Marvel Legends Are Going Old School With Retro Packaging And Figures

The next wave of Marvel Legends figures will pay homage to the past and be a bit smaller then the action figures you may be familiar with. Hasbro has some pretty cool new Marvel Legends under the Kenner label coming this fall that look a lot like the toys you grew up with.

These Marvel Legends Retro toys are featured in a Marvel Comic Presents box–designed to look like an issue of the long-running comic book series.. Two figures come in each pack, and the toys come in at 3.75 inches a piece, with each two-pack retailing for $20. First up, check out Captain America and Black Panther.

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The figures are modeled after their looks from the silver and bronze age of comic books. Inside of the larger box, you get two figures, in individual retro packaging. The figures may not have a lot of articulation, but they are extremely reminiscent of the Secret Wars figures from the mid-80s.

Those aren’t the only figures in this line. Also included are other classic Marvel character team-ups that you’d expect to see in a Marvel Comics Presents issue. Check them out below.

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Sometimes, the team-ups in the comic can be a little out-of-the-ordinary, like Cyclops and Iron Man or Spider-Man and his nemesis Electro. And who doesn’t like Electro’s old costume? His mask and costume really hit the mark, letting you know, he has electric powers. All of these figures will be arriving this fall, and available for pre-order at Hasbro Pulse beginning on Friday, September 25 at 5 PM EST.

Tag Team Wrestling Legend Road Warrior Animal Passes Away

Joseph Laurinaitis, also known as Road Warrior Animal, has passed away at the age of 60, according to his Twitter account. Laurinaitis wrestled for most of the major promotions in the ’80s and ’90s including the NWA, All-Japan Pro Wrestling, AWA, WCW, Impact, and, of course, WWE.

Laurinaitis found his start in wrestling when he worked as a bouncer at Grandma B’s in Minnesota where he caught the eye of Eddie Sharkey, a well-known wrestling trainer. Soon after, he made his debut in November 1982, competing as The Road Warrior using a biker gimmick. After only a few matches as a singles competitor, his career and life would change thanks to an idea by future Hall of Fame manager, Paul Ellering.

At the time, Ellering was looking to put together a stable of heels in Georgia Championship Wrestling called The Legion of Doom and decided to put Laurinaitis together with Mike Hegstrand. Ellering gave them the Animal and Hawk monikers, which would be names they would be synonymous with for the rest of their lives and careers.

The Legion of Doom would later be rechristened to the Road Warriors, and across an almost 20-year career of teaming together, would capture tag team championships wherever they went. Road Warrior Hawk passed away in 2003, and Animal would find a new partner in Heidenreich to win WWE Tag Team Championships in 2005, and make sporadic appearances in the company until 2012.

Here’s How Spider-Man Remastered Is Improved On PS5

Sony’s latest PS5 showcase revealed that Marvel’s Spider-Man will receive a remastered version as part of the Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate edition bundle when it launches this year. While it won’t allow for saves from the original game to be transferred over to the PS5 version, there is reason to give it a look even if you’ve already played through it. Insomniac Games has outlined the various visual improvements coming to Spider-Man Remastered on PS5.

According to the developer, Marvel’s Spider-Man features upgraded art assets that were built to take advantage of the PS5’s new hardware, characters are “better-looking” thanks to improved skin, eyes, hair, and facial animations. Ray-traced reflections, ambient shadows, and improved lighting will also be seen in a more densely populated New York City, while the draw distance has also been improved.

Like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the original game will also feature two graphical modes, with the studio saying that the performance mode option targets 60 frames per second. The PS5 SSD will also mean near-instant loading of levels, while more immersive elements will rely on the console’s 3D audio and the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback features.

On top of all that, three new suits, new photo mode features, additional Trophies, and The City That Never Sleeps DLC campaign will complete the package.

The standard edition that only includes Spider-Man: Miles Morales will retail for $50, while the Ultimate edition will cost you $70. Both versions launch on November 12 alongside the PS5. For more, check out GameSpot’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales preorder guide.

Now Playing: Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gameplay First Look | PS5 Showcase

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Microsoft Would Consider Buying More Games Companies After Bethesda

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said that the company will continue considering buying video game companies “where it makes sense.”

In an interview with CNET about the company’s $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media and Bethesda, Nadella confirmed that Microsoft would continue looking to expand. Explaining what Microsoft would look for, Nadella said, “We’ll always look for places where there is that commonality of purpose, mission and culture. We will always look to grow inorganically where it makes sense.”

Nadella appears to see buying established companies as a more efficient means of adding to Xbox’s line-up than opening new studios (although Microsoft has created ‘AAAA’ studio The Initiative in recent years): “You can’t wake up one day and say, ‘Let me build a game studio’. The idea of having content is so we can reach larger communities.”

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer added, “Content is just the incredible ingredient to our platform that we continue to invest in.”

