Frontier Developments has revealed that Elite Dangerous: Odyssey has been delayed due to the impact of COVID-19, with console versions in particular seeing a major pushback.
The expansion, which lets players touch down on and explore planets on-foot, was originally slated to launch in early 2021 on PC and console, but this has had to be pushed back to later in the year.
PC players who have pre-purchased Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Deluxe Alpha Expansion or hold a Lifetime Expansion Pass will get access to the Odyssey Alpha in early Spring 2021 to test the game ahead of its PC launch in late Spring 2021.
The game will then launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Autumn 2021, following feedback and iteration in the wake of the PC release.
“The ongoing impact of the pandemic … including the renewed lockdowns in 2021, continues to put added pressure on our teams and ultimately our development timeline,” Frontier’s statement reads. “We have therefore had to make the difficult decision to make some adjustments and changes to our existing development roadmap.”
“Please do know that these difficult decisions have been made with a focus on making Odyssey as incredible as it can possibly be for all our Commanders regardless of their platform, while also respecting realistic project deadlines for our teams during this difficult global situation,” Frontier notes.
Ubisoft is working on a story-driven, open world Star Wars game with Lucasfilm Games. The Division developer, Ubisoft Massive will develop the new game. According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, it marks the start of a “long-term collaboration” with Disney.
No other gameplay details have been announced, and Massive is “actively recruiting” for the project. The game will utilise the Snowdrop engine used for the studio’s Division games, and Division 2 director Julian Gerighty will direct this project too. No indication has been given as to whether Massive’s Star Wars game would be single or multiplayer, what part of the Star Wars timeline it would be a part of, or when it might be released.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot did give a small tease to Wired, saying the game will be “an original Star Wars adventure that is different from anything that has been done before.” Lucasfilm also told Wired that all Star Wars games would continue to be treated as canon alongside the film TV, book, and comic releases.
In 2013, EA and Disney announced a multi-year licensing agreement that gave EA the exclusive rights to publish Star Wars games developed by its internal studios. That deal now appears to have been altered, but EA will “continue to be a very strategic and important partner for us now and going forward”, accoring to senior vice president of Global Games and Interactive Experiences at Disney Sean Shoptaw, talking to Wired.
Wired’s report makes clear that Disney will take pitches from companies on using Star Wars and other Lucas properties (such as Indiana Jones), although VP of Lucasfilm Games Douglas Reilly made clear that Lucasfilm Games would have final approval on all projects.
The Division games are set in a fictional version of the United States during cataclysmic events that force members of an elite military unit known as the Strategic Homeland Division as they rebuild US cities in the aftermath. Both games featured live service elements where players would continuously work on their characters and earn new gear by completing high-end objectives. Massive has also been working on an Avatar game for several years, which was recently delayed into 2022.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.
When Grand Theft Auto V released in 2013, Lamar’s “yee yee ass haircut” roast became a hit, catching on with gamers as an expression of disgust. In 2020, the meme was revived when people started remixing the scene, replacing Lamar with fictional characters ranging from Spongebob to Darth Vader. Now, the meme has reached its peak form, with the original voice actors from the game reuniting to recreate it in person.
The video stars GTA 5 actors Slink Johnson and Shawn Fonteno (who provided both voice and motion capture for their characters) acting out the scene with impressive attention to detail. After it was uploaded by YouTube channel PlayStation Haven it racked up almost 2.5 million views in under 24 hours, proving the meme is still alive and well. The meme has a page on Know Your Meme, as well as an Urban Dictionary definition of “yee yee ass”.
The new video was made to promote an upcoming webseries from PlayStation Haven called GTA V Real-Life Comparisons. The series, hosted by Slink Johnson, compares GTA’s setting Los Santos to its real-world inspiration, the city of Los Angeles.
Some may have been confused by the news of TheGrefg’s record-breaking Twitch stream and corresponding Fortnite Icons skin, when many had never even heard of the Spanish-speaking streamer. A new analysis of the top livestreams across Twitch and YouTube has shown that Grefg’s success is far from unprecedented, and that the Spanish-speaking streaming community is a lot larger than you might expect.
The chart, put together by analytics company Stream Hatchet, has some surprising revelations. Firstly, it shows just how much bigger Grefg’s record-breaking stream was than those in second and third place. Second, it shows that YouTube is much more important as a live-streaming platform than you might imagine, and last but not least, it proves the domination of the Spanish-speaking and LATAM in streaming to a level that may surprise English-speaking gamers.
