All of the mainline Gears of War games to date have been third-person shooters. Fans of the series looking for a Gears of War game in a different genre may eventually get one, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer and The Coalition creative director Chuck Osieja.
Appearing at the Xbox Fanfest event in Sydney, Australia, the pair fielded the question, “If Gears of War could expand into any other gaming genre, what would it be?” Spencer immediately stated that Osieja had to be careful about what he said, suggesting a project in a different genre is already in the works.
With Spencer, his boss, sitting directly next to him, Osieja gave a Microsoft-approved answer in a played-up voice. “At Microsoft, we evaluate all opportunities for our franchises. So, if the right opportunity presents itself, we’ll explore that as something we can offer our fans.” Spencer booed this response and even gave it a thumbs-down.
Spencer then stepped in to provide some further details, saying the Gears of War franchise’s story could be told across “multiple gameplay genres.”
“Definitely when we got the team together and talked about the future of gears of war, I think there’s multiple ways that you can tell that story,” he said. “Multiple gameplay genres. I think it’s a really big IP and it’s an IP that could exist in linear form, in books–we’ve seen that; in different gaming genres.”
The Gears of War franchise is one of the biggest and best-known in all of gaming, so there is a “lot of opportunity” for where it could go in the future, Spencer teased.
“You should understand that this franchise is important to use as a platform-holder as any franchise that we have and we wanted to be fully invested in where you want to go play the game,” he added.
There is precedent of Microsoft expanding one of its shooter franchises to a new genre. The Halo series has the Halo Wars RTS franchise and received two top-down shooters int he form of Halo: Spartan Strike and Halo: Spartan Assault.
Microsoft has released a new TV commercial for the Xbox One S. The 30-second spot shows off the slimmed-down system (it’s 40 percent smaller than the original Xbox One) and also specifically mentions that it’s the “only console with 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray” for its physical and streaming media.
The video also touts the Xbox One S’s high dynamic range support. A game must support HDR (not every game does) and you will need a 4K TV to make the most of this. Microsoft’s recently released Forza Horizon 3 supports HDR, while the upcoming Gears of War 4 shooter also will.
The Xbox One S launched in August and also comes with a new Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controller that also features textured grips. You can read our review of the console here.
Following rumors, Sony ha snow officially confirmed the date and some details for this year’s PlayStation Experience event. As rumored, the show is moving to Anaheim, California, and will take place on December 3 and 4 at the Anaheim Convention Center. That’s also where Blizzcon is held.
In a PlayStation Blog post, Sony explained that the event kicks off with a “PlayStation Showcase” at 10 AM PT on Saturday, December 3. This sounds like it could be the main, E3-style keynote address. You can watch the show’s announcement video below, which uses footage from last year’s event and also what looks like E3 in Los Angeles.
After that, attendees can go hands-on with the PS4 Pro and PlayStation VR devices, which will have already launched to the public by the time PlayStation Experience comes around. PlayStation VR comes out in October, while PS4 Pro lands in November. There will also be developer panels and a merchandise booth at PlayStation Experience this year, Sony said.
Additionally, the Capcom Cup Street Fighter V competitive gaming tournament will again be featured at PlayStation Experience. The finals will be held on Saturday at 6 PM PT, where players will compete for a share of $250,000 and the title of Street Fighter V world champion.
Capcom Cup will also be returning to PlayStation Experience this year, with the finals taking place on Saturday at 6:00 PM. Watch the top qualifying players from the Capcom Pro Tour compete for more than $250,000 in prizing and the chance to be crowned the Street Fighter V world champion.
Sony has also confirmed ticket prices and availability; see below:
Prices:
Two-Day Early Bird Ticket: $60 // Early bird available until Sunday, October 16 or while supplies last (whichever comes first)
Regular Two-Day Ticket: $75
Saturday Only Ticket: $45
Sunday Only Ticket: $40
Note: We highly recommend you register with your PSN ID when purchasing tickets.
Sony said it will share “lots more” information about PlayStation Experience in the coming weeks, including details on the games that will be playable at the show.
With the release of Gears of War 4 coming up soon, developer The Coalition has now spoken up to warn fans that spoilers for the long-awaited shooter could pop up soon.
