Category: Games

The Epic v Apple lawsuit is currently underway, and several very interesting pieces of information about Epic and Apple’s businesses have already come to light. What no one could have expected was that the trial would also reveal that Wal-Mart is apparently working on a games streaming service.

As reported by The Verge, previously confidential Epic emails have detailed the experience of playing Wal-Mart’s service, codenamed Project Storm. Epic co-founder Mark Rein discussed actually going hands-on with Project Storm all the way back in April 2019, right around when rumors of the service first began popping up. In the email thread, Rein described the experience as similar to “playing on PS4 and superior to playing on Android or iOS.”

A handful of other details about the service were revealed as well, although they should be taken with a big grain of salt since these emails were sent in 2019 and Wal-Mart may have significantly shifted its approach since then. However, they still give an interesting glimpse into what may be Wal-Mart’s first big push into the games industry. For example, Rein said that Wal-Mart may sell a clip that can attach to a phone to hold an Xbox controller, and that it would sell the clip for very low prices. In addition, a pitch slide shared in the thread shows that Wal-Mart was trying to get many third-party publishers and developers on board.

The slide also shows that Wal-Mart planned to bring Project Storm to all sorts of different devices, including tablets, phones, and TVs. The diagram also includes what looks like a smart watch, which is obviously unusual considering playing games on a watch would be nearly impossible. In any case, the service seems in theory fairly similar to Amazon Luna or Google Stadia, although Rein said that it might undercut its competitors in price.

Wal-Mart apparently had planned to roll out a beta of the service back in late 2019 or early 2020. However, The Verge report states that the pandemic has put launch plans on hold.

The Epic v Apple lawsuit has just gotten started and is planned to last three weeks. You can check out all of the news from Epic v Apple in our roundup here. In addition, if you want an intro to what’s going on, we’ve put together a primer on the Epic v Apple suit.

Star Wars Day 2021 is in full swing, bringing a slew of deals on Star Wars games, movies, merch, and more. It also tends to bring cool product announcements (like this cool Lego R2-D2 set) and bundles. One of the neatest offers we’ve seen pop up this Star Wars Day is over at Amazon, which is having a huge sale on Star Wars gear today. Only on May the 4th, you can snag this Baby Yoda-themed Fire TV Stick 4K and Echo Dot bundle, complete with Grogu’s pointy ears on the Echo Dot. The brown stand with green ears makes the whole thing look like Baby Yoda’s head is staring right at you.

There are two versions of this bundle depending on which Echo Dot you pick up. The newer 4th Gen Echo Dot bundle is on sale for $109 (was $144) and releases June 10, while the 3rd Gen Echo Dot bundle is only a few bucks cheaper at $104 and available now. These deals are only available today, and it’s unclear how long the bundles will be available at all. If you’re looking to pick up this bundle, you may not want to wait. This would make a perfect gift for any Star Wars fan as well–don’t forget Mother’s Day is coming up this weekend and Father’s Day isn’t far behind. If you or the person you’re shopping for already has an Echo Dot, you can buy the stand separately for $25.

$109 (was $144) | releases June 10

The Echo Dot (4th Gen) bundle features the new spherical Echo Dot, which works really well with the Grogu ears. The Fire TV Stick 4K supports 4K and HDR as well as access to all of the top streaming services, including Disney Plus, Netflix, Apple TV, and more. It also allows for voice control with Alexa. Meanwhile, the 4th Gen Echo Dot released last year is the perfect smart home device, letting you play music, hear the news and weather, set alarms, and more.

$104 (was $134)

Though it’s not much cheaper, this bundle with the 3rd Gen Echo Dot is available now with free shipping by Thursday. The 3rd Gen Echo Dot is very similar in terms of functionality to the 4th Gen version aside from their obvious differences in build. A notable difference is the 4th Gen Dot’s improvement in sound quality due to its forward-firing speaker, making it louder and clearer. Still, if you don’t want to wait until June or like the look of this Dot better, this bundle is certainly an option.

This is just one of the best Star Wars Day deals floating around today. Two of the best Star Wars games in recent years, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Squadrons are down to $15 and $17, respectively, at Best Buy today. Star Wars 4K Blu-rays are steeply discounted to $17 each at Amazon, and GameStop has a bunch of Star Wars collectible deals, including this very strange Tauntaun sleeping bag.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

8Bitdo has made a name for itself by producing quality controllers for a range of consoles, but few are as revered as its range for Nintendo Switch. Especially since the Nintendo Switch’ default D-Pad is so unreliable, alternatives have become sought after for precise 2D titles, with 8Bitdo delivering where it matters. Case and point, the 8Bitdo Lite Bluetooth Gamepad, which works with a range of devices including the Switch and Switch Lite, and is on sale today for more than 10% off, discounted to $21.10 at Amazon.