Of the top 15 streamers displayed, only six are English-speaking–including Americans Technoblade, Dream, Ninja, xTears88, and Dr Disrespect, as well as Australian YouTuber LazarBeam. Grefg is also the only streamer to appear multiple times in the top 15, with 4 of his Twitch streams making the list.
Also of note is YouTube’s dominance, especially in the top 10 streams. Ninja and Grefg make up the only Twitch streamers represented in the top 10, while the next five entries also include Twitch streams from Ibai and xTears88.
Rod “Slasher” Breslau, who tweeted the data, also notes that the list doesn’t include Chinese streaming sites Douyu and Huya, where streamers regularly see concurrent audiences of over a million.
few notes and caveats: -StreamHatchet had shroud peaking at 470k even though I saw him hit 504k, should be included -YouTube Live is doing far better then people realize -this data excludes China where streamers on Douyu and Huya are MASSIVE, reaching million CCU semi regularly
As part of a video released to coincide with Sony’s digital presence at CES 2021, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has again mentioned Sony’s ongoing plans to adapt its game franchises into TV shows and films. While the CEO singled out the upcoming Tom Holland Uncharted movie and HBO’s The Last Of Us adaptation, Ryan said these were “just the beginning.”
In December, Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra said that the company has three movies and seven TV shows in development based on games properties, and now we’re getting a bit more detail from the gaming side of that collaboration.
As reported by Comicbook.com, the quote comes from a CES hype video where Ryan briefly recaps the PS5 launch and some of the big-name games coming to the new console in the next few years. “We’re also really thrilled to bring some of the best PlayStation IP to new media like film and television,” he said. “You’ll see this year the upcoming Tom Holland film, Uncharted, based on our iconic adventure games. And The Last of Us, a gritty emotional journey, will be coming to HBO. This is just the beginning of the expansion of our storytelling into new media and even wider audiences. Sony is a creative entertainment company, and entertainment has never been more important.”
Of all these projects, the Uncharted film starring Tom Holland is furthest along, having wrapped production in 2020 and due for release on July 16, 2021. The Last of Us series may take a little longer, having only just been greenlit in November 2020. While not mentioned by Ryan, Sony Pictures is also collaborating on a live action Final Fantasy XIV show that’ll be produced by Hivemind Productions.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
PUBG Mobile‘s latest big update has arrived, bringing with it new modes and corresponding loot. Check out everything that’s been added in the patch, including the brand new Runic Power Mode in the full patch notes below.
Runic Power is a new event that’ll run from the moment you update until March 7. Available on the Erangel map, Runic Power has players select one of three special powers that they can then use by collecting rune fragments on the map.
The three runes are the Flame Rune, Arctic Rune, and Wind Rune, each with different abilities to suit varied playstyles. The Flame Rune is the most attack-based, with the ability to summon a fire-based attack and apply burning damage with your regular ammo. The Arctic Rune summons an ice wall that can be used either to impede opponents or to lift up anything on top of the wall’s area. The Wind Rune creates a shield that will reduce projectile damage, as well as increasing player movement speed.
These are the only notes worth taking today 🤷♂️📓 Our new Version 1.2 Patch features Runic Power Mode, Honor building in Metro Royale, a Cheer Park Runic Power Themed Event, Power Armor Mode, and FAMAS rifle 🌬️🔥🎡🛡️🔫 Download the update today! ⬇️🔗 https://t.co/Ih2lXMaCCrpic.twitter.com/ZeMBVp5GpJ
There’s also a new battle pass that’s themed to match the Runic Power event, which will unlock items to help players achieve victory in the new event.
Another new game mode is Power Armor Mode, which will launch in EvoGround on February 5. The mode sees players looking for materials to build various parts of the Power Armor set, with a powerful weapon to be unlocked when the full set is completed.
A new assault rifle named the FAMAS has also been introduced to the game, boasting the fastest rate of fire of any of PUBG’s rifles.
Players who update the game before January 17 will get a bonus pack including BP, AG, and an Acolyte of Justice backpack, so make sure to update soon. The full patch notes–including more new content, fixes, and tweaks–can be found below.
