Author: Trafficblast

Author George R.R. Martin has provided an update on how the Game of Thrones “successor” TV shows are shaping up. In a post on his blog, Martin said three of the five shows in development are moving ahead. They’re coming along “nicely,” he said. As for the other two, their status is uncertain.

This news comes not long after Game of Thrones director and producer Bryan Cogman said his Game of Thrones successor show was canceled. One of the shows, which may or may not be called The Long Night, stars Naomi Watts and will start shooting this year.

This one is set thousands of years before the mainline HBO show. The other two are still working on scripts, but there is no word yet on the stories they’ll tell or who may star in them.

“We have had five different Game of Thrones successor shows in development (I mislike the term ‘spinoffs’) at HBO, and three of them are still moving forward nicely,” he said. “The one I am not supposed to call The Long Night will be shooting later this year, and two other shows remain in the script stage, but are edging closer. What are they about? I cannot say. But maybe some of you should pick up a copy of Fire & Blood and come up with your own theories.”

HBO has only ordered a pilot for the Naomi Watts Game of Thrones successor show, so it remains to be seen if it will get picked up to series.

As for the mainline Game of Thrones show, Episode 4 of its six-episode final season aired on May 5. Episode 5 premieres next week, and if the teaser trailer is anything to go on, it’s going to be a dramatic affair.

Read Next: Game Of Thrones: Showrunners Explain The Key Moments From Episode 4 (Season 8)

Bethesda’s next big game, Rage 2, is almost here. The game arrives on May 14, and ahead of that, Bethesda has announced that the PS4, Xbox One, and PC game has “gone gold,” while the publisher also confirmed the game’s minimum and recommended settings for PC.

“Going gold” means development on the base game is finished. Rage 2 was developed by Just Cause studio Avalanche Studios with support from Bethesda and id Software.

As for the PC requirements, the minimum specs show that you need a 64-bit OS running Windows 7, 8.1, or 10. You’ll need an Intel Core i5-3570 or AMD Ryzen 3 1330X or better processor, along with 8 GB of RAM. The minimum specs also mention you’ll need a Nvidia GTX 780 3G or AMD R9 280 3GB or better for a graphics card. 50 GB of hard drive space is needed. You can see the full minimum and recommended settings below.

Bethesda also clarified more details on Rage 2’s resolution and FPS across all version. The PS4 edition runs at 1080p/30FPS, while the Xbox One edition is 900p/30FPS. If you have a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, you can expect 1080p/60FPS on either system. On PC, you can play Rage 2 at any resolution your setup allows for, and there are no frame rate caps.

Are you looking forward to Rage 2? Let us know in the comments below!

PC RECOMMENDED SETTINGS

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Win7, 8.1, or 10 (64-Bit versions)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1070 8GB or AMD Vega 56 8GB
• Storage: 50 GB available space

PC MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Win7, 8.1, or 10 (64-Bit versions)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-3570 or AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GTX 780 3GB or AMD R9 280 3GB
• Storage: 50 GB available space

ADDITIONAL VISUAL FEATURES

• FOV Slider (50 to 120 degrees)
• Show HUD (on/off)
• Reticle Style (default/simple/none)
• Motion Blur (on/off)
• Depth of Field (on/off)
• Ultra-wide (21:9) and Super Ultra-wide (32:9) display support (PC)

Game of Thrones’ final season continued tonight with a dramatic fourth episode called “The Last of the Starks.” A lot happened, and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are here to help you make sense of it all.

HBO has released a detailed breakdown mini-feature in which the show’s creators take you through the key scenes and sequences, and provide insight into all the big moments. Of course you’ll want to have already seen Episode 4 before diving into this video.

Looking ahead to Episode 5, HBO has already released the first teaser trailer for it. As you’d expect, it teases further dramatic events to come–check it out here.

Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episodes, Dates, And Runtimes

• Episode 1: 54 mins (April 14) — read our review
• Episode 2: 58 mins (April 21) — read our review
• Episode 3: 82 mins (April 28) — read our review
• Episode 4: 78 mins (May 5)
• Episode 5: 80 mins (May 12) — watch the preview trailer
• Episode 6: 80 mins (May 19)

Read Next: Game Of Thrones Episode 4: What Does Dracarys Mean When Missandei Says It?