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Nadella and Spencer didn’t offer any indication as to whether other acquisitions were in the works. The surprise purchase of ZeniMax and Bethesda is one of the biggest purchases in game industry history, and we’ve listed the 5 biggest takeaways from the deal.

It’s led to speculation as to whether Bethesda games will become Xbox exclusives now, with some at IGN saying they’d be shocked if The Elder Scrolls, Fallout or Doom appeared on PS5 now.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

The UK Government Wants to Know If You Think Loot Boxes Are Gambling

As part of a consultation on loot boxes, the UK government is looking to hear from “video games players and adults responsible for children and young people who play video games” to figure out if they “may encourage or lead to problem gambling.”

Surveys can be filled out here and will inform the government’s review of the Gambling Act 2005, which could lead to new regulations on loot boxes. The call for evidence will run until the 22 November 2020, and is also seeking consultation from video game businesses, researchers and organizations.

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Back in January 2020, England’s top mental health nurse Claire Murdoch released a report calling for a review of microtransactions, noting that loot boxes were “setting kids up for addiction.” The UK government then formally announced a call for evidence in June 2020, to “gather evidence and understand the impact of loot boxes.”

In August 2019 it was announced that Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo were working on new loot box policies that would disclose a range of odds for a player’s purchase. The ESRB recently launched a new ratings label that will inform consumers about whether a game includes random items as part of its in-game purchasing system.

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Tom Cruise Is Officially Being Shot Into Space, For A Movie

It’s (pretty much) official–Tom Cruise is headed to outer space. The actor, along director Doug Liman, are set to travel to the great beyond in October 2021 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Details from the Space Shuttle Almanac suggest that pilot Michael Lopez Alegria will take them to space, while the manifest lists an empty spot for another guest.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is coordinating the mission, and of course supplying the rocket, representing Axiom Space. Founded in 2016, Axiom is trying to become the world’s first company to create a commercial space station by attaching its own modules to the International Space Station. You can read more about this at GameSpot sister site CNET.

As Deadline points out, we don’t know yet if the October 2021 flight with Cruise and Liman is a preliminary trip or if it’s the actual flight where they will record scenes for their space movie.

Jurassic World studio Universal is paying for the $200 million movie, which will be produced in conjunction with SpaceX and NASA.

As of late July, there was no script for the Tom Cruise space movie, nor were there any other details about casting or a release date. What we do know is that Christopher McQuarrie, who directed Cruise in the Mission: Impossible films, is one of the producers.

The space movie’s director, Doug Liman, previously worked with Cruise on Edge of Tomorrow and American Made.

Cruise is known for doing his own stunts–he recently rode a motorcycle off a cliff for Mission: Impossible 7–but going to actual space to film a movie might be his biggest stunt yet.

In other news about space and movies, Fast & Furious 9 will feature a scene where Ludacris leave’s Earth’s atmosphere, which is great news.

Microsoft’s Purchase Of ZeniMax Gives Them Access To Orion Streaming Tech

Microsoft threw down the gauntlet for next generation recently with their purchase of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax, and in the wake of the deal there’s been a lot of speculation about what it all means for the Xbox Series X. Microsoft has said that this isn’t just about exclusives, and there could be some truth to this–not only with Microsoft benefit from having Bethesda’s games on Game Pass, but they didn’t just pick up games in this sale.

Windows Central has noted that Microsoft’s purchase gives them access to Orion, the streaming tech Bethesda announced at E3 2019. The technology was touted as “a game- and platform-agnostic technology that optimizes game engines for streaming,” but the technology might be less platform-agnostic following this sale.

Orion’s stated goal is to stream games at low bandwidth with high-settings–making accessible the sort of game experiences that are often reserved only for people with powerful PC set-ups. The technology aims to cut latency down and deliver an excellent streaming experience.

Microsoft has just launched their own streaming system for Game Pass called xCloud, and it’s pretty good. If Microsoft wants to push their streaming technology further, though, then the purchase of Bethesda could be instrumental in doing so.

It could take a while to see the fruits of this purchase, but it’s very likely that Orion factored into Microsoft’s decision. The tech giant now owns 23 creative studios.

The Xbox Series X/S launch on November 10. If you want to try and get your hands on a system at or close to launch, check out GameSpot’s preorder guide.

Now Playing: Orion Is Bethesda’s Game Streaming Service | Bethesda Press Conference E3 2019

EA Will Sell Madden’s Pro Series With Soup, Candy, Razers, And More This Year

EA Sports has announced more details around the Madden NFL 21 Championship Series competitive gaming tournament, but this wasn’t the usual info dump about players, teams, or the league format. Instead, EA specifically announced all of the new and returning sponsors for this year’s event, and they are all over the place.

The Madden NFL Championship Series will have the most sponsors in the league’s history, with almost double the number of ad-buyers compared to last year’s event, EA said in a news release. One of the new sponsors this year is Oakley, which is launching a new gaming glasses line this year called Prizm. These are Oakley’s first glasses–or optical solution, as Oakley calls it–that were designed specifically for gaming.

