Category: Games

The first poster for Pixar’s new movie Luca has been released. The film hits theaters on June 18, and the first trailer will be released tomorrow, February 25.

The Luca poster shows the movie’s titular main character, a boy who lives in a small Italian seaside town, floating in a beautiful blue sea and looking up at the sky. But if you look below the surface, you’ll notice something strange about him. Check it out below:

The film focuses on the friendship between Luca and another boy named Alberto during one summer on the Italian Riviera. But the two boys share a secret–they are both sea monsters from an aquatic world deep in the ocean. Luca is directed by Enrico Casarosa, who previously worked in the art department on the Pixar movies Coco, Up, and Ratatouille. No cast has been announced for the movie yet, but hopefully we’ll find out more when the trailer arrives this week.

In a statement released by Pixar when the movie was first announced last year, Casarosa spoke about his personal connection to the film. “This is a deeply personal story for me, not only because it’s set on the Italian Riviera where I grew up, but because at the core of this film is a celebration of friendship,” he said. “Childhood friendships often set the course of who we want to become and it is those bonds that are at the heart of our story in Luca. So in addition to the beauty and charm of the Italian seaside, our film will feature an unforgettable summer adventure that will fundamentally change Luca.”

In related news, Disney’s animated fantasy Raya and the Last Dragon will be released next month. The film will be a simultaneous release with theaters and Disney+ Premium Access, and it arrives on March 5.

Veteran movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer, known for producing the Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure films, has joined the board of directors for another game studio.

Bruckheimer is now a board member at Skillz, a mobile games platform company that recently announced a game jam with the NFL to create more arcade-style football games.

In a statement, Skillz pointed out that this is Bruckheimer’s first board of directors position for a publicly traded company; Skillz went public back in December.

It’s not Bruckheimer’s first board member position for a game company, however, as Bruckheimer is also a member of the ZeniMax board of directors. Bethesda marketing boss Pete Hines confirmed to GameSpot on Wednesday that Bruckheimer remains on ZeniMax’s board.

“Skillz puts the excitement and competitive drama of esports into the hands of billions of people around the world,” Bruckheimer said. “And I’m excited to join the company defining the future of interactive entertainment.”

Skillz CEO Andrew Paradise said in a statement that he’s excited for Bruckheimer to join the Skillz board to help the company “reach and engage his biggest audience yet.”

Bruckheimer opened his own game company, Bruckheimer Games, in 2007. The studio’s directive was to come up with game ideas and then have other people develop them. Bruckheimer Games closed in 2013 after releasing no games.

According to Skillz, mobile gaming is poised for lots of growth in the future, projected to reach $150 billion in revenue by 2025. In related news, Activision Blizzard has said mobile is the company’s biggest platform by revenue, which is why it’s bringing more games to mobile.

Electronic Arts also sees a lot of growth potential for mobile, a category that is already bigger and more important than console and PC.

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Jim Bell, who served as the chief financial officer and executive vice president at GameStop has resigned from both roles and will depart on March 26, Gamasutra reports. No reason has been given for his departure.

GameStop announced Bell’s departure in a press release, noting that he had seen the company through the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic. During much of his time at the company, GameStop was carrying out an ongoing transformation plan as it struggled to compete with the dominance of software game sales and online retailers like Amazon.

While the company saw a boost from the release of a new generation of consoles, the increasing focus on diskless consoles bodes poorly for the future of traditional games retailers. The company has now closed hundreds of stores and more dramatic changes are seemingly in store, with ecommerce-favoring investor Ryan Cohen now on the board of directors.

The outgoing CFO also oversaw the company’s finances during a Reddit-led stock market upheaval that saw GameStop’s stock price rocket to over $400 and then settle back to $50 over the course of one tumultuous week. The company itself was unable to capitalize on the sudden rally due to regulatory concerns.

The press release states that senior vice president and chief accounting officer Diana Jajeh will step up as interim CFO if a permanent hire hasn’t been made by the time of Bell’s departure on March 26.