$21.10 (was $25)

The small pad might remind you of the Wii U controller in terms of shape, but it’s designed with 2D titles in mind. The two thumbsticks are absent, instead replaced by asymmetric D-Pads that will give you the accuracy you crave in classic Super Mario Bros. games or more modern platforms like Celeste. The rear buttons and bumpers are also no longer atop one another, with ZL and ZR being pushed to the side to accommodate the thinner, smaller chassis.

This controller isn’t just designed for the Switch though. 8Bitdo says that you’ll be able to easily pair it with Windows, too, letting you play games off Steam, the Epic Games Store, and more. There’s also native support for Raspberry Pi, which might make it a great choice for any retro emulated titles you might have ready and waiting.

The 8Bitdo Lite Bluetooth Gamepad isn’t the only controller on sale at Amazon today either. If you’re looking to celebrate the launch of New Pokemon Snap, Hori has a deal on its Nintendo Switch D-Pad Controller with a nice black and yellow Pikachu aesthetic, which also comes with an improved D-Pad. PowerA also has a more traditional wireless controller for the Nintendo Switch on sale, with green Legend of Zelda-inspired Enhanced Wireless Controller on sale for just under $40.

The latest update for Red Dead Online has arrived, and this week will see big cash rewards handed out to players who engage in exploration and free roam missions. Developer Rockstar Games detailed all of this week’s updates and more in a new blog post that you can read highlights of below.

Bonuses for hunting legendary animals this week

Hunting down and skinning any Legendary animal this week from free roam or the Sighting mission will earn players 100 rounds of Nitro Express ammo for the Elephant rifle, and weight management tonics. Bringing the carcass of the prey to Gus’ Store will also see players rewarded with two fast travel rewards and a Snowy Egret Plume. On top of that, crafted trinkets and coats will result in a 40% discount off of an established or distinguished Naturalist item in stock.

Hunter and Naturalist players also receive a reward for 1,000 Naturalist XP and 5 Animal Revivers as further incentive, and Harriet Davenport’s store will reduce the price of the Naturalist’s sample kit by five gold bars for the next week.

Double rewards on free roam missions

Any orange-icon free roam mission this week will see players given double the usual cash for their efforts.

Sales and discounts

This week’s cash-savings from Wheeler, Rawson, and Co. stores include plenty of discounts on fashion, blankets, and a chance to grab a new horse at a reduced cost. If you’re worried about bandits ruining your day, you can also save big on various rifles this week.

• Andalusian Horses – 40% discount
• American Paint Horses – 40% discount
• Caracano Rifle – 30% discount
• Elephant Rifle – 30% discount
• Springfield Rifle – 30% discount
• Bolt Action Rifle – 30% discount
• Varmint Rifle – 30% discount
• Rolling Block Rifle – 30% discount
• All blankets, horns, and bedrolls – 50% discount
• All coats – 30% discount
• Gus’ improved bow variants, trinkets, and gauntlets – 30% discount
• Wilderness camp – 40% discount
• Fast travel post – 30% discount

Limited time items

• Fanned Stovepipe hat
• Eberhart coat
• Macbay jacket
• Chambliss corset
• Danube outfit

Prime Gaming Benefits

Red Dead Online players who connect their Rockstar Games Social Club account to Prime Gaming will receive a free Bounty Hunter license and a free Trimmed Amethyst bounty wagon livery. Connecting before May 10 also unlocks a free Varmint rifle, 30% off the Hunting Wagon, and 50 free Trader Goods.

Red Dead Redemption 2 has one of Rockstar’s biggest critical and commercial hits since it launched in 2018, selling more than 36 million copies so far. If you’re interested in trying the game out and you have an Xbox One or an Xbox Series X|S console, Red Dead Online will be available for download as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription offerings from May 13.

Now Playing: Firearms Expert Reacts To Red Dead Redemption 2’s Guns

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

May the 4th be with you. You’ll see people online writing that every single year on this date, and it seems a little weird, right? It feels weird to write it today. Every year, May 4 is widely considered to be Star Wars Day, where fans across the globe celebrate the sci-fi franchise. But what does it mean and where does it come from?

