Not making the delay to April any easier, Square Enix has revealed the opening cinematic for Final Fantasy VII Remake, just shy of two months before the game is set to release.
The opening to Final Fantasy VII is memorable, giving you a glimpse of the Midgar skyline and the oppressiveness of Shinra’s establishments over the city. It’s also the first time you see protagonist Cloud, as he pulls off some daring maneuvers to board a moving train and kick-off the Avalanche mission at the start of the game. The remake is incredibly faithful to the original, as you can see for yourself below.
Square Enix has been teasing Final Fantasy VII Remake extensively over the past few days. An assortment of screenshots released yesterday gave us new looks at the main cast, some initial shots of series favorites such as the Chocobo, and a glimpse at some side-quests you’ll be able to undertake off the beaten path.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is scheduled to release on PS4 exclusively on April 10. It’s limited-time exclusivity is expected to last for a year, with releases expected thereafter.
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With the April 15 tax deadline approaching for Americans, some might be wondering about what they do and do not need to disclose on their Form 1040 as it relates to gaming. The situation just got a little more complicated due to a change by the IRS.
The IRS recently removed wording from its website that said Americans needed to disclose whether or not they received, sold, exchanged, or acquired a financial interest in Fortnite or Roblox virtual currency during the 2019 tax year. Millions of Fortnite and Roblox players would presumably be impacted, as they would need to disclose this as taxable income.
A spokesperson for Epic Games told Bloomberg Tax that Fortnite’s virtual currency, V-Bucks, should not be included as a taxable interest because they cannot be exchanged for money. Roblox, however, allows players to cash out their virtual currency–Robux– for real money. A spokesperson for developer Roblox Corp. clarified that Roblox users who want to cash out must have IRS forms on file with the developer. The company also reports all payouts to the IRS.
It’s a complicated situation. While the IRS has removed Fortnite and Roblox from its wording for virtual currency taxable income, taxpayers might still be scratching their heads because the definition of “convertible virtual currencies” is still the same.
The Entertainment Software Association chimed in with its own statement that in-game currency that cannot be cashed out, as is the case in many games, and should not be treated thee same as Bitcoin and other virtual currencies that hold more real-world cash value.
“Game economies are typically closed economies where currencies cannot be cashed out or traded,” the ESA said. “Financial regulators who have considered the status of game currencies in detail have treated them distinctly different from Bitcoin and similar virtual currencies precisely because they cannot be cashed out. We think that is the appropriate approach and are hopeful that on closer consideration the IRS will correct its guidance.”
If you’re wondering what you should disclose on your taxes, you should talk to a tax professional.
For all we know about Matt Reeves’s upcoming DC film, The Batman, there’s still a ton of mystery surrounding it. Yes, Robert Pattinson will be playing Bruce Wayne, Zoe Kravitz will be Selina Kyle, Collin Farrell will play The Penguin–but beyond the star-studded cast, the details have been kept extremely vague. The slow drip of information continues to trickle in and the latest is test footage for the movie. Reeves took to Twitter to share the video, giving us our first look at Pattinson in full costume, and our first glimpse at what we can expect from the brand new Bat Suit.
The Batman is expected to take a more detective-focused look into the world of the Dark Knight, pitting Bruce Wayne against not only The Penguin and Catwoman, but The Riddler (Paul Dano) tool. Joining Dano, Farrell, Pattinson, and Kravitz will be Andy Serkis as Batman’s faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Westworld actor Jeffery Wright has also been in talks to take the role of Commissioner Gordon.
We can’t be sure where or how The Batman will connect to the rest of the DCEU, or if it will remain a completely disconnected alternate universe similar to Joker–but one thing is definitely certain: The new costume looks absolutely incredible. The Bat logo on the chest seems to be made of fragmented metal, the shoulders look heavily armored, and the cowl looks like it may have already seen some battle damage, which could indicate that we’ll be joining the Caped Crusader well into his superhero journey, rather than at the very start.
