Month: May 2021

Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary Stream: How To Watch The Special Announcements

Square Enix will be hosting a special live stream celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series on Wednesday, May 26 at 8:30 PM PT, promising to share information about upcoming games in the series.

Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary Stream Start Time

The Dragon Quest stream goes live at 8:30 PM PT / 11:30 PM ET. The live stream will “showcase all of the latest information about what’s going on–and what’s yet to come–in the world of Dragon Quest.” The stream will also feature live English interpretation for the first time in the series’ history, so international fans can enjoy the presentation as well. Square Enix has not said how long the stream will be nor what games fans can expect to be there, outside of anything with Dragon Quest in the title.

  • 8:30 PM PT
  • 10:30 PM CDT
  • 11:30 PM ET
  • 4:30 AM BST

How to Watch the Dragon Quest Live Stream

In addition to the embedded live stream above, the stream will be available on the official Dragon Quest YouTube page as well.

According to a translated tweet, Yuji Horii, the series creator, teased that there would be tons of information during the live stream, including information on “that game.” While this doesn’t guarantee it will be there, it seems to imply that Dragon Quest XII might make an appearance at the show. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age released in the West in 2018 on PS4 and PC, later getting ported to the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. The series also has a number of spin-off titles, like Dragon Quest Builders and Dragon Quest Heroes, that could also make an appearance at the event.

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Apple Is Now Selling PlayStation 5 DualSense Controllers

If you’re looking to buy another DualSense controller for some couch co-op action, you can now pick one up from the Apple Store. Just don’t go to Apple looking for any discounts.

The tech giant is selling DualSense controllers at the same price as Sony, $70. If you’re looking to save a couple of bucks, your best bet is Amazon, where you can pick up a DualSense controller for $68.

Apple’s addition of Sony’s DualSense to its store comes after an iOS update that introduced support for the controller. Users can now pair the controllers to their iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV over Bluetooth to play games, including some available on the Apple Arcade. PlayStation owners can also stream games to their devices using the PS Remote Play App. Keep in mind though that while the DualSense comes loaded up with next-gen features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, they won’t be present if you’re playing a game on an Apple device.

In other DualSense news, Sony recently announced the first two new colors for the next-gen controller. Along with the PlayStation 5’s default white version, Midnight Black and Cosmic Red variants are being added to the lineup. The former features “different shades of black with light grey detailing” while the other has “a striking black and red design inspired by the unique vivid shades of red found throughout the cosmos,” according to PlayStation’s Isabelle Tomatis.

The two new DualSense colors release June 18 and can be preordered at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop. The Cosmic Red controller will cost $75 while the Midnight Black version will run customers $70.

Netflix Announces Geeked Week Digital Event In June

Netflix has announced a digital event the streaming service has dubbed Geeked Week, which will take place June 7-11 and feature announcements, news, and first looks at some of the platform’s biggest franchises. Among those teased were The Witcher, Umbrella Academy, The Sandman, and Cowboy Bebop. Take a look at the official announcement tweet.

According to an accompanying press release, the Netflix Geeked twitter account will be sharing more information “including who’s coming and what to expect” in the coming weeks.

Of the shows teased in the infographic, some are just around the corner. Sweet Tooth, which adapts a Vertigo comic of the same name, will be available to stream on June 4. Masters of the Universe: Revelation, a new animated show, will be hitting the service on July 23. Meanwhile, others like the highly anticipated Sandman adaptation, has been kept relatively underwraps with only a handful of casting announcements made and no premiere date set. The same can be said for the live-action Cowboy Bebop, which has yet to be given a release date or trailer.

Additionally, no schedule or ways to participate in Geeked Week have been made available yet. With any luck, more information, including how to watch the event, will be released in the coming weeks.

Geeked Week will take place June 7-11.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt To Play Uber CEO In Showtime Anthology Series

Showtime has announced that actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Trial of the Chicago 7) will star as Uber CEO Travis Kalanick in an upcoming biopic series about the ride-sharing app and its co-founder and first CEO. Titled Super Pumped, the series is being described as an anthology that each season will shift focus to “explore a story that rocked the business world to its core and changed culture.”

Based on New York Times technology correspondent Mike Isaac’s 2019 book by the same name, Super Pumped is being adapted by Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Billions, Rounders) and Beth Schacter (Soundtrack), but doesn’t yet have a production start or release date. Gordon-Levitt is the only cast member announced so far.

“Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a remarkably intelligent and charismatic actor, embodying charm with an unpredictable edge,” said Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programming for Showtime Networks. “We are beyond excited to see what he will bring to the role of Travis Kalanick, the hyper-brilliant and controversial CEO whose ambition and reckless drive threatened the very enterprise he was determined to build.”

