Madden NFL 21 Starts Naming 99 Club Members, Starting With Former Cover Star

Madden NFL 21 has started naming inductees into its “99 Club” as it continues the rollout of this year’s player rankings. The first inductee is Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes–last year’s cover athlete and Super Bowl MVP.

The 99 Club is named after the highest overall rating possible in a Madden game. From the already small pool of players with a sky-high rating, EA selects a few elite players as members of the 99 Club. Mahomes was an obvious choice as an inductee, as he was the winning Super Bowl QB and MVP last year. In doing so he even defied the so-called Madden curse.

EA is rolling out its player ratings for the entire league in advance of the release of Madden NFL 21. It began with the rookie quarterback ratings last week, and those maxed out at 76. That made Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals the top-rated rookie QB, but still a far cry from the elite 99 Club.

This year’s Madden NFL cover athlete is Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. He was the unanimous NFL MVP last year, only the second player to receive that honor after Tom Brady. That makes him another likely pick for a 99 Club inductee, but we won’t know until EA reveals more player ratings.

Madden NFL 21 is coming on August 28 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It will also be coming to the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X, with free upgrades for current-gen owners through EA’s Dual Entitlement program. For more details check out our Madden NFL 21 pre-order guide.

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New To Netflix This Week: Watch The Notebook And Cry A Bunch

Romance is in the air this week. Well, at least it is on Netflix. If you’re craving the loving embrace of someone you care for, but you’d rather vicariously live through a character in a movie instead of actually being near someone because of social distancing, there are plenty of movies and originals coming your way.

On Saturday, the Nicholas Sparks book The Notebook comes to life in the feature-length film of the same name. The movie follows a couple in the 1930s who want to be together but the young woman’s mother won’t allow it. After WWII, the man and woman rekindle their romance on the verge of her wedding to someone else. The film jumps forward in time to see that same woman in a nursing home, living with dementia, as her husband reads her journals to her to help her try to recall her past. It is a movie that wants you to cry. No, it needs you to cry. It feeds on your sadness and empathy.

Thursday, July 16, MILF lands on Netflix. In this movie–which actually came out in France in 2018–three women in their 40s go on vacation and have steamy romances with younger men. Ooh la la! The asks the question, “Can you find love later in life?” Without having seen the film, I can tell you the answer is yes.

Finally, there’s The Business of Drugs docuseries, landing on Tuesday. The series follows a former CIA analyst, who is in no way in love with drugs, as they investigate six substances and the economics of it. This probably won’t end with the analyst marrying cocaine. However, considering Netflix’s track-record with docuseries, this may be one to keep on your radar.

If you’re looking for more news on streaming services, make sure to check out what’s coming to Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, and Disney+ for July.

New to Netflix this week:

July 14

  • The Business of Drugs — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
  • On est ensemble (We Are One) — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
  • Urzila Carlson: Overqualified Loser — NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL

July 15

  • Dark Desire — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Gli Infedeli (The Players) — NETFLIX FILM
  • Skin Decision: Before and After — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Sunny Bunnies: Season 1-2

July 16

  • Fatal Affair — NETFLIX FILM
  • Indian Matchmaking — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • MILF — NETFLIX FILM
  • Pride & Prejudice (2005)

July 17

  • Boca a Boca (Kissing Game) — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Cursed — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Funan

July 18

  • Gigantosaurus: Season 1
  • The Notebook

Now Playing: Movie Trivia With Jack Pattillo

Ghost Of Tsushima Launch Trailer Has Jin Wrestling With His Principles

Ahead of its launch on July 17, Ghost of Tsushima’s new launch trailer gives you one last brief glimpse at the blood-soaked open-world gameplay coming exclusively to PS4.

The trailer features quick cuts that show off a lot in its minute runtime. This includes a variety of colorful vistas around the island of Tsushima, from snow-covered fields to wet and muddy marshes. There are also some snapshots of Jin and his deadly blade, with voice-over once again driving home the inner conflict he’s fighting with adopting combat techniques counter to his honorable samurai ways. You can check out the new trailer below.

