In other news about Odyssey, Shigeru Miyamoto said this week that the game is on the “core side,” more in line with what Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.
As for the hybrid nature of the Switch, Spencer said it “will be fun to see what new game ideas come from that.” The console can be played at home or on the go. You can see the system’s specs here.
Over the past week, there has been a lot of discussion about Halo games for a younger audience after a Halo Mega Bolks game leaked. Now, Halo developer 343 Industries has teased that, in the wake of the positive feedback to the awesome-looking Mega Bloks game, a Halo game of that type–or something along those lines–could possibly actually happen someday.
“Who knows, with so much positive support and feedback coming to light, we may yet see Halo experiences along these lines at some point in the future,” 343’s community manager said in the developer’s latest weekly blog post.
In other Halo news, 343 confirmed in its weekly blog post that this weekend’s Warzone Mythic Firefight playlist is being held on the Raid on Apex 7 map. The playlist, which pays out extra RP, runs January 13-15.
Further, 343 outlined some changes coming to Halo 5 multiplayer in the area of the amount of RP and XP that pays out, while Arena boost Req cards are getting a boost to effectiveness.
“Last week, the RP payouts for the weekend Mythic WZ Firefight playlist were increased but after further evaluation and feedback the team is going to turn the dial even further, resulting in an even higher payout in exchange for the tough challenge players will face,” 343 said. “Additionally, Legendary Warzone Firefight RP payouts are also being bumped up slightly. The Warzone team will continue to monitor data and player feedback going forward.”
Additionally, you will earn more XP in the Infection playlist–this is part of a test across the entire game.
“Consider this a real-world test case scenario and let us know what your experiences are like as you earn bonus XP playing Infection,”343 said. “As with Warzone, the team will be monitoring this closely to see what impact this has and what player feedback is to help set some parameters for potential future adjustments.”
Concerning the Req cards, the amount of RP and XP that gets rewarded is being “cranked up” for all of Arena. In most cases, the rewards are doubled–though some are less than double and others are more than double.
Finally, 343 said it has heard your feedback about the six-person limit to Warzone matches that was implemented last year and is working on adding a 12-person Warzone playlist to accommodate players who want to play in larger groups.
“We had every intention of releasing this test playlist prior to the winter break but unfortunately a few bugs surfaced that forced the team to delay release,” 343 said. “That work is still ongoing and right now it sounds like we’re potentially still a few weeks away from it getting released. Once released we anticipate that this test playlist will likely experience longer match times due to the 12-person requirement but we’re still eager to explore this idea and see how it meets the needs of players.
“We know this is a hot topic for a chunk of our community so please know that the team is working on it and we thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Over the past week, there has been a lot of discussion about Halo games for a younger audience after a Halo Mega Bolks game leaked. Now, Halo developer 343 Industries has teased that, in the wake of the positive feedback to the awesome-looking Mega Bloks game, a Halo game of that type–or something along those lines–could possibly actually happen someday.
“Who knows, with so much positive support and feedback coming to light, we may yet see Halo experiences along these lines at some point in the future,” 343’s community manager said in the developer’s latest weekly blog post.
In other Halo news, 343 confirmed in its weekly blog post that this weekend’s Warzone Mythic Firefight playlist is being held on the Raid on Apex 7 map. The playlist, which pays out extra RP, runs January 13-15.
Further, 343 outlined some changes coming to Halo 5 multiplayer in the area of the amount of RP and XP that pays out, while Arena boost Req cards are getting a boost to effectiveness.
“Last week, the RP payouts for the weekend Mythic WZ Firefight playlist were increased but after further evaluation and feedback the team is going to turn the dial even further, resulting in an even higher payout in exchange for the tough challenge players will face,” 343 said. “Additionally, Legendary Warzone Firefight RP payouts are also being bumped up slightly. The Warzone team will continue to monitor data and player feedback going forward.”
Additionally, you will earn more XP in the Infection playlist–this is part of a test across the entire game.
“Consider this a real-world test case scenario and let us know what your experiences are like as you earn bonus XP playing Infection,”343 said. “As with Warzone, the team will be monitoring this closely to see what impact this has and what player feedback is to help set some parameters for potential future adjustments.”
