Xbox Series S Reaction Roundup And Best Memes

Microsoft’s announcement of Xbox Series S blew up Twitter this morning, and everybody has an opinion. The console’s official confirmation came after somebody leaked the Series S trailer and images. In reaction to the leaks, Xbox’s Twitter account felt much the same way as we did.

The Xbox Series S will cost $299 in the US and £250 in the UK. No release date has been confirmed, but a report from Windows Central claims that both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X will release on November 10. For more information on what we know about Xbox’s newest console, head over to our article on Series S.

Marty Hess, from Xbox’s Global Product Marketing team, also teased that Xbox has more announcements on the way.

Aside from reactions on Xbox’s side, the internet’s gut reaction is that the Series S looks like a speaker, an intercom, or some variation of a household item. (They’re not wrong.) Funnily enough, when the Xbox Series X was revealed, the internet also remarked on its resemblance to a speaker or a fridge. You can check out our roundup below.

Second Extinction Is Like Planet of the Apes but with Ticked Off Dinosaurs

Second Extinction is Robert Muldoon’s dream game. Jurassic Park’s resident dino wrangler would probably love nothing more than to shoulder a heavy automatic weapon and go HAM on all of the dinosaurs who ate him. But I digress… Second Extinction, in fact, plays somewhat like a PvE Evolve with some Dino Crisis thrown in there to boot – it’s three of you on a giant map trying to accomplish a mission and extract safely from an Earth that’s been overrun by prehistoric beasts. But instead of another player controlling a giant, evolving monster, you and your two friends will battle literally hundreds of super dinosaurs who have zero intention of relinquishing control over the planet. It’s an arcade-y shooter akin to a popcorn film, meaning it’s a good time with friends that’s fun, but whose long-term viability remains to be seen.

I know that Evolve is a tainted word for a lot of people in the gaming community, but its gameplay itself was never the problem, and so I hope you’ll forgive the comparison. Like Evolve, you choose a character class, a loadout, and finally an insertion point into a particular region. You won’t know exactly where the mission objective is; you’ll only have a few points on the map that are suspected leads. And different areas have different threat levels, too, so choosing where to drop into this dino crisis is crucial; if you end up choosing poorly, you’ll have to traverse a whole lot of map – and shoot a whole bunch more angry dinosaurs – to get where you need to go.

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And once you land on the surface, it won’t be long before the action starts. The large, evil lizards will come from all directions. Each class has a primary weapon and a secondary, and ammo is scarce. Or at least, it was when I played as Rosy, the heavy who packs a giant minigun that chews through bullets. Thankfully, anyone in your party can call down equipment and/or ammo reinforcements at any time to restock not just your guns but your grenades and health kits too. You’ve each also got a special ability that’s on a cooldown. With Rosy, I chose an air strike, thinking it would be useful. And boy would I be proven right. But we’ll get to that.

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But the real fun comes from the random encounters. You might come to a cave. Clear it out and there might be some extra rewards – rewards, by the way, which you’ll use towards weapon upgrades later for your next match. You might also run into a big angry T-rex along the way, who is only vulnerable in a glowing white sac under its neck. It takes a lot of time to kill, and that’s assuming all three players have (wisely) decided to stick together. The other, smaller dinosaurs don’t politely stop attacking while the T-rex runs rampant, of course, so you’ll have your hands full. But bringing that beast down – with the help of Rosy’s air strike ability – felt incredibly satisfying.

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Second Extinction is heading into Early Access in October, and while it’s fun, it definitely still needs work. My biggest complaint so far is that bullets don’t really feel very impactful. You just point at the dinosaurs and hold the trigger down until the targeting reticle turns red (or, in the case of my minigun, the gun overheats). The enemies don’t convey much of a sense of damage being taken. I’m also a bit concerned about the long tail on this thing. Yes, you collect resources during matches that lead to upgrade tokens (which themselves can be rearranged to change your play style), but it remains to be seen if Second Extinction will be able to offer enough outside of its enjoyable core gameplay loop. Here’s hoping the development team at Systemic Reaction brings out its game’s fullest potential over time.

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Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

How to Get the Super Mario Bros. Limited Edition Pin Set

If you somehow missed the news last week, Nintendo surprised us all with the official announcement of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection of the first 3 Super Mario 3D games: Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy.