Ghost of Tsushima will launch with a variety of editions, all of which you can still pick up before its release later this week. Most editions come with additional in-game items, but if you’re looking for the ultimate collector’s bounty then the $170 Collector’s edition is the way to go. It features a replica of Jin’s ghost mask, a full-size war banner, Tsushima cloth map, and much more. Check out our pre-order guide for all the details on each edition and where to purchase them.

Developed by Infamous creator Sucker Punch, Ghost of Tsushima is the studio’s first game since Infamous Second Son, which launched in 2014. It is also the second big PS4 exclusive to launch in just over a month, with Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II out now and selling very well. If you haven’t yet check out our The Last of Us Part II review and be sure to check in this week for our upcoming review of Ghost of Tsushima.

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Netflix’s Season 5 Lucifer Trailer Promises “Twocifers”

Netflix has released a new trailer for the upcoming first half of Lucifer’s fifth season. Season 5A is slated to debut on August 21, and it looks like in it we will be meeting the Lord of Hell’s twin brother, Michael. Check out the trailer below.

According to a release, the fifth season will see “secrets… revealed, beloved characters will do, and we’ll finally get an answer to the question ‘will they or won’t they?'” The trailer also offers a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.

Lucifer, a TV adaptation of the DC Comics character from The Sandman (created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg), started life as a Fox series in 2016. The show jumped over to Netflix in 2019. The series follows Lucifer, bored, choosing to resign his throne and abandoning his kingdom to instead help the LAPD publish criminals.

Lucifer stars Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D.B. Woodside, and many more. It was developed for TV by Tom Kapinos, perhaps best known for his Showtime series Californication.

Netflix News

Microsoft Flight Simulator Launching This August, Pre-Load Live Now

Microsoft Game Studios and Asobo Studio are hosting a closed beta for Microsoft Flight Simulator later this month but have revealed that the game will launch just a few weeks later, on August 18.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for pre-order today from the Windows 10 Store and can be pre-loaded too if you use the Xbox Game Pass for PC app on Windows 10. The game will also launch for all Game Pass subscribers on PC on the same day. You can check out more stunning 4K footage in the latest trailer below.

Flight Simulator will feature three different versions to purchase, with their differences all coming down to included planes and airports. The standard $60 edition includes 20 planes and 30 airports, the $90 Deluxe edition increases that to 25 planes and 35 airports, and the Premium Deluxe edition features the full 30 plane and 40 airport roster, including exclusives like the Boeing 787 and San Francisco International Airport. The full breakdown of each edition can be found below.

Flight Simulator also features new live weather and air traffic modes, letting you simulate real-time flight paths and regulatory standards as the information is retrieved in real-time. You’ll also be able to switch between night and daytime modes, as well as scale your in-flight checklist according to your desired difficulty level.

Flight Simulator is only launching on PC at this time, but Microsoft has also announced it for Xbox One.

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Lego Nintendo Entertainment System Teased, Leaked

A new Lego set that recreates the Nintendo Entertainment System in miniature appears to be on the way. The Lego Group has already officially teased the set, but we’ve also gotten a better look at it due to a series of leaks.

The fan sites VJGamer and StoneWars (via Wario64) caught wind of more photos that match the silhouetted image of an NES connected to an old-school CRT TV, complete with a brick recreation of World 1-1 from the original Super Mario Bros. Shortly after, an official teaser with a silhouetted shape of the Lego set appeared to confirm the leaked photos.

One of the leaked images shows the Mario figure from the Lego Super Mario sets interacting with the NES set, though the leaked images don’t detail the cross-functionality between the sets.

The NES set is said to be coming on August 1 for 229 Euro (approximately $260 US). That’s also the confirmed release date for the Lego Super Mario sets, which consists of one starter course ($60) and several expansions that range from $20 to $70. There are also blind-box characters for $5 apiece, and Power-Up packs with suits like Fire Flower Mario or Propeller Mario for $10 apiece.

At more than $200, the NES set would easily be the most expensive set of Nintendo’s partnership with Lego. With an official announcement seeming imminent, we’ll probably know more about its functionality with the Mario sets soon.

Comic-Con At Home Star Wars X-Wing Toy Isn’t Dirty, It’s Meant To Look Like That

The rebranded SDCC event, now called Comic-Con@Home, is just weeks away. And while 2020’s version of the convention will be very different, with panels streaming on YouTube, at least no one has to wait overnight in line for Hall H, and that’s a good thing.

