Actor, writer, director, comedian, and musician Bo Burnham has filmed a new special that will come to Netflix later this year. The special is called “Inside.”
“Hi. I made a new special. It was filmed by me, alone, without a crew or an audience, over the course of the past year. It is almost finished. I hope you like it,” Burnham said on Twitter.
A teaser video for the special shows a clean-shaven Burnham playing piano in a dark room before cutting to a tighter shot of Burnham with a quarantine beard and longer hair.
Inside is Burnham’s third major comedy special, following Make Happy and What. Each was critically well-received, so expectations will be high for Inside.
hi. i made a new special. it was filmed by me, alone, without a crew or an audience, over the course of the past year. it is almost finished. i hope you like it. pic.twitter.com/5a59IUrzVj
Burnham recently starred in Promising Young Woman opposite Carey Mulligan. He’s also lined up to play Larry Bird in an upcoming HBO series.
Burnham made his directorial debut with 2018’s Eighth Grade, which was a critical sensation and earn a Golden Globe nomination. Unlike some of his earlier work, Eighth Grade was essentially a drama.
It’s no secret that the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have been nearly impossible to find over the last six months, and many of those looking to jump into the next generation haven’t been able to do so. The consoles are almost never available in retail stores, and online supply has been limited–and often quickly snagged by those who plan to sell it later for a higher price. But just why does the problem seem to be this bad compared to other console launches? Is it the pandemic, massive demand, or something else entirely? We spoke to the experts to get a clearer picture of the problem and when it might be resolved.
The world doesn’t just provide you with chips
According to IDC’s gaming research director, Lewis Ward, low inventory of microprocessors and Intel’s slower transition to the 10nm process for semiconductors (though both new consoles use AMD chips, which were also affected) played a role in supply issues more generally in the tech industry. And for Microsoft and Sony, the targets they set in place for console production were thrown into a “semi-chaotic state” by the pandemic.
“As a general rule, it’s pretty tough to radically change production schedules and related contract terms,” Ward told GameSpot.
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Speaking to GameSpot, NPD’s Mat Piscatella echoed Ward regarding the inventory issues related to semiconductors, adding that during normal conditions, increased demand for these components could be met by ramping up production, but this is much more difficult during a pandemic.
Semiconductors have been in such short supply that the Biden administration announced it would be looking into the situation. The components are used in a wide variety of industries, including video games as well as automobiles. Electric vehicles were hit particularly hard by the shortage, and the 100-day review of the problem is ongoing. Since 2020, the problem has gotten worse, with major automotive manufacturers decreasing profit projections as a result.
In the past, Microsoft has said it’s trying to ramp up Xbox Series X|S production to better meet demand, talking to production partners like AMD to see what can be done about the situation. Only Nintendo uses Nvidia for its chips, and though Nvidia isn’t immune to the same sort of problems facing AMD, the Switch’s technology is also older. For now, Nintendo has enough supplies to keep making the system, though that could change later this year. Neither Nvidia nor AMD see a clear end to their GPU supply shortage, with Nvidia predicting it will last until the end of 2021 at a minimum. Even PC GPU cards are currently hard to find, with older models being offered to help keep up with customers’ demand.
A loss on every console sold
A failure to make enough supply to meet demand is not exactly the end of the world for Microsoft or Sony. With early profit margins often very small–and the PS5 confirmed to be selling at a loss right now–neither company has much to gain by overextending itself to acquire the components it needs to supercharge production. Making more consoles will obviously let more players buy them, but that also means losing another small amount of cash every time it sells a unit (though it also opens the door to earning revenue on games and services). And with demand still so high, it may make more sense for the companies to stay conservative until component costs have dropped enough for each sale to be profitable.
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“Both companies, I believe, think that those buyers will still be there in late 2021 and 2022, at which point their profit margins on hardware bundles made will be more favorable,” Ward said.
Bots and re-sellers ruining everyone’s fun
Should demand still be high by the time supply does start to increase, it could finally spell doom for the re-sellers who have made use of bots to scoop up limited supplies and mark up the prices during the system’s first six months on sale. They’ve shown little sign of slowing down, with the console still listed for hundreds of dollars above their MSRP and retailers like GameStop offering them in expensive bundles with accessories and games you probably don’t want. Those who can find one at the standard price are generally refreshing listing pages to purchase them as soon as they’re in stock again.