A release also offers a sense of the story’s overall arc, describing the plot as telling the story of “one of Silicon Valley’s most successful and most destructive unicorns, Uber… [the series] will depict the roller-coaster ride of the upstart transportation company, embodying the highs and lows of Silicon Valley.”

Even with a planned anthology series on the way, this is far from the only show now in development dramatizing the Silicon Valley scene. Although Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon recently dropped out of Hulu’s Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos show, the streaming service is still planning to proceed and is expected to start filming this summer. (McKinnon, meanwhile, is still lined up for a lead role on the Joe Exotic TV show for NBC Universal.)

Fortnite 16.50 Patch Notes Tease A Returning Fan Favorite

Fortnite update 16.50 launches tomorrow, May 25, and it’s expected to be the final update of the season. In its usually vague way, Epic has teased what’s in store with the Fortnite 16.50 patch notes.

At the forefront of the patch is the return of a mysterious “fan favorite” item, which Epic says will be unvaulted. According to dataminers, the item is likely to be the Dual Pistols, to coincide with this week’s leaked Legendary Quest which asks players to deal damage with the Dual Pistols.

The short patch notes also allude to players in Creative mode gaining access to bigger area maps to play around with, which might make creating NBA Creative modes bigger and better this week. Patch 16.50 will also lay the ground work for the next Wild Weeks theme, which seems to focus on Gold Bars. It’s likely the theme this week will give players more Gold Bars, either in chests and floor loot, or for completing NPC challenges.

You can find the full patch notes below. Downtime for the update is scheduled to begin on May 25 at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET, and usually the game is back online within two hours or so.

Fortnite 16.50 Patch Notes

  • A fan favorite comes back out of the vault
  • Survey and oversee larger spaces in Creative
  • Spend your Bars BIG in the next Wild Week starting June 3

The patch notes make no mention of the Foreshadowing Quests, which leaked earlier and indicate something is stirring for Season 7. Dataminers have yet to determine when these apparently alien-themed challenges will go live, but have stated they will come before the end of the season, thus hinting that Fortnite Season 7 may have an alien theme.

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Rick And Morty Season 5 Episode Titles Revealed

In less than a month, the drought will be over. New episodes of Rick and Morty will arrive with the Season 5 premiere on June 20th on Adult Swim. Now, thanks to a tweet from the show’s official Twitter account, we know the titles of all 10 episodes that will debut this season.

Each title this season, save for one, is simply a title from a popular property with Rick, Morty, or both worked in somewhere. From “Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion” (Neon Genesis Evangelion) to “Amortycan Grickfitti” (American Graffiti), the references to other pieces of pop culture are pretty easy to decipher. However, there’s also what looks like a Thanksgiving special mixed in, called “Rick & Morty’s Thanksploitation Spectacular.” You can take a look at the full list of Season 5 episodes below.

  • “Mort Dinner Rick Andre”
  • “Mortiplicity”
  • “Rickdependence Spray”
  • “Amortycan Grickfitti”
  • “Rick & Morty’s Thanksploitation Spectacular”
  • “A Rickconvenient Mort”
  • “Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion”
  • “Rickternal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort”
  • “Forgetting Sarick Mortshall”
  • “Rickmurai Jack”

Of course, the titles don’t really reveal much about what the episodes will be, unless this new season is just parodies of other shows, movies, and anime. That’s most likely not the case, though.

The new episodes of Rick and Morty will air exclusively on Adult Swim when the new season premieres on June 20. And while you might already be scared about getting to the end of Season 5 and having to wait too long for new episodes, keep in mind that co-creator Dan Harmon revealed earlier this year that the team behind the show is always well into writing Season 7.

CEO Apologizes For Elite Dangerous: Odyssey’s Rough Launch

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, the latest expansion for the space-faring commerce simulator, released last week to a highly-negative reception from players. This backlash–which resulted in a “mostly negative” review label on the DLC’s sale page–led Frontier Development’s CEO David Braben to issue an apology for the game’s rough state.

Odyssey launched back on May 19, and fans immediately reported many issues with it, including inconsistent performance, nasty bugs, and outright crashes. As of this writing, the DLC has more than 2,700 negative reviews out of 4,000 total, which is pretty dismal by series standards. Since release, Frontier has released two small patches for the game, but players are still reporting issues, which triggered Braben’s apology. The fact that the DLC also costs $40 further exacerbated the issues.

Now Playing: Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Reveal Trailer | Game Awards 2020

“First and foremost, I would like to apologise wholeheartedly to those who have been suffering from these problems. I would like to reassure you that we take these issues very seriously and that they are our top priority and focus,” he said in a message posted on the game’s official forums. “Our second hotfix will be released very soon, which we hope will address more of the reported bugs and bring further stability improvements into the game. We will continue to work on updates which will resolve more bugs and improve stability further.”

