The Entertainment Software Rating Board will now display if a game has in-game purchases with random elements like lootboxes in their ratings. In the blog that accompanies the new policy, the ESRB notes that while it began to label titles with in-game purchases back in April 2018, it has made the decision to note these elements due to research that suggests that parents are more concerned about randomized in-game purchases than other types.
The blog also notes that the ESRB felt that labelling these games with terms like “loot boxes” was insufficient, because there are many other mechanics for randomizing such items, including prize wheels or item packs. By using a general term, the ESRB says that the new “In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Elements)” notice will effectively communicate the presence of these possibly objectionable elements to parents and consumers.
This announcement comes as governments around the world have begun to consider or implement legislation aimed at curtailing lootboxes or other randomized elements, especially from children. Belgium famously banned the practice in 2018, and a bill to ban the sale of games with lootboxes to minors under the age of 18 was introduced to the US Senate in 2019. The Federal Trade Commission also hosted a public panel on microtransactions in video games late last year, which prompted major console manufacturers Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to announce that games with lootboxes would be required to disclose drop rates.
It was 1999 when movie audiences were first introduced to the fast food chain Mooby’s in Dogma, the Kevin Smith comedy starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, and Salma Hayek. Now, over two decades later and following many more appearances in Jay and Silent Bob movies, you’ll actually be able to eat at Mooby’s.
Smith announced the news on Instagram, revealing he’s partnered with the company that launched a Saved By the Bell pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles to bring the fictional fast food restaurant to life. “Ever since I first introduced the fictional fast food joint in my films, folks have said ‘You suck at movies, so open a Mooby’s!'” Smith wrote on Instagram. “Now the folks who did [Saved By the Max] is building the [Mooby’s Pop-up]–an IRL eatery in Los Angeles that opens later this year, pandemic depending!”
While a date has not been announced for the launch of the restaurant, those who live in Los Angeles will get the opportunity to sample the Mooby’s menu from April 19-25. A meal will be available from themed eatery to be delivered by Postmates. As revealed by Smith, it will include a “messy lasagna sandwich,” “hater totz,” and chocolate covered pretzels. Those who know the director’s movies well will recognize the pretzels from Mallrats and the tots from the recent Jay & Silent Bob Reboot. The meal will also come with an item autographed by Smith.
Proceeds from the delivered meals will be donated to No Us Without You, which the director says is donating meals to families impacted by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
It’s always good to keep up to date with what is coming to Netflix each week. If you don’t, you can miss out on things like The Tiger King or The Main Event. This week, there are a couple stand-up comedy specials headed your way and two movies you want to check out. Here’s everything headed to Netflix this week.
On Thursday, the Coen Brothers movie Hail, Caesar arrives. A love-letter to 1950s Hollywood, the film follows Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), a “fixer” for movie studios whose job it is to keep stars in line. One day, star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) disappears, and Mannix has a new problem that is challenging to fix.
Also on Thursday, the delightful family animated movie Despicable Me arrives. The series follows supervillain Gru (Steve Carell), who is planning on stealing the moon. However, there is a bump in the road, as Gru encounters three orphaned children, and has a change of heart, as he wants to become a father.
If you’re in the mood for a laugh, there are numerous stand-up specials arriving this week as well. French comedian Fary has a two-part special, which arrives on Thursday. Chris D’Elia (You) has a new special on Tuesday, and Mauricio Meirelles a new one on Thursday.
Below, you’ll find everything coming to Netflix this week. If you’re interested in more streaming service news, check out what’s coming to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Shudder, Funimation, and Quibi for the month of April as well.
And speaking of things you should be watching, consider listening to GameSpot’s weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. With new episodes premiering every Wednesday, you can watch a video version of the podcast over on GameSpot Universe or listen to audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.
Since the reveal of Xbox Series X at The Game Awards 2019, Microsoft has slowly revealed more and more information about its next-gen Xbox console. Not only have we seen what the Xbox Series X and its controller look like; we’ve also learned details about the console’s specs and how the Xbox Series X will handle backward-compatibility. The Xbox Series X launches later this year, and while it’s not available to pre-order yet, you can sign-up for notifications from a number of different retailers. Here’s what we know now about Xbox Series X’s release date, price, and more.
When will Xbox Series X be available to pre-order?