Runic Power Gameplay (January 12 to March 7)
Runes from another world have brought three special powers with them. Choose the power that suits you, collect Rune fragments, and use them to aid you in your fight to become the final winner on the battlefield. Choose Erangel in map selection to experience this exclusive gameplay mode.
Players will choose their Rune energy type on Spawn Island. You will need to choose to bring either the Flame Rune, Arctic Rune, or Wind Rune into the current match.
After selecting a rune, you will get 2 skills. The first skill summons an object, and the second skill gives you a boost. Using these skills consumes Rune energy.
Rune energy can be obtained in matches.
Rune Abilities
Flame Rune:
Summon skill – Summons a wheel of flame that rolls forward slowly, dealing burn damage to enemy players it touches.
Boost skill – Adds a burning effect to your Ammo for a short time.
Arctic Rune:
Summon skill – Summons an ice wall. Each block of the ice wall can be destroyed separately. When the ice wall appears, it will lift up players or vehicles directly above them.
Boost skill – Adds a freezing effect to Ammo for a short time. Freezing reduces the effectiveness of healing.
Wind Rune:
Summon skill – Summons a semi-transparent shield of wind that reduces the damage of bullets shot from outside the shield.
Boost skill – Increases your movement and reload speed.
New Firearms, New Options
FAMAS
A new assault rifle that uses 5.56mm Ammo. It can be loaded with 25 rounds, has the fastest Rate of Fire among rifles, and is outstanding in close range firefights.
The FAMAS can be equipped with a Muzzle (Rifles), Scope, and Mag (Rifles). There is no foregrip, but it comes with its own bipod that reduces recoil when shooting with it in a prone position.
Only appears in the Livik Classic Battle Royale map.
Power Armor Mode (Launches in EvoGround on February 5)
New high-tech Power Armor has been created on Livik. To create your own set of Power Armor you must bringing Nano Crystals and an Armor Blueprint to the Matrix Base. You will have 2 additional chances to respawn yourself or your teammates during a match. Matrix Events will also be available for you to participate in during each match.
Respawn
Teammates can be respawned at research stations. All players can respawn twice. You can choose to respawn yourself or your teammates during a match. Players respawn with basic equipment.
Power Armor
Power Armor Chest Piece: Reduces chest damage and increases backpack capacity.
Power Armor Arm Piece: Reduces arm damage and increases melee damage.
Power Armor Leg Piece: Reduces leg damage and fall damage. Gives a quick dash ability.
Assembling the full Power Armor set unlocks its ultimate weapon, the Dragon’s Breath Grenade.
Matrix Events
Matrix Event 1: Improved regional supply output.
Matrix Event 2: Multiple Matrix airdrops and significantly increased supplies in each airdrop.
Matrix Event 3: Life Detectors in research stations are activated and can be used to detect surrounding players.
Metro Royale: Honor (From January 12)
The Newest Chapter
Metro Royale: Honor will be available after the game is updated. In keeping with our Season tradition, at the start of a new chapter your rankings and inventory in Metro Royale will be reset. Fame and NPC Favorability, however, will be retained.
New rewards will be available in the latest chapter. Accumulate Honor to get voice packs, outfits, and other permanent rewards!
Added new weekly rankings, including Loot and Elimination Rankings.
Improved enemy AI from Steel Front and the Cobras to make them more intelligent and challenging.
New Metro Royale Honor System
Your Honor represents your strength in Metro Royale Mode. Accumulate Honor to get voice packs, outfits, and other permanent rewards.
Honor is obtained by defeating players or picking up Honor items. A player’s Honor level increases when a player reaches the maximum amount of Honor. Honor can also be obtained by completing weekly missions.
Honor is reset whenever a chapter is updated. Players will start with an initial amount of Honor based on their performance in the previous chapter.
New Solo Mode
In Metro Royale Mode, all maps and modes support Solo.
Solo players won’t encounter players who play as a team.
Metro Royale Improvements
Mail can be read in the Metro Royale Lobby.
Removed the NPC chat feature.
Missions do not award any more Fame after your Fame reaches the max level.
Missions do not award any more Favorability after your NPC Favorability has reached the max.
Game Performance and Other Improvements
Basic Performance Improvements:
Improved the loading logic so that backpacks open faster the first time they are opened.
Improved the performance and rendering efficiency of Cheer Park so that many players can appear on the same screen.
Improved the power consumption of high-end iOS devices so that devices are less likely to overheat because of the game.
