Well, we THOUGHT it was going to be a slow news week… We recorded on Wednesday and our ol’ pal Sam Claiborn stopped by to talk about Mega Man 11 and Super Mario Party, two games that Sam definitely reviewed. And then, we’re joined by resident Poke-experts, Miranda and Armando. No, we’re not talking about bowls of fish, we’re talking about Pokémon Red and Blue, which turn 20 years old this week. Dang, that’s pretty old. And of course, because podcasting is terrible, huge news broke after we recorded about a supposed Switch 2.0 so best buds Brian and Andrew had a nice chat about it that we’ll add here as soon as the video is ready. NINTENDO!
Author: Trafficblast
Chris Evans Wraps Avengers 4 Filming With An Emotional Message
Avengers 4 will serve as the culmination of a years-long story arc, and if Avengers: Infinity War is any indication, it could lead some of our heroes to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. In an emotional thank you, Chris Evans (who plays Steve Rogers aka Captain America) seemed to indicate it could be his own character on the chopping block–or at least we’re meant to think he is.
Calling it an “emotional day” and noting the amount of time he played the character definitely implies a sense of finality, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Cap is a goner. Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled Avengers 4, have gone to great lengths to protect plot reveals–even going so far as to produce a fake-out version of a scene for the Infinity War trailer that never appeared in the finished film.
Officially wrapped on Avengers 4. It was an emotional day to say the least. Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful.
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) October 4, 2018
It’s possible Evans was recruited by the Russos to set out audience expectations so they can be subverted later. It’s also possible, of course, that he is putting the character to bed and sincerely got caught up in the moment. Or all this tea-leaf reading is meaningless because he was just showing appreciation to the crew after a very long shoot.
For the time being, fans are attempting to guess the title of the next movie, which Marvel has kept carefully under wraps. Writer Christopher Markus said the next film will be very different, summarizing it as: “We broke your heart. Now we’re going to blow your mind.”
Venom, Harley Quinn and More Amazing Cosplay at NYCC 2018
New York Comic Con 2018 has officially kicked off at the Javits Center in New York City, and with it brings plenty of fans showing up in awesome cosplay to showcase their favorite pop culture characters.
From Space Jam to Venom and everything in between — yes, you better believe there’s a whole lot of Star Wars in there too — check out some of the best cosplay IGN’s team on the ground spotted at NYCC:
There’s plenty of cool content coming out of NYCC, especially in the collectibles realm. Check out Sideshow Collectibles’ Movie Premium Format Aquaman figure. Warner Bros. also displayed our first look at Black Manta’s Aquaman costume on the floor of NYCC.
DC Universe’s Animated Harley Quinn Takes Aim at Deadpool and DC Movies in First Video
Kaley Cuoco voices DC Universe’s animated Harley Quinn, and she’s not pulling her punches.
Daredevil Season 3: Official Trailer Reveals 2 Masked Vigilantes
A new trailer for Daredevil Season 3 has been released, and among many of its big moments is a reveal of not one, but two masked vigilantes claiming to be Daredevil.
Spoiler warning: spoilers for previous seasons of Daredevil and The Defenders ahead.
The trailer was released on social media and shows a healthy mix of plot and action. Matt Murdock has returned from nearly dying at the end of The Defenders as a broken man, and “must choose between hiding from the world or embracing his destiny as a hero.”
PlayStation Network May Finally Be Getting an Option for Users to Change Their Names
One of fans’ longest and most-often-requested PlayStation Network features may finally be arriving soon. Kotaku reports that multiple anonymous developers of multiplayer PlayStation games have informed the site that the ability for PlayStation Network users to change their usernames is coming soon.
Three different individuals from different game studios have apparently spent the last several months fixing bugs and adjusting settings to make their games compatible with the new feature. Meanwhile, a fourth individual shared a photo of an internal Sony document displaying the option “edit username.”
Transformers G1 Baddies Get a Rad Makeover
With Bumblebee shaping up to be the live-action film that fans of the original cartoon have always wanted, it’s definitely not a bad time to be a Transformers fan. And of course, the toy line is going strong as always.
This morning, during Hasbro’s Transformers panel, a bunch of brand-new baddies were revealed from the War For Cybertron: Siege line: Megatron, Shockwave, Soundwave, Refraktor, and Starscream (yes, actually Starscream, not Blitzwing.)
The designs all take cues from the classic Generation 1 aesthetic, but with some modern retooling. For instance, Megatron has an all new Cybertronian tank vehicle mode.
PUBG Gets a Ranking System
PUBG for PC received patch 22 yesterday, which introduced a new ranking system inspired in part by the game’s mobile version. Also included in the patch is a new anti-cheat system, wheel-style quick select menus for healing and throwable items, and the return of map selection.
The new ranking system offers players eight ranks from Bronze to Grand Master to move through. Ranks are assigned based on earned Rank Points, with players being assigned their first rank after completing 10 placement matches. Players will then move up or down in the system as they play based upon their current Rank Points, which will be awarded according to in-game performance.
X-Men Black Transforms a Major Marvel Villain
Marvel’s new X-Men Black series is shaking up the status quo of a major X-Men villain.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for X-Men Black: Magneto #1!
As the title suggests, Magneto is the main focus of this issue. After a number of years spent fighting alongside the X-Men, Magneto is finally returning to his classic role as a mutant terrorist. Though given that he encounters a prison facility full of illegally detained mutant children, you can’t really blame the Master of Magnetism for resuming his war against humanity.
New Nintendo Switch Model Coming In 2019 Could Feature Improved Display, Report Says
Just as predicted, a new Nintendo Switch model is coming next year to help keep sales going strong. This is according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, which sources the information to suppliers and other people with “direct knowledge” of Nintendo’s plans.
“Nintendo is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade and weighing the cost of the features, people with knowledge of the discussions said,” WSJ reported.
One possibility is that Nintendo will improve the Switch’s display with the update, sources said. As WSJ points out, the display on the current edition of the Switch lacks some of the tech found in modern smartphones. A new display could make the tablet smaller and more energy efficient.
Sources told WSJ that the updated Switch model could launch as soon as summer 2019. It is expected and normal for platform holders to update their consoles over time in part due to new technology becoming viable and to drive interest and spur sales.
WSJ reported in March that Nintendo would wait until 2019 or later to release the first Switch hardware revision, with the company instead focusing on beefing up the Switch’s online features. That is precisely what happened, as Nintendo recently launched its Nintendo Switch Online paid membership.
Importantly, the new Switch model does not appear to be a generational change like the one from Wii U to Switch, but instead a smaller-scale upgrade of components such as potentially the display and other elements. WSJ’s report specifically states that the new Switch model will share “many features” with the original model and play existing games.
Back in January, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima teased that the Switch will have a longer lifecycle than previous Nintendo consoles. “Up until now, the hardware lifecycle has trended at around five or six years, but it would be very interesting if we could prolong that life cycle, and I think you should be looking forward to that,” he said.
As of June 30, Nintendo has sold 19.67 million Switch units and 86.93 million games worldwide.
One of the Switch’s next big games is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which launches in early December and is sure to be a big-time system-seller.