Month: May 2020
WWE’s 2020 Money In The Bank Ladder Match Was Exactly What We Needed
The 2020 Money in the Bank match was a dumb, ridiculous spectacle with tons of fan service and an action film soundtrack. But most importantly, it was funny and entertaining. It felt surprisingly spontaneous for something that was pre-taped. WWE needs to do more matches like this for the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The dialogue between the fans and performers is indispensable in a professional wrestling event. This is not a dramatic play, where the audience sits quietly and holds its applause for the final bow. In professional wrestling, fans respond–immediately and viscerally–to what they see. The performers, in turn, have to listen to the fans and adjust their acts accordingly. Speed up. Slow down. Play to the crowd or taunt them. It’s an interactive medium.
Take away this interplay, and it’s hard for even longtime wrestlers to know how to react. And on a general, week-to week basis, WWE’s programming has suffered as a result. We’re getting matches that are technically great but lacking that difficult-to-define intensity that results from a live crowd.
But at this year’s Wrestlemania, WWE figured out a way to make its programming different and fun: by leaning into pre-taped, cinematic segments. On Night 1 of Wrestlemania 36, the Boneyard Match between AJ Styles and Undertaker stole the show. On Night 2, the Firefly Fun House match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt lit up social media. Both matches excited the fans, and both were completely different in tone. The Boneyard Match was a low-budget horror short. The Firefly Funhouse was a gonzo deconstruction of the John Cena character, filled with meta contextual humor and non sequiturs.
But at Money in the Bank, we got something different from both of those matches: a go-for-broke comedy routine. Both the men and the women started at the same time on the ground floor of the WWE’s headquarters in Connecticut. They had to race to the roof–“climb the corporate ladder,” if you will–and retrieve the MITB briefcase to win a world title shot.
There was a massive food fight. There were brawls in the weight room, the catering hall, the conference room, and the fire escape. There were a couple of times when the men and women crossed over into each other’s matches; Shayna Baszler choked out Rey Mysterio before the poor guy was sandwiched by Otis and Nia Jax. There were cameo appearances by Brother Love, Doink the Clown, and Johnny Ace for long-time fans. Near the end, there was an appearance by Vince McMahon, who followed social distancing guidelines by kicking AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan out of his office before disinfecting his hands.
There was an actual wrestling ring on the roof, along with ladders for the Superstars to climb. But the wrestlers spent more time brawling and running through the halls than doing any sort of actual ring work. And this was the key, best creative decision. The at-home viewers are conditioned to hearing audience feedback to dangerous ladder stunts and in-ring spots. Without that response, we don’t get the vicarious thrill of feeling like we’re there in the crowd. The hallway segments were uncharted territory. We know what a ladder match looks like. But we didn’t know what would happen next in this format. We got a tour of the WWE building. And to cap it off, the right people–Asuka and Otis–picked up the victories.
It would have been easy for WWE to phone it in and do a basic ladder match at the Performance Center. But tonight, they took a risk and it paid off. Sometimes it will work, and sometimes it won’t. But it’s always preferable to have a go-for-broke creative effort than settle for something that’s safe.
Empire Of Sin Features John Romero’s Great-Grandmother To The Game As A Crime Boss
Empire of Sin, the upcoming 20s-set mobster strategy game from Romero Games Ltd, will feature a real-life figure from developer John Romero’s family tree. Elvira Duarte was Romero’s great-grandmother, an eccentric character who developers John and Brenda Romero wanted to honor in the game. The announcement has been made to coincide with Mother’s Day.
In the video below, John and Brenda explain that Duarte was an interesting character–she walked around with a green parrot on her shoulder, who would deliver punchlines to jokes she told. She ran three brothels, but quit and retired after winning the lottery. And now, a century later, she’s a video game character.
Duarte will be a playable mob boss in the game, with her own powers and a revolver that she can take enemies down with. She’s introduced in the trailer below.
Elvira Duarte’s “mob ability” in the game is called Devil’s Breath, which allows her to take control of enemy characters and use them to kill their own people.
The in-game model of Elvira is based on John’s grandmother Socorro, one of Elvira’s nine children. As Brenda says, she kind of looks like John, too. In any case, it’s a cool bit of character trivia–if you pick Elvira, you know you’re playing as a real person.
Empire of Sin is coming to Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC this year. The game will release in Fall 2020.