Community director Adam Fletcher wrote on Twitter that fans should “stay vigilant” as it relates to spoilers. Fletcher didn’t say anything about the source of these spoilers, however.
Gears fans: Just a heads up, more spoilers may appear in the coming days. Stay vigilante if you want to keep things pure.
Given that Gears of War 4 has gone gold, it might be that copies of the Xbox One and PC shooter are on their way to retailers. If that’s the case, people might get a copy early and share videos and impressions online, as is the case with basically every major game.
Or maybe The Coalition itself plans to talk more about the game’s story and characters; some fans might like that, others may want to go into the game with fresh eyes. In our reporting of Gears of War 4 heading up to launch, we’ll be sure to mention when spoilers, or potential spoilers, are referenced.
Gears of War 4 is scheduled to come out on October 11 for Xbox One and PC. It’s an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so you can buy it digitally on Xbox One and get a copy of the game for Windows 10 PC free or vice versa. If you pay $100 for the Ultimate Edition, you can start playing four days early, beginning October 7.
Assassin’s Creed publisher Ubisoft has acquired mobile game publisher Ketchapp, the company announced this week. With the acquisition, Ubisoft said it becomes “the fourth largest mobile game publisher when measured by number of downloads.”
Ketchapp may not be a household name, but you may familiar with some of its games. Perhaps most notably, it published the Threes-like 2048, as well as ZigZag, Stack, Stick Hero, Twist, and Jelly Jump.
Since Ketchapp’s founding in 2014, its games have racked up almost 700 million downloads, which comes out to more than 23 million downloads every month.
In a statement, Ubisoft mobile executive director Jean-Michel Detoc explained that the acquisition of Ketchapp also helps in another key area: advertising.
“With Ketchapp, Ubisoft acquires a highly profitable publisher with a successful portfolio of free-to-play games for mobile,” Detoc said. “This acquisition gives Ubisoft one of the world’s leading mobile game publishers and reinforces our advertising capabilities in mobile gaming.”
Ketchapp managing directors and co-founders Antoine and Michel Morcos said in their own statement that they are “thrilled to become part of Ubisoft’s international network of talented teams.”
“We founded Ketchapp with the intention of creating captivating gaming experiences, and we are looking forward to leveraging Ubisoft’s creativity and resources to enrich our existing and upcoming titles,” the pair added.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed; the sale is expected to close in Ubisoft’s 2016-2017 third quarter.
Marvel have traditionally released its movies in the summer, but the upcoming Doctor Strange will hit theaters this November. A new trailer has been released, and it features lots of spectacular new footage. Check it out below:
Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch as mystical sorcerer Stephen Strange, and also features Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong, and Rachel McAdams. It is directed by Sinister‘s Scott Derrickson.
In a recent interview with Slashfilm, Cumberbatch spoke about his decision to play the film’s lead character. “I’ve never done a lead role in a film this big, in a franchise this big,” he said. “One of the reasons was, I wanted to know what the toy box was like. And it’s just insane, the amount of facility that everyone gets, but the amount of artistry and craft that’s brought to every aspect of filmmaking.”
Cumberbatch also discussed the fact that fans had been suggesting that he would make a good Stephen Strange long before he was cast. “I’m flattered that people thought I was a good fit, and maybe that resonated with [Marvel’s producers],” he said.
“It was hard at a point, because of the scheduling over this side of the Atlantic, so it’s a massive compliment to me. To empower me to work for that idea of the character and then to accommodate my production of Hamlet and going into Sherlock Season 4, it’s another reason to deliver every day, to fulfill that promise.”
The fourth season of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD is underway. With the show moving forward six months after the events of the last season, we’ve seen a lot of changes with the status of SHIELD and its agents. Last week, Ghost Rider appeared and a mysterious ‘ghost’ has been unleashed. With the introduction of the new Director of SHIELD this episode, more secrets are revealed.
Warning: Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 2 of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, “Meet the New Boss,” will be discussed below.