There may not be a convention hall to walk around with thousands of other people, but there will still be exclusive merch you can pick up. We’ve already seen Mattel’s previous offerings: the WWE Elite Collection Mr. T and the Jurassic Park Dennisy Nedry figure which lives in a shaving cream can. Now, Mattel has revealed a new ship from the Hot Wheels Star Wars collection.

Dagobah is dirty
Dagobah is dirty

The Hot Wheels Star Wars X-Wing Dagobah Starship comes in a cool display which showcases the swamps on the planet and all the inexplicable fog. The box is more than a display. It’s also functional, as a switch on the side lets you raise the X-Wing from the swamp. It’s almost like you have Jedi powers of your own.

The X-Wing is a replica of the ship in the Empire Strikes Back, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It’s dirty and covered in alien moss. Aside from the box, the ship also comes with a stand to showcase it.

The suggested retail price for the X-Wing is $25 USD, and it will go on sale on July 23 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET on Mattel Creations. Like all SDCC collectibles, supplies are limited, so if you want one, you’ll have to be diligent.

Nier Reincarnation Trailer Shows Off The Mobile Spin-Off’s Combat

Nier Reincarnation, the upcoming mobile spin-off that will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original Nier, has shown off combat in a new video. It looks very different from the action style of Nier: Automata.

The trailer is below, but we’ve also grabbed a screenshot from it showing combat to analyse further.

The combat looks like it could be turn-based, with large touch icons being assigned to each character. Based on the screenshot below, it looks like characters on your team of three will have two abilities assigned to them. The footage shows one member of the player team landing blows with ease, so don’t expect any traditional action combat with dodging and blocking.

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It also looks like combat will be wave-based, which is an interesting twist. In the screenshot above, it also seems that two characters are heavy hitters, while the other is primarily a healer.

Nier Reincarnation is coming to Android and iOS, although a release date has not been announced, and it’s not clear if it will come to the west.

It’s not the only Nier game on the horizon either; an upgraded version of the first game called Nier Replicant Ver. 1.22474487139 is also in the works for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. This will be the first time the Japanese version of the game is available in North America, as the previous US version of Nier featured many differences.

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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Soundtrack Features Original Song By Einar Selvik Of Norse Music Fame

As part of the Ubisoft Forward event, the publisher confirmed more details about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, including its music. There will be a seven-song EP pulled from the game’s soundtrack that will be released on Spotify and for purchase on iTunes later this year.

The EP will feature original music from composers Jesper Kyd and Sarah Schachner, along with an original song by Einar Selvik. Selvik is the former drummer of the metal band Gorgoroth and current singer of the Nordic band Wardruna. Selvik worked with the History Channel on the show Vikings.

Wardruna’s music and stylings seem to be a perfect match for Valhalla, as you can tell from the band’s latest music video below.

Kyd composed the music for the original Assassin’s Creed game and has worked on multiple entries in the series over the years, while Schachner did the music for Assassin’s Creed Unity and Origins.

Ubisoft also announced a new Assassin’s Creed Valhalla book, called Gerimund’s Saga. Written by Matthew J. Kirby, the story is an original tale focusing on the Gerimund Hellskin, a viking warrior who joins the fight to take England. Artist Jung Gi Kim will reveal the cover to his 1 million-plus Instagram followers later in July.

Additionally, a new comic series based on Valhalla–Song of Glory–is coming in October. It’s written by Cavan Scott, featuring illustrations by Martin Tunica and coloration by Michael Atiyeh. The comic series from Dark Horse is a prequel to the game, telling a new story involving Eivor and Sigund.

Finally, Ubisoft is releasing a new Valhalla art book that features art and commentary from the developers. The book will offer a “visual journey” through the game, showcasing special art of viking life and the game’s various environments.

Valhalla releases on November 17 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. It’s also coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X when those consoles release, and players who buy the game on current-gen can upgrade to the next-gen edition for free.

For lots more on Valhalla, check out GameSpot’s new hands-on impressions in the video above. You can also read Jordan’s interview with narrative director Darby McDevitt and assistant level design director Laurence Letalien about Eivor’s mysterious identity, the interwoven story, and more.

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