Category: Games

After negotiations between Disney and Sony over the future of Spider-Man movies stalled, it was believed that Spider-Man would leave the MCU and the two companies head their separate ways. However, a new deal announced on September 27 confirmed that Marvel will produce a third Spider-Man film for Sony, with Spider-Man appearing in one Marvel movie (or more). Now, more details about the deal have emerged.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney will get 25 percent of the box office net gross for the third Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland, which comes to theatres in July 2021. The terms of the deal also reportedly specify that Disney will pay 25 percent of the movie’s budget.

According to sources, Disney originally wanted even more favorable terms. The House of Mouse reportedly asked for a 50-50 co-financing deal before the two sides agreed to 25-25.

The report states that Disney originally made the 50-50 offer in January, and Sony didn’t come back with a counter-offer for nearly six months. In June, Disney’s top movie boss, Alan Horn, “abruptly broke off negotiations” just before the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, according to the report.

So what helped the two sides finally come to terms? The report states that Spider-Man actor Tom Holland himself–who is only 23 years old–contacted Disney CEO Bob Iger and Sony film boss Tom Rothman multiple times to help encourage them to make a deal.

According to the report, Holland held some additional sway because he is attached to star in another major upcoming Sony movie, Uncharted. A potential partnership between Disney and Sony for a third Spider-Man movie was “100 percent dead” before Holland stepped in, according to the report.

The Hollywood Reporter’s sources said Disney earned a “nominal” producing fee of less than five percent of the box office grosses for the previous two movies, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home. With the new terms giving Disney 25 percent of net grosses, the company is earning 400 percent more money in the new deal. Adding to this, Disney already owns the lucrative merchandising rights to Spider-Man.

Far From Home, which made more than $1 billion at the box office, ended on a massive cliffhanger. For more, check out GameSpot’s spoiler-filled video in the embed above.

With the start of Season 3: Meltdown, Apex Legends received the largest update it ever has–implementing so much new content that the game is almost unrecognizable from what it was in Season 2. Whether a conscious decision or not, the new changes make for an experience that’s more accessible to those who haven’t played the battle royale in a while or are looking to start.

Fundamentally, Apex Legends is still the same game. You still team up with two other players in a 20-team battle royale match. Every previous Legend is still playable as well, giving a leg up to those who’ve been playing the game since launch. However, with Season 3, a lot has changed, giving newcomers time to get acclimated to how Apex Legends works while veterans get readjusted.

For one, the map is completely different. Everyone plays on World’s Edge, as Kings Canyon has been (most likely only temporarily) removed. So all the strategies that tie into knowing the terrain–whether it’s ideal drop spots, best sniping locations, or secret hiding nooks–all have to be discovered again. For the first time in a while, veterans don’t have an advantage when it comes to knowing the map inside and out because everything is brand-new.

World’s Edge is also huge, easily more than twice the size of Kings Canyon. This provides two benefits for those who aren’t used to Apex Legends’ fast-paced firefights. For one, there are now way more viable places to land and find decent loot, so it’s easier to avoid dropping next to another squad right at the start. And second, because the map is so big, you’re not going to run into other squads nearly as often in the beginning of the match. There are now long stretches of nothingness between firefights–something that almost never occurred in Kings Canyon–providing numerous opportunities in a match to safely heal and loot for supplies. The vastness of World’s Edge means you’re likely to see enemy squads before they can ambush you too. You have to contend with snipers more often as a result, but the new map has certainly made Apex Legends matches play out a lot more slowly.

All of which isn’t to say the fast-paced battles are gone. For those looking for a more traditional Apex Legends experience, you have options. The blue circle that highlights high-tier loot areas is back and the loot-heavy dropship has been replaced by an equally loot-filled train. Both spots are clearly marked on your map, making them both easy to find and avoid.

Weapon loot has also been changed to better appeal to new players. Respawn has redesigned many of the weapons so that you no longer need to know which guns are objectively the best, you just have to find the firearms you’re best with. Two of the stronger weapon attachments in the game–disruptor ammo and skullpiercer rifling–have been removed, affecting every weapon that utilized either hop-up. Specifically, the Alternator and Wingman have dropped in utility, no longer being nearly as dominant as they previously were. Both guns were almost unfairly powerful with their corresponding hop-up attached, but only if you were a decent shot; the Alternator has a powerful recoil and the Wingman requires an exceptionally steady and patient hand under pressure to be effective. It’s not easy to be proficient at either one at first, especially if you’re new to first-person shooters, presenting a significant advantage for those who’ve been playing Apex Legends for a while. Now that advantage is just gone.

