The question of who will star in next James Bond movie has been in some doubt over the past weeks, with Daniel Craig reportedly uninterested in playing the role any longer, and Tom Hiddleston rumoured to be in talks to take over. Now director Sam Mendes has revealed that he won’t be making any further Bond movies.
Mendes, who directed the last two films in the long-running action series, confirmed the news at the Hay literary festival this weekend. “It was an incredible adventure, I loved every second of it,” he said, via The Guardian. “But I think it’s time for somebody else.”
“I’m a storyteller,” he added. “And, at the end of the day, I want to make stories with new characters.”
Mendes helped turn last year’s Spectre and 2012’s Skyfall into huge hits, together earning nearly $2 billion worldwide. Mendes’s other films include the Oscar-winning American Beauty, Road to Perdition, and Revolutionary Road.
Last week, BDM reported that Hiddleston was in “advanced talks” to take over the role if Craig quits. Although producers EON are yet to comment on Craig’s potential departure, “sources close to Hiddleston” stated that the Thor star had met with the company, and that the actor was keen to take on the role.
Last year, Craig made no secret of the fact that Spectre was a tough shoot and that he wasn’t looking to dive straight back into another Bond production. “I’d rather break this glass and slash my wrists,” he told TimeOut. “No, not at the moment. Not at all. That’s fine. I’m over it at the moment. We’re done [filming Spectre]. All I want to do is move on.
“At the moment, we’ve done it. I’m not in discussion with anybody about anything. If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money.”
While the largely negative critical reaction for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has become a big story in its own right, the cast and crew have done their best to put a brave face on it. Apart from Jeremy Irons that is. The veteran British star was interviewed recently and had a few things to say about what he thought of the movie.
Irons, who plays Bruce Wayne’s trusty butler Alfred, spoke to the Daily Mail and was quick to agree when the film’s bad reviews were mentioned. “Deservedly so,” he admitted. “I mean it took £800 million, so the kicking didn’t matter but it was sort of overstuffed. It was very muddled. I think the next one will be simpler. The script is certainly a lot smaller, it’s more linear.”
Irons will next appear in Justice League Part One, which is currently in production. The film is directed by Dawn of Justice‘s Zack Snyder, and will see Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot return to their roles of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
Irons also mentioned the fact that he will appear in the standalone Batman film, and indicates that it will be titled The Batman. “I’m tied into The Batman at the minute,” he said. “Which is nice because it’s a bit of income. Not that I need a bit of income but it’s nice to keep ticking over.”
Live streaming and recording footage of video games used to be a huge pain. You needed a powerful machine, compatible PCIe capture cards, video splitters, and the patience to tinker with a long list of settings and troubleshoot an even longer list of things that could go wrong. These days, capturing, sharing, and streaming what you’re playing is much easier– in some instances, built into gaming ecosystems and accessible with the push of a button.
Elgato recently released a new version of their existing HD60 capture device, an easy-to-use external video capture card which does the majority of video processing on-board the unit, allowing users to easily capture high-quality footage from consoles or other PCs. The only major downside is that the footage lags as the data waits to be processed on your computer, and this doesn’t make for an ideal live streaming experience.
The upgraded version of the unit, the HD60 S, boasts USB 3.0 capability to eliminate that problem and allow video data to flow through faster, at the cost of relying more on the computer’s CPU to assist in the the video processing workload. On paper, this makes the already easy-to-use unit a even more ideal all-purpose tool for game capture and live streaming capabilities. But at USD 179.95 / EUR 189.95 / GBP 149.95 / AUD 279.95, who is it really suitable for? We took two perspectives: The video professional and the streaming enthusiast.
Edmond Tran, Editor/Senior Video Producer: Zorine, in my eight years at GameSpot I’ve captured and live streamed what feels like a million hours of video game footage and GameSpot staff playing said video game footage, I’ve had to use a variety of headache-inducing equipment to make all that happen. When the live streaming boom happened and all these consumer solutions started to enter the market, I was so damn relieved. Units were plug and play, had automatic resolution detection, and made recording game footage super easy. Presently, the Elgato HD60 is my go-to unit, although some of our other producers prefer Avermedia kits. You’ve been giving Elgato’s new HD60 S for a spin– how do you find it?
Zorine Te, Editor: To start with, I liked how easy it was to set up. It was a process I was quite familiar with, having used the Elgato HD60 extensively. The HD60 S follows the exact same plug-and-play process: all I had to do was plug my PS4 into the unit, run a HDMI cable to my output to a screen, and make sure the USB cable was in a 3.0 slot. It’s the same compact size as the HD 60, which made it super easy for me to transport.
While I usually use OBS, I wanted to give Elgato’s native Game Capture software a whirl for streaming. It’s quite simple to use, but I felt that it lacked the overlay options of other streaming programs like OBS or XSplit. While the Game Capture software had some neat scene-switching capabilities, the gameplay screen size is fixed at full screen, which meant I couldn’t use my own custom overlay without it overlapping onto the game feed itself. This was rather annoying, because I prefer using my overlay to relay extra information to viewers without sacrificing any feed from the game screen.
