Month: November 2020

Among Us Clone Shoots To The Top Of The Charts In China

A new game called Werewolf Among Us has become the most downloaded free game on the App Store in China this week, the South China Morning Post reported. It overtook gaming behemoth Tencent’s Honour of Kings and Peacekeeper Elite to claim the top spot.

The clone boasts similar, if more cutesy graphics to Innersloth’s surprise hit Among Us, and is set in a medieval castle instead of in space. Developed by a relatively unknown company called Shenzhen Youliang Technology, the game dropped on October 28 and has since racked up over 478,000 downloads, becoming the most popular of a number of Among Us clones being rushed for the Chinese market.

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As a relatively small indie game, Among Us so far has not been translated or localized for the Chinese market. Its place in English-speaking gaming world was cemented when Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez streamed herself playing to a huge Twitch audience. The game has an odd reputation in the Chinese-speaking world, however, where party game Werewolf was incredibly popular well before Among Us shot to popularity in the west. For many gamers in China, Among Us is simply “Space Werewolf.”

At the peak of the Werewolf craze in China, it was played on celebrity game shows, available in countless popular mobile games, and streamed online–just like Among Us. Although the trend has died down a little in recent years, Werewolf is still culturally significant enough for Chinese speakers that the comparisons with Among Us are unavoidable.

While Innersloth has recently revealed a new development roadmap that includes additional localization for different languages, it’s unclear what languages are being prioritized–and if clone games will corner the Chinese-speaking market before the original game is officially translated.

Now Playing: AOC Plays Among Us – Best Moments From The Stream

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Xbox Says Game Pass Comparison To Netflix Is Flattering But “We Think About It Differently”

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service has drawn comparisons to Netflix, with some calling it the “Netflix of Games.” Xbox’s Jason Ronald said in a new interview that he is flattered by that comparison–as Netflix is one of the biggest and most successful entertainment brands on Earth–but he also pointed out that it’s not exactly a great comparison.

“To be compared to somebody like Netflix is flattering, but we think about it differently,” Ronald told Inverse. “It really comes down to how can we find new ways to get more people to enjoy the art form that we all love. Plenty of people prefer physical media, and we support that with Xbox Series X. Then you look at something like Game Pass, which gets people trying and playing more games. Maybe you’re new to a franchise, or have limited funds to devote to entertainment. With Game Pass, we eliminate that barrier. That’s what we’re really focused on–how do we reduce barriers so more people can find and play games they love?”

Before this, Xbox boss Phil Spencer also spoke out about how calling Game Pass the “Netflix of Games” is not quite accurate or even what Microsoft is trying to achieve.

One of the biggest differences between Game Pass and Netflix is that the content available on Xbox can be purchased, while Netflix only offers titles to stream through a subscription.

“I love the fact that games are for sale and people can go buy them. We have no goal, there’s no slide deck anywhere that says ‘hey, we want to turn everyone into a subscriber, nobody should buy.’ That why sometimes when people use ‘the Netflix of games’ I bristle a little bit, because Netflix doesn’t sell the content that’s in Netflix,” Spencer said on Gamertag Radio (via USGamer). “For us, if people want to go buy their games, we think that’s a really healthy part of the industry. If there’s games that you’re not gonna go buy, and you want to subscribe to get access to them, we see that as a strong part of Game Pass.”

Xbox Game Pass has 15 million subscribers currently, and it is a major point of focus for Microsoft going forward. All of Microsoft’s own games launch into Game Pass right away, meaning subscribers can play Halo Infinite on day one at no extra cost in 2021.

In other news about Game Pass, Bethesda boss Todd Howard recently spoke about why he feels “extremely optimistic” about the service and the impact it could have on gaming.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds Adds Batista, Ultimate Warrior, And 8 Other Wrestlers This Month

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is growing its roster this month with 10 new wrestlers. The roster will expand across three dates in November, and of the new characters, 5 will be unlocked automatically. The others will have to be purchased with in-game currency.

On November 6, 11, and 18, new characters will join the game, 2K has announced. These include some major figures like Goldberg, Batista, Ultimate Warrior, and Trish Stratus–all of whom will be available to everyone.

Here’s the complete list of new wrestlers joining the game’s roster this month. This is part of the game’s promised free DLC.