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The Legend of Zelda isn’t the only major Nintendo franchise celebrating an anniversary this year: Pokemon’s 25th anniversary is this Saturday, February 27, marking 25 years since the release of Pokemon Red and Green in Japan. However, the celebrations have begun early with all sorts of freebies, new product announcements, and more. If you’re looking to pick up a new Pokemon game or snag some collectibles, now’s a great time to do so as well, as many retailers are offering deals on Pokemon Switch games and merch right now.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best Pokemon deals floating around this week ahead of the official 25th-anniversary celebration. GameStop is worth checking out this week in particular, as it’s running a big sale on Pokemon apparel, Funko Pops, and other collectibles–though many things are already starting to sell out.

Plus, be sure to catch up on all the latest Pokemon anniversary news, including this Saturday’s virtual Post Malone concert, the free special Pikachu available in Pokemon Sword and Shield, the McDonald’s new Pokemon Happy Meals, and the Levi’s x Pokemon apparel line.

$45 (was $60)

Last year’s Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is secretly one of the best Pokemon games available on Nintendo Switch. A remake of 2006’s Red Rescue Team (Game Boy Advance) and Blue Rescue Team (Nintendo DS), Rescue Team DX gives the first game in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon spin-off series a modern makeover with a gorgeous watercolor-esque art style and multiple gameplay improvements. However, the roguelike dungeon-crawling gameplay and fantastic story about a human-turned-Pokemon remain the same. If you’re looking for a new game to scratch that Pokemon itch before New Pokemon Snap arrives, give Rescue Team DX a try. It’s on sale for $45 right now, a rare discount for the Switch title.

$45 each (was $60)

Aimed at those who are new to mainline Pokemon games, Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee and Let’s Go, Pikachu offer a trip back to Gen 1’s Kanto region, reimagined with modern 3D visuals and Pokemon Go-inspired catching mechanics. Each game is on sale for $45, and while we’ve seen these games go for as low as $30 during Black Friday sales, you don’t see them on sale too often throughout the year.

$45 (was $60)

Despite being released in 2017 as an enhanced port for Nintendo Switch, Pokken Tournament DX is rarely included in Switch game sales, for some reason. This week, however, you can snap a copy of the Tekken-inspired arena fighting game for $45, down from $60.

$49.94 each (was $60)

Pokemon Sword and Shield are, of course, the most recent mainline games in the series, and they’re currently on sale for $10 off at Walmart. Since release, Sword and Shield have received two major expansions: The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, which are available with an expansion pass.

$60 with free double-sided poster when you preorder

Despite this year marking Pokemon’s 25th anniversary, only one new Pokemon title is confirmed to release this year so far: New Pokemon Snap, a sequel to 1999’s N64 Pokemon photography game. While no discounts are available this week, there’s a preorder bonus available at GameStop, where you can get a double-sided poster with your copy of the game.

$40 (was $48)

Some of the newest Pokemon Funko Pops are available in a bundle at GameStop this week, and it’s even on sale. Ponyta, Raichu, metallic Pikachu, and adorable little Mew are the latest Pokemon vinyl figures, and you can get all four of them for $40 (down from $48).

$28 (was $40)

On the topic of Funko Pops: GameStop’s Pokemon Funko collector’s box is also discounted this week as part of the retailer’s anniversary celebrations. For $28, you’ll get an assortment of figures, key chains, stickers, and pins inspired by two of Gen 1’s most iconic Pokemon: Pikachu and Squirtle.

$32 (was $40)

Who can resist this adorable Gengar’s devilish grin and oh-so-huggable shape? If this Ghost-type Pokemon is your favorite, you can add this 24-inch Gengar plush to your collection for $32.

$13.59 (was $17)

This Bandai Spirits model kit features two of Pokemon’s best dragons: Charizard and Dragonite. When assembled, each figure stands at over 3 inches tall and has limited articulation. These would make a great gift for young Pokemon fans–or to add to your own shelf.