All three games in one package is sweet enough, but there’s more. To celebrate 35 years of Mario-y goodness, Nintendo is also releasing a limited edition set of collectible, enamel Mario pins. You can’t just run out and buy them, either. Well, that’s not totally, true, some of the designs have been released before, but to get the full Super Mario Bros. pin set, you need to complete Mario missions. The good news is the missions are pretty easy to complete, and if you’ve already preordered Super Mario 3D All-Stars, you’re 1/6th of the way.

How to Get the Super Mario Bros. Pin Set

The first thing you need to do is have a Nintendo account. If you don’t have one, it’s pretty standard stuff, but to make progress in the missions, you’ll need to both have an account and be logged in when you visit the websites and use the Mario Kart app. Also, on the missions page, make sure you click over to the “Missions” tab (default is the “Rewards” tab).

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After you’re logged in, there are several steps to secure your pin set, but there’s no order in which you have to complete them. The most time-sensitive of the missions is to race in the Super Mario Kart tour in the Mario Kart app for either iOS or Android. That tour unlocks at 2:00 AM ET on September 9 and runs through September 23 at 1:59 AM. If you don’t have the app, the good news is it’s free and it’s actually pretty fun. Run through the first cup to get yourself ready for the Super Mario Kart tour, and you’re quite literally off to the races.

The rest of the steps are a cinch: go ahead and visit SuperMario35.com and boom: you’ve completed a mission.

After that, take the Super Mario quiz to flex your knowledge of 35 years of Mario. There’s an “Easy” and a “Hard” quiz, but if you’re reading this article, you almost certainly won’t have any problems with the harder version (it’s not that hard).

You also need to download a “This Is My Mario” image. To find yours, go to the History section of the Mario page, scroll down below the video to the timeline between the two warp pipes. From there, select your favorite, scroll down a bit more and you’ll see a candy-red “This Is My Mario!” button below the screenshot from whichever game you decided on. Click that bad-boy and you’ve completed another mission.

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Now go and visit the Super Mario 3D All-Stars music player page to complete your next mission. If you’re unaware, 3D All-Stars comes with a music player, so you can listen to over 150 tracks from Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy. The sample page has just 6 tracks, two from each game, but they’re delightful none the less. Once you’ve listened to the music, you’ve completed the mission.

The next mission requires you to have Mario Kart installed on a mobile device and you need to be logged in with your Nintendo Account. Simply race in the Super Mario Kart tour, which opens up tonight. Again, this is the most time-sensitive of all the missions, because the tour ends on September 23.

Finally, you’ll need to have purchased a copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars and claim your Gold Points on your Switch before March 31. According to Nintendo, “this mission will not be processed or marked as complete until the game’s launch day,” which is September 18.

Where to Preorder Super Mario 3D All-Stars

You can preorder your copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars from the following retailers:

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Super Mario Bros. Pin Set Missions, TL;DR Edition

Here are the required steps to complete all the missions to earn the Super Mario Bros. pin set:

  • Have, and be logged into, your Nintendo account while doing the missions
  • Visit SuperMario35.com before December 22, 2020
  • Take the Super Mario quiz before March 31, 2021
  • Download your “This Is My Mario!” image before March 31, 2021
  • Visit the Super Mario 3D All-Stars page and listen to the music player before March 31, 2021
  • Race in the Super Mario Kart tour on the Mario Kart mobile app before September 22, 2020
  • Buy a copy of Super Mario 3D-All Stars and claiming your Gold Points on your Switch before March 31, 2021

What Is the Time Limit for the Super Mario Pin Set?

All the missions, with two exceptions, need to be completed before March 31. You’ll need to visit SuperMario35.com BEFORE December 22, and participate in the Super Mario Kart tour BEFORE September 22.

I’ve Done the Super Mario Pin Missions, But They’re Not Showing Up as Completed

You absolutely need to ensure you’re logged into your Nintendo account, and it will have to be the same across all three platforms. In other words, you need to use the same account on your Switch you use on the website, and you need to link the Mario Kart app to the same Nintendo account, as well. This is crucial! If you’re not logged in when you do the missions, your progress doesn’t count.

Baby Yoda Returns In First Mandalorian Season 2 Images

The first images for The Mandalorian Season 2 have been revealed. The second season of the acclaimed Star Wars TV show is set to premiere on Disney+ next month, and we now have a first look at the new episodes.

The images come via Entertainment Weekly. While they don’t reveal any new characters, we can see many the returning cast, including Pedro Pascal as the titular bounty hunter, Gina Carano as Cara Dune, and Carl Weathers as Greef. And of course, Baby Yoda, aka The Child, is featured too. Check out Mando and Baby Yoda below, and the others over at EW.

