytelling,” he said. “They are writing, and they need to look at the production schedule, and we will take their lead in terms of the airdate that works best for them. They don’t even know; they are still putting the season together. And as you can imagine, it’s a very complicated show to produce, so it’s not like putting together a production schedule for a sitcom that shoots on the stage. It shoots all over the world and takes a long time to figure out where, when and how to shoot. So they’re in the process of doing that, and they’ll let us know.”
There will only be six episodes in Season 8, but as mentioned, they are expected to be longer than episodes in past seasons, so the total runtime may not be all that different.
Deadline reports (via NeoGAF) that among Hollywood producer Akiva Goldsman’s projects is a Rainbow Six film that could star Deadpool‘s Ryan Reynolds.
Sources told the site that there have been “loose conversations” about having Reynolds play the former Navy SEAL John Clark from Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series.
The Rainbow Six video game series is produced by Ubisoft, and it would follow that Ubisoft’s own Ubisoft Motion Pictures group would have a hand in producing the film. In February 2014, Ubisoft announced that it had six movies based on its franchises in the pipeline, covering Rabbids, Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, Splinter Cell, Far Cry, and Ghost Recon. The Assassin’s Creed movie, starring Michael Fassbender, came out last year.
Bear in mind that is sounds like it’s still very early days for the Rainbow Six movie. There is no word yet on who might direct, what the cast would be, or when it would premiere. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
HBO is working on as many as five pilots for Game of Thrones prequels, and now we know a little more about what the network is hoping to achieve by working on so many. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO programming boss Casey Bloys started off by saying the network is “incredibly fortunate” that Game of Thrones is popular and acclaimed enough for fans to be clamoring for even more. Considering how popular the show is, Bloys said it would be “insane” to not at least think about making more of it.
“Truly I think it will go down as one of the best shows in the history of television,” Bloys said. “It would be insane for a network not to at least entertain the idea of a successor shows–I was going to say ‘prequel’ but they’re not spinoffs because there are no existing characters going off the flagship. It’s not Laverne & Shirley from Happy Days; they are prequels,” he said. “But it would be insane–with a universe like [author Georg R.R. Martin] has created that is so vast and has so many characters and so many timelines–to not, at least, entertain the idea, which is what we’re doing.”
The reason why HBO is working on multiple Game of Thrones projects is because it increases the odds of finding something that can be as good as the main show.
“So the idea was, if we’re going to try it, let’s take a couple of shots and see,” he said. “My hope is at least one lives up to the level of quality [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] have set,” Bloys explained.
The executive also cautioned that it is still very early days for the new Game of Thrones shows. He said he has not even seen an outline for the shows yet, as he is understandably more focused now on Game of Thrones Seasons 7 and 8.
“You’re not going to see a situation where we’re launching a prequel on the back of the final season,” Bloys said. “The final season is going to be its own event. It’s going to be a big deal for us and the fans. I’m not interested in using it to launch any other show. We mentioned the spinoffs because obviously there’s a lot of interest in them, but it’s a very embryonic process, and you know how development goes–it can be a long process.
“We confirmed their existence because there was a lot of interest, but it’s not something that we are fast-tracking to get done to air immediately after the final season. I’m guessing fans will need some time to decompress from how amazing the final season is.”
It will be a “good long while” before any Game of Thrones prequels air, if they ever do, Bloys said.
It’s a big day for Overwatch and competitive gaming overall. Blizzard Entertainment today announced the owners of the first seven Overwatch League teams, and included among them are some very big games in traditional sports, gaming, and other industries.
As rumored New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is a billionaire, will own the Boston-based Overwatch League team. Additionally, Jeff Wilpon, who is the co-founder and partner at Sterling VC, which owns the New York Mets, will operate the New York team. There will also be Overwatch League teams in Los Angeles (Immortals), Miami-Orlando (Misfits Gaming), San Francisco (NRG Esports), Shanghai (NetEase), and Seoul (Kevin Chou, Kabam).
“We looked at major cities around the world and came up with a list of cities that wasn’t just based on population size but really the concentration of Overwatch players,” Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer told GameSpot. “And once we had our cities identified, we set out and were talking to who we thought would be great owners. We wanted to make sure we were partnering with partners who, first and foremost, had a proven track record of building and growing a fan base.”
With today’s announcement, the Overwatch League becomes the first major international pro esports league with a city-based structure. This is a big step for competitive gaming, as it brings it more in line with traditional sports leagues, though Overwatch League is unique in that teams from different countries will compete in certain events.
Here is a rundown of the first seven Overwatch League team owners.
Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and the New England Patriots (Boston)
Jeff Wilpon, Co-Founder and Partner of Sterling.VC and COO of the New York Mets (New York)
Noah Whinston, CEO of Immortals (Los Angeles)
Ben Spoont, CEO and Co-Founder of Misfits Gaming (Miami-Orlando)
Andy Miller, Chairman and Founder of NRG Esports (San Francisco)
NetEase (Shanghai)
Kevin Chou, Co-founder of Kabam (Seoul)
Kraft, who is the chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, said in a statement that his company has been looking at the esports market “for a number of years.”
“The incredible global success of Overwatch since its launch, coupled with the League’s meticulous focus on a structure and strategy that clearly represents the future of esports made this the obvious entry point for the Kraft Group,” he said.
The seven teams announced for the Overwatch League today are just the start. By comparison, MLB has 30 teams and the NFL has 32. You can expect Blizzard to expand the Overwatch League’s roster of teams in due course, as good partners are found.
“We don’t have a set number in our mind right now,” Nanzer said. “We want to grow this over time. We want to make sure that we get great owners in big markets around the world. We expect this to be the first of many announcements. And over time, I think you can expect that the size of the Overwatch League will be similar to the size of the traditional sports leagues.”
While competitive gaming is undoubtedly on the rise in terms of profile and prominence, the debate around esports being “real” sports will never end. Nanzer isn’t losing any sleep over it.
“It doesn’t really matter,” he told us. “At the end of the day, it’s competition, and people love to see competition. People have hobbies like golf and tennis and if you have hobbies like that, you want to go watch and see who is the best in the world at those hobbies–and it’s no different for games.”
“This is not something that we’re doing for a short-term gain. We’re taking a very long-term view of this.”
Announced at Blizzcon last year, the Overwatch League will kick off later this year. For the league’s first season, matches will take place at a venue in the Los Angeles area, as the local squads take the time they need to create their own local venues. There will eventually be home and away matchups, just as with traditional sports. Full details on the schedule and ticket sales opportunities will be announced later this year.
Overwatch League teams will make money through ticket sales, advertising, and broadcast rights revenue. According to Blizzard, this money will be shared evenly, though local teams get to keep all the revenue from their home territory and venue up to “a certain amount.” If/when this figure is eclipsed, a percentage will be given to a shared league revenue pool. Another element here is that franchises can operate and make money from five non-professional events in their home region every year.
Additionally, there will be league- and team-based Overwatch content sold in the game, with 50 percent of revenue going to a shared revenue pool for all teams.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions about the Overwatch League, but what’s clear is this is a massive step forward for competitive gaming. Kraft and Wilpon, titans of business, getting on board is clear indicator that competitive gaming is no passing fad.
GameSpot spoke with Nanzer about today’s news, and you can see some of the big takeaways from our talk listed out below.
The announcement of the seven teams today is just the start, Nanzer says. More will be announced in due time. By comparison, the NFL has 32 teams and MLB has 30.
The version of Overwatch played in Overwatch League matches is mostly the same as the public version. However, Overwatch League will hold back new heroes, maps, and balance changes until they are properly tested.
There is a minimum base salary for Overwatch League players, though this figure was not disclosed.
Blizzard will support Overwatch League teams with support and benefits, though there are no plans for a player’s union. However, Nanzer says Blizzard would be open to having a discussion about that if players want one.
Nanzer envisions Overwatch League as a “forever league” that kicks off this year and never ends, similar to how the NFL and MLB started and have never stopped and never plan to.
Blizzard will announce details on the Overwatch League prize pools later. They are holding back for now because the prize pool isn’t always what’s most important, Nanzer said, mentioning that people rarely talk about the prize pool for the Super Bowl.
However, Nanzer did say the Overwatch League prize pool will be “meaningful.”
There were reports about franchise fees of $20 million for the Overwatch League, but Nanzer declined to share any specifics on this.
Sony may have only released the PlayStation 4 Pro at the end of last year, but more hardware could come as soon as 2019, according to one analyst. Wedbush Securities’ Michael Pachter has told GamingBolt that he expects the PlayStation 5 to launch in 2019, and that it will be a “half step,” similar to how, in Pachter’s view, the PS4 Pro was a “half step” over the base PS4.
“The PS4 Pro is better [from a technical perspective] than the PS4, so I think that’s a half step towards the PS5,” he said. “I think the PS5 will be another half step.”
He added: “My expectation that is that it’s not coming out in 2018. That [it will be] 2019 or 2020 but probably 2019. Sony is probably timing it better because they are going to bring out a 4K-capable device when the 4K TV market reaches 50% in the USA and 35% in the rest of the world.
“I think Sony has probably got the next console cycle nailed down already. I think they already know what they got to do.”
