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Back 4 Blood: Here’s What Comes in Each Edition

Back 4 Blood is a co-op zombie-themed shooter that’s set to release for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on June 22 (see it on Amazon). Made by the creators of Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood is built very much in the same mold as that game, but with new ideas sprinkled in as well.

The game is available in three different editions, all of which are available for preorder at a number of retailers. Read on to learn what the game is about, what comes in each edition, and what preorder bonus you can expect should you choose to pull the trigger early.

Back 4 Blood Ultimate Edition

back-4-blood-ultimate-editionPS4

PS5

Xbox One / Xbox Series X

PC

The ultimate edition comes with the base game, as well as the following digital items:

  • 4 days Early Access to Back 4 Blood
  • Annual Pass: Three upcoming downloadable content drops with New Story, Playable Characters, Special Mutated Ridden, and more
  • 4 Character Battle Hardened Skin Pack
  • Additional digital in-game items: Rare Banner, Emblem, Spray, Title

Back 4 Blood Deluxe Edition (Digital Only)

The digital-only deluxe edition comes with the game itself, plus the following:

  • 4 days Early Access to Back 4 Blood
  • Annual Pass: Three upcoming downloadable content drops with New Story, Playable Characters, Special Mutated Ridden, and more

Back 4 Blood Standard Edition

back-4-blood-standardPS4

PS5

Xbox One / Xbox Series X

PC

The standard edition of Back 4 Blood comes with the game itself, plus the preorder bonus (details below).

Back 4 Blood Preorder Bonus

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Preorder the standard edition of Back 4 Blood, and you’ll receive the Fort Hope Elite Weapon Skin Pack. It includes the following skins:

  • 870 Shotgun
  • Uzi SMG
  • M4 Caribine
  • RPK LMG

What Is Back 4 Blood?

Back 4 Blood is a multiplayer-focused shooter that has you and up to three companions facing off against hordes of zombies in the campaign. It also has an eight-player PvP mode, and plenty of variables in both modes to make it replayable. You can check out our Back 4 Blood hands-on preview for more information. For a chance to check out the game before it releases, you can register for upcoming online tests at the game’s website.

Other Preorder Guides

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Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Shiny Cramorant Is Appearing In Pokemon Sword And Shield Max Raids For A Very Limited Time

Pokemon Sword and Shield‘s previously announced Cramorant Max Raid event is now underway. As part of the event, select Pokemon featured in the series’ latest animated film, Secrets of the Jungle, will appear more frequently in Max Raid dens, including Quagsire, Flygon, Golurk, and female Indeedee, and you’ll have a chance to encounter Shiny Cramorant in five-star Raid battles.

The overarching goal of this Max Raid event is for players to defeat as many Cramorant as they can, with different rewards available depending on how many of the Pokemon are defeated before the event ends. If players can collectively beat more than 500,000 Cramorant, The Pokemon Company will distribute a Flame Orb, a Toxic Orb, and a Light Ball to everyone via Mystery Gift.

If players can collectively beat more than 1 million Cramorant, The Pokemon Company will give away all of the aforementioned items as well as one Gold Bottle Cap, three regular Bottle Caps, and three Pearl Strings. The former two can be used to Hyper Train your Pokemon at the Battle Tower in Wyndon, while the Pearl Strings can be sold for a lot of money at shops.

The Cramorant Max Raid event ends at 3:59 PM PT / 6:59 PM ET on February 8, while the rewards will be distributed via Mystery Gift from February 9-28. Before the event Pokemon can begin appearing in your game, you’ll first need to refresh your Raid dens either by connecting online via the Y-Comm or by selecting Get the Wild Area News from the Mystery Gift menu.

Following the Cramorant event, February’s Max Raid event will resume until the end of the month. As part of that event, certain Fighting and Psychic Pokemon such as Lucario, Falinks, Gothitelle, and Reuniclus will appear more frequently in Max Raid dens, and you’ll have a better chance of encountering Gigantamax forms of Machamp and Orbeetle.