Android users can use the incremental update feature to update game resources, significantly reducing the size of resource downloads needed to start the game.
Android users can now download the initial game pack in the background.
Security Improvements:
New Security Zone updates waiting for you to discover.
Enhanced the detection for auto-aiming, x-ray vision, long-distance jumping, and movement speed hacks.
Enhanced the detection for grass-removal hacks.
Enhanced detection and protection against unofficial versions of the game client.
Adjusted the condition to enter stat-related rankings from Lv. 30 to Lv. 35.
Further improved the efficiency of the report and feedback systems to provide more timely and accurate feedback.
Basic Experience Improvements:
Sight Model Improvements
Improved the Holographic Sight, making the model clearer for players.
Improved the model of the 2× Scope to make it more natural.
Improved the 8× Scope to make the movement of the crosshair more natural when changing directions.
Adjusted the frequency at which the black circle of the Muzzle shakes to make the shaking more realistic when shooting with a weapon.
The landing animation has been improved to better correspond to the speed at which players land.
Made the landing process smoother.
Skydiving and Landing Action Improvements
Feature to Cancel Reloading
Tap the shoot button when reloading to stop reloading.
Firearm Balancing:
Bolt Action Sniper Rifle Enhancements
Increased the damage of the Kar98K and M24.
Shortened the interval between shots for the Kar98K and M24.
Slightly increased the bolt action speed of the Kar98K and M24.
Other System Improvements:
Social System Improvements
Friend sidebar: Players can now view their friends’ online status to find out what mode they are playing and the size of their teams.
The Crew feature will be upgraded and is under maintenance. It is expected to return in v1.3.0.
Added a feature that gives players exclusive points that can be used to redeem rewards when they team up with their old friends who’ve recently returned to the game.
Added a search feature.
Added the following to the filter: Time of Acquisition and Owned.
Added a quick voice feature to delete all.
Voice Pack Inventory Improvements
Other New Season Content
Royale Pass Season 17: RUNIC POWER (January 19 to March 21)
RUNIC POWER themed interface and rewards: Spin the Wheel of Fate to obtain upgraded rank rewards! Choose between Resplendent Dawn and Deadly Sickle at rank 50, and reach rank 100 to get the majestic Guardian Armor Set and the new themed UZI and M16A4!
RP missions have been overhauled to lower the difficulty while increasing the point rewards! Added season match time rewards. Accumulate match time to collect point rewards. Added RP point rewards to weekly Activity progress. Complete missions to accumulate Activity and collect point rewards.
RP Activity Pack event: Purchase Activity Packs to rank up your RP quickly, and collect Mission Activity Points to convert them all into UC refunds. Purchase the RP Activity Pack to immediately get RP Points of equivalent value and extra crate coupons. You will also activate the Mission Activity Point rebate, and the Mission Activity Points you collect can be converted into UC refunds.
The adventure event is back with the RUNIC POWER theme: Go to the RP exclusive event tab and obtain Metro Badges to go on an adventure like no other. Unlock the story as you explore and choose to advance for free or after making a purchase. Collect exclusive supplies to redeem 1 of 2 sets, exclusive vehicles, and other grand rewards.
Improved the selection between UC and AG: It is now only necessary to choose this once per season, and you can change your mind at any time. Adjusted the pace at which currency is returned to players via rank rewards to increase the amount given at lower ranks.
New Cheer Park Theme:
Runic Power Theme (January 12 to March 7)
Runes have appeared in Cheer Park, bringing a magical power with them. Players can sense rune energy once per day in Cheer Park to collect free rewards from a rune.
After claiming the reward, players can use the power of the Runes to search for and match with other players. Players can then become Rune friends for the day. You can only become Rune friends for one day and can rematch with another player once per day.
Players can complete specified Rune missions with their Rune friend in Cheer Park to collect great rewards.
When this theme is available, a pier leading to Cheer Park Island will appear. There you’ll find a giant bunny doll waiting for you.
Players can project Valentine’s Day notes in the air for all to see! The projection will have the sender and receivers’ names on it.
Dream Team Theme (Feb 9 to Mar 7)
Subscription Festival (January 13 to January 27)
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
We’re streaming our shows more and more, especially as COVID-19 keeps us inside and isolated from friends and family. Despite how much we’re streaming, though, broadcast TV is still a dominant force as revealed by Nielsen, the long-running authority on television viewership.
