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.
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.”
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.
This week’s legendary quest is “Deal damage with dual pistols (1500->7500)” so its most likely what they will unvault tomorrow!
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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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.
The NBA and Fortnite continue their crossover partnership this week with new experiences in Creative mode, including a basketball-themed limited-time mode and NBA highlights from around the league. The new NBA Welcome Hub will greet all players heading into the mode, while players are encouraged to retool the new NBA items in Creative all week long to create their own custom content for the community.
At the heart of the crossover–literally named The Crossover–is the Court Crashers LTM created by AtlasCreative. In Court Crashers, players can launch themselves off jumps and slam dunk into basketball nets to score for their teams. Somewhere, the creators of slamball are proud of their legacy. Players can either queue up from the NBA Welcome Hub within Creative to play online with others, or use Creative Code 1898-7178-3313 to explore it privately. Players who visit the Welcome Hub and play Court Crashers can level up to unlock the new Basketball Hoop Banner.
Epic is also introducing live-action video to Creative for the first time. Between May 25 and May 31, players can visit the NBA Welcome Hub and catch themed highlights from the NBA season, including top plays, “dazzling dunks,” crossovers and handles, and more.
In addition to all of that, NBA players have hand-picked their own Locker Bundles, including one from Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz and another from Trae Young from the Hawks. Locker Bundles are curated cosmetic sets from streamers, actors, athletes, and other high-profile folks who team up with Epic to highlight their favorite in-game cosmetics.
Mitchell’s Locker includes the Cozy Chomps Outfit, Sharky Shawl Back Bling, Stark Splitter Pickaxe, Dynamic Fire Wrap, and Fire Spinner Emote. Young’s Locker the Scarlet Commander Outfit, Gold Digger Pickaxe, Happy Stars Wrap, and Baller Emote.
After 16 days of testimony, the Epic Games vs. Apple trial wrapped up its court proceedings on Monday, but we’re still a long time away from getting a decision. The judge indicated that it could take until August for her to reach her decision, and a legal expert agrees that timeline is fairly typical for this kind of case. Here’s everything that happened, how the two sides’ respective cases stack up, and what we can expect next.
Closing Arguments
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers told lawyers in court today that “there is a lot of material” to go through before she can make a decision in this case. It is a bench trial, which means Gonzalez will make the final ruling, as opposed to a jury.
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She joked that she planned to have a judgment by August 13, which was the day in 2020 when Epic deployed a the hotfix in Fortnite for iOS that circumvented Apple’s payment system, precipitating this entire event.
“I am not promising to have this by August 13 but I am going to try–as I said to you–I want to try to get you this while the memories of the testimony is fresh, and while your arguments are fresh. But we do have thousands and thousands of pages to review,” Gonzalez said to the lawyers for Apple and Epic as part of the legal proceeding.
She added that her staff informed her recently that there are 4,500 pages of testimony from the case that she’ll need to go through before making a judgement. “There is quite a bit of work still to do,” she said. “You will receive my decision in writing.”
And now we wait
A Puzzle Box Case
Speaking to the media and other people listening in on the proceedings, Gonzalez said people should think of the case like a puzzle box. The lawyers on each side will tell you what they think the evidence shows, but they haven’t proven anything. As the case progressed, the box continued to fill up with puzzle pieces that could help illuminate the result–or, in this analogy–what the subject of the puzzle was. At the end of the trial, there are no more pieces. Having more pieces might have helped illuminate the puzzle, and some pieces that did get put in the box might seem irrelevant, Gonzalez said. But that’s the end. Now that arguments and testimony are, all the information to render a judgement is out in the open and all that’s left is for Gonzalez to make a decision based on the testimony she heard and documents she saw.
It’s up to the jury, or in this case, the judge herself, to determine how those pieces fit together, and that will be her task until she’s ready to make a decision.
“We’re taking all of that evidence, all of that testimony, all of those documents, and putting it together in a way that seems to make sense in the context of the law. So it may take me a while to do that,” she said.
The court case, which began on May 3, included testimony from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, along with other executives from each company. The testimony became fiery and intense at times, particularly in the closing arguments today, as each side’s legal team made one final push to convince the judge to see things their way.
Epic Games is alleging that Apple’s restrictions around its App Store constitute a monopoly, and is seeking to force the company to change its policies toward everyone–not just Epic itself. Apple, meanwhile, is trying to protect its App Store profits as a major source of revenue for the company. The ruling could have major implications.
Epic’s Uphill Climb
Attorney Richard Hoeg told GameSpot that Epic faced more of a challenge in arguing its case, but the gamble could pay off. Apple is essentially arguing on behalf of the status quo, while Epic is requesting the court to intervene with a significant legal change.
“Epic came into the case with a tall hill to climb,” Hoeg said. “Epic brought this case now in part, it would appear, because the political and regulatory world has been re-examining the law’s relationship to these ‘Big Tech’ companies of late and now seemed a good time to test a relatively new antitrust theory in court. In terms of overall strategy I can’t really disagree.”
Hoeg said Epic tried to position its argument as one of “fundamental fairness” but suffered on some of the fine details, while Apple didn’t present a “unified theory of the case” but also doesn’t need to shoulder the burden of proof. He also pointed out based on the judge’s questioning, she could reach a split decision by ruling that Apple’s practices are monopolist–but limit her remedy to ruling against Apple’s “anti-steering” rules that prevent developers from advertising outside marketplaces. In that case, he said, both Epic and Apple would likely be displeased with the result and appeals would likely follow.
As for the lengthy timeline for a result, the August estimate seems very possible, according to Hoeg. A case of this size can typically take weeks or months to decide, and of course, the judge surely has other cases on her docket as well.
The Long Wait for a Verdict
Now, we wait until Gonzalez prepares and releases her ruling. As mentioned, we don’t know when that will be, and given the massive amount of documents she has to go through, it likely won’t be anytime soon. Until a verdict is reached, Epic’s Tim Sweeney says he won’t be commenting further about it.
The Epic vs Apple trial has now concluded! I won’t be commenting before the verdict is delivered. Thanks to everyone whose efforts made this possible, and to Popeyes for building a fine restaurant next door to the Oakland federal courthouse. pic.twitter.com/xma2xyRBtW