Daisy Confronts Robbie Reyes About Ghost Rider
Daisy left SHIELD and is trying to put a stop to the Watchdogs group. When chasing some weapons dealers, she had a run-in with Ghost Rider. Their fight ended with Ghost Rider choosing not to kill her. Daisy used her computer skills to find out all about Robbie Reyes’ past and confronts him while he’s at his day job. When Robbie starts to come around and mentions wanting vengeance, Daisy tells him she also wants it but against the Watchdogs. Reyes informs her he’s not an Inhuman, but when she mentions his younger brother, he gets angry and transforms.
Ghost Rider still won’t kill Daisy until he has proof she deserves it. He leaves her tied up to go after the stolen weapon. His search takes him to an abandoned lab where Fitz and Mack are at.
Fitz and Mack vs. Ghosts
Fitz and Simmons examine the empty box that was supposed to contain a weapon. Fitz figures out that you need to use light from outside the visible spectrum to look inside. They detect a type of energy that they’ve never seen before. This reveals some Mack suggests it could be a ghost based on a report they received. Fitz and Simmons don’t believe that’s possible. Fitz and Mack head to an abandoned lab to investigate the origin of the box.
It turns out the ghost seen last time worked at the lab. She frees fellow scientists that were locked in other boxes and mentions needing to find the Darkhold book. When Fitz and Mack arrive, Mack gets locked in a chamber and Fitz is about to get touched by the ghost. Ghost Rider arrives and kills the ghost while Daisy frees Mack.
The New Director Is Revealed
Coulson is on a first name basis with Jeffrey, the new Director. When Coulson apologizes for going on a mission to find Daisy without his permission. Jeffrey tells him it’s okay and loyalty is a good thing. He still wants Daisy taken care of. Since they’re about to officially unveil SHIELD publicly, she could create a bad image for them. He also has a special mission for Coulson. Jeffrey mentions Coulson’s ability to get an unlimited budget and has him charm the UN delegates that visit their headquarters. Jeffrey appears to be a good guy, but there’s more to him than he lets on.
May Is Infected
When May and her squad arrived to bail out Coulson and Mack last episode, the ghost was released from the box. Those around seemed to be infected and had visions that caused them to attack each other. May had minor visions at first, but soon escalates into paranoia. She believes the base has been infiltrated and attacks her squad. The Director arrives and she punches him with no results. She then hits him with a pole and he reveals his secret before knocking her out. She is later taken away to parts unknown.
The Director’s Secret
Who is the new Director? Can he be trusted?
When May attacked him, he shrugged off her blows and grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. She claimed he was a monster, but he corrected her by confessing he’s an Inhuman. Coulson mentioned he wanted a powered individual to be the head of SHIELD to help bridge the gap between humans and Inhumans. While Coulson is on a first name basis with Jeffrey, it doesn’t seem like they’re the best of friends. The Director is using Coulson to conduct the tour with the delegates but keeps him in the dark about things such as where May was taken to. It’s not fully clear how he was chosen to become the Director and what his complete motivation might be.
Thoughts
On the surface, it didn’t feel like too much happened. We had May go over the edge, learned who the director was and what he could do, saw the ghosts dealt with, and had Daisy and Robbie come to an understanding. Within these plot points, there is a bit to see if you examine each further.
Since May was taken somewhere, it leads us to believe the Director is hiding something. He won’t tell Coulson where she’s being taken to. This could mean the Director has his own agenda, or perhaps he simply doesn’t want to burden Coulson with more than necessary.
The Director being an Inhuman is a good touch. It’s not clear how many people are aware of his abilities. May, even though she wasn’t thinking clearly, was surprised. Jeffrey most likely has signed the Sokovia Accords. It wouldn’t make sense for him to calmly walk up to May and risk revealing his secret to everyone. IMDB also lists his name as Jeffrey Mace. In the comics, Mace replaced Steve Rogers as Captain America after he disappeared during WWII. These two characters most likely aren’t connected, but it’s interesting that Marvel would use the name. Maybe Mace is an Inhuman that also ages slowly.
The mention of the Darkhold is another interesting twist. We know Robbie mentioned selling his soul to the devil. Could this be Chthon, the elder god that wrote the Darkhold? In the comics, this version of Ghost Rider is controlled by Robbie’s uncle, Eli Morrow. Is it Morrow or Chthon pushing Reyes to kill for vengeance? What do the ghosts have to do with the Darkhold and the abandoned lab?