Of course, it’s difficult to make out the finer details in the video–the shot provided in the camera test is sparsely lit and saturated in red, so the actual colors are impossible to properly discern. Notably, Pattinson’s Bat Suit seems to have a much higher collar around the neckline and cape than any of his movie Bat-predecessors.
Twitter user Luc Pestille has manipulated the lighting in After Effects to remove the red glow and provided a slightly better look at the suit, which is reminiscent of the angular design used in Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham games.
The Batman is due out in theaters on June 25, 2021.
We’re coming up on the President’s Day long weekend, and retailers everywhere are getting in on the extra day-off with deals on a bunch of awesome video game and tech hardware and accessories. Nintendo Switch, PS4 Pro, PS4 Slim, and Xbox One X consoles are on sale, in addition to 4K TVs and one of the most powerful PC processors out there.
Of course, there are plenty of other gaming and tech deals, so be sure to check out the full slate of deals at Ebay. Every seller on the deals page is a reputable seller, so you don’t have to worry. The sale lasts from now until February 17, and all orders come with free shipping.
Nintendo Switch with Neon Red/Neon Blue Joy-Cons
$279 ($300)
The new Nintendo Switch features improved battery life and a slightly brighter screen, and if you’ve wanted to try your hand at some of its excellent exclusives–like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Splatoon 2–then Ebay’s discounting it by $20 for President’s Day.
PS4 Pro 1 TB console
$285 ($400)
The PS5 may release at the end of the year, but the PS4 still has a lot of awesome games, including some highly anticipated titles that are releasing soon, such as Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us Part II. And you don’t have to worry about your games becoming null and void if you get a PS5–Sony has said that the PS5 will be backwards-compatible with all PS4 games.
This is one of the cheapest prices we’ve seen for the PS4 Pro, and supplies are limited, so act fast if you’re interested.
PS4 Pro 1 TB console with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
$315 ($400)
If you’d like to pick up a game with your PS4 Pro, then this bundle is definitely recommended. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the best game in the series in years, and for only an extra $30, you can get it bundled with this PS4 Pro. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is currently in its second season, and since there’s no DLC pass this time around, all maps, modes, and guns are free.
PS4 Slim 1TB Only on PS4 bundle + 3 months of PlayStation Plus
$235 ($331)
This is the best PS4 Slim bundle Sony has ever released. It comes with three of the console’s best games–The Last of Us Remastered, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition–and three months of PlayStation Plus, which grants you access to free monthly games and online multiplayer. If you want to get a PS4 before the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us Part II, then this is the cheapest way to get into the PlayStation ecosystem.
Xbox One X 1TB – Gears 5 limited edition console
$390 ($500)
The Xbox One X is the most powerful console on the market, and Gears 5 is one of the system’s best exclusives. The Gears 5 limited-edition console bundle comes with a specially-designed console and controller as well as the entire mainline Gears of War series. If you want to play one of the best series around, then this Xbox One X bundle is an excellent choice. Microsoft said it won’t release any next-gen exclusives for the first year or two of the Xbox Series X’s life, so you won’t be left behind either.
PlayStation Plus one-year membership
$41.75 ($60)
PlayStation Plus gives you access to free monthly games and online multiplayer, so if you’re looking to play games like Apex Legends with your friends, then this is what you’ll need. It usually goes for $60, but Ebay has it for $41.75, which is a great deal for anyone looking to join PS Plus or extend their subscription.
LG 49-inch 4K TV 49UM7300
$330 ($700)
If you’re looking for a 4K TV to take advantage of a PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, or future next-gen console, then LG is a great choice. The company makes excellent TVs and a couple of their models have received massive discounts. This TV features an IPS display, in addition to HDR support and smart TV features like Google Assistant and Alexa.
LG 43-inch 4K TV 43UM7300
$288 ($600)
This is LG’s 43-inch version of the previous model, so it boasts all of the same features: IPS display, HDR support, smart TV features, and more. If you’re looking for a great TV for gaming, then this is an excellent choice, especially at this major discount.