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Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s Next Xbox Update Introduces A New Bug For Halo 2
The next update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One is coming soon, and it introduces a new bug in Halo 2: Anniversary. In a blog post, developer 343 Industries warned players that the new update adds a bug where the reticule moves off-center for couch co-op split-screen multiplayer.
343 said it is currently working on a fix for the problem, with the aim of it releasing in the coming weeks.
“Our test teams identified a newly introduced issue in H2:A where the reticule is off centered when playing split screen multiplayer,” 343 said. “The team is working on a fix for this and we will be targeting a hot fix build update for this in the coming weeks ahead.”
This update releases on May 12, which is the same day that Halo 2 comes to PC through The Master Chief Collection. The May 12 Xbox update also includes performance updates for Halo 3 that aim to bring the game back to a better state.
“Our goal is to bring Halo 3’s performance on Xbox back to what it was prior to our update when Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary launched on PC. In great news, the team has been conducting internal tests and they are showing positive improvements for the experience which you will see in this update,” 343 said. “The team is not done and will continue more extensive testing and listen for community feedback on any additional areas of improvements needed for Halo 3’s performance.”
In other Halo news, Microsoft has announced an all-new MCC Pro Series tournament, while the first beta tests for Halo 3 and ODST on PC are due to begin soon. These Halo: MCC updates are happening concurrently with the development of Halo Infinite, which is a launch title for Xbox Series X this Holiday. The first gameplay footage for Halo Infinite is likely to premiere in July during an Xbox 20/20 event.
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Thimbleweed Park Expands With A New, Free, Standalone Game–And It’s Available Now
Thimbleweed Park, Ron Gilbert’s charming 2017 adventure game, just got a surprise free spin-off. The new game, Delores: A Thimbleweed Park Mini-Adventure, is available to download now on Steam and the Epic Games Store. It weighs in at just 52MB.
The new game is a parallel story following Dolores, one of the main characters from the original game, getting a job as a photographer. It’s designed as a test for Gilbert’s new adventure game engine, which is why it’s free–don’t expect an experience as long as the original. It is not available on consoles.
Here’s the launch trailer for the new adventure, if you need further convincing to download a free game.
Thimbleweed Park is also discounted by 60% on Steam and the Epic Games Store right now, but that discount is due to end very soon.
The original game received a 7/10 in GameSpot’s 2017 review. Reviewer Matt Espineli described the game as “a time capsule that reminds us what we love about the point-and-click genre while still retaining many of its unremedied issues.”
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Halo Infinite Dev Teases Changes For How Medals Work
Given that Microsoft has said almost nothing about what to expect from Halo Infinite, which is releasing later this year, fans are understandable hungry for any morsel of news about the game. Halo community manager John Junyszek has now shared a tease for Halo Infinite as it relates to its use of Medals.
Replying to a fan who remarked that Medals feel meaningless in Halo 5 because they are doled out so generously, Junyszek said, “We’re definitely aware of this feedback,” adding the smiley face and punch emojis to his message, whatever that means.
Reading between the lines here, it seems developer 343 Industries is planning some kind of change for how Medals work in Halo Infinite. Some people criticized Halo 5 for simply having too many medals. Other people, meanwhile, enjoyed the frequent feedback of in-game performance. It’ll be interesting to see how Halo Infinite addresses the feedback.
Halo Infinite is primed for its proper unveiling at the Xbox 20/20 event in July. It is the third brand-new Halo game developed by Microsoft’s 343 Industries after taking over control of the franchise from series creator Bungie. Halo 5 was criticized by some for its lackluster campaign, so fans may be happy to know that Halo Infinite puts a renewed focus on Master Chief and the art style is meant to hearken back to Halo’s earlier days.
Halo Infinite is a launch title for the Xbox Series X; it’s also coming to Xbox One and PC. Xbox Game Pass subscribers–on Xbox and PC–can get the new Halo game for no extra cost.
While you wait for Halo Infinite, you can check out Halo 2: Anniversary on PC starting May 12 and take part in an all-new MCC Pro Series tournament. Microsoft is also bringing Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST to the PC through The Master Chief Collection, and the first beta tests are due to begin soon.