While we don’t have an exact pre-order date for Xbox Series X, several retailers–including Best Buy, Target, and GameStop–are now letting people sign up to be notified when the Xbox Series X becomes available for pre-order. (You can also sign up for PS5 pre-order notifications.) We would have expected pre-orders to go live around E3 2020 in June; however, the event has since been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, Microsoft has confirmed it’s having its own Xbox digital event in place of an E3 conference, so it’s more than likely Xbox Series X pre-orders will go live around that time.
With the state of the world, it’s hard to be certain about anything at this moment, and the Xbox Series X pre-order date could come later than expected because of stock restrictions or other concerns. Either way, you can still sign-up below to be notified as soon as Xbox Series X goes up for pre-order.
Sign up for Xbox Series X pre-order notifications
Xbox Series X release date
Thankfully, we do know the Xbox Series X is releasing later this year: Holiday 2020, to be exact. While the current pandemic has raised some questions about production and delays, Microsoft hasn’t announced anything in that vein. Xbox head Phil Spencer recently spoke to IGN about a “plan B” if the pandemic forces them to stagger the Xbox Series X’s launch. Spencer believes it’s important to have a simultaneous worldwide launch for the Xbox Series X, especially in the age of social media, as the Xbox One’s staggered launch only hurt the console.
How much will the Xbox Series X cost?
We don’t yet know the price for Xbox Series X. While the console was revealed months ago, Microsoft is holding off on revealing a price and opening pre-orders until customers know what they’re paying for, the company told GameSpot. “We think, in the end, what people want from us is … to put a controller [in their] hand,” said Xbox partner director of program management Jason Ronald in a December 2019 interview. “People tell me, ‘Hey, I want to pre-order right now,’ and we definitely love that–like it’s great to have those fans–but I also know that these investments aren’t trivial for families. I want to be transparent about what our design goals are.”
With E3 canceled, there’s no telling when the first public demo of Xbox Series X might be, but it’s clear the company plans to show the full range of Xbox Series X’s capabilities before announcing a price. Xbox head Phil Spencer has said the company learned a hard lesson from the Xbox One generation about being more expensive and less powerful at the beginning. “We will not be out of position on power or price,” he told The Verge, referring to Xbox Series X.
What we do know about the Xbox Series X
Following the Xbox One X, Microsoft is poised to once again have the most powerful console on the market. Its GPU has 12 teraflops of power, which is about 1 teraflop more than what Nvidia’s RTX 2080 Super is capable of. The Xbox Series X is capable of displaying true 4K, performing up to 120 frames per second, and storing games on its 1TB custom SSD. The Xbox Series X will make use of propriety expandable storage cards to extend the amount of SSD space the console has. It’s unclear if Microsoft will be the only company producing the special expandable storage (it’s currently working with Seagate to produce the cards).
The SSD storage will be required for Xbox Series X-only games, though you’ll still be able to use your Xbox One’s external hard drives. These external hard drives can be used to store and play backward-compatible games from the Xbox One X, Xbox One S, Xbox 360, and original Xbox. You can also store Series X games on these external hard drives and then transfer them to Series X storage to be played. Speaking of, every game playable on an Xbox One is also playable on the Xbox Series X. Microsoft also said that there won’t be any Xbox Series X-exclusives for the first year or two; Xbox One owners will also be able to play Microsoft’s new games for the next couple years.
The Xbox Series X and its controller
As for the Xbox Series X controller, Phil Spencer said Microsoft didn’t feel like it needed to start from “square one” with a new controller.
“We think we have a good controller in the market today,” Spencer told GameSpot. “But there were certain things that we’ve learned through doing the Elite controller and just listening to fans. One of them is on the D-pad. We have a new hybrid D-pad that we’ve been working on and think is important.”
The controller also adds a Share button and keeps the rumble triggers and haptic feedback. It’s powered by two AA batteries as opposed to an internal battery that might lose performance and die over time. And you don’t have to own an Xbox Series X to use the new controller: It’s backward-compatible with the Xbox One. All Xbox One controllers, including both Elite controllers, are also compatible with the Xbox Series X. Be sure to check out our guide to the best Xbox One controllers that will be compatible with Xbox Series X.
Doing just about anything is better with a soundtrack. And right now, new subscribers can get a special extended free trial of Amazon Music Unlimited. Instead of the usual month-long trial, Amazon is offering three months of unlimited music streaming at no cost. You can even turn off auto-renew right away, and you won’t be charged a single penny. Basically, you can listen to ad-free music for 90 days for free. You might as well give it a try.
