Author: Trafficblast

Anime is big business these days. Netflix has anime in 100 million households across 100 countries. Funimation just spent a billion dollars acquiring streaming service Crunchyroll. HBO Max is still a growing service, but is upping its anime game with a batch of six new films from GKIDS Films coming to the service this month.

The list includes four films and two documentaries, all of which are intriguing in their own right.

Weathering With You comes from director Makoto Shinkai, whose painterly backgrounds and sad stories have made him a favorite among anime fans. The film tells the story of a Japan buffeted by constant torrential downpours, and a boy who runs away from his home to Tokyo, where he meets a young girl who can manipulate the weather. Shinkai’s most critically-acclaimed and financially successful work is Your Name, which became somewhat of a crossover hit and surpassed Spirited Away as the highest-grossing anime film of all time.

Promare, from Studio Trigger, takes place in a world where over half the population died in mass spontaneous human combustion, and a massive surge of magma threatens to finish the job. Staffers on the team include Hiroyuki Imaishi, Kazuki Nakashima, Shigeto Koyama, and Hiroyuki Sawano, who have worked on shows and films like Gurren Lagaan, Redline, Kill la Kill, and Panty & Stocking. The same studio is also working on Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, based on the Cyberpunk 2077 video game.

Ride Your Wave and The Night is Short, Walk On Girl both come from legendary anime director Masaaki Yuasa, who has worked on anime like Mind Game, Devilman Crybaby, Kaiba, Ping Pong, and even American productions like the Adventure Time episode “Food Chain.” Ride Your Wave is about a young woman and her relationship with her deceased boyfriend’s ghost, while Walk On Girl follows a young woman through a strange, chaotic night.

Finally, two documentaries about Hayao Miyazaki and his animation house, Studio Ghibli, are coming to the service. Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki focuses on Miyazaki himself, while The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness looks more at Studio Ghibli as it works on two animated films.

Weathering With You is already available on the service, though notably without its Japanese dub. Only the English-language track is available at this time, where HBO Max’s mostly-Ghibli library offers both the English and original Japanese tracks. Though common at one point, an anime without its Japanese voice track is almost unheard of these days. Weathering With You’s voice cast includes Alison Brie, Riz Ahmed, and Lee Pace among others. Whether the other films will include their Japanese voice tracks is unknown at this time. The other five films hit the service in just a week, on January 12, 2021.

Microsoft has kept up its dedication to backwards compatibility with the new Xbox Series X and Series S, and that extends beyond games to accessories as well. As a result, every Xbox gaming headset that was compatible with Xbox One can be used with the Series X and Series S, so don’t feel like you have to throw out your old Xbox headset and upgrade. But if you are looking to snag a new pair for your shiny new console, there are a ton of Xbox Series X|S gaming headsets to choose from, and it can be difficult to know which headsets are worth your money. We’ve tested a slew of Xbox headset options and rounded the ones that stand out above the rest.

One perk of owning an Xbox is that some of its finest gaming headset options are able to connect without a USB dongle, just like a controller. These headsets are also capable of turning your console on when powered up. With how sleek the new consoles look, it’s always nice when you don’t have to add a USB stick to the front of them. One of our favorite Xbox headsets, the SteelSeries Arctis 9X, is capable of doing exactly this and is well worth its hefty price tag.

There are also a number of great budget Xbox gaming headset options that are much more affordable. These include the SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless, which works with every platform including the PS5 and Nintendo Switch; the Corsair HS70 Bluetooth, which connects to your controller via 3.5mm cable and your smartphone via Bluetooth; and the Scuf H1, which features a number of customization options to personalize your experience.

Note that some of the following Xbox Series X headsets are currently hard to find in stock, so you may need to keep checking for availability. If you’re looking for more Xbox accessories that are compatible with the newest consoles, check out our guide to the best Xbox Series X|S controllers for 2021. For other consoles, see our picks for the best PS5 gaming headsets and best Nintendo Switch Bluetooth headsets and adapters.