Nielsen revealed the most streamed shows and movies of 2020, split up between original (Mandalorian, Ozark) and acquired (The Office, Supernatural) content.
The most-streamed series of 2020 include The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, and Criminal Minds. The Office wins with over 57 billion minutes streamed from Netflix in 2020. Grey’s Anatomy was at 39 billion, and Criminal Minds at 35 billion. The list also includes NCIS, Schitt’s Creek, Supernatural, Shameless, New Girl, The Blacklist, and Vampire Diaries.
Netflix’s Ozark is the most streamed “original” show with 30 billion minutes streamed, followed by Lucifer with 18 billion, and The Crown with 16 billion. That list also includes Tiger King, The Mandalorian, Umbrella Academy, the Great British Baking Show, Boss Baby: Back in Business, Longmire, and You.
The longform format of television lends itself to big streaming numbers, but Nielsen also released a list of most-streamed movies, with a mix of original and acquired content. Disney+ dominates the list with seven of the ten spots. Frozen 2 and Moana take the top two spots, followed by Secret Life of Pets. The list fillows out with Onward, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, Hamilton, Spenser Confidential, Aladdin (2019), Toy Story 4, and Zootopia. This is pure conjecture, but we’re going to guess that a lot of those movies have been watched a dozen times by younger eyes, helping push them past the likes of more mature content like Netflix’s Old Guard and Hulu’s Palm Springs.
It has been revealed that Dexter’s revival on Showtime will take place in upstate New York, hinting that Dexter may not be returning to Miami and may not be lumberjack-ing in Oregon anymore.
As reported by Uproxx (via Deadline), the limited series’ setting was revealed through character details of the new cast members.
The Mandalorian’s Julia Jones will be playing Angela Bishop, the “first Native American Chief of Police in her town in upstate New York.” Believe’s Johnny Sequoyah will play Audrey, “Bishop’s brash and opinionated teenage daughter. Sylvie’s Love’s Alano Miller is playing Logan, a “sergeant for the Iron Lake Police Department and the assistant wrestling coach for the local high school.” The Good Lord Bird’s Jack Alcott will play Randall, with “whom Dexter (Hall) has a meaningful encounter.”
This news makes no mention of other returning cast besides Michael C. Hall as Dexter, but there could always be surprises in store for fans.
The 10-episode Dexter revival will debut in 2021 and begins production in Massachusetts next month.
For today only, you can save on two of the best gaming monitors out there. The Samsung Odyssey G7 has everything you’d want in a 27″ 1440p gaming monitor, and the certified refurbished model is $250 off at Woot. The Samsung CRG9 is for those who want 49 inches of gorgeous screen real estate, and that’s $350 off. Other deals today include Mountain Dew Game Fuel drinks, Nintendo eShop gift card, Microsoft Xbox Series S|X gaming controllers, and more.
Certified Refurbished with 3-Month Samsung Warranty
This super popular gaming monitor normally sells for $800 new. This is one of the best 27″ gaming monitors you can get, thanks to it’s combination of high resolution, fast 1ms response time, 240Hz refresh rate, and G-SYNC and FreeSync compatibility. You’re getting it for $250 off by opting for a certified refurbished model (with 3 month Samsung warranty). Woot is owned and operated by Amazon; you can even log in with your Amazon account.
Certified Refurbished with 3-Month Samsung Warranty
If you want the biggest screen possible, take a gander at the massive 49″ Samsung CRG9 monitor, which boasts a mindblowing 32:9 ultrawide aspect ratio, a pixel-dense 5120×1440 resolution, and an 1800R curve that does a great job of immersing you. This was one of our best selling monitors on Black Friday, but you can get it even cheaper today.
______________________________ Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends roughly 1/4 of his income on stuff he posts. Check out his latest Daily Deals Article and subscribe to his IGN Deals Newsletter.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League actor Harry Lennix, who plays Lt. General Calvin Swanwick, has said that he has shot new scenes that will officially reveal that his character is Martian Manhunter.
As reported by Collider, Lennix had no idea his character was secretly Martian Manhunter when he was cast in Man of Steel, and was still not told of his true identity when he returned for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
He was finally told he would be playing Martian Manhunter in 2017’s Justice League, but he wasn’t able to film the necessary footage for the film due to his shooting schedule on The Blacklist before Snyder left the film.