With Mack and Fitz letting Daisy go, we see that old loyalties still exist. Of course, Mack and Fitz might not have been prepared to try to bring her in. Daisy and Robbie have had a shaky relationship. Now that they appear to be joining forces, it’ll be interesting to see where they go next.
As part of its Outbreak Day sale, Naughty Dog has discounted the remastered version of its its acclaimed post-apocalyptic game The Last of Us by 50 percent for the week. You can grab the PlayStation 4 title for only $10 right now.
In addition, Remastered’s Tactical Weapons Bundle for multiplayer is marked down to $1.50 (from $3), while the Outbreak Day PS4 dynamic theme that normally goes for $3 is now completely free.
These are just a few of the offers available as part of the Outbreak Day sale. You can also save on Remastered multiplayer customization packs and more. Go to the PlayStation Store on your console or visit the store’s website here to see all of the offers.
The Outbreak Day sale runs for a week, ending on October 4 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.
One of the most unique elements of FIFA 17 is its interesting-sounding campaign mode called The Journey, which follows a rising star’s…journey in the soccer world. Note that The Journey is not available for FIFA 17’s last-generation console versions.
You can see a roundup of review scores and editor opinions below. For even more on FIFA 17’s critical reception, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
“The Journey is engaging enough that it’ll be interesting to see how it’s developed next year, but right now, it’s not the reason to buy FIFA 17. That remains a combination of still-excellent fundamental gameplay (on a par, at least, with Pro Evolution Soccer 2017‘s much-improved showing) and Ultimate Team, the game-above-the-game to which PES still has no serious answer. Put together with an improved Career mode and best-in-class presentation, and FIFA 17 is still out in front–even if its lead has been cut this year.” — Nathan Ditum [Full review]
ESPN FC
“With over two decades of practice at making FIFA games, it should be possible to match the game’s groundbreaking visuals with their gameplay equivalent. While those elements matter, the ability to play this endlessly until FIFA 18 releases next year surely matters more.” — James Tyler [Full review]
IGN — 8.4/10
“For all that FIFA promises something for every football fan, from the casual observer to the full-kit fanatic, I still find myself wishing that EA Sports would spend a little more time focusing on the basics. You could probably create the perfect football game by letting Konami handle everything on the pitch, with EA Sports responsible for everything off it. But FIFA plays well enough that the gains elsewhere–in terms of licensing, authenticity, and big-match atmosphere–more than compensate for those shortcomings. For my money, PES is still ahead where it counts most, but The Journey gives FIFA something unique and rewarding. If you can afford it, this year it might just be worth getting both.” — Chris Schilling [Full review]
Digital Spy — 4/5
“If you’re a FIFA 17 fan, go ahead and buy it–you won’t regret your purchase. Just be aware that, right now, EA’s game can’t match the standard of the new console footie king–PES 2017.” — Stuart Andrews [Full review]
Forbes — 8.9/10
“Aside from the missing customization, this is easily the best and most complete FIFA ever. There are other areas with minor issues, but nothing worthy of mentioning in the negatives section. Tightened gameplay, improved visuals and The Journey make this a monumental achievement in the series and it reestablishes the series as the King of the Pitch, yet again.” — Brian Mazique [Full review]
Game Informer — 8.75/10
“The Journey isn’t the be-all-end-all of FIFA 17. It’s a good start that adds to the game despite its flaws, while the title is anchored by the overall gameplay and other modes. Solving the riddle of how to blend player agency seamlessly with a well-crafted story remains a tantalizing prize, one that will pay off handsomely when attained.” — Matthew Kato [Full review]
The sequel to ’90s fantasy adventure Jumanji, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, is currently shooting in Hawaii. New plot details for the movie have emerged, as well as the announcement of four new cast members.
Mashable writer Jeff Sneider has tweeted that the movie’s storyline is to center upon a quartet of high school kids who find themselves drawn into the Jumanji game while on detention. The adult actors, which also include Jack Black, are the game representations of the teens.
It has also been reported that the movie could feature a video game version of Jumanji, but there has been no confirmation of this from the studio or filmmakers.
Johnson himself took to Instagram to announce the names of the four youngest cast members. They are Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, and Alex Wolff. Singer-turned-actor Nick Jonas has also been confirmed in the cast.
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