Month: April 2021

Sony Comments On Deal To Bring MLB The Show 21 To Xbox And Game Pass

A spokesperson for PlayStation has clarified part of the reason why the company is bringing its MLB The Show 21 to Xbox and Game Pass. This representative told Inverse that it was all about expanding the appeal and reach of the MLB The Show series. It was MLB’s decision to do this, the spokesperson said.

“As part of the goal for this year’s game, MLB decided to bring the franchise to more players and baseball fans,” a PlayStation representative told the site. “This decision provides a unique opportunity to further establish MLB The Show as the premier brand for baseball video games.”

According to Inverse, the decision to bring MLB The Show 21 to Xbox and Game Pass specifically “came straight from MLB.”

Asked about the deal to bring MLB The Show 21 to Game Pass, a spokesperson for Microsoft said, “We curate the library with the diversity of our 18 million members in mind.” Major League Baseball, however, did not respond to Inverse’s request for comment.

MLB The Show 21 is the first PlayStation-published game to come to Xbox. Thanks to Game Pass, subscribers on Xbox and the cloud can play MLB The Show 21 as part of their monthly subscription, while people on Sony’s own PlayStation hardware must pay $70 for it.

Xbox Game Pass had 18 million subscribers by Microsoft’s latest count, and launching MLB The Show on Xbox opens up the game to a much larger audience than PlayStation alone.

MLB The Show 21 launches on April 20 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The more expensive collector’s editions unlock four days early, starting April 16.

For more on the game, check out GameSpot’s MLB The Show 21 preorder guide.

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Bill Murray Says He Was “Reluctant” To Make Ghostbusters II

In a rare interview, comic actor Bill Murray says he was “outfoxed” and kinda-sorta tricked into making Ghostbusters 2. Speaking with Collider, Murray said he was “very, very reluctant” and “absolutely in no hurry” to follow up the smash hit 1984 supernatural comedy–but in the long run, has no regrets about going along with the 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II.

“They got us all back together in a room, and really, we hadn’t been together in a room since the [first] movie came out,” said Murray. “It was just really, really fun to be together. We were really funny together… they got us all together and they pitched a story idea that was really great.”

Except, says Murray, what was previously pitched by director Ivan Reitman (Space Jam, Stripes) and Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day, SCTV) “ended up not being the story they wrote… they got us in the sequel under false pretenses.” Bill Murray being Bill Murray, he says he and the rest of the cast “had to figure out how to make it work.” Like critics, Murray says he ultimately liked the first Ghostbusters better than the second–“just because the first cut is the deepest.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Murray discusses how he wound up in Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola’s respective orbits, why he himself hasn’t directed more, and why it’s remained so important to him to have a presence in every Ghostbusters movie–including the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife, due out on November 11, which he thinks is going to be “really, really wonderful.” If you don’t want to wait that long, this highly-detailed collectible of the ECTO-1 currently available can help tide you over.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Double XP Event Kicks Off This Thursday

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is holding a double XP event this weekend. Developer Treyarch announced on Twitter that it’s hosting the event for four days, beginning April 8 and running through April 12.

The wording of the tweet does not mention what kind of double XP event this is, whether that be for standard progression, weapon XP, or battle pass XP. Whatever the case, it’s a good time to play Black Ops Cold War to soak up the extra experience before Season 2 ends. According to the in-game timer, Season 2 should wrap up on or close to April 21.

It also appears that this double XP event applies to only Black Ops Cold War and not Warzone. You can see the schedule for the double XP promotion below.

Black Ops Cold War Double XP

  • Begins: April 8 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET
  • Ends: April 12 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET

In other news about Black Ops Cold War, it appears the game will celebrate 4/20 with a Stoner’s Delight DLC pack that includes various weed-themed items for your character.

Outside of that, a recent leak revealed that 2021’s Call of Duty game is called Call of Duty: Vanguard, and it’s a World War II-set shooter from Sledgehammer Games. Activision has yet to formally announce the game, but that could happen soon if historical trends continue.