Amazon Music Unlimited is the online retailer’s Spotify competitor, and it offers pretty much everything you’d expect from a music streaming service in this, the year 2020. It has an enormous library of music to which you get instant, unlimited, ad-free access. The library contains the majority of all recorded music in history, so if you can think of it, there’s a good chance you can stream it.
After your free trial ends (in what will surely feel like 2025 in the current climate), the service costs $9.99 per month for non-Prime members. If you do have Prime, it’s only $7.99 per month. Pay a year in advance (which you can’t do with Spotify), and it’s even cheaper.
I’m always trying to save money, so since I’m a Prime member I subscribed years ago, and I love it. I pretty much always have Music Unlimited playing while cooking, working, doing household chores, or any other task that doesn’t require my full, dedicated attention. I have a standard array of frequently updated playlists I listen to, and just like Spotify, it assembles a weekly “My Discovery Mix” of songs I’ve never heard before but enjoy. It’s great.
If you’re a free trial connoisseur, we have a free trial mega-list that tells you which services you can sample at no charge, and for how long. If you stagger these trials, you’ll be looking at a whole lot of free entertainment and education possibilities. Do it up.
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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.
After a short delay due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Fallout 76‘s big Wastelanders update is finally arriving on April 14. A new update from Bethesda has revealed more important information for existing players, as the game nears its extensive overhaul.
With Wastelanders adding NPCs, new companions and a new main quest, parts of the existing game will need to be tweaked–including player C.A.M.P.s that have been built in zones that will now house NPCs or story content.
Bethesda has released a map of the new no-C.A.M.P. zones for players who want to log in and move their homes before the update goes live, but if they don’t get around to it the process will be automatically prompted upon loading Wastelanders for the first time. “You will also be offered a free C.A.M.P. move, which we hope will help you find a new home for your home,” the update reads.
Bethesda is also looking to reward players who have stuck with Fallout 76 through its rocky beginnings, offering a free Veteran outfit to “anyone who has logged into Fallout 76 since launch on November 14, 2018 and prior to Wastelanders’ release.”
The Veteran outfit will automatically be added to player accounts and will be craftable by any character at Armor Workbenches.
The post also announced the release of the Wastelanders soundtrack by Inon Zur, which is available now through iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music for anyone who wants to check it out ahead of the DLC’s launch.
Wastelanders releases on April 14 as a free update for Fallout 76, and coincides with the release of Fallout 76 on Steam.
Since Houseparty was acquired by Epic Games last year, it’s probably not surprising that the video chat app is now collaborating with Fortnite. In a series of tweets, the Houseparty team announced a new Fortnite trivia deck, while the Fortnite account said that all players would get an in-game reward if there were 20 million correct answers about Fortnite by April 16.
How much do you think you know about Fortnite? 🤔 Maybe it’s time to quiz you!
Sounds good to us! We’ll unlock a global reward for all Fortnite players if the Houseparty Fortnite Trivia deck hits 20 million correct answers before April 16 at 11:59PM ET!
The trivia game can be played in the Chrome browser, or by downloading Houseparty for mobile or macOS, and while the app is designed for playing party games and chatting with friends, the trivia game can also be played alone.
Epic Games hasn’t given any more information on what kind of reward players can expect if they are successful in the trivia challenge, only that it’ll be available globally for all players if the goal is reached.
The trivia challenge ends on April 16 at 11:59 PM ET, and can only be played on the Houseparty app.
While Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn’t technically available in China, the game has become popular nonetheless through imported foreign copies. Although Nintendo released the Switch in China in December 2019, very few games are officially available for that market.
Chinese players have still been able to access Animal Crossing: New Horizons by purchasing foreign versions through small game importers, changing the Nintendo eShop location to buy digitally, or through online retailers, Polygon reports. Two of the largest online retailers, Pinduoduo and Taobao, suddenly stopped stocking the game after players began to use it to host online versions of the ongoing Hong Kong protests.
In allowing people to decorate their islands with custom designs, and invite friends over to check them out, Animal Crossing has become a new platform for the Hong Kong democracy protests thanks to pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong.
