Month: February 2020

Microsoft Comments On Coronavirus Impact, Xbox Not Mentioned

Microsoft today issued an alert regarding the coronavirus and how its spread has already and will continue to impact the company’s business going forward. In a news release, Microsoft said it expects the More Personal Computing division–which includes Xbox–to make less money during the quarter than previously projected.

Microsoft said in January that it expected the More Personal Computing business unit to make between $10.75 billion and $11.15 billion for the current quarter. However, the company is now telling analysts and investors to expect a number below even the low-end of projections due to the coronavirus.

Microsoft’s supply chain is “returning to normal operations at a slower pace than anticipated,” the company said. Due to this, the company isn’t expecting to make as much money. The Windows OEM and Surface categories were specifically called out as being “more negatively impacted than previously anticipated.”

There was no mention of Xbox in the news release. A spokesperson for Microsoft declined to comment on an earlier inquiry from GameSpot regarding the impact of the coronavirus on the manufacturing and production of Xbox consoles.

“As the conditions evolve, Microsoft will act to ensure the health and safety of our employees, customers, and partners during this difficult period,” Microsoft said in the news release. “We will also continue to partner with local and global health authorities to provide additional assistance. We deeply appreciate the commitment of the people and organizations that have united to address this health emergency; our thoughts are with all those affected across the world.”

Microsoft’s other business units are not expected to be impacted.

The Xbox–and rival PlayStation–are manufactured in China, so it’s understandable that many are wondering if the virus will impact the production of new consoles. That’s a very big question in 2020, as the Xbox Series X and PS5 are both scheduled to launch this year, so production on those consoles would presumably ramp up well ahead of launch.

The coronvirus impacted the production of iPhones so much that Apple is expecting there to be shortages for a period of time.

Now Playing: Xbox Series X Cross-Buy Includes Halo Infinite & Cyberpunk 2077 – GS News Update

Astronomer Discovers Mini-Moon Orbiting Earth

Earth has captured an asteroid that’s spending time in space acting as a mini-moon, or baby moon, to our planet.

The International Astronomical Union named the asteroid spinning around Earth a temporary captured object and, for the time being, it’s acting like a tinier version of our moon. Astronomers discovered this mini-moon on February 15 using the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, and ten days later,  the IAU filed it as 2020 CD3.

“Orbit integrations…indicate that this object is temporarily bound to the Earth,” the IAU filing reads. “No evidence of perturbations due to solar radiation pressure is seen, and no link to a known artificial object has been found. Further observations and dynamical studies are strongly encouraged.”

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You read that right: no link to artificial objects has been found meaning this is likely a straggler space rock hurtling through the solar system, and not a gift from aliens or smugglers in space. We also know it doesn’t belong to Elon Musk because he said so on Twitter shortly after the announcement.

Astronomer Kacper Wierzchos shared the news on Twitter, explaining a bit more about 2020 CD3.

Wierzchos expanded on his first tweet, explaining that 2020 CD3 has actually been in Earth’s orbit for three years. The mini-moon has a diameter between 1.9 meters and 3.5 meters based on his assumption that it’s a C-type asteroid albedo.

“But it’s a big deal as out of ~1 million known asteroids, this is just the second asteroid to orbit Earth,” Wierzchos said.

The first asteroid to orbit earth was 2006 RH120. This asteroid completed a few trips around Earth from 2006 to 2007 before it left the planet’s orbit and continued on elsewhere in the solar system. As the discovery is still somewhat new, not much is known of the object, although we imagine astronomers like Wierzchos and NASA will have their eyes glued to while it remains in orbit.

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For more on space, be sure to check out the new method MIT engineers have found to deflect asteroids, a “potentially hazardous” asteroid that was headed towards earth, and the sad fate of an asteroid belt may face in six billion years.

Baby Yoda was cute, but we’re Team #BabyMoon now.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN who hates that he has to pick a side in the great Baby Yoda vs. Baby Moon debate. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Roblox Is Now Valued At $4 Billion

Roblox, an online gaming platform most popular with Gen Z, has raised $150 million in Series G funding, the Wall Street Journal has reported. This comes as Roblox Corporation announced a new milestone of 115 million monthly users, a dramatic increase from the 100 million it gained when it surpassed Minecraft’s player base last August.

While older gamers might not have paid much attention to the cutely stylized gaming hangout, Roblox has seen huge growth in the last few years with younger audiences.

Only last year it was valued at $2.5 billion, with Roblox claiming that half of all American children between the ages of 9 and 12 used its platform. Last year it broke into the top five most watched games on YouTube.

The avatar options for Roblox players are many and varied (and sometimes expensive)
The avatar options for Roblox players are many and varied (and sometimes expensive)

Roblox functions like an online hangout space, like Habbo Hotel once was, where players can interact with their friends, play different games, and customize their avatars to be the coolest kid on the virtual block.

The real siren’s call for investors is Robux, the virtual currency that powers Roblox’s in-game marketplace. Roblox operates as a platform for developers as well as players, allowing them to create and sell games, items and even development assets within Roblox. It’s a big enough online economy that even the IRS has taken note.