The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones is coming to an end very soon. After tonight’s Episode 4, called “The Last of the Starks,” just two episodes remain until everything wraps up in the acclaimed and long-running HBO show.

The network has released the first trailer for Episode 5. You can watch it below.

The four previous episodes leaked partially or in full before their air-dates, so you can expect the same to happen with Episode 5. Be careful out there.

Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episodes, Dates, And Runtimes

• Episode 1: 54 mins (April 14) — read our review
• Episode 2: 58 mins (April 21) — read our review
• Episode 3: 82 mins (April 28) — read our review
• Episode 4: 78 mins (May 5)
• Episode 5: 80 mins (May 12)
• Episode 6: 80 mins (May 19)

Read Next: Game Of Thrones Episode 4: What Does Dracarys Mean When Missandei Says It?

Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames has teased that one of its next projects may be unlike anything it has made before. Studio head Atsushi Inaba told Video Game Chronicle that he’s aware that’s a claim that is often said, but he really means it.

“Right now we’re in the middle of designing something that has never been done before,” he said. “I know a lot of people say that, but the game we’re working on truly is unlike anything else. Even for our varied history of veteran game developers, this is something that has never been designed before. So from a game design perspective, we’re very excited right now.”

That’s all Inaba had to say on the subject; it’s unclear when the studio may formally announce the title. Whatever the case, Inaba said 2019 is an “incredibly important year” for PlatinumGames. “Without speaking directly to the number of titles we may or may not announce, I can say it’s going to be a year of some major new approaches, new challenges, and new methods for us.”

He said PlatinumGames is building a “new foundation” in 2019 that he expects will pay dividends down the road.

The secret new game is believed to be a new IP. PlatinumGames is moving toward the self-publishing route, Inaba said, and this is noteworthy for a number of reasons. The Bayonetta IP is owned by Sega, not PlatinumGames, and this has led to some issues, Inaba said.

“In the case of Bayonetta it took a lot of time and energy to get it to the point where sequels could be made,” he said. “It wasn’t as simple as picking up the phone and asking, ‘Hey, can we do this?’ There were a lot of pieces that needed to fall into place and a lot of negotiating that had to occur. For us as creators, we want to get to the point where self-publishing allows us to own our IP and do what we want with it, including making sequels. So the faster we can have that freedom, the better if will be for all the creators here.”

You can read the full interview here at Video Game Chronicles.

Platinum’s Bayonetta 3 is currently in development as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. The company also developed Nier: Automata, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, Transformers: Devastation, Star Fox Guard, The Legend of Korra, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Vanquish, and MadWorld, among others. Platinum’s Xbox One game, Scalebound, was canceled.

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Dead Cells was one of the surprise hits of 2018, blending roguelike elements with the familiar action-platforming of Castlevania and Metroid. The game was one of the more notable success stories from Steam Early Access, where it initially launched as a polished but limited version of what it’d eventually become. Over the course of months, French developer Motion Twin iterated on the experience, taking into account player feedback. The result was a game that garnered widespread critical acclaim, including a 9/10 score from us.

But Dead Cells’ path to success was even longer than what early adopters saw. In fact, it began life as a mobile, free-to-play, co-op, tower defense title. As with most video games, Dead Cells evolved over time, and along that process Motion Twin fine-tuned the gameplay experience to what many would argue is close to perfection.

What most may not know, however, is that Dead Cells is packed with fascinating design tricks that are happening behind-the-scenes, and all work to ensure that the player is having an exciting, satisfying, and rewarding time. In a game where death is frequent and inevitable, Motion Twin has used numerous smart techniques to ensure the challenge of the game doesn’t arise from quirky or questionable design.

In the latest episode of Audio Logs, game designer Sebastian Benard, explores some of these design tricks, explaining the thought process behind them and how they result in a smoother, fairer experience. Benard also delves into the game’s history, showing off what it was like in its early stages, which involved multiple players battling waves of enemies with the last remaining survivor being crowned the victor.

Audio Logs is a weekly show where the people behind the games we love tell us the stories of how they’re made. Episode one featured Cory Barlog, director of the acclaimed PS4 title God of War, while episode two was all about Cuphead and included Studio MDHR’s Jared Moldenhauer breaking down the Dice Palace.

Subscribe to GameSpot on YouTube to see more episodes as they’re released. You won’t want to miss it!