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Mythic Quest Announces Surprise Pandemic Special Airing Before Season 2

Apple has announced that Mythic Quest will be getting another pandemic-era standalone special, according to a release. Like last year’s special quarantine episode, the upcoming “Everlight” will not technically be considered part of the show’s standard seasons. However, “Everlight” is set to air on Apple TV+ on April 16, making it a great lead-in to tide fans over until Season 2 finally kicks off on May 7.

Directed by co-creator, executive producer, and star Rob McElhenney and written by star Ashly Burch, the episode “presents a relatable subject that people all over the world are currently facing–the return to offices and co-workers.” In this new, half-hour special episode, “the team behind the biggest multiplayer video game” return for a LARPing tournament–which is probably exactly what we should all expect when we go back to our offices, except for the fact that Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs) is slated to appear in “Everlight.”

“‘Everlight’ is a special episode that addresses the practical and emotional difficulties of returning to normalcy,” said McElhenney. “It’s full of hope and joy and optimism for a bright future. Ahead of our upcoming second season, we felt it was the perfect way (and the perfect time) to invite the audience back.”

Mythic Quest is well-equipped to tackle COVID topics–for these specials and Season 2, the show put into place massive production and logistical changes to assure safety. As for what’s ahead in Season 2, the release indicates that the team will be “attempting to build upon the success of Raven’s Banquet by launching an epic new expansion,” all while struggling with the game’s directions, unresolved issues, and office romances.

Mythic Quest is co-created by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Megan Ganz. The ensemble cast include McElhenney, Burch, Charlotte Nicdao, F. Murray Abraham, Jesse Ennis, Danny Pudi, Naomi Ekperigin, Caitlin McGee, Humphrey Ker, Chris Naoki Lee, and Jonathan Wiggs.

Universal Studios Orlando’s Jurassic World VelociCoaster Will Open June 10

Universal Studios Orlando’s newest roller coaster is ready to be unleashed on the world. The Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure will open to the public on June 10, bringing guests face-to-face with some seriously terrifying dinosaurs.

The ride sounds like one of Universal’s scariest yet, as a press release notes the coaster reaches speeds of 70 miles per hour and includes an 80-degree drop from 155 feet in the air–the steepest drop of any Universal ride.

There will also be plenty of dinosaurs. According to a press release, the pack of velociraptors from the first Jurassic World movie–Blue, Charlie, Delta, and Echo–will join those on the ride that sends guests “through the raptor paddock, into the air, just inches above water, and more.” Based on video from the ride, which you can see above, the raptors in the ride seem to be a mix of statues and animatronics–so don’t freak out if they start moving.

You won’t just be seeing dinosaurs from the films, though. Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and BD Wong all reprise their roles from the franchise via videos in the line queue.

The VelociCoaster is the second major roller coaster added to Islands of Adventure in recent years. In 2019, the park added Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

You’ll be able to ride the VelicoCoaster beginning June 10. Before that, though, Universal is launching yet another ride. When Universal Studios Hollywood reopens on April 16, after being closed for a year, guests will be able to experience The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash, a new ride that was originally set to open in 2020.

Borderlands Studio Gearbox Will Announce New IP And More Now That It’s Owned By Embracer

One of the biggest game development studios in Texas, Borderlands developer Gearbox Entertainment, is now an official subsidiary of the Embracer Group. The previously announced sale, which is valued at up to $1.3 billion, has officially closed, the two companies said in a news release on Tuesday.

Gearbox is just the latest high-profile studio that Embracer has acquired in recent years, joining the likes of Valheim publisher Coffee Stain and Saints Row studio Deep Silver, among others. Embracer also owns THQ Nordic. In total, Embracer now reports to have 63 internal game development studios with more than 7,000 employees globally across 40 countries.

In the news release, Embracer said Gearbox is now better prepared for “rapid growth” across its game development divisions and its publishing arm.

“Our team is incredibly excited about the opportunity we now have,” Gearbox CEO and founder Randy Pitchford said. “Far from riding off into the sunset, we are now positioned to launch new IP, do more with our existing brands, grow our base of incredibly talented team members, and capitalize on new opportunities in our mission to entertain the world. This just the start.”

