Season 2 of The Boys certainly has some outlandish moments headed your way. In the first trailer for the upcoming September 4 release on Amazon Prime Video, fans saw a giant whale get rammed by a boat. In a new clip for the show, we see the “fun” doesn’t end there with the now dead whale, and it was apparently pretty rough to film for the cast.
During the CTAM Summer Press Tour, the cast of the show discussed the upcoming season, while giving everyone a sneak peek at what’s in store for The Boys and The Seven. And it involves a lot of whale guts, as you can see in the NSFW clip below.
GameSpot’s sister site TV Guide asked during the panel about what it was like to deal with all those whale guts and fake blood, and of course, it was a bit gross. Laz Alonso, who plays Mother’s Milk, jumped right in while the rest of the cast giggled to themselves. “When Eric Kripke and the 1st AD that was in charge of that episode broke the whale storyline to us, we were all standing in a hallway in front of these storyboards,” Alonso recalled. “And he explained how cool it was, and how I’m going to drive through the whale, and we’re actually going to be on the water, shooting this ourselves, no stunt guys, helicopter shots, all this stuff. No green screen, this was going to be us. A 50-foot animatronic whale on the beach that we’re going to run into. So without asking, the 1st AD volunteers that they even have air conditioning built inside the whale, so that when we’re inside the whale, we’re nice and cool.”
Showrunner Eric Kripke chimed in to say he had no recollection of the conversation, as Alonso continued: “We get to the whale; it’s 90 degrees outside, and 120 degrees inside the whale, and I just asked, ‘Where’s the AC? When are you guys gonna turn the AC on?'”
Apparently, the air conditioning never made it to the set, and Karl Urban, who plays Billy Butcher, also recounted that moment. “I looked over at Laz, and he’s progressively getting more and more agitated, the sweat’s starting to form, and he’s like, ‘Can we get some AC here in the whale!’ Only here on this show would you hear something as bananas as that. The blood, of course, was attracting all sorts of insects.”
“Jack [Quaid, who plays Hughie Campbell] and I would get stuck to the whale guts,” Alonso continued. “When we were in there shooting our scene, at the end of the scene, we would have to get up and walk out of the whale, and there were a couple of takes where we would try to get up, but our bodies, literally our skin, were stuck to the whale because the sugar-coated red stuff would dry up during the scene.”
Their pain is apparently for the fan’s pleasure as you’ll be able to see Season 2 of the hit Amazon Prime series when it drops on September 4.
Spelunky 2, the sequel to the groundbreaking platformer, is finally launching next month on September 15 for both PS4 and Steam. Development on the game had gone quiet for months after Yu announced that it would be delayed from its original 2019 release window.
“We wanted to try to not change the things that made the first so great,” Yu said in Sony’s State of Play stream. He added that Spelunky 2 would have cooperative and competitive online multiplayer, branching paths, and a more expansive shopping experience.
Yu explained that he wanted to expand the concept of the original Spelunky universe. While he didn’t confirm exact details, Yu did say that players would be building a “community and family” as they complete various runs. He also announced the ability to ride turkeys and encounter characters that can help or harm you. The sequel will also include more story than its predecessor.
“The time it takes to complete a successful run, however, hasn’t increased that much,” Yu wrote on the official Playstation blog. “Instead, the journey has become much more dense and varied, with lots more to do and try with each time you venture into the caves.”
The original Spelunky emerged from its obscure indie roots to become one of the most celebrated games of its era in its HD incarnation, with some even hailing it as the game of the decade. In our review, Tom McShea said that Spelunky “makes excellent use of its random nature to keep you hooked as you strive to dive ever deeper into the mysterious depths.”
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Braid Anniversary Edition was announced during PlayStation’s State of Play event with a trailer showing off the remastered artwork and brand-new animations. The Anniversary Edition is an overhaul of Braid, the 2008 time-bending puzzle-platformer.
The game will also have enhanced sound with new mixes and variants on the original soundtrack, plus an extremely detailed developer commentary track. The commentary track is aiming to be incredibly thorough and, according to the trailer, “If you want to learn how video games are made, Braid anniversary edition will be a really good resource.” You will be able to switch between the old art and the new art at any point during the game.