Roblox’s updates continue to tap into the way young people play games–offering cross-platform support that allows its players to switch easily between mobile and PC play, for example.

Investors seem to have faith that the company’s massive growth won’t be slowing down any time soon, and that its latest $150 million in funding will only further that growth.

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The Simpsons Is Doing An Avengers Episode With Some Special Guests

This Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons will be themed around Marvel and The Avengers. A poster for the the episode, “Bart the Bad Guy,” is clearly riffing on The Avengers in many ways.

“Marbel Presents: The Simpsons: Bart the Bad Guy,” reads the poster, which is filled with references to Marvel characters with the art style of The Simpsons. Check it out below.

The episode was written by Dan Vebber who wrote earlier episodes of The Simpsons, as well as Futurama and American Dad. It airs on March 1 on Fox.

Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo will voice characters in the episode, while Marvel boss Kevin Feige will voice “Chinnos,” who appears to be a new version of Thanos. Commenters have remarked that Maggie is missing from the poster, and that’s because “she’s a little too young to watch superhero movies,” Fox says.

The Simpsons is currently in its 31st season, and with its 636th episode in 2018 surpassed Gunsmoke to set a new record for more episodes of a prime time scripted TV series.

There is no end in sight for The Simpsons, but the producers are preparing for a future without the show by announcing even more original animated shows.

Hearthstone Battlegrounds Descent Of Dragons Is Out Now

Hearthstone Battlegrounds patch 16.4 brings the biggest beasts of them all to the game: Dragons. Dragon minions and heroes are being added into the battleground with the all new Descent of Dragons card pack.

This new pack brings 18 new minions to the fold, with 12 of these minions falling into the new Dragon minion type. Galakrong, and Reno Jackson (or Renegos) will be available as Heroes alongside the five original Dragon Aspects.

You can get a free Descent of Dragons card pack on Twitch from February 26 at 11 AM PT to February 29 at 5 PM PT, after watching three hours of any Hearthstone stream. Watch for 6 hours to get a second pack. These hours can be non-consecutive in case you don’t have 9 hours to just watch streams online.

There were also a number of balance changes and bug fixes implemented in the patch. The full details can be found on the official Hearthstone blog.

For a complete look into the new Descent of Dragons deck check out our full coverage, as well as the Hearthstone: Heroes Of Warcraft page for all the latest news.

Now Playing: Hearthstone: Descent of Dragons Expansion Trailer

No Time To Die’s Runtime Has Been Revealed, And It Sets A New 007 Record

The new James Bond movie, No Time To Die, is looking like it might be the longest entry in the history of the 58-year-old franchise. The Regal Cinemas website (via ScreenRant) shows that No Time To Die will run for 163 minutes, or 2 hours and 43 minutes.

If this is true, that would make it the longest entry in the 007 series by far.

2015’s Spectre currently holds the length record, at 148 minutes, or 2 hours and 28 minutes. The shortest Bond movie ever was Quantum of Solace, which was only 106 minutes long, or 1 hour and 46 minutes.

As ScreenRant points out, listings by cinemas are not always accurate. Theatres listed 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker at 155 minutes, but it was actually only 142 minutes. Sony Pictures, the producers of the Bond franchise, have yet to announce an official runtime for No Time To Die.

No Time To Die is the final 007 movie with Daniel Craig in the lead role. Director Cary Fukunaga recently teased in a behind-the-scenes video that No Time To Die will tie up loose ends, of which there are many after Craig’s four previous Bond movies, and this may help explain the longer runtime.

“No Time To Die is the culmination of all that Bond has become,” Fukunaga said. “With all that he’s seen, the trauma, the loss, what is that mission that would be his most challenging and his most difficult? That was our target. Everything that was left unsaid, will finally be said.”

No Time To Die hits theatres on April 10, featuring theme music by Billie Eilish and script changes from Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The movie also stars Oscar-winner Rami Malek as the villain.

Insurgency: Sandstorm Is Coming To PlayStation 4 And Xbox One

Insurgency: Sandstorm finally has a console release date, over a year after the game’s initial, fairly buggy PC release. The game, which focuses on realism and teamwork, stripping the UI back to the essentials, will release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 25, 2020.

You can see the console release date announcement trailer below, which shows off the gritty combat. It’s a primarily competitive game, featuring multiple online modes where you fight against other players. There’s also a co-op mode, Checkpoint, where players team up to fight AI and complete objectives.

The game has been praised for its audio design, which aims for heightened realism and more intense battle noises.

The game is playable at PAX East over the weekend of February 28 to March 2, if you’re in Boston. This is good news, since The Last of Us Part II demo won’t be there and companies like CD Projekt Red and PUBG Corporation have also pulled out over fears sparked by the coronavirus.

If you’re after a different shooter to kill time until Insurgency: Sandstorm releases on consoles, here’s our list of the best shooters of 2019.