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
$720 ($800)
If you’re looking for a high-end processor, then the Ryzen 9 3950X is the one to go for. It’s currently discounted at Ebay by $80, and while it does feel like overkill in terms of current gaming, it will future-proof for a very long time.
Emilio Estevez will return as coach Gordon Bombay in the new Mighty Ducks TV show for Disney+. Disney confirmed his casting and also announced that Estevez will be an executive producer on the show that is scheduled to debut later this year on the streaming platform.
Estevez said in a statement, “Once a Duck, always a Duck!” He returns to the franchise some 25 years after the original Mighty Ducks came out in 1992. Estevez also starred in the sequels D2 and D3.
“For a generation, The Mighty Ducks stood for teamwork, friendship, and heart and we’re excited to see the Ducks fly together once again and bring the franchise to new audiences around the world. We are thrilled to have Emilio Estevez reprising his iconic role,” Disney+ executive Agnes Chu said in a statement.
So far, Estevez is the only member of the original Mighty Ducks franchise to be confirmed for a role in the new TV show. The original movie series also starred Joshua Jackson as Charlie Conway, but it’s unknown if he’s coming back.
Estevez and his co-stars have already been hitting the ice to train for the Mighty Ducks TV show, as you can see in the image above.
The new Mighty Ducks TV show will also star Gilmore Girls actress Lauren Graham and Brady Noon (Good Boys), alongside other cast members, including Swayam Bhatia, Taegen Burns, Julee Cerda, Bella Higginbotham, Luke Islam, Kiefer O’Reilly, Maxwell Simkins, and De’Jon Watts.
The twist for the Mighty Ducks TV show is that the team, once known for being scrappy underdogs, are now an “ultra-competitive, powerhouse youth hockey team.”
Noon’s character, Evan, gets cut from the Ducks. With his mom Alex (Graham), they build a new team of “misfits” to take on the Ducks. “With the help of Gordon Bombay (Estevez), they discover the joys of playing just for the love of the game,” reads a line from the description.
The Mighty Ducks TV show premieres later this year on Disney+. There will be 10 episodes in the first season.
Following a brief teaser, Billie Eilish has released her full No Time To Die song, and it’s great. Like the movie, the song is called “No Time To Die” and it’s a moody, atmospheric track that sees the singer exploring her range. Have a listen in the Spotify embed below.
The lyrics are striking as well, and fans may wonder if they contain clues about the story in No Time To Die. In the first verse, Eilish sings, “I should have known / I’d leave alone / Just goes to show / That the blood you bleed / Is just the blood you owe.”
The lyrics may also reference 007’s relationship with the character Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux). The first verse goes on, “We were a pair / But I saw you there / Too much to bear / You were my life, but life is far away from fair / Was I stupid to love you? / Was I reckless to help?/ Was it obvious to everybody else?”
The chorus is gripping as well, as Eilish sings about falling for a lie and a person who was “never on my side.” The chorus goes on, “Fool me once, fool me twice / Are you death or paradise? / Now you’ll never see me cry / There’s just no time to die.”
“No Time To Die” by Billie Eilish
Eilish wrote the song alongside her brother and frequent collaborator, Finneas. This marks a special occasion for the 007 series as Eilish is the youngest artist in history to write and perform the Bond theme song.
Eilish joins a group of iconic performers to write music for the James Bond series, which includes the likes of Chris Cornell, Paul McCartney, Jack White, Alicia Keys, Sam Smith, Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Adele, Duran Duran, and more. The score for the film will be composed by the legendary Hans Zimmer.
No Time To Die is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective). The film stars Daniel Craig as Bond, Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Whishaw as Q, and Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny. Joining them for the first time will be Rami Malek, Billy Magnussen, and Ana de Armas.
No Time to Die arrives in theater in April 8.
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Details about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s rumored battle royale mode, Warzone, continue to leak. The latest details come from the Twitter user @CaptainBadfoot who claims they were randomly tossed into the Warzone lobby where the “training” mode is available alongside new menus that reveal some of what to expect from the mode.