Concerning the Req cards, the amount of RP and XP that gets rewarded is being “cranked up” for all of Arena. In most cases, the rewards are doubled–though some are less than double and others are more than double.
Finally, 343 said it has heard your feedback about the six-person limit to Warzone matches that was implemented last year and is working on adding a 12-person Warzone playlist to accommodate players who want to play in larger groups.
“We had every intention of releasing this test playlist prior to the winter break but unfortunately a few bugs surfaced that forced the team to delay release,” 343 said. “That work is still ongoing and right now it sounds like we’re potentially still a few weeks away from it getting released. Once released we anticipate that this test playlist will likely experience longer match times due to the 12-person requirement but we’re still eager to explore this idea and see how it meets the needs of players.
“We know this is a hot topic for a chunk of our community so please know that the team is working on it and we thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Another week in the books. Here is a rundown of the week’s big stories and some you may have missed. Have a wonderful weekend!
THE BIG STUFF:
It was a big, big week for the Nintendo Switch, the next home console from storied and iconic gaming company Nintendo. We learned the console’s price, release date, initial launch lineup, and more. Go to GameSpot’s Nintendo Switch page to see a rundown of all of our coverage so far.
The NPD Group announced this week that the PlayStation 4 was the top-selling console in the United States for December 2016. The Xbox One was no slouch, however, as it was the best-selling system overall for the second half of 2016, Microsoft said. You can read our full December NPD report here.
THE OTHER STUFF:
Here’s a cool interview that Rian Johnson gave to USA Today about Star Wars: Episode VIII. He doesn’t give everything away, but talks about the movie’s tone, characters, story, and more.
The mobile game Star Trek Timelines recently celebrated its first anniversary. To mark the occasion, developer Disruptor Beam launched a new in-game event and released a trailer that covers some of the things players can expect in 2017.
More Spidey action! Tom Holland has apparently confirmed that he’ll play Spider-Man in the next Avengers movie, Infinity War. Get the scoop here at Screenrant.
GDC organizers have announced the newest lineup for its 2017 Flash Forward series, which will see developers talking about their games and sharing interesting insight. Go to the GDC’s YouTube channel to see introductions for some of these videos, which focus on games such as Oregon Trail and Kenshi, among others.
Ever wanted to see Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare guns made with Legos? Here you go.
A new trailer for Fox’s 24 reboot has been released–no Jack Bauer, but it still looks cool.
The nominees for the Writers Guild Award video game categories have been announced; you can see all of the nominees here, including Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Far Cry Primal, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and others.
Fox has released a new trailer for its Prison Break revival series. Check out the video below and let us know what you think in the comments.
The Battlefield 1 Custom Game, Back to Basics, has arrived. You can find it in the Custom Games tab of Battlefield 1’s Multiplayer menu right now.
A new Star Wars game is out now for mobile. Star Wars Force Arena has arrived for iOS and Android devices in 154 countries around the world. The game lets you form a team of Star Wars characters and take them into real-time battles against other players; there is co-op and head-to-head.
Here’s another cool video that shows off Sea of Thieves’ co-op. This is looking like a promising Xbox One and PC game for 2017.
Each week we search and gather up the coolest comic book art you won’t see in actual comics. The reason you won’t is because professional artists often draw sketches for fun or commissions and post them on their websites, blogs, and Tumblrs. Some artists even arrange commissions through their sites so be sure to check them out. This is a way to see the artists working on one book draw characters from other comics or publishers.
Ryan Stegman posted a Thor commission on his Tumblr.
Paolo Rivera posted a Gwen Stacy commission on his blog and an unused Jessica Jones image from last year’s San Francisco Comic Con.
Skottie Young posted some Daily Sketches on his Tumblr.
Ryan Lee posted a Witcher commission on his Twitter page.
Marcus To posted a tired-looking Pikachu on his Tumblr.
In an Xbox Wire post, Microsoft said an update is coming that changes the Xbox Home button functionality to make it faster to perform common tasks. “Through one press of the Xbox button on your controller, you’ll be able to pull up the newly enhanced Guide as an overlay on the left side of your screen no matter what you’re doing,” Microsoft said.