Friday, November 6

  • Goldberg
  • Batista
  • Jey Uso (unlocked)
  • Jimmy Uso (unlocked)

Wednesday, November 11

  • Ultimate Warrior
  • Eddie Guerrero (unlocked)
  • Lita (unlocked)

Wednesday, November 18

  • Trish Stratus
  • Booker T
  • Ruby Riott (unlocked)

2K is promising “more than 50 additional Superstars and cosmetic items” are on their way to Battlegrounds in the coming months, although further fighters have not been revealed yet.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is the only WWE game of 2020, with the mainline WWE 2K series skipping a year to fix its declining quality.

Now Playing: WWE 2K Battlegrounds Gameplay: 2v2 Steel Cage Match

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Happy Death Day 3 Gets Update From Freaky Director

Fans of the Happy Death Day movies continue to hold out hope of a third film to close out the trilogy–and producer Jason Blum has already told GameSpot he views the project as something that he has to make. What’s the status of the film at the moment, though?

To find out the answer to that, we went right to the source. While speaking to director Chris Landon about his newest movie, Freaky, we couldn’t help but ask if a third Happy Death Day movie will be announced soon. “I don’t think soon is a real distinct possibility right now,” he said. “But luckily, the idea that I have for the third movie doesn’t rely on it being right the second, which is a good thing.”

As for what that idea is, Landon wasn’t ready to share any details. However, when asked how the film would compare to Happy Death Day 2U, which made a pretty hard turn away from classic slasher into the realm of sci-fi, the director teased a bit of what to expect. “The third one was going in a completely other weird direction that I thought was unexpected and also super fun,” he said.

What could that new direction be? There’s no telling, though what we’d obviously love to see is some kind of time loop Avengers movie, in which Tree (Jessica Rothe) and her crew jump around various time loops saving the world over and over again. After all, the second film ended–spoilers–with the government getting its hands on the machine that caused the time loop and calling on the college students to show them how to make it work. Suit them all up in weird costumes and turn Happy Death Day into a superhero franchise. What could be more of a “completely other weird direction” than that?

Whatever the case, it’s good to know that not only is Blum still set on making a third Happy Death Day film, but Landon is as well. In fact, Landon admitted he was surprised a third entry wasn’t greenlit after the release of the second film. After all, on a reported budget of $9 million, the film made nearly $65 million at the box office.

“I was really bummed out that after the second movie came out and it was well-received that Universal [Pictures] didn’t just go for it,” he admitted. “Because I thought we were on our way to being a proper franchise. I always wanted it to be a trilogy, you know? So who knows? Maybe we’ll get to do it. I know that everybody’s game to do it. We just need Universal to cough up the money to let us do it.”

Keep your fingers crossed, Happy Death Day fans. There’s still plenty of reason to expect this movie will happen at some point.

Star Wars: Squadrons Dev Confirms It Is Not Making Another Star Wars Game

EA Motive, the studio behind the recently released Star Wars: Squadrons, has confirmed it has multiple projects in the works, but they are not Star Wars games.

A job listing spotted by GamesRadar mentioned specifically that EA Motive was hiring for an upcoming “Star Wars action game.” However, the job listing apparently contained an error, and this project is not related to Star Wars.

EA Motive said on Twitter that “human error” was involved in the mistake. “Due to human error (hey, it happens!) we’ve seen a lot of speculation. While we’re not working on a new Star Wars project, we are working on something pretty special,” the studio said.

This confirmation comes not long after EA Motive boss Patrick Klaus said in a blog post that the team was working on “several unannounced projects,” and they would be developed using a new approach.

“We’re encouraging innovation and calculated risk-taking in our approach to game development. We put significant emphasis on creating a safe space through our practices and culture to offer our teams the freedom, autonomy, and time to innovate where it matters,” Klaus said.

“Innovation is tough, but it’s also exciting and energizing. With our new mission, we’re trying a lot of things and testing many ideas which you can’t get attached to, as iteration and experimentation are healthy and a key to finding something great,” Klaus added. “The team is super talented and we’re all striving to make aspirational games that push the boundaries of what players expect now and into the future.”

As for Star Wars: Squadrons, the game recently received its 2.0 update, and you can learn more about all the big changes here.

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Christopher Nolan “Thrilled” With Tenet’s Box Office

Two months after Tenet’s release, director Christopher Nolan is “thrilled” with the coronavirus-imperiled sci-fi movie’s global revenue of $350 million. Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, the director also added that he’s “worried that the studios are drawing the wrong conclusions from our release.”

Fans who were looking forward to Tenet being a 2020 summer blockbuster watched as the film was beset with increasingly concerning delays–including a stretch in July when it was pushed back indefinitely. When it finally was released internationally in late August, and then hit the states in early September, the film had effectively faded into the background in a year filled with a global pandemic, a presidential election, and the overall confusing and unpredictable path films now face in order to release. Tenet held firm in being a theatrical experience first, but Nolan says that stance has influenced studios and distributors looking for lessons to learn from the film’s performance.