Wong tweeted out a photo of a protest organized in the game, followed by a thread that elaborated on the Animal Crossing protests and how they’ve become so vital after the threat of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has shut down large outdoor gatherings.
“Frankly speaking, without coronavirus, I don’t believe HKers would go through such a tremendous effort in decorating their islands to be a protest site,” Wong said in an interview with USgamer.
Since Wong’s tweets garnered attention and the in-game protests grew, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is no longer available to buy on Chinese grey market retailers Pinduoduo and Taobao, according to Reuters.
It’s unclear whether sale of the game was removed due to a government order or voluntarily by politically sensitive retailers.
In February, pandemic-themed strategy game Plague Inc. was removed from sale in China after the Cyberspace Administration of China determined that the strategy game “includes content that is illegal in China.”
Watched all of Tiger King and left wanting more? The good news is that Netflix has delivered. A new episode of Tiger King, or rather an aftershow titled “The Tiger King And I,” is available now on Netflix, featuring actor and comedian Joel McHale interviewing some of the show’s main characters.
The Tiger King and I — a Tiger King after show hosted by Joel McHale and featuring brand new interviews with John Reinke, Joshua Dial, John Finlay, Saff, Erik Cowie, Rick Kirkman, and Jeff and Lauren Lowe — will premiere April 12 pic.twitter.com/8fbbNdaiDA
The Tiger King special was seemingly rushed into production after the show became one of Netflix’s most successful series’ ever. The special was announced on April 9 for an April 12 release. The new episode features interviews with Jeff and Lauren Lowe, fan-favorite Saff, Erik Cowie, John Finlay, John Reinke, and Rick Kirkham, all speaking over webcam from their own homes.
Notably, Carole Baskin and Doc Antle don’t appeared in the new episode, though that fact isn’t so surprising since both have since put out their own statements refuting what was depicted in the documentary. You can read Carole’s Refuting Tiger King post here, while Doc told his side of the story on radio.
New Releases isn’t just a show about the biggest games launching every week–it also highlights some lesser-known titles you might want to put on your radar. That’s the case this week, with the Ultimate Edition of Space Engineers, tabletop RPG Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York, and zany party game Save Your Nuts. Don’t worry, there’s DLC for some bigger titles too: Fallout 76 grows with the free Wastelanders update, and Journey to the Savage Planet has the Hot Garbage expansion.
Fallout 76 – Wastelanders — April 14
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Fallout 76 is already a sizable game, but it’s growing even larger thanks to the addition of NPCs. Raiders and Settlers are returning to the game’s West Virginia setting, bringing new quests, enemies, and gear with them. The addition of actual human characters also means the return of dialogue trees, S.P.E.C.I.A.L. speech checks, and quest-changing choices. Wastelanders is free for anyone who owns Fallout 76, and if you already own the PC version, you’ll get the Steam version at no extra cost–that launches the same day as the expansion.
More Coverage:
Journey to the Savage Planet – Hot Garbage — April 15
Available on: Xbox One, PC
Journey to the Savage Planet is about exploring an alien world and cataloguing its flora and fauna at the behest of a mega-corporation. Hot Garbage is set in a waterpark, but your rival company has poisoned the water there. Fortunately, the expansion adds some new upgrades to contend with the pollution, like underwater boots and a detoxifying tool.
More Coverage:
Space Engineers: Ultimate Edition — April 15
Available on: Xbox One
That’s not the only space adventure launching this week, although Space Engineers has a very different tone. It’s a physics-based sandbox game, challenging you to collect resources and build structures and equipment as you explore various planets. The Ultimate Edition includes all previously released DLC packs.
More Coverage:
Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York — April 15
Available on: Xbox One
Based on the cult classic tabletop game, Coteries of New York lets you choose from three different newly formed vampires, each with their own abilities. You’ll have to contend with two fanged factions in NYC, making decisions that will influence each side as the story continues. You can also take on side quests to bond with your various vampire companions.
Save Your Nuts — April 16
Available on: Xbox One, Switch
The name says it all: every minigame in Save Your Nuts is about, well, saving your nuts. Eight players can compete in local and online challenges to collect the most acorns, with minigames set in a variety of environments like basketball courts, backyards, and snowy mountains.
April still has plenty of video games to come, and the next episode of New Releases is going to the jungle with Predator: Hunting Grounds. Retro RPG fans will also be able to get their fix with Trials of Mana.
