Author: Trafficblast

With Destiny 2‘s Shadowkeep expansion launching this week and years of content for the game already mapped out, it’s clear the MMO shooter franchise is very much the backbone of Bungie’s plans moving forward. However, it appears the studio’s ambitions are not just limited to Destiny–Bungie is also looking to release at least one other IP in the next several years.

In an interview with IGN, Bungie CEO Pete Parsons discussed the developer’s plans to become one of the industry’s “best entertainment companies” by 2025, and part of that vision involves not just continuing to redefine Destiny 2, but also establishing other franchises.

“So, by 2025 we have a pretty specific path to make sure we transform Destiny and that we have other franchises within the marketplace,” Parsons said. “We need to build our publishing group, but part of our vision is also to become a multi-franchise entertainment company.”

Parsons didn’t share any details about Bungie’s potential non-Destiny franchise(s), but the studio has planned to branch out from the MMO series for some time now. In 2018, Bungie received $100 million from Chinese internet giant NetEase, part of which would help it establish one or more separate internal teams beyond the one currently working on Destiny.

In the meantime, Bungie continues to make big changes to Destiny. The studio recently released a free-to-play version of the game called New Light, while the aforementioned Shadowkeep expansion arrives tomorrow, October 1. Ahead of Shadowkeep’s release, Destiny 2 has gone offline until the expansion launches at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. You can read more in our Destiny 2: Shadowkeep pre-order guide.

OK, granted, no one needs an 8K TV. Buuuuuut… if you have money to burn, you’re not likely to be disappointed by Samsung’s line of Q900 8K televisions. They offer a jaw-dropping picture, plus the next-gen consoles are almost certain to offer 8K capability, so you’ll be ahead of the curve when those arrive. Better yet, both Amazon and Walmart have just lowered prices on these bad boys, saving you up to 40% off list price, and bringing them down to their lowest prices ever.

Samsung Q900 Series QLED 8K TVs Are Up to 40% Off

• 55-Inch Model – $2197.99 at Walmart | Amazon

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Marvel’s Disney+ shows, such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Wandavision, will have budgets comparable to Marvel’s MCU movies.

Variety reports that Marvel Studios is putting movie-scale budgets behind each of the Disney+ projects, meaning something around the $100-150 million mark. With each of these seasons running between six and eight episodes, this would place episode budgets at between approximately $12m and $25m.

For comparison, Variety reported in 2014 that the first slate of Marvel Netflix shows – the debut seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist – had a budget total of $200million, equating to $3.8 million per episode. That’s significantly lower than the money being set aside for the new Marvel shows; effectively one season of Disney+ Marvel costs as much as two or three of the Netflix shows.

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The next expansions for Destiny 2, “Shadowkeep” is out this week and IGN was able to speak with Bungie CEO Pete Parsons about the studio, and specifically on its plan to become one of the “best entertainment companies” in the world by the year 2025.

Destiny 2 Shadowkeep marks a turning point for the Destiny franchise. It is the first major expansion Bungie has released following its split with ex-partner Activision. “You think this is going to be a really big stressor, but it’s become a really bright shining spot on our ability to bring products to the marketplace and customers,” Parsons tells IGN in an interview.

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Walmart has a massive 75-inch Samsung 4K UHD QLED Smart refurbished TV on sale for $1999 right now, and even better, you can get it with free shipping. Gone are the days of dropping an extra $50-$100 to get a huge television set delivered to your home.

With games like Death Stranding and The Last of Us 2 on the horizon, and the gorgeous Gears 5 available right now, getting a 4K TV with a 4K console is crucial for getting the most out of your games’ graphics.

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For some of us, pesky work travel can interrupt important progress in our gaming. While the Nintendo Switch can be an excellent solution, the screen size and audio leaves much to be desired. Plus, you can’t play Red Dead Redemption 2 on Switch (yet). GAEMS has been attacking this problem head on for close to a decade and offer some great portable console solutions. This past summer GAEMS released its upgrade to the Sentinel G170 Personal Gaming Environment – the Guardian Pro XP (See it on Amazon). It has a built-in 24-inch 1440p IPS monitor, stereo speakers with dedicated subwoofers, camera mount points for streaming on the go, and enough space inside to fit all your accessories.

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Microsoft’s newest big-time exclusive, Gears 5, released in September and it enjoyed a record-breaking release. However, not everyone is happy with the game, with some voicing concerns over its microtransactions and in-game economy. Now, the head of Gears 5 studio The Coalition has responded.

Responding to someone who voiced concerns about the prices of items and the grinding it takes to earn them without spending money, Fergusson said the in-game economy is a work in progress. Fergusson pointed out that Gears 5 has a “completely different” economy compared to Gears of War 4 because the new game gives away its new DLC maps and more for free.

“We’re learning as we go,” he said. “This is a completely different economy from Gears 4 (removed Gear packs) so it will take a little time to work through any issues. Our first attempt is not our last and we will continue to evolve until we get it right.”

In another tweet, Fergusson said Gears 5 offers “way more” free content than Gears of War 4, and the developer is planning to release even more free extra content down the road. Some of the upcoming free DLC will include more maps, characters, and skins.

“We’re learning and improving as we go. There’s no magic wand here. Even small changes take time to create content and design skills and Ultimates,” Fergusson said in yet another tweet.

Gears 5’s in-game virtual currency is called Iron, and players can buy it in various allotments with corresponding prices. The Iron can be spent on things like XP boosts for 1-30 days, World Flags for player cards, weapon skins, emotes, marks, executions, and more. Gears 5 adopts a Fortnite-style rotating system whereby certain items are only available for a limited time, which in turn encourages players to buy the content before it leaves the store.

Today in very important news, Hideo Kojima has confirmed that the Death Stranding baby-in-a-jar character, BB, is capable of speaking to players through the DualShock 4 controller.

Kojima made the announcement on Twitter. He said the option to have BB speak from the DualShock 4 controller’s speaker will be available as an option for the special-edition, Death Stranding-themed DualShock 4 controller. It’s unclear if this functionality will also work on standard controllers.

The Death Stranding PS4 Pro bundle comes with a limited edition 1 TB console, DualShock 4, and physical copy of the game. Pre-orders are available now.

As we reported earlier, the PS4 Pro is white and black with oil-stained handprints on the top. The DualShock 4 controller is translucent yellow–it definitely looks like pee. It also has the words “Death Stranding” printed on the touchpad.

Death Stranding launches on November 8 for PS4. The game’s main character, Sam, is played by The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus. The game also features James Bond movie actors Mads Mikkelsen and Lea Seydoux, as well as Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman), as well as movie directors Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn. Veteran voice actor Troy Baker also appears in Death Stranding.

If you’re looking for freedom from wires, the best wireless gaming headsets will serve you well.