Now Playing: Pokemon – Official 25 Years Of Memories Trailer

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

20-Year-Old Who Made Thousands On GameStop Stock Donates Switch Consoles To Children’s Hospital

A 20-year-old college student at Cornell University made thousands from the GameStop stock price surge and he’s doing something very noble with the money.

The man, Hunter Kahn, told CNN that he used some of his earnings from his GameStop stock to pay for six Nintendo Switch Lite consoles that he donated to the Children’s Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis. Kahn cashed out of his GameStop position last week, earning $30,000 from his investment.

Kahn said in an Instagram post that he felt a duty to pay it forward after making big money from his GameStop stock. “These events have highlighted a lot of corruption and with this transfer of power it is important that we don’t become men in suits ourselves,” he said. “I am proud to announce my humble donation of 6 Nintendo Switches and games to go with them to the Children’s Minnesota Hospital. Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop.”

Kahn also donated games, eShop cards, and screen protectors for a total donation value of about $2,000. The president of the children’s hospital, Jennifer Soderholm, told CNN, “We’re so grateful for this generous donation that will help bring joy to kids at our hospitals, especially during these challenging times.”

“There’s no group of people more deserving of receiving a bunch of video games than some kids going through a hard time,” Kahn told CNN.

Multiple adaptations of the events of the short squeeze are being planned, with James Bond studio MGM picking up rights for a film. Netflix is also producing a movie of its own with the writer of Zero Dark Thirty.

Destruction AllStars Review

Smashing cars into one another is a long-standing institution in video games. From age-old favourites like Burnout and Flatout to more modern entries like Wreckfest, there’s always been that drive to ram steel into steel and blow our opponents into tiny bits of scrap. With PlayStation 5 (and PlayStation Plus) exclusive Destruction AllStars, developer Lucid Games attempts to combine that classic demolition appeal with ideas from contemporaries such as Rocket League, Fortnite, and Overwatch. The result is a competitive car combat game that can have fun bursts of frantic action, but never adds up to much more than that.

The crux of Destruction AllStars is a simple one: drive fast and hit hard. This is often extremely satisfying to do as well, because it makes it easy to push down on the accelerator, line up your target, and then flick the right stick forward to slam into an opposing vehicle. The harder you hit the other car, the more points you’ll get: one point for a light hit, two for a medium one, etc. This scoring system works well as the basis for most of the four modes (more on those later), keeping things for the most part nice and simple when there is so much going on elsewhere on screen, not least the collisions constantly taking place around the gorgeous looking arenas.

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Shamelessly arcadey in its handling, the driving itself is slick and responsive, with different sizes of vehicle feeling appropriately different to maneuver and a tap of the handbrake letting you effortlessly drift around corners to evade chasing cars. The trick in Destruction AllStars is to always be on the move, both so you have the momentum to get higher-scoring hits and so you aren’t a sitting duck for others trying to do the same to you. And that doesn’t only apply to when you’re behind the wheel, but when you’re outside of your car, too.

This is what separates AllStars from most car combat games: the ability to bail out and move around the arena on foot. At its best, this means ejecting yourself from a car before it explodes, flying into the air, and then landing straight into another vehicle, which feels sensational – reminiscent of launching yourself out of the Batmobile in Batman: Arkham Knight. At its worst, however, you’re left running and jumping around in search of a new vehicle while all of the fun is had around you far faster than you can keep up with. The light parkour platforming itself isn’t unenjoyable, thanks in part to wall-running that’s smooth and nimble. It’s just how utterly powerless you feel in comparison to when you’re in a car that’s the problem.