Star Wars: A New Hope hit theaters on May 25, 1977. The movie was a smashing success making over $775 million globally. Keep in mind, this is 1977 and getting close to that $1 billion mark during that time was huge. It was already a cultural phenomenon, just after one movie. And 44 years later, it’s still going strong.

Obviously, the phrase “May the 4th be with you” is based on “May the Force be with you,” something said numerous times in the Star Wars films. However, the phrase “May the fourth be with you” has some pretty interesting origins. It wasn’t someone from the world of Star Wars that coined the phrase. Back on May 4, 1979, to celebrate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s victory, her political party took out an ad in the London Evening News which said, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.” While we couldn’t find an archived copy of that edition, Star Wars backs it up.

The phrase found its way into pop culture through various TV shows, books, and once again, the British government, but Star Wars Day didn’t officially arrive until 2011. Sean Ward and Alice Quinn put together a celebration of all things Star Wars in Toronto, Canada. One year later, Star Wars Day happened again in Toronto with the same founders at the Toronto Underground Cinema, but this time, it caught the eye of the media, boosting its signal. Also, you get some real wonderful and cheesy CG of a local news reporter holding a lightsaber.

The event featured screenings of fan films, trivia, a costume contest, and more. It also had its first celebrity guest: Chad Vader, a supermarket employee who wears a Darth Vader uniform that was a YouTube sensation in 2011. The origins to this being a celebrated fan holiday really start with Ward and Quinn’s work in Toronto.

In 2013, Disney officially recognized Star Wars Day for May 4–just months after Disney purchased Lucasfilm. Since then, the day has been about celebration of the franchise, release of new collectibles, and in 2021, Disney+ launched the first episode of its new original series, Star Wars: The Bad Batch–a spinoff of the wildly-popular The Clone Wars animated show.

If you need more Star Wars in your life right now, there are a lot of cool deals you can check out, like all the games and collectibles discounts for various Star Wars products. Palpatine’s Force FX Lightsaber is on sale for 50% off today, and speaking of lightsabers, Disney recently revealed a working lightsaber in a new video.

The first footage of Disney’s working lightsaber is here. The highly realistic Jedi weapon has been revealed as part of Star Wars Day celebrations.

The lightsaber was teased last month, during a Disney Parks press event. The footage arrives via a tweet from Disney Parks, promoting the “all-immersive vacation experience” Galactic Starcruiser, which opens at Walt Disney World in Florida next year.

The lightsaber itself is being held by an actor dressed at Rey, and it looks amazingly realistic, from the retractable glowing blade to the very familiar sound. Check it out below:

Disney hasn’t yet confirmed if the lightsaber will be available to buy, or if it will just be part of the Galactic Starcruiser attraction. According to the Starcruiser website, one of the experiences that guests can enjoy while staying there is learning the “traditional art of wielding a lightsaber.”

Galactic Starcruiser was first announced in 2020, and the website has been recently updated to show what fans can enjoy when the resort opens. Upon their arrival they will “jump to hyperspace and rendezvous with the Halcyon starcruiser,” before entering the Atrium, which is “the heart of the Halcyon starcruiser, a welcoming place where crew and passengers gather.” Additional experiences include operating the ship’s navigation, relaxing in the Sublight Lounge, and enjoying dinner in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room.

For more Star Wars coverage on GameSpot, check out our guides on how to watch The Bad Batch on Disney+, the best Star Wars deals, and how to buy a replica of Palpatine’s lightsaber with 50% off.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Google Stadia’s head of product has left the company. John Justice, who was also a vice president at Google, is no longer working with the technology giant.

He joined Google in 2019 and worked on the Stadia team where he oversaw the consumer experience. A spokesperson for Google confirmed his departure to 9to5Google. “We can confirm John is no longer with Google and we wish him well on his next step,” the company said. There is no word yet, however, on what Justice may do next.

Stadia was recently updated with a search bar, while the service also got a sort/filter feature to help users find games more easily.

Stadia has been in the news a lot so far in 2021. In February, Google made the surprise announcement that it was closing its two game development studios, with 150 jobs impacted. While Google may no longer develop games itself, the company will release more than 100 titles on Stadia this year. One of the most high-profile releases so far in 2021 was Outriders, which launched on Stadia day and date with other platforms.

Assassin’s Creed veteran Jade Raymond was heading up one of Google’s internal game studios, and she’s now started a new company and reached a deal with PlayStation. The studio is making an original IP for Sony.