The Mandalorian Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on Friday, October 30. Jon Favreau returns as showrunner once more, and Giancarlo Esposito is also set to return as villainous Moff Gideon. In terms of the new cast, Terminator and Aliens star Michael Biehn will reportedly play another bounty hunter, while it is rumored that Rosario Dawson might appear as fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano, who first appeared in the animated movie and show The Clone Wars.

In an interview with EW, Favreau explains that the new season will tell a “larger story” than Season 1. “The stories become less isolated, yet each episode has its own flavor, and hopefully we’re bringing a lot more scope to the show,” he said. “Everything gets bigger, the stakes get higher, but also the personal story between the Child and the Mandalorian develops in a way I think people will enjoy.”

For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to everything we know so far about The Mandalorian Season 2.

Xbox Series X Rumored Price And Release Date Leaks

Microsoft has officially confirmed the existence and price of the Xbox Series S, a budget-conscious option of its next-gen hardware. With that, attention turns toward Xbox Series X, which still has no announced price or release date. But a leak regarding the Series S made claims about its big brother Series X too.

Windows Central confirmed leaks of the Series S design–a slimmer white box with a circular black design element–along with accurately calling its price at $299. That would appear to lend credence to the rest of its report, which claimed the Series X will be priced at $499 and that both systems will release on November 10.

We know that Series X is scheduled for a November launch, but the exact date and price are still unconfirmed. The Series S confirmation from Microsoft didn’t announce a date. The company promised more details soon.

The Series S has been something of an open secret for a while, though. In August, a controller leak mentioned the long-rumored Series S specifically.

Meanwhile, Sony’s PlayStation 5, which is going head-to-head with Xbox this holiday season, also has no announced price or release date. Sony did start to lay the groundwork for an announcement, though, by allowing fans to register for a chance to reserve their preorder.

Don’t Expect More Kingdom Hearts On Switch

Franchise spinoff Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory will be launching on consoles this November–including Nintendo Switch. While the rhythm-action game will be the first time a Kingdom Hearts title has been available on the Switch, it will also most likely be the last.

In an interview with Nintendo Enthusiast, Square Enix’s Tetsuya Nomura confirmed that there were currently no plans for any other Kingdom Hearts games for the Switch, including ports of existing games or brand new ones.

Square Enix did apparently look at porting some of its existing games to the Nintendo console, but found it too difficult–meaning it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see any of the main Kingdom Hearts trilogy on Switch.

The one bit of good news for Square Enix fans is that Nomura did express his interest in the Switch as an interesting piece of hardware, saying that he always wanted to develop something for the unique console. He also told Nintendo Enthusiast that it’s possible other games of his could come to the Switch.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory will be out on November 11 for the Nintendo Switch, as well as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The spinoff turns Kingdom Hearts’ signature battle style into a rhythm game, with players attacking enemies on the beat in order to advance. It allows players to unlock notable cutscenes from the main games, meaning Switch players will be able to experience some of the essence of Kingdom Hearts despite the radically different play style.

Now Playing: The History Of The Kingdom Hearts Franchise

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Netflix CEO Talks Ads, Gaming, And An Employee Who Expensed $100,000 On Personal Vacations

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has given an in-depth interview to Variety in which he speaks about why Netflix’s business model is best suited without ads, if the company might ever get into gaming, and the employee who was reimbursed $100,000 before leaving the company.

Regarding ads, Hastings said it’s not a hard and fast rule that Netflix wants to avoid ads, but it just makes business sense to build the platform on a paid model versus ads.

“It’s definitely not a rule. It’s a judgment call… It’s a belief we can build a better business, a more valuable business [without advertising],” he said. “You know, advertising looks easy until you get in it. Then you realize you have to rip that revenue away from other places because the total ad market isn’t growing, and in fact right now it’s shrinking. It’s hand-to-hand combat to get people to spend less on, you know, ABC and to spend more on Netflix.”

The consumer market is growing more substantially than the ad market, and Netflix’s earnings results over the past two decades demonstrate that, Hastings said. “We went public 20 years ago at about a dollar a share, and now we’re [more than] $500. So I would say our subscription-focused strategy’s worked pretty well. But it’s basically what we think is the best capitalism, as opposed to a philosophical thing.”

Also in the interview, Hastings was asked if Netflix would ever get into live programming around sports and news. Live news programming probably won’t happen, but Hastings said other categories like sports and video games might be more realistic.

“I doubt news, but sports, video gaming, user-generated content–if you think of the other big categories, someday it could make sense,” he said.