I also encountered some other issues using the Game Capture Software to stream, such as downscaling my webcam feed excessively. The stream resolution is also locked to the bitrate you set; there is no entering separate values for the two. Compared to OBS, there is a lot less flexibility.
Edmond: Definitely, the Game Capture software is really easy to use if you’re just getting into live streaming, and it has some nice templates, but it’s definitely not as versatile as something like OBS if you’re a little more experienced and want a more customisable setup.
The downside with using the HD60 S with OBS is that I did notice there was slightly more lag in the video feed preview. Obviously, the biggest feature with the HD60 S is the USB 3.0 connection, which allows the video data to come through almost instantaneously–almost as if you were using an internal PCIe capture card.
I did some testing with Street Fighter V, a game that relies heavily on immediate input and reaction, and I could definitely feel the latency if played by solely watching the game feed through OBS. On the flip side, when I was using Elgato’s program, it felt way better, nearly 1:1. Obviously, if you want the game feed to be as lag free as possible, you’ll want to pass the signal through the capture card to another screen. But still, I feel like you could play and stream with real-time commentary while playing almost any other game fine just by watching your the feed in the software.
Zorine: Absolutely. When I used the Game Capture software, latency was not noticeable. I could play the game directly from the GC feed. However, when I ran it with OBS, it stuttered and lagged every few seconds. I would put it down to my CPU being not powerful enough (for reference, I run an Intel i5 4690K) but it was odd, as I didn’t experience any stutter when using Elgato’s Game Capture software.
Edmond: The low-latency feature is definitely much more reliant on your CPU to actually make it work, since it needs to process the all that high-def video data pouring in. I tested it on an Intel i7 3820, but it’s a shame that the OBS experience was so much worse for you.
In any case, if all you needed to do is record some good gameplay footage or do some basic live streaming, this thing is a great tool since it allows you to do so with just your console and a laptop–it takes out the need for an additional screen for image passthrough.
The thing is, if you’re someone in that situation it’s hard to argue against the idea of just using the built-in sharing features on the PlayStation 4 to stream and capture (even though the quality might be inferior), or use something like Nvidia’s Shadowplay software rather than forking out for this unit.
Zorine: I feel like the advantages are all in streaming and the ability to use other software to have a custom overlay and more quality control options for the feed. Stream layout is something that most, if not all, serious streamers should care about. If making videos about games is something you do often, then the HD60 S is a not just a solid investment–it’s among the best of the best of capture equipment right now. For live streaming, users will need to make sure that their PCs can handle the feed, or use Elgato’s own software like I did.
The other thing to consider is whether or not it’s worth forking out for an upgrade over the Elgato’s HD60. The differences between the two are hardly worth the massive price point if you’re moving over from the previous model.
Edmond: The HD60 is also fine if you just want high-quality capture, but have an older computer or don’t need to take advantage of the lag-free capabilities. The HD60 S is at a price that requires some consideration. It’s at a level for enthusiasts who can’t install a PCIe card, or would prefer the options of an external card, who desire the flexibility of being able to use whatever program they were most comfortable with, and who ideally already have a strong PC setup that could handle the extra CPU demands.
For someone who needs to record gameplay footage every day, the HD60 S is definitely something that makes my job easier. What about you Zorine? Would you throw down $280 AUD, over half the cost of a PS4 console here, on a capture card like this?
Zorine: I’d really need to live stream a lot more to be able to justify the purchase. If you’re looking to upgrade from the HD60, it’s just not worth it. However, as an initial purchase, the HD60 S is a powerful capture unit that provides amazing quality capture of video games. If you want to use it to live stream, make sure you’ve got a solid PC build to back it up.
Got any questions about the unit, video capture, or live streaming? Ask them in the comments below!
Capcom has released a new trailer for Street Fighter 5 confirming that the next character to be added to the cast is none other than returning young ninja, Ibuki. In the video, Ibuki dons her familiar school uniform and can throw bombs and kunai to damage her opponent.
The trailer also shows some rather interesting movement capabilities in her arsenal, with a quick forward dash as well as a parachuting move that prolongs her time in the air. The character has quite some history in the Street Fighter series, being first introduced in Street Fighter III, and was also part of the playable cast in Street Fighter IV.
In December last year Capcom confirmed Ibuki alongside five other characters who would be added to Street Fighter 5 post-launch. She is the third character to be released, following on from Alex and Guile. The remaining characters are Balrog, Juri, and Urien. All six characters are earnable through gameplay without having to pay, although players who don’t want to wait can access them immediately by purchasing a season pass.
Street Fighter 5 will get an update in June which adds a free story mode. The update will contain over an hour of “cinematic content” and fill in the storyline between Street Fighter IV and the new game. For more on Street Fighter 5, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.
