biteho.com

Since debuting on Netflix, scores of new viewers have been exposed to the first two seasons of Cobra Kai, which picks up 30 years after the initial Karate Kid movie. Those who have watched the show, which originally debuted on YouTube Premium, have witnessed the role reversal between the characters Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).

In the original film, Daniel is cast as the hero, with Johnny being his nemesis. As adults, though, that’s not quite the case. Instead, Johnny is an antihero, trying his best to survive and thrive while his old opponent is living in the lap of luxury as a used car salesman, seemingly with the world at his fingertips.

For Zabka, the role reversal is a gift he never expected. “To get a chance to do that after living with being the bad guy from Karate Kid for 30 years and to have this new stage that’s like this, it’s a dream come true,” he told GameSpot.

Of course, with that reversal comes a new set of challenges. Now, everyone who watches Cobra Kai becomes invested in the man Johnny has become–and the situations he finds himself in. “He’s a broken man. This is a guy that was already gun shy to interact with the world, living on his own and you and odd jobs. He was very much a loner,” Zabka said. “And this kid came into his life, played amazingly by Xolo Maridueña, that lifts Johnny up and gives him a little seed of hope. He taps back into himself and he puts his best foot forward with everything that he knows.”

Of course, everything he knows was taught to him by his former sensei, Kreese (Martin Kove), and might not be what’s right. Consider this your warning that the following contains spoilers on the end of Cobra Kai Season 2. If you’ve yet to watch the series, you should do that right now.

At the end of Season 2, Johnny’s students and Daniel’s students battled in what can only be described as a high school karate riot, violently attacking each other. It came to a head when Miguel (Maridueña) was knocked off of a balcony, causing him to fall to the ground floor of the school, landing spine-first on the railing of a staircase. When viewers last saw Miguel, he was in a hospital with his fate unknown, with Johnny barred from seeing his prized pupil.

“[He] loses everything,” Zabka explained. “That’s a tough spot to be in, especially for a character like Johnny. What’s he going to turn to? What’s he going to do? Those are all the questions that I had at the end of Season 2, going into Season 3. Our writers knew exactly where that was going and you won’t be disappointed.”

What Zabka couldn’t share, though, is how this particular cliffhanger will be resolved. Speaking to GameSpot previously, though, Maridueña knew how he wants to see the story play out in Season 3. “I would love to always stick by Johnny’s side. I think he really has his head in the right place and I love it,” the actor explained. “So, personally, I would love for him to stay on that side.”

You’ll find out the next chapter in this story when Cobra Kai Season 3 arrives on Netflix in 2021.

Apple has made rule changes to its App Store guidelines, which could have a big impact on Microsoft and Google’s plans to offer cloud gaming services. The rule changes appear more favorable to Microsoft xCloud and Google Stadia, but Microsoft has already issued a statement saying the requirements make for “a bad experience for customers.”

Apple’s new guidelines explicitly say that game streaming services are allowed. However, those games would need to be downloaded from the App Store individually. Apple will allow providers to have a “catalog” app that manages these downloads, but each game would have to be its own distinct listing.

That would appear to rule out cloud gaming, as both xCloud and Stadia rely on a model in which you don’t download individual games at all. Instead, the games stream through the cloud, similar to watching a movie on Netflix–which Apple allows through its App Store, of course.

“This remains a bad experience for customers,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GameSpot. “Gamers want to jump directly into a game from their curated catalog within one app just like they do with movies or songs, and not be forced to download over 100 apps to play individual games from the cloud. We’re committed to putting gamers at the center of everything we do, and providing a great experience is core to that mission.”

Allowing a catalog of games to download under one payment umbrella is more akin to Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service. Microsoft recently announced that a Game Pass subscription will soon include xCloud access, but an all-you-can-eat download subscription and a streaming service are still two very different functionalities.