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2020 was the first year since 2009 without a Marvel movie. Feels weird, doesn’t it? And while the next MCU movie–Black Widow–won’t be hitting theaters until at least May 7, there is a new Disney+ show coming your way taking place in Marvel’s expansive cinematic universe: WandaVision.

The new TV show follows Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) as they live their lives, seemingly trapped in a sitcom which bounces around between time periods. If the video above is confusing to you, don’t worry, as we’re all trying to make heads or tails of what’s happening.

Most likely, the show will explain what happened to the duo in the Avengers: Endgame aftermath. Though, it’s worth noting Vision was still definitely dead when that movie ended. This will probably include how Vision came back to life and how he got the Mind stone back on his forehead–if it’s really even there.

How to watch:

There is only one way to watch WandaVision, and that’s on Disney+. The streaming service costs $7 a month (or $70 a year), and you can watch movies and TV shows from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, and of course, Disney. Additionally, you can bundle Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ for $13 a month.

New episodes of WandaVision will hit Disney+ on Fridays at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET, so you’ll have to stay up late to check out what the duo are up to or avoid all the internet Friday morning before you have a chance to watch.

However, this isn’t the only thing we’re getting from Marvel this year. As previously mentioned, Black Widow arrives on May 7, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on July 9, Eternals on November 5, and Spider-Man 3 on December 17. However, that’s just movies. Disney+ has a few more TV shows coming this year, including The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on March 19, Loki in May, and What If…?, Ms. Marvel, and Hawkeye landing sometime later this year.

Below, you’ll find the release schedule for the first season of WandaVision.

WandaVision episode air dates:

• Episode 1: January 15
• Episode 2: January 22
• Episode 3: January 29
• Episode 4: February 5
• Episode 5: February 12
• Episode 6: February 19
• Episode 7: February 26
• Episode 8: March 5
• Episode 9: March 12

And after you’re finished watching each new episode, head back to GameSpot for tons of coverage, including checking out all the Easter eggs you may have missed.

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The new year means another 52 weeks packed with all sorts of cool new offerings hitting Netflix. While the upcoming week isn’t exactly bursting with new content to set the tone appropriately, there’s still plenty peppered throughout the next few days to keep you busy while you shake off the rust and get used to your non-break schedule once again.

On January 5, the streaming service debuts the self-explanatory History of Swear Words. Hosted by Nicolas Cage, the show offers “an education in expletives: the history lesson you didn’t know you needed… Through interviews with experts in etymology, pop culture, historians and entertainers, the six-episode series dives into the origins of ‘F***’, ‘S***’, ‘B****’, ‘D***’, and ‘P****.'” We could offer more details still, but chances are you will know immediately whether this will be your thing or not. All in all, it remarkably looks to be one of the more conventional Nicolas Cage roles.

On January 8, Martin Scorsese’s unusual documentary Pretend It’s a City will be released. The movie is about Scorsese’s longtime friend author Fran Lebowitz, and promises to be a “furiously funny guidebook every New Yorker has at one point wished for.”

One of the other clear standouts of the week is Ratones Paranoicos: The Band That Rocked Argentina, a documentary about one of Argentina’s “most enduring rock band,” told through vintage concert and backstage footage. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the group–you can quickly familiarize yourself via Spotify–the movie looks well worth a watch as it reinforces music’s staggering ability to touch people across all man made borders. Ratones Paranoicos have heavy R&B influences and above all else draw inspiration from The Rolling Stones, and this documentary is a fascinating look at a surprising band with far-flung creative North Stars. It comes to Netflix January 6.

Below, you’ll find everything coming to Netflix this week, and if you’re interested in more streaming news, check out the biggest shows that are just over the horizon in 2021.

What’s new to Netflix this week?