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“Of course you shouldn’t be as powerful as a car when on foot,” I hear you shouting, and you’re not wrong. It makes sense that a human (albeit one with semi-superhuman capabilities) can’t stand toe-to-toe with a hulking piece of 100mph metal, but AllStars sets the wrong expectation by giving you the ability to barge opponents with melee attacks and summon glowing Wolverine-like blades from your hands if you’re Bluefang that sure look like they should do more than scratch the paint. With all of that available you just expect to have more opportunities to use your powers in fun ways, but you can’t really. It’s just one example of where AllStars seems a bit confused as to what it wants to be.

Hey Now, You’re An AllStar

Being on foot gives you a close-up look at AllStars’ diverse cast of 16 playable characters who, while they may not have the depth of similar hero-based games, do have their own abilities and summonable hero cars, and are charming enough in their own way to bring a welcome dose of personality to the proceedings. There’s the catchily named Tw!NkleR10t with her cutesy kitty car Mr Sparkles, and Fuego who, you guessed it, loves fire. But there aren’t really distinctive personalities, just a lot of arguably stereotypical representations: imagine if someone clicked 16 times on a random Overwatch character creator and repainted them using a Fortnite art style and you wouldn’t be far off. They’re flavorful enough to not be generic and inconsequential, but put them in a room full of characters from Bleeding Edge, LawBreakers, and Rogue Company and you’d be hard pressed to pick them out of the crowd without the aid of nametags.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/destruction-allstars-meet-your-allstars-trailer”]

More important than their personalities are the abilities that accompany each AllStar: one when they’re on foot and one when they’re in command of their hero vehicle. The on-foot powers, called Breakers, are triggered by hitting R1 and are often echoes of the hero vehicle abilities but on a much smaller scale, making them largely ineffective. This can range from Shyft’s invisibility to dropping parcels for opponents to trip over as Boxtop. But across the roster, I felt very little impact when using a Breaker, and found their biggest value was the speed boost and double-jump you get when triggering them because those actually make it easier to reach a new vehicle and become relevant to the match again.

As is the case throughout Destruction AllStars, abilities get a lot more interesting once you’re back behind the wheel. After filling up the hero meter over time and boosting that process by collecting shards littered around the arena you can summon your signature vehicle, at which point a lot of fun can be had. These cars’ abilities can be used to devastating effect, and doing so well can often be the difference between winning and losing. They range from the hedgehog-like metal spikes that can jut out of Jian’s car and defend them stoutly to Sgt. Rescue’s smoke bombs that trail him in his wake, hindering opponents’ vision.

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In particular, my favourites so far have been the wolf-themed Lupita, whose sleek car leaves a trail of flames in her wake to damage any driver that runs through them, and Bluefang, who has a burly ride with giant rotating saws on the front that shred anything in its path. I think we can all agree that carving through opponents like they’re made out of papier-mâché while donning a tiger head and leather jacket is a fun time. Anecdotally, it seems fairly well balanced – it’s still very early days balance-wise, and I have been seeing Bluefang frequent the winners podium more than most, but plenty of different characters appear on the victory screen alongside him.

Get Your Game On, Go Play

There are currently four PvP modes to play, which hit and miss to varying degrees. Mayhem, a 16-player free-for-all where the driver with the most points after the six minutes takes the win, is AllStars at its most stripped back and arguably its best. It’s fast, chaotic, and rewards aggressive play with big points for huge collisions and wrecking opposing vehicles. This is also where the varying hero abilities most successfully come into play, offering the chance for dramatic comebacks and blockbuster moments.

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The other (less enjoyable) free-for-all mode is Gridfall, a cross-between sumo wrestling and Fall Guys’ Hex-A-Gone round. Drivers tussle to become the last car standing as sections of the arena floor disappear and beckon you into the depths. I found it hard to have fun consistently since you’ll either fall unceremoniously early or survive long enough to see the action diluted down to a cagey game of cat and mouse towards the end of each match. This mode requires a more deliberate approach to driving and rewards defensive play more than any other, making it feel at odds with the fast and furious nature of AllStars as a whole.