$28.75 (was $50)

While the GameCube’s Super Smash Bros. Melee is nearly 20 years old, some Smash fans still prefer the feel of a GameCube controller when playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the newest game in the series. PowerA’s wireless GameCube-style Switch controllers are made for those looking to use the classic controller with Ultimate on Switch, and they include a larger D-pad and left-shoulder button as well. The Pikachu-style controller is on sale for $28.75 this week. Note that it uses AA batteries (and comes with two), though PowerA promises up to 30 hours of gameplay.

The MCU’s third Spider-Man movie has been given not one but two titles thanks to stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon’s posts on Instagram, which have dubbed the movie Spider-Man: Home-Wrecker, Spider-Man: Home Slice, and Spider-Man: Phone Home, as well as teasing photos of Peter, MJ, and Ned from the movie.

And it’s not just the subtitles that contradict one another–the logo treatment in either post is completely different with Phone Home boasting some very green (Green Goblin, perhaps?) and yellow colors, Home Slice having a more vibrant pinkish purple loo, and Home-Wrecker going for a much more understated grey with blue and red drop shadows.

The movie stills show Ned, Peter, and MJ in what looks like a dilapidated building, with one room at least partially covered in snow and another apparently some sort of basement.

Tom Holland may be a Marvel Cinematic Universe darling as Peter Parker, but he’s also notorious for “accidentally” leaking critical information about his projects on social media–so much so that Marvel Studios has made his infamously bad secret-keeping something of a bit for major announcements–but the added layer of Batalon’s contradictory post does make this something of a head-scratcher.

It could be a nod to the multiverse–a concept that the MCU is introducing through shows like WandaVision and upcoming films like Dr. Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness–after all, a movie with a multiversal spin could definitely have two (or more) completely different titles. This could make sense, given the casting rumors swirling around the project and potential returns for former Spiders-Men like Andrew Garfield and Toby McGuire–though Holland himself has spoken out against the buzz.

Tom Holland is scheduled to appear on Jimmy Fallon tonight at 11:30pm. These teasers could hint at the real title may be revealed during the show, so Spider-fans may want to keep their eyes peeled.

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Character themes do a lot of heavy lifting, whether it’s Danny Elfman’s dark Batman theme, the mournful Binary Sunset from Star Wars, or a classic sitcom intro, they tell us a lot about a character in just a few seconds. One of the best and funniest character tracks, which debuted in WandaVision Episode 7 last week, is now available on Spotify.

Spoilers follow for WandaVision Episode 7.

While Wanda’s emotional arc is certainly about her coping with the death of her robot boyfriend, Vision, there’s more going on behind the scenes. It turns out that one Agatha Harkness has been pulling strings behind the scenes all along.

The track, titled “Agatha All Along” was written by Kristen-Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez, and sung by actress Kathryn Hahn, who plays Agatha on the show, and has a distinctively Munsters/spooky surf guitar sound to it.

Agatha began her run on WandaVision as Agnes, the nosy neighbor that had way too much personality to be just a neighbor. Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” brought Wanda’s world in the 2000s with an Office-style theme song and “confessional cam” moments for Wanda and Vision. As Wanda explored her increasingly unstable home, though, she finally discovered that, along with everything going inside her head, her neighbor Agnes is a powerful sorceress named Agatha Harkness.

In the comics, Agatha is sometimes friend, sometimes enemy for the powerful Wanda Maximoff. She has trained Wanda in using her Chaos Magic, and is the one who reveals to Wanda that her seemingly impossible children (robots can’t have babies, after all) are left-over soul fragments from Mephisto, Marvel’s Satan-equivalent. Wanda and Agatha’s track record in the comics could point us toward what happens in the final two episodes of WandaVision. Until then, we’ll have to listen to this absolute banger of a song over and over. WandaVision Episode 8 hits Disney+ this Friday, February 26.