In the past, re-sellers have even taken advantage of loopholes in certain retailers’ systems to let them buy consoles before they went on sale to everyone else, such as at the UK-based Argos. By the time they were scheduled to go on sale, they were already gone.
Were the systems being sold widely in retail stores, this would be less of an issue. The pandemic has limited this, and for 2020, several stores pledged not to sell the Xbox Series X|S or PS5 in brick-and-mortar locations at all. As long as COVID limits in-person shopping, re-sellers will continue to have an easier time getting the consoles first.
An unpredictable future
Neither analyst is certain when the situation will start to resolve itself, but the consensus seems to be that it won’t be soon. For the remainder of 2021, both could be scarce, though Piscatella views the more flexible company as the one that will fare the best here.
“Things continue to change quickly. Those companies that can best adapt to these incredible challenges will have the most success,” he said.
That success could take many forms. As of now, despite the pandemic, the PS5 has sold more units in its first five months than any system in US history, with about 7.8 million sold so far.
Microsoft, meanwhile, has a more multifaceted strategy, selling multiple systems and pushing its Xbox Game Pass service, and though one analyst has suggested only one Xbox system is being sold for every two PS5 systems, gaming revenue is way up for Microsoft. Even for those without a console, they can still play games via xCloud streaming. That feature just so happened to start a beta period for iOS users this past week, keeping them up to date on new Xbox games before they’re able to play them locally on a console.
Though the consoles are still hard to come by for many, one piece of solace for interested players could be the game lineup. Problems brought on by the pandemic and work-from-home setups have caused many games to get delayed. By the time you get a console, there might actually be a more steady stream of games to play on it.
Some Apex Legends players are resorting to devious methods to help farm kills in Ranked by luring teammates to enemy squads, effectively trapping them in death loops.
First noticed by Eurogamer, various players took to the game’s subreddit to decry the issue. Called “ranked kidnapping,” it’s a form of stat boosting that sees teams lure one of their squamates to other enemy players, who are usually located near a respawn beacon. What results is an endless death loop: One player is killed by an enemy team, only to then be revived and redeployed by their allies for the process to repeat ad nauseam.
Reddit user MohSSEEZZ posted a clip of their “ranked kidnapping” in action, in which they got teamed up on by their two random allies in Diamond ranked. The culprits, aligned with the enemy squad, led MohSSEEZZ to an encampment on the map only for them to be shot dead by the opposing players. This apparently happened two more times before MohSSEEZZ chose to leave the ranked game, suffering an abandonment penalty.
Other Redditors chimed in on MohSSEEZZ’s post, saying a similar situation happened to them in Ranked. One player said they started “running into people doing this repeatedly” across multiple games when they hit Diamond Rank 2. Another suggested they played with the same culprits who got MohSSEEZZ the first time.
This form of cheating is the most recent ailment plaguing the Apex Legends community. Developer Respawn Entertainment has been cooking up a “console reckoning” for players participating in DDoS attacks and other cheaters.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ 1.10 update has arrived, and it’s added a couple of new limited-time seasonal items to the game. To celebrate the Japanese holiday Children’s Day, you can pick up a carp banner and newsprint helmet right now from Nook Shopping.
Both items will be available to purchase through May 5. The carp banner runs for 5,500 bells, while the newsprint helmet only costs 120. To order them, you’ll first need to access Nook Shopping either from your NookPhone or the Nook Stop terminal in your Resident Services building, then open the Special Goods catalog. The Children’s Day items will be listed in the Seasonal tab.
Carp banner and newsprint helmet
You also still have a few more days to pick up the prom seasonal items. Nook Shopping is selling a prom sash, wallpaper, and flooring through April 30. The Able Sisters’ shop also has a handful of prom-themed clothing items and accessories for sale until the end of the month.
There are more seasonal items on the horizon. Later in May, Nook Shopping will also stock items celebrating Mother’s Day and UK’s Cheese Rolling event, while Father’s Day items will be available throughout June.