In GameSpot’s Braid Review, critic Tom Mc Shea wrote, “The captivating ending sequence, which makes use of your rewind ability in a jaw-dropping new way, provides the exclamation point on this remarkable game, but the adventure is consistently engaging throughout the entire ride. The clever puzzles alone are enough to make this an adventure worth taking. Braid’s deep and mesmerizing tale is evergreen: it is outside of and beyond time. It will never get old.”
The game is set to release in early 2021 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
During Sony’s State of Play presentation, we got our first look at gameplay for the gonzo and widely memed game Bugsnax. As explained by a very grouchy editor in the gameplay trailer, you’re a journalist who ventures to the Isle of Bugsnax to find the critters and examine the life there.
When you find the island, you catalog the creatures with photography mechanics. You can use tools like a ketchup lure, traps, and a crossbow to help you lure out and find the creatures roaming around the island. The island inhabitants, a group of pioneers called the Grumpuses, will give you quests as you help rebuild the community.
While most of the Bugsnax creatures have been relatively small–you know, they’re snacks–the trailer also gave a brief glimpse of a giant winged pizza monster, so suffice it to say Bugsnax come in all shapes and sizes and flavors.
Toys for Bob talked about new elements coming to the game when it launches this October for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This includes new game modes, the return of Dingodile as a playable character, and more.
The new game mode, N. Verted Mode (a collaboration with developer Beenox), functions like Mario Kart‘s Mirror Mode. In Crash 4, the game gets inverted to feature all manners of weird art styles, from a more stylized aesthetic to an old-timey black-and-white movie filter and more. It’s meant to provide more replayability to the game, giving players alternative perspectives, sound effects, music, and more.
“This is the first new game in the Crash Bandicoot series in more than a decade, so we felt it was important to introduce a brand-new style of play,” Toys for Bob’s co-studio head Paul Yan said in a press release. “We teamed up with our good friends at Beenox to help us develop N. Verted mode, and they brought all of the same passion and expertise that went into the amazing Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.”
In addition to N. Verted Mode, Toys for Bob confirmed several characters will be playable throughout the entire game. Alongside Crash’s sister Coco, It’s About Time will feature Dingodile and Doctor Neo Cortex as playable characters. There will also be multiple skins you can unlock without microtransactions (such as space suits), new abilities (like wall-running) you can experiment with, more masks you can pick up, and more.
This week on Wrestle Buddies, GameSpot’s professional wrestling podcast, Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring are joined once more by TV Guide editor Keisha Hatchett! After spending a very long time on her last appearance talking about eFeds, which are essentially wrestling fan fiction, this time the trio have a lot to say about the sexiest people in wrestling.
First, Mat, Chris, and Keisha have a serious discussion about “Ravishing” Rick Rude. Sure, we could talk about his in-ring skill or his iconic career. Instead, though, we take a look at whether or not he was as attractive as he thought he was. After all, Rude’s entire gimmick was based on how ravishing he believed himself to be. Was he right?
Image credit: WWE
Then, we take a look at WCW’s sexiest wrestler. Of course, we’re talking about The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Iaukea. Remember Prince Iaukea, the former WCW cruiserweight champion and someone who essentially just became a parody of the musician Prince? Of course, you do.
Lastly, Mat, Chris, and Keisha present quite possibly their most important Top 5 of all time with the Top 5 sexiest wrestlers. Some names that pop up on these lists will make total sense. Others, however, might leave you puzzled. Chris will, however, stand by naming “The World’s Largest Love Machine” Viscera.
All of that, plus a new installment of Gangrel Watch, in which we track down noted vampire warrior professional wrestler Gangrel. New episodes of Wrestle Buddies are released every Thursday on the podcast platform or app of your choice, including Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.
Another Max Raid event has begun in Pokemon Sword and Shield. This one only runs through this weekend, and it revolves around the series’ adorable mascot, Pikachu.
From now until August 9, Pikachu, Pichu, Raichu, and Alolan Raichu will all appear more frequently in Max Raid dens across both Sword and Shield. On top of that, you’ll have a chance to find a Shiny Pikachu in five-star Raids, and it seems Mimikyu has snuck into some dens as well as part of this event.