Gearbox has 550 employees across its Frisco, Texas and Quebec City offices. The studio is known best for the Borderlands series, but it has also worked on a great number of other big-name franchises such as Half-Life, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, James Bond, Counter-Strike, and Halo. The company started a publishing division in 2015 and has published titles like Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, We Happy Few, and the PS5 launch title Godfall. Not all of Gearbox’s games have been as successful as Borderlands, as its MOBA-style game Battleborn failed to find an audience and its servers have since gone dark. Additionally, Duke Nukem Forever and Aliens: Colonial Marines were not very well received.

Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors said in a statement that its acquisition of Gearbox is the largest buyout in his company’s history. “We are confident in Gearbox’s long-term future within Embracer Group.”

The deal is worth up to $1.3 billion, but the majority of that is dependent on Gearbox reaching certain performance milestones. Gearbox got $188 million in cash up front, with further upfront payments that net the company $363 million on day one of the deal. Gearbox can earn many millions more if the company reaches certain milestones, and then a further $715 million after that pending other key milestones. You can see the full terms of the acquisition in GameSpot’s previous coverage.

Embracer’s buyout of Gearbox is just the latest example of high-profile consolidation in the gaming industry. In March, Microsoft completed its $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax and its subsidiaries, including Bethesda. That was the second-largest gaming acquisition in history, only trailing Tencent’s $8.6 billion buyout of Clash of Clans developer Supercell years ago.

Next up for Borderlands is the Borderlands 3: Director’s Cut, which releases on April 8 following a delay. A Borderlands movie is also in the works with some big-name talent behind it. Just recently, a seven-foot Dutch bodybuilder from Marvel’s Black Widow joined the cast.

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Bill Murray Says He Was Tricked Into Making Ghostbusters 2

Bill Murray has said that he was tricked into making Ghostbusters 2, and that the studio brought the original cast back “under false pretences”.

In an interview during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (transcribed by Collider), Murray talked about how he was “very reluctant” to do Ghostbusters 2 at first, and that he was “outfoxed” by the studio:

“I don’t know if [director Ivan Reitman] set it up, but they got us all back together in a room, and really, we hadn’t been together in a room since the movie came out and it was just really, really fun to be together. […] They got us all together and they pitched a story idea that was really great. I thought, “Holy cow, we could make that work.”

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The problem is that, according to Murray, that story idea never came to fruition. “They got us in the sequel under false pretenses,” Murray said. “Harold had this great idea, but by the time we got to shooting it, I showed up on set and went, ‘What the hell is this? What is this thing?’ But we were already shooting it, so we had to figure out how to make it work.”

Murray went on to say that he’s more fond of the first film than the second “I probably like the first one better than the second one, just because the first cut is the deepest. We were in New York and we really made a mess in New York for a couple of months, but we had a lot of fun.”

Bill Murray will appear in Ghostbusters Afterlife, a direct sequel to both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 that’s set to launch later this year. Murray praised the script in January of 2020, saying “It’s got a lot of emotion in it. It’s got lots of family in it, with through lines that are really interesting.”

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Monster Hunter Rise Patch Out Now, Addresses Save Data Issue

Capcom has rolled out a version 1.1.2 patch for Monster Hunter Rise. This update primarily addresses a number of bugs in the game, including the gesture issue that prevented some players from opening their save files.

Shortly following Monster Hunter Rise’s launch, an issue cropped up related to the Action and Hurt poses. Setting one of those gestures to the action bar or radial menu and quitting the game could potentially make your save file inaccessible. That issue has now been resolved with the version 1.1.2 update. If your file was previously affected, Capcom says you will now be able to resume your game.

The version 1.1.2 update patches up a few other bugs as well, including one that could cause your character to become unresponsive after you sit down on a bench in Kamura Village and use the Call Cohoot command. You can read the full patch notes, courtesy of the official Monster Hunter website, below.

Monster Hunter Rise launched on Nintendo Switch on March 26 and has been a huge critical and commercial success for Capcom. The game shipped 5 million copies within its first week, Capcom recently announced, and it earned very positive reviews from critics. GameSpot scored it a 9/10 in our Monster Hunter Rise review and said the game “represents the series at the peak of its powers.”

If you’re just diving into Monster Hunter Rise, we’ve put together a variety of guides to help you out, including a weapons explainer and a breakdown on how to kill every monster. The game is also receiving its first free content update later this month, which will uncap your Hunter Rank and introduce a couple of new monsters to hunt, including Apex Rathalos and the Elder Dragon Chameleos.