By contrast, Microsoft will launch its native 4K-capable console, the Xbox One X, this November. It is unclear when the next Xbox after that is scheduled to launch.
Pachter went on to speculate about what kind of console the PS5 might be, and whether it will be backwards compatible: “The PlayStation 5… how much faster can it be? It will surely support 4K. Will it support 240 frames per second? Great. Will it play games that were made for the PS4 Pro? That’s the question. I think it will. So I think they will build a console that will backwards compatible with the PS4 Pro. So I think it will be perceived by the consumers to be a half step and I think Shawn [Layden, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America] is telling the truth when he says it will be a full-fledged console.”
We likely won’t receive any official word from Sony on its next console for quite some time. The PS4 was announced nine months prior to its release, while the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro revisions were revealed just one week and two months, respectively, before they hit store shelves.
Regardless, we have reached out to Sony for comment.
Blizzard’s team shooter Overwatch has been updated on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but it’s probably not the patch you were hoping for. This one merely introduces bug fixes, so console owners will have to wait a little longer for Doomfist.
The new character was added to Overwatch’s public test server on PC last week, but he’s still not available on consoles. Instead, this patch includes fixes for multiple audio issues and a problem with Orisa’s ultimate, which in some instances could charge while her Supercharger was deployed. Take a look at the full patch notes below.
Doomfist was added to the PTR in its own recent update. Coinciding with the character’s announcement and release on the PTR, Blizzard released the video above, in which director Jeff Kaplan explains the general design of the character. This includes the potential use of Doomfist as a character who can flank and dive into groups of enemies, and how his passive–which gives him shields by dealing ability damage–allows him to survive. Sadly, there’s no explanation for why he isn’t voiced by Terry Crews.
Overwatch players can currently get a free Golden Loot Box, which is guaranteed to contain one legendary item, through Twitch Prime. In addition, Twitch Prime subscribers also get 10 standard Loot Boxes–five in August and five in September. Later this year, members will receive items and loot for Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, as well.
Overwatch July 11 PS4/Xbox One Update Patch Notes
General
Fixed a bug that caused some players to lose audio during the match.
Fixed a bug causing the vacuum-of-space sound effects from the Horizon Lunar Colony menu screen to persist even after selecting a new menu area.
Heroes
Fixed a bug that prevented Pharah’s “I am the rocket queen” voice line from playing correctly.
Fixed a bug that allowed Orisa’s ultimate to charge while her Supercharger was deployed.
Update [July 12]: Arms’ 2.0 update is out now on Nintendo Switch. Take a look at all the changes it introduces in the patch notes below.
Original story follows.
The next major update for the Nintendo Switch brawler Arms goes live tomorrow, July 12. Along with a new character and stage, the free update adds an entirely new versus mode to the game.
As Nintendo revealed last week, the new character coming in tomorrow’s update is Max Brass, the champion of the game’s Grand Prix. The update will make Brass a playable fighter, and as you can gather from his burly physique, he is one of the heaviest bruisers in the game. When his Arms are fully charged, he can take punches without flinching, and his Arms remain charged when his health falls below a certain point. Brass comes with three Arms sets (Nade, Roaster, and Kablammer) as well as a new outdoor stage called the Sky Arena.
In addition to Brass, Nintendo is introducing a new versus mode with tomorrow’s update. In an interview with Eurogamer, Arms producer Kosuke Yabuki revealed that the mode will give players a chance to play as the game’s final boss, Hedlok. “Max Brass is the main part of tomorrow’s update, but there is a new versus mode where in a fight between two or three players there’s a Hedlok mask players battle over, and when you get the mask your own character can turn into Hedlok,” explained Yabuki.
Nintendo has said it will continue supporting Arms with a steady stream of free content. The first update the company released for the game arrived near the end of June and added an Arena Mode for local multiplayer as well as a LAN Mode. Nintendo will also take a similar approach to supporting the upcoming Splatoon 2. The team-based shooter launches for Switch this month, on July 21, and will receive free DLC maps, weapons, and gear for a year following its release.
Take a look at the full Version 2.0 patch notes below.
Arms Version 2.0 Patch Notes
Arms League Commissioner Max Brass added as a playable character.
New Nade Arm added.
New Roaster Arm added.
New Kablammer Arm added.
New Sky Arena stage added.
New versus mode “Hedlok Scramble” added.
Punch or touch the capsule containing the Hedlok mask to become Hedlok for a period of time.
This can be selected in Versus, Friend, or Local and it will also appear in Party Match.
”Stats” added to the Top Menu.
Check stats such as your most used fighter, best stage, and ARM accuracy.
”Events” added to the Top Menu.
Here you can set whether or not you want to join official online events.