January 5

• Gabby’s Dollhouse
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• History of Swear Words: Season 1
• LA’s Finest: Season 1
• ¡Nailed It! México: Season 3

January 6

• Ratones Paranoicos: The Band that Rocked Argentina
• Surviving Death
• Tony Parker: The Final Shot

January 7

• Pieces of a Woman

January 8

• Charming
• The Idhun Chronicles: Part 2
• Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons: Season 5
• Lupin
• Mighty Little Bheem: Kite Festival
• Pretend It’s a City
• Stuck Apart (Azizler)

Of all the things you might have expected from the third season of Netflix’s Cobra Kai, there was one element that took many fans by surprise. After all, following the Season 2 finale, there was plenty to cover–Miguel’s (Xolo Maridueña) coma, Johnny (William Zabka) being ousted from Cobra Kai, and the aftermath of the high school karate riot. Still, Cobra Kai Season 3 managed to follow up on all of those story threads and include something unexpected: A deeper look at Sensei Kreese (Martin Kove), the villain of the first Karate Kid movie that then reappeared on the Netflix original series at the end of Season 1.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Season 3 of Cobra Kai. If you haven’t seen the new episodes yet, what are you doing here? Go open the Netflix app and watch the third season now.

Cobra Kai has explored events from the past before, even, giving some hints at Johnny’s childhood before the first Karate Kid movie. However, there’s an entire subplot running through the new season to highlight the man Kreese was before founding Cobra Kai. We learn his humble origins as an awkward busboy at a diner, who ultimately finds himself enlisted in the Vietnam War. We then follow him throughout the war, reporting to a commanding officer that lives the “no mercy” lifestyle that would ultimately become the foundation of the Cobra Kai dojo.

It’s a series of truly horrifying events for Kreese. Now only are he and his troop captured by enemy forces, but his commanding officer blames him for the capture and reveals that the woman Kreese loves was killed in a car accident. Then, the two are forced to fight over an open pit filled with venomous cobras. Ultimately, Kreese adopts the officer’s no mercy credo and kicks his leader into the pit to his death.

While Kreese has always been a villain throughout the Karate Kid franchise, seeing the moments that led to him breaking bring an entirely new dimension to the character. For the show’s creators, it was an important step to take.

“He was presented in the ’80s as this Darth Vader character who was just bad. He was a guy who was just telling his students to do bad things, to take advantage of bad situations,” executive producer Josh Heald said. “He was just a black hat. On our show, we really strive to present antagonists in shades of grey, so that when you’re with the antagonist–or somebody who’s presented as one–you can start to at least understand what makes them tick, what their perspective is, and where they came from.”

Executive producer Jon Hurwitz was quick to compare the revelations about Kreese to other aspects of the series. Our approach to Kreese is very similar to the approach to Johnny, and our approach to any character on the show. When we were young and growing up, we hated Krease [and] we hated Johnny,” he explained. “As we got older, we started to have the perspective of, ‘Why was that person such an a**hole? Why were they a jerk?’ Oftentimes, with the benefit of hindsight, you’re able to realize, ‘Oh, this person, grew up in a troubled household. Or this person had this bad experience that happened to them that kind of helped shape who they were in certain ways.'”

Hurwitz hopes viewers will see the events that hardened Kreese and that they make fans “potentially root for his own redemption one day,” much like they do for Johnny now.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Kreese is going to magically become the hero of the story, much like his former student has. After all, he continues to do some truly terrible things to everyone who doesn’t fall in line behind him.

That all said, now that you’ve seen what created Kreese, the producers were quick to note that the story told in the flashbacks will come into play in future seasons. “We’ll have to see what happens with Kreese in the future, but there’s a reason why we do all these things,” executive producer Hayden Schlossberg said.

One clear reason was revealed in the Season 3 finale of the series, in which Kreese calls his old army buddy Terry Silver to help in taking down Johnny and Daniel for good. For those that don’t remember, Terry was first introduced in The Karate Kid Part III, in which he was a wealthy businessman that helped Kreese relaunch Cobra Kai after the event of the first Karate Kid film.

