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George RR Martin Working On Winds Of Winter During Coronavirus Isolation

Game of Thrones fans rejoice, George RR Martin is not going to let self-isolation stop him from writing. Instead, the author will be bucking down and putting pen to paper, or so he says. This isn’t the first time we have heard from GRRM about his so-called ‘progress’ on The Winds Of Winter.

Previously Martin has uploaded on his blog various postings about how he intends to finish the next A Song of Ice And Fire book, even joking about allowing New Zealand to imprison him in a small cabin on White Island until he completes the draft if he didn’t finish the Winds Of Winter by Summer 2020.

His latest blog post outlines his current emotions and thoughts about the coronavirus and how it seems to be affecting everyone. Martin has had to close his independent theater, the Jan Cocteau Cinema, where he puts on a variety of independent and mainstream films each month in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

While the cinema never gets more than 50 attendees at one time, he is eering on the side of caution and shutting down the cinema until April 15, at which point they will reevaluate the situation. Martin’s non-profit television and movie classes and workshops for kids, the Stagecoach Foundation, have also been shut down for the foreseeable future.

The blog post goes on to say that he has been writing every day, spending more time on Westeros than in the real world. Martin is taking precautions due to his age and physical condition, making sure to stay healthy during the coronavirus scare. All we can do is hope for his good health and that he finishes his draft soon.

This Overcooked-Style Chaotic Co-Op Game Just Released A Free Demo On PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Moving Out, the whimsical, ’80s-inspired co-op game where you play as a member of a moving team known as F.A.R.T, has launched a free demo to help give people an idea about what it’s all about. The free demo is available now across the PlayStation Store, the Xbox Store, and the Nintendo eShop.

Developed by Australian outfit SMG Studios, Moving Out is also getting a pre-order bonus. Everyone who pre-orders the game will get the “Employees of the Month” pack, which includes an Australian character named Bruce the Koala. The name comes from the Monty Python sketch about a group of Aussies named Bruce. The bundle also includes Professor Inkle (an octopus), Sprinkles (a doughnut), and Dials (a CRT TV). Check out the trailer below to see more of each character and the game overall.

Moving Out has you playing as Furniture Arrangement and Relocation Technician (F.A.R.T). With up to three others, you must work together to move objects from inside a building to a moving truck outside. It’s not always so simple or straightforward, however, as some objects require two people to move and you must also coordinate your timing to toss objects over obstacles or into the truck.

There is also an Assist mode that allows players to turn down the difficulty or extend the timers, among other things that should help everyone have a good time. There are also character customization tools that allow you to change hairstyles and color, while you can also give your creature a wheelchair or a hijab.

Moving Out launches on April 24 for $25 USD. The game bears a resemblance to another popular co-op game, Overcooked. The two games share the same publisher, Team17. You can check out some brand-new gameplay in the videos embedded above.

Now Playing: Moving Out Gameplay – Overcooked But For Moving Furniture

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Moving Out Gameplay – Overcooked But For Moving Furniture

Moving Out is a whimsical, ’80s-inspired co-op game where you play as a member of a moving team known as F.A.R.T and GameSpot is bringing you some brand-new gameplay footage that you can watch in the video above.

Moving Out has you playing as Furniture Arrangement and Relocation Technician (F.A.R.T). With up to three others, you must work together to move objects from inside a building to a moving truck outside. It’s not always so simple or straightforward, however, as some objects require two people to move and you must also coordinate your timing to toss objects over obstacles or into the truck.

Moving Out launches on April 24 for Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, and PS4. You’ll probably notice that the game bears a resemblance to another popular co-op game, Overcooked. The two games share the same publisher, Team17.

The Flash: Season 6, Episode 15 Review

Warning: this review contains full spoilers for The Flash: Season 6, Episode 15! If you need a refresher on where we left off, here’s our review for Season 6, Episode 14.

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The Flash has really shaken things up in Season 6, with the show being divided into pre-Crisis and post-Crisis halves and focusing on two major villains. That approach has benefited the series in some ways. It’s effectively forced the writers to adopt a faster and more economical storytelling pace. On the other hand, it’s also resulted in some very crowded episodes, with multiple storylines bumping into each other in the race to the finish. “The Exorcism of Nash Wells” initially seems like the clearest case yet of Season 6 trying to cover too much ground at once. But in the end, this episode manages to balance a number of moving pieces, bringing one thread to a natural conclusion while teeing up big things elsewhere in Central City.