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More in keeping with Mayhem’s mood is the 8v8 Carnado mode, essentially a team-based equivalent with the addition of a 100-foot-tall tornado in the centre of the stadium. You still score points by wrecking enemies, but then have to bank them by driving into the vortex before your car is destroyed by an opponent. It’s fun to play with friends, but lacks any form of real teamwork. It feels like a missed opportunity not to do what other hero-based games like Overwatch do in creating opportunities to let you combine ultimate abilities together for even greater results. For example, having a driver that possessed an ability similar to Zarya’s Graviton Surge that pulls enemies together into the same spot could combine with Bluefang’s Shredder to create highly rewarding moments of play, but they’re all much more independent than that.

The fourth and currently final team-based mode is Stockpile, and unfortunately it’s one I struggled to enjoy at all. Once again you smash into cars, but this time that causes glowing gears to appear on the floor which you must then collect on foot before depositing them in one of three banks around the map. In order to bank these points you must again be on foot and not in your vehicle, which just isn’t fun. It’s bizarre to me that this mode forces you out of your car so much. I guess Lucid Games didn’t learn the lessons taught from Tony Hawk’s Underground, where it was proven conclusively that not being on your wheels is not what people want.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/destruction-allstars-state-of-play-video”]

This isn’t the most baffling design decision that appears to have been made, though. Despite there being 8v8 modes, you can only play in a party up to four players in size – but not only that, you can’t play any of the free-for-all modes with friends at all. This seems like a huge miss as I could see myself having a great time crashing into my pals in the Mayhem mode, delivering a healthy amount of schadenfreude as most great party games do. These restrictive options, combined with a lack of any local multiplayer, makes the experience of playing with friends a shallow one.

Shooting Stars Not Breaking the Mold

If you are playing solo though, alongside the free-for-all modes are the Challenge Series. Each series consists of a string of short events that revolve around a single AllStar (the first being the luchador-garb wearing Ultimo) and offer very, very light bits of story. Most of these events are versions of the multiplayer modes but against AI, but others do re-up a bit. One was a fairly rudimentary time trial that involved moving through gates placed around a multiplayer map, both on foot and in car, before time expired. Another was much more bizarre and quite unexpected: a riff on Crazy Taxi that involved picking up and dropping off NPCs to different points around an arena. I enjoyed it, but it’s hard to know how much of that was just nostalgia for simpler times, especially given how brief it was.

The cosmetics situation in general is pretty poor, with a limited amount of customisation available. In my first roughly seven hours of playing I only gained enough coins to redeem two new outfits for my characters, both of which were just fairly simple colour swaps. It’s a shame that Destruction AllStars looks so visually impressive when all the gears are in motion, but gives you very little to show off within it when trying to add your own dash of personality to the mix.

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AllStars does take advantage of the power of the PS5 to good effect though. The visuals are shiny and sharp throughout with loading times kept to a minimum. It also implements some of the best use of the DualSense’s haptic feedback that I’ve experienced to date, especially when the health of your car gets low and you feel the axles become loose and fragile in the palms of your hands.

Two PC Games Just Went Free on the Epic Games Store

Everyone loves free stuff. And if you have a gaming PC, you can pretty much always find a game or two you can download from a digital storefront for free. Honestly, it’s one of the best perks of playing games on PC. The only problem is it can be tough to keep track of what free games are available at any given time.

We thought we’d make it easy on you. Whenever there’s a free PC game to download at one of the major online stores, we’ll highlight it below. All you have to do is check back often to make sure you get the free PC games you so richly deserve.

Free Games from Epic Game Store

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For years and years, Steam seemed unstoppable. It was the storefront for PC games. How could any company possibly compete with such an entrenched powerhouse? Turns out the answer is: by offering tons of high-quality games for free.

Anyone with an Epic Games Store account can download a free game each week from the online retailer. It’s a heck of a perk, and one you should take advantage of on a weekly basis if you like free games. And who doesn’t?

