Month: March 2019

Anthem‘s launch had its share of issues, from crash bugs to weapon balance bugs and more. Now BioWare general manager Casey Hudson has conceded to the launch issues while also recommitting to long-term support.

In a post-launch update on the BioWare Blog, Hudson says it was a “rougher launch than expected,” and says that the studio was “ready for the possibility that unexpected issues might arise.” In a broader sense, he said that the degree of the problems didn’t become apparent until the scale of players had increased, and that the studio shares in the community’s disappointment at these issues.

“It makes me sad to hear about any issues that would hold someone back from fully enjoying the game,” Hudson said. “I take that very personally, and it’s been our top priority to get improvements out to you in the fastest, safest way.”

He then transitioned to plans for the future, explaining that improvements are coming to endgame loot, game flow, and stability. This is in addition to adding more world events and story content, as outlined in its roadmap.

“But we understand there is skepticism out there,” he continued. “We hear the criticisms and doubts. But we’ll keep going anyway, working hard every day on Anthem – an ever-changing world, constantly improving and growing, and supported well into the future by our team of passionate developers.”

Anthem’s rocky launch has included crashing PS4 consoles that forced Sony to issue refunds, an update inadvertently broke the game, and mediocre reviews. At one point a bug made Legendary and Masterwork items more common, and BioWare irked players by fixing it. The studio later issued a patch that adjusted drop rates more intentionally.

Every month, Netflix reveals what is new to its service for the upcoming month, and there are plenty of new offerings to get excited about. However, plenty of movies and TV series leave the service each month as well. And in April, Netflix loses its best animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

On April 7, the Star Wars: The Clones Wars movie, all five seasons of the animated series, and the home release of The Lost Missions all leave Netflix. While many folks look down on the Star Wars prequels, everyone can agree that the Clone Wars animated movie and series are the best things to come out of that era in Star Wars lore. For those who are unfamiliar, the series follows Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi during the aforementioned Clone Wars, taking place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. While the show is leaving Netflix, it is headed to Disney’s streaming service, alongside new episodes, by the end of this year.

And there are plenty of new options for you to check out in April–after you’ve watch Clone Wars one more time. On April 1, Netflix is dropping plenty of movies, including Freddy vs. Jason, Pineapple Express, and the classic sci-fi movie The Fifth Element. Additionally, the classic Japanese character Ultraman gets a Netflix original animated series.

There are two big original series to keep your eye on for the rest of the month. On April 5, Sabrina the teenage witch returns for Part 2 of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This time around, she’ll be exploring her darker side, all while trying to keep her non-witch friends in her life.

Additionally, much like Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch, Netflix has a new “choose your own adventure” show coming on April 10. The show is called You vs. Wild, and it is hosted by TV personality Bear Grylls. The viewer watches Grylls try to survive in some of the world’s harshest environments, and their decisions could help him. If there isn’t an option at some point for Grylls to ingest his own urine, then this show missed the boat.

Below you’ll find the complete list of everything coming and going for Netflix in April, and make sure to check out the lists for Amazon Prime Video and Hulu as well.

What’s Coming To Netflix In April

Avail. in April

• Chambers — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/1/19

• ULTRAMAN — NETFLIX ANIME
• Across The Line
• All the President’s Men
• Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
• Deliverance
• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
• Evolution
• Freddy vs. Jason
• Friday the 13th (2009)
• I Am Legend
• Lakeview Terrace
• Monster House
• Obsessed
• Penelope
• Pineapple Express
• Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: S2
• P.S. I Love You
• Snatch
• Spy Kids
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D
• The Bone Collector
• The Fifth Element
• The Golden Compass
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
• Valkyrie

Avail. 4/2/19

• Kevin Hart: Irresponsible — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/3/19

• Suzzanna: Buried Alive — NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 4/5/19

• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• In The Shadows
• Legacies: Season 1
• Our Planet — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Persona: Collection — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Roman Empire: Caligula: The Mad Emperor — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Spirit Riding Free: Season 8– NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Tijuana — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Unicorn Store — NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 4/9/19

• Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 6 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/10/19

• New Girl: Season 7
• You vs. Wild — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/11/19

• Black Summer — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/12/19

• A Land Imagined — NETFLIX FILM
• Band Aid
• Huge in France — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Mighty Little Bheem — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Perfect Date — NETFLIX FILM
• The Silence — NETFLIX FILM
• Special — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Who Would You Take to a Deserted Island? — NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 4/15/19

• Luis Miguel – The Series: Season 1
• No Good Nick — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The New Romantic

Avail. 4/16/19

• Super Monsters Furever Friends — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/18/19

• My First First Love — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/19/19

• A Fortunate Man — NETFLIX FILM
• Brené Brown: The Call to Courage — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Cuckoo: Season 5 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• I, Daniel Blake
• Music Teacher — NETFLIX FILM
• Rilakkuma and Kaoru — NETFLIX ANIME
• Samantha!: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Someone Great — NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 4/20/19

• Grass is Greener — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/22/19

• Pinky Malinky: Part 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Selection Day – New Episodes– NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/23/19

• I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/24/19

• Bonding — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/25/19

• The Hateful Eight: Extended Version
• The Ugly Truth

Avail. 4/26/19

• The Protector: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Street Food — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Sapphires
• Yankee — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 4/27/19