Elite Dangerous originally launched in 2014 as a reboot to the storied space exploration series. The game has generally received positive reviews from fans over the years, which has allowed it to continue to enjoy a large community. It remains to be seen if they can right the ship. The main game of Elite Dangerous is on Game Pass, so if you’re a subscriber, check it out if you’re interested.

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CW’s Live-Action Powerpuff Girls Will Shoot Pilot Again

The live-action Powerpuff Girls show in the works at the CW was not picked up for a full series order, according to The Hollywood Reporter–but the series isn’t dead yet, as its pilot will be re-shot, with the same cast and creators remaining onboard.

We’ve been covering news of the live-action Powerpuff Girls reboot for months, ever since we first learned of it in August 2020, as it scratches a certain nostalgic itch for those who watched Cartoon Network cartoons in the ’90s. Apparently, the CW didn’t like what they saw in the show’s pilot offering–which isn’t unusual, as plenty of prospective series never make it past the pilot stage. However, getting a second shot is less common, so the network clearly saw something with potential.

In March 2021, we learned who would be playing the grown-up versions of the titular all-female superhero team: Chloe Bennet (Agents of SHIELD) as Blossom, Dove Cameron (Descendants) as Bubbles, and Yana Perrault (Broadway’s “Jagged Little Pill”) as Buttercup. Those stars, along with Donald Faison as Powerpuff creator Professor Utonium, Nicholas Podany as the villainous Mojo Jojo, and Robyn Lively as the team’s loyal ally Sara Bellum, will reportedly remain in their respective roles, as will those running the show behind the scenes, which includes Diablo Cody (Juno) along with Heather Regnier (Sleepy Hollow).

Of course, should this second stab at it succeed, this won’t be the same old Powerpuff Girls we remember. CW published an official show synopsis recently: “The Powerpuff Girls used to be America’s pint-sized superheroes, now they’re disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting. Will they agree to reunite now that the world needs them more than ever?”

This official image also provides a first glimpse at the grown-up Powerpuffs:

No Caption Provided

It’s not unheard of for pilots to be partially or totally re-shot before making it to series; the most infamous example in recent history may be Game of Thrones, whose original pilot was apparently terrible, before it went on to absolutely dominate pop culture for more than a decade. So there’s definitely hope for the Powerpuff Girls live-action reboot.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Is Free Ahead Of Memorial Day Weekend

A free play weekend for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer and Outbreak modes will go live on all platforms starting on May 27 ahead of Memorial Day, according to Charlie Intel.

Charlie Intel shared the news on Twitter. The post contains an advertisement promoting Black Ops Cold War‘s free access weekend to multiplayer and Outbreak, which runs from May 27 to June 1. Co-developers Raven Software and Treyarch have not publicly announced the promotion. Publisher Activision also hasn’t said anything about a few access period.

Still, it will be a great opportunity for players to try out Black Ops Cold War’s Zombies offering, which received an update that makes Odra more difficult. The latest patch also adjusts other aspects of the game’s multiplayer, including addressing issues on Standoff and further stabilizing gameplay.

Black Ops Cold War recently got a massive content drop that featured ’80s Action Heroes John McClane and Rambo as playable operators. Players have until June 18 to purchase the bundle, which features the two characters and various blueprints for Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone.

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Watch Dogs Was Originally A Driver Sequel, Report Says

The game that became Watch Dogs was initially intended to be a new Driver game, according to a new report from VG247. The report cites three sources who worked on the project from its inception in the early 2010s, and details how the game slowly progressed from a modern reinvention of the Driver concept to become its own franchise entirely.

Though this report features new quotes and claims, the idea that Watch Dogs grew out of the Driver franchise is not a new one. The report even includes a quote from a 2013 IGN interview with Ubisoft’s North American president Laurent Detoc where he said that the game grew out of a “driving engine” that was related to the Driver franchise.

Now Playing: Watch Dogs: Legion Video Review

Sources in the report point out that the original Watch Dogs has a certain resemblance to the original Driver games, with its combination of vehicular and on-foot sections. These same sources say the Watch Dogs project was developed simultaneously with the game that became Driver: San Francisco, a bold reimagining of the franchise that gave players the ability to “shift” between cars by possessing them.

However, San Francisco’s lackluster sales and the newfound hacking focus of the untitled Driver project caused it to become a new franchise, Watch Dogs. Sources compare the transformation from Driver to Watch Dogs to the origins of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, which began life as a Prince of Persia spinoff.

Watch Dogs eventually spawned two sequels, including 2020’s Watch Dogs: Legion. A recent update to Legion added new characters as well as a new DedSec Stories mission.

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