The concern coming into this episode is that, as much as Reverse-Flash is always a welcome presence in the Arrowverse, the last thing The Flash really needs right now is another rematch with Barry’s oldest nemesis. That’s why it’s such a relief to see Thawne’s return more or less fully handled within this episode. There’s no way the series can really do justice to Thawne while furthering its parallel Mirror Master and Balck Hole story threads. Rather than treat him as a lingering threat on the show, this episode uses him as a one-and-done antagonist aimed at furthering Nash and Barry’s respective emotional arcs. Sure, the door is left wide open for Thawne to return again, but that’s a seed for a future season to explore.

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In both respects, Thawne is used well here. It’s a lot of fun watching Tom Cavanagh play hero and villain and remind us just how unique each incarnations of Harrison Wells has been. The brief flashbacks to his past with his daughter Maya also help add a bit more depth to Nash. While the “Wells pines after his estranged daughter” thing still feels a bit too redundant, at least we have more context for the Nash/Maya/Allegra relationship and a better sense of what differentiates this struggle from that of Harry Wells and Jessie Quick. And the notion that all previous Wells now live on in Nash is a welcome development. It allows these other characters to live on in some form. At this point, it seems very likely the series will stick with Nash going forward rather than continue to cycle through new Wellses, but we’ll see.

Barry’s struggle this week also works well despite touching on some pretty familiar beats. No, this is hardly the first time he’s dealt with the prospect of losing his speed. But tying that struggle into the return of Thawne and the still gaping wound that is losing Nora helps keep this particular conflict fresh. It’s refreshing to see Barry get in touch with his inner scientist and defeat a meta villain solely through the power of prep time. Grant Gustin really shines in this episode whenever Barry confronts Thawne, particularly at the end when he finally moves on and refuses to let the tragedy of Nora haunt him any longer. As flawed as Season 5 was, this feels like a fitting and necessary coda.

I do wish this episode had done more with Frost and her attempt to step up and fill Barry’s shoes. It feels like more attention should have been paid to the conflict between Caitlin and Barry over his unwillingness to sit back and trust her abilities. That’s to say nothing of the consequences of Barry hiding a spare dose of Velocity-X in STAR Labs. The past few years have trained me never to expect much from Caitlin’s storylines, but it’s still disappointing when she isn’t put to better use.

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Even with Thawne hogging much of the spotlight this week, this episode does find a little room to further the Mirror Master/Black Hole threads. We see Mirror-Kamilla recruited as another pawn in Eva’s mysterious plans. Hopefully it won’t be much longer before the series pivots and Barry and Cisco start to catch on that things aren’t right with their respective significant others. This episode does raise some new questions about the nature of these mirror doppelgangers. Iris delivers exactly the heartfelt speech Barry needs to hear right when he needs to hear it. Is she simply doing what needs to be done to carry out her mission, or does this version of Iris feel love for Barry in her own way?

As for new villain Sunshine (Natalie Sharp), she’s cut from the exact same cloth as the show’s other Black Hole assassins. There’s not much to the character beyond the fancy costume and powers, and it’s just as well she’s taken off the board relatively early on. Sunshine serves her purpose here, but it would be nice to see a little more emphasis on Black Hole’s leaders rather than these interchangeable enforcers.

First 25 Minutes of Doom Eternal Gameplay

Are you itching to dive into Doom Eternal? Can’t wait till Friday? Don’t worry! We got you covered with this look at the first 25 minutes of the game running on PC

This video covers the first level of Doom Eternal called “Hell on Earth,” and gives you a taste of the ruins of human civilization after the invasion of the demon horde. You’ll get to see in action the first two weapons of the game, the Combat Shotgun and Heavy Cannon, as well as some of the mods you can install on them. There’s also plenty of ripping and tearing via the those always gory, yet undeniably over-the-top glory kills.

Doom Eternal is out on March 20 for PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC. For more about the game, check out our review in progress and “Things You Should Know Before Playing” guide. Thanks for watching!

Read The Heartfelt Note That Ubisoft’s CEO Sent To Employees About COVID-19

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has sent a memo to the company’s global staff regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a heartfelt and emotional note wherein Guillemot commends his teams for their effort and contributions during this trying time.

“We are now in a pandemic, with far-reaching effects on our daily lives,” Guillemot said in the memo, which was obtained by Kotaku. “At this exceptional juncture, it is essential that we take special care of ourselves and our loved ones. The health and well-being of Ubisoft team members is our primary concern, and we have taken the necessary steps to ensure that all of you are safe and get the right support through these demanding changes.”