The Pikachu Mass Appearance event runs until 4:59 PM PT on August 9, so you only have a limited time to take part in it. Before the Pikachu will begin appearing in your game, you’ll need to refresh your Raid dens. You can do so either by connecting online via the Y-Comm or going into Mystery Gift from the menu screen and selecting Get the Wild Area News.
That’s not the only Max Raid event happening in Sword and Shield this month. Until August 31, Water- and Ground-type Pokemon like Gastrodon, Milotic, and Hippowdon are appearing more frequently in Max Raids, as are the Gigantamax forms of Drednaw and Sandaconda. You can also earn some valuable items like Pearls and Stardust for completing the event Raids.
Pokemon Sword and Shield launched for Switch back in November 2019 and have been huge hits for Nintendo. The games have sold more than 18 million copies combined as of June 30, making them the third-best-selling generation in the series behind Red and Blue and Gold and Silver. Their second DLC expansion, The Crown Tundra, is slated to release sometime this fall.
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Confirming rumors and, in a big shakeup for the familiar formula, Microsoft recently announced that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be entirely free. I think that’s the smartest move Microsoft has made in the last decade for Halo, and one that could pay dividends to help the franchise grow.
Halo Is For Everyone
The Halo franchise is one of Xbox’s most valuable assets. But, apart from the nostalgia-laden Halo: The Master Chief Collection–which itself is a fantastic entry in the series thanks to its ongoing updates–the core franchise has been away from the market for nearly five years, since Halo 5 in 2015. The Halo series has fallen out of the spotlight and is in dire need of a strong showing from Halo Infinite to put the franchise back on the right path.
With free-to-play games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, and Fortnite all dominating the FPS space currently, Halo Infinite multiplayer ran the risk of standing out like a sore thumb as a paid offering in 2020. Microsoft is already facing an uphill battle trying to make Halo relevant and interesting again with the mainstream–it didn’t need any more hurdles to overcome.
Those other games have set a precedent that large-scale, highly polished multiplayer games can be free, and Microsoft is smart to follow suit. Making Halo Infinite’s multiplayer free (there are rumors of the Xbox Live Gold requirement going away but nothing is confirmed yet) gives Microsoft the best chance to rekindle the flame and bring Halo back to its former glory. Making Halo Infinite multiplayer free allows the game to better appeal to lapsed fans, entirely new players, and players who were curious but never bought in before. I did not foresee Call of Duty and Halo–two of gaming’s most lucrative properties–having free multiplayer offerings in 2020, but here we are, and it’s an exciting proposition for a number of reasons.
A Bigger Pool
One of the many issues with Halo: MCC at launch was that it simply did not have enough players to accommodate the game’s numerous playlists, in addition to the severe network issues that in some cases prevented people from connecting to the game at all. Things got better over time, but with Halo Infinite’s multiplayer being free out of the gate, the game should have a giant player pool on launch day that only grows bigger over time. In theory, this will in turn help you find matches faster and have a better time in the game if the matchmaking algorithms work. The more people playing, the better the experience stands to be. Microsoft has shifted its focus in recent years toward creating ecosystems of players that can play together with minimal barriers, and making Halo Infinite’s multiplayer free is a further step in that player-first direction. Not only that, but with Halo Infinite multiplayer going free, it stands to reason that gameplay videos will be plastered all over the place, and this could in turn drive a new level of excitement and engagement with the series.
If You Only Want Multiplayer
Microsoft’s latest messaging has been all about giving people the choice to play their games however they want, wherever they want, and whenever they want. Splitting up campaign (paid) and multiplayer (free) is a reflection of this strategy of freedom of choice.
At long last, if you’re only interested in Halo multiplayer, you can have it. The next time you log in to MCC, check the player pages for people you play against–I did this recently and noticed that a very good portion of players had either never touched any campaign or only played them minimally. This is anecdotal data, to be sure, and it could also be explained by how people already played the campaigns on their original platforms, but by making Halo Infinite multiplayer free, Microsoft is responding to the idea that campaign and multiplayer can have different audiences with varying interests. I recently checked my own stats, and I have more than 1,000 hours in MCC–I’ve barely touched the campaigns. I like that I have the option to play Halo’s campaigns if I want to, but that option came at a cost. Soon, we’ll all have a greater freedom to choose and the barrier to entry is much lower for those who want to experiment.