Free Games from Amazon Prime Gaming

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Amazon Prime members get a batch of free PC games each month. Granted, you need to sign up for Prime, which costs money, but if you’re already a member for the free shipping or Prime Video, you might as well take advantage of the free games each month.

In addition to free PC games each month, Prime members also get in-game items in all kinds of titles, ranging from Destiny 2 and League of Legends to Red Dead Online and Star Wars Squadrons.

Unless you’re really into indie titles, t’s probably not worth signing up for Prime just to get the free games. Prime’s free PC games don’t tend to be as big or well-known as the ones Epic Games Store doles out for free. But if you’re already a Prime member for the many other benefits, there’s no reason not to take a look at what’s on offer each month.

If you don’t have a gaming PC, or you also have a console, you can check out our best PlayStation deals, best Xbox deals, and best Nintendo Switch deals as well. We keep those articles updated with all the best deals on games, consoles, accessories, and more.

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Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Super Bowl 2021 Commercials: The Return of Wayne’s World, Will Ferrell Picks a Fight With Norway, More

As this Sunday’s Big Game approaches, between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, we’ve once again collected and compiled all the pricey ads that have been released online so far – with a big asterisk included this year as many brands are sitting out this round, like Hyundai Coca-Cola, Hulu, Avocados from Mexico, GoDaddy, and Budweiser (though Anheuser-Busch will still be plenty represented).

Still, despite some companies bowing out, there are still a plethora of high-profile ads featuring a parade of celebrities like Will Ferrell, Cardi B, Michael B. Jordan, Jason Alexander, Matthew McConaughey, John Cena, John Travolta, and the return of Wayne’s World (featuring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey)!

Here are all the Super Bowl 55 ads so far…

Uber Eats

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey are back as Wayne and Garth!

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/uber-eats-super-bowl-55-teaser-wayne-and-garth-are-back-ft-mike-myers-and-dana-carvey”]

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/uber-eats-super-bowl-55-commercial-waynes-world-cardi-bs-shameless-manipulation”]

Amazon

Is Michael B. Jordan the perfect body for Alexa?

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/amazon-alexa-super-bowl-55-commercial-alexas-body-ft-michael-b-jordan”]

Tide

You owe your Jason Alexander hoodie and apology…

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/tide-super-bowl-55-commercial-the-jason-alexander-hoodie”]

Cheetos

Caught orange-handed? Here’s Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and Shaggy for Cheetos.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/cheetos-super-bowl-55-commercial-it-wasnt-me-ft-mila-kunis-ashton-kutcher-and-shaggy”]

General Motors

Will Ferrell has a big bone to pick with Norway…

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Squarespace

Dolly Parton offers up a twist on her classic song…

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/squarespace-super-bowl-55-commercial-5-to-9-by-dolly-parton”]

Scotts & Miracle-Gro

John Travolta, Martha Stewart, Carl Weathers, and more help Scotts & Miracle-Gro offer you a chance to win the lawn and garden of your dreams.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/scotts-miracle-gro-super-bowl-55-commercial-keep-growing-ft-john-travolta-martha-stewart-and-more”]

Doritos

Matthew McConaughey isn’t feeling like himself in this Big Game Doritos spot.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/doritos-3d-super-bowl-55-commercial-flat-matthew-ft-matthew-mcconaughey”]

Frito-Lay

Big Game legends Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Jerome Bettis, and Deion Sanders appear in this new poem narrated by Marshawn Lynch, for Frito-Lay.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/frito-lay-super-bowl-55-commercial-twas-the-night-before-super-bowl-ft-marshawn-lynch-peyton-manning-eli-manning-and-more”]

Mountain Dew

John Cena and Mountain Dew offer you a chance to win a million bucks during the Big Game

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/mountain-dew-super-bowl-55-teaser-a-one-million-dollar-tutorial-ft-john-cena”]

Chipotle

Chipotle explains the sustainable impact it’s making through a commitment to Food with Integrity.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/chipotle-super-bowl-55-commercial-can-a-burrito-change-the-world”]

Jimmy John’s

This means war for Brad Garrett’s shady “King of Cold Cuts.”