On Memorial Day weekend, Activision has announced a special new promotion for Call of Duty: Black Ops III where players can buy a new calling card set to support the company’s military veterans’ charity. Available now for $4 is the Call of Duty Endowment Valor Calling Card set, which comes with three animated cards–one each for sea, air, and land.
All proceeds go to Activision’s Call of Duty Endowment, which provides funds to help military veterans find jobs after their time in the military comes to an end.
The Call of Duty Endowment non-profit organization was established in 2009 by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. To date, the group has funded more than 23,000 job placements for military veterans, which is up from 17,500 in December 2015.
“To date, the Call of Duty community has contributed over $1 million to our efforts to help veterans through the in-game program,” Call of Duty Endowment executive director Dan Goldenberg said in a statement. “With this funding, our grantees will place over 1,800 veterans into high quality jobs. Through this campaign alone, the Call of Duty community has essentially put an entire brigade back to work, which is tremendous.”
Treyarch studio boss Mark Lamia added, “Treyarch strongly supports the Call of Duty Endowment’s mission. The Calling Card program allows the Call of Duty: Black Ops III community the opportunity to easily contribute and make a meaningful impact to this worthy cause.”
You can buy the new calling card right now by following the links below. A picture of the three cards can be seen above.
Throughout the week, we’ve been celebrating GameSpot’s 20th anniversary with a series of retrospective features looking at how Videogames.com got to where it is today. (Yup we’re also videogames.com. Go ahead and try typing it into the URL bar.)
But in case you missed any of the great videos and articles, check out all the anniversary content we put together for you below.
A lot of talented content creators have passed through GameSpot’s halls over the last 20 years. But where are they now? In the video above!
20 Reasons Why We Love Games
There are a LOT more than 20 reasons to love games, but we narrowed it down to 20, because, that’s our anniversary year. You might see a theme emerging here.
If it’s real and follows the formula of other Game of the Year editions, you can expect it to come with Arkham Knight’s DLC–and there was a lot.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has not officially announced a Game of the Year Edition for Batman: Arkham Knight, so take this with a grain of salt for now.
The two previous Rocksteady-developer Batman Arkham games, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, each received Game of the Year editions.
We’ll update this post with new information when it becomes available.
If the Arkham Knight Game of the Year Edition comes out in July, it won’t be the only Arkham game out that month. Batman: Return to Arkham, which comes with remastered copies of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, launches on July 26 for PS4 and Xbox One.
Xbox marketing boss Aaron Greenberg shared the picture above of himself (wearing a similarly zany t-shirt), Spencer, and Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb preparing for E3.
As for Spencer’s tweet, in the same thread about the E3 t-shirt, he thanked a fan for their support, and offered this tease: “Blown away by the work of #TEAMXBOX, doing things we’ve never done.”
Spencer did not elaborate further. But if Microsoft is indeed moving to a more incremental console upgrade cycle–that would indeed represent new territory for the company.
In March, Fox halted production on Maze Runner: The Death Cure after 24-year-old star Dylan O’Brien was hit by a car and sustained significant injuries. TMZ reported that O’Brien sustained “severe” injuries after “something went wrong” and he was run over by a car.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Death Cure is now due to launch on January 12, 2018. Its previous release date was February 17, 2017–that’s about an 11-month month delay.
Production on the movie has not started up again and there is no word yet on when it will. It is also unknown how far along O’Brien is into his recovery.
O’Brien plays Thomas in the Maze Runner series, based on the novels from author James Dashner. The first movie, The Maze Runner, was released in 2014, with sequel The Scorch Trials landing in 2015. They were both box office hits.
Unlike past expansions, Hog Wild doesn’t come with any new maps. However, as its name suggests, there are new Warthogs, additional armor sets, and a hybrid weapon scope. You can see all of the new Reqs in the image below.
As announced previously, Hog Wild was set to include “bigger items,” but they needed “a bit more time for finishing touches and polish.” As such, they will now be included with the Warzone Firefight expansion at the end of June, which 343 says is the game’s largest ever.
It is also expected to be the last free update for Halo 5. You can get a closer look at some of the new Reqs in the gallery above.
Also in the blog post, 343 talked about some changes coming to Halo 5’s Warzone. Specifically, the mode’s bosses are being changed to be more “dynamic.”
“One example: on Apex 7, at the 2-minute mark, you could either have a Zealot Assassin Boss in the Caves, or a Ranger Commander and his squad dropped off at the beaches,” 343 multiplayer designer Patrick Wren said. “Each Warzone match should be a bit different instead of the same encounters game after game.”
Additionally, Warzone Legendary bosses will offer a “bigger payoff” when you take them down, and the bosses themselves will have more of a “visual identity.”
Wren teased that this is only just the start for what 343 has in store.
“There is so much more to talk about with new minion types, reinforcements, roaming bosses, complex encounters and more, which I’m told I can’t talk about just yet,” he said.
