Month: November 2019

Overwatch 2 Could Have A Ping System

At BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard announced Overwatch 2, confirming the rumors that Overwatch is getting a sequel that includes both PvP and PvE modes. In an interview with GameSpot, Blizzard revealed that the original Overwatch almost had an Apex Legends-like ping system and its sequel might get one for its new PvE modes.

“[Overwatch] actually had a ping system at one point,” Overwatch and Overwatch 2 lead hero designer Geoff Goodman said. “It ended up being a situation where it wasn’t super useful. Maybe there’s a chance to revisit it, but we ended up taking it away and putting in our current communication wheel instead. So it’s possible, especially with our Hero missions and Story missions, that it will come back [in Overwatch 2].”

The Hero and Story missions are Overwatch 2’s PvE modes, which pit you and your team against an army of computer-controlled enemies. In Hero mode, you and your team can pick from any of Overwatch’s heroes–including new character Sojourn–and then play in repeatable, objective-focused missions. As you play through this mode, you’ll level up and unlock new versions of each hero’s special abilities. You can also unlock new abilities in Story mode, where you and your team select characters from a predetermined roster and play through scripted, narrative-focused missions that further flesh out Overwatch’s lore. Abilities unlocked in Hero and Story missions cannot be used in PvP.

All 31 heroes will have new looks in Overwatch 2 as well. “Overwatch 2 evolves the look and feel of the world, with more dynamic environments, larger-scale battles, additional in-game storytelling events, and improved atmospheric effects and shadows,” Blizzard says. Originally only announced for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, Overwatch 2 lead designer Jeff Kaplan confirmed the game is also releasing on Switch.

Back in June 2019, a report stated that Blizzard canceled a first-person shooter set in the Starcraft universe in order to focus on developing Diablo IV (which was also announced at BlizzCon 2019) and Overwatch 2. However, Blizzard has not confirmed whether that is true.

Now Playing: Overwatch 2 – Full Stage Presentation | BlizzCon 2019

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It Was James Cameron’s Idea to Kill THAT Terminator Character

Full SPOILERS ahead for Terminator: Dark Fate!

Many Terminator fans are shocked and upset — to put it mildly — about John Connor, the future savior of humanity, getting killed off in the early moments of Terminator: Dark Fate. The decision to kill the franchise mainstay wasn’t made by director Tim Miller or any of the cast but by Dark Fate producer and Terminator co-creator himself, James Cameron.

During a recent roundtable interview with the press, Cameron explained: “The idea that we whack John in the first 30 seconds, that was my idea. I said, ‘If we really want to surprise the audience and we want to get everybody off balance…'”

Cameron continued, “It’s like we’ve invested so much across the first two films and then to some degree or other in the subsequent ones, that I wasn’t involved with, in this whole John Connor mythology. It’s like, ‘Let’s just get that right off the table. Let’s just pull the carpet out from underneath all of our assumptions of what a Terminator movie is going to be about. Let’s just put a bullet in his head at a pizzeria in the first 45 seconds.'”

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Blizzard President Talks About His Opening Statement At BlizzCon

Blizzard began its opening ceremony for BlizzCon 2019 with an additional statement in regards to the recent controversy the studio has been a part of since it banned professional Hearthstone player Blitzchung for expressing support for the Hong Kong protests. Afterward, GameSpot caught up with Blizzard president J. Allen Brack to talk about the opening speech.

“It’s probably not a secret that it’s been a hard month for Blizzard,” Brack said. “It’s been hard for the community. It’s been a hard month for the employees. And I think there’s just been a lot of confusion and a lot of misinformation and a lot of challenges that everyone has had as a result. Frankly, there was never really a conversation where we weren’t going to do that because to not at least have a really straightforward conversation with our community about that would have appeared extremely tone-deaf in my mind. So it’s the right thing to do. We felt very strongly that we had to do it, otherwise it just would be looming, kind of hanging over us for the rest of the show.”

He continued, “I haven’t actually read any of the feedback of what was said this morning yet. Very early on–one of the very first conversations when we made our statement and walked back the penalty and restored [Blitzchung] winnings–we actually had a personal conversation with Blitzchung and we apologized to him for how the situation had gone and … [how] no one was happy with how we ended up here. And so [today’s statement] was less [about] that specific [incident] and more about the overall of what everyone [has thought] and what everyone has read and what everyone has heard and sort of have a reset–like what are the values that we have that somehow have been lost; that narrative [has] been lost in the last month.”

Brack made no mention of the specifics surrounding the controversy and also didn’t follow-up with any announcements of how Blizzard plans on changing its position or amending its actions. However, Brack said that the company has a history of learning from its mistakes and will continue to do so going forward.