“Rather than looking at where the film has worked well and how that can provide them with much needed revenue,” said Nolan. “They’re looking at where the film has worked well and how that can provide them with much needed revenue, they’re looking at where it hasn’t lived up to pre-COVID expectations.”

Nolan, who reiterated being proud of how the film has done, expressed a concern that studios will start to use pre-COVID predictions to make theatrical releases about offsetting losses rather than “getting in the game and adapting–or rebuilding our business.”

Nolan has plenty to be introspective about, aside from the nature of 2020. In collaboration with critic film critic Tom Shone, Nolan has a new book out called The Nolan Variations. According to publisher Penguin Random House, the book is “Nolan on the evolution of his pictures, and the writers, artists, and thinkers who have inspired and informed his films.”

American Horror Story: Roanoke Episode 3 & 4 Breakdown

This week on My Roanoke Breakdown we’re diving into Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. Get ready for a whole lot of exposition: we learn about the origins of Scathatch, The Butcher and the bloody history of the Roanoke house.

Matt, Shelby and Lee continue their search for Flora but find out more than they bargained for including some severed pig heads, a pair of wild children and a mistress for Matt. Hint: she’s a really old witch.

Plus, the group finds out more about the pattern of murders that take place at the Roanoke house thanks to a quick history lesson from Dr. Elias Cunningham. We’re also introduced to Cricket Marlowe who loves Coke Zero, Uber and chatting with ghosts. Unfortunately for him, the Roanoke spirits aren’t that friendly during the Blood Moon.

15 Best Animal Crossing Gifts 2020: Switch Accessories, Collectibles, And More

There’s no question that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was one of the biggest games of 2020. The latest entry in the popular franchise launched on March 20, just as many people were starting to stay home due to COVID-19. Its highly anticipated release contributed to a massive spike in Nintendo Switch console sales and shortages, with people eager for a new form of entertainment to enjoy safely at home. Now the second best-selling Switch game of all time, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was embraced by millions of fans new and old, sparking a major resurgence for the series and introducing it to a new generation of gamers as well.

In addition to New Horizons, a new limited-edition Animal Crossing Switch console was released earlier this year, and though it sold out fast at launch, Nintendo recently restocked the system at major retailers. A slew of new Animal Crossing merchandise hit stores this year as well, offering new Switch accessories, apparel, and more for fans to add to their collection.

If you’re shopping for an Animal Crossing fan this holiday season, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from–in fact, there’s an almost overwhelming amount of Animal Crossing merch out there these days. To keep you from having to wade through all the Isabelle plushies and villager Amiibo out there, we’ve done it for you and rounded up the very best Animal Crossing gift ideas for fans of New Horizons and the series as a whole. From carrying cases and controllers to T-shirts, Nendoroids, and more, here are some of the best Animal Crossing gifts for 2020.

If you’re shopping for someone who’s asking for a Nintendo Switch or who has a launch model console, the limited-edition ACNH Switch would be a fantastic gift. This console is the newer model Switch that features an improved battery life, and, of course, it also has an adorable New Horizons-themed design for the dock, Joy-Cons, and the back of the Switch itself. Recently restocked by Nintendo, the ACNH Switch will probably sell out again before Christmas, so if you find it in stock, it’s worth grabbing before it’s only available via third-party sellers for hundreds of dollars above list price. Please note it does not come with a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

If you need to pick up a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for someone this holiday season, Walmart has an exclusive perk for buying the game there. Your purchase will come with a free Animal Crossing pop socket, a handy accessory that attaches to the back of your phone to help you hold it more easily.

To play Nintendo Switch in tabletop mode, you’ll want a sturdy stand to prop it up. Though the standard Switch does come with a built-in stand, it doesn’t allow for more than one angle, and the Switch Lite doesn’t have a built-in stand at all. This adorable Animal Crossing play stand works for either Switch model and is collapsible for easy portability. Keep in mind that Switch Lite owners will need Joy-Cons or some other Switch controller to play the system in tabletop mode.

Cozy socks always make for a great stocking stuffer, and accessories brand Controller Gear has a particularly cute three-pack of crew socks inspired by Animal Crossing: New Horizons. These socks will keep their feet warm all winter long.