Like numerous other game developers, Ubisoft is allowing its employees to work from home in an attempt to stay safe and healthy.

Guillemot also remarked in his note that he hopes Ubisoft’s global teams will learn from the company’s studios in China. “The experience of our Chinese friends give us hope in showing that responsible behaviour and pro-active public health measures can lead us out of the crisis,” he said.

In the note, Guillemot also speaks about how he does not expect the outbreak to have a meaningful impact on Ubisoft’s bottom line. He said Ubisoft has “sufficient cash reserves” that it can draw from during this time of struggle.

Guillemot also reflected on how he’s proud to work in an industry that can help people distract themselves from problems in the world and stay connected to friends during a time of “social distancing.”

“Our core business–video games–enables us to offer a meaningful contribution to all those who currently seek enjoyable ways of spending their time within the confinement of their homes,” Guillemot said.

You can read Guillemot’s full message below.

Ubisoft is not the first gaming company to comment on the impact of COVID-19. Take-Two, the parent publisher of Rockstar Games, said recently that Take-Two is unlikely to experience a meanginful business impact from the outbreak. However, Take-Two chief Strauss Zelnick does believe the global financial market could take a “real hit” due to the virus.

Take-Two is allowing its development teams, including Rockstar Games, to work from home for the foreseeable future due to the virus.

Yves Guillemot COVID-19 Statement:

Dear everyone,

We are now in a pandemic, with far-reaching effects on our daily lives. At this exceptional juncture, it is essential that we take special care of ourselves and our loved ones. The health and well-being of Ubisoft team members is our primary concern, and we have taken the necessary steps to ensure that all of you are safe and get the right support through these demanding changes. In particular, we have been encouraging all of our collaborators to work from the safety of their homes since the end of last week.

Across Ubisoft, people are going above and beyond to adapt to this unprecedented event. My warm thanks go to both your local and global management teams, who have done such remarkable work in implementing the required preventative measures, in line with recommendations from national authorities and the World Health Organisation. I also want to commend the proactivity of our teams who have gone to great lengths to provide us with solutions to work from home under the best possible conditions, thus ensuring the continuity of our operations.

As for the potential impact of the pandemic on our business, not only do we have sufficient cash reserves to take us through the storm, and Ubisoft’s international scope and our collaborative spirit also put us in a position to redeploy some our activities away from affected regions if needs be. Moreover, our core business – video games – enables us to offer a meaningful contribution to all those who currently seek enjoyable ways of spending their time within the confinement of their homes.

This is an unforeseen challenge that requires all of us to be even more caring, thoughtful, agile and resilient. Everyone has a role to play, and this includes taking the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and people around us. I believe we can learn a great deal from our teams in China, who have faced the same trials a few weeks before us: the experience of our Chinese friends give us hope in showing that responsible behaviour and pro-active public health measures can lead us out of the crisis.

We will continue to provide you with regular updates as we move forward. Your local managers and I are also available should you have questions or concerns. In the meantime, please take care of yourself.

Yves

All the Movies Delayed Because of the Coronavirus

Concerns over the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to the closure of Disneyland, the cancellation of E3, the suspension of the NBA and NHL seasons, the postponement of WonderCon, and many more events that have been either axed entirely or delayed until a later date.

On top of this, many movies’ releases have also been pushed back, a trend that began earlier this month with the delay of Daniel Craig’s final James Bond film, No Time to Die. More studios have since followed suit, including Paramount, Universal, and Disney. Additionally, networks and studios have suspended or delayed filming on many major films and TV shows that are currently in production, and we also have a running list of all the shows and movies facing production delays at the bottom of this post.

First, here’s a quick look at all the movies that have been postponed (for far) in order to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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Every Movie Release Date Delayed Because of Coronavirus

Fast & Furious 9

YoPAvtTHKHhhi4nD8neCCdThe biggest push back, so far, has been Fast 9’s one-year delay. Universal has stated that the latest Fast & Furious franchise installment, which was originally set for a release this May, will now be released in April 2021.

In a statement to IGN, Universal Pictures confirmed that “We are moving the global release date to April 2021, with North America opening on April 2.”

No Time to Die

NO TIME TO DIENo Time to Die, James Bond’s latest film, has been delayed until November 2020 “after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace.”

The film will now be released in theaters on November 12, 2020, in the U.K. and on November 25, 2020, in the US.