NFL player Derwin James, who can’t compete on the field this year due to an injury, is participating in a special tournament called Derwin James vs. The World, and he’ll use the new Prizm glasses during his matches. You can watch last week’s event in the video above.

Some of the other sponsors for the MCS include Pizza Hut, Snickers, Gillette, and Campbell’s Chunky canned soup. What this means for you, the viewer, is that you will likely see more ads. Specifically, EA said these sponsors are being being “deeply integrated” into MCS 21.

Th Gillette sponsorship was already hinted at through Madden NFL 21. The game’s new backyard football mode, The Yard, features a character customization menu that is branded the “Gillette Style Zone.”

As for the soup deal, well, EA isn’t saying too much yet. “Campbell’s Chunky will bring competitive match ups to the forefront and connect with the community further in a new tournament later in the season,” EA said. I, for one, and interested to see how you connect soup with football, but only time will tell.

The Madden Championship Series is open to anyone, and you can register now until September 28. Just for signing up you get an Elite Fantasy Pack for Madden Ultimate Team.

Madden NFL 21 has proven to be a big sales success so far, becoming the No. 1 overall best-selling game in the US for August 2020. In fact, this was the 21st year in a row that a Madden NFL game has been the best-seller in its release month.

Madden NFL 21 is coming to the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, and people can get a free upgrade to the next-gen edition via EA’s Dual Entitlement program.

This year’s Madden had some issues at launch, and the newest title update addresses some of these, including the kick meter problems.

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Will Show Off Halloween Seasonal Items Soon

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has received many updates since its launch back in March, with seasonal updates adding new items, mechanics, and challenges to the game. Now, as northern hemisphere players experience fall (while spring has sprung for the southern hemisphere), Nintendo has promised that the next seasonal update is approaching.

A post on Nintendo Canada’s website about upcoming free updates for Switch games, picked up on by Animal Crossing World, has revealed that a fall update is coming soon. “There’s another free update around the corner,” the post reads.

“Be prepared for seasonal in-game events and activities, plus some spook-tacular tricks and treats,” it continues. This makes it pretty clear that the next update will be Halloween-themed.

How New Horizons will handle Halloween remains to be seen, although given the game’s focus on swapping outfits and building up a wardrobe, there could be some fun costumes involved. Whatever it is, we hope that it’s less annoying that Bunny Day.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been an enormous success, selling 22.4 million copies. There’s a Bug Off coming this weekend, so make sure you have your net ready.

Now Playing: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review

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Red Dead Redemption 2 Online Adds Legendary Bears This Week To Hunt

Rockstar Games has announced what’s new in Red Dead Online this week, and it includes new legendary bears to hunt down, along with a variety of sales and other events.

But we’re mainly here to talk about bears. Two new legendary bears, the Owiza and Ridgeback Spirit bears are now part of the wildlife in Red Dead Redemption 2‘s online mode.

The Owiza bear can be found near the Dakota River, and Rockstar warns it is easily aggravated, so be careful. Also of note is that this bear is more active at night, and even more so during heavy rain.

The Ridgeback Spirit bear, meanwhile, can be spotted near the Little Creek River. This bear likes to hunt during the day, and you can recognize it by the red stripe running down its back. Like the Owiza bear, the Ridgeback is also very aggressive.

Players can hunt and kill these bears and get free hat up to rank 15 for their efforts. Players can get the same reward by sedating the animal and collecting a sample, for those who prefer less bloodshed.

If you decide to kill the animals, you can bring the pelts to Gus Macmillian to make some cash. Giving pelts to Macmillian also gets you the Owiza and Ridgeback garment sets for purchase so you can wear your kill and show it off around town.

In addition to the bears, here is a full rundown of what’s available in Red Dead Online this week, as written by Rockstar Games:

New In Red Dead Online This Week

  • A free Treasure Map will be awarded to all Outlaw Pass owners this week
  • New Discounts: 40% off all Vests, Shirts, and the Advanced Camera
  • New Prime Gaming Benefits: Rewards for a free Bar Theme and Outfit, Accessory or Emote, plus 5,000 Outlaw Pass XP and 10X each of Gin, Brandy, Rum, Baked Beans and Jolly Jack’s
  • Ongoing Prime Gaming Benefits: A free Katata Coat, 6,000 Naturalist XP, a free Wilderness Camp, and 5 free Legendary Animal Pheromones
  • An offer for 50% off an Established or higher Naturalist Role Item will be given to players that complete an act of Rabbit animal control anytime this week
  • And two new Legendary Animals: The Owiza and Ridgeback Spirit Bears are now available to pursue and were last seen around the Dakota River and the Little Creek River, respectively, while a Reward for a free hat up to Rank 15 awaits players that skin or sample either
  • As well as the new Rabbit Vitalism Studies Pamphlet, now available to Naturalists that visit Harriet’s shop

Now Playing: Red Dead Online With Arthur Morgan, Sadie Adler, and Dutch van der Linde

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