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Halo 3 On PC–Testing Due To Begin In “The Coming Weeks”
Halo: The Master Chief Collection continues its PC rollout, with Halo 2 Anniversary releasing on May 12, and plans already underway to get Halo 3 to users as soon as possible. Microsoft recently released the first screenshots of Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST on PC, and now they’ve announced that the first “flight” (their term for a beta test) will start soon.
In a new MCC Development Update on Halo Waypoint, 343 Industries has promised that preparations are underway for the “Ring 1” flight to begin soon. Ring 1 is typically a very small group of folks who work closely with the developer, but future updates will bring in other members of the Halo Insider program to test the game ahead of launch.
According to the update, testing will begin “in the coming weeks,” and will begin expanding out to more Insiders soon. “As it progresses and we work through our process we will make sure to keep folks apprised of when and where to expect the next series of PC flights to take off,” the update reads.
Since Halo 3: ODST does not have its own multiplayer mode, there’s a good chance it will release alongside Halo 3 after the flight period. After that, Halo 4 will be the last remaining part of The Master Chief Collection to come to PC.
Unfortunately, it seems that Halo 2 Anniversary’s PC launch will be fairly compromised–at launch, at least.
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Animal Crossing New Horizons–Check Out And Download These Player-Created Final Fantasy 7 Outfits
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has taken the world by storm, but it’s not the only huge, long-awaited 2020 game release–Final Fantasy VII Remake finally released in April, and scored a very rare GameSpot 10/10 review. And now, you can (kind of) combine the two games.
Twitter user The Regressor, an animator and cosplayer who has been putting some time into Animal Crossing: New Horizons, has designed some incredible costume recreations of the main costumes worn by Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Aerith in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Paired with the right hair, you can make a character that looks a lot like their Final Fantasy counterpart.
The codes for these costume parts are in the tweet below.
Additional codes are included for costumes that show some skin–like Cloud’s shoulders and Tifa’s midriff–because that “skin” is actually part of the costume, and there’s no guarantee that your Animal Crossing villager’s skin will be the same color. If it does not match, you can use the other code.
Everyone is getting in on Animal Crossing, even United States Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The game is already the highest selling Animal Crossing game ever.
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Halo 2 On PC: Launch Time And Known Issues Confirmed
Halo 2 is launching for PC through The Master Chief Collection on May 12. Developer 343 Industries has now shared some important launch details, including the specific release time and a list of issues to expect out of the gate.
Starting with the release time, Halo 2 (including the Anniversary remaster) will release on PC at 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET on May 12. Microsoft is releasing the game late during the US day due to “current bandwidth concerns across the globe,” the developer said on Twitter.
In terms of the known issues, there are many, including some that sound quite significant. An update is also coming to Xbox One, and this includes some issues as well.
Some of the bigger issues include the HUD becoming off-center during couch co-op (on Xbox), subtitles being out of sync with audio during cutscenes, and the audio during campaign cutscenes being “much louder” than during gameplay. Some campaign missions will also suffer FPS drops at the start, while gunfire sounds are missing for multiple weapons when using the Scarab Skull.
343 is also warning that bullet registration is “not in parity” with the original game, while the visual effects on snow “do not match legacy behavior.” Additionally, and this one sounds like a big deal–“the sun is not rendering on most maps and missions.” You can see the full known issues below, as posted on 343’s website.
Halo 2 is the third game to be added to the PC version of the Master Chief Collection, following Halo: Reach and the original Combat Evolved. The remaining three entries in the PC collection are coming later, wrapping up with Halo 4. The Master Chief Collection is free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on PC and Xbox One.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is developed by one of at least two internal teams at 343 Industries. One of the other teams is working on Halo Infinite, which is a launch title for the Xbox Series X later this year. That system and the game remain on schedule to release this holiday, despite concerns around COVID-19.
Halo 2 Launch Known Issues
Campaign
- On Xbox in Co-op multiplayer, the HUD will become off centered when zooming in
- Terminal videos default to English only
- In-game audio plays while viewing terminal videos
- Subtitles are not present in campaign gameplay
- Subtitles are out of sync with audio when viewing cutscenes
- Users on AMD hardware may encounter missing and/or flickering textures across campaign (such as the Elevator on Oracle)
- Oracle in has several graphical issues including around glass flood tanks, clouds, and lightning effects
- Cinematic audio for in Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary is affected by different audio option sliders.