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/jimmy-johns-super-bowl-55-commercial-meet-the-king-ft-brad-garrett”]

Pringles

With endless flavors to stack, it’s easy to overlook a few things.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/pringles-super-bowl-55-commercial-flavor-stacking-space-return”]

Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer

Don Cheadle helps spot the fakes in this Big Game ad for Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/michelob-ultra-organic-seltzer-super-bowl-55-commercial-all-star-cast-ft-don-cheadle”]

Stella Artois

Lenny Kravitz is here to tell us that we’re all – er – billionaires.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/stella-artois-super-bowl-55-commercial-heartbeat-billionaire-ft-lenny-kravitz”]

Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade

Yeah, 2020 wasn’t the greatest.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/bud-light-seltzer-lemonade-super-bowl-55-commercial-last-years-lemons”]

M&M’s

M&M’s are the perfect way to apologize. Even for eating too many M&M’s.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/mms-super-bowl-55-commercial-come-together-ft-dan-levy”]

Michelob ULTRA

Are you happy because you win, or do you win because you’re happy? Serena Williams, Anthony Davis, and Peyton Manning are featured in this Michelob ULTRA Big Game ad.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/michelob-ultra-super-bowl-55-commercial-happy-ft-serena-williams-anthony-davis-and-peyton-manning”]

Ford

Ford has committed to donating 120 million masks to communities and organizations with limited access to personal protective equipment.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/ford-super-bowl-55-commercial-finish-strong”]

Klarna

Maya Rudolph divides herself into four for this Klarna Big Game spot.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/klarna-super-bowl-55-commercial-the-four-quarter-sized-cowboys-ft-maya-rudolph”]

Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch drives home the message that some of life’s best moments are shared over a beer.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/anheuser-busch-super-bowl-55-commercial-lets-grab-a-beer”]

Toyota

13-time Paralympic gold medalist Jessica Long and Toyota demonstrate an indomitable spirit.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/toyota-super-bowl-55-commercial-jessica-longs-story”]

Huggies

Huggies welcomes a newborn to the new world.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/03/huggies-super-bowl-55-commercial-welcome-to-the-world-baby”]

McDonald’s

McDonald’s would like to thank you for all the drive thru meals (and tunes) in 2020.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/04/mcdonalds-super-bowl-55-commercial-thank-you-for-driving-thru”]

Guinness

The legendary Joe Montana breaks down what it means to the the Greatest of All Time.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/04/guinness-super-bowl-55-commercial-what-does-it-mean-to-be-the-goat-ft-joe-montana”]

Rockstar Energy

Rockstar Energy and Lil Baby let you know that real rock stars don’t chase the spotlight. It chases them.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/04/rockstar-energy-super-bowl-55-commercial-spotlight-ft-lil-baby”]

Dr. Squatch

You’re not a dish, you’re a man!

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/04/dr-squatch-super-bowl-55-commercial”]

IGN will update this list as more ads become available…

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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.

Bill Clinton Launches A Podcast That He Hopes Will Help Unite People

Former US President Bill Clinton is getting in on the podcast craze. The politician has announced a partnership with iHeartMedia and The Clinton Foundation to launch the podcast “Why Am I Telling You This?”

The debut episode is out now, and it sees Clinton interview legendary jazz musician Wynton Marsalis about his life and career. The episode is called “How Jazz Explains Democracy.”

The podcast series aims to explain complicated issues in a relatable way. “Each episode will feature his wide range of interests and well-known intellectual curiosity through conversations and stories with some of the most interesting people he knows about the ideas and issues that shape our interconnected world,” reads a line from the description.

“Growing up in Arkansas just after World War II in a family that didn’t have a lot of money, most of our entertainment revolved around storytelling. Listening to my relatives and neighbors tell stories showed me that everyone has a story, and that everyone’s story has value,” Clinton said. “I always thought that the main point of my work was to give people a chance to have better stories. Once you’ve heard a person’s hopes and fears, where they’ve been and where they want to go, your differences slip away–you become people first. Now more than ever, we need those kinds of connections.”