Snake Park has been swapped out for Sky Arena in the Ranked Match stage roster.
Raised highest rank in Ranked Match to 20.
Increased the penalty for disconnecting during Ranked Match play.
Shortened the amount of time necessary for the following Arms to return after being extended, making them easier to use: Megaton, Megawatt, Revolver, Retorcher, Boomerang
Increased movement speed of the Guardian.
Improved visibility during charge attacks for the Popper and Cracker.
Increased the amount of time necessary for the following Arms to return after being knocked down, increasing risk: Popper, Cracker, Hydra.
Increased the amount of time it takes to recover when a grab is deflected with a single punch.
Decreased the amount of damage when the Hydra’s rush connects with multiple consecutive hits.
Decreased the distance Kid Cobra travels when jumping.
Fixed issue where in some instances Ribbon Girl could remain airborne for an overlong period of time while continually attacking.
Fixed issue where Ninjara would not destroy the light boxes on the Ribbon Ring stage when getting up.
Fixed issue where the time necessary for the Triblast to return when deflected was shortened.
Fixed issue where Arms such as Blorb and Megaton would catch on the ground and fail to fire.
Fixed issue where explosive Arms would sometimes fail to explode when receiving an attack.
Fixed issue where the Slapamander would sometimes fail to hit Helix when he is extended.
In online play, fixed issue where the appearance or non-appearance of items could differ between devices.
In online play, fixed various issues with V-Ball including an issue where the ball would remain grounded and play would not proceed.
In online play, fixed an issue where sometimes Barq would continually defend against an opponents’ rush attack for a set period of time.
In online play, fixed issue where sometimes pillars in the Scrapyard would not be destructible.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Warner Bros. was considering Mel Gibson to direct the Suicide Squad sequel. While the studio might have spoken to the Oscar-winner about taking the helm, it looks like he won’t be directing it. Deadline reports today that The Shallows director Jaume Collet-Serra is now the frontrunner to direct Suicide Squad 2.
As for Collett-Serra, he also directed Orphan, Unknown, and Non-Stop. His latest movie, 2016’s The Shallows, starred Blake Lively as a surfer who got trapped in the water and was surrounded by a shark.
Suicide Squad was not a huge hit with critics, but the movie was still one of the biggest box office smashes of 2016. Actor Joel Kinnaman, who played Rick Flag in the supervillain team-up, said the sequel could start shooting in 2018.
The Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, so it’s always exciting to hear about what he might be doing next. Today, The Hollywood Reporter said it’s heard from sources that Tarantino’s next film will be about the Manson Family murders, and he is reportedly talking with big-name actors about appearing in it.
Tarantino has reportedly reached out to Brad Pitt, who appeared in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, about having a role in the untitled film. The director has also apparently gotten into contact with Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence.
Tarantino is now putting the “finishing touches” on the script, according to THR. At least one part of the film will focus on the death of actress Sharon Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski who was murdered by Mansion and his group in 1969. Tate was eight months pregnant at the time, and four others were killed on that August evening. Manson and his followers were sentenced to life in prison.
All conversations with actors are said to be only in the early stages, and one source told THR that Lawrence will not play Tate. Filming on the untitled and unannounced Tarantino movie is tipped to start in 2018.
A report from Deadline has even more details. The site reports that Margot Robbie is also being looked at for the role of Sharon Tate, while Samuel L. Jackson (who has been in lots of Tarantino’s films) is reportedly being considered for the lead role. The site has also heard that Pitt’s character could be a detective investigating the Tate murders.
His eight movies so far have included Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight. Tarantino won Best Writing Oscars for Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained.
PlayStation 4‘s latest system update is available to download now, but don’t expect it to do too much. According to Sony, firmware update 4.72 “improves the quality of the system performance.”
The patch weighs in at around 340 MB, and it’s mandatory to install–just turn your PS4 on and the update should begin downloading automatically.
The Boost Mode feature aims to improve the quality and performance of games that have not been patched to support PS4 Pro. “This can provide a noticeable frame rate boost to some games with variable frame rates, and can provide frame rate stability for games that are programmed to run at 30 Hz or 60 Hz,” Sony explained at the time.
In other PlayStation news, Sony recently announced PS4 Trophies now sync “much quicker than ever before,” though it’s still not automatic like on Xbox One. Meanwhile a game that promised the “world’s fastest platinum Trophy” has still not returned to the PlayStation Store after being pulled a fortnight ago. ★★★★★ 1000 Top Rated’s developer claimed you could earn the title’s platinum Trophy in under 20 minutes. However, Sony removed it from PSN “temporarily” and asked developer Top Rated to “change the game’s name and not mention Trophies in the Store trailer.”