On top of this, Microsoft it is “rebuilding” some of the Xbox One’s “most popular multitasking experiences” in an effort to increase “speed and ease of access.”
Here is an example that Microsoft provided regarding how this change should do just that:
“You’ll be able to start recording your GameDVR clips, adjust your recording length, and access your captures directly in the Guide. We’ll also add a new Achievement tracking overlay, Gamerscore Leaderboard, a new Cortana design, and controls for background music, making these features easier to use.”
Go to the Xbox Wire to read the full statement from Xbox engineering lead Mike Ybarra.
A live-action commercial for the Japanese version of Gravity Rush 2 stars an adorable kitten that literally turns the world upside down.
The commercial, called Gravity Cat, was posted on PlayStation Japan’s YouTube channel and features two sisters struggling to wrangle a misbehaving, gravity-defying kitten. Gravity Daze 2 is the game’s title in Japan.
Gravity Rush 2 comes out on January 20 for PS4. Be sure to check out our review.
Retailer GameStop is now accepting preorders for the Nintendo Switch, the company announced today. As announced during Nintendo’s event last night, the $300 console goes on sale on March 3.
GameStop’s website has a full rundown of available items, including $300 bundles that come with gray joy-con controllers or the neon blue/neon red edition. Official accessories such as the joy-con comfort grip ($15), charging dock ($30), extra joy-con controllers ($80), carrying case with screen protector ($20), and more are also available to preorder right now. Switch games are also available to preorder–check out GameSpot’s roundup of all the confirmed Switch titles here.
“Nintendo has once again changed how video games will be played with the launch of the new Nintendo Switch,” GameStop merchandising VP Bob Puzon said in a statement. “This new innovative system will offer gamers a new gaming experience without boundaries, and that will be momentous for the industry.”
To reserve a Nintendo Switch at GameStop, you need to put down a $50 deposit; this is then applied to the $300 price of the console.
Additionally, GameStop has rolled out a special offer for those looking to pick up a Switch and have hardware they don’t want anymore. People who trade in a Wii U, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, or PlayStation VR headset will receive an extra $50 in store credit when applied to the purchase of the Switch; PowerUp Rewards Pro members get $75 in store credit. Meanwhile, trading in a Wii or 3DS gets you 20 in credit when applied to the the Switch, while Pro members get $30.
TV network FX announced this week that its Golden Globe-winning comedy, Atlanta, won’t return for a second season until 2018–and it’s because of Star Wars.
“Donald is a remarkable artist, effortlessly shifting from actor to writer, producer, director, and musician to create one amazing project after another,” FX president of original programming Nick Grad said. “Atlanta was just the beginning, the breakout comedy of the year and a series revered as much for its originality as its honest look at the experience of being aspiring, young and black in that legendary city.
“We’re proud to partner with Donald in an overall deal that will allow him to continue turning his creative vision into incredible television.”
The untitled Han Solo movie is scheduled to premiere in 2018. Alden Ehrenreich plays Han Solo alongside Glover as Lando Calrissian. Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke andHunger Games’ Woody Harrelson also have parts in the movie, which is set before A New Hope.
Budgetary restrictions meant that Deadpool was fairly light on fellow superheroes, but there was room was two other characters from the X-Men universe–Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. It has now been reported that both will return for the upcoming sequel.
In an interview with Collider, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick confirmed that Deadpool 2 will feature Colossus and Negasonic, played by Stefan Kapicic and Brianna Hildebrand respectively. “I think we can say. Yeah, they’ll be in the sequel,” Reese said. “Yeah, they’ll make at least an appearance,” Wernick added.
In November it was revealed that Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s appearance in the film was due to a “character swap” with Marvel. Although Fox own the movie rights to character, the filmmakers wanted to change her powers from the fairly minimal ones in the comic books. In exchange for permission to do this, Fox gave Marvel the film rights to Ego the Living Planet, who will now appear in this summer’s Guardian of the Galaxy Vol.2.