Now Playing: Insurgency: Sandstorm – Console Release Date Trailer

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Thanos Actor Josh Brolin Will Star In New TV Show For The First Time Since The ’80s

Amazon Studios, the retailer’s entertainment division that’s behind the Lord of the Rings TV show, new projects from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and much more, has announced its newest project.

Actor Josh Brolin will star in a new series called Outer Range, which follows the story of a Wyoming rancher named Royal Abbot who “discovers an unfathomable mystery” on his property, according to Collider.

Brolin in Deadpool 2
Brolin in Deadpool 2

Brolin, the Oscar-nominated actor who also played Thanos in the Avengers films, will be an executive producer on Outer Range. Oscar-winner Brad Pitt will also produce the movie through his Plan B Entertainment division.

This is a big deal for Brolin, as it’s his first major TV role since he starred in the ’80s show The Young Riders. Brolin is better known for his numerous film credits, including The Goonies, No Country for Old Men, American Gangster, True Grit, Gangster Squad, and Milk, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. He also played Cable in Deadpool 2 opposite Ryan Reynolds.

There is no word yet on who else will star in Outer Range or when it will premiere.

The Games Of PAX East 2020 — Animal Crossing, Streets Of Rage 4, And Doom Eternal

Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Nintendo | Switch | March 20, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Nintendo | Switch | March 20, 2020

The next entry in Nintendo’s iconic life-sim series is almost here with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. We’ve seen quite a bit of the game up to this point with a previous hands-on preview and a dedicated Nintendo Direct livestream, but at PAX East 2020, we’ll get another look at parts of the game we haven’t seen yet.

New Horizons takes you on a getaway to Tom Nook’s vacation island, and there are plenty of familiar activities to take on: there are villagers to befriend, a home to build and design, and a town to explore and live in. However, New Horizons isn’t just more of the same. You’ll have plenty of customization options for your villager, such as their hairstyles, hair color, nose, eyes, and more. You’ll also have landscaping capabilities to essentially edit the terrain of your island, which is an all-new mechanic for Animal Crossing. There’ll be a crafting system, too, which seems to coincide with the tradition of collecting and curating items. You can catch up with the game in our breakdown of 19 things we learned from the Animal Crossing: New Horizons direct, and by staying tuned to what we see at PAX East.

Vote: Who is the Best Video Game Character of All Time?

We need your help determining the best video game character of all time. To do that, we are trying a new fun thing: The Power Ranking Face-Off! Every week on Power Ranking we ask you, the IGN audience, to help us answer some of pop culture’s toughest questions. Whether it’s finding out what the best Star Wars game is or what the best anime series is, you all have determined what the best of the best is. But this time, the topic’s so big, we need your help all month long.

Here’s how it will all work: We have over 300+ entrants, and your Face-Off votes will be used to crowdsource the top 64. From this list of 64 best characters, we’ll make a bracket and use that to run our Power Ranking tournament. The bracket will use Power Ranking polls that we’ll be posting on IGN.com, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat. Help us decide, once and for all who the best video game character is!

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Voting will officially close on March 6 and we will reveal the top 64 on March 9. Vote now through the Face-Off above and stay tuned for more Power Ranking polls throughout March. For more information on Face-Off, check out the explanation below.

How we will determine the winner?

After the final FaceOff results have come in, we will be taking the top 64 video game characters as ranked by your FaceOff voting to seed into a tournament bracket. From this bracket, the top 64 will be divided into groups of four which will be polled on multiple platforms: IGN.com, YouTube, Twitter and Snapchat. We will total the votes across all platforms to determine which characters move on to the next round. The winning characters of each round will be revealed on Power Ranking every Tuesday at 3pm PT starting on March 17th to April 14th.

What is a FaceOff?

Like the name suggests, a FaceOff is pitting two things together and you decide which one is the winner. In this case, you are voting to determine which of the two is better suited to be the best video game character of all time. It’s possible to see certain characters multiple times so keep voting for your favorites to ensure they get ranked higher than the rest. There are over 300 video game characters here that get randomly paired up each time you pick a winner.

How do I know when I’ve clicked through everything?

It’s difficult to know when you’ve seen every video game character included since they are matched randomly and there are so many possible match-ups. Playing till you vote for all your favorite characters or ensuring that certain characters don’t get in the winner’s circle are different options you can take with Face-Off. By deciding the winner throughout all these matchups, you’re ensuring that your favorite video game characters will have a fighting chance to make it through to the finals.

Which video game characters have you included?

The list of video game characters has been decided by the staff in addition to suggestions from the IGN audience via social media. There are so many video game characters so we ensured that we had a good variety of characters across all the different types of games ever made.

How is this tracked?

Every time a winner is decided between the pairs, those winners tally a win improving their overall win-loss record. When the Face-Off results are in, the video game characters with the better win-loss records will move on to the next stage of the competition. So if you continue to keep voting for your top video game characters, they’ll have a better chance of making it to top cut. You can vote as many times as you want till the Face-Off closes.

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For more on Power Ranking be sure to check out the top 5 fan-voted Star Wars games of all time and the most wanted missing Pokemon from Sword and Shield.