Category: Games

It wasn’t especially surprising news when in November last year Disney announced it was planning to launch its own streaming service in 2019,, but it was a big deal. The studio has such a wealth of content that it made sense that it would want to monetize the streaming potential of properties such as Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, and its classic animated catalogue. It was however less clear what content would be available on the service, and what would remain on platforms such as Netflix and Hulu.

A report in Deadline has now revealed some more details as to what subscribers can expect when it launches. The platform is currently untitled and the subscription cost is unknown, but it will launch initially in the US only, before a later expansion overseas. The service will remain family-friendly, which means no R-rated content; R-rated movies and shows will instead end up on Hulu, in which Disney holds a stake.

Superhero fans wondering what will happen to the raft of Marvel shows produced by Netflix may be relieved to learn that they are to stay put. It is unclear if this means that Netflix will continue to produce new Marvel shows, or whether the existing ones will simply remain on the service.

The broader aim is for Disney to start producing its own movie and TV content. Deadline states that the plan in the first year is to make “four to five original movies, and five TV series.” Each show will cost Disney $25 million-$35 million for 10 episodes, but the site notes that “exceptionally ambitious” projects could be budgeted as high as $100 million.

Obviously one these more expensive series could be the Star Wars TV show, which we know the studio is planning. Earlier this week, Disney boss Bob Iger revealed that it was in fact working on several shows in the franchise. “We are developing not just one, but a few Star Wars series specifically for the Disney direct to consumer app,” he said. “We’ve mentioned that and we are close to being able to reveal at least one of the entities that is developing that for us. Because the deal isn’t completely closed, we can’t be specific about that, [but] I think you’ll find the level of talent on the television front will be rather significant as well.”

Monster Hunter World is notable in a number of ways. It was the first new core Monster Hunter entry to appear on consoles in the better part of a decade and–while still challenging–it’s more welcoming of newcomers than previous installments. Through its first two weeks, those decisions have paid off.

Capcom announced last month that Monster Hunter World enjoyed the strongest first three days of any entry in the series, with 5 million units shipped worldwide across PS4 and Xbox One. As of February 9, that figure has now reached 6 million units–something it’s done faster than any game in Capcom’s history, according to the publisher. Bear in mind, this number accounts for digital sales and the number of units shipped to retailers (but not necessarily sold through to consumers).

The series record came as little surprise, given that the game launched for PS4 and Xbox One, the combined install base of which eclipsed 3DS, which recent entries were exclusive to. World also had the benefit of a simultaneous worldwide launch, thereby bolstering its launch sales figures. Nonetheless, it’s clear that interest in the new RPG has been strong.

As we’ve noted previously, Monster Hunter World is a great place for newcomers to jump onboard with the series. It’s also just a strong game in general, as you can read about in our Monster Hunter World review.

Meanwhile, a new Monster Hunter World update has been released that fixes some multiplayer issues and makes balance changes for Bowgun users. New playable content is on the way, with the first free monster being added this spring and more game-inspired gear also confirmed.

This month’s free PS Plus games are now available, but those aren’t the only freebies Plus subscribers can get right now. Those who claimed the 2D shoot-’em-up Mercenary Kings when it was free on PS Plus can now upgrade to the game’s Reloaded Edition for no cost.

Mercenary Kings originally launched for PlayStation 4 back in 2014 and was part of the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection, allowing PS Plus subscribers to download the title for free immediately on its release. The Reloaded Edition arrived earlier this month and introduced two additional characters, new guns and knives to craft, and an assortment of gameplay improvements.

If you downloaded Mercenary Kings when it was first available on PS Plus, you can snag the free upgrade here. The Reloaded Edition also supports Cross-Buy and comes with a version for Vita. You can learn more about the Metal Slug-inspired shooter in our original Mercenary Kings review.

February’s batch of free PS Plus games rolled out earlier this week and is headlined by Knack and Rime for PS4. In addition to those, PS Plus members can now get the 2D platformer Spelunker HD, the turn-based RPG Mugen Souls Z, and the tactical RPG Grand Kingdom. One of January’s PS Plus titles, the PSVR shooter Starblood Arena, is also still available to claim until March 6.