In addition to the new seasonal items, New Horizons’ 1.10 update is bringing back a trio of previous events with some “new wrinkles.” From April 29 to May 7, you’ll be able to embark on another special island tour for May Day. This time, the island you visit will be completely different from the one that was featured last year. The Museum Stamp Rally is also returning later in the month, and you’ll be able to take wedding photos for Cyrus and Reese all throughout June.
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Sony has announced the next batch of PlayStation Plus freebies, and once again, the list includes one PS5 game and two PS4 games. PS5 users can snag Wreckfest, a fun demolition derby game that originally released in 2018. Curiously, Wreckfest’s PS5 update wasn’t slated to launch until June, so it seems that date has been bumped up. First-person shooter Battlefield 5 and open-world survival game Stranded Deep round out May 2021’s PS Plus offerings.
Metro Exodus is getting a big upgrade aimed at pushing your gaming PC to its limit. The Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition is coming May 6 and will be free to anyone who owns the original release across Steam, the Epic Games Store, Good Old Games, and the Microsoft Store.
According to the announcement through the official site, this version of the game will offer advanced ray tracing reflections and support for DLSS2.0 on Nvidia hardware. In fact, the announcement notes that this update will require a ray tracing capable GPU as a minimum spec. That means that currently, only players with an RTX 20/30 series or AMD 6000 series GPUs will even be able to run it.
An attached FAQ puts a fine point on it, stating that you cannot run it with ray tracing turned off. It will only be available on PCs, so it’s not coming to Mac, Linux, or the streaming services Stadia or Luna. It also notes that it doesn’t plan to add AMD Super Resolution, and it isn’t planning to go back and add ray tracing to Metro Redux.
Almost every version of the update will transfer saves from the original release, so you’ll be able to access chapter saves but not progress inside of a level since that will remain on the version it was created on. The one exception is the Microsoft Store version, which does not support save transfers. The install will be roughly 72 GB for the base game, and about 80 GB with all of its attached DLC.
“At first glance, Metro Exodus gives you that wide-open, free, and dangerous world unbound by tunnels, though the scope of its tale focuses on what drives you personally and the lengths you’re willing to go to protect what matters most,” Michael Higham wrote in GameSpot’s original Metro Exodus review. “The open sandboxes may not be strongest addition, but the game still embraces the sense of vulnerability and post-apocalyptic terror alongside impactful weapons used in refined combat and stealth scenarios. You may miss the mystery and intrigue of the previous games, but Exodus puts together a charismatic crew of friends and family that you’ll want to follow to the ends of the earth.”
A new patch is now available for Call of Duty: Warzone, while Activision has also said it is considering its options for the Hunt for Adler event due to issues that prevented some players from completing it.
One of the biggest changes for the new patch is that it eliminates the out-of-bounds glitches that players could previously take advantage of. As many videos displayed, players could relatively easily get below the map and pick off players who never saw them coming.
This new patch also reduces the size of the first and second gas circles for Verdansk Resurgence, while it shuts off mic support at the end of matches for modes with respawning.
As for the Hunt for Adler event, the new update fixes a bug that could cause the game to fail to properly track the challenge. The update also addresses an issue that could cause Intel to spawn outside the playable area. Due to these issues, and others, some people have been unable to complete the Hunt for Adler event and earn the special rewards.
Developer Raven Software said on Twitter that it wants to give everyone “ample opportunity” to finish the challenges, so it’s considering “several options” for how to do so. The simplest solution sounds like it could be to extend the duration of the event, but Raven said it will share more information later.
Looking ahead, Activision previewed some changes coming to weapon balance in a future update. The CR-56 AMAX, FARA 83, and Bullfrog are all getting unspecified balance changes, while the ADS firing speed for Cold War attachments will be changed as well.
The sizes of the first and second circles have been reduced for Verdansk Resurgence.
End-of-game open mic has been turned off for modes with infinite respawn mechanics. This was intended to take effect with the release of Season Three last week.
BUG FIXES
“Hunt for Adler” Limited-Time Event
Fixed a bug with Challenge completion not tracking as intended.
Fixed a bug causing Intel to spawn outside of the playable map.