Offering multiplayer for free eases some of the friction that people might have had about the series if they were only interested in multiplayer, or at least those whose playtimes skewed heavily towards that. Halo Infinite’s free multiplayer seemingly hasn’t come at the cost of single-player, either, as Microsoft is cooking up a new, classic Halo-styled campaign mode that–assuming the graphical shortcomings can be overcome–looks to be on an encouraging path.
All About Engagement
These days, Microsoft seems to care less and less about unit sales of its consoles and games in favor of “engagement,” and this has been driven in part by Xbox Game Pass. With every first-party Xbox game launching into Xbox Game Pass for no extra cost, unit sales of key titles are surely softened. I would expect this to continue for Halo Infinite. But engagement numbers may be reaching higher levels than ever before–and this is Microsoft’s new bread and butter.
The Game Pass model is already working. Obsidian’s new game, Grounded, is a relatively niche title on paper–the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-meets-Rust setup is not exactly a mass-market idea–but the game tallied an astonishing 1 million players in just 48 hours thanks in part to Game Pass. No Man’s Sky, meanwhile, added 1 million new players after launching on Xbox Game Pass. With Halo Infinite’s multiplayer releasing for free and on Xbox Game Pass, the franchise has the potential to reach a wider audience than ever before, and this is good as a means to elevate the Halo series to new heights and bring it back to prominence.
No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
Nothing is ever really free. With Halo Infinite’s multiplayer adopting a free-to-play model, you can expect monetization to come in the form of things like cosmetics and a battle pass system, and who knows what else (but not paid loot boxes!). Halo Infinite’s free multiplayer is great messaging for Microsoft–free Halo!–but Microsoft wins here, too. With every Xbox and PC user now a potential Halo player, the reach of the game could potentially grow to an unprecedented level of scale, making it a serious money-maker.
Microtransactions from the free-to-play Call of Duty: Warzone are estimated to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars every quarter. Even if Infinite makes only a portion of that–and it would likely be smaller, considering it’s a platform exclusive–that would still be a very large chunk of change.
Whatever misgivings some portion of the audience may have about microtransactions, the Halo community has already proven to accept–or at least tolerate–microtransactions as a business model. Halo 5’s microtransactions–Req Packs–brought in many millions of dollars over the years. And this was people spending extra money on a game they already paid for. With a free-to-play offering that relies on microtransactions, the ceiling is much higher–in essence, unending–for microtransaction spending in Halo Infinite. You and I don’t need to care about the profitability of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer–that’s for the bean counters at Microsoft to be concerned about–but looking into the business model can be a constructive way of examining wider trends and strategies that Microsoft may employ for the game.
A job ad at 343 Industries mentioned a “AAA player investment” experience for Halo Infinite’s microtransactions and that the team would use psychological tactics to drive microtransaction sales. The wording here does come across as nefarious-sounding, but we can’t know for sure how it will all shake out until Microsoft clarifies and defines how microtransactions will actually work in Halo Infinite. It’s fair to be skeptical and worrisome about how Halo Infinite will implement microtransactions–after all, there are many egregious examples of microtransactions in this industry. When they do finally reveal Halo Infinite’s multiplayer, 343 ought to lay its cards on the table and clear things up or they run the risk of people assuming the worst.
A Platform For The Future
From the sound of the initial reports, 343 plans to treat Halo Infinite as a platform that grows and evolves over the next decade. Instead of Halo Infinite 2, it seems like 343 will treat Halo Infinite like a games-as-a-service title that is supported for the long term. Making multiplayer free helps ensure that the playerbase stays connected over the years, and it’s exciting as a Halo fan to think about where the game could go over time without having to worry about buying a sequel every few years. I can envision a future where Halo Infinite adds new map packs, cosmetics, and lots more over time, and players can invest in whatever they like. It could also be possible that 343 adopts the Destiny model and brings in new content for Halo Infinite’s campaign that also has an effect on multiplayer, thus creating a back-and-forth funnel that drives more of the elusive engagement.