“We have a culture of learning. We have a culture of improving. We have a culture of iteration. This has exposed to a whole bunch of things that need to go differently next time. I said this morning, I said we acted too quickly. Absolutely. Did we have the right constituents in the room to make the decision and to have the right time in order to kind of be successful? Clearly that’s something that we need to do differently going forward.

“Are the rules clear to everyone? Does everyone understand kind of what the expectations are and what the penalties are going to be going forward? Clearly there was some kind of work to do for that going forward. I don’t think anyone is excited about this last month from that perspective. Things could be done differently.”

Blizzard followed Brack’s opening speech with several announcements. The most significant of which were the reveal of Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, and World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. Our coverage of the event is in the pinbox below.

Now Playing: Why The BlizzCon 2019 Hong Kong Protest Is Happening – GS News Update

Death Stranding: This Year’s Most Divisive Game

The Death Stranding review embargo has been lifted, and if you haven’t yet, be sure to read IGN’s own Tristan Ogilvie’s comprehensive Death Stranding review.

And if anything’s become clear since the embargo lifted, it’s that Death Stranding is a divisive game, one where members of the IGN office have felt very differently on aspects of this Norman Reedus-starring adventure that hits PS4 on November 8.

So, to encapsulate some of that divisiveness, IGN’s weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond! is here to offer a very special Death Stranding spoiler free impressions episode. Encompassing our feelings about the first three chapters, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Max Scoville, and Mark Medina to break down what does and doesn’t work for us in each of those chapters, and more.

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The 15-Film Godzilla Blu-ray Collection Is at Its Lowest Price Ever

If you held off ordering the 15-film Godzilla: Showa Era Special Edition from Criterion Collection, your patience has been rewarded, as Amazon just dropped the price to its lowest point, ever, at just $112.49. If you’re a kaiju fan, this collection is a must.

The collection of the first 15 Godzilla movies is in a special “lavishly illustrated deluxe hardcover book” and contains all 15 movies on Blu-ray, as well as a mountain of special features.

Here’s what you get:

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Yes, Blizzard is Still Working on Diablo Immortal

Last year’s BlizzCon 2018 was met with fan outrage over the announcement of Diablo Immortal, a mobile iteration of the popular Action RPG franchise that was announced when fans wished for a proper mainline entry.

Thankfully, with today’s Diablo 4 announcement, fans can finally rest easy. That does not mean, however, that Diablo Immortal has been cancelled.

In a blog post published earlier today, Blizzard gave fans an update on the status of the mobile Diablo, making it clear that it wants “it to include all the things you know and love about Diablo: multitudes of monsters to slay, troves of loot to collect and customize, and powerful classes to play with friends or on your own.”

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Don’t Expect Diablo 4 Too Soon

Following the long-awaited reveal of Diablo 4, Blizzard has given fans a few more details about the upcoming game, including that the wait for this next entry in the franchise that began in 1996 may be a long one.

During BlizzCon’s Diablo IV: Unveiled panel, game director Luis Barriga made sure to set expectations following Diablo 4’s cinematic and gameplay reveal.

“A game of this scope takes time,” Barriga said. “This is a very, very early first step. We’re not coming out soon… not even Blizzard soon.”

Diablo 4’s Newest Features – Customization, Mounts, and More

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New Diablo Immortal Details Announced

Blizzard has announced Diablo Immortal will include Ultimate Abilities. Immortal is a mobile spin-off of the mainline Diablo series–which is getting a fourth entry–and part of Blizzard’s initiative to produce mobile games for all its series.

“All classes gain charge for their chosen Ultimate by using basic attacks,” Blizzard wrote in a blog post. “Once this charge has been built up, players can choose to augment their basic attack for a short time in a face-meltingly powerful display of strength, guile, or raw magical potential.”

The post also reveals how Immortal’s legendary skill-altering items will work. You can, for example, give your Scorch fireball an icy makeover, change how Exploding Palm both targets enemies and does damage, and cause grenades to be thrown out while using Strafe instead of traditional arrows.

Taking place between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III, Immortal is a multiplayer-focused variation of the franchise’s MMO ARPG formula. Blizzard has said you can still play through Immortal solo, but the game’s dungeons are designed to be tackled as a group. In-game, you can connect with other players to create a four-person party, and create your character from one of six different classes: Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, and Wizard.

In the blog post, Blizzard writes that Immortal has no planned release date “at this time” and wouldn’t provide a straight yes or no answer in regards to whether or not Immortal would include microtransactions. Diablo Immortal will release for both Android and iOS devices.

Now Playing: Diablo IV – “By Three They Come” Cinematic Announcement Trailer

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