Fixed several map locations in Verdansk that allowed players to reach out-of-bounds areas.
Fixed a bug that would cause gas mask overlays to remain on screen indefinitely if a player exited the gas as their gas mask was fully depleted.
Fixed a bug where the epic loot M82 Semi-Auto Sniper was incorrectly labeled as thermal.
Fixed a bug where the Modern Warfare “Razorwire” Submachine Gun Charlie blueprint could appear in loot caches.
The R1 Shadowhunter Crossbow has had its reload audio restored.
Fixed a bug that disallowed players from exiting the plane in Battle Royale Practice mode.
The explosion in Verdansk’s vista no longer dances around when viewed from different angles.
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Just because you’re a popular and famous movie star doesn’t mean you get special treatment at IHOP. TikTok user and IHOP employee Dayanna Rodas told Adam Sandler that he’d have to wait 30 minutes for a table, and her subsequent TikTok about the encounter has now gone viral.
Rodad has no idea who she was talking to when Sandler arrived, masked, with his daughter in her IHOP branch. The star clearly had no intention of hanging around that long for pancakes, so left straightaway.
Rodad’s TikTok shows security footage of the brief encounter, which she captioned with “Not realizing its Adam Sandler and telling him it’s a 30min wait and him ofc leaving bc he’s not going to wait 30mins for IHOP.” She added “Pleaseee come back,” under the video.
Ever since Rodad posted the video, it has gone viral, with two million likes and over 15,000 comments. In a follow-up TikTok, Rodad looks astonished and states “I didn’t think it was going to go viral!” It’s unknown where Sandler and his daughter ended up eating.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Sandler’s production company Happy Madison is making a football movie titled Home Team. Kevin James is rumored to have been cast as New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, but it’s unknown if Sandler himself will appear.
The latest and last Spire Quest of Fortnite Season 6 is here, and in it, you will take on Raz, the thief and hopeful island disruptor. Allied with Jonesy, you can’t let Raz get away with his master plan, but the boss battle with him at The Spire has proven challenging for many players. Thankfully, some outside-the-box thinking has revealed how to defeat Raz with one hit.
How To Defeat Raz With One Hit
Raz is harder than the usual Tower Guardians not just because he has more health than they do, but because he’s also got a lethal energy beam ability that quickly depletes the health bars of anyone within his range. For that reason, it’s been recommended that you keep your distance when taking him on. That was before some innovative players took him on with nothing more than a height advantage and a harpoon gun.
By getting the height advantage, you’re more likely to sneak up on Raz, and from there all you need is to harpoon him once. The gun will yank Raz toward you, doing 75 damage instantly, which is really nothing in the grand scheme of things, but when Raz crashes back to earth, the fall damage will wipe him out.
Then all you need to do is collect the Spire Artifact he drops when defeated and you’ll have reached the end of the season-long Spire Quest arc. Raz can only be defeated once per round, so you’ll still need to be quick, as he’s been a very popular target since this week’s 16.30 update.
We suggest looking around the river for fishing barrels, some of which will inevitably contain a harpoon gun. Then build up to Raz as stealthily as you can, get the drop on him, and go fishing.
If you need to complete the rest of this week’s challenges, we’ve got a full rundown of the Spire Quest as well as the new Neymar Jr. challenges.
Starting today, Netflix has officially launched its new “Play Something” feature to all its users, adding a button across the streaming service’s user interface to automatically suggest new shows and movies. As a tweet from Netflix indicates, the button will be located in multiple spots throughout the app: “underneath your name, as a row on the homepage, or in the menu.”
“Play Something” will show viewers one of three selections: either a new series or film similar to ones you’ve watched before, an episode or film you’ve already watched long ago and may want to revisit, and an episode from a show you’ve started but haven’t finished (picking up exactly where you left off). Netflix also released a quick video announcing this new viewing option, featuring Will Arnett as a remote who is tired of having its buttons pushed–check it out below.
The big takeaway from the video above, Netflix seems to be hoping, is that the feature isn’t understood as a “random” button that disregards your established tastes and preferences on the streaming service. On the other hand, the feature seems just as likely to help you add to your likely daunting queue as it does help you catch up on it.