In a Twitter thread, analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed out that Apple has clarified that companies can submit each individual game, including demos, and then have them available for streaming functionality. But this could be hundreds of games, and each would have to be evaluated individually. Plus, by submitting them this way, Apple would get its share of the profits from any in-game purchases.

Microsoft previously ended its iOS preview for xCloud, and explained it had no plans to bring the service to Apple’s devices. The company said it is “committed to finding a path to bring cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to the iOS platform,” but that Apple’s policies were standing in the way. As of now, xCloud is only planned to release on Android devices.

This all comes as Apple is locked in a high-stakes legal battle against Fortnite developer Epic Games, over whether the company can offer its own App Store and direct in-app purchases.

Apple has its own game subscription service, Apple Arcade, which offers all-you-can-eat access to roughly 100 mobile games, many as timed exclusives.

GameSpot has reached out to Microsoft and Apple for comment.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Following its reveal of the Xbox Series X last December, Microsoft finally revealed its other next-generation console, the Xbox Series S. It’s a new approach to the launch of a new console generation, where both the premium and more affordable versions of the same platform are available from day one. Coming off a generation with half-step iterations–the Xbox One X and the PS4 Pro–it’s clear that Microsoft wants to give everyone some way to get in on its latest hardware. Which leaves Sony in a precarious position.

Sony has already revealed its hand with its own two versions of the PlayStation 5, albeit with a different philosophy in mind. Instead of providing two consoles that differ in terms of performance, Sony is simply giving customers the choice between having a disc drive or going all-in on digital purchases. The underlying hardware in both is identical, which suggests that their prices aren’t going to differ by much. At least, not to the degree at which Microsoft has positioned its Xbox Series X and Series S, which will retail for $500 and $300 respectively.

The Xbox Series S presents a potentially difficult marketing hurdle for Sony to overcome. At $300, it’s priced way too low for the more powerful, and more expensive to manufacture, PS5 to compete with, yet the existence of two versions of the PS5 immediately lends itself to the idea that it can. For those who understand the architectural differences between the two, this is a moot point. But for most customers who simply see two Xbox consoles and two PS5 consoles, understanding why they don’t trade blows at the same two price points could be very confusing. It’s evident already over social media, with numerous suggestions that the PS5 Digital edition should be priced to match the Series S. It’s just not feasible for Sony to make that move, never mind possible with the hardware it’s touting.

It’s not just at the cheaper end that Sony potentially faces issues though. The Xbox Series X coming in at $500 is a big deal, considering how much of Microsoft’s marketing has boasted about it being the most powerful next-generation console on the market. That’s true on paper, and Sony certainly understands how that is only one facet of a successful console, but it’s a crucial component at launch. In 2013, the PS4 was not only the more powerful console when compared to the Xbox One, but it was also the cheaper one. Back then Sony hadn’t established as much goodwill as it did across this generation with regards to stellar first-party titles, and yet it didn’t matter. It was enough for Sony to get the head start it needed, which might be exactly what Microsoft is looking to do here.

Gaining that initial lead doesn’t mean it will always carry through (the resurgence of the PS3 late into its cycle shows how a band launch can be turned around), but it establishes a trend that is difficult to break. There’s a snowball effect associated with early adoption, where friends and communities will gravitate to the more popular platform for multiplayer games. The rise of cross-platform multiplayer has potentially mitigated this to a degree, and serious multiplayer communities will always follow the platform that is supported for official competitions. But there’s a desire from either side to get out of the gates strong, using it as a platform to securely expand rather than claw back favor.

At $500, the Xbox Series X has the potential to force a reaction from Sony. There’s no definitive way of knowing yet if this is the price it had already settled on internally, but it hasn’t been too long since reports circulated suggesting the company was having trouble keeping production costs at low as Microsoft’s retail price for its console. Consoles also haven’t been sold at a loss for a long time, but if there was one company in this race with the financial stability to support it, it’s Microsoft.