To see how big of a role Terry will play and whether actor Thomas Ian Griffith will reprise the role from the third film, fans will have to wait. While Cobra Kai has been renewed for Season 4, we don’t have a release date yet.

In a recent job listing for a senior software engineer, Microsoft remarked that they were planning on making some extensive visual changes to the Windows UI to remind their user base that Windows is still a hip OS, as reported by Windows Latest.

The listing stated: “On this team, you’ll work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers.” The ad has since been altered to remove any references to this Windows makeover, as Windows enthusiasts began to notice it in the listing.

Codenamed Sun Valley, the UI reboot was originally reported on by Windows Central back in late October 2020. According to this report, the planned refresh will most likely arrive as part of Windows 10 Cobalt during the 2021 holiday season, and will be bringing significant updates to user-interfaces like the File Explorer, Action Center, and Start menu. The update is meant to modernize the user experience to match a world that has become accustomed to more lightweight and navigable platforms.

Microsoft has been focusing on its visual and tactile experience with Windows products in recent years, working to improve mouse vs trackpad interactions and touch sensitivity on Surface products, along with releasing new Windows icons and tweaking the Start menu last year. All of these improvements reflect Microsoft’s renewed desire to improve Windows following moves like putting Surface chief Panos Panay in charge of Windows client and hardware as a whole, and other reshufflings of that team.

Microsoft had previously split Windows after former Windows head Terry Myerson left the company, with most of Windows’ core development being moved over to Azure, the cloud and AI team. Now that development is all back under one roof. With Windows usage up during the pandemic, this was probably just the shot in the arm Microsoft needed to make good on its long promised UI changes.

Valve is looking for a psychologist to join their team and help develop future games and its storefront, Steam. A new listing has been posted to their official site looking for someone to join the studio out of its Bellevue office in Washington state.

“We hire people with broad skill sets who also exhibit deep expertise,” the listing reads. “Psychologists at Valve contribute to a wide variety of initiatives across the company and are trusted to prioritize their work in collaboration with their peers.”

The studio known for Half Life: Alyx, Team Fortress 2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has employed a number of psychologists over the years. Valve conducts all sorts of experiments, like one that measures the player’s sweat and level of arousal, to learn about player behavior in order to improve their games. The studio even created a version of Portal 2 that players could control with their eyes after it found that players could move their eyes faster than their hands.

The job listing indicates that candidates will need to “research compelling new hardware technologies” in order to create new experiences for players. Valve received praise for how Half Life: Alyx used virtual reality technology to push the medium forward. The VR shooter was GameSpot’s Game of the Year in 2020.

“Valve brought together different mechanics that we’ve seen in VR games thus far–gun handling, reloading, reactive physics, object interaction, environmental puzzles, horror–and executes on them in top-notch form,” wrote Michael Higham in his Game of the Year writeup about Half Life: Alyx last year. “The result is a cohesive whole, never over-relying on one concept or gimmick and instead making them complement each other from start to finish.”

After a handful of major release date delays, Wonder Woman 1984 is finally here–and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your home to watch it. It’s streaming on HBO Max for the price of a subscription.

Chances are, if you’ve already made time to watch, you’ve got a few questions about the ending and what it all might mean for the DCEU moving forward. Or, maybe you’re just a spoiler-hound looking for all the answers before you even sit down to see the movie through. We’re not here to judge you if that’s the case, but we will get into the ending here so, naturally, massive spoilers for WW84 from here on out. Consider yourself warned.

We explain the dreamstone, the Duke of Deception, the stories of Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), Diana (Gal Gadot), and Cheetah aka Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), We also break down the post-credits scene and it’s surprise cameo, what could happen in Wonder Woman 3, and our best theories on how WW84 relates to the DCEU going forward!