A video from the training mode shows that Warzone will reportedly include a version of the “ping” system that Apex Legends popularized, and Fortnite later added. The Twitter user also found screens that shows there will be a “Trios” variant where three people play together as they fight to be the last team standing. Warzone will also reportedly feature solo, doubles, and quads.
He also posted an image of a screen that shows the vehicles that will be available in Warzone, which include ATVs, SUVs, helicopters, cargo trucks, and tactical rovers.
There will also be a revive system and “supply stations” that you can buy that will be air-dropped into matches, based on CaptainBadfoot’s information.
He said he glitched into the Warzone menu after playing the new multiplayer map, Rust. Unfortunately for CaptainBadfoot, this story has a sad ending. He said he was permanently banned from Modern Warfare in the wake of these leaks.
I’m still in the lobby but can only do the training session. It gives the option to ‘fill’ or ‘dont fill’ the squad, but pressing either does nothing right now. pic.twitter.com/tj2iXe3Ctz
Another ongoing rumor is that Warzone will be a battle royale mode inside Modern Warfare as well as a free-to-play standalone game that everyone can download and access. Everything related to this is unconfirmed at this stage, as Activision has made no official announcements.
A battle royale mode is all but surely coming to Modern Warfare, as the Season 2 opening cinematic pretty much confirmed this. Also, the Modern Warfare title screen has been updated with a section called “Classified,” which is presumably a placeholder for Warzone.
Modern Warfare already has a large-scale mode in the form of Ground War, which supports 64 players. Before launch, Infinity Ward teased that the game could support a 100-player mode at some point, and now it seems it’s happening with a battle royale mode.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses gets its final and biggest piece of expansion pass DLC today, the Cindered Shadows side story. As detailed in the patch notes, this expansion operates as a completely separate campaign from the main quest, with pieces of it filtering in as you progress. But how much time can you expect to put into it?
Siliconera reports that on Normal, the new story will take roughly 8-10 hours. It also offers some insights from the developers, via the Japanese magazine Famitsu. One optional side story episode will also add extra post-game content to the main campaign. Also, each of the four new characters can only be recruited in the first part of the main game, but if you do so, they’ll remain in your party for the second part.
The story of Cindered Shadows revolves around a band of outcast students–Balthus, Hapi, Yuri, and Constance–who call themselves the Ashen Wolves. Their unofficial fourth house has been hiding away in a secret area of the monastery. You and your selected house finds them, and as you progress through the side story they’ll become recruitable.
The Cindered Shadows story has to be selected from the title screen, and all of its saves and autosave function are separate from your main campaign progress. The expansion also includes a new “Shifty Merchant,” and new main game quests and paralogues to go with the new characters. The 1.2.0 update accompanying the expansion adds a new Dancer outfit for Byleth, more flexible options for changing your appearance, and the ability to have tea time with Rhea.
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Warner Bros. has announced that it is opening the very first DC heroes themed restaurant in London for anyone who’s ever wanted to eat in the Batcave. According to Forbes, the restaurant will be called Park Row after the neighborhood in Gotham home to Batman’s most menacing enemies.
The restaurant will be in the basement of a building in the heart of London so that visitors can feel as though they are actually entering the Batcave when they come to eat there. It features different areas to eat based on different characters and themes from Caped Crusader’s story including a library theme for Batman’s butler Alfred, an “old Gotham city” villains theme with a speakeasy vibe, an entire space devoted to Harley Quinn serving sushi, and a “Penguin’s Lounge,” which is reported to be the largest section complete with live shows and a giant penguin ice sculpture.
Each section of the multifaceted restaurant will have a different menu, with prices averaging at $58/£45 per person. However, the most expensive area of the restaurant called the “Monarch Theater” designed by Ab Rogers Design will have a tasting menu with an average price of $155/£120 per person.
Eating at Park Row is reported to be a bit more like going to see a show than dining in a traditional restaurant setting, but it feels safe to say that if you’re eating there, you weren’t really looking for the traditional restaurant experience. Park Row is set to open this spring in London.
Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company.
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