It’s not completely clear here if Hastings is speaking about producing TV shows or movies around video games, or if Netflix could get into game development, or something else entirely. Netflix recently released the well-received video game documentary, High Score.

This is not the first time that Hastings has spoken about video games. In 2019, the executive said Netflix would not follow the likes of Google, Microsoft, EA, and others in creating its own game-streaming service. Back in 2011, when Netflix’s business was more focused on rentals by mail, the company announced plans to offer Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii games for rental by mail, but the company abandoned those plans in short order.

In 2018, Netflix partnered with Telltale Games to bring a choose-your-own-adventure TV show to the platform called Minecraft: Story Mode. Netflix also produced Stranger Things 3: The Game.

Also in the interview, Hastings touched on Netflix’s unique corporate expense program where employees do not need to have their expenses approved beforehand. An employee from the Taiwan branch expensed $100,000 for personal vacations, before being let go. Hastings said the $100,000 was “not that dramatic” in the scheme of things. The unique program is meant to help employees feel trusted, and in turn the quality of their work may improve.

You can check out the full interview here at Variety. And for more on Netflix, here’s our roundup of all the new TV shows and movies on Netflix in September 2020 in the US.

Now Playing: 13 TV Shows Netflix Has Canceled In 2020

Avatar 2 Releases New Behind-The-Scenes Photos

While it’s looking like the first of the Avatar sequels won’t be arriving until at least 2022, the franchise’s Twitter account continues to drop behind the scenes peeks at the mammoth production. The latest is a series of photos from a trip the cast took to Hawaii to prepare for filming–which, knowing the schedule of Avatar 2, are probably at least 3 years old.

The purpose of the Hawaii trip was for the cast of the sequel to “experience the underwater world” that Avatar 2 will be exploring, and the pictures include Sigourney Weaver post-dive, a trio of actors playing new characters, and the entire Sully family including Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, and the actors who play their characters’ children.

Considering Avatar started filming in 2017, and had already wrapped up performance capture filming by late 2018, it’s likely that these photos are from 2017 or even earlier. The photo of Worthington and Saldana with their screen family is listed as the first time the Sully family was all together–though the photo seems to include Jack Champion, who plays an unrelated human character, and is missing Trinity Bliss, who will play Jake and Neytiri’s daughter.

The second photo includes actors Bailey Bass, Cliff Curtis, and Filip Geljo, who will play Na’vi from the newly introduced seaside-dwelling Metkayina clan. It’s still unknown what role Sigourney Weaver will be playing in the sequel, after her character Grace was killed off in the first film.

The original Avatar film also included a preliminary trip to the jungles of Hawaii, as described by lead actor Sam Worthington at the time: “we had to wear tails and ears and a flimsy g-string and run around basically half-naked, pretending to be our characters.” Luckily the latest Hawaii shoot doesn’t seem to have involved as many flimsy g-strings.

The latest news on the Avatar sequels was an announcement from James Cameron that Avatar 2 would not make its planned December 2021 release date, though no new release window has been announced.

Xbox Series S Design Officially Announced, Xbox Series X Pricing And Release Date Leaked

[UPDATE] Microsoft has made the Xbox Series S official. The system will cost $299, and it looks just like the leaked image. Xbox UK has also confirmed that the system will cost £250 there.

The release date has not been officially confirmed by Microsoft yet, though.

The original story follows.

The Xbox Series S has seemingly been revealed, and while it’s still unconfirmed, reports are coming in from a reporter with a solid track record. Furthermore, details of the Xbox next-gen release–including prices and a date–have also reportedly leaked.

Thurrott reporter Brad Sams has unveiled the design below, showing what the Xbox Series S will reportedly look like. Whether or not this is the actual final design remains to be seen, as Microsoft has not officially unveiled the Series S (or even, technically, announced it), but industry insider Daniel Ahmad has backed up the report, saying this is the design we should expect.

It appears to be a lot smaller, and will not feature a disc drive.

As for the price and date, Windows Central is reporting that Microsoft is set to hold a press conference soon formally announcing the Series S, as well as these details. The site reports that both the Series S and Series X will launch on November 20; the series S will cost $299 USD, and the Series X will cost $499 USD.

The piece also reports that the consoles will be available through Xbox’s All Access subscription service, with the Series S being set at $25 USD a month and the Series X at $35 USD a month. Phil Spencer has previously said that All Access is “critical” to their next-gen strategy.

We’re still waiting on official confirmation on all of this, but with November approaching, we’d expect it soon.