These mini backpacks are perfect for transporting your Nintendo Switch, games, and any accessories like headphones or chargers. Though they’re not large enough to use as a general school bag–a laptop and textbooks won’t fit–mini backpacks are great for taking on plane rides or other trips. There are several different Animal Crossing backpack designs available on Amazon, including the two shown above.

This stainless steel water bottle will keep your loved one hydrated all day long. It has a cute Animal Crossing design with New Horizons’ signature turquoise shade, and its vacuum-sealed lid prevents any leaking so you can safely carry it in a backpack. This water bottle also has a soft matte finish that’s quite nice.

Let’s face it: We’ll all be wearing masks well into 2021, and though the person on your shopping list probably owns at least one mask at this point, it never hurts to have extras on hand. TeePublic has literally thousands of different designs that can be printed on face masks, including a ton of Animal Crossing ones. This particular design is cute yet understated, featuring little objects and icons from the game.

Accessories brand PowerA makes some of our favorite third-party controllers, and its wireless Switch controllers are a solid, budget-friendly alternative to the first-party Pro Controller. PowerA’s lineup includes these two Animal Crossing designs, with the first featuring suave musician K.K. Slider and the second showcasing Tom Nook’s adorable helpers Timmy and Tommy. These controllers connect wirelessly but do require AA batteries–they’ll last up to 30 hours on a single charge. Though they don’t have rumble or an NFC reader for scanning Amiibo, these controllers do have motion controls and allow for custom button-mapping.

Console skins are a cheap and easy way to give your Switch some colorful flair, and Controller Gear has 19 different Animal Crossing designs available on Amazon. These peel-and-press skins attach to the dock and Joy-Cons to instantly give them a cool look, and if you need to remove them, they’ll come off easily without leaving any residue.

A protective carrying case is a must for any Switch owner, and these tropical-themed carrying cases are perfect for Animal Crossing fans. Available for both Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite, these carrying case bundles also come with a screen protector for the system, so this kit will prevent all sorts of bumps, dents, and scratches to the portable Switch.

No new Amiibo were released for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but previously released Amiibo will work with the game. Scanning an Animal Crossing Amiibo into New Horizons will let you take photos with them at Harv’s Island (Photopia). You’ll also be able to order a poster of that character from Nook Shopping, and some can be invited to stay at your campsite. Besides the in-game functionality, Amiibo make great little collectibles and gifts for Nintendo fans, and though it can be hard to find some of the Animal Crossing figures in stock, Best Buy has a small collection available, including Blathers, Celeste, and Isabelle (Super Smash Bros. edition).

Stickers always make for a good stocking stuffer, and these cute Animal Crossing tech decals can safely be applied to your phone, laptop, and other accessories without leaving any residue. Several different Animal Crossing sticker sets are available, so you can mix and match the ones you think your giftee will like.

Traveling musician K.K. Slider is one of Animal’s most iconic and beloved characters, and real fans will be proud to don this graphic tee repping one of his live shows. This soft T-shirt is a poly-cotton blend, and there are five different background colors to choose from if you’re not a fan of black. This highly rated tee runs in sizes S to 3XL, with fit types for men, women, and youth available.

Everyone’s favorite raccoon landlord looks perfectly precious on this brown beanie from Controller Gear. Soft and stretchy, this Tom Nook beanie will keep their head warm in chilly weather, and they can wear it cuffed or uncuffed–the design works both ways.

Nendoroids are basically higher-quality (and therefore pricier) versions of Funko Pops, and they make great gifts for collectors of any fandom. This Isabelle Nendoroid is hard to find in stock, but it’s available at Amazon with free Prime shipping as of our last update. This cute Isabelle Nendo is very detailed, down to the real bell on her hair accessory, and she comes with optional parts to recreate her iconic poses, like a clipboard and pen, a question mark, and musical notes.

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11 Best Roblox Gifts And Toys For Christmas 2020

Roblox is approaching its 15th birthday, but it remains a mightily popular game amongst kids just like Minecraft. A big reason for Roblox’s popularity is that it’s more of a platform than a traditional game, with users capable of creating their own activities to enjoy. The content pool is ever-expanding, giving players reasons to come back practically indefinitely. Importantly, Roblox is a fairly robust educational tool as well as a piece of entertainment. Kids who spend time in Roblox can learn basic programming and design skills, which makes this a good game for even video game-leery parents to embrace. For those shopping for a Roblox fan (or potential fan!) this holiday, we’ve rounded up the best Roblox gifts you can buy.

For more gift ideas, don’t forget to head over to our gift guide hub. We have gift ideas for every major gaming platform–Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC–as well as guides dedicated to Marvel, Star Wars, Funko Pops, Fortnite, and more.