In place of those weapon attachments, a bunch of guns that are fairly easy to use have brand-new hop-ups in Season 3. The two easiest assault rifles to use in the game, the R-301 and Flatline, (as they have no wind-up time and possess fairly low recoil and decent range) have a new attachment, the anvil receiver, that increases their semi-auto damage. The easiest sniper rifle to use, the G7 Scout (as it has low recoil and semi-auto fire), and the far easier of the two shotguns to use, the EVA-8 (as it fires very quickly), have a new double tap trigger hop-up that allows them to fire two shots with every trigger pull. Respawn has also implemented various buffs and nerfs across most of the library of firearms in Apex Legends, all of which have seemingly created a more balanced experience.

The new weapon, the Charge Rifle, is also a nice addition, presenting a fairly beginner-friendly option for long-range combat. Though it requires time to charge, the weapon fires a targeting laser as it’s warming up. Provided your scope has a powerful enough zoom to see what you’re shooting at, the targeting laser assists in pinpointing your shot. The laser itself also does minor damage, so even if your shot misses its mark, you’re still assisting your team just by pulling the trigger in the right direction.

One of the cooler new features added in Season 3 is the brand-new audio cues, specifically warnings for when you’re being attacked by more than one squad. Apex Legends’ firefights can be hectic once the playable safe area becomes small enough, so it’s occasionally difficult to discern one enemy team from another. For anyone who’s worried about holding their team back by not knowing when to retreat, there’s now an audio cue to help you out. If you’re fighting an enemy squad and another squad suddenly tries to flank you, a teammate’s character will call it out. Bangalore, for example, might yell, “Ambush! Ambush! There’s another squad!” or Caustic may call out, “We’re being attacked by two different squads!” It’s a small change, but it makes it so much easier to understand how much the odds may be stacked against you–a boon for those who struggle with situational awareness.

However, more than anything, Crypto’s addition to Apex Legends provides the easiest way to join your friends and not have to worry about knowing how everything works. Crypto is at his best when he’s tucked away in the corner and using his tactical to get eyes on enemy targets. Playing as Crypto actually gives you an excuse to not jump headfirst into a firefight because you benefit your team most by initially pinpointing targets with your drone. You might not rank as high as your teammates for your post-game stats, but playing as Crypto allows you to contribute without being adept at shooters–so you don’t have to worry about your teammates being too angry at you if you’re still learning. Crypto is a great addition to Apex Legends as a result. He’s certainly not the best character for aggressive styles of play, which is common if you decide to participate in Gold or higher ranked play, but he’s definitely the easiest of the current eleven Legends to grasp. At the very least, simply playing as him helps you get acclimated to Apex Legends’ role-centric gameplay as well.

And once you do reach level 10 and go into ranked play, you don’t have to worry about being judged for a low kill count at the end of a match. Ranked matches now also keep track of your assists, rewarding you for your performance if you manage to shoot an enemy a few times before your teammate finishes them off. It’s immensely satisfying to know the game rewards you for fulfilling a support role. In Season 2, it was very difficult to engage in ranked, knowing you were primarily rewarded for only surviving and kills, as it then curated a competition within your squad to get the kill shot over winning together. Apex Legends–which has remained entirely squad-based save for a limited-time solo mode during Season 2–finally feels more like a cooperative experience. If you’re just jumping into Apex Legends with Season 3, you don’t have to immediately be good enough to get kills. And, of course, this new assist system means veteran players will most likely be more willing to come to their less experienced teammate’s aid as well, now knowing their own performance and rank will get a nice boost even if they don’t get the kill shot.

There has never been a better time to get into Apex Legends. Crypto is the most beginner-friendly Legend ever introduced and the distance between veterans and newcomers has been shortened by evening the playing field in terms of guns and forcing everyone to drop onto a brand-new map. Some of these perks will diminish as the season goes on and new patterns settle into old habits but, for now anyway, Season 3 is the most accessible Apex Legends has been for new or inexperienced players since the battle royale game launched.

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When it comes to sales, nothing really surpasses the mania surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which together make up the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Whether you’ve got your eye on a new console, game, or piece of tech, there’s no better time to snag the products on your wishlist at a discount. But if you’re planning to do your shopping on Cyber Monday, it’s still important to have a plan and know what to expect. While you may not see the other shoppers grabbing things off shelves and tossing them in their carts, know that the best deals will still sell out quickly online. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for Cyber Monday 2019.