Mulan

mulanDisney announced that its live-action remake of Mulan has been indefinitely delayed from its original release date of March 27. No new date has been given at this time.

A Quiet Place: Part II

A-Quiet-Place-2-Teaser-TrailerJust a week out from its release, writer-director John Krasinski announced on Twitter that A Quiet Place: Part II has been delayed. As of now, Paramount has not scheduled a new date for the sequel.

The Lovebirds

EObSgqsUEAAPRW2Paramount has pushed back its theatrical release for The Lovebirds, a romantic action-comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae that was scheduled for release on April 3. No new date has been given at this time.

The New Mutants

disney-will-release-a-new-trailer-for-marvels-the-new-mutants-next-month-socialSadly, after years of sitting on the shelf, and then finally getting a release date, The New Mutants’ premiere has been postponed indefinitely. The film was due out on April 3. Disney is said to be looking at new potential 2020 release dates to be announced at a later date.

Antlers

antlers-movieDisney is also delaying the release of their Searchlight horror title Antlers, which was slated to open April 17. No new release date has been given yet.

Blue Story

https---cdn.cnn.com-cnnnext-dam-assets-191125113338-02-blue-story-film-grabParamount’s Blue Story, directed by Andrew Onwubolu, centers on two London youths whose lives are scarred by gang warfare. The film was to be released on March 20 but now is another title with no current date set.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

peter-rabbit-2Sony has pushed the release date of the Peter Rabbit sequel to August 7. It was originally meant to arrive on March 27 in the U.K. and Europe and in the U.S. on April 3.

Black Widow

black-widow-poster-1567701141778Marvel and Disney have postponed the next MCU film, Black Widow, which was previously scheduled for release on May 1 in the U.S. The first solo film for Scarlett Johanson’s Black Widow character does not currently have a new release set. Obviously the interconnectivity of the MCU makes such delays particularly difficult as the films (and soon, the Disney+ TV series) often rely on one another for story beats, characters, and more.

Spiral

od-d28-06227-cr3-1The Saw franchise continuation/reboot starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson was slated to open May 15, but Lionsgate has removed it from the release calendar. No new date has been set yet. The horror film is directed by Saw series veteran Darren Lynn Bousman.

Antebellum

antebullumJanelle Monáe stars in this mind-bending horror-thriller that appears to take place in both the past and the present. The film was slated to open April 24 but Lionsgate has now bumped it from that date for the time being.

Every Movie and TV Show Production Delayed

On top of these finished films getting their release dates pushed back, many projects currently in production have halted. The biggest projects that have halted production include the following:

  • Pre-production on the Tom Holland/Mark Wahlberg Uncharted movie has been delayed for six weeks.
  • SNL has postponed its next three shows that were supposed to begin airing on March 28.
  • Production on the fourth season of FX’s Fargo has been postponed, and as a result the show’s April 19 premiere date has also been pushed.
  • The Matrix 4, the last of Warner Bros.’ feature films that were still shooting, has paused production in Berlin.
  • The Batman has halted production for two weeks.
  • Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series has suspended production for at least two weeks, in addition to suspensions on Wheel of Time and Carnival Row Season 2.
  • The Witcher Season 2 has suspended production in London for two weeks, and Netflix has paused filming on all of its TV shows and movies in the US and Canada, including Stranger Things Season 4.
  • Fantastic Beasts 3 was shut down on what was to have been its first day of production.
  • Mission: Impossible 7
  • Jurassic World: Dominion
  • All of Marvel Studios’ Disney+ shows that are currently in production, including Marvel’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, and WandaVision have been put on hold. Shows that are in pre-production will continue remote work. (Disney TV Studios, which includes ABC Studios, 20th Century Fox TV, and NatGeo, has also suspended production on 16 pilots and series, including Cynthia Erivo’s Genius: Aretha.)
  • Billy Eichner’s Romantic Comedy Bros
  • Ridley’s Scott’s The Last Duel
  • Disney’s Live-Action Little Mermaid
  • Fox’s Home Alone Reboot
  • Disney’s Peter Pan & Wendy
  • Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley
  • Disney’s Shrunk
  • Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Seven Rings
  • Flint Strong
  • Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Biopic
  • ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy
  • AMC has halted production on Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 until at least the week of April 13. Pre-production on Season 11 of The Walking Dead has also been delayed for a month, although the writers’ room is still active and working on scripts.
  • All Apple TV Plus Shows: See, Servant, For All Mankind, Lisey’s Story, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, The Morning Show, and Foundation
  • FX’s Y: The Last Man, Atlanta, Fargo, and Snowfall
  • NBC has suspended or accelerated production on 35 scripted, unscripted, and syndicated shows and pilots, including Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., and Law and Order: SVU.
  • Warner Bros. TV’s The Flash, Riverdale, Lucifer, Supernatural, Batwoman, Young Sheldon, and an unspecified number of the studio’s other 70+ shows and pilots have been suspended. WB released this statement: “With the rapidly changing events related to COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, Warner Bros. Television Group is halting production on some of our 70-plus series and pilots currently filming or about to begin. There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on any of our productions, but the health and safety of our employees, casts and crews remains our top priority. During this time, we will continue to follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control as well as local officials and public health professionals in each city where our productions are based.”
  • ViacomCBS (which includes CBS, Paramount TV Studios, and Showtime) is not commenting on specific shows, but released a general statement: “Over the past few days, we began making decisions to temporarily postpone production on some of our pilots and current series. At this time, we are evaluating situations on a case-by-case basis, informed by the best information from health experts and government officials. Some productions may continue as long as they do not involve live audiences and/or environments that are considered at risk. The safety and welfare of our production team is our top priority.” Production on globetrotting reality shows The Amazing Race and Survivor was previously suspended. (We’re keeping an eye out for Showtime’s Halo.)