A Democratic Model
Free-to-play is a powerful form of democracy in gaming. Anyone who tries Halo Infinite’s multiplayer and doesn’t like it has only lost time–not money. As former SOE boss John Smedley explained to GameSpot, free-to-play can keep developers on their toes because if they don’t create a compelling experience, people will move on to something else. Moving Halo Infinite to a free-to-play model for multiplayer is a huge change for the series, and the players will ultimately decide if it works or if it doesn’t. Microsoft can afford to take a monetary hit in the short-term–Xbox Game Pass doesn’t make any money right now–but this won’t last forever. 343 needs to deliver in the multiplayer department and make Halo Infinite something that fans are excited about returning to–and spending money on–on a regular basis.
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Halo Infinite – Everything You Need To Know
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Like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Warzone before it, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer going free could spell trouble, especially in the area of cheating. By casting such a wide net and dropping the entry free, cheaters may flock to Infinite. This is a reality for free-to-play online games, and 343 will need to make assurances to the playerbase that it is taking cheating seriously. I would hope to see things like player-reporting tools and transparency from 343 about its plans to weed out the bad actors and toxic players from Halo Infinite multiplayer. 343 has done a solid job of policing Halo: MCC’s cheaters, and we can hope those learnings will apply to Infinite.
Early Days
Microsoft has shown precisely zero multiplayer footage for Halo Infinite, and similarly, there is no word on how the business model will shake out for microtransactions. Free Halo! sounds really good on paper, but it’s too soon to say if the multiplayer will shake things up in the way many are hoping to make it interesting and worthwhile in the first place. With the lacklustre reveal for the campaign mode in July, fans are right to be skeptical and hesitant, but I’m hoping these fears are unfounded. 343 has promised to show Halo Infinite’s multiplayer “soon” and talk about its many innovations, and I can’t wait to see it. It could be the beginning of a new era for Halo.
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Confirming rumors and in a big shakeup for the familiar formula, Microsoft recently announced that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be entirely free. In a new video feature, GameSpot editor Eddie Makuch explains why that may be the smartest move Microsoft has made in years for Halo, and one that could pay dividends to help the franchise grow.
In the full video, Eddie goes into detail about how Halo Infinite’s multiplayer going free should help improve the online experience and keep the playerbase connected and engaged over the years. The video also touches on some of the potential issues that may crop up, like cheating.
Be sure to check out the full video above, and you can read an even more in-depth written editorial on the subject on GameSpot to find out more.
With the lackluster reveal for the campaign mode in July, fans are right to be skeptical and hesitant about Halo Infinite’s multiplayer going free, but I’m hoping these fears are unfounded. 343 has promised to show Halo Infinite’s multiplayer “soon” and talk about its many innovations, and I can’t wait to see it. It could be the beginning of a new era for Halo.
Nintendo has released its latest financial earnings statement, revealing an impressive milestone for the latest Pokemon games. Sales for the eighth generation within the mainline series have now reached over 18 million units as of June, making Pokemon Sword and Shield the third best-selling entry in the franchise.
Having sold over 16 million units by December 2019, the latest Pokemon games are now closing in on the lifetime sales of Generation Two games Pokemon Gold and Silver, which sold over 23 million copies since their initial release in Japan in November 1999, before rolling out to North America in 2000 and Europe in 2001.
Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green still remain a lofty target for the latest games to topple from its number one spot on the sales chart, as their lifetime sales currently total over 31.3 million sales.
Pokemon Sword and Shield numbers are likely to continue increasing, thanks to the Pokemon Expansion Pass introducing the recent Isle of Armor add-on content, and The Crown Tundra coming later this year. You can see the sales numbers for the mainline Pokemon games, via Serebii:
Pokemon Lifetime Sales
Pokemon Red and Blue/Green -31.38 million
Pokemon Gold and Silver -23.10 million
Pokemon Sword and Shield – 18.22 million
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl -17.67 million
Pokemon X and Y -16.45 million
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire -16.22 million
Pokemon Sun and Moon -16.18 million
Pokemon Black and White -15.64 million
Pokemon Yellow -14.64 million
Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire – 14.27 million
Pokemon HeartGold/SoulsSilver – 12.7 million
Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu/Let’s Go Eevee -12.03 million