What is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is basically an extension of Black Friday, except you’re sitting at a desk pretending to work while browsing deals instead of physically shoving your way through crowded stores (although many Black Friday deals are, thankfully, available online as well). The online shopping holiday is relatively new, dating back only to 2005, and it was created to encourage people to shop online and to compete with brick-and-mortar stores’ sales on Black Friday.

The online-only deals may not be as good as the doorbuster sales on Black Friday, but since those brick-and-mortar deals tend to have low stock and long lines, you really can’t beat the ease and convenience of shopping on Cyber Monday (and online shopping in general).

When is Cyber Monday 2019?

Cyber Monday is always the Monday after Thanksgiving, and this year, that falls on December 2. Because of Black Friday, many sales will run that entire weekend and even into the following week, but certain deals will become available only on that Monday.

Best Cyber Monday 2019 deals to expect

Cyber Monday deals will likely be on par with what we see during Black Friday 2019, and you can check out our full Black Friday 2019 preview for a guide to what we expect for holiday deals. For now, here’s an overview of the kind of deals you’ll likely see:

Games

Nearly any game from recent years will be marked down, but releases from early 2019, like Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5, should see some nice discounts in the $15-$30 range. More recent releases, like Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Borderlands 3, may drop as low as $40.

Consoles

Don’t expect to see any crazy deals on the Switch Lite or newer Switch model with better battery life, though we may get some good console bundles during Cyber Monday. We do expect the original Switch model will get discounted to $250 or even less–and that’s not a bad option if you’ve yet to invest in a Nintendo Switch, if you don’t want to commit to handheld-only play.

The PS4 and Xbox One are nearing the end of their lifespans, and as a result, discounts on those systems are common these days. If you’re looking to pick one up during Cyber Monday, you can expect to see the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X as low as $300; meaning, the base consoles may go for less than $200. Keep an eye out for some great console bundles, too, which will throw in a game along with the system.

Other deals

Aside from games and consoles, Cyber Monday will also be a great time to snag a discounted membership for PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online, or Xbox Game Pass. You’ll also find discounts on VR systems, controllers, headsets, memory cards, computers, Blu-rays, and much, much more.

How to get the best Cyber Monday deals

The same way you get the best Black Friday deals: by paying attention to retailers in the weeks leading up to the event and having a plan. Some retailers will promote their upcoming deals for Cyber Monday, but you can also find leaked Cyber Monday ads online to get a heads-up on what products will be on sale. Of course, you’ll want to stay tuned to GameSpot, as we’ll be covering all the leaked and officially confirmed deals in the weeks leading up to Cyber Monday as well as during the event itself. And remember: If you spot a good deal, hop on it fast, as the hottest products will sell out in the blink of an eye. For the most up-to-date information, be sure to follow GameSpot Deals on Twitter–we’ll keep you posted on the best deals in gaming and entertainment as we spot them.

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Actors turn down movie roles all the time, and now we’ve learned about another big name who said no to a movie that went on to become very successful.

Oscar winner Matt Damon told GQ UK that James Cameron offered him a role in his 2009 blockbuster Avatar. Damon added that Cameron offered him 10 percent of the box office grosses, which would have been a huge sum of money in the area of $250 million.

“Jim Cameron offered me Avatar,” Damon said. “And when he offered it to me, he goes, ‘Now, listen. I don’t need anybody. I don’t need a name for this, a named actor. If you don’t take this, I’m going to find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn’t really need you. But if you take the part, I’ll give you ten percent of…'”

Damon trailed off here but he was seemingly referring to 10 percent of the Avatar box office grosses. The movie made $2.78 billion at the box office, so 10 percent of that would be around $278 million.

It’s unclear what role in Avatar turned down, but it could be that of Jake Sully, the male lead that would ultimately be played by Australian actor Sam Worthington.

Damon might have turned down the Avatar role for any number of reasons, and few could have known what a blockbuster success Avatar would become. He’s not the first big actor to say no to a role in a movie that would go on to be a smash hit.

Damon himself turned down the role of Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight; the role went to Aaron Eckhart. Emily Blunt, meanwhile, said no playing Black Widow in Iron Man 2 in a role that eventually went to Scarlett Johansson. Al Pacino turned down Han Solo, while Nicolas Cage passed on playing Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings.

Avatar 2, the first of multiple sequels in development, is scheduled to hit theatres in December 2021 after multiple delays.

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