- Enemy Elites do not dual wield in the Campaign
- Campaign cutscenes are much louder than gameplay
- Some Campaign missions have FPS drops on first launch of the mission
- When having multiple audio devices and swapping between classic and remastered graphics in cutscenes, audio can change output devices
- When using a Ryzen 5 and AMD GPU, large rectangle volumes appear on the mission Oracle
- Blur Cinematics and Terminal videos can have visual issues in non-16:9 aspect ratios as they were rendered at 16:9
- Gunfire sounds are missing from multiple weapons with the Scarab Skull active
- With the Scarab Gun skull active, a hardlock can happen when firing a plasma rifle after swapping weapons with an Elite
- Sentinel lights will display for a short time after death before disappearing
- Some environmental textures appear in lower than expected resolutions
- Music will loop incorrectly on Metropolis while in the Scorpion tank
- Using Nvidia GPUs on Classic graphics, various foliage environment LOD textures are missing
- Gravemind on co-op has hitches and with poor network conditions disconnects can happen
- When swapping between Classic and Remastered graphics music will change to different parts of the track
Halo 2: Anniversary
- Pixilation on shadows can be seen in Anniversary graphics
- Forge map lighting is not appearing correctly
- Performance lowers during games of 3 plots
- Texture resolution is displaying in low quality through various parts of the title
- When looking at the fan on Stonetown, FPS sometimes drops to 45
- Audio is missing when reloading weapons when done quickly
- Primary weapon audio decreases if you are shooting while picking up a secondary weapon
- Decals on the Gauss Warthog turret will detach from the model during the firing animation
- When using newer Intel drivers with onboard graphics, you cannot launch
- Performance in theater films is capped at 60 fps when framerate is set to unlimited
- There are no inversion options in the Settings Menu for dual wielding
- Lighting is inconsistent between Elite and Spartan armors
- There is visible stuttering on objects when strafing with Unlimited Framerate enabled
- Sound effects do not play for the player holding the oddball when playing Hot Potato
- The Hoplite armor is missing a rear armor piece in gameplay
Halo 2
- When using voice chat there is no notification that players are talking
- The music mixing is much quieter in MCC compared to the original
- Team Spawn system does not have parity with original
- Bullet registration is not in parity with the original
- The respawn timer is hidden by the territory capture meter in multiplayer
- Gamma values are excessively blown out compared to legacy
- Super bouncing does not mirror legacy
- Snow VFX do not match legacy behavior on snow weather missions and maps
- The sun is not rendering on most maps and missions
- When playing at higher field of view, textures will appear to pop in more frequently as the LOD distance is shortened
- Banshees turn faster when using Mouse and Keyboard
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Community–A Movie Has Been Teased By Dan Harmon Again, So Don’t Give Up Hope
Community, the beloved sitcom that ran for six seasons across NBC and Yahoo Screen, never really felt complete–while the show’s sixth and final season ended well, the “#sixseasonsandamovie” that popped up several times over the show’s run has not yet come to pass.
But now, five years after the show’s end, creator Dan Harmon (now working on Rick and Morty) has hinted at the possibility that the movie will still happen. Talking to The Wrap, Harmon hinted that plans are underway to reunite the cast and film something. “I can tell people for sure that the enthusiasm for Community,” Harmon says, explaining that the continued interest in the show “affects the marketplace”–which is to say, essentially, but making a movie might be a good financial decision at this point.
“When the marketplace gets affected, conversations happen,” Harmon continued. “And when conversations happen, things happen.” Although he believes that Community fans have have learned over the years to “never to raise expectations, keep ‘em nice and low and then be pleasantly surprised,” he gives fans some reason to feel hopeful.
“I can say that there are conversations happening that people would want to be happening and that I’m very, very excited about the coming months,” Harmon concludes.
In the show, “#sixseasonsandamovie” was first used by the character Abed (Danny Pudi) in reference to The Cape, a show that was, in reality, cancelled after a single ten episode season. Fans took the phrase and ran with it, and it eventually became the expectation that Community would try and release six seasons and a movie. Since the show recently hit Netflix, it has likely brought in many new and returning fans.
The cast of Community is reuniting later this month (minus Chevy Chase) for a virtual table read of an episode from Season 5. The episode, Cooperative Polygraphy, marked Donald Glover’s penultimate appearance on the show–he will also be returning for this table read.