Monster Hunter Rise Ver. 1.1.2 Patch Notes

Base/Facility

  • Fixed a bug causing the controls to stop responding when you sit down on a bench in the village and use the “Call Cohoot” gesture and perform certain actions.
  • Fixed a bug causing menu options to be inaccessible when you enter the Gathering Hub with your Cohoot on your arm and sit down on a bench and open the Gestures menu.

Player

  • Fixed a bug causing the controls to stop responding under certain circumstances when you receive a Join Request while riding a Canyne set to your second Buddy slot.
  • Fixed a bug causing the controls to stop responding when receiving and accepting a Join Request while climbing a wall at the Training Area on the back of a Canyne set to your second Buddy slot.
  • Fixed a bug causing save data to be corrupted when you try to continue the game from the Title Menu after quitting the game while having the Attack Pose Set and Hurt Pose Set equipped to the Action Bar or the radial menu. You will now be able to resume your game with the save data in question.
  • Fixed a bug causing controls to stop responding when performing certain actions after using an updraft (upwelling wind) at the Lava Caverns.
  • Fixed a bug causing an error when changing Switch Skills at the item box using certain game data.

Miscellaneous

  • Fixed a bug preventing the software keyboard from being displayed when you try to change the minimum HR when searching for an online Lobby.
  • Other bug fixes.

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Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Reacts To All-Digital E3 2021 News

The Entertainment Software Association has announced plans to transform E3 into an all-digital event this June, and Xbox is one of the participating companies. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has now further commented on the announcement.

He said on Twitter, “Glad to see the game industry coming together again in June for a digital E3.” The executive went on to say that E3, along with other gaming events, demonstrate that “our industry is strongest when we work together.”

He ended his statement with a tease for Microsoft’s own plans for the summer. “Looking forward to sharing what we have in store this summer,” he said.

Microsoft is participating in E3 2021 in some capacity, but the full extent of its involvement remains to be seen. For what it’s worth, Microsoft previously said it would have more news to share about its games, and those from new subsidiary Bethesda, at some point this summer.

It was previously reported that Microsoft and Bethesda would make announcements during events in the summer. These events might take place on the same day, back-to-back, to deliver a big one-two punch, according to the reports.

As for what Bethesda could discuss, it could be updates on new games like Starfield or The Elder Scrolls VI, or brand-new games altogether. As for Microsoft, the summer show will be just months before Halo Infinite releases during the holiday, while it was also reported that Xbox has more unannounced games to reveal for 2021.

In addition to Xbox, E3 2021’s list of early commitments include Nintendo, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two, Warner Bros., and Koch Media. The show is slated to take place June 12-15, and its programming will be free for everyone to watch.

Less Than Half Of Snyder Cut Justice League Viewers Actually Finished

After an extended internet campaign to make director Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League a reality, and then a lengthy runway of it actually going into production and then being marketed, numbers are starting to come out about how the movie has actually been landing with audiences. It’s only one metric, but Smart TV viewer-tracking application and audience aggregator Samba TV has recently released data showing that both in the US and the UK, less than half of those who started watching the four-hour epic stuck around for the whole thing.

Luiz Fernando, a data and box-office enthusiast, dug deep on the data in a Twitter thread and revealed that of the 2.2 million households that started watching Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max, only 36% in the US finished it–whereas in the UK, of 954,000 households only 48% finished. The thread excerpted below has other contrasting data, like the fact that this information means that Wonder Woman 1984 performed better both in its full week debut and after its opening weekend–with 3 million and 400,000 viewers respectively in those categories.

Some other data also worth reflecting on is the recent report that HBO Asia had reportedly crashed as a result of apparent demand for Zack Snyder’s Justice League. In a self-reporting Facebook post on the outage, HBO Asia said its HBO GO service experienced “an unprecedented surge in traffic for the exclusive premiere of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.”

All of this information may point to there being wisdom in Snyder’s pre-release, but still very publicly discussed plans to have multiple theatrical and home releases of the DC movie. It’s unlikely a black and white version–which Snyder has hyped the most–would offer a different result, but it’s also a safe bet others are either waiting in the wings or being worked on as of this writing.