For more on this rapidly evolving situation, check out what a major movie studio executive told IGN about what to expect next for movies in 2020…

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Do you need an escape during these trying times? Here’s a bunch of feel-good movies and shows you can stream right now.

Keep it locked into IGN for all the latest news from the entertainment world regarding COVID-19.

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Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

WWE Hall Of Fame Delayed Due To Coronavirus

To the surprise of no one, the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony has been pushed back amid health concerns following the outbreak of COVID-19, more commonly known as the coronavirus.

The plan is not to completely cancel the event, but to move it back to later in the year, possibly merging the ceremony with the Summerslam weekend in Boston in August. This news comes from Georgia Smith, the daughter of the “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith and host of What’s On Georgia’s Mind podcast. According to her Twitter, she has been in contact with WWE about the changing of dates for the Hall of Fame.

Originally the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony was going to be held on April 2, but with the rising concerns about public health leading to many events across the world being cancelled, the WWE is making a wise decision to move the event to later in the year, unlike the NXT TakeOver: Tampa event which has already been cancelled.

The WWE Hall Of Fame suspension is just the latest hit to wrestling fans, with Wrestlemania 36 being moved to a much smaller venue and being broadcast without a live audience. The only way to see Wrestlemania 36 is on the WWE Network on April 5, 7PM PT.

Head back to GameSpot on Sunday, April 5 to join our Wrestle Buddies, Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring, for the full Wrestlemania 36 coverage and insights.

Game Of Thrones: Daenerys Actor Emilia Clarke Shares Her Feelings On The Ending

(This article contains spoilers for the final season of Game of Thrones.)

Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen across all seven seasons of Game of Thrones, was set up throughout the series as a character with the potential to unite the land of Westeros–but ultimately, her character faced a far more ignoble fate. Now, in a new interview with The Sunday Times, Clarke has opened up about her feelings towards the divisive series finale.

When asked whether she expected the finale to be controversial, Clarke gives a relatively diplomatic response. “I knew how I felt when I first read it, and I tried, at every turn, not to consider too much what other people might say, but I did always consider what the fans might think — because we did it for them, and they were the ones who made us successful, so … it’s just polite, isn’t it?,” she said.

She puts some of the less positive responses to the final episodes down to the “global temperature, how much horrific news there is consistently,” but also admits that she had her own struggles with the ending. Speaking about her character, she says, “I felt for her. I really felt for her. And yeah, was I annoyed that Jon Snow didn’t have to deal with something?…He got away with murder–literally.”

Clarke also wishes that the last season had run a bit longer and been heavier on dialog, but understands why this was not the case: “The sensational nature of the show was, possibly, given a huge amount of airtime because that’s what makes sense.”

“We could have spun it out for a little longer,” she adds.

There’s a new Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, in the works, but it likely won’t debut until 2022. Meanwhile, Jack Gleeson–who played the much-hated Joffrey on the show–is returning to acting, this time in a comedy.

Now Playing: Game Of Thrones Series Finale Breakdown And Recap — “The Iron Throne”