Podcasts continue to be extremely popular. Spotify–which recently paid Joe Rogan $100 million to bring his show to the platform–just announced that it now hosts 2.2 million podcasts. 25% of all users reported listening to podcasts for the latest period.

Bill Clinton’s new podcast is available on Spotify and everywhere else you get podcasts.

Xbox Controller Drift Lawsuit Ordered To Go To Arbitration

Microsoft recently requested that a class-action lawsuit over Xbox controller drift go to arbitration instead, and a US judge has now granted that request.

VGC reports that Washington Judge Ricardo S. Martinez agreed with Microsoft’s assertion that the plaintiffs had agreed to the Microsoft Services Agreement, which requires arbitration for such disputes. Microsoft had requested arbitration on the basis that agreeing to its terms of service bound the plaintiffs to use arbitration, and that a class-action suit wasn’t even permitted.

“The avid Xbox gamers who bring this lawsuit repeatedly agreed with Microsoft to submit their disputes to a consumer-friendly, individual arbitration process,” the judge wrote. “The Court therefore should compel Plaintiffs to arbitration, where they can litigate their arguments as to scope, unconscionability, and disaffirmance.”

Judge Martinez rejected the plaintiffs’ arguments that would have undone the arbitration requirement, such as the fact that it appeared only online, since product guides enclosed in the controller boxes gave a summary of the arbitration terms.

The suit alleges that Microsoft was aware of the Xbox controller drifting issues and failed to disclose the problem to customers. It claims that many consumers have been complaining of the problem since 2014.

Microsoft does seem at least somewhat aware of the issue, as it extended the Elite 2 controller warranty to reassure a “small percentage” of users experiencing mechanical issues.

Nintendo has also been facing criticism over drift in its Joy-Con controllers, prompting the company to extend service to faulty controllers and an apology from Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa. Valve has also faced its own legal challenges over controllers, recently losing a suit over patent infringement.

Viggo Mortensen Talks About Replacing Another Actor As Aragorn

Viggo Mortensen’s most well-known role is Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings series, but he wasn’t originally even supposed to appear in the fantasy film. Peter Jackson started filming the movie with Irish actor Stuart Townsend in the role, but it was determined that he was too young to be believable, and Mortensen got the call to come to New Zealand and play the role that would go on to define his career.

Mortensen has now reflected on replacing Townsend and his first days on set. Speaking to The Ringer, Mortensen had nothing but praise for Townsend, celebrating his capabilities and pointing out that he has gone on to have a successful career. By the time Mortensen got to set, Townsend was already gone, but it was still awkward.

“He was too young. It was a bad casting idea because he was the same age as the actors playing the Hobbits and Aragorn needed to be a little older,” he said. “So I think that was really the only issue there. I felt uncomfortable, to be honest; I hadn’t had that experience of taking the place of another actor.”

Mortensen said he didn’t get too hung up on this because he was anxious about fitting in with the rest of the cast, some of whom had been on set and training for months.

“They’d been training. And I hadn’t even read that book [The Fellowship of the Ring]. So I’m on the plane going [gestures to flipping through a book],” he said.

Mortensen was quick to embrace The Lord of the Rings, he said, as the stories are not unlike the tales he enjoyed as a child about Viking sagas and Celtic people.

Also in the interview, Mortensen shared a silly story from the early days of filming The Fellowship of the Ring. As part of his sword training, Mortensen kept his blade close to him at all times, and he even took it on a walk down the street outside of the studio. The police got calls about someone brandishing a sword and scaring people, so Mortensen had to inform them it was for a movie so he didn’t get in trouble.

Mortensen is currently out on a press tour promoting his movie, Falling, which marks his directorial debut. He also stars in the movie, and he wrote the script and the music.