Xbox is not Microsoft’s money-maker in the way that Sony depends on the PlayStation brand, so it might not be in its power to adjust accordingly if its goal is to match Microsoft on price. There might be enough room for Sony to launch the digital-only PS5 at the same price as the Xbox Series X if production costs are still a concern, but it’s difficult to see it using that version to go significantly lower.

Unless something drastic has changed since reporting on its production and Sony has found a way to significantly reduce costs, it’s likely that in the best-case scenario the PS5 will retail for the same as the Xbox Series X. Whether it’s the more expensive disc-based version or the digital one that matches it is another question, but irrespective it has no real answer to the budget-focused Series S. With that in mind, it must be a top priority at Sony for the PS5 to get as close to the Xbox Series X price as possible, or risk being the most expensive console period this holiday season.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Disney’s gambit of producing live-action adaptations of its animated back catalog has, on paper, sounded like a savvy strategy. But with the recent Mulan, that approach has been proving out to have a turbulent learning curve in practice. The film has sparked controversy over, among other things, parts of production taking place in the province of Xinjiang, where internment camps are located–and Disney giving special thanks to several government entities there who have also been linked to cultural genocide. (For deeper context on many of the issues involved here, check out the NSFW–though compelling and great–clip of John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight below.)

As Disney has come increasingly under fire for these production choices since the movie’s release last week, Christine McCarthy, Disney’s chief financial officer, told Variety on Thursday that the company acknowledges the pushback they’ve been receiving. “It has generated a lot of publicity,” McCarthy said. “Let’s leave it at that.”

McCarthy also added that “it’s common to acknowledge in a film’s credits the national and local governments that allowed you to film there.”

Meanwhile, there has been a media blackout in effect in mainland China. On Thursday, Reuters reported that Chinese authorities have told major media outlets not to cover Mulan. When asked whether Disney was concerned how international condemnation could impact its business, McCarthy said, “I’m not a box office predictor.”

Stateside, the movie has been earning so-so reviews.

Ubisoft has finally shown off its new IP, Immortals Fenyx Rising, the title formerly known as Gods & Monsters. We recently had the chance to play a few hours of the game, and the immediate thing we noticed was that it contains a number of similarities to Nintendo’s beloved RPG The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

In a new video, Jess covers the many aspects of Immortals that you might find quite similar to Breath of the Wild. These include its bright open world, the feeling of player-driven freedom to explore, and the stamina and traversal systems. Immortals also has its own take on Zelda’s shrines, as well as fast-paced and flashy combat.

Immortals definitely has a number of surface differences compared to Breath of the Wild, but check out the full video above to see how it’s similar to Nintendo’s game.

Immortals is scheduled for release on December 3 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. The game is also coming to the Xbox Series S/X and the PlayStation 5.

Microsoft’s next-generation of Xbox consoles have finally come into focus. Along with the previously announced Xbox Series X, the company will also have a cheaper alternative called the Xbox Series S available. Ordinarily, the difference between two versions of the same console creates distinct experiences, but this time around Microsoft has narrowed the power difference between the two to offer what is essentially the same next-gen gaming experience.

So, what are the differences, what do they mean, and which Xbox is the right one for you? Well, those are exactly the questions we answer on this episode of Generation Next. Lucy, Tamoor, and Jordan talk through everything we know about consoles, highlight the key differences, and explain what impact each of the two consoles will have on the way you play games.

There’s also a discussion of price points for both consoles. Microsoft is offering a monthly payment option for both the Series X and Series S. In most cases, this often means that you end up paying more in the long run, however, for the Xbox Series X and Series S, it actually works out cheaper to utilize the All Access purchase option. We explain why and how in the video, so you can make a smart and informed purchasing decision.

Generation Next is GameSpot’s weekly video show all about the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Each Friday, join PlayStation Pro Tamoor Hussain, Xbox Xpert Jordan Ramée, and Console Connoisseur Lucy James as they discuss the biggest stories about the new consoles. Make sure to check out previous episodes of the show on GameSpot and YouTube.