$10-$50

The easiest and most foolproof gift for a Roblox fan is a gift card. You can buy $10, $25, and $50 Roblox gift cards, each of which comes with a set amount of Robux (in-game currency). Robux can be used to purchase new items for your avatar as well as perks for the many different minigames that Roblox has to offer. Essentially, the world of Roblox revolves around Robux, so it’s a safe bet the fan on your list will appreciate a gift card.

$18

This Amazon-exclusive storage box is the perfect gift for Roblox fans who collect the figures. The box holds up to 32 figures. It also comes with two figures and a code to unlock a cool Red Lazr Sword in the game.

$20

Young Roblox fans will surely enjoy receiving some tiny action figures of their favorite characters this holiday. This collection comes with six figures and numerous accessories. The figures can be tinkered with to create new avatar designs as well. The figure pack comes with a code to unlock a virtual item in Roblox.

$50

This Roblox figure pack offers an incredible value, as it comes with 20 different characters for $50. To sweeten the pot even more, The Vault also includes 20 virtual items that can be unlocked in the game. Pairing this with the aforementioned Collector’s Tool Box (or two!) would make for an excellent gift for Roblox fans.

$30

The Operation TNT playset comes with four figures, a construction truck, and loads of accessories. Ideal for those who have imaginative Roblox fans on their list, the Operation TNT playset lets players make scenes and act them out with the included characters.

$30

The Meme Pack playset is quite eclectic and is led by Buffnoob, a rather large Roblox character with enormous muscles and no neck to speak of. All told, the set comes with 26 pieces, including multiple characters and a ton of accessories. The theme here is “memes,” so the set has a lot of personality. It also includes a code to unlock Buffnoob in Roblox.

$29

These Roblox pullover hoodies come in six different styles, each of which features numerous characters and a multi-color scheme. They are available in kid’s sizes from extra small to extra large.

$9

Sort of like a Where’s Waldo? for Roblox fans, this official Roblox book published by HarperCollins tasks you with locating Classic Noob throughout densely packed pages. There are also more than 200 hidden items to uncover, making this a fun activity book filled with Easter eggs for young Roblox fans.

$10.79

One of the most exciting aspects of Roblox is that the majority of the content that kids enjoy on a daily basis is user-created. The Ultimate Roblox Book is a one-stop-shop for all of the details you need to know about creating your own worlds and games inside Roblox. This is the perfect gift for youngsters who have expressed interest in learning how to create their own content.

$8.59

Inside the World of Roblox pulls back the curtain on the popular game, offering a crash course on everything Roblox. It features an in-depth look at the most noteworthy Roblox worlds and games and introduces you to leading community members. It also shows off a wide range of items in the Roblox Catalog. Inside the World of Roblox includes commentary from developers as well, making this a neat gift for Roblox fanatics who want to get a behind-the-scenes look at the game.

$35

Ideal for young school children, this 3-piece set comes with a backpack, lunch bag, and small carrying pouch for pencils and other school supplies. It’s available in six different themes, each of which features popular Roblox characters.

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Phasmophobia Is Ghosting Plans For PVP

Fans of sleeper hit ghost-hunting sim Phasmophobia may be disappointed to know that the developer has officially canned any plans to bring a PvP mode to the game.

At one point, Phasmophobia’s public Trello board mentioned the addition of a PvP mode where one player could control the ghost being hunted. But in an interview with IGN, Kinetic Games’ sole dev Dknighter said that he added that PvP post to gauge reactions, but he currently has no plans to add a PvP mode.

“Right now I have no plans to add another game mode, as it would turn the game into something completely different, and push the game away from what I want it to be. I want the game to remain 4 players vs. 1 AI, and balance the game, then add new features around that style of gameplay,” Dknighter stated in the interview.

Currently, new content in general is not the focus for Phasmophobia. Instead, Dknighter wants to improve the gameplay experience and fix bugs.

“At the moment my only focus is getting the major bugs fixed before I begin working on new content,” Dknighter told IGN. “These bug fixes would usually be sent out when they are ready but, due to me having to update a lot of the game’s code, a lot of new systems need testing, so the next update will be a big stability and bug fix update. After these bugs are fixed the new content will likely get bundled together in big updates.”

All these fixes mean Phasmophobia will likely stay in Early Access longer than expected. The original plan was just to include a few more ghosts, maps, and some more equipment. But now with Phasmophobia’s popularity, fans have higher expectations and Dknighter wants to meet them.

Now Playing: Phasmophobia – The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

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