• American Honey

Avail. 4/28/19

• Señora Acero: Season 5

Avail. 4/29/19

• Burning
• The Imitation Game

Avail. 4/30/19

• Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Baki: Part 2 — NETFLIX ANIME
• Ingress: The Animation — NETFLIX ANIME

What’s Leaving Netflix In April

Leaving 4/1/19

• American Pie
• Billy Madison
• Blue Mountain State: Seasons 1-3
• Casino Royale
• Diamonds Are Forever
• Die Another Day
• Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
• Goldfinger
• Happy Feet
• Happy Gilmore
• Heat
• I Love You, Man
• L.A. Confidential
• Live and Let Die
• Luther: Series 1-4
• Octopussy
• Pokémon: XY: Seasons 1-2
• Seven
• Sex and the City: The Movie
• The Living Daylights
• The Man with the Golden Gun
• The Spy Who Loved Me
• The World Is Not Enough
• Wallander: Series 1-4
• You Only Live Twice

Leaving 4/4/19

Leaving 4/7/19

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Seasons 1-5
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Lost Missions

Leaving 4/13/19

• Video Game High School: Seasons 1-3

Leaving 4/18/19

• Silver Linings Playbook

The first trailer for Toy Story 4 is here. The latest movie in the long-running animated Pixar series hits theaters in June and sees Woody, Buzz, and the gang in another highly anticipated adventure. A few amusing early teasers were released in December, but this new trailer finally gives us an idea of what to expect from the new movie.

It reveals that the new character of Forky that was teased last year–literally a fork with pipe-cleaner arms–will be one of the main characters. He’s the favorite toy of Woody and co’s new owner Bonnie, but he’s less than pleased about being turned into a plaything. Forky goes on the run with Woody in tow, and the pair end up encountering another old friend–Bo Beep. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang set off to get their pals back. It looks every bit as funny, exciting, moving, and spectacularly animated as the previous movies in this classic series. Check it out above.

Toy Story 4 sees all the main cast return, including Tom Hanks (as Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Blake Clark (Slinky Dog), Wallace Shawn (Rex), and John Ratzenberger (Hamm), plus Arrested Development’s Tony Hale as Forky. It hits theaters on June 21, 2019.

The movie is directed by Josh Cooley, who previously co-wrote Inside Out for Pixar, and Jonas Rivera. It was originally announced back in 2014 with a 2017 release date, but delays caused the film to switch release slots with The Incredibles 2. In addition, former Disney Animation head John Lasseter was set to direct, but sexual harassment allegations against him resulted in him stepping away and ultimately leaving the company.

In a recent interview, Hanks spoke about what fans can expect from the movie. “Toy Story 4 is going to have an impactful ending,” he revealed. “The way you record Toy Story; you’re in a room with the team that has created it. When I went in for my last day of recording, I wanted to have my back to them, because usually you’re facing them so you can look right up and you can talk about it. But I didn’t want to see them and I wanted to pretend they couldn’t see me. When I realized what they were going for, I realized, ‘Oh, this is a moment in history.'”

You know what’s good? A nice freebie. Luckily, you can get a pretty cool freebie today if you’re a Spotify Premium for Family subscriber in the UK.

If you are, you can claim a free Google Home Mini. The offer works for both new subscribers and existing ones, but only until stocks last, so be quick. Also note that standard Spotify Premium members do not qualify for the deal–you must be a Premium for Family subscriber, which is an extra £5 per month and allows you to add up to five family members onto your plan. Claim your device here.

Spotify ran this promotion in the US last year, but has now decided to bring it to the UK. Google Home Mini launched in 2018 as Google’s answer to Amazon’s Echo Dot. They typically sell for £49 at retail, so getting one at no extra cost with a monthly £15 Spotify Premium for Family subscription is not too shabby.

GameSpot sister site Cnet said Google’s miniature device “stands tall as one of the best affordable smart speakers out there, along with the Amazon Echo Dot, but it doesn’t do enough to supplant the Dot at the top of the list.” Read more in Cnet’s 8.4/10 Google Home Mini review.

The upcoming Black Widow movie starring Scarlett Johansson continues to add to its cast. Sources told Variety that Florence Pugh, who will be seen next in the eerie Pagan horror movie Midsommar, is joining Scarlett Johansson in the Black Widow film.

Pugh will play the second lead in Black Widow alongside Johansson, though it’s unknown who she’s playing. According to Variety’s sources, Marvel considered “several candidates” for the role before deciding on Pugh after her won praise for her part in “Fighting With My Family.”

It’s still early days for the Black Widow film. It’s unknown currently if it’s an origin story for the character or how it’ll factor into whatever happens in Avengers: Endgame. That film is believed to be the final entry in MCU Phase 3, so Black Widow would take place in Phase 4 at the earliest.

Australian director Cate Shortland (Somersault, Lore) is directing the Black Widow movie that’s based on a script by Jac Schaeffer (Timer, The Hustle). Johansson is reportedly being paid $15 million to star in the Black Widow film.

Despite all of the news about the Black Widow film, Marvel has yet to officially announce it.

Black Widow the character will be seen next in April’s Avengers: Endgame, with Johansson returning as one of the surviving members of the Avengers.